On her knees, digging at the excavation site, Maddie dusted off an arrowhead and placed it with several others in a box. The muscles in her neck bunched. Two hours ago, she’d accepted a bribe of epic proportions from a man with no moral compass, and now she had an empty, unusable storage building wrapped in crime-scene tape. Any artifacts they found had to go straight to the lab.
“Maddie, are you okay?”
She glanced at Kyle, one of her undergrads, who crouched beside her, extracting a new find.
“Just bummed.”
“I know. What do you think the chances are of recovering the stolen pieces?”
The hopeful glint in his blue eyes caused her chest to tighten. He’d worked hard on the excavation and was building his own resume. She sighed and rocked back on her heels. “Not good. The police said this morning they had no hits on auctions, and most likely the items had been sold on the black market.”
Kyle’s freckled nose wrinkled. “Any leads on the burglar?”
“Nope. No fingerprints. He must have worn gloves.” Ones that had left a decided bruise on her cheek. She brushed some dirt aside from the area Kyle had been digging. Might as well focus on something positive. “Looks like you’re close there.”
“I’ve almost got it.” His hands shook as he carefully lifted a long, skinny pipe out of the soil. “I think it’s made of bone.”
She smiled at the sheer delight on his face. Only another archaeologist could appreciate the excitement of discovery. Despite the heaviness of her heart, she patted him on the back and leaned close to inspect the pipe. “Great job. This one’s in perfect condition.”
“At least we have these.” He placed the piece in the box with the other artifacts.
She glanced at the dark clouds above. “Looks like rain. I think we’d better call it a day.”
“Okay.” He helped her cover the site with the tarp. “I’ll drop the box at the lab on my way home.”
“Thanks.” She snatched her backpack and headed to her Honda. As she drove through the deep green forest, her tense muscles loosened. Towering hardwoods lined the side of the road, their tangled branches forming canopies. Tiny purple and yellow wildflowers sprinkled color through the flora. Fat raindrops plopped on the windshield. Thank goodness they’d covered the excavation site in time.
The sky opened up. She cranked the wipers to high and eased off the accelerator. Couldn’t be a worse road for visibility with its hairpin turns weaving through the hilly forest. From out of nowhere, an animal sprinted across the lane.
She swerved, and her car spun on the rain-slicked road. Adrenaline spiked through her body. She gripped the wheel and cranked it in the opposite direction. Time ground to a halt as trees, blurry from the spinning car, whizzed past her window. The seatbelt cut into her neck as she strained to regain control before the Honda plunged down the steep bank rushing toward her.
Panic gripped her as the vehicle careened toward the precipice. She slammed a foot on the brake pedal. The car slid sideways off the pavement and scraped against a tree. Her body lurched toward the empty passenger seat as the right two wheels of her Honda dropped into the ditch.
Oh God, she prayed it wouldn’t roll.
She braced her hands against the ceiling. The car finally stopped.
Mouth dry, eyes squeezed shut, she brought a hand down to her chest and took a deep breath.
She might need a paint job or touch-up, but the car was in one piece. When she could breathe again, she shifted into reverse and hit the accelerator. The wheels spun in the mud. Crap. Now she was stuck. She unbuckled her seatbelt and peered through the rain-streaked window.
A small dog sat hunched under a large oak tree. Light-colored fur molded to the mutt’s bony frame. He blinked in the rain, and her heart squeezed. Poor thing. She’d need to call for roadside assistance, but first she’d try to catch the dog before he got scared and ran away.
She opened the door and climbed out. Cold rain stung her face. In a soft voice, she called, “Here, sweetie. Come here.”
The puppy raised its nose and sniffed, but didn’t run off. She took slow steps toward the animal. He backed away. Burs and pine needles matted the dog’s fur. Hard to say how long he’d been on his own. Maybe she could bribe him with some food. She dug a granola bar out of her pocket, opened the wrapper, and broke a piece off in her hand. “Hungry?”
The dog sniffed again, his whiskers twitching from the rain, and took a step forward. A little closer and she could reach him.
Lightning flashed.
Thunder boomed.
With a yelp, the pup bolted down the steep hill, straight toward the swollen, rushing river.
