Brody (3 page)

Brody
spun around on his stool and stood. He nodded his head at Zach and moved out
the door. He spotted Madilyn a block ahead and ran after her, catching her
before she crossed the street.

“Problem
with your date?”

Madilyn
spun around and narrowed her eyes at him. “Go away.” She crossed the street.

Brody
chuckled and trotted behind her. When she spun around, he almost ran into her.

“I mean
it Brody Thomas Morgan. Leave.
Me. Alone.”

“Shit,
using the middle name. That’s cold, Maddie.” He drew back when she slapped her
hand at him.

“Don’t
call me that.” Her jaw clenched.

“Sorry,”
Brody muttered then swore when he saw Zach running toward them. “Here comes
your boyfriend.”

Madilyn
growled. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

Brody
raised his eyebrows. “You’ve been seeing him for almost a year and he’s not
your boyfriend?”

“How do
you know how long I’ve been seeing him?” Madilyn placed her hands on her hips
and narrowed her eyes at him.

He
grinned. “I asked.”

“You…”
Her jaw went slack.

Zach
stopped beside Madilyn. “Is he bothering you?”

Brody
grunted. “What if I am?” He folded his arms across his chest. “What are you
planning on doing about it, Johnson?”

Zach
stepped forward but when Brody didn’t budge, he halted in his tracks. “You’d
love it if I took a swing, wouldn’t you? You’d arrest me.”

Brody
glanced at Zach. “We can finish this when I get off duty.” He raised an
eyebrow. While Brody and Zach stared at each other, Madilyn swore softly and
walked away.

“Your…date’s
leaving.” Brody sneered and then chuckled when Zach ran off after her.

Zach
stopped and spun around and glared at him. “I won’t have you hurting her
again.”

“What
happens between Madilyn and me is our business, not yours.” Brody stepped
toward him. He smirked when Zach backed up a step.

“I’m
not afraid of you, Morgan.”

Brody
smiled. “Yes you are.”

Zach
glared at him before he turned and ran after Madilyn. Brody folded his arms
across his chest and stared after them.

* * *
*

Madilyn
unlocked her apartment door just as Zach got to her. When he touched her arm,
she spun around and glared at him.

“Go
away, Zach.”

“Come
on, Madilyn. It isn’t my fault,” Zach pleaded.

“Seriously?
You were the one saying I’m
still in love with Brody.” Madilyn clenched her jaw.

Zach
sighed. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. Let me come in, and I’ll make it up to
you.”

No way in hell!
ran
through her mind. Going to bed
with him was not going to happen. Especially after seeing Brody in his khaki
deputy shirt with his badge pinned to it and the short sleeves tight around his
biceps. He wore jeans and the way he filled them out made her bite the inside
of her cheek to hold back a groan. She knew every inch of his hard body and loved
it. Even the tattoos he had under his shirt. Madilyn wondered if he’d had her
name removed. It was across the top of his left
pec
,
in cursive. She’d loved it when he showed it to her and she never got the
chance to reveal his name she’d had tattooed on the front of her right hip.

“No.
I’m done. I can’t go out with you anymore. Throwing Brody in my face shows me
how you really feel.” She started to push the door shut when he stuck his foot
in it. “Go away, Zach.”

“I
don’t think so.” He shoved the door open and wrapped his fingers around her
arm. “I really don’t care if you’re still in love with him or not. I’ve had it
with all the sexual frustration you put me through the past year.”

“Let go
of me,” she shouted.

Zach
jerked her to him and tried to kiss her. She kicked his shin and screamed.

“I
think she wants you to let go of her.”

Madilyn
gasped as she spun around to see Brody leaning against the doorjamb with his
arms folded across his broad chest. Her gaze swept down his body, lingering on
the worn fly of his jeans, where they emphasized his sex, and down to his worn
boots. Her eyes traveled back up to land on his gorgeous face, but Brody wasn’t
looking at her. His gaze was trained on Zach and she’d seen him mad enough
times to know he was furious.

 
Zach stared at him with his fingers still
wrapped around her bicep. She watched as Brody’s gaze moved to Zach’s hand and
back to his face. “Remove your hand, or I’ll remove it for you. Now,” he said
with deadly calm as he pushed himself away from the door and stared at Zach.
Madilyn could see a muscle in his jaw twitching, a sure sign he was on the
edge.

Zach
let go of her. “This is none of your business, Morgan.”

“I’m a
sheriff’s deputy of course it’s my business. Do you want to press charges?” He
turned his gaze to her and raised an eyebrow. She shook her head. “Leave.”
Brody jerked his head toward the door behind him.

