To Love Someone (Baytown Boys #14) - Maryann Jordan Page 0,97
intruders. And she was dumbstruck with the beauty and majesty of the animals that should never have been restrained. The yips and barks coming from several other pens drew her eye, and she’d smiled at the energy of the pups. Looking toward Liam, she’d shaken her head. “I can’t tell you if these are purebred wolf pups or wolf-hybrids.”
“That’s okay, Wildlife Rehab is on their way, and they’ll take them all in. Once we know what we’re dealing with, then the animals will be turned over to them.”
Joseph had stayed outside with Frodo, and when she left the barn, she walked directly into his arms. His embrace enveloped her, and he’d kissed the top of her head as he held her tightly. Once again, Frodo had leaned his weight against her leg and sniffed her fingers. They’d stayed entwined for several long minutes as law enforcement moved in and out of the barn. Several members of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center finally arrived and took charge of the scene along with the deputies.
Liam had walked over to the couple, nodding his thanks toward Joseph before looking down at Samantha. “This is going to take a while, and you’re not needed for this. I hate to add more on to you, but you’re going to need to come to the Sheriff’s station. We’ll need statements from you as we’re continuing our investigation. Colt has first dibs on Annette since the thefts occurred in his county, but he’ll be at my office with her for now. Once we know the whole scope, she’ll probably be charged in both counties.”
Following Liam back out of the woods, she’d jerked slightly as they made their way toward Joseph’s SUV. “My truck! I need to get my truck.”
“Don’t worry about it now,” Liam had said. “Just in case Lionel and Alejandro don’t confess, we’ll have your truck to collect evidence.”
Her face fell and Joseph grunted. “Babe, it’ll be fine. I promise, nothing will part you from your grandfather’s truck for long.”
Now, Samantha looked around in curiosity at the room in the Acawmacke Sheriff’s Office where she, Joseph, and Frodo waited. One of the detectives had brought Frodo a bowl of water as well as cups of coffee for both she and Joseph. Taking a sip of the brew that was much better than she thought it might be, she hoped the caffeine would help get her through the rest of the day while not keeping her awake once she and Joseph got home.
Liam walked down the hall, caught her eye, and waved for them to follow him. Standing, they stepped into a conference room with a large table in the center. Once seated, Frodo laid down at her feet. She glanced over at Joseph and whispered, “Frodo doesn’t want to leave me.”
Joseph wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in close. “He’s not the only one. I don’t want to let you out of my sight.” His gaze dropped to the bruises on her arm, and his jaw tightened.
With her hand on his thigh, she rubbed gently. “I’m fine.”
Before he had a chance to retort, Liam, Colt, and Hunter walked into the room and sat down. Liam began, “Because this case is in two jurisdictions, Colt and I will be working together. The theft of drugs took place in North Heron, and Hunter will be working with you to determine what had been taken and when. Although, I’ll say that Annette is being very forthcoming.”
Hunter nodded, opening a file onto the table and glancing at the contents before lifting his gaze. “I know Annette was your office manager and had been working in the clinic before you came along. She was originally hired by the previous veterinarian, Tom Robertson. They became friends and she discovered he’d had a relationship with Paula Bender—”
“Paula Bender?” Samantha blurted, jerking back in surprise.
“According to her, Tom had an affair with Paula years ago, but it didn’t last long. She says Tom had money problems, and Paula offered a solution. Paula knew the money that could be made if she could sell wolf-hybrid puppies, especially if they had fifty percent wolf in them. In order to do that, she needed a full-blooded wolf. It took her a while to make contacts, but she finally did. And it looks like she managed to pay off several employees to keep everything off of Jim’s radar.”
Joseph kept his arm around Samantha but leaned forward, his gaze intense. “How the hell did he not know