Page 21 of Protected By the Surly Carpenter

“Hey, asshole, that’s my daughter. Who do you think?—”

Clark twists slightly and I hear a sharp crack before his right arm returns to rub my lower back. There’s a stumble, and a thud, then I hear Dad spitting the familiar, foul curses I haven’t heard in a few years.

“Baby,” Clark murmurs softly, “I’m going to let go now, and I want you to face the wall and not turn around to look. Okay?”

“Okay.”

As soon as I’m turned, Clark’s warmth disappears. I wince from the sound of his fist cracking somebody’s jaw. Then another few punches, maybe chests or shoulders. It sounds like a fight scene out of a movie.

“That’s probably enough, don’t you think?”

I slide just my eyes sideways to the authoritative voice. I’ve seen the local policeman around town, and heard people call him James. He’s usually smiling, and people always laugh when he cruises by the restaurant patio to sneak a few fries off a friend’s plate.

He’s not laughing now. That stony-faced glare means business. “Barrett, would you grab those two, please?”

Glancing in the other direction, I see a burly lumberjack type grab Lawney and his friend in a couple of headlocks. Facing the wall again, I hear a scuffling sound, then my father groaning in pain down on the pavement.

“Clark, care to catch me up?”

“This useless bastard is my girlfriend’s father. He’s been chasing her, trying to steal her property. Sending idiot goons out to look for her.”

There’s another shuffle. “We don’t treat women like that in this town, asshole.” James’ voice is icy. “Two choices. I can either get legal, bust all of you for stalking. The whole restraining order scenario. Sue you for damages if this nice girl has so much as broken a nail because of you.”

Barrett chuckles at that.

“Or,” James continues, “I could throw you off our mountain permanently and make sure everybody knows it. Which means, if you’re found within two hundred miles of this town, you’refair game for any local guy who hasn’t gotten his daily boxing practice in. What’ll it be?”

There’s a pause, then a shuffle, followed by a groan from my father, as if he’s being squeezed. “All right. All right. I’ll leave.” More shuffling. “But if you think I’m dropping this, Elena?—”

A strangled groan, followed by a decisive thump.

“If you ever speak her name again, if you ever eventhinkabout her, it’ll be the biggest mistake of your miserable fucking life.” Clark’s deep voice is savage, almost feral.

Taking several slow breaths, I try to get my body to relax, but everything is locking up again. There’s a bunch of shuffling and cursing, and car doors opening and shutting.

“Just one minute more, Elena,” James says soothingly.

There’s some more muttering near the cars, but I can’t make anything out. Clark is keeping his voice so low I can’t hear a word, but from his dark tone, I truly believe Dad won’t ever be coming back to Wolfe Mountain.

I love that he blocked my father from my vision the second he got to me and wouldn’t let me watch any violence. No man has ever cared for me the way Clark has. It’s like he appeared in my world already knowing everything I need.

About a minute later, his voice is soft and warm, right behind me. “It’s okay, Elena. You can look now.”

I turn just in time to see two cars driving away quickly.

“I’ll follow them out of town,” James says, tapping Clark’s shoulder on the way by.

The other man steps closer, extending his hand. “Hi Elena, I’m Barrett. Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye out for that son of a bitch if he ever tries to come back. But I doubt he will.”

“Thank you.”

Clark shakes his hand as well. “Thanks, man.”

Barrett shakes his head and sighs. “Next time, just tell me you need help. That’s what we’re here for.”

He strides away toward a big truck as Clark turns to me. He seems almost nervous as he opens his arms, but I rush right into them. “I’m so sorry,” I begin. “I didn’t mean?—”

“Shh, baby, it’s okay,” he murmurs.

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