Sworn to Protect Read online

  “A search warrant for something else. Long story short, the breeder owed me a favor and since most people want puppies, he was more than happy to offload Saaski for a good price.”

  “Are you sure he’s safe? He looks vicious.”

  “He’s what Iris needs. Something that makes her feel safe. A Chihuahua wasn’t going to get the job done. If anyone tries to come near Iris who seems threatening in any way, he’ll—”

  “Eat them?”

  He grinned. “Deter them.”

  Mya digested the information and then cocked her head to the side assessing him openly. He shifted under her gaze. She had an uncanny way of seeing through him, had since they were kids. This was no different, especially when she said, “You don’t have to pretend that you don’t care about her. I’ve known for a while that your feelings had changed about Iris.”

  “Don’t make more out of this than it is,” he warned, uncomfortable with how close to home Mya was hitting. “I got the woman a dog. I would’ve done the same for anyone in the tribe.”

  “But it wasn’t just anyone. It was Iris. And if this hadn’t happened to her, things between you might’ve been able to take their course naturally.”

  Maybe. Maybe not. He and Iris were like fire and ice. Even if Iris hadn’t been attacked, he doubted either was going to undergo a rapid personality change to suit the other. Iris was as difficult as he was stubborn. He didn’t see how the two character traits meshed together to create anything more than a chaotic mess. “How’s she doing?” he asked, changing the focus. “Think she might be able to return to work soon?”

  “I don’t know. She’s still pretty shaken up. She’s trying to bounce back, but it’s like watching someone try to piece together a broken vase with only half the pieces. I could sure use the help, though. The clinic has been filled to capacity and the nurse brought in to cover for Iris just isn’t the same. She tends to get flustered with our caseload,” she admitted.

  “I think she ought to get back to work as soon as possible. It might take her mind off things.”

  “Maybe, but burying herself in work is just the same as hiding in her house. They’re both exercises in avoidance.”

  “She takes pride in her work. She needs something to rebuild her confidence, to help her rediscover her center. She can’t do that from inside her house.”

  Mya nodded, seeing his point. “I’ll talk to her, see what she says. How was the meeting last night? I couldn’t seem to get out of here on time.”

  Sundance sighed, annoyance ripping through him at the memory. “Same as usual. We talked, no one on the federal level listened. There was a lot of commiseration but no action. The tribe is going to drown in the Hoh before they do something about it.”

  Mya looked troubled. “And what did they say about your request for another tribal officer?”

  He couldn’t keep his frustration from his voice as he answered tersely, “My request was shot down. They said since the reservation is only one square mile, it didn’t justify the need for another officer.”

  “Our population has exploded. You’re constantly running from one call to the next,” Mya said with growing anger. “Damn the bureaucrats who won’t see what’s going on down here. Do you think it would help if I told them how our clinic is nearly bursting at the seams with patients?”

  “I doubt it, but you might want to sit down and talk with Chad Brown. You know, that guy I told you about earlier?”

  “And why would I want to chat with him?”

  “Chad was at the meeting last night and he’s jumping in with both feet on the issues. I think we might have an advocate where it counts.”

  “That’d be a first.” Mya nodded, but there was a wariness to her stare as she said, “I’ll do what I can to help, but this better not be some kind of ploy to get me to see him as a romantic possibility. You’re a terrible matchmaker, so I’d advise you to stick to what you’re good at, my brother.”

  Sundance scowled, clearly caught. “It’s time you move on, sis.”

  She stiffened but forced a smile. “I have nothing to move on from. This isn’t about Angelo. It’s about my work and how busy I am. I truly don’t have time to date right now. Okay? So stop worrying.”

  Easier said than done. Angelo Tucker had done a number on his sister years ago, and despite her protests to the contrary, Sundance felt she still nursed that particular wound. Why else would a beautiful, successful, spirited and strong woman remain unattached? His thoughts skipped to Iris and he was irritated with himself at how quickly his heart rate jumped at just the thought of her. Iris Beaudoin had never felt compelled to be attached to any one person but not because she’d been burned in the past. She just liked her freedom, or at least that’s how it appeared. Now…a pang of anguish followed. No one deserved what had happened to Iris. He had to find who’d done this terrible thing, or else each time he saw Iris he’d see how he failed.

