“I know.” He offered me a soft smile before returning his attention to his food. “The last time I checked, people can live wherever they want in Fenton County. He’s within his legal rights.”

“When did you find out?”

“Yesterday.”

I lifted my eyebrows. “And you’re sure that you didn’t pay him a visit last night to discuss the matter?”

He shook his head. “No. I swore to you I wouldn’t,” he said without defensiveness. “I confess it crossed my mind, but I restrained myself. Joe and I cleared the air the last time I paid him a visit a few weeks ago. We may not be on the friendliest of terms, but we both know where the other stands.”

“Well, thank you for making the effort to get along. Especially since he’s my business partner now.”

“Fenton County’s not that large, so it’s in our best interest to get along. In fact, we’re actually working on something together.” He took a sip of his coffee. “So, see? I’m making an effort.”

“You’re working on something together?” I asked in surprise. Could it be the Lady in Black? The couple of times I’d seen Joe since running into him at Maeve’s new house I hadn’t brought it up. He didn’t seem to have any idea that I had a new alias, and I intended for it to stay that way. “Is the case you’re working on together the reason that deputy came by yesterday? Does it have anything to do with where you went last night?”

He laughed. “Good try. I’m not spilling.”

I decided to let it drop. I could try to pry it out of him later that night.

Mason was telling me about the quick sale of Maeve’s house in Little Rock when he stopped speaking mid-sentence. His face hardened as he studied something over my shoulder.

“Mason?” I asked, glancing behind me, half-expecting to see Joe.

Instead, I caught Skeeter Malcolm’s gaze.

My stomach dropped to my toes.

Skeeter was sitting at a table with one of his minions, Jed, both of them holding a menu.

I spun back around and started chopping off a piece of pancake.

Mason’s hand tightened around his fork. “Rose, why do you look so nervous?”

I wasn’t sure how to answer.

“Has Malcolm bothered you since I collected you from the pool hall last July?”

I shook my head. “No. Of course not. Why would he?”

“I don’t know. But I don’t like the way he looked at you.” Mason shook his head. “I would have suspected he was looking at me, except his expression wasn’t full of loathing.”

My stomach squeezed around the pancakes I’d just eaten. “Does he really hate you that much?”

“Let’s just say that since our first meeting on that hot July night, we’ve shared a healthy disdain for one another.”

“Why?”

“Because I threatened to shut down his business.” He pushed his French toast around on his plate, shooting pointed glances at the table behind me. “Skeeter Malcolm may look like a womanizing drinker, but don’t let his performance fool you. He’s all about business, which is why we’re so worried about the results of that auction. Daniel Crocker thought of himself as forward-thinking, but he had nothing on Malcolm. Honestly, most of the sheriff’s department was surprised it took him this long to make a bid for the top rung of the ladder.”

My gaze narrowed on him. “But not you?”

“Malcolm’s a lot more cunning than Crocker ever hoped to be. If he really took over like we think he did, he was smart to bide his time. Crocker was batshit crazy, and his crash-and-burn was inevitable. Waiting meant Malcolm avoided a turf war that would have produced casualties and a whole lot of bad blood. It gave him the opportunity to acquire a mostly intact drug cartel without the animosity a skirmish would have brought.”

“So he’s clever?”

Mason’s eyebrows lifted as he dug into his egg. “More than most people give him credit for.”

Myself included. “You said he hates you. Are you in danger, Mason?”

Mason’s face lifted. “Rose, no. I’m fine. Don’t worry. Malcolm’s not stupid enough to come after me. At least not right now, anyway. He’s been trying to keep a low profile since Thanksgiving.”

“But after he threatened me this past summer, you told me that he’s capable of killing the people who get in his way.” Crappy doodles, I’d been so stupid. I’d helped a man who was after my boyfriend.

Mason’s expression softened. “Are you worried he’ll come after you to get to me?” He shook his head and took my hand. “Rose, if I thought that was even a possibility, I’d insist the sheriff’s department place you under protection.” He paused. “And you know that Joe would agree to it.”

“I’m not worried about me, Mason.” No, I was far too valuable to Skeeter for him to kill me. “Promise me you’ll be careful.”

“I promise.” He gave me a soft smile. “Don’t worry. He’s not the first high-profile criminal I’ve gone after, and he won’t be the last.”

“So you’re going after him?”

He narrowed his eyes and shot a quick glance in Skeeter’s direction. “You bet your pretty little ass I am.”

I swallowed a bite of bacon, but it didn’t sit well in my stomach. Especially when my phone vibrated in my pocket with a text. I didn’t eat much after that, and Mason seemed to have lost his appetite as well, so before too long he asked the waitress for our check.