Page 51 of Stockman's Stormcloud

Dex shrugged, attempting to squat down to lever the floor bolt. ‘Buggered if I know.’

‘Does that put you into the category of people who don’t know that most stone fruits comes from a tree and not a plastic box in the supermarket? Or are you in the category of people who think that the world is flat?’

Smart-arse witch. ‘I told Sophie I trusted you today, and she didn’t speak to me after that.’

Bree let the tap drip as she stared at him. ‘Wow, she’s got it bad. Your nurse is jealous of me.’

‘Ya think?’

Her eyes widened. ‘And you have it bad, too. I’ve seen how you watch your little nurse walk around the cottage.’

He shook his head. ‘Not interested. Can’t you play nice? Were you ever nice?’

‘Yeah, 2010. Third-worst year of my life.’

He didn’t even want to ask what her worst year was.

Bree turned off the tap and leaned against the still beside him. ‘Who was she?’

‘What are you blabbering on about now?’

Bree touched his arm, making him look at her. ‘I’m going to ask you again. Who was the woman that made you hate all females?’

He shook his head.

‘You said you trusted me, right? Well, kitten, it goes both ways—I’m letting you in on this teeny tiny secret.’ Bree nodded up at her tall still, with enough illegal spirits to have the cops on their case and face probable jail time.

‘Why do you want to know?’

‘Because it’s stopping you from being happy.’

Dex scowled, gritting his teeth.

Most of the time people backed off when he gave them hisdark look, especially fighters in a ring. But Bree only leaned in closer, her green eyes narrowing at him, her breath minty. ‘What are you afraid of?’

‘Getting hurt.’

‘Aren’t we all.’ She shrugged, taking the tool from his hand. ‘You finish the coils, I’ll do this. It looks uncomfortable for your ribs, and I’m on a deadline. We don’t need Ryder showing up. You know…’ She stopped to peer around the room. ‘The murder room would be good for Ryder.’

‘Why?’ It was just an old room in the shed. So what?

‘You said Ryder does weaponry, cleans your guns, ensuring all the sights are right. Which reminds me, that prick still has my shotgun.’

‘You were going to shoot Mia’s ex with it.’

‘Pfft. We have crocodiles for that, which allows us to call it a natural accident. Maybe Mia would then have the courage to leave the place and not watch over her shoulder for her ex to take his revenge on Cap.’ She made quick work of the floor bolts. ‘But then, Mia has you knuckleheads, and your security cameras, and the ex-police riot dogs… It’s really starting to feel like some military base. What did Ryder do in the military?’

‘Something with weapons in the Army. He doesn’t talk about it.’

‘Like you don’t talk to anyone.’

‘I’m talking to you, while helping you with your illegal still.’ Clear liquor spilled from the tap, filling the room with fumes of citrus and roses, combined with a faint underlying aroma of pine forests. He could taste the sharp pine flavour, which reminded him of Christmas tree water.

Dex winced through the pain as he flexed his muscles to successfully crack the bolt’s seal, undoing the copper coils. But he did it. ‘Hey, what do I get for keeping my mouth shut about this operation?’ Should he give it a name like Porter did with hisOperation Stoney Silence?

‘You can have what’s inside that barrel. But please, for the sake of what brain cells and functioning liver you have left, donot drink it straight. The alcohol content is potent.’

‘How about you just owe me a favour?’

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