“We thought y’all might know each other a lil’ better,” Righty says. His eyebrows raise, waiting for me to offer more. I suck my lips in through my teeth and shake my head.
“He sent us a strange text yesterday. Says you were out in the Hellsmouth woods with ‘em,” Lefty says after sipping loudly from his glass. My heart stutters in my chest before rising to a thunderous pace. My head pounds with each heartbeat. “Kinda odd, dontcha’ think?”
I feel my underarms slick with sweat despite the copious amount of deodorant I used. The room suddenly feels unbearably hot. I tap my lips with one finger and look up at the wooden ceiling. Now would be a great time for the Earth to open up and swallow me whole. I’m already in the handbasket, and I’d appreciate the quick trip down. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Sheriff Danvers outside this bar. I’m not the social type.” Fuck. Why’d I say that?
Lefty pulls out a small notebook from his chest pocket. He scrolls through it slowly, dragging out each agonizing second before stopping on a page. After studying it, he grunts and puts it away. “You spend a lot of time out in the woods?” he finally says, giving me a terse smile.
“Well, I live out there.” Shut the fuck up right now, Mattie Mae. “But I don’t make a habit of wanderin’ around in the woods.”
“I see,” Lefty says. He takes another slow sip, keeping his eyes locked on to mine. The little hairs on the back of my neck rise. This whole interaction is a blaring warning bell ringing in my ears, and I’m desperate for a reason to escape it. “So you didn’t see the sheriff out there in the woods yesterday?”
“No, sir,” I try to say as evenly as my voice will allow. “If y’all don’t have anythin’ else for me, I’d like ta get these other fine folks taken care of.” I gesture broadly at the few people who have sat down since our conversation began.
Righty swigs back his glass, not setting it down until he’s drained it, then belches. He hits his chest once with his fist and smiles at me. “That’ll be all, ma’am,” Righty says, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.
I cringe internally at being called ma’am but grab the empty glass before walking away as quickly as possible. Tally glances at me from down the bar, and I offer her a small smile. I hope it’s reassuring, but the look on her face says it’s anything but.
“We’ll be in touch,” Lefty calls. After draining his glass, they both stand and head back out the door.
Tally rushes over to me, not bothering to set down the drink she was in the middle of pouring. “Mattie, you look greener than a tree frog,” she whispers frantically. The mental picture would be funny if I wasn’t fighting back the bile rising in my throat.
“I’m fine,” I sigh, brushing off her worried hands. “I just wasn’t ready to talk about him yet, is all.”
“Did they say he’s missing? Didn’t y’all just see each other? You think he’s out gettin’ six sheets to the wind somewhere?” Her questions come in rapid fire, and the room starts to spin around me.
“Tally, for all I know, he went to shit and the hogs ate ‘em.” Or he’s dead at the bottom of the lake. “I don’t put much work in keepin’ track of men who disrespect me.” No, I hunt them down and kill them instead.
The rest of the night drags on until I swear it will never end. Finally, the last customer heads out the door, allowing Tally and me to finish closing. She doesn’t bring up the incident with the deputies again. In fact, she’s unusually quiet. Her lack of chattiness, paired with the constant sideways glances throughout the night, leaves a disturbing dread creeping up my spine. At this point, I wish she’d say anything just to put me out of my misery.
As I go to grab my bag hung next to hers, she takes my hand. Her eyes, wide with concern, stare into me like she’s trying to find an answer to a question she doesn’t want to ask. I concentrate on the rise and fall of my chest, waiting for her to say something.
“Mattie, you don’t have ta tell me what’s goin’ on,” she says. Her voice is soft but filled with caution, like she’s trying to soothe a wounded animal. “Just know I won’t think any different of ya. You’re family, and we protect family ‘round here.”
Tears pool in my eyes, and a sob lodges itself in my throat. Tally’s definition of family is not one I’ve ever known. Though I doubt she’d feel the same way if she knew who I really am, the sentiment still strikes me right through the heart.
“Thank—thank you,” I manage to choke out. A single tear falls in a hot stream down my cheek. She wipes it with her thumb then pulls me in for a hug and squeezes until I wrap my arms around her. Her floral scent surrounds me, and the warmth of her body blooms across my chest.
“Sometimes, we all have ta do bad things ta survive,” she whispers in my ear before releasing me. Without another word, she heads out the back door to the parking lot, leaving me standing there stunned.
I paceacross my living room, trying to keep the scream building inside my chest at bay. Ripp sits on my threadbare old couch, frowning. He had been waiting there for me when I came home and hasn’t moved since I crashed through the front door.
“You’re going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep pacing around like that,” he sighs. I can hear the annoyance in his voice. I gave him a panicked rundown of everything that happened with the deputies at the bar, but he continues to act unphased. I’m the one who should be annoyed with his constant disregard for the seriousness of my situation.
“Oh, bite me,” I grumble, continuing to walk back and forth in front of him. Of course, some magical ancient being wouldn’t blink at the idea of rotting in a jail cell, but he could at least act fucking concerned for my benefit.
“Is that an offer?” He flashes me a wicked smile that quickly fades when I throw him a stern look. My eyes narrow, focused on him, and I let out a long exhale through my nose.
“Fuck off,” I snarl before realizing what I said and throwing my head back in exacerbation. There’s no expletive I could use right now that he wouldn’t turn into foreplay.
“Again, is that an offer?” The corner of his mouth quirks up, like he’s trying to contain a laugh. He rubs his palms down his muscular thighs, and my pulse quickens. My entire world is going up in smoke, but liquid heat pools in my center anyway. I run my tongue across my teeth and shake my head, trying to clear the needy thoughts invading it.
“No,” I bite out, unsure if I’m trying to convince him or myself. “It’s not a fucking offer. They know the sheriff is missing, and that fucker texted them I was out in the woods that day.” I snap my fingers twice at him, trying to regain his focus. His eyes swirl with hunger, making me feel like a rabbit being watched by a fox.
“Your words are saying no, little bug.” He grins wide, flashing his teeth. “But your body is saying yes. I can smell the slickness between your thighs from here.”
I slam my thighs together, almost stumbling as my center of balance shifts. My pussy throbs from the sudden friction of my denim shorts. Ripp slides from the couch down onto his knees. The sight almost causes my knees to buckle again. His pupils dilate until black entirely devours the blue. He places his palms on the floor, and I force myself to swallow as this gorgeous god crawls to me.
The roaring of my heartbeat fills my ears. It’s so loud, half the state can probably hear it. The man before me has kept all his human features but has been replaced with a feral creature, eyes only for me. Guttural moans rattle from his chest as he traces his tongue across his bottom lip. Time slows like sap dripping from a tree trunk until he’s finally below me. He sits back on his haunches, baring his teeth up at me.
