Renegade (Tin Star K9 Series Book 1) by Jodi Burnett (literature books to read .txt) 📗

her skin. She looked for Colt, but he had gone. Who would have left this? The note rattled her even though she had Renegade with her. Caitlyn glanced in the bed of her truck, then jumped into her cab and locked the doors. Her hand shook as she slid her keys into the ignition. The skin on the back of her neck puckered, and she wondered if the person who left her the threat was watching her from the shadows. I should have kept my gun.

Shaky and deep in thought, Caitlyn made her way down the highway. Keeping an eye on the rearview mirror, she sifted through what she knew about the murder case so far. She desperately wanted to believe Dylan, but there was a chunk of time he had yet to account for that Saturday night. Had he gone to the motel after Jim dropped Wendy off? And if so, why? How would he have known she was there? She wished she could get ahold of Wendy’s phone records. Caitlyn chewed on her lower lip. Could Dylan have written the threatening note?

Renegade snuggled next to her, his head on her lap. He was sound asleep, but his legs were moving. She smiled at her friend, who was clearly chasing something in his dreams. “I hope you catch it, boy. Whatever you’re after.”

By the time Caitlyn turned onto the road that led to her cabin, she had calmed down. Fatigue crept its way up her neck and her eyelids were heavy. She was far more tired than she had realized and was glad to be home. The image of Colt’s rugged grin when he’d said good night flashed across her mind, and her body responded with a flush of warmth. It would be nice if her body and her mind could get on the same page.

She parked her truck in front of her cabin and gently woke Renegade. He stretched his way into a seated position and indulged in a wide-mouthed yawn. “Come on, sleepyhead, let’s get you to bed.” Caitlyn opened her door and stepped to the ground. Renegade hopped out after her. He darted off to do his business, and Caitlyn let herself inside. She reached for the light switch, but the bulb didn’t turn on.

“Damn.” Caitlyn felt her way through the living room to the lamp by the sofa and turned its knob. Click. Nothing.

Caitlyn groaned and inched across the dark room to the kitchen drawer where she kept her flashlight. Snapping it on, the instant strong, bright beam gave her relief. Full batteries. Now, to remember where the breaker box was. Caitlyn had lived in the cabin for less than a year and had never needed the breakers.

She flashed the light on the kitchen walls and found nothing. She didn’t think it was in the living room, so she made her way to her bedroom. The box wasn’t there either, so she opened the linen closet. The door creaked and Caitlyn made a mental note to spray the hinges with WD-40. She splashed the beam on the walls and ceiling, but no box. Turning back, she passed the door to her tiny bathroom. Out of nowhere, blinding pain shot through her skull. Bright white lights glimmered behind her eyelids as her lungs sucked in a great gasp of air. Her hand flew to the point of impact but never made it there. Gloved fingers gripped her wrist. A powerful arm flew around her chest, pulling her backward into the thick body of a man who stood much taller than she. His hand clapped over her mouth before she could gather a scream. Caitlyn scrunched her eyes at the pain radiating through her head and tried to think. She fought against the man’s arms and bit his hand, but he held her fast.

Her pulse rocketed, her heart demanding oxygen her lungs could not provide. She jerked her head up and sucked air in through her nose. Lifting her boot, she kicked into the man’s shin and scraped the edge of her heel down to his ankle where she stomped. The man growled and twisted her head around. Caitlyn feared he would break her neck.

The intruder whispered into her ear with hot, rancid breath. “You should’ve minded your own business. Now look what you’re making me do. This is your own fault.”

With all of her strength, Catie bucked against the man. She threw her head back into his chin. But that only hurt her worse. Renegade barked furiously outside, scratching and clawing at the front door. If only she had let him in before she went to find the flashlight. The prowler must’ve been hiding in her cabin, waiting for her to come home. She grunted in her effort to get loose. There was no one to hear her scream way out here, so she conserved her breath. With her free hand, she clawed at the fingers covering her mouth. She pried the man’s thumb out and yanked down as hard as she could. In response, he shoved her forcefully, face-first against the wall, bracing his forearm against the back of her neck. Her cheek bone scraped against the log wall. He twisted her left arm around behind her and forced it up past her shoulder blade. Caitlyn cried out in pain. Another inch and her arm would snap. Renegade went crazy outside. He sounded like an entire pack of wild dogs.

The man chuckled. “A lot of good your dog’s doing you out there.”

“You have to leave the cabin sometime,” Caitlyn choked before she sucked in more air. “And when you do, he’ll tear you apart.” Caitlyn forced a bravado she didn’t feel into her voice.

“Not if he’s dead.”

Caitlyn’s heart shrank into a tiny fist, its rapid beats each aching with agony. There was nothing she could do to save herself or her dog.

Glass shattered in the living room. From the darkness of night, Renegade shot through the plate-glass window. Shards, glittering in the flashlight’s beam, sprayed