“If I told you I was trying to keep off his radar so he wouldn’t hound me for a date, would you believe me?” she asked.
He reached out and placed his hand on her thigh. He gave it a squeeze and, damn, her entire body lit up with excitement.
“You could try, but I won’t buy it. You’re either in some kind of trouble and Wayde and his brothers know and are keeping you under cover, or you’re a flirtatious little tease and thought flirting with Stew would make me jealous.”
She didn’t like playing games. She was no good at it and had no practice. This man was experienced and she was completely in-experienced when it came to men and sex. Her virgin sense kicked up a notch and she sat up straight.
“I’m not a tease. I wasn’t trying to make you jealous. I just didn’t want to give him my personal information. I won’t get into why, but I realize you’re smart enough to figure out I have some baggage. In a matter of two hours you know I’m afraid of guns but want to learn how to defend myself with one. You learned I’m terrified of dogs, but apparently not Smith and Wesson because you calmly made the introductions and they showed me they’re not like other dogs I encountered. Some things just set me off and the closer they are to reminding me of a bad time in my life, the more they affect me. Like before when I totally zoned out.”
He gave her thigh a reassuring squeeze. His hand covered most of her thigh, he was so big and masculine. It made her nervous and she looked away as a flashback hit her.
“Cali?” he whispered. She shook her head and looked out the window.
“I’m sorry, Warren, I’ve said too much. I’m rambling here.” She looked back at him and leaned her head back. “Tell me about you. What made you become a Green Beret?”
He shifted his weight in the seat, and then licked his lower lip. The subject was uncomfortable, or maybe being the focus of conversation was what did it.
“Come on, I’ve said more than enough about me and we’ve known one another a few hours.”
He looked at her and then back at the road.
“I guess joining the service was something I felt compelled to do. Dominick was the first to enlist, the first to retire, too,” he said and made the turn to head down the main highway.
“Are you all really close? I mean, you all share the same profession as soldiers, right?”
“We’re real close, even when one of us can be stubborn or act like an asshole now and again.”
She chuckled.
“You have any siblings? Parents?” he asked her.
She looked away and then swallowed hard.
“My mom died when I was a kid. No siblings.”
“Your dad?”
“Currently, I couldn’t tell ya. But enough about my screwed up family, tell me about your brothers. I only get to see the serious side of Dominick, and, well, Shimmy is…kind of scary.”
He shot a look at her and then glanced back at the road.
“Don’t be afraid of Shimmy. He likes you and thinks you’re a hard worker.”
“Liar,” she said and chuckled. She looked out the windshield and watched the numerous farms they passed. “He hates me and thinks I suck at waitressing. He didn’t even stick around to see me bartending.”
“He showed up when Tanner was hitting on you and he was tired. Overdoing it every night working in the kitchen.”
“Why does he do it then?”
“To keep sane.”
“Why, is he mentally unstable?”
Warren exhaled.
“He has PTSD and working himself to exhaustion, I think, makes it easier for him to get to sleep.”
Her heart ached, and she realized in that moment that she shared that with Shimmy.
“He had a hard time in the service, and a bad experience?”
“Multiple, but it only takes one to scar a person for life. The more experiences, the worse it is dealing with it when you’re finally home safe.”
He pulled the truck down the main road to Repose. She was quiet. She was thinking about her own experiences and how she was trying to handle them. She sometimes worked out late at night when she wasn’t working in order to get so tired she could pass out and sleep for several hours. If she got three hours sleep a night, it was a good night.
He stopped the truck and put it into park. He took her hand and held it on his lap. She locked gazes with him.
“Don’t be scared of Shimmy. He wouldn’t ever hurt you. He just has a way of dealing with things on his own. His trust level is limited.”
“Well, he and I share that in common, too,” she said and looked out the window to see Amber there along with Cesar.
“What do you mean, in common too? Trust issues? I get that, but what else, Cali?” he asked and reached up to caress the hair from her cheek. She had such an overwhelming feeling of a connection with Warren, an understanding.
He looked at her deeply, scanning her face with his eyes, pleading for an answer to his question and she just spoke honestly to him.
“Post-traumatic stress disorder. It isn’t just something soldiers can suffer from, and working to exhaustion just to get three hours of sleep a night.”
His eyes widened and then he squinted at her with an expression of anger.
She had to look away. She felt too raw, too exposed, and was grateful to lock gazes with Amber and Cesar through the window. She reached for the handle of the door.
“Wait. I’ll help you.”
He got around the side but she was already painstakingly sliding off the seat. Her knee burned and he was there in front of her, helping her down.
“I can handle it, Warren. I’ve had a lot worse,” she said to him.
“No pain on my watch, baby. No pain anymore if you let me in like you did just now.”
“What in God’s name happened?” Amber asked her and followed as Warren carried her onto the sidewalk. “Wesson, stand guard.” He commanded the dog to stay.
“I can walk, Warren, really,” she said to him.
He held her gaze with a firm expression.
“I’ve got you, just accept it,” he stated firmly. His demeanor changed and he was suddenly acting differently.
