Sin City Baby

“Hey now, don't take it out on the meat,” I teased. “It ain't the pig's fault you're pissed off.”

“I'm not pissed,” he said, not looking up at me.

“You're not?” I cocked an eyebrow at my younger brother. “Sure coulda fooled me.”

“Okay, fine, maybe I am,” he said, shrugging. “What the fuck does it matter?”

“It matters because you're my brother, Quinn,” I said. “Are you seriously into this girl or something?”

He shrugged again and said nothing. As much as my brother tried to act tough, I could see in his eyes that he was struggling with something deeper than I could possibly understand. Of course, the fact that he wouldn't talk to me about it didn't help me understand it any better.

So, not being a shrink, I had to do my best to get it out of him. Even though our father taught us both to be tough as nails and to hide our emotions, I knew the value in sometimes being able to let shit out. It was like hitting a pressure release valve before you exploded or something. To be honest, it was something Quinn did better than all of us.

“You are, aren't you?” I asked.

“It's not that,” he said. “I mean, it is that. But I saw it in her eyes, Ben. She's been abused. And neither you or Cason seem to have a problem with it. Neither of you seem to care – unless it interferes with you guys getting your rocks off anyway.”

“Actually, I have a big problem with it,” I said, my voice rising. “If it's true.”

“It's true,” he said, giving me a look that could have curdled milk.

“Because you saw a bruise on her wrist?” I asked. “It could be any number of things, and until we know for sure, we – ”

He stopped me. “We shouldn't be assholes to her,” he said.

The steely look of determination and anger on his face took me by surprise. I'd never known Quinn to be so vehemently defensive of any woman before in my life.

“Okay, you're right,” I said. “Cason and I are acting like jerks. But it's just between us. It's how we've always screwed off with each other. You know that. And you know that I'd never treat a woman badly. You, of all people, know me better than that.”

His face softened somewhat. “Yeah, I know,” he said with a sigh, wiping the sweat from his brow with his forearm. “Just something about her gets to me, you know? Seeing her look so fragile and seeing the hurt in her eyes – I just want to make it stop.”

“Because you're a good man, Quinn,” I said. “Do you honestly think either Cason or I would go out of our way to hurt her?”

Quinn shook his head. “Nah, I know you wouldn't. It's just – she's different for me, man.”

“How so?”

My brother stared off into the distance for a while before shaking his head again.

“Nothing,” he said. “Forget I said anything.”

***

Ada Roberts laughed when she opened the door and saw me standing on her porch out front. She just looked at me and shook her head, a smile on her face.

“Bennett McCormick,” she said. “What in heaven's name are you doing here?”

“I'm here to see Hailey,” I said. “We have a date tonight.”

Mrs. Roberts raised an eyebrow as she looked at me. “Alright then,” she said. “Though I don't think Hailey is ready. Want to come in for a minute?”

“Sure thing, thank you,” I said, stepping into their home. “I don't mind waiting.”

“Uh huh,” she said, giving me a long, curious look. “Well, let me go talk to Hailey and let her know you're here. I'll be right back. Please, make yourself at home.”

As she walked away, I sat down in an arm chair facing the stairway, and listened as Mrs. Roberts' footsteps echoed up them and then above me.

“Hailey?” her voice echoed down the hallway. “You have a visitor. Another one of the McCormick boys.”