Breech's Fall Read online

  Table of Contents

  Breech’s Fall

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Playlist

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty-One

  Twenty-Two

  Twenty-Three

  Twenty-Four

  Twenty-Five

  Twenty-Six

  Twenty-Seven

  About the Author

  Table of Contents

  Breech’s Fall

  Breech’s Fall

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Playlist

  Breech’s Fall

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty-One

  Twenty-Two

  Twenty-Three

  Twenty-Four

  Twenty-Five

  Twenty-Six

  Twenty-Seven

  About the Author

  Breech’s Fall

  Breech’s Fall

  Copyright

  Breech’s Fall

  Copyright © 2018 D.D. Galvani

  Amazon Edition

  This book is an original publication by D.D. Galvani

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locals is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or the content.

  Cover Design: Tammie Smith at Renegade Covers & Design

  Cover Images: Reggie Deanching of RplusMphoto

  Cover Models: Connor Smith and Jess Epps

  Editing & Formatting: E&F Indie Services

  All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic format with our permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  Dedication

  I never thought I could make the stories in my head come alive on paper. Writing these books has been an adventure for me. I’ve always been a reader and making the jump to writing has been a journey. Along the way I’ve gotten to know some really great people in the book community who have helped me get my vision out to the public.

  They have become my cheerleaders, friends and taskmasters. So, thank you to Lizette, Penny, Reggie, Connor and Jess. You were all my inspiration and my muse for this book, much love to you, I am forever grateful.

  To everyone else who helped me along the way, Thank you a million times.

  Love,

  D

  Playlist

  Parallel Lines - Keith Urban

  One Number Away - Luke Combs

  In case you didn’t know - Brett Young

  Just wanna love you - Hudson Moore

  Tequila - Dan & Shay

  When it rains it pours - Luke Combs

  Marry me - Thomas Rhett

  Meant to be - Florida Georgia Line and Bebe Rexha

  Light it up - Luke Bryan

  One Number Away - Luke Combs

  She ain’t in it - Jon Pardi

  Singles you up - Jordan Davis

  Breech’s Fall

  One

  The yowling and screaming under my window made me bolt upright in bed, flinging the comforter back to grab the red baseball bat I kept in my closet before running outside. It was hard to see in the dark, but after scoping out the front of the property, I saw a pair of eyes glowing at me. Walking up cautiously, I heard a painful cry. It was a cat, and it looked like it had been attacked.

  “Shh, baby, it’s okay,” I cooed. “I’m not going to hurt you, sweetie, I just want to help.” The pitiful thing hissed, eyes glazed over in pain. Kneeling down near the cat, I started looking for obvious injuries. I stayed far enough away from its teeth and claws that it couldn’t inadvertently hurt me while trying to protect itself from further injury.

  “God damn it, Jiji, don’t move. I’ve got my gun drawn; I’m going to shoot.” I heard two shots then a yelp behind me. In a heartbeat a half-naked man was in my face yelling at me. “Are you fuckin’ kidding me? A baseball bat! What the hell did you think you were going to do with that against a coyote looking for its next meal? He hauled me up against his strong body. “YOU NEED A KEEPER!” he roared in my face.

  I looked around, seeing a bigger lump on the ground about ten feet directly behind me. Freezing, I swung my head back to Breech when he started running his hands over my body. “Breech, what the fuck are you doing?”

  “Looking to see if he hurt you,” he said.

  I shoved against his chest. “Damn it, Breech, cut that shit out and stop pawing at me. I’m fine; that thing was nowhere near me. I don’t know who the hell you think you are, buddy, but I don’t need you or anyone else telling me what to do. Fucking let go before I use this bat on your head.”

  He released me, sticking the gun in the small of his back; his jeans were zipped, but unbuttoned. I couldn’t help peeking at all that skin, but quickly turned away when I heard the cat’s pained cry. “Breech, please, can you bring me a blanket or a towel? I need to try to move it inside so I can see the damage.”

  “Jiji, that’s not a good idea, it could hurt you—it’s frightened and in pain.”

  “Breech, I’m a vet tech, this is what I do. I’m not leaving it here. If you don’t want to help me then get the hell out of my way.”

  He sighed but turned towards the house. “Keep your head on a swivel—there may be more of them out there looking for dinner.”

  Shivering, I hunched my shoulders and immediately looked around, picturing the pack out here drooling and growling, trying to frighten me away from their meal. Breech returned minutes later with a large beach towel. My shoulders immediately relaxed as the fear left me, he made me feel safe.

  Taking the towel, I folded it into a square then set it down next to the animal. Moving quickly but gently, I rolled the cat into the towel and pulled up the sides into a makeshift sling.

