settled itself over the place. Since the last night he’d seen DeeDee, a local hunter had gone missing, as well as a pretty high school junior and a kid from the basketball team.
He no longer cared. All he cared about was finding justice for his daughter.
The oppressive weight was just getting worse. This town was plagued by a dark curse.
This wasn’t any place he wanted Jay to be.
He didn’t want anybody here. If he could build a wall to keep everybody out, he’d do it.
That wasn’t an option, but one thing he could do? Beat the shit out of Lloyd if he so much as touched Jay.
Lloyd eased closer to her and Jay watched him impassively, her hands hanging at her sides, loose and ready.
Linc shot out a hand and grabbed the back of Lloyd’s thick neck. “You don’t want to go messing with her, son,” he said levelly.
Lloyd jerked away and swiveled, driving a fist into Linc’s gut. Or, that was the intention. Linc was already spinning away. From the corner of his eye, he saw Jay, and what he saw was such a distraction that Lloyd managed to sucker punch him. He didn’t get another hit in, though.
A wet, cracking sound filled the air and Lloyd screamed, going down after Linc took his leg out.
Linc turned just in time to see Jay balance her weight on the edge of the counter and drive her booted feet solidly into the skinny chest of one Johnny Hutchins.
Willy Lee was the last one standing and as he wheeled around, Linc smashed his fist into the bastard’s thick neck, watched as he went red. Gasping for air, he stumbled into a stand of chips and jerky and then crashed to the floor.
Jay looked back at him and the vivid, intense green of her eyes laid him low.
“Jay.”
She cocked her head at him. “Hello, Linc.”
He would have said something else, anything else, but Bryce Atkins came barreling around the counter, his face pale and strained, eyes wide. “I called the cops.”
Jay shifted her attention to him, her eyes a wide and vivid shade of green, focused on him.
Arching a brow, Linc said levelly, “I’m sure the lady appreciates it.”
Bryce blinked. “I called because of you . You broke his leg.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
“He was hassling her.”
“She shouldn’t be dressed like that,” Bryce said, jerking his chin up.
Linc ran his tongue along his teeth and then closed the distance between them, eyeing him narrowly. “You might want to watch it, kid.”
Bryce’s eyes widened and then he jerked his gaze away, staring at the men on the floor. “Ya’ll tore up the store. The manager is going to kick my ass. You know how Dave is.”
“I do.” He shrugged and turned away. “You can tell Dave these guys were harassing a woman in here.” My woman .
His…
He sighed and dragged a hand down his face, then turned to look at Jay. Yeah, she still felt like his. Never mind that he had never actually laid eyes on her, in person, before today.
She felt like his, and if she’d come to him any time other than now…
Abruptly, anger surged inside him and he shoved past her, storming out the doors.
Why now?
Why couldn’t she have come to him back when he still had any sort of life left inside him?
Chapter Two
Well.
That went smashingly.
Brooding, Jay shoved a hand through her hair and then glanced at the thugs all around her. One was still a strange red color as he struggled to catch his breath. The one who had a busted knee was yowling.
And the one she’d kicked in the chest was crawling to his feet, eyeing her with ugly hate brewing in his eyes. She pulled her phone out and gave him a winning smile. “You ready to dance again, honey?”
He kept his distance.
She thumbed her phone, ready to put in a call to her boss. She was going to need a lawyer. Granted, this was her mess and not related to her job, but she could still make use of one of the lawyers Oz knew.
But there was a message waiting.
From Oz.
You have trouble coming. I’ve reached out to a freelancer the Bureau
He no longer cared. All he cared about was finding justice for his daughter.
The oppressive weight was just getting worse. This town was plagued by a dark curse.
This wasn’t any place he wanted Jay to be.
He didn’t want anybody here. If he could build a wall to keep everybody out, he’d do it.
That wasn’t an option, but one thing he could do? Beat the shit out of Lloyd if he so much as touched Jay.
Lloyd eased closer to her and Jay watched him impassively, her hands hanging at her sides, loose and ready.
Linc shot out a hand and grabbed the back of Lloyd’s thick neck. “You don’t want to go messing with her, son,” he said levelly.
Lloyd jerked away and swiveled, driving a fist into Linc’s gut. Or, that was the intention. Linc was already spinning away. From the corner of his eye, he saw Jay, and what he saw was such a distraction that Lloyd managed to sucker punch him. He didn’t get another hit in, though.
A wet, cracking sound filled the air and Lloyd screamed, going down after Linc took his leg out.
Linc turned just in time to see Jay balance her weight on the edge of the counter and drive her booted feet solidly into the skinny chest of one Johnny Hutchins.
Willy Lee was the last one standing and as he wheeled around, Linc smashed his fist into the bastard’s thick neck, watched as he went red. Gasping for air, he stumbled into a stand of chips and jerky and then crashed to the floor.
Jay looked back at him and the vivid, intense green of her eyes laid him low.
“Jay.”
She cocked her head at him. “Hello, Linc.”
He would have said something else, anything else, but Bryce Atkins came barreling around the counter, his face pale and strained, eyes wide. “I called the cops.”
Jay shifted her attention to him, her eyes a wide and vivid shade of green, focused on him.
Arching a brow, Linc said levelly, “I’m sure the lady appreciates it.”
Bryce blinked. “I called because of you . You broke his leg.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
“He was hassling her.”
“She shouldn’t be dressed like that,” Bryce said, jerking his chin up.
Linc ran his tongue along his teeth and then closed the distance between them, eyeing him narrowly. “You might want to watch it, kid.”
Bryce’s eyes widened and then he jerked his gaze away, staring at the men on the floor. “Ya’ll tore up the store. The manager is going to kick my ass. You know how Dave is.”
“I do.” He shrugged and turned away. “You can tell Dave these guys were harassing a woman in here.” My woman .
His…
He sighed and dragged a hand down his face, then turned to look at Jay. Yeah, she still felt like his. Never mind that he had never actually laid eyes on her, in person, before today.
She felt like his, and if she’d come to him any time other than now…
Abruptly, anger surged inside him and he shoved past her, storming out the doors.
Why now?
Why couldn’t she have come to him back when he still had any sort of life left inside him?
Chapter Two
Well.
That went smashingly.
Brooding, Jay shoved a hand through her hair and then glanced at the thugs all around her. One was still a strange red color as he struggled to catch his breath. The one who had a busted knee was yowling.
And the one she’d kicked in the chest was crawling to his feet, eyeing her with ugly hate brewing in his eyes. She pulled her phone out and gave him a winning smile. “You ready to dance again, honey?”
He kept his distance.
She thumbed her phone, ready to put in a call to her boss. She was going to need a lawyer. Granted, this was her mess and not related to her job, but she could still make use of one of the lawyers Oz knew.
But there was a message waiting.
From Oz.
You have trouble coming. I’ve reached out to a freelancer the Bureau
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