Copper (8 page)

Copper snorted, but he entwined his fingers with hers. When she didn’t attempt to break the contact, he gave her a comforting squeeze. It gave Marla the courage she needed to continue. Now that the dam was broken, the words were flowing, and they came out faster and faster as she kept talking. 

“I wasn’t willing to forgive him a second time.  I broke up with him a couple of weeks before I missed my period and realized I was pregnant.  I was scared to tell Rob, so I tried to keep the pregnancy a secret for as long as I could.”  She paused to take a deep breath.

“I was as careful as I could be, but it didn’t matter. He was in my bedroom waiting for me one evening when Natalie and I got home from running errands.  He’d somehow heard rumors about my pregnancy.  You know the rest…”  She grew silent.

Copper gritted his teeth and fought to keep the building rage inside him.  Any display of anger or temper would spook her.  He wanted Marla running to him not away from him. His silence didn’t stop him from making a promise to himself.   Rob Storey was going to pay, even if he wasn’t behind tonight’s attack the SOB was going to pay with interest for his past crimes against Marla.

“Copper?” Her tentative voice whispered his name. She paused, waiting for him to answer.

“Yes, darlin’?”

“Thank you.”

“I haven’t done anything.” Yet! But he was going to act as soon as he acquired a more detailed picture of what was going on. 

“You listened, and that’s what I needed the most.  I never talk about that night, because Natalie feels guilty, and I don’t want to say or do anything that would make her feel worse.”

Copper figured it was just like his efficient and fiercely loyal assistant to shoulder the blame instead of putting it all where it belonged, squarely on the shoulders of Rob Storey. “It wasn’t her fault, and it wasn’t yours either,” he felt compelled to point out.

“I know, and deep down I think Natalie does too.  That doesn’t stop her from believing she should have protected me better, especially in our own home.”  Marla stifled a huge yawn.  She was on the downside of an emotional rollercoaster ride at the end of a traumatic day. Her body was finally crashing, and she had no choice but to let it. 

“I’m so tired.” She closed her eyes and leaned even more into the warm and comforting body holding her up. “Going to crash now,” she warned just before drifting off to sleep.

A gentleman would leave the bed and probably the room too.   Copper wasn’t a gentleman, and he wasn’t moving.  He wanted her to get used to being near him.  He wanted her used to his touch too. 

He gently shifted Marla onto her side, so he could adjust his own position.  She stirred enough to try to move away from his embrace, but Copper just tightened his hold and whispered comforting words. The woman he was spooning with quieted down and went back to sleep.

Rest would have to wait for Copper.  He needed to be alert when protecting Marla, but he needed to strategize too. Once during a particularly challenging mission, he went forty-eight hours straight without sleep.  He could afford to give up one night of rest to put a plan together.  The quicker he and the rest of the Metal Cowboys came up with a concrete plan, the faster they could move from planning to the action phase.

FIVE

Marla slowly stretched.  The scrapes on her knees and palms were still stinging from the fall on the asphalt parking lot.  She glanced down at her taped side. A dull ache settled in sometime during the night, but the tape was clean, no sign of bleeding. She was grateful for that much at least.

After taking stock of her body the first thing she noticed was that the other side of the bed was empty. She remembered Copper being with her when she fell asleep.  Judging by the cool sheets, he’d been gone for a while.  She should be relieved, instead she felt bereft.  She would examine her strange reaction to his absence later.

She carefully maneuvered her way out of bed, cleaned up, and got dressed.  She could hear faint sounds coming from downstairs. Time to face her hosts, all five of them.  In the back of her mind, Marla was aware that Copper was the only one who mattered. 

She took a deep breath and put one foot in front of the other, moving closer toward the noise and the unavoidable face-to-face with Copper. Seeing him always tied her stomach in knots. Now it would be even worse. She laid her soul bare to him.  He knew about her worst mistake, her darkest secret, and the cause of her deepest heartache. 

Last night, she opened up to him in a way that she’d never been able to do with anyone else.  She wasn’t intimidated by his rough good-looks and tough demeanor anymore.  Instead she was overwhelmed by the sizzling physical attraction between them and the unexpected tenderness and concern he showed for her the night before.  Rough and tough she could ignore and move away from.  She had no idea how to fight this other side of the intriguing man. 

