Kascius, p.1
Kascius, page 1
KASCIUS
The K9 Files, Book 20
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
Jenner, Book 16
Rhys, Book 17
Landon, Book 18
Harper, Book 19
Kascius, Book 20
Declan, Book 21
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
Epilogue
About Declan
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!
An overseas trip is a great idea, especially to rescue American War Dog. When Badger tags Kascius for this job, he wants to visit his brother in Scotland at all costs—almost. Yet, at the same time, Kascius never wants to see the woman who he used to love. Arriving home for the first time in five years is a challenge, but nothing has changed. Liam, his middle brother, is warm, caring and still in love with the farm, and his younger brother, Angus, appears to still be a lightweight. Kascius can say nothing good about his relationship with his mother. But Ainsley? Now she’s a different story. She’s still the same beautiful woman he left behind.
Ainsley hopes seeing Kascius again can help heal the rift that still stops her from moving forward in life. She’d been in a bad place back then and still regrets the way they split. However, finding forgiveness, although it might be possible, doesn’t look likely.
Adding to the personal problems, Kascius’s arrival sets off a chain reaction that leaves Ainsley under suspicion of murder, as her world implodes into a chaotic nightmare. Between dogfighting, gambling, and murder, … the pair have their hands full—keeping Ainsley out of prison and Kascius alive. Add in the fate of the War Dog, Beamer, on Kascius’s shoulders as well …
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Prologue
Kat crowed when she hung up the phone. “Wow. Harper just updated me on his two surgeries, both his facial scar and his stump, and they went way better than I expected. He’s two weeks post-op and healing. I had no idea it was even possible for both his operations to be early, not delayed yet again. What are the odds of that happening again?”
“And not just his life is going well. Our business is going amazingly well too,” Badger pointed out, as he looked over at her and smiled.
“It’s insane, but, hey, we’re almost done with that stack of files, aren’t we?”
“Not likely,” he noted. “It seems like the more cases we solve, the more they’re willing to give us.”
“That’s a good thing, right?”
“Yeah, but remember. It’s all without pay.”
“No, I know.” She frowned. “Any chance they’ll cover some expenses?”
“Oh, I’ve asked, particularly since they want us to take on a whole lot more of these.”
“It’s amazing how many thousands of dogs come and go in the military, all over the armed forces,” she said. “So, do you have more cases already, then?”
“I do,” he stated, as he lifted a stack of files. “The question is, do we have more men?”
At that, she nodded. “I know, right? I mean, it’s one thing to ask us to do more. It’s another thing entirely to expect us to do it when we don’t have the men available.”
“That was my concern too,” Badger admitted, “but you know it’s not in me to say no.”
She smiled. “That’s one of the reasons I love you. Besides, this last one with Beauty and Beast turned out even better than I expected. And now Harper and Saffron are coming down for a week. We’ll get him fitted, plus he wants to talk about doing some design work with me, like an internship.”
“Yeah, did he ever tell you what he was doing?”
“He’s already signing up for the courses he needs,” she said, with a note of satisfaction. “You know we desperately need more people in this industry.”
“We do,” Badger agreed, “but he’ll never be as gifted as you.”
She leaned over, kissed him gently, and murmured, “You’re just prejudiced.”
Badger laughed out loud. “Absolutely, I am,” he said, with a smile. “But it still doesn’t solve the problem of what we’ll do in terms of getting anybody else to help.”
At that, Jager walked into the room. “Hey, great news about Harper, isn’t it?” he said by way of a greeting.
“Yeah, it sure is,” Badger replied. “Please tell me that you have somebody else you can pull in for this next one.”
“I have a couple cousins. Not my cousins, but they’re cousins,” he clarified. “It’s not so much that they’ve had much dog training experience, but they were raised with dogs and love them and have an innate way with them.”
“That’s good,” Badger noted. “What’s the deal?”
“One is at loose ends, looking for something to do to help, to be of service to the rest of the world. Kascius and Karl are cousins,” he noted, “Kascius is the one who told me that he would be interested. We were working on a remodeling project, and we got to talking. He would be happy to try.”
“That’s good news,” Badger said.
At that, a head poked around the corner, and a huge broad-chested man with a shock of auburn hair came forward, grinning. “I’m Kascius,” he stated, with an air of confidence that showed his true character. “And I’m always a sucker for a lost dog story.”
At that, Badger grinned. “In that case, come on in because it seems like we have absolutely no end to the lost dog stories around here. You do understand there’s no pay, right? It’s a volunteer deal.”
“Yeah, but you cover expenses, right?” he asked, with a glance at Jager.
