I rolled my head to look at the silhouette of my friend just inside the patio doors, the light from the suite casting her face in shadow.
“Does it matter?”
I remained sprawled on the lounge chair I’d collapsed onto after Ahrun’s little bombshell. The only thing that would be more perfect was if I had a glass of bourbon.
It would have tasted awful, but there was just something about bourbon that felt appropriate for when your world was crashing down around you.
Caroline moved further onto the balcony, settling in the lounge chair that was a twin of the one I was reclining on. “I guess it depends on if you plan to do anything about what’s bothering you.”
“The vampires have Deborah.” Caroline’s lack of reaction made me look at her. “You knew.”
“I heard earlier.”
“Lucky you. Ahrun had to tell me because the others wouldn’t. Probably too afraid I’d run off on my own.”
Caroline leveled a dry expression on me. “Does that mean you won’t?”
I opened my arms to indicate the balcony. “I’m still here, aren’t I?”
“How very evolved of you.”
I kicked at the lounger. “Don’t get used to it. If I thought I had a chance of rescuing her on my own, I’d already be gone.”
“That’s more like the Aileen I know.”
As much as I appreciated her humor, I wasn’t in the mood to smile. “What are you doing up here?”
“Sondra is making plans with the vampires. You could say my skill set doesn’t lend itself in that direction.”
I cut a sidelong look at Caroline. “What? No anecdotes about the tactics of ancient battles to share? I’m disappointed. I thought you’d have one or two of those up your sleeve.”
Caroline pulled a face. “Most of them were alive for some of those battles. No point in sharing when they may have actually been there and lived through it.”
My quiet snicker took me by surprise. “I suppose it would be like pointing out the obvious.”
“There’s something else you ought to know.” Caroline became engrossed with an invisible loose thread in her top. A sure sign of nerves when it came to her. “I didn’t only come up here to commiserate with you.”
My body tensed on the lounger as I squinted at her. “Why are you here then?”
Caroline composed herself before forcing her gaze up to meet mine. “It’s Jenna. She’s here.”
I touched my tongue to my upper lip. “Say that again. Jenna’s where?”
“Here. In Vegas. Downstairs.”
Blood rushed from my head, leaving me lightheaded and woozy. The world felt like it was about to float away in a balloon.
“I swear I didn’t invite her. I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t seen her while I was walking around the casino floor.”
“She said she had to go on a business trip,” I rasped.
That was the excuse she’d given me when she called a few days earlier to cancel our movie night plans.
“Maybe that’s what this is.” Caroline’s expression was sympathetic. “She was talking to some men. It could have been about business. They looked pretty intense.”
“Only one way to find out.”
I was off my lounger and striding toward the elevator in an instant. Caroline scrambled to follow.
