“We could go to a bar near my place.It’s within walking distance, or...”I pause, thinking.“We could pick up some drinks and food and bring them back to my apartment.Might be more comfortable.”
“Let’s pick up some things,” Iris says without hesitation.“I’m not really in the mood to be around people right now.”
The elevator dings, and we step inside.“Perfect.There’s a good liquor store and a deli on my block.”
“Wine and takeout sounds like exactly what I need,” Iris says, and when I glance at her, she looks relaxed.
Outside, the evening air is crisp, and I can already taste the freedom of being away from that suffocating office.“You know,” Iris says as we start walking, “I can’t remember the last time I had a girls’ night.”
“When was the last time you did anything just for you?”
She’s quiet for a moment, her expression hardening.“Honestly?I don’t remember.Richard doesn’t really like it when I go out without him.”
Of course he doesn’t.“Well, Richard’s not invited.”
“Thank god for that,” she mutters, and I can’t help but grin.
Twenty minutes later, we’re driving through the city.Iris is telling me about some ridiculous email exchange she had with the warehouse manager when I spot something that makes me slow down the car.As we pass a bar called Sip and Dip, I see a familiar figure standing in the parking lot next to a sleek black luxury car.
Megan.
But she’s not alone.She has her hands planted firmly on her hips, clearly in the middle of a heated argument with a man who towers over her.He’s got at least six inches and fifty pounds on her, his bulk making her look even smaller than she already is.Even from this distance, I can see the tension in both their stances, the way they’re squared off against each other like they’re about to come to blows.
I slow my car, squinting through the windshield to get a better look.
“What’s wrong?”Iris asks, following my gaze.
“That’s Caleb’s sister,” I say quietly, pulling closer to the curb.
That’s when I see the full picture, and my stomach drops.The luxury car’s windshield is completely smashed, spider-webbed glass hanging in dangerous sheets.All four tires are flat, the two I can see slashed to ribbons.And beside the man arguing with Megan, there’s a woman holding a tire iron like she knows how to use it.
“Something’s wrong,” I whisper.
I fumble for my phone, dialing Caleb’s number.It goes straight to voicemail.Cursing under my breath, I undo my seatbelt and reach into the back seat, grabbing the aluminum baseball bat I keep there.Caleb has protested that I don’t need it, but I beg to differ.
Iris stares at me, eyes wide.“Why do you have a baseball bat in your back seat?”
I give her a smirk.“I’m a very small woman with a very big temper.”Before Iris can respond, I’m out of the car and crossing the street.I can hear her car door slam behind me, but I’m already focused on the scene unfolding ahead.
As I get closer, Megan’s voice carries across the pavement, dripping with that same cocky arrogance I know so well.“I don’t care, Tom.You think you can threaten me?”I raise my brows despite the situation.They really are related.
Bringing the baseball bat was definitely a good idea, I think grimly as I assess the situation.The woman beside Tom steps forward, brandishing the tire iron like a weapon.Her voice is rough, aggressive.“You fucked us over.Better fork over your cards, or I’ll take a shot at your kneecaps next.”
Megan laughs, and the sound is nearly psychotic.She sneers at them both.“Try it, bitch.”
The woman raises the tire iron, and I see her muscles tense.That’s when I step forward, setting the bat casually on my shoulder like I’m heading to practice.“I would put that down if I were you,” I say, my voice nonchalant.“She’s not alone.”
Megan spins around, her eyes wide.When they land on me, I see the recognition in her eyes.“Eve?”
“You good?”I ask slowly, my eyes on the woman with the tire iron.“Is this your car, Megan?”
“Yeah.”Megan eyes my baseball bat, and a smile curves her lips.“Candy over here had a go at it because I cancelled the credit cards I gave my broke-ass boyfriend.Did I get that right, Tom?”She gives a sickly sweet grin at her ex-boyfriend.“And Tom and Candy seem to think I owe them my cards.You know, because that makes perfect sense.”
“Well.”I look between the two.“Guess it’s two against two now.”
“Three,” Iris gasps, having run from the car.“Had to lock the car.You left the key in the cupholder.I’m so out of shape.What’s going on?”
“They’re trying to rob her—Megans’ ex and whoever this Jelly person is.”
