Copper (3 page)

Instead of pulling into the detached garage behind the house as he normally would Copper drove past the former bed and breakfast.  He motioned to the other men, signaling them to hang back.   If the trespasser was looking for trouble, the only men Copper trusted to watch his back had it covered.  He revved the motor and came to a sliding stop perpendicular to the driver’s side of the small two-door car. Much to his satisfaction, dust billowed up around him and the unfamiliar vehicle.

There was a lot of expensive equipment, machinery, and tools stored in the Metal Cowboys’ garage and warehouse.  Future bike designs were also kept locked in a safe inside the garage as well.  A stranger poking around in the dark after hours was never a good thing, and uninvited guests were not welcome on the property.  He planned to make that clear to whoever was invading their territory.

He used his booted foot to engage the kickstand and hopped off the bike. He yanked off his helmet, spread his legs wide apart, folded his arms over his chest, and waited. If there was going to be a confrontation, Copper was ready.  It was up to the trespasser to make the next move.

The driver’s door of the car was suddenly flung open.  Copper tensed and slid his hand to the concealed handgun resting in the holster at the base of his spine.  The vehicle’s only occupant lurched out on unsteady feet.  He braced himself for an attack. 

The light from his bike’s headlight illuminated a familiar sight.  Long, thick, wavy hair framed her heart-shaped face. It sparkled and shined in the light.  The tresses were dark blonde with a multitude of highlights ranging from bronze to golden with every shade of blonde in-between.   Large and frightened eyes the shade of an inviting whiskey stared at him through long, thick lashes. 

He instantly recognized Marla Taylor. She was the last person he expected to see on their property, especially at night while alone. His gut felt like it was being clenched by an unrelenting fist.  Even though the younger sister of his personal assistant attended a few parties and barbecues at the mansion over the past four years, she usually kept to herself and stayed well out of his way.  She always lingered in the shadows and shied away from the former military men turned bikers.  It made her presence on their property all the more suspicious, especially since she’d just run out on him less than a week ago.

“You’re trespassing,” he said in a harsh voice that carried on the sultry night air.  “How’d you get through the gate?” he demanded to know.  No breach of security was too little to investigate. 

He saw her flinch. It felt like he’d been kicked in the gut.  Copper still wasn’t one to be swayed by a gorgeous face, no matter how breathtaking it might be.  He stood his ground and continued to glare until she gave him an answer.

“My sister gave me the code,” she reluctantly admitted.

“That’s a violation of her work contract,” Copper snapped.  Natalie was an excellent assistant.  He’d didn’t want to fire her, but giving someone access to the Metal Cowboys’ living and working space was a huge infringement. It couldn’t be overlooked.  “If you’re looking for Natalie, by the way, she left at five o’clock.  So I’m thinking there’s no reason for you to be here.”  Yeah, he was still more than a little pissed at her running act the other night.

“I hope Natalie doesn’t get into trouble!  She gave me the code, because it was an emergency,” Marla insisted in a husky whisper. “I need help.  Natalie told me I could find it here.” A wrenching sob disturbed the peaceful night. 

“I guess both of us were mistaken. I don’t need any more trouble.  I’ve got enough of that already.  I’m sorry I bothered you, it won’t happen again.  I’ll get out of your way, and you can just forget I was ever here.”

Copper’s gut clenched.  No matter how much of a bad idea it might be, he wasn’t ready to let her go yet.  Before he could think of the words to coax more of an explanation from her and extend her stay, Marla’s eyes fluttered and then closed.  She swayed like a thin reed in the wind and started to fall forward. 

He heard heavy footfalls behind him.  The thought of even one of his brothers touching her made him growl.  “Mine,” he hissed.  Copper lurched forward and caught her limp body in his arms.  He could feel the heat of his brothers’ stares on his back. 

The group rushed forward, but they were careful not to touch Marla.  Chrome was the first to speak.  “That’s Natalie’s sister,” he hissed.  “I think you scared the hell out of her, Copper.” He glared towards the compact car.  “I don’t see Natalie,” he pointed out the obvious. 

“We need to figure out what kind of trouble she might be bringing to our doorstep,” Mercury suggested.   “Sometimes knowledge and preparation can be the difference between life and death,” he reminded the former military men.

