Текст книги "Truly Madly Yours "
Автор книги: Рэйчел Гибсон
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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 18 страниц)
As soon as Delaney heard her front door close, she ran into the bathroom and took a quick shower. The hot water helped clear her head, and by the time she got out, she was fully awake. She could hear the whine of Nicks drill coming from the front of her salon, and she went into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. Whatever his reason, he was actually doing her a favor. He was being nice. She didnt know why, or how long it would last, but she was grateful and meant to take full advantage.
She dressed in a black ribbed sweater that zipped up the front and had a zebra print collar and cuffs and a matching skirt. She wore calf boots and black tights, fingered mousse in her hair, and dried it with a diffuser. She quickly put on her makeup, then wrapped herself up in her big wool coat, scarf, and gloves. Forty-five minutes after shed been awakened by Nicks pounding, she walked down the stairs from her apartment with a thermos under one arm and two steaming mugs of coffee.
The back door to the salon was wide open, and Nick stood with his back to her, his feet wide apart, a tool belt slung low across his hips. Hed pulled on a pair of leather work gloves, and the drill lay silent just inside the salon. A circular hole had been cut in the door, and he was in the process of removing the old handle. He looked up as she approached, his gray eyes touching her everywhere.
“I brought you coffee, she said and held a mug toward him.
He bit the middle finger of the glove and pulled his hand out. He shoved the glove in the pocket of his jacket and reached for the coffee. “Thanks. He blew into the mug and looked at her over the steam. “Its only October, what are you going to do in December when the snows up around your little butt? he asked, then took a drink.
“Freeze to death. She set the thermos by the door. “But I suppose thats good news for you.
“Hows that?
“Then you inherit my share of Henrys estate. She straightened and wrapped her hands around her mug. “Unless of course Im buried here in Truly without ever leaving town. Then things might get a little dicey. But if you want, you can throw my body outside the city limits. She thought for a moment, then added a stipulation, “Just dont let any animals chew on my face. Id really hate that.
One corner of his mouth lifted. “I dont want your share.
“Yeah, right, she scoffed. How could any sane person not want part of an estate worth serious cash? “You were pretty ticked off the day Henrys will was read.
“So were you.
“Only because he was manipulating me.
“You havent a clue.
She sipped her coffee. “What do you mean?
“Never mind. He set his mug next to the thermos and shoved his hand back inside his glove. “Lets just say I got exactly what I wanted out of Henry. I got property any builder would cough up a gonad to own, and I got it free and clear. He fished around in the pouch of his tool belt for a screwdriver.
Not quite free and clear, she thought. Not yet anyway. He had to wait a year just like she did. “So you werent angry that you only got two pieces of property, and I got his businesses and money?
“No. He removed a screw and tossed it in the box to his right. “You and your mother are welcome to the headache.
She didnt know if she believed him. “What does your mother think of Henrys will?
His gaze cut to hers then returned to the door handle. “My mother? Why do you care what my mother thinks? he asked as he removed both knobs and threw them in the box.
“I dont really, but she looks at me like I mutilated her cat. Sort of furious and disdainful at the same time.
“She doesnt have a cat.
“You know what I mean.
He used the screwdriver to pry out the latch bolt. “I guess I know what you mean. He reached for the new part and removed it from its packaging. “What do you expect her to think? Im her son, and youre the neska izugarri .
“What does neska iz – izu , whatever mean?
He laughed silently. “Dont take it personal, but it means youre a horrible girl.
“Oh. She took a drink of coffee and looked at her feet. She guessed being called a “horrible girl wasnt too bad. “Ive been called worse, of course usually in English. She glanced back at Nick and watched him screw the shiny new knobs in place. “I always wanted to be bilingual so I could swear and my mother wouldnt know it. Youre lucky.
“Im not bilingual.
A chilly breeze picked up the ends of Delaneys hair and she burrowed deeper inside her coat. “You speak Basque.
“No I dont. I understand a few words. Thats about it.
“Well, Louie does.
“He knows as much as I do. Nick bent down and picked up a dead bolt. “We understand a little because my mother speaks Basque with her relatives. She tried to teach us Euskara and Spanish, but we really werent interested. Mostly Louie and I know swear words and body parts because we looked them up in her dictionary. He glanced at Delaney, then shoved the dead bolt through the hole hed drilled in the door. “The really important stuff, he added.
