Free Scorch (Black Inferno Book 4) by K.T. Fisher Page B

him.”
    “Calm down…” Booker strokes my hair. “Why is he doing this?”
    “Because he’s obviously fucked in the head ,” Tate shouts. “Come on, we’re taking you home and then I want to know everything.” He pointedly looks to Booker as he says that, and I agree to ride in the car with him and Booker jumps in beside me.
    The car drive is silent, until Booker breaks it with a dreaded question, “Why is Troy threatening you Crystal?”
    “Because he wants me back…” I answer, “…but I will never go back to him.”
    “Why did you leave him?” he asks, and I look up to Tate in the front of the car, watching us through his mirror. “Crystal?”
    “He hit me,” I admit and the car fills with a deathly silence.
    “What?” both Booker and Tate ask in anger.
    “This guy fucking laid his hands on you?” Tate asks.
    “Yes,” I admit whisper quietly.
    “Why did you never tell me?” he asks. “Is that why you wanted to join the tour?”
    Crying, I nod. “Yes. I knew he wouldn’t find me if I was with you. I never told him you were my brother.”
    “But he’s found out,” Booker points out.
    I nod again. “After what Joe did, and it being all over the news, he was bound to see me in something.”
    “Speaking of which, why wouldn’t you tell anyone after what Roxie’s been through?” Tate asks.
    “I didn’t think Troy was dangerous, not until today,” I answer.
    Tate shakes his head and storms out the car as soon as we reach his house. Booker and I follow and our friends pull in after us. All their worried eyes on me as Booker pulls me in close.
    “I’m so sorry I put you through this,” I tell the girls.
    Ria, Paige, and Lola walk toward us as they drove to Roxie’s place. They had no clue what was happening, so Roxie kindly updates them all.
    “This is Lola by the way,” Roxie introduces her. The guys haven’t met her yet and they all wave. I just wish they were meeting under better circumstances.
    “What I don’t get, is why you were offering yourself to him?” Tate asks. “Why would you do that if he beat you?”
    I flinch at the word, and the girls all gasp. Lowering my head, I let a single tear fall to the ground.
    “That’s fucking out of order,” Booker shouts at him.
    “Stay out of it, Book,” Tate growls.
    “He’s right, Tate.” Lacey frowns. “That was a horrid thing to say.”
    “He hit you?” Cole asks me, and I nod my head. I can feel their anger surrounding me.
    “And now he’s stalking her. He wants her back and claims if he can’t have her, nobody else can,” Tate explains for me.
    “I’ve told the police.” I look to him and Tate steps closer.
    “I wish you would’ve told me,” he whispers. “I’m sorry.”
    He holds me tightly, and I cry a little. “I didn’t want you to think I was weak and pity me.”
    He holds me back, deep lines form on his forehead from how hard his brows draw together. “I would never think that. I just want to look after you Crystal, you’re my sister.”
    “I’m sorry,” I cry. “He told me I had to go with him, or he’d hurt you all and I didn’t want that.”
    “He will not get to you, Crystal,” Roxie declares, and I smile over at her.
    “Like hell he will,” Booker growls and places an arm over my shoulder. “We need to talk to the police and demand to know what the fuck they’re doing because Crystal’s reported Troy and he’s managed to get so fucking close to her.”
    “He sent that drink, didn’t he?” Paige asks.
    “I think so,” I agree, and when I look to the guys, the question is in their eyes. “When we were having dinner, a waiter delivered a drink from a mystery man.”
    Booker clenches his jaw, looking as pissed as everyone else does. “He shouldn’t have been that close.”
    “Damn fucking straight,” Tate shouts. “And what the fuck is happening here?” Tate points to me and then Booker.
    With a glance to Booker, it’s clear I should be the one to tell him.