Harper


 
 
 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 Kascius
 Author’s Note
 Complimentary Download
 About the Author
 Copyright Page
 HARPER
 The K9 Files, Book 19
 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
 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
 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!
 With his surgery postponed, Harper can finally take on a War Dog case to help out Kat and Badger. Harper knows it is short-term, a fill-his-time thing. Considering his stage of life, that is perfect. Finding out he needs to find two dogs is a surprise, but he doesn’t expect to track one dog in order to keep another alive.
 As Saffron works to keep Beast alive, she knows how important it is to find Beauty, his bonded partner. The pair of War Dogs had come to Saffron for medical treatment. Beauty had thereafter been released, supposedly taken to a huge training facility in Mississippi, while Beast hadn’t been healthy enough to leave Saffron’s care. With Beauty missing, finding Harper on Beauty’s trail is both a relief and a distraction. Saffron can’t ignore the dynamic Harper, even as injured and as scarred as he is. Not to mention the work he’s doing is so close to her own.
 As Harper gets closer to Beauty’s location, it becomes obvious that someone wants to make sure the War Dog doesn’t reach her destination. But why? And how far will this person go to take down the dog?
 Sign up to be notified of all Dale’s releases here!
 Prologue
 
 Kat looked over at Badger. “That worked out better than I thought.”
 “You’re not kidding.” Badger stared at the door, where Landon and Sabrina and the four dogs had just exited. “With the FBI’s tip line and the cadaver dogs going over that area, they fully expect to find a killing field of rape victims, including the body of Jared’s mom. They’ll update us as their investigations continue. I’m particularly interested in the DNA results of the child born to one woman, so far, who became unexpectedly pregnant. I’m hoping that’ll be a nail in the coffin for Smith, his ass-wipe son, and the sheriff.”
 Kat shook her head. “That trio was date-raping their way through their community, which is a complete misnomer, as that was no date when your sexual partner is drugged into unconsciousness and submission. And by two officers of the law? It’s horrid.”
 “Yeah, but”—Badger chuckled—“justice came for them all. That punk kid was beaten up pretty badly in jail, enough that he may stay in the infirmary for about a week. The deputy has already been outed as law enforcement and a rapist, so he’s also been targeted by the inmates. And the sheriff? He’s in solitary, but he can’t hide there forever.”
 “That’s more good news to come out of that nasty business,” Kat replied.
 “I really like Sabrina,” Badger said.
 “Me too,” Kat agreed, with a bright smile. “I’m so glad we’re making more friends as we do this.”
 He chuckled. “Most of them don’t live close to us though.”
 “No, but I think it’s great that this couple is settling here. Besides, it’ll take several fittings to work on Landon’s foot,” she noted, her mind already on the problem of Landon’s prosthetics. “He’s a special case.”
 “Sure.” Badger chuckled. “I’m pretty sure you say that about every one of them.”
 She gave her husband a sheepish smile. “Maybe, but everyone deserves to have prosthetics designed to work the way they need them to. Sometimes the smaller prosthetics are trickier than the larger ones. Regardless it’s important for him to have a working ankle without pain.”
 “Agreed. Now that brings us to the next problem.”
 “What’s that?” she asked, directing her attention back to him.
 “The next dog,” he noted.
 “You know, if we had ten guys ready and available, we could do ten at one time?” she mentioned. “But instead we wait for one to get solved and then go on to the next.”
 “And part of that,” he noted, “is the reality of the funding.”
 She nodded. “I know. And really, in some of these cases, it seems like we’re waiting forever to get intel on where to even look for the dogs.”
 “If we get any intel at all,” Badger added.
 At that, the phone rang. She looked down, then smiled. “Hey, Harper. How are you doing?”
 “I’m good. I wanted to thank you for the job you did on my brother.”
 “What job?” she asked in a joking manner. “The prosthetic is still to come.”
 “I know, but he’s a different man. He went out lost and looking for something, but he came back found—and in a way which I hadn’t expected.”
 “Neither did we,” she agreed. “Badger is here on Speakerphone.”
 “That’s the other thing,” Harper added. “I just kind of wondered … God, it’s really arrogant of me to even ask.”
 “Ask away,” she prompted him. “You never know what’s too much until you ask.”