Page 20 of Sunburned

“Why not?” he asked. “You’re committing the same crime either way. If you get arrested, the police aren’t going to care why you were stealing, or what you used the money for, or even exactly how much you stole. You might as well enjoy some of the rewards.”

Cody snorted. “You meanyoumight as well enjoy the rewards.”

“I am the one that suggested it. Seems only fair.” He grinned, tossing an orange wedge into the air and catching it in his mouth.

“The reward is my mother living,” I said. “I’m not doing this for me.”

Cody shot eye daggers at Tyson. “And I’m not going to allowyouto make it aboutyou.”

“You don’t get toallowme to do anything, big brother,” Tyson returned. “You don’t control me.”

“For this, he does,” I rejoined. “He controls us both. He’s the one taking the most risk, so he makes the rules.”

Tyson laughed. “Jeez, you guys are so serious.”

“This is serious business,” Cody said. “If we get caught, we could face serious consequences. Jail time. The only reason I’m even considering this is to save Alex’s life. Not so you can buy a fucking boat.”

Tyson crossed his arms. “Don’t you want Audrey to be able to go back to college?”

“For the last time, this isn’t about me,” I snapped, standing. “I’m going to get some air.”

I strode out of the room, leaving the desk chair spinning in my wake.

Outside, the day was sweltering. It had rained all night and the air felt heavy as the moisture evaporated in the beating sun. I stripped down to my swimsuit, leaving my dress in a pile on the concrete as I dove into the pool, which was almost too warm to be refreshing.

I swam a few laps to clear the irritation buzzing inside me, until I sensed I wasn’t alone and surfaced in the shallow end, ready to tell Tyson off for the way he’d treated his brother. Only it wasn’t Tyson that was standing at the edge of the pool smoking a cigarette.

“Hey, Audrey,” Ian said as I looked up at him. He was barefoot, as usual, and muddy.

“Ian,” I said, trying to sound friendly. “What’s up?”

“The water in my trailer isn’t working.”

“Okay,” I said, annoyed. “I’ll go get Tyson. I’m sure they have someone that can see about it.”

I noticed his hand was shaking as he raised the cigarette to his mouth. “I’ve been working on it.”

“You’ve been working on the plumbing?” I asked, mounting the steps in the shallow end. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Is that why you’re muddy?”

“The pipes are under the house.”

I grabbed a towel off a lounge chair and wrapped it around myself. “Do you know about plumbing?” I asked.

He sucked on the cigarette like it was his job. “Enough.”

“Ian,” Tyson called out as he emerged from the house. “You look like a pig in shit.”

“He’s been trying to fix the water for his trailer,” I said.

Tyson crossed his arms as he approached, looking Ian up and down. “What’s up with your water?”

“It’s dirty.”

Tyson gestured toward Ian’s trailer. “Why don’t you show me what we’re working with, and we’ll take it from there.”

I snatched my dress off the pavement and headed inside as they exited through the back gate. The air conditioning on my wet skin was a welcome relief, the beige marble slick beneath my feet.

“Hey,” Cody called from the open kitchen as I cut across the great room toward the stairs.

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