“I said, give me your pocketbook, bitch.”
He advanced on her, grabbed her handbag, and pulled out her wallet. “Twenty-five dollars? I came all this way for twenty-five fucking dollars?”
“Hardly worth going back to prison for, was it?”
She didn’t see the sucker-punch coming.
“Damn.” She rubbed her chin. She should have known better. The thud of pain always came a few seconds afterward. That had always surprised her. She thought she’d feel it right away, but it was always delayed. She licked her lips and tasted the metallic tang of blood.
“We’ll just be taking a little trip to the ATM then,” Riggs said.
“Small town. No ATM.”
“Are you shittin’ me?”
“No.”
“The bank, then.”
“There’s nothing there.”
“What are you living on?”
“My credit card, what do you think? I’ve been here two weeks, Riggs. I’ve done a good business, but my first bills won’t even go out until next month.”
Riggs grabbed a fistful of her curls and forced her to the couch. “Then I’ll take my share out in trade, you stupid whore. I haven’t had a good fuck in months.” He ripped her blouse open. “You weren’t good for much, but damn, you were good for that.”
* * *
“You what?” Dusty demanded.
“I told her I didn’t want to hear her reasons,” Dallas said. “It’s not important.”
Dusty’s small hands clenched into fists. She and Zach had stopped by to check on the cattle, and after Dallas had explained everything, the subject of Dr. Annie had come up.
“You are the most stubborn idiot on this planet,” Dusty said, seething. “You have no idea what you’ve done. Do you know what that woman has been through?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Dallas said calmly. “I never make the same mistake twice.”
“Punch him,” Dusty said to Zach. “Whoop his ass good. He deserves it.”
“Simmer down, darlin’,” Zach said. “God knows I’ve wanted to whoop his ass on many occasions, and I’ll be happy to oblige later, but first I need to know what the hell is going on.”
“You’re as bad as he is. Neither one of you understands anything!” Dusty paced the floor, her rosy cheeks turning bright red. “You grew up here, in luxury, with enough money to buy whatever you wanted. Two loving parents, never any problems. Well, this isn’t the real world. The real world has pain, and fear, and sadness, and sickness, and things that just aren’t fair!”
“Dusty—”
“No, Zach. I won’t calm down. Your brother just let a woman walk out of his life because he’s a short-sighted, pompous moron who claims to be a gentleman. Well, Dallas, a gentleman would have listened to his lady. You’re a fool.”
Dallas breathed steadily. His shattered heart ached in his chest, but he forced his voice to remain steady. “I had good reason for letting her go, Dusty.”
“Do you love her?”
“That’s not your concern.”
“Damn it, Dallas. Do you love her?”
He swallowed. Why lie? “Yes.”