saying ‘When something’s too good to be true, it usually is’? Maybe she doesn’t know about it yet.”
Justin hated the hopeful note in Tucker’s voice. “Hardly,” he snorted. He started to say something else, but at that precise moment, they heard gravel spinning in the drive. He looked out the window. “Well, well.” His voice was tight with anger. “Guess who’s here. And she’s running toward the house like her tail’s on fire.”
“I’ll be on my way.” Reece pushed himself out of the chair. “Call me and we can do some brainstorming about a lawyer. Sooner rather than later.” He opened the door to leave, and Angel nearly ran headlong into him.
She stared up at him, then peered over his shoulder at the inside. “Are Justin and Tucker here? I tried the office first, but when they weren’t there, I figured they’d gone home already.” Both brothers stood up as she stepped into the house. It was obvious she was nervous.
“Funny you should show up at this particular moment,” Justin commented in a tight voice.
“We have to talk.” Her voice shook just a little.
“You bet we do,” Justin said. “And right now. Reece, we’ll give you a call.”
“Justin.” Tucker’s voice carried a warning, but Justin was too angry to pay attention.
“Not this time, Tucker,” Justin spat out. “No soft pedaling or rethinking this time.” Anger and resentment and a sense of betrayal all boiled up inside him in a lethal combination.
Angel dragged in a deep breath “I have something I have to talk to you about.”
“What a coincidence,” Justin said, unable to hold back the sarcasm. His hands tightened into fists as he fought for control. “There’s something we want to talk to you about.”
She held up a hand. “Me, first.” She took in another long breath and let it out, then brushed her hair back from her face in a nervous gesture. “Okay. Okay. You guys are about to have a problem.”
“We know.” Justin exchanged a glance with his brother. “You’re a little late getting to us with it, aren’t you?”
“B-but…but…” She looked at the two of them, bewildered. “I just found out about it myself? How could you know already? Who could have told you?”
“Apparently,” Justin spat, “the word got out on the street faster than it did to you. That fancy law firm of yours must not think all that much of you.” He shook off Tucker’s hand on his arm. “Our friends are concerned about us.”
“Justin.” Tucker’s mild voice again. “Give her a chance to say what she came here for.”
“You bet.” He barely had himself pulled together. The past was like a devil’s pitchfork poking its hot tines into him. Just when he thought he’d buried the past and killed the last of the pain, here it was again, biting him in the ass. He saw history repeating itself, just as he’d expected. “I’m damned interested in what she has to say.”
The silence that dropped over the room was as thick as a rug.
“I shouldn’t even be here talking to you.” Her voice was firm, even though her hands shook. “My firm is representing Bart Engler and my boss is the lead attorney on the case. I could get fired for telling you anything about the case.”
“Then why are you here?” Justin demanded. “Shouldn’t you be back at your office, sucking up to your boss?”
“Jesus, bro.” Justin could feel Tucker’s disapproval, but he couldn’t seem to help himself.
“My first thought was to let you know so you could retain counsel as quickly as possible.” Angel clasped her hands together tightly, an obvious effort at self-control. Her gaze moved from Justin to Tucker and back to Justin again. She wet her lips and let out another breath, as if she’d come to a momentous decision of some sort. “And because…because I love you both and I didn’t want you to be blindsided. There. I’ve said it. I love you.” She paused and stared at both of them.
“What a crock of shit,”
Justin hated the hopeful note in Tucker’s voice. “Hardly,” he snorted. He started to say something else, but at that precise moment, they heard gravel spinning in the drive. He looked out the window. “Well, well.” His voice was tight with anger. “Guess who’s here. And she’s running toward the house like her tail’s on fire.”
“I’ll be on my way.” Reece pushed himself out of the chair. “Call me and we can do some brainstorming about a lawyer. Sooner rather than later.” He opened the door to leave, and Angel nearly ran headlong into him.
She stared up at him, then peered over his shoulder at the inside. “Are Justin and Tucker here? I tried the office first, but when they weren’t there, I figured they’d gone home already.” Both brothers stood up as she stepped into the house. It was obvious she was nervous.
“Funny you should show up at this particular moment,” Justin commented in a tight voice.
“We have to talk.” Her voice shook just a little.
“You bet we do,” Justin said. “And right now. Reece, we’ll give you a call.”
“Justin.” Tucker’s voice carried a warning, but Justin was too angry to pay attention.
“Not this time, Tucker,” Justin spat out. “No soft pedaling or rethinking this time.” Anger and resentment and a sense of betrayal all boiled up inside him in a lethal combination.
Angel dragged in a deep breath “I have something I have to talk to you about.”
“What a coincidence,” Justin said, unable to hold back the sarcasm. His hands tightened into fists as he fought for control. “There’s something we want to talk to you about.”
She held up a hand. “Me, first.” She took in another long breath and let it out, then brushed her hair back from her face in a nervous gesture. “Okay. Okay. You guys are about to have a problem.”
“We know.” Justin exchanged a glance with his brother. “You’re a little late getting to us with it, aren’t you?”
“B-but…but…” She looked at the two of them, bewildered. “I just found out about it myself? How could you know already? Who could have told you?”
“Apparently,” Justin spat, “the word got out on the street faster than it did to you. That fancy law firm of yours must not think all that much of you.” He shook off Tucker’s hand on his arm. “Our friends are concerned about us.”
“Justin.” Tucker’s mild voice again. “Give her a chance to say what she came here for.”
“You bet.” He barely had himself pulled together. The past was like a devil’s pitchfork poking its hot tines into him. Just when he thought he’d buried the past and killed the last of the pain, here it was again, biting him in the ass. He saw history repeating itself, just as he’d expected. “I’m damned interested in what she has to say.”
The silence that dropped over the room was as thick as a rug.
“I shouldn’t even be here talking to you.” Her voice was firm, even though her hands shook. “My firm is representing Bart Engler and my boss is the lead attorney on the case. I could get fired for telling you anything about the case.”
“Then why are you here?” Justin demanded. “Shouldn’t you be back at your office, sucking up to your boss?”
“Jesus, bro.” Justin could feel Tucker’s disapproval, but he couldn’t seem to help himself.
“My first thought was to let you know so you could retain counsel as quickly as possible.” Angel clasped her hands together tightly, an obvious effort at self-control. Her gaze moved from Justin to Tucker and back to Justin again. She wet her lips and let out another breath, as if she’d come to a momentous decision of some sort. “And because…because I love you both and I didn’t want you to be blindsided. There. I’ve said it. I love you.” She paused and stared at both of them.
“What a crock of shit,”
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