Wow!
Mitchell just stood there shocked.
Damn, and I thought Rachael had a temper on her, but Sarah was something else.
It made him a little giddy that it was toward Mark, but then the bastard deserved a taste of his own medicine. Okay, time to try another tactic.
“Feel better?” he asked.
“No.”
“Why don’t you go back to the States?”
“I like it here.”
“You know the reporters know where you live. It won’t be long before they’re back. I would suggest you go back for a while.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“I like it here,” she answered, looking down and away.
She was running and scared.
Mitch knew it, too, and he was almost positive that part of it was because of Mark.
“You mean, once Mark gets on a plane, there will be nobody here that you can hurt or hurt you,” Mitchell said, moving slowly out of her reach. He walked over to the table and sat down.
Sarah turned around and looked at him. “What did you say?”
“You heard me. You moved halfway around the world to make damn sure that you were not around anyone that could possibly hurt you anymore. So who’s still left in the States?” he asked. He could see that he had angered her, but when her eyes softened, he knew she could not ignore the truth anymore.
“George,” she whispered.
“And?”
“Steven, William’s brother.”
“Why not move back to be near them?”
“I can’t. I just can’t afford to hurt them, too. They’re all that I have left.”
“You should be around people you love, Sarah, not running away from them,” Mitchell said, taking a drink of his beer.
“I am not running from anything,” she said angrily.
“Oh, you’re running, all right. You have been running since you were sixteen, and my gut tells me you are also running from a particular nosey bastard, too.”
“You can leave now. Get out,” she said, walking to the front door and opening it for him.
“Why stop running now? There is a whole world out there. I know you have plenty of money. Why stop here?” he asked, taking a drink of his beer.
“I said get out.”
“Seriously, you’re a resourceful woman. I should know. I read your bio. You have been running since you were sixteen. After your parents’ deaths, you ran from one social worker to the next. Finally hitting the streets, you made your own way in life, always living alone and moving before you got too comfortable. After some really bad shit happened, you fled the spotlight. That’s when you met William Webber.
“I thought it was funny at first that you would tie yourself to one person, but then I realized that he must have been like you in some way. Even though he owned his own business, you two never did stay put for long. Always out on some next big adventure. Then he got himself deployed, and he died. Look at you now. You ran as far away as possible this time. So once again, why are you still running?”
“You bastard!” she shouted as she slammed the door and walked right over to him. Mitchell stood up, facing her head-on. “Who in the hell do you think you are?”
“Like I said from the beginning, I am here to help and I can’t do that unless I have all the facts.”
“What facts? You seem to know everything there is to know.”
“Not everything,” Mitchell replied, sitting back down. He pushed out the chair for her to sit. He waited patiently as she considered it for a minute, and when she sat, he began. “Like I said, I want to help, but it does me no good if you run, especially from Mark. You have to face him head-on. Don’t let what he did get you down. Don’t close yourself off from him.
“Also, I can’t expect you to understand this right now, since you never let anyone in, but that big lug of a brother of mine needs you, and for some reason, I think you need him, too. For the first time in his entire life, he isn’t thinking about himself. He is worried about you. He feels bad that he messed up, though I am guessing he has no real clue as to how, seeing that you never really told him anything about you. But you can fix this, Sarah. I need to know right now, do you love him?”
* * * *
She couldn’t believe her ears. This man was nuts! He should be committed! What kind of people were these Armstrongs? Fix him? How could she fix Mark?
He did this to himself, the nosey bastard. “You know how ridiculous you sound?”
“Yep.” He smiled.
“You’re nuts.”
“Probably.”
“Please go away.”
“Can’t.”
“If you love your brother, go help him. I don’t need your help.”
“Oh, I love the idiot. He’s my brother, and that’s why I’m here. We Armstrong brothers have always stuck together, especially where our personal lives are concerned. It’s a thing for all of us. Nothing is off-limits.”
“Nothing?”
“Nothing!” He grinned.
“What about women?” she asked. She watched Mitchell’s face light up like the fourth of July. She knew she had stumbled upon some dark, twisted scheme, and she feared she wasn’t going to like the answer.
“Women make for some of the best times between us brothers. Generally when we like a girl, we try our damndest to keep it hidden, ’cause when the others get wind of it, all hell breaks loose. Like I said, nothing is off-limits.”
“You are crazy. You know that?” she said, getting up from the table.
“Yeah, I know. So you wanna stop evading and answer that question I asked?” he said, looking at her.
“What question?”
“Oh, you know which one. Do you love him?”
Silence.
She just turned her back on him and went back to preparing dinner. It was deafening. “You don’t have to worry,” she finally responded.
“Oh, I’m not worried about you. I know you’ll bounce right back. You’re a survivor,” he said ironically. “It’s Mark that has me worried because—” he began when he saw the car approach. An evil grin appeared across his face.
Let’s just see how big this charade really is.
Mitchell stood and walked over to Sarah. He leaned in real close and whispered in her ear, “Sarah, whatever I do in the next few seconds, please don’t hit me, okay.”
“What?” she said, turning to face him.
