Danni Rose (The Sherwood)

“It wasn’t a date.”

He got up from the chair that he was sitting in and stood in front of her. “Look Danni. You said one night. I gave you one night. It was a really fucking good night too.”

Danni felt her blood turning to ice in her veins. Her heart slammed in her chest while she collected herself before she said something she would regret.

“It isn’t like I have a claim to you, Danni. I just didn’t expect you to spread your legs so quickly for Jackson after you did for me.”

Her lower lip trembled as tears filled her eyes. Her hand flew, and she slapped Walker hard across the cheek. His head reared back with the force of her blow. Then Danni gasped, shocked by what she had done.

“You bastard,” she whispered.

“I am one, Danni. I tried to tell you.”

She turned and walked out of the bar, past her brother, Seth and her father who called her name. She ignored him because if she stopped she would have to tell him that Walker had hurt her feelings and she didn’t want to do that.

In the truck, Danni let the tears flow down her cheeks. She started up the old girl and backed out of the spot without looking and almost hit someone. She slammed on the brakes when they laid on their horn.

Then she looked to make sure it was safe. When it was, she backed out of her spot and headed towards the cabin.

**

He had been seething since she had left. It was best he kept telling himself, but it wasn’t working. He had made Danni cry. Walker hated himself right now.

He went to the main part of the bar to deliver glasses to Simon. He stacked three trays behind the bar and started to go to the back with some trays of dirty ones. “Stop right there. What did you do to her?” Simon asked.

“What was best for her,” Walker declared.

“Making her cry was best for her?” Simon was angry at him.

“Getting her away from me was best.”

He shook his head at the younger man, but he let him go. At the door to the kitchen, Walker hesitated. There were three men that had entered through the open back door. Simon walked over to Walker.

“What’s going on?” He asked.

“Listen,” he whispered.

Walker propped open the door just a little, so they could hear what the men were saying to Seth. He looked at Simon who was surprised. Hurt. Then angry because one of these men was the man who had beaten Danni.

“I’ll get your money,” Seth promised. “I’ll ask my Dad for a loan. Just leave Danni out of it.”

“She’s alone right now. That boyfriend of hers is working tonight.”

That was all Walker needed to hear. He burst through the back door with Simon right behind him. “What the hell is going on?” Simon shouted. Walker put the trays of glasses on the counter behind him.

“Dad, I can explain.”

“You had better explain quickly,” Walker informed the younger man.

“I owe Jamison money.”

“How much?” Simon asked knowing exactly who Jamison Harrelson was. He looked at Walker. He was a known drug dealer in Adams County who also had a side business as a loan shark.

He had money. Lots of it but you would never know from the way he dressed in worn jeans and flannel shirts. His boots had seen better days. He tried to not draw attention to himself.

“I asked how much?” Simon repeated himself.

“Fifteen thousand,” Seth replied.