Fisher (Prince of Tigers, #3) - Kathi S. Barton Page 0,20

to not have her around.

When he was able to move again, he made his way to the restaurant where he was to meet his sister, Mary, who had flown in yesterday. He’d driven down and wished now that he’d had the money to fly. Finding a parking space that he didn’t have to pay so much for was nearly impossible. Not to mention, the crowds of people were only second to the number of cars that went up and down the strip. Christ, he hated crowds of people.

Slipping around the woman, he nearly fell off the sidewalk when a huge man bumped into him from behind. He needed to have some sort of ring around him, Louis decided. Something, anything that would keep him from having to be so close to these people.

Finally getting to the restaurant where his sister was, he sat at the table and was thrilled to find a glass of water and a Manhattan waiting for him. Mary knew him well. Drinking the water straight down, Louis was ready for his drink and some conversation. Or he hoped a resolution to the situation about their mother’s estate. But first, Mary told him, they had to order. She was starved.

After finding out that Mary was going to pay for their meal, he ordered what he wanted instead of what he thought he could afford. Mary was good at keeping some money around for things like this. He’d never been as broke as he was right now. Not to mention the FBI was looking for him.

“I know she’s here. I’ve had a man following her for the last week.” Louis asked Mary if she was in a hotel. “No. Believe it or not, she’s in one of those really expensive campers. Streamline or something like that. No, it’s an Airstream. No doubt spending our share of Mother’s money on it so she can hide from us.”

Louis thought Mary was right, but he didn’t comment. Sometimes Mary could be pissy about repeating what she said, even if it were only to agree with her. When his salad was set in front of him, he knew this was going to be a good place to eat. Digging in while Mary filled him in on what Piper had been up to, he only listened to about half of it.

Louis didn’t hate his sister Piper. Not like Mary did. He really didn’t have any feelings about her at all. She was his sister, but they never hung out together. They didn’t get together when they were not busy.

Piper had been born so long after him that he didn’t have a thing in common with her. Not that he thought it would have made any difference. He barely got along with Mary most of the time. Unless they were plotting or arguing, they had little in common either.

Leaving Piper to care for their dad seemed to be the best way to have handled the situation back then. Not that he did it any differently when Mom got sick. Piper was there with them, so there wasn’t any reason for him or Mary to come and help her out with all the extra care they needed. And sending them money wasn’t something he thought he should have to do. Louis didn’t expect his children to bail him out when he needed cash. Though lately, he thought he might have to hit them up for something.

“Are you listening to me?” He said he was and repeated back the last thing he’d heard Mary say. Mostly it was always about Mom’s money anyway. “All right. But if you think you can bring yourself to add to the conversation once in a while, that would be great.”

“The money from the insurance should be ours like we’ve said all along. Christ, it’s not like Piper didn’t have a roof over her head and wasn’t sponging off Mom the entire time she lived there. Right?” Mary said she’d even driven their old car. “See? That is her payment. Just like we’ve been saying all along. The fact that there are bills from the shit that was going on isn’t our problem. Mom made the bills. Since she’s dead, they should just simply be paid off. It’s not like we want the world—just our fair share. That judge, he had it all wrong about the money we should have been paying for Piper to help our parents out. I think it should be divided five ways no matter what he