Cole released her, and Wolf clamped a hand around her forearm and dragged her through the crowd to the back hall.
****
Crystal was fuming as she stumbled behind Wolf as he pulled her into the hall. Then he did what he always did, he backed her into the nearest wall. She stared up at him. He was pissed at her, yet again. And it took her right back to that fight night last fall, and how he’d pinned her against the wall in this very hall that night, telling her how he was going to wipe the floor with Shane that night.
“A cat fight, Crystal, really? What the hell’s gotten into you?”
“Leave me alone. Let me go.” She slapped him.
Struggling between them was almost foreplay, but he didn’t respond like he usually did. Instead he glared down at her coldly.
“Don’t do that again.”
“Then let me go.” She pulled but his hands were clamped tightly around her wrists now.
“We’re not done. So just settle down.”
She wouldn’t look at him, but she did stop struggling.
Wolf took a deep breath and slowly blew it out, and she knew he was trying to calm himself down. “Congratulations on your ability to create drama out of absolutely nothing.”
Her eyes flashed to him then. “Nothing?”
“You’ve seen me with women before, and you’ve never gone off like this. I told you they don’t mean anything to me. What’s so different about Misty? Why is she any different?”
She refused to answer.
“Crystal,” he shook her. “Tell me.”
“You’ve never gone back for more before. You’re usually done with them by now.”
“I told you, they don’t mean anything to me.”
“And do I mean anything to you?”
“Crystal, you’re reading too much into this. I’ve got to throw the guys off track, don’t I? I can’t let them know about you and me.”
“Answer the question. Do I?”
“You know you do.”
“No, I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do. You fucking do.” He took her head in his hands. “Baby, you know I care about you.”
She stared up into his eyes. It would be so easy to just believe him. But Dog was right, if Wolf being with Misty bothered her, she needed to do something about it. So, she did. She asked him for something she’d never asked him for before. “Then prove it.”
His chin pulled back an inch, and he frowned down at her. “I shouldn’t have to prove it.”
If a future with her was ever going to mean anything to Wolf, she had to know. Especially now. So, she did something else she’d never done before. She pushed. “Prove it or I’m gone.”
As he searched her eyes, almost as if he couldn’t believe her words, she teetered on the verge of telling him about the pregnancy. But his next words stopped her cold.
“You know men like me don’t do ultimatums.”
And that was all it took. She felt her heart breaking, falling to the floor and shattering into a million pieces. The one time, the only time she’d ever actually wanted something from him, had the courage to ask for more, he let her down.
“Yes, that, I do know.” She shoved out of his hold and stalked away, knowing if she stood there a moment longer she would end up a bawling mess. And Crystal didn’t do the whole crying thing. Not over him! And if she did, it sure wouldn’t be in front of him.