Pulling back even further, I turn my head to the side and say to Dale, “We need Doc Miles. I want to make sure Raven doesn't have a concussion.”
I know Dale is close because I just do. Dale is more than a brother to me, he knows my thoughts and I know his. I can always count on him to always be there.
Not letting go, I turn back to the girl I’m holding in my arms and try to give her a soft smile. “I promise I won't let you get hurt again, but I need you to stay right where we are. Your head hit that wall hard enough that I heard the thump from ten feet away.”
I hear Dale’s feet trail away and his voice raises as he hollers for Doctor Miles to come over.
“I... I'm okay. There is no need for a Doc...” The girl trails off as a young and very slender woman named Miranda Miles quickly approaches and kneels down beside us on the floor.
“Chase dear, if you could give her some space and tell me what’s going on?” Doctor Miles asks in her clipped British tone.
I unwrap myself from the beauty, reluctant to stop touching her but knowing I have to because she needs care. “Raven here had her head hit the wall when the guy over there shoved her.”
Moving away from the woman, the woman who my arms were oddly finding very comfortable, I look to the police officer standing right behind the good Doctor Miles.
“I'm Avery not Raven.” The girl frowns. “He didn't mean to...” she says to Doctor Miles as she reaches up and wipes those tears from her cheeks.
“I'm Doctor Miranda,” Miranda says as I watch her gently reach towards the girl. “Let’s have a look, sweetheart. Chase was right to call me over, concussions are a very dangerous thing if undiagnosed.”
I'm reluctant to leave this woman alone though, but by the look of the police officer’s face, he is wanting to speak with me.
“With me, sir,” he says politely to me and I get the feeling this isn't optional.
I follow him over and through the crowd with Dale on my heels as we make our way to where Ethan is standing in the corner with his crowd of trainers and hanger-ons surrounding him. Ethan has a grin though, even if his lip is busted and he has a newly broken nose.
“Gentleman,” the officer says with authority. I look down quickly and see the nameplate above his badge reads: Officer Stegman. Looking around at all of us, Officer Stegman says, “If you would please excuse us.” He looks pointedly to everyone but Ethan and me. “I would like to have a discussion with these two men.”
Dale looks like he is about to argue with the officer. I shake my head at him and nod towards the Doctor and Avery. He gets the hint instantly and reluctantly huffs his way over to the girls.
“Gentlemen,” Stegman says. He’s a well-built guy even if he is slightly past his prime. Almost as tall as Ethan and I, I still feel like I am looking up to him as he speaks in a very stern voice. “I did not witness this brawl you two have decided to have outside of your cage, but it is quite obvious that this wasn't just some random act of anger.”
“This douchebag fu...”Ethan begins to say, his voice hot and loud.
“Excuse me, sir,” Stegman says quietly to Ethan. “I am not through speaking yet.”
I wince. I may be going to jail but fuck if I don't respect this officer. He doesn't even raise his voice and I can feel the authority. Ethan seems to feel it as well because his entire posture slumps down like a chastised child.
“I believe, young man,” he says while looking at Ethan, “That you need to get medical attention for your nose. Then I believe it would be wise for you to return to your home and stay there to heal properly.”
“You, sir,” he says as he puts his hands on his hips and stares at me for a long time, right into my eyes. I don't blink or turn away. I know I just committed aggravated assault, and I know Officer Stegman has the right to arrest me right now. As a matter of fact, his hands are resting right on the holder of his cuffs. I have never been arrested before and not once in my life, beyond some very kinky fun, have had cuffs around my wrists. “You need to go back to that young lady over there and ensure she is okay.”
“What the fuck?!?” Ethan exclaims as the Officer gives me a small smile and nod to hurry off. I stand around only for the briefest of moments before the officer turns to Ethan and gives him his full attention. This time his hand grips his cuffs, and he pulls at them.
“Young man,” Stegman says patiently as I turn and slowly walk away. “I heard every single word that man said as he went about restraining you. I suggest you think long and har...” I hear just before I am too far away from them and past the point of caring what happens to Ethan.
