Chapter 12
Piper
It had been a long day.
I slipped out of the Uber, grabbing my bag off the seat. “Thanks. Have a good evening.”
“Bye, love.” The female Uber driver pulled away.
Tessa’s house was in the part of Windward where the locals lived.
It was less touristy, and packed with cute family homes.
Tessa’s place wasn’t big, but it was painted a pretty blue-gray, with white trim.
Blinking Christmas lights covered her tiny front porch.
I knew Ro was already scouting for a bigger place for them, but I had to admit, this house had a certain charm.
Welcoming light shone in the windows, and even the snow covering the yard looked nice.
I hurried up the walkway, the bottles of vodka and gin tinkling in my bag. My contribution to cocktail night. I needed a drink, as soon as I possibly could get one.
My day had been one disaster after another.
After my run in with Everett, I’d continued to try and contact Chance.
He still hadn’t called me back. My meetings had run long, and I’d dealt with problem after problem.
And, I’d bumped one hand at lunchtime and ripped some of my just-healing scabs off. I knocked on the door.
“It’s open.” Tessa’s voice sang from inside.
I pushed inside, ready to get out of the cold and drink some alcohol.
Tessa’s open-plan kitchen and living area were decorated in neutral colors with pops of color from the throw pillows. Her couch looked comfy, and she had a large, white island, which was where the women were all congregated.
“Hey, city slicker.” Allie was sitting on a stool, long legs encased in jeans and a glass in hand.
Sierra was chief cocktail maker and was shaking something in a cocktail shaker. Her honey-blonde hair was up in its usual ponytail. Tessa was setting cheese, fruits, and crackers on a wooden board. Jazz was beside Allie, picking at things as soon as Tessa placed them on the board.
I dumped my coat and bag on an armchair. I pulled the bottles out and slammed them on the counter. When I looked up, everyone was staring at me.
“What’s in the shaker?” I asked Sierra
“Cosmopolitan.”
I waggled my fingers. “Gimme.”
“Rough day?” Allie asked.
“Like you wouldn’t believe.” I popped some cheese in my mouth. I was starving, since I hadn’t finished my lunch and missed my afternoon snack. “Caden with Ollie?”
Allie swirled her glass. “Nope. Ollie’s at a sleepover at Emily’s.”
Tessa’s aunt had practically raised her, and lived across the street with her kids.
“And the guys decided to do an impromptu guys’ night out,” Tessa said. “Ro, Caden, Ev, and Gunnar are getting a steak and watching a football game in town.”
I grunted. I didn’t want to think about Everett.
“Good news for me.” Allie grinned. “I get my man all to myself tonight. That equals a loud fuck-a-thon since we won’t have to be quiet.”
“Nice,” Sierra said she poured two red drinks into chilled martini glasses.
“Don’t any of you rub your fuck-a-thons in my face, please.” I took the glass from Sierra and gulped it back in two swallows. I set the glass down.
They were all staring at me.
“All right, Piper, what the hell is wrong with you?” Jazz asked. “Out with it.”
I tossed my hair back. “I’m fine.”
Tessa made an inelegant sound.
“Okay, I’m not fine. First, my meetings today were extortionately annoying.”
That got me a few sounds of sympathy.
“Next, my brother is in town.”
“Your brother?” Tessa asked.
“Yes. He’s younger than me, a problem gambler, and always asking me for money.”
“Oh boy,” Allie said.
“We had a terrible dinner the other night. He thinks I’m the worst person in the world for not enabling him and giving him my hard-earned money to gamble away. I do my best to keep my mom and grandmother from knowing the extent of his fuck-ups.”
“Oh, Piper.” Tessa touched my arm.
I pointed at my glass, and Sierra got busy making another drink.
“Then, I got attacked in an alley in town.”
Now all of them gasped.
“The guy was after my brother, who apparently owes his boss a lot of money. He wanted me to deliver the message.”
“God, why didn’t you tell us?” Tessa cried. “Were you hurt?”
“I was taking care of things. I didn’t want anyone to worry.”
Allie rolled her eyes. “That’s not how friendship works, Piper.”
Tessa grabbed my hands. “I noticed the grazes today. Figured you’d taken a tumble on your high heels.”
“He held a knife to my neck.” A small hiccupping sound erupted from me. Oh, God. I was not going to lose it.
“Piper.” Sierra sounded horrified.
“How did you get away?” Jazz asked, worry on her face.
I glanced away, then back. “Everett saved me.”
Their eyes went wide.
“He punched the guy, got me to his place, and cleaned my cuts.”
Allie nodded. “That sounds like Everett.”
