“Detective Moretti,” Officer Watkins, the uniformed officer that had been sitting in front of my house, yelled from behind me. “Get her under control or else I’ll have to taze her!” 

How he thought he’d manage that with me holding Shelby in my arms was beyond me. The man may have been a good cop, but it was apparent he wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box. I didn’t care how many laws Shelby had just broken, no one was going to hurt her.

He’ll have to shoot me first.

“You taze her, and I’ll smash your damn face in!” Pop shouted from beside me. “Badge or not, I don’t give a shit. You’re not touching my kid.” 

Ignoring both Pop and Watkins, I lifted Shelby’s feet off the ground and turned so that our backs faced Dixie. Seconds earlier it had taken both Pop and me to rip her hands away from the bitch’s throat. 

My woman had been hell-bent on choking the life out of her mother.

Not that I blamed her. 

The last time Shelby saw Dixie, she’d handed both her and Lucca over to Damien on a silver platter. She’d stood by as that fucking monster sliced up her skin, determined to punish Shelby and kill Lucca. 

Because of that, when Shelby saw Dixie, her mind blanked. Any rational thought she possessed went out the window as instinct took over. Blinded by the pain and rage from her past, my woman focused on eliminating the threat that her mother represented. Running on pure adrenaline and the need to survive, to protect, she attacked Dixie with a ferocity I’d never seen before. 

“Tony, let me go,” Shelby said, clawing at the backs of my hands with her nails. “Just let me get to her!” 

I understood her need, her drive, to deal with Dixie but I couldn’t let her do it. The truth was, Shelby had just stepped into a steaming pile of horse shit, and I didn’t know how I was going to get her out of it. Messed up as it was, I had a feeling that this entire confrontation had been planned by Dixie and Damien both. They were playing games, and I would almost bet I knew what their end goal was. 

The conniving fucks. 

As if on cue, Dixie shouted, “I want her arrested!” Shelby stilled in my arms. “The little bitch assaulted me. Everyone saw it!”

“God-fucking-dammit,” I hissed through gritted teeth. Suspicions confirmed, I held onto Shelby tighter and braced for the fall out that was about to come.  

“Tony,” Shelby whispered. “I can’t go to jail.” Her body trembled in my arms and my blood pressure skyrocketed. “Lucca…”

She didn’t need to say anything else. I already knew. 

 “Detective Moretti,” Officer Watkins called from behind me. “I need to speak to you.” 

I ducked my head and blew out a breath. “Stand down, Watkins. I have this under control!” I shouted in return, knowing damn well I didn’t have shit under control which made my rage hit a boiling point.

“Moretti,” he barked again, his tone short, clipped. 

Much as I wanted to turn around and rip him a new one, I couldn’t. He had the power to throw Shelby in jail for the night, and as much as I hated it, there wasn’t a damn thing I could do. I may have lived in Kissler, but I had no jurisdiction there. 

Looking down at Shelby with hard eyes, I whispered, “Stay here.” Mouth set in a thin line, she nodded. “I mean it, baby. If I let you go and you charge back after her, there won’t be anything I can do to save you from an assault charge.”

“Go.” She jerked away from me. “Just fricken go!” Burying her hands in her hair, she bent over at the waist and fought for calm. “I’ll be fine. I promise I won’t go after her again”—she paused and sucked in a lungful of oxygen—“not here anyway.”

Turning around, I strode over toward Officer Watkins. “Talk fast.” 

He shifted his weight between his feet. “Look, I know something shady is going on here”—he cut his eyes to Dixie—“but I have to take your girl downtown. It would be one thing if I didn’t see the assault happen with my own eyes but that isn’t the case here.” Brows furrowed, he shook his head in irritation. “And even if I put my ass on the line and let her go, the victim would probably just go downtown and take out a warrant. You know if that happens it will make this entire situation ten times worse.”

I turned my head and looked back at Shelby. She was standing by Grandmama’s front porch, holding Lucca in her arms. Talking to Hendrix, Maddie, and Grandmama, she looked a fraction calmer. Like always, Lucca was working his magic.

“You stupid fuckin’ bastard!” Dixie’s high pitch shriek ripped through the air, pulling my eyes from Shelby to her. Standing three feet in front of Pop, Dixie held one fisted hand on her hip while she used the other to jab a bony finger into the center of his gut. Arms crossed over his chest, the man looked like he was a heartbeat away from ripping her head off. 

Just like with Shelby, I wouldn’t blame him if he did. 

“I’m going to talk to our victim,” I said to Officer Watkins, emphasizing the word victim. “Do yourself a favor though. Don’t go anywhere near my woman. You try to cuff her or arrest her before I figure this shit out, and I'll make sure you’re on desk duty for the foreseeable future.” 

His face twisted in agitation. “You don’t have any pull in Kissler, Moretti. You may be a hot-shot detective over in Toluca, but you can’t touch me. We both know that.” 

