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by Cassie Alexandra

“Why are you being such a bitch?” he said angrily.

  “Excuse me?” I said, shocked.

  “You heard me.”

  My eyes narrowed. “Maybe, because you bring that out in me.”

  “Why? I haven’t done anything to you,” he said, taking a drink of his beer.

  “You’re here, Trevor.”

  “Yeah? Why is that a problem?”

  I lowered my voice. “I thought you were going to stay away?”

  He laughed coldly. “Oh, I see. You think this is about you. Well, Kitten, it’s not. This is about paying my respects to Krystal, who I was friends with too, believe it or not.”

  “Really?” I snapped. “You’re not here for anything else?”

  “No, I’m not. And,” he sneered. “In case you don’t remember, you approached me, I didn’t approach you.”

  I clenched my jaw. I was so angry. I wanted to slap the asshole grin right off of his face.

  “So, feel free to unapproach me,” he said, looking away.

  Trying not to make a scene, I turned around and walked back over to the others.

  “Isn’t that Trevor Larson?” asked Jeremy.

  “Yes,” I said, taking a drink of my cocktail. “Yes, it is.”

  “Is everything okay?” he asked, leaning closer me.

  I looked over at Trevor, who now was staring at Jeremy, looking pissed.

  “It’s fine,” I said, looking away.

  “Adriana, we’re going across the street to Gibby’s later. You want to join us?” asked Tiffany.

  “I don’t think so,” I said, staring down at my drink.

  “Come on,” she said. “Just for a couple of drinks and some dancing. You know that’s what Krystal would have wanted. To see us together and having fun. This will be our big send-off, for her.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “Come on, I’ll even drive you home,” she said. “If that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “Right, you drive? You’d better quit drinking now,” I said, smirking.

  “Tell you what,” said Jeremy. “I’ll drive all four of you home, if you want. I don’t work tomorrow and I have nothing better to do.”

  “You would?” squealed Tiffany. She grabbed his arm. “Thank you so much.”

  I sighed. “You don’t have to do this.”

  “I know. But, I want to,” he said. “Like Tiffany said, this will be your tribute to Krystal. You may as well have fun.”

  I saw the way he kept glancing at Tiffany and wondered if he was doing it for other reasons as well.

  “Well, I’m game then,” I said, still watching Trevor from the corner of my eye. He was talking to Krystal’s mother, now, and she was smiling at him.

  “I’m going to grab a soda, does anyone need anything?” asked Jeremy.

  “No, I think we’re all good,” said Monica, holding up her drink.

  “So, who is this Trevor Larson?” whispered Tiffany, as Jeremy walked away. “He’s hot.”

  “Somebody you want to stay away from,” I said, taking another drink.

  “Are you sure?” she said, licking her lips. “I wouldn’t mind inviting him over to Gibby’s with us. Something tells me he knows how to move those hips like a boss.”

  An image of Trevor moving his hips between mine flashed through my brain and I felt a quiver down below. Forcing those intimate thoughts away, I cleared my throat. “That’s Raptor,” I said. “He’s part of the Gold Vipers.”

  “Raptor, the biker?” she said. “Oh, yeah. Didn’t you and he…?”

  “Almost,” I said, turning to her. “Why are you asking about him when you have your eye on Jeremy?”

  She grinned. “He’s cute, too. But, he’s too serious. The only kind of serious I want tonight, is a seriously good fuck.”

  “Is that all you ever think about?” asked Monica, shaking her head. “I mean, we’re at a funeral.”

  “This isn’t the funeral. It’s the celebration of our friend’s life. We’re supposed to remember her with fondness and have fun. That’s what she would have wanted,” said Tiffany.

  “She’s right,” said Amber, who was texting on her phone. “Although, I can’t believe you’re already thinking about who you’re going to have sex with tonight. It’s not even seven o’clock.”

  “I like planning ahead,” she said, taking a drink of her cocktail.

  “Look at you, Amber. You’re probably setting up a booty call yourself, right now,” said Monica.

