"A woman after my heart," his smile fades when she looks away from him and wipes a new tear. "We have to start working together, and that means listening. I am not betraying you, Bronnah. You're clearly exhausted. You need to trust me to do my job and rest." With a finger to her chin, he lifts her face back to look at him. "I would never hurt you."
"Fine," she says ignoring his last statement, she jerks her face out of his hand. "Could you please get the biscuits out before they burn?" She sniffs and grabs the bag from him. Ignoring him, she wipes at the blood with a rag he hands her only to hiss at the burning sensation. He frowns feeling guilty that she's hurt again.
“Alright.” Chase moves to the kitchen and takes out the biscuits and carries one back to the room where she is sitting. “They look perfect.” He takes a bite of the hot steaming bread and moans in ecstasy. “God, I’m starved.” Bronnah struggles not to laugh as she blots at her side.
"If you'd stop falling on your stitches they could heal faster," Chase frowns at the blood on the rag. "Stand up and let me help you." Bronnah stands slowly and lifts her blouse watching his face closely. He squats down and draws his big knife out, cutting a strip of cloth from a sheet in the closet. Bronnah holds a wad of cloth over the top of the wound as he wraps the strip around for pressure. "That should help."
“Or, perhaps if I didn’t have a big moose falling on top of me it could heal,” she quips, gesturing at her side. Yawning she sits back down on the bed and waits for the pounding to stop in her head.
"That would be easier if you weren't so impetuous Bronnah," he replies happily eating a second biscuit. "I'm sure between the two of us that we can figure out what our next move should be. I wouldn't drag you to Kansas and put you in more danger if I didn't think I could protect you." He gives her the rest of the biscuit and orders her to stay still.
"We'll eat here. I don't want you on your feet just yet." He returns a few minutes later with bowls of soup and biscuits on a tray with a cup of coffee for her. "For tonight, let's eat and wait out the storm. You need to heal, and we both need sleep."
Bronnah eats her fill of the broth and biscuit and enjoys a cup of coffee. Both are quiet as they think about the past few days. Chase stands up and takes the tray with dishes to the kitchen while Bronnah grabs the ledger from her bag and runs her hand over the cover. She glances up at him when he returns and holds out the book to him.
“I want you to have this, Chase. Do what you can to help them. I know you think I’m impulsive, but they must be stopped.” Her voice is shaking as she says, “This is ridiculous. They can’t continue getting away with this. With the knowledge in this book, we can stop them.” Chase sits heavily on the side of the bed.
"I think you're as brave as you are beautiful, Bronnah but your hasty actions are libel to get you killed." He takes the ledger from her hand and snaps the cuff on her wrist with no warning. It is attached to his wrist. Tears fill her huge eyes, and instead of fury, he sees betrayal.
"Are ye daft? Did ye not hear anything I said?" she demands.
“Oh, I heard you alright. You said WE, and that means You can’t be trusted. You tend to sneak off when I’m not lookin and darlin I can’t stay awake twenty-four hours a day. I’m trying to keep you safe. There is no We in this story Bronnah. You are going to be placed in protective custody and let me do my damn job!”
“You have no right to control my decisions.” He leans in close to her face and snarls.
“I have all the right I need. I am a U. S. Federal Marshall, Ms. O’Dalaigh.” Chase stretches out on the massive bed beside her and shoves her over.
“You can’t be serious?” Bronnah is incredulous. “I’m not sleeping with you!” Chase shrugs his massive shoulder.
“Have it your way, the sleepier you are, the less I have to worry about you running off again.” He stretches one arm out over his head and closes his eyes.
“Va te faire foutre!” Go fuck yourself, Bronnah responds in French.
Chase laughs, and the whole bed shakes, "Be warned, that filthy mouth of yours tempts me," his silver eyes flash when her eyes drop to his mouth.
“In your dreams, Cowboy.” Bronnah rolls away from him, ignoring his laughter when she jerks at his arm.
“Sweet dreams, Bronnah.”
Sometime in the night, Bronnah shivers in her sleep. Chase rolls behind her and pulls her into his heat. She adjusts using his arm as a pillow and curves her body into his and sighs in contentment. Chase grins and pulls the quilt over them and sleeps while the world outside them hides from the storm pounding around them. Tomorrow they will continue this argument, but here, tonight, he will pretend that he deserves her and hold onto her for as long as he can.
Chapter 24