“Stop!” Her pulse skipped as she sprinted after the pup. Branches scratched her face, and rain soaked her fleece jacket. She kept calling, but he continued at a fast clip.
When the puppy reached the rocks at the edge of the river, he tried to stop but slid on the slick mud and tumbled into the water.
Maddie gasped and ran faster. Her chest seized as the current swept him away and his head disappeared beneath the surface.
Scott drove through the woods on his way to the storage building. The lack of progress in the burglary case made his stomach burn. No leads, no evidence, nothing to trace. He’d take another look at the crime scene to make sure they hadn’t missed anything. This wasn’t the work of a professional, though. Broken pieces, vandalism, a valuable box of objects left behind. He would suspect Mole, but the man didn’t run an operation like this. Had to be someone else.
Almost all of Maddie’s artifacts were lost. He flexed his fingers on the steering wheel. Someone would pay when he found the asswipe.
He rounded a curve and passed Maddie’s Honda parked sideways in a ditch. His heart jumped to his throat. He slid to a stop and leaped out of the Impala. Rain pelted his head as he yanked her car door open, only to find it empty.
Deeper in the forest, Maddie’s panicked voice rang out. What was she doing in the middle of the woods during a storm? He took off in the direction of her call. From the top of the slope, he spotted her racing toward the river.
He called out to her, but whether she heard or not, she kept running. When she reached the shore, she jumped in.
Holy shit.
He scanned the river, wild from the wind and rain. The head of a small dog surfaced.
Christ. Now it made sense.
Maddie swam toward the animal, who struggled to stay afloat while being dragged downstream.
He assessed the current and the surrounding terrain. At the rate Maddie and the dog were moving, his best bet to head them off would be farther south. He traversed the slope diagonally, cursing along the way. Maddie had to be fucking crazy jumping into frigid water.
He glanced back at the river. Thanks to the angle he’d taken, he was ahead of Maddie now. She’d managed to reach the dog, but with one arm around it, in the raging water, she wouldn’t be able to swim to shore. Both she and the pup went under and then came back up sputtering.
The river curved ahead. He needed to cut them off there. She had precious few minutes in water that cold before she lost control of her limbs. His legs burned as he pushed to the limit and raced faster.
He stopped at the bend, tore off his suit jacket, and tossed it to the ground. Maddie and the dog continued to bob and go under, but the current was bringing them closer. He plunged into the freezing water and swam in swift, strong strokes toward them.
When he reached her, Maddie’s eyes widened, and she spit out his name along with some water. “Sc-Scott. Save the dog, I can’t hold him and swim.”
He grabbed her shoulders and spun her around to face away from him so he could wrap an arm under her ribs. “You hold the dog. I’ll bring you ashore.”
For once, Maddie didn’t argue. He held her and kicked hard, swimming on his side, her and the dog on his hip. The pup wriggled and churned his legs, frantic to break free. Maddie flailed a hand out and scooped at the water.
He huffed in her ear, “Stop trying to help. Just keep the dog secure. I’ve got you both.”
The mutt whined, and Maddie snatched her arm back to hug him tight. When they reached the shallow bank, Scott let go and sucked in air to catch his breath. He glanced at Maddie. Her entire body shook, and her lips were blue. She still clung to the dog, whose tongue hung out as he panted hard and shivered.
Damn. They were nowhere near out of the woods. First, he had to get them warm, and later he’d light into her about how she’d risked her life with that crazy stunt. The rain continued to pound, and lightning flashed again.
“Where d-did you come from?” Maddie asked.
“No time for talk. We need to get back to the car.” He snatched his suit coat from the ground and draped it over her shoulders.
Thunder clapped. The puppy whimpered and wriggled in her arms.
“Give me the dog.” He reached over and took the mutt from her. Her eyes were dilated. Not a good sign. “Can you walk okay?”
She attempted a step and stumbled. He caught her with his free hand, thrust the dog back into her arms, and picked her up. “Hold onto him.”
Maddie pushed against his chest. “I can d-do—”
“No, you can’t.” He gripped her tighter and marched up the hill. “You’re too cold from jumping into a freezing river. Do as I say, and don’t fight me if you want to save this dog.”
