Chapter 28: CASH

Twenty-Eight

CASH

I enter my house to an unexpected arrangement of women gathered around my kitchen counter that immediately puts me in a sour mood.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I grumble at Tylee before greeting anyone. Tylee's presence immediately irks me and I don't remember having her name on the list of approved people for the safehouse. She's a troublemaker.

Tylee Sinclair leans over the counter drinking milk out of a wine glass while Aunt Deb bounces Avery, and Quin acts like she doesn't notice me enter the room. Why the fuck isn't she looking at me? Quin has her arm around Tylee's waist like they're best friends.

And there's a pistol on the counter.

"Is that gun loaded?" I snap, striding over towards it and quickly demonstrating basic gun safety for the women in the room who stare at me like I have two heads.

"He thinks he's so cool," Tylee says. "I remember when he was a skinny little ginger kid you could fit in a suitcase."

After verifying the gun isn't loaded,. I slam it on the table in front of Tylee threateningly, provoking Deb and Quin to chastise me.

"Not in front of Avery!" they both yell in unison. When did all these women join some kind of cult and why do I immediately feel attacked? I glare at both of them, more specifically at Quin, who still won't look me directly in the eye.

"Okay. Fine. Sorry. Why is Tylee in my house."

"We're cousins and I miss you."

"I miss you too. The way someone might miss cancer or total body paralysis."

"Tanner!" Aunt Deb says. "Tylee came here with important information. I need you to sit down and listen to it."

My cheeks glow with frustration. After all the mess I just got into with the club, the last thing I want to concern myself with is having a discussion with women. I want to see Quin but having a discussion with her is the last thing on my mind.

"I just got back from a long road trip. I don't have time for this."

"Your mom found out about Avery," Tylee says.

Fuck.

"What do you mean, she found out?"

"Listen. We all know your mother. I did the smart thing and came straight here."

"Where is she?" I growl.

Aunt Deb scoffs. "She's your mother. You know where she is."

"She's hunting down the whore my father knocked up with a shotgun in the front seat?" I respond with a sigh.

My mom has been chasing down my father's various "whores" and affair partners throughout my entire life. I thought after Doc passed away, she would at least have some peace of mind that the man she stayed faithful to her entire life couldn't screw with her again.

He just had to leave her with one last screw up on the way out.

"I got here as fast as I could," Tylee says. "Literally booked a flight and rented that Honda to get out here from the airport. Isaac is pissed."

"You left your husband?" I snap at her. Tylee is constantly doing foolish, impulsive things like this and it's a damn miracle that Isaac Sinclair hasn't tied her ass up. Tylee's eyes narrow and she starts yammering at me like I'm the one out of pocket here.

"She called me," Tylee says. "I think she's going to blow that woman's brains out."

Yes. We all know my mother is crazy. She has a temper – always has. Right now, I don't want to deal with it. If she wants to keep fighting my father's ghosts, I don't want to stop her.

"I don't have time for this," I growl. "If my mother wants to shoot someone in the head and spend the rest of her life in prison… so be it."

"After what my husband did for Quin, I think you owe me."

My eyes dart to Quin who looks suddenly suspicious and uncomfortable. She's still ignoring my eye contact.

"Yes…" I reply, though I don't have a clue what she's talking about aside from the fact that it relates to Quin's big secret. "Your husband helped her out significantly. I remember."

"She's going to kill that woman, Tanner. You have to do something."

"The only thing I can do is keep Avery out of trouble."

Aunt Deb stands up and gives me a knowing look. We discussed this in the past and I promised her that I wouldn't let it come to that.

"What's happening?" Quin asks, sensing the secretive communication between me and Aunt Deb with only our facial expressions.

"I'm taking Avery back to Missouri to Wyatt's little place for me," she says. "It's the deal I made with Tanner if anyone comes after her."

"Wait, what?" Quin says. "I can come with you."

Obviously there's no chance in hell I would ever let Quin do something like that, but the fact that she could even think about leaving her unsettles my stomach.

"No," I snap impulsively, betraying my emotions to everyone in the room – not like any of them care. "You're staying here. Avery will go with Deb."

"What about your mother!" Tylee yells.

I turn to her sharply. "I already told you that I have enough problems. If my mother wants to shoot some white trash whore, that's her choice."

Tylee looks like she's about to slap me, so I make some effort to soften her temper.

"But thank you," I continue, calming my tone down so she doesn't follow through on her impulse. "We can get Avery out of trouble in case my mother truly loses her marbles."

"She lost her marbles a while ago, Tanner. What if she thinks you helped your dad hide it, huh? What if she turns on you?"

I sigh and rub my forehead.

"Tylee. Let me handle it. Right now, I want all you damn women out of my house. And Avery somewhere safe."

"You can't just send Avery away," Quin pipes up.

"It has nothing to do with you," I snap at her. "I'm the one who knows what's best for Avery and I don't require input from the nanny."

Quin's nostrils flare and I see her face change unlike anything I've seen before.

"How. Dare. You."

Her voice vibrates with anger that she doesn't bother concealing.

"Don't have a tantrum," I respond firmly, self-satisfied at my ability to keep my cool while she trembles.

"I'm not having a tantrum, you asshole. I love Avery and if you gave a crap about her you wouldn't send her away like a badly behaved dog from a shelter."

Everyone in the room is quiet. Too quiet. Deb and Tylee are both looking at me like I have two heads – and they hate both of them. Quin's little hands ball up into fists and I don't know why, but her fury is getting a rise out of me like nothing has been able to. Just because I don't simper around Avery showing every form of weakness imaginable doesn't mean I don't love her.

"This is not a debate."

"You can't send her away!" Quin yells. "I won't let you."

"You won't do a damn thing but go to your room," I yell at her.

If I thought it was quiet before, my house sounds like a goddamn graveyard. On cue, Avery begins her howling from another room. Fuck…

Deb glares at me. "I'll get her."

Tylee gives me an equally cruel look. "I'll help."

They walk away hurriedly, leaving me and Quin alone. She looks at me like she has so much more to say on the tip of her tongue. Heat rises beneath my cheeks and spreads over the back of my neck. I feel hot-tempered and humiliated. This is exactly what I never wanted to happen between the two of us.

After last night, what I wanted today was…

"I hate you," Quin says, scowling firmly. "I hate you more than I've hated anyone."

"Good," I snarl at her. "Because once Avery's gone, I'll have you out on your ass to fend for yourself."

She raises her eyebrows and then seems to stop herself from saying something before she turns on her heel and storms off down the hallway. Quin slams her bedroom door.

Tylee and Deb emerge with Avery all packed up. I can't stand to look at them.

"I hope you apologized," Aunt Deb says.

Tylee scoffs. "When have you ever heard a Hollingsworth man apologize?"

"Two weeks. Mom should be done with her revenge in two weeks and then… she can come back," I tell Aunt Deb.

"Tell Quin that," She says. "You can't expect her not to get attached."

"Not everyone can be a heartless monster," Tylee says.

"I'll be in touch," I grunt, ushering these annoying, meddlesome women out of my goddamn house.