Page 115 of Petty's Crime

“Are you threatening me?”

I shrug. “Just telling you how it is.”

Her mouth opens and shuts. Her eyes widen then narrow. It’s as if the wheels are turning in her head as she tries to work out how to come out on top. She pulls on all the tricks in her book as finally her bottom lip trembles, and she asks timidly, “What do you expect me to do? Are you giving me money?”

I’m not weakening, not even an inch. “You even read that divorce settlement you signed? You agreed to take nothing from me.”

“I’ll go to court.”

“Then so will I. With your record, the hospital evidence and my brothers’ testimony, who do you think will acquit you of yet another charge of abuse?”

Her hands fist, and my body tenses. “You always were a sorry excuse for a man. You’d do that? Admit in court how pathetic you are?”

“Not hitting back isn’t a sign of weakness.” I tiredly explain the truth I’ve come to accept. “And I assure you it doesn’t suck to be me. Just look at what I have. A home, a family, brothers around me. A soon-to-be wife.”

“You what?” she shrieks, this time throwing herself forward, but I’m prepared.

Ready for her attack, I swing her around me, holding her back to my front and clamping her arms. There’s nothing inside me that wants to appease her or reduce to her level of rage.

The opposite, I want to intensify it.

“Oh yeah, I was just waiting for the divorce to be finalised before asking RoseLyn to marry me.”

She struggles to get loose but she’s no match for me, though her foot does hit my shin. I suppress the oomph so as not to give her satisfaction.

Realising she can’t get free, she stills, but her voice is filled with hate and ire. “And how are you going to propose, soldier boy? Like you did to me?” Spittle lands on my hands which are still wrapped around her.

I proposed to her in a restaurant, flowers and a perfect dinner all arranged, and yes, I’d gotten down on one knee. I won’t be doing it the same way this time.

I chuckle softly. “I’m going to do it in front of our friends, family and even her fans.”

“What the fuck do you mean?”

I wasn’t sure I’d be able to lead her there, but now I’ve got her just where I want her. “On stage. When she’s performing.” I pause, then add, “And I’m not wasting time. Tonight,she’llhave my ring on her finger.” My brothers had taken Britney’s when they forced her to put her signature to the divorce papers.

Bart had managed to find a stand-in for a couple of weeks, but for the last few nights, she’d been singing again. Briefly, my mind gets lost in the emotion I felt knowing I was free and able to admire her, no longer a client, but my woman, as she wiggled that sexy ass and used that gravelly voice that always turned me insane.

Taking advantage of my momentary loss of concentration, Britney almost gets away from me, but I take the initiative and push her away.

“You fuckin’ stay away from me and my woman,” I roar, in a voice I’d never used on her. She reels back at the unexpected force in my tone. “Just get out of Vegas, and forget I existed.” I start to retreat, making sure not to show her my back. “I’ve already wiped you from my mind like dog shit from a shoe.”

I close the door on her final scream.

“Done?” Roller’s standing, his back against the wall, waiting for me.

I fill my lungs with air that’s no longer tainted by her presence. “Done,” I confirm.

He slaps me on the back and walks beside me as we descend the stairs. “All we’ve got to do now is see if she takes the bait.”

“Knowing her, she won’t be able to resist, Brother.” And even if I’m proved wrong, she’ll be leaving Vegas. Without being trapped in matrimony, she’ll have no call on me.

I give Owl and Meat the confirmatory nod they need as I pass, and they start to climb the stairs I just descended. Their instructions are to get Britney packed up and taken directly to the airport. If she gets on a plane and flies out of my life, well, so be it. At least she’ll be gone.

I’ve good reason, though, to think she won’t surprise me. But never let it be said I didn’t give her the chance.

I go to my bike and head back to RoseLyn’s house.

I greet my woman with a mouth-to-mouth kiss, then give a peck on the cheek to her mom. Rufus is lying in a lounger and makes no effort to get up. If he did, his two personal nurses would be straight on that. But he waves me over to him.

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