Page 4 of F Is for Honey Bee

“He didn’t take it well when you broke up with him,” Deputy Tenshi surmised.

“Before tonight, I would have told you what happened right in front of him. But he…” Jonah lifted his sleeve to reveal the red outline of a large handprint that curled around his entire bicep.

“Is this the first time he’s been physically aggressive with you?” The deputy’s gaze lingered on the mark, a spark of anger flaring in his eyes before he masked it. That spark revealed to Jonah the deputy wasn’t as emotionally detached as he seemed. That there was more to the guy than asking questions and jotting things down.

Under his stoicism was a beating heart.

“Yes, and it’s the last time, too.” Jonah let go of his sleeve then told the deputy what they’d been arguing about. “All I wanted him to do was leave, but he refused.”

The deputy wrote in his notepad, his concentration focused.

“Does Flint live here?” Deputy Tenshi finally looked up, his voice calm yet authoritative. After the tense shouting match, the quiet way the deputy spoke helped to calm Jonah’s rattled nerves.

“No, thank god.” Breaking up with Flint sooner would have been the smart thing to do, but Jonah hadn’t been foolish enough to ask the guy to move in after only dating for six weeks. Now, standing in his backyard, Jonah berated himself for not taking action sooner. He wasn’t a confrontational type of person, yet he’d stuck with someone who grabbed the opportunity at every chance.

“This isn’t your fault.” Deputy Tenshi pocketed his notepad, his brown eyes growing soft, making him seem more personable and finally giving Jonah the sense of safety he’d desperately needed. “No one should have to live in fear of—”

“It’s not that.” Jonah rubbed his arms, wincing as his hand brushed over the tender, bruised area. “I know it’s not my fault what Flint did.” He looked away as shame filled him. It was an emotion he was too intimate with. “What is my fault is not seeing the warning signs before now.”

For weeks, Jonah had endured Flint’s relentless accusations and unwanted visits to his workplace. The arguments were like a never-ending carousel, going round and round with no possibility of reaching a compromise or resolution.

Being with Flint had felt more like a harsh prison sentence than a fulfilling relationship. The weight of their disagreements had hung over him like a thick cloud, casting a shadow over even the simplest moments together. Each day had felt like a struggle, as if he were trapped in quicksand, sinking deeper into this unhappy existence.

And the absolute kicker? Jonah had put up with all of that for someone he didn’t even love.

It was a bitter pill to swallow, knowing he had sacrificed so much for something that ultimately brought him no joy or satisfaction.

Jonah looked up when he realized Deputy Tenshi had fallen silent. Those piercing, russet-brown eyes were focused on him once again, just as they had been in the living room.

Only, this time, his gaze wasn’t sweeping the room like he was taking everything in.

This time he was taking in Jonah, watching him steadily with a sort of curious regard. It was as if he was searching for something hidden within Jonah’s very being.

The silence stretched on, broken only by the noise of the outside world. Already reeling from Flint’s reprehensible behavior, Jonah couldn’t handle the strange fluttering taking hold in his stomach, or the way his heart wobbled, or how every nerve in his body seemed to hum.

“This is your fucking fault, Jonah!”

The moment was shattered by Flint’s belligerent shout, bringing Jonah crashing back to reality. He blinked several times, grounding himself in his surroundings.

What in the hell just happened between them?

Pivoting on his heel, Deputy Tenshi headed back inside. Jonah hurried behind him, trying to shake off those strange feelings as he entered the house.

When he reached the living room, his eyes widened at the scene before him. Flint’s chest was pressed against the wall, his wrists handcuffed behind him. Deputy Kingsman, who towered over Flint’s five-eleven height, was performing a pat down while reciting the Miranda warning.

“Happy now?” Flint snarled at Jonah. “If you’d just admitted you were screwing Arlo behind my back, none of this would’ve happened!”

“You must not have heard me when I said you had the right to remain silent. Do me a favor and exercise that right.” Deputy Kingsman pressed his hand into the center of Flint’s back then looked at his partner. “He has an outstanding warrant in a town called Maple Grove.”

“What’s the warrant for?” Deputy Tenshi asked.

“Assault with a deadly—”

“It was a broken beer bottle, and that asshole had it coming!” Spittle flew from Flint’s mouth as his angry face flushed a deep shade of red.

“Just like I had it coming?” Jonah narrowed his eyes.

Without warning, Flint lunged sideways, snarling like a crazed animal. Jonah’s heart vaulted, terrified the maniac would reach him. With lightning-fast reflexes, Deputy Kingsman swung Flint back against the wall, while Deputy Tenshi pulled Jonah behind his muscular frame with surprising speed and gentleness.

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