Boomer roars and runs down the alley grabbing Cassie in a few steps by her hair and jerking her from her feet while skidding to a stop.
“Yeah, fight back. I like it when they fight.” He leans close to her ear and whispers, “The last one fought for hours.” He licks the side of her face, and she gags trying to jerk away. “I'm gonna take my time with you, pretty lady.” He grabs her breast and squeezes it roughly. Cassie's scream is interrupted by Jeb's hand slapping her face, leaving a bloody swollen lip.
“There will be more later, Bitch! No one breaks my nose, you will pay for it!”
A door opens, and everyone looks up as they hear light conversation and laughter. Dalton exits with Mr. Wells, and they freeze. The gray of Dalton's eyes turn to molten silver as he realizes what he is seeing.
“What the hell? Cassie!”
“Dalton?” Cassie whispers in relief and horror.
Dalton roars and springs like a cat clearing the distance between him and her assailants in a few long strides.
Harry follows drawing his pistol from under his jacket. He points it at Boomer who is holding Cassie tightly by the hair.
Boomer quickly jerks her in front of him for a shield. Thinking better of it, he tosses her towards Harry and runs. Harry catches Cassie and puts her behind his body.
All sound fades as Dalton's animal instinct to protect her calls to his soul. He bull rushes Jeb into the brick wall across the alley, driving the air out of his lungs in a whoosh. As Jeb bends over to catch his breath, Dalton throws an uppercut at him, flattening his nose even further with another jet of bright red blood. Both of Jeb's eyes are blackened and swelling shut. He sits leaning against the wall holding his head in pain as Dalton draws back his boot intending to knock some teeth out.
Before the blow falls, Boomer hits Dalton across the back of his shoulder with a board he picked up from nearby. Dalton is stunned for a second as he crashes to the hard brick in a rain of wood splinters.
Jeb staggers to his feet yelling at Boomer, “Hit him again! That fucking bastard…” His words start slurring together as the blood from his nose continues running down his face filling his mouth causing him to cough and spit.
Cassie screams a warning and Dalton rolls over to his back, firing his drawn jacket pistol. Two shots ring out, and as the smoke clears between Dalton and Boomer, there are two neat holes in the center of his chest.
Boomer looks down with a shocked look on his face as the holes begin bleeding profusely.
“He shot me, Jeb! The asshole shot me!” Those are the last words he utters as he falls to his face dead beside Dalton.
Dalton looks up, hearing Jeb screaming incoherently as he runs towards him. Suddenly he stops cold in his footsteps.
“Now that will be enough of that. There's been too much killing and hurting already!”
As Dalton stands, he sees that Mr. Wells has his pistol firmly planted at the back of Jeb's head and he pushes the raging, bleeding man to his knees.
Mr. Wells barks instructions to Jeb, “Hands stretched out on the ground in front of you! Good, now stay that way, and you might still live to see tonight!”
Cassie flies past them straight into Dalton’s waiting arms. She sobs uncontrollably as he holds her shaking form. “Are you okay, Cassie?”
“They were going to kill you! I, I had to warn you!” she rambles. With a finger under her chin, he lifts her face to his, and the bruised face and swollen, bloody lip, has him raging again.
He turns swiftly and kicks Jeb in the side of the head, knocking him unconscious. “Bastard!”
Cassie can't stop shaking, her jaw is hurting, and her head is throbbing. “Dalton?” She calls out, and he catches her before she sinks to the ground. “My head…” she whispers and buries her face in the side of his neck.
“Get her back to your suite, I will have a doctor waiting for you,” Harry promises, looking at Cassie with concern.
“Thank you, Harry. What about these two?” he asks, gesturing to the two men.
“I will handle it, just go,” he urges him.
“Thank you,” he swiftly turns and rushes into the street carrying Cassie.
“So tired, Dalton. Just need to rest,” she murmurs against his throat.
“No! Dammit woman, what are you doing in the alley with those two?” Fear has his voice growing angry as he climbs into the waiting carriage. “Palace Hotel!” he snaps out.
“Dalton, I thought… wait a minute,” she snaps indignantly and lifts her head up, ignoring the sound of her blood rushing through her body. Anger and adrenaline pump through her body and she pokes him, “You left without me!”
A flush of rage covers her pale cheeks, and he feels better. Sure, that she will not pass out while she is angry, he listens to her fears and leans down and catches her mouth in kiss only to break off at her gasp of pain.
“I thought they were going to hurt you!” she says after he releases her mouth. He kisses the corner of her mouth that isn’t bleeding.
“I know it,” he whispers.
An hour later, the doctor has come and gone. He has assured them that Cassie will be okay and agreed that it is safe for them to travel. “You are lucky they didn’t crack both of your skulls. Watch for signs of a concussion…” he proceeds to fill Dalton in on the symptoms and then takes his leave.
Dalton walks slowly into her bedroom as she walks in from the bathroom in a beautiful silk robe. He stops in his tracks and just stares at her.
