That makes my head snap up.
“What.”
She glances at me cautiously.
“He said he’d pay me three times what Wayne does.”
Something cold settles in my chest.
“And what did you say.”
Rae actually snorts a little.
“I told him to shove it.”
My jaw tightens.
“Then what happened.”
Her eyes drop again.
“He didn’t like that part,” she says quietly.
My hand moves almost on its own, gently lifting her chin so I can see the bruise again.
“He hit you.”
She swallows.
“Yeah.”
The word lands like a match in gasoline.
Behind me I hear Blade shift near the doorway, and I’m vaguely aware that the rest of the guys are still standing there, watching this unfold.
But my focus stays on Rae.
“You’re lucky,” I say softly, “that’s all he did.”
Her eyes flash slightly at that.
“Oh good,” she says, her voice thick with emotion. “I was worried you’d say I handled it well.”
“You walked into a lion’s den,” I reply.
“And now you’re mad at me.”
“I’m furious with you.”
Her shoulders slump a little.
“I figured.”
I run a hand down my face and exhale slowly, trying to get the rage sitting in my chest under control before it turns into something ugly.
Because the truth is…
I’m not just mad.
