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It was clear she couldn't hit me. What was the point of bringing me the shirt? I sat there staring at her, and that's when she did it. She wrapped her bony fingers around my wrist and dug her brittle nails into my skin. I remember looking into her flat, brown eyes. Her mouth—her trembling lips—were pulled into a sneer. She sank her nails in deep enough that I could feel the blood well and she hissed, “You're a—” BIG gasp— “selfish little bastard.”
I don't know if she was already falling when I pushed her. I know when my palm connected with her chest, her eyes rolled back into her head, but were they rolling back already? In my nightmares, I can never tell.
I knew as soon as I pushed her that I'd made a horrible mistake. I even tried to grab her, but her knees just crumpled. She hit the floor, and blood was everywhere in heartbeats. I tried to find the source, but it was everywhere: her mouth and nose, her head. Even—I remember—her ears.
I still can’t get away from all that blood. I wake up covered in it. It’s there when I have a good hand. When someone orders red meat medium rare. When I'm tagging cattle.
Rita is always bleeding out on me.
Right now, I want the blood. I punch the bag again.
"Hunter..."
Shit. I whirl around, panting. I had almost forgotten she was here. “Scarlett” DeVille. She reaches for me, but I step away, holding my bleeding hands near my sides. “Libby—go away.”
“I can't.” She sounds like she's crying. When I blink the sweat out of my eyes, I find that hers are wet. Without thinking, I pull her into my arms, pressing my lips against her hair as I speak quietly near her ear. “Do you see why you need to leave now? I'm a fucking mess.”
“I know you are.” Her voice breaks as she wraps her arm around my waist. “That's why I can't leave.” I inhale vanilla and cinnamon, allow my eyes to close. “Hunter, I know what happened with Sarabelle.”
I step back, feeling like I've just had my guts stomped out. “What are you talking about?”
Her eyes are huge, but she doesn't back away. “I wasn't being nosy, but I heard it at the ranch. You slept with Sarabelle, and then she disappeared. And now...they found her. That's why you were upset last night, wasn't it?”
I rub my hair, noting the stinging of my knuckles. “You don't need to worry about any of this.”
Her jaw tightens. “Did you hurt her?”
“What?” I suck in a breath. I can feel the blood rush out of my head, the way it used to when I heard Rita coming down the stairs. “Fucking hell, Libby, do you think I would hurt a woman?”
“Did you?”
“Jesus—no. Don't take my word for it. That's just stupid. But no, I didn't hurt her. I would never hurt her.” My throat goes tight and I have to work my jaw. I look away, and Libby takes a step closer.
“The cops think you did it?”
I swallow hard. “She was found with one of my cufflinks.
She looks into my eyes, and I see only sadness. “Oh, Hunter. How did you get into this?”
“I don't know. And I wouldn't tell you even if I did. You’ve got no business anywhere near this.”
“I already am. I’m a Junior Ranger Prostitute now, and more importantly I care about you, Hunter. And I'm sorry this happened, but…” She pauses, obviously working herself up to something. I definitely don’t expect her to say, “I didn’t mean too, but I overheard some of your conversation with your dad.”
I can feel the air leave the room. I start to sway.
“I'm so sorry. I answered when it rang and—”
“You shouldn't have,” I rasp.
“I know.” A tear falls down her cheek. “He was really horrible to you.”
I turn my back to her as blood roars in my head. "I fucked up... I fucked it all up... I fucked up..."
I can sense her coming around to stand in front of me, beside the punching bag, but I've got a hand over my face. “I heard him say something about Priscilla. Is that why you and her are...I mean, is that why you have sex with her? Because of the—”
I whirl on her, cutting her off. “There is no why. There is no why! Where you're concerned, there is no why! Quit asking questions and just GO! Fuck it, Libby! Can't you see I'm trying to protect you!”
“From what?” Her blue eyes blink. “What is going on? Is she trying to frame you, Hunter?”