“Louie calls Lisa his sweetheart in Basque.
Nick shrugged. “Then maybe he knows more than I thought he did.
“He calls her something like alu gozo .
Nick chuckled deep in his chest and shook his head. “Then hes not calling her sweetheart .
Delaney leaned forward and asked, “So, what is he really calling her then?
“No way am I telling you. He dug in the pouch of his tool belt for screws then clamped two between his lips.
She fought an urge to punch him. “Come on. You cant leave me hanging.
“Youd tell Lisa, he muttered around the screws, “and get me in trouble with Louie.
“I wont tell—pleeaase, she wheedled.
A chirping from the vicinity of Nicks chest stopped her pleas. He spit out the screws and bit the middle finger of his glove again. Then he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a slim cell phone. “Yeah, its Nick, he answered and shoved his glove into his pocket. He listened for a minute, then rolled his eyes skyward. “So when can he get out there? He wedged the phone between his shoulder and ear and continued securing the dead bolt. “Thats too damn late. If he doesnt want to sub with us, he needs to say so, otherwise he better get his ass, and his PVC, on the job no later than Thursday. Weve been lucky so far with the weather, and I dont want to push it. He talked of square feet and board feet and Delaney didnt understand any of it. He fastened the strike plate to the door frame then shoved the screwdriver into his tool belt one last time. “Call Ann Marie, and shell give you the numbers on that. It was either eighty or eighty-five thousand, Im not sure. He pressed the off button on the cell phone, then slipped it back beneath his jacket. He dug around in the front pocket of his jeans, then handed her a set of keys. “Try it, he ordered as he stepped into the salon and slid the latch bolts into place.
When she did as he requested, both locks opened easily. She retrieved Nicks coffee mug and the thermos from the ground and entered the back of the shop. With her hands full, she kicked the door shut and walked into the storage room. Nicks tool belt and jacket sat on the counter next to the microwave. His drill lay on the floor still plugged into the socket, but he was nowhere to be seen.
From behind the closed bathroom door, she heard the toilet flush as she shucked out of her coat and gloves. She hung them on the coat rack by the door, then grabbed a fresh cup of coffee for herself and hurried to the front of the salon. For some weird reason, standing across the hall while Nick used her bathroom made her feel like a voyeur, like the time shed hidden behind a display of sunglasses at the Value Rite and watched him buy a box of a dozen—large, ribbed for her pleasure– condoms. Hed been about seventeen.
Delaney opened her appointment book and stared at the blank page. Shed had her share of boyfriends, and theyd certainly used her bathroom. But for a reason she couldnt explain to herself, it was different with Nick. More personal.. . almost intimate. As if he were her lover instead of the guy whod provoked her most of her life, then used her to get back at Henry.
She heard the door to the bathroom open, and she took a long sip of coffee.
“Did you try the front door? he asked, the heels of his boots thudding on her linoleum as he walked toward her.
“Not yet. She glanced over her shoulder at him and watched his approach. “Thanks for the new locks. How much do I owe you?
“It works. I already checked it for you, he said instead of answering her question. He stopped beside her, then leaned his hip into the counter next to her right elbow. “That was on the floor when I changed the front lock, he said and pointed to an envelope lying on the top of the cash register. “Someone must have slipped it beneath your door.
Her name was the only thing typed on the white paper, and she figured it was probably some kind of notice for a downtown business association meeting or something equally exciting.
“Your cheeks are red.
“Its a little cold in here, she said, but wasnt sure temperature had anything to do with it.
“Youre not going to last the winter. He wrapped his hands around her coffee mug for a few seconds, then cupped her cheeks in his palms. “Any other parts you need warmed up?
Uh-oh. “No.
“Sure? The tips of his fingers brushed her hair behind her ears. “Ill warm you up real good. His thumb slipped over her chin, then fanned her lower lip. “Wild thing.
She made a fist and punched him in the stomach.
Instead of becoming angry, he laughed and dropped his hands to his sides. “You used to be more fun.
“When was that?
“When you used to get all wide-eyed and mad and look like you wanted to hit me but were such a little goody-goody you never would. Your jaw would get all clenched and your lips puckered. In grade school, all I had to do was look at you, and youd run away.
“Thats because you practically knocked me unconscious with a snowball.
A frown creased his brow and he straightened. “That snowball thing was an accident.
