Page 15 of Paws and Claws (Saltwater Grove Romances #4)

15

DOMINIC

D ominic rubbed his tired eyes as he stared at the mountain of paperwork on his desk. The station had quieted down for the night, save for the occasional crackle of the radio and shuffling footsteps in the hallway.

"Man, that was some fight at The Hex," Officer Johnson's voice drifted through his open door. "Never seen wild magic go that crazy before."

Dominic's head snapped up, his enhanced hearing picking up every word.

"Seven witches to break them up," Officer Martinez replied. "And that purple-haired one? She started it all over some stupid comment about-"

Dominic was already out of his chair. "Martinez. Johnson. A word?"

Both officers jumped, not realizing how close he'd gotten. The lion in him took a certain satisfaction in their startled expressions.

"Sir?" Johnson straightened his uniform.

"This fight at The Hex. Details. Now." His voice came out as a low rumble.

Martinez cleared her throat. "Two witches got into it. One with purple hair - you know the one, sir - and her friend. Started with words, ended with wild magic throwing furniture around."

Of course it was Tabitha. His jaw clenched. Just when he'd started thinking she might be more than just a troublemaker.

"What sparked it?"

"From what witnesses said, the friend was trash-talking someone and Moon didn't like it. Threw the first punch."

Dominic's eyebrows shot up. Tabitha starting a bar fight over someone's honor? That was new.

"Did they bring them in?"

"Yes, sir. And The Hex's owner wants to press charges for property damage."

Dominic pinched the bridge of his nose. "Get me the incident report when it's ready."

He stalked back to his office, his mind racing. What could have possibly gotten under Tabitha's skin enough to start throwing punches? She was reckless and wild, sure, but physical violence wasn't her style.

Dominic tapped his fingers against his desk. The steady rhythm did nothing to calm the restless lion prowling beneath his skin. The incident report wasn't going to materialize any faster just because he wanted it to. His computer screen glowed in the dim office as he pulled up the booking information.

"Dammit, Tabitha," he muttered, scanning the details. Holding cell three. Property damage. Assault with magical intent.

His chair scraped loudly against the floor as he stood, his movements sharp with irritation. Or was it concern? He couldn't quite parse out which emotion was driving him more.

"Taking my break," he called out to the front desk as he walked past. The night shift deputy merely nodded, used to the sheriff's odd hours.

The holding cells were in the basement, and Dominic took the stairs two at a time. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting harsh shadows across the concrete walls. His footsteps echoed in the empty corridor, and each step fueled his disappointment.

He'd really thought she was different. Their investigation had shown him a side of Tabitha he'd never seen before - clever, determined, principled even. Now this? Starting bar fights like some common thug?

"Getting soft in your old age, Blackmane," he growled to himself. The lion in him bristled at the suggestion.

The holding cell area smelled of stale coffee and antiseptic. Officer Chen looked up from his crossword puzzle as Dominic approached the desk.

"Everything quiet down here?"

"Quiet as a church mouse, sir. Well, except for cell three. She's been humming show tunes for the past hour."

Of course she had. Dominic could just picture her, sprawled on the uncomfortable bench, deliberately trying to drive the officers crazy with her antics. The mental image shouldn't have made him want to smile, but somehow it did.

"I'll take it from here, Chen. Go grab some coffee."

The officer didn't need to be told twice, practically sprinting for the break room. Dominic squared his shoulders and headed down the row of cells, his boots clicking against the concrete floor. Her humming grew louder with each step.

Dominic stopped outside Tabitha's holding cell and found her sprawled across the narrow bench. Her combat boot was propped against the wall as she hummed loudly what sounded like "Don't Rain on My Parade." Her dark purple hair was mussed and her makeup slightly smudged, but she still managed to look impossibly alluring even in lock-up. The lion in him stirred with interest before he ruthlessly tamped it down.

Her humming cut out mid-note when she spotted him. The confidence drained from her posture, and she sat up quickly. Her hands began fidgeting in her lap as she stared at the floor. The sight of her subdued like this made his chest tighten uncomfortably.

