Page 72 of My UnTrue Love
The sheriff flashed him a glare. “I say she’s not.”
Bill’s eyes narrowed.
“Hank, you’re not even listening to me!” Clem didn’t return to the sheriff, as he’d commanded, but she did stop moving towards Bill’s side. Like maybe she wouldn’t outright defy the man. Like maybe he did have a claim on her.
Yeah, thatreallywasn’t gonna work for Bill. He wasn’t fixin’ to share his mate.
“I’ve been listening to you for half an hour.” Hank-the-cop told Clem in a long-suffering way. “So far, you’ve told me all about,” he consulted his notepad, “Bill’s blue shirt. Bill’s new job. Bill’s spectacular guitar performance.”
“Oh, it was spectacular.” Clementine agreed. “He has such talent.”
“Then, you expounded on all the ways that Bill is kind and generous.” Hank continued, unaware or uncaring that Bill was plotting his death. “Then you explained that Bill loves your chocolate chip cookies. And that Bill likes home improvement shows, because he’s so handy. And that he’s your new business partner and incredibly generous.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“You explained that Bill is your best, best friend. And that Bill is your roommate now.” Hank fixed her with a pointed look. “I told you Johnny was an ass, didn’t I?”
Clem made a face at him. “Who cares about Johnny? This is about Bill!”
“Everythingis about Bill tonight, as far as I can see.” Hank flipped his notebook closed. “You haven’t shut up about him since I got here.”
“Because he’s being treated so unfairly.Thatjerk should be in chains, not Bill.” She gestured towards Stew, indignation on her face.
Stew gasped in outrage. “I’m the damn victim here! I’ve been attacked by a wild coyote. The whole bar saw him throw me…”
“Only because you grabbed me first!” Clementine interrupted.
Hank’s dark gaze pinned Stew like a switchblade through a scorpion. “You put your hands on Miss Miner?”
Stew flinched at the sheriff’s arctic tone, refusing to answer.
“Didn’t I tell you that part?” Clementine looked back towards Hank, blinking her big eyes. She’d evidently been so busy expounding on Bill’s many sterling qualities that she’d skipped over the drunken asshole accosting her in a bar. “That’s why Bill hit him.”
Hank glanced Bill’s way appraisingly.
Bill stared back at him.
“Really, I had it all under control.” Clem went on. “You know I can look after myself. You taught me how.” Apparently deciding they were back on the right track, she smiled up at Hank.
Bill hated it when she smiled at other men. He knew what her happy grin did to his insides. He could only assume the same dazzled, desperate emotions swamped all males, whenever she directed it their way.
Not that Bill was the jealous type. Clem was friendly and cheerful and liked people. Nothing wrong with that. It surely wasn’t her fault that so many sons of bitches would want to steal her away. Bill treasured Clem just as she was, so he wouldn’t change her innocent, outgoing nature. Not for the world.
He’d simply bought himself a shovel, because he foresaw a future filled with dead men in need of lonely desert graves.
“I never touched that little skank.” Stew decided. He was dead man number one. He just didn’t know it yet. “No respectable girl would be livin’ with a coyote. She’s probably a hooker, looking to get paid.”
The chain on Bill’s handcuffs snapped. He didn’t consciously break it. The creature inside of him was justverystrong andverypissed. The metal gave way and he was headed for Stew, fully prepared to kill him, witnesses or not.
“Bill!” Clem dashed into his path. “Honey, your artistic temperament is all riled up.”
“Clem,” he tried to step around her, but she moved again to block him, “just let me deal with Stew, alright? I promise I won’t hurt my hands.”
“You keep that mangy animal away from me!” Stew cried righteously. “I won’t…hey!” He gave a sudden yelp as Hank slapped handcuffs onto him. “What are you doing?”
“Arresting you for instigating a bar fight and physically assaulting a woman.”
“But I told you I didn’t do it!” Stew sounded insulted. “You believe that bitch’s word over mine?”
