by Casey Peeler
The one continues to hold my hair and I attempt to grab my phone when it falls out of my pocket. He turns me abruptly and looks me in the eye. “Quit playing games. You make one more wrong move and you’re dead. Got it?”
I don’t say a word. Instead, I’m pulled around the bar like a rag doll and when they realize I was telling the truth, three run out the back as the fourth waits until it’s time to make a getaway, then he insists I get in the corner behind the bar and don’t move until they are gone. Without making a sound, I do as they say and as soon as they are gone, the tears begin to fall as my world begins to shake and the only person I want by my side doesn’t want me. Instead, I dial 9-1-1 and once there is someone on the way, I let the phone fall to my side and try to escape this nightmare.
Everett
Once I’m at the distribution center, I quickly clock out and head toward my house, when that car zooms past me again, but this time they are paying attention and trying to get the hell out of dodge. Looking at my clock, I realize that there’s no way they went and did anything in Ridge in that little of time, and suddenly my gut questions my brain. Without thinking twice, I miss the turn to the farm. Grabbing my cellphone, I call Barger’s but there’s no answer, then I try to call Stella again with no answer.
Opening the screen door, I yell for Stella. Pausing, I listen to what sounds like a whimper and my heart sinks to the floor.
“Stella!” I yell as I enter the bar. Looking around, I notice the register is open and her paperwork has been tossed around the floor. Running behind the bar, I see her curled up in a corner. My mind tells me to chase after those bastards, but when her eyes look to mine, I can’t, but I know who can. Instead, I walk swiftly to her and look her in the eyes.
“Are you hurt?”
“No,” she says as tears fall from her eyes.
“Have you called the police?”
I stand and survey the scene and call my brother.
“Beckett, there’s been a robbery at Barger’s,” I say as he begins to ask a million questions, but I can hear his temper beginning to flare.
“No, I’m here with Stella, but we’ve got to go after them,” I tell him and Stella grabs my leg and begs me no. “Someone has to. I’ve got her. Y’all go.”
Hanging up the phone, she looks at me as I squat down to meet her. “No, call him back. The police are coming. Let them handle it. It’s time the Drake brothers don’t live up to their reputation.”
“It’s done.”
“No it’s not, Everett,” her body trembles as she takes my face in hers. “I love you and I can’t let you or your brothers destroy the lives you’ve built. Call them off.”
Looking her in the eyes, my heart knows what I should do, but it’s something that scares the hell out of me. Taking my phone, I call Beckett back and tell him come here instead and that’s when my world changes as she smiles my direction. That’s when I feel it, my world goes black.
Stella
Oh fuck! What the hell is going on? Everett was talking and now his body is on the floor. Telling myself to calm down, I grab my cell phone and dial 9-1-1. “911, what’s your emergency.”
“I need an ambulance like yesterday.”
The operator continues to talk, “Has someone been shot?”
“No, I don’t know what happened. He was fine and now he’s blacked out.”
“Calm down, ma’am. An ambulance is on the way, along with the police,” she says as the bar door swings open to Beckett in uniform.
“What’s wrong? I heard you yell before the line went dead,” he says as he hurries behind the bar.
“I don’t know. He was talking to you and then blacked out. Please tell me he’s going to be okay,” I say as the tears fall harder. “He’s going to be okay, isn’t he?”
“Yes, now take a step back and let me check a few things out.” Watching Beckett, my heart begins to pound as he does whatever the hell a first responder does. When the door swings open, the police and emergency medical technicians enter and I move out of their way, but my eyes never leave Everett. Something is wrong, very wrong.
The EMS work quickly and have him in the ambulance in a matter of minutes. Looking at Beckett, he doesn’t hesitate. Instead, he looks at the police on the scene and when they try to make me stay, the Hulk version of Beckett shows.
“Steve, she’s going with me. You can question her at the fucking hospital. Got it?”
Throwing his hands up, he doesn’t challenge him. Instead, he moves out of our way as we hurry toward his truck.
Climbing inside, he cranks it and the tires squeal as he hurries to meet the ambulance at the hospital.
Chapter 10
Everett
What the fuck is going on? As my eyes try to pry open, they won’t. Instead, I hear all kinda medical jargon and I know that my life has finally caught up with me. Trying to move, I can’t and it’s like my body is trapped inside of a corpse, unable to move before falling back into the deep darkness yet again.
*****
Dreaming, I’ve been dreaming for what feels like days when I finally hear her saying my name. Taking everything I have, I push my eyelids to open and after trying several times, they finally do. The view is blurry and unfocused, but I can hear her.
