Dixie Lynn Dwyer (3 page)

“He’s five minutes from here. Not a long ride, baby.” He placed his hand on her thigh and she stiffened. She wasn’t used to this type of attention or show of care. She questioned his intentions. It was learned behavior and her distrust of men. She tried to focus on how to get him away from her. Go see the doctor, get back to the club, and take some painkillers. She pulled her leg away so that his hand fell off. She snuggled closer to the door and as far away from his body as she could.

Before he drove, she saw him texting on his phone, and then he carefully pulled out of the parking lot. By the time they arrived at Doctor Frank’s house, he was waiting for them outside.

* * * *

As the sheriff began to help her remove her blouse, she gripped it tighter. “No. It stays on.”

He looked at her strangely and then at the doctor. “I can check her with it on,” Doctor Frank stated.

The back door opened and Monte stepped in, looking angry and concerned. She swallowed hard and tried to cover herself. He was taller than BJ by a few inches. His dark eyes matched his onyx hair.

“Maybe she needs some privacy,” the doctor suggested.

“She knows Monte. She’ll be fine,” the sheriff answered for her, but the truth was, she wasn’t fine. The pain instantly subsided and was replaced with complete and utter lust. Combined with the little twinge of fear she felt at seeing Monte, she was losing her calmness. She had too much to lose if these men found out about her past, and too many questions would be asked if they saw her scars. No, she couldn’t let BJ get the upper hand on her again, and she sure couldn’t be alone with the two of them.

She looked up at Monte as the doctor lifted only the front of her shirt to see her ribs. He pressed lightly, and she only cringed where the direct hit had occurred. Monte held her gaze until she turned away from him.

Around town, Monte was a mystery, yet people knew to avoid getting in his way or even speaking with him. They were scared of him, and that sent her emotions into a swirl of uncertainty and fear. Had he committed some sort of crime? She’d heard rumors that he was discharged from the military and then rumors that he still did secret work for the military. The rumors went on and on. No one was certain, but he sure appeared mysterious and also very serious.

* * * *

BJ tried his hardest to remain calm. He was lucky he hadn’t killed both men back there for attacking his woman. Susanna was his woman and his brother’s. After tonight, he was making it his mission to get through to her and break down those walls she’d built up over the years. This wasn’t a game, and he and Monte had waited long enough.

“I think your ribs are just badly bruised, but I want to be certain. The sheriff said you took a hard hit to the side with the piece of wood. Let’s take an X-ray.” Doctor Frank took her hand and helped her down off the table. Both BJ and Monte reached for her, but she was already down and in the care of the doctor. She gave them a look over her shoulder as the doctor helped her.

The doctor had an X-ray machine he used in his small home office while BJ and Monte waited in the other room.

“I can give you a gown to wear while I take the X-ray,” Dr. Frank told her. They were alone in the small room and she felt less exposed. She shook her head.

“You’ll have to take off the blouse.”

“I’ll keep it on.”

He stared at her a minute then took a deep breath.

“I’m trustworthy. I’m married and share my wife with my two brothers Jim and Troy. I’ve lived in Delite all my life. We’ve come to your place, Dixie Chix, and love it. It’s a nice establishment.”

She swallowed hard. He seemed like a trustworthy man she could tell but she didn’t want him to see her back. Although the lines had grown faint, they were still there and still noticeable. They were the damage done by a man she thought was her saving grace and lover. She suffered the consequences of her bad judgment until it nearly killed her.

“I appreciate your honesty, and I’m glad you like Dixie Chix, but I need to take advantage of the whole patient-doctor confidentiality thing, or we can just forget about the X-rays and the fact that we even met. I’m not sure if you can do that or not since I’m technically not a patient of yours, but it’s the way it has to be or I’m out of here, like right now.”

He raised one eyebrow at her. “I can offer that to you if it makes you more comfortable. I don’t want to cause you any trouble. I’ve had to do a few things under the radar, if you know what I mean?” He smiled.

She ran her fingers over the material of the blouse.

“You tell no one what you saw or that I was ever here.”

He was surprised by the seriousness of her tone. She could tell, but she didn’t give a shit. This information could cause trouble for her and her friends.

He nodded his head, and she removed her blouse.

He stared at her a moment, and then she turned around, pulling her long hair over one shoulder and to the front of her, revealing her back and a reminder of her past.

She heard his intake of breath, and she looked over her bare shoulder at him.

“No information, no questions, you never saw anything. Let’s do the X-rays.”

* * * *

“What the fuck happened back at Dixie Chix?” Monte asked as he leaned against the doorframe staring at the closed door where Susanna was.

BJ explained.

“You left her for five minutes and this happens?”

“I’m lucky that Carl knows that you and I are interested in Susanna, or I would have left there while this was going on in the back room. He called me on my cell phone and said she needed backup and was in trouble. I just wish he’d called me as soon as she headed downstairs all fired up and ready to take on men twice her size.”

“That type of shit can’t happen, BJ. Our woman is not going to place herself in harm’s way like that.”

“I’m worried about her.”

“Well, I did have a few minutes with her up in the office before we were interrupted.”

Monte raised his eyebrow.

BJ looked around to be certain they were alone. “I told her that we wanted her and I kissed her.”

“How was it? What was her response?”

“She kissed me back, but then she froze up as if something came into her mind. I released her, and she began to say she didn’t know what to do when we were interrupted. She’s attracted to me, to both of us. I’m certain.”

“How do you know she wants both of us?”

“Because she didn’t freak out when I mentioned us as a package and about the three of us pussyfooting around our attraction.”

