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“Your question?” I dared ask.
“As to whether you two are banging or not?”
“We’re not.”
Lori toyed with her expression, mock-believing me. “Then I must be blind as a badger that there’s some serious chemistry playing between you two. I’m just curious what the twins will say.”
At my effective glance, she began to laugh, throwing back her head as she walked into the kitchen. Fuck. I was going to be more miserable than usual at this dinner.
Chapter 17
Eric
Cassidy had been dragged to help Ann and Patrice, modelling a new dress Ann was making. She’d been gone now for an hour, not that I’d been keeping a purposeful eye on the time. Every second felt like it ticked by due to our lack of customers passing through. It’d most likely take a few days until it picked up as usual. Just in case we had customers, however, we’d parked Cassidy’s rental car out the back.
Lori had finished with serving our only customer who’d stopped in for a coffee and was now suddenly fixated on trying her hardest to scrub off a stain on the counter that’d been there for years. I tried not to chuckle when frustrated, she blew a piece of her red hair that dangled away from her eyes.
I’d been chopping wood all morning and took a momentary break in the kitchen, taking a sip of my cup of joe and throwing back a breakfast sandwich. My muscles ached, satisfied by the workout so far. A cold sweat had spoilt my shirt and I intended on changing into the spare one in the truck once I was done with the day. Had it been just me, I wouldn’t have minded, but I didn’t want to get into the truck with Cassidy smelling like this.
The doorbell chimed as the door opened. Shadow’s hackles raised immediately, a growl vibrating through him. I furrowed my eyebrows dropping the sandwich and dusting my hands to leave the kitchen and inspect.
“Good morning,” Lori chirped as she threw the sponge to the side, obviously excited by the distraction.
Two men stood in the door, scoping out the café with displeasure. It was the obvious dynamics of the two I didn’t like. The gentleman who wore a ridiculously over-the-top, expensive garment almost sneered at our café as if it was a dive. His blonde curly hair was slicked back in gel and those green snake eyes missed nothing. Behind him loomed what could only be described as his bodyguard.
I’d met plenty of his type before. Little pompous pricks who felt entitled, and instinct told me this one was going to be a bigger pain in the ass than usual.
Ignoring Lori’s welcome, they refused to step further inside. I rounded the counter with Shadow by my side. When I stopped, he sat at my feet, staring up at the man who easily became disgruntled by our appearance.
“Wow,” the little pompous prick joked throwing a thumb my way. “They make them big out here, huh?” He titled his head back to the bodyguard, expecting him to laugh. But he didn’t. Instead, the older man sized me up as a threat. These two were trouble.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Are you here for breakfast?”
The man scoffed. “Here? God no. We’re looking for a woman.”
I expressed nothing on my face. “Yes. Less than half of our population here are women but I doubt any would have any business with you.”
He rolled his tongue around in his mouth, evidently annoyed by my tone. He pushed back his hair, as if in fear that a piece of the gel had slipped. “A specific woman. And you might want to be cautious as to how you speak to me.”
Shadow’s growl was low and menacing, reminding him that it was he who should watch his tone. Effortlessly, the bodyguard pushed back his coat to reveal a gun peeking out from the belt strapped at his pants. I snapped my gaze to the littler man. Who the fuck was this little prick?
“Eric, where do you want me to put this?” Lori sung out as she teased held up the rifle we kept behind the counter. A twitch provoked my lips, trying not to smile at my smart-ass little sister.
“Obviously we come in peace,” the man laughed, almost amused by the escalation of events. Something told me this brat was used to getting what he wanted and when he wanted it.
“Let me assure you, coming into someone else’s town and business with a gun and demand is not how it’s done. Didn’t your parents teach you any manners?” I growled out.
At the mention of his parents, a feverish anger washed over him, but then he revealed a deadly smile. “I’m after a woman, blonde curly hair, blue eyes…” he began detailing a description as his bodyguard pulled out his cell, displaying an image of Cassidy. Except not a recent photo. In the photo, she was holding a sparkler in hand with a cake the size of her height with twenty-one written all over it. She was in a bikini, laughing at nothing in particular. I noticed in that image the flashy surroundings and the way the others were dressed around her. Wealth. Prestige. Elite.
“Have you seen her?” the man asked again.
“No.” My expression was deadpan.
“Really? We might be under the impression she stopped here last?” The man-child seemed disbelieving.
I said nothing. The low irritable growl of Shadow’s pricked the air.
“We haven’t but is she dangerous or something?” Lori asked from behind the counter. I felt the skin over my muscle tighten. I couldn’t explain why I immediately wanted to kick this man out, but there was something about him, a dangerous and entitled kind of air. And I was grateful Lori played naïve as well.
