Page 37 of Never and Always
“Nice,” Sierra said she poured two red drinks into chilled martini glasses.
“Don’t any of you rub your fuck-a-thons in my face, please.” I took the glass from Sierra and gulped it back in two swallows. I set the glass down.
They were all staring at me.
“All right, Piper, what the hell is wrong with you?” Jazz asked. “Out with it.”
I tossed my hair back. “I’m fine.”
Tessa made an inelegant sound.
“Okay, I’m not fine. First, my meetings today were extortionately annoying.”
That got me a few sounds of sympathy.
“Next, my brother is in town.”
“Your brother?” Tessa asked.
“Yes. He’s younger than me, a problem gambler, and always asking me for money.”
“Oh boy,” Allie said.
“We had a terrible dinner the other night. He thinks I’m the worst person in the world for not enabling him and giving him my hard-earned money to gamble away. I do my best to keep my mom and grandmother from knowing the extent of his fuck-ups.”
“Oh, Piper.” Tessa touched my arm.
I pointed at my glass, and Sierra got busy making another drink.
“Then, I got attacked in an alley in town.”
Now all of them gasped.
“The guy was after my brother, who apparently owes his boss a lot of money. He wanted me to deliver the message.”
“God, why didn’t you tell us?” Tessa cried. “Were you hurt?”
“I was taking care of things. I didn’t want anyone to worry.”
Allie rolled her eyes. “That’s not how friendship works, Piper.”
Tessa grabbed my hands. “I noticed the grazes today. Figured you’d taken a tumble on your high heels.”
“He held a knife to my neck.” A small hiccupping sound erupted from me. Oh, God. I wasnotgoing to lose it.
“Piper.” Sierra sounded horrified.
“How did you get away?” Jazz asked, worry on her face.
I glanced away, then back. “Everett saved me.”
Their eyes went wide.
“He punched the guy, got me to his place, and cleaned my cuts.”
Allie nodded. “That sounds like Everett.”
I snatched the now-full glass from Sierra and took a long swallow. Heat slammed into my veins. “Then, he butted into my business. He tracked down my brother and warned him to tell whoever he owed money to that I was not involved. He did this without telling me, after I told him I’d deal with it.”
