Vixen (Dark Protectors #11.5) - Rebecca Zanetti Page 0,8

the room in his sights. Threats were in every direction, and the feeling of missing something important wouldn’t leave him.

Her small grin was nearly catlike and had the perverse result of turning him on. What was it with that woman?

The sheriff strutted toward the doorway. “O’Connell? Meet me at the station first thing tomorrow morning. I’d like an update on the case, and I have no doubt you’ll be able to break the false alibi of the widow.” He disappeared down the old hallway.

Abby sighed. “Detective? I’m so sorry to have gotten you into this mess. I did not kill my ex-husband.” She’d been married to a lawyer, who’d been buddies with the sheriff and the judge, and there was no doubt she’d been railroaded in an arrest and then near conviction from a fake battery charge. Evan had used all his power to keep her out of jail and get her into probation and the anger management group before the ex had been murdered. “My alibi is solid.”

Yeah. Her alibi was everyone in the room, except the shrink and Johnny. Something about a pizza party at Raine Maxwell’s house, which just didn’t set right. But it didn’t make sense that these people, all from different walks of life, had conspired to kill a moron lawyer in a small Indiana town. “I hope so,” Evan said, sitting back. “I do need to interview each of you soon, just so you know. We need follow-up information.” Actually, he needed to compare their initial interviews with the second ones, just to see who was lying.

Although Monte Lofton had been an asshole, he’d been murdered, and Evan couldn’t allow vigilante justice in his town.

Abby smiled. “I’ll gladly be interviewed again, Detective. Switching topics, why don’t you run for county sheriff in the fall? You’d basically just deal with this city and the few outlining areas, and you’d do a much better job than that jackass.”

“Hey,” Johnny protested. “That’s my dad.”

Abby turned on him. “No kidding. The judge is your uncle, too. It’s time this baloney stopped in this town.”

Evan would love to run for sheriff. His right ankle started to tremble, heading up to his knee. He pressed a hand on his thigh to try and stop the movement while ignoring the pain. “I’m afraid that’s not in the cards for me,” he said, effectively cutting off all debate with a harsh tone.

Dr. Lopez jumped and then reached for manila files from the briefcase by her chair. “Johnny? Since you’re new to the group, let’s start with you today. You were arrested for battery of your wife and a police officer.”

Johnny rolled his eyes. “I didn’t hit Louise, and the cop came at me first.” He looked at Lopez’s breasts. “I wasn’t angry, either.”

“My eyes are up here, junior,” Lopez said, her tone hard.

Johnny grinned and looked up at her face. “Your eyes aren’t your best feature.”

Faster than Evan would’ve thought possible, Raine Maxwell had the kid out of his seat and slammed against the wall, only knocking over one chair in the movement.

Evan reached them instantly, shoving Raine off the kid.

Raine stepped back, his face cold. “One more word like that, and you won’t need anger management. You won’t need anything,” he said, his voice a bizarre growl.

Dr. Lopez clapped her hands, her voice rising. “I can see we have a lot to discuss. Everyone take your seats. Now.”

Evan studied the furious man, his instincts humming. “Apparently I’m not the only one protective of the women here,” he murmured as Raine turned his attention on him. “I think I’ll interview you first about Monte Loften’s murder, Mr. Maxwell.” There was absolutely no doubt in Evan’s mind that Raine could kill. He probably had.

Raine smiled. “Looking forward to it, Detective.”

Chapter 4

“If you need an alibi taking that twerp out, just let me know,” Tabi whispered to Raine as she strode out of the abandoned schoolhouse after the useless anger management class. Johnny Baker was a waste of space, as far as she was concerned.

“Thanks,” Raine said, not smiling, the darkness surrounding him. The early spring breeze rustled through the night, chilly and unwelcoming. At least it wasn’t raining.

She nodded and moved down the crumbling cement sidewalk toward her car as Raine turned and jogged across the street to his silver truck. Stopping at her car, she paused, not surprised to see the detective heading her way through the night. “You really have a hard-on for me, don’t you?” she murmured.

“Yes.” Both of his