Anita's Triple Temptation [Men of Montana 4] (Siren Publishing Menage Amour) (3 page)

Kevin knelt down next to Anita as Dave pulled Anita to him, holding her to his chest. Rage lit him as he saw the damage the man had done to her face. If Virgil had not been unconscious already, he would have beaten the shit out of him himself.

From where he was, Dave wasn’t getting the full picture and as he watched the expressions on his friends’ faces, he knew something was horribly wrong. Laying her down on the floor, he moved around to get a better view. Gasping at what he saw, he turned and glared at the man lying across the floor from Anita, the bouncer now standing over him. Fury drove him as he stood and stepped over to the prostrate man. Leaning down, he raised his right arm and swung it down as hard as he could. The crack of bone was unmistakable through the now-silent club.

Moving back to Anita’s side, he looked upon her sweet face again. The purple and blue bruising along her left cheekbone was getting darker by the minute. There was bruising along her jaw and the swelling continued to increase, even though it had already sealed up her eye on her left side. Several cracks in her lips were bleeding as was her nose. To someone who didn’t know her well, she may have been unrecognizable, but to her men, they knew who she was and they knew she belonged to them.

A trim, muscular man wearing the tavern’s logo on his shirt pushed through the crowd. “What the hell happened here?” he asked before spotting Anita on the ground. “Shit! Anita! What happened?”

The two women who had been at the table with Virgil stepped forward, their sexual eye now on the bartender. “She started it. He wanted to order something and she told him she wouldn’t serve him. He got upset with her and she turned and slapped him,” one lady started before looking at the other for confirmation.

“Yeah,” the other one said, picking up the story. “He was just defending himself.”

James stepped forward, towering over the two women, who stood at least a foot shorter than him. “Did she actually hit him?” he said, his voice sounding as if he were growling, his turquoise eyes flashing darker as his anger grew.

The two little tarts stared up at the tall cowboy before them, fear settling in their overly made-up eyes. Glancing at each other, they looked over at Anita, then Virgil, and then back up at James. When they took too long to answer, Kevin stood up next to James, the fury still written on his face.

“Answer him!” he grunted. “Now!”

The first one looked up at him and answered quietly. “Yes. She slapped him. She told us we could have him before she walked away.”

Taking a step forward, Kevin was now toe-to-toe with the first girl, his brown hair wildly sticking out from under his black Stetson. “So, let me get this straight. She was walking away and he grabbed her back? And then he hit her?”

Watching the girls, Dave read the women as the first girl took a step backward but came up against the solid wall of the well-tipping cowboy Anita had served earlier, stopping her. The second girl kept looking between the two cowboys, her fear leading her in the direction that would either help her or hurt her. He knew the quick glance at Virgil had her seeing dollar signs, but the men in front of her made her see possible pain.

Ray stepped forward, nearly pushing James and Kevin aside. Lifting up the second woman’s chin with his forefinger and thumb so she could look directly into hazel eyes filled with anger, he said lowly, “Just remember, sweetheart. There are video cameras in here that will tell the truth. So it would be in your best interest to tell the truth now.”

“Yes,” the second girl said, her voice shaky with fright. “He grabbed her and then hit her.”

Ray gave a disparaging look to both women. “You’re both banned from here for six months. Once the cops question you, I don’t want to see you back here for a long time.”

Both women nodded as Ray knelt down next to Anita on the opposite side of Dave. “I’m so sorry guys. I never imagined that this would happen to her.”

Dave lifted her body and cradled her in his arms. God, he hated to see her like this. Burying his face in her hair, he tried to hide the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. Kevin knelt beside him and placed his hand on her thigh.

James stood and glared at the two women who tried to lie for the scum that was lying on the floor. Trying to shrink away from him, they both ended up being pushed onto the bench seats of the booth Virgil had occupied just a little while ago. The tall dark-headed cowboy that had been holding Virgil’s fist stood sentinel over them, glaring.

