Page 68 of Players and Pages
The second old lady nodded solemnly. “It was self-defense.”
"I’ll give you the whole story, Sheriff," Bea started, laying it out for him. "We were enjoying bookclub when this asshole was spotted watching us. Dolly and Pearl chased him down and kept him here until you arrived."
Diplomatic.
“He tried to assault Dani at the last practice of the Knuckleball Knockouts and was recently booted from the team,” Taryn tacked on, earning a menacing growl from Henry. “Wait… and is that blue paint on his shoes?”
Sheriff Gregg pulled out his flashlight and shined it right on Henry’s shoes. It wasn’t just there, but up one side of his pant leg as well.
The same color that was on the building.
“In that case, I need to bring you in,” the sheriff said as he started barking out orders to the other officer with him. “Cal, get this man in cuffs. We’re going to have a few questions for him. In fact, we need statements from all of you.”
“On it,” Cal promised, but the sheriff wasn’t done with his lecture, turning right back to Dolly.
"Grandma, what if he hurt you?" Greg asked her in a pained voice. “And you can’t go around hitting people!”
"I've lived a good life. I have to watch out for my friends and if it's my time to go, might as well go out like a hero," she argued, trying to whack Henry again as he was dragged past, jerking against the other officer’s hold.
"Just wait until I tell Dad about this. He's going to put you in a home," he said to her.
She laughed him off and waved over the deputy. "Can you deal with this scum, Greg, honey? I want to file a complaint with the deputy here. You can have my statement."
"Yes, ma'am, but I'll have to take him to get checked out. You and Pearl did a number on him," he told her and my eyes returned to Henry.
He was bloody and there were bruises already showing up on his face. I guess those rocks weren’t a joke.
I didn't feel sorry for him in the slightest but maybe I should add some into mine. Apparently, I wasn’t even safe with a group.
Fuck, the guys were going to freak out.
“Something’s wrong,” I said, my hand gripping my chest where I felt Dani’s panic rising. “She’s freaking out.”
Cy was already rushing for his keys while Griff shut off the oven and popped the batter into the fridge. He’d been trying to make dessert as a surprise for our omega after book club, but I had a feeling she needed usnow.
I’d never been so happy this town was tiny in my life. We were across town in mere minutes, the flashing of lights in the dark making my blood run cold.
“What the fuck?” Griff growled as he threw the car in park.
The car hadn’t even stopped before Cy and I were tearing out of it and rushing toward Dani. I barely had to look for her… I could feel exactly where she was.
“Dani, what happened?” I asked as I pulled her into my arms. My omega melted into me, a choked sound escaping before she buried her face in my chest.
“Henry,” Griff growled, storming past us.
“Stop, son,” the sheriff started but it took Cy running after Griff and physically holding him back just as the deputy was shoving a bloody and bruised Henry into the back of their car.His scowl was almost manic, unhinged as he smiled through the bloody nose.
“What the hell happened?” I asked again.
“He was watching through the windows,” Dani said. Her voice was strange, almost detached.
“Get her home,” Taryn said, giving her friend a hug.
The rumble of a motorcycle cut off whatever she was going to say next, a tattooed alpha pulling up to the curb.
“Ash,” Taryn called, waving him over. She didn’t need to, he saw her the same way I found Dani earlier, making a beeline right for her and pulling her into his arms.
“I’m sorry,” Dani told him.
