Page 22 of The Hunt

“No. I’m good. He just shoved me a little. I twisted my ankle in the high heels I had no business wearing, but it’s almost back to normal.”

“Anyway, to make a long story short,” Hala said. “The guy grabbed Aubrey and practically dragged her almost ten feet by her arm. Saying she had to go with him. That she owed him something, for some reason. I’m surprised she didn’t break a leg in those heels, he was so rough.”

Chad was getting the picture here. And it wasn’t one he was going to forget anytime soon. “He finally left? Or did you call the police? Do you want Chantal to call Charlie?”

“You should have,” Giavonna said bluntly, concern on her face. “This was assault, Aub. He shouldn’t get away with it.”

“If I called the police, it would get all over town, as well as the hospital. I can’t afford that. I won’t be the center of gossip in town, too. People say enough nasty things about me at the hospital, as it is. I don’t want them talking about me in town, too. Or want it trickling to my sister. Justin Michaels has a lot of friends here. I won’t lose my job, but they can make it unpleasant enough for me to quit. I have bills to pay, and Ayla is settled in here. I don’t want to have to uproot her again. I don’t.”

“They won’t cause trouble for long,” Chad said. He shared a look with Guthrie, who nodded sharply. The other man understood.

Neither of them had missed the fear, the panic, beneath Aubrey’s words. Not even for a moment. Aubrey was afraid. Really afraid.

The rest of the Hiller brothers were rumbling now, demanding to know who the man was, and why the bastard had put his hands on their smallest sister and her friend. Since what had happened to Greer when she’d been nine, they had been extra protective over their sisters.

Chad completely understood.

Even Gunn, the minister at the church a quarter of a mile away, was angry.

So was Chad.

And first chance he had, he’d be making sure Dr. Michaels understood. No man was touching Genny like that again. Or Aubrey, while he was at it, too. He had no doubt the fear in the blonde’s gorgeous blue eyes was genuine.

“So how did you finally get rid of him?” Guthrie asked, setting the first stitch.

Aubrey pulled in a sharp breath, but she didn’t pull away. Tough girl, through and through. Chad was beginning to think he had misjudged her a bit.

“Greer. She came at him with Ayla’s cane,” Aubrey said, her voice tight. Her little sister grabbed her free hand and held it.

“I keep a cane by the door, so I don’t have to use Tweedledee and Tweedledum when I just go to the mailbox,” the other blonde added. She was in the chair next to her sister, an inquisitive look in her big blue eyes, crutches propped up where she could reach them easily. “Greer used it proudly in a way I don’t think it was ever intended to be used.”

“We all made it clear the guy was leaving,” Greer said. “I think he got the message.”

“You delivered it quite well,” Genny said. “I am very proud of you, baby sister.”

“And how did you do that?” Grady asked. “Or do I really want to know?”

“Easy. We spoke to him in a language he could understand,” Hala grinned a wicked grin.

She definitely had the whole adorable thing going on now that she’d grown up. Damn it. Chad had seriously missed what was going on around him with the girls.

Thewomen.

He’d been an idiot. They all needed to just be scooped up and put somewhere safe where the dogs of the world like Justin Michaels couldn’t even catch their scents. Protected. Every last one of them.

“Greer took the cane to the headlights of the jerk’s car,” Hala said.

“He went after Greer after that,” Genny said, quietly, so only Chad and Guthrie heard. “But together, we all stopped him andmade him leave. I had my phone out recording him. And Hala had hers—she filmed the whole thing. She was about to call the sheriff. But he left. Aubrey doesn’t want us to report him.”

“No, I don’t. I…just…can’t, right now,” Aubrey said. “I can’t afford the trouble a man like him would bring. He’s a lot better connected around the hospital than I am. And has an aunt on the board. I have Caine, and that’s it.”

Well, Caine Alvaro was a pretty strong ally to have in one’s arsenal. Especially considering his father-in-law was Jordan Carrington, of the Carrington Medical empire. But…Aubrey didn’t see that.

Chad revised his initial opinion—he had greatly misjudged her. He would have to rectify that. Maybe by starting with Dr. Justin Michaels, orthopedist. He wouldn’t need that little blonde’s cane, either. His fists would do the trick easily enough.

“Then he’s going to do this again. To someone else,” Guthrie pointed out bluntly. “Then it will be on your conscience. Is that what you want?”

Chad knew the other man was right, but…Guthrie didn’t have to be that harsh. It was obvious Aubrey was afraid and hurting. And a woman afraid was all it took to get the Hiller brothers riled up to protect. To battle.

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