Copper (6 page)

Marla sucked in a deep breath of air.    She opened her mouth but no sound came out.

“Really, bro? You don’t have to be so blunt,” Copper snapped at his brother.  He didn’t even try to hide his annoyance.

Mercury sent him a look cold enough to cause frostbite even on the hottest Texas day. “Do you want us to mollycoddle her, or do you want to get the information we need to find the person who shot her?” He threw the words along with a smug smile at his older brother.

Copper wasn’t fazed by Mercury’s glare.  He gave him a snarky grin before answering.  “I expect you to do both.”  The harsh tone of his voice said he meant business.  It made the other three men stand just a little bit straighter.  The tension in the room shot up several notches.

Mercury’s cool blue eyes did a leisurely sweep from Copper to Marla and then back again.  The smug smile disappeared. He nodded his understanding at his brother. A silent message passed between the two men.

Marla, who’d tensed up when Mercury and Copper first exchanged words, slowly relaxed.  “Thank you, Copper, but it’s okay.  Really.  I was there, got the wound to prove it. Nobody has to sugarcoat anything for me.  I’m stronger than you could ever know,” she insisted.  “I might look delicate, but I won’t break.  Trust me.  I’ve lived through worse than a bullet graze to the side of my body.”

Copper stared at her hard but didn’t question the comment.  Instead, he focused on the shooting.  “As soon as you realized someone was shooting at you, who was the first person that popped into your mind?”

  “I um…”  Marla’s face went blank and then turned a pasty white.  She couldn’t look at Copper or anyone else.  She fixed her eyes on a spot over and beyond Copper’s shoulder and blindly reached for Natalie’s hand. 

Copper paced up and down by the foot of the bed.  After about the sixth time back and forth, he suddenly changed directions and came to a stop right in front of Marla.  The silence stretched out for several seconds before he finally broke it.  “I wouldn’t press the issue if it wasn’t important,” he said in a gruff voice. 

“Your intuition is the only thing we have to go on right now.  It can be spot on in situations like this.  We need a starting point, and it’s up to you to provide us with one.”

Marla looked at him with clouded eyes that begged for his understanding.  She didn’t want to talk about the sordid part of her past that haunted her, but what if Rob was the one responsible for her attack?  Shooting at an unarmed woman in a darkened parking lot was probably right up her ex’s alley.

She took a deep breath, let out a ragged sigh, and started talking.  “I used to be in an abusive relationship,” she whispered.  Her voice was so low that Copper and the other men leaned forward to catch what she was saying.

Marla glanced around the room.  All of the men had locked jaws and fierce frowns on their faces.  In addition to the scowl, Copper was also clenching and unclenching his large hands to make very dangerous looking fists.  She forced herself not to flinch and move away from him.  She was tired of giving Rob that kind of power over her.

Her sister respected and liked Copper.  After what happened to Marla, Natalie would never give the time of day to a man who might be capable of hurting a woman or child.  Her sister possessed good instincts when it came to people.  She tried to warn her that something about Rob was off.  It was too bad she hadn’t listened until it was way too late.

“What did you say?”  Copper asked for clarification. His voice was quiet but carried a sharp bite.

Marla pinched her lips together and stared at the man for several seconds. She was not repeating that confession again.  “You heard exactly what you think you did,” she finally said.  “Don’t make me say it again.”

Copper took his time and looked Marla up and down.  He looked like he was trying to gauge her state of mind.  He abruptly turned toward Natalie, taking in the tight grip she had on her sister’s hand.  “Explain,” he demanded.  “You didn’t mention this when I questioned you before,” he accused.

“I don’t think…” Natalie started to say before Copper cut her off.

“We don’t need every single detail, but I need the man’s name to start,” he insisted.  “An overall picture might help us know what to expect,” he went on to explain.

Marla took a deep breath, pulled her hand free of her sister’s, and started talking. “His name is Robert Storey,” she said in a voice that was shaking from suppressed emotions.

Natalie sighed. “Robert is a real SOB for sure, but pointing the finger at him for this might be a big waste of time.  He left the area about eight years ago. He hasn’t been seen or heard from since.”

“That’s not exactly true,” Marla said in a tiny whisper.

