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She bit her lip. “Maybe.”
“Then it was your fault.”
“But, Crash-”
“I don’t do drama, babe.” He cut her off, his voice low, his tone unyielding.
She closed her mouth. Oh, my God. Was he telling her goodbye? Was he done, fed-up, washing his hands of helping her? A cold feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t let that happen. She’d come to need him too much. “I…I’m sorry, Crash. It won’t happen again.”
He frowned, a shocked look crossing his face, as if he couldn’t believe he’d just heard an apology coming out of her mouth. He stared at her a moment, and then nodded. “Okay. But you’ve gotta understand something, Princess. That crap downstairs just now, that doesn’t fly. Not in my world.”
“I…I noticed all your brothers watching.”
“Exactly. You know why?”
She thought she did, but she kept her mouth shut.
“They were waiting to see what I’d do. How I’d react. How I’d deal with it. How I’d deal with you. And believe me, baby, there was only one way they expect it to be dealt with. Quick. Firm. And without hesitation.” He paused to study her. “I’ll let that slide once. Once, Shannon. Don’t let it happen again. We clear?”
“Yes.”
He reached up and tucked a strand of hair back from her face. “This is too much for you, say so. We can figure something else out for you. Otherwise, this is my world. Women got a place, but it sure as hell ain’t causing trouble. You need to understand that. You need to be right with that or this,” he gestured between them. “Isn’t going to work.”
“I understand.” She looked at the floor, hating that she’d disappointed him.
“Do you?” He lifted her chin and looked in her eyes. “I’m layin’ it out for you as plain as I can. I tell you to do something, you back down, and you do it. Only way this works.”
They stared at each other a long moment. It was a pivotal moment. She felt like it was a ‘speak now or forever hold your peace’ moment. She nodded.
“C’mere, babe.” He pulled her into his arms. She leaned into him, and hard muscle absorbed her. There was a strength in Crash, a masculine confidence that said he knew who he was, and it called to the female in her. She laid her head against his chest, tucked under his chin.
Crash liked the feel of her holding onto him, burrowing up against him. It was starting to become a tendency of hers, and he was starting to become addicted to how it felt when she did it. “So what the hell started all this?” He murmured the question into the top of Shannon’s head.
She pulled back and looked up at him. “Rosalie. She said some stuff that pissed me off. Not really what she said, but her bitchy attitude.” She shrugged. “I can be moody.”
“Hadn’t really noticed,” he teased, fighting a grin.
She closed her eyes, trying not to smile and shook her head. “Right.” When she opened them, a grin pulled at the corner of his mouth. It was sexy as hell.
“So, a catfight. Hadn’t really figured you for the type, Princess.”
“I was driven to it. That bitch made me go temporarily insane. What’s the story with her anyway? I thought Red Dog was married to Mary. What’s he doing with her?”
Crash blew out a deep breath. “What goes on between these guys and their women, Shannon,” he shook his head. “Not your concern.”
“So Red Dog is screwing around with Rosalie?”
He just looked at her, not answering her, which was an answer in itself, he supposed.
“And you? How many of those women have you been with?”
His brows went up. “Not answerin’ that one, babe.”
“Have you been with Rosalie?”
“Fuck no!” he declared emphatically.
“So all these guys, they’re all fucking around on their wives or ol’ ladies or whatever you call them?”
