“Go to hell.” She sounds furious, and the heavy weight crushing my lungs eases just a little. “You lied to me, just like Mom lied to me. You fucking bikers, you’re all the same.”
I let out a jagged breath. I was right. She hadn’t known.
“Yeah, and don’t you just love fucking bikers.” Abbott’s tone is derisive and my hackles rise.No one talks to my girl like that.I stamp up another couple of stairs, then a high-pitched squeal pierces my eardrums.
What the hell?
I’m up the stairs, heart pounding, nightmare visions of Amelia injured slashing through my mind. I round the corner, fists at the ready—and find Abbott’s curled on the floor, clutching his nuts, with Amelia standing over him.
Chapter Twenty
Gage
She looks at me, and there’s no smile of welcome, or even surprise that I’m there. A chill skates along my arms. She looks as though she hates me.
“Amelia.” My voice is rough. I step over Abbott, but instead of meeting me halfway, she backs up. Now I’m here I don’t have the first clue what to say. “You okay?”
Her lip curls, and her disdain is like a slap to the face. “Well, sure. I’m fine. How’re you?”
Abbott clutches my boot, and I kick him off. The gut wrenching fear that he might’ve attacked her combines with the flood of relief that she’s the one still standing, and anger boils to the surface. “Fuck it, Amelia. What’re you doing here? He could’ve hurt you.”
“I can take care of myself.”
I suck in a harsh breath and flex my fists. She told me the night we met that she fought dirty, and I laughed at her, but she wasn’t pissing around. And even though I want to drag her into my arms and give her hell for putting herself in danger, I love how she put Abbott in his place without a second’s hesitation. My girl doesn’t take shit from anyone, and that’s the way it should be.
Fuck, did I just think the L word?
I let out a cracked groan. It’s only a fucking word.
“Let’s get out of here.” I hold out my hand and wait for her to come to me. She glances at my fingers as though she’s no idea what I’m doing. “Baby, come on.” I can’t help the thread of impatience, because why’s she holding back? We need to get out of this shithole. I can’t even think beyond that.
Instead of taking my hand, she folds her arms. “I’m not your baby.” There’s a hollow note in her voice that hits me right in the gut. “That’s over, remember?”
I don’t want to discuss it. Any of it. Definitely not here with Abbott as a witness. But she obviously wants more from me before she’s willing to move.
“It’s not over.” What happened ten years ago isn’t her fault or mine. We’ll deal with it. And so will my brothers.
“Why? Are you after payback now, so you can make me sorry for trying to cross you? Don’t bother. I already am.”
My head’s still pounding from last night, and it takes longer than it should before I get her meaning. For fuck’s sake. Is this any time to hold a grudge?
“Forget what I said. You didn’t know what you were doing. I get that now.”
Instead of accepting my word she looks as though I just slapped her face. Christ, whatisit with chicks? How much clearer does she want me to be?
“Don’t treat me like an idiot, you patronizing jerk. You didn’t believe me yesterday. So what’s changed?”
For a second, I’m struck speechless. It’s not only because no one talks to a Bastard the way she does. Hell, it might be twisted, but I’ve always liked the way she says what she thinks, even if I’d crush anyone else who dared say anything like that to me.
It’s because of the venom behind her words. As though she’s not saying it for show or whatever, but she means it.
“Nothing’s changed.” That’s not true, since everything’s changed, but fuck if I know what she wants from me. Right now, I’d say anything to get us out of here.
“Sure.” She rakes her gaze over me, and not in a good way. “It doesn’t matter what a piece of pussy says, does it? But hear it from a brother, even one as pitiful as Rex Abbott, and you’re all over it, aren’t you?”
What the fuck is she talking about? I came herebecauseI believed her and wanted to beat the truth from Abbott. And he isn’t, and has never been, my brother. Since I’ve no idea how to explain all that shit, I focus on the other stupid thing she said.
“You’re not a piece of pussy.” Even saying it out loud pisses me off, and I glare at her.
