Page 28 of The Devil on my Chest

Speaking of which, Mal looked up as someone opened the sheriff’s office door. Not Rocky. “Hello Molly, how are things going with you?”

“Don’t you ‘hello Molly’ me.” Molly was a large deer shifter – Mal wasn’t sure what kind, but she was not the type to take nonsense from anyone. “Those damn Sanderson boys have been in my barn again and they’ve ruined six of my prize orchids.”

“I’m sure I sent Rocky out to deal with them last week.” Mal frowned, opening his file drawer which was on the side of his desk and pulling out Molly’s file. “Yes, last Friday. Are you telling me they’ve been back again since then?”

“Wednesday night is my bingo night. I checked my plants before I left, and they were fine. When I got in there this morning, six of them, six of my prized babies have been pulled out of their pots and left smashed on the ground. I want something done about them. I want them fucking arrested.”

“I don’t understand why they didn’t stop after Rocky went to see them last time.” Mal scanned the file. “Rocky, Liam, and Joe have all been out there in the past two months. Hasn’t that done anything?”

“Bull crap.” Molly snorted. “Your officers go out there, Mr. fucking Sanderson gives them a few brews. They all start slapping each other on the back, laughing about how boys will be boys, and less than a week later, those hooligans are back. I want something done about them.”

“I’m not sure what can be done about them if Mr. Sanderson’s not keeping an eye on his boys,” Mal said slowly. “They are kids, only about ten or…”

“I don’t give a shit about how young they are.” Molly yelled, thumping her hands on Mal’s desk. “Those flowers take me months, do you hear me, fucking months to grow and while you might not think they’re very important, since my Harry died, those plants are like my children. What fucking use is a sheriff’s office if you can’t stop a few piddly kids from being destructive? Those kids will grow up and then it won’t be plants smashed on the ground it’ll be god knows what they get up to – setting fires, or crashing cars.”

“I can send…”

“There’s no point in sending anyone if you guys can’t do your fucking job.” Molly was working herself up into a full steam rage, and there was a part of Mal that understood. She and her Harry hadn’t been mates, but they’d been together over thirty years and when he died she was a broken woman. The fact she pulled herself together, still socialized even if it was her weekly bingo, and cared for those plants so much – she sold them to fancy flower shops in Jackson.

“I pay my taxes. It’s my taxes that pay your wages. I demand that something be done. Do you hear me? I want to see those little cretins in fucking jail! The heartbreak, seeing my poor plants this morning…”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Rocky stormed in like a demented demon, running around to Mal’s side and putting a hand on his shoulder.

“The Sanderson boys have been in Molly’s plants and wrecked some this time,” Mal said quietly. “Molly is understandably upset.”

“Upset?” Now Rocky was yelling and Molly took a step back. “I could hear you from down the street. You do not yell at my mate like that. Do you hear me? He’s pregnant. Do you know how stressful your yelling can be for the babies? I don’t care what reason you think you have for yelling, but you will not yell around my Mal.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Mal slammed down the file and stood up. “Molly. I am sorry. What is going to happen is Rocky, the sheriff of this town, is going to take you home, because I imagine you walked here. Then he is going to go to Mr. Sanderson’s place, he’s not going to stay for a drink, he’s not going to agree when Mr. Sanderson keeps saying that boys will be boys. He’s going to pick up the boys and bring them here and lock them up. They will stay in the cells overnight and have soup and bread for dinner for all I care, but you will do it Rocky, and you will do it now.”

“Now, you’re talking.” Molly folded her arms across her chest and grinned. “Thank you, Mal.”

“But…but…” Confusion was such a cute look on Rocky. “I was supposed to be coming to the doctor’s with you. I was going to see the babies on his machine.”

Mal was not moved. “If you’d done your job properly last week, instead of disrespecting the amount of time and effort Molly puts into her plants, or the five times prior to that, when those boys should’ve been properly disciplined, then you would be coming with me now. But seeing as you disrespected Molly, her plants, and me by suggesting I can’t handle my job, then you can go and do your job, and I will go to my appointment alone.”

“You’re coming back, right?” Rocky glanced at the cells. “Those boys can’t stay in here alone overnight. Joe has the day off andLiam has a date night with his mates tonight. Seth offered to babysit for them.”

“It’s nice to see your daddy instincts are working and you’re thinking about child minders.Youcan stay here with the boys. I’m going home. Quite frankly, I’ve had enough of you and your damn nonsense to last me a lifetime.”

Mal lowered his tone as he turned to Molly. “Hopefully a night in the cells knocks some sense into those boys, and if you can itemize your lost earnings, I’ll see to it that Sanderson pays you for them as well. I know it doesn’t make up for the amount of work you’ve put in, but it sounds like the older Sanderson needs a lesson in respect as well.”

Nodding at Molly, Mal headed for the door.

“Mal!” Rocky sounded genuinely distressed, and habit made Mal look over his shoulder. “Are you going to make me stay here alone with those kids all night? You’ll be in bed all alone.”

“I might just as well be anyway,” Mal shot back. “The amount of use you are in that department, seeing as you think your dick size is about the same size as your ego, it’s not like I’ll be missing anything.”

Leaving the office, Mal resisted slamming the door behind him. Inside, he was seething. Rocky yelling at Molly when she had a genuine complaint was bad enough, but bringing Mal’s pregnancy into things when he barely had a slight rise in his belly was a step too far.

Letting himself into Doc’s office, Mal swayed and had to stop for a moment, blinking black spots away from his eyes.

“Mal, what the hell?” Doc came running over. “Are you all right?”

“Just a bit dizzy there for a minute.” Mal shook his head. “I’m fine.”

“I’m the doctor, it’s my job to tell you if you’re fine or not.” Doc helped him into a chair and brought over a wide cuff.

“What’s that?” Mal watched as Doc wrapped it around his arm.

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