COWBOY ROMANCE: Devon (Western Contemporary Alpha Male Bride Romance) (The Steele Brothers Book 2)

by Amanda Boone

“Anne, you really should be more appreciative of Michael. Everything he does he does for us.” Ivy told her as she moved the car around several corners and around an island.

  “He’s a creep mum.” Anne snapped. She hated it when her mother spoke so kindly of him.

  “Anne, that’s enough,” Ivy hissed back at her, “When everything went wrong with your apartment he took you back in and made sure you had everything you needed.”

  “I was fine in my apartment until he went and told the landlord that I wasn’t twenty-one yet and I had to come home.” She hated to think about it. She remembered how he had turned up on her doorstep next to the kind little old lady who had rented her the apartment. He had pretty much grabbed her and hauled her from the apartment and into his car as though she was baggage. He’d told her mother that she had connected him due to money troubles and keeping up with her rent.

  “Enough,” her mother raised one hand from the steering wheel to force her to be quiet, “I don’t want to hear another word against him. He has been a good step father to you.”

  Anne deflated back into her seat and crossed her arms over her chest. Her mother sighed as she glanced over at her, an eyebrow raised. “Stop acting like a child and sit up straight.” Her mother ordered as they turned into the shopping centre. Anne sighed as she pushed herself upward and uncrossed her arms.

  “Anything else mother?” Anne demanded. Her mother gave her a sour look before she began to park the car. The centre was packed as it always was with both locals and visitors alike. They all looked so happy, carrying multiple bags full of treasures, and gossiping as always.

  As soon as the engine was turned off her mother grabbed her bag from the back seat and climbed out of the car. Anne had to take another deep breath to compose herself before she followed. As soon as she slammed the car door shut her mother locked it with a flick of her finger and the car locks made a loud clicking noise.

  “Where shall we start?” Ivy smiled yet Anne could see it behind her eyes. She was still angry and she wanted nothing more than to wipe the horrible thoughts from her daughter’s mind.

  “Wherever you want.” Anne shrugged her shoulders. Already she couldn’t wait for it to be over.

  Late into the afternoon her mother forced her to try on outfit after outfit, all of which she refused to like. Everything was far too short or far too girly. She didn’t even want to imagine what Michael would say if he saw her in such things. Most likely he would hate it but there was a little part of her that was even more scared that he might like how she looked. That would be even worse than his disapproval.

  After shopping they retired to a coffee shop for refreshment. Anne nursed over her mug as her mother flicked through a magazine she had purchased from the news agents next door.

  When she placed her mug on the table with a click and stood up, Ivy looked up from her reading and raised her brow, “Where are you going?” she demanded. Anne sighed and rolled her eyes at her mother.

  “I need to use the little ladies room,” she sighed, “Is that alright mother?”

  “Well don’t be long,” her mother ordered as she picked up her own mug and took a sip, “I’ve almost finished.”

  “Yes your majesty.” Anne sighed as she turned and headed for the bathroom. She felt as trapped as ever, feeling as though her mother was watching her as she pushed inside and stood over the sink to flush water over her face. There was no escaping any of it. Though her mother didn’t hit her she was just as bad as Michael. She did nothing to stop him and that made her just as much the enemy. That fact made it hard for her to spend time with her mother. Every moment of her life was an act toward someone or other.

  She stared at herself in the mirror as she had at home and realised she looked even worse. The harsh light of the bathroom brought out the redness in her bloodshot eyes and her face was covered in blemishes even visible under her makeup. Just leave again, she told herself, staring herself in the eye as though she was trying to be encouraging to a friend, Just run and keep running. Anything is better than this.

  She wiped her face with a paper toilet before heading back out into the café. As she walked back to her mother someone stepped out in front of her. She collided painfully with their shoulder and her nose ached with the impact.

