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Sheriff
Laura Scott
HAZARDOUS HOMECOMINGWitnessing a prison break, FBI agent Julianne Martinez is within seconds of death...before she's rescued by the one man she thought she'd never see again. She'd know her long-ago love, Brody Kenner, anywhere, even with a sheriff star on his chest. Years ago she left Texas and Brody, and had no plans of returning...until the trail of a missing agent brought her home to both. Brody won't let her investigation proceed without him, and he needs her and her K-9 dog to track his escaped prisoner. But partnering with Julianne to solve two cases only leads to danger when the hunted becomes the hunter. This is a mission that cannot fail...because Brody lost Julianne once, and he won't lose her again.
HAZARDOUS HOMECOMING
Witnessing a prison break, FBI agent Julianne Martinez is within seconds of death...before she’s rescued by the one man she thought she’d never see again. She’d know her long-ago love, Brody Kenner, anywhere, even with a sheriff star on his chest. Years ago she left Texas and Brody, and had no plans of returning...until the trail of a missing agent brought her home to both. Brody won’t let her investigation proceed without him, and he needs her and her K-9 dog to track his escaped prisoner. But partnering with Julianne to solve two cases only leads to danger when the hunted becomes the hunter. This is a mission that cannot fail...because Brody lost Julianne once, and he won’t lose her again.
The low growl sent chills up her spine.
“What is it, boy?” Julianne pulled her gun from the holster on her waist and glanced around the parking lot as if searching for whatever had gotten her dog’s attention.
“Does he do this often?” Brody put a hand on his gun, too.
“Only when he senses danger.”
They’d taken a few steps toward her vehicle when Thunder abuptly stopped and backed up a step. He growled low in his throat, and pushed at Julianne with his nose, as if to move her out of the way.
“What is it?” The moment Julianne said the words, Brody saw a figure running away from the parking lot.
He grabbed her arm. “We have to get out of here. Now!”
CLASSIFIED K-9 UNIT:
These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners
Guardian—Terri Reed, April 2017
Sheriff—Laura Scott, May 2017
Special Agent—Valerie Hansen, June 2017
Bounty Hunter—Lynette Eason, July 2017
Bodyguard—Shirlee McCoy, August 2017
Tracker—Lenora Worth, September 2017
Classified K-9 Unit Christmas—Terri Reed and Lenora Worth, December 2017
Dear Reader (#u8b98e535-f6bc-5dea-a90d-4eb880a83c60),
I hope you enjoyed Sheriff, the second book in the Classified K-9 Unit series. I’m honored to be in such great company with such amazing authors. All the books in the K-9 series are wonderful, and while each book stands alone, the ongoing suspense kept me on the edge of my seat as I read the entire series.
Reunion stories are one of my favorites to write and I hope you enjoy them, too. When K-9 FBI Agent Julianne Martinez returns to her home state of Texas, the last person she expects to come to her rescue is Sheriff Brody Kenner, her ex-boyfriend. Now that Julianne is a key witness in Brody’s case, the two are forced to work together and to reconcile their past. Will they be able to heal the wounds from their breakup to find love the second time around?
I hope you enjoy Brody and Julianne’s story, along with the other books in the K-9 series. I love hearing from my readers. If you’re interested in contacting me or signing up for my newsletter, please visit my website at www.laurascottbooks.com (http://www.laurascottbooks.com). I’m also on Facebook at Laura Scott Books Author (https://www.facebook.com/LauraScottBooks) and on Twitter, @laurascottbooks (https://twitter.com/laurascottbooks).
Yours in faith,
Laura Scott
LAURA SCOTT is a nurse by day and an author by night. She has always loved romance and read faith-based books by Grace Livingston Hill in her teenage years. She’s thrilled to have published over twelve books for Love Inspired Suspense. She has two adult children and lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her husband of thirty years. Please visit Laura at laurascottbooks.com (http://www.laurascottbooks.com), as she loves to hear from her readers.
Sheriff
Laura Scott
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Answer me when I call to You, my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
—Psalms 4:1
This book is dedicated to a dear friend and wonderful fan, Vicki Lynn Christman, and her adorable Westie Sophie. Here’s the K-9 story you’ve been waiting for! Thanks for being such a strong supporter of my books.
