Swink (Landry Family 5)

“I—”

“They already treat her that way,” I say, cutting him off. “They coddle her and treat her like a baby, and she’s fighting to get out from under that. Then here you go taking advantage of her.” I tug at my hair, the roots threatening to give as I yank on the locks. “If you were anyone else, I would kill you for doing this.”

“For taking a loan?”

Dropping my hands to my sides, I look at him like he’s the dumbest person I know. Maybe he is. “No. For putting her in this position. You took advantage of her kindness without thinking about how it might affect her.”

His shoulders sag.

“Is there anything else I should know?” I sigh. “Anything else you’ve done or taken or discussed that I’m going to be hit with coming up?”

“Of course not.”

Shoving my hands in my pockets, my fists burning from being clenched, I look at my brother. “Things were just maybe starting to go right, Nate. And then you go and fucking do this at the worst possible time.”

“What time is that? How is it any different than yesterday or tomorrow?”

“I’m supposed to go to dinner with her and one of her brothers tomorrow night.”

His brows lift. “Oh. That is a little different.”

“Yeah,” I nod, feeling the weight of the world sitting square in the center of my chest. “It is.”

“What brought that on?”

I force a swallow. “I don’t know. A moment of weakness, I guess. But I was hoping to go into it with a game plan. Of trying to make myself out to not look like the no-good asshole I am, see if there was a chance to maybe do something with this thing with Cam despite every indication there isn’t. Then you go pull this fucking stunt.”

“So don’t go.”

“No, I have to go now,” I scoff. “If I don’t, I’m suddenly the no-good that also managed to con ten grand from her and bailed.”

“You didn’t—”

“The one brother you talked to at the bar. The one you hated. What was his name?”

“Lincoln.”

“Lincoln,” I repeat. “Okay. Were the rest of them as bad?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know. I just hated that cocky son of a bitch.”

“But you lumped them all together because you didn’t like Lincoln. Right?”

A look of understanding flashes before his eyes.

“So whether or not this had anything to do with me at all, I’m guilty by association. By blood.” I shake my head, the anger starting to surge again. “You know what? Fuck you.”

Swiping my keys off the counter, I glare at him as I march by.

Camilla

“I liked the one with watercolors, but not so much the primary tones,” I say, balancing the phone on my shoulder as I wipe off the countertop. Tossing the sponge in the sink, I lean against the counter. “The reds and blues are too much for the design. Too heavy. Lighten it up some.”

Sienna laughs through the line. “Since when did you have an eye for design?”

“I don’t,” I giggle. “I just know what I like.”

“You have good taste because I think you’re right.”