Page 99 of Bright Dark Curses

“Ask her.”

“We’ve gone through this before.” Aggravation filled his voice. “She won’t tell me.”

“Consider that a hint.”

“Her parents don’t know,” he continued, as if I hadn’t spoken. “My contacts at the bank don’t know. My?—”

“You asked her bank?” I was about to throw my cocoa mug at his head. That was going way too far.

“Of course I asked her bank. What was I supposed to do?”

Was he for real? “Give up like a normal human being?”

He ran a hand over his shaved head. “I can’t.”

“Of course you can. It’s not that hard. People don’t nose into other people’s business all the time.” Not to that level, anyway.

“You don’t understand.”

“I really don’t.” Was he trying to tank Dru’s operation? Make her life impossible?

With a heavy exhale, Preston rubbed the line creasing the middle of his forehead and muttered something I didn’t catch. There was so much frustration pouring out of him that a small light went on in my head.

If he was simply playing with me or Dru, he wouldn’t be letting me see all this. He would’ve kept the fake expression and impeccable manners he’d had in all our previous encounters so far.

“You’re worried about Dru,” I realized. “Actually, seriously worried.”

He scowled. “Of course I’m worried.”

I sat back and sipped my cocoa. “Why?”

“What do you mean why? Isn’t it obvious?”

“It really isn’t. You two broke up forever ago. Why do you care so much?”

He shifted in his seat, uncomfortable now. “I still care for her. I’m not going to stand back while she accepts shady deals just to one-up me.”

I nearly spit my drink. “Shady deals to one-up you?”

“You know.” He gestured vaguely toward the coffee shop and the street. “Get her own shop to show me up.”

“She’s wanted her own shop long before you showed up,” I pointed out. “Aren’t you giving yourself too much credit?”

“I know she has. But why the rush now? The moment I come here to open the new Tabbies?”

“Because her previous employer died and instead of leaving her his shop as he’d promised, he lost it to the bank?” I asked dryly. “It had nothing to do with you.”

“Why didn’t she get another job then? Why didn’t she stay working for you?”

“Why work for others when she can work for herself?” Was he truly this dense?

He slapped the table with triumph. “Exactly! That’s what I’m saying. She saw me opening the shop and the bank wouldn’t let her buy the Corner Rose and now…”

“Now?” I prodded.

“Now she’s probably gone to some loan shark to get the money for her shop because she can’t stand me opening a shop here before she does,” he finished in a hissing, low voice.

I laughed. So that was it. He thought Dru had sold her soul to get back at him with her own shop.

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