Page 28 of Rogue Wave

“A cop? Really, Hazel?”

I didn’t like his tone. It was the same tone he used to get with me before he would get violent.

Well, I guess he was dumb enough to mess with a sheriff.

Shadow must have sensed the same thing I did, because from her sitting position, her head dipped and she let out a low growl.

At the same time, I stepped in front of Hank to protect him in case Jerknuts went crazy, but Rourke just shook his head and took two steps back.

“I’ll call you tomorrow. We need to talk about what happened at the beach,” he yelled out before turning back in the direction of his car. “We have things to discuss.”

I didn’t respond as I watched him get into his car and drive away because I didn’t have anything to say, but even if I did, Hank removed that option because he effectively curled his body back in front of mine, causing me to take a few steps back. I looked up at his face and saw he was mad…this time in my direction.

No…mad was an understatement.

Maybe I shouldn’t have poked the Rourke bear, because it appeared I ended up pissing off all the other bears in the vicinity as well.

“If I pull you back behind me, it’s because there is danger… You do not step in front of me.”

I got that, but he didn’t understand.

I put my hands on my hips because, as weird as it sounded, it made me feel more in control. “I did it because I recognized that look on his face. It’s the same one he used to get with me right before he’d become violent. I was trying to protect you.”

That was the wrong thing to say.

The mood on this porch went from upset to absolutely livid in two-point-five seconds.

“He hit you?” The words were barely above a whisper, but the fury behind them was palpable.

I needed to deescalate this quickly.

“No, he never hit me. Not like that,” I explained, not just to Hank, but also Dougie, who had also growled at my previous comment. “He threw a lamp once, and a few glasses—not at me, but at his wall. I watched him do it after he lost his job. I left and went back to my apartment, to give him some breathing room. The second time he did it, I broke up with him.”

I sighed and moved my hands from my hips to in front of me with my palms up. “Look, I’m not proud of myself for ignoring that warning sign, but I told myself I was willing to overlook it because he lost his job, and that sucks big time, and I felt bad. The second time, though, made it a pattern, and I don’t tolerate that shit.”

Hank said nothing. I could hear his heavy breathing, and I was sure that if I looked closely, I would see steam come out of his nostrils.

Holy hell, this man was intense. Not just in his appearance, but also his entire demeanor and stride.

I couldn’t help but notice the way his biceps bunched through his shirt and the hard clench of his jaw. He was clearly angry, but why was it so damn sexy to watch?

I shifted a little to turn my body so I was equally facing Dougie and Hank. Both looked mad, but Dougie looked slightly nicer about it.

“Look, I don’t know why he came back here tonight,” I told them. “He was here the other night, and I told him to leave. We broke up months ago, and until the other night, I hadn’t seen or heard from him, so I’m not sure why he won’t just leave me alone.”

“The reward money,” Dougie said quickly.

Hank muttered a curse before putting his own hands on his hips and dropping his head to shake it as he looked at the floor.

“He said he wanted to talk to you about the beach, and he’s now shown up twice—both of which happened after you found the drugs,” Dougie added. “I’m guessing he thinks you know more than you told us, and he’s hoping to get the info out of you and claim the reward money.”

I shook my head in confusion. Deep down I knew he was right, but it still didn’t make me feel any better.

“Not everyone tells the cops everything, Hazel,” Hank replied. “Especially a guy like that.”

“What’s his name?” Dougie asked me, his voice softer now, anger all but removed, as though we were just carrying on a regular conversation.

“Rourke,” I answered. “Rourke Wesson.”