Zach
started toward the door but Brody didn’t move, making Zach step around him.
When he was even with him, Brody growled. “Touch her again and we’ll finish
this.” When Zach started to walk past, Brody gripped his arm. “We clear on
that?” Zach nodded and Brody gave him a shove.

Madilyn
let out a breath when Zach stormed out. Brody pushed the door closed.

 
“Are you all right?” he asked.

Madilyn
nodded. “Thank you. He…” She shrugged. “He wouldn’t leave.”

“I
heard. I’m glad I decided to follow you.”

 
“Why did you?” Madilyn folded her arms.

Brody
shrugged. “I didn’t like the look in his eyes after you took off. Call it a
cop’s intuition.”

 
Madilyn tilted her head. “I’m glad you
trusted your gut.” She shivered.

 
Brody stepped toward her and ran his
hands up and down her arms. Madilyn gazed up into his brown eyes and smiled.

“Still
wearing the glasses, huh?”

Brody grumbled.
“I went through this with Sam. I can’t stand to put anything in my eyes.” He
shrugged. “I’ll always have to wear them and the older I get, the more I’ll
have to.”

Their
eyes held. His hands ran up to her shoulders, to her neck and into her hair.
Madilyn moaned. Brody lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. Her arms
circled around his waist. Brody pulled her tight against him, and took her
mouth in a deep kiss. His mouth moved across her cheek to her ear. Taking the
lobe between his teeth, he sucked it into his mouth, making her shiver.

“Brody…”
she moaned when his lips came back to hers.

 
“I want you, Madilyn. I’ve missed you so
much,” he whispered against her lips before sliding his tongue between them.

She
pulled away. “Don’t…please.”

“What
is it? You want me, I know you do.” He ran his tongue along her neck and then
inhaled deeply. “God, you smell fantastic. You always did.”

“Brody…”
His mouth interrupted her. She pushed at his shoulders, making him pull back.
“I can’t do this. Not now. Not ever.”

Brody
stepped back. “You’re not going to let it go, are you?”

Madilyn
shook her head. “Did you think I was joking when you left? I said I’d never
forgive you. I’ve moved on.”

“By
sleeping with Johnson?”
Brody growled.

“That
is none of your business,” she shouted. “Tell me you haven’t slept with anyone
since you left.”

Brody
glanced away from her and back. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

Madilyn
huffed. “That’s what I thought. You can go now.”

Brody
gave her a brisk nod and walked out, leaving Madilyn staring at the door.

Chapter Three

 
The next morning, Brody was in the office
filling out his work sheet when Sam walked in.

“How’s
it going?” Sam asked.

 
“Good.” Brody didn’t look up as he filled
out the form. He glanced up when Sam didn’t move. “What?”

“It’s
all over town you ran out of the diner to chase Madilyn.” Sam grinned.

“Jesus
Christ!” Brody took off his glasses and tossed them on the desk then he ran his
hand down his face. “I shouldn’t be surprised.”

Sam
chuckled. “No, you shouldn’t. So what was that all about?” He leaned his hip
against the table.

“I
wanted to find out why she stormed out on Johnson.”

Sam
snorted. “I don’t know what she sees in him. I never did like him.”

“Hell,
you know I never got along with him. They came into the diner and were having
dinner when she got up and stormed out.” Brody shrugged. “I wanted to know
why.”

“Brody…”

“I
know, Sam. I know. She’s still so beautiful…I just,” He sighed. “I don’t know.”

“Christ,”
Sam muttered. “Don’t hurt her again. You didn’t see what you did to her when
you left her.”

“I asked
her to go with me. She refused.” Brody stood and glared at Sam.

“You
know why she refused. Hell Brody, she’d just buried her father.”

“Tell
me this, Sam. What would you have done?”

“I
don’t know.” Sam shook his head. “I honestly don’t know.”

Brody
nodded.
“Right.
It was what I wanted to do with my
life at the time.”

“At
the time.
We
need to talk about that.” Sam narrowed his eyes. “I want to know why you left
the Marshals.”

“Suffice
it to say, I burned out.” Brody handed Sam the paperwork.

“You
know all I have to do is make a phone call?”

“I
know, but I’m hoping you’ll give me some time.” Brody shook his head. “I’ll
tell you what happened. Just give me time.”

Sam
nodded. “You got it. Go home and get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Brody
hesitated, and then nodded. He strode from the office, hopped on his bike, and
glanced toward Madilyn’s apartment complex. Sighing, he started the bike and
pulled out of the lot, heading home. He was tired. Damn nightshift about killed
him. The bike wound down the curved road and knolls as he headed home. Going
around the turn known as ‘Dead Man’s Curve’ he moved closer to the right. It
wasn’t close enough. A truck came around the curve on the wrong side and it
took every bit of Brody’s power to keep the bike upright but when it hit the
gravel, he lost it and the bike flipped. Brody hit the ditch and rolled several
times. He laid there stunned and tried to catch his breath. The truck kept
going.

