“Who is Anthony again?”
“Boone’s head of security.”
“Okay.Makes sense.Then what?”
“Then Boone gets out of jail, and I figure out what I’m going to do about Brandy.”
“She should be the one arrested.”
I’m not about to disagree with Hope on that one.
It’s a long, sleepless night, because even though I tried to contact Anthony, his phone went straight to voice mail and he never returned my messages.Same with Boone’s, although that doesn’t surprise me.It’s not like they let you have cell phones in lockup.
I toss and turn on the futon, wondering if the fancy partner Law works for has managed to get Boone out yet, or whether he’s going to be in there all night.He hasn’t called me, so I’m assuming that means nothing good has happened.
Unless he decided he’s done with me because my crazy-ass cousin got him arrested.
The shaft of pain that stabs through me at that thought almost takes my breath away.He wouldn’t just never contact me again, right?No.Of course not.I tell myself to settle down, but one thing can’t be denied.
I’m not ready to be done with him.
That fact alone scares me because I’ve gotten more attached to Boone than I realized.He and I live in two different worlds, and just because we found some common ground doesn’t mean that it’s going anywhere.
Except ...isn’t that what he said he wanted?To see where this goes?
When sunlight streams through the cracks in the drapes, the sounds of Hope waking up filter through the small apartment.I hear her curse in the kitchen before she shuffles into the living room, a hand covering her mouth as she yawns.
“I totally forgot to get more coffee yesterday, so we’re out.I’m gonna run down to the shop on the corner.You want some?”
After the sleepless night I had, I need an IV drip of caffeine.“That sounds amazing.”
“Caramel latte with an extra shot sound good?”
“Heavenly.”
“I’ll be right back.You can take the first shower while I’m gone, if you want.”
“Thank you for being so awesome.”I reach out and grab Hope’s hand.
“That’s what friends are for.”She squeezes my fingers and presses a kiss to my head.
After Hope shoves her feet into shoes and slips out of the apartment, I roll off the futon and check my phone for the fiftieth time, even though it hasn’t made a sound.
I head for the bathroom with it clutched in my hand.I have to get in touch with Anthony ASAP.If Boone is still in jail ...It makes me sick to think about it.If I don’t hear from Anthony within the hour, I’ll go straight to the police myself to get Boone out.
Decision made, I let the stream of water soak my hair as my mind drifts to Brandy and how she looked last night.I knew there was something screwed up about her caked-on makeup.It’s not the first time I’ve seen Brandy use a load of concealer around her eye and cheekbone, but when I asked in the past, I’d get a lethal stare in return.I always assumed some shitty guy she hooked up with had smacked her around, and I couldn’t help but pity her.She knew she always had a place to stay with me, but she didn’t use it.
I think that’s why I waited so long to confront her about skimming from the till.Even though she’s a pain in my ass and can make my life hell, I’ve always felt badfor Brandy.Her dad was never in the picture, and from the little she told me about how things were in Memphis, my aunt wasn’t exactly mother of the year.
Brandy showed up back in Nashville when she was eighteen, saying she needed a place to stay because Aunt Laurelyn kicked her out and told her it was time to make her own way.What could we do but try to help her?She had no support other than Pop and me.She’d work at the bar for a few months until she lost interest, and then she would stop showing up and move in with some boyfriend and do something different for a while.Every damn time, she came back, and Pop always made me give her a job.When we knew he wasn’t moving back upstairs after his accident, he told me to let Brandy have the spare room.So I did.Whenever Brandy’s life went sideways, I came to the rescue.
And this is how she repays me.
It shouldn’t be such a shock.I was the only one expected to put family loyalty at the top of my priority list.But Brandy finally crossed a line that can’t be uncrossed, and I’mdone.
I hurry through the rest of my shower, not wanting to use all the hot water, and I hear the door shut as Hope returns.
“Rip?”