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My head whips around and she pales and takes a stepback.
“You have worn out your welcome,” I tell her. “In this house, and very nearly in this town. If you have a legal claim, you can pursue it through the proper authorities. In the meantime, you are to stay away from this property. If we spot either of you anywhere near it, you will be arrested. Have I made myself clear?”
Her eyes glitter with malice. “Perfectly.” On the floor, Buford is stirring. He shakes his head, blinks, and then his glare lands on me and he lumbers to hisfeet.
“Enough,” Lando says. He’s got his hand on his gun again. “Get your asses out of here or I’ll haul you bothin.”
Buford sneers at him. “You ain’t no cop. Anybody can carry a gun and talk tough.”
Lando fishes his badge out with his free hand and shows it to him. “Only game here is the one you two are playing. I assure you the rest of us are deadly serious.”
Buford’s eyes cut to me. “Try it,” I tell him, half hoping he does. I’ll lay him out again and he won’t get up so fast nexttime.
Deirdre reads the scene better than her “friend.” She puts a hand on his arm and says, “Let’s go.” He hesitates, but finally moves toward thedoor.
To give Burford plenty of room, I back the girls up, putting myself between them and him. He lumbers past me, not giving me his full attention because he’s got Lando on his other side. In the doorway, Deirdre turns back. “You haven’t seen the last ofus.”
I take a step forward, and she flinches. I’ve never laid a hand on a woman in anger in my life, and I have no intention of starting; but if she’s scared of me, so much the better. “For your sake, I hope you’re wrong.”
She holds my stare for a long moment, both of us cold as vipers, then turns away without another word. Lando and I step through the doorway to watch them go. I wouldn’t put it past them to try to lift some small items on the wayout.
We follow them all the way to the door, and watch them climb into a red Corvette, one that’s seen better days. The late afternoon sun shows every dent and ding in the body, and I’m guessing it could use a good tuneup too. Buford peels out, kicking up dust and gravel, and fishtails down the long driveway.
When they’re out of sight, my brother and I exchange glances and turn around to see the girls behind us, pale and grim. We pull all three of them in for a group hug, Jade on my side, Brianna on Lando’s, and Quinn in the middle.
“I’ll talk to the cousins,” Lando tells me quietly. “I’m guessing you don’t want this on the department’s radar, and we wouldn’t have the funds to patrol regularly anyway.”
“Yeah, let’s keep it in the family for now.” Our cousins Kosta and Tonio have their own private security details, and our cousin Carlo owns a security and investigations firm. The three of them can help out with keeping an eye on the place until we’re sure the girls aresafe.
“You staying here tonight?” Landoasks.
“Yeah.” No way am I leaving Jade, or her sisters, alone. “You?”
He nods. “I can bunk down here. I’ll run back to town and get my stuff.” I toss him my keys, knowing he’ll grab my gear too. “You girls want me to bring back pizza?” heasks.
That gets us some smiles. “We’ll make ice cream,” Brianna announces. “And more cookies. We can have a movie night.”
“No chick flicks,” Lando warns.
Brianna snorts. “Die Hard marathon, morelike.”
Lando shoots me a grin on his way out. All things considered, it’s shaping up to be a good night.
But there’s a kernel of disquiet in my gut that says this is a long way fromover.
