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She puffed air out of her cheeks. “I wish I had that ability. I have terrible taste in men. I could’ve avoided all of this if I could’ve just heard the lies.”
“It’s refreshing,” Gunner said.
She didn’t understand. “Refreshing knowing someone has terrible taste in—”
“I mean the honesty is refreshing. You don’t care about the show.”
“What show?”
“Putting on your best face to make someone like you.”
She puffed out a big sigh. “I have been humbled a thousand times, and I am swimming around rock bottom, Gunner. Plus, I tased you within five minutes of meeting you. If you like my company, that would be nice, but if not, I don’t cry over much anymore.”
“And that’s the refreshing part. You own your shit. Makes it easy for people around you to own their shit.”
“You want to do a confession?” she asked, starting to understand.
“Chhh.” He relaxed back onto the bench, stared at the felled trees below, and draped his arm across the back of the seat. His fingertips almost reached her shoulder.
“You ever hit a woman?” she asked.
The look of absolute disgust on his face was answer enough.
“You ever hunted a woman?” she asked.
He twitched his head no.
“Hurt any kids?”
“Fuck no, and never would.”
“Then you’re fine by me.”
Gunner leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, narrowed eyes trained on her as he cracked his knuckles. “I set all my Crew’s houses on fire.”
“Did they deserve it?”
“No. They’re good people.”
“Why did you do it?”
“Because it’s what I do. I destroy the things I care about.”
“You do it, or your animal does it?”
“What’s the difference? It’s still me.”
“A man who doesn’t have control of his animal is different than a man not being in control of the man.”
“What’s your deal?” he asked angrily, standing.
She was confused, so she didn’t answer. She just waited as he paced away and knelt down near the edge of the ridge. He stood, and seemed agitated as he ran his hands through his hair. “What happened to you that you can sit there with a steady voice and say terrible things are okay?”
She shook her head, still not understanding.
“If a man tells you the terrible things he’s done, you should punish him.”
“Is that…” She swallowed hard. “Is that what you need? Punishment?”