  Today Iris was venturing out.

  She blew out a short breath and focused on settling the rapid, staccato beat of her heart and ignoring the screech of terror that sounded in her mind when she stepped over the threshold and whistled for Saaski to come. As soon as the dog bounded to her side, his sable coat gleaming in the bright sunlight, her heart rate calmed and her panic ebbed. She swallowed and headed for her rugged, older model Bronco. The ’88 Ford had a lot of miles but it was tough and strong and she needn’t worry about dog hair on the upholstery. She opened the door and Saaski, after a moment’s hesitation, jumped into the driver’s seat. “You’re the passenger, buddy,” she informed him, giving him a helpful nudge so she could climb in.

  For a long moment she sat in the Bronco, her keys clutched in her hand. Her Bronco had been left behind at The Dam Beaver. Whoever had taken her had used his car to leave the bar. Mya had driven Iris’s vehicle home after Sundance had given the all clear. She hadn’t been behind the wheel since that night. Saaski, sensing her distress, whined and pawed at the window. Wiping at the moisture in her eyes, she reached over and rolled the window down far enough for some air flow but not enough for Saaski to jump out. She didn’t know how well he traveled just yet. She was about to find out.

  “Let’s go talk with this breeder of yours. He’s going to teach me some Navajo, and you and I are going to become very good friends. Sound like a plan?”

  Saaski gave a doggie grunt and his tongue lolled.

  “I’ll take that as a yes,” Iris said, gunning the engine. The rumble of the Ford was soothing even if her hands shook on the steering wheel. “No more hiding…no more fear,” she murmured with conviction. “A journey starts with one step.”

  Perhaps if she said it enough times, she’d believe it.

  Once she pulled onto the highway, cranked the radio and started singing, her panic had subsided and it felt good to be out and about. She glanced at Saaski and smiled. Sundance had been right—the dog helped.

  Chapter 7

  A full month after she’d been attacked, Iris finally returned to work. Mya was, of course, relieved, but there was worry, too. Iris knew her well enough to peel away the layers of her best friend’s relief to the bare concern beneath.

  “I’m fine,” Iris assured Mya for the tenth time, and she was actually starting to believe it…as long as she didn’t think too hard about what she couldn’t remember. Her period had come and gone, relinquishing the last hold on her ability to move on and she was ready to put it all behind her. “I need to work. Besides, my house is too small to remain in 24/7. There are only so many projects I can start and not finish in one lifetime,” she joked, referencing her penchant for being a great starter but not so great of a finisher when it came to hobbies. She had countless half-finished projects throughout her house, from paint jobs to mosaic tile work—she liked the idea of creating something from sweat equity, but not so much of the actual follow-through. “Besides, I heard you were going crazy with your new nurse. Let’s face it, there’s only one of me—making me irreplaceable.”
/>   Mya teared up and threw her arms around Iris, shocking her with the sudden action. “You are irreplaceable,” she agreed with a watery sniff. “It’s been a mess without you.” She pulled away and wiped at her eyes, her cheeks red. “I’m sorry. I’m just so happy to have you back but I don’t want you to do anything you’re not ready for.”

  “I’m ready to think of something other than myself,” Iris shared quietly. “Within my four walls, there’s only me. It was nice enough when I was unable to face the idea of being out and about but once that passed, it became a prison. I love my house but I don’t want to be on house arrest.”

  Mya nodded. “I hear you. Okay…well, then we’re happy to have you back. I should warn you…the charts are a mess and the scheduling has been back-to-back. We haven’t had a dull moment since you left. You’re going to have to jump back in with both feet and start running because it’s nonstop.”

