Raith finally eased his hold.
Dylan immediately pushed away from him and scurried to the opposite side of the kitchen. Dragging himself to his feet, he straightened and dusted off his jeans, sending Raith a dirty look as he did.
Raith's brows lowered, meeting and returning the glare. Finally, unable to take his anger and disappointment a second longer, he spun to Willow. "What is this piece of trash doing in your house after dark?"
"I could ask her the same question about you," Taggart drawled.
Both men focused on Willow for an answer. She sighed and decided to answer Raith first. "He's my cousin's husband."
Her cousin's husband? Sure. Whatever.
Raith gritted his teeth and ran a hand through his hair. "How many damn cousins do you have?"
When Willow actually responded, "Nine," he rolled his eyes.
"That doesn't answer why he's here at three in the freaking morning. With a knife."
Willow blinked. Obviously realizing Raith had a point, she glanced toward Taggart.
The trespasser's face turned a dull, blushing red. He cleared his throat. "Camille was craving your homemade bread," he said and bent down to retrieve the bread knife.
Together, Raith and Willow noticed he'd already pulled a loaf out of her bread cabinet and had it sitting exposed on her counter.
"She told me not to wake you," Dylan added. "And that you wouldn't mind if I came in and helped myself."
"Of course I don't mind," Willow reassured him, her gaze going from suspicious to sympathetic in a heartbeat. Raith had to bite back a snort when she hurried to Taggart and took the knife out of his hand so she could clean it and slice the pieces off herself. "How's she feeling?" she asked, opening a drawer to pull out a roll of plastic wrap.
Taggart shook his head and wiped at his tired eyes. "Pregnant," he grumbled.
Raith couldn't hold in the incredulous sound he made. He folded his arms and leaned against the refrigerator. "Please, God, don't tell me you're reproducing."
Taggart whipped around as if he'd forgotten Raith was still present. He speared a look of loathing across the kitchen, but didn't comment.
As she wrapped a chunk of bread for Taggart, DeVane glanced over her shoulder. Catching the look that passed between the two men, she said, "I take it you two know each other."
"Sure," Raith answer easily with a leer toward her guest. "Taggart and I go way back. He used to break the law, and I'd arrest him. The next night, we'd do it all over again. Isn't that right?" he asked, arching a smirk toward Taggart.
The man actually flushed before his jaw hardened and his eyes narrowed with a wave of contempt. "That was a long time ago."
Be that as it may, Raith had worked in law enforcement for too many years to be anything but a cynic. "Leopards don't change their spots," he felt inclined to retort.
In his blissful youth, he'd tried to give people the benefit of the doubt, only to turn around and get kicked in the nuts. These days, he didn't buy it. Once a scumbag, always a scumbag.
Taggart's face flamed again, and he took an ominous step Raith's way. Raith merely lifted an eyebrow as if to say, see what I mean. But Willow quickly reached for the arm of her cousin's husband. And to Raith's utter shock, Taggart calmed immediately. He sucked in a breath and sent her an apologetic look.
But Willow was too busy scowling to notice. And she was scowling at Raith. "Don't you dare pretend you know anything about Dylan. He's not some defiant teenager any longer. He's grown up and become a very exceptional veterinarian, in fact."
Raith didn't comment. He stared into her icy cold gaze,
Dylan immediately pushed away from him and scurried to the opposite side of the kitchen. Dragging himself to his feet, he straightened and dusted off his jeans, sending Raith a dirty look as he did.
Raith's brows lowered, meeting and returning the glare. Finally, unable to take his anger and disappointment a second longer, he spun to Willow. "What is this piece of trash doing in your house after dark?"
"I could ask her the same question about you," Taggart drawled.
Both men focused on Willow for an answer. She sighed and decided to answer Raith first. "He's my cousin's husband."
Her cousin's husband? Sure. Whatever.
Raith gritted his teeth and ran a hand through his hair. "How many damn cousins do you have?"
When Willow actually responded, "Nine," he rolled his eyes.
"That doesn't answer why he's here at three in the freaking morning. With a knife."
Willow blinked. Obviously realizing Raith had a point, she glanced toward Taggart.
The trespasser's face turned a dull, blushing red. He cleared his throat. "Camille was craving your homemade bread," he said and bent down to retrieve the bread knife.
Together, Raith and Willow noticed he'd already pulled a loaf out of her bread cabinet and had it sitting exposed on her counter.
"She told me not to wake you," Dylan added. "And that you wouldn't mind if I came in and helped myself."
"Of course I don't mind," Willow reassured him, her gaze going from suspicious to sympathetic in a heartbeat. Raith had to bite back a snort when she hurried to Taggart and took the knife out of his hand so she could clean it and slice the pieces off herself. "How's she feeling?" she asked, opening a drawer to pull out a roll of plastic wrap.
Taggart shook his head and wiped at his tired eyes. "Pregnant," he grumbled.
Raith couldn't hold in the incredulous sound he made. He folded his arms and leaned against the refrigerator. "Please, God, don't tell me you're reproducing."
Taggart whipped around as if he'd forgotten Raith was still present. He speared a look of loathing across the kitchen, but didn't comment.
As she wrapped a chunk of bread for Taggart, DeVane glanced over her shoulder. Catching the look that passed between the two men, she said, "I take it you two know each other."
"Sure," Raith answer easily with a leer toward her guest. "Taggart and I go way back. He used to break the law, and I'd arrest him. The next night, we'd do it all over again. Isn't that right?" he asked, arching a smirk toward Taggart.
The man actually flushed before his jaw hardened and his eyes narrowed with a wave of contempt. "That was a long time ago."
Be that as it may, Raith had worked in law enforcement for too many years to be anything but a cynic. "Leopards don't change their spots," he felt inclined to retort.
In his blissful youth, he'd tried to give people the benefit of the doubt, only to turn around and get kicked in the nuts. These days, he didn't buy it. Once a scumbag, always a scumbag.
Taggart's face flamed again, and he took an ominous step Raith's way. Raith merely lifted an eyebrow as if to say, see what I mean. But Willow quickly reached for the arm of her cousin's husband. And to Raith's utter shock, Taggart calmed immediately. He sucked in a breath and sent her an apologetic look.
But Willow was too busy scowling to notice. And she was scowling at Raith. "Don't you dare pretend you know anything about Dylan. He's not some defiant teenager any longer. He's grown up and become a very exceptional veterinarian, in fact."
Raith didn't comment. He stared into her icy cold gaze,
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