Keep reading for a sneak peek of the next book in Katie Ruggle’s Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series

The match flipped end over end, the spinning flame creating a small pocket of light in the dim house. It landed in a pool of lighter fluid, and flames rippled outward with such speed that Alex took a startled step back, away from the quickly spreading fire. Arson was one of the few crimes she’d never had to commit, but the lure was understandable. The dancing flames were mesmerizing, and the potential damage significant. Lighting a fire was a powerful feeling—one she could get addicted to.

A little reluctant to leave and not see the end result of that one lit match, she slowly opened the back door, never looking away from the growing fire as it licked around the blanket-wrapped corpse.

“Sorry, sweetie.” A flicker of guilt sparked and died just as quickly. “It was nothing personal. You just had what I needed.” She patted the messenger bag looped over her shoulder. This moment had been a long time coming. She’d sacrificed so much to get here, and she was finally, finally close to getting her revenge. “I’ll make a much better Elena Dahl than you ever would, anyway.”

With a final glance back, Alex stepped outside, blinking at the bright early-morning light reflecting off the snow. She walked with confidence, cutting through the secluded back yard. Long ago, she’d discovered that acting like she was supposed to be somewhere was the easiest way to get away with anything. The coming weeks would be the ultimate test of that.

This time it almost didn’t matter—there was no one in this godforsaken semi–ghost town to see her slip away from the gradually growing light and into the waiting tree line. A deep satisfaction flowed through her, and she smiled. This was it. She was in the final stretch of her plan, and she could almost taste victory. Finally.

She quickly caught herself. It wasn’t time for congratulations yet. First, she had to become Elena Dahl. The rest would come with time and patience.

Silently, she made her way through the snowy forest toward her new home.