“Yeah, that’s just Gray,” she muttered absentmindedly as she found her handbag and reaching in, grabbed her flashlight.
“Thanks for the ego boost there, babe.”
She turned on the flashlight and shone it straight at him. He cursed and stepped back, shielding his eyes. “Jesus, Abby, watch where you’re aiming that.”
“Oh, sorry, are you okay?” She lowered the light, noted a few people from the bar were standing behind Gray. That wasn’t good. She knew firsthand the type of people who hung out at Suck ‘n Blow. And they made Gray look like a choir boy.
“Damn it, sometimes I think you’re some secret weapon Max sent in to destroy us.”
“Me? A weapon? I don’t think so.” She laughed nervously. The idea was absurd.
“Well, you’re something, babe. Just haven’t worked out if the sweet, clumsy, naïve thing you have going on is an act or not.”
“It’s not an act,” Eden said from where she leaned against the car behind her. “Now can you two stop talking and find my damn chair? Not too fond of sitting here in the dark on the ground.”
“Chair?” Gray asked. He turned to Eden, studying her for the first time. “Fuck, please don’t tell me you’re who I think you are.”
Eden said nothing.
“Umm, I’ll find your chair.” Abby stood.
Gray held his hand up. “Stay where you are. Rex, find Ms. Jensen’s wheelchair. Now. Fuck. What the hell happened?”
“Well, I was trying to get to my car when two assholes assaulted me, they dragged me from my chair and told me they’d always wanted to fuck a cripple,” Eden told him. Her voice didn’t sound shaken or scared. But there was more than a hint of bitterness. “When I objected, they decided to beat on me instead.”
Gray let out a series of curse words that had Abby blushing. Although she filed away some of the words for future reference. At the rate her life was going to crap she would need them.
“Your brothers are going to fucking lose their shit,” he muttered.
“Yes, they will.”
Rex, who she recognized as one of Mr. Markovich’s other associates, wheeled over a chair and placed it by Eden. “Umm...you want a hand?”
Eden glared up at him. “I’ve done this a few times.”
But not while injured and Abby really wasn’t sure she should be moving around without being checked out. “We need an ambulance.”
Those sirens were close now and Gray cursed under his breath.
“No way, no ambulance,” Eden said. “I am not going to the hospital.”
“Fuck, who called the fucking cops?” Gray asked.
“I did,” Abby said.
He swung towards her. Fury came off him in waves, beating at her. She took a step back.
“You called the fucking cops?”
“Those assholes were hurting her! What did you expect me to do?” Wasn’t calling the police the normal reaction in that situation?
“Come and find me,” Gray roared.
“Stop yelling at her,” Eden told him. “It’s done.”
“Shit. Fuck. Rex take ’em to the back room and stand guard at the door. No one gets in or out except me or the sheriff. Got it?”
“Umm, I really think I should just go home,” Abby said hesitantly.