Only Her (A K2 Team Novel)(83)

Coming to a halt in her yard, he stared in horror as part of the roof collapsed just as two firemen ran out, each with one of Riley’s cats draped lifelessly over his arm. Jesus, this was going to kill her. She loved those cats. He scanned the yard, looking for her. When he saw Mike Kilpatrick, Cody ran over to him, yanking on the cop’s arm. “Where is she?”

“She should be here any minute. Highway Patrol’s escorting her and her friends.”

At that news, he inhaled air back into his lungs. She was safe. The firemen carrying her cats were kneeling under the tree in her front yard, and Cody headed toward them. Before he reached them, a Highway Patrol car came around the corner, his siren piercing the air. Close behind was Jake’s Jeep, and Cody changed direction.

The back door flew open, and Riley tumbled out. “Oh God, Cody.” She ran straight into his arms.

“Darlin’, I’m so sorry.” He pulled her tight against him. This is where she belongs, Dog. You get that, right?

She burst into tears. “They didn’t . . . they didn’t find my c-cats?”

“I meant about your house.” The cats hadn’t appeared to be alive, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell her.

“My cats are safe?”

She peered up at him with such hope in her eyes, and he held onto her when she tried to pull away. “I don’t know. They found them, but . . . but, I just don’t know.”

“Where are they?” Her eyes frantically scanned around them, pausing on the two firemen kneeling under the tree. When Cody tried to block her view, she jerked away from him. “Dammit, I’m a vet. Let me go do my job.”

She was right. If anyone could save her cats, she could. He followed her, stopping next to her when she knelt. “I’m their owner and a veterinarian,” she said to the fireman.

Cody was awed at how she’d put aside her grief to become what was needed, a doctor to her animals. Oxygen masks covered the cats’ faces, and she placed her middle and index fingers on the inside of Arthur’s leg.

“Why there?” one of the firemen asked. “I’m Dave, by the way, and this is Brent.”

“I’m Riley. Wish we were meeting under better circumstances. To answer your question, the best place to check a cat’s pulse rate is on the femoral artery, located right here inside the thigh, near the groin.” She closed her eyes for some seconds before saying, “Thank God. He’s got a pulse. Keep the oxygen on him.”

Cody was pretty sure he was the only one who noticed the tremor in her voice.

She moved her fingers to Merlin. “His pulse isn’t as strong, but it’s there. I need to get them to my clinic,” she said, looking up at Cody.

He could take her in his truck, but he wanted to stick around and find out what had happened here, because vacant houses didn’t just burn themselves down. But he wasn’t about to let her take off on her own. He glanced around to see who was here that he trusted could keep her safe.

“Be right back.” The ones he wanted were standing next to Kincaid. “Jake, Maria, can you take Riley and her cats to her clinic? I’d do it, but I want to stay and get some answers. Tell her I’ll come get her later. Don’t let her out of your sight.”

“You got it,” Jake said.

“Thanks, man. You’ll stay with them until I get there?”

Jake nodded. “Count on it.”

A fireman came around from the back of the house, carrying two gas cans. Cody fisted his hands. “Arson. When we find whoever’s doing this, might be a good idea to keep me away from them.”

“Duly noted,” Kincaid said. “Not that I blame you. Let’s go talk to the fire chief.”



Cody sat on his couch in his living room, as Riley stood at the window, staring at what used to be her house. She had been quiet ever since he picked her up at the clinic and brought her home. He wanted to hold her, somehow give her comfort, but when he’d tried, she had pushed him away. Not that he blamed her, considering he’d done the same to her that very morning when he had shut her out. The way her shoulders were slumped in defeat made him feel helpless.

“It was arson?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry, darlin’. You don’t deserve this.”

“You didn’t do it, so why should you be sorry?”

Because he hadn’t protected her, nor had he been there for her when she’d needed him. Those were his regrets, but he’d had a much-needed breakthrough during his session with Tom, and the goo in his head didn’t seem as thick as it had before. So where should he have been? With her or with his head doc? He didn’t know.