pissed; he couldn't believe Michael had the nerve to hit on his girl so soon after the file room incident. The man was getting way too arrogant for his own good.
"You will apologize to my fiancee once I find her, and you will mean it, or I will do worse than merely fire you, you stupid fuck."
Michael's eyes bulged in terror. “Fiancee? But she...she..."
"She what?” The growl in Drew's voice terrified Michael even more, and he backed away from him holding his hands out ineffectively in self-defense. It took Drew less than a second to get past Michael's defenses and pick him up by the collar again, lifting him a foot off the ground.
"Drew, put me down; I can't breathe. You can't blame me for thinking that,” Michael whimpered, his hands clawing desperately at Drew's hands.
"Thinking what, Michael?” Drew repeated his voice lowering as he firmed his grip before pushing his Deputy away in complete disgust. Allison would never forgive him if he hurt the ass, no matter how much the man deserved it.
Rubbing his neck, Michael threw Drew a glare. “That she's a little slut."
The feeling of Drew's fist connecting with Michael's face felt good. The man had been slowly and steadily moving in on his territory, trying to become him. Well, it stopped now. Allison was that woman you met once in a lifetime, and he wasn't giving her up for anyone—especially not some kid who thought he could out-play his betters.
"Call my fiancee a slut again, Michael, and they'll be permanently wiring your jaw shut. Touch her again, and it will take a miracle for the doctors to put you back together in one piece. Women can be friends with men without having sex with them. Now, get out of my house, before I ignore the urge to kill you."
Rubbing his jaw, Michael sneered arrogantly. “You're still pissed that in the end, Bonnie chose me over you!"
"Bonnie be damned. You can keep her. She isn't worth my jealousy or my time. You just remember that my Allison is off-limits to you and every other man in this town."
"Does that threat include Jimmy?"
Drew didn't like the surprised sound of Michael's voice; it didn't bode well for future problems. “Allison's relationship with Jimmy is her business and no one else's."
"Wow—a woman you're willing to share. She must truly be incredible in..."
That was his breaking point. Drew's fist flew to land against Michael's face so hard the man hit the wall behind him and slid down to land in an unconscious heap on the floor.
"I told you to be respectful to my girl!” Grabbing him by the collar, Drew dragged the man out onto the front porch, ignoring the furniture Michael accidentally bounced off of on his way out of the house. Locking the door, Drew headed off to the station, where he hoped he'd find his woman.
Seeing her car gone, he floored the gas pedal, making it to the station in record time. Allison would never forgive him if he shirked his duties. The plan was to go in take care of the emergency and then find her. It occurred to him that with Allison as his wife, this town would never suffer from his neglect; she'd make sure their needs always came before her own. He filed that thought away for future examination. There had to be a way to properly balance the two necessities he'd soon face.
Entering the precinct, he stopped only long enough to pull aside a rookie. “Frederick, send a car to my house and collect Michael. You'll find him on my front porch, unconscious. Dump him in the drunk tank and leave him there until I tell you to let him out."
"Sheriff?"
"Move!” Turning to face the rest of the precinct, he made his way toward his office. “Talk to me, people. What's the..."
Jimmy was the first to respond. “Drew, could I see you in your office for a moment? The other matter can wait a few minutes."
Drew was torn between the urge to laugh and the desire to strangle Jimmy for the new delay.
"Fine, but if you're about to tell me that you want my job, then the answer is no. I don't want
"You will apologize to my fiancee once I find her, and you will mean it, or I will do worse than merely fire you, you stupid fuck."
Michael's eyes bulged in terror. “Fiancee? But she...she..."
"She what?” The growl in Drew's voice terrified Michael even more, and he backed away from him holding his hands out ineffectively in self-defense. It took Drew less than a second to get past Michael's defenses and pick him up by the collar again, lifting him a foot off the ground.
"Drew, put me down; I can't breathe. You can't blame me for thinking that,” Michael whimpered, his hands clawing desperately at Drew's hands.
"Thinking what, Michael?” Drew repeated his voice lowering as he firmed his grip before pushing his Deputy away in complete disgust. Allison would never forgive him if he hurt the ass, no matter how much the man deserved it.
Rubbing his neck, Michael threw Drew a glare. “That she's a little slut."
The feeling of Drew's fist connecting with Michael's face felt good. The man had been slowly and steadily moving in on his territory, trying to become him. Well, it stopped now. Allison was that woman you met once in a lifetime, and he wasn't giving her up for anyone—especially not some kid who thought he could out-play his betters.
"Call my fiancee a slut again, Michael, and they'll be permanently wiring your jaw shut. Touch her again, and it will take a miracle for the doctors to put you back together in one piece. Women can be friends with men without having sex with them. Now, get out of my house, before I ignore the urge to kill you."
Rubbing his jaw, Michael sneered arrogantly. “You're still pissed that in the end, Bonnie chose me over you!"
"Bonnie be damned. You can keep her. She isn't worth my jealousy or my time. You just remember that my Allison is off-limits to you and every other man in this town."
"Does that threat include Jimmy?"
Drew didn't like the surprised sound of Michael's voice; it didn't bode well for future problems. “Allison's relationship with Jimmy is her business and no one else's."
"Wow—a woman you're willing to share. She must truly be incredible in..."
That was his breaking point. Drew's fist flew to land against Michael's face so hard the man hit the wall behind him and slid down to land in an unconscious heap on the floor.
"I told you to be respectful to my girl!” Grabbing him by the collar, Drew dragged the man out onto the front porch, ignoring the furniture Michael accidentally bounced off of on his way out of the house. Locking the door, Drew headed off to the station, where he hoped he'd find his woman.
Seeing her car gone, he floored the gas pedal, making it to the station in record time. Allison would never forgive him if he shirked his duties. The plan was to go in take care of the emergency and then find her. It occurred to him that with Allison as his wife, this town would never suffer from his neglect; she'd make sure their needs always came before her own. He filed that thought away for future examination. There had to be a way to properly balance the two necessities he'd soon face.
Entering the precinct, he stopped only long enough to pull aside a rookie. “Frederick, send a car to my house and collect Michael. You'll find him on my front porch, unconscious. Dump him in the drunk tank and leave him there until I tell you to let him out."
"Sheriff?"
"Move!” Turning to face the rest of the precinct, he made his way toward his office. “Talk to me, people. What's the..."
Jimmy was the first to respond. “Drew, could I see you in your office for a moment? The other matter can wait a few minutes."
Drew was torn between the urge to laugh and the desire to strangle Jimmy for the new delay.
"Fine, but if you're about to tell me that you want my job, then the answer is no. I don't want
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