And then he smiled. She could feel her throat going dry, and she swore she could feel her stomach drop with pure female terror. This was one full-grown, pissed-off alpha male, and she was going to pay. She could feel it clear to her bones.
Not painfully. Not in bruises, in blood, or in insults. But, oh boy, was he going to get her for this one.
“Well, Natches, I guess she’s not as easy as we all thought she was.” Dawg leaned back in his chair and shot her a tight smile. “Natches seemed to think you could see reason, Agent Dane. He even said you were smarter than to say no to him.”
She turned her gaze to him, keeping it cool, detached.
“Oh, I see reason quite well, Mr. Mackay,” she assured him. “And if I had my preferences, then his company would be welcome. Unfortunately, Special Agent Cranston made his wishes clear before I arrived. And in this case, that prevails.”
Natches muttered something uncomplimentary about Cranston that she highly agreed with.
Dawg shook his head, his smile jeering now. “Loyalty, Agent Dane? Where’s your loyalty? To your own butt or to those who can watch your back?”
“Enough, Dawg.” Natches’s voice was hard with warning.
“Let her answer the question, Natches.” Dawg held her gaze. “I’d like to hear her answer.”
“I’ll tell you what.” Her smile was benign, emotionless. He didn’t like her. He’d never liked her, and she didn’t give a damn. “Why don’t you go? Then you can share that federal prison with me when Cranston finds out about it. I hear big, tall guys like yourself are really popular there. You’re cute, James Mackay. They like cute rednecks with attitude there. Consider them a challenge, you know.”
Rowdy snorted, and she could have sworn Sheriff Mayes was choking behind her.
Dawg’s eyes narrowed. “You’re playing in the big league here, little girl. You don’t want to keep this up.”
“I said enough, damn it!”
Even Chaya flinched as Natches’s hand hit the table and he came halfway out of his chair. She stared at him, shocked, surprised as he and Dawg both seemed to hover over the table, almost nose to nose.
“Watch it, kid,” Dawg snarled. “I still remember how to wipe the floor with you.”
“And I still remember how to lock both your asses up in the county jail.” Sheriff Mayes, his voice hard, commanding, stood by the table now. “Come on, Agent Dane, before you cause these two to fight like the hellions they used to be rather than the grown men I thought they were.”
Chaya stared at Natches, amazed, disbelieving as he straightened, his body tense, his expression furious.
“If you get in a fight, I’m not going to be happy with you,” she stated coolly.
“About as happy as I am with you right now?” he snapped.
“Try even less so.” She lifted her chin a notch and reined in her anger as she turned to Dawg. “And if you don’t back down, I’ll have a talk with your wife. I have a feeling she’s more inclined to act decent than you are at the moment. I wonder how she would feel if she were to find out about this little fiasco this morning?”
“Don’t you threaten me with my wife.” He glared back at her, but some of the heat seemed to leave his voice.
“Then don’t push me, either of you. Because I could get sick of dealing with thick-skulled rednecks really fast. Unlike you, Dawg, I don’t bite and snarl; I get to the heart of the problem and the solution. When you’re willing to tell me what your problem is, then we’ll talk. Until then, stop sniping at Natches, or I’ll talk to Crista at first opportunity. Good day, gentlemen.”
She turned on her heel, ignoring their surprised looks before joining the sheriff at the door and leaving the diner. And here she had hoped the most she had to deal with was a pissed-off Natches. Now she had a pissed-off Natches, a mad Dawg, and a laughing Rowdy. Her day couldn’t get worse.
Dawg sat back down in his chair and scowled at the door while Natches slowly took those damned glasses off and glared at him.
“Son of a bitch, I’m going to kick your ass,” Natches cursed.
Dawg sneered back at him. “Yeah right. Go right ahead. You think I didn’t see your balls shrink when she gave you that cold little look? You ain’t kickin’ no one’s ass today.”
He was pissed. Pure pissed. Son of a bitch, she threatened to tell Crista on him? Like he was a little boy acting bad, and she was threatening to tell Mommy? How the hell old did that mouthy little agent think he was anyway? And he really wanted to beat Natches’s ass, too. Snarky little upstart. He never could take advice worth a damn.
“What the hell is your problem?” Natches dug a few bills out of his pocket and slapped them on the table for the coffee. At least he was paying this morning instead of mooching off the rest of them. “Why can’t you get the hell off her case?”
“Because she’s lying to you,” he snarled back, keeping his voice low, anger egging him on. “I don’t know what the hell she did to you in Iraq, and I’m getting to where I don’t give a damn. But right now, she’s lying to you, and those lies could get you killed. And she’s f**king plain.”
Natches snapped back, blinked, and stared at Dawg as though he didn’t know him. He glanced at Rowdy, but Rowdy seemed pretty interested in something he had found on the ceiling and refused to look over. Natches shook his head, as though befuddled.
Watching Natches, Dawg knew he was acting like a damned bastard, and he couldn’t help it. Hell, he knew a lie when he saw it, and this whole setup Dane was involved in was a lie.
“Look, Natches, man,” he breathed out roughly. “You’re getting in over your head. She’s up to something; I can f**king feel it. Like an itch at the back of my neck every time I see her. She’s trouble, and she’s going to get your ass killed.”
That was the problem. That gunsight between the eyes thing. Sometimes, Dawg swore he could feel someone with a gunsight between Natches’s eyes, taking aim, getting ready to fire. And it was worrying the hell out of him.
“Rowdy, take him home to Crista,” Natches said, his voice hard, and that was a bad thing. Natches might shoot him himself now. “Tell her he needs help fast. Before I kill him and make her a widow. Understand me?”
“Sure, I’ll get right on that.” Rowdy nodded slowly, pulling his gaze from the ceiling to stare at both of them. “While I’m doing that, why don’t one of you mosey over across the street and ask Aunt Nadine why the hell she’s been watching us all so close through the window from that shop?”