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outsiders, ” Bubba snarled.
     
    “ And we don’t care what you like or don’t like. ” Alex stepped forward until he was nose to nose with Bubba. “Walk away , little man , or you’ll see what we can do. Let’s make sure that your face is not ground beef when your boys here take you home to your woman.”
     
    The sound of a siren blared loud and then turned off as the deputy rolled up beside them in the car , but this d id not make Alex move a bit. The man in the uniform was Gary Porter ; another man who had graduated high school two years before she did. He looked uneasily at Bubba and Alex who were still standing nose to nose. He opened the car door to get out, hesitated, then shut the door again. Gary was tall but rail thin and Tempest could practically see him trembling with the possibility that he might have to break up a fight and apparently decided that staying in the car was the safer option for him.
     
    “We got trouble here?” Gary asked.
     
    “ Not from my end, Deputy, but it seems some of your residents don’t like that we’re outsiders or in the company of Tempest ,” Alex said, but never even glanced over. H e kept his eyes fixed on Bubba who was now visibly shaken that Alex was not backing down. “It seems he thinks trying to rape her when she was sixteen means that he has some kind of right to disparage her in public.”
     
    “This guy better get outta my face before I shove my h and down his throat,” Bubba said.
     
    “ Try it, and let ’ s s e e who does what,” Alex said quietly and smiled. “Go ahead . I’m sure the deputy won’t mind . I’ll even give you the first punch.”
     
    “Walk away , both of you,” Gary stammered.
     
    “Another time, huh , Bubba ? ” Dominic put his hand on Alex’s shoulder. “We’ll be seeing you later, I’m sure. Come on , Tempest, let’s go home.”
     
    “ Yeah , take your witch whore home, ” Bubba called out.
     
    Dominic moved faster than Alex this time and he grabbed Bubba by the collar. Tempest made a sound of surprise when Dominic lifted the two hundred -plus pound s until the tips of Bubba’s muddy shoes were scraping the ground.
     
    “You’ll apologize to the lady now,” Dominic growled. He shook B ubb a like he w e ighed nothing. “ I said now!”
     
    Even Gary was gaping in amazement and when Bubba stammered , “ I’m sorry , o kay? ” t he entire crowd that had gathered gasped. Bubba was a bully and to have him actually be manhandled and apologize was something no one had ever seen before.
     
    Dominic dropped him like the trash he was and turned his attention to the deputy. “He forced my hand . I f you need to arrest me I will go willingly , but I’ll expect a call to my lawyer in New York immediately , and I will also be filing a civil suit against Cormina and its residents. It’s a poor town , but by the time I’m done , you won ’ t even own the bedroom slippers under your bed.”
     
    Gary swallowed. “ No , sir, I’m sure the s heriff will see that Bubba was in the wrong here . Y’all have good day now.” He put his foot on the gas and sped away.
     
    Tempest helped Alex load the food in the car while Dominic sat behind the wheel with the engine running. The gawkers started to filter away and when she slid into the passenger seat, she noticed he was tapping his fingers against the wheel in agitation.
     
    Tempest covered his hand with hers. “It ’ s ok ay. L et it go.”
     
    “I want to break his neck . ” The growl that came from his throat was definitely wolf - like.
     
    Alex frowned and leaned forward. “Control him, now.”
     
    He was speaking of the wolf, Tempest was certain of it. She knew they both ha d different ways of controlling their second nature. But beneath Dominic ’ s charming grin a nd happy eyes, the primal wolf was always there , lurking , waiting for his control to waver just a little. She hated the thought that Bubba was the cause of his anger and frustration . A