  Iris grinned. “Just the way I like it, chaotic and going full tilt. Bring it on, Doc.” Mya returned the smile and Iris thought she ought to add, “Oh, one other thing… Saaski is in the break room, so don’t be alarmed if you see a devil dog lounging on the sofa.”

  Mya’s grin faltered. “Inside?”

  “Well, I couldn’t very well leave him at home. He goes with me wherever I go.”

  Mya nodded, reluctantly agreeing, and saying with a sigh, “Just don’t let him eat any of the staff. We have a hard enough time getting qualified people here as it is.”

  “No worries. He’s on a strict no-people-unless-they’re-bad diet.”

  “Fabulous.” Mya slipped on her lab coat and disappeared to start the day.

  Iris smoothed her scrubs, enjoying the familiar feel of the cotton beneath her palms. Before, she’d never given things like her routine much thought. Now, she was thankful for each day, each moment that felt normal.

  A small bead of perspiration dotted her hairline as she fought the sour lump of apprehension that followed the realization that she would be facing the community again—baring herself to their scrutiny and their questions. She could do this. First and foremost, she was a professional health care giver. Keep the chatter to a minimum, she instructed herself. That way she communicated without words that she wasn’t interested in satisfying everyone’s morbid curiosity. She was alive—that’s what mattered—and she had a job to do.

  As the sun sank into the horizon, signaling an end to the day, Sundance made his way over to the Healthy Living urgent care center. Mya had told him it was Iris’s first day back at work and he thought he’d swing by and see how it went, it would also enable him to broach a different subject.

  He wanted Iris to see a forensic hypnotherapist to see if a professional could unlock her memory of the attack. He expected a refusal but he had to try.

  Iris and Saaski exited the back door and he was pleased to see Saaski responding well to her commands. The two were a good fit together. Iris opened her Bronco and Saaski jumped in. She’d just taken her seat when he approached the vehicle.

  “How was the first day?” he asked, making conversation. It struck him as odd that before the incident, he would’ve never thought to strike up pointless banter with the woman. If he’d needed to speak with her, he would’ve gotten straight to the point. Now, he felt compelled to chat first.

  Iris rubbed at her eyes, no doubt tired, and nodded as she answered with a yawn. “Satisfying. Felt good to do something useful.”

  “Mya missed you,” he said. “She didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings but she was a bit underwhelmed by the quality of your replacement.”

  “She’s just used to my style because we’ve been working together for so long. I’m sure it would’ve been fine,” she murmured, but he could tell she enjoyed being so valued. And he didn’t see anything wrong with that. He’d never had any complaint about her work ethic. “You know, I never got a chance to thank you properly for bringing me Saaski. He’s a great dog.”

  He allowed a short smile, heat flooding his chest at her admission. “You sleeping again?” he asked gruffly.

  “Like a baby,” she answered, smiling. “Anyway, I know you’re not one for sentimental gibberish but it meant a lot to me that you cared. We haven’t always been…friendly to each other, but you were a real friend when you brought me Saaski. So…thank you.”

  “I would’ve done it for anyone,” he said. “The tribe’s safety is my responsibility.”

  “Ah, of course,” she said, withdrawing a bit. “The tribe has always been your priority. Guess I’m glad I fall under that umbrella.”

  Her wounded reaction made him want to apologize but he wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for. He only knew that he wanted to wipe away that expression, even if he wasn’t sure why. The best thing would be to focus on the job at hand, he counseled himself when the awkward silence stretched between them. “Listen…I wondered if you’d be willing to see a hypnotherapist—one that specializes in memory retrieval.” He threw the request out there, not surprised when she shut down.

  “Not interested,” she replied, sticking her key in the ignition and firing up the Ford. “Just let it go, okay? I don’t really want to know what happened. We both know the outcome of the evening, I don’t need details. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise that I can’t remember.”

  “What if it happens to someone else?” he asked.

  “The odds are slim. It was probably just someone passing through. I’m ready to put it behind me and I can’t do that if I’m reliving the experience in full Technicolor.”

