**** Brittany was shocked to see the actual damage Brick had suffered on his final deployment. But, for some reason she wasn't filled with disgust, or fear, but pride. She was proud of him. Proud of his service, proud that he had continued on, that he hadn't let the injury define him. She knew of the courage, determination and commitment it took to suffer a grievous injury and keep going. Rowdy had been seriously injured as had Bear, her father and Kyle. They all had suffered not only physically but mentally has well. Having this knowledge, this understanding made her respect, and admire this incredible man even more.
She knew she could never handle knowing that a relative she had grown up with could turn into such a hate filled individual. Who was determined to cause pain, hardship and death. How much did looking into the face of such an person feel? How did he do it? It wasn't bad enough that this was no mere enemy, this was one of Brick's biggest demons.
Taking a step back Brick caught sight of Brittany standing beside her dad, and the look on her face rocked him. He had expected revulsion, but she looked at him as if he were something special, as if his eye didn't bother her at all. As he and Brittany were locked eye to eye, Zloba made his move. He spun on one leg and aimed the heel of his right boot into Brick's face. Brittany screamed and to the mobster's dismay, Brick wrapped one arm around his calf and slammed the elbow of the other into Zloba's knee. The bone cracked as it broke. Brittany would remember the sound for the rest of her life.
Zloba cried out in hatred and agony and his eyes grew wide when Brick's hand wrapped around his throat, and slammed the man to the ground. The hate filled man knew his knee cap had been shattered, that the fight was over, but he refused to let the traitor win. When Brick reached for a set of cuffs the mobster flicked his arm up and a darringer slid into his hand.
Brick saw the snear on Zloba's face and the darringer just before a shot rang out. Zloba's head jerked back as a small red hole blossomed in the middle of his forehead. The mobster lay sprawled on the ice and snow, eyes open in death. Brick, Beau and the wranglers stared at Brittany, standing there, rifle to her shoulder, faint grey vapor still rising from the barrel. Her eyes were cold, angry, determined.
Brick was thunderstruck, that little slip of woman child had saved his life. He understood what must be going through her head. He watched as Beau turned and slowly removed the weapon from his daughter's shaking hands and handed the weapon to Bear who had joined them.
Brittany's eyes began to glaze with shock, and didn't seem to notice as father rubbed her arms.
"That was....ehhh quite a shot, sweetheart. Are you alright?"
She looked defiantly at the rancher, "I won't say I'm sorry.... cause I'm not! He wasn't gonna give up, he wasn't gonna quit. I had to do it, daddy. I'm not sorry."
All the men watched in concern as the teenager looked at her father, then at Zloba. When Brick stepped in front of the dead man to block her veiw, her eyes filled with tears, "Gabriel, oh God!"
Brittany ran to the huge man and almost threw herself into his arms.
Brick pulled her against his chest and cradled the back of her head and he rocked her. He whispered as he buried his face in her long dark blonde hair. She would never know just how much she meant to him, or how much it meant that she had not turned away from his face. She held onto him and began to tremble.
"Tany. Thank God, you're not hurt. If anything had happened to you, Nemnogo Shalun'ya." He whispered as he buried his face in her long dark blonde hair. She would never know just how much she meant to him. So many people turned away from him when they saw the patch. But this wonderful, amazing young woman had seen the worst there was, still looked him in the eye as she ran into his arms. How could he turn away from the angel that held him so tightly?
Brittany broke down as she felt his strong arms close around her. "Oh God! I thought a I'd lost you!" She whispered hoarsely into his chest.
Brick knew she was in shock, and that what she had done would not really hit her until later. He feared she would turn away from him, that she would not be able to face him for what she had done. But, he would deal with that when and if it happened. Until then, he would hold her close to his heart as long as he was allowed, maybe longer if he was lucky. No...luck had nothing to do this. No, this precious moment was a gift. He had been blessed with this beautiful young woman and the golden opportunity that lay before them if they had the courage and the commitment to wait until the time was right.