Tucker

  TUCKER

  The K9 Files, Book 13

  Dale Mayer

  Books in This Series:

  Ethan, Book 1

  Pierce, Book 2

  Zane, Book 3

  Blaze, Book 4

  Lucas, Book 5

  Parker, Book 6

  Carter, Book 7

  Weston, Book 8

  Greyson, Book 9

  Rowan, Book 10

  Caleb, Book 11

  Kurt, Book 12

  Tucker, Book 13

  Harley, Book 14

  Kyron, Book 15

  The K9 Files, Books 1–2

  The K9 Files, Books 3–4

  The K9 Files, Books 5–6

  The K9 Files, Books 7–8

  The K9 Files, Books 9–10

  The K9 Files, Books 11–12

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  About This Book

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Epilogue

  About Harley

  Author’s Note

  Complimentary Download

  About the Author

  Copyright Page

  About This Book

  Welcome to the all new K9 Files series reconnecting readers with the unforgettable men from SEALs of Steel in a new series of action packed, page turning romantic suspense that fans have come to expect from USA TODAY Bestselling author Dale Mayer. Pssst… you’ll meet other favorite characters from SEALs of Honor and Heroes for Hire too!

  Tucker is always ready to fight for the underdog. So when he’s offered a mission to save the life of a dog unfairly judged and slated for termination, he can’t let her go down without a fight. Plus the dog is in Miami, where his sister lives, and … no way he can refuse to attend her upcoming wedding.

  Addie knows her sister lied about being attacked by the dog, but Addie isn’t sure to what extent or how far her sister will go for revenge against an animal she hates. Yet Addie is determined to help the dog who she loves, even if no one else does. Finding a hero to champion her cause isn’t part of her plan, but she is quick to realize Tucker’s value when she meets him.

  Now if only he didn’t have a nightmare scenario of his own … one that threatens to take them all down, including the dog.

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  Prologue

  Tucker Wilson walked across the property and stared up at the building, then gave a long whistle. “Man, you guys have worked fast,” he said. “The new house had gone up like a dream.” He looked over at Badger, who stood there with a clipboard, wearing a hardhat. “I didn’t think this was your deal?”

  “Until all seven of us have houses,” Badger said, “it’s our deal.” He glanced at Tucker, noting the lifelike leg under his shorts, and asked, “How’s that prosthetic working for you?”

  “Well, it’s one of Kat’s newest prototypes,” he said, stretching it out and twisting the ankle. “A waterproof model while on, apparently. I haven’t had a chance to try out that part. And, of course, I’ve got titanium knees and titanium hip joints now,” he said. “I’m almost a rebuilt bionic man,” he said with a laugh.

  “Join the rest of us,” Badger said.

  “I’ve got a hankering for heading home though,” Tucker said, looking at Badger sideways. “I didn’t say anything about it because I didn’t want to slow down your progress, and you’ve been such a great help getting me back on my feet.”

  “That’s what we’re here for,” he said, “and, if it’s time to go home, then it’s time to go home. Nobody can tell you when and where, except for yourself.”

  “Yeah,” he said, “it’s just one of those things I need to do.”

  “Any particular reason?”

  “My baby sister, Molly, is getting married,” he said. “There’s just the two of us. She’s marrying my old buddy Rodney.”

  “That’s a good reason to go home then,” he said. “You thought about work?”

  “Well, Rodney’s got a construction company, and he wants me to be a foreman.”

  “Well, you’d do that quite nicely, wouldn’t you?”

  “Maybe,” he said, “but personally I want five acres out in the middle of nowhere and an opportunity to just, … I don’t know, maybe raise a few dogs.”

  “Dogs,” Badger said. “You’re a dog person?”

  He looked at Badger and frowned. “Isn’t everybody?”

  “Oh no, not everybody is.”

  “You seem to be running a ton of dog operations through this place. I don’t quite understand what that’s all about.”

  “No,” he said, “and it isn’t always all that clear. But the bottom line is, we’re doing a bunch of pro bono work for the War Dog Division.”

  “I heard about that. You’re done though, aren’t you?”

  “No, they dropped a bunch more files on us. We did the original twelve, and I guess our success has led them to give us a few troublesome cases.”

  “Great,” he said. “Troublesome how?”

  “I’ve got a couple dogs that need rescuing, depending on what quarter of the world you’ll be in?” he asked.

  “Florida,” he said.

  “Well, I’ve got one in Florida, held in a pound, about to be put to sleep in Miami.”

  “What? A War Dog?”

  “Yes, apparently it attacked a woman.”

  “And is that confirmed?”

  “No. I’m pretty sure nobody gives a shit, and it’s just another dog to them,” he said sadly. “I’ve been fighting with them for days.”

  “Have you got anybody out there to fight on the dog’s behalf?”

  “No. I’m trying to get them to do DNA testing on the bites, but apparently the woman’s refusing.”

  “Well, that’s suspicious as hell.”

  “She doesn’t like dogs,” Badger said with a sigh. “So she’s not being cooperative.”

