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“W hat the hell?” Jake muttered.

Renard had to grin. It was well known that the Malones weren’t fans of the sheriff. Not because he wasn’t a good sheriff, but they weren’t fans of obeying the law.

“Did one of you message them?” Jake asked.

“No,” Opal said. “When would I have done that?”

“Not me. I don’t need Malone help. I can get myself in and out of trouble on my own,” Renard said.

“Truer words were never spoken,” Jake replied.

“Sheriff! What are you doing here?” Tanner asked as he walked around to stand by Opal. “You okay, Opal?”

Renard frowned, not liking the implication that he couldn’t keep her safe and happy. “Of course she is.”

The Malone men glared at him. Renard just raised his eyebrows. They didn’t intimidate him.

“We were asking Opal,” Raid said. “You all right, Opal?”

Opal opened her mouth.

“What are you doing here, Renard?” Tanner asked before Opal could speak.

“I came to replace the security light for Opal. It was broken.”

Tanner frowned down at her. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have come and replaced it for you.”

“Or me,” Raid added.

“Me too,” Beau said.

“I, uh . . . I . . .” Opal looked overwhelmed.

He didn’t like that.

There were a lot of things that Renard didn’t like, but it turned out that Opal being upset was something he really didn’t like.

In fact, it made him feel a bit murderous.

“You’re upsetting her,” he said.

“We are? She doesn’t look upset,” Raid said.

“Why would that make her upset?” Tanner asked. “Opal, how come you didn’t call?”

Calm.

You’re in control.

“Renard,” Jake warned, clearly seeing that he was getting upset.

“You all need to stop talking over her and let her speak,” he informed them.

There. That was civilized, right?

“Or else I’ll have to throat punch the three of you so you have to shut up and listen.”

Ah, well.

He’d tried.

Opal gaped up at him. “Do you always choose violence?”

He shrugged. It was a legit question, he just didn’t have an answer.

“Nobody is throat punching anyone,” Jake said firmly. “I do not want any threats or trouble. All of you need to calm down.”

“So why are you here?” Beau asked.

“I got a call from a neighbor with some concerns,” Jake explained.

“What neighbor?” Raid asked.

“It will be Mrs. Gingers,” Tanner said. “She was a problem when we were moving Opal in, remember? Complaining about the noise, the people, the cars.”

“Yeah, but everyone complains about the noise when we’re all together,” Raid said. “What’s she got to complain about now? Opal isn’t causing any trouble.”

“Well, I could be,” Opal said. Then she glanced at Jake. “But I’m not.”

“No one said Opal was causing trouble,” Jake said.

“Then what is there to complain about?” Tanner demanded. “And how come that light wasn’t working? We only installed it a couple of months ago.”

“It was smashed up,” Renard said. “And the old shrew was complaining about me because I told her off for calling Opal a trollop.”

“Renard,” she chided.

“What?” What was wrong with her? Why was she acting so quiet and almost scared? He turned so he was blocking her from the rest of them, then took a few steps forward so she was forced to back up until they were out of earshot. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.”

Here was something else he didn’t like.

Lies.

She could lie to whoever she wanted. She wanted to lie to the sheriff? To the Malones? He’d back her up, no problem.

But he didn’t like her lying to him.

“Don’t lie to me. You want me to get rid of them? I will. They’re all annoying the shit out of me so it will be a pleasure.”

She frowned up at him. “No.”

He eyed her. “What are you worried about? The sheriff? He’s not a bad cop. The shrew? She’s all hot wind. The Malones? Sure, they’re annoying but mostly they’re okay. You don’t need to take any shit from anyone.”

“Right. You’re right.” She straightened her shoulders, some attitude coming back into her face.

“That’s my girl.” Then he wished those words back.

She wasn’t his girl.

And he didn’t want that. Nope.

“I mean, my friend.”

Shit.

She gave him a strange look before stepping around him. Renard turned. Tanner, Beau, and Raid were staring at her with a mix of concern and confusion. While Jake just looked serious.

“Jake, I’m really sorry Mrs. Gingers called you out here,” Opal said. “She’s been a pain in the ass ever since I moved in. But I don’t think there’s any reason to call the cops when Renard was just defending me. He would never harm a woman.”

“I didn’t think he would or he wouldn’t be living here.”

Renard made a scoffing noise.

“Guys, I’m fine.” She turned to Tanner and the others. “Renard helped me with the security light there was no need to call in the fucking cavalry.”

“What happened to it?” Jake asked.

“It broke.”

“It was smashed on the ground,” Renard added with a frown. “Seems strange.”

“Very strange,” Tanner agreed.

“Was it secured well? Could a strong wind have knocked it off?” Jake asked.

“I installed it myself,” Tanner told him. “It was secured just fine. What about a kid?”

“Or was it someone else?” Raid glanced across the street.

“Mrs. Gingers wouldn’t have done this,” Opal protested.

Jake ran his hand down his face. “If anything like this happens again, let me know. If you have any issues with her, I want to know. Understand, Opal?”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because it’s my job to keep everyone in this town safe. And that includes you. Now, I’m going to go chat with Mrs. Gingers. I don’t want any trouble from any of you.”

