Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
C ashea gripped the steering wheel as she pulled into the parking lot of the sheriff’s department. She found a spot to park in and shut the truck off. She settled back in the seat and blew out a deep breath. She couldn’t believe what she had witnessed at the gas station. It had been five against one, and Draven had come out the victor.
The moment she’d seen the men get out of the trucks, she had known something was about to go down. She had immediately snagged her phone and called the police. Brett and those men weren’t there by chance. Had they been watching her and Draven? Had they followed them? How did they know where they would be? A chill went down her spine at the memory of the men converging on Draven.
She had never seen anyone move like he had. It was like watching a movie. He had been incredible. But his expression had scared her. Mentally, he had gone somewhere else. All Cashea could do was scream at the operator to send the police immediately. The second she’d seen the patrol cars pull up, she’d jumped out of the truck. She had needed to get to him to make sure he was safe.
His feral eyes had swept in her direction as if to make sure she was fine. He was the one who had been jumped, and he was looking for her.
She grabbed Draven’s phone and typed in the password. She found his contacts and was able to locate Ridge’s number. Her heart was still racing. She just hoped Draven would be okay. The deputy said he wasn’t under arrest. So why had they handcuffed him and taken him away?
She hit the number, and Ridge’s voice came on the line almost immediately.
“Don’t tell me you aren’t coming.” He sighed.
“Um, hello. Ridge?” Her voice shook as she tried to get control of her emotions. She reached up and wiped the wetness that suddenly appeared on her cheeks. She blinked back tears that blurred her vision.
“Cashea?”
“Yeah, it’s me.” She cleared her throat.
An officer came out of the building and strolled over to his patrol car. She turned her attention back to the phone. She placed it on speakerphone.
“Where’s my brother? Is everything okay?”
“I don’t know?—”
“What do you mean you don’t know? Where is Draven?” he asked.
A door slammed shut in the background. Cashea sniffled and straightened in the seat.
“We stopped for gas before he took me home. These guys came and attacked Draven. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“What do you mean they attacked Draven?”
“They jumped him or at least tried to. He’s been taken to the sheriff’s department. I haven’t gone in there yet. I told him I was going to call you.”
“You did good in calling me. Were you harmed?” he asked. The tone in his voice suddenly changed. A deep murmur of male voices could be heard in the background.
“No, he made me stay in the truck.”
“He didn’t, um…” He hesitated for a moment .
Cashea closed her eyes, already knowing what he wanted to ask. With the way Draven had moved while fighting those men, she was sure he could have really injured someone. But Brett and those men had it coming. How dare they come and jump him. For what reason?
“No, he didn’t. They all were banged up pretty good. I think he broke one of their arms, though. Brett’s nose looked to be broken. But they all were alive, at least when I left.” Her words were met with a heavy sigh.
Ridge’s voice became muffled as he was speaking to someone else before he came back to her.
“We’re on our way. Just sit tight, Cashea. My brother, I’m sure is fine.”
She nodded, forgetting that he wouldn’t be able to see her. Ridge disconnected the call. She took off her seat belt and reached for her bag. She couldn’t sit out in the parking lot. She had to find out if he was okay and if they were going to release him if he was not under arrest. She grabbed his keys and phone and exited the truck.
Cashea held on to the strap of her bag and entered the building. A receptionist sat at the counter typing behind a glass window. The waiting room was small with only a few chairs and a window that faced the parking lot. An old coffee pot sat on a small table in the corner. The scent of freshly brewed coffee greeted her.
“Can I help you?” the woman asked. Her face was tan and full of laugh lines around her eyes and the corners of her mouth. Her dark-blonde hair was streaked with gray and was pulled up into a bun on top of her head. She looked at Cashea over a pair of tiny reading glasses as she approached the desk.
“Hi. They brought in Draven Harvey,” Cashea announced. She tightened her grip on her bag to try to control the trembling. She didn’t know what to expect but she hoped she would be able to see him soon.
“Yes, he’s getting processed.”
“Processed? But Deputy Robinson said he wasn’t under arrest,” she exclaimed. What was going on? She leaned against the counter and took in the woman’s name on her ID badge. Officer Gamble. “Can I see him? At least let him know that I’m here?”
“No visitors,” Officer Gamble said. She pointed over Cashea’s shoulder. “You can have a seat, and when they are done, I will let Deputy Robinson know you are here. ”
“Are they arresting him?” she asked.
“Miss—”
“Moss. My name is Cashea Moss, and I was with Draven. Please, Officer Gamble. Is there anything you can tell me?” Cashea asked. She bit her lip and hoped the woman could tell her just a little something. It was tearing her apart not knowing what was going on.
Officer Gamble removed her glasses and set them down. “Look, Miss Moss. There is nothing for me to share with you at the moment. As I said, they are processing him. That’s all I know. Now if you have a seat, I will let the deputies know you are here.”
Cashea sniffed and turned around. She walked over to the corner where a few chairs were positioned together. She didn’t know how long it would take for Ridge to get there or who else he was bringing. She placed her bag on her lap and wrapped her arms around it. She didn’t care how long she had to stay there, she wasn’t leaving without seeing Draven.