  “Well, Miami isn’t exactly my choice,” he said. “I don’t do huge cities like that. I’m actually from Saint Pete’s Beach originally, but, I mean, that’s a tourist town. Since my sister’s getting married nearby in Tampa though, I’m heading in that direction.”

  “So no other family?”

  He shook his head. “I’m not sure where I’ll end up settling. My sister and her soon-to-be husband and his company are based farther out, in a smaller town, where he’s doing a couple hundred-unit condo developments.”

  “So potentially a place where a dog might have a better life?”

  “If I have any say about it, yes. Is this one male, female?”

  “Female and they’re not exactly sure why she turned on and bit her caregiver.”

  “Aggravation or protecting someone or something,” he said immediately.

  “Well, that’s typical animal behavior. We just don’t really know what happened in this case. Nobody’s talking. Nobody has any video, and nobody gives a shit. That’s the bottom line.”

  “Yeah, but those dogs have given their lives to the military. The least they deserve is a chance at a decent life.”

  “She was adopted by the family, and then apparently the parents went on a cruise, and they left her with a daughter, who was attacked.”

  “And how long was the daughter with the dog?”

  “Just a couple weeks.”

  “Hmm,” he said. “Well, I can be there first thing tomorrow.”

  “That would be goo
d,” he said, “because I think she’s slated to be put down on Friday.”

  “Two days, counting tomorrow? The dog will die on the same Friday as my sister’s rehearsal dinner? That’s cutting it really close. Not a whole lot of time.”

  “Well, I won’t be at all upset if you somehow sneak that dog out of lockdown where she is,” he said. “We have a little bit of money to help buy her way out, if need be.”

  “I’ll book my flight and head down there right now,” he said. “You’ll make my sister’s day.”

  “Maybe,” he said, “but why don’t we make the dog’s day and not put her to sleep?”

  “What’s her name?”

  “She’s got a big long Latin name, but basically she’s Bernadette, and they’ve shortened it to Bernie.”

  “That’s not a nice name for a beautiful dog,” he said.

  “She’s big, heavily muscled. She’s a Malinois with a bit of shepherd thrown in there, typical army breed,” he said. “Very well trained and she was a fire dog.”

  “Well, she should be sniffing out fires then,” he said with a frown.

  “Wouldn’t that be nice,” Badger said. “There, you were looking for a dog, … for a job. Why not that one?”

  “It’s not exactly construction work.”

  “Maybe not,” he said, “but you have something to do in the interim, if you wanna look for something else.”

  “Not a bad idea.” Just then his phone rang, and he frowned, as he stared down at it. “An SMS message,” he said staring at it. “Apparently my soon-to-be brother-in-law has a firebug at one of his condo complexes.”

  Badger looked at him in delight.

  Tucker raised an eyebrow. “You shouldn’t look quite so happy about that.”

  “Maybe not,” he said, “but the dog would be perfect to assist on that problem, and we might get a stay on the kill order because of it.”

  Then Tucker realized what Badger meant. “You got a point there,” he said. “I’m on my way. See if you can get us a stay order on the euthanasia.”

  “Confirm or deny the facts as we know them ASAP,” Badger said, “and let me know when you arrive.”

  “I’ll be on the next flight out,” he said. “So it all depends on the flight time.” He lifted his hand and said, “Nice job for me, by the way.”

  “If you say so,” Badger said. “We’re just grateful to have somebody on the animal’s side.”

  “I’m always on the animal’s side,” Tucker said. “The real predators in the world are the two-legged ones,” he said. “The four-legged ones? Well, their behaviors are simple. It’s the humans in the world you must watch out for.”

  And, with that, he turned and walked out.

  Chapter 1

  Tucker exited the Miami airport the next morning, breathing the heavy air inside. “Certainly not my favorite place,” he murmured. Still, it was a far cry from where he had been and where he would have chosen to be, if he had a say. But he was here for a job and his sister Molly’s wedding, and that’s what counted. At that thought, he heard a honk, and he looked out to see a white new model SUV, pulling toward him, and his sister waving frantically from the inside of the car. He smiled, raced to the passenger side door, and hopped in. “Wow,” he said, “that was good timing.”

  “Of course it was,” she said. “I’ve been tracking your flight the whole way.”

  “I could have just gotten a rental car here and driven straight to my hotel. A little happy to see me or something?”

  “Or something,” she said with an impudent grin. “Plus I happened to be down here picking up my wedding dress. As it is, I’m cutting it close, with the wedding in just two days.”

  “You couldn’t find a wedding dress you liked near you?”

  “The designer’s a friend of mine,” she said. “So I came down here to have her do it. And it just so happened to be that you were flying into Miami, so I arranged to pick you up at the same time.”

  “So you’re not staying in Miami?”

  “I’ll head back to St. Pete’s Beach this afternoon,” she said, “and then I’ll see you there tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, I’ve got to get a rental vehicle. I would have gotten that at the airport, but you stopped that.”

