A weapon, she needed a weapon. She spotted the rake they used to muck out the stalls. Grabbing it, she moved over to stand over Beau and waited.
No one would hurt him again on her watch.
“What’s going on with you and Flick?” Alec asked as they knelt and studied the cut fence. He couldn’t fucking believe it. Some motherfucking bastard had stolen their cattle.
You had to be a fucking idiot to steal cattle off their ranch. When West found them, he was going rip their balls off and—
Okay, deep breath. He recognized the rage pumping through his blood probably wasn’t entirely due to their cattle being taken. Most of it was directed at himself.
You had no business touching her.
“What are you talking about?” Flick wouldn’t have said anything about that kiss, would she? Not to Alec, anyway, but maybe to Mia?
You’re supposed to be taking care of her, not hurting her.
He’d gotten carried away the other day, practically throwing her on the bed and ravishing her. When he’d heard her gasp in pain and realized what he’d been doing, he’d been disgusted with himself. What were you thinking?
He hadn’t been thinking. He’d been caught in a haze of arousal. Need unlike anything he’d felt before.
For Flick.
He tried to recall the desire he’d had for Lana. But it paled in comparison.
You had no right leading her on, knowing her feelings for you. Knowing you can’t take things further.
Except he wanted to. He’d had to move out of her room, because he wanted her so damn much it was a burning ache.
She’s not a fuck ’em and leave ’em girl, and you can’t commit to more.
“Bastards were brazen, just drove right up,” he muttered.
“West,” Alec said sharply.
“Yeah?”
“I asked you a question about Flick.”
“I don’t want to talk about Flick. What she and I do is none of your business.”
“That’s where you and I disagree, brother,” Alec drawled. “Both of you are very much my business. Especially when you’re walking around being more of an asshole than usual, and she’s fading bit by bit right in front of me.”
“Dramatic much?” West forced himself to say. But, in reality, he knew what Alec was saying was true. Worry churned in his gut. Flick didn’t have the same radiance she usually did. Everything was getting to her.
“Maybe you haven’t noticed, although I doubt that, but that girl isn’t eating. She’s not sleeping. And she’s a shadow of what she was.”
“She’s going through a lot,” West pointed out.
“Yep. And she was doing pretty good until a few days ago. Something happened between the two of you. What was it?”
West slammed his hands down on his hips. “What it is, is none of your business.”
“Is it about Lana? Is it because you think you should remain loyal to her? That you’ll only ever love her? Because that’s bullshit.”
“Lana is the only woman I’ve ever loved.”
“You were practically a child back then, West. You’ve spent years devoted to Lana’s memory. It wasn’t your fault she died. I’m not saying you didn’t love her. I’m just saying it’s all right to love someone else.”
“Jesus, is this what we’ve are now? Is this what you’ve become since Mia came along? Now we have to talk about feelings and shit?”
“You pull your head out of your ass and we won’t have to do,” Alec growled back at him. They both paused and looked over as Jake drove up in his sheriff’s truck. He climbed out. His face was serious as he looked around. They’d begun discussing the brazen cattle thieves when Jake’s radio crackled. He grabbed it, walking swiftly away.
Alec’s phone rang and, as he listened to whomever spoke on the other end, his face turned to stone. Both men turned to look at West.
“What is it?” His heart raced. All he could think about was Flick. Something had happened Flick. The horror on Alec’s face told him as much.
“Flick and Beau were shot at,” Alec told him. “We need to get back. Now.” West didn’t want to hear more, he raced as fast as he could to his truck. At times like this, he cursed his leg. It didn’t slow him down much otherwise. But he’d never be able to run fast or for a long distance.
His heart raced and all he could think about was Flick. Her smile. Her laughter. The way she lit up the room when she walked into it. The way she lit him up.
“Is she alive?” he asked in a clipped voice as Alec raced them back towards the house.
“Raid said she’s okay,” Alec told him. “Beau’s been shot. She got him into the stables.”
How the hell had she done that? Beau had to outweigh her by over a hundred pounds. Flick was tiny and injured.
“Gonna kill that fucking bastard,” he told Alec. He was done waiting.
“Get in line.”
12
Flick was in a daze. She was aware of people talking around her. But she didn’t listen in. She kept her head down, everything that had happened earlier playing over and over in her head. Her tripping. Beau reaching for her. Both of them falling. The shots hitting the ground around them.
Why hadn’t he shot her? None of it made much sense to her. She remembered grabbing the rake and standing over Beau. Nearly hitting Raid when he’d raced into the stables. Everything after that was a complete blur until West had gotten there. She clearly remembered the ambulance arriving, Beau being placed in the back on a stretcher, West holding her and carrying her to his truck, and Alec driving them to the hospital.
She guessed Alec must’ve called Mia and Tanner because they’d met them there. She’d been poked and prodded by the doctor. X-rays had been taken. West had been beside her the entire time, holding her hand, speaking to her in a low, calm voice.
If Beau died it would be all her fault. They’d never speak to her again. She’d never forgive herself.
