Still smiling, I ran a hand down the cow's spine and moved deeper into the herd. Oil was how the Graves family made their fortune a generation or so back, and just like old oil money did, they kept getting richer and richer as the demand for it continued to rise. I didn't begrudge the family for it; this place was theirs, mineral rights and all. The story was Brenton's great-great-great-great-great-grandfather claimed it all those years ago when the land was still a part of Mexico.
A streak of something dark down the hind leg of a cow snagged my attention. Weaving between the massive beasts and their horns, I placed a comforting palm on the ribs of the injured female.
Careful to stay out of her kicking range, I inspected the wound. I angled my head side to side, the bright sunlight providing the perfect illumination to see four long, straight gashes down her hindquarters. The blood had turned dark and dry, signaling the wound was at least a day old. Only a few areas oozed clear fluid at that point.
From the looks of it, stitches weren't required, but she did need it cleaned and maybe a shot of antibiotics to ward off infection. Beside her, a baby calf considered me before dipping his head beneath her belly for a drink. My gaze stayed on the suckling calf. After as many births I'd helped with since graduation, you'd think I'd be over the mixed emotion. Which I was, I guess, with the birthing part, but watching the baby nurse, the natural beauty of a mom taking care of her offspring, opened an old, deep wound of my own.
“Everything okay?” Brenton asked from a few steps behind me.
I shook my head to dislodge my regretful thoughts. “She's hurt,” I said over my shoulder. “From the looks of the claw marks, her gashes are from a big cat. I'd say a bobcat, but could be a cougar. I've heard reports of a few in the area. I bet she was protecting her little guy.”
After a soft, loving pat down her side, I began searching for other injuries in the massive herd. A few looked like they’d battled with some barbed wire, but there was nothing like the gashes on the other, which solidified my initial thought of the momma protecting the only calf of the group. Through my inspection, I noted a few pregnant heifers, which meant new future prey for the unknown predator.
Someone had to stop the killer before those ladies gave birth.
Pausing in an ample open space, I wiped a layer of sweat from my forehead and lip with the hem of my shirt. Even with it being dry-fit, I'd sweated through the back. The heat index had to be over a hundred degrees even so late in the afternoon. I should’ve pushed back when Brenton suggested coming out, told him we'd do it tomorrow before the afternoon heat had a chance to turn the land into Hell's living room.
A loud, close rattle drew my attention to the ground.
And that was when I saw it—them—sending a bolt of pure fear straight to my core.
12
Rebeka
Four large devil spawns stared their evil beady eyes up from their perfect striking poses.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Shit.
Two were well within striking distance while the others were far enough away that I didn't have to worry about them unless they were some snake gang and had planned an organized attack. Which I wouldn't put past them. They probably knew I was the girl who’d enjoyed using their family members as target practice growing up.
Close by, Brenton shouted, “What are you doing?”
“Trying not to hyperventilate and die. How about you?” His footsteps sounded closer and closer. “Stay where you are,” I said, pure panic in my tone.
Breaking the staring contest with the closest rattlesnake, I glanced up to Brenton's confused face.
“Four rattlers. Two are close, too damn close. I think I peed my pants a little,” I whined. I wasn't proud of it—the peeing of my pants or the whining—but I was scared. Terrified, really. Snakes were enemy number one in my book. Plus, I was running rogue these days without health insurance and couldn't afford a trip to the emergency room for antivenom.
“And you were just reaming my ass about watching where I walked.”
“If I live through this, I will punch you in the balls for the jackass timing of that comment.”
His chuckle inched up my nervous anger.
“This isn't fucking funny. I’m going to die a slow miserable death, and you’re fucking laughing.”
His loud laugh reached my ears as he walked into the small clearing. At my back, Brenton wrapped his hands around my waist. I tensed at the contact, which made the snakes rise higher.
“It's okay, Beks. You're fine.”
“Shoot. Them.”
“I'd prefer not to get trampled to death. I didn't survive multiple deployments to die out here.”
Dammit, he was right. But still, they were snakes, live ones that needed to be vanquished.
At first I fought his slight pull urging me back, but then I gave in to the comfort of his protective grip and calm, soothing orders.
“Easy. Slow steps, okay? Right foot. Good. Left foot. Now pause.” There was no way he couldn't feel the way my entire body trembled in fear. “Beks, come on. You're fine. I'm here, and I won't let anything bad happen to you, okay?” Two more steps back. “If the snake does get to you, I'll suck the venom out.” Another step back and my shoulders dropped from their high perch by my ears. “Is it bad to hope they bite you in the pussy so I can have a reason to suck on that for a while?”
And just like that the fear drained, sending my blood pumping fast and hot for an entirely different reason.
“You don't need a snake bite for that, B. All you have to do is ask.” His hands still on my waist, we ducked and weaved as one between the longhorns. “But before you ask, let me shower. I wasn't kidding about me peeing my pants.”
Fine lines burst from the corners of his eyes with his broad smile. “Deal.”
