Edited ~
The sheriff wasted no time in driving me back to the diner after I made sure there was no trace left behind. I'll have some explaining to do to the boys when I get back to the ranch. "Did you have to kill him?" Cracking an eye I open I stare at him with a glare, pointing to my nearly totaled truck.
"You're right, next time I'll let him pin me to my truck," I answer, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Blood continues to drip from my open wounds, soaking all of my clothes. I'm going to kill the other one slowly. My need and dire craving for a shower only grows more with each passing minute as the hot blood soaks into my jeans.
"That's not what I meant Dakota," he growls at me and parks behind my truck. Oh let the chaos begin. An ambulance and rescue crew are already at work removing the man from the car. I'll get you an ambulance."
"Don't bother, I won't take it," I answer, kicking my door open, my eyelids slam shut at the pain that blossoms at the fresh wounds pulling and stretching. Maybe a little light headed headache working- great.
"You need to-"
"Dakota!" His deep guttural voice bellows my name across the parking-lot and it brings a smile to my face as I shut the door to the patrol car.
"Calm down Cowboy," I grunt and force my legs to move, step by step towards my truck in need of some rags to wrap up the wounds.
"Calm down? What the hell- piss off Perez!" Digger bellows while climbing under the police tape to march my way. The young officer that stopped him took an initial step back as he stared at Digger's looming figure, intimidated by Digger's stature. "Little lady, what the hell happened?" He asks hand cupping my cheek, I chuckle patting his hand.
"Daniel, you care if I go get stitched up?" He turns and stares at me before sighing, he tosses his hand in frustration.
"I'll give you a ride, I have questions for you." Shaking my head I wince, halting the movement quickly. That sucked.
"Just ask here and do it quickly," I order turning from Digger to face him. I don't need you snooping around me for a few days.
"Do you know them? Why they'd want to fight you?" Daniel questions flipping his notepad open to a clean page to scribble his gibberish on.
"No, never seen them a day in my life. All they said was that I needed to learn a lesson and they were here to teach me," I answer and shrug watching him jot it down with a neutral expression.
"Do you have any enemies?" You're not really asking me this, are you? I stare at him with an incredulous blank stare, brow arched unamused. He's serious.
"I made enemies for a living; what do you think?" Daniel lifts his gaze at the same time an unamused scowl takes over his features.
"I mean stateside," he clarified through clenched teeth, having the same feelings I do over the matter. Granted he most likely is pissed that this is happening in his quiet town.
"Make that clear next time," I grunt, refraining from shrugging and aggravating the injury more. "As far as I know, no; I don't track the assholes who have a stiffy for me. Once the file is closed, it's not my problem anymore." Expect this time it is- though this wasn't my file to slam shut.
"You had a fight recently, who was it with?" I struggle to not close myself off as I opt to lean against Digger relaxing as best as I can given everything.
"I didn't happen to catch their name. Couldn't be bothered to keep track of the low life who thought they could take me- I just sent them with their tail between their legs." Now I'll be sending her a nice little gift wrapped in a bow. This was a step too far, I intend to send a clear message of back the fuck off.
"Do you have a description?" He questions tapping his pen against the pad of paper. Good, you're not betting on this.
"No, it was dark and when there was light, their face was already messed up," I smile at him as he tilts his head with an unamused deadpan stare.
"You don't have any description?" I answer with a careless shrug looking at Digger.
"Can you get me some rags out of the tool chest in the bed of my truck Cowboy?" I ask him sweetly with a gentle smile, he watches me with his sharp eyes before he nods and grunts like a caveman.
"Yeah, I'll get it," he sighs and jumps over into the bed of the mangled truck with ease. Boy, was he blessed with grace and agility.
"No, I'm not kidding, Sheriff. It wasn't like this was some planned moment, for all I know they got the wrong person, they didn't know my name, called me Delia. Are we done here?" Close enough to the truth on that. Digger jumps from the truck muttering curses under his breath as he tenderly cares for my sliced open arm wrapping it with utmost care.
"Where did you lose the other one? Which way was he headed?" I can only offer a droll look as I stare at him. Do you think so low of me?
"If I knew that, do you think I'd be standing here?" Not that your answer matters to me, I'm in the long game with this now.
"You're impossible," he heaves a sigh rubbing his face in exasperation before he snaps his notepad closed. "Get lost, I'll call you if I need anything," Daniel waves me off and I turn back to Digger. How much do I share with him?
"Want to give me a lift to the clinic?" I ask with a sheepish joking smile as I glance towards the ever growing dark stain. Yeah, that sucked; I can't wait to get my retribution. With a slow breath I press the extra rag against my and blink rapidly feeling the rush of dizziness.
"You're crazy little lady," he mutters under his breath, wrapping his arm around my waist to pull me against his body for support. "Come on," he ushers me under the tape and towards his ride.