  Before I could lift it, Breech reached over, his muscular arms bulging as he lifted the burden. “Lead the way; I’m right behind you,” he said. Walking back to the house, I led him into the kitchen.

  “Put it down on the table but don’t unwrap it; I’ve got to get my kit first.” Leaving him with the cat, I headed into the bathroom for the first aid kit. On my return, I unwrapped the still-piteously-crying cat then did a quick survey; there were puncture wounds on its head and neck. There was blood on the back paws. When I checked beneath its tail I also found out it was a girl.

  “She’s not moving any of her paws, but since i
t looks like the coyote got her in the neck, that could just be shock.” Ripping open a couple of alcohol wipes, I started cleaning the wounds I could see. “She needs an X-ray, Breech; we need to get her to the clinic.”

  “We need to get dressed, then,” he said. “I’ll take her out to the truck to wait for you. Just gimme a sec to grab a T-shirt and my cut and boots.” He was back in a second, carefully carrying the wrapped cat.

  I took off down the hall to pull on a pair of sweats and a hoodie. Slipping on my chucks, I was ready to go in no time. Running out to the truck, I saw that Breech had settled the cat in a laundry basket filled with an old blanket and the towel we had wrapped her in.

  “Thank you, Breech; that was sweet of you to make her comfortable.”

  He grunted, “I didn’t want to get scratched, didn’t do it for her.” I smiled to myself. He said he wasn’t an animal person, but I saw the look on his face when the cat cried out in pain. He drove through the early morning fog, pulling into the clinic parking lot. Hopping out of the truck, I reached back to grab the basket, but he shook his head. “I got it. You go ahead, unlock the door and get your stuff together.”

  Once inside the clinic, I flipped on the lights and entered one of the exam rooms just off the main hallway. Breech came in carrying the basket. I motioned for him to place it on the floor next to the stainless-steel table. Turning to the cabinet, I pulled out some supplies then came back to the table. The room was cool from the air conditioning and it had a slight antiseptic smell.

  After slipping on a pair of gloves, I reached carefully into the basket, taking her by the scruff and moving her gently onto the table. She cried out in pain, yowling pitifully. I tried to soothe her while I started to examine her. She had cuts that were bleeding from several sites on her head, neck, and upper back. She didn’t seem to be moving her paws; her legs were sticking straight out from her body, and she wasn’t moving them. “Breech, I think the coyote got her spinal cord; she’s not moving her legs. I have to call Sandra; this baby needs some X-rays, stat!”

  Breech reached into his cut; pulling out his phone, he thumbed through a couple screens, then Opry’s voice came through the speaker. “Yo, Breech, how’s it hanging, man?”

  “Opry, listen, Jiji and I are at the clinic; a stray cat she’d been feeding got attacked by a coyote outside the house. She needs more help than we can give her. Jiji needs Sandra to come to the clinic.”

  My head whipped around to look at Breech. “You knew I’d been feeding her and you didn’t say anything?”

  He shrugged.

  “Hang on, Breech, she’s just stepping out of the shower.”

  I could hear Opry moving then Sandra’s voice, “Jiji what’s happening?” Sandra asked.

  “Sandra, she’s got puncture wounds through the head and neck area—not a lot of blood—but she’s not moving her legs, so I’m not sure if her spinal cord is involved. I can get the X-rays then have them ready for you when you get here.”

  “Sounds good, but don’t move her more than you have to. I’m on my way,” Sandra said.

  The phone disconnected so I handed it back to Breech. “Thanks for bringing us here, Breech. I’m going to take the X-rays in the back. If you want to go, I can catch a ride back with Sandra later.”

  Breech caught me as I rounded the table to pick up the cat. “Stop dismissing me, Jiji. I’m as invested in this little one as you are, and you know it. Where’s the coffee pot—I’ll go brew us some while you do your thing.”

  “You don’t have to do this, Breech—it could be a while before we know anything. I can text you once I know what’s going on with her.”

  He moved into my space, backing me into the table. “I want to do this, doll, so stop trying to push me away.” His big hand tipped my chin up, forcing me to look up into his face.

  He was a big man, probably 6’7” or 6’8”, and buff; his chest and arms were heavily muscled with lots of colorful tattoos. He had black hair shaved close on the sides but kept long on top and a full but neatly trimmed beard. He had a straight nose and full, kissable lips. He wore black-rimmed glasses at times, and usually wore a snapback hat backward. He could be intimidating to most people but to me he was a big teddy bear. No doubt he could roar often and loudly, but almost never at me. Yeah, with me he was all bark and no bite, thank God.

