“Are you ignoring me, Amy?”
“Stop texting me,” I hiss, glancing around to make sure Gage isn’t coming up the stairs. “I told you, I’m not going through with it. I don’t even believe they’redoinganything illegal.”
“You’re doing great,” he says, which doesn’t make sense given what I just told him. His leg’s jiggling like he can’t keep still, and it’s freaking me out.
“Just go.” I don’t push him toward the door, though. I don’t want to touch him at all. “It’s over. Don’t contact me again.”
His crazy smile vanishes, and he grabs my arm, his fingers digging into me as though he wants to gouge the flesh from my bones.
“It’s not over until I say it is, Amy Crane.” He grinds the words between his teeth, and nerves spike through me—not at what Rex might do to me, but what’ll happen if he’s still here when Gage comes back.
That’ll be a nightmare to explain. Why did Rex have to turn up tonight? One more day and it wouldn’t have mattered.
“All right.” I keep my voice low, as we’re attracting attention and the last thing I need is for someone to go find Gage. “Look, we’ll talk about it tomorrow, okay? I’ll call you.” The hell I will, but I’ll say anything to make him leave. And tomorrow Gage will know everything, so there’ll be no more secrets to hide.
Rex jerks me toward him, and he’s hurting my arm. If not for the fact I don’t want to cause a scene here, I’d stamp my heel right through his damn foot.
And then the world goes to shit. Gage rips Rex from me and slams him against the wall, choking him with one hand.
“Gage.” I sound likeI’mthe one who’s choking. Not that he takes any notice of me.
“Keep your fucking hands off my girl.” Gage narrows his eyes. “I’ve seen you before. Hanging around where she works.”
I never saw Rex while I was at work.What’s Gage talking about? A chill slithers along my spine. Has Rex been stalking me?
“Pretty little Amy,” Rex slurs, like he’s completely out of it. “Such a great lay.”
I stare at Rex, as my stomach churns with a mix of horror and revulsion. What’s he doing?
“Shut up, you fucking crackhead.” Gage looks murderous. No one tries to stop him. “I know who you are. Rex Abbott. You got a death wish or what?”
I’d forgotten Gage probably knew who Rex was, but it’s still a jolt when he says his name. I’ve no idea what other shit Rex might be planning, but I sure as hell don’t want to hang around to find out.
“Gage.” I clutch his arm and try to pull him away before he crushes Rex’s windpipe. It’s like trying to shift a mountain.
“You stay there.” He doesn’t take his gaze from Rex as he speaks. “No one talks about you like that.”
When it was just the two of us messing around, his machismo was cute. Out here in the real world, it’s anything but. From the corner of my eye I see not only a couple of brothers from Gage’s club, but also the two from the Wolves. None of them will interfere. It’s a matter of pride for Gage to put Rex in his place, to defend the honor of his woman and show any casual onlooker what you get if you mess with a Bastard.
My face is blazing, even though no one’s looking at me. So much for my plan to tell Gage the truth when we were both basking in the morning-after-the-night-before sexual glow. I just hope he waits until we’re alone before he asks how I know Rex, because I sure don’t want to tell him in front of an audience.
“She’s good, isn’t she?” Rex wraps his hands around Gage’s forearm but it doesn’t get him anywhere. “Sleeping with the enemy on command. Got to admire that kind of commitment—”
Gage swings him around, and Rex sprawls on the floor, which at least shuts him up. The music thumps through my head, but I don’t know if it’s loud enough to muffle the garbage coming out of his mouth. God, I hope so. I just want to sink through the floor and disappear.
Gage crouches down, his face only inches from Rex.
“If I see you sniffing around her again, you’re a dead man.” The way he says it, in that cold, flat tone, is the scariest thing I’ve ever heard. Then he straightens, takes my hand, and everyone backs off as he strolls out of the club as though he owns it.
Chapter Fourteen
Gage
Amelia’s shivering so hard as we leave the Hammer that another wave of fury scorches through me. I should’ve made sure she was safe from Rex Abbott, and instead he managed to scare the shit out of her in the Bastards own territory. It’s no excuse that he barely resembles the photos Zach sent me. I saw him hanging about outside the diner, and I should’ve followed up on my hunch.
Once we’re outside, I wrap both arms around her and pull her close.
“Don’t worry about him.” My voice is gruff. “He’s not gonna hurt you.”
