“Are you NYPD?” Eric asked when he saw the shiny badge.
Beau handed it to him.
“Enough.” The agent snatched the badge out of his hands.
Eric recoiled and looked like the agent had smashed his ice cream cone on the ground.
“Let him look at it,” I growled. The boy had Down syndrome. He was innocent. And I’d be damned if this sorry excuse for a human being would treat him with anything less than respect.
The agent looked at me incredulously. “You’re in no position to tell me what to do.”
“Let. Him. Look. At. It.” Seconds ago I was about to walk myself to his SUV. Now, we weren’t going anywhere until Eric had his fill of examining the badge.
Lexie’s mouth rolled from one side to the other. Her worry had morphed to anger with a hint of confusion.
Mine had too.
There was something about Eric’s untainted view of the world I was drawn to.
“Just because you’re nice to him doesn’t mean I’ll chip in bail money.” A whisper of warm breath brushed my ear. The hint of something light and crisp and floral wafted into my nose.
I inhaled, but only a trace of it lingered.
Slowly, I angled so that she was back in my line of sight. “Remind me to never turn my back on you again.”
“You shouldn’t have done it in the first place.” She untangled an earring from her dark hair. “Eric, we should go.”
“Not until he takes the handcuffs off.” He pointed at my bound wrists.
I flinched. Why was he so determined to get me out of this?
“Make sure you stay away from lowlifes like this.” The agent stuffed his badge back in his pocket.
Lowlife?
I’d been called a lot of things but that was a new one.
“Your fan club isn’t getting any bigger.” Lexie wielded her truth bombs like a sword.
“At least I have one.” The juvenile remark was out of my mouth before I could think better of it.
I never spoke without thought.
The agent shoved my shoulder. “Let’s go.”
My feet refused to move.
Teague, Beau, Pepper, and Eric stood in front of the doors to the SUV like a human wall. Miss Adeline pushed out of her chair and joined them.
Lexie stepped out of the way.
At least I knew her position on the matter. This guy couldn’t lead me away in handcuffs fast enough for her liking. Why? Because we’d gotten off to an ugly start?
I didn’t particularly care for her, but I wouldn’t wish this on anyone . . . especially without knowing if they deserved it.
The agent shoved harder. All of his strength wasn’t enough to move me.
“And you still don’t know how to greet someone.”
I furrowed my brow. What was I supposed to do for Lexie? Roll out the welcome mat and offer her a beverage? I was in handcuffs.
“Forgive me for being unpleasant,” I said mockingly. “I can’t imagine why I’ve forgotten my manners.” I twisted and wiggled my bound fingers at her.
She flexed her fists. And not for the first time, I was certain there was a distinct possibility she might strangle me.
This woman should be an officer of the law. She was more frightening than the agent attempting to take me away.
“You don’t have any.”
“How would you know? We’ve met twice.” Not that I was counting.
“That’s more than enough for me to know.” She flipped her hair. “You’ll do fine in prison.”
“Because I’ve had practice taking blows from you.”
My family gaped like they didn’t recognize me. They’d seen me lose my composure . . . or maybe they hadn’t. It was rare, I’d give them that.
“Don’t wait for a greeting card from me in your jail mail.” She lifted her chin and held out her hand toward Eric.
“Can’t we stay?” His question was so honest and pure.
I hadn’t been around anyone who didn’t have an agenda in so long, I’d forgotten people like Eric existed.
Lexie softened. He was her vulnerability. “Bow tie, I think the party is over. We’ll see them tomorrow when we make their delivery.”
Their situation was unknown to me. The way she spoke to her brother earned her a notch of my respect. I didn’t give that away easily.
“We just got here. The party can start now.”
I let out half a laugh.
Now my family looked at me like I was an alien. Had it been that long since I’d let loose?
Lexie whipped her head toward me, the softness completely evaporated. “Are you laughing at him?”
I wasn’t the only uptight one.
“I like his swagger.” I flicked my chin at Eric.
“His swagger?” She stumbled over the words.
“Yes. He’s confident.”
Eric stood a little taller at the compliment.
She chewed on her bottom lip as if trying to figure out if I were being genuine or making fun of him. Something about that set me off.
I stepped into her personal space. Instead of backing away, she tilted her head back and looked me directly in the eyes. Fierceness blazed up at me.
“I’m not a good guy.” I towered over her. “But even I have limits.” Satisfied I’d shocked her into silence, I strode toward the SUV. “Let’s get this over with.”
Chapter Two
Lexie
“Don’t you dare get in that car, Lincoln Hollingsworth.”
Beau held on to her brother with an iron grip. He was too powerful, easily sliding into the back of the dark car.
“They can’t arrest you without probable cause,” Teague said.
Somehow Lincoln managed to pull the door closed even with his hands behind his back.
“Lincoln!” Beau yanked on the door handle over and over. It was locked.
The agent slipped around them and into the driver’s seat.
He has no swagger.
I started. How had Lincoln’s vocabulary invaded my brain?
Gently, I tugged on Eric’s elbow.
“Don’t move the van,” he said. “Then that guy can’t take him away.”
My nose tingled.
Not now, Lexie.
My brother was the light of my life. He made this world brighter, more fun, and he never let me get down for too long. Some people thought he didn’t understand the way things worked.
I’d learned if everyone saw through the lens he did, we’d all be better off.
“Then I could go to jail for obstruction,” I said quietly.
“He’s right,” Teague said. “Please don’t move it. At least not until I can get someone down here to help us.”
For every bit of jerk Lincoln was, Teague was a straight-up decent guy. I didn’t want to get involved in their problems, but I’d stepped right in the middle of them.
Beau grabbed my hand. “Please, Lexie.”
We’d been friends since I’d been pretending to get my degree at NYU. I hadn’t been able to say no to her back then. Almost twenty years later and I still couldn’t.
The hum of the car window lowering interrupted the sounds of the city. “Move.”
I pretended to dig in the pockets of my dress. “I can’t find my keys,” I called.