“You know that’s not really an option,” he said to me so seriously, standin’ before me. “They’re gonna come, no matter what we do. So I either finish ‘em or get killed. Those are the only two options if you’re to get out of this with your life back in your hands, Shelby. I won’t leave you worse off than I found you.”
I couldn’t believe it could have gotten so bad. So serious.
My life a couple weeks ago consisted of working on the farm and carin’ for my ma, and now...
Now I was faced with the possibility of someone — or many someones — being killed? I leapt from the truck, towards Asher, my eyes burning with tears as I flung my arms around him.
“I can’t lose you,” I protested. He was the brightness in my life, the little bit of happiness that I clung to, despite whatever darkness lingered over his past.
He was hesitant at first, I could feel it. The decent fella that he was didn’t want to encourage me to fall for him when he was ready to leave. But in the end his big strong arms went about me, held me to him.
“You’re gonna lose me, there’s nothin’ to be done about it,” he said, disappointment ripe in his voice. “It’s too soon for us. Remind yourself of that, because once this here is done I gotta go again. For your good.”
It felt like a fist hitting me in the stomach and I felt just as ready to double over. The only thing holding me up was him, that strong body wrapped around me just when I felt my weakest.
“There’s gotta be another way,” I pleaded.
“I wish I knew,” he said, his large hand reached up, to brush those long hard fingers along my cheek. He brushed my hair back as he stared down at me, but the moment only lasted that: a moment.
“If you’re gonna stay,” he said, breaking our hold on one another, “you need to get to safety. I can’t handle these guys if they can just grab you and threaten you. It’ll all be over then anyhow. Do you know how to shoot a gun? As a last resort now. I don’t want you to do it unless they come for you in the house and leave you no choice.”
Pa had taught me when I was younger and I still went hunting once in a while, but this was somethin’ wholly different that he was talkin’ about and my stomach was clenched in knots.
“Yea,” I murmured as I pulled back, trying to find my own strength and waiverin’. “Yea, I can scare’em off if they get close.”
“Good,” he said firmly, reaching in behind himself and his leather jacket. He pulled out a black pistol then and held it out to me. “Take this. Get inside upstairs. I’ve blocked off all but the one door, so you know what way they’ll come if they do. Don’t shoot if you don’t have to. You don’t want that on your conscious,” he explained to me so cautiously, his voice low and tempered.
I nodded to him, and I struggled for words. My lips parted, but not a one came out. I didn’t know what to say or do, but I just stared up at him.
“Get up there. There’s no telling when they might come,” he said to me, concern clear as day on his face. I felt like somethin’ more was due, that he yearned to say somethin’ to me. But he didn’t, not then. And he went back to his work.
I turned and went inside, but I was none too pleased about it. Mornin’ felt like an eternity away.
Waitin’ is the hardest part.
I’ve heard that somewhere before, but never knew it so intimately as I did then. Pacin’ in my own home, keepin’ a watch out the windows into the dark of night. I couldn’t see three feet in front of me, but for some reason I insisted on watchin’ out all the same.
I was a fool to do it that way. If only I’d just have gotten some rest, then maybe I would’ve been awake enough come the approach of dawn to warn Asher.
If only.
But as it was, I dozed off at the window. My eyes slow to open as I looked below and watched that big hunk of a man walk from the farm back to the house, patrollin’ my property to keep it and me safe. Though somethin’ seemed to have him headin’ to the barn in a hurry.
It was the noise of motorcycle engines that woke me up, but my brain was slow to realize that. Slower still to see the shadowy figure comin’ up behind Asher in the dark shadows of approaching dawn.
I screamed in shock! But it was too late, the fella jumped on Asher from behind, and with nary a bit of warnin’, the man had him down to the ground, arm about his neck as the bikers approached with their engines r
oarin’.
The big brute was hammerin’ punches into Asher’s side, and I pushed myself up and reached around for the gun. Not that I trusted myself to make a shot in the dark at the guy atop Asher from that distance, or any. It was just my first instinct before my brain kicked into full motion.
The gravelly dust in the air along the roadway was getting closer and I rushed on down to do what I could to help Asher, to get the man off of him. By the time I got there the two of ‘em was rollin’ around in the dirt. The brute that attacked Asher was big, but not so big as him. But with his arm locked about Asher’s throat, there wasn’t a lot to be done about him.
I rushed up, kicked the man in the spine, and made him cry out before I shoved my gun in his face.
“Let him go!” I screamed in a panic. Things were falling apart too fast! I had to get Asher up on his feet before the bikers arrived at least.
Thankfully, the hairy brute let go of Asher in a jiffy with a gun in his face.