Contents
Cover (#u1561bd29-5e07-555e-b5b7-c2bf5f5b739c)
Back Cover Text (#u2ada5eab-ca45-5243-aed1-24e5f47dea01)
Introduction (#u4fbfd34d-a35d-596d-ba45-cc6f14ba7b73)
Dear Reader (#u5d2a7815-1e9e-52cb-8321-f4d4d687243f)
About the Author (#uaad9f704-2b31-5291-92be-80944f2ff1bd)
Title Page (#u49d8a019-ee67-534a-a281-a573a018d9b8)
Bible Verse (#u61a46f74-eeed-5b90-b8bd-8836e500d011)
Dedication (#u0394a94f-1146-5c60-83b0-3dd554131038)
ONE (#uacaf3f5c-4728-5ac0-b03d-dc2109670b10)
TWO (#u6dfbf236-97cf-5397-9bef-5c9efcc31727)
THREE (#u969757dc-7167-5690-9748-d4adfc2372db)
FOUR (#ud7d95576-36df-5d00-8eaa-4fa3643b6b68)
FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
ONE (#u8b98e535-f6bc-5dea-a90d-4eb880a83c60)
The low rumble of a car engine caused FBI Agent Julianne Martinez to freeze in her tracks. She quickly gave her K-9 partner, Thunder, the hand signal for stay. The Big Thicket region of east Texas was densely covered with trees and brush. This particular area of the woods had also been oddly silent.
Until now.
Envisioning the map in her pocket that Dylan O’Leary, the team’s technical guru, had drawn up for them, she realized she must have gone too far south, heading toward the rural road, barely paved, instead of north to the cabin where their missing colleague, FBI Agent Jake Morrow, could very well be held captive by the criminal mobster Angus Dupree.
Moving silently, she angled toward the road, sucking in a harsh breath when she caught a glimpse of a white-and-black prison van.
What in the world? The van abruptly halted with enough force that it rocked back and forth. Frowning, she edged closer to get a better look.
The reason the van had stopped was that there was a black SUV sitting diagonally across the road, barricading the way.
Reacting instinctively to the perceived threat, Julianne rushed forward. As she drew her revolver, she heard a bang and a crash followed by a man tumbling out of the back of the prison van. The large bald guy dressed in prison orange made a beeline toward the SUV. Another man stood in the center of the road pointing a weapon at the van driver, who held his hands up in the air in a gesture of surrender.
A prison break!
“Stop!” Julianne pointed her weapon and shot at the gunman, hoping, praying she could save the van driver’s life. Her aim was true, and the assailant flinched, staggering backward, but didn’t go down. Instead he turned toward her, a fierce expression etched on his face.
He had to be wearing body armor.
Seconds later, the situation spiraled out of control. The gunman shot the driver through the windshield, then came running directly at Julianne. She gave her K-9 partner two hand-signal commands.
Hide. Stay.
Good boy, she thought, as Thunder slinked behind a large tree. He was an English foxhound, and his brown-and-black coat, along with his black FBI bulletproof vest, worked well as camouflage. She didn’t want him to get hurt, but she also needed him to protect her back.
Just as she’d protect his.
She ducked behind a tree, then took a steadying breath. Tightening her grip on her 9 mm, she peered around to where she’d last seen the shooter. She fired at him once again, then ducked behind the tree.
Keep moving.
Julianne eased from one tree to the next as Thunder watched, waiting for her signal. Now the silence was suffocating, the slightest rustle of a leaf unbearably loud.
When she couldn’t take the quiet for another moment, she peeked out trying to identify where the gunman was located.
Crack!
She ducked, feeling the whiz of the bullet miss her by a fraction of an inch, a piece of bark flying off the tree. The perp was roughly twenty feet in front of her, far closer than she’d anticipated.
After a long moment, she was about to risk another glance, when the assailant popped out from behind a tree. He looked her square in the eye, the barrel of his gun pointing directly at her chest.
“Stop right there,” he shouted in a hoarse voice. “Put your hands in the air.”
Angry that she hadn’t anticipated the gunman’s move, Julianne held his gaze, refusing to glance at Thunder, hoping the thug hadn’t seen her partner.
“Put your hands in the air!” he repeated harshly.
She continued to stare at him, knowing if she did as the gunman demanded, he’d shoot where she stood. He’d already killed the van driver, what more did he have to lose?
Nothing.
So why hadn’t he shot her already? Was he looking for information?
“Fire that gun, and I’ll plant a bullet between your eyes,” a familiar, deep husky Texan drawl came from out of nowhere.
Brody Kenner?
The gunman jerked and glanced to his left. In that split second she fired at the arm holding his gun. Her FBI training didn’t fail her. He screamed in pain. Blood spurted from his right arm, and he dropped the weapon.
Then he turned and fled.
“Thunder, fetch!” Julianne didn’t bother to look over at the man she’d once loved, the man who’d just saved her life, but remained focused on not losing the perp.
She wasn’t nearly as fast as Thunder when it came to running through the woods, dodging trees. And it seemed like just mere moments later when she heard tires squealing as a car drove away. She slowed down, gasping for breath, knowing it was too late.
The gunman and whoever had run from the prison van had escaped.
Frustration clawing through her, she headed over to the vehicle to check on the driver. The poor man was dead. She murmured a prayer, wishing she had something to cover him with before turning her attention to the issue at hand.
“Thunder?”
