Ben (The Sherwood)

“I’ll take that as evidence. Ben, I need a plastic baggy.”

I reached into the cabinet behind me and grabbed one then I handed it to Hawk. He had Daisy deposit in the baggy. “Ben got a shirt AJ can borrow? Heath needs to dispose of the one AJ was wearing? Heath needs to dispose of all the evidence of the shooting.”

“I’ll get him a shirt,” Seth replied and headed out of the kitchen.

AJ flinched while Daisy stapled his wound closed but he didn’t make a sound. When she was done she deposited her staple gun back in the medical bag she had carried into the trailer. She passed by AJ and entered the kitchen where she rinsed off her tools until they were clean. Then she handed them to me.

“Make yourself useful, Benjamin. Dry these while I clean my hands. You never know what AJ has.”

He grunted at that statement. Then she washed her hands thoroughly even though she had gloves on. When they were clean she rinsed my sink until it was perfectly clean.

She smiled at me. “Leave no traces of anything behind.”

“Are you part of this conspiracy to rid Sherwood of the badness?” I asked her.

She held her finger to her lips. “Shh,” she whispered. “There is no conspiracy. You saw nothing tonight. Remember that.”

I thought they were all crazy.

AJ rose from his chair and staggered just a bit. Dad caught him. “You’ve lost some blood son. You need to take it easy.”

“I just want to walk to the bathroom to take a piss,” he replied.

“Need some help?” Dad asked him.

“I think I can manage all right.”

“Have any trouble finding it, I’m sure Ben, Heath or Seth can help,” Daisy quipped.

He stopped at her side. AJ and Heath were the smallest of my brothers at six feet two inches. Daisy Clemmons was only five feet one.

“I have apologized to you. Begged for your forgiveness but you are an evil, little el

f who has no heart.” The room got quiet. Daisy squirmed in her pink tennis shoes. She wouldn’t meet AJ’s eyes that were piercing her with a hardness that intimidated me, and he wasn’t focused on me. “I give up.”

Then he walked out of the room without saying anything else. Daisy turned to Hawk. “How about you take me home, before he comes back?” She asked. She sounded like she might cry.

I didn’t know who to feel sorry for because although AJ was a dick, Daisy was comparable at least with him.

“You got it sweetheart. Thanks again.”

“Anytime. Just call if you need me but if it’s AJ again, let him bleed out. I’m done with him.”

I don’t think she meant it. She might hate AJ, but I don’t think she really wanted him to die. The old saying there was a fine line between love and hate, I think might apply here.

“I’ll text you that everything is all clear,” Hawk told my dad then he followed Daisy out the front door.

Dad nodded then he leaned against the counter and looked at me. Seth was eating an apple. “Eat in the other room,” he told my brother.

He frowned, shrugged and left the room. “Merci, honey why don’t you sit with Seth for a moment. He won’t bite. He’s a good boy.”

She looked at Disa for confirmation then she followed Seth to the other room after her sister nodded at her that she was safe with my brother.

“I assume you cleared the room to speak to me and Disa?” I asked. Only Heath remained. Dad must not mind if he heard what he was about to say.

“I did. You two seem pretty, cozy.”

I glanced at Disa whose cheeks turned pink at that declaration. “Are you worried about me hurting her?”