Just then, Mitchell took her into his arms and kissed her softly on the lips. He was gentle and kind as his lips moved softly across hers. She didn’t know what to do. Letting her hands fall to her waist, she was afraid to move, when the front door blew open.
Chapter 11
“Get your slimy hands off her!” Mark shouted as he advanced quickly on his brother. Mitchell quickly moved Sarah out of the way, and ducked when Mark took a swing at him. Leaping over the table, Mitchell laughed as Mark lunged for him again.
Mark fell to the floor. Quickly getting to his feet, he took another swing at Mitch and missed, falling onto the couch. Mitchell backed away toward the open door and made it about five feet before Mark tackled him.
“Get off me, you idiot!” Mitchell yelled. “I was just messin’ around!”
“I told you to leave her alone,” Mark shouted as he punched his brother in the face. Mitchell heard the breaking of his nose as Mark’s fist connected.
“You asshole, you broke my nose!”
“There’s plenty of face left,” Mark said, hitting him again.
“That’s it, I am going to kick your ass,” he replied as he punched Mark in the side. Mark coughed and fell off to the side. It didn’t take long for Mitchell to land on top and start taking his shots.
Sarah stood in her doorway, watching the two brothers fight it out on her front yard. She thought about letting Mitchell have his way with Mark, but decided against it and went out to put an end to this childish behavior.
As she approached t
hem, Mitchell didn’t see her, and when he went to reach back for another swipe at Mark, his elbow connected with her chest, and she fell to the ground.
A rage Mark had never experienced flew through him like boiling lava. The animal inside him was unleashed as he saw her fall. Mitchell quickly turned just in time to see his brother lunge for his throat. When his hands connected, they fell and landed hard on the ground.
“You hit her!” Mark screamed as he pummeled his brother. He wanted to pulverize him. He wanted to make him hurt, and he wanted him hurt bad.
Mitchell, sensing the change in his temperament, tried to get away. He knew his brother was over the edge. “Mark, stop,” Mitchell uttered, raising his hands to stop him, but Mark didn’t hear him. He just kept hitting him over and over again.
Lifting his hand, Mark went to take his final swing, when someone grabbed him and pulled him off of his brother. Blind fury was all he could see. He couldn’t get control of himself. When he charged for Mitchell again, someone hit him hard, and he fell to the ground.
“Now you stay there. You hear me?” he said firmly. “Mattie, go check on her. I’ll take care of Mitch. He looks pretty bad,” the firm voice ordered.
Mark sat there as the fog slowly lifted and he could once again see clearly. He watched Matthew and Michael tend to Mitchell and Sarah. He had really hurt his brother this time, and it didn’t look good, but it was Sarah that held his attention. Getting to his feet, he ran to her. “Sarah!” he shouted as she lay on the ground unconscious.
“Give her a minute, she’s coming around,” Mattie said. “I have to go check on Mitch. Watch him,” Matthew ordered to Marcus as he walked over to Mitchell.
* * * *
Sarah felt like someone hit her hard with a battering ram. As she quickly opened her eyes, she gasped for air. Mark grabbed her and held her tightly to his chest. “Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not okay, you asshole!” she said, catching her breath.
“Sarah, I am so sorry.”
“You should be. Fighting like a buffoon—and for what!” she shouted, getting to her feet. “I hope he knocked some sense into that pea-brained head of yours. That’s your brother you just beat the crap out of, and for what!” she said on a roll. “Because you let your freaking imagination run away with itself. See, I told you, you should never think! You get into trouble when you do!”
“He hit you!” Mark stood, angry that she blamed him for the whole thing. “What was I supposed to do, let him?”
“If you would have stopped for one little second and thought about what you saw before you attacked, you would have realized that it was an accident! He didn’t even see me behind him!” she said, walking back into the house and slamming the door.
“Son of a bitch!” he shouted. He turned and saw his brother on the ground, bleeding and barely moving. The enormity of his actions finally sinking in, he ran to him. “Mitch, are you okay, man? I am so sorry. I didn’t mean it,” he spoke frantically.
“Yeah, ya did, but I forgive ya. Next time it’s my turn, okay,” Mitch said, coughing up blood.
“You did a number on him this time, Mark,” Matthew scorned, looking at him. “I’ve counted five bruised ribs and a broken nose, and if he keeps coughing up blood, I’m taking him to the hospital.” Turning to Mitch, he asked, “Want me to set your nose?”
“Yeah, Mattie. Just be gentle, okay.”
“Sure thing.” Matthew smiled as he grabbed his nose and set it.
“Damn it, Mattie. I said gently!” Mitch complained, grabbing his nose and whining like a baby.
“Come on, you two. Let’s get you inside,” Matthew said, helping Mitch to his feet. Mark looked around to find Marcus and Mason behind him, shaking their heads. The six brothers walked up to the door, but when Matthew grabbed the handle, it would not open.
“Here we go again,” Mitch complained.
“What are you talking about?” Marcus asked.
“She’s locked the door again,” he replied.
“What exactly did you do, Mark?” Mason questioned.
Mark ignored him. “Let me try?” he offered and banged on the door.
Sarah sweetly asked, “Who is it?”
“You know damn well who it is. Lets us in?” Mark shouted.
