Page 109 of Hearts Storm

“I miss you guys too.” I glance at Mia. “What about you? Do you think you can make it?”

Her face falls, and she scrunches her nose. “Ugh, I can’t. I’m going to be in Vegas that weekend. My brother is playing in some big poker tournament at the Bellagio. I promised I’d be there to cheer him on.”

“Brex has a brother who plays poker too. Ace.”

“No. Way.”

“What?” Ari and I ask.

“Ace Saint is my brother’s rival!” Mia squeals out a laugh. “They’ve been going head-to-head for a few years now. My brother talks about him constantly. Says he’s the only player who’s ever consistently gotten under his skin.”

My mind whirls at what is looking a lot like a ‘Six Degrees of Keven Bacon’ situation. “So your brother and Brex’s brother are poker enemies?”

“Meh. More like frenemies,” Mia clarifies, waving her hand. “They respect each other. But oh my God, the trash talk between them is legendary. My brother came home from a tournament last year absolutely fuming because Ace bluffed him out of a six-figure pot.”

Ari chuckles, shaking her head. “These coincidences are getting a little ridiculous. First you run into your guys twice in one weekend, only to run into Brex again months later in Portland. Now Logan is your freakin’ boss and you’re working with Brex too.”

“Right?” Mia laughs. “Not only that, your guy and my brother’s rival are related to one of Rey’s guys.”

“Hold up,” Ari says, shaking her head. “Dex is not my guy.”

“Whatever you say, Ri,” Mia shrugs.

“Right?” I sigh. “Small world.”

“Too small,” Mia agrees, still looking a little stunned. “So are there any other brothers we should know about?”

“Just Rune. Brex said he’s a bodyguard for high profile people. At least that’s what he told me when we were hanging out in Portland.”

Ari taps her chin, eyes glinting with mischief. “So let me get this straight. You’re sleeping with Mia’s brother’s poker rival’s brother’s best friend?”

“Jesus.” I drop my head back against the couch with a groan. “When you put it like that, it sounds insane.”

“That’s cuz it is,” Ari cackles. “And I love it.”

“Have you slept with Brex yet?” Mia asks.

“No.”

“Why the fuck not?” Ari crows.

“I mean, he’s been sneaking into my room at night at the station. But he hasn’t tried anything since he kissed me in the woods.”

Gonna keep the finger-banging-till-I fell-asleep part to myself.

Mia sighs. “Are you having bad dreams again, sweetie?”

“More than I was, yeah. But when he’s with me, I don’t.”

“Awww!” my friends mock pout.

“Okay, okay.” I sit up. “So the fight is next month. Ari, you’re definitely going. Mia, you’re out because of Vegas. I’ll talk to Brex about it and see if we can make a weekend of it?”

“Absolutely,” Ari nods, already pulling out her phone. “I’ll send you the details. Tickets are going fast, so we should grab them soon.”

forty-six

Sunday morning, I wake from the weirdest dream. My sister Becca and I were sitting on the banks of the reservoir. The same one she drowned in. Except, this time, she was a teenager.