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“It’s a long story.” She sighed.
I walked to the wet bar. “I like long stories.” It was a hell of a lie. I barely had patience to read texts. But if this girl had something to say, I wanted to hear it.
I rummaged through the liquor cabinet and revealed a bottle of vodka. “Drink?” I offered.
Kennedy nodded. “Yes, please.”
I poured one for each of us and sat on the edge of the chaise, allowing room for her body to slide next to mine.
“Are you friends with the Castilles?” I asked. I’d never seen her before. I’d remember legs like hers. When she sat the hem of the black dress rose along the tops of her thighs. I wondered if she was the kind of girl who ran miles with a personal trainer to have a body like that. Or was she naturally a knockout.
She shook her head. “No. Or yes? I’m not sure.”
I chuckled. “What does that mean?”
She blushed, pressing the glass to her lips. Fuck. They were full and lush. “It means I moved to New Orleans a few weeks ago. I don’t know anyone. I’ve met a few people, so I guess that’s not entirely true, but not anyone here. My father isn’t feeling well tonight, or he would have been here. I’m representing the family name. Those are the instructions he gave. ‘Kennedy you must represent the family name’,” she mimicked her father with a decent baritone voice.
“Ahh. A new family in the area? Interesting.”
“Is it that unusual?”
“This is New Orleans. Everything is unusual.”
She laughed. It was light and airy. For a second, it opened something in my chest. Her laughter pried apart some
thing I thought was sealed with darkness.
“What about you? Bride or groom?” she questioned. “Which side brings you to the party?”
“Bride,” I answered. “The bride’s brother, actually.”
“Then, I should ask you why you’re in here and not at the party with your family. I have a good excuse. I’m hiding from strangers. You’re hiding from everyone you know.”
I could see Kimble’s silhouette through the blinds. Every few seconds, he looked over his shoulder to stare through the window.
“Hiding? I don’t hide.” I took another swallow of vodka. I stared in her eyes. For a second I thought I stumbled into an abyss. I didn’t know where it could take me, and I didn’t care. I wanted to keep falling and see where I landed.
“Will your sister be upset you’re in here?”
“Yes,” I admitted. “Very.” If there was one person who needed me tonight, it was her. But I couldn’t fight the wolves who surrounded her. She was lost to me. Lost to herself. Things would be different when I ran the family. But the original families couldn’t handle a revolution now.
“You should probably go then.” She licked her lips after another sip.
“Another minute.” I leaned closer. I wanted to steal minutes. I’d take seconds if that’s what I could grab. “Does Kimble go everywhere you go?” I asked.
She nodded. “Everywhere. Well, for the last two weeks he has. He’s my keeper. An unwelcome addition to my days and nights.”
“Did something happen?” I smelled her shampoo. I inhaled the lotion off her neck. The proximity made me drunker than mixing liquors.
“Not a security threat. It’s my own fault. Just something stupid I did.”
My eyebrows rose. “What was that?”
The way she looked at me made the world shift. I’d have believed there was a fucking earthquake if someone told me there was seismic activity in New Orleans.
“The worst sin of them all. I embarrassed my father.” Her gaze darted across the room. I saw the shadow too. I jumped back.
It wasn’t Kimble barging in this time.