Over the next hour, we drove through the remainder of the beautiful property, checking out a few areas even I hadn't seen since I was a kid. A few times he’d point to something and ask about a memory, wondering if it was true, which would launch me into a story about us. It was perfect with the brilliant sunset off the horizon that painted bright colors across the open sky. But then again, it was always perfect when it was only us two. It wasn't until other people got involved that everything went to shit all those years ago.
A dark SUV pulled away from the barn as we grew close. With my brows raised at the unfamiliar car, I shot a quick, concerned glance to Brenton. He merely shrugged and went back to watching the sunset. Even though he thought nothing of the incident, a slight uneasy feeling developed in my gut.
The sensation worsened as we eased into the barn and parked in the spot reserved for the Gator. I shut off the engine and paused. Not sensing the same thing, Brenton slid off the bench seat and stretched out his stiff back, turning when I didn't follow. He gripped the roof to lean into the cab, momentarily distracting me with his inked, flexing biceps and spread muscled chest.
“You coming?”
“Yeah. Hey, I want to get that damn cat before the other calves are born. I might go out tonight to see if I can get it myself. Wanna come with since we didn't work on your head stuff today at all?”
“Sounds like a party. We staying out all night?”
“Depends on the kitty, I guess. I'll pack enough food and drinks in case it turns into a long hunt. I'll double-check the weather too; I noticed a few thunderheads a ways west.” After a glance at my watch, I looked back at him expectantly. “Let's head out after dinner. Two hours from now?”
He nodded but didn't make to move.
“What's wrong with you?” he asked with a single arched dark brow. “Something’s off.”
“Something’s off in general. I don't know—”
My name said in a deep, painful moan cut me off. Both our heads whipped in the direction of the sound. In sync, we withdrew our guns and walked toward the other end of the barn with near-silent steps.
Another agony-laced groan tugged at my gnawing gut. I licked my dry lips and glanced to
Brenton, whose intense focus was on the closed tack room door.
My sweaty, unsteady hand gripped the metal handle as I again regarded Brenton, hoping for direction. In response, he raised his gun, stepped forward with a confidence I didn’t have at the moment, and nodded.
After a deep, steadying breath in, I jerked the door wide open. Brenton moved through first, gun at the ready.
“Bradley?” he said once inside.
My held breath whooshed from my lungs. I holstered the pistol as I stepped around Brenton and fell to my knees beside my barely recognizable brother.
“Bradley?” I whispered, raising a hand to touch his bloody and bruised face, but pausing inches from his cheek. “I need a clean rag,” I demanded to the looming presence at my back. “No, wait. We need to get him out of here.”
I shoved off the stained concrete floor in search of a cart of some kind, only to have Brenton shoulder around me. In one smooth motion, he squatted beside the still-moaning Bradley, slid his arms beneath his shoulders, and set him up to adjust his grip. Snapping out of my daze, I bent down to help him pull Bradley up to a somewhat standing position, but my brother collapsed in our grasp. I tucked my shoulder under one armpit before he could fall face-first to the ground while Brenton did the same on the other side.
Each short step we dragged him sent Bradley's limp head lolling from side to side.
“Any idea what happened?” Brenton asked almost halfway to the house. By the way he kept leading our trio and his steady, even breaths as he talked, Brenton wasn't as taxed by hauling a grown-ass man as I was.
“Guess,” I started, out of breath, “something to do with that SUV and… stop. I need to stop.”
“No need. You're slowing me down more than helping anyway.” He didn't conceal his taunting smile as he wrapped an arm around Bradley's waist in replacement of the help I was offering. “Knowing how to haul a grown man fully loaded down with gear out of harm's way is military 101. We perfect it in boot camp.”
Right. New Brenton was a soldier.
A sexy soldier.
Summoning the little energy I had left, I jogged to the truck as I asked over my shoulder, “You did remember to get my gear out of the old truck before you sold it, right?”
The incredulous glare he shot back had me running faster. By the time I had the bag filled with various bandages and supplies, Brenton was climbing the front porch, hauling Bradley up stair by stair.
My stomach dropped at the squeak of the screen door opening and the sight of the man standing in the doorway.
Great, just what we needed.
“Rebeka, what the hell did you do?”
“What did she do?” Brenton grunted, stopping a foot in front of Daddy. By his flushed cheeks and sway, he'd already had too much tonight. “You think your daughter is capable of beating your son to shit?”
“Mr. Graves,” Daddy grumbled in greeting. “This is none of your concern. Sorry my daughter dragged you into another family drama. Leave the boy here and we'll take care of it.”
It, not him.
It.
I held my breath, waiting for Brenton's response.
“I'm right where I need to be.” With that, he shoved past Daddy into the house.
“Second room on the right,” I said at his back. A vice grip around my bicep held me just over the threshold.
“What happened?” Daddy seethed inches from my face in a spray of beer and saliva.
“I don't know. I wasn't there. Now let go of me.”
His grip tightened instead. “Your little incident with that boy almost ruined my job here before. Don't fuck it up again.” Instead of releasing my arm, he gave me a hard shove, forcing me to stumble a few steps.
I shouldn't care what he thought or said. Shouldn't give a rat’s ass about his words or his tone or his annoyed look. But he was my dad. How could I not?
Tears welled as I shuffled back to Bradley's bedroom. Before stepping inside, I stood outside the door to shake out my trembling hands and take a deep breath to face Brenton.
