Chapter 15
“Are friends nosier than acquaintances? Answer needed urgently.” ~ Harper
Harper
I sprint out of the office and nearly straight into Alaia.
She puts her hands up in front of her. “Whoa!”
“Sorry. I need to…” Disappear? Learn how to perform magic and apparate? Rewind time to before I let Kai remove my jeans?
She points to the rear exit and I don’t hesitate. I hurry toward it.
“You may want to button your jeans!” She hollers after me.
Great. The news of what Kai and I did in the office is going to spread around town quicker than the hurricane we had last year. Alaia is a newspaper ‘reporter’ who doesn’t understand the difference between ‘news’ and ‘gossip’.
At least my dad is no longer on the gossip train since he distanced himself from his friends. Although, I wouldn’t put it past Jade to ‘stop by’ our house to give Dad the news.
I make my way from Bootlegger to Rumrunner using back alleys tourists usually avoid. Unless they’re trying to find my speakeasy.
It never ceases to amaze me how the location is still secret to tourists. I figured tourists would blast the location all over social media but no one does. Or, at least, not yet.
I enter Rumrunner via the rear exit. It’s not as busy here as it is at Bootlegger since Mermaid Karaoke is in full swing there. They can have their karaoke. I don’t need women in seashell bras wandering around my bar bewitching the patrons.
“There you are,” Sloane says when I reach the bar. “How is your dad doing?”
“Huh?”
“Didn’t you go visit your dad? You didn’t need to run there and back.”
“Run?”
She indicates my face. “Your skin is red and blotchy, and you’re sweating.”
Would it be wrong to pretend I ran to check on my dad? Sloane is a native smuggler, and she’s been betting on when Kai and I will get together. If she knew what happened in the office at Bootlegger, she’d tell everyone and then claim the winnings from the bet.
No thanks.
My other bartender, Dave, studies me. “You’re glowing.”
I rear back. “Glowing? I don’t glow.”
“Are you confusing glowing with glowering?” Trent asks.
I give him my Siren’s Scowl. “Why aren’t you at the door? ”
“Told you,” he mutters as he walks away. “Glowering.”
The door flies open before he reaches it, and Dakota and Blossom rush inside. I hurry to them. “What’s wrong?”
Dakota bends over. “Why did we run? Kai didn’t say we had to run.”
“Kai?”
“Oops. Was I not supposed to say his name?”
She isn’t making any sense. I face Blossom. “What’s happening?”
She threads her arm through mine. “We need to talk.” She waves to my employees at the bar. “Harper’s on break.”
“I’ll be back as soon as I figure out what’s going on,” I add.
Blossom drags me through the bar to my office with Dakota trailing behind us.
“Okay,” I say once we’re behind closed doors. “Why are you here?”
Blossom places a finger over her lips and tiptoes to the door. She places her ear against the door to listen. After a moment, she wrenches it open. “Aha!”
“Ah!” Sloane screams.
“Back to the bar,” I order her.
“But I want to know what’s happening,” she pouts as she stomps away.
Blossom waits until she’s gone before shutting the door and locking it. “We should be good now.”
“For what?”
“No idea,” Dakota says.
I turn to Blossom, who lifts her hands. “Me neither. ”
I rub my temples where I’m beginning to feel a headache coming on. “You must have some idea, or you wouldn’t be here.”
“Kai sent us,” Dakota says.
“Sent you to what?”
Blossom shrugs. “All he said was to get our fine asses to Rumrunner because you need us.”
“He didn’t say fine asses,” Dakota corrects.
Blossom shrugs. “It was assumed. Now, what do you need us for? I’m always up for an adventure.”
Dakota groans. “Don’t remind me. I am tired of the sight of blood.”
“It’s not my fault you’re a klutz who enjoys breaking people’s noses.”
“I don’t break noses on purpose. It just happens.”
Their back and forth is not helping my headache one bit. “Do I need to get out the first aid kit?”
“Probably. With a klutzy girl around, a first aid kit is useful.”
Dakota glares at Blossom. “Why are we friends again?”
“Because you love me.”
“More like I’m stuck with you,” Dakota mutters.
