“Cliff!” Even my own voice doesn’t seem to break the silence. His sheriff’s hat is sitting next to a half glass of water on the island. “Get the fuck out here,” I yell, taking another step forward.

There’s a creak on the stairs before the sound of his deep drawl. “There you are,” he bellows.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Just lookin’ around. Lookin’ for you.” He’s dressed in full uniform and his frame sways as he lumbers down the stairs. I’m about to fire back when I catch sight of my revolver in his hand.

He smirks and spins the cylinder when he sees me looking. “Don’t worry, I ain’t about to use it.”

“Terrific. I’d like it back.”

Cliff shakes his head, stuffing the revolver in the back of his belt. “I was thinkin’ I’d keep her for a while. Wouldn’t want you gettin’ any funny ideas.”

As much as I want to, I don’t take the bait. Not anymore.

“Get the hell out of my house,” I deadpan.

“I don’t have time for arguin’ today, son. I’m supposed to be gettin’ lunch and you ain’t have nothin’ good to eat in that fridge of yours so it looks like I’ll be goin’ hungry.” He points at a stool in the kitchen. “Now shut up and sit down.”

“What the hell is a sheriff out making traffic stops for?” I take a few steps forward, but I’d chop my own leg off before sitting down with him right now. “How long were you waiting for me last night? An hour? Two hours? And all on the taxpayer’s dime.” I feign a look of disappointment and click my tongue.

“My job is to protect the public, ain’t it?” He raises his hands in a mock shrug.

“Protect the public, that’s a good one.” My sarcastic expression blends into an equally sarcastic laugh. “So what, were you planning on writing me a DUI then? Because that’s a good idea. Really good way for us to stay under the radar.”

“I was just plannin’ on givin’ you a little scare is all. Fear can be a mighty powerful motivator.”

I chuckle again. “Well then I guess—”

“I’m thinkin’ it might be a good motivator for Ms. Bell too,” he adds, and the rest of my joke dies in my throat. His lips pull back in a sinister smile. “Sure is a small world, ain’t it?”

It takes a full effort to hide my fury behind a look of poise.

“I’d pay to see your face the day you realize the whole world doesn’t revolve around your fat fucking stomach.” I try to muster a laugh, but Cliff drowns me out.

“You’re fucking one of my officers!” he booms.

Now it’s my turn to smirk. “Is that what you think?” I push my sneer into the corners of my cheeks. “You don’t know me, Cliff. You don’t know what I do. Oh, and by the way—it seems like you’ve really instilled a culture of respect in your department. It seems like Sophia really admired your… tactics.”

“You’re gon’ get us fucked, you know that?” He’s pointing a stubby sausage finger in my face. “I thought your brother was an idiot, but you…” Cliff shakes his head. His anger has turned his voice to a growl. “If you’re getting’ involved with a cop, than you’re dumber than dirt.”

“And you’re delusional if you think you can scare me by breaking into my house,” I say. “Hiding and waiting for me, dressed in your fucking uniform.” I force another sarcastic laugh. “It’s a nice touch, but what are you gonna do, Sheriff? Arrest me?”

“Don’t test me, son,” he hisses through clenched teeth.

I raise my eyebrows and hold out my wrists as if saying, Then do it.

His eyes flick down to my hands, then back up.

“You know, she’s one of them gals that really loves the law.” He tilts his head back and nods. “Yeah… you know the type. And see, I’ve been wonderin’ about what she might think if a little birdie passed along the word that her new toy is the perp behind the next bank robbery. Behind all these federal robberies. I’d have to suppose she wouldn’t like that.”

“Probably not, huh? Good thing there’s not going to be a next robbery,” I say. “I’m done.”

“The hell did you just say?”

“Jesus, are you fat and deaf? I said I’m done. D-O-N-E. Done. I’m not robbing another goddam bank for you, did get that?”

“Oh—” Cliff slaps the table and laughs. “You are dumber than I thought.”

“You can go ahead and think that.” I shrug. “It’s better than playing your little game until one more job doesn’t go quite as planned and you can’t buy us quite enough time and Owen and I end up in the back of some shithead Fed’s suburban.” I take a step closer, placing my palms on the counter and leaning forward. “But I’ll clarify it all right now, I don’t work for you. And as far as I’m concerned, I don’t even know you.”

Cliff’s expression is too full of anger to continue in a smirk. He narrows the distance between us with another step, his stomach nearly grazing me, but I don’t move.

“You don’t get to walk away from this. From me,” he murmurs. “You think you’re just gon’ make some money, meet a nice gal, a cop gal, and ride away into the sunset?” His laugh comes out in a cruel and raspy cough. “Guess again, son. I don’t care who you think you work for. I own you. I own you and your buddy just like I owned your brother before you.” He pauses and adds, “Too bad he ain’t around to spell it out for you.”

Before I can even think, I have my palms on his chest. I shove him with both hands and he staggers backwards into the island, knocking over the glass of water that shatters against his hand.

I’m expecting retaliation. A full out assault. I’m ready for it.

But nothing comes.

Cliff examines his hand and the lines of blood trailing down his knuckles. He turns it over, extends his fingers and then retracts them back into a fist.

“I’m gon’ say this one last time,” he drawls softly. Blood is pooling in his palm and I only watch as he continues slowly flexing his fingers. “You’re gon’ stop talkin’ to my detective and you’re gon’ do that first and foremost, you understand?”

I don’t even begin to speak, but Cliff looks up and raises a single bloody finger as if to stop me anyway.

“Or else… you might find that some unfortunate things start happening to Ms. Bell.”

“If you do a goddam thing to Sophia you’re going to have a lot more to worry about than my disobedience,” I seethe. “You fucking hear me?”

The anger in Cliff’s face dissolves into a heavy chuckle that bounces his gut. “Well, I’d say ya’ll have a few things to worry about yourselves, and I’ll leave it at that.”

He reaches for his hat, stepping past me as he fits it on his head. “Oh—and why don’t we go ahead and keep this little conversation between the two of us.”

I turn to face him.

“No reason for your buddy to know that his partner is fuckin’ the cops,” he adds.

I give a slight bob of my head. I’m done talking. At this point, I need him gone before I do something worse.

Cliff smirks at my half-assed nod. He steps out the door before stopping to turn around. “And consider this your last warning,” he says, winking. He uses a bloody finger to tip his hat before slamming the door behind him.