Turning, he strode back down the driveway.

“He’s such a spoilsport,” Beau said.

“Always trying to ruin everyone’s fun,” Tanner agreed. “Don’t know how Molly hasn’t died of boredom being married to him.”

“Well, we did offer to extract her from that situation and she refused,” Raid said.

“Extract her?” Opal asked. “Situation?”

“They mean they were going to kidnap her from her marriage,” Renard said dryly.

“Kidnap is such a strong word,” Beau said.

“That light shouldn’t have smashed,” Tanner said seriously. “You sure everything is okay, Opal? You want to come stay with me and Lilac?”

Crap. Crap. Crap.

The last thing she needed was the Malones circling wagons around her. She liked being on her own.

Or at least she liked to pretend that she liked being on her own.

Same thing, right?

“I’m good,” she told him. “I like living here even with the neighbor from hell across the street.”

“I don’t like it,” Raid said. “Maybe we should go talk to Mrs. Gingers.”

Alarm filled her. “No! Nope. You stay out of my business, Raid Malone.”

“Pretty sure your business is my business, since you’re one of us,” Raid countered.

“How many times do I have to keep telling you that I am not a Malone. You guys cannot tell me what to do.”

“She still hasn’t got it,” Raid said to Tanner.

“Nope, she sure hasn’t,” Tanner agreed. “She will.”

“Once you’re accepted into the family, it’s for life,” Beau told her.

“Accepted into the family?” she cried, throwing her hands in the air. “You realize you sound like the mafia, right? And how did I get accepted in when I did not consent?

“Oh, you don’t have to consent,” Raid told her.

“Yeah, where’d you get an idea like that from?” Beau asked with a grin. “If you got to consent, we’d never have anyone join the family.”

“So you’re saying that all of your wives didn’t consent?” she asked with exasperation.

They were so full of crap.

The three of them just grinned.

Wow, that packed a punch.

If they were free and she was a different woman . . . one who wouldn’t taint them . . . well . . . she might have melted in the face of all that sexy gorgeousness.

But she was made of tougher stuff than that.

She hoped.

“If you don’t stop staring at them,” Renard told her quietly, “then I’m gonna have to start messing up some faces.”

Oops.

She turned to give him a haughty look. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He grunted.

“She thinks we’re cute,” Beau said.

“Well, of course she does,” Raid added. “She’s got eyes.”

“Guys,” Tanner said in a low voice. “Be serious for a moment. Opal, do you think someone broke that light on purpose?”

“Why would anyone do that?” she countered, trying to hide her unease.

“That isn’t really an answer,” Tanner told her.

“There’s no reason that someone would break the light so I don’t think that’s what happened. Everyone is acting like it’s a bigger deal than it really is. Okay? I’m fine.”

“Well, how come you asked Renard for help and not us?” Tanner asked.

“I didn’t ask him to do anything,” she said with exasperation. “The damn man doesn’t listen to a word I say. He just turns up and does what he likes. I had no say.”

“Really,” Raid drawled.

Beau shook his head. “Not sure I approve of this. Sounds suspicious to me.”

“No more suspicious than a woman wanting to marry not just you but your twin brother,” Renard replied.

“Ugh, she only really wanted me. Who would want Maddox? She just felt sorry for him.”

Dear Lord.

They were impossible. All of them.

“You know that being a Malone means that you have to get approval for anyone you want to date, right?” Raid told Opal.

“You know that I’m twenty-nine years old and I’ve dated plenty before you Malones decided that I was one of you. Which you did without my fucking consent, I might add.” She slammed her hands on her hips as she glared up at them.

“Don’t act like you don’t like being a Malone,” Raid told her.

“Being a Malone is the best,” Beau added. “Just ask any Malone, they’ll tell you.”

“I don’t know how your women don’t smother you all in your sleep,” she told them. “I can make my own decisions about who I date, but even though it is none of your business, Renard and I are . . . friends.”

Well. To be perfectly honest, she wasn’t quite sure what they were but she was going with friends.

“Close friends,” he added.

Did he have to add that bit?

“Hmm, well, we’re watching you,” Tanner told Renard.

“I’m terrified,” Renard replied dryly.

“What are you guys doing here, anyway?” she asked, feeling a headache looming.

“Oh, Mr. Oldsman called us and told us that the sheriff had just pulled up outside your house. He was worried you were in trouble.”

“He was?” she asked, surprised. Why would Mr. Oldsman do that? She didn’t get it.

“Don’t sound so surprised, Opal,” Tanner told her gently. “I know it’s hard to believe, but there’re lots of good people in Haven. They take care of each other.”

She nodded, but she still wasn’t sure.

“So, Renard, you leaving now?” Raid asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against Renard’s truck.

“Actually, he was coming in for a cup of coffee,” Opal told them.

She was not going to let them boss her and Renard around.

“Then I guess we’re staying for coffee too,” Tanner said.

Urgh.

What were they up to? This was ridiculous.

“Don’t think you were invited,” Renard drawled.

“We’re family. We don’t need an invite,” Beau informed him.

She sighed.

How was this her life now?