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“That’s where you and I disagree, brother,” Alec drawled. “Both of you are very much my business. Especially when you’re walking around being more of an asshole than usual, and she’s fading bit by bit right in front of me.”
“Dramatic much?” West forced himself to say. But, in reality, he knew what Alec was saying was true. Worry churned in his gut. Flick didn’t have the same radiance she usually did. Everything was getting to her.
“Maybe you haven’t noticed, although I doubt that, but that girl isn’t eating. She’s not sleeping. And she’s a shadow of what she was.”
“She’s going through a lot,” West pointed out.
“Yep. And she was doing pretty good until a few days ago. Something happened between the two of you. What was it?”
West slammed his hands down on his hips. “What it is, is none of your business.”
“Is it about Lana? Is it because you think you should remain loyal to her? That you’ll only ever love her? Because that’s bullshit.”
“Lana is the only woman I’ve ever loved.”
“You were practically a child back then, West. You’ve spent years devoted to Lana’s memory. It wasn’t your fault she died. I’m not saying you didn’t love her. I’m just saying it’s all right to love someone else.”
“Jesus, is this what we’ve are now? Is this what you’ve become since Mia came along? Now we have to talk about feelings and shit?”
“You pull your head out of your ass and we won’t have to do,” Alec growled back at him. They both paused and looked over as Jake drove up in his sheriff’s truck. He climbed out. His face was serious as he looked around. They’d begun discussing the brazen cattle thieves when Jake’s radio crackled. He grabbed it, walking swiftly away.
Alec’s phone rang and, as he listened to whomever spoke on the other end, his face turned to stone. Both men turned to look at West.
“What is it?” His heart raced. All he could think about was Flick. Something had happened Flick. The horror on Alec’s face told him as much.
“Flick and Beau were shot at,” Alec told him. “We need to get back. Now.” West didn’t want to hear more, he raced as fast as he could to his truck. At times like this, he cursed his leg. It didn’t slow him down much otherwise. But he’d never be able to run fast or for a long distance.
His heart raced and all he could think about was Flick. Her smile. Her laughter. The way she lit up the room when she walked into it. The way she lit him up.
“Is she alive?” he asked in a clipped voice as Alec raced them back towards the house.
“Raid said she’s okay,” Alec told him. “Beau’s been shot. She got him into the stables.”
How the hell had she done that? Beau had to outweigh her by over a hundred pounds. Flick was tiny and injured.
“Gonna kill that fucking bastard,” he told Alec. He was done waiting.
“Get in line.”
12
Flick was in a daze. She was aware of people talking around her. But she didn’t listen in. She kept her head down, everything that had happened earlier playing over and over in her head. Her tripping. Beau reaching for her. Both of them falling. The shots hitting the ground around them.
Why hadn’t he shot her? None of it made much sense to her. She remembered grabbing the rake and standing over Beau. Nearly hitting Raid when he’d raced into the stables. Everything after that was a complete blur until West had gotten there. She clearly remembered the ambulance arriving, Beau being placed in the back on a stretcher, West holding her and carrying her to his truck, and Alec driving them to the hospital.
She guessed Alec must’ve called Mia and Tanner because they’d met them there. She’d been poked and prodded by the doctor. X-rays had been taken. West had been beside her the entire time, holding her hand, speaking to her in a low, calm voice.
If Beau died it would be all her fault. They’d never speak to her again. She’d never forgive herself.
She’d been dimly aware of the doctor saying something about her shoulder. They’d given her painkillers to take when she’d refused a shot. West had gone all growly about that, but she’d wanted to remain clearheaded. She hadn’t wanted to be more out of it than she already was.
The only other time she’d spoken was to answer Jake’s questions, and then it was only because she wanted the bastard caught. She wanted her brother to pay for what he had done.
Now they were waiting for Beau to get out of surgery. Please let him live.
Someone crouched in front of her. Big hands were placed on her thighs. She imagined she might have felt the heat of them through her jeans if she’d been in a different state of mind.
“Sunshine, look at me.”