The Metal Cowboys didn’t go looking for trouble, but sometimes it came looking for them.   This was a perfect example. Any problem no matter the origin was always handled quickly, efficiently, and without mercy, usually by Mercury.   The weapons and martial arts expert was as dangerous and deadly as the heavy metal he shared his nickname with. 

“I’ll check the car for her purse, phone, and any kind of clue as to why she’s here,” Steel volunteered.  He was a planner. The twin paid attention to details no matter how small or tedious they proved to be.  Copper might be the leader, but Steel was the glue that held the Metal Cowboys together.  He leaned across the seat of the small car and dragged out a large leather purse. 

“I’m taking her to my suite,” Copper informed his brothers.  He adjusted her slight body in his arms.   That’s when he felt the sticky wetness.  “What the hell?” 

His hand came away from her body, stained black in the darkness. “Blood! Damn it, she’s hurt. It must be why she passed out.  Let’s move!”  His tone was much sharper than he intended.

“Steel, grab your first aid kit, and meet me in my bedroom.”  He was thankful his brother received medical training as part of his stint in the Army.  

“Chrome, I want information immediately.  Go over her vehicle with a fine-toothed comb. Look for anything that might explain why she’s here and how she got injured.” He turned sharply on his heels and started walking toward the former bed and breakfast. 

The slight weight in his arms didn’t slow him down.  He jogged up the sweeping steps leading to the front door.  Steel shot ahead of him, unlocked the door, and quickly disarmed the alarm system.  “We need to find Natalie and let her know her sister made it onto our property alive.  She must have known she was coming since she gave her the code. Maybe she can shed some light on the situation.”

“Chrome’s on it already. I’ll see you in less than five.” Steel shot up the curving staircase and made a right turn in the direction of his bedroom.

Copper climbed the same staircase and made a left hand turn.  His bedroom was at the end of the long hallway.  The mansion was converted to a bed and breakfast ten years earlier.   An extensive remodeling project created eight large bedrooms. Each room boasted its own small sitting area and large bathroom.  It was one of the main reasons the Metal Cowboys chose to buy the property. 

He entered his room and gently laid a still unconscious Marla onto his navy blue comforter.  It was a good thing it was such a dark color, because he wasn’t wasting time looking for old sheets or towels to put under her to catch the blood.  He gently touched the side of her face with his roughened fingers.  She didn’t stir. 

He couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to harm such a beautiful and delicate woman. The sharp vicious sting of anger zinged through his body. His hands clenched and unclenched in the soft silky material of Marla’s blouse.  For a brief second, he imagined they were wrapped around someone’s throat.

He took a deep breath and willed himself to calm down.  One of the men who served with him in the SEALs once told Copper his glare was mean enough to petrify most civilians.  He knew he looked like one mean SOB when he was angry. He didn’t want to scare Marla any more than he already did. He relaxed his facial muscles and assumed a blank expression. 

“I have to cut through her top.” 

The statement alerted him to Steel’s presence.  He was so focused on Marla he didn’t hear his brother enter the room.  Copper stiffened at Steel’s words.  The defensive posture had nothing to do with the fact that he was the one used to issuing orders. 

Steel sighed and stepped closer to the bed. “Use your head, brother.  I need to see the injury in order to treat it.” 

Copper gritted his teeth, but he didn’t interfere.  He intently watched as his brother used a pair of surgical scissors to rip through the side of the blood-soaked blouse.  He sucked in a deep breath when the wound was exposed. 

“Looks like she was grazed by a bullet,” Steel said.  “I’ll clean it up, apply disinfectant, and tape it up.  Then just to be on the safe side, I’ll give her a tetanus shot.  Also, once I verify she doesn’t have any known allergies, I’ll give her a dose of antibiotics too.”  He snapped on a pair of disposable gloves and meticulously began to treat Marla’s wound.

“Just as I thought,” he said after a few minutes. It’s not very deep at all. I don’t even think she’ll need stitches.”

Copper let out a small sigh of relief.  “I’ve seen much worse,” he gratefully admitted. A man saw a lot of unpleasant sights doing multiple tours overseas in a SEAL unit.    

