"What happened?" Levi asked as Michael reached him. He stepped up on the porch of the wren cabin and hesitated. "Shit, can you take the keys off my belt and unlock the door? It's the one with a W painted on the head." His friend unhooked the keys, flipped through them and unlocked the door.
"He was still running when I decided it would be better if I came back to help you. Is she all right?" Michael stepped out of the way and held the door so Levi could carry the still unconscious woman inside.
"I hope so. It looked like he just knocked her out, but I'm gonna have her checked out anyway." He laid her on the bed and picked up the phone. After calling Doc Landers and asking for a house call, he went in the bathroom, wet a washcloth and came back. "I'm hoping she'll wake up and tell us what was going on." He started washing her face, hoping the cool water would help her wake up. It was going to take Doc Landers at least a half hour to get here, he hoped she wasn't out that long.
"What do you think was happening out there?" Michael said from where he leaned against the table next to the door.
Levi noticed that his friend had closed the door behind them.
"It looked like three men ganging up on an injured woman to me." Levi couldn't keep from snarling the words. "I just wonder where the fourth one is."
"I thought they were all together?"
"They were all from the same company, the same booking, but the guys treated her oddly. I couldn't figure it out, still can't. I do know from the scream and what we saw that she wasn't a willing participant in what we came across, and for the moment, that's all I needed to know."
"What are you going to do about them?"
"The one who hit her, the one I hit, he's the head of the company. I told him I want them all gone by morning or I'll call the cops." He kept dabbing the cool cloth against Mariah's face, especially on the red imprint of a hand on the left side of her face, hoping she'd come to. "That wasn't entirely true. I'll let Mariah decide if she's going to press charges, but either way I'll be notifying the police. This is something I won't let happen on my property." He took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. "I wish the doc would get here soon. I'm worried that she hasn't woken up yet."
"It hasn't even been ten minutes yet. Give them both a little time."
Mariah's breathing changed, her lashes fluttered a moment then opened her eyes, blinking several times before they went wide and panicked.
"It's okay. You're okay." Levi did his best to calm her. "You're in your cabin with Michael and me. We're waiting for the doctor."
Her wide eyes scanned the room before she relaxed against the bed.
"Just rest. We'll talk about what happened in a little while, but I want the doc to take a look at you first, make sure you're not seriously hurt."
"All right." She winced as she spoke as if it hurt.
Levi picked the phone back up, dialed the kitchen and asked Lewis to send down another ice pack. This was not a good start to his new program and he didn't want to think about what might mean for the reputation of the place. He pushed the thought out of his mind and focused on the here and now.
A knock on the door made Mariah jump. Levi nodded at Michael who pushed himself upright and opened the door.
"Mr. Wiggins requested this," Tyler said from the porch as he held out an ice pack.
"Thank you, Tyler and what have I told you about the Mr. Wiggins bit?"
Michael took the ice pack, turned and handed it to Levi, who gently laid it against the reddened side of Mariah's face.
"Not to, sir. I'm sorry, sir, I'll try to do better." The boy sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Do you need anything else, sir?"
"Doc Landers should be pulling in soon, please show her down here when she arrives."
"Yes, sir." The boy turned and disappeared into the darkness, Michael closed the door and turned back to Levi.
"Sir?"
Levi shook his head.
"I hate it when he does that. It makes me feel like my father. On the other hand, it's good manners, something way too many are lacking these days, so I can't, in good conscience discourage it. I can try to break him of the Mr. Wiggins bit though." Levi sighed. "Every time I hear it I fight the urge to look around for Dad."
Michael chuckled. "Not even thirty yet and already a sir."
Levi shot him a look that would have withered a man who hadn't seen it a million times before then turned back to Mariah. He'd originally laid the ice pack on the red hand print on her cheek, but it looked like her jaw was swelling more so he shifted it.
"Who slapped you?"
"Mr. Sheppard." Her voice was soft and she winced as she spoke, but she didn't let it stop her. "He wanted me to stop screaming."
"It's a good thing you screamed when you did. As soon as I heard it I came running. A few seconds later and the ATVs would have drowned it out. We never would have heard you."
A shudder went through her. He took her hand, trying to calm her. She clung to him, holding tight as if his being there would chase away anything bad. Considering the last twenty minutes, he really couldn't blame her, instead he just sat on the edge of the bed and let her hang on.
Chapter 14
Mariah's heart thundered in her chest. Her face hurt and her ankle was a dull throb, but nothing compared to her face at the moment. She wondered how long it had been after Mr. Sheppard had punched her that Levi had arrived. And what had happened after that. Someone had carried her to her cabin, but what had happened while she was out?
Were the men from Sheppard Entertainment still out there, waiting for her to be alone before they came back to finish what they'd started?
No. Levi wouldn't let that happen. After stopping what they were doing he wouldn't give them a chance to try again.
Her mind was spinning, she knew. Terror filled her and she didn't know how to stop it. Levi picked up her hand and a small measure of calm spread through her. Desperate for more she held on, gripping his hand tightly to remind herself he was there and he'd stopped what Mr. Sheppard and the rest of the executives had planned. She wondered for a moment if they'd planned it all along or if accosting her had been a spur of the moment decision.