I snatched the now-full glass from Sierra and took a long swallow. Heat slammed into my veins. “Then, he butted into my business. He tracked down my brother and warned him to tell whoever he owed money to that I was not involved. He did this without telling me, after I told him I’d deal with it.”
The women all traded glances.
“Caden went with him. The big, strong men taking care of the little, dim woman.” I took another swallow. “I mean, who does he think he is?”
“Girl, I think you should let him help you,” Jazz murmured.
Tessa, Sierra, and Allie nodded.
“If there are bad guys with knives, I suggest letting Everett help,” Allie said.
“Ro and Caden are in cahoots with him too.” I scowled. “It’s like they get together and believe that as a woman, I don’t have the brains to deal with things.”
“I don’t think they think that,” Tessa said. “They’re clearly worried about you.”
“And trust me, Caden has the need to protect inserted into his DNA.” Allie lifted her glass. “He can’t help himself.”
I made a disgruntled sound. “Then, Everett kissed me!”
Allie grinned, Tessa’s mouth dropped open, Sierra poorly fought back a smile, and Jazz looked like she was biting her lip.
“Was it good?” Allie asked.
I scowled at her. “That’s not the point.”
“It was good,” Jazz said.
“He’s being nice to me, bringing me coffee, and checking on my injuries.”
“How dare he?” Tessa said.
“He needs to be stopped,” Allie joked.
Jazz leaned against the counter. “He can bring me coffee.”
“Don’t be reasonable when I’m ranting.” I finished my second drink, feeling a very pleasant buzz. Sierra hadn’t skimped on the vodka. “He annoys me. He wears a flannel shirt just to drive me crazy. Especially when he pushes the sleeves up to his elbow. Does he know how good that looks?”
My friends looked like they were all trying not to laugh.
I huffed. “We are total opposites. We have no business kissing.”
“I want to hear more about the kissing,” Sierra said.
I shook my head. “I’m worried about my brother. I think he’s in over his head.”
“Honey, he’s an adult,” Tessa said. “One who makes some poor decisions, it sounds like. I know it’s in your DNA to solve problems, but some of these problems, he needs to solve himself. Or he’ll never learn.”
My shoulders slumped.
“Let’s go back to the kiss,” Allie suggested.
The front door opened, and suddenly the room was filled with handsome men. Ro entered, wearing a cashmere overcoat I knew was Dior. His gaze went straight to Tessa, his lips tipping up.
“Sorry to interrupt cocktail night, but the bar lost power,” he said. “They said a transformer in town blew.”
Caden followed, and made a straight line to Allie. Gunnar was next, looking very silver-fox handsome.
Everett followed them in, looking far too good in his brown leather jacket. I stiffened, and his hazel gaze flicked my way.
I shot to my feet. “I need to go.”
“Piper, no,” Tessa said.
“I just remembered some work I need to get finished before the morning.” I scooped up my coat and bag. “I’ll see you all on Monday. Thanks for the cocktails.” I pulled my phone out.
Everett stepped my way. “You aren’t walking back to the hotel.”
I brandished my phone. “Calling an Uber, Murray. Night.”
The cold air hit me like an Arctic blast. I needed to put my coat on, but ordering my ride was first priority. I didn’t have the bandwidth to deal with Everett tonight.
I managed to order my ride but was barely four steps down Tessa’s walkway when Allie caught me.
“Stay, Piper. You need another drink.”
“I…just need to get home.” Over Allie’s shoulder, I saw Tessa on the front porch, concern on her face. “I’m fine. I promise.”
“I think you’re dealing with too much and need to lean a little,” Allie said. “Trust me, trying to do everything yourself catches up with you eventually.”
“I’m fine.”
A car pulled up at the curb. Wow, that was fast. I guessed it was a quiet Friday night in Windward. The front door of the house opened and Everett stepped outside.
“Right, I’m out of here.” I strode toward the car.
“Piper—” Allie was right behind me,
Suddenly, the passenger and back door of the car were flung open and two men leaped out. The taller one grabbed me, while the shorter one with long, scraggly hair grabbed Allie.
“What the fuck?” Allie yelled.
“Let me go!” My bag and coat fell to the slushy sidewalk. The man lifted me off my feet and tried to shove me in the back of the car.
“You’re coming with us,” he growled.
“No!” I kicked as hard as I could. I could see Allie doing the same.
“Your brother owes the boss a lot of money, bitch.” His hot breath was on my ear. “You’re gonna help him pay up the hundred grand.”
My stomach dropped. A hundred thousand dollars?
Then suddenly, I was ripped free of the guy. He turned, only for Everett’s fist to land in his face.
In my periphery, I saw Allie yanked away from her captor, and a furious Caden was there, pounding on the other man.
I stumbled back and Allie grabbed me.