Page 2 of The Retreat

“Never mind. I’ll google it.”

No one would expect me to be sitting in a smoky bar in Las Vegas, so I jump when Colin slides into the seat next to me.

“How did you find me?”

“Oliver made the mistake of sharing your phone location with me.”

“Motherfucker.” I throw my phone in the trash can next to me. “No one can be trusted, can they?”

“If you marry Cassie, I’ll kill you.”

“Do it then.”

Colin blinks, clearly not having expected that answer. “I’m not joking. If you marry my sister, I will kill you. She’s not ready.”

“If I don’t marry your sister, my parents will disinherit me. Can you imagine me paying for my own therapy and medication? So do your worst, not like I wanted to live to thirty, anyway.” I wave him on.

Colin grinds his teeth.

“Are you going to do it, or can I return to trying to kill myself with alcohol?” I ask, picking up my fruity cocktail to slurp the last out of the bottom of the glass.

He slams his fist down on the bar top. “I need a drink.”

“Good idea. We’ll both drink until I get up the courage to throw myself off a building.” I look at the bartender. “Put it on my tab and add another one of these.”

Colin side-eyes me. “You’re not really going to throw yourself off a building, are you?”

“I haven’t decided yet. Better than marrying a teenager.” I gag a little. “And I can’t be on the run forever. It’s shocking my parents haven’t caught up with me yet.” I glance over my shoulder, expecting guys dressed in all black to drag me back to New York any second.

“No one is following us. What are you, a paranoid schizophrenic?”

“You don’t know my parents,” I mutter around my straw.

Colin gives me a strange look. “Seriously?”

“They have money or something on the line with this. They wouldn’t be so insistent if not. But I can’t figure out what.”

“You think it’s that deep?”

I nod. “My parents don’t do anything that doesn’t benefit them, let alone insist on it. Why else would they want to tie us to you? You don’t have anywhere near the wealth or name they do.” I grit my teeth. “Sorry, no offense.”

“None taken. Not my money.” Colin taps a finger on the counter. “So what are we going to do?”

“I thought you were going to kill me? Sounds like the best option.”

Colin glares. “Stop being so dramatic.”

“I’m not. Nothingness sounds wonderful right now,” I mutter.

Colin growls, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. What a strange reaction. Bodies are so weird. I would have to explore that later. I’m much too drunk to think about it now.

“Then I’m out of ideas. So you tell me.”

“How many drinks have you had? You’re slurring.”

I shrug immediately, sticking the straw of the mixed drink between my lips the second it’s set in front of me. “I lost count.”

“We need shots,” Colin states when he gets his drink. He orders four and pushes two in my direction.

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