The trail of sound and the unmistakable smell of frying bacon led her to the kitchen.  As soon as she entered the room several pairs of eyes turned her way.  She flashed a smile around the room but refused to raise her eyes above shoulder level. 

“Morning,” she greeted everyone with a shy smile and soft voice. 

There were several grunts of acknowledgment.  A clear hello from Natalie rang out above the deep sounds made by the men.  “Just ignore them,” she told her sister.  “They were still plotting and planning when I came down for coffee first thing this morning.  You want some breakfast?”

At the mention of food, Marla’s stomach loudly growled. Her hands flew to her belly. “Sorry about that. I didn’t eat dinner yesterday.  I was going to have leftovers when I got back to the apartment, but getting shot kind of derailed that plan.”

Looking around the kitchen at the somber faces, Marla sighed.  “I’m starving, where’s the food?”

“I thought you might be hungry,” Natalie said with a smile.  “I saved a plate of bacon and eggs for you.  It’s warming in the stove.”

Marla spied the stainless steel commercial double oven and headed that way.  “You’re a lifesaver.  Thanks, Natalie.”  Almost as if to prove her point, her stomach growled again.

She grabbed the plate and returned to the table.  The only empty seat just happened to be to the right of Copper, who was seated at the head of the table.  Her knee brushed against his when she sat down. Her body tensed. She jerked away, knocking over the glass of orange juice at her place setting.

She quickly stood, trying to mop up the spreading liquid with the paper napkin that was lying next to her plate. Marla unbalanced her chair. It toppled over, causing a loud crash that made her spin toward the noise.  A dismayed look settled on her face.  “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I guess I’m all thumbs this morning,” she quickly threw out a plausible excuse.

Copper looked like he was trying to swallow a grin. “I think you’re entitled after the day you experienced yesterday.” He reached out a hand. “Let me get that.”

His voice was right next to her ear.  His close presence didn’t help matters much. “I’ve got it,” she insisted.  “It’s my mess,” she quietly told him. “I really don’t mind cleaning it up.”  She thought she was going to jump out of her skin when his hand came down on top of hers several seconds later.

“Here.  Use this damp dishcloth. That napkin has had it.” While she wiped the table, Copper righted her chair.  “I’ll get you another glass of juice, then I want you to sit down and eat.  Starving yourself isn’t going to make you feel better about anything that’s happened,” he warned.

Marla glanced quickly at the man standing next to her and then looked down at the soggy and shredded paper.  Evidently she was destined to make a fool of herself in front of Copper and the others this morning.  As soon as she felt him walk away, she quickly wiped up the rest of the mess, disposed of the destroyed napkin, put the cloth in the sink, and returned to her breakfast.

She took one bite and then another. “Yum, this is great. My compliments to the chef,” she said to break the awkward silence.

“You’re welcome. It’s just bacon and eggs, not a gourmet meal,” Copper reminded her. 

“I’m so hungry this breakfast tastes better than a double chocolate cake,” Marla said with a smile.

Everyone around the table chuckled, and Marla instantly relaxed.  She took a few more bites of food and listened to the idle chit chat flowing around her. Her sister and Chrome were having an animated discussion. Their interaction made Marla smile.  She didn’t hang around with the Metal Cowboys much, but from what she’d seen in the past, Natalie and Chrome never missed an opportunity to butt heads with each other. 

Copper cleared his throat. Everyone stopped talking and turned his way. “Now that Marla’s here, I want to go over today’s schedule, make sure everyone’s on the same page.”

“I’m only a little sore. I know that Natalie usually works half a day on Saturdays.  So I was thinking that Natalie and I could go back to the apartment and get out of your way once she finished work today.”  She gave her sister and then Copper a wishful look.  She wasn’t too happy when both of them vetoed her suggestion despite her pleading looks.

“You and Natalie are staying put until your ex or whoever’s responsible for your attack is out of the picture,” he reminded her in a strong tone of voice that left no room for arguments.  “If either one of you needs to leave the house for any reason, A Metal Cowboy needs to escort you.”

“Damn straight,” Chrome grunted.

“But I don’t think…” Marla started to say before Copper cut her off.