“Really, which part? When you accidentally packed snow into a hard ball, or when you accidentally threw it at me?
“I didnt mean to hit you that hard.
“Why did you hit me at all?
He thought a moment then said, “You were there.
She rolled her eyes. “Thats brilliant, Nick.
“Its the truth.
“Ill have to remember that next time I see you in a crosswalk and my foot gets a little itch to mow you down.
His smile showed his straight white teeth. “Youve become a regular smart ass since youve been away.
“Ive become my own person.
“I think I like it.
“Gee, I guess I can die happy.
“Kind of makes me wonder what else is different. He reached out and flipped up the tab of her zipper. The cool metal hit her collarbone and rested against her skin.
Delaney took a shallow breath but refused to look away. He raised his gaze from her throat, and she looked up into his eyes. Within the space of a second, hed gone from being a somewhat regular guy to the ornery boy shed grown up with. Shed seen that silvery glint too many times not to know he was about to stomp his foot and yell boo and make her run like crazy. Make her think he was going to throw a worm on her, or something equally hideous. She refused to let him intimidate her. Shed always let him win, and she stood her ground now for all those times shed lost. “Im not the same girl you used to antagonize all the time. Im not afraid of you.
He lifted one black brow up his tan forehead. “No?
“No.
His gaze locked with hers as he reached for the metal tab of her zipper again. He slowly eased it half an inch down its silent track. “Are you afraid now?
Her hands clenched at her sides. He was testing her. He was trying to make her flinch first. She shook her head.
The tab moved down another few teeth then stopped. “Now?
“No. Youll never scare me. I know what you are.
“Uh-huh. The zipper slid another inch, and the heavy zebra collar fell open. “Tell me what you think you know.
“Youre full of bull. Youre not going to hurt me. Right now you want me to think youre going to strip me naked while people walk by my big window. Im supposed to get all uptight, and then you can go away and have a really big laugh. But guess what?
He pulled the tab to the gold satin rose that closed the front of her bra. “What?
She took a big breath and called his bluff. “You wont do it.
Zzziiiiip.
Delaneys mouth fell open, and she looked down at the front of her sweater. The black ribbed cotton lay undone, the edges gaping an inch apart, revealing her leopard print bra and the inside swells of her breasts. Then before Delaney knew how it happened, she found herself picked up and plopped back down on top her appointment book. The soft fabric of his jeans brushed her knees, and the green Formica top felt cool beneath her thighs. “What do you think youre doing? she gasped as she clutched the front of her sweater.
“Shh ... He touched his finger to her lips. His gaze was pinned to the big window ten feet behind Delaney. “The owner of the bookstore is walking by. You dont want him to hear you and press his nose against the glass, do you?
Delaney glanced over her shoulder, but the sidewalk was empty. “Let me down, she demanded.
“Are you afraid now?
“No.
“I dont believe you. You look like youre about ready to jump out of your skin.
“Im not afraid. Im just too smart to play your games.
“We havent started to play yet.
But they had, and he was one man she didnt want to play with. He was far too dangerous and she found him far too alluring. “Do you get some sort of warped thrill out of this?
A slow sensual smile curved his lips. “Absolutely. That leopard bra youve got on is pretty wild.
Delaney let go of the front of the sweater long enough to zip it up again. Once it was closed she relaxed a little. “Well, dont get excited. I know Im not.
His deep quiet laughter surrounded her. “Are you sure?
“Absolutely.
His gaze drifted to her mouth. “I guess Ill have to see what I can do about that.
“It wasnt a challenge.
“It was a challenge, Delaney. He brushed his knuckles across her cheek, and her breathing became a little shallow. “A man knows when hes being challenged by a woman.
“I take it back. She wrapped her hand around his wrist.
He shook his head. “You cant. You already put it out there.
“Oh, no. Delaney lowered her gaze to his strong stubborn chin. Someplace safe, away from his hypnotic eyes. “No. I never put out anything.
“Maybe thats why youre so uptight. You need to get laid.
Her gaze snapped to his and she forced his hand from her cheek. “I dont need to get laid. I get laid all the time, she lied.
He slanted her a doubtful look.
“I do!
He lowered his face to hers. “Then maybe you need someone who knows what hes doing.
“Are you offering your services?
His mouth lightly brushed hers as he shook his head. “No.
Delaneys breath got stuck in her throat. “Then why are you doing this to me?