  “I am so sorry…” she began to say but she was stopped in her tracks. She looked up into a pair of pearl blue eyes that glinted as they turned to look at her. In an instant she realised she had knocked his coffee everywhere. It had spilled all down his white shirt and soaked through to the skin. He gritted it teeth as though it was hot yet his mouth turned up at the corners in a smile.

  “Don’t be sorry.” He told her as he grabbed a napkin from the nearby table and began to wipe the coffee from his shirt, “It was my fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

  “It was my fault.” She insisted, “Let me buy another coffee.” She was about to turn toward the bar when he smiled and replied.

  “I’ll only have another if you’ll let me buy you one.” His grin was like none she had ever seen before. His brown hair was perfectly tousled and his skin was tanned like a Greek god. His teeth were perfectly straight and pearly white.

  “I’m afraid I was just leaving.” She told him as she saw her mother begin to move from her seat, “I’m sorry I have to go.” She couldn’t afford to let her mother see her talking to a man. It would get back to Michael and there would be yet another beating. She wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone without his permission or presence. He stopping her from saying anything that he didn’t want spoken.

  “I…I didn’t get your name.” he called after her. She was unable to answer as she came up beside her mother and grabbed her jacket. Instead she bit her lip and smiled at her mother.

  “Shall we go?” she suggested to her mother. She chanced a glance over her shoulder and saw that he was still looking after her. Her cheeks flushed as she turned away from him. Her mother folded her magazine and placed it in her bag as she pulled everything together.

  “Are you alright?” she asked as he pulled her bags onto her wrist, “You are looking awfully rosy cheeked.” That only made her blush more as she realised that her mother had noticed.

  Chapter Three

  They returned home and Anne headed straight for her room. She looked at her watch knowing that Michael would soon be home and she would have to lock herself away again. It was torture to be fearful in her own house yet there was nothing for it. No cure to help her sleep, no comforting words from her mother. It was not how she had lived her childhood. Her father had been a kind mind always buying her small presents whenever he went away on his tours, always smiling and taking her out whenever he was home.

  Michael was the total opposite of her father making it even more unbearable that her mother was with him. Her father had died five years earlier during at tour in Afghanistan. She had lingered in the past ever since.

  “Anne! Get your arse down here now!” she heard Michael’s voice come up the stairs and a lump formed in her throat. She thought of locking her door and ignoring him but she knew he would only break it down and come at her anyway. Her heart pounded as she headed out of the room and down the stairs.

  “I hear you met a young gentleman this afternoon.” Michael stood by the fireplace, his hand on the mantle. He kicked at the ash in the grate with the toe of his boot. How does he know that? She thought as she entered the room and found her mother reading a book on the sofa across from her husband. She glanced up looking almost guilty before she looked back down at the page in front of her.

  “I only bumped into him as I was coming out of the rest room.” Anne tried to justify herself though she knew he wouldn’t listen. She knew what was coming.

  “You should be more careful and watch where you are going.” Michael’s voice was calm. It was always that way before he flew into a rage, the calm before the storm. Anne already felt tears stinging the corners of her eyes and her hands tightened into fists. She wanted to turn an
d run but she knew the beating would only be worse.

  “I was watching where I was going,” she protested before her mind had a chance to register what she was saying, “He came out of nowhere.” She instantly regretted it. His face twisted with anger and he turned on her.

  “I will not have this town gossiping about your flirtations with a man based on your stupidity.” He hissed at her. Anne stared back at him knowing that if she took her gaze away from his he would only get worse.

  “It was a simple mistake!” she insisted though she knew he would not listen. He stepped forward and grabbed hold of her by the shoulders.

  “Don’t back chat me!” he glared at her as his fingers bit into her shoulders. She gritted her teeth against the pain, determined not to give him the satisfaction. She stared him in the face and waited for the first hit to come. When it came it was as hard as every other she had ever felt from him. His fist came up into her stomach and there was nothing she could do but curl in on herself. She clutched her stomach as tears began to stream down her face. She heard her mother gasp but when he turned to look at his wife she had her nose in her book as though she hadn’t even noticed what he was doing.

