Page 16 of The Ice Queen in the Corner Office

“You don’t belong here anymore,” Rick said. “Stay the hell out of my business.”

“Stay away from Dad and Willow and I will.”

He looked ready to swing at me again, and I raised my hands. “I know you aren’t an idiot, man. You don’t want to hurt Dad and Willow. Just keep whatever illegal shit you’re into away from them. Just do that one thing. Okay?”

Some of the anger left his face, but his hands remained fisted. “I’m not a fucking idiot. No one is going to get hurt.”

“Right,” I said. “Just—”

He got in my face, his breath reeking of booze and stale cigarettes. “I’m doing this for them. They deserve to live better than this and you aren’t doing shit to help them.”

Now, my anger rose. “Because they won’t take the money I’ve offered.”

He sneered. “They’ll take it from me. I’ll make sure they will.”

Rick’s interest in taking care of the family was hard to believe. He’d never cared before.

“What’s really going on?”

If he was on the up and up, he should have gotten angry. But he stared over my shoulder. “Why don’t you go back to your fancy condo in the city and bitch to your rich friends about your loser brother like you’ve always done and leave me the hell alone.”

He stormed off the porch and down the street.

“Are you okay?” Willow asked. She slipped out the front door and onto the porch, a bag of frozen peas in her hand.

I took the peas and sat on the top porch step. She sat next to me. “I’m more worried about you and Dad. Rick’s working for Hunter.”

Her face paled. Hunter had been in Willow’s grade in school, an idiot and a bully. I suspected Willow had had more than one run-in with the jerk. “Last I heard he was in jail.”

“For possession,” I said. “But he’s out and he’s back at it. I don’t know what Rick’s doing for him, but I don’t want you or Dad involved in any way. If Rick shows up here again, don’t let him in.”

“Rick wouldn’t hurt us.” She spoke the words with confidence, but her expression was all doubt. “And Hunter’s just small-time. He sells weed to kids, it’s not like he would do anything really crazy.”

I wanted so much to tell her she was right and everything was fine, but that wouldn’t do her any real good. “Not anymore. He’s dealing harder stuff and his crew’s gotten bigger. Just stay away from Rick and…” I ran a hand through my hair. “You could get an apartment closer to the salon. You and Dad could move, get out of the neighborhood.”

She smiled, but it was forced. “I can’t do it without borrowing money from you, and Dad will never accept that. I can’t leave him.”

I loved my sister, but sometimes I wanted to shake her until she saw reason. “That’s Dad’s choice. You can’t give up on your own life for him.”

Her jaw tightened, and I knew I wouldn’t win the argument.

Willow would never yell or get truly angry, but she wouldn’t back down either.

“My life is just fine. We’re doing just fine.”

“Just be careful. And call me if you need anything.”

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