“I’ve been wanting that bacon all damn day and that hellion is not going to stop me from having it.”
“OK, well then, come in, mijo. But no fighting with the only paid guest I’ve had in over two months.”
He nodded, not trusting his voice.
“Santi! Tranquillo,” his aunt cautioned behind him as he walked toward the kitchen.
He was six foot three and combat hardened. No way his aunt should need to caution him over some big booty woman’s venomous mouth.
“I’ll just get that bacon and go,” he told his aunt as she moved to the refrigerator. He ignored the woman refilling her cup at the island, ignored that she smelled like verdant sweet earth with a promise of rain.
The room was tense as his aunt placed a container of cooked bacon as well as the whole package of uncooked bacon in a paper bag.
He thanked his aunt and moved to leave without a word to that…other.
“You have a good night, Sheriff Stillwater.”
He froze. It wasn’t what she said, it was the intentional taunting, like she just refused to allow him to leave in peace.
He walked over to where she sat.
She wanted him to overreact; he could see it in her gaze.
“Was it something I said?” she asked.
With no earth to touch, no sky to gaze toward, no water to sink into, he was powerless against the cold depths of her eyes dragging him into her chaotic abyss.
“Why would you want to stay where you’re not wanted Ms. Green? It reeks of desperation and a psychopathic inability to not take a hint. Go back to where you came from or get to where you’re going, either’s fine with me as long as you go.”
She flinched back as if he’d slapped her and he immediately felt shame and remorse; would’ve apologized right then, but her eyes hardened and emptied.
He knew if he tried to apologize now, she’d have cause to ram the end of her spoon into his throat. Because he’d seen the moment of hurt and vulnerability before she’d iced it over.
He braced for her verbal barrage. Then she smiled. It was a genuine smile of joy.
“You’re right of course. I should leave, and though I may not immediately give you what you want, I’ll will strive to give you exactly what you deserve.”
He felt uneasy.
She stood and patted him gently over his heart. It lurched as if shutting down.
“I’ll see your nephew out, Ms. Lina.”
He turned and kissed his aunt on the crown of her head as he passed. The pinch of her mouth said she was irate with him.
Santiago only paused when he outside, halfway to his car. Ms. Green leaned against the door jam, arms and ankles crossed.
“Find something safe to do, Sheriff,” Ms. Green cautioned. “I hear these mountains are filled with dangerous unnatural things.” Her voice brushed over him like the ghostly hands of all his dead enemies. She was the dangerous unnatural thing.
Santiago got in his cruiser and pulled off without looking back.
He drove through town, focusing on the dark horizon where creeping mist slowly consumed Shrouded Lake. A warning, his gut whispered.
He’d be more wary of Ms. Green. Not because he was afraid of her, but because anyone that disrupted his control this deeply made him afraid of himself.
CHAPTER 7
“Is everything okay?”Ms. Carolina asked as Lauren closed the door and rested her back against it, eyes closed.
