“Well, your mom is likely going to kill me, but other than that, it went about as well as it could. Considering I know absolutely nothing…”
“God, Dax. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” I throw my head back against the seat as we pull out of the parking lot.
“You know I would do anything for you, Chloe, but you have to tell me what is going on.”
I wince, turning my head to look at him. “We need shots for that.”
“Okay. Where do you want to go?”
“For now? Drive. Just drive.”
Chapter Two
DAX
“Does this place look good?”
Turning into a space in the parking lot of a dive bar, I face Chloe in the front seat. She’s picking at the frayed hem of the sweatshirt she’s wearing.
“What?”
She glances up, big blue eyes staring back at me. It’s hard to pin down the emotions there. Anger. Sadness. Rage.
Considering we were supposed to be at her wedding reception right about now, it doesn’t surprise me.
“This bar. Does it work?” A neon sign flashes over a nondescript black door. The sign is the only giveaway that it’s a bar. “It was the closest place that I could find that was open.”
Chloe unbuckles her seatbelt. “It’s fine. As long as they have tequila.”
Jumping out the door to follow her inside, I see that the interior matches the exterior. More black walls. Sticky floors. A few pool tables scattered around with a long bar lining the opposite wall.
With only a few patrons lingering around high-top tables, I doubt anyone is going to pay much attention to us in here. Which is exactly what I need to figure out what the fuck happened.
“A bottle of tequila,” Chloe tells the bartender as she takes a seat on a wobbly barstool.
“A bottle or a shot?” he questions, running a cloth over a glass.
“Bottle. Two glasses, please,” Chloe says.
“You got it.” He nods at her and fishes a bottle from the back wall to bring over to us.
I pull my credit card out of my wallet and pass it over to him. “And maybe a couple of waters too.”
I have a feeling we’re going to be here for a while. Grabbing the empty glasses, I pour us each a drink.
“What are we toasting—” I can’t even finish before Chloe is knocking it back.
“More.” She snaps her fingers at me.
I do as she asks and she swallows it in one gulp.
But before I pour another, I take her glass and push the water in front of her.
“Okay, at least have a drink of water to chase it. I don’t need you turning into a puddle of tequila. And I need you sober to tell me what happened.”
She rolls her eyes. “What happened is your brother is a dick.”
I roll my eyes right back at her. “I know that. But why specifically today?”
