The Slot (Rochester Riot #1)(64)

Mounting the front steps two at a time, he stormed through the front door, taking no pleasure in the sound of it banging behind him. Mark sat on the couch in front of the television, a beer in his right hand and his boot clad feet propped up on the coffee table.

“Whoa! Holy shit, you scared me,” he said as he jumped up and put his hands out in front of him, ready to defend himself.

“What the hell are you doing in my house?” Adam snarled. He clenched his fists into tight balls of fury to keep from wrapping them around his brother’s neck and choking his happy expression into a death mask.

“Technically, this is my house too, you know.”

Wrong answer.

“Like hell it is. I’m pretty sure I paid you off back when our parents died. When all you wanted was a quick payday. Get the f*ck out of my house. I don’t even know you.” Adam’s voice remained quiet. Deadly. A thin veil of uncontained rage.

“Listen, Adam. I know you’re pissed. But we’re brothers. Blood.”

“Blood, huh? Tell me, brother, were you thinking about how much I meant to you when you were f*cking Heather on a dresser like a two-bit whore?”

Mark shook his head. “Look, just once can’t you take a backseat for me? Let me be happy?”

“What the f*ck are you talking about?”

“Seriously?” said Mark. “The great Adam Spencer. Pro athlete. Rich. Good looking. Any hot girl he could ever want. You have everything.”

I don’t have Julia.

Where in the hell had that thought come from? Floating across his consciousness like it belonged there. “Spare me your self-deluded pity party. You’re pathetic. You wanted everything handed to you on a silver platter. Because you’re lazy. I worked for everything I ever had. I was up before the rooster crowed to do chores before practice and I didn’t come home until well after dark.”

“Whatever, Adam. You don’t get it. I don’t even exist because of you. I’m Adam Spencer’s brother. So for once, I have something that was yours and you f*cked it up. And you can’t stand it.”

“I’m going to give you five seconds to get out of my house. Tomorrow morning, the locks will be changed. If I ever see you again, I’ll kill you. Get the f*ck out of my perfect life.”

Mark glared at him, but must have decided he was serious. His brother stormed past him and Adam cringed as he heard the screen door slam.





Chapter 9

The smell of frying bacon and hot coffee wafted to her nostrils. Confused, Julia pried open her sticky eyelids. What the hell happened last night? She’d only had one drink and that wasn’t enough to make her hung over. She hadn’t felt like this since college.

The sunlight streaming in between the shades blinded her, but she still recognized them. Thank God she was in her own bedroom. The silk of her favorite pink pajamas tickled her skin. She wracked her throbbing head for a solid minute, but still had no recollection of the time span between the club and home.

She snuggled deeper into the down pillow and lifted her fingertips to massage her temples. Frowning, she remembered going to the bar. It was western night. SueAnn had wanted to blow off some steam. Adam. He’d been there too. They’d been talking at the bar, and then he’d needed to use the restroom

A sickening feeling took up residence in her roiling gut. There was another guy too. He’d leaned in too close, making her uncomfortable. Her intuition had told her he was bad news. But she couldn’t remember anything else. Had she slept with him? Was he in her kitchen?

Her head spun violently as she pushed off the covers and swung her legs off the bed. She’d never had a one-nighter in her entire life. Never had sex with a man she didn’t love. A man she’d just met. What must Adam think of her?

There was a bottle of water on her nightstand and a note. “Hey, Jules. I’m crashed on your couch if you need me.” Signed with a little heart face and capital ‘S’. A wave of sweet relief washed over her. Praise the heavens. SueAnn was in her kitchen right now. Julia lifted the plastic to her lips and took a long drink to moisten her parched throat.

Padding down the hallway, the smell of the bacon and coffee just got better and better. She didn’t think she had ever smelled anything so wonderful in her life.

“Jules!” exclaimed SueAnn when she saw her bleary-eyed friend appear around the corner into the kitchen. “You’ve returned to the living.”

Julia winced at the light and from the high voice she loved so much. “Quieter and darker, please. What time is it?”

SueAnn was looking at her funny. Like she’d sprouted another head. “Almost noon. How are you feeling?” She asked as she came over and wrapped her up in a comforting hug.

Noon? She hadn’t slept that late since a bout with the flu.

“Like I have a hangover on top of a hangover,” Julia said, hugging her back. Hanging on for dear life. She knew something was wrong just by SueAnn’s mere presence in her kitchen.

“Yeah, we’ll talk about that.” SueAnn pulled away and gave her a warm smile. “Over coffee, scrambled eggs and bacon. I’m so glad I found some good grub in your fridge. Since you just returned home from the hotel, I was worried my choices might be bleak.”

She turned and walked over to the coffee pot, topped off her own mug and poured one for Julia. Julia took a seat at one of her bar stools by the counter.