to understand what Killian was saying. He tossed a stone into the water and the dog’s attention followed the toss. “That would probably be rushing things, huh? I mean, we’ve been living in each other’s pocket and it’s been really good. You know?” Duke turned suddenly and stood, the hair on the back of his neck lifted, and a low, vicious growl rumbled in his thick chest.
Killian dropped down the slight embankment, made sure he couldn’t be seen, and stared in the direction Duke was growling. “Duke. Come.” He hissed the words at the dog and the animal obeyed immediately.
Okay, so he was jumpy… a lot jumpy. Damn.
He drew a deep breath and stared toward the build site. It could be a myriad of things that set Duke off—the dog was notorious for chasing after rabbits, rats, and any stray cat that wandered into the build site. He couldn’t see anything, and Duke’s tail was now wagging. He chuckled to himself. God, he was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
He released the dog’s collar and Duke bolted to the right. He heard a flurry of feet and Duke’s snorts as the dog tracked whatever he’d seen. He dropped his head back between his shoulders and chuckled quietly. Man, he’d be glad when this whole mess was over and he could forget about land purchases, Mob affiliation, and payoffs.
The lights in the area flickered to life and he could see the site, locked up and vacant under the temporary lighting they’d installed. He glanced at his phone. Thirty minutes until Bekki’s exposé. He whistled for Duke and headed back up to the trailer.
Showered, and with Duke lying beside his desk chair, he popped the top off an IPA that Bekki had stowed in the small refrigerator under the coffee machine. He turned on the television, kicked back, and crossed his bare feet as he adjusted the volume of the television.
Duke’s head snapped up and he growled again. Killian glanced down at the dog and then toward the door. He put the beer down and grabbed the forty-five from his desk drawer where he’d put it when he’d come back to the build site. He slipped his bare feet into his unlaced work boots and opened the door for Duke, who shot out of the trailer like a bullet from a rifle, growling and snarling as he ran.
A quick, high, sharp yelp from his dog was all he needed to hear. He launched out of the trailer and raced as fast as he could wearing untied boots toward where he last saw Duke. He made it maybe fifteen feet when he was knocked from behind and propelled forward. Searing heat glommed to his back. He crashed into the hard-packed gravel. It took several seconds for him to gather his wits and turn to look for his weapon that he’d lost when he flew forward. But what he saw stopped his train of thought: the hulking shell of his office trailer was engulfed in flames.
He turned and searched for the handgun but couldn’t find it. In desperation, he spun around, looking for his weapon, and that’s when he saw Duke, laying on his side not more than fifteen feet from him. He lurched forward and kicked a piece of burning rubbish away from his dog. He ran his hands over the animal, stopping when he found a dart in the dog’s shoulder. He pulled the damn thing out and laid his head on Duke’s chest. He was panting, fast and shallow, but he was alive.
Killian moved closer to scoop the animal into his arms when he saw a man by the trailer. He glanced at Duke before he dove backward and scrambled behind one of the many supply containers that lined up adjacent to the trailer. He stopped long enough to tie his boots and then he ran. The sound of a ricocheting bullet made him duck to his left and dive behind another container. He pulled air into his lungs and listened. Sirens in the distance meant nothing to him. They might not be heading toward him. He glanced to his left and moved along the side of the container until he found what he was looking for. Carefully, he climbed to the top of the container using the ladder affixed to the side of the moveable shelter. He dropped to his belly and as quietly as possible used his elbows to drag himself to