 
When he tried to stand, he couldn’t. He
tried to take deep breaths. He’d bet his last dollar he had a few cracked or
broken ribs. Pulling out his cell phone, he called Sam as he lay flat on his
back in the ditch.

“Some
jerk in a truck just ran me off the road,” Brody told Sam when he answered.

“Are
you all right?”

 
“I think I might have some cracked ribs.
Son of a bitch kept going but I saw the truck enough to give you a
description.” Brody couldn’t breathe without feeling pain.

“Tell
me,” Sam demanded. He swore when Brody described it.

“You
know who it is?” Brody asked.

“Sounds
like Joe Baker. He’s always drunk. I’ll send Rick out to his place. Do you need
an ambulance and a tow truck?”

“Yes to
both. I think the bike’s totaled and I know I need to see a doctor. Why the
hell is the guy drunk at seven thirty in the morning?” Brody sighed.

“Where
are you?” Sam asked.

“Copper
Ridge.
Dead
Man’s Curve,” Brody whispered, trying not to breathe.

“It
probably was Baker. He lives out that way and he’s never sober. I’ll be right
there.”

Brody
hung up and tried to move to a sitting position but he couldn’t. He continued
to lay there as he waited for Sam. As he glanced over to the bike, he swore.
Looked like he was buying a truck sooner than he’d expected.
He heard the sirens and sighed then hissed in a breath at the pain.

An hour
later, Brody was still sitting in the hospital room waiting for the doctor to
come in. This is why he hated going to a hospital.
The
waiting.
Sighing, he laid his hand over his ribs. Damn it hurt to
breathe. Brody was about to slide off the table when a nurse stepped in the
room, pushing a wheelchair.

“Mister
Morgan? We need to take you to x-ray to check your ribs.” She glanced up at him
and smiled. Brody tried to smile but his ribs were killing him. The nurse moved
forward to help him. He tried not to breathe as he sat in the chair. “I’m sorry
you’re in pain but we can’t prescribe anything until we see exactly what’s
wrong.”

“My
ribs are cracked, that’s what’s wrong,” Brody swore. “It’s not the first time
and it probably won’t be the last.”

“I
see,” she murmured as she wheeled him down the hall to x-ray. Sam stopped them
in the hall.

“I’ll
be in the waiting room and then I’ll drive you home. You’ll need to take a few
days off.”

“Hell
no, Sam.
I
don’t need any days off,” Brody argued.

“I said
you’re taking some days off. I’m your boss.” Sam glared at him.

Brody
took a deep breath and almost passed out from the pain.
“All
right.”
Not that he wanted to, but he knew with the pain he was in he’d
be no help at all to Mark. His ribs would heal in a few days if he rested. But
he knew he could at least go into the office to help.

“I can
help in the office,” Brody suggested.

Sam
shook his head. “No. You will stay home and heal.” He glanced at the nurse.
“How long could he be out for?”

“Usually
six weeks to heal if they’re fractured. We’ll know more after the x-rays.” She
smiled up at Sam.

Brody
noticed they kept staring at each other so he coughed and regretted it the
minute he did it. Sam whipped his head around. “Are you all right?”

Brody
glared up at him until Sam grinned at him. “I’ll be in the waiting room.” He
put his fingers to his hat, smiled at the nurse and walked off. The nurse began
pushing the wheelchair down the hall again. Brody kept his hand against his
ribcage. He jumped and then groaned at the pain when the nurse ran the
wheelchair into the doorway. Brody glanced back at her.

“I’m so
sorry. I was…” Her cheeks turned pink.

“He’s
not married, if you want to know,” Brody growled. Sam never had trouble getting
women. It had always been a pissing contest between himself, Riley Madison,
Ryder Wolfe, Jake, Gabe, and Wyatt Stone, Trick Dillon, and Sam when it came to
females, but the only one he was ever interested in was Madilyn.

“He’s
not?” She sighed. “He’s gorgeous.”

“Yeah,
whatever.”
Brody muttered. He was a good-looking man himself and he had plenty of women
after him, as long as Garrett wasn’t around. Brody grunted. It never mattered
to him after he’d found Madilyn. Sam could have all the women he wanted, Brody
wanted Madilyn and no one else, and he’d royally fucked that up. The nurse
didn’t say anymore as she wheeled him into the room. The x-ray technician
helped Brody up onto the table. After the nurse told him she’d be back for him,
she left.

