Hidden Shadows (The Shadow Series Book 1) (33 page)

Reese let him finish, let him get it all out before she pulled him back gently, and looked into his warm brown eyes. “Hunter, I know how important Jack is to you. I understand he is your friend. But I need to help him with that mange. That means that, for today, my friend and I will take him to a really great place I built for dogs just like Jack. I promise you that he'll be happy, and we will take the very best care of him.”

Hunter sniffed, wiped his nose on the sleeve of his shirt. “Once he’s better, you’ll bring him back here?”

“Depends on where you are, doesn’t it? Jack shouldn’t be here if you’re not.”

“I ain’t goin’ nowhere. This is where I live.” He gestured back to the dilapidated house.

“You and who else?”

He stared at her blankly.

“What adults live here, Hunter? Your parents, grandparents? Is anyone here now?”

He shook his head. “The policemen took Daddy.” Obviously one of the two men she’d seen in the back of the cop car when she'd arrived. “Uncle Stu is here sometimes, when Daddy’s not. But the police came and took him too, before today. Won’t be back for a while, Daddy said.”

“Okay . . .” She nodded encouragingly as her mind turned. “We can fix that. Turns out I happen to know some more friends that will be able to help you, too. Maybe watch out for you until your Dad gets to come home.”

Hunter was silent, clearly unhappy with the suggestion.

She playfully nudged his shoulder. “I can’t just leave you here, can I?”

“Sure. I’m here alone lots.”

“Hmmm.” Reese tapped a finger to her chin, shook her head back and forth. “That’s no good. No good at all.”

“What? What’s no good?”

“See, the thing is, I’m going to need to get in touch with you. You’ll have to be somewhere an adult can give you a phone, or a ride if you need. Without that, who would I go to for permission on what to do with Jack?”

“Permission? From me?”

“Of course. You’re his owner aren’t you? You get to help me decide the best way to make him better. There’s medicine, living arrangements, lots of things that’ll need your approval.”

Hunter dropped his eyes, lost the brief spark of pride she’d spotted. “I don’t want him to live anywhere else. I want him to stay with me."

“I can’t promise that until I know what kind of medicine and care Jack needs,” Reese said honestly. “But my friends and I will work together, and once Jack is feeling better, we’ll try for that. Sound good?”

He shrugged half-heartedly.

Reaching, Reese took his shoulders once more, waited until his eyes met hers and focused. “Hey, Hunter. I know this is no fun. I know you’re scared. My mom went to jail when I was little, and it was hard for me. But some really nice people helped me. And I want to help you now. I can see what a strong, brave young man you are.”

“I’m not strong or brave.” He hung his head.

“Sure you are. You wanted to protect Jack, didn’t you? Any man who protects someone he loves is honorable and brave.”

Even with his head bowed, Reese saw the smile spread across his face, and oddly found her own heart swelling as his grin did.

He idly scratched the belly that Jack rolled over to expose. “Do you promise you’ll take care of him?”

“Solemnly swear.”

“And I won’t go somewhere bad?”

No worse than here, that’s for sure, Reese thought. But she smiled. “No. Wherever you go, you’ll have fun. You’ll get to play and maybe even have other boys and girls at the house. And you’ll have me, checking in with updates and approval on Jack’s treatment, remember?”

Hunter grinned. “Cause I’m his owner.”

“And more important, his friend,” Reese grinned back.

Deciding it would further prove that she could be trusted with both their fates, Reese stood, and handed the leash over to Hunter. When he eyed her suspiciously, she nodded. “Go on, you can take him.”

“Really? Outside the yard? On a leash? Daddy never let me do that!”

“Outside the yard. On a leash.”

Before Hunter could even finish his whoop of delight, Jack was up and off the deck, dragging the boy behind him. They made a beeline for the exit, where Layla still lingered, Reese saw, looking a bit worse for wear yet.

Crap. She hadn’t thought of Layla. Well, she had, of course, she’d just thought of Jack and Hunter first. Prioritized.

And completely overlooked that not everyone had experienced the gun-pulling stunt. While she couldn’t claim
expert
at it, Reese thought a good dozen times qualified her to not go into shock mode when she was on the wrong end of a barrel. She couldn't claim calm, either, of course—her hands were still slick and her heart hadn’t quite stilled to its usual pace—but she knew that panic and inaction never got you anywhere, especially if you were a target.

Maybe Layla hadn’t contacted anyone after all. So Reese would do that, too.

And make a mental note to think about adding crisis situation training for new hires. Even offer it to those already on board.

