Page 119 of Smooth Moves
But Jordan refused to be cowed. “You could have been killed!”
“You have no idea what happened, so don’t tell me shit.”
She didn’t like his attitude. “Well, genius, tell us. Did you walk into a door or what?”
He snarled at her. “I went in place of Rafi because I thought it might get rough. And I was right!” Then he pointed at Reid. “And you, don’t even think of blaming me for this. I didn’t try to get my ass handed to me because I wanted to play mind games with you. I got jumped by three guys in an alley, okay?”
Reid held up his hands. “Hey, I’m concerned about you. Don’t blame me for being worried.”
Jordan poked him in the chest, and he gasped at the pain. “Iblame you! You should have come to me. Instead I had to hear this from my brother after the fact!” She couldn’t help the tears in her eyes. “You want us to live together and tell me you love me, and you do something like this. We’re either a team or we’re not!” She was so angry she feared poking him again, so she stormed out of Reid’s office. But before she could leave the Vets on the Go! space, Cash yanked her back into the lobby.
Dimly aware of the others fanning into the space around them, she had to endure Cash’s death glare all on her own. “Trust you? Love you? Of course I do. I also know you. And the first thing you’d have done if you found out about Juan and Rafi and that baggie of drugs is go to the police. Then you’d be dealing with Rafi on charges of possession. And the kid’s got enough to worry about without a record.”
“No, I—”
“I told him I’d help him. I did.”
“You should have trusted me to help!” It hurt so much he hadn’t.
“Bullshit. If you by some stretch didn’t call the cops, you’d have wanted to go with me.”
“Oh, and I can’t handle my little girlie self? Please. I can handle—”
“You’d have distracted me and given them a target.” He scowled. “I disarmed Juan’s friend, and I disarmed Juan when the little shit tried to shoot me. But guess what, Jordan? The bar didn’t call in the cops. Because places like that don’t. Not everyone sees things in black and white, baby. Deal with it.”
She drew in a breath and didn’t know what to say or do, she was so mad.
“And then some assholes with ties to a gang wanted me outside. So I went, and I handed them their asses. The only reason I have this”—he motioned to his splinted arm—“is because one of them blindsided me with a lead pipe to the arm. I have this habit of not seeing the danger until it’s on top of me.” He loomed over her. “Like you. What? I made a mistake, and now you don’t want me anymore?”
The anger and hurt in his voice shook her. Where had he gotten the notion she no longer wanted him?
“Well, fuck you. I still love you, and it’s worse than this damn broken arm because it’s probably never gonna heal right!”
He had the nerve to walk away from her and everyone with an “I’m on a break!” shouted over his shoulder.
She followed him down the hall and dragged him to a stop. “No, uh-uh. You don’t get to just walk away. I’m not done.”
“Whatever, say your piece.” He turned and watched her with a sneer that looked right at home on his face. Or on Smith’s.
What Reid had confirmed still floored her. The question she’d been dying to ask, about Smith’s resemblance to Cash and his animosity being a little too off, might have some roots in the family drama Reid wasn’t ready to discuss yet, but he’d welcomed her to ask Cash about it.
A tale of family secrets right up there with the best dramas on TV.
“You know why you’re an asshole? Because you didn’t trust me enough to talk to me first.”
“Rafi knew as well as I did that—”
“Rafi is fifteen years old! What’s your excuse?”
He didn’t like hearing that. She poked him again, not even sorry seeing his wince.
“I would never jump into danger without talking to you. And I wouldn’t do something that involved your family without talking to you first.”
“What family?”
“Reid, you jackass.” She poked him again, lighter this time, but to make a point. “I know about your mom and dad. I know you had a shitty life. But don’t even try putting this on me.”
“Please.” He snorted. “You’ve never even told me how you feel.”
