“Sounds more like you’ll be Steve’s guinea pigs. The alcohol will make his meal more palatable.” Brandon held up his hands when Cassy’s smile dropped and she cast a glower his way. “Trust me, I know.”
“You should come, too. You and Steve get along great andalways liven up the nights,” Cassy suggested. She tugged his arm. “What do you say? Dinner and drinks and, you know, time withfriends.”
Heat bubbled up Rori’s neck and painted her face a bright shade of red. Cassy’s side-eye implication at the mention of “friends” was enough to make her nervous in a completely different way. It was unspoken knowledge that Brandon’s interest in Rori went deeper than that of a brotherly best friend. Unfortunately, Rich had slipped into her life before she realized Brandon’s interest, only to leave her in disarray and ruining any chance of something happening between them for the time being. His protective behavior transitioned to that of a man protectinghiswoman after her ordeal.
She adored him for it, to an extent. Both him and Cassy treated her like a fragile victim, but she refused to be a victim. What happened was done. It wouldn’t ever happen again.
Judging by the faint deepening rose of his tanned cheeks, Brandon caught Cassy’s innuendo loud and clear. He cleared his throat and cast one of his devilish smiles, dimples and all, to them both.
“Gonna pass tonight. Unlike other dedicated, straight-A students, I’m behind in class. And if I recall, we’ve a killer exam coming up.” He graced both Cassy and Rori’s cheeks with kisses and headed through the low-growing shrubs to his car. “Cassy, behave. Catch ya later,chicas.”
Rori pulled her phone from her purse as Cassy rounded the car, making quick work of deleting the mass texts from Rich and silencing her phone. She didn’t need to read them to know what they contained. It was the same shit over and over.
Cassy dropped behind the wheel, started the car up and popped it into reverse before she poked Rori in the shoulder. “I keep telling you he’s a good one. You should’ve gone for him before dipshit Rich. Maybe you should go for him now.”
“Cassandra Andalain,” Rori sighed.
Her friend waved her aside, popped her car into Drive, and sped ahead. “Just saying. Let’s get outta here. I’m fucking starved!”
Rori followed Cassy down the fifth-floor corridor of Steve’s luxurious, ocean-facing condo complex while she prattled on about what they could possibly be eating at nearly midnight. A light breeze filtered through the corridor, bringing the briny scent and soothing music of the ocean to greet them as they approached the door. The crescent moon gleamed in the black sky, casting a dappling silver sheen over otherwise calm waters. Even if Steve wasn’t Rori’s boyfriend, visiting him with her friend was a guilty pleasure she thoroughly enjoyed. The views from his place were peaceful. His complex was newer, barely filled other than a few of the lower-level units, and had no neighboring buildings…yet. The closest building on either side was half a mile away. The serenity that surrounded his place was unmatched, with the swaying dune grass, rustling palms, and lush mangroves.
Cassy was damn lucky.
“Last week was French cuisine, but I’m hoping for more of that Irish fare he’s so good at,” Cassy said, bringing Rori away from her daydreaming thoughts. She shrugged a shoulder, holding up the six-pack of Guinness she carried.
“I suspect you’re hoping to manifest Irish grub with beer instead of wine?”
Cassy flashed a smile over her shoulder and nodded once. “Yep. If not, we’ll have it for next time.” Her face shadowedas her smile turned devious. “And maybe we can convince Brandon to tag along. It’s been almost a month since we all hung out.”
“Nursing school isn’t easy. Especially this semester.”
“You make it look like cake, smarty pants.”
Rori rolled her eyes and laughed quietly. “And I’m dying on the inside.”
As they came up to Steve’s door, a sharp thud followed by the sound of something shattering brought them both up short. Cassy cast Rori a worried glance. Rori bit her bottom lip and tilted her head closer to the door, trying to make out what was going on inside Steve’s condo. A scuffle, some low growly words, a sharp whoosh. Things she shouldn’t be able to hear but could. Something warm coasted over her arms, bringing the hairs upright. Dread pooled in her gut as she stepped back and met Cassy’s gaze.
“He didn’t say anything about expecting company, did he?” she whispered. A few cusses, or what sounded like cusses, reached them through the door. Fighting, verbal back and forth that could only be speculated because the walls muffled the clarity of the words. She hadn’t realized how tightly she gripped the pack of beer until her fingers burned where the cardboard handle bit into her skin.
Cassy shook her head, her gaze lowering to the doorknob. Rori followed, noting no signs of forced entry. Not a single scratch or dent. Her attention shifted to her friend when she saw Cassy pull out a mean-looking spike attached to her keychain from her purse and positioned it between two fingers.
Rori’s eyes widened. “Cas, what the hell is that?”
“Gotta carry protection these days.” The worry dissipated into determination and a curl of anger. Rori stopped her when she reached for the doorknob. “He doesn’t lock the door.”
“Why don’t we call him first? In case he’s in the middle of some”—she threw the door a cautious glance, her brows furrowing—“feud?”
“Feud? He’s got no family around, and his circle of friends is us. Whoever’s in there doesn’t belong, and who am I to spoil a grand surprise entrance?”
“There’s no surprise. Steve knows we’re coming.”
Cassy hissed. “But hisguestdoesn’t.”
Rori pulled her hand away when Cassy twisted the doorknob and threw the door wide, the panel bouncing off the rubber stopper as she stormed into the condo. Rori’s jaw slackened, a body-shattering wave of weakness slamming into her with the force of a storm. Did her heart seize? Was she about to faint? Why was the entire sight before her throbbing like a pulsating light? Fading and refocusing?
Who on earth was that…that…
God.