The door opened, and both Susanna and the doctor came out. Susanna’s ribs were wrapped in an Ace bandage as the doctor pulled together some bottles of medicine.

“They’re badly bruised but not broken. Lucky for her. I hope you got the sons of bitches that did this handiwork.”

“I sure did, Doc. I appreciate you helping us out tonight,” BJ stated. Frank seemed different. It was just a feeling BJ got as they made eye contact.

“Not a problem. She’s a beautiful young woman that needs taking care of. Now you two be sure to keep her comfortable and come back to see me in a few days or sooner if she feels worse.”

“We’ll take care of her, don’t worry,” BJ replied.

The doctor explained the dosage and what to expect with the painkillers as Monte walked over to Susanna to help her to the door. Her blouse was torn at the shoulder, and a tear revealed part of her bra and breast. She covered it with the palm of her hand as they walked toward the door.

* * * *

Monte was trying to remain a gentleman here, but the sight of Susanna’s breast pouring from her white silk bra and being this close to her was just too much for him. He focused on helping her walk across the room, but the piece of fabric fell from her hand, revealing more skin and part of her bra and breast. He reached for the material and tried to place the torn fabric over her exposed skin as she reached for the door in a hurry to leave. She pushed his hand away.

“I got it,” she scolded.

“I was just trying to help.” He held her gaze and wondered why she was on the defensive. She was stunning, with long blonde hair and great big green eyes. He was lost in thought, imagining her naked and in their bed, when he noticed the long, dull scar by her collarbone.

As if she sensed where his eyes stared, she abruptly pulled the shirt tighter, causing her ribs to ache.

“Don’t move so quickly.” He held her by her hip bones to steady her.

“Good night,” Frank called after them, and they both turned back.

They said thank you and then headed out the door.

“I appreciate your help. This was better than sitting around the ER. I can’t believe my ribs are bruised,” Susanna stated as she slowly walked to BJ’s truck with both his and Monte’s assistance.

“Thank God they’re not broken. That piece of shit hit you so damn hard.” BJ clenched his teeth as he opened the truck door.

This time Monte lifted her up gently and held her to him a moment. He stared at her, and she looked toward the seat, and then as if she realized he wasn’t moving, she looked at him again. Their gazes locked, and he knew he had a scowl on his face, but he was pissed off and worried.

“What is it, Monte?” she asked in a voice that sounded like she was scared.

“Nothing.”

He placed her gently onto the high seat of his brother’s truck and helped to strap her in. The scent of her perfume, sweet and fresh, attacked his senses. He wanted to kiss her so badly, but he knew if he did, he wouldn’t hold back. He would take what he longed for and what his dominant side wanted from his woman. She may not be his yet, but she would be soon enough. Tonight’s scare, the emergency text from his brother, was enough to take some years off of his life. He slowly closed the door as Susanna leaned her head back to rest. He saw the beads of sweat on her forehead. She was trying to blow off the real pain she was in and hide it from him and BJ. That was unacceptable.

He felt the hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, she’s okay. I fucking got there in time, and Carl and Richie know to keep a close eye on the women,” BJ stated.

“It could have been worse.” Monte walked back to his Ferrari that he’d parked cock-eyed behind BJ’s truck.

He realized how worried he was and how frantic he was to get to her.

He got in his truck and followed BJ out of the parking lot. He hoped his brother talked her into going back to their ranch so they could care for her.

As they turned onto Price Street, he knew his brother had failed to convince her. They were headed back to Dixie Chix. Damn it to hell, Susanna was a stubborn woman who needed to learn to trust him and his brother. They were practically in love with her already.

“Holy shit, Susanna, I can’t believe that Don and Brent attacked you,” Ava stated as she stood in the main bar area of the club. Juliet, Paula, and Elise were there as well, and they all felt concerned for Susanna. She was trying to play it off as no big deal, but they knew part of her story. They’d shared tough times together over the past four years. Susanna’s cousins Alexa and Sally were still on the run from their troubled pasts. Every day they all hoped to hear from them that they were coming to Delite to live with them.

Susanna shifted as she leaned against the bar. She eyed the bartenders Clara, Vince, and Thomas, being sure that they were listening as she placed her palm against her side. She was dressed beautifully as usual. Susanna was a class act, a true Southern belle originally from Alabama.

“I’m fine and everything is going to be okay. I should have nipped this situation in the bud weeks ago, but I was trying to avoid a potential problem and that’s exactly what I wound up with,” Susanna stated.

“The sheriff warned us. Plus, we all witnessed Don trying to sneak young women in here often enough,” Juliet added.

Ava looked at Susanna. “You don’t have to be down here tonight. You should be resting those ribs so they heal faster.”

“I’ll be just fine. Don’t you worry. We’ve got a big night tonight. The electric bull is fixed, and the band you and I hired, Ava, is all set for the weekend. It’s Friday night and there’s already a line at the door waiting to get in.” They all turned toward the front entranceway.

Dixie Chix had four bars in total with one main bar in the center of the oval dance floor where all the country dancing took place.

“Juliet, are you all well stocked in the main bar and is your staff ready?” Susanna asked as she did every night and especially on their busier nights.

“Sure are, and we have those special boot-shaped rock-candy mixers to place in the mixed drinks, too.”

“That was a great idea, Ava, and it seems to be increasing the hard liquor sales as we hoped for,” Susanna told them, and they smiled. “Paula, Elise, are you all set with the bars, the bouncers, and main-floor security?”

“We sure are, plus the sheriff stopped in and went over some ideas with us today while you were upstairs,” Elise added, and Ava cringed as she saw Susanna’s expression change.

“He came here and he did what?” she asked.