Page 188 of Crucible

Seth grabs the bags from the counter, and I almost forget that I’m mad at Thorin when he takes my hand this time. I don’t pullaway, though; I let him lead me out of Randall’s. I look around once the four of us are standing on the sidewalk again.

“So where to now?”

“Fuck,” Khalil breathes.

I swing my head his way and find him looking off in the opposite direction. “What?”

“What the hell is he doing here?” Thorin barks under his breath rather than answer me. “He’s supposed to be at the lake today.”

“Who?” I ask again while looking around in confusion.

“He hasn’t spotted us yet,” Seth reasons. We could still—”

“Boys!” A hulking man with a thick salt-and-pepper mustache and a warm smile interrupts. The gray uniform he’s wearing makes me think he’s a postal worker since it’s the post office he just stepped out of, but it doesn’t explain why my big, bad mountain men are shitting a fucking brick all of a sudden. “You didn’t tell me you were coming down for supplies today. You’re a bit early, aren’t you?”

The man approaches, and when he stops barely a foot away, I finally spot the shiny gold badge on his right chest and read the seven black letters emblazoned on the metal.

Sheriff.

My stomach bottoms out.

I guess that explains why Khalil, Seth, and Thorn are ready to take me and haul ass in the opposite direction.

The sheriff finally notices they’re not alone, and his eyes widen when they land on me. “Where are my manners? I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there, young lady. I’m Sheriff Kelly. Pleased to meet you.”

I…don’t say a fucking word.

I couldn’t if I wanted to. It feels like I’m being strangled with the threat of what Thorin, Seth, and Khalil will do to this man if I do.

The sheriff’s bushy brows turn down in confusion, and he chuckles awkwardly. “I s’pose the pleasure’s all mine?”

Scream!

Tell him you are!

Throw yourself at his feet and beg him to rescue you!

I don’t do any of those things. I’m pretty sure I press a little closer to my guys. I feel a hand come to rest on my lower back, but I’m too nervous to look and see who it belongs to.

“Sorry. This is my cousin, Aurora,” Khalil explains. “We were pretty close growing up, so she decided to visit me for a few weeks, but she gets shy around strangers.”

“Oh. Well, you’ve come to the right place to get away from folks. Not too many around here. And these three aren’t very social either, so you’ll fit right in, though I’m sure you know that already.”

His kind eyes roam my face, and I see the faint pinch in his brows when he notices my mask. Unlike J.R., the sheriff’s too polite to ask about it.

“I guess that explains why you’re a couple of weeks early for supplies?”

“Yup,” Seth says simply.

Out of three, he’s the only one who isn’t tense. In fact, he looks downright bored. But no, that’s not right. Seth gets excited when trouble is brewing, which means he’s pretending right now.

Holy shit…this is bad.

We could fool the townspeople, but I’m guessing the sheriff is too shrewd.

“Well, welcome to Hearth, Aurora. We’re glad to have you with us, and I hope you enjoy your stay.”

With a tip of his hat, the sheriff walks off.

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