I think of Misty and her favorite drink. “A shot of whiskey, please.”
“Coming right up.” Ava pulls out a shot glass, and I watch as she fills it.
“Is that Crown Village whiskey?” I ask her, glancing at the familiar white-and-black label.
After pouring the liquor, Ava lifts the bottle upright and tilts her head, looking at the label. “It is. You must know your whiskey.”
“No, I know Crown Village whiskey. It was my sister’s favorite, and it’s owned by Knox’s cousin, Lawson.”
Ava passes me the shot. As I pick it up, it spills down the glass and onto the bar. I lift it to my mouth and toss the shot down, feeling the burn. After I swallow, I wince.
“Was?” Elena asks. “Does your sister have a new favorite one now?”
Elena’s question makes me flinch. “No... umm.” I rub my throat again, feeling it tighten. “My sister went missing ten years ago,” I clarify. “That’s why I’m staying here. It was too much at my parents’ house where we grew up.”
They gasp. “I’m so sorry,” Ava says with genuine sadness in her tone.
“We had no idea,” Elena says. “I had heard about it, but I never knew it was someone close to Bomber. God, I opened my big mouth. I wish Axle would have told me.”
“Knox is a quiet person. I doubt he wanted anyone to know.”
Elena looks deep in thought, then her lips curve. She points at me. “You’re the reason he smiled. I heard Axle and Viper talking about it. They mentioned a woman, but now I know it’s you.”
“Uh, okay.”
There goes that smile being mentioned again.
“Can I ask you a question?” Elena asks.
“Okay,” I answer reluctantly, unsure where this question will lead.
“Bomber is so umm”—she looks up, then cringes as if considering her choice of words—“reserved, and if you don’t mind me saying... a little cold. How do you deal with that?”
“I haven’t spoken to him in over eight years, so there’s not much I can tell you. I have spent little time with him too, but everything about him seems amplified.”
Elena leans in closer. “Please, keep going. We know nothing about him.”
I clasp my knees tightly together. I don’t even know where to start.
“Another shot?” Ava asks.
“Two please.”
She gets to work pouring them for me. “I think I had five or six shots my second night here.” She places the shots in front of me and leans in. “Just make sure if you have to go to the bathroom, you go back into the right room,” she says with a wince.
That makes me smile. “Where did you end up going?”
“I accidentally ended up in Reaper’s bedroom. But it worked out for the best, I guess.”
Elena raises her brow. “But was it an accident?” Her voice was filled with amusement and suspicion.
Ava’s mouth opens wide, her hand on her heart. “It certainly was.”
“I don’t know about that,” Elena says in a mocking tone.
“Knox has already told me I’m sleeping in his room. Is there a spare room?” I ask them.
“Yes, there is for guests,” Ava answers.
