staring intently at Chase's face as if searching for something. "What grade do you think I'm in, Chase?"
KC kept her gaze fixed on Chase Westin's hands, they never moved toward the gun. Instead they clenched into fists so tight that she thought he would tear the belt loops free of their rivets.
"What do I know what grade? You're in high school."
Jay blew his breath out, his mouth tightening in disappointment. "I should have graduated last year, Chase. I lost half a year because of you and the best you can do in return is come back and mess up the rest of my life again?"
That rocked Big Bro. Westin's hands flew out as if warding off an attack and he took a step back. "I'm sorry, I never thought—"
"No, you never did. So just finish the job and leave me alone. I know what I'm doing." Jay turned toward the suitcases.
Westin's gaze drifted from his younger brother to laser in on KC. "No. I won't, I can't. You had dreams, Jay. Are you giving up everything because of her?" He acted as if KC wasn't even there, as if she were nothing. "You can't. Don't toss away your life on account of some girl—"
Jay whirled, raised the poker. Before KC could intervene, Chase swept Jay's legs out from under him and twisted the poker from his hand in a blitzkrieg strike. Jay lay on the floor, catching his breath. KC ran to his side, helped him to his feet, keeping her body between him and his brother's gun.
"Don't you talk about her like that!" Jay said.
KC flinched at the emotion in his voice. Damn it, she'd tried hard to keep the kid from falling for her. No time to think of that now, she had to stop the two brothers from killing each other.
"Jay's old enough to make his own decisions," she said, giving her voice a touch of pouty whine, "and you can't stop us."
She reached for Jay's hand, pulled him close, where she could keep him out of the line of fire if his crazy brother went off again. "No one can. So why don't you just go back where you came from? We don't need you."
"Better yet, you stay—we'll go." Jay's hand squeezed hers. He pulled KC with him as he marched toward the door and reached for his bags. "I can bunk at Neil's."
"Wait, Jay. I didn't come here to fight. Stay. It's Christmas Eve, I'll only be here for a day or two—"
KC glanced over her shoulder at Chase. The poker hung forgotten from his hand, and he looked like a kid who'd found a lump of coal in his stocking. She felt Jay hesitate. Nothing in the report on Chase Westin mentioned any violence toward his brother. But who knew how a stint in Leavenworth could change a man? The guy was built, his biceps bulged beneath his flannel shirt. He'd been holding back, could have easily pummeled Jay into the ground if he'd wanted.
No matter how screwed up Jay's brother was, KC couldn't bring herself to tear them apart on their last night together. She only hoped she wasn't making a big mistake.
"Stay—talk, fight, whatever. After tomorrow you'll have the rest of your life," she reminded Jay. He frowned, then nodded. She felt Chase's eyes on them and so stood on tiptoe to plant a kiss on Jay's lips. To her surprise, Jay's arms pulled her close, and he prolonged the embrace.
The kid wasn't acting. KC hoped he realized she was. She kept her eyes on his, saw Jay's snap open as she pulled back. His face flushed with embarrassment, and he released her.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled.
KC smiled, placed a finger to his lips. "Don't be. I'll see you tomorrow."
She took one last look at the tall former Marine with his scruffy jeans and flannel shirt and too-long, tousled hair. Chase Westin stared at her with hunger in his eyes. She met his gaze, watched in surprise as he broke first, spinning away on his heel.
One thing for sure, KC thought as her footsteps crunched through the snow, Chase Westin was nothing like his little brother. Chase Westin was
KC kept her gaze fixed on Chase Westin's hands, they never moved toward the gun. Instead they clenched into fists so tight that she thought he would tear the belt loops free of their rivets.
"What do I know what grade? You're in high school."
Jay blew his breath out, his mouth tightening in disappointment. "I should have graduated last year, Chase. I lost half a year because of you and the best you can do in return is come back and mess up the rest of my life again?"
That rocked Big Bro. Westin's hands flew out as if warding off an attack and he took a step back. "I'm sorry, I never thought—"
"No, you never did. So just finish the job and leave me alone. I know what I'm doing." Jay turned toward the suitcases.
Westin's gaze drifted from his younger brother to laser in on KC. "No. I won't, I can't. You had dreams, Jay. Are you giving up everything because of her?" He acted as if KC wasn't even there, as if she were nothing. "You can't. Don't toss away your life on account of some girl—"
Jay whirled, raised the poker. Before KC could intervene, Chase swept Jay's legs out from under him and twisted the poker from his hand in a blitzkrieg strike. Jay lay on the floor, catching his breath. KC ran to his side, helped him to his feet, keeping her body between him and his brother's gun.
"Don't you talk about her like that!" Jay said.
KC flinched at the emotion in his voice. Damn it, she'd tried hard to keep the kid from falling for her. No time to think of that now, she had to stop the two brothers from killing each other.
"Jay's old enough to make his own decisions," she said, giving her voice a touch of pouty whine, "and you can't stop us."
She reached for Jay's hand, pulled him close, where she could keep him out of the line of fire if his crazy brother went off again. "No one can. So why don't you just go back where you came from? We don't need you."
"Better yet, you stay—we'll go." Jay's hand squeezed hers. He pulled KC with him as he marched toward the door and reached for his bags. "I can bunk at Neil's."
"Wait, Jay. I didn't come here to fight. Stay. It's Christmas Eve, I'll only be here for a day or two—"
KC glanced over her shoulder at Chase. The poker hung forgotten from his hand, and he looked like a kid who'd found a lump of coal in his stocking. She felt Jay hesitate. Nothing in the report on Chase Westin mentioned any violence toward his brother. But who knew how a stint in Leavenworth could change a man? The guy was built, his biceps bulged beneath his flannel shirt. He'd been holding back, could have easily pummeled Jay into the ground if he'd wanted.
No matter how screwed up Jay's brother was, KC couldn't bring herself to tear them apart on their last night together. She only hoped she wasn't making a big mistake.
"Stay—talk, fight, whatever. After tomorrow you'll have the rest of your life," she reminded Jay. He frowned, then nodded. She felt Chase's eyes on them and so stood on tiptoe to plant a kiss on Jay's lips. To her surprise, Jay's arms pulled her close, and he prolonged the embrace.
The kid wasn't acting. KC hoped he realized she was. She kept her eyes on his, saw Jay's snap open as she pulled back. His face flushed with embarrassment, and he released her.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled.
KC smiled, placed a finger to his lips. "Don't be. I'll see you tomorrow."
She took one last look at the tall former Marine with his scruffy jeans and flannel shirt and too-long, tousled hair. Chase Westin stared at her with hunger in his eyes. She met his gaze, watched in surprise as he broke first, spinning away on his heel.
One thing for sure, KC thought as her footsteps crunched through the snow, Chase Westin was nothing like his little brother. Chase Westin was
Similar Books
