Page 89 of Crush

Shaking my head, I smiled weakly, “No. You don’t, and you didn’t then. You used me, manipulated me. If you had been a decent man, you would have delivered me back to my father and walked away. You didn’t, you took whatyou wanted and to hell with the consequences. As I said, I am not the person I was back then. I’m strong and confident andnobodybrainwashes me. Youwouldn’tlike the woman I am today.”

He released a sigh of impatience before glancing around the street. After a deep breath, he then pinned his eyes on me, “OK, I get it, you’re a woman now, but you can’t say that I didn’t have something to do with shaping the person you are today.”

“Oh, I’d give you credit for some of that, but it’s the darker half of me thatyou’reresponsible for. You were the man that crushed me, Zander. And I won’t ever let that happen again.”

“You don’t mean that,” he grunted again, one large hand wrapping around my bicep. “You just want to punish me for abandoning you.”

“Everything OK, Miss Swift,” Dexter's voice suddenly bled between us.

Zander shot him an annoyed dismissive glare.

“I would let go of my arm, Zander.”

“I’d do as she asks mate,rightnow,” Dexter husked, opening his coat to reveal his gun which sat in a shoulder holster.

It worked and I was free, my skin itching where Zander had held me.

“Webelongtogether, Amber,” Zander whispered, his expression still determined but I could see he was hurting.

“I should say it’s over but that’s ridiculous as it was over when you got caught. I haven’t heard from you in almost six years,” I rasped, sweat drizzling down my back.

“I did write to you—you know—in the beginning,” he announced.

“What?” His revelation forced me back a step.

“I think we should go, Miss Swift,” Dexter said.

“Just a minute,” I replied, raising my hand, needing to question Zander. “What do you mean? I never got any letters.”

Zander scanned my face. “They were sent back unopened with a threatening note from your father’s legal team.”

What letters? I remained silent, hopefully maintaining my poker face. If I had received the letters, would it have made a difference? That was something I wouldneverknow.

“Ineverwant to see you again, Zander. Just get on with your life and allow me to live mine.”

His mouth opened to respond but he was interrupted.

“You heard the lady,” Dexter’s voice was now one that brooked no argument. The relief I felt was palpable. That closure that I had always needed felt within reach at last. I pushed Zander’s comment about the letters to one side. “Go on, take a hike. She wantsnothingto do with you.”

“What the fuck has it to do with you,” Zander snapped irritably.

Dexter slid his hand into his coat and placed his fingers on the handle of his gun. “I think we understand each other,” he replied with a forced smile.

Zander’s eyes flashed as he saw the butt of the weapon, “What, you’re going to shoot me in broad daylight? I doubt thatverymuch.”

“I was thinking of just a kneecap to start with.” Dexter moved to stand closer to me, so that his arm brushed mine, “But, under the circumstances, I think they’d pat me on the back, mate. Shooting a man that molests little girls.”

I didn’t appreciate his comment and neither did Zander. He turned away from the other man and glared down at me with a look of disgust. He clearly didn’t understand why others looking in would have seen it that way.

I felt a pang of regret that Dexter had used such cutting words that were indeed twisted to fuck. Zander had been messed up and what he did was wrong but he wasn’t a fucking kiddie fiddler, not in that sense. A master manipulator who fell for the forbidden.

“I won’t ask again and if I see you anywhere near her Ladyship, you’ll be back inside before you know what hit you.”

Dexter placed an arm around my shoulders and started to steer me away.

I swallowed my smile even though it was still bittersweet. I had never heard Dexter speak in such a way but Iwasthankful for his support.

I allowed myself one last look at the face of the man I once thought was my everything. “Goodbye, Zander.”

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