  “This is different. It’s Paul. My fiancé,” she replied. “Sex is a given.”

  “Why isn’t he here?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “He’s working. Like usual.”

  “Are you still going to Gibby’s?” I asked.

  She nodded and put her phone away. “Yeah, for a little while. I’m not going to drink much, though.”

  “What about you?” I asked Monica.

  “My mom is babysitting. I’m definitely going out and partying my ass off tonight. Especially, if he’s driving.”

  Jeremy returned with a soda.

  “So, what’s it like being a detective?” asked Tiffany, sidling up to him again.

  He began talking about his job and I listened with one ear, while keeping my eye on Trevor, who seemed to be in the middle of a conversation with Tiffany’s aunt, Jenna, who was a beauty consultant for a popular makeup company. Jenna, who Tiffany had always referred to as a ‘cougar’, was definitely intrigued with whatever they were discussing.

  “That’s fascinating,” said Tiffany, who was also hanging on to every word that Jeremy was saying. “What made you want to get into law enforcement?”

  I didn’t hear his response because Jenna was laughing at something that Trevor had said. It started a fire in my stomach. An angry, jealous one.

  I finished my Rum and Coke. “Anyone else need another drink?” I asked.

  “Sure,” said Tiffany, holding up her glass, which was almost empty. “You know what I like.”

  “Yeah, me too,” said Monica. “I’ll take a Vodka Collins.”

  I walked over to the bar and ordered the drinks. As I waited, Jenna walked away from Trevor and up to the bar. I had to admit, with her long blonde hair, flawless skin, and lithe figure, she didn’t look anywhere near thirty-eight. She looked like a twenty-something, Pamela Anderson, double.

  “Hi, Adriana,” she said, smiling at me somberly. “How are you holding up, Kiddo?”

  I shrugged. “I’m okay. What about you?”

  “It’s been tough. Really tough. Bonnie is barely holding on. She blames herself for not being a better mother to Krystal.”

  “That’s not what killed her,” I said, although I knew that Bonnie hadn’t been the best parent. Krystal had gotten away with murder.

  “No, but if she would have been a stricter parent, when she was growing up, things might have been different.” She shook her head. “Bonnie let that girl get away with too much.”

  “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t have been where she was that night.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not. Guess, we’ll never know.”

  “I guess.”

  She sighed and looked over at Trevor.

  “You know that guy?” I asked, nodding toward him.

  She smiled. “No, but I’d love to, you know what I mean?”

  I certainly did.

  “He’s a biker,” I said.

  “I know. We were talking about it. I told him that I just bought a Harley Switchback and he was impressed.”

  “I bet. I didn’t know that you were into bikes,” I said trying to stifle the green monster growing inside of me. Deep down, I knew that there was no reason for me to be jealous. I had no claim on Trevor and she was a very nice woman. If they got together, that was none of my business.

  “My ex-boyfriend got me interested.”

  “What happened to him?”

  She sighed. “Found out he was married.”

  “You didn’t know?”

&
nbsp; “Well,” she smiled. “I did. He said that they were getting divorced, so I thought they were separated. Come to find out, they really weren’t either.”

  The bartender set my drinks down. “Here’s a tray. I doubt you can carry all four drinks by yourself.”

  “You’re right. Thanks,” I said, handing her the money.

  “It’s an open bar,” said the woman. “For another hour, at least.”

  “Oh, well, here’s a tip,” I said, handing her a couple of dollars.”

  “Thanks, Hon.” She turned to Jenna. “What can I get for you?”

  “I’ll take two Michelobs. One for me and one for that tall drink of water, over there,” she said, turning to smile at Trevor, who I noticed was watching us.

  Feeling angry again, I looked away.

  Jenna turned back to me and sighed. “You must think I’m a horrible aunt.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  She smiled grimly. “Because my mind is in the gutter at my niece’s funeral.”

  “People cope with things differently,” I said, a little guilty of it myself.

