exhibiting lately. He’d be glad she forced her way out of her comfort zone though she wasn’t so sure how he’d feel about the dog. As if realizing she was thinking about him, Rumble, asleep on the floor, opened one eye and grumbled.
Bella laughed then jumped when she heard a loud rapping on the door.
Assuming it was Zeke, she called out, “Zeke, you miss me alr—” She leaned forward to look in the peephole, and her words stuck in her throat mid-sentence. “Hi, Izz.”
“Let me in,” her sister demanded. Bella considered ignoring her and going to bed, only the consequences of such insubordination wouldn’t be worth the momentary satisfaction.
Without so much as a glance in Bella’s direction, Izzy strode past her, head held high, and back stiff, sure signs she was pissed.
“How’d you get past the doorman?”
“I’ve been up here countless times with Cooper. Ross knows me.”
Awakened from his slumber, Rumble whimpered and literally lay across Izzy’s feet, rolling onto his back to stare up at her as if he were smitten. Izzy laughed and knelt down to pet him. “Who’s this handsome boy? I didn’t know Cedric had a dog.”
“He doesn’t. He’s mine. This is Rumble.” Bella relaxed a little, grateful Rumble had broken through Izzy’s hard shell.
Izzy stood, and the fickle canine sat up and leaned against her leg, gazing at her with lovesick brown eyes. “Does Cedric know about the dog? What are you wearing? Who the hell is Zeke?” She spit out the questions in her typical rapid-fire manner, but her gaze was laced with concern and worry.
Oh, crap. She knew . Bella sensed it. Izzy was in protective mother-bear mode, and there’d be no bullshitting her out of it. Cedric must’ve told Coop. She’d known that bigmouth couldn’t keep this quiet, and he hadn’t.
The bastard. She’d make him pay. He’d promised. Damn it.
Bella gathered her composure and adopted her usual play-stupid technique when dealing with her pissed-off big sister. “No parties to crash tonight?” Bella settled on the arm of the overstuffed couch.
“I’m taking a break. I need more staff, especially since you’ve been more unreliable than usual.” Izzy’s little dig was meant to goad Bella into defending herself by confessing the truth, but Bella refused to take the bait. Izzy was devious when a situation required such tactics, but Bella considered herself far more devious and a much better liar.
“Sorry,” Bella responded, refusing to give Izzy any ammunition in case she’d guessed wrong, and Izzy didn’t know. Izzy might be on a fact-finding mission instead.
“Let’s cut the bullshit.” Izzy pinned her with a don’t-give-me-crap glare.
“Bullshit?”
“ I know .”
“Know what?” Bella asked innocently, one last attempt at denial.
Izzy blew out an exasperated breath. “About the attack.” She stalked over to Bella to stand within a few feet of her.
Bella shot to her feet. It would never do to give Izzy any advantage, including height. “Know what?”
Izzy rolled her eyes. “Stop it. Your dumb act has never worked on me. Cedric told Coop.”
“I’m going to kick Cedric’s Swedish ass all over Seattle.” Bella slipped past her, but Izzy followed, hot on her heels. She stopped in front of the huge wall of windows, hands locked behind her back, and stared at Elliott Bay. A loaded container ship crept into the harbor, and she distracted herself by musing where its home port might be and what treasures might be loaded in those containers.
“Bella?” Exasperation laced Izzy’s voice.
With a sigh, Bella turned to face Izzy and the facts. “I’m going to kill him.”
“Cedric did the right thing. Why didn’t you tell me?” Izzy’s faced softened and tears filled her eyes, throwing Bella off her game. Izzy was as hard-ass as they came.
“You were planning the best party of your life. I wasn’t going to ruin that. Even I’m not that selfish. I couldn’t make your day all
Bella laughed then jumped when she heard a loud rapping on the door.
Assuming it was Zeke, she called out, “Zeke, you miss me alr—” She leaned forward to look in the peephole, and her words stuck in her throat mid-sentence. “Hi, Izz.”
“Let me in,” her sister demanded. Bella considered ignoring her and going to bed, only the consequences of such insubordination wouldn’t be worth the momentary satisfaction.
Without so much as a glance in Bella’s direction, Izzy strode past her, head held high, and back stiff, sure signs she was pissed.
“How’d you get past the doorman?”
“I’ve been up here countless times with Cooper. Ross knows me.”
Awakened from his slumber, Rumble whimpered and literally lay across Izzy’s feet, rolling onto his back to stare up at her as if he were smitten. Izzy laughed and knelt down to pet him. “Who’s this handsome boy? I didn’t know Cedric had a dog.”
“He doesn’t. He’s mine. This is Rumble.” Bella relaxed a little, grateful Rumble had broken through Izzy’s hard shell.
Izzy stood, and the fickle canine sat up and leaned against her leg, gazing at her with lovesick brown eyes. “Does Cedric know about the dog? What are you wearing? Who the hell is Zeke?” She spit out the questions in her typical rapid-fire manner, but her gaze was laced with concern and worry.
Oh, crap. She knew . Bella sensed it. Izzy was in protective mother-bear mode, and there’d be no bullshitting her out of it. Cedric must’ve told Coop. She’d known that bigmouth couldn’t keep this quiet, and he hadn’t.
The bastard. She’d make him pay. He’d promised. Damn it.
Bella gathered her composure and adopted her usual play-stupid technique when dealing with her pissed-off big sister. “No parties to crash tonight?” Bella settled on the arm of the overstuffed couch.
“I’m taking a break. I need more staff, especially since you’ve been more unreliable than usual.” Izzy’s little dig was meant to goad Bella into defending herself by confessing the truth, but Bella refused to take the bait. Izzy was devious when a situation required such tactics, but Bella considered herself far more devious and a much better liar.
“Sorry,” Bella responded, refusing to give Izzy any ammunition in case she’d guessed wrong, and Izzy didn’t know. Izzy might be on a fact-finding mission instead.
“Let’s cut the bullshit.” Izzy pinned her with a don’t-give-me-crap glare.
“Bullshit?”
“ I know .”
“Know what?” Bella asked innocently, one last attempt at denial.
Izzy blew out an exasperated breath. “About the attack.” She stalked over to Bella to stand within a few feet of her.
Bella shot to her feet. It would never do to give Izzy any advantage, including height. “Know what?”
Izzy rolled her eyes. “Stop it. Your dumb act has never worked on me. Cedric told Coop.”
“I’m going to kick Cedric’s Swedish ass all over Seattle.” Bella slipped past her, but Izzy followed, hot on her heels. She stopped in front of the huge wall of windows, hands locked behind her back, and stared at Elliott Bay. A loaded container ship crept into the harbor, and she distracted herself by musing where its home port might be and what treasures might be loaded in those containers.
“Bella?” Exasperation laced Izzy’s voice.
With a sigh, Bella turned to face Izzy and the facts. “I’m going to kill him.”
“Cedric did the right thing. Why didn’t you tell me?” Izzy’s faced softened and tears filled her eyes, throwing Bella off her game. Izzy was as hard-ass as they came.
“You were planning the best party of your life. I wasn’t going to ruin that. Even I’m not that selfish. I couldn’t make your day all
Similar Books
