Charity Case - The Complete Series - Piper Rayne Page 0,129

other words, you hashed your shit out?” She’s looking at me like she’s waiting for me to tell her she may have been right.

“Yeah, and now the bastard wants a second chance.” I run my finger across the condensation on the outside of my drink while Victoria and Hannah exchange a look.

This is our regular Monday night at Torrio’s that Hannah now insists we have. Usually it keeps me going through the Monday morning gloom, but not when the subject of our conversation is me. Especially when it’s me and Dean.

“Stop it.” I sip my vesper. “What am I supposed to do?”

“So, you agreed to a second chance?” Hannah asks, her words poised and elegant. A few men walk by and wave to her.

She could have her pick of any of these successful men and sometimes I wonder if she comes here by herself and hooks up on nights when we’re not with her. She doesn’t seem the type, but I would if I were her.

“I agreed to let him take me to your party.” I point a finger in her direction. “Which, by the way, thanks a lot for inviting him.”

“He’s our tax attorney.” She holds her hands up in the air. “You told me to keep him on. So turn that finger back around and point at yourself.”

Victoria laughs, sipping her drink, then pulls out her phone and checks it—again.

“I’m going to take that phone and drop it in your drink,” I say.

She crinkles her eyes at me. “Reed was getting Jade after school. I just want to make sure everything is all right.”

“You’re worried that Reed, Mr. Responsible, is going to forget your daughter or what…let her take up knife throwing as a hobby?” My sarcasm is thick. “That’s the least of your worries.”

She shrugs. “Hey, I’ve been a single mom for a long time, it’s hard to put trust into people where Jade is concerned.” Her voice has an edge. A mama bear edge I’m not going to poke around for fear of getting cut.

“Fair enough.”

She straightens her shoulders, leaving her phone in her lap, seemingly pleased with herself for putting me in my place.

“Don’t try to detour this conversation. You’re in the hot seat, Chelsea.” Hannah smiles, sipping her drink as her gaze slides around the room.

“I think we should talk about the fact you’re searching for the silver fox,” I say smugly.

Hannah coughs, almost spitting out her drink. Almost, but she doesn’t. I can’t help but think Hannah attended an etiquette school when she was younger and would never let such a thing happen. She’s always the epitome of poised perfection—unless we’re talking about her ex-husband’s divorce attorney.

“I just don’t want him to ruin my night.” Flush warms her cheeks and now it’s me and Victoria sharing the look.

“Don’t you dare.” She waggles her finger between the two of us. “I loathe Roarke Baldwin. He got my husband way more than that cheating asshole deserved.”

We nod because it’s hard to argue with Hannah, she’s stubborn and defiant and even if she ever sleeps with the silver fox, she’d probably deny it.

“We know.” Victoria takes on the mother role, patting Hannah’s hand with her own. “That brings us back around to you.” She whips her head in my direction and smiles.

I narrow my eyes to slits and then roll them to the back of my head.

“Come on. If you still want him, admit it,” Victoria pries.

With a sigh, I decide to lay my cards on the table. “Truth is, I do want him. I want him over me and under me and behind me until he’s out of my system. But I do not want a husband, especially the one I threw back into the proverbial sea five years ago.”

While I sip my drink, I glance over to the men in this place rather than take in the expressions on my friend’s faces. They’re probably sharing that ‘she’s lying to herself’ look, but they don’t understand. How could they when I’ve never told them everything that went down between us?

“Listen. Our marriage was hot, spontaneous, and reckless. Why do you think I love bad boys? He’s the king of them, but I never wanted to change him. I loved his ragged edges. I loved his sexual thirst that had me in more positions than I knew existed as a college freshman. I loved that every girl wanted him, but he was mine. I loved how protective he was over me. But I was naive. I