“We
need to take your shirt off, hon. I’m sorry but it’s going to hurt like hell,”
the technician told him. She helped him remove his shirt and stared at his
tattoos. “I love a man with tats.”

Brody
tried to smile but he was in too much pain to muster one up for her. She helped
him lie back and then left the room. She told him to hold his breath while she
took the pictures. After a few minutes, she came out and helped him put his
shirt back on. She grinned at him.

“Is
Madilyn your woman?”

Brody
glanced down to his left
pec
. “She used to be.”

“Well,
if she were smart, she’d take you back.” She winked at him.

Brody
laughed and groaned at the pain. Shaking his head, he told her. “I don’t see
that happening.”

The
technician laughed. “That’s too bad. I’m Nancy, by the way. Call me.” She stuck
a card into his shirt pocket and left to call the nurse to come back and get
him. Brody smiled.

* * *
*

 
Madilyn sat up when she heard the siren
go by and then ran to the window and watched as Sam’s SUV cruiser drove past.
He was heading out toward Copper Ridge Road. Too many accidents happened on the
winding road. Madilyn hoped it wasn’t anyone she knew. She heard a second siren
and knew it was an ambulance, which was never a good sign. It meant someone was
hurt. It was a boring evening. Zach had called her several times but she
refused to speak with him. He tried apologizing but what he’d done was
unforgivable. It could’ve gotten way out of hand if Brody hadn’t shown up. She
shivered thinking what might have happened. Maybe she should’ve pressed
charges. Was it possible Zach would do that to another woman?

Madilyn
blew out a breath. She should have told Brody she wanted to press charges. Zach
had scared her immensely. When someone knocked on her door, she flinched. Going
to the peephole, she peered through it and saw Zach. What did he think he was
doing?

 
“I know you’re in there, Madilyn. Come
on, open up so we can talk,” Zach’s voice came through the door.

“No. Go
away or I’ll call Sam.”

“You
don’t really want to do that. I’m sorry. I just want to apologize.”

“You
just did, now go,” Madilyn told him.

“Let me
say it to your face, Madilyn. Please.”

“Go
away, Zach, or I’m calling Sam,” she repeated. Madilyn heard him swear and then
a loud thump hit against the door, as if he’d struck it with his fist.

“This
isn’t over. I’ll be back,” Zach shouted.

Madilyn
backed away from the door, staring at it. Now he was scaring her. Should she
call Sam? Picking up her phone, she called the Sheriff’s Department. She knew
Sam was out but maybe Rick could come over. Betty Lou transferred her.

“Sheriff
Garrett,” Sam answered.

“Sam? I
thought Betty Lou was going to transfer me to Rick. It’s Madilyn.”

“He’s
all right, Madilyn. He just has some busted ribs.”

“Who?
Rick?” She was confused.

“Rick?
No. Brody,” Sam told her.

Madilyn
gasped. “Brody’s hurt?”

Sam
swore. “Joe Baker ran him off the road and he flipped the bike. The nurse took
him down to x-ray to see if his ribs are broken or bruised. Brody’s sure there
are a few broken.”

 
“I’m on my way.” Madilyn hung up before
Sam had a chance to answer her. She had to get to Brody. He was hurt. The tears
in her eyes were blinding her as she ran out to her car. Tearing out of the
parking lot, she headed for the hospital, going well over the speed limit. She
pulled into the hospital parking lot, found a spot, and ran inside. She didn’t
see Sam anywhere so she walked to the desk. “I’m looking for Brody Morgan,”
Madilyn told the nurse sitting behind the counter. She watched as the nurse
scanned her computer.

“He’s
back in E R room fifteen. Are you family?”

“I…”
Madilyn didn’t know what to say.

“Madilyn.”
She spun around when she heard
Sam’s voice.

“Sam.
Is he all right?”

“I told
you he was on the phone. You didn’t need to come here,” Sam scolded her.

 
“I have to see him, Sam. Please.” Madilyn
hated the catch in her voice.

Sam
wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her to the room. Neither of them
saw the nurse give them a dirty look. Madilyn let Sam lead her into the room.
Her breath whooshed out when she saw Brody sitting up on the bed. He frowned at
her.

 
“Madilyn?
What
are you doing here?” He turned his gaze to Sam. “Did you call her?”

“No.”
Sam looked at her. “Why were you calling the department anyway if you didn’t
know about the wreck?”

Madilyn
nibbled on her bottom lip. There was no way she was going to tell them about
Zach scaring her. Knowing Brody as well as she did, she knew he’d go after
Zach, busted ribs and all. She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter now.” She
turned to Brody. “Are your ribs broken?”

Brody
shook his head. “Two of them are cracked, none are broken.”