WILD [JENLISA]

32

Jennie sat at her desk in the lab, trying to distract her wandering mind by working through her never-diminishing mountain of paperwork. Since she'd reconciled with Lisa the week before, life had been good. Had Jiyong not still been walking free, Jennie would even have said she was downright content. The experience of being with Lisa in a trusting relationship was more wonderful than she could ever have hoped. And having Lisa constantly by her side, poised to come to her defense, eased Jennie's mind about the threat that Jiyong posed in a way all the police officers in the world couldn't.

A whine drew her attention to the floor, where the large Rottweiler lying next to her chair stared directly into Jennie's eyes. Even in canine form, Lisa's fierce love for her shone through in her gaze. Sprawled on a dog pillow, hidden in plain sight, she gave Jennie quiet support that made her feel like she could conquer any challenge. Dropping her hand to stroke Lisa's head, Jennie looked down at her but said nothing. With Kai working at his own desk across the lab, chatting with the dog wouldn't be prudent.

The lab door slid open and Irene strolled inside. She nodded at Kai without taking her eyes off Jennie, mouth set in a grim line. All business, she softened her expression slightly when Jennie greeted her with a friendly wave. "Afternoon, Jennie."

Lisa lifted her head but didn't stand. This wasn't the first time Irene had met Jennie's new canine friend, but today she came bearing a gift. Crouching in front of Lisa, Irene offered a dog biscuit with a quiet "Here you go, girl."

Jennie covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to laugh at the sight of the large Rottweiler taking the biscuit delicately between its teeth. She had no doubt that the last thing Lisa wanted was to gobble up a dog treat, but apparently she was committed to staying in character.

"Cookies. Perfect."

"Have I mentioned how glad I am that you managed to find such a badass-looking dog?" Irene stroked Lisa's chest, triggering Lisa's mouth to stretch into unconscious doggy pleasure. "I don't know why I didn't think of this. A dog is an excellent deterrent."

"Well, I'm not convinced a dog will deter kwon Jiyong, but I do feel better with Lily around." Jennie glanced at Lisa, knowing she wasn't a huge fan of the name Jennie had given her Rottweiler form. They'd both agreed that it was a nice little inside joke, though. "I'm really grateful that Lisa was able to talk her friend into letting me borrow her."

Irene rolled her eyes. "At least Lisa's good for something." She startled when Lisa growled low in the back of her throat, then pulled her hand away and quickly stood. Glancing at Jennie, Irene said, "You train her to do that?"

Jennie gave Lisa a mock glare that she hoped didn't betray her amusement at the situation. "Maybe Lisa did."

"Nice." Irene took a step away, jamming her hands into her pockets. "So Kwon Jiyong is officially the most boring man on the face of the earth. One week watching his every move and we've got nothing. He likes to go into the city and hang out at coffee shops, one near the morgue, the other relatively close to your apartment. But so far he's done nothing to arouse suspicion. Certainly nothing we can pick him up on."

"You think he's gone dormant, or that he's made his tail?"

Grumbling, Irene said, "My guys aren't complete amateurs. I don't see how he could have made us so quickly."

"He's a smart guy. Meticulous." Jennie pushed aside her paperwork, resting her hand on Lisa's head. Bolstered by her quiet strength, Jennie didn't let herself get swept away by the familiar fear that always rose when she thought back to her encounter with Jiyong. Five minutes beneath him hardly made her an expert, but she did feel as though she knew him through the way he left his crime scenes. "He's observant. I don't think it's a stretch to imagine that he might sense he's being watched. Maybe he's just generally paranoid."