Lone Wolfe Protector by Kaylie Newell Read Free Book Online

what?”
    “You know what.”
    “I like her. I like talking to her. Is that so bad?”
    “ Yes. ”
    “Why?”
    “Because she’s here to prove that someone in this town murdered Aimee Styles, that’s why.”
    “I think someone in this town did murder Aimee Styles, and you do, too,” Candi said, whispering for the barista’s benefit. “Maybe y’all could use a little help.”
    He bristled. “Help? From her ?”
    “She’s not an idiot, Koda. Would it kill you to help her out? Maybe she’ll see a different angle or something. Something you missed.”
    “Please.”
    Candi tilted her chin. He knew her well enough to see she was done talking about it. “Well, I like her. And it’s been a long time since I’ve had a girlfriend around here. I get so tired of men trying to decide what’s best for me. And that includes you, mister.”
    “Candi—”
    “Don’t want to hear it. I’ll be there tomorrow night, and so will Maggie. Get used to it.”
    Grabbing her keys from the table, she threw her purse over her shoulder and walked out the door, leaving him standing there wondering what just happened.

    Koda Wolfe didn’t mind working nights. Actually, he kind of liked it. He was an introvert by nature and the darkness and chill that fell over the small town as dusk crept in suited his personality just fine.
    He sat in his SUV now, his sheepskin-lined jacket pulled high around his neck, and listened to the occasional voices coming through the radio. It was a slow night. He’d stopped patrolling half an hour ago, ending up outside the bar with the motor running, watching and waiting with a resigned look on his face. Sooner or later some drunken idiot would stumble out into the fog and end up peeing on something, fighting someone, or both.
    The radio crackled, and he reached over to turn it up.
    “Four Victor Ten?” said the dispatcher. Abigail.
    “Go ahead,” he said, cuing the mic on his shoulder.
    “A motorist hit some sort of an animal just south of exit 21. Another motorist called it in. Unknown if you’ll need to dispatch.”
    Koda sighed. He hated shooting half-dead animals on the side of the road. More than likely the driver would be upset. And more than likely it’d be messy.
    “Copy. Anyone hurt?”
    “Negative. Just shaken up.”
    “What kind of animal?”
    “Said it was a big dog.”
    “Copy. En route.”
    “Copy that.”
    Koda pulled out of the lot and drove slowly through the fog. It had rolled in after the rain and settled so thickly over the streets that in some areas he couldn’t see ten feet in front of his vehicle. He passed the bar to his right and hoped that no one got too stupid tonight. He was the only deputy on duty this far north, and with this fog, it’d take a while to get any backup.
    By the time he pulled onto the freeway and turned around in the grassy median, it was shortly after midnight. He crept along with the light bar flashing an eerie blue and red into the mist.
    Just ahead, he could make out the beginnings of someone’s hazards. After putting the SUV into park, he got out and walked through the freezing night air toward the little car ahead. The little yellow car ahead.
    Shit.
    Maggie stood beside the passenger door, hugging herself. She only wore a light sweater, and he could see her shaking from where he stood. There were obvious tear tracks down her pale face, and her hair hung in damp clumps against her neck.
    “It was just there,” she said, her voice laced with panic. “It jumped in front of my car.”
    He stepped close, taking her in, from the top of her head to her scuffed tennis shoes, completely wrong for winter mountain living. A small cut glistened on her forehead and was already surrounded by nasty purple swelling. Tears streaked her cheeks and she wiped them with the back of her hand. She was a beautiful mess.
    He took his jacket off and draped it across her shoulders.
    “Hold still,” he said, cupping her face. The cut was deep, but probably