  “We have a company truck for you, if you want to use that locally,” she said. “You’re okay to drive?”

  “Yes. I’ve told you that many times. I’m fine to drive. I’ve been driving for a lot longer than you have.”

  “Sure, but then I didn’t lose body parts and go through multiple surgeries,” she said. “I don’t know what you’re like now.”

  “I’m fine,” he said with a smile.

  She gave him a searching glance and then returned her attention to the traffic. “How have you been?”

  “I’m fine,” he said with that same neutral tone he always used.

  She nodded. “Of course you are,” she said. “You’d never tell me if you were anything other than that, would you?”

  “Because nothing’s changed,” he said. “What’s the point of belaboring the fact?”

  “You look better,” she said abruptly.

  “You didn’t see me before,” he said with a half laugh.

  “Other than initially in the hospital, no, but you’re better than I thought, than I expected,” she said. “You’ve got good color in your face. Your eyes are bright. You’re standing tall.”

  “And all those things matter,” he said with a nod. “Still hasn’t been an easy journey, but I’m here.”

  “And that’s what counts,” she said. “We thought we’d lost you there for a while. Of course it didn’t help that you wouldn’t let any of us come see you.”

  “You all came and crowded me right after surgery,” he said. “I didn’t want to see anybody at that point in time, thanks.”

  “Yep. I know. Rodney and I probably came on a little too strong, didn’t we?”

  “You think?”

  “Hey, it is what it is.”

  “Did you have to bring Rodney’s mom and sister too?” he asked in a mocking tone.

  “They were coming with us anyway,” she said. “So we just thought that everybody could go to the hospital.”

  “I can’t believe they even let you in.”

  “We lied,” she said cheerfully.

  He groaned. “Well, it didn’t help my healing in any way.”

  “And that’s why we left,” she said, “and it was very hard for me to do. I hope you appreciate the fact that I was looking out for you.”

  “Of course,” he said gently. With just the two of them, it was not hard to see that that had been her motivation. He had just wanted them all to go away and let him sink back under the cloud of drugs. “And it wasn’t an easy recovery,” he said. “We did stay in touch, but I didn’t really want any visitors.”

  “And I never really understood that, but, any time you got sick, you always wanted everybody to go away. You were like an animal, holed up to either live or die, and you wouldn’t come back out again until one or the other had happened,” she said, shaking her head. “When I get sick, I want to be held and cuddled. I want somebody to look after me.”

  “That’s why we’re so different,” he said with a smile. “You’ve always been like that, and I’ve always been like I am.”

  “I know,” she said, “but, for somebody like me to be around somebody like you and to not be able to help, it’s really frustrating.”

  “Which is also why you weren’t supposed to come,” he said, “because you knew I wouldn’t want you there, more so because I just wanted to focus on my healing and either live or die, as you so eloquently put it,” he said with a note of humor. “Or I would be unconscious. Regardless, I didn’t want you there while I was trying to get back on my feet. It was a journey I had to take alone.”

  “But you see? I don’t agree with that,” she said. “You didn’t have to be alone at any time.”

  He laughed. “Having to be alone is a
very different thing,” he said, “than choosing to be alone. That’s another thing entirely.”

  “Right,” she grumbled. “And, for you, it’s always choosing to be alone.” She shook her head. “You know that’s not normal, right?”

  He smiled. “It’s normal for me. It’s even got a name. Introvert.” It was an old argument that they had had—but not recently. “Anyway, once I was back on my feet and was capable of letting you guys know I was doing okay, I did contact you. We’ve been in touch ever since.”

  “Yes, but you were alone when you needed somebody,” she said, frowning.

  “No,” he said, “I was alone at a time when I needed to be alone.”

  “It’s very strange,” she muttered.

  “Only strange for you,” he said, “because you’re very different from me. But it’s the differences that make us work so well together.”

  She snorted at that. “Basically you just want to be left alone to do your own thing,” she said. “You’re not a team player.”

  “I’m very much a team player,” he said. “Yes, it took me a long time to get there, but once I realized that that was necessary for the kind of work I was doing,” he said, “I was definitely a team player. But, when you’re injured, there’s no part of … there’s no team in ‘I’m injured,’” he said. “It really doesn’t matter how much of a team player you are because your team becomes the medical team. And you have to trust that they know what they’re doing, or you have to argue your way out of whatever it is that they’re trying to talk you into,” he said. “At that point in time, there’s not a whole lot anybody can do. You have to make your own decisions and follow through.”

  “But you don’t have to be a hard-ass,” she said in exasperation. “Other people can be there to help you make those decisions.”

  “Maybe in your case, yes,” he said, “but I’m the one who has to live with the outcome. I’m the one who has to live with the process, the recovery, and whatever I’ll have at the end of the day.”

  She nodded, looking at his leg.

  “Missing one lower leg, but new titanium knees and hips,” he said cheerfully. “Missing a whole mass of muscle on the one calf, and my back is definitely not pretty, but then I’m not pretty anymore either.”