  She put her arm around me. “I agree. In fact, I’ve always coped with grief by turning to intimacy. The touch of another can sometimes ease the pain of loss. It’s also a good reminder that we’re still alive and that every second matters, because you never know when your time is up.”

  “I guess… that makes sense to me.”

  “To me it does. That’s why I don’t feel guilty about setting my sites on Raptor, tonight.” She winked. “Something tells me he just might be my salvation.”

  “And you know that after just talking to him for a few minutes?”

  She grinned wickedly. “To be honest, I don’t care what comes out of his mouth. It’s what goes into his mouth later that interests me. Thanks, Doll,” she said to the bartender, who set two beers down in front of us. She handed her a five. “That’s for you.”

  “Thanks,” said the bartender, shoving it into her front pocket. She leaned forward. “And good luck with that young man. I wouldn’t mind going home with him myself, tonight.”

  Jenna laughed. “You’d better get in line,” she answered, before walking back toward Trevor.

  Sighing, I picked up the tray of drinks and went the other way.

  Chapter Thirty

  Raptor

  I watched Adriana and Jenna, talking at the bar, and had to hide my grin. Adriana looked like she was ready to spit bullets whenever she looked at me.

  “Oh, she’s pissed,” whispered Jenna, close to my ear when she returned with our beers.

  Jenna and I went way back. She’d dated Slammer five years ago and we’d always gotten along. When she’d learned what had happened to her niece, she’d rushed down to Griffin’s and I’d told her everything, including what had happened between me and Adriana.

  “Why?” I asked. “Because I’m still here?”

  “Because, I’m making her jealous.”

  “You are?”

  “Yes,” she said, snuggling up to me.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Are you kidding? She’s going to realize how much she wants you and believe me, you’re going to be thanking me later.”

  My eyebrow arched. “Really? Because when men get jealous, it doesn’t usually work that way. They get pissed and leave.”

  “No you don’t,” she said. “In fact, I’m pretty sure that if you saw a guy hitting on Adriana, you’d want to beat the shit out of him.”

  “Look, there’s nothing between us. Not anymore,” I said, not believing my own words. The truth was, I wanted her more than ever. When I’d seen her at the funeral, wearing another black dress and the same sapphire necklace, it had reminded me of that night in her bedroom. Then I’d pictured her straddling my face while I was looking up at her gorgeous body, and I knew I was going straight to Hell. Especially knowing that I had to have been the only asshole in church sporting wood.

  “I don’t believe that for one second and either do you.”

  I shrugged. “Believe what you want.”

  Jenna frowned. “Why is the cop here? They walked in together. Did you see that?”

  “Yeah, but they didn’t arrive here together.”

  “It looks like Tiffany has her eye on him, anyway. He’s cute.” She waved at Tiffany, who waved back.

  I took another swig of beer.

  “So, what are you going to do?”

  “Finish this and leave.”

  She tilted her head. “Don’t you want to try and win her back?”

  “I never had her to begin with. If I did, she wouldn’t have given up so easily.”

  Jenna sighed. “I’ve met Vanda. She’s not an easy woman to stand up to.”

  “Adriana is twenty-one. She’s an adult.”

  “She may look like an adult, but nobody has given her the chance to act like one.”

  I smirked. “I tried. Believe me, I did.”

  “I’m sure you did. But, I think you need to try again.”

  “What do you propose that I do? Show up at her house? Serenade her? I do that and I’ll just get my ass chewed out.”

  “No. That’s a waste of time. You need to act tonight. While she’s got that fire burning in her belly.”

  “How do you know she’s got a fire burning in her belly?”

  “By the way she keeps stealing glances over here. The girl still has it bad for you, Raptor. She doesn’t know whether to slap or kiss you.”

  “Hmm… Well, what do you suggest that I do?

  This time Jenna was the one smiling wickedly. “Nothing. Let me take care of it.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Adriana

  An hour later, Tiffany announced that it was time to go across the street to Gibby’s.

  “Okay,” I said. “It’s getting really crowded in here anyway.”

