Page 47 of Never Wed an Outlaw

Why I thought I could sit on my laptop doing this crap tonight, I'd never know. I already felt terrible lying to Dusty about my absence, the mountain of work I had that stopped me from going to the big club wedding tonight.

Well, at least the mountain part was right.

I hadn't made any headway whatsoever with the transactions problem. A fix didn't seem possible in the app's current infrastructure. I'd have to rip aparteverything,probably take down the program for several hours, and lose a lot of business in the meantime.

I let out a sigh, angrily slamming my computer shut. Pulling out my phone, I stared at the screen, sadness shooting through me when I saw the last text I'd sent.

SORRY, D. CAN'T MAKE IT. DUTY CALLS.

He hadn't responded, but why should he? Dusty had a sixth sense for knowing something was wrong, and I had a feeling he knew lies when he heard them, too.

Sooner or later, if I didn't come clean, he'd confront me.

The same cruel dilemma stared me in the face, promising to get nastier, the longer I let it linger.

Was it worse to lose him over these lies, even if they might save his life? Or should I give up, admit I'd gotten inwayover my head, and tell the club everything?

They'd try to help me, at least. Knowing they had my back, that they'd do everything they could to make sure Dom and his men disappeared forever, would make me feel better.

Until the first shots were fired in the war, and the first man wearing a Deadly Pistols patch came home in a coffin. They'd avoided casualties in their latest clashes. But everybody's luck ran out eventually, and the Sicilians came armed with unfair advantages.

If telling them got Dust, Firefly, or any other man killed...

Then I'd probably douse this fucking place in gasoline and light the match. Nothing else would do for appeasing the gods of greed I'd given my soul to before they killed my man or my brother, and taking more blood to quench their thirst.

I cracked. Hot, restless tears rolled down my cheeks. My temples pounded, a fresh headache stabbing at my brain, taunting me for the millionth time over the mess I'd gotten myself into.

Since I wasn't going to work anyway, I thought about calling Dusty, toying with the idea of telling him I'd be there soon. It would be too late for the ceremonies, but I could join the reception. Maybe wish the newlyweds wellbefore they took off, and show Dust that I wasn't such a high strung whack job I'd put coding over him.

I balanced the phone in my hand, almost ready to dial. Before I could tap to make the call, someone took a hammer to my door. That's what the pounding sounded like.

I held my breath, knowing whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

Walking down the long hall to answer it, I had no fear. There was no guessing who might be banging away like that, climbing over my gate to smash their fist on my door, as if they had a better claim to this place than I did.

I halfway expected to see Dom himself standing on my porch when I cracked the door open.

“Let us the fuck in,” Tony said, pushing the barrel of a gun through the door, right in my face. Another one of Dom's lieutenants, Franco, stood behind him. “Not gonna ask you again, peach.”

Peach.They all used the same disgusting nickname. Like I was nothing more to them than a soft fruit meant to be sliced apart and devoured.

The gun in my face only left me one option. My fingers didn't even shake as I let them in, stepping back before they shoved their way in, banging the door angrily against the wall.

“I'll put on some coffee. It's going to be a long night, isn't it?” I asked, wondering if this eerie calm running in my veins would get me killed.

“No shit. So, you know why we're here?” Tony paused, eyeing the gun in his hands. He didn't give me time toanswer. “You're late, bitch. Dom hasn't heard a fucking peep for days, and everybody knows that's abigproblem.”

“Yeah, I'm sorry. I had other things on my mind.”

“Other things?” He looked at me, smoothing an angry hand through his thinning hair. “Franco, I want you to get this cunt against the wall, and help me pat her down. I think she's lost her fuckin' mind.”

The other man smiled. I didn't resist as they threw me against it, lifting my hands high above my head, waiting to get this over with.

Hell, maybe they weren't too far off. I had to be crazy to go along with this without fear turning my blood cold, right?

I always thought a person under the gun just stopped caring in the mysteries and movies. If I'd reached that stage...then I might as well start digging my own grave.

Tony took his sweet time rubbing his hands up and down my body. Closing my eyes, I waited for the disgusting sideshow to pass, still leaning on the wall when their hands were finally off me.

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