“Shut up.”
Cord immediately clamped his lips. He knew better than to continue this if Jonah was shutting it down. “You got the cash?”
Cord rolled his eyes. “No.”
Shit!It looked like he’d be covering Cord’s ass. Again. Jonah turned back to Roxanne. Her blue eyes peering up at him with a soft pink hue across her face.
“And he dodged my calls for the past week.”
He resisted the urge to smile knowing she’d probably take it the wrong way. Watching her all fired up was making her even more appealing. So was that fact that she was not backing down and fully prepared to hold Cord’s ass to the fire. Nothing sexier than a confident woman, especially the one in front of him.
“Twelve hundred is the quote?”
“Yes. He asked that we not go through insurance.” She scowled, turning her attention to his brother. “Now, I know why. You had no intention of paying me, did you?”
Cord flinched as if insulted. “Yes, I did. Just don’t have it now.”
“But you didn’t tell me that a week ago, did you?”
Cord had no retort. It was shitty and Jonah was feeling the effects of his brother pulling an asshole move on her. What did that say about Jonah? He was the one who raised Cord. He’d make this right. They both would.
Jonah sighed, gripping his hips. “How about, he’ll do the repairs and pay for all the parts. I know a guy who can get me the materials at cost. Would you be willing to do that?”
Roxanne eyed him then Cord. “Does he know how?”
Cord’s jaw squared. The question had undoubtedly been a hit to his ego. He had no idea if the insult was intentional.But touché.
“I’ll do most of the work, but his ass will be helping, trust me.”
Cord scoffed. “She should pay at least half, Jonah!”
Cord could be a whiny brat at times, but Jonah knew how to get him in line. He hardened his stare and inched closer to his brother. A little fear was a good thing, and he was going to enjoy watching his brother cower a bit. Jonah glanced at Roxanne.
“If he’s not willing to do it then you might have to let your brothers know.” He cocked his brow, in hopes she’d follow his lead.
She did.
Roxanne bit her lip and cocked her head. “Who should I tell first? Ethan?” She paused. “I’m going to T’s on Friday, maybe I’ll just mention it to him. He’ll probably come by right after. Do you know T?” Her faux innocence had Jonah biting back his smile. His brothers had only met T once, but it was enough to leave an impression.
Cord’s face paled as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He remained silent but his mind was racing. Holden, on the other hand, was known for speaking every thought. His mouth fell open and he jerked his stare to Cord then back to Roxanne. “T as in T Garrison? That’s your brother?”
“One of them.”
Holden’s sucked in a breath and stepped back with wide eyes. He slapped Cord on the back hard enough to send him a step forward. “Oh damn, man. You’re dead! You hit T Garrison’s sister!” He raked his hand through his hair gripping the ends. “He’s gonna destroy your ass!”
When he heard her soft snicker, he was tempted to join in, but Jonah kept his stone mask in place. T was a scary motherfucker especially to someone like his brother. A little fear often had people doing the right thing. Cord glanced up at him. Jonah would never let T, or anyone else for that matter, lay a hand on any of his family but he wasn’t going to let Cord in on that.
Cord cleared his throat. “I’ll do it.”
“This weekend,” Jonah said. It was a statement not a question. The plans Cord had made to go to a concert were now void. If his brother was smart, he’d agree. Cord cursed under his breath and tightened his lips. He’d been planning the trip to Dallas for months.
“Fine,” he muttered. “This fucking blows.”
Jonah grabbed his arm. “Mouth.”
It was all he had to say for Cord to shut up. It was hard raising boys when he was just a kid himself, but he’d done his best with the basics. Cursing like an ingrate was something he had a low tolerance for. He had no doubt Roxanne had heard them all before, but it didn’t mean she should hear it from his brothers.
Cord pulled his arm away, heading toward the stairs.
