Page 75 of The Professor

Trixie, Bridget, and three other girls were peering out from behind a curtain.

“I’m not a whore.” She wagged her finger at him.

“And don’t think about arguing that point.” I snarled. “She’s my woman, no one else’s.”

“She’s my fucking sister, and I will not have her staying here.”

“It was one night, an emergency.” I frowned.

“What kind of emergency?”

“It was bad, but I’m okay. If I’m with Andrew and the guys…I’m okay.”

Vince’s jaw tightened. “Andrew.” He nodded at me. “The professor, right?”

“That’ll be me.”

“Kind of inappropriate, don’t you think?”

“What?”

“You two, together.” He huffed.

“We’re both consenting adults.” I straightened my t-shirt and shoved a hand through my mussed-up hair. “Why don’t you come in? We’ve got news.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Yeah, right.”

“About Dad.” Chelsea gripped his upper arm. “News about Dad and what he did.”

Chapter Eighteen

Andrew

“You sort your family shit out,” a huge bearded biker directed at Vince. “We’ll hit The Sticky Vicar around the corner.”

“Ha, you go. We’ve got an invitation.” Another biker laughed and waved up at the window where Bridget and Trixie were making come-hither signs.

“This way,” I said to Vince. “We use the back door.” I took Chelsea’s hand and led her ahead.

“We’ll leave you to it.” Phil pulled out a smoke and leaned on the fence. “Keep an eye on the screens, will you.”

“Of course.” I marched forward. Of all the things I’d been expecting this morning, Chelsea’s brother turning up wasn’t one of them.

“Wanna sit?” I nodded at a chair.

“No. I’ll stand.” He stood feet hip width apart, big arms crossed.

He was the exact opposite to Chelsea, wide, pumped up, masculine, and with a mouth that appeared immune to smiling.

“What’s going on, Chelsea?”

Chelsea sat and picked up the mug of tea she’d been previously nursing. “Dad, he’s out, seemed he didn’t do what you said he did.”

“I’m not wrong about him.” His lips tightened. “He’s a piece of shit.”

I leaned my bum against the counter and kept my thoughts about Vince to myself.

“The police think Mum was involved in something, something criminal.” She took a deep breath.