Page 52 of Ryder

“If I have to strip you bare right here, right now, to check for marks on your body, I fuckin’ will,” I warn. “Did he hit you, Crys? I’m only gonna ask this once.”

Her bottom lip trembles. “Please, don’t do this. We can talk, but not here?—”

“Fine. I’ll talk. Let’s go back to your place right now. In fact, maybe I can have it out with your preciousJimmy, see if we can’t get all of this straightened out.”

Straightened outbeing me ripping his head from his body.

She still didn’t answer the question of if he hit her, and I know from her scared expression, and the way she’s trembling, that he has. The man is dead. Fucked. Gone.

He’s a fucking dead man walking.

The only way I’m going to be able to get through the next five minutes without hopping on my Harley and charging over there to put a bullet in his brain, is making sure Crystal understands why I’m here. I want her to fucking know.

“No, you can’t come to my place.”

I run a knuckle over her pretty cheek, disgusted I’ve made her cry. But it was necessary. She needs to know I’m not kidding around. “Then you leave me with no choice.”

“What does that mean?”

“He’s never gonna hurt you ever again, that’s what it means.”

11

CRYSTAL

“Stop, Ryder, please!”I catch his cut by the sleeve. “What are you going to do?”

“You know what I’m going to do. I’m going to end him.”

“He never hurt me.” Okay, I’m lying, but Ryder’s so angry that I’m scared of what he’ll do. I don’t want murder on my hands.

“If you could say that with any kind of conviction, I may even believe you,” he mutters. “But your eyes give you away. You never could lie to me.”

“He’s not always bad,” I blurt. “Only when he’s been drinking.”

“So that’s when he hurts you?”

“Not all the time.” The words are out before I can even stop them.

I see the fury in his stance; he has his fists clenched, the veins in his neck look like they’re going to pop. His face is a mask of rage. His usually pretty eyes are fierce, explosive, burning with anger. I’ve never seen him like this.

“Not all the time?” he repeats.

“I— I’m going to end things,” I say.

“Really? When?”

“Soon. I’ve made an exit plan.”

I balk. “An exit plan? Crystal Jane, have you heard yourself?”

“I’m not one ofthosewomen. I know what I’m doing.”

“What did he threaten you with? That he’d find you and hurt you no matter where you went?”

Okay, he’s not far off. Last week, things escalated with Jimmy. He did hit me. He’s slapped me before in anger, but never a closed fist. I’ve done a good job of covering the mark up on my cheek with makeup. He hurt me, then after it was over, he cried and told me he was sorry. He was just angry. I keep things from him, he said, and that’s why he lashes out. It’s my fault — even though I know it’s not me at all, it’s him. He’s a raging alcoholic, and I’m suspicious he’s started using again. He was candid when we got together about his struggle with coke, but he’s never used in the time we’ve been together. Now I’m starting to see why Ryder thinks I’m naive. I’ve never touched drugs in my life. I don’t even know what they look like.

“No, he didn’t?—”

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