She’d been dimly aware of the doctor saying something about her shoulder. They’d given her painkillers to take when she’d refused a shot. West had gone all growly about that, but she’d wanted to remain clearheaded. She hadn’t wanted to be more out of it than she already was.
The only other time she’d spoken was to answer Jake’s questions, and then it was only because she wanted the bastard caught. She wanted her brother to pay for what he had done.
Now they were waiting for Beau to get out of surgery. Please let him live.
Someone crouched in front of her. Big hands were placed on her thighs. She imagined she might have felt the heat of them through her jeans if she’d been in a different state of mind.
“Sunshine, look at me.”
She didn’t want to look at him. She didn’t want to see what was in his eyes. She kept her gaze firmly down.
“Sunshine, you need to drink. You need to eat. You took those painkillers on an empty stomach.”
Why was he being so nice to her? Didn’t he understand it was her fault? Shouldn’t he hate her now?
She kept her gaze down. She wouldn’t look at him.
She should have known he wouldn’t let her get away with that. He grabbed hold of her chin and raised her face up. She closed her eyes.
He leaned in, careful not to brush against her sore shoulder, and he whispered in her ear. “You’re going to open your eyes and look at me, sunshine. I’m trying to be patient because I know you’re not in your right mind at this moment, but I need you back with me.”
No, he didn’t. What he needed was for her to be far away from him. Far away from them. She was a danger to them all. She should just get up and leave now, but she couldn’t, not until she knew Beau was all right.
“Sunshine, you don’t look at me, or let me take care of you, I’ll pick your ass up and deposit it in a hospital bed and make them admit you. Got me?” The gentleness had faded from his voice, sternness had taken its place, and she knew he meant every word. A hospital stay wasn’t what she needed right now. She loo
ked at him.
He leaned back and stared at her. He looked hard. Cold.
“I can only imagine what’s going through your mind right now, Flick. But you need to shut it off. You are not to blame for any of this.”
She just stared at him tiredly. If she wasn’t to blame, then who was?
Spencer. This was Spencer’s fault.
There was movement at the doorway, and she looked up, hoping to see Beau’s surgeon. But it was just Jake. He stepped into the room and Alec moved towards him. West glanced over at Mia, who’d been huddled into Alec, her eyes were puffy and red, her face drawn. She immediately nodded and moved over to Flick, sitting next to her and taking her hand in hers. Flick wanted to draw hers back but she didn’t. She just took this last little bit of comfort, even though it was more than she deserved.
West stood and moved towards Alec and Jake.
“You’re scaring him,” Mia whispered to her. “Flick, I don’t know what’s going on in your head, but you need to come back to us. You’re scaring me too.”
She froze. The last thing she wanted to do was cause any of them more pain. “I’m sorry,” she told Mia. “I’m so sorry.”
Mia wrapped an arm around her, and she fell into her side. The tears didn’t come, they were locked inside her. She collapsed like a limp rag doll; there was nothing left inside her. She was exhausted.
Suddenly, she found herself being raised into the air. A woodsy, masculine scent hit her, and she knew she was in West’s arms. She heard him barking out orders, and then she was placed on a bed. She opened her eyes, but the room spun dizzily around her and blackness overtook her.
West sat next to her hospital bed, her small, pale hand in his. They said she was just sleeping, that she was exhausted. That the trauma of everything, combined with her lack of sleep and food over the last few days meant she’d had to shut down for a while. She was hooked up to a drip to rehydrate her, and her breathing and heart rate were being monitored. He should have been taking better care of her. If she hadn’t been so tired and run down, she might have coped better with what had just happened.
How does one cope better with seeing someone shot in front of you? With nearly being shot yourself?
There was movement at the door and he turned. Alec stood there.
“How’s Beau?” West asked. He hadn’t left Flick’s side, but he’d been getting regular updates about his brother.
“He’s doing good. Just caught it in the shoulder. Although, from what Flick told us, I don’t think that’s where the shooter was aiming. Lucky for him she tripped, and he moved just in time, I’d say.”
Beau had reached for her as she tripped and the bullet had only caught him in the shoulder, it had likely been aimed more towards the middle of his body, where it would have caused more damage, probably have been fatal.
Angered flooded him, but he pushed back. Right now, he needed to focus on Flick.
“He’s been moved out of ICU,” Alec told. “I’m gonna take Mia home now, she’s exhausted. Flick?”
“They’ll probably release her tomorrow,” West replied.
“Jake has a deputy sitting outside her door. And one guarding over Beau. But we’ll all take turns about being here as well,” Alec told him. “Butch just got back, he can help too.”
He made a mental note to check in with Butch as he nodded. It was no less than he expected. When one of them was in trouble, the rest were always there to help.
“You have to keep a close eye on her,” Alec warned him. “I don’t like the way she checked out earlier.”
Neither did West. And Alec didn’t need to tell him that. He already knew. “I’m not letting her out of my sight.”
Alec nodded. “If it was Mia in that bed, I’d do the same.”
