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“Call the cops,” I challenged her. “This horse is being neglected. He has no food, water, or…”

She slammed the door in my face, and I could hear her marching through her house.

Here’s hoping that it’s Black that answers that call…

But my luck didn’t hold out.

It was the exact last person that I would want pulling up.

Of course, it was the newest deputy that stepped out of her cruiser and marched toward me like she had a vendetta against me.

I couldn’t stand her, but mostly because I knew that she had a thing for Black.

I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for her to acknowledge the issue at hand.

She didn’t.

She just said, “You need to leave if she has asked you to leave.”

Jesus Christ.

I narrowed my eyes and pointed at the poor horse. “That horse has no food or water.”

“Again…”

I gritted my teeth and pulled out my phone as I headed for my vehicle that Black had dropped off for me only that morning.

“Jesper County Sheriff’s Department,” a dispatcher answered.

“I’d like to report some animal abuse.”

Dempsey got on her radio and circumvented my call with a few words of her own. “Don’t bother to answer that call or take it seriously. She’s pissed because I’m kicking her off the property.”

That had me gritting my teeth as anger surged through me.

I turned around and pointed. “That horse, right there, is skin and bones. Get your head out of your ass and look at him.”

Dempsey only glared at me.

The old bitch who owned the horse cackled from the front porch, a fresh cigarette in her mouth.

I clenched my hands and decided…fuck it.

If that’s what they wanted to do, then fuck it.

My first stop was the feed store where I got horse food—I had no clue what they liked to eat, but I’d feed them whatever they suggested.

The next stop was to Denver Windsor’s place where I bought a square bale of hay—I couldn’t buy all the food from the same place. I had to be careful.

“Can I help you?” A smiley young girl around the age of thirteen or so waved.

“I’m here to get a bale of hay. The feed store said that y’all should have some. They were out.”

She tilted her head. “Oh, we do. Let me go ask my dad…”

“I got it,” Denver said from behind me.

I jumped, finding him standing only a few feet behind me.