Page 180 of On The Rocks

I glanced at my screen, but I couldn’t tell if the SOS went through or not. At the very least, if it went through, it would send a text to Kain and Beckett, who I had in my emergency contacts.

I only hoped they’d be awake to get it. I tapped my phone to see the time and my heart sank.

Would they even hear it? It was almost two in the morning.

“I don’t know.” She started pacing. “Baron was really mad at me.” Her free hand fisted. “It’s your fault.” She turned on me again. “If you’d just cooperated, then none of this would have happened.”

Cooperated? I’d been drugged. I gritted my teeth against shouting it. “I made a mistake.”

She tilted her head again. “I’m glad you see the error of your ways. Now we just have to fix it. Come away with me. Tonight.”

“Okay.”

A huge smile broke over her face. “You will?”

“Just leave Lennon here.”

“I told you not to say her name!”

“Sorry.” I held my hands up, the phone facing me. The screen flashed with a text from Kain. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to. But let me text Baron and we can pick him up on the way.”

She nibbled on her lower lip. “Maybe it should just be us.”

“But Baron would be so hurt. He’s still missing you, Irene.”

“He is?” Hope dented some of the wildness.

“I promise.”

“Okay, maybe just a text. But he has to come here.” She brought her free hand up to bite on the corner of her thumbnail. A sure tell of her anxiety. The fact that it looked like it had chewed on by an animal was not a great sign.

I swiped open the phone and quickly texted Kain SOS and jumped to Baron’s text conversation before she got to my side. She peered over my arm, the gun loose at her side.

Did I go for the gun?

No, be patient.

I wasn’t a fucking hero. I couldn’t live with myself if a shot went wild and hurt Lennon or Elmer.

Elmer whined with the chaotic energy flying around.

“Shut up!” She screamed, right near me.My head rang with the power of it.

Elmer put his head down.

“It’s okay, buddy. We’re all okay.”

“Oh, bubbles. He’s replying.” Her icy blue eyes shifted toward me. No longer flat, they were filled with happiness. I didn’t know what was more horrifying, her mad and happy in the literal same minute or her swinging the gun around the room as if it couldn’t kill everyone.

Baron:

Tell her I miss her. I’ll be right there.

“He’s coming and he misses me?” She covered her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears. “He’s actually coming.” She shook her hair back. “Do I look okay?”

Batshit-crazy.“Beautiful as always.”

“Thanks.” She dashed away her tears and rushed back to her huge purse and pulled out her suitcase-sized makeup bag. She practically skipped down the stairs to the club-chair kitty corner from the couch. She dumped it out on the seat and fished through a store’s worth of potions like a child with her toys.

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