“We all have,” Steel agreed.  “Either the person gunning for her has bad aim or someone was trying to send a message instead of kill her.” 

“If it was a message, whoever sent it isn’t going to like the response.  I’m all over this until the threat is neutralized or eliminated. From this moment on, Marla is under my protection.”

A flurry of activity drew his attention away from the woman on his bed and toward the door.  Marla’s sister came barging into the bedroom, Chrome and Mercury were right behind her.  Chrome put a restraining hand on their assistant, but it did nothing to slow her down. 

“Let me go,” she demanded.  She broke away from Chrome’s solid grip and moved to the side of the bed. She picked up her sister’s hand and squeezed it tight.  “I left the apartment as soon as I got off the phone with Marla. I drove ten to fifteen miles over the speed limit all the way here,” she admitted in a rush of words.  “She can’t have been here long.”

Any other time, Copper would have laughed at the feisty way Natalie handled Chrome. She was the only person outside the tightknit group of brothers that dared to stand up to the six-foot four giant of a man.  He was pretty sure Chrome had met his match with that one. He didn’t think the two of them were ready to admit it, so Copper kept his mouth shut.  Teasing could wait for another day. He had more important things to focus on for the time being.

“Oh my God, why is she unconscious?” Natalie demanded to know.  She gave the brothers an accusatory stare and waited for an answer. 

Copper took the lead as usual.  “We were hoping you could fill in the missing blanks. There seem to be a lot of them.  We went for a moonlight ride on our bikes.  Marla was waiting for us when we got back.  She collapsed almost as soon as she got out of the car.  Steel examined her.  He’s still in the process of treating her.  It looks like a bullet wound,” he informed the three newcomers. 

Natalie cut off her boss’s explanation. “She called from the school parking lot and told me someone was shooting at her. She couldn’t see anyone so they must have been taking potshots from a hiding spot,” She informed the men. She took a deep breath. “How bad is it?” 

Steel glanced at Copper before answering. “She was only grazed by the bullet. It could have been a whole lot worse. I’m almost done here. Is she allergic to anything?”

“No, I don’t think so. Why?” Natalie delicately sniffed and wiped away a stray tear.

“Infections are a risk with any type of bullet wound, no matter how minor.  I want to give her a shot of antibiotics.” 

“Okay, that sounds like a good idea.  Thank you for taking care of her, Steel.”

“No problem.  When I finish I’m going to cover it with a waterproof bandage, so she doesn’t have to worry about keeping the wound dry if she wants to take a shower later on.”

“I trust your medical expertise. I know she’s in capable hands with you,” Natalie managed a small smile.

Steel nodded and got back to work. His hands were sure and gentle as he treated his patient, doing what needed to be done.

Natalie chewed on her bottom lip and wrapped her arms around her shaking body. “I don’t really know who would want to hurt my sister. She teaches at the elementary school. The students and parents love her.”

“She hasn’t mentioned any recent complaints, or problem students?” Copper wanted to know.

“Not to me,” Natalie said. “She was sad and a little excited about the end of the school year, but that’s normal for her.”

“What about boyfriends or former lovers?” Copper asked in a voice that came out harsher than he intended.  Now wasn’t the time to be fishing for information about Marla’s personal life. He was only looking for potential suspects he reminded himself.

Natalie vigorously shook her head.  “My sister’s shy.  She didn’t sleep around or anything.  Her last relationship ended several months ago when he received a promotion and moved out of state to further his career.  There were no hard feelings on either side,” she insisted.   

Copper would reserve judgment on that statement.  He couldn’t imagine losing a woman like Marla and not being upset about it.  “How long were they together?”

“I don’t know the exact timeframe.  It was at least a couple of years. They were more friends than anything else.”

Copper snorted at that, but he didn’t interrupt. Natalie kept talking.

“Marla told me more than once that things weren’t serious between them, because there just weren’t any sparks. I think it was more a case of comfort rather than some great love.  They were comfortable with each other and neither one wanted to face the hassle of the dating scene.”

“And she hasn’t been involved with anyone since this man left town?” Copper found that hard to believe. Men should be lined up at Marla’s door, beating it down, trying to get in her bed.