“Shit, that looks bad. Kye said maybe she needs stitches,” Cesar stated as he held the door open to the doctor’s office. From there on out it was chaos as the locals started asking what happened. Word would travel fast about Wayde and her being shot at. The nurse ushered them into a room right away and Cali leaned back as Amber brushed her hair from her cheek and gave a sympathetic smile.
“My God, you and Wayde could have been shot,” Amber said as Dr. Nevin came in. Cali readjusted her shirt to ensure no one would see the scar on her chest. Amber’s words made her think of how it felt to get shot as she escaped her captors. She never wanted to feel that kind of pain again. Ever.
“Hey, sweetie, are you injured anywhere else?” Nevin asked with a warm smile. She shook her head.
“Okay, lay back and let me have a look.”
As he undid the material, Amber gripped Cali’s hand.
“Damn, what did you cut it on?” Cesar asked her.
She told him all about walking through the woods and hearing the first shots, and as they got closer, Wayde tackled her down to the ground.
“I think it would have hit one of us if he didn’t at that moment. So believe me, a cut up knee is nothing compared to the what-ifs,” she said and they agreed.
Cesar asked questions as Warren stood back by the doorway with his arms in front of his chest, watching. Then Lori arrived, looking fully concerned. She said hello to everyone and quickly came to the other side of the bed. The tears in her eyes touched Cali’s heart. She liked Lori and thought of her as a friend, despite her fears of letting anyone close to her.
“Thank God you’re okay. I heard what happened.”
“I’m fine and this is nothing,” she said and tightened her thigh as Nevin began to clean out the wound.
“This is really going to sting a lot. There’s so
much dirt and I have to be sure to get it all out before I can close it up. You’ll need a little numbing agent to help with the pain, and something to stop any infection.”
“Do whatever you think is necessary, Nevin,” she replied.
“Okay, just lay back and relax your breathing,” Nevin said and she did. When she looked past Nevin and locked gazes with Warren, she found herself seeking his strength and the comfort she felt having him close. It shocked her when he uncrossed his arms and looked like he was going to walk away. She couldn’t believe how sad and scared she felt. It was the strangest sensation. Then he walked around the table and right to her side. He raised one eyebrow up at Lori and she immediately moved out of the way. He caressed Cali’s hair and everyone in the room seemed to stop and stare, but she didn’t even care.
“I’m not going anywhere. Remember that,” he said and she tightened up as Nevin continued to clean out her wound, and she focused on Warren’s dark brown eyes and firm, yet caring expression. She could get lost in those eyes, and lost in his strong arms, but would it be a huge mistake, and could it put him in danger if her past came back to finish her off for good?
* * * *
Warren hadn’t wanted to leave Cali, but once Cole, Peter, Marlena, Brooklyn, and Antonia arrived, he’d known she was in good hands, and there was work to get done to find the little bastards who had nearly hurt her and Wayde.
Culhane was with Cesar, Zeke, and Wayde when Warren met up with him. They discussed the methods they were using to figure out who the shooters were, and other officers in town would begin to work on leads. Culhane walked with Warren and Zeke back to Warren’s truck. Smith and Wesson were drinking some fresh water as they talked.
“Damn crazy. Are you two going to follow Cali back to her place?” Zeke asked with a grin.
“She has Marlena and the guys taking care of her,” Warren said and looked away from him. Culhane wanted to talk with Warren about what happened and what he thought about her injury.
“Well, I’ll see you guys soon. Hopefully we get some leads on this. Cesar will make sure, at minimum, the kids who did this will realize how deep in the shit they are in.”
They shook his hand and then Culhane and Warren continued on to the truck. They stood there as Smith and Wesson climbed into the back seat.
As they drove, Culhane felt uneasy. He didn’t like leaving Cali alone after what happened either, but he also picked up on some things and hoped Warren had taken the time alone with her to figure some things out.
“So, what happened with you and Cali? Find anything out?” Culhane asked him.
As Warren told him everything that happened, including kissing her by the tree, and then about her sharing some common ground with Shimmy, he was shocked.
He also told him that she had needed some stitches, but seemed to be pretty damn tough and unaffected by that. Warren had noticed that when Cesar asked her about taking a few days off from work along with Brooklyn that she declined, saying she would be fine and to expect her there Tuesday—Mondays, the Station was closed.
“If I hadn’t been right there with Wayde to see the evidence of kids fucking around, I would question whether Cali was still in danger and that this had something to do with her past,” Culhane said.
“I thought about that. I’m assuming she did, too, but she didn’t seem entirely scared at what happened. I mean, she was upset about it, but it didn’t freak her out. I think most women would be hysterical at getting shot at like that, and then getting injured and having to run through the woods to safety. She took it like an experienced soldier, yet I know she wasn’t in the service.”
“Which could make us assume she’s been shot at before, at least.”
“Or she went through something worse than being shot at, and anything other than what happened is minimized because of that experience. I just don’t know, but add in what we do know, and I’m not liking the images I’m getting.”
“I hear ya, Warren. You kissed her though.”
“Like you haven’t thought about kissing her since laying eyes on her.”
“I thought of doing a hell of a lot more.”
