Katie strolled out of the stairwell at the end of the hallway. She waved and ambled toward me. Her computer bag hung over her arm, and she was carrying pajamas in her hand. Grinning, I threw my arms wide, hollering, “Are we going to have a slumber party?”
She laughed. “You know it! Since you’re officially the black sheep of the family, it deserves a little celebration.” She glanced over my shoulder, most definitely taking in Least Ugly as he trailed behind me. Her smile grew even wider. “Sothe black sheep, baby!” She hooted¸ punching the air with her fist. “I don’t have to listen to anyone bitch anymore!”
I unlocked my door, opening it slightly and stalled. “At least I’m not the one running an escort business as my profession.” She crossed her arms, raising her eyebrows. I winked. “How are the girls, anyway?”
“I’m going to check on them if we can get inside your damn room.” She nodded toward my room. “Come on. I’m exhausted. I had to listen to your parents all the way back from the restaurant. It was…stimulating.”
I snickered and let her into my lit room. I locked my door—Least Ugly keeping guard outside—and took all of three steps, and stopped, remembering I hadn’t left my lights on this morning. Staring, I growled at the opened adjoining door—where the chair was knocked on its back—where Katie was peeking through. She pointed, asking, “Whose room is that?”
“The wicked redheaded bitch,” I hissed, tossing my bag on the bed. I stormed around my room, checking my things. She hadn’t gotten into any of my bags, so I went into the bathroom.
“You mean Ember Lerrus?” Katie asked.
“Who else?”
“Well, you are a redhead. And a bitch…”
I hissed, picking up the mousse I hadn’t used this morning. It was on my bathroom counter. “Strawberry blonde!” I waved the bottle outside the door. “She broke in to use my fucking hair products!” I had no clue how she had even managed that.
Katie was already snickering. “So you two really don’t get along, huh?”
I tossed the mousse in the sink and stomped back into the room. “No. We don’t.” I stared into Ember’s room, my hands on my hips. I grinned and darted into her room, grabbing theDeath Comesthermal shirt hanging over a chair. “Gotcha, bitch.”
I stole it, going back into my room and slamming her door, then mine, locking it—whatever good that did. I pointed at the dresser. “Help me.” Dropping mynewshirt on the bed next to my purse, I went around to the other side of the dresser as Katie picked up the front. We grunted, pushing the dresser in front of the door. When it was firmly moved, we both dropped onto the bed, out of breath. The damn resort didn’t go cheap. That dresser weighed a ton.
Panting, Katie muttered, “So you’re fucking the father, hun?”
“Dammit!” I grumbled, turning my head to stare. “Your mom told you?”
“Of course.” She grinned. “For an old guy, he’s pretty hot. He doesn’t look as old as he’d have to be to have four kids their age.”
“He’s only forty-nine,” I clarified. “He and his wife had their kids young.” I grinned. “And yeah, he’s fucking hot.” An image of him lying on his back—beautifully naked—came to mind. “His body is better than most men our ages.”
Katie pushed up on her elbows. “Okay, give the deets. With that look on your face, it’s got to be good.” When I smirked, her eyebrows rose. “Better than good?” I stared, and she hissed, “Do not say he’s the best you’ve ever had.”
I laughed. “I don’t kiss and tell. So no details. You know this. But I will say yes, he is the absolute very best I’ve ever had.” Turning my attention to the ceiling, I quieted and asked her softly, “Have you ever kissed someone, and everything else just disappears around you? All you feel and hear and see is him?”
I heard her suck in a harsh breath, and she stood. “Jesus…”
“What? Is that crazy or something?” I had wondered that myself.
She was silent for a few moments, walking over to the window and staring outside. When she spoke, it was quiet. “No. It’s not crazy.” She cleared her throat. “I know what you’re talking about. I’ve experienced it before…” She trailed off, her head dropping against the window.
Eyes wide in surprise, I asked, “Who was it?”
She banged her head once against the window. “The asshole who put you in the hospital for two weeks.”
I stared. I didn’t know what to say to that.
Slowly, she turned around. “You knew I was seeing him and tried to talk some sense into me. And I even knew he was all wrong…but…but when we…” she interlocked her fingers in front of her face, “…came together, it was something else entirely.” She dropped her hands. “Though none of that mattered after he beat you damn near to death for doing your job. He wasn’t even a cockroach to me after that. He wasn’t anything but the man who had hurt you.” She brushed her hair behind her ears, staring at the floor. “I’m not going to try to talk you out of seeing Daniil. You’re smart. You’ll know when to walk away. I just hope it’s not after it’s too late.” Her eyes were gleaming when she looked up at me. “Just don’t let it be too late, Elizabeth. The guilt will haunt you.”
My heart twisting, seeing for the first time that she truly still hurt from what had happened to me. I knew she felt guilty, but not…this. I jumped to my feet and wrapped my arms around her. “Don’t you fucking cry. I’m stronger than what he did to me. It’s the danger of the job. I knew it when I started as a reporter. And I haven’t backed away yet.” I kissed her forehead. “Seriously, I don’t stop because some jerk decided to use his fists instead of his feet—like he should have done and run far away, when he knew he was going to be exposed.”
Katie snorted, hugging me back. “He wasn’t the running away type.”
Chuckling, I nodded. “Yeah. I got that.”
“You’re such a bitch.”
