Blackwater 2 - Vance's rules by Rainey Anne

Author:Rainey Anne [Rainey Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporain
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Published: 2012-05-14T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

When Vance got out of the truck and jogged around to her side, Shayla held back. He frowned and opened her door. “What?”

“Are you sure about this? I mean, they might not be so keen on seeing me after all this time.”

He leaned down, placed a tender kiss to her lips and whispered, “It’s going to be fine. You’ll see.”

Shayla let out a long breath and unsnapped her seat belt. Vance helped her to the ground. “They’re not going to bite, honey,” he said as he slammed the truck door shut behind her.

“Why not? You did.”

He chuckled and took possession of her hand. “I’m allowed.”

With him so close, Shayla felt better, until they stepped into the diner and she came face-to-face with Sam Jennings. It was abundantly clear he and Vance were related because they had the same messy dark hair and hazel eyes. But Vance was bigger, more muscular. Unfortunately, Sam looked about as welcoming as a cougar. The cold look he gave her rivaled the frigid temperatures outside.

Vance nudged her forward and said, “You remember Sammy, don’t you?”

She didn’t know whether to hold out her hand for him to shake or not. His expression said not, so she merely stood there. “Hi, Sam, it’s good to see you again.” She smiled in an attempt to break the ice. It didn’t work.

“Vance said you were back in town. Here to stay this time?”

All work seemed to grind to a halt, and everyone in the room stared at her as if anticipating her answer. Now she understood what fireflies must feel like when little kids trapped them in jars so they could watch them helplessly flit around.

“Yes,” she said firmly as she stood a little straighter. She needed to make herself perfectly clear. She needed Vance’s family to know she wasn’t the coward she once was. If nothing else, her father’s strict upbringing had taught her to stand her ground. “I’ve moved my business here permanently. I have absolutely no intention of leaving.”

Sam’s gaze narrowed a second. She held her breath. When he gave her a sideways grin, Shayla about fainted dead away. One down, three more to go.

As another man stepped forward, a flirty grin on his face, Shayla thought maybe it was Brodix. He’d changed over the years, the way they all had. Brodix had gotten taller and broader than she’d remembered. His dark hair was neatly trimmed, and although he’d been working in dust, he looked freshly showered. His grin was every bit as wicked as always, she noticed too. That, at least, hadn’t changed.

“Brodix,” she said. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Looking good, Shayla,” he said, as he opened his arms for a hug. Shayla was only too happy to step into them, relieved that at least he wasn’t shooting daggers at her.

When he released her, she said, “Thanks, you too.”

“You ever get tired of this lug”—he pointed a thumb in Vance’s direction—“just yell.”

“Lay off, Brodix,” Vance gritted out as he moved up next to Shayla and slung an arm around her neck.

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