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I felt my cheeks flame.

Everyone and their brother had heard.

Black came up behind me, wrapped his arm around my waist, and pulled me into his chest.

He wasn’t in uniform today, which jived with what he’d shared about having the next two days off—pending any unforeseen circumstances like murder or mayhem—so when he pulled me to him I was against nothing but smooth, warm body.

No Kevlar vest and poking badges to get between us.

“I…” Louellen started.

“Are you that mean of a person that you have to target a girl, and now a woman, that has had nothing but hard times to deal with since the moment her little brother was born? A brother, who, I heard her already add, admitted to the murder of three people yesterday.” Black’s head tilted slightly. “Which, I might point out, were blood-related to him. So if he killed his mom, dad, and grandmother…what do you think he’d do to his sister?”

None of them had a clue.

“Which isn’t including all the animals that he probably tortured and killed,” I muttered under my breath.

A woman moved up to my side, and based solely on the smell of her, I knew it was Zee.

I looked up. “Hey, Zee.”

She smiled. “I was hoping that we could grab lunch?”

Black’s arms tightened. “She’s spoken for over lunch. But she can maybe meet you tomorrow.”

My lips quirked as I looked at my new friend.

My second ever, real life, friend.

Look at me go.

Two friends.

A boyfriend.

I was winning at life right now.

And euphoria was making me want to bounce on my toes.

“Have a good day, Louellen,” Black growled.

Louellen looked properly chagrined as she slinked away into the crowd.

And there was a definite crowd.

Though most of them were held at bay by the sheer amount of Dixie Wardens and wives that were surrounding us.

None of them look offended by much of anything that Black had just said.

Then I jolted.

“Did you just say that in front of your child?” I whispered to Black.

He chuckled and let me go, turning me around so that I was facing him.

He stared deep into my eyes for a long second before he dropped a soft kiss to my mouth.

I leaned into the kiss—because how could I not?—and grabbed onto his biceps for leverage.