Minutes or hours later, Marcus said, “Kristi, how do you feel?”
“Like I need a long nap.”
Rafe palmed the back of her head, his touch surrounding her with care and comfort. “If you want to lie down, I’ll find a place for you to rest.”
She shook her head. “I’m not a good napper. If I sleep in the day, I can’t sleep at night.” When she could sleep at all, that is. Nights were never restful.
“Stay with me and Paige,” Marcus said. “We have plenty of room for you and Wolf Pack.”
“Thanks for the offer, Marcus, but we can’t impose on you,” the operative said. “The kidnappers already know we’re in Otter Creek. I don’t want to bring danger to your doorstep.”
Kristi’s heart sank. The last thing she wanted to do was endanger these good men. The truth was, though, everyone around her was at risk until the culprit behind the kidnapping had been caught and unmasked.
CHAPTER TEN
After Marcus left for another appointment, Rafe wanted to help Kristi take her mind off the trauma of her past. Even now, he’d love to learn the name of the kidnapper who abused her so long ago, track him down, and teach the abuser a lesson he’d never forget. Since that wasn’t possible for the moment, he turned his focus to distracting the woman with the courage of a lion.
He stood and held out a hand. “Walk with me.”
Kristi wiped the last of her tears away with a tissue and grasped his hand. “Where are we going?”
“Someplace I think you’ll like.” Rafe didn’t know of a better place to offer a distraction in the PSI compound. He’d spent many hours there in his downtime when his own demons raged at him.
Rafe led her to the back door and headed for the S & R training facility. Although the chance of the kidnappers gaining entry into the PSI compound was low, Rafe wouldn’t risk Kristi’s safety by keeping her outside for an extended period of time in one place. The mastermind behind the kidnapping might have hired a sniper.
After sliding his card through the reader and entering a code, Rafe ushered Kristi inside the building. Immediately, the sound of dogs barking brought a smile to his face and unraveled the knots in his gut. During the weeks he’d trained at PSI, Rafe had discovered the S & R dogs had the ability to soothe his raw emotions, and longed for a pet of his own.
“Dogs?” Kristi turned to him with a puzzled expression.
“PSI has a Search-and-Rescue training arm. This is the indoor training facility. Do you like dogs?”
“I love them, but I’ve never had a pet. I loved playing with my friends’ dogs, though.”
“Why didn’t you adopt one when you moved away from home?”
“I spent too much time building up Kristi’s Bridal. Do you have a dog?”
“I’m deployed on missions frequently, and I never know how long I’ll be gone. Wouldn’t be fair to board a pet for weeks at a time.”
Kristi opened her mouth to say something, then changed her mind.
Curious, he squeezed her hand. “What?”
She refused to meet his gaze. “You don’t have anyone to watch a dog or cat for you?”
His lips twitched when he realized what she was asking in a roundabout fashion. “I don’t have a girlfriend, Kristi. If I did, I wouldn’t have kissed you.” His name was called from the other side of the training arena.
Rafe led Kristi in the direction of Deke Creed, one of the PSI K-9 trainers. He shook the former US Marshal’s hand. “How are you, Deke?”
“Can’t complain. Who’s your friend?”
“Deke Creed, meet Kristi Stewart. She’s a friend who’s also a principal. Kidnapping vic.”
Deke shook her hand. “I’m glad you’re safe. You have a good man protecting you.”
Kristi smiled. “I think so, too.”
He turned back to Rafe. “What brings you to dog central?”
“Kristi and I need a stress break. I could go a few rounds on the mat with the trainees, but this was the best place to get a break without adding to my bruises.”
She gasped. “You’re hurt? You didn’t say anything to Dr. Anderson.”
“Just a few bruises, Kristi. Nothing worth bothering the doc over.” He’d suffered worse injuries on missions and kept going without missing a beat. “Tell me you have a good distraction for us, Deke.”
“The trainees are out with their K-9 partners, searching for one of the trainers pretending to be a lost hiker. I do have a foster dog here that we were testing for the program.”