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“I’m okay,” I whispered, burying my face into the side of her neck. “I’m okay.” Wet tears were my answer as she tightened her hold around me.
“You definitely don’t have feelings for me,” I quietly teased, and she gently slapped my back.
“I already tried to tell you that my answer was yes,” she whispered. I had no idea what she was even talking about, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was the fact that we were both okay and that this beautiful woman was in my arms.
Side conversations occurred around me, filling the silent air with a comforting buzz. No sirens were on despite the flashing lights as I threaded fingers through her hair, not caring about the braid, and squeezed her tightly.
Her body shuddered as Sheriff Jones placed some gauze against the wound on my arm. He didn’t say anything; instead, he silently applied pressure, simply waiting and giving us the minute that we needed.
Eventually she unhooked her legs from my waist and slid to the floor. Keeping my gaze locked onto her gray eyes, I gave her a gentle smile but spoke to the man beside me. “So, why were you already on your way here?”
The sheriff chuckled as I quickly smoothed down some of Briar’s hair. “Believe it or not, because of that man you just beat up,” Jones replied. “How about we sit down, let the paramedics stitch and clean you up, and talk.”
“You found something,” I stated, glancing away from the girl who kept her arms around my waist.
He nodded once. “We found something,” he muttered, sending an ominous message with his response.
Briar stiffly inhaled as I glanced back down at her eyes. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and chewed, stepping even tighter against me. It seemed she didn’t care about the blood that stained my clothes, the iron that dripped down my arm or trickled from my knuckles. All she cared about was being close to me. I quickly pressed my lips to her warm forehead.
And for a moment, I soaked it in, knowing that whatever news that the sheriff was about to spill, only compounded our situation.
Chapter 25
CASSIDY
Placing a pack of frozen peas to my side, I leaned back in the kitchen chair. Stitched up, cleaned up, bandaged, and ready to go, Sheriff Jones sat opposite of me as Briar quietly climbed into my lap. Despite the insanity and confusion, and the completely pressing matter at hand, my mind focused on nothing but the beautiful woman who leaned her head against my chest.
Here she was, mindlessly cuddling up in my lap. She’d sought me out, again, wanting my touch, my comfort, and there was little that I could do to stop the roaring heat rising in my stomach. I needed a distraction, or this would go in an uncontrollable direction quickly.
“So, who was that guy?” I asked, breaking the silence. My fingers found Briar’s braid, and I slowly tugged the tie out from the end of it. She didn’t stop me as I twisted the ends around each of my digits and gently began to unwind her silky strands.
“The drunk driver that hit you the other night—Levi Jenkins. He was out on bail after being arrested for another DUI,” the sheriff began.
“Wait, what?” Briar gasped as I sat up a little higher, my fingers tensed against her hair. Silky hair that was drawing what should’ve been my undivided attention away from Sheriff Jones.
Clearing my throat, I narrowed my gaze toward the officer. “I don’t get it. It was just an accident. Wasn’t it?” I asked, working her braid completely undone as her eyes widened, frightened.
“There’s more.”
“More?” she exclaimed, squeaking, and her fingers suddenly dug into my thigh. The ache from her nails was merely a dull thud combining with everything else hurting at the moment. Though, there was a usually dormant side of myself that didn’t mind. In fact, I was relishing that she latched onto me tighter.
“More.” He nodded. “Look, I’m not going to lie to you, even if there wasn’t this little detail I’m about to share with you, my suspicions are raised.”
“Go on,” I encouraged, slowly combing my fingers through her tresses.
“You remember the trespassers that we assumed were there either illegally hunting or looking to poach some cattle?” Sheriff Jones hesitantly began.
“’Course I remember that,” I answered. “They came after us. Never before in my life has that happened.”
“Exactly. Why would people doing illegal stuff on someone else’s property attack the very people who could get them arrested.” He raised his brows and crossed his arms.
“Where you going with this, Sheriff?” I questioned, seeing his eyes narrow.
“Well, a guy showed up last night around eleven in the evening with an infection in his shoulder. Cause of the infection: a poorly treated gunshot wound. You told me that you were pretty sure you nailed one of them in the shoulder.” The sheriff closed his eyes, running his hand across his clean-shaven face. “He was alone, and completely out of it, but he matched the brief description you gave. And in his delirium, he mumbled a name.”
“What name did he say?” I stated.
“The guy in the hospital said the name of our drunk driver. Once we got both of their identifications, I saw they’re both flagged as being suspected members of a poaching ring. The next wild thing is the fact that Levi apparently decided to use his momentary time out of jail to try and come back here, and, at least in my assumption, to try to kill you.” He paused and pulled his lips through his teeth. “Cassidy, I’ve known you and your family my entire life. But the coincidences are too glaringly in my face to not raise questions. So, this is not me accusing you, but last time there was something strange going on, Carly happened,” he finished, and his eyes darted from mine to Briar’s.
