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“Damn it,” she cursed against my mouth. Then she snickered. “All that work I put in to straightening your tie. Now look.”
It was wrinkled and askew. I grinned. “That’s better anyway.”
Her phone stopped ringing and mine started again. “What the hell could be so important?”
We both froze when the answer hit us at the same time.
Mama.
I scrambled to dig my phone out of my pocket and fumbled as I swiped across the screen to answer without looking at the caller ID.
“Easton, are you home?” My father’s distressed voice came through the line.
“Yeah. What’s going on?” I forced the panic I felt from my tone. Mulaney implored me with her eyes, as desperate to know what was happening as I was.
“I got a letter from SPE’s legal counsel requesting a forensic accounting of Carter Energy’s assets before the sale,” he said roughly.
“The transaction is complete. There’s no basis for it,” I argued, even though we all knew there damn well was a very good reason.
“They claim they’ve discovered some substantial discrepancies, and if we don’t comply, they’ll be forced to take legal action,” he spat.
“Son of a bitch.”
Mulaney shook my shoulders. “What is it?”
I held up my finger. “Come upstairs. I’ll call Daniel to see if he has any other information to help us fight this.”
I hung up. I had no idea who my brother was anymore. Good God.
“He fucking told them to save his own ass.”
She stormed from the bathroom and shoved her boots on her feet. “I’ve had enough of his shit.”
I grabbed her by the arm as she threw open the bedroom door. “Hold up.” Apparently we’d switched roles. Three minutes ago, she’d been the voice of reason. Now I was.
“How could he do this to her?” she screamed as she tried to yank from my grasp.
I’d asked myself the same question a thousand times. I had no idea what was happening in my brother’s head, but I’d never doubted he loved our mother.
“Everything all right here?” Stone appeared down the hallway, eyeing my hand wrapped around Mulaney’s arm. Daniel was right behind him.
“No.” She spun around to face her brother. “Where’s your shotgun?”
“I thought you two worked things out?” Stone spoke cautiously as he and Daniel closed in.
She threw her hands up. “I’m not going to killhim.”
“That’s a relief.” Her brother cast a glance at me to help fill in the blanks.
I touched Mulaney’s shoulder, and she looked back at me. “You can’t kill Drew either.”
Fiery eyes lifted to the ceiling. “I’m just going to threaten him.” She tapped her boot on the hardwood floor. “And maybe make him feel a little pain.”
“At least have some breakfast first. It’s not wise to shoot on an empty stomach.” Stone motioned toward the kitchen.
Mulaney smacked him in the back of the head. “I don’t have time for that.”
He rubbed the spot where she’d hit him. “Ow. Are you ever going to grow up?”