  He understood but the key to solving the case was locked in her head, he could feel it. “Iris, don’t you want closure?” he asked.

  She met his stare without reservation and said, “That’s what I’m doing. I’m working on closure. This is my way of putting it behind me. I’m sorry, Sundance. I can’t. I won’t. I’m done and moving on.”

  Sundance stepped away from the Bronco so she could pull away. Frustration gnawed at him. He sensed something bad was in the air. His great-grandmother used to say that when the spirits were restless, something bad was coming. And he felt it all around him, a sense of malice hanging in the air, draping over the tribe like a blanket of danger.

  But he could tell Iris wasn’t going to budge. He couldn’t exactly blame her—he could follow her logic quite easily—but the awful sense of responsibility weighing him down refused to let it ride.

  Somehow he had to convince her to change her mind before someone else fell victim to whoever had attacked Iris.

  He shook off the shudders that tripped along his spine and tightened his jacket around his neck as a frigid wind signaled rain on the way.

  Yes…something bad was coming. Or maybe it was already here.

  Sierra Buck was an exceedingly pretty young intern at the Tribal Center where she filed papers, typed emails and sorted mail as part of her work experience credit at the high school.

  She had a blinding smile that stopped anyone who happened to get caught in her field of vision and generally speaking, everyone liked her for her amiable disposition.

  And she’d caught his eye.

  At sixteen, Sierra was a little young for his current tastes but he was willing to make an exception for exceptional people.

  The dilemma, of course, was how to get her into his possession. The usual bar routine certainly wouldn’t work, as she was too young to drink and he couldn’t very well cart her off in his car as she’d likely scream her bloody head off before the ketamine kicked in. He couldn’t have that.

  But he enjoyed a challenge and since he was in need of a new diversion, he happily accepted the challenge of young Sierra Buck.

  He played a dangerous game but that was part of the thrill. To be right under their noses and yet, walking free.

  Sierra…a lovely name. Wouldn’t it be sweet if she were a virgin? It’d been a while since he’d had one of those…back to the first. Virgins in bars were hard to find, though, in this day and age. So while he enjoyed the thought o
f breaking in young, nubile girls, he had to limit that particular delight as the prep work was so tediously exhausting.

  However, he was due a treat.

  And Sierra looked…delicious.

  Iris had lied. She didn’t sleep like a baby, though the comforting warmth of Saaski’s big body taking up space on her bed helped her to relax a bit. She drowsed in fits and starts, getting snatches of sleep but not truly great stretches of quality REM time. She told herself she needed time. Eventually, she’d get over this but something in the back of her mind resisted the effort she made to comfort herself.

  What if she never truly got over it? Would she ever lose this feeling of being forever soiled and stained? It didn’t matter how hard she scrubbed her skin, the phantom of her attacker’s touch haunted her even if she didn’t recall details. She knew what the aftermath had felt like.

  Her body had healed, her psyche had not.

  She wished she’d had the courage to tell Sundance what had prompted her ill-fated karaoke night but she couldn’t. Not now. What man would possibly want her? And how could she fathom letting a man touch her without shuddering in revulsion? A single tear escaped and slid down her cheek as waves of shame and insecurity followed. Saaski, sensing her pain, licked her hand. She smiled and patted his big head.

  What if Sundance was right and someone else ended up victimized by the same man? Was she being selfish in refusing to do whatever she could to remember details? Maybe he was right and the identity of her attacker was hidden in her brain. She snuggled further into the blankets, listening to the rain as it pelted the rooftop, her thoughts troubled and heavy.

  Chapter 8

  Sundance muttered a nasty expletive but tried to keep his cool.

  “This isn’t right,” he said, staring at Chad, trying to comprehend the nonsense he was hearing.

  “I know, it’s ridiculous,” Chad agreed, frowning in tandem with Sundance. “I’m on your side, completely. I can’t imagine what they’re thinking but I heard that your department is on the chopping block.”