snorted. “If I waited for Doug to be sober I’d never
talk to him. Excuse me, please.”
Surprisingly, Quinn let her go. Feeling foolishly bereft at
the loss of his touch, Crista turned away and walked over to the dark corner
Nash had indicated. The back of her neck itched and she glanced over her
shoulder. Drat. They were right behind her.
She took a deep, steadying breath when she reached Doug. He
sat at a table with three men she didn’t know.
“Doug,” she said. He didn’t even look up. “Doug,” she said
louder, very aware of Nash and Quinn standing behind her.
“Crista.” Doug spoke cheerfully, smiling goofily up at her.
Great, he was in a good mood. He wasn’t always a happy
drunk. Sometimes he’d sink into a depression while other times he’d become
downright nasty.
“What you doing here, honey? Do you want a drink?”
“You know I don’t drink, Doug,” she said impatiently.
His mouth immediately drooped. She had to be nicer about
this. Hard as that was.
“Doug, can I talk to you in private?”
“Sure. Guys, give me a minute with my sister, will ya?” he
asked the men sitting with him. With a grumble, they left. Crista took a seat
and then frowned at Nash and Quinn, who sat on either side of her.
“I want to talk to my brother alone,” she insisted.
“Not while he’s like this,” Quinn replied, frowning at Doug.
Her clueless brother smiled back, completely unaware of the anger in Quinn’s
gaze.
Crista didn’t understand his anger. Folding her arms over
her chest, she glowered at them. They might be able to keep her off-center and
shaken when it came to her reaction to them, but she was no pushover.
Nash leaned forward, resting his arms on the table, and
winked. Quinn slouched back, sending her a lazy smile that was disturbingly
sharklike. Great, these two took stubborn and arrogant to a whole new level.
Giving them one more disgruntled look, she decided to ignore
them as she turned back to Doug.
“Doug, Sam turned up at the site today. Did you really tell
him that he could come by and get some money he thought he was owed?” Part of
her hoped Sam had lied, even knowing he probably hadn’t.
Her brother looked at her from under droopy eyelids. “Yeah,
he said we did.”
“Doug, you can’t do things like that without checking with
me,” she said, exasperated. “We didn’t owe him anything.”
“Oh.” Doug frowned. “Well, Sam’s a good guy. I’m sure he’ll
give us the money back.”
“Doug, I fired Sam. He is not a good guy. He stole from us.”
Nash turned to her, grabbing her chin in his hand. She
peered up into his angry gaze. “He stole from you? Why didn’t you call the cops
on him?”
She shifted nervously, turning her face. He let her go. “I
don’t trust the police.”
“Wow, I didn’t realize,” Doug said, clearly surprised. Then
he shrugged. “Oh well, no harm no foul, right?”
Doug raised his glass to take another sip. Quinn grabbed her
brother’s wrist, forcing his hand down.
“What the hell?” Doug muttered.
“No harm?” Quinn said in a low, dark voice. “No foul? The
bastard hit your sister. Are you too drunk to notice the bruise on her cheek?
You made that happen.”
Doug gaped at her. “I hit you?”
“No, Doug,” she said gently, feeling sorry for him. “Sam
did.”
“It might as well have been you,” Quinn insisted. “Instead
of protecting your baby sister, you sent some asshole around who hurt her. What
kind of man are you?”
“Quinn,” Crista scolded. “Doug, I know you didn’t mean for
me to get hurt…” Her voice trailed off at the misery in her brother’s eyes.
Doug simply stared at Quinn, shocked. He turned to look at
Crista, his gaze caught on her cheek.
“I’m sorry, Crista. You know I’d never hurt you for the
world.”
“I know, I know, Doug.” She grabbed his hand, squeezing
tightly. She couldn’t tell him about all the times he’d gotten nasty when
drunk. Even then though he’d
talk to him. Excuse me, please.”
Surprisingly, Quinn let her go. Feeling foolishly bereft at
the loss of his touch, Crista turned away and walked over to the dark corner
Nash had indicated. The back of her neck itched and she glanced over her
shoulder. Drat. They were right behind her.
She took a deep, steadying breath when she reached Doug. He
sat at a table with three men she didn’t know.
“Doug,” she said. He didn’t even look up. “Doug,” she said
louder, very aware of Nash and Quinn standing behind her.
“Crista.” Doug spoke cheerfully, smiling goofily up at her.
Great, he was in a good mood. He wasn’t always a happy
drunk. Sometimes he’d sink into a depression while other times he’d become
downright nasty.
“What you doing here, honey? Do you want a drink?”
“You know I don’t drink, Doug,” she said impatiently.
His mouth immediately drooped. She had to be nicer about
this. Hard as that was.
“Doug, can I talk to you in private?”
“Sure. Guys, give me a minute with my sister, will ya?” he
asked the men sitting with him. With a grumble, they left. Crista took a seat
and then frowned at Nash and Quinn, who sat on either side of her.
“I want to talk to my brother alone,” she insisted.
“Not while he’s like this,” Quinn replied, frowning at Doug.
Her clueless brother smiled back, completely unaware of the anger in Quinn’s
gaze.
Crista didn’t understand his anger. Folding her arms over
her chest, she glowered at them. They might be able to keep her off-center and
shaken when it came to her reaction to them, but she was no pushover.
Nash leaned forward, resting his arms on the table, and
winked. Quinn slouched back, sending her a lazy smile that was disturbingly
sharklike. Great, these two took stubborn and arrogant to a whole new level.
Giving them one more disgruntled look, she decided to ignore
them as she turned back to Doug.
“Doug, Sam turned up at the site today. Did you really tell
him that he could come by and get some money he thought he was owed?” Part of
her hoped Sam had lied, even knowing he probably hadn’t.
Her brother looked at her from under droopy eyelids. “Yeah,
he said we did.”
“Doug, you can’t do things like that without checking with
me,” she said, exasperated. “We didn’t owe him anything.”
“Oh.” Doug frowned. “Well, Sam’s a good guy. I’m sure he’ll
give us the money back.”
“Doug, I fired Sam. He is not a good guy. He stole from us.”
Nash turned to her, grabbing her chin in his hand. She
peered up into his angry gaze. “He stole from you? Why didn’t you call the cops
on him?”
She shifted nervously, turning her face. He let her go. “I
don’t trust the police.”
“Wow, I didn’t realize,” Doug said, clearly surprised. Then
he shrugged. “Oh well, no harm no foul, right?”
Doug raised his glass to take another sip. Quinn grabbed her
brother’s wrist, forcing his hand down.
“What the hell?” Doug muttered.
“No harm?” Quinn said in a low, dark voice. “No foul? The
bastard hit your sister. Are you too drunk to notice the bruise on her cheek?
You made that happen.”
Doug gaped at her. “I hit you?”
“No, Doug,” she said gently, feeling sorry for him. “Sam
did.”
“It might as well have been you,” Quinn insisted. “Instead
of protecting your baby sister, you sent some asshole around who hurt her. What
kind of man are you?”
“Quinn,” Crista scolded. “Doug, I know you didn’t mean for
me to get hurt…” Her voice trailed off at the misery in her brother’s eyes.
Doug simply stared at Quinn, shocked. He turned to look at
Crista, his gaze caught on her cheek.
“I’m sorry, Crista. You know I’d never hurt you for the
world.”
“I know, I know, Doug.” She grabbed his hand, squeezing
tightly. She couldn’t tell him about all the times he’d gotten nasty when
drunk. Even then though he’d
Similar Books
