Primal Force Read Online Free PDF

prominent families caught up in a sordid drug story. Few besides her family believed her when she said that Brody had hidden cocaine packets in her closet without her knowledge. In fact, she didn’t know anything about his dealing. The judge certainly hadn’t believed her. She’d been sentenced to ten years. Eligible for patrol after three and a half. That was six months ago.
    Jori sighed as she pushed through the door into the building. She was learning to live with the stigma of being a felon. That didn’t mean she would inflict it on her family.
    When she reached the training room and saw that Battise and Samantha weren’t with the other vets, she backtracked to the main room to ask for his phone number so she could remind him he was late.
    â€œLet me make that call.” Maxine grinned and pushed a handful of dreads off her shoulder. “Any excuse to talk to that man will do me fine.”
    â€œOkay. Just don’t expect a friendly response.”
    Maxine nodded. “I know. He rubs you the wrong way. Personally, I wouldn’t mind which way he rubbed me. But I’m not the one he’s been sniffing around.”
    Jori rolled her eyes. Corny canine references between staff members were a daily event. “He’s not dogging me.”
    â€œNo, he’s been stalking you with his eyes.” Barbara, another volunteer, looked up from feeding the guinea pigs they kept in cages in the main lobby. All sorts of household pets were kept at the facility as part of the training of their service dogs. “And you’ve been watching him like he was going to suddenly morph into Wolverine.”
    Too true. But Jori wasn’t about to own it. “Whatever. Let me know if he’s not coming, Maxine.”
    *   *   *
    Class was well under way when the door to the practice room opened and Battise entered with Samantha.
    Jori frowned when she saw that the service dog wore a traditional collar that hadn’t come from WWP. Her gaze followed up the leash to the bronze hand holding it and finally up to Battise’s face. There was little to read there, aside from the light of challenge in his sludge-gold eyes. He was probably waiting for her to say something about his being late. But Kelli had given her a mission. Make nice and get to know him.
    â€œGood morning.” She smiled brightly as she left the ring of trainers, vets, and dogs to engage him. “Kelli’s just reviewing how to use the gentle lead.”
    His heavy shoulders jerked up and down beneath a clean navy-blue tee, drawing her eye to the inked feather visible below the hem of his left sleeve. “Didn’t bring it.”
    Jori held on to her smile. “Not a problem.”
    She bent down. “Hello, Samantha.” She gave the dog a treat from the pouch at her waist and cooed affectionately as she detached the leather collar. “Such a good girl. Did you have a good night with your new handler?”
    Samantha looked back at Battise, as if she understood Jori’s question. He didn’t meet her eye.
    Jori produced a gentle lead from a pocket of her cargo pants. It was made of a flexible loop worn around the top of a dog’s muzzle and a second strap that went under the chin and clipped behind the dog’s head. A dog could bark, eat, and even pick up an object in its jaws while wearing it.
    When she had given Samantha another treat, she looked up at Battise and held out her hand for the leash. “May I?”
    He handed it over without hesitation. The jolt of surprise she felt as their hands touched was a purely involuntary response to a passion, she told herself, she had no use for.
    â€œHeel, Samantha.” She tugged the leash lightly and pressed the clicker used to train dogs when they had to respond to more than one handler in the environment.
    To her amazement Samantha didn’t budge. The canine continued looking up at Battise. “Give her permission