Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Who the fuck was Dave?
In an instant, Cassie had deflated. Gone was the confident vet who had single-handedly treated an award-winning racehorse only minutes ago.
Now she was gaping at this newcomer, and it was like she had shrunk before his eyes. Eyes wide, posture rigid. She was scared.
Bystanders had gasped at the sound of breaking glass and turned to stare. He should get Cassie to safety, away from the shards. But he wasn’t about to take his eyes off Dave.
Dave, whoever he was, stood in front of them with a shoeshine you could see from space and a suit jacket that probably cost more than Noah’s truck. Entitlement dripped from him like a leaky faucet. And there was something dark in his eyes. Animalistic, even.
He was too young to be Cassie’s dad. Was this her ex? It couldn’t be. He lived in California.
Every one of the attendees seemed to be holding their breath.
Dave took a step closer, crunching over the broken glass.
“You look nice,” he said. “Brave of you to wear this color. You don’t see many redheads wearing red.”
Noah shot the newcomer a withering stare.
“How did you find me?” Cassie’s voice shook, and Noah placed a protective hand on the small of her back.
Dave smirked. “You can thank the State Board of Veterinary Medicine. Did you know they list the town that you live in when you have an active license? Thus, Aster Hollow. Nice place, by the way. Very…quaint. Did you get the flowers I sent to your new clinic?”
“We’re not in Aster Hollow. How did you know I was here?” She pointed at the marble floor of the lounge.
Dave leaned in a little closer. His voice was barely more than a whisper. “Did you think that going by your hick name would keep you hidden, Cassiopeia? I can always find you. Remember that.”
Noah’s hands clenched into fists. If this elitist douchebag said one more word, he was going to plow his fist into his face, consequences be damned. He stepped in front of Cassie, shoes crunching over broken glass, and put himself between them. “Leave. Now.”
His voice boomed in the crowded lounge, and even the people who hadn’t been paying attention before were watching now. Great, there were the horse wives. Now they were never going to donate to the shelter.
Dave looked at him disdainfully. “You know, Alexandra, I knew you were willing to move to a backwater town, but I never dreamed you’d replace me with some blue-collar bumpkin.”
Cassie stepped out from behind him. “Wow. Did you work on that one for the whole plane ride? Get the fuck out of here, Dave. This is my side of the country.”
Dave shook his head. “Not yet. I need to ask you something.”
Noah had heard enough. “Are you deaf, buddy? We told you to get the fuck out. Cassie doesn’t owe you anything. Leave, now.”
A little color had rushed into Dave’s cheeks. They were definitely getting under his skin. Between his rosy cheeks and his sky-blue eyes, he was looking more like an Elf on the Shelf by the minute.
People were still standing stock still, listening to their confrontation. Tina and her husband approached from the side and stood behind them. He’d witnessed Tina run a door to door salesman off her property before. She wouldn’t shy away from a fight.
“I’m not speaking to you, meathead.” Dave turned to Cassie. “Where’s my baby blanket?”
Noah blinked. What the hell?
Cassie let out a strangled laugh. “You flew across the country to harass me about a baby blanket?”
“You know it’s one of the only things I have from my mom.” His voice was low, dark.
“I don’t know where your baby blanket is, Dave. And I don’t care. Maybe check in one of the hundred boxes I packed up before you unilaterally decided I wasn’t moving to Los Angeles with you.”
Dave cocked his head. “You’re not curious why I would suddenly need a baby blanket?”
Noah’s stomach hardened. What was that supposed to mean?
Cassie glowered. Her breathing was fast and shallow, and her whole body was tense.
“I’m sure one of your many cruelly declawed cats would love to rip it to shreds, but I can’t help you.
You’re gonna have to put on your big boy scrubs and figure this one out on your own. Now get out of my face. Forever.”
Dave took a long sip of his drink and shook the glass, rattling the ice cubes.
His eyes were cold and dead. He was entitled and insufferable, cold and unfeeling.
He was clearly used to being in command of a room and needing everyone’s attention and admiration.
But he was a shell. If anything, Cassie had undersold how evil he was.
How had she managed being married to this man? And where the hell was security?
Dave spoke again, eerily calm. “Sonoma is pregnant. It’s a boy. I’d like to give my son something from his grandmother. That’s why it’s imperative that I find the blanket.”
Cassie inhaled sharply, like he had slapped her.
Why would he come all this way just to tell her he was having a baby?
