Page 64 of Vengeful Secret

I turn to see my best friend, Thomas, standing there, swaying slightly on his feet.

“Thomas?” I ask, pulling him toward a bar stool and sitting him down. “You’re on a tear tonight.”

He chuckles darkly. “You bet.”

I swallow hard, able to see the pain etched on his face, even as I check that Sutton is still okay. “Is it Lissa?”

Lissa is Thomas’s on again off again girlfriend, and they have quite a tumultuous relationship. But he’s never taken it this hard before. Thomas barely ever drinks, and now he smells like a distillery.

He looks up at me with glassy eyes. “She’s getting married,” he says softly.

I blink. “She’swhat?”

As far as I knew, they were together just a few weeks ago.

He shrugs. “Met some guy out in Cabo with her friends. Said she fell in love at first sight.” He scoffs. “That’s always what she said about me, too.”

“Jesus, Tommy, I’m sorry,” I say, unsure what to say at all.

My heart goes out to the guy. I can’t imagine how drunk I’d get if during our five-year separation. Sutton had gotten engaged to someone else.

I look and see her stepping away from Brady, but still looking at him.

Thomas shrugs again. “It is what it is, right? Gonna put my liver to the test for a few days and then get back in the saddle.”

“Do you have anyone here with you?” I ask, concerned. “Someone to drive you home?”

He shakes his head, finishing his drink and putting it on the bar. He hails the bartender, but I put up a hand, making a “cut him off” gesture.

The bartender takes one look at Thomas and nods.

I’m a bit worried that Thomas will cause a scene when they cut him off, so I clear my throat and heft him up on his feet.

“Let me call you a car,” I say.

“You’re my best friend, Gray.” He’s barely coherent, and I take him toward the front door as he leans on me, making a quick call to one of our drivers.

Harry shows up in less than ten seconds, and I put Thomas in the car.

“Call me if you need me,” I say quietly, and he nods, lolling his head against the seat.

I knock on the driver’s side window, and Harry lets it down.

“Help him into his place.”

Harry nods when I remind him of the address and pulls away, and I head inside, sighing heavily.

I hate it that I’m not able to help Thomas more. He clearly needs someone to talk to, someone to look after him, even, but tonight…

Panic rocks through me as I look at the VIP section, trying, and failing, to locate Sutton.

Brady’s still there, but Sutton is gone. Maybe he wasn’t in on the Murphys plan? Maybe she found someone else to speak to?

God, I take my eyes off her for thirty seconds and this happens.

I’m about to freak out and call Liam inside when my eyes locate the back exit is near the VIP section. Maybe Sutton started to panic and needed some fresh air.

Or maybe she’s dead. Maybe he's already killed her. I can’t help myself from thinking of the worst-case scenarios.

---