Henri, “Yeah you did. You said her mom’s a who?—”
“Stop!” I snap at Henri. “Just stop!”
She crosses her arms and glares at me. Then to Hangman she demands, “Make him apologize to Brielle!”
Hangman runs a hand over his mouth as a few brothers snicker under their breath. Hangman doesn’t take orders from anyone and the last thing he wants Max to do is apologize to a girl in front of everyone.
Then Verity strolls in through the patio doors. “What’s goin’ on?”
Hangman swings around and pierces her with a glare. “Where the fuck were you?”
Brielle takes a shaky breath. “Language, dad,” she says.
“Christ,” he say.
“We should get a swear jar,” Henri says to Brielle. “We could make enough money to go to Disneyland.”
Trigger snorts a stuffed-up laugh.
“We’re not gettin’ a swear jar,” Hangman growls at Henri, then turns his attention back to Verity. “Where were you when this shit was going down?”
“See,” Henri whispers to Brielle. “Already a dollar.”
Hangman stabs his finger at Henri but keeps his hostile eyes on Verity.
Verity is long past being intimidated by Hangman so she simply shrugs. “Outside having a smoke since we can’t smoke inside anymore. I saw it. Henri had Brielle’s back.”
“Seven,” Henri corrects her.
Hangman clenches his teeth. “This fucking place is going to hell.”
Brielle starts to open her mouth, but Henri nudges her and shakes her head.
And I thought the girl had no common sense.
Hangman says to Max. “Brielle’s mom is no more a whore than yo—.” He stops, glances at Verity, realizes what he was about to say, and changes course. “… was my girlfriend.”
Which is putting it loosely given she was a passaround who he cheated on Verity with.
Joker joins us, ignoring the soap opera playing out in front of us. “Kozlov says come over for vodka. I told him now, before the few guys we have available scatter to the wind.”
“Yep,” Hangman says then glares at me. “This what’s keeping you busy?” He throws his thumb over his shoulder at Henri, much like she did to him earlier.
“Yeah,” I reply.
He shrugs. “Why’s that a problem? She stays here, keeps Brielle company. We go, we come back.”
“No way!” Max yells.
Hangman stabs his finger at him. “You don’t got a say in this!”
“Well, I do,” Henri interjects as she crosses her arms and tries to stare me down. “The rule is we have to stick together. You can’t leave me behind.”
I shake my head. “I can’t take you with me.”
“Why not? Are you guys gonna do some sort of criminal enterprise?”
More chuckles from the brothers. Even Joker cracks a smile.