That did it. She nodded and buried her head into his shoulder, holding the pup against him. He moved faster when she stopped wriggling. With quick strides, he carried her toward the Impala.
He opened the back door, and she slid the dog along the seat.
“Get in and take your clothes off. I’m going to start the car.” He popped the trunk release, went to the driver’s side, and got in. After turning the key, he cranked the heat. He hopped out and grabbed blankets from the trunk on his way back to Maddie.
The dog had nestled against her breast, both of them still shaking.
“You need to get these wet clothes off. I have blankets.” Scott tossed them next to her.
“N-no. I’m fine.”
“Like hell you are. Damn, you’re stubborn.” Didn’t she understand how serious the situation was? “Off with the clothes.”
Her teeth chattered and her breath was shallow, eyes still dilated.
He shook his head, grabbed one of her feet, and untied the lace of her boot. “We don’t have time for this.”
The rain continued to pour as he crouched beside the open door and yanked off her boots and socks. The car wouldn’t heat up with the wind blowing in, so he slid Maddie across the seat, climbed in next to her, and pulled the door almost closed, careful not to let it latch. The last thing he needed was to be trapped in the back of his police car the first week on the job. “You’re shaking. Let me help.”
“The dog. He’s so cold—”
Typical Maddie, worried about everyone but herself. Scott grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around the whining dog. “He’ll be okay. I promise I’ll take care of him, but let’s get you settled first.”
He gently set the dog on the seat beside Maddie and managed to pull off her soaked fleece. Keys jingled in the pocket. Luckily, they hadn’t fallen out in the river.
Her breath hitched when he unbuttoned her khaki pants. She tried to grab his hand but shook too hard to stop him.
He glanced up at her as he stripped the sopping pants down her legs. She blinked a few times as if disoriented, her eyes huge in her ghost-white face.
“Stay with me, Maddie. You hear me?”
She blinked again but said nothing. He grabbed the hem of her polo and pulled the shirt over her head. Her skin, so pale in contrast to the black bra she wore, had no warmth. He snatched up the other blanket and covered her body, pulling it tightly over her.
At last, heat blasted from the vents. She’d be okay. Yet, his heart raced faster than it had on his most dangerous raid. He shivered as well, but with more body mass and less time in the water, he’d recover quicker.
He buckled her seatbelt, picked up the wrapped dog, and placed him on her stomach. She’d have to stay in the back for now, no time to move her. “Hang in there, babe.”
Once in the driver’s seat, he threw the car in gear and switched on the police lights. Better get her to the hospital.
He kept checking on her in the rearview mirror. She hadn’t reacted to him calling her babe. The old endearment had slipped off his tongue.
A few minutes later, she stirred. “Where are we going? Why am I in your car?”
Scott jerked at the sound of her voice. “To the hospital. How are you doing back there?”
“I can feel my face again. Wait. No hospital. I’m fine, now.”
Unconvinced, he pulled the car to the side and leaned over the seat. Her breathing seemed normal. She still shivered, but not as much.
He let out a breath. “Recite the alphabet.”
“Please. Don’t insult me.” She rolled her eyes.
“I mean it. Say the alphabet, or we go to the hospital.”
“Fine. Z Y X W V U T—”
Smart-ass. His jacked pulse slowed down a notch. He swung back around so she wouldn’t see his smile. Wow. It had been a long time since he’d smiled.
“So, what now?”
“I’ll take you home.”
“What about my car?”
He glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “I’ll call a towing service and send Tom to meet them there.”
“That’s ridiculous. I can drive.’”
Yeah, she was okay. Back to arguing with him over everything. “Not naked. You’d get arrested.”
Her jaw dropped, and her eyes narrowed. “Very funny. And we need to talk about that.”
“Oh, I intend to talk to you about all of this, but right now I need to get you home.”
The puppy whined, and Maddie sighed. “Okay.”
Scott turned off the police lights and pulled back onto the road. He sure as hell shouldn’t have made the naked comment. Didn’t need that image. He’d been too worried about her health to pay much attention to what she had on under her clothes when he was focused on getting her warm. Now that the danger had passed…
Damn, Maddie. Lacy black bra and thong?