not,” a voice called from inside. Alex heard it and sighed when a young woman slinked out onto the porch. “But you don’t have a problem stabbing them in the back, do you?”
“I’m shocked—shocked—that Maggie’s here,” Ted muttered. “Who would have expected that?”
Alex eyed her in disgust. Maggie Quinn was attractive, and she knew it. And she made everyone else around her aware of it, too. The woman used sex like a weapon. Despite that, Maggie didn’t have a problem attracting attention when she wanted it.
“I haven’t seen Maggie in a few years,” he mused. “I didn’t miss her.”
“You sure know how to show a girl a good time.” Ted patted his shoulder. “This afternoon just gets better and better.”
Maggie Quinn stepped in front of Connor, two of her sisters flanking her. If there was anyone who could stir up shit even faster than old Connor, it had to be his childhood friend’s sister. There were multiple reasons that Sean had fled the Springs when he was eighteen, and one of them was standing on the porch, glaring at Alex.
“Does Maggie know what really happened with you and Sean?”
“Nope.”
Quinns were shit to each other, but they valued family loyalty above all else. And Sean had stuck with his family. Through every fight. Every scam. He’d lost a tooth in a bar fight Maggie had provoked. He wasn’t one to complain, but he desperately wanted out.
Which was why—when Sean had asked him to—Alex had accused his childhood friend of stealing from both the feed store and the diner, giving his friend a perfectly legitimate reason to leave town. No Quinn was going to argue with one of their own running from the law, and no one needed to know the money had been quietly returned with no harm done. The accusation meant Sean got out, but it left Alex on the shit list of most of the Quinn clan.
But then, he’d been on their shit list anyway, just for being a wolf.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Maggie called. “Come to betray another friend? Or have you already done that, McCann?”
“None of the wolves had anything to do with Marcus’s death, Maggie. I’m just here to ask the old man some questions.”
“That poor girl.” Maggie wiped alligator tears from her eyes and put a hand on Rory’s shoulder. “Your own niece and nephews, Rory. Fatherless. Not that this dog cares.”
Ted said, “She really is a snake, isn’t she?”
“Rosy boa. Fitting, isn’t it?”
“Kind of.”
Whipping her head around as if she’d heard them, Maggie said, “What do you want here, Alex? We’re just trying to grieve our cousin and brother in peace.”
He resisted rolling his eyes at her drama. Barely. “I want to talk to Old Quinn.”
“He’s not here.”
He glanced at Ted, who nodded silently. “We can wait.”
Maggie only sneered. “You’re not wanted. This is Quinn land.”
Alex and old Joe Quinn got along better than most. He didn’t have the soft spot for Alex that he did for Jena, but Alex suspected Old Quinn knew exactly what had happened with Sean, because the man wasn’t an idiot. And he’d been the one to raise Sean after his dad took off and he couldn’t stand being around his mother and sisters anymore.
“Yeah, it’s Quinn land,” Alex said. “But it’s not your land, Maggie. It’s the old man’s. So we’ll wait.”
She started toward him, clearly unhappy to have her claim challenged. She didn’t like her great-uncle, and Alex had to wonder why Maggie was even there. Was a dominance challenge brewing in the snake clan? She might not have been strong enough now, but Alex had no question that at some point, Maggie Quinn would make her move to take over the Quinn family. And if she was successful, God help everyone in the Springs.
Maggie gave up trying to get a rise out of Alex, so she shifted her attention to Ted.
“And if it isn’t the mannish kitten. Are you taking a turn fucking the wolf now?” She cocked her head. “Didn’t
“I’m shocked—shocked—that Maggie’s here,” Ted muttered. “Who would have expected that?”
Alex eyed her in disgust. Maggie Quinn was attractive, and she knew it. And she made everyone else around her aware of it, too. The woman used sex like a weapon. Despite that, Maggie didn’t have a problem attracting attention when she wanted it.
“I haven’t seen Maggie in a few years,” he mused. “I didn’t miss her.”
“You sure know how to show a girl a good time.” Ted patted his shoulder. “This afternoon just gets better and better.”
Maggie Quinn stepped in front of Connor, two of her sisters flanking her. If there was anyone who could stir up shit even faster than old Connor, it had to be his childhood friend’s sister. There were multiple reasons that Sean had fled the Springs when he was eighteen, and one of them was standing on the porch, glaring at Alex.
“Does Maggie know what really happened with you and Sean?”
“Nope.”
Quinns were shit to each other, but they valued family loyalty above all else. And Sean had stuck with his family. Through every fight. Every scam. He’d lost a tooth in a bar fight Maggie had provoked. He wasn’t one to complain, but he desperately wanted out.
Which was why—when Sean had asked him to—Alex had accused his childhood friend of stealing from both the feed store and the diner, giving his friend a perfectly legitimate reason to leave town. No Quinn was going to argue with one of their own running from the law, and no one needed to know the money had been quietly returned with no harm done. The accusation meant Sean got out, but it left Alex on the shit list of most of the Quinn clan.
But then, he’d been on their shit list anyway, just for being a wolf.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Maggie called. “Come to betray another friend? Or have you already done that, McCann?”
“None of the wolves had anything to do with Marcus’s death, Maggie. I’m just here to ask the old man some questions.”
“That poor girl.” Maggie wiped alligator tears from her eyes and put a hand on Rory’s shoulder. “Your own niece and nephews, Rory. Fatherless. Not that this dog cares.”
Ted said, “She really is a snake, isn’t she?”
“Rosy boa. Fitting, isn’t it?”
“Kind of.”
Whipping her head around as if she’d heard them, Maggie said, “What do you want here, Alex? We’re just trying to grieve our cousin and brother in peace.”
He resisted rolling his eyes at her drama. Barely. “I want to talk to Old Quinn.”
“He’s not here.”
He glanced at Ted, who nodded silently. “We can wait.”
Maggie only sneered. “You’re not wanted. This is Quinn land.”
Alex and old Joe Quinn got along better than most. He didn’t have the soft spot for Alex that he did for Jena, but Alex suspected Old Quinn knew exactly what had happened with Sean, because the man wasn’t an idiot. And he’d been the one to raise Sean after his dad took off and he couldn’t stand being around his mother and sisters anymore.
“Yeah, it’s Quinn land,” Alex said. “But it’s not your land, Maggie. It’s the old man’s. So we’ll wait.”
She started toward him, clearly unhappy to have her claim challenged. She didn’t like her great-uncle, and Alex had to wonder why Maggie was even there. Was a dominance challenge brewing in the snake clan? She might not have been strong enough now, but Alex had no question that at some point, Maggie Quinn would make her move to take over the Quinn family. And if she was successful, God help everyone in the Springs.
Maggie gave up trying to get a rise out of Alex, so she shifted her attention to Ted.
“And if it isn’t the mannish kitten. Are you taking a turn fucking the wolf now?” She cocked her head. “Didn’t
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