Play Mine (Brooklyn Dawn #3) - Cari Quinn Page 0,72

new lover. He was my best friend, the guy I trusted with my life.

Who I knew cared about me enough to respect my choices even while I watched him swing between concern and annoyance.

“You’re not going alone.” His tone brooked no arguments.

“No, I figured not, and I don’t want to, since I have a preference to not end up tied up in the back of a van.” I shuddered. “Or worse.”

His jaw flexed. “Don’t even joke about it.”

“I have to. I’m really fucking freaked out that she got my number and seems to have a vendetta against me.” Goosebumps formed along my arms despite the warm night, and Cooper rubbed his big, callused hands over my skin. “You’re really good at that.”

“I have a number of uses. Including taking care of a duplicitous fake who got the drop on me once but won’t again. I’m still pissed she managed to drug that drink right under my damn nose.”

“It’s not your fault.” I covered one of his hands with mine. “Right from the start, she felt off to me. I couldn’t understand why. I figured it was the emotional, exhausting day, but it wasn’t. She didn’t know anything I was talking about. Obviously, she’d done some research about our connection but not enough to get the backstory down. Maybe she didn’t think she had to. She probably found out I was a former cheerleader and current rocker and assumed I had the brain power of a block of Swiss.”

“Her mistake,” he said lightly, winding one of my damp curls around his finger. “And that whole cheerleader thing has to happen now, since you dug the uniform out and brought it here. You can’t keep taunting me.”

“I have pictures. Well, my parents do. Someday I’ll get brave enough to actually try it on. Hopefully, my Cheetos habit hasn’t made wearing it out of my reach.”

“You’re perfect as you are.” He pressed a light kiss to my forehead. “Every inch and ounce.”

“You’re good for my ego.” I stroked my fingers through the ends of his hair. “She thought I stayed home every night junior year.”

“Did you?”

“No. I liked dating. It was fun. And back then, nothing was too serious, so we just partied and had a good time. Partying for me, mind you, was one drink. I didn’t get drunk until I was like twenty. Too much of a goody two-shoes. Pretty sure that’s how Ricki saw me.”

“Being mindful doesn’t make you a goody two-shoes.”

“Good, because I didn’t deny that I was. I never wanted to go too far. Not with substances or sex or anything else.” I frowned. “Do you think I’m making too much of this? That maybe she’s exactly who she says she is, and her memory’s just spotty? And maybe she wasn’t the one to roofie the drink, or whatever the hell was done to it?”

“She forgot a lot. You gave her ample chances. Better question, why did she say not to bring me if she’s so innocent?”

“Because men are mouthy?” I laughed for his sake when he poked my side. “Yeah, all right. All my instincts are saying she’s off, so I need to face it. Even if I don’t understand why I’m a target.”

“Newest member of the band, maybe. Could think you’d be an easy one to get to.”

“You poison anyone’s drink, you can get to them pretty well.”

Again, I thought of Pat. Could he be this diabolical? What would be the point? Just to get revenge?

Then again, we didn’t know the point to any of this. I wanted so badly to make it logical, and the missing pieces were making me crazy.

“There’s another thing we haven’t considered enough.”

“Don’t we already have plenty?”

He kept speaking as if I hadn’t said anything. “If she’s not Priscilla then the real one is out there.” His brows drew together. “Assuming she’s still alive.”

Sixteen

I reeled back to stare at him. “You’re saying she could be dead? That this chick what, stole her identity?”

He shrugged. “It’s a theory. One we should pursue.”

“How? Set Lila and Donovan’s dogs on her to try to find her?”

“If it comes to that. We can do a preliminary search on our own. I’ll go get my laptop.” He grabbed his still half-full wine glass and pushed it into my hands. “You like it more than I do.”

“This is your version of a wine sippy cup,” I grumbled as I clambered off him and returned to my chair.

“I’ll bring the bottle.” He flashed me a quick smile before