Copper (Metal Cowboys)

by Iris Abbott

  “If it was a message, whoever sent it isn’t going to like the response. I’m all over this until the threat is neutralized or eliminated. From this moment on, Marla is under my protection.”

  A flurry of activity drew his attention away from the woman on his bed and toward the door. Marla’s sister came barging into the bedroom, Chrome and Mercury were right behind her. Chrome put a restraining hand on their assistant, but it did nothing to slow her down.

  “Let me go,” she demanded. She broke away from Chrome’s solid grip and moved to the side of the bed. She picked up her sister’s hand and squeezed it tight. “I left the apartment as soon as I got off the phone with Marla. I drove ten to fifteen miles over the speed limit all the way here,” she admitted in a rush of words. “She can’t have been here long.”

  Any other time, Copper would have laughed at the feisty way Natalie handled Chrome. She was the only person outside the tightknit group of brothers that dared to stand up to the six-foot four giant of a man. He was pretty sure Chrome had met his match with that one. He didn’t think the two of them were ready to admit it, so Copper kept his mouth shut. Teasing could wait for another day. He had more important things to focus on for the time being.

  “Oh my God, why is she unconscious?” Natalie demanded to know. She gave the brothers an accusatory stare and waited for an answer.

  Copper took the lead as usual. “We were hoping you could fill in the missing blanks. There seem to be a lot of them. We went for a moonlight ride on our bikes. Marla was waiting for us when we got back. She collapsed almost as soon as she got out of the car. Steel examined her. He’s still in the process of treating her. It looks like a bullet wound,” he informed the three newcomers.

  Natalie cut off her boss’s explanation. “She called from the school parking lot and told me someone was shooting at her. She couldn’t see anyone so they must have been taking potshots from a hiding spot,” She informed the men. She took a deep breath. “How bad is it?”

  Steel glanced at Copper before answering. “She was only grazed by the bullet. It could have been a whole lot worse. I’m almost done here. Is she allergic to anything?”

  “No, I don’t think so. Why?” Natalie delicately sniffed and wiped away a stray tear.

  “Infections are a risk with any type of bullet wound, no matter how minor. I want to give her a shot of antibiotics.”

  “Okay, that sounds like a good idea. Thank you for taking care of her, Steel.”

  “No problem. When I finish I’m going to cover it with a waterproof bandage, so she doesn’t have to worry about keeping the wound dry if she wants to take a shower later on.”

  “I trust your medical expertise. I know she’s in capable hands with you,” Natalie managed a small smile.

  Steel nodded and got back to work. His hands were sure and gentle as he treated his patient, doing what needed to be done.

  Natalie chewed on her bottom lip and wrapped her arms around her shaking body. “I don’t really know who would want to hurt my sister. She teaches at the elementary school. The students and parents love her.”

  “She hasn’t mentioned any recent complaints, or problem students?” Copper wanted to know.

  “Not to me,” Natalie said. “She was sad and a little excited about the end of the school year, but that’s normal for her.”

  “What about boyfriends or former lovers?” Copper asked in a voice that came out harsher than he intended. Now wasn’t the time to be fishing for information about Marla’s personal life. He was only looking for potential suspects he reminded himself.

  Natalie vigorously shook her head. “My sister’s shy. She didn’t sleep around or anything. Her last relationship ended several months ago when he received a promotion and moved out of state to further his career. There were no hard feelings on either side,” she insisted.

  Copper would reserve judgment on that statement. He couldn’t imagine losing a woman like Marla and not being upset about it. “How long were they together?”

  “I don’t know the exact timeframe. It was at least a couple of years. They were more friends than anything else.”

  Copper snorted at that, but he didn’t interrupt. Natalie kept talking.

  “Marla told me more than once that things weren’t serious between them, because there just weren’t any sparks. I think it was more a case of comfort rather than some great love. They were comfortable with each other and neither one wanted to face the hassle of the dating scene.”

