Her Undercover Refuge Read online

  Scott was delighted to see that the staff members seemed almost spellbound as they watched her, then determined as they tried the commands again themselves.

  Nella was certainly one major asset to this shelter.

  He wouldn’t let anything happen to her despite the threats. Period.

  And he hoped she stayed there, despite the open invitation to return to L.A.

  Eventually, the afternoon faded into evening. Nella clearly recognized it. “Let’s all take one more long walk around the shelter,” she said, “then think about our dinner.”

  Which was a cue for Sara, who had also been watching the dogs and their handlers that afternoon, to dash off and start cooking.

  Scott watched as Nella appeared to take on Spike as her primary dog companion. He had hoped that would happen. But would Spike be able to guard Nella adequately?

  He’d talked with Maisie again earlier, after she had handed Spike to Telma and Camp to bring here for security. No, Maisie and Griffin hadn’t detected any sign of gang members hiding in the area, waiting to take their revenge on Nella. Neither, apparently, had any of the cops who’d been with Maisie or in the patrol cars.

  Which didn’t mean that wasn’t the source of the threat.

  “Hey, where are you?” Nella had stopped walking the dog. “You look as if you’re planning something pretty worrisome for this shelter.” Her words and tone were teasing, but he could see the questions in her eyes.

  “Worrisome? Nope. But I’m getting hungry and I’m eager for dinner.”

  “Me, too.” Warren had apparently been eavesdropping, which, considering what had been said, was fine.

  So for now, Scott put all his musings aside and helped the staff members, who had all now completed their final walk around the shelter, return the dogs in their charge to their enclosures.

  He showed Nella the large enclosure in the reception building’s kennel that he had decided to designate as Spike’s when the K-9 wasn’t with her. If anyone came inside the shelter who shouldn’t, that was a likely area for it to happen, so they could listen for Spike’s bark—at least for tonight.

  Once they had enclosed Spike, Scott said to Nella, “Are you ready for dinner?”

  “Sure, but I’d like to check the offices...”

  He’d been planning to do that, too, but only once he had ensured himself that Nella was surrounded by other people, at dinner. But they were close to the office building, so he agreed. “As long as we do it quickly.”

  And Spike didn’t bark.

  Fortunately, there was nothing unusual in the texts and emails either of them, or the shelter, received. And so he accompanied Nella back down the stairs to dinner.

  * * *

  Nella enjoyed her dinner well enough, though she didn’t eat much. But the company was good. As had become a habit since her arrival, she sat with Scott.

  A lot of the discussion as they all ate the excellent burgers Sara had prepared was centered around the new dogs. Several residents commented about how well they’d done, and how the managers would find them new homes as they did with other canine residents.

  Nella didn’t object to talking about finding Spike a new home, and neither did Scott, but she knew the plan was to keep the K-9 here for a while. Considering the protective nature of the shelter, they might not even try to find him another home.

  Which was fine with Nella. She liked that dog a lot.

  When dinner was over, the usual routine was followed, with some staff members helping to clean the dining area while others were free to go watch television or play cards or whatever for the evening.

  Nella just decided to retire to her room. At least there had been no more threats.

  Spike was here and on duty.

  Same thing applied to Scott, and to a lesser extent Camp and Telma—and Nella too, of course.

  So why didn’t she feel more relaxed?

  She turned on the television in her room and found an old movie on a local channel—a romance.

  Which caused her to think about last night, here, in this apartment. With Scott.

  As if it had ever totally left her mind.

  But she’d be okay here tonight on her own. No threats or other indications of current problems like sinister people sneaking around this area.

  Okay. She needed to go to bed. It was getting late, and—

  She heard a light knock on the door and immediately hurried to unlock it after asking who was there.

  Scott.

  Of course she let him in, but why was he here? She glanced around him and saw no one in the hall—fortunately. Everyone had probably gone to bed, or at least to their apartments.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked.

  “As far as I know.” He shut the door and locked it, then towered over her as he looked down with those incredibly blue eyes. “And I want to make sure it stays that way.”

  “That’s great,” Nella managed to whisper, even as her body suddenly yearned for the gap of maybe a foot between them to disappear.

  It did. In moments she was in his arms, and his mouth was on hers.

  He pulled back, though, after an incredibly hot kiss. “Is it okay if I stay for the night?” he asked. “To help ensure all is well.”

  “Oh, yes, please,” she said, and found herself once more tightly ensconced in his arms—even as she felt his hardness pressing against her. “And yes, this is completely my decision, whether or not you’re my boss.”

  All would definitely be well that night.

  Chapter 19

  The next morning, Scott left Nella’s apartment early again, after peering carefully into the hallway to make sure no one was there to see him.

  Oh, yes. It had been another amazing night. Sure, he had stayed there because one of his most critical functions right now was not only to ensure the safety of the shelter and all its residents, but also to protect Nella from whoever had issued those threats.

