Page 21 of No Good Deed

Oreo hopped down the stairs and headed straight to the nearest bush. “Good boy.”

“Where is it? Where did you hide it?” The male voice was barely more than a harsh whisper. Her head jerked around to see someone emerging from the shadows of the front tree. She tugged on the leash to pull Oreo back in, grateful he wasn’t a big dog she couldn’t control.

Heart pounding, Piper backed up as the man moved forward. She had to make it into the B&B before he reached her. “Come on, Oreo. Heel.”

The dog trotted her way, but his stride was no match for the man. Piper yelled for help as she moved forward to pick up the dog.

“Shut up, you stupid bitch.”

Piper kept yelling as she grabbed Oreo and turned to run.

The man snagged her ponytail and jerked her backward. She lost her balance and released the leash. “Run Oreo.”

The man yanked her hair again and slammed her into the ground. When she opened her eyes, he loomed over her. She tried to yell again, but the words froze in her throat.

CHAPTER 8

Up To No Good

Troy had finished his tenth restless lap through his house and was considering trying to sleep when his phone rang. Pretty much everyone texted rather than called, so the sound of a call this late at night meant bad news. “Troy here.”

“It’s Carl. Jim is calling Marcus. You should come over.”

Troy’s knees wobbled. “Is Piper okay?” But Carl had already hung up. Troy grabbed his keys and jumped into the car. He was closer than Marcus’s house, so it didn’t surprise him when he beat his friend there. He was climbing the porch stairs when headlights flashed over him, showing Marcus had arrived.

Instead of waiting, he banged on the door. “It’s Troy. Marcus is pulling in. Open up. Piper, are you okay?”

Marcus reached his side just as he was going to bang again. Jim opened the door and motioned them in. Troy didn’t even bother with his boots when he spotted Piper sitting on the couch. He crossed the room and sat beside her.

When she looked up, tears glimmered in her eyes, and Troy pulled her to him in a tight hug. Her arms immediately wrapped around him, and she snuggled in. His heart actually bumped against his ribs in relief. She was okay. “What happened? Are you okay? Tell me you’re okay.”

She nodded against his chest. “I’m okay.”

Jim spoke up. “She’s got a bump on her head, and I think she should get Lia or Mitch to check her over.”

Lia was the local doctor and Mitch was a paramedic. Both spent half their time in town and the other half at Midnight Lake with their partners. He wasn’t sure if either of them was in town tonight, but he knew they would come quickly if needed.

With their time in the Army, both Troy and Marcus had basic medical training. He leaned back and then ran his hands over Piper’s shoulders. He waited until she looked up at him. “Mind if I have a peek? I’ve had a bit of training.”

“I’m fine. It’s just a small bump. No blood. It’s not a concussion.”

“Can I check anyway?”

She rolled her eyes but nodded. “Fine.”

He ran his hands lightly over her hair, and it only took a second to find the bump. Large enough for him to believe she had to be in pain. “You need to put ice on this.”

At that moment, Carl walked into the room. “Right here. I’ve got ice right here. Along with some water and acetaminophen.”

Marcus sat on the chair opposite them. “I’m glad you’re mostly okay, Piper. I’ll get your statement in a moment, but do you mind if I take a picture of your injury? And any other injuries you haven’t mentioned. Are you hurt anywhere else?”

Troy nearly dropped the ice pack Carl had given him. He hadn’t thought of that.

Piper nodded. “Go ahead. And that’s the only injury. The creep yanked me by my hair and I banged my head on the sidewalk.”

Marcus took the photo, then moved back to sit in the chair. “Do you need anything before you tell us what happened?”

Piper’s hand reached for Troy’s, and he laced their fingers together. He wanted to protect her, although it felt more like a need than a want. If he could, he’d demand his former Army teammates haul ass to Vermont to set up around the clock monitoring.

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