Page 84 of Wine & Whiskey
12
Chapter Twelve
Every nervein Nick’s body screams under his skin from Shae slumped at his feet and the rifle pointed at his chest. He keeps his Glock aimed at this motherfucker’s forehead. A shot to the head, one to the heart, just like always. Once he knows she’s safe.
Their eyes bore into each other, neither man willing to lower his gun. The rider nudges his horse forward and sunlight glints off the silver star pinned to his jacket. A badge. A god damn fucking cop. Nick hangs his head, and his arm falls to his side. “Fuck!”
“The first shot was a warning. The next one won’t be. Drop your weapon and step away from the girl. Now!”
Nick tosses the gun a few feet in front of him and kneels down, his gut rolling at her motionless body, knocked out from the force of him tackling her to the ground. Missing the fact, in his panic, the man on horseback is a county sheriff rather than a hired hit man. A sleeping angel, curly hair frames her beautiful face, hurt once again from her relationship with the devil. He strokes her cheek, the soft skin warm under his fingertips. “Sweetness? Please open your eyes.”
The rider’s boots smack against the hard packed ground as he dismounts, his gun trained on Nick. “Stand up and put your hands behind your head.”
Hooves clip-clop on the gravel path behind him before another officer reaches for his arm. “If you don’t stand up right now, I’m charging you with resisting arrest.”
Fire rages through him. At them. At his fucking self. He swallows down the bile crawling up his throat. “Fucking wait! I have to make sure she’s all right.”
“Sir, when you pointed a loaded weapon at a law enforcement officer, you ran out of time. The faster you cooperate, the faster I can check on her.”
“Shae, please wake up.”
Her eyelids flutter before flying open, her eyes wide with fear just as he’s yanked up. Handcuffs dig into his skin, and he’s dragged backwards. Away from her. Too far to alleviate her panic or his guilt.
“Nick?” Her raspy voice muffles in her gasps for air. She arches her back off the blanket, as if opening her lungs as far as possible, before rolling on her side and clutching the front of her dress.
He forces himself to sound calm, for her as much as himself. “I’m here, sweetness. You just got the wind knocked out of you. Everything’s—”
“Do you have a permit for the gun?”
He ignores the sheriff’s question as the man pats him down and removes his wallet. “Everything’s okay, Shae. Let me get this—”
Pulling out Nick’s driver’s license, the officer taps it on the back of his gloved hand. “Mr. DeMarco, I said, do you have a permit for this weapon?”
“Yeah, it’s in there.” Nick never takes his eyes off of her. Yet again, she suffers because of him, and he can’t do a god damn fucking thing to help her.
After a few seconds, her breathing calms, and she sits up. Tendrils of hair fall loose around her delicate shoulders, hunched in uncertainty as she looks around.
The other sheriff kneels down next to her. “Are you okay, miss?”
She gives a slow nod before her groggy gaze meets Nick’s, relief filling her eyes as they lock with his. The tightness in his chest loosens. She’s okay, and inexplicably, finds comfort in his presence.
“Did he hurt you? Was he holding you here against your will?”
“Of course not…” Her voice falters, and she clears her throat. “We were having a picnic.”
“You realize it’s against the law to trespass on private property?” Even and soft, the deputy’s voice implies sympathy, yet an accusation simmers under the surface, already building his case against them. Leading her into his trap.
“We’re here for a wine tasting.”
“This winery has been closed for years.”
Nick’s jaw clenches at the interrogation. No one is more innocent than her. “Fucking ask Mr. Altmeyer. He’s the one who served us.”
Squeezing the radio clipped on his shoulder, the deputy requests a check on Nick’s license and assistance with a female victim. Shae stands up and smooths her dress. “I am not a victim.”
The officer tips his head down to hers, curling over her shoulder to create a barrier between her and Nick. “He pulled out a gun and threw you to the ground. It would be reasonable and appropriate to file assault charges against him.”
She turns back, her eyes meeting Nick’s again, and shakes her head. “My fiancé isn’t that kind of man. He was protecting me.”