“It feels good, he said barely above a whisper and placed soft kisses at the corner of her lips. “Tastes good, too. You always tasted good, Delaney. He brushed his lips against hers. “All over, he said and opened his mouth wide over hers. His head tilted to one side and in an instant everything changed. The kiss turned hot and wet like he was sucking the juice from a peach. He ate at her mouth and demanded she feed him in turn. He sucked her tongue into his mouth. The inside of his mouth was warm and slick, and she felt her bones melt. She was helpless to stop him now. She let herself go and kissed him, matching his hunger. He was so good. So good at making her feel like this. Making her more than happy to do things she had no intention of doing. Making her breathless. Making her skin itchy and tight.
His hands moved to her knees and he pushed them apart. She felt the brush of his Levis as he stepped between her thighs, felt his grasp on her wrists as he lifted her hands to his shoulders. One of his hands cupped her breast and she moaned deep in her throat. Her stomach clinched and her nipple tightened. Through her sweater and satin bra, she felt the heat of his palm. She arched toward him, wanting more. Her hands slid across his wide shoulders to the sides of his head. Her thumbs brushed his jaw, and she slipped her palms down the sides of his neck. She felt the heavy thumping of his pulse and uneven pull of air into his lungs, and pure female satisfaction poured through her. Her fingers moved to the front of his shirt and went to work on the buttons. Ten years ago hed seen almost every inch of her naked body, and she hadnt gotten even a glimpse of his chest. She opened the flannel to satisfy an old curiosity. Then she pulled back from the kiss for a good look at him and wasnt disappointed. He had the kind of chest that inspired women to shove money down his pants. Dark brown nipples and corrugated muscles, taut skin and black hair that trailed down his flat stomach, circled his navel, then disappeared into the waistband of his jeans. Her eyes lowered to the front of his pants and the thick bulge beneath his button fly. She raised her gaze to his face. He looked back at her from beneath lowered lids, his mouth still wet from their kiss. Her hands slipped across his chest, and her fingers made furrows in his soft hair. Beneath her touch, his muscles bunched.
“Be still a minute, he said, his voice all husky, like hed just gotten out of bed. “Unless you want the blue-haired lady at the door to know what were doing.
She froze. “Youre kidding, right?
“No. It looks like my first grade teacher, Mrs. Vaughn.
“Laverne! she whispered loudly and looked over her shoulder. “Whats she want?
“Maybe a haircut, he said and brushed his thumbs across her nipples.
“Stop that. She turned back and slapped his hands aside. “I cant believe I let this happen to me again. Is she still there?
“Yep.
“Can she see us, do you think? she asked.
“I dont know.
“Whats she doing?
“Staring at me.
“I cant believe this. Just last night my mother bitched me out for my scandalous behavior with you at Henneseys. She shook her head. “Now this. Laverne will tell everyone.
“Probably.
She looked up at him, still standing between her thighs. “Dont you care?
“Exactly what am I supposed to care about? That we were just getting to the fun stuff? That my hand was on your breasts, and your hands were all over my chest, and both of us were having a good time? Damn right I care about that. I wasnt finished. But dont expect me to care that a little old lady looked in the window and watched. Why should I care what people are going to say about that? People have talked about me since the day I was born. I stopped caring a long time ago.
Delaney pushed at his shoulders until he took a step backward. With desire still pulsating along her nerves, she jumped down from the counter and turned around in time to see Mrs. Vaughn totter away in a pink housecoat and support hose. “People in this town already think were sleeping together. And you should care since you stand to lose the property Henry left you.
“Hows that? The last time I checked, at some point during sex, someone gets off. Otherwise its nothing more than a grope.
Delaney groaned and put her head in her hands. “I dont belong here. I hate this town. I hate everything about it. I cant wait to leave. I want my life back.
“Look on the bright side, he said, and she heard the thud of his boot as he made his way toward the back. “When you leave, youll leave a wealthy woman. You sold out for Henrys money, but Im sure youll think its worth it in the end.
She looked up at him. “Youre a hypocrite. You agreed to your part of the will, too.
He walked into her storage room and popped back out a few seconds later. “True, but theres a difference. With his shirt still unbuttoned, he shrugged into his leather jacket. “That particular stipulation is no hardship for me.
“Then why were you trying to take off my sweater?
He bent down and picked up his drill. “Because you let me. Dont take it personally, but you could have been anyone.
