Page 75 of Rhett

“Six for Rhett. Zero for Nova,” Mack said.

Rhett went to his target, pulling out his axe, then coming back to the line.

“Would you like a couple of practice throws before we start?” Rhett asked, his lips curled up into a grin.

I picked up my fallen axe. “Hell no. Let’s do this, Sheriff Ward.”

By the time I threw my third axe, I launched it with all my might. It landed at the side of the bull’s-eye. “Close.” My fifth one landed directly into the bull’s-eye. “Yes!” I jumped up and down, fists pumping in the air.

“You were supposed to hit your bull’s-eye, not mine,” Rhett grumbled.

I winked at him. “No one said that. You just said throw it at the target.”

“I guess so, my Viking princess warrior.” He laughed. “But I hit the bull’s-eye five times, which means I got more points than you. So I won.” He gave me a quick kiss.

“My, my, my,” Josie said. “Ain’t this quaint? The sheriff and his hybrid.”

“What do you want?” Rhett said, taking a position between Josie and me.

Oh hell no! I appreciated his protective sentiment, but there was no way I wanted Josie to believe that I was weak and afraid of her.

Stepping around him, I stood by his side, earning aWhat the fuck?glare from Rhett.

“Oh, there she is,” Josie sneered. “Couldn’t see you from your cowering position behind Rhett.”

I looked her up and down. “That’s some tough talking coming from a woman who snuck into my bedroom while I was sleeping to attack me.”

“Attack you?” Josie’s eyes widened with fake shock. “I would never do such a thing.”

“Lies.” I rolled my eyes. “You’re just mad because everything about me makes you feel this”—I wiggled my pinkie finger—“small.”

A crowd gathered around us in curiosity.

Josie tossed her blond hair before giving me a plastic, beauty-contestant smile. “Nothing about you is better than me, hybrid.” She glanced at the axe on the ground. “How about we put that to the test with a little axe-throwing competition?”

“No,” Rhett said.

“Let’s go,” I countered, refusing to back down to Josie.

“Uh, can I have a word with you?” Rhett pulled me to the side and whispered, “What are you doing? You just learned the basics of axe throwing.”

“So are you saying you don’t think I can beat her?”

“I’m saying don’t let her bait you into a pissing contest,” he snapped.

“Too late. She’s going down.” I stomped away from him, back over to the axes.

Our audience was larger. I guess everyone was interested in the shifter vs. hybrid axe-throwing battle.

Josie took a position in front of a target with her axe in hand.

I took the spot to her left.

Rhett turned me to face him. “Throw with two hands,” he instructed before giving me a quick kiss. “Kick her ass,” he finished.

“Go,” Mack instructed.

I threw my axe with two hands. Josie threw one-handed.