Because Alec loved Mia. Just like West loved Flick. Damn, he did love her. Funny how that idea didn’t cause the panic he thought it might. He’d pulled back from her these last few days, after that kiss, partly because he’d nearly hurt her. But, mostly, because of how that kiss had made him feel. The other time he’d kissed her, he’d been too angry to process anything he’d felt. But, this time, this time all he’d felt was Flick. His hunger for her. His need for her. A need that went well past physical desire.
It had shocked him. Because he’d never felt anything like that before. Not even for Lana. And that thought had made him feel guilty. So he’d stepped back from Flick in order to get his head straight about what the fuck he felt for her.
Stupid move. He should have been with her. If he had, he’d likely have never let her go to the stables. The shooter might have still shot one of them, but she would have been safe.
“Call us if you need anything,” Alec told him.
West nodded. “Take care of Mia.”
“Always.”
She woke up disorientated. There was a beeping noise, and she was lying on a hard bed. The sheets were scratchy. And the pillow was lumpy.
“I’ll be sure to tell the hospital they need to upgrade their star rating,” an amused voice told her.
She looked over to see West sitting in a chair by her bed. It was kind of weird. He’d moved out of her room, hadn’t he?
Then she took a good look at his face. She saw the stress lines around his mouth and eyes. Saw the way he held himself, so he was a coiled snake, ready to strike. She looked around. This wasn’t her room at the Malone house.
“The hospital,” she rasped. Her mouth felt dry.
West stood and grabbed the glass of water on her side table. He held the straw that sat in it up to her mouth. She took a few gulps of water, then drew back.
“Beau?” she asked, almost afraid of the answer.
He sat on the bed carefully, facing her. His thigh brushed against hers, and she tried to ignore the tingle that ran across her skin. She needed to go numb again. Go back to where nothing penetrated the shell she’d erected around herself. But she failed as he leaned forward, getting in her space.
He cupped the side of her head with his hand. “No, you don’t.”
She frowned. “No, I don’t, what?”
“You don’t get to zone out on me again. You’re going to stay with me. You’re going to listen to what I have to say.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She forced her gaze away from his.
“Swear to God, if you weren’t in a hospital bed with a badly injured shoulder, dehydrated, and severely exhausted, I’d turn you over my lap right now and spank the hell out of your ass.”
That shocking statement brought her attention back to him. “What?”
“Fuck.” Regret filled his face. “I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“You didn’t frighten me.”
He studied her. “I didn’t, did I?”
“I told you before, I get that a spanking given by someone who cares about you because you did something to put yourself in danger isn’t abuse. It’s not the same as what I suffered at Spencer’s hand.”
She took in a deep breath. “Although, that doesn’t really explain what you just said. For one, I’m not someone you care about and I didn’t put myself in danger.”
“Not put yourself in danger? So, when Beau was shot, and someone was shooting at you, you got yourself to safety? Or did you drag Beau into the stables, making a target of yourself.”
“You expected me to just leave your brother there?” She stared at him in confusion and disbelief.
He looked away, and she saw a muscle in his cheek jumping, his jaw was tight. No, that didn’t sit well with him.
Then he turned back to her, his eyes blazing hot. “You should have gotten yourself to safety. What the fuck would I have done if something had happened to you?”
She gulped. “What do you mean?”
“What the hell is that nonsense about me not caring about you? I fucking care about you. Do you think I would have taken over guardianship of you if I didn’t care about you?”
“You’r
e doing it for Lana,” she pointed out to him. “You couldn’t help her, so you’re helping me instead.”
He reared back. Confusion filled his face for a moment. Then he leaned in. She might have shied back if she had anywhere to go.
“Please tell me you don’t believe that bullshit you just spouted off.”
“It’s not bullshit. You feel guilty for the way you treated me. And because Spencer beat me, even though that wasn’t your fault at all. You couldn’t help Lana. So you’re trying to help me.”
He ran his hand over his shaved head. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. That’s really what you believe? You think I did all this, slept on your goddamn floor, took care of you, just because I feel guilty over what happened to Lana?”
She paused for a moment and thought that through. He’d taken things further than she would have thought. “What are you saying?”
He leaned into her. His hands rested on the pillow, on either side of her head. “This isn’t about Lana. Maybe in the very beginning it was. And maybe part of it was me feeling guilty. But, believe me, guilt wouldn’t lead me to spend the night sitting in this chair, watching over you, listening to you breathe, to that little snoring noise that you make.”
“I don’t snore.”
“Okay, baby. Whatever you say.”
“So if it wasn’t for Lana because of guilt, then you really do care about me?”
“Nope,” he snapped at her. “I fucking love you.”
It was by no means a sweet, romantic declaration. In fact, he sounded kind of angry about it. And so, she didn’t react right away. She didn’t know what to say.
“This is where you say something back.” Anger flooded his face, and confusion filled her for a moment before she realized what he was waiting for.
“I love you too, but—”
His mouth slammed down on hers. Not soft. Not cajoling. This was total domination. A claiming. And she melted.
“Hey, West,” she heard someone say.
West growled at the interruption.
“Never mind,” they called back cheerfully.
How West Was Won (Haven, Texas Book 7) Page 15