  “And she hasn’t been involved with anyone since this man left town?” Copper found that hard to believe. Men should be lined up at Marla’s door, beating it down, trying to get in her bed.

  “No. She kept saying she’d think about dating again once the school year was over.” Natalie frowned. “Actually today was the last mandatory day for teachers. Students were dismissed for the summer last week.”

  “Could her attack be work related?” Mercury wanted to know. “We need to approach this like a puzzle with scattered pieces. We have to look at her life from every angle until we eliminate all possibilities. It is the best way to find out who’s responsible for attacking her.”

  Natalie shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. She hasn’t mentioned anything about a problem child or parent this year. Marla loves her job and she loves her students. She was teacher of the year at her school last year.” She couldn’t keep the pride out of her voice.

  “A coworker’s jealousy?” Copper tossed out the theory.

  Natalie threw up her hands. “I doubt it. Marla is friendly with most of her co-workers. She’s never said anything about having a problem getting along with anyone from the school. I wish I had a clue as to why someone would want to hurt my sister, but I don’t.” A loud sob punctuated her anguish.

  Chrome stepped up and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “It’s all right, Natalie.” He gave Copper a hard look. “Maybe the interrogation can wait until later, obviously Natalie is upset.”

  It was Copper’s turn to give his buddy a narrow-eyed stare. “I am operating on the assumption that Marla is in danger until we find out who attacked her and why. The sooner we have answers the sooner we can end the threat to her.”

  “Maybe it was random,” Natalie said. Her voice was tinged with hope. She gave the men an optimistic look.

  “Maybe, but we have to assume the worse until we know the score.” Copper wasn’t going to mince words not even for Natalie’s comfort.

  Natalie sighed. “Of course you’re right. I’m too emotionally involved. I can’t be objective when it comes to my sister. I know Marla is only two years younger than me, but I have always been the more outgoing sibling, which kind of made me protective of my sister, especially after our parents died.” She stopped talking. Her lips visibly tightened, displaying discomfort and anger.

  She looked like she was hiding something. Copper would dig deeper later. He already knew how protective Natalie was of Marla. That was no big secret. It only took him ten minutes to figure that out the first time he saw the two sisters interact with each other.

  “Your sister seems to bring out people’s protective instincts,” especially in him. Copper planned to keep Marla locked up tight until the danger was long gone. He didn’t care who objected to his plan. He wasn’t going to change his mind.

  “Obviously not everybody,” Natalie sadly stated. “Trying to gun someone down in a dark parking lot doesn’t exactly say warm and fuzzy.”

  “Point taken. I’m not sure why Marla came here, but I’m glad she did. She’s under the Metal Cowboys’ personal protection now,” he assured Natalie. “Keeping her safe is my top priority.” He crossed his thick muscled arms over his chest when Natalie looked like she was about to question his motive.

  “I’m done,” Steel suddenly announced. He’d been steadily working on Marla while the others discussed the incident itself. He slipped the disposable gloves off of his hands and gathered up the soiled materials for disposal. “She should be fine. I’ll
monitor her closely for the next two or three days to make sure the wound doesn’t get infected.” He turned his attention back to the first aid kit, packing up the unused items and making note of what needed to be replaced.

  “All right,” Natalie said in a shaky voice. “I’d like to take her back to our apartment as soon as I can.”

  “No!” Copper and Chrome both shouted at the same time. Natalie jumped and backed away from the domineering men. She looked at them with eyes so wide they seemed to take up her whole face.

  Steel, ever the mediator of the group, gave the two men a hard look before clearing his throat. He tried to put Natalie at ease. “Like I said before, Marla’s progress should be monitored closely for a couple of days. A hospital would be a logistical nightmare as far as guarding her and keeping her safe. She’s better off here where everyone can keep a close and protective eye on her.” He glanced at his older brother when he made the last statement.

  Copper was glad Steel spoke with the voice of reason, because he was far from feeling reasonable. He most certainly wasn’t used to having to explain himself over and over again that was for sure. “Marla stays here until she’s no longer in danger.” He calmly issued the ultimatum to everyone in the room. They could argue all they wanted but in this matter, he was not backing down.

