Page 60 of Boss

Kassidy crawled through the window into the snow that was still falling. At first there was ringing in her ears. And then there was something more. It was a soft thumping. Thinking it could be her heartbeat, she fell over to her back and looked up to the grey clouded sky. The truck, the roll, and the glass smashing in, all of it reminded her of the day her family died. Remembering how at only six years old, she had to watch her family burn to death in the car fire. The memory was one locked away her mind. Years of therapy had kept it that way until now. She wept.

Kassidy tried to lift her head to look out to the road.

“Mama!” she called out.

“Daddy!” she wept.

Again her vision blurred and corrected, and she saw her parents. They weren't dead. They were standing over her and smiling.

“Mama!” she cried out again.

“Daddy! Help me!” she managed to roll over and get to her hands and knees.

She crawled away from the vehicle to the road. She saw nothing but white, and the glare of the day through her squinted eyes.

“Help—” Kassidy pushed up with her hands and managed to stand. No. No! It wasn't her parents. It was him. He rode a black horse and wore a cowboy hat that covered his face in shadow. He rode fast toward her like the devil himself. Kassidy turned to run but stumbled over her own feet. All she could manage was a stagger.

27.

Tarek looked to the crash scene, and then to Kassidy as she limped away. “Easy, Smoke, Whoa, girl,” he said and pulled on the reins of the horse. The mare slowed to a trot. Tarek couldn’t tell if Kassidy was hurt or not. But from the look of his Sema, she was lucky to be alive.

“Stay!” he commanded as he got down from Smoke.

How bad was she hurt? He went after her. Tarek could hear her screaming for her mother and father, which further confused and alarmed him. And she tried to run faster. When she dropped to her hands and knees, he seized her. This time she was too weak to fight him off. “Mama? Daddy!” she begged.

“It's me. I'm sorry. Fuck. You’re hurt. You’re hurt pretty bad. Let me help,” he pleaded as he struggled to get a hold of her.

“Someone please help my momma, please help them! Help me!”

He swept her up into his arms and held her to his chest. It was the only thing he could think to do. She wept in his arms and Tarek nearly came apart at the sound of her sorrow. He drew her away from his chest and looked into her face. There was no bruising to her face, just the little one over her brow. However, she did have scratches from the shattered windshield.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Forgive me Kassandra” he pleaded.

She continued to cry when he heaved her up into his arms. Her round brown eyes misted over with tears. She bit down on her lip, uncertain of his sincerity, but scared enough to cling to it. He was a monster. At least he’d behaved like one. And because of him she was almost killed. He carried her back toward Smoke. The horse took a step back at their approach, unsure of them both. “It’s okay, girl. This is Kassandra. We need to get her home. Now,” he said.

28.

Kassidy didn’t know what to make of the maddening behavior of Tarek Marshall. She was disoriented. Her mind kept switching from the past to the present and then back to the past again.

“My parents, did you save them?” she asked.

Tarek frowned at her question. Kassidy had prayed so hard the night of the accident for someone to come down the road and discover them. Coming out of her daydream she noticed that Tarek delivered her to the horse, almost as if she were his new bride. She’d never ridden an animal before.

“I can't... I don't want too...” she protested.

“Grab the horn,” he said against her ear because her face was so close to his. She glanced at him and then at the top handle of the saddle. She did as he said. He heaved her up by pushing on her rump and thighs and she ignored the way his touch felt helpful and reassuring. She was able to heave herself over the horses back, and straddle the saddle with one final push. The horse took a step forward and Kassidy slumped over the animal.

“Good girl.” Tarek smiled for her. “Now my turn,” he told her. She scooted forward and he went over and behind her like a true cowboy. They were both on the horse now with him pressed against her backside. “Smoke, Home,” he commanded after the cluck of his tongue. He turned the horse and they started back.

Kassidy fought back against her dizzying headache. Despite her hatred of the man, and what he represented, she took comfort by leaning back against him. The protective hold of his strong arms around her kept her in place. He didn’t seem to react to their closeness and she was grateful for that because it wasn’t her intent to flirt. She was just tired of fighting. Her eyes started to flutter.

“Don’t close your eyes, Kassandra,” his deep authoritative voice warned. “Keep them open for me. You’ve hit your head twice darling. And I don’t know... how bad things are.”

“Doctor, I need a doctor,” she said in a weak voice she loathed.

“I agree. This ends now. I’ll call for help.”

Her eyes stretched open at his accession making her glance back at him. He didn’t look at her at least she didn’t think so. His black Stetson was pulled down low over his brow and he kept his gaze on the road. A deep pang of regret hit her. Maybe, she admitted, just maybe, this was her fault too. Not that she deserved his attack of her and Daniel. Violence was never something to be justified. But she did provoke the situation. There was enough guilt to be shared.

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