Dave couldn’t seem to shut up. “It was the strangest thing. We weren’t even trying. It’s interesting how quickly it can happen in someone young and virile. Good genes, I guess.”
Noah got right up in his face. Every tendon in his body prepared to punch this smug douchebag into the next fucking state.
It wouldn’t be a good look in front of Cassie’s new clients. But he had sworn to protect her.
Dave looked up at Noah. “You know Alexandra can’t give you kids, right? I’m sure she already told you. She wouldn’t want to waste eight years of your life.”
The news hit him like a sucker punch. So much made sense now. “Get. The fuck. Out,” Noah said with a finger in his chest. “This is your last warning.”
“Oh, is it? Is it my last warning, Pencil Dick?”
Dave reared back and smashed his head into Noah’s cheek. The impact stunned him, and he staggered.
People shrieked. Stars bloomed in front of his eyes, and the pain hit fast and hard.
Instinct took over, and before he could stop himself, he threw an uppercut and a right cross.
Dave’s cold, dead eyes shut, and he crumpled to the marble floor tiles.
Noah’s hand stung, but he barely noticed. Two men in black polos pushed their way through the crowd that had gathered. He was dimly aware of someone calling for an ambulance, but he only had eyes for Cassie. “Are you okay?”
She threw herself on him and stifled a sob.
He kissed her and held her tight, hoping against hope that he could keep her from shattering. Dave was a fucking monster. But he was never going to hurt Cassie again.
Noah pulled back and looked at her. “You say the word, and I will literally throw this piece of shit into the lion’s den.”
She choked on a laugh. “You mean that, don’t you?”
“You need to leave,” one of the men in black polos said. He was a full foot shorter than Noah.
Shit. He hadn’t considered that defending himself against a narcissist would get them kicked out of the club. Had he just ruined Cassie’s chances at working for the horse people?
“No, he doesn’t.” One of the wives spoke up. That was the one who owned the casino. What was her name again? Eloise?
The black polo guys looked at her uncertainly. “Are you sure, ma’am?”
“All I saw was a good man defending his partner.” She nudged Dave’s body with her pointy high heels. He was starting to stir. “Besides, Dr. Cassie is my new veterinarian. Please escort this…gentleman to the sick bay.”
One of the security guys grabbed Dave under his armpits and dragged him out of the lounge.
People applauded, and the wives descended on them.
“You were so brave,” Eloise said, laying a cool hand over what felt like a blossoming black eye.
“You poor dear.” Melissa pulled Cassie into a tight squeeze. “My ex-husband was the same way. I’m so proud of you for getting out.”
They fussed and buzzed like a hive of queen bees, fetching drinks and offering aid. One of the onlookers—a doctor—inspected Noah’s face.
But it was fine. As hardheaded as Dave was, his headbutt had all the power of a newborn kitten.
“I am so sorry,” Cassie said when the wives had dispersed. “I can’t believe he headbutted you. He thinks he’s Jean-Claude Van Damme. What an idiot.”
“It was probably to protect his precious surgeon hands.”
“What if he tries to press charges?” Her eyes were wide, and he hated that he couldn’t banish the fear from them.
Noah shrugged. “Who cares? It was self-defense, and there were fifty witnesses. Even if I did go to prison, it would be great street cred for my furniture business.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“We need to go look at your car,” Noah said.
Her brow furrowed. “Why?”
“I have a bad feeling that he put a tracker on it. How else would he know you were here?”
Cassie blew out a long breath. “It wouldn’t be the first time he’s done that.”
Noah frowned. He hadn’t punched Dave hard enough.
They helped clean up the glass from Cassie’s shattered drink and made their way to the parking lot.
Noah dropped to his knees and bent to look under the wheel well of the back passenger side. Sure enough, there was a small black circle that looked out of place on the mud-spattered undercarriage.
He swore under his breath and rose to his feet.
“We have to call the cops.”
Cassie pressed her hands to her face. He pulled her into another tight embrace. He hated Dave for doing this to her.
“At the very least, this and all the witnesses in the bar should be enough ammunition for a restraining order. Fifty people watched him try to intimidate you and assault me.”
At that moment, two cop cars roared into the parking lot with their lights flashing, undoubtedly called by security or even Dave himself.
Cassie turned toward them. Her shoulders slumped, and she seemed ready to accept her fate.
He rubbed her shoulder. “I’m right here. It’ll be over soon.”