“No exceptions, it’s nonnegotiable,” he declared in a stern voice that didn’t leave for argument. “Marla, your sister sent you here, and you trusted us enough to come.  The Metal Cowboys promised to protect both of you. We don’t take that or any other promise lightly.  Do not leave the house unless one of us is by your side,” he ordered. 

  A loud knock on the back door stopped his tirade and startled Marla.  She visibly jumped.  The five men all glanced at each other. 

“That should be Sheriff Davis,” Copper informed the group. 

Mercury got up to let in the early morning visitor.  Marla watched him go with a sinking feeling in her gut.

It didn’t take long for an unfamiliar but friendly voice to come nearer and nearer. Two pairs of heavy boots thudded against the hardwood floors and echoed down the hallway. Marla was nervous enough to clench Copper’s arm. “Sheriff?” she asked in disbelief.

“Yep, he served in the same SEAL unit as Chrome and me.  He’s about a decade older than us and retired from the military a couple of years after we were assigned to the unit.” 

Marla immediately stiffened her spine and shot Copper a worried frown. “Um, I don’t trust the law, especially in this county.”

“Usually I’m opposed to anyone knowing Metal Cowboys’ business, but since he’s a friend I wanted to give Sheriff Davis the courtesy of a heads up, just in case we need his help later on down the line.” 

Marla tapped the fingers of her left hand on the oak table.  She didn’t like this latest development at all.  She was halfway hoping to keep the law out of things this time.  “You know, I’m pretty sure the last sheriff warned my ex’s family that I wanted to press charges against Rob.  The coward left town, and no one bothered to look for him after he disappeared. The sheriff wouldn’t even serve a warrant for Rob’s arrest.”

“That’s right,” Natalie agreed. “No one believed our complaint, and they refused to listen to us when we tried to press charges. We were told there was nothing they could do, since Rob left town like a cowardly thief in the night.”

Her sister’s description was apt, Marla thought.  Rob was a thief.  He stole her joy for life and a much more precious treasure that could never be replaced. She cleared her throat and started talking. “If you want to report the attempt on my life, because you think it will make me feel better, it won’t. I have no confidence in the sheriff’s department in this county.”

“Now that wouldn’t surprise me one bit, young lady,” a deep voice said from the doorway. “My predecessor’s cronyism and incompetent job performance was the worst kept secret in the county. It’s why the new man in town,” he pointed a finger at his chest, “didn’t have any problems winning the last election and cleaning house.”

She turned bright red.  She didn’t mean for the latest sheriff to hear her complaint.  The last thing she wanted was to get off on the wrong foot with the lawman.  “I wasn’t implying you’re like him,” she mumbled.  “I just wanted Copper and the others to know why I am reluctant to involve you in my situation.”

The sheriff’s bright blue eyes snapped from Marla to Copper. “What situation might that be?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.  He shook hands with Copper before helping himself to a seat at the table.

“Let me handle this,” Copper said before either Marla or Natalie could speak. “Metal Cowboys, go on over to the garage and open up.  It’s almost ten o’clock, and Tina should be arriving anytime.”

The four men gathered by the door. Chrome was the last one out. He turned and looked back at Natalie. “Your sister needs you more than we do today. I’m giving you a personal day with pay. Use it to take care of Marla.”

Natalie bestowed him with a beautiful smile. “I’ll do that, thank you, Chrome.”

The man nodded and left, shutting the door behind him. 

Marla breathed a silent sigh of relief. She wasn’t ready to be by herself, but she wasn’t ready to be smothered by Copper or the other men either.  Speaking of Copper, his deep voice filled the kitchen as he gave Davis the abbreviated version of what happened the night before.  Marla focused on the cadence of his voice.  It was a lot more soothing than she remembered, and the sound actually helped calm her nerves. 

A harsh explicative fouled the air, and her nerves tensed up again. 

Her eyes snapped to Copper and then slid to Sheriff Davis.  “Cowardly SOB,” the sheriff emphatically stated.  “I’m surprised no one reported gunshots being fired, especially since it was near an elementary school.”

Marla shrugged. “I didn’t call, because I was busy running for my life. I passed out as soon as I reached safety.”