Remembering that she was supposed to go to work, she pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to the office group chat that an emergency had come up and she wouldn’t be in. She hated to call off, but there was no way she was leaving to go to work while Draven was possibly getting arrested. Had they given him medical attention? Why were Brett and his goons allowed to be taken to the hospital?
The waiting room’s chairs weren’t comfortable, but it didn’t matter. She would have to make do. She wasn’t going anywhere.
“You don’t know why five men would target you and want to do harm to you?” Deputy Robinson asked.
Draven sat back in his chair, thankful they had finally removed the handcuffs from his wrists. He rubbed the skin where the slight imprints had been left.
It was getting harder to bury the anger and rage that was simmering inside him. Brett would certainly pay for what had happened at the gas station. A broken nose was a small price to pay for what he was starting.
“No.” Draven flicked his gaze up and met the deputy’s. He glanced around the room and bit back a chuckle. He wasn’t fooled by the mirror hanging on the wall. Someone was on the other side, watching their interaction. He turned back to the deputy. “Am I under arrest?”
“How did you do it? Five guys coming at you, and you’re the only one walking away with a few scrapes and bruises.” Robinson jerked his chin toward Draven’s hands.
His knuckles were busted and slightly swollen. Outside of that, he felt fine. He had declined any treatment at the hospital. It would have been a waste of time. He’d had swollen knuckles before, and there was nothing a bag of frozen vegetables couldn’t heal. He and Ridge had suffered plenty of similar injuries when they were younger.
Draven shrugged, but he knew the answer. It was his military training that he was unauthorized to speak about. He settled back and waited.
“Where were you going at a little after six in the morning?” Deputy Robinson stared at him.
Draven narrowed his eyes on the deputy. These questions were getting quite old. If he wasn’t under arrest, he should be able to leave. If he was under arrest, he had a phone call he needed to make.
“Okay, you aren’t going to answer that question. Where were you coming from? ”
Draven remained silent. A few minutes went by before Robinson gave a nod.
“Okay, one of the officers spoke with the woman who was with you this morning and took her official statement,” Robinson said. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table between them. “Aren’t you a little bit curious about what she said?”
The only thing Draven needed to know was if Cashea was okay. She wouldn’t know why Brett and his cronies had showed up at the gas station. Hell, Draven wasn’t even sure how they knew he was on the move. The only thing he figured was that they had been watching his house. He made a mental note to increase security around the ranch. He needed to leave here so he could go and see for himself that she was unharmed. The tears that had streamed down her face had just about torn his heart out.
He just hoped that he hadn’t ruined any chances of them actually moving forward with their relationship. It may have only been a short time, but he felt it deep down in his gut that he needed her. It had never steered him wrong in the past, and he wasn’t expecting it to now.
“Again, am I under arrest?” That’s all Draven wanted to know at this point. If he wasn’t, they needed to let him go. He hadn’t done anything but defend himself. Hell, he had even held back where he wouldn’t have hurt the fuckers too bad.
A chirping sliced through the air. Robinson pulled his phone out of his pocket and read the message. He lifted his gaze and stared at Draven.
“Brett Falco suffered a broken nose and fractured cheekbones. Eric Rudd, dislocated jawbone that is going to require surgery. Ben Walker’s suffered a broken humerus and radius that appears to need surgery. Nick Evans suffered a concussion and six fractured ribs, and Gus Cross had almost all of the bones in his right hand broken and his right tibia fractured in three places.” Robinson sat back and placed his phone on the table.
Draven kept his face devoid of any emotions. That list proved he had pulled back on what he was truly capable of. They were all lucky they were not breathing through a straw.
Hell, they were lucky enough to still be breathing.
Robinson’s phone chirped again. He reached for it and read the new incoming message. Draven kept his gaze on the officer. They were stalling. Trying to see if they could find anything on him, but he already knew what they would find.
Nothing.
“It looks as if the clerk at the gas station has come forward along with providing the video footage of the attack,” Robinson announced.
Draven bit back a smirk. He pushed back from the chair and stood.
“I’ll see myself out,” he announced.
“I’ll walk you out.” Robinson stood and came around the table. He opened the door and motioned for Draven to exit first.
He moved out into the hallway and followed Robinson through the small facility. Ironhaven’s sheriff’s department wasn’t that large.
“You aren’t going to tell me what is going on between you and Falco? I know that you two had an altercation at the Hen House.” Robinson was still going to try to squeeze something out of Draven.
“Maybe you should ask Falco,” Draven replied dryly.
They arrived near the front of the building. An older woman sat at the counter speaking on the telephone. Robinson rested a hand on Draven’s forearm. He tensed and stared down at the man’s hand before lifting his eyes. He glared at the deputy. He didn’t give a shit who he was, he’d better take his damn hand off him.
Robinson apparently got the message loud and clear. He removed his hand from Draven’s arm.