  I wouldn’t want to be on his bad side if he really got angry, though.

  Right now, we had a truce. My best friend, Tish, just married my brother, Fighter. He’s also part of the Devil’s Wind motorcycle club that Breech belonged to. While they were away on their honeymoon, Breech was staying at the house so I wouldn’t be alone. Rolling my eyes at Fighter hadn’t stopped him from making Breech move in temporarily, not that I tried any harder than that. Breech and I are like oil & water: we just don’t mix well. But I just can’t seem to stay away from him either. Seeing him day-in and day-out at the house has stretched my nerves to the breaking point.

  During the school year, I worked here at the clinic with Sandra while studying at night towards my BA in science then hopefully I can apply to veterinary school. My mom had been killed by my stepfather last year; after, the lunatic targeted Tish and me because we were there when he killed her. That whole nightmare led us to the Devil’s Wind and Fighter. The life insurance money she set us up with is how I’m able to go to school, because Fighter would take none of it. My big bro’ said he was well able to take care of himself—that he didn’t want it or need it. He wanted me to fulfill my dream of becoming a vet and he wanted me to have the money. I gratefully accepted it to help with the hefty school price tag.

  Breech still stared at me expectantly; I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I sighed then gave up the information he wanted. “Go down this hallway, make a left; it’s the second room on the left.”

  He smiled, dropped a kiss on my lips, then released me and walked out the door.

  Shit, what the hell was that about? I couldn’t help raising my hand to my lips; they tingled from just that brief contact. God help me if he decided to really kiss me.

  Sighing, I went to where the cat lay on the table. “I think I will call you Tink after Tinkerbell because, girl, someone must’ve been waving some pixie dust over you today or you’d have been breakfast for that coyote.” The sedative I gave her had kicked in because she was basically just a lump. The hissing had stopped and the only way I could tell she was alive was the gentle rise and fall of her belly as she breathed. Gathering her up, I took her to the X-ray room.

  Two

  I found the break room easily. The supplies for the coffee pot were neatly stacked in the first cabinet I looked in. I started a pot brewing then got down a couple mugs from the next cabinet.

  One mug read, Coffee, because dogs don’t hit snooze, while the other said, Dogs are God’s way of apologizing for your relatives. I chuckled, knowing immediately that was Jiji’s mug. Once the pot finished dripping, I filled the two mugs, added creamer and two sugars for Jiji then a splash of milk for mine.

  Carrying the mugs, I went back into the exam room where Jiji was settling the cat on some towels on the table. I put her mug down on the counter then straddled the stool, sipping the strong brew as I watched her work.

  She clipped the two images she took to a lightbox above the exam table then brought up some stuff on the computer screen that was sitting on the counter. She absently picked up the mug, blowing on the hot liquid before taking a sip.

  “Mmm,” she said. “Nectar of the Gods.” She smiled at me. “Just the way I like it, light and sweet. Thanks, Breech.” Her tongue came out to swipe across her upper lip as she absently stared at the images in front of her. I was instantly hard, damn, but she got to me.

  “Shit, I wish Sandra would get here,” she said without looking away from the screen. I got up to look over her shoulder, but I had no idea what I was looking at
, which I said out loud. She looked at me over the rim of her cup.

  “What do you see, doll?”

  “You have to come close to the screen to see it, Breech.”

  Rolling the stool over to her, I pulled her down on my lap so we could both see the screen. Wide-eyed, she started to say something, but I distracted her with a question. “What bothers you about this image?”

  It worked; she pointed to the screen. “Do you see this area of darkness? It’s actually air that is trapped under her skin. She has so many puncture wounds that air is getting inside her; if it can’t escape it turns to gas, which is making her sicker. This area here is her trachea; it is black because it’s full of air, as it should be. This area right below it is also black, which tells me there is a possibility there is a leak there.”

  Taking my hand, she glided it gently down the cat’s body. She meowed but let me touch her. “Do you feel that crackling like popping tiny bubbles? That’s subcutaneous emphysema, or air that’s trapped under the skin. All those punctures should close on their own, but we have to be careful that the air buildup does not invade the chest cavity, causing a pneumothorax, or in layman’s terms a collapsed lung.”

  I should have been listening to her words, but I was totally enthralled watching the passion on her face. She was concentrating so hard on the screen that she hadn’t noticed me move. Circling her body with my arm moving her legs across my lap, I took the mug out of her hands, setting it on the desk. She looked up questioningly. I took the opportunity to hook my fingers behind her neck underneath her chestnut blonde hair.

  “Breech, what are you doing?”

  “What I should have done a week ago. You’ve been prancing around the house half-fucking-naked since Fighter and Tish left.”