Page 56 of Blacklist

“What was that about?” Luca asks under his breath.

“You’re blood in the water, my friend,” I explain. “Every woman will be circling you by the end of the night, trying to get a taste.”

He frowns. “Was that part of your plan? Bring me along as a distraction?”

“I told you I needed your help.”

“I feel so used,” he says dryly, snagging a glass from a passing tray.

“I’m sure you’ll get over it,” I say, noticing Malcolm’s eyes have followed Ava across the room. I can’t stop myself. “Lost your wife?”

“I have a headache,” Malcolm explains, touching his temples gingerly. “Ginny went to look for aspirin.”

“Here.” Money pulls a flask from his jacket and offers it to him.

“Whiskey and wine are a terrible combination,” Malcolm says.

“I can find Oliver. He’ll have something harder.”

“I imagine he will. His brother always had the good stuff in college,” Malcolm says fondly as though the good old days of pharmaceutical drug abuse are happier times.

“Oliver!” Money calls, waving him over. “Got anything for a headache.”

“Seriously?” Oliver asks, creasing his eyebrows.

“I know you do.” Money turns to Malcolm. “He could always hook up the Beta Psis. Xanax. Fentanyl. Bennies.”

He produces a bottle from his jacket. “Man, that was a lifetime ago.”

“You helped drop many a pair of panties,” Money says.

“Rex was the same. We used to call him Cupid.” Malcolm takes the pills Oliver doles out for him.

“I would have thought your bank accounts were enough to do that,” I say dryly. Oliver’s gaze slides uneasily to me.

“Nobody got hurt.” Even he doesn’t believe the lie he’s telling.

“It was just for fun.” Money punches my shoulder. “You were never much for fun, were you, Ford?”

“I guess not.”

“I never did see why my sister was so into you.” He leans closer, the sharp sting of bourbon on his breath.

“Money, don’t you have a date or someone to bother?” Malcolm says, his voice rich with warning. The stroll down memory lane is over.

If Money is distressed at his exile, he doesn’t show it. He shoves the flask back in his jacket and lurches to his feet, throwing an arm around Oliver. It’s not a surprise that any of them enjoyed recreational drugs back in the day or that they shared them with their conquests. I’d seen what those drugs did, though. Watching them stride away, carefree, I make a mental note to add one more name to my list.

19

Sterling

The Past

Some party this is turning out to be.

“You’re so pretty, even when you’re all funny looking.” Adair is blabbering, but now I know for sure she’s been drugged. There is no way she would ever say that on purpose, but it’s nice to have confirmation. I don’t mind knowing the truth. I grab her glass and sniff it while she blabbers something mostly incoherent about being a designated driver.

“Not tonight,” I inform her. What the fuck am I getting myself into with this girl? A torrent of rage bursts out of me, half -directed at her for being stupid enough to get drugged, and half-directed at whatever asshole did it.