"That's a part of why you've taken a liking to me, Cowboy," I tease him chuckling, I take one final look at the mangled wreckage of my truck. At least no one was parked close to me.
"Yeah, I'm insane for it," he chuckles with a tense sound, forcing a tight smile.
"Angel and Red are secure, right?" I grunt pressing the rag deeper against the open cut on my abdomen. That's going to suck to get stitched up.
"They've already been collected, little lady, no need to worry about that. You did good keeping them safe," he assured me, helping me into the front seat of the van.
"Good," I smile, feeling the start of blood lose to kick in as I rest my head on the headrest. Go get this stitched up and go get some answers. The assholes have taken one too many steps and have become far too comfortable for their own good. If I'm really lucky Brad will have some decent intel to work with about these assholes. Digger climbs into the cab and slams the door behind him starting the van.
"Did you let him get away?" Does no one have any faith in me?
"Please, have a little faith in me Cowboy," I hum. I need to be careful in what I say, he doesn't deserve to be caught up in this mess. Digger is an innocent party in this and doesn't need to be brought into the less than legal side of things.
"That's not an answer," he growls pointedly, a stare directed at me as if waiting for me to spit out any information.
"Cowboy," I sigh, cracking an eye open, "take a wild guess and decide for yourself." He remains silent while he points us towards the clubhouse.
"I don't like how that sounds, little lady," he sighs quietly.
"You won't like the answer that'd follow either," I responded, feeling the rest of my adrenaline die off. Yeah, there's that dead zone.
"You've done something haven't you?" He questions calmly and it's my turn to find silence, mulling over my words carefully.
"I may have pushed my hand a bit. Don't worry about it Cowboy, I'm taking care of business," I remark with a careful smile. "It'll work out in the end, I'll make sure of it," I promise and open my eyes to be met with the compound and open doors for the clinic. I guess they're waiting for me.
"How deep are you jumping into this? I know you know more than you've let on with the Sheriff; don't you?" I shrug and open my door only for him to reach through and pull it closed with an arched and expectant stare.
"Yes, Cowboy?"
"Answer me," he orders, shadows in the doorway draws my attention to see their familiar faces before I glance back at him.
"Boundaries were stepped over, shit's getting fixed- my way, Cowboy," I assure him and shove the door open and get out, slamming the door behind me I hang onto the van for a moment longer feeling a head rush from hell hit me.
"Dakota, are you alright?" I lift my head to give a tense nod to Angel.
"Just Dandy," I manage a grunt as I head for the clinic, Digger wraps his arm around my waist again to keep me from meeting the earth in my less than coordinated state.
"My ass, can you put some stitches in her?" Digger asks as he pulls me into the clinic following Angel's lead towards the surgery bay.
"Of course, let me get some meds ready-"
"Don't bother," I grunt, Digger helps me up onto the table ready to ease me back, I bat at his hand with a tight smile. "I have shit to do after this, I need to be on my game not a stumbling fool," I sigh heavily.
"Are you- it's going to hurt, I should give you something to-" I raise my hand, cutting her off.
"No, just numb the area and get this over with." I drop the rag and pull my shirt over my head leaning back on my good arm.
"Dakota," Digger warns and I shake my head at him.
"Cowboy, don't start. I told you I have shit I need to take care of; I'm cleaning a mess on my doorstep as it's my right too," I stare him solemnly, eyes narrowed. I turn towards Angel nodding, needing her to get on with this.
"If that's what you want," Angel trailed off with a small shrug, getting what she needed to get this show on the road. Maybe I should keep to Sam... It wouldn't be the first time she's stitched me up.
"What do you have to do, little lady?" Digger questions with a pointed stare, I shake my head.
"Cowboy, you don't need to be involved in what's happening next," I simplify while pulling my phone out.
"Dakota, you need to spill-" I raise my phone and shake my head sternly.
"We'll talk later," I growl pointedly, Angel walks over silently, eyes bouncing between us as she gets to work. She numbs my stomach and arm getting to work as I send messages to both Ryan and Papa. I'm getting answers tonight. The pain of each stitch is barely numbed with the topical agent. You've been through worse, suck it up.
"What the hell happened at the diner?" Axel's voice breathed through my mental mirage I was in the midst of creating. Figures.
"Axel, do yourself a favor and shut the fuck up before I come off this table and make you. I'm not in the mood to deal with your shit," I stare back at him with cold deadly intent, shock registers in his eyes before a scowl takes over his features.
"Don't tell me-"
"I'm only going to warn you once; I already have one body on my list today, don't make me add to it so soon," growling my eyes narrow at the same time a knock sounds on the door; everyone besides Angel and I turn.
"I'd prefer if you don't do that to him," she jokes lightly and I fight a smile and eye roll. I'm just getting a point across at this point.
"Looks like I got here in time, are you just about done here?" Ryan's voice breaks through the growing tension making me look up at him and nod as Angel nods.
"Let's roll."