Chapter 3

CHAPTERTHREE

Raid held Khloe close as she slept. He kept his eyes on Duke, counting his breaths as his chest moved up and down. Everything that could possibly go wrong kept swirling through his brain. It would be more than cruel for Duke to have lived through surgery, only to have what amounted to a heart attack while in recovery.

But Khloe hadn’t seemed overly concerned, so he forced himself to stay calm. That didn’t mean that he didn’t scoot closer to Duke. It was a miracle he hadn’t woken Khloe up as he moved, but what seemed like seconds after he’d reassured her that he’d wake her up in an hour, she was dead weight in his arms.

Feeling better now that he could touch Duke, Raid allowed himself to relax a fraction. With one arm around Khloe, holding her against him, and the other hand on Duke, he closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall behind him.

The next few days were going to be hectic. Raid had no doubt about that. He just hoped they’d be able to get out of the clinic before Ziegler came back. The man was going to lose his mind over everything that happened. He really was an ass. He should be happy that Khloe was able to save Duke, but Raid was sure that wouldn’t be the case. It would help that Rocky would be replacing the broken door frame, but Raid suspected that wouldn’t assuage the veterinarian’s anger over what he’d probably perceive as a threat to his role as the only vet in Fallport.

His mind turned to the woman in his arms. There were times over the last year or so when he’d felt as if he was getting to know her fairly well, despite her best efforts, but today had proven that he didn’t know her at all. Some men might’ve been upset that she’d obviously been keeping secrets from everyone, but not him. He hadn’t exactly been an open book himself.

He’d been an introvert his entire life. Opening up wasn’t easy for Raid. But being on the other side of things—wondering what other secrets Khloe had beyond the fact she was a veterinarian—had him considering his own past. The things he’d never shared with anyone.

He hadn’t ever spoken of the events that made him quit the Coast Guard and accept Ethan’s offer to come to Fallport. But now he couldn’t help thinking about it. Couldn’t help thinking about Finn “Tonka” Matlick. Tonka had been his closest friend in the Coast Guard. His only friend, really. Their dogs, Steel and Dagger, had been buddies as well. They all worked extremely well together, and Tonka never cared that Raid didn’t talk a lot. Didn’t care that he wasn’t the type who enjoyed going out with the guys during their time off.

Their last mission had started out so routine. They were patrolling the waters off Virginia for anything suspicious. When they’d spotted the smallish speedboat, they’d decided to board to check for illegal substances.

Raid shivered when he thought about what happened next.

They’d boarded the vessel and were ambushed by Pablo Garcia. Raid had been knocked in the head and shot, and he was damn lucky not to have bled out on that ship. But it was Tonka and their working dogs who’d suffered the most that day. Raid was blessed to have been unconscious during the events that followed. Tonka hadn’t been as lucky. He’d witnessed every depraved thing Garcia had done. And as a result, now suffered from severe PTSD.

Raid hated that for his friend. Hated a lot of things about that last mission. He hadn’t been able to say goodbye to Dagger. Hadn’t been able to comfort him in his final moments. Hated that for years, Tonka’d had to relive what he’d seen. And he definitely hated Pablo Garcia. His only consolation was that the man was rotting away in jail.

Thinking about his own secrets made him look down at Khloe. She was so tiny compared to him. All his life, he’d been called a giant. Strangers would stop him on the street to ask how tall he was. He’d heard all the jokes and hated every last one.

But Khloe hadn’t once made a crack about his size. Or his ears. Or his red hair. That didn’t mean they didn’t snipe at each other about other things. She’d never been afraid to stand up to him…which Raiden actually liked. He found he enjoyed their banter.

But he liked this even more.

Holding her.

Keeping her safe while she was vulnerable.

She’d saved Duke. He knew that as well as he knew his name. Without her, he would’ve lost another best friend too soon.

His arm tightened involuntarily, and Khloe stirred. Raid forced himself to relax and, to his relief, Khloe’s eyes didn’t open.

He sighed heavily. His feelings for this woman were complex. He was her boss. He wasn’t convinced she even liked him all that much. And now that her secret about being a vet was out, he wondered if she’d leave Fallport.

Things between them were complicated at best.

Raid was no closer to figuring out what to say to Khloe when she woke up of her own accord a bit over an hour later. She shifted against him and slowly sat up, blinking sleepily.

Her hair was mussed from the hectic day and she had a crease on her cheek from lying against his shirt. Raid realized he’d never been as attracted to Khloe more than he was right that moment. Rumpled. Sleepy. With her guard down.

“Hey,” he said, realizing it sounded lame after the word was out.

But Khloe didn’t seem to notice his awkwardness. “Hey,” she returned. “How long was I out?”

“Not too long. Maybe an hour and a half.”

She groaned and stretched, and it was all Raid could do not to stare at her chest as she did so. Khloe had a strong, lithe body…with tits that were a little larger than was proportionate to her tiny size. He’d definitely noticed—and appreciated—her womanly assets, but hadn’t let himself dwell on them in the past. After having her plastered against his chest for the last hour and a half, and now that she was stretching right in front of his eyes? He couldn’t help but appreciate her even more.