  Since the shelter had been mentioned in those threatening texts, he had to assume that the person not only knew it existed and that Nella now lived here, but also where it was.

  So where was he—or she? Here? Or someplace far away, attempting to cause a lot of worry—before doing whatever that person was planning?

  Which now, apparently, focused on Nella. But why? How? And when?

  Well, despite there being no indication of anyone sneaking around there that night any more than the previous day, Scott had wanted to stick around, as he’d told Nella. To keep her safe, he’d assured himself.

  But also, if he was honest, as a possible follow-up to their wonderful activities the night before.

  Which it had been. Each time they made love, it was more exciting. More intense. More addictive, since when it was over, it wasn’t over for long. Each time started with a look or the lightest of touches.

  Yet despite being so physically involved, he had managed to maintain a reasonable degree of vigilance—listening for any unusual sounds other than residents sometimes strolling the hallway outside, even checking the shelter’s security camera footage on his phone now and then when he wasn’t in bed with Nella.

  Scott knew he would be tired all day, but so what? And, as unprofessional as it was, would there be more that night?

  It would be better if they caught the suspect first, and then their lovemaking could also be a celebration.

  Not that they were developing a relationship. She was his employee, and now also one of those he needed to protect. No emotion could get in the way.

  So this would be just another day at work. Special work, of course, at this shelter that had been his idea, his creation, a place that protected not only people with changed identities but also animals needing safety.

  And, most important, for the moment, it also contained Nella.

  They had agreed to meet in the d
ining area for breakfast in an hour, after Nella showered, dressed and joined staff members in walking dogs again around the outdoor shelter area.

  She’d made it clear that, as much as she liked Baby, the dog she would mostly walk now, and for the foreseeable future, would be Spike.

  To start the day off right, Scott headed into the office building and upstairs. He checked the main shelter phone first, holding his breath while he looked for any more threatening texts, but there were none.

  Next, he scanned the footage once more from the security cameras both outside and inside the shelter. He had only glanced at it occasionally during the night, on his phone, so he could have missed something. But there weren’t any people showing, and the few cars outside just rolled by. So, nothing there to worry about.

  Then he checked the shelter email. Nothing particularly exciting in it, or his own that he accessed with the desk computer—and just to be careful he also looked at Nella’s, since he’d told her not to change her password and he was still able to get into it. She wasn’t likely to receive anything personal here on the shelter system anyway.

  Nothing. Good. And he was getting a little hungry—for food, and for Nella’s company again. Time to head to breakfast.

  * * *

  Nella had a difficult yet fun time early that morning as she joined the staff and headed to breakfast—after she had walked Spike, accompanying a few other residents walking dogs. But now, where was Scott?

  She tried to focus the conversation on the three new dogs at the shelter. Everyone was happy to talk about them, including those who hadn’t yet walked Cheesecake, Samson or Spike but were begging for the opportunity.

  All three dogs were involved in that day’s early morning walk.

  “I’ll let some of you take a few turns working with Spike sometime,” Nella said more than once to staff members who asked, although she wanted to keep Spike mostly to herself. It wouldn’t hurt, though, to allow others to work with this special dog sometimes. “But he seems pretty smart and fairly well trained already.”

  Fairly well trained? Heck, he was about the best dog Nella had ever observed or worked with—though there weren’t many of the latter.

  And she believed that the smart, alert K-9 would let her know if anything seemed amiss.

  She felt uncomfortable being the only manager around that morning. Telma and Camp hadn’t arrived from their homes yet, and she still didn’t know where Scott was.

  She didn’t feel as if she was in danger, though—did she? Well, she remained alert while walking Spike, so she wouldn’t allow herself, or anyone else around here, to get hurt.

  But staying alert was a challenge, since her mind kept returning to her night with Scott, and how wonderful it had been. How inappropriate it had been.

  And how she wanted it to happen again. Tonight, if possible. And additional nights...

  Forget that. For the moment, she was the only one in line at the buffet table and she prepared to grab a plate.

  Her cell phone chirped in her pocket, indicating she’d received a text message. Odd. She wasn’t expecting to hear from anyone despite keeping her phone turned on. She pivoted without picking up a plate, maneuvered around the chatting people in the area and walked back to the dining room’s entrance.

  She looked at the number from which the text had originated. It wasn’t familiar. Probably just a robocall. Even so, she pressed the button to read it.

  And froze.

  It must be from the same person who had left threats on the shelter’s phone. Last time, it had warned the shelter that she would soon be killed there.

  This one said,

  You are still there, bitch, even after what I said before. Your coworkers haven’t gotten rid of you. If you want that shelter and the people who live there to survive, leave. Go home. I have decided not to kill you—yet—if you return to L.A.

  She gasped and nearly dropped the phone.

  She needed to get out of there. Any appetite had fled. So had her nerves. But where would she go now? Back to her apartment to pack up and—

  “Good morning.” Scott was now beside her, obviously pretending they hadn’t seen each other earlier. Then he asked, “What’s wrong?”