“There ya go, asshole. Sweet talk her some more,” Mitchell replied.
“Shall I hit you again?” Mark threatened. Mitchell shut his mouth.
“Mark, if that’s you, I don’t want to see you,” she yelled back.
“Come on, honey, at least let the rest of us in,” Mitchell countered.
“Don’t call her honey,” Mark hissed.
“Down boy!” Michael said, placing his hand on his shoulder.
“Can you behave?” she questioned.
“Who in the hell does she think she is?” Marcus said, getting angry.
“I would watch your tongue. She means everything she says,” Mitchell said, offering the advice to his brother. “Yes, we will behave. Now please let us in. I’m bleeding all over your front door.”
They waited for about a minute when they heard the latch turn. As the door opened, they were all greeted with a stunning woman smiling at them. “Mitchell, you and your other brothers may come in. Mark, I meant every word I said. You leave, right now,” she said firmly.
Sarah moved aside to allow Michael, Mitchell, Matthew, Mason, and Marcus to enter. Mark stood very still standing in the rain. “Sarah, please,” he pleaded.
“Good-bye, Mark,” she said and closed the front door and turned to the brothers.
All five of them were standing in her living room, dripping wet and making a mess of her floor. She quietly walked into her bedroom and returned with fresh towels, robes, and a first-aid kit. She took Mitchell by the hand and sat him at the kitchen table. Handing him a towel, she turned and walked over to the others.
“I am Sarah Mitchell, and you are?” she asked the tall one with deep-blue eyes.
“I’m Michael,” he spoke cautiously.
“The bathroom is through there. Take those wet clothes off and put on this,” she said, handing him the robe. She watched him quickly moved out of her line of sight, turning to the other one with gray eyes and a short military cut. “And you are?”
“Mason, ma’am.”
“Well, Mason, here is a robe for you. Since you are all brothers, you should not have a problem sharing the bathroom. Go on, go get changed. When you’re done, bring me your wet clothes,” she told him.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, leaving the room. “And you are?” she asked the one with blond hair.
“Matthew, and he’s Marcus. He doesn’t talk much,” Mattie offered.
“I can speak quite well, thank you very much,” Marcus said, turning toward his brother.
“Well, nice to meet you both. Go get changed. You’re making a mess all over my floor.”
“Yes, ma’am,” they said in unison.
Sarah turned her attention to the bleeding brother. Shaking her head, she walked over to Mitchell and began to clean him up.
“You don’t have to do this. Mattie will take care of it when he comes out,” Mitchell told her. Sarah just smiled and continued to clean him up.
“Are you really just going to leave him out there?” Mitchell quietly asked after ten minutes. Sarah looked toward the window and saw Mark pacing around outside. He still hadn’t left. She shook her head and tried to ignore the stubborn man outside.
“He’s really sorry, Sarah. Can’t you let him come in?” Mitch pleaded with her.
“No,” she replied.
“Why?”
“I can’t trust him.”
“You mean you can’t trust yourself around him,” Mitchell offered cautiously.
Sarah looked at Mitchell and wanted to hit him. He was right. She didn’t trust herself around him. Looking out the window again, she watched Mark. The rain was coming down hard now, but yet he didn’t seek the shelter of his car. He just walked back and forth i
n front of the window, looking in every second or so.
This anger was not her. She knew that. She may be many things, but unforgiving wasn’t one of them. She stood there thinking to herself. He really didn’t know. It was her fault. He asked about her life, but she never answered him. Mark was nothing but nice, and he even tried to be polite. He did behave himself, and even made her laugh.
So why can’t you let him in? You know he’s cold out there. He will probably stay out there all night, too. He is just that stubborn to do it, too. Why aren’t you letting him in, Sarah? He came all this way, why? Why would he do that? He looks so pitiful out there. Let him in, Sarah. He doesn’t deserve this, and you know it. This is not like you.
Damn it!
Sarah walked over to the door and opened it.
Mark heard the door open and turned. He saw her standing there, and when she moved to the side, she waved her hand, signaling him entrance. He didn’t wait for a verbal response.
Once inside, Mark walked over to the fireplace and tried to warm his hands. He turned when Sarah handed him a towel. “Thank you,” he whispered.
Sarah didn’t even look at him. She couldn’t. She didn’t say a word as she finished cleaning up Mitchell, and soon she motioned for Mark. He walked over to the table and sat. Mark sat quietly as Sarah gently cleaned up his face and bandaged his cuts.
“Remove your shirt,” she said quietly.
Mark looked up, shocked. “What?”
“I said remove your shirt.”
“Why?”
Taking a controlled deep breath, she asked again. “Because I asked you to.”
He looked at her for a moment and then did as he was told. When he went to lift the shirt over his head, the pain in his shoulder was now evident. He couldn’t move.
Sarah sighed and grabbed a pair of surgical scissors, then proceeded to cut his shirt from his body. She placed her hands on his back and gently motioned for him to turn around. There on left shoulder blade was a long gash with several rocks embedded into his back, taking close to twenty minutes to remove all the rocks and debris from the wound.
The Texas Rebel [The Armstrong Brothers of Cedar Creek 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 14