“I’d kill for a cup of coffee from Grinders,” she mumbled, then turned to Duke. “How’s he doing?”

“As far as I can tell, fine. He hasn’t woken up. His aspirations are around sixteen per minute.”

“Good, that’s normal.” Khloe shuffled closer to Duke and checked his heart rate and peeked under the bandage over his belly. She checked his IV and she was apparently satisfied, because she nodded and sat on her butt next to the dog as she looked up at Raid. “I’m sure you want to talk.”

Raid shrugged.

“You don’t?” she asked as one brow rose skeptically.

“It’s getting late. I’m tired. My dog’s on the mend. Honestly? All I want right now is to sit here and enjoy the calm before the storm.”

“Calm before the storm?” Khloe asked with a tilt of her head.

“Yeah. Moving Duke. Having all our friends visit. Dealing with Ziegler. Answering questions from the citizens of Fallport every time I stick my head out of my house. Managing Duke’s desire for food against what’s best for him. Trying to keep him calm while he heals. Work. Figuring out how to best help you with whatever’s troubling you…

“Sitting here right now, in the relative silence, will probably be the least stressful time I’ll have for quite a while.”

“Nothing’s troubling me,” Khloe said stubbornly, homing right in on those words.

Raid couldn’t help it when his lips curled upward. He closed his eyes and leaned his head on the wall behind him. “Right,” he said.

“I’m fine. Good. Great.”

His smile grew. “Yup. And that’s why you’re living here in Fallport, working at the library, when it was obvious from the start that it had been years since you’d stepped inside one. Why you lied about your experience and your profession. Is Khloe even your name?”

“Yes!” she said defensively.

Raid opened his eyes and looked at her. She was sitting ramrod straight, her legs crossed, one hand resting on Duke’s large paw closest to her. She was cute all ruffled and defensive. It struck him again why he always said things to irritate her. Because she got under his skin. And because he liked her like this. Emotion swimming in her eyes, ire aimed at him. He preferred that to the worry he often saw in her gaze. Unconsciously, maybe he’d done his best to help her forget her troubles.

The longer he stared at her, the more she squirmed, and finally she sighed and looked down at her lap. “Fine. Khloe really is my name. But my last name isn’t Moore.”

Even that little scrap of info was enough to make Raid feel good. She was letting him in without him forcing the issue. At least a little bit. When he didn’t react verbally, she looked up at him.

“Aren’t you going to ask what it is?”

“Nope,” Raid said lazily. “I know what it’s like to have secrets. Things you don’t want others to know. For their good and your own. I want you to tell me when you feel you can trust me. And you can trust me, Khloe.”

Several seconds went by before she said, “I know.”

“Good. How’s your leg holding up?”

Khloe blinked. “Fine.”

“I’m just asking because you stood for longer than you usually do today. I saw a fridge in a break room down the hall. I can get you some ice or something if you need it.”

“I’m okay. I admit it’s a little sore, but it’s not too bad. Changes in the barometric pressure irritate it more than standing next to an operating table.”

“Okay, but if you need something for it, just let me know.”

She stared at him for a long time.

“What?” he asked.

“I just…you’re being…weird.”

“Weird how?”

“I don’t know. I’m used to you snapping at me. Pointing out all the things I’m doing wrong. Ordering me around. This…nice Raid, I can’t get used to.”

“Come on, I’m not that bad,” he said.

Khloe raised her brow at him again, and Raid couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Right. I may or may not be a perfectionist when it comes to work.”

“Understatement,” she mumbled.

“And you’re not?” he countered. “If the roles were reversed and I was a vet tech in your practice, would you not expect me to do things perfectly?”

A small grin formed on her lips. “I may or may not have had a reputation for being a hard-ass in my past life.”

Raid returned the grin. “I can totally see that. But I bet your employees loved you.”

The smile slowly faded and she shrugged.

Raid mentally kicked himself for bringing up what were obviously bittersweet memories for her. He changed the subject. “So…when do you think it’ll be safe to move Duke over to Doc Snow’s?”

It was the right thing to ask, as she went into a long explanation of what she’d be looking for in the dog’s recovery, and how they’d transport him, and what to expect when the bloodhound woke up.

After a while, Raid got up and scrounged some more blankets and towels for them to use as pillows and for the rest of the night, they took turns taking cat naps as they watched over their patient. As the sun began to rise outside, Raid realized that while it hadn’t been the best night’s sleep he’d ever gotten, he felt surprisingly good.

Duke had woken up a few times and, while groggy, seemed happy to see his two favorite humans.

“I would kill for a shower, a coffee, and a change of clothes,” Khloe said.

“Tell me what you need, and I’ll have Caryn and Drew go and grab it for you,” Raid told her.

“Huh?”