He inserted the key into the cell door, and noticed how she wouldn't look up at him. The lock clicked open with a harsh sound that echoed through the concrete corridor. Dominic stepped back and held the cell door wide. "You're free to go. Looks like your friend decided not to press charges."

Tabitha's shoulders hunched slightly as she slid off the bench. The usual spring in her step was missing as she shuffled past him, giving him a wide berth. Her wild magic, normally crackling around her like static electricity, felt muted and withdrawn.

The silence between them stretched taut as they walked through the station. His enhanced hearing detected her slightly elevated heartbeat and the soft scuff of her boots against the linoleum. She smelled like cigarette smoke, cheap beer, and beneath it all, the distinctive ozone tang of her magic.

They soon emerged into the cool night air. The streetlights cast pools of yellow across the empty parking lot. Tabitha paused at the bottom of the steps, her arms wrapped around herself like armor. Still refusing to meet his eyes.

Dominic's lion prowled restlessly beneath his skin as he watched Tabitha hunch her shoulders against the night air. The streetlights caught the purple strands of her hair, making them shimmer.

"What were you thinking?" His voice finally came out, harder than intended, the lion's frustration bleeding through. "Using your wild magic in a bar fight? With everything that's going on?"

She kept her gaze fixed on the cracked pavement, her arms tightening around herself. The sight made his chest ache, but he pressed on.

"The Hunters are looking for any excuse to paint paranormals as dangerous. And you just gave them perfect ammunition by throwing magic around in public." He ran a hand through his dark hair in frustration. "Do you have any idea how this looks? What this could do to our investigation?"

The warmth that had grown between them over the past few days felt like it was slipping away with each word. But dammit, she needed to understand the gravity of the situation.

"And what if Bruce decides to add this to his 'evidence' against you? Did you even think about that?" His voice rose slightly, the lion's protective instincts surging forward.

Tabitha's head snapped up, her blue eyes blazing. "It was just a stupid bar fight! What I do with my magic and my life isn't any of your business, Sheriff." She spat the title like a curse.

The words hit him like a physical blow. The lion in him recoiled, wounded by her sudden venom. They'd been working together, trusting each other. He'd thought... well, clearly he'd thought wrong.

His jaw clenched as he fought back the surge of hurt. The streetlight above them flickered, casting shadows across her face that made her look like a stranger. Gone was the woman who'd made him laugh on her motorcycle, who'd shown him how to loosen up at the bar. In her place stood the troublemaker he'd always known her to be.

The silence stretched between them like a chasm, filled with all the things he wanted to say but couldn't find the words for.

The lion inside Dominic roared with hurt and betrayal, transforming his pain into searing anger. His eyes flashed in the dim light as he took a step closer to Tabitha.

"What was so damn important that you had to start throwing magic around? What could possibly justify that reckless behavior?" His voice thundered through the empty parking lot.

Tabitha's shoulders hunched further, her wild magic crackling defensively around her like static electricity. She pressed her lips together, refusing to meet his gaze.

Her silence only stoked his temper. The lion in him paced restlessly, wanting to shake answers out of her. "This is exactly what I'm talking about. You never think things through. You just act on impulse without considering the consequences."

"Don't lecture me," she snapped, her eyes finally meeting his. "You have no idea-"

"No idea what? That you're thoughtless? Reckless?" Each word felt like acid on his tongue, but he couldn't stop. "You put everyone at risk tonight with your little temper tantrum."

The air around Tabitha crackled with purple sparks as her magic fed off her rising anger. "You want to talk about temper tantrums? Look in the mirror, Sheriff."

"At least I know how to control myself," he growled, his lion pressing close to the surface. "Unlike some people."

"That's it," Tabitha fumed. "I'm done. Find someone else to help with your stupid investigation because I quit."

Something in Dominic's chest constricted painfully as she spun on her heel and stormed away. His lion roared in protest, urging him to chase after her, and to fix this.

Instead, he called out, "Fine by me. I don't need your help anyway."

The words tasted bitter in his mouth as he watched her disappear into the darkness.

The parking lot felt emptier than before. Colder. The lion inside him paced restlessly, already missing her wild energy. He told himself it was better this way - she was too unpredictable and too chaotic for someone like him.

So why did it feel like he'd just lost something irreplaceable?