  She couldn’t speak, couldn’t tell him, but her expression must have been so panicked that he reacted by scanning her with highly concerned eyes. The phone remained in her shaking hand.

  He gently removed it from her grip and looked at it.

  “Damn.” His tone was hard yet muted. “Enough of this crap.” He looked her straight in the face. “And don’t even consider paying attention to what it says. Your leaving here, even to return to L.A. as it says, will only put you in further danger.”

  “But the threat against this shelter. Again. I just can’t take the chance—”

  “We’re all taking the chance. After all, this is Chance, California.” His attempt at a joke failed to make her smile, but she appreciated the effort. “Look,” he continued, “we’re already investigating the source of those outrageous threats, and this one only makes it worse. It’s even more personal against you. Apparently, whoever it was expected we’d throw you out after the first two, and since you’re still here—which that person clearly knows—they’re just trying a different approach. Well, none of them will work, and I’ll do what I can to step up the effort to find that person.”

  Nella looked him straight in the eye. “I appreciate it, but—”

  “But I’m getting hungry, and I bet you are, too. Let’s go grab our breakfast.” He handed her back her phone after looking at it once more. “I’ll get in touch with Vince soon and let him know about this latest threat.”

  Nella stuck her phone back into her pocket but felt as if it was setting her on fire.

  Rationally, she recognized Scott was right. Giving in, doing what that person demanded, wouldn’t solve anything.

  She actually managed to get some food down, although she mostly sipped coffee. And discussed more about dog training with the nearest staff members, Alice and Warren—and with Telma and Camp after they joined the group.

  Scott remained quiet, but she felt certain about what was on his mind.

  It was on hers, too.

  “So you going to let me walk Spike today?” Warren asked loudly from where he sat a few people down, facing her, interrupting her thoughts and waving a piece of toast.

  She had to act normal, despite what was happening in her mind. “Nope,” she told him. “Your training skills are getting too good to work with a dog who already knows it all. I want you to take Cheesecake out and teach her something.”

  “That’s what I want to do,” Alice said. “But I’ll take Samson. He’s pretty smart.”

  Several other residents who planned to walk dogs when they were done eating entered the discussion that began to focus on the various skills of the canine residents, as they often did. But this time Cheesecake, Spike and Samson were the main subjects, being compared in skills and friendliness with those who already lived at the shelter.

  Nella loved listening, although she didn’t contribute any further to the conversation. Instead, despite Scott being right beside her, also apparently listening, her mind started heading in a different direction.

  Who was threatening the shelter—and narrowing in on her? And why?

  The only possibility that made sense was what she had considered before—some of the gang members who’d escaped from her task force wanted some kind of revenge against her, since she’d been in charge.

  What—their killing her partner, Lou Praffin, hadn’t been enough?

  And—well, was this logical?

  She might be able to find out if she actually returned to L.A., not to obey the threats but to look for those gang members and capture them at last.

  Maybe. If she survived.

  There was one possible way o
f finding out more, which she planned to do after breakfast.

  Scott, perceptive guy that he was, apparently noticed that she must be thinking something different. He leaned toward her. “You okay?” he asked softly.

  “Sure.” She made the word sound decisive, though the opposite was true—and perceptive Scott probably knew it.

  Even so, that was the position she would take.

  “When you’re done eating, we can leave,” Scott said. “I’m finished.”

  “Great. Let me just get some more coffee.” Nella immediately rose, tossing smiles at the people around her, who continued talking about the dogs she was so fond of.

  And yes, she was fond of these people, too. If her presence was putting them in danger... Well, she would at least follow up on the thought she’d just had and try to decide what to do next.

  Even as the phone in her pocket caught her attention again, despite no sound or motion erupting from it.

  Only the memory of that most recent, horrendous text. And her wonderment why there was apparently no security on her phone number.

  Scott and she both refilled their coffee cups after bussing their dirty dishes into the kitchen area. “What do you want to do this morning?” he asked.

  “Walking dogs with staff members is always a good idea,” she said, although her mind also suggested that she begin packing. But she would wait for the phone conversation she intended to have before deciding for sure.

  “Okay,” Scott said. “I’ll do some walking with you.”

  “Really?” He was often there, but nearly always just watched everyone else walk dogs.

  “Sure. Let’s go up to the offices for fifteen minutes or so, and I’ll make my call. By then, everyone else should be done with breakfast and ready to get to work.”

  “Sounds good,” Nella said. That would give her time to make her call, too.

  “And in case you’re wondering, I’m also following up on a couple of possible adopters who are interested in visiting, maybe even later today.”

  She couldn’t help smiling at that—both at what he said, and the fact that Scott was adeptly changing the subject. “Great! I’d love to get involved with that, help introduce them to whichever of our pets they’re interested in.”