“Armie,” he warned.
“Fuck off, Cannon.” Without any real animosity, he said, “She’s not your sister, not your girlfriend, and my imagination is not under your purview. I can damn well fantasize about her if I want to.”
“Listen to you talking all fancy.”
Armie froze, winced and turned to see Rissy standing there. Eyes narrowed. Arms crossed. One foot tapping.
Damn, she was hot. “Hey, Stretch. Way to sneak up on a guy.”
After a burning glare, she dismissed him. “I have to take off,” she said to Cannon.
“You’re working today?”
“No, I don’t start back until Monday, but I got a call from Steve. He was supposed to pick me up last night and was a no-show. Took Cherry and me an hour to catch a cab.”
“Why didn’t you call me?” Cannon asked.
“I did, remember? You didn’t answer.” Grinning, she waved away his automatic apology. “We made it home safe and sound, no biggie. Anyway, Steve just called. He said he’s laid up. Something about getting jumped and beat up.”
Wasn’t easy, but Armie managed to keep his face blank, even when Cannon stared at him. Steve was a damned liar, but whatever.
Rissy didn’t look real concerned over her boyfriend’s plight, he noted. “You’re going to go play nurse, huh? Sounds kinky.”
Cannon shoved him again.
But Rissy forestalled her brother’s temper by saying, “Actually, I’m mostly just going there to tell him we’re over.”
While Armie staggered, at least figuratively, Cannon asked, “Why? What happened?”
“Nothing, really. I just realized I didn’t miss him while I was in Japan. I had more fun with Cherry than I would have if Steve had gone along. That’s pretty telling, don’t you think?”
Always the supportive big brother, Cannon said, “I think you’re smart enough to know what you’re doing.”
She shrugged. “Hope so, because there aren’t any other prospects currently on the horizon.”
Armie worked his jaw. Was she hinting? For his benefit?
Ha. Not happening. He wasn’t a dope. And she damn well knew how he felt about—
“I hate to run off.” She fretted with her purse strap. “Do you still have a key?”
Cannon nodded. “Don’t sweat it, hon. We’re taking off anyway.”
“Well, if you do need to go back in, Cherry will be here, but I think she might be going back to bed.” She pointed at Armie. “Not a word out of you.”
Forgetting what he’d been about to say, something to do with Cherry and a bed and not sleeping, Armie closed his mouth.
Keeping a cautious eye on him, Rissy slowly moved her gaze back to Cannon. “If you find yourself with extra free time, give me a call.”
Cannon hugged her close. “Will do.”
She leaned her head against him. “I like her, Cannon. Don’t screw it up, okay?”
Laughing, Cannon mussed his sister’s hair, kissed her forehead and let her go.
Armie made a point of not looking at her. Hell, he tried not to look at Cannon either. But Rissy had no sooner pulled away from the curb than Cannon stared him down.
Cannon was good at that, but then, so was Armie. “What?”
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me it was Steve you fought with?”
Seeing no reason to deny it, Armie snorted. “There was no fight to it, that’s why. He and his punk friends jumped me, got in a few licks and then ended up limping away. You heard Rissy. The wuss is still lazing in bed, no doubt milking it for her benefit.” Disgruntled by the idea, he muttered, “Bastard is probably hoping to appeal to her softer side.”
“What do you know of my sister’s softer side?”
“Only that she hides it well.” He clapped Cannon on the shoulder. “We going to call someone about the tires or what?”
“Roadside service is on the way. Soon as they get here we can take off. I just need you to drop Yvette and me off at home. We’ll use her car to go to the rec center. Stack wants me to meet some of the new kids. As it is, I’m cutting it close.”
“Let’s get to it, then.”
“Right.” Folding his arms over his chest, Cannon went all stern and insistent. “Soon as you tell me what happened with Steve.”
“I already did.”
“Not by a long shot.”
Knowing Cannon well enough to see he wouldn’t let it go, Armie shrugged. Why not? He’d censor appropriately and if anything, Cannon would thank him. “I heard him shooting off his mouth, that’s all.”
His expression went dark. “About Rissy?”
Shaking his head, Armie said, “No.” He’d have done more than knock him around for that. “About some other chick he’s banging. As in, sleeping with while Rissy was in Japan.”
Cannon’s arms dropped. “He was cheating on her?”
Just the umbrage Armie had counted on. “Yeah, and from what he said, it’s happened before. He went into a nauseating amount of detail about how the chick was desperate and easy—and finished off by saying with Merissa out of town, he had to take his pleasure where he could.”
“So he did talk about her.”
Rushing, Armie said, “You don’t need to do anything.”
“Because you already did?”
“Uh...” Yeah, that about covered it. But he didn’t want to give the wrong impression. “You heard Rissy. He’s already a beaten dog. Why dirty your hands finishing him off?”