This Fallen Prey (Rockton 3)

"No." Guilt flits over her face as looks at the dog. "I'm genuinely sorry about that. If Eric wants to come up with a punishment for animal abuse, I'll take it. I kicked her, and that was uncalled for. My past experience with dogs isn't an excuse. I reacted badly." She eases back and eyes me. "I think you know something about that, considering those scars on your arms and the way you went after Roy."

"That--"

"In your case, it was justifiable anger. Mine was not."

She's being reasonable, and I'm not sure how to handle that. I feel as if I'm being set up, and I'd prefer the old Jen, someone to snap back at me, someone I can rightly vent my rage on.

"You guys need to do something about Roy." Before I can snarl a response, she lifts her hands. "Yeah, I know, you don't need me giving you more work right now, but he's a nutjob."

"We've had a few run-ins with him already. He has issues with authority."

She snorts a laugh. "That's putting it mildly. What you just saw didn't come out of nowhere. I can tell you stories . . . and he's only been here a month."

"If you can tell stories, you should. As part of the militia."

"I did not have anything to do with what happened in there," she says, ignoring my comment. "You aren't going to find any of those names on my petition. I knew you were alone here, and Roy knew you were alone here. Two totally separate incidents."

I open the first-aid kit.

"People don't like what's happening with this Brady guy," she says.

"Really?" I scrunch my nose. "Personally, I can't see it, but that may be because I'm seeing two of everything right now, after getting clocked by a guy who . . . Wait, he's upset about Brady, isn't he?"

"I'm just--"

"You're pointing out the obvious, as usual." I yank out a bandage and lift my shirt. "You have your petition because you think we're overreacting. Roy tried to lynch Brady because he thinks we're underreacting."

"You need to clean that wound first." She picks up my discarded wet cloth from the railing.

Dalton peeks out the door.

"She's fine," Jen says.

Dalton ignores her and says to me, "I'm still dealing with these idiots, but if you need anything . . ."

I manage a smile for him. "I can stitch myself, remember?"

"Yeah, but don't. You need me, shout. Otherwise, I can help in five minutes."

He retreats inside.

I turn to Jen. "I know how you feel. You've made that abundantly clear. I'm fucking up, as usual. Now just go."

"I just think it's a dangerous situation. Especially after this. Whatever Brady did, does it really deserve this treatment?"

I stare at her. Then I march inside.

Dalton stops lecturing the coconspirators and arches his brows. I wave for him to continue. Then I unlock a drawer and remove the letter that came with Brady. I walk outside and hand it to Jen.

After she's read it, I give her the details.

When I finish, she's pale. Then she says, "Maybe Roy has the right idea."

"Really? That's your takeaway from this?" I throw up my hands. "I try to share information with you, so you understand why we're keeping him locked up, and you do a total one-eighty. Now we're wrong for not lynching him."

"I never said lynching."

"We are doing our best here," I say. "We need people to trust us. Like I trusted you with that letter. If I find out that anyone else knows those details? I know where it came from."