Page 134 of Let Me Be the One
Sutter shoved forward a step, making Dirk stumble and bringing Blu back to bristling aggression. “I was born to run that company! A few mistakes and they’re…” Catching himself, he drew a breath and straightened. “I told them those women weren’t important.”
“More than one, huh? You really can’t keep it in your pants.”
“No one would have known about the other bitch if she hadn’t gotten pregnant and come whining to my parents.”
New anger surged through Tanner. It was damning enough that Sutter wanted to ruin Callie’s life, but to make light of a woman carrying his child…
An enraged shriek cut through the quiet night and a body rushed up behind Sutter. Everyone seemed to move at once.
Sutter tried to turn as the lunging woman jumped forward, a fist-sized rock held in both hands over her head.
At the last second, Tanner recognized Glory.
The rock she wielded missed Sutter’s head but hit him hard in the shoulder.
He fired the gun.
Blu attacked.
Tanner and Dirk both went after Sutter.
Pandemonium reigned for a few moments. Shoving Dirk aside, Tanner landed a hard punch in Sutter’s gut, then another to his face. He was only vaguely aware of Dirk wresting the gun away.
Sutter staggered and would have gone down, but Tanner didn’t let him. He’d threatened to shoot his dog. He’d been terrorizing Callie. He’d ridiculed a woman carrying his child.
A beatdown was less than he deserved, but for now it’d do. Even enraged, Tanner quickly realized that Sutter had no clue how to defend himself. He squealed and cried out and tried putting his hands in front of his face, but none of it did him any good.
In the corner of his mind, Tanner could hear Glory sobbing, heard his brother calling his name and Blu barking.
A small body practically landed on his back. He was about to throw it off when he heard Callie saying, “It’s okay now, Tanner. It’s okay.”
She spoke to him much as Lang had spoken to Blu. He shot a glance at his dog, but Blu had subsided, panting hard while Lang praised and petted him.
The sound of his own harsh breathing filled his ears. Damn, he and his dog were acting the same.
Somewhere in the distance, sirens blared. By force of will, he opened his fingers and let Sutter drop to the ground. The sniveling bastard moaned and curled to his side.
Disgusted with the entire thing, Tanner took twosteps away. Since Callie was still clinging to him, he gently drew her around in front of him and cupped her face between his bruised hands. “You’re okay? You didn’t hurt your arm or leg again?”
“We’re all fine. Well, except Sutter, but he deserved it.”
Damn right he had. Tanner glanced around again and found Kam holding Glory, his hand stroking her hair. When his brother met Tanner’s gaze, he said, “She’s upset.”
Yeah, Tanner could see that.
Callie’s mom and dad were there, too, both of them looking around helplessly.
Addie was kneeling on the ground, checking Dirk’s arm and using her lightweight jacket to dab at the blood. She looked up at Tanner and said, “He’s been shot.”
“Only grazed me,” Dirk grumbled, appearing dumbfounded by her care.
“He needs to go to the hospital,” Addie insisted.
Blu had calmed, and he didn’t seem to mind that Lang was practically hugging him.
“Swear to God,” Tanner said quietly. “It’s like my world has gone upside down.” Then he gathered Callie close, heard her groan, and quickly softened his hold. “Shit, I’m sorry. I hurt you?”
She snuggled closer. “Old bruises,” she murmured. “Tanner?”
