“Emma,” he said.
“Shut the fuck up, Gideon. I’m not leaving you.” She stood in front of her man, keeping Gabriel in her sight. Even as he moved, she stepped to cover his target. He wasn’t getting to Gideon, not unless he hurt her.
He could do it, but with Owen and Wyatt here he wouldn’t be able to do it for long.
“This is family business, Miss Colton. You need to leave,” Maddox said.
“What I see is a bunch of fucking cowards hurting one man. You didn’t even give him a weapon. Such brave men. I wonder how your women can even look at you.” She knew it was a low blow. “I wonder what Lou would say.” That was for Jacob. “Or Harper, I wonder what she’d think.” That was to Abel. “What about Ruby? Knowing what you’re doing.” She glanced over at Oliver. “I thought Mia had better taste, but I guess she doesn’t know the truth.”
“You going to throw shit at me?” Gabriel asked.
She turned toward her brother. “Don’t worry, brother dearest. I already know what a piece of shit you are. You forget, I grew up with you. I know what I’m dealing with.” Staring at all the men, she laughed, but it wasn’t from humor. She was disgusted by what she saw. “You think you’re good men because you’re Dentons. You’re no better than a Colton.” She threw the bat at the Gabriel. “Landon’s hurting, and all you want him to do is get over it. I wonder if you’d handle it any better if any of your women were taken from her. Maybe one day, you’ll all get a taste of your own medicine.”
“Emma,” Owen said. The warning was clear.
She was crossing a line.
“No! Enough! I said fucking enough!” She stepped up to Gabriel. “You want to be a Denton, be one. Gladly. I remember where I come from.” She moved around him and went right up to Maddox Denton. “I’ve been a Colton from the very beginning. I’ve not changed who I am. You want to hurt my man, then fine, hurt him, but I swear to you, right now, right here, in front of everyone, I will hurt you back.”
“You think you scare me, little girl? You don’t have a clue who you’re dealing with.”
She smiled. “And neither do you, Maddox Denton. I know a great deal. You see, daddy-in-law, I’m your son’s woman, and what I noticed about all men in this room is none of you pay attention to the women. I have secrets. I know more about you and your family than I ever should, but that’s what I do. That’s what my dad knew I could do. I have a way of blending. Hurt me. Kill me. I dare you because I will make sure you will never forget that moment you betray me. You think I’m a little girl. I’m a nice girl, and I know how to make plans. Seeing the way Landon has turned out, it’ll be quite easy to snuff the life out of every single woman you all have.”
Her father had once told her, while he’d been drunk of course, the best way to deal with a predator was to stare him in the eye, to not back down, and to wait for them to break eye contact. You know you’ve won.
Right now, she couldn’t believe she was threatening Maddox Denton. He was a fucking force to be reckoned with.
The thing was, Owen and Wyatt would avenge her. They would do what she asked. They were Coltons. United together.
The moment Maddox looked away, he stared at his s
on.
She knew she’d won.
****
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Gideon said, coughing and in pain.
His dick was so damn hard though. He’d watched his woman take charge in that warehouse. The moment he got the call and parked up, he’d seen the look on his brothers’ faces and knew they were going to hurt him. That their father had made sure they knew what the hell was happening.
He’d been expecting it.
It was the first time he’d openly threatened his father.
Now though, Emma had threatened their women. He didn’t for a second believe that was going to go unpunished. Something would happen, and he just needed to be prepared. Right now, he felt like he’d broken a rib.
“I’m dying,” he said.
“I know.”
“I can’t believe you jumped on Gabriel’s back like that.”
“Yeah, well, he shouldn’t have been hitting my man.”
“I did hear you say that.” He reached out, taking her hand, locking their fingers together. “You shouldn’t have threatened their women.”
“I’ve already organized a meeting tomorrow with them all. I want them to know what was happening. I’m not going to pretend I didn’t threaten them.”