I move closer. “Tellin’ the truth?” I examine her face, waiting for a telltale sign of lying. I can smell a fucking liar a mile away.
“I swear to God, I’m not using! I may have been drowning my sorrows with tequila and cheap beer, but I’d never take drugs.” She looks affronted and kinda angry if I’m being honest. Good. That’s a perfect response for being accused of something you haven’t done.
“Next time, not that there will be one, you come to me, got me?”
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
I point in her face. “Don’t give me any lip. You got clean clothes?”
She shakes her head.
“Haze will take you shoppin’ when he gets here.”
“I can get stuff myself. Don’t you trust me?”
“Frankly, no, I don’t, not with my credit card.”
“Charming,” she huffs. “Speaking of which, what’s with the receptionist?”
Instantly I bristle. “What do you mean?”
“Talk about fifty questions. She wouldn’t let me in the back.”
I hold back my smile. That’s Erica; always doing her job. “She didn’t know who you were. You wouldn’t tell her your name, remember?”
She’s pale, way too pale, and she looks like she could do with a decent meal or five. “Why don’t you go have a sleep in the spare room?” I say when she opens her mouth, then closes it again.
Her face drops. “You’re leaving?”
“Why? Are you in some kinda trouble?”
She shakes her head. “No, I mean, you just got here.”
“And I’ve gotta go back to work. Too busy to be standin’ around here babysittin’ you.”
“That’s nice when I could be anywhere,” she mutters, moving past me to the fridge. “You got any food?”
“Of course I have food, don’t live in a cave. Help yourself. Plenty of stuff to make a sandwich.”
“Thanks, Brew.”
I turn, not wanting to get into an emotional heart to heart, which I know my cousin is more than capable of. “Haze will be here soon. Don’t go anywhere.”
I take the stairs back down to the shop.
Erica is typing away at the computer.
I clear my throat, thumbing behind me. “She’s a lot.” That’s as close as I can get to an apology.
Erica stops typing, looking up at me. Jesus fuck, why do I freeze whenever her pretty gaze lands on me? I’ve got to stop this shit. I need to go to the clubhouse this weekend and fuck her right out of me with one of the sweet butts. That’s what I need. Then that’ll be that.
Erica smiles softly. “Like you said, she just got in with the wrong crowd.”
Of course, she’s reasonable. That’s Erica. She’s too compliant, too nice. This world will eat her up whole if she lets it, and that worries me.
“She’ll be staying with me for a few days.”
“Roger that.” I’m still staring at her when she adds. “Was there anything else?”
