Dani and the Bull Ch. 04

"Nobody is going to jail tonight, considering that everyone here saw Nick more or less attacked Dani and Jessie holding Zach back from helping his sister, Nick decided it was better if he didn't press charges. So he and that no good brother of his left for their trip to Texas, and if you have the number Tom, I would suggest you or your dad call and warn Shelia, of course those Texas boys aren't as good natured as I am. I told Mel I do want to take those tapes with me; I might need them later on. However, there is a problem. Afraid I can't let Dani drive her truck home, I can smell alcohol on her breath and while I can't charge her with minor in possession, I won't let her operate a motor vehicle either, how much have you had to drink tonight...?"

"Just a couple beers, I'm not a big drinker..."

"Would you be willing to submit to a breathalyzer test? Just to be safe..."

Bull nodded. "Sure." He went with the Sheriff to his car, and as he did the requested test, Tom Sheridan looked at him.

"You made an enemy tonight; I guess I don't need to tell you to watch your back, but I will tell you this, those two are like rattlesnakes, they strike without warning. So how long you plan on being in town, or is this an extended visit?"

Bull looked at the Sheriff, "Hard to say, why the interest?"

The Sheriff gave him a grin, "Because I can smell an ex-con a mile away, and only some man who has done hard time knows how to fight like you did tonight. You're a big man, anyone of those blows could have killed Nick and we both know it, so you were holding back, do me a favor, next time don't..."

"Sheriff...?" He had never expected to hear something like that from an officer of the law.

"You heard me. Nick Jensen has been pain in my ass since I took over this job, I've had more trouble from him and his brother than I've had from anyone else in town, and it's been that way going back a long time, I could tell you horror stories about that family, but I won't...It's bad enough Helen had her own dealings with him before..." He stopped as if realizing he had said too much. "Forget I said that, its old history and not something anyone wants dug up. So I hear you were on your way to see the grave of the Lady in Red..." He grinned. "Sorry you missed it tonight. It's the anniversary of her death..."

Bull looked over at Dani, "so that story is true?"

"Hell yes, kids been going up there every year on this night since before I was ever born, and beyond that. Supposedly you can smell this perfume that she was said to wear and hear her laughter when you are near her grave. I won't begin to speculate on what she might be laughing at..." A beep made him glance down, and nod. "You're good to go Bull, not even enough to hardly register...and take Dani home, she looks ready to drop."

Bull looked at his woman and nodded. "Thanks Sheriff..." He held out his hand and the other man took it. "Good night..."

"Drive careful, that's precious cargo you got in that truck..."

Bull agreed completely.

Jack felt his fist the wall of the shed, and knew the men gathered around him were fully in agreement. "You should have killed him Bull..."

The big man nodded. "That's what the sheriff told me too, said if it ever happened again, that I should, save him a lot of grief." He took a deep drink of his water, and Dani shifted against him. Once they got home, everyone had tried to get her to go in and go to sleep but she had fought them all, finally Helen had given up.

"I don't think she'll calm down unless Bull is with her, better to just let her stay with him and get some rest..."

So, here they sat, on the couch in the shed, her body curled up against his, and Jack feeling his little girl draw farther away from him. He was having a hard time accepting that, but he was damn glad that the big man had been with her tonight, it seemed he had the ability to protect her better than her own brothers.

Tom took a drink of his coffee, and shook his head, "they both had to be flying high on something, I mean not only are the girls trying to pull Jessie off Zach, then half the guys are helping and it was the same with Nick, the only who actually accomplished anything was Bull...Now I know I ain't been working out like I used to, but I felt like a damn 98 pound weakling. I do know one thing, I never thought I would see the man who Tom Sheridan couldn't bring down the minute he put them in his choke hold. I thought he was going to break Bull's neck before he got him to stop beating on Nick..."

That made Jack look at Bull in surprise, he had been on the receiving end of Tom's choke hold once or twice, Bull didn't react, he just shifted a little and rearranged Dani so he could straighten out his legs, even as Jack watched, his eyes closed and it was clear that like Dani, Bull was drifting off to sleep. Looking at his boys, he jerked his head in the direction of the door and they left as quietly as they could.

In the house, Helen looked at him and he saw the question in her eyes. "She's with Bull out in the shed, they're both asleep..."

She nodded, and got up from the couch, "They need it, and so do the rest of us..." Her eyes moved around to the ones who were still awake. "So let's call it, tomorrow will look better for all of us." Something in her face told Jack she had more to say to him, and once upstairs, she made her point of view clear. "Jack, I love you, I have never made any demands on you about who was welcome in our home, but I will tell you this right now, if I ever see you talking to Nick, or him anywhere on this property, I will leave you so fast it will make your damn head spin. The shit with Jericho one thing, he was a grown man and he knew what he was risking the night he went to get Marie, but this, this is the last straw, if Bull hadn't been with her, I shudder to think what could have happened. There wasn't one of them who could pull him off her, not Tom, not Zach, not Eli or Jason...and those are the oldest and biggest of all the boys..."

Jack put his arm around her, and pulled her close as he heard her give in to her tears of fear for her daughter; he understood a hundred percent, and didn't hide his own relief that everyone was home safe. "I know Helen, believe me; I know just how you feel..."

To be continued…