Page 72 of The Final Straw

“But guess what else?” she continues, barely pausing to breathe. “There was this insanely hot officer who took my prints.”

My eyes go wide. “So you’re trying to pick up men behind bars now, huh?”

Bre’s voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper, even though I’m sure she’s alone. “I managed to finagle a date with him.”

“No way! How did you pull that off?” I ask, amazed at her audacity.

“He was putty in my hands.” Bre laughs. “I told him to bring some friends too because I wanted a harem of men to fuck and treat me like a queen—just like my bestie,” she cackles.

“What did he say?” I ask, my curiosity piqued.

“He said he has a twin brother who’s a fireman and a roommate who’s a PT in an outpatient clinic. And get this, we have a date this weekend!”

I burst out laughing. “Only you, Bre. Only you could turn a stay in jail into a triple date scenario.”

“Right?” She giggles. “Maybe if it goes well, we can all double date. Though, is it truly a double date if there are multiples in the relationship?”

I shake my head, smiling at her antics. “I guess we’ll find out.”

“Enough about me,” she says. “How is Van? Is he upset? Are we ready for the upcoming trial?”

My tone shifts slightly, becoming more serious. “Van’s fine. Barbi was issued a restraining order until the verdict comes in.”

“That’s probably for the best,” she says, trying to sound reassuring. “What are you wearing for the trial?” she asks.

“I don’t know,” I confess. “Probably just something simple, but business formal. I do have a fancy skirt suit set I’ve never worn.”

“Ooh, I have black slacks with pearls on the pockets,” Bre adds.

“Yes! That’s what we’re wearing,” I declare, laughing.

We chat a bit more before hanging up, and I turn to the guys lounging in the living room. “That was Bre. She’s good, even met a cop at the jail who’s taking her out.”

Van chuckles. “Leave it to Bre.”

“She’s really something else, isn’t she?” Kipp asks.

“She is,” I grin. “I’m gonna go read for a bit now that I know she’s home and safe.” I head to the guys’ room, crawl into bed, and open the Kindle app on my phone, ready to read a new thriller I saw on Instagram. Reviews for Home is Where the Bodies Are say it’s a gripping read, full of suspense and unexpected twists. But as I turn the pages, my mind keeps drifting back to Bre and her latest escapade.

The thought of her with the hot officer and his friends makes me smile. Bre has always been the adventurous one, and it seems she’s outdone herself this time. I can’t wait to hear all the details of her date.

Hours pass in a blur of pages and plot twists until the sun begins to set, casting a warm glow through the bedroom window. I stretch, feeling the pleasant ache of a day spent lost in a good book. My phone buzzes, and I see a message from Bre.

Bre: Hey, guess what? The officer just texted me. He wants to meet up tonight.

I grin, typing back a quick response.

Me: Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.

Bre: You guys wanna come with? Make sure I’m not murdered.

I glance at the clock. That gives me a couple of hours to convince the guys to go out last minute and to get ready.

Me: Give me a few minutes to convince the man candies.

Excitement bubbles up inside me as I head to the living room, where all three of the guys are shouting at the television as baseball plays on the screen.

“Hey, Bre just texted, and she wants to know if we’ll go out tonight when she meets her new harem. You wanna go?” I ask.

---