I sighed. I hated how they saw her as just a means to an end. Crystal didn’t deserve this, and I was gonna go to hell for what I was doing.
“Tannenbaum had the Bloody Scorpions doing illegal activity. But now that he hasn’t been able to pay them, Brewer has gone against him. Crystal and the family were threatened.”
Hart nodded. “You’re gonna have to tell Bulldog.”
“I’ll tell him.”
Hart looked at me, not truly trusting in me. “When I say I will tell him, I will tell him. Now get the fuck off my property,”
He raised his hands in surrender and climbed down the stairs. As he walked away from the house he paused and turned to me. “I’m only lookin’ out for you.”
I shot him a stern look and he hung his head and walked away. When I turned, Crystal was behind the screen door staring back at me.
“Ah fuck,” I muttered as I watched her run inside.”
“Sugar! Crystal!” I ran after her down the hall and into the bedroom. She quietly got dressed, brushing past me and grabbing her jacket.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
“I’m just pussy to you, so what does it matter?”
“You weren’t meant to hear that.” I reached out for her and wrapped myself around her, but she was a lot stronger than I thought. She reared up and kicked in the air as she struggled out of my grip, but I held her tight, almost afraid of letting her go. “Of course not! All you ever did was lie to me.”
Pressing my lips to her ear I whispered to her. “Now you know that’s not true, Sugar.”
“You used me!”
“Stop saying that.” She kicked again and I swung her around and headed back towards the bedroom.
Stepping inside I kicked the door closed and released her. She swung at me, slapping me across the face. The blow caught me off guard and when I turned to her she was gearing up for another one. This one came with a closed fist, and just as she swung, I grabbed her wrist and raised it.
“You will not hit me again, Sugar.”
“My father was right. I should have listened when he said you and your men were no good. That you hurt people. That you would stab your knife in us the first chance you got! I was a fool to believe you.”
I yanked her against my chest, staring down at those beautiful brown eyes of hers. “Is that what you think of me?”
“You used me to get what you wanted. I hope you’re happy.”
“That’s not how this went down.”
“No!” She shoved back at my chest and I took a step back.
“Listen to me!” I reached for her, but she pulled away from me.
“No! I won’t listen to you anymore. You’re full of lies.”
“Please Sugar, listen to me.”
“I should have known that I couldn’t trust you. But I was blind, and I was stupid to think a man like you could ever see someone like me and actually love me. But what did I expect? You’re a fucking bastard.”
She tore the door open and stormed down the hallway, I was hot on her heels. “You’ve got things all wrong.”
“I heard your brother, loud and clear. I’m just a pawn in your war with my Dad.”
“Please, Sugar!”
She whirled on me, stopping me dead in my tracks. “Don’t. Call me that.”
She ran out the front door but there was absolutely nowhere to go. “Where are you going, baby? We’re miles from town.”
“As far away as I can get from you.”
“This is ridiculous!”
She whirled on me again, and it made me really assess the situation. There were tears running down her cheeks, and anger in her eyes.
“I don’t like that.”
“What?” She swiped her tears away quickly.
“That. Those tears. I honestly did not mean for this to happen.” I took a step closer as I spoke. “You’re right. I did use you. I used you for intel. I used you to get shit on your Dad. But yet everything I told was true.”
“How could I ever believe you?”
“Because I’m not lying. I’ve been yearning for you since that first kiss. I admit, I wanted to fuck you and leave you. But you got under my skin, Sugar. For a year I watched you.”
I stepped closer, slowly circling her. “I knew every step you took. What you ate, what made you laugh, who made you cry.”
She lowered her head, blushing. “I knew that you were lonely and that made you the perfect target.”
“So, what? You said, oh poor Crystal Tanenbaum. So lonely and so broken. Let’s ruin her.”
“No. No, I never thought that.”
“Then, what?”
I stepped up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. “I thought, now there’s a woman I could spend the rest of my life with.”
“Liar,” her voice trembled as tears continued to fall.
“I swear to you, that I never wanted to hurt you.” I hoped to God she wouldn’t run. Because if she did, I’d have to tie her to a chair and let Bulldog decide what to do with her. I didn’t want to have to do that.
“Listen to me, Sugar. I won’t be able to let you go.”
She stiffened in my arms and slowly turned her head to look up at me. “What do you mean?”
“If you run, I can’t let you go. It’s too much of a risk.”
“So you’ll kidnap me? Are you crazy?”
“I don’t want it to get to that point.”
She tried stepping out of my grasp, but I tightened my hold around her. “Please, Sugar. Listen to me. Don’t. Run.”
“Or what?”
“I don’t know. But I won’t choose between you and the safety of my brothers.”
“If I don’t get home, my father will send out a search party.”
“And that should keep him occupied long enough to make this run.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry, baby.”
I lifted her up over my shoulder and she wailed and kicked as I brought her back into the house. Dumping her onto the bed, she stared up at me in shock. “You wouldn’t.”
I backed up slowly. “I’m sorry.”
She lunged at me and I stepped out, slamming the door shut and turning the key. She banged on it, cursing and yelling for me to open the door. I placed the palm of my hand against the wooded frame and leaned my head against it.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered and hoped to God she’d forgive me. But I couldn’t choose between her and my brothers, and I had to tell them what I had gotten us all into.
13
Saddle
“Have you lost your ever-fucking mind! That’s Tannenbaum’s daughter!”
I nodded. “Yup.”
“I told you to never let your dick rule your head. What the fuck were you thinking?” Bulldog looked as if he wanted to choke the life out of me.
“That I needed to get shit done.”
“And sleeping with the enemy was your idea of getting shit done?”
“She is not the enemy.”
“Whatever she is, she sure as hell ain’t one of us.” Guardian muttered under his breath.