Page 20 of On The Beach

"Why?" I asked as he led me away in cuffs toward his vehicle.

"He fucked my fiancée."

Of course he did!

"But she fucked him, too," I protested.

"Everyone fucks Mick. Have you seen him?"

"Up close and personal," I said with a broad smile.

"He took advantage of my girl."

"I highly doubt it."

"Whatever. You're spendin' the night coolin' your heels," he growled and then got me into his car, doing the whole pushing my head down as they show in the movies thing.

"So, you're Bottom's latest troublemaker?" He drove the car, and I leaned forward, resting my forehead against the grill of the police car.

"I'm nothis. I'm my own person."Hiccup."But I may be a troublemaker if by that you mean spirited tequila enthusiast, then…guilty as charged."

"Fucking tourists," he muttered.

A few minutes later, I was being marched through thefront door of Reef Harbor's only police station, barefoot, sticky with lime juice, and now officially with a record.

Dr. Isabelle Volnay would be freaking out that she was getting arrested. Drunk Belle was only mildly irritated.

"Will there be a bed in the cell?" I asked. "I'mreallytired."

"Fuckingdrunktourists," he muttered.

CHAPTER 7

lockup at the bottom

MICK

Belle had vanished into the crowd with a couple of locals, Nita and Max, the type of rowdy regulars who knew every shortcut through the back alleys and exactly where to find trouble. She'd been flying high when Nita dared her to jump the bar counter and serve tequila shots, she'd tossed me a defiant grin, kicked off her heels, and disappeared with them before I could blink.

By the time I heard the sirens, I knew exactly how this was gonna end.

When I got to the island's tiny police station, I saw Belle standing with her hands on the jail cell bar, smeared with lime juice and God-knows-what, her hair wild.

"Oh, Captain, My Captain." Belle waved cheerfully when she saw me.

"Belle," I grinned. God but she was cute. I cleared my throat, trying not to laugh. "Evening, Ray."

"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in," Ray remarked, teeth gritted. "Been a while since you and Franco spent a night here."

"What can I say, Jenkins, we're being good and honest citizens."

Ray gave me a death glare that could fry an egg. "Like hell you are. This one yours?" He tilted his head toward the jail cell.

Belle's eyes lit up. "I told you I'm nothis.I'm a strong independent woman and my own person!"

"What the fuck ever," Ray muttered.

Ray had a personal vendetta against me ever since I'd made the terrible mistake of fucking his fiancée. In my defense, I didn't know she was a cop's girl, if I had, I wouldn't have touched her with a barge pole. Now, she was married to Ray, and I thankfully had only had a broken nose for my troubles. Ray had a mean left hook. I promised to steer clear of her but even now every time she even looked my way Ray got his panties in a twist. It was when RiRi had stuffed tampons up my nose after Ray had punched me (I had broken a rib but what was a little injury here and there amongst island mates) that I'd decided to not fuck the local talent and only spread my love amongst the tourists.

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