Read Online Protect and Serve Don't Need A Hero by Lena Austin - Free Book Online Page B

Part of me wanted to tear it apart, and part of me wanted to go sit on the porch swing and relax in someone’s lap. Like I’d come home. Then I saw a small, granite memorial to the side of the drive. I swallowed a sob and tried to get the car door open, forgetting I was in a cop car. The damn door refused to open until Apollo slammed into park. I stumbled to the granite memorial and read the words aloud. “Beau the golden retriever. His faith and loyalty never wavered. Heroes are made of those traits.”
    Apollo knelt in the grass next to me. In his hands were a rawhide bone and some dog treats. He grinned sheepishly at me and laid the gifts on Beau’s grave. “I figured he’d like these a lot better than flowers.”
    I sniffled like a sap and caressed the bas-relief of the golden retriever. “The sculpture Mina created was better looking, but this fits Beau better. It’s simple and loving, just like him.” I would not cry. I would not cry. Maybe if I told myself that often enough, I could stop crying inside. I missed that fucking mutt.
    Eventually Apollo stood and tugged on my hand. “Come see the rest.”
    Talk about mixed feelings! I wanted to burn the place down but only after I spent a few hours traveling down memory lane. I trembled like my muscles had been tense too long. Still, I limped up the porch steps and to the massive front doors behind Apollo.
    The forest green paint still had that faint “new” chemical smell, and the doorknocker had been polished to a gleam. The sidelight glass I had jumped through in my terror had been replaced.
    The place was pristine like no one had ever left, except for a big-ass pile of stuff covered with a tarp in the middle of the octagon-shaped hall. From the thick layer of dust covering it, Mina had left this last bit. I wondered how big of a bonfire it would make.
    Some pieces of furniture looked vaguely familiar, and some I knew quite well. Apollo’s place must have been emptied of every antique that could be moved. Just to be sure, I peeked in the kitchen. Yep, he’d upgraded to the latest chef toys until I drooled on my shoes. Did this mean he wanted to live here?
    Shit, now I was really, really conflicted. I damn sure couldn’t burn the place down with his shit inside. Then again, I was relieved I didn’t have to burn it down anymore. Yeah, I’d have those days playing “lap fungus” on the porch swing with Super Cop, if he’d let me get cat hair on his uniforms. I’d buy the biggest fucking grill and set it in an outdoor kitchen to die for. I still grilled out better than he did, though he stomped my ass into the dirt when it came to inside cooking.
    Apollo’s arms slid around me from behind, interrupting my daydream. “You’re going to make me ask, aren’t you?”
    Ask? Like he had to ask? “Fuck yeah, I’m moving in with you!” I whirled around and jumped into his arms. “I don’t know how you persuaded Mina to let you have the lease on the joint, but I’ll bet you got it for a song, considering the lack of other tenants.” I’d make a discreet call to Beans and see if he could track the bitch down. I wanted to buy the whole damn island for sure, now.
    “Not quite the question I had in mind, but I’ll take that answer.” He purred into my hair and rubbed his cheek all over my head. “But, you’re laboring under a misconception, Fur-Baby. Mina doesn’t own this island anymore, and hasn’t for ten years.” He lifted me up and walked backward until we stood next to the dusty tarp.
    My eyes lit up. So, I could burn that shit under the tarp? Yeah, baby! Bonfire in the backyard, grilled tuna and beer party coming up! Then, my inner calendar caught up with my emotions. I’d been on my own for ten years. She’d sold the place the same time she’d dumped Beau and me outside. My fingers itched for a matchstick. I really, seriously needed some revenge. Had she sold us as part of the package deal? I didn’t even try to stop the hiss I made at