“Okay, so then how about talking to me alone? The Casanova series is Riksen’s, but I’m on it now, too. We’re co-writing.”
“Yeah, sure. I’ll talk to you.” Taking my bowl into the kitchen, I consider. Cami’s cool and not likely to coldly dismiss what I have to say, which the giant asshole probably would have. “I’m not sure it’s anything, but it might be,” I say carefully.
Cami licks her lips and follows suit by setting her bowl in the sink. “I definitely want to hear.” Her eagerness hooks me like a catchy rhythm.
“Want to do it as a ‘show and tell’? The place where it happened is ten minutes from here.”
“Absolutely. I have as much time as it takes.”
Returning to the site is a bad idea. My head is already full of nightmares. But I keep hoping I’ll see something that will help end Casanova’s reign. Even if I could just give the information to someone who would really work on it, maybe I could let it go. I want to pass the torch so badly.
“Okay,” I say with a forced light tone.
Walking out to the living room, I head to the closet. Once I have my puffy black coat on, I drop my phone into a pocket and snag my keys from the coffee table.
Cami follows me out the front door. “The incident with Erik must’ve been a pretty big deal if you’re still pissed at him?”
“Blood, sex, and broken promises,” I say with a wink.
She leans forward as we jog down the steps. “Please go on.”
I bite down on my lip. This story is an itch I want to scratch. I shouldn’t. And yet…
“Six broken ribs and a broken eye socket that should never have happened. Because of him.” I’m being purposely provocative because I want to spill the tea. I have for a long time. The occasion just hasn’t arisen before now. Sorensen and I were so deft at avoiding each other that no one suspected.
“Broken bones?” Cami’s tone is shocked.
As I stroll down the sidewalk toward the lot, I shrug. “When Sorensen writes as Riksen, he’s all mature and reflective. But as a man, he’s way more like the Viking Berserker from the football field.”
“How so?”
“Are you sharpening your pencil? Or just curious?”
“What do you mean?” Her tone is full of innocence that I don’t buy. No one who’s sleeping with Declan Heyworth could still be so sweet.
“I’m pretty sure you know exactly what I mean. If you plan to write this conversation up in theGranthorpe Daily Dispatch’sgossip column, I’m done talking. Sorensen doesn’t like people poking into his life. And I don’t have time to deal with an angry giant. It’s competition season. I need to focus.”
“Strictly off the record. I promise.”
Clicking the fob to unlock the car, I open the driver’s door of the Mercedes.
Cami’s light brown eyes skim over the Cabriolet’s graphite-colored lines. “Nice car.”
“Yeah. It’s my dad’s old one.”
Sliding into the tan leather seat, I purse my lips. It’s a really beautiful car, even if it is eight years old. I loved it until they gave my younger brother a brand-new Audi, hammering home the message… soccer trumps dance. A pre-med major trumps “undecided.” Boy trumps girl.
“So you and Erik?” Cami asks lightly as she clicks her seatbelt into place.
“When I was young and dumb, I got mixed up with an asshole from a dangerous family. He was visiting GU and got into a bullshit argument with Erik Sorensen over a reserved table. We were watching a soccer game, Barcelona versus Bayern, which was only showing on one flatscreen. Sorensen indicated the table was his. Knights fever wasn’t as crazy back then, and he wasn’t famous around campus yet, but he took the table nonetheless.” Blowing out a breath causes a lock of hair to sway over my cheek. “And some macho, drunk brown boys become even bigger assholes when a massive white boy tells them to ‘fuck off or else’.” I roll my eyes. “Sorensen baited Luis, too, by telling me I could stay. He even called me Arya, as though we were friends. As though we might be more… which of course was gasoline on the fire.”
Shaking my head, I frown. “There was some cursing and a challenge. Luis comes from a dangerous family. He’s not used to being disrespected. But even when I whispered to Sorensen about Luis’s connections, he wouldn’t back down. He suggested a ‘pit fight’ to settle things.”
I shrug as I huff out a breath. “Now, do I normally care whether guys pummel each other? No, I do not.But, if Luis got hurt while visiting me, his family would blame me, and these are the kind of people who will burn your house down or shoot your brother on the street. Those were the threats I heard when I tried to break up with Luis before he was ready. The Sosa drug cartel is ruthless. You can look them up.”
After licking my lips, I grimace. “I was sixteen and so naive when I met Luis. Bad boys seem sexy until you get to know them. Anyway, whatever. Luis was strong and muscular, but I could tell by Sorensen’s cold blue eyes he doesn’t suggest fights on a whim. He suggests them because he knows he’ll win. I mean, just look at him.”
My fingers tap against the steering wheel. “Sorensen’s eyes weren’t cold when he looked at me, though, so I thought maybe I could convince him to let me settle things on Luis’s behalf.”
