There’s another man standing there, seething, with flashing green eyes and a vein jumping in his jugular as he takes in the scene before him.
Chase.
And his narrowed, burning gaze is locked on my hand, still wrapped tightly in Brett’s grip.
Yikes.
Chapter Fifteen
Wild
For almost a full minute, there’s total silence in the study.
Chase and Brett have locked eyes in a stare-down of epic proportions and, though I’m still standing here with my hand stuck in Brett’s grip, I think they’ve entirely forgotten my existence. The hatred is so think in the air, it’s getting hard to breathe and I’m beginning to think things can’t get much worse — until Brett starts speaking. At which point, I realize clogged, tense silence is vastly preferable to the two of them actually communicating.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite cousin!” Brett says, grinning happily. “I’d ask what made you drop by, but I’ve got a pretty good idea.”
Chase’s jaw clenches tighter and he doesn’t bother to respond.
“Ah, so stoic, as usual.” Brett glances at me briefly, his eyes hooded. “Miss Summers and I were just getting…” He pauses. “…acquainted.”
I don’t look at him, but I can actuallyfeelChase’s anger. It’s palpable — pouring off him in waves, saturating the room around us. Brett doesn’t seem to notice — or, if he does, he simply doesn’t care. He carries on speaking, his tone cheerfully cruel.
“We were just making plans to meet again, to finalize our…” Once again, his beat of silence is artfully timed. “…transaction.”
Chase’s eyes cut to me — just for a fraction of a second, but the expression I see in their depths is scary enough to make my shoulders curl in on themselves. Hastily, I swing my eyes in Brett’s direction.
“Thank you so much for your business, Mr. Croft. I’ll be in touch soon to discuss details of the sale,” I say, hoping — stupidly — that once Chase realizes this meeting is only about art, he’ll cool down.
He doesn’t.
If anything, the room gets even tenser. So tense, I’m afraid to look at Chase. And, because I’mme, certifiable idiot of the century, I don’t keep quiet, as I clearly should in this situation. Instead, I keep talking and shove my foot even further down my throat.
“Feel free to call me at the gallery with any questions,” I prattle nervously, keeping my eyes locked on Brett’s chin because his too-pleased smile is creeping me out a bit, if I’m being honest. “My personal extension is on the business card in your binder. Which, you know, you can just keep here, in case you want to look at your paintings. And ‘cause, well, we’ve got like twenty of them at the gallery and I’m sure Estelle — that’s my boss — would want you to have access to all our artists’ collections without having to drive across town.”
Brett’s grin steadily widens as I’m speaking. By the time I fall silent, it’s so big, I can see practically all of his teeth.
Like I said —creepy.
“How considerate of you, Miss Summers.” He leans closer and his grip tightens on mine. “Though I wouldn’t mind the drive. In fact, I’d love to visit your gallery sometime.”
My mouth falls open a little when I hear something that sounds suspiciously like a growl from the other side of the room. It’s the first sound Chase has made since he arrived, and it isnota good one. In fact, it’s a downrightscaryone.
“Well, I really have to be going now,” I say, my voice going up in a nervous squeak as I attempt to pull my hand out of Brett’s. My tug is no match for his grip, which only tightens around mine — not quite painful, but almost. His hold feels like a threat, and yet, despite the fact that it’smyfingers getting crushed, somehow I don’t think the threat is for me.
My gaze darts in Chase’s direction and I see his eyes have gone scary. They’re locked on my hand —which is starting to ache, by the way — and there’s a lethal edge to their intensity.
I gulp down a breath, trying to stay calm, though I must admit, most of my energy is concentrated in an effort not to pee my pants where I stand — which, in case you weren’t paying attention, is between two terrifying men whose anger management problems are only outweighed by their family issues.
“Um,” I say —squeak— in an attempt to get myself far, far away from ground zero of the Croft Civil War. “I have another appointment in an hour and it seems like you two have lots to catch up on, so if you’ll just let go of my hand, I’ll be out of your hair and—”
“Let her go,” Chase says, finally speaking. His voice is emotionless, cold, totally contained, and his eyes are locked on his cousin. “Now.”
Brett chuckles. “Well, since you asked so nicely…”
His hand loosens and I instantly pull mine away, feeling a rush of pins and needles shoot into my fingers as blood flow returns. My relief is short-lived. I don’t even have time to step back, to turn for the door, to freakingmove, when my hand is snatched up again. My eyes drop and catch a glimpse of large, calloused fingers wrapping around mine, but I don’t have time to process the fact that they’re Chase’s, or that somehow, he crossed the room so quickly I missed it, because suddenly, I’m moving.
Fast.