Page 91 of Sweet Surrender
“Now I have your attention, here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to get rid of that meathead you’re pretending to give a shit about and call off that fucking Sheriff. Then we’re going to be together, we’ll live happily ever after once we’ve left town. I know without any other…distractions…we’ll get back the love we had.”
He bent down, the movement putting more pressure on her hand and a pained whimper slipped from her. He stroked a hand down her body, cupping her ass and she squirmed to get him off.
“How I’ve missed you, baby,” he purred and her stomach churned. “The only question is can I wait to have you?” She tried not to vomit at the thought.
Then she heard it. Footsteps on the wooden decking outside and whistling.
“I bet that’s lover boy now,” Dale hissed in her ear. “Should we invite him in, dispense with the first distraction now?”
She froze. This new fear was nothing like what she felt moments ago. “No! Let’s just leave, get away, just the two of us. It’ll be like old times!” she said, trying to keep the edge of hysteria out of her voice.
“That sounds perfect,” Dale replied, using the blade of the knife to brush the hair back from her face and she tried not to flinch. “But I need to get rid of him. I saw him kissing you, he took what’s mine and he needs to be punished.” He pulled away and headed for the door.
“No! Beau, run!” she screamed.
“You bitch!” Dale shouted. Whirling on her, he kicked his leg out and her hand was too slow to protect her face. Pain ricocheted across her cheek and lip, stars winking behind her eyes.
“Taylor?” She heard Beau’s voice but she couldn’t form words. Then the door opened and he saw her. “Taylor!”
“Don’t touch her!” Dale screamed, launching himself at Beau.
“No!” Terror filled Taylor as they both tumbled to the ground, the knife gleaming and then disappearing. She tried to get to them but her body was sluggish, her face on fire and everything hurt. The men were locked together. She could hear the sounds of flesh against flesh. Grunts filled the room. She hauled herself to her feet and shot forward on wobbly legs.
“Taylor, run! Get out of here!” Beau shouted. It was sweet that he was trying to save her, but she would never leave him. Her hand was fucked so she used her bodyweight, just like Beau had taught her and threw herself at Dale, knocking him sideways. She tipped, the movement catching her off-guard then Beau grabbed her, dragging her towards the door. Dale rallied and came at her from the side, knife raised, enraged that she’d betrayed him and tried to help Beau.
Beau twisted and leapt in front, blocking Dale’s move for her. Beau ducked and swung, nailing Dale in the ribs but it didn’t slow the motion of the knife coming down. Taylor couldn’t move, frozen as she watched that knife slicing towards Beau’s chest.
Two shots rang out and Taylor screamed as Dale lurched forward and collapsed onto Beau, both of them crashing to the ground. She spun and saw Blake in the doorway, expression deadly, smoke curling from the barrel of his gun.
Beau hauled himself out from under Dale. Taylor ran to him, checking him for wounds. When she didn’t find any, she burst into tears and for once she didn’t reprimand herself for the emotion.
“Shh, sweetheart. I got you, it’s okay,” Beau murmured, stroking her hair. “Nice timing man,” he said, peering over her shoulder to Blake.
“My officer watching the bar didn’t check in when he was supposed to. I’m naturally a suspicious guy, turns out for good reason,” Blake said. He holstered his weapon and went over to Dale’s body, bending to check his pulse before he shook his head. “He’s gone.”
“I’m gonna be sick,” Taylor said. She ran for the restroom with Beau hot on her heels, holding her hair back while she emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet. Then he got some wet paper towels and dabbed her face, frowning at her injuries. He threw the towels in the sink and turned away from her.
“Beau, are you okay?”
He sighed and turned to her, a new expression of torment in his eyes.
“Everything is fine now,” she said and he leveled a dark look at her. “What else do you want me to say? I told you to run and you didn’t.” she continued.
“You think that’s what I’m mad at? That I didn’t run when I had the chance?”
“Aren’t you?”
“Fuck no. Besides, you didn’t run when I told you to either,” he said.
“I couldn’t leave you with him!” she cried.
“Ditto!” he snapped back. They fumed at each other. He folded his arms across his chest all anger and raw masculinity and she just wanted to curl up in his arms. Arms that were bleeding.
“Oh my God, come here,” she pawed at him and he shook her off.
“It’s fine, he barely got me. Come on, Blake will have questions.” He held the bathroom door open and followed her out. More officers had turned up and were cordoning off the bar. Blake broke away and headed over to them.
“I’ll need you both to come to the station to give statements. The paramedics are outside to take a look at you first.” He squeezed Taylor’s arm affectionately before patting Beau on the back in that manly way that signified emotion.
