She hesitated, turning to look behind her. He waved, hoping she’d recognize him.
But she simply turned back in the direction she’d been going. He scowled, wondering if she was purposefully leading him on. He’d never chased a woman in his life and wasn’t sure why on earth he was doing it now.
For some illogical reason, he didn’t want her to go off alone. The dognapper was probably long gone—the perp had no reason to stick around—but Finn still didn’t like it. Abernathy brushed against his legs as they attempted to close the gap between them. Eva paused at the next intersection, her gaze focused on the subway station up ahead.
“Stubborn as an ox,” he said to Abernathy as they reached the same intersection. He’d only taken two steps when he heard her shriek.
“No! Let go of me! Help! Help!”
“Eva!” Finn managed to shove past an older guy standing in front of him as he attempted to catch up to her. His gaze narrowed when he realized there was a big man tugging on her arm. Realizing the man was trying to get her into a waiting car, he yelled again. “Police! Let her go!”
Finn barreled through the crowd just as Eva was pushed backward directly toward him. He took his eyes off the assailant in time to catch her.
“It’s Finn. I’ve got you!” He clutched Eva close to his chest, breathing hard. His heart—or maybe it was hers—thundered against his ribs. The man jumped into the car and it took off, disappearing into traffic. Finn squinted in an effort to see the license plate, but the cars were too close together. Hopefully he’d get something off one of the cameras nearby. Frustrated and worried, he turned his attention to Eva. “Are you all right?”
“I think so.” Her voice was breathless, and he was grateful she made no move to push him away. He wanted—needed—to keep holding her, making sure she was truly not harmed. Abernathy sniffed at her, his tail wagging as if he was also glad she was okay.
As other subway goers brushed past them, Finn could hardly wrap his brain around what had just happened. If he hadn’t been there, the big man would have succeeded in getting her into the car, abducting her.
Finally, she straightened, putting a little distance between them. “I’m okay,” she said.
“That was too close,” he said, more than a little upset at the attempt so close to their K-9 headquarters. He pulled out his phone. “Patricia? Tell Danielle Abbott I need to get the video feed from the cameras located near the subway station to the south of headquarters.”
“Will do,” the officer promised.
He turned back to Eva. “Sure you’re not hurt?”
“I’m sure.” She allowed him to gently tug her out of the stream of pedestrian traffic. Abernathy sat beside him, waiting for his next command. He bent to give the K-9 a quick rub, then focused on Eva.
“What happened?”
Eva lifted a trembling hand and tucked a strand of long blond hair behind her ear. “A guy came up beside me and grabbed my arm, telling me I had to go with him in the black car, a four-door sedan. I screamed for help, then I heard you call out. That’s when he pushed me backward and jumped into the car to escape.”
Finn nodded. Her story was exactly what he’d seen. He wanted to pull her close again but managed to refrain. He thought back, trying to put an image in his head of the man who’d been beside her. He’d seen the guy only from the back, and he was dressed from head to toe in black. There had been a tattoo of sorts peeking out from beneath the sleeve of his T-shirt. Eva hadn’t mentioned a tattoo but said she’d got only a glimpse of the guy. “Did you recognize him? Was it the same man who stole Cocoa?”
There was a long pause before she finally shook her head. “You’re going to think I’m nuts, but no. It wasn’t the same man.”
He wasn’t sure he agreed but let it go for the moment. This latest attempt on Eva had to be related to the Cocoa dognapping. It was the only thing that made sense.
But how? And why?
Shaken by her second attack in less than a couple of hours, Eva longed to step into Finn’s broad arms, soaking up his strength. What in the world was going on? She had no idea, other than she knew the man had almost got away with dragging her into the car. If not for her cry for help, and the way Finn had announced he was a cop and called her by name, she was certain she’d already be a hostage in the car being taken to who knows where.
She shivered, realizing how stupid she had been to leave the police station alone. Especially since her motivation was nothing more than wounded pride.
“This has to be related to the incident from this morning.” Finn’s voice broke into her thoughts. “And from what I could tell, the guy was dressed in black and wearing a ball cap, the same as how you described the man from this morning. If we can get the camera footage, we may catch a glimpse of his face or the license plate of the car.”
“That’s fine, but it wasn’t the same man,” she insisted, battling a wave of frustration. She tried to think of a way to make him understand. “This guy was slighter in build and sounded—different. His voice was raspy and he smelled kind of dusty.”
“Raspy and dusty?” His voice held a note of skepticism. “Okay, then, did you notice anything different about the voice or scent from the guy who took Cocoa from the training center?”
“He smelled stinky, like he needed a shower, not dusty.” She thought back for a moment. “And there was a twang in his voice, as if he may have been from somewhere else. A hint of the South, maybe.” When Finn’s eyebrows levered upward she felt defensive all over again. “Never mind. I know this may seem crazy to you as a cop, but that’s the only way I can describe the difference between the two men. Thanks again for coming to my rescue.”
“Hold on, Eva.” Finn reached out and caught her hand. Ridiculous that she liked the feel of his warm fingers cradling hers. “I’m sorry. Sounds and smells are important, so I appreciate the extra clues. We’ll get this guy, and the one who took Cocoa, too. But right now, I’m going to take you home.”
The word home brought an image of Mikey. Mikey! What if her presence put the child in danger? For the first time in years, she was tempted to pray, to ask God to watch over her young nephew. “Okay, but can we please hurry? I’d like to pick up my nephew from preschool. My brother-in-law is out of town for the week at a training conference in Atlanta, so I’m taking care of his son. It’s a bit early to pick him up, but I’ll feel better once he’s with me.”
“Not a problem. Let’s head back to the station, where I left my SUV.” Finn put his arm around her waist and, despite her determination to remain independent, she was grateful for his support. Abernathy walked along Finn’s other side, and she couldn’t help thinking about Cocoa.
Why had the pup been taken by the stinky Southern-twang guy? And why had the raspy-voiced man tried to drag her into the car? None of it made any sense.
Worst of all, she feared for her nephew.
“Do you think Mikey will be in danger?” she asked as they made their way toward his SUV. “Maybe I should move to a hotel temporarily.”
“Where do you live?” Finn asked.
“I’m staying at my brother-in-law’s for now, while I take care of Mikey. He has a small house in Forest Hills, not far from the training center.”
“What about when you’re not staying at Pete’s place?” Finn asked. His tone was casual, but she sensed he really wanted to know.
“I rent a room in a three-bedroom house owned by one of my college roommates. Her parents are doctors at the hospital and bought it