Her dad stood completely still, his face pale. What a shock. And all Avery could think as she ran by him and out the door after Chastity was how it was no surprise that her dad stood by doing nothing.

She caught Chastity as she made it to her car and yanked her backward by the collar of her bright blue shirt. This time Chastity didn’t have a chance to get away. Before she could regain her balance, Avery punched her dead in the face. Blood exploded from Chastity’s nose and she screamed in pain, throwing her hands up in front of her and trying to flee. Avery ran forward, arm cocked and ready to finish the job. Chastity stumbled backward into her car and huddled there, wailing.

“Avery, stop!” her dad yelled.

Avery paused and looked back at him. All the bravado he’d worn before had fled and now he just looked scared. Good.

“I didn’t know she was wearing your clothes,” he said.

“All the more reason to keep hitting her,” Avery said as she moved toward Chastity again.

“Help,” Chastity said, and Avery turned to see her on her cell phone.

She snatched the phone from Chastity’s hand and threw it into the street. “Take off my clothes right now or I will throttle you to death.”

“We’re outside,” Chastity said, sniveling.

“Everyone in this town has seen you naked. Now!” Avery lifted her fist again.

Chastity looked at her dad, obviously expecting him to intervene, but Harold had always been allergic to actually doing something.

“Now!” Avery repeated.

Chastity undid the skirt and let it drop, then pulled the shirt off and tossed it in Avery’s face. Avery wrinkled her nose at the streetwalker undergarments Chastity had on. God, those panties were nothing more than strings.

“Satisfied?” Chastity yelled. “That shirt’s ruined, you know.”

Avery smiled. “It was ruined the second you touched it. And yes, I’m very satisfied.”

A siren sounded behind her and Avery whirled around as Deputy Kyle Pitre stepped out of the patrol car.

Crap! Kyle was Preston’s cousin and only had his job because Preston had something on the sheriff.

“Chastity?” Kyle looked confused as he approached. “Are you all right?”

“What the hell, Kyle!” Chastity yelled. “Do I look all right? She broke my nose and took my clothes.”

Kyle looked over at Harold, who still hadn’t moved. “Jesus Christ, Harold! What the hell is going on here?”

“They got into a fight,” Harold said.

“And you couldn’t handle two little girls?” Kyle asked.

Harold winced at the phrase “little girls” but didn’t even bother to answer.

Kyle shook his head in disgust and went back to his car. A minute later, he returned with a jacket and handed it to Chastity.

“Put that on,” he said. “I called your dad. You need to get home now.”

Kyle pulled out a pair of handcuffs and motioned to Avery. “Turn around. Hands behind your back.”

Avery stared. “You’re arresting me? She started it!”