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“Is this the ex, Junie? The Rat?”
“The Rat? Is it protocol in this Podunk town for the police to resort to name calling? Bravo, Junie. It’s a good play to open your legs for the law enforcement in the town to get them in your corner. Are you going to try and do your damage to me professionally all over again by spreading your poison? If you try it, I’ll make you pay, bitch, and it will be more painful than you can ever imagine,” Greg says, the monster jumping out just for a second. I feel my knees go weak, but I don’t fall, I don’t move. I stand, and I know I do it mostly because Ben is beside me.
“Now see, Rat Boy? That sounds like a threat to me. Did that sound like a threat to you, Carl?”
“That it did, Sheriff. I think he just threatened our Junie.”
My gaze, switches from Ben to Carl, who is standing there, and he’s got his big, beefy arms crossed at his chest, and he’s looking directly at Greg. Carl would be a good three hundred pounds. He’s got salt and pepper hair, and he might make great pizza, but odds are he could beat the shit out of anyone he wanted to. I wouldn’t want him on my bad side, and the way he’s staring at Greg, if Greg were smart, he’d be backing down. As if Carl can sense my attention on him, he looks at me with kind eyes and gives me a small smile.
Our Junie.
My heart stutters. Stone Lake really is my home.
“This is bullshit,” Greg barks. “I didn’t threaten her. There’s no way you can prove that.”
“I’ll be a witness,” Ty speaks up. “No one threatensour Junie,” he adds and with those words, my heart does it again.
“Me too,” Mrs. Draughn, who delivers mail, says from the corner. “Stone Lake doesn’t take kindly to strangers threatening one of our own.”
“We’re witnesses,” Scott and David say from one of the other tables. I only know each of them in passing because they come to the bar occasionally, but they’re staring at Greg and taking up for me.
“What do you say, Junie? Do you want to press charges?” Ben asks, and my gaze jumps back to him. He’s looking at me, searching my face, and I can see the worry there. I want to run to his arms, but I know I can’t. I have things to explain, but I need to make sure Greg is gone for good.
“I just want him gone,” I manage to say, my voice so quiet I have to wonder if Ben can even hear me.
“Look like it’s your lucky day, Rat Boy. I’m going to give you some advice. You get in that fancy car out there and you leave Stone Lake. You don’t have any contact with Junie again. If I even sniff you in this town, you’ll regret it.”
“I’m afraid there’s nothing you can do. If I decide to move to Stone Lake, there’s nothing you can do to legally stop me, Sheriff,” Greg sneers, the monster he hides unmasked yet again.
“I don’t expect you’ll listen to me, because any idiot who changes his name to the same one as a giant rat in a cartoon, can’t have a bit of sense. But you might try to stir up a few of your braincells and get the hell out of my town. Because if you bother Junie again, I’ll make sure you leave town in a body bag.”
“Now, Sheriff, that sounded like a threat,” Greg says a cold smile on his face.
“It’s not a threat, Rat Boy,” Ben replies, his voice cold as steel. “It’s a fucking promise.”
Greg stands and looks at him, then he surprises me because he walks away very calmly and at an even pace. He doesn’t even spare me a second glance. I turn to watch him, not moving, half expecting him to turn back and try to spew more poison.
“Junie, Baby, give me your weapon,” Ben says, his voice so tender that I jerk from the force of it. He’s holding out his hand, and it’s only then that I realize I’m still holding my stun gun. I’m holding it out, my body trembling all over, and belatedly I realize there are tears running down my face. “Give me the gun, Baby,” Ben repeats, and my hand drops down, the muscles sore from the way I had them tightened and tense for so long. I hand him the gun and his strong hand clasps overtop it and takes it away. He lays it on the table, where the next thing I know, I’m in his arms. That’s when the tears increase, almost as much as my trembling.
“He’s back, Ben. He’s coming back to torture me again,” I tell him between gulping breaths as the sobs begin to roll. Ben sits down in my chair and pulls me into his lap to rock me, doing his best to soothe me.
“He won’t do anything, Junie. I’m right here. I told you, Baby. I’ll always have your back,” Ben murmurs against my ear. I close my eyes and let Ben’s presence soak in. I’ve missed him so much.
“I’m sorry, Ben. I’m so damn sorry,” I tell him, doing my best to slow my tears, but not doing a great job of it.
“It’s all okay, Junie. I’m right here, Baby,” he says, and he just holds me, his hand brushing against my hair and my back. “I’m right here.” I stay in his arms, letting the tears fall, and faintly I hear, “Oh, Baby, what did you do to your hand?” Ben’s voice is mournful, and I look down as he unfolds my fingers to reveal my bloody palm.
“I’m okay,” I tell him.
“You hurt your hand.”
“I’m okay,” I repeat. The words sound shaky, but maybe that’s because I am trembling uncontrollably.
“You’re magnificent,” Ben croons, kissing my forehead. “Magnificent.”
I don’t know why, but I think he really believes that…
Ben
