Page 28 of Drowning Her

“Baby girl finally came back,” he said. He ran a hand through his blond hair. “I knew that fancy car had to be from someone special.”

I sucked in a breath. I had to play nice. I didn’t want to open any old wounds.

“Visiting,” I said. I smiled at him, then stood, taking the keys from my purse. “Seriously, Bambi. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“But youwould,” Bambi said. “And youdid.”

I clutched my purse. “I wouldn’t do that. Not anymore. It’s not worth it.”

“Do what?” Green asked. His shoes squeaked as he came closer. He didn’t stop until my back was up against the wall. “Dowhat,baby girl?”

“Nothing, Green,” I said. “It’s not a big deal.”

He sneered down his nose. “You’ve got a lot of balls showing up here after what you did to us.”

I tapped my fingers on my side. “You sold me to Forrest for an arranged marriage. Stop complaining.”

“But you left us with nothing. Or maybe you just left me.” He licked his lips, dragging his thumb across my chin. “But you’re still such a good girl. Always bringing the goods back to Daddy.”

I snarled. He had the Feldmans’ money. He didn’t need Bambi’s cut too.

“You’re a leech, you prick,” I hissed.

He thrust a hand forward, grabbing my throat, cutting off my circulation. Blood rushed to my head, my face puffing. Using his free hand, he pressed my hand to the wall, digging his nails into the scar.

“Careful now,” he said. “Don’t you forget your past. Imadeyou, Crystal. Married or not. You wouldn’t be where you are without me.”

The door beeped, then slammed open. Green pulled out his gun, aiming it at the entrance. Wilder’s broad shoulders took up the doorway. Green straightened his aim. Wilder stared into the barrel of the gun, his eyes remaining soulless. Green shot the gun, but Wilder jerked it out of the way, then grabbed it by the barrel. Green strained against him, trying hard to push back until finally he let go, and the pressure of the gun smacked him in the face.

Green held his chin. “What the fuck?” he asked.

Green lunged for Wilder, but Wilder grabbed Green’s forearm and threw him at the motel desk’s edge, a loud snap breaking through the room. Green gaped, speechless, his eyes watering. Wilder motioned for me to get behind him.

“If I see you touching Maisie again, I will rip your throat out.”

Bambi’s eyes widened, and she held her mouth, holding back a gasp.

“You owe me, Crystal,” Green’s hoarse voice called out. “A million dollars.”

Bambi lowered her eyes. She had told him, then.

After Wilder said he’d have a rancher come pick up my car, I climbed into the passenger side of his SUV. The vehicle hummed as we made our way back to the farm. I held my breath, then let it out slowly. I could figure this out. I would find a way. I always did. I could make it on my own.

“Did you tell them where we keep the money?” Wilder asked, his voice low, his eyes on the road.

“No.”

“What about the key?”

I was willing to do a lot of things, but after I saw exactly what Wilder did to people who stole from his family, I wasn’t going to let that happen to Bambi.

“Have you ever stolen from us?”

I bit the inside of my lip. “No,” I lied, gripping my pants. Was it really stealing if his father would eventually owe me that money anyway? Especially when his father hadn’t told me how difficult it would be to have sex with Wilder?

Wilder sighed, then adjusted his grip on the steering wheel. “You know what my family is capable of,” he said. “You know better now.”

I sunk down in my seat. That was why I had raced here, to see what I could fix. To make sure that Bambi was safe. But she would never be safe until she left Green. And until I left the Feldman Farm.

---