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Every married Ranger in the room quietly stepped back.

Havoc leaned toward me.

“He’s about to lose.”

“He already lost.”

Trigger apparently hadn’t figured that out.

“Rylie, we’re going home.”

“No, we aren’t.”

“I can protect you there.”

“You can protect me here.”

“There are people coming in and out of this tavern all day.”

“Then close it.”

Trigger stopped.

Rylie looked at Wolf.

Wolf nodded.

“We’re closed.”

Nora had already moved toward the dining room.

“I’ll clear the customers.”

“You can’t close in the middle of dinner,” Trigger said.

Wolf looked at him. “Watch me.”

Nora opened the back-room door.

“Last call for food, everyone. We have a plumbing emergency.”

Trigger stared at her.

“Plumbing?”

She shrugged. “People ask fewer questions if you mention sewage.”

From the dining room, Agnes shouted, “Is the toilet overflowing again?”

“It overflowed once,” Trigger called.

Mabel answered, “Once was enough.”

Nora closed the door.

Wolf looked around the table.

“Blaze, lock the rear entrance. Ace, check the upstairs rooms. Saint, get the camera feeds. Havoc, exterior.”