Take a Chance on Me(91)

Shane tugged at Mitch’s wrist, his gaze flashing with what Maddie could only suspect was fury. There was going to be bloodshed soon.

James ran his hand up her arm, giving her a squeeze. She pulled away and touched Mitch’s forearm. The muscles were taut under her touch. Inflexible. She said softly, “Mitch, please let him go.”

Mitch turned his head to her, unnamed emotion flickering in his eyes. She pleaded silently, and finally, he gave a slight nod. A second later, he released her brother.

Shane coughed, bringing his hand up to rub at his neck.

Cool as ever, James shook his head as though dealing with a bunch of unruly toddlers. “Maybe we should start again.”

Mitch’s attention fell on Maddie. “Maybe you should start explaining yourself.”

The coldness in his voice shook Maddie to the core. She bit her lip. “Can we have a moment alone?”

“No,” Shane said.

James sighed. “Let’s go outside.”

Sam cocked his head toward the door. “She’s been alone with him for weeks. Five more minutes isn’t going to matter.”

The office fell quiet, tension thickening the air as Shane and Mitch watched each other with the narrowed eyes of jungle cats waiting for the first flinch to attack.

“Shane,” she said sharply. “I’m not asking. I’m telling. Leave.”

Without taking his eyes off of Mitch, he nodded. “Fine, you’ve got five minutes.”

How dare he? She flew at her oldest brother, jabbing her finger into his big chest as his expression widened with surprise. “Listen, I’m twenty-eight years old. Your job of taking care of me is done. Got it? Finished. I’ll take as long as I damn well please.” She pointed to the door. “And you’ll sit outside patiently and wait for me.”

Shane’s lips quirked and he raised one brow. “Geez, no need to throw a fit.”

She let out a shriek and stomped her foot, pointing once again to the door. “Out!”

His expression softened, and a slow smile spread over his mouth. He gave a little tug to her hair. “I haven’t seen that temper in quite a while.” He looked up past her to Mitch standing behind him. “I suppose you have something to do with that?”

There was no answer from behind her, and Shane sighed. “All right, we’ll be outside.”

Maddie let out the breath she hadn’t realized had been lodged in her chest.

The three men moved to the door, filing out. Shane turned back and gave her the hard-eyed stare she remembered from her days of being a teenager. “I’d better not hear any more screaming. Shit, I’m going to have nightmares for months.”

Her whole body flushed. Why couldn’t the floor open and swallow her up? She jabbed a finger at the door and yelled, “Get. Out.”

He chuckled and shut the door behind him.

With a heavy heart, she turned to face Mitch. His expression was a blank mask. “Your brother seems prone to mood swings.”

She waved a hand in the air. “That’s just the way he is. I stopped trying to figure him out ages ago.”

Mitch’s mouth flattened into a hard line. He walked to the couch and sat down. “To what do we owe the pleasure of his visit? And why didn’t you tell me you’d talked to them?”

She shifted on the balls of her feet, looking down at the floor. If only that were her worst transgression.

She couldn’t evade the truth any longer. She understood her brother’s MO. He had information, and it had been the perfect excuse to come and check things out.

“I’m waiting.” Mitch’s tone held the hard edge of impatience.

With her throat constricting, she blinked back sudden tears. Please God, help me make him understand. “I called Shane over a week ago.”

“Let me guess: on the day you made your rounds around town?”

She couldn’t look at him. She fixed her gaze on the coffee table, which was filled with newspapers, a couple of biographies, and stacks of magazines. She swallowed hard. “Yes.”

“So what aren’t you telling me? Because you’re sure as hell hiding something.”

She twisted her hands.

“Look at me,” he said, his voice sharp and commanding, although this time it didn’t send tendrils of desire snaking through her.

Reluctantly, she raised her eyes.

His face was unreadable and remote. “Answer me.” She bit her lip. “My brother has a friend.”

“And?” The word was delivered like a single bullet.

“His name is Logan Buchannan. He’s some ex-military, black-ops type of guy who owns a security and investigation firm.”

Mitch’s face transformed to stone, growing more distant by the second. She didn’t have to go on: he knew. When she’d dared to think about this moment, she’d pictured anger, not coldness.

Her own blood chilled. Dread twisted in her stomach, making it hard for her to breathe. But she’d made her bed and now she had to lie in it and hope he’d understand.

When he didn’t speak, she went on. “I asked Shane to call in a favor. We asked Logan to look into your situation and the current situation with your father’s blackmailer.”

Those golden eyes, always so warm on her, turned to flat, dull amber. “You told your brother and some guy I don’t even know the things I told you in confidence.”