“So.” Blossom rubs her hands together. “What’s the adventure? Paintball at Glowin’ Galleon ? Mermaid Karaoke at Bootlegger? Horse riding at Sirens & Saddles ?”
“Do not let this one on a horse. They hate her.”
Blossom scowls. “Not every horse on the planet hates me.”
“As much as I’m enjoying the Lucy and Ethel show, I do need to get back to work. ”
“Who are Lucy and Ethel?” Dakota asks.
“ I love Lucy ? A 1950s sitcom?” My parents loved watching the show when I was a kid. I’ve seen every episode at least four times.
Dakota shrugs. “Television wasn’t part of my life growing up in care.”
“I’ll buy you the DVDs,” Blossom says.
“And I’ll what? Return to the previous millennium for a DVD player?” Dakota asks.
I blow out a breath and count to ten before I explode on them. They are ruining my post-sex high. Wait. Wait. Wait. I do not have a post-sex high. Nope. I am officially pretending what happened with Kai did not happen.
“Dakota, Blossom, do you want to explain why you’re here or not? If not, I need to get back to work since I’ve already had a break.”
“You’ve already had a break?” Blossom asks. “What did you do? Where did you go?”
I groan and bury my face in my hands. “Is the news all over the island already?”
“Nope. But you just confirmed our suspicions after Kai called us to come check on you.”
I whip my head up. “Kai called you to come check on me?”
“Duh.” Dakota rolls her eyes. “Why do you think we’re here?”
“Because I was a bad mermaid in a previous life.”
Blossom barks out a laugh. “Don’t be silly. There are no bad mermaids. ”
“Yes, there are. They’re called sirens, and they lead sailors to their death.”
She dismisses my comment with a flick of her hand. “Sirens and mermaids are not the same species.”
I’m done discussing mermaids and sirens. “Kai seriously called you to check on me?”
Blossom wiggles her phone at me. “Technically, he messaged.”
“My question is, why is he worried about you?” Dakota’s nose wrinkles. “Was it bad? Did he hurt you?”
“No way.” Blossom shakes her head. “All the Raiders were born with the innate ability to please a woman.”
My cheeks darken as I remember just how Kai pleased me. He didn’t have any problems making me come in record time, unlike other men I’ve been with.
I don’t get it. Kai is a baby. He’s eight years younger than me. He was still underage when I bought this bar. How is he the man my body yearns for? It doesn’t make any sense.
So much for pretending it didn’t happen.
“Maybe Kai was worried her head would explode with how good it was,” Dakota says and I glare at her. “What? You’re not the first woman to run away after a Raider blows your mind.”
“How do you know I ran away?”
“Because you’re here at your bar and Kai messaged us from Bootlegger. ”
Oh, right.
Dakota pats my hand. “You don’t have to tell us what happened. ”
“Speak for yourself,” Blossom says. “I want all the details. And I also want it noted for the record that I did not run from a Raider.”
“Because Jaxon ran from you before you had the chance.”
I walk toward the door. “I really do need to get back to work.”
Blossom sighs. “You’re going to be more difficult than Dakota.”
“Hey!” Dakota yells. “What did I do?”
“You worked two jobs at the same time. It’s not easy to be friends with someone who’s working all the time. And she,” Blossom points at me, “works all the time and cares for her father when she’s not working.”
“This is not new information.”
“No,” Blossom agrees. “But now that I’ve decided we’re going to become best friends since you’ll soon be my sister, it makes things difficult.”
“Sister? You are getting way ahead of yourself. Kai and I aren’t dating. He’s too young for me. He’s immature. And he’s a player. He’s not the man for me.”
Dakota studies me. “Who are you trying to convince? Us or you?”
Blossom pats my shoulder. “We’ll start with best friends.”
“Hey,” Dakota says. “I’m your best friend.”
Blossom shrugs. “I can have more than one.”
I open the door and they walk away bickering about best friendships and sisters and I don’t know what. My head is spinning from their visit .
And why did they visit? Because Kai sent them. Was he worried about me? After I ran off with my jeans around my ankles, he didn’t get mad and decide I’m not worth the effort. He sent his sisters after me to make sure I’m okay.
Damnit, Kai. You’re supposed to be easy to resist. You’re not supposed to break through my walls. But I’m afraid breaking through my walls is exactly what he’s doing.