stop her from protesting. “I know, I know. She’s going to leave the nest soon, but we are still a family. I’m still her mom. I’m not going to let anything come between us.”
“I know that.” Lila Jean squeezed my hand. “I just think you need to give yourself some space from him. This is tearing you apart. If not for Marc, what would’ve happened with Brooke today?”
I pressed my lip together. “I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do.”
“Fine. I would have hoed it up with Gabe and Brooke.”
Lila Jean spat her champagne. “What?”
“Oh. I forgot that part. He sort of came on to me. But it’s just as well because like I said earlier, Vlad hates him.”
“Vlad doesn’t have to like him for a hookup.”
Vlad seemed to raise his eyebrows, as if to say, that yes, he absolutely did have to like him for him to be anywhere near me.
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I don’t want to do what I did in my twenties.”
“Which part?”
“Using dick for validation. I slept with so many men I didn’t really want to just because I wanted to feel wanted. I thought if they wanted to fuck me, I must have some value. Now, here I am, feeling lost, and sad, and what am I doing?”
“Not fucking Gabe Dunavent?”
I downed my champagne. “Right. That’s the good choice.”
“So where does Brooke fit into this?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been honest with her about what I feel about the whole thing, and I think she’s been honest with me.”
“I wouldn’t have suspected in a million years that she was such a thundercunt because she had a case of the bean for you.”
“Right? It’s surreal, but the way she kissed me seemed genuine enough.”
“You know that all I want for you is to be happy. So whoever makes you happy is who I’m cheering for. At the moment, it is definitely not Marcus.”
“Damn! I almost forgot one of the most important parts of this mystery.” I rolled over and grabbed my bag and pulled out Lindsey’s prescription bottle.
“This is GHB,” Lila Jean said, after she looked at the label.
“Yeah. What was she doing with it?”
“Maybe Marc knows.”
“He probably does, but I don’t think he’s going to give me an honest answer. Not after I saw the Leo sigil on his wrist and I asked him point-blank about it.”
“Okay, so wait. You said that it glowed. Do you think maybe you’re the only one who could see it? What if Marc doesn’t know about it?”
I hadn’t even considered that possibility.
“And from the way he talked about what happened in Croatia, what if Lindsey used the GHB on him?”
“I… I don’t know. But why would she do that?”
“That’s what we have to find out.”
“I don’t want to ruin your good time this weekend. It always ends up like that. You end up helping me on a case, and you don’t get to follow through on your plans.”
“Girl, please. I live for this. You know that.”
“But I also know you were looking forward to some hittin’ and quittin’.”
“I can find dick anywhere. Murder, that’s slightly harder. It’s like real-life Forensic Files and I get to do some good.”
“If you’re sure.”
“Plus, you always spoil me with treats. It’s not a bad gig if you can get it,” she teased. “Oh no.”
“What?”
“Presley. Has anyone checked on her?”
“I haven’t. I guess I should. I just don’t have the energy, though. Not tonight.”
“Me either. I mean, I care. I don’t want her to be alone, but I don’t want to be the one who has to sit with her.”
“Do you think Dallas is dead?”
“Probably. His corpse will show up at the most inconvenient time.” Lila Jean took a sip of her champagne. “If it follows the usual blueprint for your adventures.”
“Someone went to a lot of trouble to convince Presley that Brooke and Dallas were having an affair. Whoever it was didn’t know that Brooke has zero interest in… what did she call it? Danger worms.”
“Danger worms, indeed.” Lila Jean snuggled closer to Vlad. “This is the only guy I need right here.”
“He is kind of the best.”
“Speaking of the best, tomorrow is the pool party. What are you wearing?”
“Oh God, no.”
“Oh God, yes.”
“I don’t know if I can take another day of all of that attention. I’m happy to sit around in bathing suit with a Guns N’ Roses T-shirt over it and slip by unnoticed.”
“I knew you were going to say that. Luckily, they know you at Torrid and the saleswomen were more