"Helen."
I groaned as his fingertips reached up to brush the tips of my breasts. "Hank,god."
The tapping of metal on glass broke us apart like two kids caught under the bleachers. I scrambled off him. Hank sat up, adjusted his shirt and rolled his windowdown.
Oh. My.God.
I hid myface.
"Hank," the officer said, and I could practically hear the laughter in hisvoice.
"Jimmy," Hank said. I was pleased to note his voice sounded a little bithusky.
"Looks like you've got your hands full," hesaid.
I wanted to groan at the terrible pun, even though technically his hands were no longerfull.
Hank let out a deep breath. "Sorry about that. We got a little bit carried away. We'llleave."
"Not so fast," Jimmy said. "Who's your luckyfriend?"
He shone the light over and I had no choice but to look at him. Jimmy's eyes widened and he took two full stepsaway.
Hank's brows flew together and he looked at me and back at Jimmy. "Is there a problemhere?"
Jimmy sneered. "No problem. Not if you like chicks that play with deadthings."
Full on rage appeared on Hank's face, the likes of which I'd never seen. "I'm sure you'd like to apologize to the lady,Jimmy."
Jimmy choked on a laugh. "I'm sure I wouldn't. People around the courthouse call her the CorpseFuc-"
Hank punched him right through the window. Jimmy went down like astone.
"Shit," I whispered. "Shit. Shit. Shit." I gave Hank an anguished stare. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. So sosorry."
Hank held a hand up. "You have nothing to be sorry for," he said practically spitting with anger. He stepped out of his truck and made his way over to the patrol car. Me, not wanting to see what was going to happen next, stayed put, though I did peek out of the cab to make sure Jimmy was stillbreathing.
A few minutes later, Hank got back into the truck. "We'll wait for a patrol car to come and pick him up." At my terrified glance, his face softened. "He'll be fine. He isn'thuman."
"You knocked him cleanout."
Hank rubbed his knuckles. "I told you. Speed and strength are two of ourgifts."
I fell silent. What could I say to him? I knew he hadn't exactly believed me when I told him about the townsfolk, but maybe now hewould.
"'I'm sorry that happened," he said tome.
"Don't apologize for punchinghim."
His stare was incredulous. "I'm not apologizing for punching him! He deserved it twenty times over. I'm apologizing that he said those things about you!" He rubbed a hand across his mouth. "Geez, Helen. You have to step up and be proud of who you are. People like Jimmy are in the minority, but they can poison the well. He deserved it," he said again. "I'll keep saying it until you believe me." Hank slammed a hand down on his steering wheel. "Plus we were having a pretty amazing makeout session and it got interrupted by thatidiot."
That was true. The unconscious cop lying in the middle of the road put the kibosh on that, though. I blew out a breath and wrapped my arms around myself. “This is reallybad.”
“Jimmy deserved it. I explained what happened over the radio. Don’t worry about it. I have family in the policedepartment.”
I turned to look at him. “Really?”
He gave me a sheepish smile. “My father is the sheriff.” Flashing lights pulled up behind us. “I’m sorry you have to meet him thisway.”
Before I could squawk out a response, a voice came out from the loudspeaker on the patrol car. “Put your hands where I can seethem.”
Hank groaned. “My dad is such a dramaqueen.”
I put my hands on thedashboard.
