The bartender appeared, two drinks in her hand. She set them on the little table between them and disappeared before Callie could get out a single word of thanks. She picked up the glass, examining the mix of bright colors. Her first sip found it pleasingly sweet and fruity. “This is good.”
“Miami Iced Tea. It only takes two to get your head into exactly the right kind of place.” She drank deeply with great relish.
In that case, Callie was going to have to be careful. She didn’t drink often enough to build up the kind of tolerance necessary for both the shots and mixed drinks, and she didn’t trust this situation enough to indulge freely. “Good to know.”
“My brother likes you, you know.”
She knew, but hearing it still made her entire body go warm. “I like him, too.”
“Good.” Carrigan took another drink. “Because if you hurt him, I will have no problem taking you into a back alley and cutting your heart out.” It was delivered in exactly the same careless tone that she’d said everything else, and for a long moment Callie was sure she’d misheard her. But then the woman turned those pale green eyes on her and she knew she had it right. As ruthless as Teague could be on occasion, he didn’t have anywhere near the degree of cold that his sister obviously possessed. Then Carrigan blinked and the look disappeared, replaced by a light, teasing expression. “Do you dance, Callie?”
“Yes.” She answered without thinking, still marveling at how completely the woman went from icy to warm, and how little effort it seemed to take. This was a person who wore masks with such regularity, there was no telling what she was really like.
Though Callie would bet the cold threats were closer to the truth than the carefree smiles.
“Perfect. Finish your drink and let’s go join my sisters before they get into trouble.”
She took a sip before she realized she was obeying. “If you’re worried they’ll get into trouble, why did you bring them here?” Maybe she should have begged off on this outing as soon as she realized what they planned. Though her father had always taught her that recognizing a threat was important, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that Teague’s older sister was exactly that.
Carrigan’s grin was downright wicked. “Sometimes a little trouble is good for the soul.”
* * *
Carrigan slid into the mass of dancing people, feeling like she was coming home. In here, surrounded by strangers, with the music so loud there was no chance of conversation, it didn’t matter that she was an O’Malley or that her future was less than certain.
She was blissfully—if temporarily—free.
She dragged Callie behind her and worked her way toward where she’d seen Sloan and Keira from the balcony above. They’d been directly in the middle of the seething mass—something she suspected was her youngest sister’s doing, because God knew Sloan wouldn’t set foot on a dance floor without being forced. She’d much rather find a relatively quiet nook and watch the dramas going on around her than to actually participate in them. Well, that was too damn bad, because tonight she was participating whether she wanted to or not.
People were packed in like sardines, making it a struggle to get through, but she relished the contact. It seemed like the only time she got touched was when she was out here and surrounded by strangers. She always managed to convince herself that she didn’t need it, but then she’d slip her cage and prove herself a liar on the dance floor. The truth was she was well and truly skin-starved.
It was enough to make her do truly foolish things.
They found Keira first, her arms above her head, her eyes closed as her hips moved to the grinding beat. There were no less than three men around her, circling like sharks. Carrigan cut through them and wrapped her arms around her, laughing as she pulled her away from them. She glanced over to where Callie had found her other sister and towed her to safety as well.
Carrigan let go of Keira and crossed to Sloan. She leaned in close because she wanted her sister to actually hear. “Are you okay?”
“Mostly.”
She might actually be okay, or she might be saying the right words so as not to make waves. Carrigan leaned back and looked her over. She was a little pale and her eyes were a little wide, but she wasn’t searching