Page 92 of Defending Casey

“Sir?” Clint ignored the paramedic and leaned forward. “If you need to call someone, I can-”

“Phone!” David’s eyes were wide and panicked. “I need my phone so you can find Nora.”

“How will that find-”

“-find my phone-”

That was all he could say before he lost consciousness.

#

Stone’s phonerang and he answered it. “Clint? What’s-” he nodded and gestured toward the end of the alley where their vehicles were parked, “yeah, okay. Got it.”

They were already piling in when Stone slid in the driver’s seat and put the vehicle into reverse. “We’re headed back to the feed store. Clint said that David passed out, but from what he gathers, there’s something on David’s phone that’s going to help us find Nora.”

“Nora?”

Hale managed a full breath then.

“Okay, let’s get back there. As soon as we do, I’ll call his phone and we’ll have it in moments.”

#

Nora sobbed upagainst Casey’s side. She didn’t blame her daughter in the least. Hearing the way that Brian was raging was enough to make her fear him even more. Hearing the venom that he was spouting about Hale? Nora’s pain was even more keen because of it.

Casey felt those emotions too, but she forced herself to stuff it down inside of her.

Fear would have to wait.

She had to protect her daughter from both the physical threat to them as well as the emotional damage Brian seemed so keen on inflicting.

“It was perfect, you know?”

She turned to look and saw Brian sitting in the chair he’d pulled over by the front door. He had his head in his hands, but she could hear him clear as day.

“All you had to do was see what was right before your eyes?” He lifted his head to glare at her. “Why couldn’t you?”

“I’ve never been anything but honest with you, Brian. I love Hale. I loved him in high school. I loved him after he left. And I’ve never stopped loving him.”

“But after everything I’ve done, don’t you think I deserved a chance? Don’t you think you owed it to me to try?”

Casey was taken aback by his words. “Brian, I never-”

“Leave her alone, boy. You’ve made a big enough fool of yourself already. Now, why don’t you just leave? You’re not going to win her over like this.” Sitting back in his chair, Thomas planted his boots on the floor and folded his hands together. “Let’s face it. You’ll never hold a candle to my boy. Here you are, dragging this woman and her child around for what? Because you think they’d choose you over Hale?”

Brian glared at the older man and Casey kept as still as she could hoping that Thomas would stop. Comparing Brian to his cousin wasn’t going to diffuse the situation.

“Hale is a hero, boy. He served this country! Put himself in harm’s way for others! Decorated! Part of Army Special Forces! A fucking Green Beret. And what are you, Brian? You think you’re a man for taking these two? Trying to take them away from their family? What do you think-”

“I’m their family!” Brian shot out of his chair and paced closer, his eyes wild and his breathing erratic. I. AM. FAMILY! Yours too, old man!”

He looked straight at Casey and then down at Nora. Nora wiggled closer against her side and Casey leaned closer so Nora could stay mostly out of sight.

“Bullshit!” Thomas almost spat out the word. “I’m no family of yours. Mean may run in my veins, but you’re plain old crazy, boy! Especially if you think Casey would ever look at you the way she does my boy. He’s a-”

“Don’t say it!” Brian kicked at the chair he’d been sitting in and sent it clattering to the floor. “He’s no hero, Uncle,” he sneered his words. “He’s a fucking failure!”

#

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