  “Mum.” Anne whispered through the lump of pain in her throat. She longed for her mother to stand up, to stand against him and say that she would no longer watch him beat on her yet she didn’t. She simply remained where she was, flicking through the pages of her book as though she was the fastest reader in the world.

  “You are a sinful girl.” Michael growled at her as he wrapped his fingers in her hair and forced her head up to make her look at him. With that he slapped her across the face, “You must be punished for your wrong doings.” Anne began to weep then. Her stomach ached and her cheek burned with pain as she looked up at him.

  “I didn’t do anything wrong.” Instantly she knew it was the wrong thing to say. His face turned in rage again and he smacked her again. Finally he let go of her hair and she fell backward.

  “Get out of my sight you stupid girl!” he ordered as he pointed at the doorway with a finger that shook with utter rage. Anne clutched her cheek with trembling hands as she crawled from the room.

  Once out of his sight she ran for the kitchen. She saw her mother’s car keys perched on the edge of the table and grabbed them up. When she ran for the door she could hear him behind her as though he had come for round two. Anne ran as fast as she could through the door and toward the car. As soon as she was inside she set the engine going and pulled the car out of the driveway. She narrowly missed hitting Michael as he tried to stop her but she wished she really had hit him.

  “Anne!” he yelled after her but she was already off down the road, “Come back!”

  Her vision was blurred by tears as she drove. She had no idea where she was going but she knew that she could not stop. If she stopped her might find her then there would be another beating. She just couldn’t take another hit. Her ribs hurt and her face was sore. When she glanced in the rear view mirror she saw that her cheek was already beginning to bruise. It brought out the blackness under her eyes and only made her cry more.

  The lamp post seemed to come out of nowhere. She screamed as she realized there was no stopping. No matter how hard she pushed on the breaks she could not stop the car from hitting it.

  In a startling instant she realized that she had not fastened her seat belt. As the car hit the lamp post her body jerked forward and her nose hit the steering wheel. She clung tightly and felt her wrist snap with the impact. Her neck burned with pain and she cried out.

  The car’s alarm began to beep loudly as it came to a halt. Blood dripped down Anne’s face from a cut on her forehead as she rested with her face on the steering wheel. She was breathing heavily, her lungs burning. She coughed as she attempted to stay conscious, her mind growing fuzzy.

  “Miss! Miss! Can you hear me?” an oddly familiar voice hit her ears as the car door beside her was pulled open, “Can you hear me?”

  Anne tried to move but every tiny twitch hurt. “Stay still,” the voice continued as though a twitch of her finger had told him that she could hear him, “Don’t move. I’m going to get you out of here.” Anne did as she was told. She wasn’t going anywhere. She doubted that she could have stood even if she had tried. Her legs were shaking violently and she realized she was crying, her sobs coming in short gasps.

  “Please try and calm down.” The male voice continued to talk to her as she felt hands slip beneath her. Suddenly she was free of the car and her back was against the cold concrete of the street. The man held her head as though he thought she might have broken her neck, “An ambulance is on its way.” He told her. When she looked up at him her heart fluttered with recognition. His brown hair was tousled as it had been in the café. His blue eyes were swimming with concern. In that moment Anne felt safe. She was not faced with her cruel step father but a man who seemed to care about her whether he knew her or not. It was a feeling she had not felt for the last five years. The lump in her throat loosened and she allowed herself to fall into unconsciousness knowing that she would be safe in his arms.

  Chapter Four

  She woke in the hospital. He was at her side looking as though he had been there all night. His head was laid against the edge of the bed, his hands by hers as though he had been holding on to her before he had fallen asleep. Anne cleared her throat and his head rose as though he had been startled awake. He blinked sleep from his eyes and his expression turned to one of shock as he saw that she too was awake.

  “You’re…you’re awake.” He gasped as though he couldn’t believe it, “The doctors said you might be out for days.”