  “It’s going to be more crowded at Gibby’s,” warned Jeremy, who’d opened his tie and now seemed very relaxed.

  “But at least we can dance,” I said, feeling absolutely no pain. I’d just finished my third drink and even Trevor’s presence wasn’t bothering me anymore. Well, not as much. After the second drink, I’d kept telling myself that if those two hooked up, then good riddance. After my third drink, I’d decided that I needed to rethink my own rule of hooking up. Possibly find a guy who might make me forget all about Trevor. Someone tall, dark, and very well-endowed.

  “I want to dance, too. Let’s go and say goodbye to Bonnie and go over there,” said Monica, grabbing me and Amber by the arms. Just like me, she was also feeling quite good.

  “Thanks for coming,” said Bonnie, hugging each of us, when we found her.

  “Of course and, we’re so sorry for your loss,” said Tiffany, smiling sadly. “And ours. We’re losing a great friend. One of the best. We’re sure going to miss that girl.”

  Bonnie’s lips trembled. “Me, too,” she squeaked. “Me, too.”

  “I’m sorry my mother couldn’t make it,” I said, when she hugged me. “She’s going to call you, tomorrow.”

  “She made it to the funeral. That’s enough. Plus, she’s been there for me these last couple of weeks. Bringing me food, calling everyone. I don’t know how I can thank her enough.”

  “You don’t have to,” I told Bonnie. “She wanted to help.”

  She nodded. “Well, I appreciate it.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss, Ms. Blake,” said Jeremy, shaking her hand.

  “Just find them,” she said. “Please. Find the people who did this and put them away.”

  “Believe me, I’ll do my best.”

  “Are you leaving?” asked Jenna, coming up behind me?”

  “We’re going across the street,” said Monica. “To Gibby’s. You want to join us?”

  “Let me ask my new friend,” she said, her blue eyes sparkling. “Something tells me he’ll want to go dancing, too.”

  “You mean Trevor?” I said, looking around.
“Did he leave?”

  “No, he’s using the bathroom,” she said, smiling. “I didn’t realize you knew his real name.”

  “Lucky guess,” I said, forcing a smile. He’d obviously told her his real name, too. I looked at Tiffany. “Let’s go. I’m getting really warm in here.”

  “Okay,” she said, waving to Jenna and Bonnie. “Have a good night.”

  “You too,” said Bonnie. “Drive safely.”

  “Jeremy is driving all of us home,” she said, sliding her arm through his. “Aren’t you?”

  Jeremy smiled. “Yep. That I am. I don’t know what I’m getting myself into, but too late to back out now, right?”

  “You’re damn right,” said Tiffany, snuggling up to him. “You’re going to have fun, though. We’ll make sure of it. Right ladies?”

  “You bet,” said Monica. “Ready Adriana?”

  I saw Trevor walk out of the bathroom and head toward us, or rather, Jenna. I quickly turned around and started for the Exit. “I’m more than ready. In fact, I’ll meet you over there.”

  Thirty-Two

  Adriana

  Gibby’s was jam-packed when we walked in. Apparently, it was Lady’s Night and all shots were half-off.

  “Let’s dance and then drink,” said Tiffany, pulling me and Jeremy toward the large dance floor, while Monica and Amber used the bathroom. He’d left his jacket and tie in the car and now looked more like a regular guy just out to have fun. “Do you like Hip Hop music, Jeremy?” she cried, over the loud music.

  “Not really,” he hollered back. “But, I’m willing to try.”

  “What kind of music do you like?” I asked.

  “Rock-n-Roll. Jazz. Country. Anything but… Hip Hop.”

  “That’s too bad,” said Tiffany, rolling her hips with the music. “Because I love Hip Hop. It makes me so… frisky.”

  His eyes widened and then he laughed. “Maybe I haven’t given Hip Hop enough of a chance.”

  She moved closer to him, until they were chin-to-forehead. “Relax and move your hips,” she said, putting her hands on his waist. “I’ll help you learn how to like it.”