Badger nodded. “That we do, and, if we’re lucky, we might get the government to reimburse us, though it hasn’t happened yet.”
Kascius laughed. “Not shocking really. So whereabouts is this dog?”
Badger hesitated and asked, “What’s your background?”
“Is it the accent or the hair that gave me away? I’m from Scotland.”
“Scotland, huh?” He grinned, pulled a folder from the bottom of the stack, and asked, “How do you feel about going home for a bit?”
“I was planning on going home anyway, just hadn’t made any concrete plans,” he replied easily. “Why? You don’t have a lost War Dog in Scotland, do you?”
“We do, indeed. It was adopted, and then the family relocated to Scotland.”
“That sounds normal enough. What’s the problem then?”
“It turns out that the dog didn’t arrive. Well, it arrived in Scotland just in time to get lost. The family tried but couldn’t find it, though according to them, they didn’t get much help. Anyway this dog hasn’t shown up anywhere, so we’ve got a missing K9 military dog.”
“Well, Jesus, how could that happen and no one see it go missing?” He stared at Badger in surprise, his mind already spinning through the puzzle. Poor dog. After a regimented lifestyle, to retirement then to … to what? It didn’t bear thinking about. He’d always been in awe of those dogs and the job they did. Always so willing and happy to serve. Too bad there weren’t more people like that. He already felt a kinship to the lost animal.
“That’s what we don’t know. You’ll start with the airport and figure out where it went from there. I don’t know what kind of a bond it may or may not have had with the family. We’ll also see if the family is interested in taking it back, though my initial impression is an absolute no. We’re short on people with the credentials to travel freely there, so you would fit the bill nicely, if you’re willing.”
“That’s definitely me. Sure, I’ll take it on. I don’t suppose you have any contacts over there or any information to get me started?”
“No, I sure don’t,” Badger admitted. “I’ll also get creative to figure out how to fund this adventure as well. But that’s my problem, not yours. You’re already volunteering your time.”
“I’ve got lots of family and friends over there,” he added, “so expenses shouldn’t be a problem, at least once I arrive.”
“Is there a sweetheart you left behind?” Badger asked, with a sideways glance at Kat.
“No, sure isn’t.” His voice had turned hard.
Kat looked at him, smiled, and asked, “You sure about that?”
“Sure, I’m sure. Ainsley wouldn’t want anything to do with me at this point in time.”
“Why is that?” she asked.
“Because I’m broken,” he declared. “I served in the military there, then I migrated and joined the US military, which pissed her off pretty badly. Now that I’m no longer whole, I’m doubly certain that is the end of it.”
“Sounds like she’s pretty shallow, if that’s the case.”
“I don’t think it’s that so much as the fact that her brother was in the same condition, and she ended up looking after him, as his primary caregiver. She struggled trying to help him with his disabilities, and, when he died early because of his injuries, I know she held it against me that I would go into anything that would expose me to that kind of risk. So, again I don’t think she’d want anything to do with nursing another broken shell all over again.”
“Do you require nursing?” Badger asked.
Kascius grinned. “No, I sure don’t, but you can’t convince some people that you’re healthy and capable of being on your own.”
“Maybe she’ll figure it out this time,” Badger suggested.
“Maybe.” Kascius shrugged, sounding unconvinced. “So when do I leave?”
“The trail’s already bloody cold, since this happened two weeks ago.”
Kascius stared at him in shock. “Good Lord, that dog could be anywhere by now.”
“Yeah, so you better be on your way.”
Chapter 1
Exiting the airport, Kascius Lamond stood outside and sniffed the fresh air. The trip had been surprisingly stressful. Mostly because of the destination. He hadn’t lied to Badger. He did plan to go home—sometime—but not anytime soon. This was an excuse to kill two birds with one stone.
There’d been more than enough killing in his military history, and he wanted something completely different for himself now. Like saving this dog for a start.
As he looked around, taking big gulps of fresh air and slowly rotating his neck, he realized just how long it had been since he’d been home. Now although Beamer, the War Dog he was tracking, was his primary reason to be here, the visit would involve a lot of friends and family. For the most part, that was good. Except for one, and he had no idea what he was supposed to do about her.
Except it really wasn’t about Ainsley. Just something about Kat’s warning that gave Kascius an idea of what Kat thought would happen, but that was BS. After Badger had shared all the details on this job with Kascius, Badger added how Kat was right. Most of their people had come away from these jobs with partners. Then Badger had corrected most to all.