  “I feel awful.” She groaned as she felt the pain in her head. Her stomach ached along with her neck and her spine felt sore. When she moved her hand pain pulsed through her wrist and she had to grit her teeth to stop herself from screaming out loud.

  “You shouldn’t try to get up until the doctor comes around,” the man told her, “You’ve broken your wrist and you’ve got a few cracked ribs as well as some cuts and bruises and a bang to the head.”

  “But I’m alive right?” Anne asked trying to smile. Her cheek burned as she did so and she remembered the way that Michael had hit her.

  The man nodded with a bright smile as he replied, “You are very much alive.”

  “I feel drugged.” She pressed her hand against her head as she felt her mind swimming. The man laughed again as though he found her hilarious.

  “The doctors pumped you full with enough pain killers to knock out a horse.” He told her. There was a loud knock on the hospital room door then. Anne turned all too quickly and her neck screamed in protest.

  Her heart pounded as she saw them enter. She body began to shake and she wanted to scream. Her mother entered first carrying a bouquet of her favour white roses. Michael came behind her with an impassive expression.

  “Get out!” Anne yelled at him as soon as his foot touched the threshold, “I don’t want you here! Get out both of you!” she couldn’t bare to see her mother either. There was no way she could forgive her again for sitting back and allowing him to beat on her.

  “I’m afraid I don’t know who you are but I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” Anne’s saviour pushed himself up from his seat and gestured to the door.

  “I am not going anywhere,” Ivy insisted as she placed the flowers in the vase beside the bed, “I am her mother and she needs me.”

  “I need you like a hole in the head.” Anne protested, “Get out now!” Michael stepped up beside his wife and took hold of her shoulder.

  “You will not speak to your mother like that,” he glared down at her, “Apologise right this instant.” Anne was no longer scared. Not with her coffee shop man beside her.

  “I don’t want either of you here,” she repeated, “Get out!”

  The man gestured toward the door again and finally Michael and Ivy turned to leave.

  “We’ll wait outside until you feel like yo
u want to see us.” Ivy told her over her shoulder. Anne gritted her teeth to stop herself from yelling again. A doctor poked his head around the door as they left the room.

  “Is everything alright?” he asked as he straightened his white coat and stepped inside. Anne was still shaking and she couldn’t bring herself to speak as she watched the door to make sure they would not come back in.

  “I think she could do with some more pain killers.” The coffee shop man explained to the doctor as he took her file from the end of the bed and looked over her information.

  “Well Miss Fennel,” the doctor told her, “It looks like you got off lightly for not wearing a seat belt.” Anne turned to look at the man beside her and he blushed with guilt though he didn’t look away from her like her mother had in their living room.

  “She’s a tough girl by the looks of it.” he told the doctor, never once taking his eyes off Anne.

  “Yes well this tough girl is going to need plenty of rest to recover from her injuries.” The doctor explained as he took hold of Anne’s uninjured wrist and began to check her pulse. She felt uncomfortable with his fingers pressing against the small bones in her wrist.

  “She will get plenty of rest.” The man promised. Anne looked at him with a raised eyebrow as the doctor continued his examination checking her eyes for any sign of concussion.

  “Well it looks like your stable enough to leave,” The doctor told her, “Will you be needing a ride home.”

  “I…I can’t go…” she stammered but was unable to finish her sentence.

  “I’ll be taking her home.” The stranger with great hair told him. The doctor seemed satisfied and with that signed her discharge papers.

  “I had my sister bring you some clothes in.” the man told her as the doctor left. He lifted up a bag from beside his feet and placed it on the bed, “I’ll go and wait outside while you get dressed.”

  “What’s your name?” Anne asked as he headed for the door.

  “Drake Howard.” He replied and then slipped from the room. Anne watched him go and only pushed herself up from the bed once he had closed the door. She felt naked even in her hospital gown. She could feel the breeze on her buttocks as she realised there was a long slit down the back. She struggled to untie the ribbon at the back of her neck and her spine squealed in protest as she moved.