Page 25 of Ringer's Freedom

Sasha throws her arms around Lilah and squeezes her tightly before rushing out of the booth. It’s not until the bell over the door is ringing that Lilah lets her head drop into her hands.

“You alright?” I ask.

“I’m not the best on long roadtrips by myself. Driving to Las Vegas alone is not high on my ‘want to do’ list.”

“Why would you go by yourself?”

Lilah looks at me like I’ve grown a second head. “Did you not just hear her say she can’t go with me?”

“And?”

I watch her think about it for a second and then her eyes light up. “I can ask your brother if one of the prospects can drive me!”

“Uh, absolutely fucking not,” I growl.

“Why not?” she asks, her pert nose tipping up even farther.

“I will go with you.”

“You?”

“Yes, me.”

“Why you?”

“I told you yesterday, Princess. I’m always going to protect you.”

“What does going to Vegas with me have to do with protecting me?” she asks, confusion lacing her tone.

“Lilah, don’t play dumb.”

Her head snaps back in offense. “I’m not dumb!”

“I never said you were, babe. I said don’tplaydumb. Think about it. A single young woman in Vegas? Fucking Vegas, Princess? You don’t go to Vegas by yourself.”

She tries interrupting me but I don’t let her.

“You go to Vegas by yourself for this wedding, and next thing we know, you’re on a ship to Aruba to be sold as a sex worker and on the next episode of Dateline.”

Lilah’s eyes widen, shifting from anger to shock. “That’s morbid, Ringer.”

“You forget I just got out ofprison,Lilah. I’ve heard about much fucking worse.”

“Okay, so I won’t go by myself.”

“Then it’s settled. I will come with you.”

I chuckle when she rolls her eyes again. “Fine. But you’re sleeping on the pullout couch.”

At my curious stare, she elaborates. “Sasha and I always share a king size room. They are cheaper.”

“Have you done many weddings in Vegas?”

“Sparrow opened a small party planning business. She makes bank doing weddings there. Quite a few of her brides have liked my cakes and never seem to have a problem paying my travel fees,” she shrugs, “so I get a mini vacay out of it, and I get to see my best friend.”

“When do we leave?”

Lilah’s face finally breaks into a small smile. “Friday at nine a.m.”

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