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“You’re the one who called the doctor over last night. I didn’t need him seeing me like that. You told me he would help. Why are you so mad that I let him?”
Mason’s scowl was a flash across his handsome features, there and gone again as he struggled to maintain his control. “Maria is the one who buzzed the doc,” he told Tess. “I didn’t want him coming around you. Seems like I was right.”
“Mason, I don’t belong to you. We just met, for god’s sake.”
That didn’t seem to faze him. “Lucas De Angelis belongs to the sheriff. He always has, and he always will. Remember that. You’re wasting your time with him.”
“It was just breakfast—”
“With him.” Mason lashed out, striking like a snake. He had his hand wrapped around her slender wrist, yanking her until they were nearly nose to nose. “I would’ve taken you anywhere you wanted to go. You didn’t have to go to Lucas.”
Tess struggled against his hold. She never expected him to grab her and it spooked her, how fast he had turned on her like that. But the more she struggled and tried to pull away, the tighter his clasp became until it was a vice clamped around her wrist. Fingers digging into her skin, his hand squeezing so tightly it was like he was mashing her bones together.
It hurt.
Panting softly, she tried one more time to break free. When it didn’t work, she whimpered. “Deputy, please. You’re hurting me.”
Mason blinked. The dark look in his eyes disappeared from one second to the next, almost as if he had been in a trance and only now realized what he was doing. With a sharp breath, he let go of Tess’s hand so quickly, you would’ve thought he was burned.
“Ah, jeez. I’m sorry.” He took one step away from her, and another. He held up his hand, staring at it as if it wasn’t his. “Tess, I didn’t mean to—”
He was moving away from her. That’s all she wanted. If she managed to put enough space between them, she could bolt for the door and, if she was lucky, she might even make it before he overpowered her.
“It’s fine,” she lied. “Just… let’s forget it happened, okay?”
Tess wasn't stupid. Mason was a member of the law enforcement team in a town that wasn’t too keen on the idea of outsiders. Even if she wanted to complain about his sudden mood swing, she didn’t think it would do any good. When it was his word against hers, she knew damn well who Sheriff De Angelis would believe. That woman was looking for one tiny excuse to toss Tess in the cells again and, this time, she would throw away the key.
No, she amended. The sheriff would drag Tess out of Hamlet by the hair and throw her into the county lock-up the next town over just so she would never have to look at her again.
Glancing down, she saw the red ring forming around her wrist. Compared to her pale skin, the blemish was extremely noticeable.
Mason saw it the same time she did. He reached for her. “Your wrist—”
Tess moved her hand out of his grasp, tucking it behind her back so that he couldn’t touch her again. “Is fine,” she repeated. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
“Don’t worry about it? I hurt you, Tess! I never should’ve—”
Mason’s radio buzzed.
“I can’t ignore that.” He looked
pained. “I’m still on duty.”
Tess never believed in the old adage “saved by the bell” more than at that moment. She was desperate to get out of this conversation, no matter what. Taking the opportunity to continue to back away from Mason, she gestured at his belt. “Go on. Answer your radio.”
He picked up on her retreat. “Don’t go anywhere yet. Please, Tess. We’re not done.”
Oh, yes, they were. She took another step away, sliding her hand to cover the red mark on her wrist. Maybe, if he didn’t see it, he would forget and go.
Engaging his radio, Mason said, “This is Deputy Walsh.”
Static, followed by Willie’s pleasant voice. “Mase, sug, I need you to take a spin out to North Woodbridge, gulleyside. I’ve got those two neighbors fighting over that damn rosebush again. Sheriff’s going out of Hamlet and Sly’s just gone off duty after pulling another double. I need you to break it up before Jerry turns the hose on Christopher again.”
“Got it, Wil. Don’t worry. I’ll threaten Chris with his wife. That usually stops his complaining. I’ll check in when I got it under control.”
“Thanks, sugar.”
Clipping his radio back to his belt, Mason offered Tess a crooked half smile that was wavering. Despite her wishes, he obviously hadn’t forgotten their discussion. “See, that’s what crime in Hamlet is usually like, two old coots fighting over a rosebush. Murders make us all jumpy. It’s no excuse…”