Scratching my temple, I smiled in his direction. “The biggest mistake you can make is underestimating me.” My smile grew. “I’m not a dirty cop, but there isn’t a thing I won’t do to protect my family.” 

I’ve already lost one family. I won’t lose another.

“Your girlfriend assaulted—”

I held up my hand cutting him off. “Don’t finish that sentence.” My voice was grave, my tone lethal. “You don’t have a fucking clue what her reasons are for doing what she did.” In the eyes of the law, Shelby’s reasons didn’t matter. Still, that didn’t mean I wouldn’t defend her. “I realize she broke the law, but I’ll be damned if I roll over and let you treat her like a common criminal.” 

Watkins continued to shift his weight between his feet. 

I didn’t know what his deal was, but he couldn’t seem to stand still. 

“When the time comes for her to be transported downtown I’ll be the one to cuff her and place her in the car.” He opened his mouth to speak, but one scathing look from me had him snapping it shut again. “I can’t control what happens once she gets downtown but right now I can and no one—and I mean no-fucking-body—touches her but me. Got it?” 

He nodded once before glancing down at his watch. “I’ve got it. But I can’t wait long before transporting her. If my captain finds out I’m giving her—”

“I’m fucking well aware!” I snapped back. “But before you take her in, I need to handle our victim first.” Looking back at Dixie, I continued speaking. “Did you get a good look at her eyes?” Officer Watkins didn’t reply. “Go have a look. Her pupils are the size of saucers, and she has track marks on her inner arms.” 

“She’s under the influence?” He took a step closer. “Think she’ll consent to a search of her vehicle?” 

I almost laughed at his stupid question. “Not a chance.” A wicked smile spread across my face. “But that won’t stop me.” Nodding towards the radio attached to his shoulder, I crossed my arms over my chest. “Call dispatch, have them send another unit out.” 

“For what?” He asked, confused. “I can handle this on my own.” 

I shook my head. “Didn’t say you couldn’t. But you’re going to need another transport vehicle”—I paused and took a breath—“because Shelby won’t be the only one heading to lock up.”

Without saying another word, I headed straight for Dixie. Pop’s brows rose at my approach. Stopping less than two feet from the wretched bitch that had helped destroy the woman I love more than anything in the world, I clenched my jaw and fisted my hands at my sides. “Tell me, Dixie, how much is Damien paying you to come after Shelby?” 

The bitch smiled. She didn’t even try to hide the truth. “What’s it matter to you, huh?” Pulling a cigarette out of her purse, she slipped it between her lips and lit the end. “As I said before, you ain’t got no dog in this race.” Waving a dismissive hand in my direction, she took another hit off her cigarette. “So why don’t you scamper along and go find someone else to fuck with.” 

My hands twitched with the urge to strangle her. 

Ignoring her smart mouth, I lifted my chin in the air. “You high, Dixie?” Body trembling with barely constrained rage, I pinched my bottom lip between two fingers. “When was the last time you shot up?” Remaining silent, she cut her eyes at James and wrapped her arms around her body. Smirking, I goaded her. “You can try to hide it all you want, but I’ve already seen the track marks.” 

Leaning to the side, I made a show of trying to look in her car window. “I bet you have at least a gram of H hidden somewhere in your car, don’t you?” My head tilted to the right. “Maybe a needle or two. What about your purse, Dixie? You got a cooker in there? A couple of lighters?” Extending my hand, I gestured for her to hand it over. “Why don’t you let me have a look. If you have nothing to hide, you won’t mind me conducting a quick search, yeah?” 

Jumping back, she shoved her purse under her arm, shielding it from my grasp. “Unless you got a warrant, I ain’t lettin’ you look at nothin’, pig!” 

Her reaction answered every question I had. 

Looking over my shoulder, I yelled back at Officer Watkins. “Radio dispatch and have them send a K9 unit out.” A look of surprise crossed Watkins face. “Tell them you’ve got a noncompliant female who is under the influence of unknown drugs. Make it clear her vehicle is likely being used to traffic heroin across state lines.” 

Watkins ducked back in his squad car to handle business. 

“You son of a bitch!” Dixie screamed, pulling open her car door. “I don’t know who the hell you think you are but if you ain’t got no warrant, you can’t search shit.” 

I chuckled, low and deep. “I don’t need a warrant to have drug-sniffing dogs brought out.” Her eyes flared with anger. “Soon as one of the department's dogs give the signal indicating that there are drugs in your vehicle it’s over for you, Dixie. With one bark, Kissler PD will have all the probable cause they need to search every square inch of your piece of shit car, along with all of your possessions.” Bending at the waist, I moved face closer to hers. “Time’s up, trailer trash. Judgement day is finally here. Tell me”—I smirked—“how does it feel to know your reign of terror is about to be over?”

Footsteps pounded against the pavement to my left. I turned my head just in time to see Hendrix barreling towards us. Up until that point he’d been standing beside Maddie and Shelby acting as a sentinel. Coming to a standstill in front of the mother he shared with his little sister; he exhaled so harshly his nostrils flared. 