Natalie jumped up from the bed.  “What? Have you seen him?  Has he tried to talk to you?”  She balled her delicate hand into a fist and slammed it into the palm of her other hand.  “I’m going to be so mad if any of that is true and you didn’t bother sharing with me,” she said in an accusing tone.

Marla winced from the sharp sound of flesh smacking flesh and the reproachful voice of her sister. 

Natalie was instantly contrite. “Sorry.”  She stopped her agitated pacing and gingerly sat on the edge of the bed.  “Why didn’t you tell me he was back in town?”

Marla shrugged. “I didn’t want to worry you over nothing. Anyway he hasn’t actually tried to contact me.”

“Then why do you think he might be in the area?” Copper fired out the question.

“I taught his nephew this year.”  Her breath caught in her throat at the mention of work and the school.  It was just one more reminder of the horrible ordeal she’d barely managed to escape.  “I heard my student telling one of his friends at recess that his long lost Uncle Rob was in town for a visit.”

“Okay, now we’re getting somewhere,” Copper said in a coaxing voice.  “I’ll have Iron run a background check on the asshole as soon as he gets back.”

“I’m back,” a deep voice said from the hallway.  “What’s doing?” he asked with a raised brow.  His eyes darted around the room taking in every detail of the unusual gathering.

Copper acknowledged the new arrival with a nod.  “Someone took a few shots at Marla while she was leaving work this evening.  She was grazed but otherwise managed to escape.”

“Sweet Marla, say it isn’t so.  Who’d want to harm a delicate flower like you?”  Copper shot daggers at Iron with a stone-cold stare.  The other man immediately canned the flirtatious act and got serious.  “I’ll get on it, right now as a matter of fact. Who do you want me to track down?”

Marla cleared her throat. “Robert Storey, S-T-O-R-E-Y,” she spelled his last name for clarification. “He goes by Rob, but Robert is his given name. He turned thirty in June, and he was born and raised in this county.”

“That’s all I need,” the resident computer and technical genius told Marla. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry you were hurt.” He flashed her a big grin. “Don’t worry, I’ll track him down sooner rather than later.  If he did this, we’ll shut him down for good.”

He turned his attention to Copper. “The delivery went off without a hitch. The customer was very pleased. His brother may be contacting you next week with a few questions about specs and pricing for a bike of his own.”

“Thanks, Iron. See you later, man.  Happy hunting with that keyboard of yours.” 

“If anyone needs me, I’ll be in the office at my computer getting stuff done.”  He exited the room as quietly as he entered. 

“Steel and Mercury, I want the two of you to walk the perimeter of the property. Make sure everything is secure and that there’s no sign of trespassing anywhere. Report back to me when you’re done.”

“On it,” the twins said in unison before retreating from the bedroom. 

“Chrome, take the SUV to the school parking lot, and see if you can find Marla’s things. Be on the alert for an ambush. I’m pretty sure her attacker didn’t follow her, so he may be waiting for her to go back to retrieve whatever she left behind. If you find any of Marla’s personal effects, take them to the office first.  I want them inspected before any of it is handed over to her.”

“Why?”  Marla interrupted.  “It’s just a few photos, books, and end of the year presents from my students.  I don’t know if I want you going through my personal belongings.”

“I don’t want any nasty surprises,” Copper told her.  “If your stuff is still in the parking lot, it’s been unattended for a long time. Someone who knew what they were doing and really wanted to find you could hide a bug or tracking device with your things.  While this place is well protected there is no need to lead whoever it is right to our doorstep.”  He crossed his arms over his chest and bent down until their noses were almost touching.  “I’m not going to apologize for doing whatever it takes to keep you safe.” 

“Consider it done,” Chrome said.  He gave Natalie a long look before disappearing from the room.

Marla noticed that the tension in the room seemed to double.  “I feel dirty, inside and out.”  She wrapped her arms around her body.  “I’d give just about anything right now for a long hot bubble bath,” she admitted with a wistful sigh.

“There is an oversized Jacuzzi tub in my bathroom, but I don’t have any bubble bath hidden anywhere.”

Marla gave him a wry smile.  “Somehow that does not surprise me.  You don’t strike me as the bubble bath kind. You’re way too masculine for something so frilly.”

“Normally, but I could be tempted.  A soak with you would be anything but an insult to my manhood.”

