Hellion, a New Adult Romance Novel(69)

 

“Talk to you later. Oh, and make sure you give me back my phone before you go.” I walk into the apartment and put the flowers down on the coffee table. Finally, everything doesn’t suck.

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

 

 

 

 

 

ALISSA STARES AT THE FLOWERS as if in a trance. I’m distracted from her zombie act by Teagan coming out of the kitchen with three glasses of ice water in her hands.

 

“Wow. Those are impressive,” she says, putting the glasses down on the coffee table and touching one of the flowers.

 

“These are from Colin, for me.” I take her by the elbow and bring her back into the kitchen, trying to be mindful of Alissa’s delicate condition. “They’re just a friend thing,” I whisper when we’re out of earshot. “I pulled that friend card out and used it immediately, too.”

 

“How so?” she asks, also whispering.

 

“I made him go to the hospital and apologize to Mick.”

 

Teagan lifts an eyebrow. “Is that a good idea?”

 

“Of course it is.” I start to doubt myself immediately. I guess he could decide to pulverize a few more of his brother’s organs. That would be bad.

 

Teagan pulls her phone out of her pocket and texts out a message. A few seconds later an answer arrives with a beep.

 

“What’s it say?” I ask, trying to look at the screen.

 

“Rebel’s going with him.”

 

We both sigh out in relief. “Phew. That was awesome,” I say, feeling like I just ran a 5k. “Holy brain chemicals.”

 

“Come on. Let’s discuss strategy,” Teagan says, going out into the living room.

 

Alissa is there, back to reading. She doesn’t even acknowledge our presence as we take up the two armchairs nearby.

 

Teagan jumps right in. “Monday our appointment is at nine in the morning. Bring your report and anything else you can think of that will help.”

 

Alissa looks up from her book but says nothing.

 

I feel a little self-conscious with her staring, but forge ahead anyway. “Do you want me to do anything else with it? Look over the numbers more? I could probably do some digging on the companies that are listed in the financials. Maybe there’s more stuff to find online.”

 

Teagan shrugs. “I don’t know. What do you think?”

 

I shrug too, not sure it would be worth my time but willing to do pretty much anything she needs.

 

“Why would you be doing anything with financials?” Alissa asks.

 

Teagan and I look at each other. I’m not sure who’s supposed to answer that, so I say nothing. I don’t trust myself not to tell her to mind her own damn business. I don’t want to be blamed for her water breaking all over the sofa.

 

“Before my dad died, he sent me some financial data that indicates some bad things were happening at his company. Some people tried to take that data from me a few weeks ago and now we’re in the process of figuring out exactly what we have on our hands and what we should do with it.”

 

“But how does she know anything about it?” Alissa’s pointing at me.

 

“Who’s she?” I ask, annoyed as hell. “The cat’s mother?”

 

Teagan and Alissa both stare at me like I’ve lost my mind. I don’t like being a shadow in a room. Now I know why my grandma used that expression all the time whenever one of us pointed at her and referred to her as ‘she’. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not sitting right here,” I say.

 

“Sorry.” Alissa’s apology doesn’t quite make it to her eyes. “Why would a law firm want Quin to do anything with financial records?”

 

I have to stare at the wall to keep from strangling a pregnant girl. That’s the level of frustrated I am right now. I’m a walking lethal weapon with a hair-trigger temper. I breathe in and out very slowly, once, twice, three times, reminding myself silently that pregnant women can be serious beeyotches sometimes. My mom was hell on wheels from month two to month nine, and then my poor baby brother came out with an oxygen-starved brain thanks to fate and stupid doctors, and look where we are now.

 

Breathe in. Breathe out. By the time I have my brain back online, Teagan’s almost done with her explanation.

 

“… and so she needs to be there to go over it one more time.”

 

Alissa is nodding slowly. “Well, I could help too. I’m a finance major.” She looks over at me nervously and then at Teagan. “If you want, that is. I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.”