I drop from the bar, land with a thud. My hands ache. My chest does, too. When this is over, I want one thing: to lie next to Cole and listen to his heartbeat. Just that.
The clank of boots on concrete snaps me to attention. Every muscle tightens. I grab my towel, turn—
My pulse spikes. My face doesn’t.
Sheriff Willard. Crisp jacket. Swagger like he’s untouchable. Strolling in like he owns the place. “Still keeping yourself in shape, I see.”
I wipe sweat from my neck. “Something like that.”
Frankie’s gone, taking Earl to Costco. I’m alone. Willard must’ve known. He drifts past the workbench, tapping a fender with idle fingers. Lazy. Mocking.
“You’ve settled in nicely,” he muses. “Good setup. Quiet. Out of the way.”
I don’t answer. My eyes never leave him. He smiles faintly. “Saw young Noah Hudson at Pie Pie Baywood the other day. Cute kid. Lots of energy. Be a shame if that ever… ran out.”
The towel twists in my fists, threads biting into my palms. The urge to put him through the bay door almost knocks me off my feet.
“Cole’s doing a fine job raising him,” Willard goes on, flashing a smile so fake it’d make politicians envious. “But it must be hard. No backup. No guarantees. If something unexpected happened.”
My jaw clamps. “You threatening a kid now?”
“I’m just sayin’ accidents happen in small towns. People let their guard down. Trust when they shouldn’t.” He tilts his head, eyes narrowing. “Your old man learned that the hard way.”
The world narrows to a pinprick. “I don’t care who you think you are,” I tell him, low and even. “Go near them, and I swear—”
He lifts a hand, amused. “Relax. I’m not here to start a war. Just reminding you where the lines are. And who draws them.”
He leans in, cologne thick, voice soft. “You wanna play with the big boys? You better play nice.”
He steps back. “Enjoy your day.” And then he’s gone, leaving cologne and poison in the air.
I stand there, fists clenched, until the silence gets unbearable.
Then I’m in Frankie’s back office, door slammed, burner phone in hand. Keller picks up on the second ring. “I was supposed to call you.”
“Willard just threatened Cole and Noah.” Pause. Heavy. Then Keller’s voice drops like steel. “Explain.”
I grind it out. “He showed up here. Said their names. Talked about ‘accidents.’ Dropped my dad in just to twist the knife. He wasn’t even trying to be subtle.”
Keller curses under his breath. “Okay. We’re close. I’ll get eyes on them.”
“Not some guy in a suit,” I snap. “That would paint a bigger target on them, plus I don’t want Noah to get scared.”
Silence, then Keller sighs. “I know just the right agent.”
I press a hand to my jaw. “No delays, Keller. If he so much as looks their way, I’ll—”
“You stay put. We’ll cover them,” Keller says firmly. Then, quieter: “Bailey… don’t let him bait you.”
Too late. He already has. I picture Cole in his kitchen, joking about the room temperature milk. Leaning into my kiss.I’d burn the world to protect him.
We hang up.
And in the silence that follows, I plan exactly what I’ll do if Willard threatens Cole again.
He thinks he draws the lines. I’m going to bury him under them.
COLE
