Page 100 of Blind Luck

Ari was eating a croissant, while Sin had an iPadpropped in front of her and a mug of black coffee to the side. Rusty was staying out of the way in Mav’s home gym. He’d be back playing hockey soon, and he figured Selene might be happier without a man around, at least to begin with. We’d done brief intros last night, explained that we were friends of Kelsey’s and here to help. Selene had barely said a word, and who could blame her?

“Hey, you want to sit here?” Ari pulled out the chair beside her. “We have coffee, juice, pastries, toast, and there are eggs in the refrigerator.”

“Coffee would be good, but I can make it.”

I jumped up. “No, sit, I’ll do it.”

“I can’t thank you guys enough. I thought I was going to die in that apartment, really I did, and I just…I just…”

Ari turned and gave her a hug. For a long moment, Selene clung to her. I’d spent years with nobody to lean on, and I knew how hard it was to go it alone. Which was why I was so proud to have friends who would make sure Selene didn’t have to.

“He can’t hurt you anymore, I promise.”

“You don’t know Jace very well. He’ll never stop looking for me. I’ll never be safe. I figured he wouldn’t throw me down the stairs until I turned twenty-five because that’s when I get access to my trust fund, but there was nothing stopping him after that. Maybe…maybe I’ll be able to hide for a few years?”

“We’ll come up with a plan that ensures your safety,” Ari promised. “Nobody’s going to kick you out on the street.”

“I don’t even understand why you’re helping me. I mean, I get that you’re friends with Kelsey, but I hardly know her either.”

“Truth is, we don’t know Kelsey all that well. We’re PIs, and we came to Las Vegas as part of an investigation into some incidents related to the Galaxy resort.”

“Do you mean the accident in the parking garage?”

“What do you know about that?”

“Not much,” she admitted. “Just what I saw on the news, and I heard Jace on the phone saying we should review security in the Neptune’s parking facilities.”

Huh, interesting. Was that part of a cover story, or had Jackson gone renegade with the hit-and-run? Or was Jace worried about retribution? Because with Jerry and her buddies involved, he was sure going to get it, and I loved that for him.

“Yes, the accident in the parking garage is a part of the issue. The case led us to Jace, and we met Kelsey after he drugged her at the Funhouse.”

A tear rolled down Selene’s cheek. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. What did he use, my sleeping pills? He keeps them and gives me one each night.”

“No, he used GHB. Did you have any suspicions that he might be cheating?”

“Honestly, I tried not to think about it. I tried not to think about any of it. One time, he got sick—like there was stuff coming out of his…you know. He said it was just an allergy to laundry soap. Do I need to get tested?”

“It might not be a bad idea.”

At least Jace had been blacklisted by most of the hookers in Vegas. We had to look at the positives, right?

Sin glanced up from her iPad. “We can help with that. I’ll get a doctor to come here if you want.”

“What if the doctor tells Jace?”

“There are rules about privacy.”

“The doctor I usually see tells Jace everything.”

“My doctor knows how to keep her mouth shut.”

Selene bit her lip. “Okay. Maybe. But what will happen after that? I…I don’t have anywhere to live. I mean, I have money, but I can’t access it for three more years, and Jace has all the paperwork. Plus he has my passport, and I don’t have a driver’s licence.”

“Where does he keep the paperwork? We can get it.”

Uh-oh. Selene’s eyes bugged. “Are you out of your mind? He’ll never give it to you.”

“I wasn’t planning to ask him.”

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