She glanced away from his penetrating stare. Then she blinked upward several times, trying to give a subtle hint. “I think twenty reviews sounds like a good, even number.”
“The kids need a college fund. They’ll need a nursing home before you make up your mind,” Sex Piston complained, seeing her imaginary fortune slip away.
Satisfied that Stud wouldn’t let the toy near his dick, Crazy Bitch relaxed, enjoying her beer and the music. It would have been better if Calder was there, but a girl couldn’t have it all.
“Fat Louise finally got here,” Crazy Bitch told the others as Fat Louise waved, making her way toward their table.
“Guess who got her promotion,” she said, sitting down.
“That’s cool.” Crazy Bitch was thrilled for her. She had worked hard for the job that she had been promised several months ago.
“Not only that, but Sam called in and quit today. They said he missed the last couple of days, and when the doctor called, he quit.”
“Thank fuck!” Crazy Bitch shouted out, the burden of keeping the secret of being roofied by him falling off her shoulders. “You all can have a beer on me. You just made my night, girlfriend.” She laughed, relieved that Fat Louise wouldn’t have to work with the sneaky asshole.
“Does that mean we can tell Stud now?” Fat Louise looked at her questioningly. “I hated keeping the secret. Cade won’t be happy that I didn’t tell him, but I’ll make it up to him. I’ll break out that present that Penni gave us.”
Her joy at Fat Louise’s announcement dimmed.
“I would save that for another—”
“Forget the toy. What secret?” Stud interrupted brusquely.
Sex Piston, Killyama, T.A., and Fat Louise began munching on the popcorn, leaving Crazy Bitch the only one able to answer.
“We can talk about it later.”
“Now.”
Crazy Bitch swallowed hard. It wasn’t often that she found herself on the receiving end of the hard gaze he was giving her.
“There’s a reason I quit seeing Sam. He tried to roofie me when we went to the drive-in.”
Stud’s face grew dark. “And why didn’t you want me or any of the brothers to know?”
“I wanted Fat Louise to get her promotion. As soon as she got the promotion and got past the six-week trial period, I would have told you.”
“I see.”
Crazy Bitch paled at the lethal stillness of those around them. When the music stopped, she knew the brothers were listening in. Their anger was evident when she reluctantly looked up to gauge their reactions.
“I only told Fat Louise because I didn’t want her working with the fucker. She wanted that job. I didn’t have the proof he did it. It would have been his word against mine. No one would have believed me.”
“I would have.”
“You’re not the one handing out promotions.”
“Tell him all of it.” Sex Piston’s face tightened when Stud shot her the same glare.
“What else is there to tell?” Crazy Bitch tried to keep from confessing anything else. The man was so furious his eyelid was twitching.
“That he gave you a black eye and that you missed three days’ of work because of him. Bitch, I work beside you; don’t think I didn’t notice that pancake makeup under your eye.”
“That didn’t matter. I blackened his, too.”
“It matters to me,” Stud ground out.
“Me, too.” Killyama gave them all looks of betrayal. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want you to tell Train. He would have told Stud.”
“You’re right about that.” Train maneuvered through the crowd to lay his hand on Killyama’s shoulder.
“Is there anything else you forgot to tell me?”
She really didn’t want to tell Stud anything else, but the warning glint in Sex Piston’s eyes had her confessing the rest.
“He called me one night, calling me names, but I took care of it. I went to his office and played the recording.”
His dark expression went from bad to worse. Stud’s fury had her regretting having her friends keep the secret. She should have known Fat Louise wouldn’t keep quiet.
“You still have the recording on your phone? I would think twice before lying to me.”
She apprehensively took out her phone, playing back the message. When filth spewed out of the phone, she flinched as Stud reached out and overturned the table, sending beer bottles and popcorn flying.
Sex Piston’s eyes widened at her husband’s behavior. She shakily stood up. “Stud—”
“You heard that shit and didn’t tell me?”
“She didn’t play it for me. I didn’t realize it was that bad—”
“It was bad when the douchebag tried to roofie her.” He pointed toward Crazy Bitch’s phone. “That sick motherfucker isn’t rational. I’m going to call Knox, and you’re going to make a report.”
“Okay.” Crazy Bitch bowed her head, acknowledging she had screwed up. “I was worried that if you knew, you or one of the other brothers would hurt him.”
“You don’t care about that pervert, do you?”