Kascius wasn’t against having a partner. Yet he sure as hell was against going back to a partner he’d walked away from some five years ago. He gave his head a shake at his rampant thoughts. Better to stay focused on poor Beamer. Badger had sent the slim file to Kascius, but he hadn’t had much time for more than a curious look. He’d spent a lot of time staring at the dark Malinois shepherd’s face and the incredibly intelligent look in his eyes and the tilt of his head in a questioning manner. It had struck a chord in Kascius’s heart. Beamer was hard to forget.
“This damn mess is already driving me crazy, and I’ve barely arrived.” Hearing a shout off to the side, Kascius turned to see his middle brother, Liam, racing toward him. Kascius grinned. His brother hadn’t aged a day. They exchanged huge bear hugs.
“My God,” Liam exclaimed, looking at Kascius with a huge freckle-faced grin. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”
He laughed. “Damn, it’s really good to see you.”
“You could have come back anytime.”
“Hey, I’m here now.”
“And here you’re staying,” Liam replied immediately, slapping him on the shoulder. “I don’t know what the hell made you go off and join the American army, for Christ’s sake.”
“Because I thought it was America, the land of milk and honey.” He smiled at his brother. “I wanted to see some action. You know that better than anyone.”
“Uh-huh.” Liam stepped back, eyeing his elder brother critically. “Now that you’ve seen the action, what do you think?”
“I think it sucks,” Kascius admitted cheerfully, “but I’m still a better man for it.”
“You’re a lesser man too. Though not in any way that matters,” he added, immediately correcting course.
“Yeah. So, I got a prosthetic, and I’m missing a few teeth and a few other minor things I just might need,” he replied, “but I’m not at all upset about any of that.”
His brother studied him carefully and then shrugged. “As long as you aren’t, I won’t be either.”
He laughed. “Good. Sometimes you have to be young and foolish and go off to live your dream.”
“Mam is more than delighted that you’re coming home.”
At that, Kascius felt his throat tighten up. Yet it was a mix of worry, homesickness, and pain. “How is she?”
“She’s okay. Much better now that she knows you’re here,” he added, with a chuckle, “but she’s had a couple rough years.”
“I’ve talked to her on the phone, but it’s not the same.”
“No, it sure isn’t. She would never stop you from living your life, and that’s been a good thing for you, but I think she’s always secretly hoped you’d be coming home.”
Kascius winced because Liam’s understanding of Mam and her thinking was the opposite of Kascius’s take on her. Plus his family didn’t really know why he was coming home or that it was temporary—or that it took a job, such as this, to get him home, which was not easy to stomach. It wasn’t their fault at all. Every bit of it had to do with Ainsley, which was stupid bullshit. He needed to get past that and fast.
He should never have given her that power, but why it had taken him so long to see it, he didn’t know, and he was feeling worse by the minute. He looked over at his brother. “How are you doing, Liam?”
“I’m doing fine,” he stated, with a bright grin. “Better than you.”
“Of course, but then that’s your golden life, isn’t it? And the farm?”
Liam shrugged. “It’s doing okay. Farming life, you know?”
“Right. Some years are good. Some are bad. Another reason why I had to get away. That wasn’t the life I wanted.”
“I knew that, and so did Mam … and Dad. You had to be you.”
“Yeah, I did.” As they walked over to Liam’s truck, Kascius eyed Liam cautiously. “Anything I should know about the family?”
“Yeah, you probably should.” He stopped, ran his fingers though his hair. “If you were hoping to avoid Ainsley, that won’t happen.”
Kascius froze in place.
His brother gave him a knowing look. “I wondered if you were hoping to avoid her, but I might as well tell you that she’s been a pretty strong mainstay in the family.”
“Good God, why in the hell would that be?”
“She’s a nurse now,” Liam explained. “We hired her to look after Mam.”
“What the hell? The last thing she ever wanted was to be around sick people.” Kascius struggled to wrap his mind around the news.
Liam shrugged. “She had spent years looking after her brother, and, when she had a chance to reflect on it, I think she decided that maybe she had more to offer.”
Kascius shook his head at that. That was not the Ainsley he’d left behind. “Who knew?”
His brother didn’t say anything, as they got into the vehicle. Liam quickly started the engine and headed out of the airport parking area. “Will you be okay if you see her?”
Kascius snorted. “It’s been a long time, why wouldn’t I be?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out, and I’m wondering if that’s why you never came back.”
“She’s a big reason I never came back, yes.”
His brother nodded. “I’m sorry she kept you away from your family.”
“She was only part of the reason. Nothing quite like knowing exactly where your life is going, only to find out it’s going nowhere at all.”
“Right, but, at the same time, you can’t blame her for that.” He gave Kascius a searching look. “Or can you? I guess I don’t really know what happened between the two of you.”
