Page 118 of Smooth Moves
Cash paused before going through the door to Reid’s office, hoping he wouldn’t soon be homeless.
Taking a breath, but not too deep to cause more pain, he opened the door and went inside. And froze when he saw Jordan, Naomi, Reid, and Evan in deep discussion.
* * *
Jordan stared at Cash in shock. She’d been ready to read him the riot act since Rafi had confessed everything to her last night.
Talk about not having one of her better days. Between busting his teacher’s balls, getting the guy suspended, having a last-minute panic attack because she’d committed herself to moving in with her boyfriend, and then learning Rafi had been involved with drugs, she was entitled to be a little nutty.
And Cash—nowhere to be found.
So she’d been ready to chew him up and spit him out, only to have Reid sit her down and explain a few things.
Now, though still angry, she also wanted to protect and offer comfort to the man she loved, who had to be hurting. Hurting a lot, she saw, staring in shock.
“What the fuck happened to you?” she barked.
Evan blinked. “Ah, now I understand about filling in. Cash, sit down.” Evan left his seat and gently guided Cash to it.
Cash did his best not to complain, but Jordan saw his wince and felt the rage bubble up. She’d crush whoever did this to Cash. Then she’d tear into him… Oh screw it. She’d hit Cash first.
Verbally. “This came from the drugs, didn’t it?”
She should have thought that through first because after the room silenced to a funereal hush, everyone started talking at the same time.
“Cash, not again.” Reid scowled. “What did we say about being smart? What all did you break?”
“Oh my God!” That was Naomi. “You poor thing. Who did that to you? Do you need some ice?”
“That’s gotta hurt.” Evan leaned against the wall. “I’m so glad I’m not you.”
Jordan glared at her lover. Her boyfriend. The asshole who’d stolen her heart. “You lied to me, and we promised to be honest with each other.” That got everyone quiet.
“It’s not my fault.” Cash refused to meet her gaze, with his good eye at least. The other was still swollen and purple.
“It’s never your fault,” she snapped. “I’ve been talking to Reid. I know all about you, buddy.”
That must have been the wrong thing to say because he whipped his head up and glared back at her with his good eye. “Oh yeah? What do you know?”
“Jordan, maybe—” Naomi tried.
But Jordan cut her off, too worried and mad to be cautious. “I trusted you. And then you went behind my back and got involved with my brother?”
“I was helping him. Just like you asked me to.”
Jordan hated that Cash had been hurt, as much as she hated that he hadn’t trusted her to handle her brother’s mess on her own. “How are you helping him? By nearly getting killed?”
“No, damn it.” He tried to stand and sank back down, his expression agitated.
“What if you’d taken Rafi with you? He’d be looking like you right now.”
“Seriously? You think I’d take a kid into a dangerous situation?” As soon as he said it, he looked around at everyone staring at him. “I mean—”
Everyone talked at once again, this time yelling at Cash.
He motioned for Evan, who helped him up while chastising him.
“Shut up!” Cash yelled.