  “Well, you can expect two house guests then. I can’t abandon my sister to a houseful of strangers.”

  “We’re hardly strangers,” Copper felt compelled to point out. “After all, you’ve been working for us for almost four years now.” She was their first local hire. And an excellent one as it turned out. She helped keep the growing pains of a burgeoning business manageable. He didn’t know what the Metal Cowboys would do without their very efficient personal assistant.

  “You’re strangers to Marla,” she reminded the men in the room. Surely you’ve noticed how wary she is around all of you. There’s a reason for her reticence, a very good one, which I’m not going to talk about,” Natalie said when she noticed the inquisitive stares she was receiving. “Marla’s already going to be scared and upset when she wakes up. Being in a strange place, with someone she doesn’t know very well, is only going to traumatize her more.”

  Natalie ran a shaky hand through her tousled hair. “I can’t believe someone tried to kill her!” She sighed and started pacing back in forth in the confines of the bedroom. “What is wrong with people? This just doesn’t make any sense!”

  Copper ignored the part about someone trying to kill Marla. He focused instead on the first half of her statement. “What reason would she have to be scared of us? We’ve never done anything in her presence that she could misconstrue as threatening,” he said in a gruff voice. Unless of course you counted his attempted seduction while they danced together last week.

  “It’s not my story to tell,” Natalie insisted. “I will say this much. It’s deeply personal and traumatic. It’s also something only Marla should share with other people.”

  It felt like a door was being slammed shut in his face. He didn’t like the feeling at all. Copper hated the feeling of being on the outside. He wasn’t going to let it slide. “If whatever you’re hiding can be connected to her attack in anyway, you better start talking,” he ordered. “Keeping silent to protect Marla’s delicate sensibilities does her no good if she winds up dead.”

  Natalie gave him a hurt look but conceded the point. “I believe you. I would tell you if I thought it might be relative, but it happened eight years ago. I just can’t see a connection, so I’m not going to give you any of the sordid details.” She straightened her back and stared Copper down.

  “Fair enough,” he finally said, backing down only to ease some of the escalating tension in the room. It would only make Marla uneasy if she regained consciousness anytime soon.

  Natalie stopped pacing and threw her hands up in the air. “The waiting around is driving me insane. It goes against my nature to do nothing. I feel like I’m letting my sister down if I’m not doing something to help her. I’m going to the apartment to pick up a few things for Marla and me. We’re going to need a change of clothes and toiletries, having her own stuff around will make her feel better. I’ll be back in an hour or less,” she promised, walking toward the door.

  Copper was still fixated on the little glimmer into Marla’s psyche that Natalie unwittingly revealed with her information. It was a relief to know that Marla’s standoffish behavior was based on an outside force that didn’t have anything to do with him or the other Metal Cowboys. He knew Chrome was more than capable of taking care of Natalie, so he left her for the other man to handle.

  Chrome didn’t disappoint, stepping up to the plate and taking over. He grunted at Natalie’s declaration. “Hold it right there, Natalie Taylor! I hope you don’t think you’re going to a dark and empty apartment by yourself.”

  Natalie turned on her heel to stare at Chrome. “I’m not the one who was used as target practice,” she reminded the overbearing biker. She put her hand on her hips and stared him down.

  “Doesn’t matter.” Then he played dirty. “How do you think your sister will feel if you are attacked too?”

  Natalie frowned. “She’d blame herself. You’ve got a point,” she reluctantly agreed. “I can’t add to her trauma. Fine, you can come with me, but we’re taking my car.”

  Chrome gave her a steely eyed stare. “Fine, but I’m driving,” he snapped.

  “Really? Working hours are over, Chrome. You don’t get to boss me around just because you want to,” Natalie insisted. “It’s my car, and I’m the one that’s going to do the driving.”

