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He stood just inside his office, his back to the door. These two were predators, willing to tear into his throat at a moment’s notice. “What do you want?”
Madeline and Marc exchanged glances, then laughed.
This was their game. They made a mockery of him any chance they got.
Madeline hopped off the edge of the desk. “What? Can’t we come drop in and visit our cousin on the night of his big restaurant opening?” She trailed a well-manicured fingernail down his suit jacket.
He brushed her off with a swipe of his hand. “No. You can’t.” He didn’t think it was possible, but her lower lip puckered even further.
“Why not?” she whined. “Didn’t you miss us?”
Shane stepped away from her so he could get a better look at Marc. “I want you two to leave. Tonight.”
“But we just got here.” Marc had his arms crossed, and by the stubborn look on his face, he wasn’t planning on listening to anything Shane had to say. “Ever since Gramps died and left us all that money, you’ve kinda just turned your back on us. I thought we were family.”
Shane’s eyes narrowed. “Grandfather didn’t leave you two anything. He left it all to me.” He shifted his focus to Madeline. “I gave you each enough money to last a lifetime if you spent it wisely so you would leave me in peace.”
Both of his cousins reacted the same way. They rolled their eyes and scoffed at his statement.
“If you’ll recall, I also gave you his loft apartment in the city. Heaven only knows why you’ve decided to come all the way out here.” He had his own suspicions, but he prayed he was wrong. There was only one good reason why Marc and Madeline would leave the comfort of the city.
They needed more money.
Well, they weren’t going to get anything from him. He’d invested and tied up most of his liquid assets to a point where he wouldn’t have access to them for another quarter. They were going to be plum out of luck if they thought they’d get one dime from him.
“So? Why are youreallyhere?” Shane asked.
Madeline glanced at Marc, and he nodded. She let out a sigh and her soft, high-pitched voice flattened into what Shane was used to. “Fine. We wanted to see what you were doing with your share of the money. We’re almost out.”
“You’realmostout.” Shane hated how he’d managed to hit the nail on the head. He made a show of looking around the office. “Where are the hidden cameras. They’re here somewhere, right? You’re pulling my leg.”
His cousins were less than amused. Their expressions didn’t change one bit as they stared him down. Marc’s feet dropped to the floor with a resounding thud and he stood up. “We only have one mil left.”
Shane’s brows shot up and his eyes darted from one to the other. “Please tell me that youeachhave that much.” He smacked his forehead with his hand. “Geez. I gave you each five million. How did you manage to blow through that in just a few years?”
They glanced at one another, and Madeline shrugged before she dug a compact mirror and lipstick out of her purse. “Really? You judge us when you took ten million. That was hardly fair, was it? You weren’t even related to him byblood. You didn’t deserve any of it.”
A sharp pang sliced through him. Whenever Madeline had a chance, she reminded him that he hadn’t been wanted. His parents had adopted him, then passed away before he’d turned ten. Their grandfather was all he’d had left, and now he was gone, too. His jaw tightened and he spoke through gritted teeth. “Grandfather left me the whole estate. I didn’t have to give you a dime.”
Madeline finished pressing her lips together, then shot him a withering look. “You turned him against us, and you know it. If you hadn’t given us anything, we would have taken you to court.”
This was the exact reason he’d come to Copper Creek. He’d needed to get away from the poisonous lifestyle his cousins led. His arm jerked outward, and he pointed toward the door. “Out.”
They stared at him with blank expressions, unmoving.
“I mean it. You’re not getting anything more from me, and you’re not welcome in Copper Creek. I want you two to catch a bus and head back home.”
Madeline pouted as she strode toward him. “Now, is that any way to treat your family?” She peered over her shoulder toward her brother. “We actually really like it here. That Eloise lady was really sweet and Marc thinks he might be in love.”
Shane bristled. “You leave that young woman alone. She didn’t do anything to you.”
Madeline’s eyes narrowed and her bright red lips curled into a sly smile. “Do you have athingfor her?”
He glowered at his cousin. Right family, wrong daughter. But he wasn’t about to give these two any of that information. Somehow, they always found his weak spot, and that was when his life went downhill. A muscle in his cheek twitched.
Her lips puckered to the side, and she tilted her head slightly. “No, I don’t think he likes Eloise, Marc. But there’s something about her that gets him all riled up.” She reached forward and patted his cheek. “Don’t worry, cousin. I’ll figure it out. We have plenty of time. Heck, we saw a ranch for sale on the way out here. Maybe we could be neighbors.” She shot a look over her shoulder toward her brother. “Come on, Marc. We need to check into our hotel so we can get settled.” She winked at Shane as she brushed past him. “I’ll see you later, cousin.”
Marc followed on her heels, smirking at Shane as if they’d won some great battle.
