The Killing Game(61)

Luke went cold. “I’ll be right there.”

“Good. I see Emma’s just driving up.” Then, “Hurry,” and she was gone.

Luke made an illegal U-turn and headed toward Schultz Lake and the Wrens’ lodge. He brought up Dallas’s number on his cell and put it on speaker so he wouldn’t have to hold the phone to his ear.

“I’m on my way,” Dallas answered, but Luke cut him off.

“Change of plans. Gonna have to reschedule.”

“I’m halfway to your office.”

“This is important, Dal.”

“Okay,” he said, clearly mystified. “Call me.”

“Will do.”

*

Andi stood her ground, though, she felt like running as the two brothers approached. One was dressed in a black crew-neck shirt with a black leather jacket and slacks and the other wore jeans, a light gray sweater, and a gray jacket. She couldn’t tell them apart and her heart was pounding so hard it made it difficult to think. She wanted to kill Carter.

Emma’s car pulled in at that moment, but it was Ben who climbed out of the driver’s seat. For once Andi was glad to see him. He saw the brothers and started walking rapidly their way. There was no sign of Emma.

“We meet again,” the one in jeans greeted her with a smarmy smile. Brian, she realized. She dragged her gaze from him to the man in black and saw the scar near his left temple. It was faint now, but still a telltale mark to be able to use to tell them apart, and it looked like it must have been quite a doozy of an injury.

Carter said, “I was just telling Andi about our plans for expansion.”

“Our plans?” Andi’s voice was brittle. “Who are we?”

Brian said easily, “I told you we’d be better friends than enemies. Your brother-in-law agrees.”

“My brother-in-law doesn’t have complete say-so.” Andi could feel her insides quiver, but she was bound and determined not to let it show on the outside.

“That’s why we’re meeting today,” Carter said pleasantly, but Andi could tell he was totally infuriated. As Ben clomped up the planks, Carter asked, “Where’s Emma?”

“She couldn’t make it.”

“Couldn’t make it,” Carter repeated. Andi could tell he was holding himself back with an effort.

“She’s not feeling well.”

Read that to mean she’s drunk or hungover.

Carter flushed, getting the message loud and clear as well. “Then she’s just nullified her vote,” he said, swinging his attention back to the brothers. “Yes, we’re doing business with you. We need the money, and we’re all interested in developing the lake.”

“And we have very different views on how that should be done.” Andi stared at Carter in disbelief. They hadn’t signed anything. There was no way she and Emma would agree and he knew it.

Blake Carrera spoke up. “Is there a problem?” he asked Andi.

“More than one,” she answered.

He turned to Carter. “You said you could handle the women.”

“We haven’t had a formal meeting yet,” Carter sidestepped.

“Emma should be okay soon,” Ben put in a trifle anxiously.

Andi took exception to Blake Carrera’s condescending tone and comment. She decided to try something, though it took all her courage. “This little bird is involved in all Wren Development business” she stated firmly.

She waited, but neither brother reacted to her words.

Then Blake said, “Well, little bird, maybe you should start making some decisions that will actually help your company.”

“We’ve got some time,” Brian put in, clearly trying to cool off his hard-nosed brother. “We’re starting our business relationship today.”

“There is no business relationship.” Andi was clear on that.

“We want to help you keep your project moving,” Brian kept going. “Time’s money, and we’re here to help.”

Andi snorted, but her insides were quivering with fear. Oh sure. She wanted to steal a look at the time on her cell phone, find out how long it had been since she’d spoken to Luke, but she refrained. All her attention needed to be on the Carreras. “We’re not ready to make any commitment to a partnership of any kind. I’m sorry if you were misinformed.”

Blake’s cold eyes met Andi’s. “We weren’t misinformed, little bird.”

Her heart flipped painfully. “As I said, I’m sorry.”

“I think that’s our cue to leave,” Brian said. He looked at Andi with regret, and she worried about what was going through his mind. What did he have to feel badly about?

Carter stated flatly, “I’ll be calling you, sooner rather than later.”

Blake said something to his brother as they were walking off that Andi couldn’t catch. “What did he say?” she asked Carter.

It was Ben who answered. “I don’t think you want to know.”

“Tell me,” Andi snapped.

“I believe he called you a cunt,” Carter said.

As the Carreras backed out of the entrance to the lodge, Luke’s battered truck pulled in. He sat idling for a moment, and Andi could almost read his indecision. She stepped into the front of the opening to the lodge and waved at him. After a moment he got out, his long legs eating up the distance between them, the entry planks making hollow sounds as he ran up them.