Another shudder spread through her. The ice pack on her face shifted and Levi put it back, gently enough that the hard ice inside didn't press against her sore jaw.
She couldn't take this. The waiting, the lying here waiting. She needed to be upright. She tried to sit up, the ice pack slipped again but she didn't care.
"Just relax the doctor will be here soon."
"I'm not going anywhere, I just need to sit up." Her voice shook, but she was determined. "I can't keep laying here."
"All right. Let me help you." Levi used the hand she still held onto to pull her into a sitting position then he stood and let her scoot back until she was leaning against the headboard. She hadn't let go of his hand the whole time, now he sat back down on the edge of the bed beside her. He picked up the ice pack and handed it to her. "Hold this to your jaw, it will help."
Mariah shot him a mutinous look, she hated being told what to do, but she did it anyway.
"It shouldn't be too much longer. Doc had to come out from Hawthorne, but she'll be here soon."
"She? You have a woman doctor?" she couldn't keep from asking.
"Yep, other than the vet, Doc's the only doc in town. She's a fire cracker. You'll like her."
Mariah wasn't as sure about that, but right now she didn't feel like arguing. Instead she frowned down at where her hand still clung to his. She didn't like having to lean on anyone, but she also wasn't willing to let him go. She wasn't quite sure how that worked.
Chapter 15
Levi sat on the bed, watching Mariah while they waited for Doc to arrive. He hated how scared and lost she looked, but couldn't figure out what to do about it. Well, other than what he already was. They were here, and he wasn't sure that was helping.
"Do you want us to leave?" he asked, his voice soft. Her head jerked up from where she'd bee
n looking at something in her lap. He wasn't sure what, there was nothing there. Mariah's eyes were wide with panic and her hand tightened on his. "I'm happy to stay with you and make sure every thing's all right and you're okay and safe, but I'm acutely aware you were just attacked by three men, and might not want more men around, much less men you don't know well."
"No, stay. Please. Don't leave me alone." Her voice shook again and he hated seeing her like this.
"We won't. We'll stay right here until Doc gets here." He turned and looked at Michael who just shrugged at him. "I brought you here because I wasn't sure what had happened aside from Sheppard punching you in the face, and I wanted you safe and checked out as soon as possible. If you'd like, after Doc's through with you, you can gather some of your things and come stay at the main house. I've got extra bedrooms, you're welcome to stay in one of them. I told Sheppard I want them off my property come morning, but they're too drunk to do much tonight."
"They weren't too drunk to corner me."
"I'm sorry. You're right. They weren't." He didn't say it, but in that moment he decided that if she didn't go up to the main house with him for the night, then he'd stay here. Probably out on the porch, so she could sleep and he could be sure none of those assholes she works with came back.
A knock on the door made Mariah jump again.
"It's okay, it's probably Doc," he said without looking at Michael, who was already opening the door.
"You called?" Doc Landers stepped in the door and old fashioned leather bag in one hand.
"Yes, ma'am." Levi turned to look at the doctor.
Lily was a little over thirty, he knew because she'd been a couple years ahead of him in school and he'd had a crush on her all through sixth grade. Her dark auburn hair was pulled up into a ponytail, her face clean of make-up, and her glasses sitting on her nose. She normally wore contacts during the day so she must have already taken them out for the night when he'd called. "Mariah here took a couple blows. You can see from her cheek she was slapped and I saw her punched, which knocked her out for about ten minutes. I'm not sure about any other injuries from this evening." He stood and tried to step out of the doctor's way so she could examine Mariah, but Mariah wouldn't let go of his hand.
"Hello, I'm Doctor Lily Landers. I understand you've had a rough evening?" Lily stepped around him to stand next to the head of the bed and address Mariah.
"You could say that." Mariah's voice was more steady, not as self-assured as usual, but far better than it had been moments ago, making Levi feel a little better.
"Want to tell me what happened?" Lily kept her voice gentle as she used one finger to ease the ice pack away from Mariah's face. "It looks like that's going to bruise."
After a moment, Mariah's grip on Levi's hand eased. He released her, and moved around the foot of the bed, switching on the lamp on that side of the bed. Mariah's wide eyes following him made him speak up.
"I'm not going anywhere, just making room and giving the doc some light." He sat on that side of the bed, reached across and laid his hand on Mariah's leg in hopes she'd be okay with that. She relaxed and turned back to Doc, so he stayed where he was.
"You can tell her," he said. "I'd like to know too. You tell what happened before he hit you and I'll finish with what happened after."
Mariah looked at him a moment then turned back to Lily. "I was walking back here after the bonfire. I'd noticed the guys had been drinking, they were making comments before dinner that made me not want to be alone around them, so I waited a while after they'd left the bonfire before coming back. I was talking to Levi too." Her eyes flicked toward him then back to the doc.
"All of a sudden Knowles stepped out in front of me." She told the whole story, several parts making Levi wish he'd done more than knock Sheppard on his ass.
He wanted to go back out now and stomp all four men's asses into the ground, the only thing that stopped him was the look on Mariah's face and that every time she thought he was going somewhere she tensed up again. No. She wanted him here with her and here was where he was going to stay.