“She’s young though, and inexperienced I think, or at least seems less experienced.”
“We’re in our thirties. She’s twenty-four.”
“You find that out from Wayde?” Warren asked as he pulled the truck up the long dirt road leading to their ranch.
“I found out a few things. One being that she is more mature and experienced than she first let on because she had gone through some tough experience, Wayde said. It took her a year to finally decide to expose herself to the public and get out to Repose and find a job. She met Brooklyn, and of course Brooklyn saw something in her and hired her.”
Warren smiled. “Brooklyn is an angel. Look what she did for Dominick and Shimmy.”
“I know. She could have hired from an ad, or someone she knew, but took a chance on him. Dominick loves that job.”
“So does Shimmy,” Warren added.
“So she said to you that she shares similar difficulties to what Shimmy does?”
Warren nodded.
“You and I both know that if she has PTSD, it could have been caused by any number of things.”
“I don’t want to start thinking of all of them and making myself nuts. The best thing to do would be to sit down with the others and discuss this, and then work on spending more time with Cali.”
“Not sure she’s going to just give in. She seems to want to fight this attraction.”
“She didn’t push you away, so some convincing will need to be done, but if this attraction is as strong as it feels, then she’ll come to her senses and learn to trust us.”
“I think Shimmy and her are going to continue to bash heads. They both got something to prove in order to make them feel invulnerable.”
“Maybe that’s what it will take to bring them both out of their shells and let us in? Maybe this is all meant to be after all?”
Chapter Four
Cali was hurting as she worked behind the bar serving drinks. It was already eleven, and dying down for the night.
“Hey, you look like you’re in pain. When was the last time you took something?” Brooklyn asked her.
She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t remember. It’s not that bad, really.”
“You leave at twelve. No later. Ledger has it covered.”
“I can handle it, Brooklyn, really.”
“Why should you handle it? I need you for Friday and Saturday night. I have two big parties and another bachelorette party coming in and the dining room will be closed off to regular customers Saturday night. It’s that big. Do you think you could handle it by then?” Brooklyn asked her and gave her a wink. She knew she could. Brooklyn already spoke to her about Warren and the potential of getting involved with him and his brothers. She, of course, denied anything was even going on, yet Dominick, and even Shimmy, came out to the bar several times to get drinks of water or club soda, which they rarely used to do. Her exchanges of words with Shimmy were few.
“How is the knee?”
“Fine.”
“Make sure you check it regularly for infection,” Shimmy said to her.
“I will.” He gave a nod and that was it.
Then, Dominick caressed her cheek and whispered in her ear about taking it easy and to call him or his brothers if she needed anything at all. It was crazy how attracted she was to them despite their personalities. Shimmy was so distant and hard. It almost seemed like he was being forced to be nice to her and converse when really he didn’t want to. It was crazy.
“Hey, I think I lost you there a minute. You sure you’re feeling okay?”
“I’m good, just thinking. Wondering if there are any leads on the shooters, or if they were kids and from around Repose, if they’re freaking out about getting caught.”
“They damn well should be. Cesar is pissed, never mind Wayde, Warren, and Culhane. In fact, I’m surprised tha
t Wayde and Culhane aren’t here keeping watch over you.” Brooklyn gave her a wink.
“They stopped in earlier and I told them not to be silly and that I didn’t need protection.”
“Honey, with their looks and muscles, who cares if you need them. You would be insane not to want them.”
“It’s complicated.”
“What the hell isn’t?”
Brooklyn stepped closer and then looked around to make sure no one was listening.
“I get the feeling that you went through something. I saw it in your eyes since day one and was compelled to give you a job. In the last several months you’ve come out of your shell, have made some good friends, and have shown a strong, capable side of you that is pretty damn impressive. Don’t let those fears from your past make you avoid the potential for happiness here in Repose. You know damn well what I went through, and what Antonia and some others have gone through, too. You deserve to feel good and to be happy. Remember, I’m here for you, and if you ever need anything, you come to me and we’ll handle it together.”
Cali felt the tears hit her eyes and she reacted. She hugged Brooklyn and Brooklyn chuckled, hugging her back. When they parted, Cali smiled.
“Thank you, Brooklyn. I appreciate the vote of confidence and am glad we’re friends. I can handle this. You’ll see.”
“There’s not a doubt in my mind you can’t. Now remember, twelve o’clock, okay?”
“Yes, ma’am,” she said and Brooklyn chuckled then went about her way. A short time later, Jester, one of the rowdy cowboys who was hitting on her the other night, arrived and sat at the bar.
“Hey, beautiful. How are you?” he asked. She placed a coaster down in front of him and gave a cordial smile. She didn’t really care for him, but she had a job to do here.
“Hi, Jester, what can I get ya?”
“A bottle of Bud, please.”
“You got it.” She walked over to the cooler and took out the bottle of cold beer. She could feel Jester’s eyes on her and it gave her an odd feeling. When she turned around, he was wide-eyed and staring at her leg. She was wearing a large bandage on her knee to keep the stitches covered.
The Battlefield Series 5: Breaking Through the Pain (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 8