His words hit her like a punch in the stomach. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying or screaming or both. “I hate you, she said barely above a whisper, but he heard her.
“Sure you do, wild thing, he said as he wrapped the cord around the drill.
“You should grow up and became an adult, Nick. Grown-up men dont have to grope women just to see if they can. Real men dont look at women as sexual playthings anymore.
He stared at her across the distance that separated them. “If you believe that, then youre the same silly naive girl you always were. He yanked the back door open. “Maybe you should take your own advice, he said, then closed the door behind him.
“Grow up, Nick! she yelled after him. “And ... and ... get a haircut. She didnt know why she added the last part. Perhaps because she wanted to hurt him, which was ridiculous. The man had no feelings. She turned around and stared at her blank appointment book. Her life was going from crap to downright shitty. Two hours, she thought. Shed give the gossip two hours to reach her mother, and then only because it would take Laverne an hour to get to her car.
Angry tears blurred Delaneys vision and her gaze fell to the envelope on top of the cash register. She tore it open. A page fell out with three bold words typed in the center. IM WATCHING YOU, it said. Delaney crumpled the paper and threw it across the salon. Great! That was all she needed. Helen the psycho woman watching her and slipping notes under her door.
Chapter Ten
Nick gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. The insistent throb in his groin urged him to turn his Jeep around and relieve his aching need between Delaneys soft thighs. Impossible, of course. For so many reasons.
If he wanted, he could ring Gail on his cell phone and have her meet him. There were a few others he could call, too, but he didnt want that. He didnt want to have sex with one woman while thinking of another. While wanting another. He wasnt that big a bastard. He wasnt that sick, either.
Instead of calling anyone, he pulled his Jeep to a stop next to the burned remains of Henrys barn. He left the engine running and shifted into neutral. He didnt know why hed come here. Maybe hed come looking for answers in the blackened rubble. Answers he knew hed never find.
I dont belong here. I hate this town. I hate everything about it. I cant wait to leave. I want my life back . Her words still echoed in his head. Still made him want to grab her and shake her.
But she was right. She didnt belong in Truly. From the moment hed looked across Henrys casket and seen her standing there in that green suit and dark sunglasses, shed complicated his life. When shed moved back, shed brought the past with her. All the old complicated bullshit hed never understood.
Nick looked down at the front of his shirt and raised his hands to the buttons. The Jeeps engine and the steady hum of the heater were the only sounds disturbing the late morning air.
I hate you , shed whispered, and he believed her. Earlier, when hed arrived on her doorstep with her new locks, he hadnt purposely set out to make her hate him, but hed done a pretty good job of it. Her hatred was best, and he actually felt a little relieved. No more kissing her and touching her. No more filling his hand with her firm breast, her nipple hard beneath his thumb.
He leaned his head back against the seat and stared at the beige canvas rag top. All she had to do was look at him and he had an urge to mess up her hair. Squeeze her between his hands, and eat the lip gloss off her mouth. Maybe Henry had been right. Maybe hed known what Nick refused to admit, even to himself. He was still drawn most to the things he couldnt have. In the past, once hed gotten those unattainable things, hed easily moved on to the next. But with Delaney, he couldnt. He couldnt have her and he couldnt move on. If it werent for Henrys will, he would have had sex with her already, and he would have forgotten about her by now. She really wasnt the kind of female he liked to spend time with anyway. Her clothes were weird, and she had a mean mouth on her. She wasnt the most beautiful female hed known. In fact, she looked horrible in the morning. Hed seen his share of women who werent looking their best when they first rolled out of the sack, but damn, shed looked downright scary.
Nick raised his head and stared out the windshield. But it didnt seem to matter what shed looked like. Hed wanted her. Hed wanted to kiss her sleepy mouth and soft skin. Hed wanted to take her back to her bed where her sheets were still warm. Hed wanted to strip her naked and bury himself deep within her hot thighs.
Hed wanted to touch her like he had in any one of the thousand fantasies hed had growing up. As he had the night shed jumped in his car. The night hed driven them to Angel Beach. Shed acted like shed wanted him that night, too, but shed left with Henry. Shed left him alone and aching for her. Just one more unfulfilled fantasy.
