Series: Webs We Weave Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 126927 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126927 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
“Same old, same old,” Oliver says lightly. “I fuck around and tell. Nova fucks around and shares absolutely nothing.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” Nova retorts.
“Liar, liar, pants on fire,” Oliver says with a rising smile, then swings his head to me. “A blonde girl left his room last night.”
Oliver and I exchange a big grin while Nova takes the heartiest swig. Then tersely, Nova says, “Okay. Let’s talk about important shit.”
“You don’t think you’re important?” I tease.
“You are important, big brother,” Oliver says, coming over to him just to skate a hand over Nova’s shaved head.
Nova pushes Oliver’s chest with little force.
Oliver laughs, but when the bright sound fades, Nova’s “back to business” face returns.
I tear off a piece of frosted donut. “Does Mom still think I’m in Indiana?” I finally ask.
“No,” Nova says. “She thinks you, Hailey, and Rocky got sidetracked, and you’re all doing a job in this state.”
“She knows I’m in Connecticut?” Great.
“Rocky said it was the best route,” Oliver clarifies while he goes to start a pot of coffee. “Or else we’d all get caught in a lie and they’d be here tomorrow.”
Nova adds, “We told her your new job is more lucrative than the Seattle clip joint.”
“And she just . . . let you guys come?” I frown deeply. “They’d been planning the Seattle job for months . . .”
“It’s handled,” Nova says. “To tell you the truth, Mom started dating someone new, and I don’t think she wants you out there with him around.”
Oliver stares far away at the coffeepot. “I can’t wait until she bleeds him for all he’s worth.”
My stomach sours. “He’s that bad?”
Nova tips the beer to his mouth. “She could tell I was getting pissed.”
Oliver loosely threads his arms, leaning in the corner where the counters meet, his ankles crossed. “And I was on my way.”
“To getting pissed?” I ask.
He nods. “About there.”
“You were already pissed, Oliver,” Nova clarifies, eyeing our brother. “You threw a drink at him. With the fucking glass.”
“It slipped out of my hand.”
Guilt bites at me. For not being with them.
Nova turns back to me. “She actually asked us if you need help with your job, and that was the least subtle hint she could give.”
She prompted them to come out here.
I look to Oliver for more details since Nova tends to skirt around them. “What was he like? The boyfriend?” I wonder.
“Handsy,” Oliver says. “He gropes her in public. He’d probably do the same to you, if you were available.”
Available. Like I’m a hotel with a vacancy sign.
My mom, for as much as she taught me about seduction and influence, has always shielded me from her marks. Not in a competitive way. It’s more protective. Like she knows there is a seedy, rough part of our job, and it’s usually designated to the one who has to “encourage” the mark.
Sometimes . . . I do wonder if I do the same thing with Hailey. If maybe I learned that bit of being a shield for others from my mom.
I chew slowly on the donut, processing, and then I swallow. “You two do know that I’m not out here on a job, right?” Last time I asked Rocky, he said he told them everything but vaguely. Whatever that means.
“Rocky caught us up on all of it this morning,” Nova says. “You’re out here for real, and we didn’t want to mess that up for you.”
“No offense, sis,” Oliver adds. “But this plan of yours seems like it was fueled by crack cocaine. You and Hailey didn’t smoke up on your last job, did you? Or were there some magic mushrooms involved? A little peyote to cleanse the soul.” He mimes taking a drag.
Nova looks right into me at the mention of the last job. Carlsbad.
I swallow a rising lump. “No magic mushrooms,” I tell Oliver. “This is just a new thing. We’re seeing it through.” For as long as we can.
“Hmm.” Nova makes a gruff noise under his breath.
Oliver pushes away from the counter. “Well, it’s lovely that you want to be all Goody Two–shoes. But not all of us were built that way.” He holds up three fingers. “Scout’s honor I won’t wreck anything up for you and Hails.”
Oh no . . .
Oh no.
My eyes go wide. “You two aren’t doing a job here.”
“We won’t,” Nova says, downing the last of his beer. “Rocky already made us promise.”
Rocky.
A gross sentiment fills my body. I can’t describe it other than attraction toward that silver-tongued jackass, and I want the antidote. STAT.
“But,” Oliver says with a wry smile, “we’re not subscribing to your new-wave hipster style of living.”
I roll my eyes. “You mean being a good person.”
Oliver makes a gagging sound.
Nova cracks a smile. “He’s right. We’re sticking around, but we’re here on our terms.”
“And we promise not to fuck up yours,” Oliver says, resting a hand on my shoulder as he comes around me to pluck a donut.