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Okay, Tripp is not the only one still spoiling for a fight.
“Yeah, well, he had somewhere to be. Said you could fill me in on the details.”
Their hard stares lock and the testosterone ping-ponging across the table is epic.
Oh brother.
Marco relents, relaying the whole of Winburn’s tale. Tripp hangs his thumbs on his waist and listens intently. “That’s very interesting,” he says as Marco wraps up.
“Doesn’t solve my problem though.”
“No, but it’s the first information of any substance I’ve run across that gives credence to your story.”
“Mystoryneeded credence? Sorry it was so tough for you to believe…pardner.”
“I believed you, I just thought…well, I knew that last assignment was tough.”
I see the truth of Tripp’s words on Marco’s face. Marco hasn’t told me about said assignment, except to say that it was difficult.
He taps his silverware roll on the table.
The waitress appears with Marco’s and my meals. I don’t know about him, but my appetite has flown to parts unknown. The tension is so thick I’m convinced if Avery and I weren’t here there would be blood. My own heart is thudding hard enough that I feel hollow again. I’m happy not to be the topic of conversation anymore, but I won’t kid myself. Tripp will get back to me—uh, me and Marco—eventually.
Marco places his palms on the table. “Well. Fun as this has been, I’ve got things to do.”
“Aren’t you going to eat your meal?”
“Lost my appetite.”
Tripp nods slowly. “You headed to find Gibson? Why don’t I ride along. I figure we should talk to the local guys and see if the dude’s a known quantity around here.”
“Thanks, but I know how to conduct an investigation.”
“Yeah, wellIknow you’re not supposed to be involved in any investigation. Besides, you don’t have a badge, and you might need me.”
Oh, how Marco wants to argue—or more. I figure he’d like to take it out to the parking lot and resolve their issues there, but he’s a smart guy. He needs my brother for the time being. Nonetheless, I hold my breath—I think Avery does too.
His chest deflates. “Fine, but first, we were going to get a hotel room after we ate and—”
I feel Tripp swell up beside me, see Avery’s blink. Marco must, too, given the way his sentence breaks away, but it takes inexplicably long for me to realize what caused the abrupt shift.We were going to get a hotel room…
And we’d made such progress, I thought.
I elbow Tripp hard in his ridiculously solid gut. “Give me a break. He didn’t meantogether,so you can stuff your big brother outrage back in its cage.”
Leaning away, he turns his whole body toward me, his dark eyes boring into mine, testing the truth of my words. I open my mouth to tell him he knows me better than that, but, well, here comes the nasty truth all of a sudden, slapping me in the face. I pray he can’t see the tears abruptly forming. Ugh, I’m such a mess anymore.
But finally, the last of the rage seeps out of him, replaced by curiosity that is far, far worse. “Isn’t it a little early in the day to get a room?”
“Well, it’s not like I’m going to run around investigating with you guys.”
He snorts. “That sounds exactly like something you’d do, Lise. You’ve always been quite the buttinsky.”
Brothers.“I know when I’m out of my league. Besides, I need to sleep.”
“Are you sure you’re alright? You don’t look so hot.” He gives Marco a suspicious once-over.
I slap Tripp’s arm. “Thanks so much—and leave him alone.”
