The Gamble (Colorado Mountain #1)(85)

But I wasn’t breathing.

Brody. Mindy’s brother. Max’s best friend! Here to “check me out” no doubt. Why did this continue to get worse? Why?

“Nina,” I introduced myself back, unquestionably unnecessarily, and I took his hand.

His grip was firm, strong and overlong. Overlong in the fact that he didn’t actually let me go. His hand, like Max’s, engulfed mine.

“You’re pretty,” he told me.

“Um… thanks?” I answered on a question, giving a small, polite pull which was met with firm, impolite resistance.

“You’re right,” he said, eyes still on me but I got the sense he was talking to someone else and his next words would prove me correct. “She’s got f**kin’ great eyes.”

I didn’t know if he was talking to Max or Mindy but I didn’t ask nor could I care because I was back to not breathing and he still hadn’t let go of my hand therefore I had more pressing things on my mind.

“Um…” I muttered.

“You wanna let her go?” Max suggested and there was humor in his tone, humor mixed with an indication that his words weren’t entirely a suggestion.

“Not really,” was Brody’s insane and alarming answer and he coupled this with his grip becoming stronger.

“Brody,” Mindy said on a mini-giggle, “quit jacking around.”

Brody obviously was in the mood to “jack around” and he didn’t let me go.

Instead he remarked, “I thought you English people were reserved.”

“I’m not, um... exactly –”

He cut me off noting, “But you’re sweet.”

“Um…”

“Can you cook?” he asked, still holding onto my hand.

“Cook?” I asked back.

“I heard English food sucks.”

I tried another pull, met with more resistance and answered, “I think that’s what Americans think when they go to England and eat American food. English food is delicious. English doing American food isn’t as successful.”

“Yeah, Arlene said she had some kind of fish casserole thingie-ma-bobbie over here last night that Neens whipped up and Arlene said it was unbelievable,” Mindy put in.

Brody looked toward Max. “Arlene’s havin’ dinner at your house?”

Max came up close to my side and answered, “She’s taken a shine to Nina.”

This for some reason made Brody throw his head back and burst out laughing.

“Brody,” Max said over his laughter, not a lot of humor in his voice, in fact none at all, “would you f**kin’ let her go?”

Brody let me go, then again anyone would let me go with the way Max asked for it to be done. I stepped back, my shoulder hit Max and his arm immediately curled around my waist from behind.

“Relax, bro, just bein’ friendly,” Brody said over my shoulder.

“Too friendly,” Max said back.

“We’re that,” Brody’s eyes came to me, “friendly.”

“I’ve noticed,” I replied.

Then Brody asked, “Arlene?”

“We got slightly snockered with Arlene at The Dog before Max kicked Damon’s ass,” Mindy shared.

“Ah,” Brody nodded, light dawning, “Arlene held the sacred ritual. Snockered with her at The Dog. She’s usually ornery as hell but you’re in now, Nina, never to be let out.”

“You make that sound not so good,” I noted.

“Arlene’s good people, if she likes you, but when she likes you, she’s opinionated, in your business good people.”

“Oh dear,” I muttered and Brody burst out laughing again.

Max gave my waist a squeeze.

“Either of you think to call the cops about Nina’s car?” Max asked.

“Yeah, about fifteen minutes ago. They’re on the way up,” Brody answered.

“Mick should set up an outpost next to the house, he’s been here so f**kin’ much this week,” Max muttered.

“Why’s Mickey been here?” Brody asked and I felt Max’s body get tight against mine.

“Mins?” Max called and Mindy nodded so Max carried on with a one word answer that was obviously meant to explain all. “Dodd.”

It apparently did for Brody nodded.

“He needs you for Bitsy,” Brody guessed.

“That and he wanted my alibi,” Max informed him.

Good-natured, teasing Brody disappeared and his heavy, auburn brows snapped together dangerously before he bit out, “What the f**k?”

Here we go again, I thought.

“Brody, it’s fine. He’s talked to a lot of people,” Max assured him.

“Yeah, but you?” Brody was still unhappy.

“Can we go in?” Mindy butted in. “I need a soda or somethin’.”

“Yeah,” Max said, his arm coming from around my waist but I felt his finger hooking, this time in a back belt loop of my jeans and putting pressure on to propel me forward.

“Doubt Mickey’ll come up on a vandalized car, not when he’s workin’ a murder,” Brody noted as he walked beside us up the steps. “Probably send Jeff or Pete. Still, gonna have words with him ‘bout visitin’ you for an alibi.”