“Everett, can you hear me? Y’all, he’s awake. Go get the nurse.”
Her hand takes mine and as I try to speak, the words won’t come out. “Don’t talk, wait until they make sure everything is okay.”
As everything comes into focus, I see Stella along with all three of my brothers. All have relief across each of their faces. Trying to speak, the nurse enters and everyone moves away, but as Stella starts to let go of my hand, I refuse to let her. I need her more than I’ve ever let on. She doesn’t move, instead she stands by my side.
“Looks like his vitals are good and pupils are great. We’ve been monitoring his glucose levels and they are normal as well. Mr. Drake, you gave all of these people a scare. Is there anything you need?” Shaking my head no, she excuses herself and that’s when the attack begins.
“What the fuck, Everett?” Beckett hones in. “I knew there was something going on but fucking diabetes? That’s why they let you go? How the hell did that happen anyway? They said it was Type I and that doesn’t make any sense.”
“Beckett, give him a minute, he’s been unconscious for hours. He don’t need you barking at him right now,” Jeremiah steps in.
Beckett turns to him, “Don’t you tell me about what I’m going to do or not do, you got it?”
As things start to get heated, I hear her voice.
“All right, y’all rowdy ass boy scouts, either shut the hell up or get the hell out.”
Silence. I’ve never heard any Drake men stop at the sound of a woman like that and it makes me smile to know that she’s going to be mine, even if she doesn’t know it yet.
“Let’s go get some coffee or some shit,” Colby chimes in and they all walk out of the room. As they leave, I take my free hand and try to elevate the bed when she stops me.
“Don’t you ever do that to me again. You got that?” Her eyes are full of fear but it’s the kind that you feel when you love someone. I remember it well. I felt the same way when our parents got killed, but that fear proved to be right.
Facing her, I look her right in the eyes. “I’m sorry. It was my fault or fuck, it’s the military’s fault, but that doesn’t matter.”
“What do you mean?” she questions.
“I mean that’s a story for another time, but right now, you need to know something.” Her eyes look at me with uneasiness. “I can’t do this. Me and you.” Her eyes go wide and I know I’ve said the wrong thing. “I mean, I can’t do this meaningless game we’ve been playing. I want more. I want you.”
She doesn’t say anything and my heart begins to panic. “You’re not saying this because you just about died, are you?”
“Fuck no. I’m saying it because there’s no way in hell I can live without y
ou, Stella. I fucking love you.”
As a smile covers her face, tears begin to roll and I can’t stand to see her cry as she leans over the bed and brings those habit-forming lips to mine.
Stella
The moment those words leave his lips, I know that my life is changing. I’m no longer the girl that wants to prove she can make it on her own. Instead, I want a real man by my side. One that isn’t afraid to show his ruggedness, but when it comes down to losing what matters, he puts all of that on the line for love.
“So, think you might be interested in going in half at Barger’s?”
“Are you kidding? Let me give Bell’s my notice, but there’s no way a Drake can own that place.”
“Maybe not, but Papa James loves me and there’s no way he’ll tell me no.”
*****
Three Months Later
As the open sign is switched on, I look over my shoulder to see Everett. He’s traded his uniform for jeans and a Barger’s t-shirt that fits those arms a little too tightly. He smiles my way but it fades as customers walk in. He’s a Drake and there is a persona that people believe they know, but what they don’t know is that a Drake will protect what is theirs, and that’s what happened the day of the robbery. He knew something was wrong and he also knew that our lives couldn’t continue on that path. Do I still have to listen to them talk shit? Of course, but that’s who they are. Do I hear the whispers when people realize we’re together? Yes, but I don’t care. He loves me, treats me like his country princess, and I love it when he makes my world go black.
Discover the entire Drake Brothers Series
Everett (Drake Brothers #1)
Jeremiah (Drake Brother #2)
Colby (Drake Brothers #3)
Beckett (Drake Brothers #4)
About the Author
Casey Peeler grew up in North Carolina and still lives there with her husband and daughter.
Growing up Casey wasn't an avid reader or writer, but after reading Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston during her senior year of high school, and multiple Nicholas Sparks' novels, she found a hidden love and appreciation for reading. That love ignited the passion for writing several years later, and her writing style combines real life scenarios with morals and values teenagers need in their daily lives.
When Casey isn't writing, you can find her near a body of water listening to country music with a cold beverage and a great book.
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