Page 32 of Savage Revenge

I don’t remember walking from the backyard to this room. Did Caleb carry me? A blurry memory of being lifted from the lounge chair comes to mind. The scent of the ocean and citrus. Caleb doesn’t smell like that. Cash does.

Did Cash carry me to bed?

My gaze lands on a bottle of water, two pills, and a piece of paper on the bedside table.

Kitten-

Be my good girl and take these as soon as you wake up. Otherwise, you’re going to feel like shit.

-C

It was Cash. Oh, God. Did I talk to him?

I don’t think I did. I was too far gone to talk, I think. The last time I drank that much in one night was five years ago on my twenty-first birthday. I’ve always been a lightweight, but apparently being kidnapped and held hostage makes a girl want to drink as much as possible. Especially since Edith makes the most amazing cocktails I’ve ever had.

I reach for the bottle of water and chug half of it, dripping some onto the sheets as I do. As soon as I down the medicine, I stand on unsteady feet and slowly trudge toward the bathroom to relieve my bladder.

There is a cluster of bags near the closet door, and it only takes me a moment before I realize it’s things from my place. At least I’ll get to wear some of my own clothes instead of Cash’s. Although I’ll never admit it to anyone, I like wearing his shirts. If I’d had panties on yesterday, I would have worn just his shirt since it was long enough on me to be a dress.

My reflection in the mirror is horrid, and I nearly vomit when I brush my teeth, trying to get the taste of alcohol out of my mouth. Shit, are those mint leaves in my teeth? I hope Cash didn’t see them.

It takes a bit for me to clean myself up and get to a point where I feel semi-presentable instead of looking like a hungover troll under a bridge.

With my hair pulled up into a high ponytail and my face freshly washed, I search through my bags for a swimsuit andsomething to wear over it. If I’m forced to stay here and do nothing, I’m going to enjoy every second I can by his magnificent pool. I might hate the man, but I love this house and backyard. I’d definitely work from home a lot if I lived here.

As I get dressed, my mind races with questions and concerns. Are our casinos running smoothly without me there? Is anyone worried about where I am? Does my father have any idea of what’s going on? Is he really out of the country for innocent reasons, or is he in hiding?

I hate that I don’t know the answer to that. One thing I know for sure is that Jacob is innocent in all of this. He doesn’t care enough about the business to do something like that. The only reason he’s involved is because of some sort of fucked-up guilt on his side of things. I guess being an affair baby weighs kind of heavy on him. We’ve never grown close enough to talk about it. Sometimes, I forget we’re even related since we weren’t raised together. I didn’t start being around him regularly until last year when I came home from college. He’s made it pretty apparent to me, though, that running a bunch of casinos and hotels is not his idea of a life plan. And when our father dies, I’ll offer to buy him out of the business, which I’ve already gotten my grandparents’ blessing on. That might happen sooner rather than later, depending on whether my father had anything to do with Jack Savage’s death.

Letting out a heavy sigh, I close my eyes and try to push the intruding thoughts away. Everything is out of my control right now; worrying about it isn’t going to do anything but give me an ulcer that I don’t need.

What I do need is some of that delicious coffee. I stretch and pad barefoot out of the room, finding Caleb in the hallway, alert and cocky as usual.

“Morning, Miss Kingston,” he greets cheerfully.

I narrow my gaze and flip him off as I head toward the stairs. He grins and follows me like the good little watchdog he is. And even though I want to hate him, I’ve secretly decided he’s not so bad.

Birdie is at the sink when I walk into the kitchen, and as soon as she sees me, she grins and goes to the large coffee machine. “There she is. How’re you feeling this morning, dear? Edith said you tied one on last night.”

A smile pulls at my lips as I lean my hip against the counter next to her.

“She tied one on all right. Six cherry mojitos. Girl can put away more liquor than most grown men,” Caleb remarks with a smirk.

I shoot him a dirty look and flip him off again, making Birdie chuckle. She slides a steaming cup over to me and watches as I take my first sip, then take an even bigger one, humming my approval. I never thought coffee was anything super special, but this is some kind of magical kind that I could easily get addicted to.

“What’s on the agenda today, dear?” Birdie asks.

“I’ll be by the pool, probably getting drunk again.”

Caleb snorts, and I flip him off again without even looking in his direction.

Birdie smirks. “Caleb, stop antagonizing the poor girl. It’s clear she finds your presence offensive.”

I like her. Even if she won’t call the cops. There’s something comforting about her presence. She’s like the grandmother most people wish they had. Strong and steady with a warmth that makes a person want to tell her all about their day.

“I’m ordering more groceries today. If you want anything, the list is right there. Add whatever you want,” she tells me.

Nodding, I move to the other counter and grab the pen, adding a few things. Popcorn. Strawberries. Cherries.

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