The suggestive comment made Marla blush. 

“Whoa,” Natalie interrupted, holding up her hands to silence the man. “Way too much info for me,” she told Copper.  “Marla, I grabbed your makeup bag and travel shower caddy while I was at the apartment.  Do you have bubble bath in there by any chance?”

Her face brightened.  “Thanks.  I’m pretty sure I have a travel size bottle of bubble bath in one of those bags.”  She gave her sister a grateful smile. 

Copper groaned. Both women whipped their heads around to look at him.  He gave them a terse nod.  “On second thought, even with a waterproof bandage, you probably don’t need to be soaking your wound. I think you should take a shower instead of a bath.”

“You do not know how much I’m looking forward to relaxing in a tub.”  She frowned and disappointment clouded her eyes.  “You’re probably right.  I definitely don’t want to do anything to hinder the healing process. A shower it is then.”

Copper looked like he wanted to be anywhere except standing in the middle of his bedroom, discussing the merits of a shower over a bath. “I’m going to double check the interior of the house to make sure all the doors and windows are secure.  Security has always been tight around here, but we haven’t done any visual checks lately. Now would be a good time to get one done.”

He looked like he was struggling with the situation, and it endeared him to Marla.  She lightly touched his arm.  “Thank you for everything, Copper.”

“You’re welcome.  When I finish the security check, I’ll see what Iron’s managed to dig up on his computer.”

He turned to leave. Marla, who should have been relieved to get rid of his larger than life presence, found herself wanting to prolong their time together.  “Wait,” she called out.  When he turned questioning eyes on her, she forgot what she was going to say. 

“Um well, it’s just that this is your room, and I don’t want to kick you out of it.  Natalie can help me move my things into the guestroom she’s using.  I’ll share with my sister.”

“No!”

The terse word made her eyes widen.  “Uh, I don’t feel right about kicking you out of your room,” she insisted.

“Don’t worry, you’re not.”

She started to panic. “I can’t share a room with you!”

He gave both ladies a hard stare. “Nonnegotiable, so get used to it.”

Marla glared at his retreating back, but she waited until he was out of earshot before speaking. “What an ass!”

Natalie burst out laughing. “All of them can be at times, but they are solid to the core.  If Copper says he’s going to protect you then you’re about as safe as you can be.  I trust him, and you should too.”

Marla twisted her hands together.  “Easier said than done.  He makes me nervous. Every time he’s around me I have a hard time breathing, my heart beats like I’ve been running a marathon, and my stomach feels like it’s twisted in knots.”

Natalie shook her head.  “That sounds like sexual attraction to me.”

“I kind of figured that out for myself,” Marla whispered. “He excites and scares me all at the same time.  He confuses me so much, I don’t know if I’m coming or going.”

Her sister sighed.  “Copper can be gruff. He doesn’t take crap from anyone, but he would never intentionally hurt you.”

“Deep down I know that, but I still tense up whenever he’s near. Part of me wants to touch him, and the other part wants to run in the opposite direction as fast as I can.  How ridiculous is that?” 

“Makes perfect sense to me,” Natalie said in a contemplative voice.  “Rob did a number on you.  It’s almost like you’re punishing yourself by refusing to have fun, especially with the opposite sex.” 

“I date sometimes,” she reminded Natalie without actually denying her claim.

Her sister snorted.  “Yeah, wimpy yes men who are probably afraid of their own shadows.”  She laughed.  “Nothing exciting about that, as I think you’re finally beginning to figure out.”

“There are more important things than excitement,” Marla insisted. “And being safe is at the top of the list.”

Natalie shook her head.  “It’s no wonder you aren’t able to develop deep attachments with the few men you’ve bothered dating.  It’s also no surprise that Copper so easily throws you into internal conflict.  You’re young, single, and beautiful. You should be having fun, going to parties, outrageously flirting with good-looking men, and experimenting with what makes you feel good.” 

Marla arched a brow. “It sounds like you’re encouraging me to experiment with your boss.” 

“Why not? You’re a responsible twenty-six year old, not a naïve virgin.  You know what birth control is, and you’re smart enough to use it this time. I’m mad as hell that someone targeted you for harm, and I’m sad you were injured.  But maybe something good will come out of this horrible situation after all.”