It was only a minute or two later when two police officers pushed themselves through the crowd. Both stopped, apparently shocked at the scene of one badly beaten woman, one well-dressed man with what appeared to be a broken nose, one large bouncer standing guard, and nearly a dozen cowboys watching over the beaten woman. Two frightened women sat in a booth who, to the officers, probably looked as if they would bolt if given the chance.

One officer, a short blond man, about five seven, looked at Ray. “You work here?”

“Yeah. I’m the bartender here and the one in charge tonight,” he said, putting his hand out in introduction. “I’m Ray.”

“Officer Olson.” He shook Ray’s hand in return. “This is Officer Cooper. Can you tell me what happened here? And do we need an ambulance?”

Looking to his partners, Dave saw the looks on their faces. “We’ll take her to the hospital ourselves. I don’t know about that asshole, nor do I care.”

Both officers glanced at each other. They seemed taken aback, as if they both had thought for certain a cowboy had done this despicable act, not a fine upstanding citizen such as Virgil Cantrell.

Officer Cooper started rounding up the witnesses so they could be questioned while Officer Olson concentrated on Dave and the ones attending Anita. Separating the three men, he drew James aside to get his statement. Once he was done with James, it was Kevin’s turn. Once Kevin was done giving his statement, he stepped back to Dave and patted his shoulder, indicating he would take their woman for him. Standing, Dave reluctantly laid her in Kevin’s arms before stepping aside to speak with the officer.

Once the three men were finished with the officers, they started for the door, the crowd silently parting for them, concern written upon their faces. Their main concern at the moment was why Anita hadn’t regained consciousness yet. She shouldn’t have been out for so long. Even Virgil had regained consciousness while the police were taking statements, although the man seemed to be confused as to why his nose was hurting so badly. They were certain those two little bar bunnies would tell him everything as soon as they had the chance. Those women looked like they were after a free meal.

The police cruiser sat in back of the pickup but luckily there was room to back up without hitting anything. Dave climbed in the backseat where Kevin gently laid their woman in his lap before closing the door and climbing in the front seat with James. Taking off, they practically flew to the hospital.

* * * *

The pickup screeched to a halt in front of the emergency room doors. Kevin jumped out and opened the door to take Anita from Dave. Rushing up to the doors, he was thankful they were automatic since he had gotten to them before the other two did. A nurse passing by the doors noticed his arrival and looked at the bundle in his arms before calling for a gurney.

Two orderlies pushed a gurney out from the metal double doors and Kevin gently laid her down. The nurse looked from Kevin and then James and Dave as they arrived. Speculatively she began to ask the questions the men had dreaded as the orderlies took Anita away from them.

“What is her name?”

“Anita. Anita Cummings. She was working at the Tipsy Tavern and a customer got upset with her,” James answered, trying to remain calm.

The nurse let out a sigh of relief which all three men noticed.

Dave stepped forward. “We don’t go around hurting women, ma’am. We protect them the best we can.”

The brunette backed up just a bit. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t implying anything, but we have to ask. We have to protect our patients by asking questions.”

“Ma’am,” Kevin drawled calmly. “We brought her in ourselves because we didn’t want to wait for an ambulance. She hasn’t regained consciousness since she was knocked out. We’re very worried about her.”

“I understand. Why don’t you guys wait in the waiting room and I’ll be out to update you on her condition once the doctor examines her,” the nurse said kindly.

“I don’t suppose Doc Anderson is on duty tonight,” asked James hopefully.

Shaking her head negatively, she answered. “No. I’m sorry. He’s not. But I’ll be sure to notify him that she was brought in.”

“Thank you,” Kevin said, tipping his Stetson. “Please let him know the guys from the Circle G brought her in, please.”

The nurse turned and disappeared through the double metal doors while the men made their way to the waiting room. The thought that this was where this journey had begun came across both James’s and Dave’s minds. The day that Anita’s life had taken a turn for the worse, but in essence, turned seven lives around.

