Page 29 of Risky Move

Cassie started to respond but glanced at her phone as a ringtone sounded.Cam? What could he want? Maybe it’s Amelie.

“Excuse me,” she said as she swiped to accept the call.

“Cassie. Do I need to pick up Amelie? Are you downtown? She’s not answering her phone.” Cam didn’t wait for her to answer questions.

“Battery’s dead,” Cassie interrupted. “Have you checked her bedroom? I dropped her off a couple hours ago. She’s probably deep in dreamland.”

“Hang on.” Cassie saw the question on both Tom’s and Andrew’s faces. She shrugged and waited for Cam to confirm that Amelie had fallen asleep. “When did you drop her off?” His question and tone surprised her.

“Not long after Chance left the game. She wanted to stop by the hospital, but Lauren said he was okay.”

“Why the fuck did she want to go there?”

“I don’t know, Cam. Maybe they’re friends? We were at a club, and I was ready to go. She wanted to stay and grab an Uber, but I asked her to leave with me.” Cassie stopped to take a deep breath. “I dropped her off at your building’s front door.”

“Fuck,” he muttered. “Where were you tonight? Drinking?”

“Center Ice Lounge,” Cassie said.

“How many drinks did she have?”

Cassie’s patience ran its course. “I don’t know. I wasn’t counting.”

“Drunk?”

“No, maybe buzzed, but definitely not drunk.”

“Why the hell did you take her there, Cassie?”

She didn’t like the implication in his tone. “I’ve never been there. She suggested it. I wanted to eat dinner, not drink it.”

“You let her drink?”

“Hey, you got her the fake ID. I didn’t know I was supposed to babysit. She had a few drinks and danced. With a lot of different guys. I assume you’ve taken her there. I’d never heard about it.”

“Did she say she wanted to go anywhere else?”

“I. Don’t. Know!” Cassie snapped. “The hospital? Back to the sports bar? Somewhere else? How would I know?”

She looked up when Andrew stepped beside her and held out his hand for the phone. Cassie didn’t hesitate, giving him her phone and walking away, breathing deeply to calm her emotions.How can he imply it’s my fault?She vaguely heard Andrew’s sharp tone as he spoke with Cam, blinking back tears of frustration as she stared out the window toward the pool. She listened as Andrew suggested Cam contact Uber and Lyft or go back to the sports bar.

“I’ll call Peterson at the hospital in case she’s there or shows up later.” Andrew listened a minute. “Don’t panic. If she’s using your Uber app, you can see where she’s gone. Maybe check the clubs within walking distance of your place. If you need help, most of the guys were planning to go to Center Ice after the game. Callmeback either way. And get your head out of your ass—you owe Cassie one huge apology.”

16

She hadn’t noticed that Tom stood beside her until Andrew returned the phone. He squeezed her shoulder. “Forget anything he said. You did nothing wrong.”

“Thanks,” she whispered. “Just so you both know, I don’t drink, then drive.”

“Thought never entered my mind,” Andrew said. “Absolutely no reason to treat you rudely.”

“That’s not your fault, Andrew, but thanks for the backup. I might have said something I’d regret.”

She heard Tom’s quiet laugh. “There’s more to this story?”

Cassie sank to the couch and swiped a finger under her eyes. “Maybe Cam’s the same way…Amelie left her drinks on the table while she danced. Either she’s clueless, naïve, or taking advantage of me. That’s what I did tonight—chauffeur and make sure no one slipped anything into her drinks. Then stay alert in case I needed to stop her from leaving with someone.”

Tom handed her a bottle of water as he sat beside her. “Not much different from babysitting the boy last season, right?” He looked at Andrew. “No common sense.”

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