When she finished, Levi picked up where she'd left off, filling Mariah and Lily both in. "When you're done there I'd like you to take a look at her ankle too. She twisted it yesterday, but I didn't realize how bad it was. It was pretty swollen at noon, but it's better now."
Lily checked Mariah, her face, neck, and her ankle, then declared there was no serious damage, but proscribed a few days rest for the ankle. As little weight and movement as possible. She turned and looked at Levi. "I'd like to speak with you outside for a moment."
Levi looked at Mariah. "Will you be okay with Michael for a couple minutes? I'll be right outside the door. I'm not going anywhere else."
Her gaze flicked from to Michael then back again. "I'll be okay."
"Good. I'll be right back." He stood and stepped outside with the doctor, pulling the door closed behind them.
"She's not seriously hurt, but she's been traumatized," Lily said once they were alone. "She needs to not be left alone."
"I was planning to either take her up to the main house tonight or sleep out here."
"That's good. Especially since those men are still on the property."
"They won't be for long once the sun comes up. I'll see to it they're gone just as soon as I can." Then something occurred to him. "You said not to leave her alone. Can I put her in a guest room or should I put her on the couch and sleep in the same room?"
"A guest room should be fine, but be prepared for nightmares. She may wake up screaming or she may not. I don't know her well enough to know how she'll react." Lily sighed. "Her ankle's not too bad, but the more she's on it the worse it will get. Keep her off it as much as possible. Give it a couple days and she'll be fine, at least physically." She watched him, her head tilted to one side. "Is there more between you than she's a guest?"
He started to answer then closed his mouth and exhaled. He'd like to say no, it was just professional, but he knew better. He'd taken her up to the house. And the bolt of fear and panic that had shot through him when she screamed said there could be more.
"I don't know." It wasn't an answer he liked, but it was the truth. "I've only known her a couple days, but there's something about her, something that makes me want to go out there right now and beat all four of those men into the ground then find a nice cliff where their bodies won't be found for months, or even years, and shove them off it."
"I kind of suspected that." She wore a kind, almost professional smile. "Try to take care of her. If she'll let you, it might be a good to get her some counseling. Some people don't need it, but it doesn't hurt anyone, especially after something like this."
"I'll see what I can do. Thanks for coming out."
"Thank me again when you get my bill."
"I don't care how much it is, I'm just going to forward it to the client. They did this too her, they'll pay the medical bills."
"Speaking of, are you reporting this?"
"I'll be speaking to Alan in the morning. I'll report the incident, but it's going to be up to Mariah whether or not she presses assault charges. I'll try to convince her it's a good idea, but I'm not sure how she'll feel about it."
"That's a good plan." She checked her watch and sighed. "You've got everything handled here, I'm going to head home and see if I can get a little rest before I have to get up. It'll be a short night but not my first and I'm sure not my last."
"Thanks again for coming out."
"No problem." Lily waved one hand. "You should get some lights out here on this path, some of those solar stake lights would be good. They'll light up the path so no one stumbles, but not cost an arm and a leg."
"I'll do that. Let me send Michael back with you. Those men are still out here and after what they did to Mariah I don't like the idea of you being out here alone."
"I'd appreciate that."
Levi opened the door and spoke to Michael, who agreed to escort the doctor back to her car.
/> "I'll give you a call tomorrow and check in," Michael said as he passed Levi and joined the doc.
"I'll talk to you then."
The two left and Levi went back into the little cabin, closing the door behind him.
"Have you decided if you want to stay here or up at the main house?"
She looked up at him, the whites of her eyes still showing too much.
"I'd like to go with you, if you don't mind."
"I don't mind at all. Why don't you grab what you'll need for tonight and tomorrow morning then we'll go back up to the house." He didn't let the relief show, he hadn't been looking forward to sleeping in that chair out front. It was comfortable enough to sit in for a couple hours, but sleeping all night? No thanks.
It didn't take Mariah long before she had a small bag packed and stood in front of him, eying the door with a nervous look on her face. He picked up the ice pack that had been forgotten, turned out the lamps and took the bag from her hand, giving her the ice pack instead.
"Here, put this back on your face. I'll carry your bag. There's no point in putting it off any longer, let's go." He opened the door, looking around to make sure there was no one out there before he let her step out. He shut off the interior light, leaving the porch light on when he closed the door. "Come on. We don't have to go far, I've got one of the ATV's at the dining hall." He set his free hand on the back of Mariah's waist, urging her forward as he guided her.
They heard one of the AVT's start and Mariah stopped and stiffened.
"No worries. That was just Michael."
She nodded and took a step, then another. Slowly making her way up the path. It would have been faster for him to go get the bike and come get her, but he didn't want to leave her alone, either out here or in her cabin.
Chapter 16
Mariah was out of breath and shaking with exhaustion by the time they reached the ATV, right where Levi'd left it before the fire. The walk wasn't that long, she didn't know why she was so tired. But when she spotted the four-wheeler, she was so happy she almost cried. The walk was almost over.
The Cowboy Way Page 6