Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
T hey were being followed. Draven glanced in the rearview mirror casually and took note of the two pickup trucks that were about a quarter of a mile behind him. He focused back on the road. Cashea’s hand was still clasped in his. He hadn’t wanted to let her go since he had taken hold of it.
When he had awakened, he had panicked, thinking she had left. He was surprised that she had been able to get out of bed without him waking up. The last time he had slept so deeply was at her place. There was something about this woman that kept the nightmares away. Being with her soothed his soul, and he refused to lose her, and seeing her trying to walk away from him had set him off.
It was out of character for him, but he needed to have her hear what he had to say. He had figured they would have a chance to talk when they woke up. He’d kept her up pretty late. He hadn’t been able to get enough of her. Having her in his bed did something to him. His dick was hard right now thinking of what it felt like to sink deep inside her. Cashea’s small sighs, moans, and cries still echoed in his head.
Even though they had only recently met, he already knew she was meant for him. He would take his time and court her. That was what his father would recommend.
Hell, the old man was going to get a kick out of the notion that he had found a woman. Andy and Bee would probably start trying to plan his wedding the moment he brought Cashea to the main house to meet them. Marriage didn’t seem like a such a bad idea anymore. He was shocked that the thought had even entered his head. He had been so against it before, but now that he had met Cashea, it was an option he was willing to consider.
Cashea was staring out of the window. She hadn’t said much, but he was all right with that.
“I need to stop at the gas station. It won’t take me long,” he said .
“That’s fine.” She looked over at him with a small smile.
Her beauty took his breath away. How the hell was he so damn lucky that she would even give him any of her attention? There were certainly better men than him she could be with. He loved seeing her smile at him. He even felt the strange movement of his lips curving in an upwards tilt. He hadn’t had much to smile about in the last few years.
Until he’d met her.
They soon arrived near the center of town, and still those two trucks were trailing behind at a safe distance. Draven would make a stand in the gas station parking lot. There was little doubt in his mind that it was a coincidence that the two trucks were going in the same direction as him. He didn’t need any weapons to defend himself. He could thank the Marines for all of the skills he’d been taught. He glanced over at Cashea. He didn’t care who came for him, no one would ever touch her.
He pulled into the gas station and parked near a pump. There was a single car near the storefront of the station. It was bright and early, and not many people had been out on the road. His tank was a little less than full. He killed the engine and checked on Cashea .
“Want anything?” he asked.
“No, I’m good.” She shook her head and gave a little squeeze to his hand.
Unable to resist, he tugged her to him and pressed a hard, quick kiss to her lips. He wanted more, but he had made a promise that he would be at breakfast. Ridge didn’t seem too convinced that he was going to make it.
“She’s a pretty little something,” Ridge said.
His younger brother had a twinkle in his eyes. Cashea leaving his house early in the morning would not be a secret. Draven was sure Ridge would go blabbing to their father and Bee.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” Draven admitted.
The last relationship he had been in, she had cheated on him almost every single time he’d been deployed. That was about six years ago when he’d broken up with her. Draven hadn’t thought about Brooke in a long while. Because of her, he had decided he wouldn’t enter into any relationships while he was still enlisted. By the time he’d retired, he didn’t think he was even fit to be around the ranch animals.
“She’s obviously here for a reason. Be your grumpy-ass self. I don’t know why, but she likes you.” Ridge grinned and slapped him on the shoulder.
Draven studied Ridge and saw nothing but brotherly love in his eyes. Draven relaxed and gave a nod. Ridge was right. She apparently didn’t mind his gruff nature.
“I’ll be there for breakfast,” Draven said.
“Look, I got worried when you weren’t picking up the phone. You know it means a lot to him that you come around,” Ridge said.
Draven glanced away and stared out into the yard. He knew his father wanted him around them more. He even realized that. His family was all that he had, and they had always been behind him.
“We all want you there.”
“I know. As soon as I take her home, I’ll be right there. I promise.” Draven turned back to him. His word was always good. He never made a promise he didn’t keep.
“Good, and when you come back, I’ve just got to know how you pulled her.” Ridge grinned wide.
Draven rolled his eyes at him and walked up the stairs.
“Hell if I know. Maybe my winning personality,” he muttered, going into the house.
Ridge’s laughter echoed behind him .
Draven blinked and came back to the present. He dropped another kiss on Cashea’s lips before exiting the truck. Ridge’s question still played in his head. What was it about him that made Cashea drawn to him? He didn’t know, but he would thank whatever higher power that was out there that she was. He was one lucky son of a bitch. He slammed the door shut and casually looked around the gas station.
Just as he figured, the two trucks pulled in. Draven’s gaze narrowed on the oversized pickup truck. He immediately recognized it now that it was closer.
