Page 8 of Ambush

“It’s a little weird being back here after so many years. I drove past my old house yesterday. Someone has fixed it up.”

Jenna nodded. “One of our employees bought the place. Evan Hopkins. You might remember him.”

Paradise managed to hide her shock. Evan had been a seventeen-year-old neighbor when her parents were murdered, and she considered him her top suspect. After school the week before, she’d walked in on him in their house. His excuse about being too drunk to know he was in the wrong house had convinced her father, but all these years later, she thought it much too flimsy to be true.

To hear he’d purchased her home was a punch to the gut. Wasit to cover up evidence that might have existed somewhere? It seemed unlikely after all these years, but she wasn’t sure she believed it was a coincidence he’d been the one to buy it.

“I’d be interested in seeing the inside sometime if he would let me.”

“I’m sure he would. Evan is a hard worker and a great guy.”

“Where does he work on the preserve?”

“He’s a big cat keeper.”

Paradise licked dry lips. She’d avoided the big cats, but she wouldn’t be able to put it off much longer. Not if she hoped to accomplish her goals.

***

Blake glanced at his watch. It was the last encounter of the day, and half the seats were empty like usual. Most people liked the morning excursions so they could escape the Alabama heat and humidity, though in the winter the afternoon usually filled too. A young couple who seemed more interested in each other than learning about the animals sat on the bench seat that stretched across the back of the vehicle.

At the sound of quick footsteps, he turned an automatic smile toward the sound, but it died on his lips when he saw Paradise mount the stairs. “Uh, you need me?”

She shook her head. “Your mom suggested the encounter would be a good way to get familiar with the animals and the park.” She slid into the long seat on the right side of the bus. “I’ll sit here so I can face you and hear you easily.”

And unfortunately, he’d see her out of the corner of his eye the entire time. Even with all that had happened between them, her guarded amber eyes drew him right in.

He flipped on his mic and turned around. “Good afternoon, you’re about to embark on an inside tour of The Sanctuary. You’ll see river otters, chimps, bears, the African delta, and lions lazing in the sun.”

Paradise flinched at the mention of the lions. Was she truly up to this job? He hated to see her fear, but she would have to get over it. The big cats often required vet care.

He drove to the first stop, the grizzly bear refuge, and shut off the engine. He grabbed a bucket of raw meat morsels and opened the truck door. “You can get out if you want or watch from the windows.” The vehicle was open air with a canvas roof, and the couple in the rear would be able to watch from their seats. The couple stayed put and didn’t look up from their ardent conversation in the back.

Paradise followed him out of the truck and approached the fence with him. He rattled the fence and called for Serena, his favorite grizzly. She’d come to them when authorities closed down a roadside zoo. Even half-starved she’d been socialized and friendly. Since arriving here, she’d roamed the acreage with obvious delight. As usual she lumbered toward them, and he poked food through the fence for her and the three cubs who followed her.

Paradise examined her condition with a steady gaze. “She’s beautiful, not even thin from the winter.”

“She was a chub when she entered her cave. She gave birth last month and brought her babies out to show them off. She’s a good mama.”

They watched the cubs tumble together in the grass for a few moments. “It’s a wonderful thing you’re doing here, Blake,” Paradise said softly. “I see the hand of love and kindness everywhere.”

“We care about the animals. It’s Mom’s lifework.”

“And yours?”

“It is now. I used to wonder why she cared so much. Now I know.”

“What about your paramedic career? Are you sorry to leave it behind?”

Did she really care? “I came to help Mom and my brothers, but I soon loved it as much as they do. The animals all have different personalities, and every day I’m eager to interact with them. And I don’t have to worry about getting shot.”Or losing a friend.“I can’t imagine doing anything else now.”

A sharp, short report rang out, and his combat reflexes took over. He jerked Paradise down with him as he ducked. A bullet zinged by his head and hit the lock on the gate. “Get down, everyone!” The people who had disembarked hit the dirt, and several heads inside the truck ducked down below the windowless openings.

“This way.” He scrambled on the ground with Paradise to just behind a small viewing shack where they squeezed into the space between the back wall and the fence. The four other people scrabbled after him too, and he checked to make sure no one was hurt.

“You okay?” he asked Paradise.

“Fine.” She was pale but composed. “You tempted fate with that comment about not getting shot at any longer. More activists?”

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