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Crystal plopped on the bed. “I should have stayed home tonight.”
“What happened? Why would Wolf fight Shane?”
“I told you, I flirted with Shane earlier, and it pissed Wolf off.”
Shannon didn’t want to admit she’d seen Crystal and Wolf together, so she asked, “Um, so…you and Wolf?”
Crystal shrugged. “We hook up sometimes.”
“But that other woman? Misty. What about her?”
She shrugged again.
“So, he can have other women, but you can’t have other men?”
Crystal stood up, pacing the floor. “You don’t understand.”
Shannon folded her arms. “Apparently not.”
Suddenly they heard a pair of boots coming down the hall. Crystal and Shannon gave each other an oh-oh look. The doorknob rattled, and then a hand slammed against the frame. Cole’s voice boomed through the door. “Open the motherfucking door, Crystal.”
“Shit,” she whispered. “You shouldn’t have locked him out of his own room.”
Shannon turned to stare at the door, frozen with fear. Oh, God. What was he going to do? Crystal moved past her to let him in, but Shannon grabbed her arm, hauling her back. “Are you insane? Don’t let him in!” she hissed.
“Crystal, if I have to break my own goddamn door down, I’ll take you over my knee. I am not fucking with you, babe,” Cole said calmly.
“At least he’s not shouting,” Shannon whispered.
“That’s when you really have to worry.” Crystal hurried to the door and opened it.
Cole was standing there, both hands braced high on the door frame. His head was dipped, his eyes piercing into both of them. Slowly he lowered his arms and stepped into the room. His eyes hit Crystal. “What the fuck, babe? You think runnin’ is gonna make it better?”
Crystal didn’t reply, but she did take a step back.
“I think it’s long past time you and I had a heart-to-heart, sweetheart.”
Shannon turned to see Crystal’s eyes fill. “Are you going to make me leave?” Crystal asked him in a trembling voice.
Cole’s eyes moved from Crystal to Shannon. He jerked his head toward the door. “Your man’s waiting downstairs for you. Get your ass down there.”
Shannon’s eyes moved from him to Crystal, not wanting to leave her alone with Cole. “Crystal?”
“It’s fine. Go.”
Cole’s eyes snapped back to Shannon. “What’d I just say? I tell you something, you do it. No questions. Now move.”
Shannon moved to pass Cole, but he held his hand out. “Keys.”
They were still clutched in her hand. She dropped them in his hand and went out the door. She’d barely cleared it before it slammed behind her causing her shoulders to jump. Shannon looked back at the door. She hesitated, not wanting to leave until she knew Crystal was going to be okay. Pressing herself to the wall near the door, she eavesdropped.
There was silence for a moment. Shannon dared to peek through the frosted glass window. She could only make out shadowed forms, but it was enough to see Crystal’s smaller form move and blend in with Cole’s larger one. She heard Crystal’s muffled voice, as if her face was now pressed into Cole’s chest. “I’m sorry, Cole. I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”
Cole’s soft reply drifted through the door and sounded like his head was dipped to hers. “Honey, tears my heart out watching him jerk you around like he does. You deserve better. When’re you gonna learn?”
Shannon could hear Crystal sniffle. “I’m a real head-case, I guess. I keep going back for more.”
“Sweetheart, any one of my boys would treat you better. You need to move on from him.”
