Page 52 of Long Hard Fall

He flashed her a look full of irony. “My phone’s been quiet, so no.”

“Shut it off. It’s what I do.”

He groaned. “Then they’d descend on me here. It’s one thing when there’s a family shindig, a whole ’nother when they’re just here to complain to me.”

He switched to more attentive driving and wove his way through town, which took all of two minutes. Abbi stared out the window at the passing businesses that were closed for the night. Bars and gas stations were the only things open after eight at night in Moore.

“Wow. That dude looks pissed.”

“Hmm?” Abbi glanced at him, then to where he was looking toward the hotel. She sucked in a breath, the blood draining from her face.

By her car in the parking lot was a familiar four-door sedan—a responsible ride, fuel efficient, and without a speck of dirt. Around the two cars stalked Ellis. Street lamps glinted off his plain brown hair, his suit jacket off and his tie loosened.

Her panic soon turned to seething anger. “Oh. My. God. He didn’t.”

His expression grew perplexed. “You know him?”

“Yes. And he’s so dead.”

“Who is he?” His tone was guarded.

Anger boiled through her veins. As soon as the pickup slowed to a stop, she jumped out. “Ellis, what the hell are you doing here?”

Cash got out, too, but hung back. She was grateful for his presence, refused to let Ellis cow her like he always had. Would someone else see how Ellis belittled her?

Ellis stopped where he was and clamped his hands on his hips. His expression was relief mixed with ire. “I’m here to help you.”

“Why? We’re over.”

Ellis held his hands up. His typical placating stance. “Abigail. Couples in a committed relationship don’t pull the plug during their first fight.”

She sputtered. “First fight? What were the fights before that? You thinking I was being out of line for speaking my mind?”

“You two are in a relationship?” Cash’s low voice carried through the angry words.

“Yes.”

“No!” Abbi yelled. She stood in the headlights of Cash’s truck. He hadn’t moved away from his door.

Ellis drew himself up to his full height, still a couple inches shorter than Cash. He glanced at Abbi before settling his gaze on Cash. “Who are you?”

Her fury made her want to shriek and jump on Ellis like a feral cat. “We were supposed to come up here because this was important to me, but you decided it was silly and I was being needy. I’m so over how you treated me.”

“And exactly how have I treated you? Who was with you when your brother died? Who got us our apartment?” Ellis gestured to her car. “What about the upgrade in wheels to a car that won’t fall apart on the highway?”

She fisted her hands, fury freely flowing through her. He took credit for everything. “Last I checked, my paycheck paid for those things, too.”

“Well, I’ll leave you two.” Cash stepped back into his pickup, his face carefully blank.

A lead weight sank through her insides. Oh shit. How did this look to him? “Cash, wait!”

He paused, his door almost closed.

From the pain in his eyes, she didn’t have much time. She jogged to his window as she said, “Ellis and I aren’t together anymore.”

“Are you sure about that?” Cash tore his gaze away from her to an irate Ellis planted in front of his car. Cash switched his glare to out the windshield, his eyes shimmering with hurt and anger. “Sounds like you have some things to work through. Good thing you haven’t checked out yet.” He yanked the door shut and drove off.

With Cash’s history, he had to be thinking all the wrong things. She rounded on Ellis. He held up a hand again. She wanted to smack him.

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