Page 78 of The Red-Hot Stakes

There was no cherry on top this time, and one corner of my mouth tugged upward that she remembered. I pulled the shake closer to take a cold, refreshing sip. “My life is fucked up, Sally. I’m cursed, and now it’s affecting Liam.”

She frowned.

“He’s really going to need you after tomorrow. I don’t want to do it, but I don’t have a choice.” My voice cracked on the last word, and a tear slipped down my cheek. “I have to break up with him.”

“Oh, sugar, there’s always a choice.” She handed me a napkin.

I shook my head. “Well, the alternative is worse, if you can believe that. I just don’t know what I’m going to do when all my friends hate me.” The devastating future played out before me—friendless, jobless, homeless. “I won’t have anywhere to go.” I laid my head on the table, unable to hold it up as panic pressed in.

Sally was there in an instant. She rubbed my back as I worked on taking deep breaths. “I don’t know what you’re going through, but I have a room I rent out. It’s not much, but it’s empty at the moment.” She described the area she lived in, then named a fairly cheap price.

I lifted my chin, astonishment coursing through me. “Really? Even though you know what I’m going to do to Liam?”

“I can tell you’re not doing this lightly, and it’s eating you up just thinking about it. Yes, the room is yours if you want it.” She hesitated. “But maybe we shouldn’t tell Liam.”

That would probably be for the best. I nodded, and we exchanged information.

“I’ll be home tomorrow after three.”

My deadline echoed through me, and I knew I’d be out of the apartment by then. “I’ll text when I’m on my way. Thanks again.”

I felt more hollow with each step toward home. I wished for the numbing ice that had coated me after Josh, wishing as desperately as a person adrift in the ocean searched for dry land. But it never came.

The apartment was empty when I got back. A note from Liam said he’d gone to the police station to answer more questions and wasn’t sure when he’d be home. Which suited me fine.

I sat on the couch, staring at the wall, as I ran through my options again and again, hoping a new opportunity would present itself. But it never did. It was late when I crawled into bed by myself. Not long after, Liam crept in, trying to be quiet, so he didn’t wake me. I didn’t trust myself to speak.

As soon as the bed dipped with his weight, I reached for him, pulling him on top of me. He let out a surprised gasp, but didn’t protest when I tugged his mouth to mine.

Desire flared between us, our movements frantic, fierce and full of passion as we clung to each other. I put my heart and soul into every miniscule motion, hoping he could sense it. Hoping when he replayed these moments someday, maybe he would hear what I couldn’t say.

Afterward, he murmured, “Goodnight, Gina. I love you.”

I curled into his chest, but I couldn’t form the words.

* * * *

Liam left first thing the next morning. The loss of his business, of my work, was heavy enough, but the death of Wendy weighed on me even more. I couldn’t mourn though. I had to take advantage of Liam’s absence and pack.

I was ready when my phone rang at eleven. “Hello?”

“Good morning, Gina. Do you have your answer?”

“If I do break up with him, what happens to the evidence?”

“Clever girl.” He chuckled. “If you break up with him by five p.m. today, I’ll send you the coordinates of the evidence so you can do whatever you want with it. Do we have a deal?”

I was out of time and options, but I still thought through everything, once more.

“And don’t forget, this stays between us.”

It was an effort to keep my voice from cracking as I answered, “We have a deal.”

“Pleasure doing business with you.”

Chapter Twenty

I staged all my stuff just inside the apartment door, so that Liam wouldn’t see it immediately when he walked in. Then I watched the clock count down the minutes.

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