Firecracker (On Hold)

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Justin's P.O.V.

I think I've hit a nerve here. I don't know how it all ties in, but Ariya has revealed some truths about herself without even trying here. I just have to figure out how to piece it all together. Maybe she knows how dangerous her temper really is. Maybe the Todd thing scared her and she's starting to realize she needs some help with this.

I honestly thought I was going to have a death to deal with when she went at Todd. You might think I'm being dramatic, but I assure you I'm not. I don't panic or scare easily. I've seen a lot of nasty things in my time in the Marines and I had some harsh training, but I was not ready for Ariya to jump off Splash and totally switch on Todd. That was definitely unexpected. Splash is usually calm and doesn't spook at anything, but the tension in the air must have set him off, because he took off round the pen. Obviously, I didn't want him making matters worse and running over the brawling pair, so I had to grab him before I could get to Ariya. I say the brawling pair, but Todd had absolutely no chance. Ariya was in there and pretty much had him knocked out before he could even process what was happening.

I can't trust that she wouldn't have killed him. When I shouted that at her, it seemed to shock her into letting me drag her away. She didn't put up a struggle until I had her away from him and I was trying to make sure she didn't go back for a second go. I don't know if she actually didn't see how badly she'd beat him or what, but my words definitely hit her.

I'm going to make sure I keep them separated, at least for a little while. With a bit of luck, Todd will have learned to keep his mouth shut now. He was asking for trouble, if he actually has made those comments. I have no reason to think Ariya is lying; she has been honest with me from the start. I will ask Todd his version of events and see what he has to say for himself. I'll need to give him a day or so to recover though.

We do have a slight problem coming up. We all have to head out to round up the cattle at the end of the week. All the cattle need to come in to be tagged, vaccinated and checked over. Some will be sold for meat as well. Obviously, I can't leave Todd at the ranch on his own and I certainly can't leave Ariya. Both Mike and myself have to be out on the drive, so that leaves no one to stay with Todd. I can't trust Ariya with anyone except myself, so we're all going to have to go out together. That is going to be an interesting experience. I'm not going to be able to keep the 2 of them separated out there, so it's going to be difficult to keep the peace, especially after today's events.

Todd takes 2 days to recover and the bruising is really bad when it starts to appear. She really did a number on him. I think he looks worse than Rob, and that's certainly saying something. Ariya has stayed away from everyone pretty much, which hasn't been difficult, seeing as everyone is avoiding her. The whole incident shocked everyone and now they know just how dangerous she can be. Ariya's hardly eating still and she's not really sleeping. I have to admit, I am starting to get a bit worried about her now. It's not normal behavior. She's pretty much avoided any form of conversation and has ignored my questions, but she's slipped the cuffs in the middle of the night to train in the bathroom. She won't tell me why she keeps doing that. She literally looks straight through me when I ask. It's very annoying.

At breakfast on Thursday, I say, “We're heading out on the cattle drive tomorrow morning.”

I look between Ariya and Todd as I continue, “I need you 2 to behave. No one can afford to have you at each other's throats. It's going to be long hours in the saddle and we're going to need to focus on the job at hand. That means keeping your mouth shut, Todd. And keeping your fists off of him, Ariya. If either of you start any trouble, I will tie you up and drag you in behind one of the horses. Are we clear?”

Ariya smirks, “Crystal.”

“Can the attitude, Miss Flynn. Do you understand me, Todd?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good. I don't think you want a repeat of the last encounter you had with Miss Flynn, do you? So keep your crude comments to yourself.”

The brief look of guilt that passes on his features let's me know that he did, in fact, make those remarks. He knows he's caught, but I will talk to him about it another time. I go through the routine for the cattle drive so Ariya and Todd know what to expect. Neither of them have been out there before, so I want to make sure they're prepared as much as possible. When I mention that we'll be camping out, Ariya actually looks pleased. She's not like most of the city girls I've known. I know country girls are a different type. Most of them are tough and don't mind hard work or getting dirty, but Ariya puts nearly all country girls to shame. I do wonder, yet again, about her past. I've known people who were brought up in care that didn't end up the same as her, so what makes her different? I know it must be harder for girls being brought up in the system, but there's got to be thousands or millions of girls that get through life without behaving this way. So, why is Ariya so different? I guess I'll just have to work on finding those answers.