“I asked her brother what’s going on because I want to be her friend when she returns home. Especially since she works with us too. Her brother said she’s having boyfriend trouble and it might be over for them. At least Brad hopes so.” And so did Adam. Sierra needed to be here with them in the Portland area, forgetting about returning to Texas unless it was to see her parents or go on a vacation. “I think we all feel the same way.”
“You should date her.” Tori shrugged.
“She might not want to date for some time, if she’s even given up the guy for good.”
“Well, I would sure convince her to drop the bum.”
He hoped Sierra didn’t need any further encouragement.
“I wouldn’t wait too long on the sidelines when she gets back. I’m sure a lot of bachelor males are waiting to see how this all unfolds.”
He wondered if Tori was mated or already seeing someone out of state. He hadn’t even asked where she was from or anything else about her. He’d been too busy trying to track down Sierra and then working on cases again. Yet even now, he didn’t want to ask Tori if she was seeing someone…or mated. It might sound like he was interested in dating her. Maybe after he had worked with her a while, he would feel something different for her. For now, he was more concerned about how Sierra was feeling.
They maneuvered around to the back door where the glass window was broken. “A paver was used to break the window,” Tori said.
“But no one was home at the time, correct?”
“Right. Their neighbor called in the break-in. Then the renter walked in on the would-be thief, now wanted for murder.”
Dr. Patrick Silverson, the coroner, arrived. He was a gray wolf who had moved into the area a couple of years ago and was glad to be with a pack, even though it was a red wolf pack. “Another Ryson.”
“Yeah, the last of three brothers,” Adam said. “Probably same thing as before. Selling illegal drugs in another drug lord’s territory. These guys never learn.”
“Too much money to be made,” Patrick said. He glanced at Tori and smiled. “Do you work with this guy?”
She smiled back at him. “Yeah.” She offered her hand and he shook it. “I’m Adam’s partner now. Tori Rose.”
“Adam sure lucked out. I’m Patrick Silverson. Uh, you’re not with anyone, are you?” Patrick asked.
“Nope, not yet. Are you?”
He smiled. “Not me.”
“Good, then why don’t we go to an Italian restaurant—tonight, if you’re free,” she said.
“Hell, yeah. Would seven be all right? I’ll pick you up at your place.”
“Sounds like a deal.”
They exchanged cell numbers, and she texted her address to the doc.
Adam couldn’t believe the doc was hitting on his partner over a dead body and making a date. But he was a coroner. And they were wolves.
Then they finished their business there, and Adam and Tori headed for their cars.
“What do you think of the coroner?” Tori asked Adam.
“He’s a good guy, cares about his job, enjoys seeing people, fun to be around at a party. As to dating, I haven’t a clue.”
Tori laughed. “I might have waited for you to ask, but I think that’s a lost cause.”
“Oh?” He figured Tori was referring to him being interested in dating Sierra.
Tori just smiled and shrugged and wouldn’t say. “So why did Doc wait to ask me to go out?”
“You would have to ask him.”
“I think he was waiting to see how you responded, worried he might be stepping on someone’s toes. That’s why I asked him to go out first. To let him know I was free and available. You know why I know you have some draw to Sierra? You didn’t once ask me if I was free to pursue.” Tori smiled.
“Maybe I was giving you time to get acclimated to your surroundings and your job.”
“Nope, you were too busy being worried about Sierra.” She patted his shoulder and headed off to her car.
“Don’t tell Sierra that when you meet her.”
Tori only smiled.
Hell, he needed to make sure Tori didn’t let on that he really did have a thing for Sierra. He could see that getting him in hot water immediately.
Chapter 5
A week later, the postcard sent to Sierra was still nagging at Adam on his drive home from work. He was traveling through the flooded streets in Portland when the summer storm turned vicious and the case took second billing. At least the Ryson case had been solved. A rival drug gang had ordered the hit and was searching for his drugs. One of the gang members was in jail awaiting trial for the murder.
Winds suddenly picked up and shook Adam’s car, making it feel like an earthquake was breaking up the road. Thunderstorms were roaring through the area, but he hadn’t thought it would get this bad.
Rain poured down in a deluge, making the roads slick and slippery, his wheels sending floodwater shooting through the air. His wipers struggled to clear the persistent falling rain, covering his windshield in an avalanche of water. Lightning struck all over the place and thunder followed with tremendous booms. His heart racing, Adam saw a dark-gray funnel headed a little south of him. Tree branches were torn from trees and flew across the road in front of him. A blue-and-white patio chair flew off a front porch and bounced off the black roof of his Hummer. If that was all the damage his Hummer suffered, he’d count himself lucky.
He wondered if he should have stayed at work until the worst of this was over. Then the funnel headed farther south. He could still see it dipping down from the dark sky, the swirling motion of the clouds, and what looked like black birds flying through the air—but were really shingles or other debris torn up and tossed and swirling in the high winds.
It was rare to have a tornado strike in Portland, Oregon, but it had occurred the year before too. Some said that everyone nationwide could experience “weirder” weather. He believed it.
He worried about the wolves in his pack and whether they were safe right now. He worried about his fellow coworkers with the Portland Police Bureau and hoped everyone was okay.
A red cedar tree suddenly uprooted in the yard next to the sidewalk, making the most horrendous noise, and crashed across the road in front of his vehicle. Adam slammed on his brakes and avoided hitting the tree branches extending out several feet.
Another red cedar was ripped out by its roots in the eighty-mile-an-hour winds and landed some feet away on the other side of the one blocking his path. The second tree hit a house with an awful bang and crunch. Despite the driving rain and wind, Adam had to take the chance and see that those inside the house were safe.