She dropped the bag of oysters on the table and clutched her phone to her chest where he couldn’t miss noticing it. “You need to leave.”
His head jerked up, annoyance spoiling his good looks. “Now see. I’m asking you to understand my situation. But you won’t even try to understand. You’d rather jerk my chain.” He folded his arms casually across his chest. “Get this straight, Shay. I’m not leaving until I get what I came for.”
“You don’t get to make threats anymore.”
“Threats? I’m not threatening you.” His tone of voice ratcheted up to angry before he caught himself. He paused and unfolded his arms, his expression showing the strain of dialing back his temper.
He took another step toward her, his voice dropping in tone. “The truth is, Shay, I just can’t forget how you walked out on me. And called the cops on me. That wasn’t very nice. I need you to apologize.”
A spurt of anger made her brave. “Don’t hold your breath. We’re done.”
His face lost animation. All that was left was an icy glitter in his narrowing gaze as he approached her. “Who the fuck do you think you’re dealing with? You don’t call the shots in this relationship.”
In that moment everything clicked into focus for Shay. He’s going to hurt me. Really hurt me this time.
The thought shocked her so much she immediately shied away from it. Yet there was no avoiding his expression. She’d seen that look once before on a man’s face, and it had ruined her life.
Shay backed up, trying to avoid him as her finger pressed the emergency button. But he grabbed her wrist and wrenched the cell phone out of her hand then tossed it away before she could be certain the call had gone through.
Panicked by memories, she swung at him wildly, her fist connecting to his jaw with a force that snapped his head back.
“Shit!” He pushed her back so hard her body slammed into the cabin wall. Then he seized her shoulders and her head snapped back against the wall with a sickening thud.
“You stupid bitch!” He began shaking her with enough force to cause damage.
Panicked and unable to free herself, Shay gripped his biceps to steady herself and hung on. She had no family to protect her. No one ready to smack down the man hurting her. Eric knew that. No one would come to rescue her.
A whimper escaped her, drawing her deeper into remembered terror.
CHAPTER SIX
“Let’s haul ass!” James swung open the door and Bogart bounded into the passenger seat of his pickup.
What should have been a mere formality at the sheriff’s office had turned into an all-day marathon of waiting while the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police department “checked” their facts in the matter. He suspected this was his chief’s way of expressing disapproval of the manner in which he had rescued Bogart. His unit leader was going to tear him a new one, too, when he got home. That didn’t matter. Bogart was back where he belonged.
As he tightened the seat harness especially designed for dogs, Bogart happily licked his face.
“Oh, now you want to make up.” James playfully pushed his muzzle away. “I don’t forget that easily, you turncoat. You chose the pretty girl over me.”
Bogart tilted his head to the side, black eyes regarding James with soulful interest. This meant, James knew, that Bogart was trying to figure out his partner’s state of mind.
For the year and a half they had been together James had been continually surprised by his dog’s intelligence. Bogart would often sense and size up a situation as quickly as he did, sometimes more quickly. Yet they were still figuring each other out. One veteran of the K-9 force had warned him that Bogart was his “learner dog.”
“It won’t be until you’re working with your second dog that you’ll feel as if you know what you’re doing most of the time.”
James stroked Bogart’s back, an action that was almost second nature when they were together. While he hadn’t liked to hear it, he was beginning to understand what the seasoned handler meant. For instance, he didn’t quite get why Bogart had sided with Shay Appleton, even after he appeared. Was it because he had sensed which of them was more in need of his support?
Or was his partner feeling abandoned and untrusting of the man who’d allowed his at-the-time girlfriend to give him away?
James winced as regret sucker-punched him. What the hell had he been thinking to let Jaylynn into their lives? He’d let her screw up everything.
No, he wasn’t going to think like that. He and Bogart just needed to get back to their routine and they’d both be fine.
James took his dog’s muzzle in his hand and wagged it. “Okay, you win this one. I might even have been tempted if Shay Appleton had looked at me the way she looks at you.” He scratched his partner behind the ears. “But that’s over now. ‘Prince’ has had his day. Bogart is a working stiff. We’re going home where we belong.”
The ringing of his cell phone caused him to pause before climbing into his truck.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hello, James. How are you, sweetheart?”