Brett.
And he wasn’t alone.
“Lock the doors,” Draven said to Cashea through the window.
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t hesitate to obey. He was satisfied to hear the click of the lock engaging. He pushed away from the truck and walked to the back of his vehicle and opened the door to the gas tank. He moved over to the pump to choose his gas.
“Harvey,” Brett called out. The slamming of doors cut through the air, followed by chuckling .
Draven stiffened. He glanced over and took in Brett strolling over to him with about four other men. Draven wasn’t worried about the odds.
“You don’t want to do this,” Draven warned. He continued what he was doing. He pulled his wallet out of his back jeans pocket and took out his credit card. He slid it in and followed the prompts on the screen. “So why don’t you and your friends go back home before someone gets hurt.”
“Oh, really?” Brett snickered.
He and his friends shared a good laugh. Draven didn’t find anything funny. He certainly wasn’t a comedian so he didn’t know what they found so amusing. He put his credit card back in his wallet and popped it back in his pocket. He lifted the nozzle and inserted it into the truck to allow it to start filling up. He angled himself at the edge of his truck so he could take in the friends who Brett had brought with him. They all appeared to be physically fit. He didn’t recognize any of them. Draven folded his arms in front of his chest.
“I don’t think the person getting hurt is going to be any of us,” Brett said.
“I can guarantee it won’t be me,” Draven growled. He almost felt sorry that they had allowed Brett to talk them into coming for him. None of them stood a chance against him. “Are you coming to pay for Cashea’s tires?”
“Not a fucking chance,” Brett spat. He motioned to his friends. “You came to my place of business and decided to try to extort money out of me. Well, fuck you. It’s payback time.”
“I’m going to warn you one last time. All of you.” Draven met each one of their eyes.
Brett was about to land all of these men in the hospital. A deadly calm came over him; it had been a long time since he’d had this feeling. He was a rancher now, no longer a soldier, but old ways died hard. He took a few more steps away from his truck toward Brett and his goons. He had never wanted Cashea to see this side of him. He had wanted to bury the darkness that lived inside him, but apparently it needed to come out one last time.
He relaxed his arms at his sides.
“You can end this right now, Brett. Give her the fucking money to pay for what you did.”
“So what, I fucking slashed her damn tires. The bitch needed to learn to appreciate when a man is trying to give her his attention,” Brett snarled.
His friends circled Draven. He sensed their positions without looking around .
“I told you, don’t call her that,” Draven growled. The shit hadn’t learned his lesson before. It would seem that Draven would have to teach him again. Only this lesson was going to stick.
“Oh, so you’re fucking her.” Brett’s gaze flicked over to Draven’s truck. He barked a laugh. “That bitch doesn’t know a good man when she sees one if she’s with you.”
Draven’s rage reared its ugly head. He wouldn’t stand for Cashea to be disrespected. He was certain she could hear the entire conversation.
Brett motioned to his friends. “Fuck him up.”
Draven relaxed into a defensive stance as they came at him. He wasn’t worried that it was five against one. If they knew what he was capable of, they all would have heeded his warning. The first one swung at Draven, but he was able to dodge the hit. Draven was fast and swift with his response. Two maneuvers, and the man was left writhing on the ground.
Draven turned in time to block the next fist. He had trained for years, and none of these men matched him. If Brett wanted to be dirty and have his buddies jump him, then Draven hoped Brett would visit them in the hospital, because that’s where they all were headed. Draven didn’t give any of the men an opportunity to breathe. His movements were fast and precise.
“Who is this fucker?” One of them grunted.
They all must have assumed they would be able to easily overpower Draven. Everyone in town may have known he was a Marine, but they would never know the dangerous man the military had released into civilian life. Draven’s fist landed on his jaw. A reverberating crack echoed behind it. He would be eating through a straw for a few weeks. Hands gripped Draven from behind, but it didn’t matter. He was able to break the hold and spun around. The guy’s eyes widened; Draven turned on him. A growl escaped Draven. He threw a punch at Draven and narrowly missed. Draven rushed him, landing two of his own punches. It had been a long while since he’d had to physically defend himself, but his motions were automatic. They could even be considered artistic.
Within minutes, all of Brett’s friends lay spread out on the ground. Draven was barely out of breath and riding the high of his adrenaline. He hadn’t been in control of himself. His basic instincts had taken over. That was something he had learned to hone in the military. Kill or be killed. He turned just in time to see Brett swinging a bat at him .
“Dodge this!” Brett shouted.
