Claiming Crusher (Savage Brothers MC #4)(47)

“What are you talking about?”

“Crush, he’s all tied up over you babe, you got nothing to worry about.”

“I think you should probably quit after that drink, Gun. You’re not making a bit of sense.”

“He’s worried about Red, he thinks of her like a little sister. She’s a lot like Melly and he’s worried because Dance comes back next week.”

His words hit me in the face. Melly? My first instinct is to ask him all about this Melly, but I can’t. That would give away more than I should.

“I figured Dance coming back would be good? I thought Nic said him and Carrie were family.”

“She made a bad decision and Dance got in the crossfire because of it. It’s the reason he’s been in the can for the last two years.”

It seems me and Carrot Top have more in common than I imagined. I thought I was the sole heir to the throne of bad decisions. Guess I have some work to do to keep the title. So, f*ck it, let’s add one more into the list.

“So, who’s Melly?” I ask, my vision filled with the drink I’ve barely touched.

Gun laughs, and pulls my attention to him. He’s holding out his hand.

“C’mon Ice, if you want that story, I get something out of it. Dance with me.”

“I don’t dance,” I grumble, but let him pull me off the barstool.

“Sure you don’t, I guess *’s just hired you because of your sweet disposition.”

“I never realized you were such a sarcastic ass, Gun. Besides, in case you haven’t noticed, *’s hasn’t let me dance since I got out of the hospital—all I seem good enough for these days is waiting tables.”

“Yeah well, you didn’t think Crush was going to let his woman dance for other men, did you?”

“Motherf*cker! I knew it.” Gun laughs as we reach the dance floor, which is really just a corner of the club that’s covered in old, scratched parquet flooring. The rest of the boy’s club has concrete floors. He pulls me in way too close and when I try to put space between us, he pokes me in the ribs, causing me to yell out. “What was that for?”

“Loosen up Ice, I know when I’m out of the running.”

“Yeah well, I heard all too well what you wanted to be in the running for,” I grumble as we start slow dancing to a song I can’t even place, and could care less about.

“Hey, I’m a man and you’re a hot piece of ass,” he responds.

“You’re such a sweet talker Gun. Really, with lines like that I’m surprised there isn’t a gang of women behind you, just waiting for their turn,” I tell him, rolling my eyes.

His hand moves down to my ass and he squeezes.

“If you want to keep your hand, how about you move it up to my back?” I warn him. He laughs, but does as I ask. When he makes no move to talk, I sigh—loudly. “Hello? Melly?”

He laughs, and I know right then he was waiting for me to push it. Asshole.

“Melly is a girl Crush grew up with. He was in love with her. Young love, you know?”

“As in you never forget your first,” I say, while inside my heart feels like it’s in a vice grip. Fuck. “Yeah, I’m familiar.”

“Who knows, they were both kids though. Crush tried to save her and couldn’t. He blames himself.”

“How did she die?”

“Her own father shot her and then turned the gun on himself. Crush was the first to find her,” Gun says with distaste and who could blame him? Even as jealousy hits me, my heart breaks for this unknown girl.

“He told you all of this?” I ask him, not even noticing we’re now dancing on our second song.

“He had nightmares about her in the service, broke down and told me and Freak about it one night while he was drunk, some ghosts don’t let go.”

Fuck, don’t I know that better than anyone?

“Why are you telling me?”

“Because, you can be a hard bitch, but I see that same haunted look in you. Just thought it’d be good if you knew Crush gets it.”

Jesus, men are clueless. He doesn’t even realize he’s ripped me to shreds. I look at my hand and the way it lightly trembles on his shoulder and know I need to get out of here and soon. I’ve not had an attack since Zander came and got me, but I can feel this one coming and it’s going to be bad.

“Can you take me home?” I ask, because I know I can’t drive. There’s just no way.

“I can get Crush to…”

“No!” I yell before I can stop myself. “I mean I don’t want to bother him, I just…I really need to get out of here.”

“Sure, Ice. Come on.” He takes my hand and leads me off the dance floor.

I follow him like a robot. I feel like I’ve taken a knife to the gut and since that’s happened before, I’m all too familiar with the feeling. Trouble is, this one hurts more than the real knife ever did. As we leave the club, I don’t look at the table Zander is sitting at. I don’t look at anything but the back of Gun’s cut, stumbling behind him and wondering if I will survive. The nightmares Zander’s been having? Were they really about this Melly? Does he see the same darkness that Gunner sees? Is he trying to save me because he couldn’t save Melly? The woman he loved, the first woman he loved? Heat surges through me, heating my face. I feel like such a fool. I knew it was too good to be true that someone like Zander could want to be with me, for me—love me for me…