“Give me your coffee order and let me know what you want from your apartment, and I’ll have Caryn and Drew bring it by.”

“I heard you, but I don’t understand why you’d ask them to get me something.”

“Because they’re here. They’ve been outside most of the night.”

“What? Why?”

“Because we’re inside, and they were concerned about us and Duke. Not to mention I asked Drew if he wouldn’t mind staying and keeping an eye out for Ziegler, just in case.”

“He’s not supposed to be back for a few days.”

“Right, but I’m sure by now he’s heard all about how we broke into his clinic, and he’s not going to be happy. If it was me, I’d want to get back here to find out what’s going on. I’m guessing it’s too much to ask that he’s just relieved an animal was saved. He’s going to be pissed that we broke in.”

“We didn’t break in. I did,” Khloe said firmly.

“Semantics,” Raid said with a shrug.

“They’ve really been out there all night?” she asked with a furrow of her brow.

“Yup. And Rocky and Bristol are going to relieve them in a bit. I’m sure the others will also return sooner or later. They’ll give us a break to go shower if we want, and they want to see Duke for themselves.”

“I don’t…that’s…Raid, that’s crazy.”

“Why?”

She stared at him as if confused by his question. “Because!”

“You’ve never seen owners desperate to make sure their animals are all right? Who showed up as soon as you opened so they could visit with their fur babies? Who begged to be able to sleep next to the kennels of their hurt pets?”

“Of course I have. But…” Her voice trailed off.

“But you haven’t had the kind of friends who would do that for you,” Raid concluded.

“I haven’t exactly been super friendly toward them,” she admitted in a soft voice. “I tried to keep them at arm’s length. I didn’t want them involved in my shit.”

Raid’s stomach tightened at hearing those words. He didn’t know what her “shit” was, but with that simple sentence, he knew it was as serious as he’d feared. And his determination to do whatever he could to help her increased. “They know good people when they meet them. And you, Khloe whatever-your-last-name-really-is, are good people.”

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, refusing to meet his gaze.

“Coffee?” he asked gently.

“A large quad nonfat, one-pump, no-whip mocha. Please.”

Raid’s eyes widened. “Quad? That’s four shots of espresso.”

“I know. I’m thinking I’m going to need the extra caffeine today after last night, and so I can deal with Ziegler without committing murder if he shows up.”

Raid chuckled. “Right. Probably a good idea.” He pulled out his phone and his fingers flew across the screen as he texted Drew. “And from your place?”

“Jeans and a T-shirt are fine.”

He grinned. “And underwear?” He loved the blush that formed on her cheeks.

“Duh,” she said with an eye roll.

He was still smiling as he sent Drew another text.

“I’m assuming they’ll need my key to get into my apartment,” Khloe said.

“They’ll figure it out,” Raid told her as he hit send.

“Figure what out? Raid, they need my key to get into my apartment. I think one B&E is enough for one week.”

“Khloe, this is Fallport, not the big city. They’ll talk to the apartment manager and get her to let them in. Don’t worry so much.”

But she didn’t let it go. “So Diedre is just going to let them in because they ask nicely?”

“Yes,” Raid told her. “But don’t go thinking that she’s a pushover or that she’d let just anyone in. I’m sure she, along with most people in this town, know what happened yesterday. They’ll have heard about your determination to get help for Duke, and that you were willing to upset Ziegler to do so. They’re happy Eagle Point SAR is here and they know Duke is necessary. So the fact you’re not only able, but willing to help when needed, and the fact that you’re you, will have her agreeing to open the apartment for Drew and Caryn so they can grab you a change of clothes. But don’t worry. I’m sure she’ll stand there while Caryn gets your stuff, just to make sure nothing untoward goes on when they’re in your space. They’ll be in and out in under a few minutes, and Diedre will make sure your door is locked on their way out.”

“You sound like you know her well.”

Raid couldn’t help feeling pleased at the hint of jealousy in her voice. But he was quick to reassure her, because the last thing he wanted was Khloe thinking he was some sort of player or, God forbid, he had a thing for her apartment manager.

“She’s a nice woman whose father got lost while visiting her a few years ago. He was here for Thanksgiving and wanted to go on a short hike before they ate. Four hours later, Duke found him three miles off the trail, cold and confused. To say she’s a fan of ours is an understatement. And I’ll say it again—this is Fallport. It’s hard not to know people well when you’ve been here long enough.”

“Oh,” Khloe said.

“Yeah, oh. Now, what do you need me to do to help you with Duke this morning?”

And with that, things between them went back to being more professional. But Raid wasn’t concerned about backsliding. His relationship with Khloe had irrevocably changed in the last fourteen hours. He wasn’t a fan of the awkward getting-to-know-you phase of a relationship, whether that be a friendship or something more. But with Khloe, he was finding that it was actually exciting.

He had no idea what the future held for either of them, but for now, he was going to enjoy getting to know this woman better…and maybe, if he was lucky, she’d want to get to know the real Raiden in return.