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“Yeah.” Cole frowned. “You know Wolf?”
“He’s been coming around her. He came around last night just before she disappeared. I’ve be worried sick. I was about to file a police report when I caught wind of this.”
“Caught wind of what?”
“Word on the street is the Evil Dead had a man in the hospital, cut up pretty bad.”
“News travels fast.”
“Seems so,” Jameson replied, his eyes again falling to Crystal.
Cole studied the man’s expression and suddenly it slapped him in the face. This superstar, with his rock star bus and all his traveling sideshow—was fucking in love with Crystal. Well, goddamn.
Cole extended his hand. “Cole Austin.”
“Jameson O’Rourke.”
Just then Crystal woke up, wiping a hand over her eyes. “Jameson? What are you doing here?”
“Been lookin’ for you, Ace. You had me worried sick.”
“I’m sorry. I…Wolf was hurt and…” she looked at Cole as if not sure how much to say.
Jameson’s eyes also moved to him. “Mind if I talk to my employee alone?”
Cole gave him a hard look. “You can talk right here.”
Jameson blew out a breath, obviously not used to anyone not bending to kiss his feet. His eyes swung to Crystal. “Come on, Ace. You look beat. Let me get you out of here.”
She got to her feet and approached him. “I can’t leave Wolf.”
Jameson’s brows shot up. “You can’t leave Wolf. The man who came to see you last night?”
She nodded.
His voice took on an edge. “The same guy that had you in tears the other day? The same guy that shredded your heart in Vegas?”
She nodded, looking embarrassed. “I love him.”
He grabbed her by a forearm and held up her wrist, pushing her sleeve to her elbow. “You love him? The same guy you slit your wrists over?”
Cole stood shocked in place as he watched Crystal’s eyes dart to him with shame and embarrassment.
“Jameson, please don’t,” she begged in a broken voice.
“Don’t what? Don’t try to stop you from throwing your life away for a guy that doesn’t give a damn?”
Crash started to move toward the man, but Cole threw a fist up, hitting him in the chest and holding him back. Cole’s eyes zeroed in on Crystal. “You want to explain that?”
When Crystal could do nothing but look up at him with big eyes pooling with tears, practically begging him to stop, to let it go, Jameson filled in the gaps.
“You never noticed? The bracelets she always wore to cover the scars? I finally talked her into letting me tattoo over them, but you can still feel the ridge of scar tissue. See for yourself if you think I’m lying.” He glared at Cole.
Cole took her hand in his and gently ran his thumb across the inside of her wrist over the intricately beautiful tattooed cuffs. He felt the telltale ridge of scar tissue and his eyes lifted to hers. “Darlin’, why?”
She whispered, “Please, Cole. Please don’t make me talk about it.”
He pulled her into his arms, and whispered, “Shit, babe. Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?”