My eyes and concern now are for doing exactly as that officer ordered.
I walk up to Dale and give him a grin and a wink. Nodding over my shoulder I say, “I was restraining Ethan, right?”
Dale just shakes his head. Chuckling, I pat him on the shoulder, he did do me a solid, then look past him to Miranda and Avery. I see the doctor helping Avery up with a hand under the beauty’s shoulder.
Miranda looks at me and smiles. “Avery is quite well, though she will have a lump on her head that needs a cold compress.”
“Got it, no concussion?” I ask and receive a shake of the head from the Doctor. “Good, I will make sure she gets home and has an ice pack and some ibuprofen then.”
I smile towards Avery and not surprisingly get a very deep frown from her.
“Ethan is going to take me home,” Avery says as we look over to where Ethan is noticeably slouching down and away from the Officer.
“He's been sent to get medical attention and then straight home,” I say quietly and look to Miranda. She only gives me the briefest of nods before she turns and smiles goodbye to Avery. Miranda then straightens herself out and walks over to Dale.
“I, on the other hand, can give you a ride home. If you want it.”
I feel like I’m holding my breath as I watch her. I don’t know why she’d want to get in a car with me, but I really want her in my car. I have this insane need to keep her close and protect her. I have a feeling if I leave without her, she’ll probably run right back to that jackass, and if she does that I’ll have to kill him.
I really don’t want to have to kill him. I just avoided going to jail.
“I...” Avery says as if she means to reject my offer but then stops and chews on her lip.
I can see the hesitation clearly on her face. She glances around me to look at Ethan, but the officer seems to be losing his patience. He’s sharply commanding Ethan to leave the area or be arrested.
“It's okay,” I say quietly. “It’s no trouble at all. In fact, it would be my pleasure,” I assure her.
I bend down and pick up the small purse she left by her feet. I hold it out to her and she attempts a smile.
“Thank you,” she tells me and accepts the purse, immediately slinging it over her shoulder.
She casts one last glance towards Ethan as if she was hoping something changed, then she looks back to me with her shoulders slumping in acceptance, or maybe it’s defeat. “If you don’t mind, a ride would be great. Thanks.”
I grin, and it fucking hurts. My face is sore, but man am I fucking happy.
Dale walks over to me, catching the end of our conversation. He frowns and pokes me in the ribs. “And how will I be getting home then?”
Chapter Four
Avery
Chase. His name is Chase. At least that’s what everyone was calling him. It’s such a normal name for such a brutal guy.
It’s the strangest feeling walking out of the building beside Chase when I originally arrived with Ethan. For one, I think Chase has a couple of inches on Ethan, which just makes him feel insanely big.
Seriously, is he descended from giants? Vikings? Or was he grown in a lab?
For two, he’s been rather quiet but it’s not a comfortable quiet. It’s that kind of quiet that makes me feel incredibly self-conscious. I still don’t know why he’s even doing this. Maybe this is all just another jab at Ethan. Or maybe he expects a thank you fuck. I’m grateful that he’s willing to give me a ride home, I certainly don’t want to see Ethan’s face right now, but I’m not that grateful.
My head throbs and my eyes hurt. After everything that’s happened, I’m so done with tonight. So done with life in general. I just want to go home and crawl into my bed. I feel like I could sleep for a year.
“Which one is yours?” I ask as we walk into the back parking lot.
There’s a full moon out tonight which just figures. I wonder if it’s partly to blame for some of this evening’s madness. The parking lot is fully lit, and it’s easy to see that there're at least a dozen cars still parked. The cars range from dirty rust buckets to gleaming crotch rockets.
If I had to narrow his type down just by looks, I’d say Chase looks like a monster truck kind of guy.
“She’s just over here,” Chase says with a jerk of his chin and leads me over to a space in the very back corner.
“She?” I ask. Is there another girl or something? This night couldn’t possibly get any weirder.
Chase chuckles and leads me up to a black retro Impala parked in the very back spot, away from all the other cars.
“Yes, my baby,” he says and pats the car affectionately on the hood.