Page 48 of Tricky Puck

“You what?” I shout. Delaney jumps to my side, gripping my arm. The instant calm shocks the shit out of me.

“You didn’t?” George says. “He wasn’t beating me up. I was holding my own.”

“Why are you taking pictures?” Delaney says as she drops my arm and marches forward to the guy. He doesn’t have a chance to answer before snatches the phone from his hand.

“Hey, lady, you can’t take that.” He grabs it back from her and knocks her against the wall in the process.

I toss the ice and leap at him, grabbing him by the collar. “Don’t you dare fucking touch her again.” Holding onto the guy, I turn to Delaney. “You okay?”

She nods.

“Shit, what are you doing, Dennis?” George says to his handyman as he scrambles to stand next to me. “You’re out of control.”

I loosen my grip on Dennis’s flannel shirt, but I don’t let go. Glancing at George, I notice the shiner turning deep purple around his right eye and smile in satisfaction.

A grin is about to pop on my face, but it never has a chance because the sound of a siren pierces the air.

“Is that the police?” Delaney says. She puts a hand on my arm again and tugs as she glares at Dennis the handyman. “You really called the fucking police?”

“There was a fight—and this guy—he’s out of control.” Dennis pulls from my grip and backs away, his eyes darting between me and Delaney.

“You’re out of control, Dennis,” George says. “That fight was nothing, it was personal business.”

“Did you take photos?” I ask quietly, taking a step forward as I listen to the siren getting louder and wonder if there’s somewhere I can hide because I will be in so much trouble if this turns into something.

Dennis nods. George puts his hand out. “Give me the phone. You can’t keep those photos.”

The Sherriff’s car screeches to a stop behind my SUV and a tall man with his gun drawn leaps from the door and shouts at us to put our hands where he can see them. The door’s wide open so he’s getting a good look at the situation. I swipe at the blood I can taste on my lip.

George grabs Dennis’s phone. “Keep your big mouth shut,” he says in a low growl and I’m starting to like this guy. “Do you know who this is?” He points to me.

Dennis shakes his head.

“Stand back,” the Sherriff shouts. “Step away from each other and keep your hands where I can see them. Whose cabin is this?”

George and Delaney both speak up at the same time.

“It’s his cabin, but I’m staying here for a few months,” she says, cool as ice.

The Sherriff lowers his weapon, thank fuck and I keep my mouth shut, hoping Dennis the handyman will do the same.

“Who called this in?”

“I did. When I got here⁠—”

Fuck. “It was all a misunderstanding,” I say. “Dennis didn’t know George and I are friends⁠—”

“You were beating the snot out of him when I showed up.”

I glare at him, my jaw clenched in place.

“I can explain it all,” Delaney says, smiling at the Sherriff. He turns to her and nods his head, welcoming her explanation. Some of my tension releases, but I still don’t trust Dennis. Thank fuck George has his phone with those photos. I hope to hell he has a chance to delete them.

“You see George, my landlord, came up here from New York to get my plumbing fixed and Link didn’t realize who he was at first and thought he was a burglar, so they shoved each other around a bit before they realized the mistake. A complete misunderstanding on Dennis’s part.” She gives the poor innocent Sherriff the full brilliant wattage of her electric blue eyes and sexy as hell smile.

“Alright.” He clears his throat and turns to Dennis. “It looks like you weren’t involved in the altercation.”

Dennis shakes his head. “No, but he took my phone.” He points to George.