Page 21 of Craved By Gray

“You fucking son of a bitch,” the man roars, stepping further into the apartment, and my eyes drop to his clenched fists. The men flagging him, five in total, all press in close and trap me in the kitchen. One of them is Hill, and the rest are built just like the man. I calculate what it would take me to fight through them, but quickly realize that I stand no chance considering the fact that they have weapons, and, well, I don’t. Of course I could grab one of the men and use them as a shield,but could I really take the risk that they won’t sacrifice one of their own?

I am well and truly fucked.

Before I can work out a plan, another door flies open, and this time, it’s Scarlett. She runs out in nothing but a shirt that barely covers those sexy thighs. She doesn’t have a bra on either, exposing parts of her to the men in the room, and I want to go to her, protect her from the predatory looks they send her way. Suddenly conscious of her near nudity, she crosses her arms over her chest, trying to put up a brave front, but I read the fear in her eyes when she spots her father.

“Dad,” she says, hugging herself tighter. “W-what are you doing here?”

The man sneers, his eyes darkening as he sees the state his daughter is in. It’s obvious to everyone in the room that something happened between us, but it’s not just Stone who seems angry about the news. Hill tosses me a deadly glare, I imagine for touching what he’d tagged as his.

But Scarlett isn’t his. She belongs to me.

Only me!

Fuck, this isn’t the time to think about who belongs to whom. Not when my life hangs in the balance. “Stone...”

“You’re dead,” the man growls. “Not just for violating my daughter, but for being a fucking dirty Rebel!”

The room falls still for a moment as the words hang in the air, tension growing thicker, and I realize that now I really am dead. There is no talking my way out of this. Stone would never let a Rebel leave just as we’d never spare a Viper if he invaded our club.

“Dad, he didn’t—”

“Shut the fuck up, you little tramp,” Stone roars, the sound vibrating of the walls. “You dare speak after lying with a Rebel. Of all the men you could have spread your legs for, you chose the fucking enemy.”

My vision goes red with rage at the crude words Stone throws at his daughter, and I want to break his face, tear the man and his goons to shreds, but I force myself to remain calm. I promised to protect Scarlett, and I don’t put it past Stone to hurt his daughter if I start shit.

“Scarlett has nothing to do with this,” I say, shifting the man’s attention to me and off his daughter. “How did you find out my identity?” I haven’t been to the Rebels’ clubhouse and have ensured not to meet up with any one of my brothers in case Stone put a tail on me.

“I have a camera in my office.” Fuck! “I keep it there to make sure no one comes into mess with my shit, so imagine my surprise when I went through the footage this morning to find that our new prospect is actually a Rebel.” He spits out the name like it’s foul in his mouth. “You’ve been asking questions. Stirring up shit in my club. Seducing my daughter!”

I was careless. I let something else become more important than the job the Rebels had entrusted me with.And now it’s not only me that might pay the price.

“Dad, he didn’t-—”

“Fine, you caught me,” I snark, cutting Scarlett off.

“Damn right!” Stone shouts even as Scarlett turns her startled eyes to me, and I see it, the fierce need to defend me, but that would only be effective if she were addressing someone who cared about her. No, anything she tells Stone would only be used against her. I can’t let that happen. I need...havetoprotect her. So I shift my gaze to her father.

“When you told me that your daughter was in charge of your finances, I made my mind up then and there to use her to get dirt on you,” I say, leaning against the counter as I meet the man’s steely glare. “The camera in your office was a miscalculation on my part.”

“You son of a bitch. You have no idea what I’ll do to you.”

I scoff, sending a silent apology to the girl that’s stolen my heart even as the next words come out of my mouth. “Are you not the one who said that the only thing women are good for is on their backs or working behind a desk?” I wait a second before adding the rest. “It’s not my fault that your daughter is good for both.”

A sound not unlike that of a wounded animal breaks through the room, but it’s drowned out by the roar of an angry man, insulted and humiliated in front of his own men. “Take him,” he growls, the sound almost inhuman as he points at me. I want to turn and look at her, apologize with my eyes for letting such foul words out of my mouth when she means the world to me. Beg her to understand that I need her father’s fury directed at me and not her.

“You’re dead!” Hill grinds out as he grabs my arm, and I could fight him, easily drop the man to the floor like a sack of potatoes, but that would be stupid considering I’m incredibly outnumbered and out powered.

“Take her too!” Stone hisses, his words sending fire rushing through my veins.

“What the fuck?” I growl, yanking my arm from Hill and shoving the man off as I turn my fury to Stone. “You would punish your own daughter for being the victim of the manipulation of a Rebel?”

Stone turns to me, eyes so similar to his daughter’s, and yet, so different. “She needs a lesson on who to trust. Next time she’ll think twice before spreading her legs for the fucking enemy.”

“This is not her fucking fault!”

“I’ll go,” Scarlett’s small voice breaks through the steely tension. “Let me get dressed. I’ll come.”

No!I want to shout. Fuck no!

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