On the Scent by Angela Campbell Read Free Book Online

humping one of the private detective’s legs.
    â€œCostello. No!”
    Zach’s chest barely rose and fell on shallow breaths. Her nurse training kicked in, and she bent to check for a pulse, trying to find evidence of what had caused the injury. A trickle of blood was drying below his nose. His pulse was steady.
    â€œZach, can you hear me?”
    A low groan rumbled through his chest.
    Abbot sat down on the other side of Zach’s head and seemed fascinated by Hannah’s actions as she used trembling fingers to lift his eyelids and check his pupil dilation. She reached for her phone, intending to dial 911 again, but the sound of a police car’s siren in the distance stilled her.
    She took a deep breath and caressed Zach’s face.
I’m sorry. So sorry.
Someone had been in her home again. Someone had done this to him. She felt so violated and scared and angry. Angry at herself for not listening to him earlier. He’d been right.
    The person doing this was dangerous, and worse, they didn’t seem likely to give up anytime soon.

Chapter Four
    Sarah Taylor glared from across the room. “And
why
didn’t you tell me any of this sooner?”
    Hannah shrank deeper into the corner of her new sofa and watched her best friend pace a line in the living room rug. Sarah’s ebony skin didn’t turn red in anger the way hers did, but Sarah had other tells Hannah had picked up on throughout the years. Hannah knew her usually calm and quiet best friend was
livid
.
    Well, at least she hadn’t brought one of her brothers with her. Then Hannah would be defending herself against two of the Taylors. Heaven help her.
    â€œI told you,” Hannah said. “I didn’t want to distract you from your schoolwork. You work a full-time job, and your mother is sick with cancer. The last thing you need to worry about is me.”
    â€œI
know
you didn’t say that Hannah Michelle Dawson.” Sarah stopped pacing and pointed an accusing finger at her. “You are practically my sister, and you know you can come stay with us. We could have been watching out for you.”
    Hannah grabbed the pillow beside her and hugged it. Batting her eyelashes, she feigned a proper British accent. “If you would be so polite as to grace me with your forgiveness, I’d be ever so grateful.” Sarah could never resist the British accent.
    â€œDon’t even try it.” Her friend’s thinned lips twitched as she held up a hand in warning and spun away.
    â€œDo you like crumpets?” Hannah batted her eyelashes. “I’ll make you crumpets if you forgive me.”
    Glancing back at the sofa, Sarah rolled her eyes and relented with a smile. “Fine.” She crossed her arms. “I forgive you, but only if you come stay with us.”
    Dropping the accent, Hannah groaned. “Come on, Sarah. You and I both know you and your mom have this weird phobia about cats. That’s why Abbot is locked in the other room right now. I can’t bring him into your house. It wouldn’t be fair to any of you.”
    â€œI don’t understand why you don’t get rid of that thing anyway.” A feigned shudder jiggled Sarah’s shoulders. “Creepy-as-hell cat.”
    Gritting her teeth, Hannah moved to her feet. Every few minutes she felt the need to check on that so-called creepy-as-hell cat to make sure no one else had climbed in the window and tried to snatch him again.
    â€œBesides the fact I love and adore Abbot, you know why.” Hannah paused on her way to the bedroom to peek out the front window curtain. “Remember the money that paid off your mother’s medical bills? Remember that money I gave you to pay for this semester’s tuition? That’s why.”
    â€œ
Loaned
me,” Sarah corrected, padding close behind her with Costello bringing up the rear. Hannah opened the bedroom door and spotted Abbot twisted in an unnatural kitty position