His intense, narrowed green eyes greeted me the second I entered and tracked my every movement toward the bed where he’d laid Bradley.
“Beks.” The restrained anger in that one word wrenched my wounded heart.
“It's fine,” I whispered.
“It's not fucking fine.”
“Not now. I need a few wet rags to get the blood off. It looks like his cheek split, but that's all I can see at this point.” Behind me, he lingered close a few seconds before squeezing my shoulder and disappearing out of the room. “What happened to you?” I whispered to my unconscious brother.
A minute later, cool droplets of water coursed down my back. Without turning, I reached for the rag, which Brenton gently sat in my waiting palm. Each swipe of the clean cloth across Bradley's face revealed a different cut or bruise. Across his right cheekbone was the deepest gash; everything else was superficial, but it would take several days before he'd be able to see from his right eye or move without terrible pain.
Not daring to stitch him up without numbing medicine, I placed several Steri-Strips along the gash to close it as tight as possible. Brenton stayed silent as he played nurse, taking the dirty rags and returning with clean ones. Not once did Daddy come in to check on the progress.
Finished with doctoring his face, I prodded along his collarbone, checking for breaks before moving down to his ribs. A few places I poked drew a gasp or moan.
“A few cracked ribs, but nothing is broken that I can tell.”
The brooding man in the corner gave no response.
“I don't know what’s going on. Ryder mentioned some people were looking for him, but I didn't think—”
“Didn't think I needed to know that? Hell, Rebeka. Those men were here. They were near you. What if you hadn't been out with me? What if you'd been in that barn when…?” Not finishing, he turned to glare out the window.
“I'm sorry.”
“You're sorry.” His sarcastic tone reopened the wound Daddy had left.
“I'm a disappointment. I get it. Don't have to remind me.”
He was at the window one second, then had me in his arms, pressed against his hard chest the next. Not caring about how I smelled or the blood still on my hands, I wrapped my arms around his waist and held him even tighter than he held me.
“That's not what I'm saying, Beks. You've never disappointed me. I'm pissed those men were on my property and I didn't do anything about it. Now you're in danger and….” His chest ballooned out with a deep breath. “I'll hire a security firm tomorrow. No one gets on this property without approval. I can't do much after I'm gone, but I can at least do this to protect you.”
Right. For a minute there, safe in his arms, I'd forgotten.
Releasing my hold, I stepped back and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear.
“What that fuck?” said a loud, angry voice from the doorway.
Our wide eyes focused on Kyle scowling from the doorway.
“The hell are you doing here?” I stepped farther out of Brenton's hold, which he noted with a directed scowl.
I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. Enough of these men today.
“Me? What the hell is he doing here?”
The two men moved toward each other.
Instead of watching the pissing contest that was about to commence, I stepped between them with both arms outstretched. “Stop it, Kyle. He helped me get Bradley in here and while I fixed him up. Now answer me, what the hell are you doing here? Where's Ryder?”
Still glaring at Brenton, Kyle inclined his head out the door. “Your dad called me. Said you needed help, and I was close by.”
I tossed both arms in the air and cursed, startling both men.
“Why in the hell did he call you?” Brenton asked while keeping a cautious eye on me.
“Because Daddy wants me to marry someone like Kyle. Hell, maybe even Kyle himself.” Kyle gave a nervous laugh while Brenton stayed stone-faced. “I've p
assed my time of finding a good husband, and I'm nothing without one of those. So there you have it. I have a fucking degree from Texas A&M, and I'm nothing without a set of balls by my side guiding me through life.”
“Ah, Beka—”
I cut Kyle off with a raised hand. “I'm over this.” Cutting my eyes to Brenton, I nodded in the direction of the barn. “Be ready in thirty minutes if you still want to come with me tonight. If not, I'll see you when I see you.”
13
Brenton
Damn, that woman was stronger than most men I knew.
On their own, my gaze fell to Beks’s ass as she stormed out of the room, shoving past the Kyle guy. I needed to figure out what was going on with her dad. The fucker would find his ass out on the street if he touched her like that again. Can't believe Pappy kept a bastard like him around.
After she was out of sight, I glanced up only to find the asshat staring me down.
“What?”
“Stay away from her,” he said with a hint of anger. “You did enough damage the last time around. I'm not going to sit back and watch you do it again.”
“What's going on between us is our business. Stay the fuck out of it. Now, what do you know about the guys who did this?” I asked with a nod to the unconscious man on the bed.
For the first time since he walked in, Kyle’s eyes dropped. Watching the carpet, he shifted on his boots. “I don't know if I should tell you, but hell, you might be able to solve the problem. Through my sources, I've heard Bradley here owes his suppliers some money. And rumors are some of what he owes is left over from your brother.”
A knot built in my gut and tension crept up my spine. “How much?” I gritted out. Shit, I could not pass out. Focusing on the wall behind the idiot, I took a deep, calming breath in.
“I'm not sure on the exact amount.”
Deep breath out.
“Ballpark it,” I said through clenched teeth, making it sound more like a hiss.
Vote Then Read: Volume III Page 230