Awakening Veronica(Divine Creek Ranch 17)(102)

Hank pointed at Haygard. “You hit Veronica, didn’t you?”

Haygard scrunched up his nose and shrugged a shoulder. “One little pop to get her attention, that’s all.”

Travis glanced at Veronica and saw her blanch. One “little pop” from those ham-sized fists of his would’ve done a lot of damage. His baser instincts wanted him to pound Haygard to a bloody pulp.

Hank rose suddenly from the chair and said, “You’re done here.” He turned to Veronica and asked, “Nika, did you have anything you wanted to say?”

Veronica nodded as she stepped in front of Brent. “I told you it was over between us more than two weeks ago. It. Is. Over. Now you turn that jacked-up piece of crap Ford around and you drive right back to Montana and vacate that apartment. And if you damage any of my property, I’ll make sure you pay for it. Speaking of paying, Hank may have something to say about whether you leave now or not. After all, you broke into the home of the sheriff of Divine County.”

“Aw, Chubbs, come on. I didn’t know it was the sheriff’s house. I’ll pay for the damages and make everything right. I’ll even do the work myself, just come on home.”

Veronica stared at him and shook her head. “It would’ve made a difference to know this was the sheriff’s house?”

“I read online that you were on a private writing retreat. I expected you to be alone.”

Travis bristled at that comment. “Oh? What did you plan to do? Bust in on her thinking she was alone and defenseless, and drag her back to Montana like a fucking caveman? Haygard, we protect our women in Divine a little better than that.”

Haygard sized the two men up, looked at Veronica, who stood between the two of them, obviously reading the situation, and smiled. “If you wanted a ménage, why didn’t you say something, Chubbs? I might’ve been able to convince Phil and Gordon to join in. I know they’re rough around the edges but they’d have done ya good.” Brent smirked and licked his lips.

Veronica made a sickened sound in the back of her throat and Travis saw red but reeled in the urge to commit homicide when Hank shook his head. Assaulting the bastard would only complicate things.

Emboldened by their lack of reaction, Brent smiled at her. “I’m not giving up this easily, Chubbs. You know me,” Haygard said in an odd, deep, monotone voice.

Hank chuckled. “Is that your Dom voice, Haygard? Is that what you think makes a submissive quiver with the desire to submit?”

The bastard looked up at Hank with surprise and then glowered at him. “It’s worked in the past.”

Hank laughed out loud. “I know Doms that would have you pissing your pants in fear.”

“I’m not leaving without Veronica.” Haygard muttered. “I didn’t come all this way for nothin’.”

“Yeah, ya did.” Travis growled as he assisted the rotund turd to his feet as several pairs of headlights turned up the driveway. “Looks like the only way you’re leaving is in the custody of a deputy. I wouldn’t push your luck.”

Hank said, “Haygard, this is your one chance to move on. Make any more trouble and I get to do a shitload of paperwork. You keep pushing, and all that paperwork is going to be worth it. Veronica wants you out of her life. It’s that simple. In Billings, she didn’t have anyone to defend her. Here in Divine, she has an entire community behind her.”

“Whatever,” Haygard ground out. “This ain’t over.”

Hank got up in his face. “Leave Veronica alone.”

“No. She’s mine. I love her.”

“You’re tempting me, Haygard. Real men don’t hit the women they love.”

Haygard grinned at him. “If you know what a Dom is, then you know that’s not true.”

Travis grabbed hold of his shirt collar and said, “Shit-for-brains, you don’t know what you’re talking about. No self-respecting Dom would freeload off of his sub the way you have. You just want your gravy train back. The fact that you call yourself a Dom is an insult to people who know what that term really means.”

Haygard’s smile gave his eyes a reptilian chill. “You a Dom? That the reason you think you know everything? You planning to dominate my woman? Over my dead fucking body.”

A metallic click sounded from the porch and in an equally cold voice, Grandma Kate said, “I can arrange that, Bubba.” Gripped securely in her hands was a pearl-handled Colt .45, pointed safely at the ground but held at the ready.

“Whoa.” Hank lifted a placating hand to Grandma Kate. “How did you find out about this, Grandma Kate?”