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words, Sheriff.”
    When he didn’t say anything, just stood there, his brows and his mouth both drawn into an unrelentingly unyielding line, Raine experienced a renewed spark of competition.
    “You realize, of course, that you have no legal authority to keep me from driving anywhere in this county I wish to go.”
    “I wouldn’t bet the farm on that one.”
    Proving to be just one unpleasant surprise after another, he turned on a booted heel, strode over to her rental car, and while Raine watched in stunned shock, this man wearing the badge of authority—a sheriff who’d taken an oath to uphold the law!—took a huge black flashlight from his wide belt and smashed the car’s left taillight.
    All her verbal skills abandoned Raine. She was still sputtering in protest when he returned to where her feet seemed to have been nailed to the driveway.
    “Although you may be a little rusty on Washington State law, having spent all that time back east, even in New York City, it’s undoubtedly illegal to drive without two working taillights. Especially at night.
    “You move that car five feet out of this driveway, Counselor, and I’m going to have to pull you over. And, perhaps, just for good measure, I’ll impound the car. As evidence.”
    Coldwater Cove may not be the big city, but it had always been a civilized little town. At least it had been when she’d last visited, three years ago. Of course back then, this man’s father had been sheriff.
    “Surely you don’t think you’re going to get away with that?” Raine hated the way her fractured voice sounded like a stranger’s. Her elocution had always been one of her best courtroom weapons.
    “I can sure as hell give it the old college try. If push comes to shove, I’ll throw myself on the mercy of the court.”
    The trace of renewed amusement in his voice reminded her that the court in question just happened to be presided over by his old high school baseball team catcher, Wally Cunningham. Hell .
    Knowing when she’d been out maneuvered, Raine tried to remind herself that the key was to keep her eye on the prize. How many times had she had to remind clients of that little truism? So long as you remembered what you wanted to achieve, the road to that end could take any number of unexpected twists and turns along the way.
    And Jack O’Halloran was definitely the most unexpected and unwelcome detour on a very exasperating trip.
    Unable to throw in the towel without having the last word, Raine glared up at him. “If breaking my taillight was your idea of upholding the law in your county, Sheriff, I’d love to know how you got elected. What did you do? Threaten to drag out the truncheons and rubber hoses to anyone who didn’t vote for you?” The scowl was replaced with a blatantly false smile. “Or did you simply stuff the ballot boxes?”
    “Neither one.”
    If he was at all wounded by her sarcasm, he didn’t show it. His grin was one she remembered well from high school days. The dangerous, cocky-as-hell grin that had undoubtedly coaxed more than one buxom cheerleader into the back seat of his Batmobile black Trans Am.
    “I simply relied on my devastating good looks and legendary superhero crime-fighting abilities. Oh, and of course my natural O’Halloran male charm,” he tacked on with an exaggerated display of that alleged charm.
    The man really was impossible. “I suppose being the son of the former sheriff didn’t hurt either.” Her tone was as dry as a legal brief.
    “No.” The grin faded at the mention of his father. Shutters came down over his eyes. “I suppose it didn’t.” He rubbed a broad hand down his face, and when he took it away, Raine realized that he was as weary as she was.
    Which wasn’t all that surprising, she supposed, given the fact that the day undoubtedly hadn’t been a picnic for him, either. The sensible thing to do would be to just bury the hatchet and get on with springing Lilith from jail so they could all get to

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