little fun?”
Lynne tilted her chin, pretending his accusation hadn’t struck a nerve. Okay, maybe she was busy. And there’d been nights when Nash had arrived for their date and she’d been in the middle of an emergency. What did he expect? That she would walk away from a sick animal so he didn’t have to wait?
Struggling to control her temper, Lynne was distantly aware of the sound of knocking and then Kir calling out her name as her front door was opened. He sounded worried, but she kept her attention on Nash.
Her ex didn’t appear to have heard Kir’s arrival. Typical. He rarely paid attention to anything beyond the sound of his own voice.
“You know, Nash, I’m not disgusted with you. It’s obvious you can’t help being a selfish ass,” she said, determined to keep him distracted. Nash was brashly arrogant, but he wasn’t overly bright. It wouldn’t take much to goad him into revealing the truth. “I’m disgusted with myself for not seeing what you were from our first date.”
He sneered at her accusation. “Lie to yourself if it makes you feel better. I’ve never had a woman who was so eager to lure a man into a relationship.”
“Lure? You wouldn’t stop following me around,” she taunted. “You were like a lost puppy.”
Lynne leaned against the counter. It allowed her to see around the bulk of Nash’s body to the connecting doorway to the living room. As soon as she caught sight of Kir, she gave him a sharp shake of her head.
Kir stopped, his expression puzzled. Clearly, he was trying to determine if she wanted him to leave or if she needed his assistance. Then, as if recognizing Nash, he moved to press himself against the wall. Out of sight, but easily able to listen to the conversation.
Nash gave a forced laugh, still oblivious to Kir’s presence. “Your dad was a vet, now you’re a vet. I thought you might have some spare cha-ching to invest in my business. Then I discovered you threw away all your money on that useless sanctuary.”
His words were no surprise. They’d been dating less than a month the first time he’d asked her to become a silent partner in his bar. She’d refused, of course, and he’d dropped the subject. At least for a while. Toward the end of their relationship he was badgering her on a daily basis to give him money.
Now, however, she intended to use his inept lack of financial skills to her advantage.
“Speaking of the bar, how’s it doing?” she asked in overly sweet tones.
He jerked, visibly caught off guard by her question. “Fine. Great. Business has never been better.”
“Really?” Lynne held his wary gaze. “I heard from a reliable source that you’ve resorted to selling cases of beer to underage kids in the back alley.”
“Your reliable source is full of bullshit.”
His voice was harsh, but Lynne didn’t miss the way his hands clenched and unclenched. A sure sign he was lying.
“I doubt that. But in any case, I’m sure the sheriff would be interested in the rumors,” she assured him. “After all, if you’ll supply alcohol to underage kids, then why not drugs?”
“You bitch.” His faced flushed, that unfamiliar danger sizzling around him as he glared down at her. “You’re trying to ruin my life.”
“I don’t care enough to try and ruin your life, Nash,” she taunted, inwardly relieved that Kir was nearby.
She’d never been afraid of Nash, but he was very large, and very angry. Who knew what he might do if his temper snapped?
“Then why are you threatening me?” he grated.
“Because I want the truth.”
“You know the truth. I had sex with Chelsea.” His hands continued to clench and unclench. “Big deal.”
“What did you do with the drugs?”
“I told you.”
Lynne lifted her hand that was holding her phone. “I’m calling the sheriff.”
“Stop.”
“What did you do with them?”
Nash’s jaundiced gaze remained locked on the phone. Was he considering whether he could grab it out of her hand before she could hit 911? Then he conceded defeat with a muttered curse.
“Fine.” His expression was as hard and brittle as ice. “My cousin from Grange dabbles in drugs. He was approached by a customer willing to pay big coin if he could get his hands on some Telazol.” Nash’s lips curled into a smirk. “My cousin knew I was dating a vet, so he called me and promised to split the profit.”
Lynne considered his words. Nash could be lying, but for the moment she was prepared to believe