Dixie’s eyes widened, and she took a step back, wedging herself behind the car’s open door. “Hendrix?” She asked, almost bewildered. “Is that you?” 

Hendrix’s eyes darkened. “You hurt my baby sister.” Silence. “You kept her from me.” More silence. “You allowed someone else to fucking hurt her!” His voice broke on the last syllable, and he looked half a second from flying into a deadly rage. “Then you handed her, and my nephew over to the man who you knew had beaten and raped her. And now you’re here trying to do it—again!” 

If I can’t get this shit under control Kissler PD will have a handful of Cole’s and Davis’ locked away in county for assault.

Pop grabbed Hendrix’s arms and tried to pull him back. Hendrix wasn’t having it though. Ripping his arm out of Pop’s hold, he continued to yell at the woman who’d given him life. “Why?” The ligaments in his neck corded and a vein bulged in the side of his head. The look on his face was a combination of disgust and hate. “How could you do that to her? Did you hate her that fucking much?” 

Dixie’s response was swift. “Yes,” she replied, unashamed. “I did.” Her eyes moved to where Shelby was standing in the yard with Lucca on her hip. “I still do.” Her gaze raked over my family before bouncing back to Hendrix. “You were both mistakes.” Tapping her long nails on the door of the car, she looked past Hendrix to Pop. “Being saddled with that little bitch was bad enough. I wasn’t about to get saddled with her little brat too. I did what I thought was best.”

Unable to control himself any longer, Hendrix lunged at her. 

I moved, blocking his path, but it didn’t matter. Pop already had him in a bear hug, pulling him backward. “No!” Pop shouted in his son’s ear. “I will not let you ruin your life over that vile bitch.” I don’t know what he was planning on doing, but judging by the look on his face I’d wager he was going to finish the job Shelby had started. 

“Shelby is not a fucking mistake!” He screamed, eyes nearly bulging out of his head. “The only mistake is the fact that you’re still breathing.” Still fighting against Pop’s hold, he kept yelling. “But that’ll change.” Police sirens echoed in the distance. “Everybody out here knows you’ve got H in your car. The police will be here soon, and then you’ll be the one sporting a shiny new pair of handcuffs.” 

He looked at me. “Is this going to be enough to send her to prison?” 

One side of my mouth quirked up in a smile. “With her record? You’re damned right.” My gaze moved to Dixie’s. “Possession and trafficking? Depending on the amount they find, I’d say she’s looking at five to ten years.”

“You won’t last a month on the inside,” Hendrix taunted, nodding. “I’ll make sure of that shit.” 

For the first time since she’d shown up, a look of genuine fear spread across Dixie’s face. “Prison? I can’t go—”

Hendrix continued to yell, cutting her off. “What do you think your fellow prisoners will do once they find out what you did to Shelby? To Lucca?” Ripping free of Pop’s hold, Hendrix crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you think they’ll do when they find out you stood back and watched a man slice your own daughter to pieces… and all because you didn’t want the baby she carried in her belly. Do you know how many of those women are mothers themselves? How many of them are fucking victims?” 

The sirens drew closer.

“Detective Moretti!” Officer Watkins shouted from behind me. “K9 unit ETA is two minutes.” 

I didn’t reply. 

Instead, I watched the confrontation in front of me unfold. 

Pointing at Shelby, Hendrix screamed, “Look at them!” Dixie’s tear-filled gaze slid to the two most important people in my life. “Memorize their faces”—pausing, Hendrix took a ragged breath—“because they’ll be the last images of beauty and hope you see as you take your final breath.” 

Without uttering another word, Hendrix turned on his heel and walked back to a waiting Maddie. Pulling her into his arms, he pressed a kiss to her head and held her tight. 

“Tony,” Shelby called my name, bringing my attention to her. Tears lined her beautiful face, and I wanted nothing more than to kiss every single one of them away. “I need you.” 

I took a step toward her but stopped when Officer Watkins appeared at my side. He looked conflicted; almost pained. “What Hendrix said… did she”—he nodded at Dixie—“really do that stuff to your girlfriend?” 

“Yes.” I offered no further explanation.

Staring at Dixie, he clenched his jaw and seemed to mull over my answer. “I have three daughters. They drive me crazy most days, but I can’t imagine hurting a single hair on any of their heads…” His voice trailed off. Scrubbing two hands down his face, he whispered, “Far as I’m concerned, I never saw Ms. Mason assault anybody.” 

Dixie’s entire body went rigid. “You’ve got to be shittin’ me!” Flailing her arms around in an erratic manner, she screamed, “If she didn’t hit me, then what the hell happened to my damn face?” 

Officer Watkins looked at her with a serious expression. “Lady, you’re higher than a kite. It’s obvious that you fell.” 

With a final nod to me, he turned around and walked back to his squad car.

Looking at Dixie, I smiled. “Check-fucking-mate.”