Law met the gaze of the patrol officer over her head. The fresh-faced officer winked at him and made a jerking motion with his fist. Law frowned and put an arm protectively around her. Had he ever made light of a victim’s gratitude? He hoped not. Because right now he wanted to punch his fellow officer in the face.
“Officer Todd, this is Jori Garrison. She’s doing a ride-along with me as a representative of the Warriors Wolf Pack organization. We’re trying out one of their dogs in a law enforcement environment. Ms. Garrison was in the store when the robbery went down.”
“Oh. Nice to meet you, ma’am.” The younger officer’s face sobered. “Sorry about the circumstances. But since you were in the store at the time of the robbery, I’ll need to get a statement from you. If you’ll step this way with me.”
“Sure.” Jori unwrapped herself from Law’s embrace, her solemn gaze probing his. “Are you okay?”
“Nothing a little soap and water won’t fix. Make your statement. I’m not going anywhere.”
She glanced down at his torn pant leg, revealing his prosthesis. He could see in her expression that she wanted to ask about it. But she held back. And he was grateful. “I knew you—I just knew.” Her face reflected deep emotion, but she turned away before finishing her sentence.
Law watched her go, waiting until she and the officer were occupied before trying to test his weight on his artificial leg. He’d heard a crack as he hit the pavement. He only hoped he’d be able to make it to his cruiser without assistance. Some hero that would make him. On leave for medical reasons before he was officially on patrol again.
He saw an EMT coming toward him and waved her off. The ambulances had arrived with the police cars. He tasted blood in his mouth and his hip felt skinned to the bone, but he wasn’t going to be carried off like a fallen warrior. He’d had enough of hospitals, ambulances, and medical attention to last him at least ten lifetimes.
He shifted his weight, rocking slowly back and forth. Something was loose in the leg but he felt like it might hold him up. However, there was a serious limp in his stride. He just needed to make it back to his vehicle before the euphoria of his takedown wore off and the pain set in.
He was standing by his cruiser when one of the officers finally told them they could leave. He’d let Sam out on a long leash to take care of her needs in a patch of grass by a streetlight. He reeled her back in now.
Sam eyed him eagerly as she came quickly back to his side, catching the backwash of excitement pheromones still rising off him. But also his pain. Alpha was hurt. She sniffed around his strange leg, the one that smelled like metal and oil and electronics, and up to where the sweat of the man himself was strong, along with faint traces of blood.
Whining softly, Sam tried to lick the wound through his trousers.
He did not return the affection. “Get off, Sam.”
Law pushed her snout none-too-gently away. The shaggy-faced rust bucket couldn’t help him when he needed really it. Scud would have taken Hoodie without him moving a muscle to help. Sam had no aggressive drive that he had seen. Unless they were out to capture cold cuts, Sam would be of no use.
He turned to open the door and ordered his nursemaid into the backseat.
Sam paused to look at Alpha. He was angry with her. She could not understand why. Her tail drooped and her ears went back. Unhappy Alpha. Unhappy pack.
The loud mee-now of protest from the backseat didn’t deter Sam. She jumped in and plopped down, taking up all the seat not occupied by the cat cage. This time the protest and sharp claws didn’t move her. Instead Sam began thumping the cat carrier with heavy rhythmic swipes of her enormous tail.
Law slid in behind the wheel, suppressing a moan as his stump protested its recent treatment. No time to do anything about it now.
Jori smiled at him as she slid into the passenger seat. The sudden unexpected brilliance of it felt like a light had turned on inside him. She’d never smiled at him like that before.
“You’re a hero. Everybody says so. The other police are talking about how amazing it is you could outrun that creep.” Her eyes were shining as she looked at him. “I was so scared. But you weren’t. Not at all. I watched through the window.”
Law scowled, not sure how to take the praise. “You should have kept your head down. You didn’t know if shots would be fired.”
“I guess you’re right. I wasn’t thinking of that. I brought you into that. If I’d only been paying attention before I walked in.”
“Or stayed in the car and let me get the damn coffee.”
“You’d have surprised the thief and could have been shot.”
Law shook his head. “I would have looked first. That’s my job.”
She smiled again. Was she flirting? “You were wonderful.”
His knee twinged as he reached for the brace. “I wasn’t that great.”
“You looked pretty great from where I was standing.”
He shrugged, not wanting her gratitude. “I’d have done what I did for complete strangers. That’s the job.”
“Okay.” He watched her think through that. “All the same, it was me and I’m grateful.”
“Were you scared?”