“Well, that’s the thing. He’s not talking,” Robinson muttered. He opened the door that led to the waiting room. He motioned for Draven to go. “We’ll be in touch if we have any other questions. You are free to go. Just don’t leave town.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t be.” Draven stalked through the doorway.
Ridge, Buck, and Andy were standing together near the window of the waiting room, but it was the small figure sitting off in the corner by herself that his gaze latched on to. She appeared tired, but she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Their eyes connected, and it was then Draven’s heart stuttered.
“Draven!” she exclaimed.
She launched herself from the chair and rushed across the room. He opened his arms just in time for her body to slam against his. He wrapped her up in his embrace. He breathed in her familiar scent and didn’t want to let her go. Her arms were tight around his waist while her face was buried against his chest.
“Are you okay? I was so worried about you.”
Here he had been, concerned that she would have second thoughts after seeing him at the gas station. He was a monster and didn’t deserve her tears. He reached up and ran a finger along her cheek.
“You don’t need to worry about me,” he murmured. He relaxed slightly now that he was able to see her up close and personal.
Worry and fear filled her eyes, and he wanted to erase them. Later, he’d ensure she would have other thoughts on her mind.
Someone cleared their throat, snagging Draven’s attention. He glanced over and found his father studying him with raised eyebrows. He jerked his head to the door.
“Let’s get out of here.”
They exited the building and walked toward Draven’s truck. Ridge’s pickup was parked next to Draven’s. He entwined his fingers with Cashea’s and brought her close to him. He didn’t want her out of his sight. Once they were out of earshot, Ridge turned to him and folded his arms in front of his chest.
“Your brother introduced us to your friend, here,” Andy said.
His light-blue eyes, the same as Draven’s and Ridge’s, had a special twinkle in them. His father was horrible at hiding his feelings when it came to his boys and their love lives. Draven was pretty sure he’d probably already called Bee and told her about Cashea.
“I was going to introduce her to y’all,” Draven admitted.
Cashea’s head swung toward him. He felt the heat of her gaze on him. He glanced down at her and drew her closer to him. They hadn’t had a chance to finish having their conversation. They had a lot to discuss, and eventually he would have brought it up.
“What the fuck happened?” Ridge growled. A scowl crossed his face.
Ridge may be the laid-back one of the two of them, and their bond was tight, but his brother would have been right by his side had he been there. A muscle ticked on the side of Ridge’s face. He was pissed off.
“And are we still going to have a problem?” Buck asked.
Draven glanced over at the station before leaning back against his truck. He tugged Cashea next to him, not wanting her to be too far from him.
“Brett Falco. I had a little encounter with him down at the bar,” Draven started .
“John’s son?” Andy interrupted.
Draven nodded. His father pretty much knew everyone in the damn town. The Falcos had been in the town as long as the Harveys had been.
“Brett was getting handsy with Cashea, and I had to set him straight. The fucker then went and slashed her tires,” Draven said.
His brother, father, and Buck all went still. Each of them were military men. His father and Buck were retired Navy while Ridge had served in the Army before he’d come home and gone to veterinarian school.
Draven briefly summarized his visit to Brett at the hardware store.
“Wait, what? Why didn’t you tell me?” Cashea exclaimed. She pulled away from him and tilted her head, studying him. She reached up and tucked her dark hair behind her ear. “Is this why he brought his boys to attack you? As payback?”
“They’ve learned their lesson,” Draven said.
Buck appeared to relax slightly. His father’s friend was a hard-nosed vet who didn’t take any shit from anyone. He was like an uncle to Ridge and Draven.
“Well, until we are for certain, we’ll make sure everyone knows to stay alert. They’ll be picking the wrong damn ranch to fuck with—excuse my language.” Buck’s face softened as he looked over at Cashea.
She smiled and leaned into Draven. He liked the feeling of her body resting against his. He could certainly get used to this. He didn’t miss the way his father took the two of them in. Draven was sure he and the old man would be having a conversation later about Cashea. He tugged her back to him and held her close.
“I need to take Cashea home so she can go to work,” Draven said gruffly.
She shook her head. He raised an eyebrow at her.
“I called off once I got here because I wasn’t sure how long they would keep you. I didn’t want to leave without making sure you were okay,” she said.
Draven softened at her words.
A small smile played on her lips. “If you wouldn’t mind taking me home, then I can freshen up a bit.”
“You can come to the house, my dear,” Andy said. “I’m sure Bee is keeping the food warm for us. You are welcome to join us.”
She glanced over at Draven. He would love to have her spend the day with him out on the ranch .
“I’d be happy to join you,” she said.
“Well, it’s settled then. Let me run her home, then we’ll be there,” Draven announced. He pushed off the truck and opened the passenger door for her.
She gave a small wave and allowed him to help her up in the truck. He closed the door and turned back to them.
“She’s a keeper,” Buck said with a grin. He slapped Andy on the back and threw an arm around his shoulders.
“I agree.” Andy winked at him while his brother gave him a small salute.
The men who he was the closest to had given their approval of his woman. Not that he needed it, but it felt damn good. Now he just needed her to go meet with Bee.
“Oh, I’m not letting her go anywhere.”