Again, as in many times in the past months, they each took a seat. Stretching out their legs in front of them, they removed their hats as manners sank into their psyche, ingrained in them as children.

Glancing around, there was only one other person in the room this time. It was an elderly man who looked as if he had been crying, a million miles etched upon every wrinkle on his face. His hands were clasped together in his lap, knuckles white with the tightness.

Dave grimaced at the thought that that could possibly be them with Anita as the fear still ruled his body at the moment. Fingering the scar upon his cheek, glimpses of the past converged upon his mind as he remembered his hospital visit as a child. Every day when he looked in the mirror, he had to remember the reason he had the scar, but it was only during incidents such as this did he remember the full extent of that day.

* * * *

It had been a beautiful summer day. He was nine and staying with his grandparents, his favorite thing to do while on vacation. He was out early with the ranch hands as they began to break some colts. Sitting on top of the wooden fence, he had been watching the men work for several hours before his grandfather came out to check on the progress.

Feeling the presence of the man he admired and loved so much before he saw him, Dave turned to watch the large man make his way over to the corral. The man wasn’t like any of the grandfathers of his friends in the city. He was tall and muscular but not overly so, as he didn’t work as hard on the ranch as he used to. He didn’t have a paunch belly like other older men. Gray dominated in the thick hair on his head, with a matching, large mustache that drooped down past the sides of his mouth. The ever-present thick brown cigar stuck out from the side of that mouth. This time it was lit since he was away from the house. The woman, who had been his wife for forty years, fearing for his health, had insisted he cut back. Twice a day he took the liberty of having this indulgence, once in the morning and once in the evening.

Dave’s grin was wide as the man approached him, though his grandfather wasn’t one to smile back, much. This morning, he did have a slight smile as he reached out and patted his grandson on the back. “How’s it going, son? Are they doing a good job?”

The grin broadened on Dave’s face as his grandfather deferred to him as being the boss that morning. “Doing good, gramps. They’ve broken two of them and working on their third,” he said, excitement edging his voice. “Do you think I can try soon?”

The older man leaned against the rails, watching the action in the corral. Inside, three men stood within the area holding ropes attached to the larger animal at the center of their attention. Another man was approaching the gray-speckled beast with a saddle cautiously. The colt tried to rear up as the man stepped closer, but the ropes held him down.

Every time he reared, he was held down, though the intervals between the feisty animal’s misbehavior were becoming fewer as the hours wore on. Finally, since it had been about twenty minutes since the last incident, the men relaxed their hold on the ropes, giving the young horse a bit of freedom to fight his bindings. Showing his training, the animal pranced around on his hooves, though he didn’t rear up, causing the boy on the fence to give a slight cheer.

As if sensing the boy’s desire to be friendly, the colt looked over at Dave, his soft brown eyes blinking at him. Lifting his soft upper lip, the horse snickered in greeting. Dave smiled back before looking at his grandfather. His eyes sparkled brightly as he looked at the man, silently pleading. Blue eyes smiled back at him before the older man nodded. “Go ahead, son. Go greet your horse.”

Dave threw his arms around his grandfather’s neck, squeezing him hard in gratitude for the gift. Releasing him, he climbed calmly down the rails, not wanting to spook the young horse. Carefully, slowly, Dave made his way over to the animal, the men regaining a tight hold on the ropes holding him down.

When he got to within a couple of feet of the horse, Dave, again moving slowly, moved his hand toward his face and then stopped. Patiently he waited, letting the animal come the rest of the way to him. Reaching out his neck, the colt tentatively sniffed the proffered limb.

Dave could hardly contain his excitement as the soft muzzle along with a few scattered harder whiskers touched his hand lightly. Standing perfectly still, he let the horse smell him, to get to know his scent. After a few minutes the horse moved his muzzle forward and shoved it into the palm of Dave’s hand, moving it across the boy’s skin as if trying to get affection from him.