Page 47 of Rhett

RHETT

With blood boiling, I banged on Josie’s front door.

Josie opened it with a huge grin on her face.

“Oh my goodness,” she said in a singsong voice. “I’ve been inviting you to my place for years, and here you are.” She eyed me like I was a side of beef. “Come on in, Sheriff.” Stepping aside, she beckoned me with her index finger. “How can I be of service to you?” She batted her eyelashes.

“This is not a social visit.” I plodded inside, a frown on my face. “What were you doing at Bonnie’s house tonight?” I asked, stopping in the foyer.

“I was paying a social visit.” A smile twitched across her lips.

I narrowed my eyes, not bothering to hide the rage building within me. “Don’t play games, Josie. Nova said that you attacked her.”

“Me?” She gave me a coy smile. “Never. I was just being neighborly.”

My irritation swelled. “So let me get this straight. You broke into Bonnie’s…”

“The bedroom window was wide open.” She sounded so incredulous. “I took that as an invitation.”

“To attack Nova?” I asked in a low tone.

“Attack?” She tried to look innocent but failed. “She attacked me. I could have fucked her up, but I didn’t. She was screaming and hollering like she saw Jesus. I was trying to get away, and she grabbed my talons. I thought she was trying to kill me. I got scared and I defended myself. Is that against the law, Sheriff?”

“That’s not what Nova said.”

“Well, it’s her word against mine. Who do you think the townsfolk are going to believe? Me or your Hunter girlfriend?”

And that was what I was afraid of, a town riot over conflicting opinions about what happened between Nova and Josie tonight.

“You know that I can smell a lie, right?” I said.

“Can you also smell my pussy, Sheriff?” She trailed her fingers across my chest.

Everything inside me recoiled. “Don’t touch me,” I said between clenched teeth.

She snatched her hand away.

I carried on. “I’m here on official business. I’m not here to smell your pussy.”

Josie’s lips pressed into a thin line, and then she said, “You mean that you’re here to tell me to stay away from your Hunter girlfriend.”

“I’m only going to warn you once. Stay the fuck away from Nova.” I kept my voice low and soft, but I left no room for doubt that I’d issued a command.

She raised her chin in a gesture of defiance and met my gaze. “And if I don’t?”

“I’ll pluck those damn feathers from your wings, so you better take me seriously.” Steel laced my tone. “Understand?”

“I understand you, Sheriff,” she mumbled, smiling slyly.

I turned on my heel and walked out of her house, knowing I’d just painted a bull’s-eye on Nova’s back.

Fuck. My. Life.

CHAPTER13

NOVA

“Nova?” Bonnie called out.