“Layla,” she called, “do you mind flipping the back seats up in the Jeep, give Hunter some space? He’s coming with us.”

Layla’s eyes clicked toward Reese, and as the running duo reached the gate, she snapped-to and turned on her smile. “We’re going to that silver car parked over there," she pointed, falling in line directly behind Hunter as he pulled a nose-to-the-ground Jack toward the street.

“Jack sure was hungry,” Layla’s voice trailed back, “what about you?"

Hanging back, Reese let them head out of the yard before she bent, picked up the shotgun, and relieved it of its shells. Pocketing them, she trotted down the porch steps and placed the gun gently on the ground under the shadows of the deck.

She got the child, the cops should at least be able to come get the weapon.

Exhaling deeply, she scanned the yard, made sure she wasn’t missing anything else, and mentally flipped back to her list.

2. Get Hunter out.

Rounding the corner from back yard to front, hearing Hunter’s laugh and Jack’s gleeful bark, she smiled.
Check
.

As Layla secured boy and dog inside the vehicle, Reese finally dug out her phone from the back pocket of her jeans. Scrolling through the contacts, she pulled up Rachel Rhodes, punched in
Need to talk ASAP,
and sent the text.

Also by Lauren Hope

Rescued

Reese Sheppard has worked for a decade building her business and unshakable reputation to create a thriving, no-kill sanctuary for the animals of Sullivan County, Tennessee. Then, a crime spree begins—spreading three counties wide and growing in violence with each new victim, all of whom point the finger at Reese as the culprit. 
Not only facing jail time, the allegations also threaten to ruin everything Reese has worked for professionally and personally. But evidence doesn’t lie. And it’s all pointing to no one else but her . . . 

Get your copy at
Amazon US
and
Amazon UK
.

Screaming To Be Solved

Marxie Vaughn becomes a widow at twenty-five years old when her police officer husband, Evan, is tragically killed—reduced to ashes in an explosion in the line of duty in their small Georgia town. Without even a body to bury, Marxie is left to deal with the sorrow of his abrupt and brutal end. Seeking to start anew, she packs up and moves east to Savannah. 
But when Detective Grant Carter knocks on her door two years after the accident, Marxie’s carefully rebuilt world turns upside down once more. The grim detective gives Marxie unimaginable news: Evan’s body has been found in a nearby canal. 
Desperate for answers, Marxie embarks on a fascinating, complex and heart-wrenching journey to find out exactly what happened to the man she loved. And though the intriguing detective may be working under ulterior motives, he puts his whole being into helping the young widow bring closure to a mystery that haunts her every waking moment. Together, Grant and Marxie work to unearth a secret that runs as deep and murky as Savannah’s canals.

Get your copy at
Amazon US
and
Amazon UK
.

The Shadow Series

Hidden Shadows
(The Shadow Series Book 1)

Jenna Gregor is a busy, single mom of two, successfully overseeing a Perinatal Wing in a downtown Nashville clinic. On the surface, Jenna’s achievements are many, her future bright and promising. But in her past are secrets, sins she doesn’t want exposed. Sins someone else doesn’t want to forget, or forgive. 
Just as Jenna’s life finally seems to be falling back into place after her bitter divorce—Bennett Aston can handle her sarcasm and stubbornness quite nicely—it all begins to unravel. Someone is lurking, hiding in the shadows, slowly and meticulously ruining Jenna’s well-crafted world. As threats evolve, suspicions grow, and death becomes a vivid reality, Jenna must decide whom she can trust and find her allies, before her secrets become her undoing.

Get your copy at
Amazon US
and
Amazon UK
.

Chasing Shadows
(The Shadow Series Book 2)

Heidi Aston is as surprised as anyone when her husband, Joseph, who’s been mysteriously gone for months, shows up in the delivery room just as she’s giving birth to their baby. A baby he didn’t even know existed. When newborn Lilly is violently kidnapped days later, Heidi is given no choice but to join forces with her estranged husband in a wild and terrifying journey to find their little girl.

To be notified of when Chasing Shadows is re-released check out the
Lauren’s Latest
page on my website.

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About the Author

Lauren Hope is the author of the bestselling mystery Screaming To Be Solved, and her first published work, The Shadow Series (Hidden Shadows, Chasing Shadows). Lauren creates a twist on the classic whodunit, combining suspense, romance, even comedy, for intriguing, heartfelt stories.

After sitting behind the anchor’s desk and working in the corporate world, Lauren decided to use her Communication and Journalism background to write the stories she loved.

Lauren lives with her husband, daughter, and floppy-eared rescue pup in Tennessee.

Visit her at
www.laurenhope.net
.