  “Really?” he mimicked, raising a questioning brow. “Are you trained in tactical driving maneuvers?” he asked with a smug look on his face.

  “I’m pretty sure you already know the answer to that,” she sharply replied. “Just to be clear for you, the answer is no!”

  “Then I’m sure you’ll agree that we should be prepared for any scenario. That means I’m driving you to and from your destination.” He held out his hands and waited until she handed over the set of keys. They left the room, trading barbs as they went.

  Copper let out a small sigh of relief. His bedroom suite was large, but there were too many people in it, and he hated being crowded. He looked at Mercury. “I didn’t want to get down to the nitty-gritty in front of Natalie. Did you find any clues at all in Marla’s car?”

  His brother tightened his lips and shook his head. “Not really. Two bullet holes in the body of the car and several smudges of blood, probably from where she tried to staunch the bleeding and drive at the same time.”

  That pronouncement made Copper growl. He couldn’t begin to imagine how afraid Marla must have been when the bullets started flying. She wasn’t used to dodging bullets. The pain, the blood, the thought of being hunted, all of it, would terrify a gentle woman like Marla. He was going to find the person who made her suffer. And he was going to return the pain and terror tenfold.

  “If someone is looking for her, it’s doubtful they’ll end up here.” Copper thought if he said the words out loud they would sound reassuring. It didn’t work.

  “But we shouldn’t risk it,” Mercury guessed.

  “Hide her car in the garage. The property is secure, but there’s no need to court trouble. Then I need you to trail Chrome and Natalie, just in case they run into any problems. Marla’s been traumatized enough for one day. She doesn’t need anything to happen to her sister on top of everything else.”

  “Will do, I’ve got their backs.” Mercury sauntered out of the room.

  Copper knew his brother would get rid of any visible trace of Marla’s presence on the property. His tensed muscles relaxed slightly, but he was too keyed up to completely let go. He looked at the other twin. “Thanks, bro.”

  "You’re welcome.” Steel picked up the large first aid kit and headed for the door. Once he reached the hallway he turned back toward Copper.

  “Marla is stable. As far as I can tell, sh
e’s going to be fine. It’s safe to move her into the unoccupied guestroom, just be mindful of the wound. I managed to stop the bleeding with only tape. I don’t want to have to take a needle to all that pretty and delicate skin, but I will if I have to. She can’t afford to lose any more blood,” he reminded the leader of the Metal Cowboys.

  “That won’t be a problem, because she’s staying right here.”

  Steel raised a brow. “You don’t have enough trouble with an injured woman showing up on your doorstep? You are on your own when it comes to handling Natalie when she finds out that little piece of information.”

  “No doubt she’ll pitch a fit, but I can manage our assistant. Besides, I have a feeling she’s going to have her hands full with Chrome.”

  Steel just shook his head. “Must be something in the air. I’m out of here just in case it’s contagious, before whatever it is gets a hold of me.”

  THREE

  Marla jerked awake. She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in her side made her gasp out loud. That was followed by a soft moan. The pain caused the nightmare of the shooting to come rushing back. Looking around, she obviously wasn’t in the school parking lot anymore. She searched her mind trying to piece everything together and figure out exactly where she was.

  Enough moonlight filtered into the room so that she could make out her surroundings. She quickly glanced around the neat and masculine bedroom. It only took a second for panic to set in when she didn’t recognize the unfamiliar room. She tried to scramble out of bed, flinging sheets halfway off the bed in an attempt to escape. A husky voice came from a dark corner in the back of the room.

  “Don’t thrash around like that,” the deep and vaguely familiar voice demanded. “You’ll tear open your wound and start bleeding again. I shouldn’t have to tell you that that would not be a good thing.”

  She automatically stilled at the command in the gruff voice. When she did, the remainder of her memories came rushing back. The last thing she remembered was the unwelcome greeting from Copper before she fainted at his feet like a pathetic weakling. Marla swung her legs over the side of the bed. She needed to be ready to flee if she had to.