Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53807 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53807 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
He opened the door to find Aspen’s neighbor sitting in a lawn chair with a baseball bat over his thighs. Zale ignored him completely as he walked to the dumpster a short distance away. The others followed his lead and carried the furniture out.
Jerico hoisted the twin mattress he’d found on the floor. Her bed deserved a trip to the dumpster. Aspen wouldn’t be sleeping on the lumpy padding again. As he maneuvered the bulky item through the door, the neighbor stood and walked forward with the bat over his shoulder.
“You’re going to tell me where she is,” he said threateningly.
“That’s not going to happen.” Dismissing him, Jerico cleared the doorway and headed to add the mattress to the pile for trash pickup.
A strong shove to the mattress almost knocked him off his feet. Tightening his core, Jerico regained his balance and dropped the load. He shifted instantly into battle readiness. His teammates continued to carry things to the truck. They obviously felt he could take care of the situation. Jerico hid a smile that would have inflamed the situation.
“There are six to one. You might do some damage, but you will lose. If I had to guess, the neighbors are ready to call the police. They kept you last night for ten hours. How long do you think they’d hold you this time if you’re returned in less than two hours?”
The man’s nostrils flared, and Jerico knew he’d be lucky if the man made the right decision here. Zale stopped and picked up the mattress off the ground as the men stared at each other. Jerico stayed in his spot, holding the man’s attention as his teammates finished emptying the house.
“We’re done,” Caden said quietly.
Jerico handed him the key and waited until he heard the all clear. “Forget her,” he warned.
“She’s got my dog.”
“She’s got her dog. You lost rights to that dog the first time you hurt the defenseless animal,” Jerico told him.
He turned to walk to the truck and found the men waiting for him. Nodding his appreciation of their backup, Jerico climbed into the truck. When the others joined him, Koa drove away. The team communication expert kept track of Eddie in the rearview mirror.
“I thought he was going to attack,” Koa confessed.
“He’s got something else up his sleeve,” Jerico said, as he texted Aspen to let her know they had her things and were headed to his house. He added a special instruction:
Take off Rexy’s collar and submerge it in water in the sink.
She sent him back a thumbs up.
CHAPTER 4
“I’m supposed to take off your collar, Rexy.”
The dog just looked at her as Aspen took off the blue collar that she’d bought the large dog when the other one got too small.
Aspen turned it around in her hands and shrugged. “How do you think he knew it was dusty?”
She dropped the collar in the warm water filling one half of the kitchen sink and added some liquid dish soap for good measure. When the collar floated to the top, she rummaged in the cabinets for a pot and weighed down the collar so it would remain under the water.
Rexy stood and moved to the kitchen doorway, instantly on alert.
“What is it? Is it Jerico?” Aspen asked, grabbing a towel that hung from the stove to dry her hands.
When Rexy refused to move from the doorway, Aspen pushed him into the other room, struggling as the big dog tried to foil her efforts. “Stop protecting me. We’re not back there anymore. These are the good guys.”
“I feel like I should be wearing a white cowboy hat,” one large man told her from the doorway, his hands filled with a large cardboard package. “I’m Hank. Jerico’s right behind me.”
“Hi, Hank. I don’t know what to tell you to do with that box,” Aspen said, holding up her hands in a helpless gesture.
Rexy lumbered forward and woofed at the man. Even the dog’s most friendly greeting sounded deep and fierce. To her surprise, Hank didn’t flinch as he walked inside, allowing Jerico to appear.
“Now that’s a dog. What’s his name?”
“Rexy,” Jerico told him as the dog immediately zeroed in on Jerico. With a floofy bounce, the large dog greeted his new bestie by putting his front paws on the man’s shoulders. The bag in Jerico’s hands complicated things.
“Down, Rexy. I’ll pet in a minute. Let us get these things stowed in the basement.”
To Aspen’s disbelief, the dog dropped to the floor and returned to her side. Automatically, she ruffled the dog’s fur and scratched his big head. “Good boy.”
One man after another walked into the house carrying something from her apartment. Each introduced themselves.
“Hi, Aspen. I’m Caden.”
“I’m Zale.”
“I’m Koa, the good-looking one.”
Aspen had to roll her eyes at that response. They were all good looking and in amazing shape.