Sirens blared in the background, coming closer. Draven ignored them. He raised his arm just as the bat connected with it instead of his head. Draven ignored the pain. He used Brett’s momentum against him by grabbing on to the bat himself and yanked Brett to him. His fist hit the side of Brett’s face. The bat fell to the ground, forgotten. Draven snatched Brett by the shirt and lifted him and slammed him on the ground.
He followed him down and launched his fist into Brett’s face. Satisfaction filled him at the sound of nasal bones cracking. Draven drew his arm back again and repeated the action.
“That’s enough. You’re going to kill him,” a voice snapped.
Arms encircled Draven and pulled him off Brett. Draven growled and tried to throw them off him; they struggled to drag him away from Brett. Draven’s gaze was locked on the unmoving form of the ass who had started all of this shit.
“Sheriff’s department. Stand down.”
Something clicked in Draven’s head. The fight went out of him. They quickly flipped them over and yanked his arms behind his back. Cold, hard steel clamped down around his wrists. He lifted his head, and it was then he took in the scene. Brett and his men were laid out on the ground of the gas station. Patrol cars with flashing lights had entered the station and were parked around them.
“Draven!” a familiar voice screamed.
He jerked his head around and saw Cashea being held back by a uniformed officer.
Tears streamed down her face. “Why are you arresting him? They attacked him!”
“Please remain calm, ma’am. We need to finish securing the scene,” the officer said.
He pushed her back, and that move didn’t sit well with Draven. He growled and tried to get up but he was immediately restrained even further with two knees to his back.
“Stay down,” one of the two officers who held him down snarled.
The handcuffs wouldn’t truly hold him back. He growled again, needing to get to Cashea. He needed to explain what she had witnessed. Now that he was coming back to himself, he needed her to understand that he was no longer the person the military had groomed him to be.
“Please let me go to him,” she hiccupped.
Her eyes connected with his, and the fight went out of him. She appeared to be safe, and there was no disgust or horror on her face. There was nothing but concern.
For him.
“You are arresting the wrong man. He was defending himself. They jumped him,” she cried out.
She tried to get past the officer again, but he held her back.
“Stop touching her,” Draven yelled. He bucked again.
The officers holding him down cursed and pressed their entire bodies down on him.
“Ed, let her through,” someone shouted.
Cashea dashed past him and sprinted over to Draven. She fell to her knees next to him. He relaxed now that he could see her up close and personal. She didn’t have a scratch on her.
“Did they hurt you?” She sniffed.
“Are you okay?” he asked. He ignored her question. The only thing that would have caused him true pain was if something had happened to her. Outside of his knuckles, he was fine. They would be swollen and painful for a while, but they would heal.
“I’m okay. Officers, he was the victim. Why is he in handcuffs?” she asked.
“Ma’am, he’s not under arrest yet until we figure out what the hell happened. If you don’t mind going with Deputy Jackson and giving your statement, it would be much appreciated.”
“But Deputy Robinson, Draven didn’t do anything,” Cashea snapped. His woman was fierce and determined to argue on his behalf.
“Miss, please. Allow us to do our job.” The deputy’s voice was filled with frustration.
“I’m fine, Cashea. Take my truck and go home,” Draven said. He recognized the stubborn tilt of her chin while she glared at the deputy. He didn’t want her to be here any longer than necessary. He just wanted her away from this place and home where she would be safe.
“I’m not leaving you. I’ll call your brother,” she said.
He jerked his head in a nod. Ridge would notify their father. Draven wasn’t worried about being taken down to the police station. Cashea was right. He’d defended himself as he was allowed to do.
Ambulances had arrived, and the EMTs were seeing to Brett and his cronies. Draven bit back a grin at their moans and groans. He was willing to bet they would think twice about coming for him again.
“My phone is in the car,” he said. He rattled off his password to her so she would be able to unlock it.
The deputies finally removed their knees from his back and assisted him up to his feet. He stood to his full height and glared at Brett who was sitting on a gurney holding a bloody cloth to his nose. Brett immediately looked away from him. Draven smirked.
He isn’t so tough now.
“Come on, Harvey.” Deputy Robinson guided him toward a patrol car.
The other deputy walked alongside him. They escorted him to the vehicle then placed him in the back. He grimaced at the small space. His long legs were cramped. Hopefully he wouldn’t be back here long. He glanced out of the barred window and took in the chaotic scene. There were plenty of sheriff patrol cars and ambulances. A small crowd was standing off the side of the gas station behind the yellow tape that the police must have put up.
Draven leaned back and blew out a deep breath. His heart was still racing away. He inhaled and focused on gaining control of himself. He closed his eyes, and within minutes his heart slowed down. He was no longer a soldier. He no longer had to fight his way out of situations. He was just a rancher. He didn’t start shit.
He just knew how to end it.