Dammit, how do I always end up in these situations? At least this time, it’s just a knife stab. That hurts a lot less than being shot, and the healing time should be less.
At least this time, it wasn’t me who killed the bastard.
Two thoughts I never expect to have in my life.
I open my eyes and see Colt standing across the room, looking out the window. The pain in my chest has nothing to do with the slice from the knife and the subsequent stitches.
Earlier today, Jed broke into my house, coming after Riley, my brother Blaze’s girlfriend. She had run from him a while ago because he was abusive, and no one in the small town she lived in would help her.
She took off and by the grace of God, a trucker named Lilly picked her up. Lilly brought Riley here in Rock Springs Texas on her regular stop, and somehow Riley ended up in our barn. Blaze hasn’t left her side since then. It reminds me of how Colt and I used to be.
When we got her to press charges, Jed fled and later ends up at the house. After some fighting, he sliced my chest deep, but Blaze came in and shot him dead.
Thank God for Texas and the charges already against Jed, the fact he broke in, hit Riley hard, and my knife wound, Blaze won’t be charged. The sheriff, who is a family friend, already has promised us that.
My mind thinks back to the last time I was in a hospital bed. Colt was by my side then too. He never left, of course, we were kind of dating then even though no one knew it.
Nine Years Ago
Mac isn’t in school today. I know something is wrong. I had seen the signs of abuse. He knows I know, but we don’t talk about it. His dad was out of town last weekend for work, so he spent the weekend at home with us.
It’s the first time he has been so relaxed, but also the first time I got to see the bruises he keeps covered. Mom and Dad know we have to help him.
But when he doesn’t show up at school today, I just know something bad has happened. So, I leave school and go home to get my gun, the one I learned how to shoot better than anyone in town after the issues with my sperm donor.
The gun that freed Colt.
Then I text Blaze and Colt to tell them what’s going on. I know they won’t be far behind me. Mac lives on the local Indian reservation. But from what I can tell, they have asked too many questions of his dad, so he has been sent to our school in town.
My family has always had a great relationship with the reservation, and I can just hope that keeps up after today.
I get to Mac’s house, and I hear the yelling even before I get out of the car. Mac’s mom died of cancer a few years back, and his dad hasn’t been right ever since. The more he drinks, the worse it gets. Mac has an older sister who is seventeen, and I know he takes the brunt to protect her.
From what I can tell, she turns eighteen in a few weeks and has planned to try to get custody of Mac and get away from their dad. Too bad she can’t do it now.
I send a final text to Blaze and Colt telling them his dad is here, and it’s bad. They text back, telling me to wait. They are minutes away. I don’t answer. I won’t lie to them, but I won’t wait either.
I get out of the car and peek in a window. I see some movement and notice his sister in the corner crying. She sees me, and her eyes go wide. I hold my finger to my mouth, telling her to be quiet. She nods.
‘Where are they?’ I mouth. She points toward the kitchen in the back of the house. I can’t see them from here, but I can hear them.
I quietly open the door and beckon her outside. She looks toward the kitchen, then moves as quietly as she can.
“Get in my car and lock the doors. Get down on the floor. Take my phone and call 911,” I whisper in her ear. She nods and runs off. I quietly move around the room to peek into the kitchen. I see Mac’s dad has him pressed against the wall by his throat. Mac, even though he’s only thirteen, is an inch bigger than his dad. My heart hurts seeing him like this. Mac has a black eye, a split lip, and a gash at his temple, and he’s fighting to stay conscious. I don’t have time to wait for Blaze and Colt.
I also don’t see his dad has a gun. I step out from behind the wall and say, “Put him down,” in hopes of bringing his attention to me. It works, but he pulls a gun on me. Thanks to my training, I pull mine, and we each get off a shot before my world goes dark.
His bullet hits my shoulder, mine hits him between the eyes. I wake up in the hospital room, and Colt is right beside me for the weeks I’m there. He takes me to every physical therapy appointment and is my rock.
A lot has happened over the years, but my feelings for Colt haven’t changed. I guess now it’s time to face it. After a second near-death experience, I don’t have hope to walk out of a third one alive. Now or never.
The rest of my family has been here this evening, but they all have gone home. I know Colt won’t leave my side tonight. Blaze won’t leave Riley’s side, so I know she’s safe. Hunter will watch out for Megan, and I know Jason and Mac will watch Mom and Dad. I can relax a bit.
“We need to talk about it,” I say.
He turns around, and his eyes snap to mine. I see a split moment of relief seeing me awake and talking before he asks, “About what?”
I take a deep breath. “Why I left.”
He paces the room, and I take in his tall six-foot, one-inch build with brown hair and green eyes, a chiseled jaw, a tan from working outside. He has the cowboy body with muscles for days.
He has a new tattoo on his arm that wasn’t there when we were kids, but I haven’t been able to get a good look at it since we avoid each other as much as possible.
He has always been good looking, even a kid, but it’s hard to look at him now and not want to rip his clothes off and have my way with him. I guess that’s why I’ve been avoiding talking to him.
“Not now, Sage,” he finally says.
“Colt, it wasn’t about you.”
“Sure as hell felt like it was.”
“I know, it’s just…” I whisper but take a deep breath, resting my head back on the pillow. “That night before graduation was the best night of my life.”
He looks at me, and his eyes soften. “Mine too,” he says and walks back toward the bed.
“But I panicked. Who meets their soulmate at six years old? Then when you said you loved me, you used the same words my sperm donor would say to my bio mom, and I had flashbacks. I freaked out. Okay? I freaked. I was scared, and I didn’t know any better.”
“Two years, Sage. You were gone for two years.”
“I know, but you never called, texted, or came after me either. Then I heard you were sleeping around. I came back for Megan’s graduation. I had planned to stay but when Kelli told me you were with her and how she had tamed you and you two were together, I cried myself to sleep that night. I left again the next day.” I see his face go pale as I tell him what happened.
“What did she say?”
“Does it really matter?”
“Yes.”
I sigh and look up at the ceiling. “She said you were known around town as a great lay and had a new woman every weekend, but she had finally locked you down. She said you two were in love.”
He paces again, running his fingers through his hair.
“None of that was true. Dammit,” he mutters the last part more to himself.
This catches my attention, and I look over at him again. “What? I still see you two around each other now. What wasn’t true?”
“By Megan’s graduation, I hadn’t slept with anyone. I had been spending time at the bar, but I’d see a woman get trashed. I’d make sure they got home okay. I never touched them, kissed them, nothing.”
He pauses and takes a deep breath. “I kept thinking if it was you, I’d want someone to make sure you got home okay. I guess I was hoping if I did enough good, the big man upstairs would watch out for you.” Another pause and another deep breath. “When you left after Megan’s graduation, I was so mad and hurt. I did sleep with Kelli then. It was only sex, and she knew that from the beginning. It stopped when you came back into town.”
I shake my head, trying to make sense of everything. “She was always telling me about all these dates you guys would go on. They always corresponded with nights you came home late.”
“So, you believe her over me? After all this time, after everything, what I say means nothing?” He raises his voice.
“No, Colt,” I say, barely above a whisper. I can’t stop the tears that hit my eyes.