To Save His Mate(14)

“Damn! Do they think he’ll make it?” If he died, the killer might slip away. It was a cold way to look at things, but she had to remain detached when it came to the victims or she would lose her mind.

“He didn’t say. When we get there, I’ll bring Gus to you, here at the SUV. You can talk to him in private and decide how best to handle this. I’m hoping all of the other models and crew have been sent back to their temporary homes, but just in case, you’ll be better off letting it look like he’s taking your statement.”

“That’ll work. I’ll use the time to get brought up to speed on what they’ve found so far. My chief knows about this attack since I called him while you were getting Storm and Lightning, so he’ll need to be notified of where the victim is being taken. He’ll need protection until this is resolved.”

“I can’t say I like you being on your own out here. You have me, but where’s your original backup? You can’t tell me they sent you in alone.”

He was pretty sharp, and if it wasn’t for the fact that her partner was in the hospital, then there wouldn’t have been a need to bring Ethan in on this at all. Sighing, she explained, “The first victim was my partner. We’re waiting for him to be able to speak,” she gave him her I-mean-business look. “Nobody is to know he was a cop.”

“Was?” he asked, glancing over at her.

That was the real kicker. “He may never be a cop again. Might never be allowed to have a gun, either. Bruce had some serious nerve damage from the electrocution, so his career in this part of the field could be over. We just won’t know until he goes through all of the tests and therapy.”

“But he could take a desk job…”

Lacy leveled Ethan with a hard glare. “No cop that’s been in the field ever wants to be forced into a desk,” she pointed out. “Besides, he’s looking at disability if what the doctors are predicting holds true.”

Lacy truly hated that Bruce, her partner, had been hurt, and that hate only fueled her need to find this killer even more. Nobody messed with her friends and got away with it.





Chapter Six





Gus turned out to be a wonderfully helpful man. Lacy had originally been dreading the typical male reaction of, “I don’t need a woman messing around in my case,” but he’d been happy to share his information with her. He’d insisted that his other officers be aware of her status to avoid any possible altercations at the crime scenes. He’d assured her they would do everything in their power to help her maintain her cover, treating her no differently than anyone else while the other models and such were around. She’d been made aware that there was a medical professional on scene, and that Ethan’s brother was also still here as he was acting as security at the time of the incident.

Feeling more at ease by the minute and happy that she had plenty of backup, should she need it, Lacy relaxed a bit. They’d chatted like old friends while the last of the crew from the shoot finished packing up equipment. He’d turned on that famous southern charm, and soon, she’d been telling him all about her wishes to find a small town to settle in and relocate. The shocker was the job offer she had before they finally exited the SUV.

They moved through the trees, following a small trail to the creek beyond. There were a few officers still talking with an attractive man in jeans and a button-down dress shirt rolled up at the sleeves. She spotted Ethan off to the side, speaking to a beautiful brunette.

Choosing to ignore her initial catty response to their closeness, Lacy headed over.

“That’s Mrs. Wolfe,” Gus chimed in. “She’s the new physician’s assistant at the clinic. The two physicians are husband and wife and getting on up there in years, so she decided to come over and see if she could help while we waited for Life Flight to come in.”

“Life Flight?” She thought she’d heard a helicopter.

“The victim’s airway began to close off, and he developed a fever so quickly that we had to get him to the main hospital in Nashville.” He shrugged, “It was the fastest way to do that.”

“Then he should be at the same hospital as the first victim.” Lacy was glad to hear that. It meant both men would be well guarded. “I’ll make some calls and get some guards on him. Who’s the guy by those two officers?”

“Oh, that’s Adam. He’s one of Ethan’s brothers. He’s the one covering for Ethan while Ethan’s doing his…er…modeling duties.”

“He’s the one who owns the wolves?”