He swore to himself and shifted the Jeep into gear. The wide tires chewed up the dirt road as the four-by-four sped toward town. He had some building contracts waiting for him to sign at his offices, and his mother and Louie were expecting him for lunch. Instead, he drove to a job site fifty miles north in Garden. The subcontractors were surprised to see him. The framers were even more surprised when he pulled on his work gloves and picked up a nail gun. He shot the hell out of the subfloor and wall studs. It had been several years since he and Louie had taken part in the physical part of construction. Most of his time was spent driving or talking with contractors and suppliers. If he wasnt driving or talking or doing both at the same time, he was creating new business. But after the day hed had, it felt good to shoot something again.
By the time he got home, it was past dark outside. He tossed his leather jacket and car keys on the marble countertop in the kitchen, then reached for a Bud. He could hear the television in another part of the house but wasnt concerned. His entire family had a key to his front door, and Sophie often came over to watch a movie on his big screen. His boots echoed on the hardwood floors as he made his way to the great room.
The television blinked off and Louie rose from the beige leather sofa. He tossed the remote on the pine coffee table. “You should call Mother and tell her youre not dead in a ditch.
Nick took a pull off his beer and eyed his older brother. “I will.
“Both of us have been trying to reach you since noon. Did you forget about lunch?
“No. I decided to drive to Garden.
“Why didnt you call?
He hadnt wanted to hear the disappointment in his mothers voice or listen to the guilt shed heap on his head. “I got busy.
“Why didnt you answer your cell phone?
“I didnt feel like it.
“Why, Nick?
“I told you why. What in the hell is this all about? You havent been waiting for me because I didnt answer my cell phone.
Louies brows lowered over his brown eyes. “Where were you?
“I told you.
“Tell me again.
Nicks scowl matched his brothers. “Go to hell.
“Its true then. What everyone is saying about you is true. You were screwing Delaney Shaw on the counter in her salon. Right there on Main Street for anybody walking by to see.
A slow smile started at the corners of Nicks mouth, then he burst into laughter.
Louie didnt see the humor. “God damn you, he swore. “When Mom told me shed heard you were kissing Delaney at Henneseys, I told her not to believe it. I told her you werent that stupid. Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, you are!
“No Im not. I didnt screw Delaney in her shop or anyplace else.
Louie sniffed and scratched the side of his neck. “Maybe not yet, but you will. Youre going to go right ahead and lose it all.
Nick raised the beer and took a drink. “Now we get to the real reason youre here. Money. You dont care who I screw, as long as you get to develop Silver Creek.
“Sure. Why not? Ill admit it. I want it so bad the thought of it keeps me up at night just thinking of all those million-dollar houses and ways to spend all that money I stand to make. But even if that piece of property wasnt worth a pile of shit, Id still be here because Im your brother. Because I slithered through bushes with you. Spied with you, flattened the tires on her bike with you, and I thought we did it because she got a nice new Schwinn. She got what you should have had. And because I thought you hated her. But you didnt. You flattened those tires because you wanted to walk her home. You said you walked with her so Henry would see you and get all pissed off, but that was a lie. You were infatuated with her. Youve had a hard on for Delaney Shaw since you could get it up, and everyone knows you think with your dick.
Slowly Nick set his bottle on the stone mantel of the fireplace. “I think you better leave before I kick your ass all the way out of my house.
Louie crossed his arms over his barrel chest, not looking like he planned to leave any time soon. “Thats another thing. This house. Look at it.
“Yeah?
“Look around. You live in a thirty-eight-hundred-square-foot house. Youve got four bedrooms and five bathrooms. Youre one guy Nick. One.
Nick glance about at the fireplace made of smooth river rock, the high ceiling with exposed beams, and the bank of cathedral windows that looked out at the lake. “Whats your point?
“Whod you build it for? You say youre never going to get married. So why do you need such a big house?
“You tell me. You seem to know all the answers.
Louie rocked back on his heel. “You wanted to show Henry.
It was close enough to the truth that Nick didnt deny it. “Thats old news.
“You wanted to show her, too.
“Youre full of shit, he scoffed. “She didnt even live here.
“She does now, and youre going to screw up your life for a piece of high-price ass.
Nick pointed toward the front door. “Get out before you really piss me off.
Louie walked forward, stopping within an arms distance. “You going to throw me out, little brother?
“You going to make me? Nick was taller, but Louie was built like a bull. Not only did Nick not want to fight his own brother, he knew Louie hit like a bulldozer. He was relieved when Louie shook his head and walked past.
