I made a sound of disgust. "Nice story."
"If you don't believe me, ask Amber. She'll tell you."
I'd been trying to reach Amber for hours. For once, she wasn't answering, and she wasn't calling me back. None of this made sense. I'd known Amber for years, and I couldn’t see her wanting to hurt anyone. But the way it looked, she had.
Either I didn't know Amber as well as I thought, or there was a grain of truth to Brittney's story. I shoved a hand through my hair and tried to think. A prank? If so, it was the worst fucking prank I'd ever seen.
Brittney leaned forward. "Would it help if I apologized?"
For some reason, that made me pause. Would it?
I thought of Chloe. I'd give anything to win her back. Already,I'dapologized. I'd begged. I'd delivered some justice to the guys who'd attacked her. And the justice wasn't done yet. Soon, they'd be standing outside in their underwear while a crowd of strangers laughed at them.
It was the same thing they'd been planning for Chloe. Those fuckers.
I tried to focus on the big picture. Chloe deserved an apology, and not only from me. And if Brittneydidapologize, would that help?
As if sensing weakness, Brittney tried again. "Just give me a chance, okay? I can make this right."
She was wrong. Nothing was gonna make this right. But would it help? In the end, it all came down to one thing – Chloe. If nothing else, shedeservedthat apology. And she needed to know she was safe, and that nothing like that was gonna happen to her ever again.
So for Chloe's sake, I finally nodded.
Brittney smiled.
I didn't. Instead, I leaned close and said, "And let's get one thing straight. You'd better do a damn good job, or you're out."
"Out?" She blinked up at me. "What do you mean?"
"You mess this up, and all those parties you love going to? All the people you like to hang with? All the stupid shit that means so much to you? Well, you'll be giving it up, because I'll make damn sure you're on no one's guest list."
It was a stupid threat. Normal people wouldn’t give a rat's ass about parties with people they barely knew. But Brittney, she wasn't normal. She was a bigtime star-fucker, and she ate that shit up.
I had a lot of friends. And a lot of people owed me favors. The threat might be stupid, but that didn't mean it was idle. I meant every word.
Brittney was frowning now. "You don't have to be so mean about it. I mean, I'm trying to help, you know."
"Yeah, right." I glanced around. There was still no sign of Chloe. Ihadto find her. I gave Brittney one last look. "When I call, you'd better answer. Because that apology? You don't get to put it off."
I left her there, sulking in the parking lot. Why she was there at all, I had no idea. Probably, I didn't want to know.
Besides, I had something more important to think about – Chloe. Wherewasshe?
Ten minutes later, I had the answer, and it wasn't one I liked. The way it sounded, she was arguing with some guy in the parking lot. And – damn it – that guy was my brother.
Chapter 4
She was standing outside my car, glaring down at Bishop, who sat in the driver's seat with the window open. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but Chloe's response was loud and clear. "Oh for God's sake!" she yelled. "Will you just stop already!"
What the hell?
I strode toward them, hollering out to Bishop. "Hey! What the hell are you doing to her?"
Already, I was at Chloe's side. She whirled to face me, and our eyes met. Her lips parted, but whatever she was planning to say, the words died on her lips.
She was so damned close, but not nearly close enough. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and make everything better. But she wouldn’t want that. She mightneverwant that. So I held my ground and devoured the sight of her, not liking what I saw.
Under the makeup, her face was too pale, and her eyes were too hollow. The night was freezing, and she was standing out here in a uniform that was too small, under a coat that was too thin, no matter how fashionable it might be.
