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The bright light of the chandelier flooded the foyer, the speakers in the living room blasting the smooth sounds of classic rock. Casey cringed and dropped her shoes to the floor as an unknown man rolled over on the couch in a deep sleep. A pillow fell, knocking into the coffee table, and an empty beer can tumbled to the carpet.
A chorus of rambunctious laughter echoed from the dining room.
“Oh, my God, they’re still up?” she muttered, rubbing her eyes.
She stumbled down the hallway toward the rowdy male voices, each step bringing her closer to the powerful source of alcohol fumes dominating the house.
“Casey!” Josh slurred her name as she rounded the corner and entered the brilliantly lit dining room. Playing cards tumbled from his hands, fanning out across the floor. “What’re you doing here?” A wild grin broke free on his lips. “Aren’t you supposed to be with my blushing bride?”
“Party’s over, Josh. I left your blushing bride with her head in the toilet about twenty minutes ago.” She giggled. “So, flushing, not blushing I guess.”
Josh hiccupped as Casey slid into the empty seat at the table between the twins. The warmth of Austin’s palm raked over her thigh as he leaned forward and planted a sloppy, wet kiss on her lips, the scent of scotch lingering in the air as he pulled away.
“Come on, I’ll deal you in.” Austin shoved a pile of cards into her hands, his head drooping forward like a rag doll. Leaning back, his elbow knocked into a half-empty beer bottle. The golden liquid coated the tabletop and soaked into the cards before dripping to the floor. Scooping up a wet card, he grinned and wiped it on his shirt.
“Oh, real nice, Austin.” The dark-haired man beside him smacked him on the arm and tossed a pizza-stained paper towel in Casey’s direction. He snorted, pulling his heavy eyes upward to meet her own. “And how aboutmywife?”
His stare searched her, the eerily familiar piercing green gaze biting into her soul.And you are without a doubt, Mavis’s brother.
Casey flashed a smile. “Flushing a different toilet, Mitch Benson.”
“Does anyone have a six?” Josh dropped another card to the floor, his eyes scanning the pile wadded up in his hands.
Mitch chucked the seven of diamonds into his lap and downed a shot of amber liquid. He grimaced and wiped his lips with the back of his paint-covered hand.
Casey eyed the seven of diamonds as Josh paired it with his six of clubs, resting it on a pile of stale breadsticks in the center of the table. She giggled. “Umm, what game is this?”
Austin swayed in his seat and passed a shot of clear liquid across the table to his brother. “Go Fishy, Casey girl. You drink whenever you ask for a card or when you give a card.”
A belly laugh boomed from her gut, the drunken trio of men playing a child’s game of Go Fish squeezing her heart with pure amusement. She examined each of their faces, soaking in their silly smiles, tired eyes, and goofy grins.
It’s only a matter of minutes before one of you falls from your chair and makes the floor your bed until dawn!
With a snort, she scooped up her cards and nodded toward the living room. “So how many cards did the guy on the couch ask for?”
Mitch dragged a hand through his hair and knocked the eight of hearts from the table with his elbow. “Scott has a new baby. Poor guy barely made it past eleven.”
Casey smiled. Pulling the bottle of amber liquid in her direction, she fanned out her cards. “Who has a queen?” The smooth liquid invaded her mouth, trickling down her throat.
Austin handed her the king of spades. “My king to your queen, Cinderella,” he answered, pulling the bottle from her hands and bringing it back to his mouth. He winked, flashing his baby blue eyes at her, the white tips of his lashes poignant under the harsh lighting.
Her stomach dipped, overriding the exhaustion blanketing her body. She grinned and scooped up his king, dumping it in the basket of bread.
“I think I have a full house.” Mitch dropped his cards on the table with a proud smile and jabbed his elbow into Josh’s gut.
Josh squinted, eyeing the row of cards. He barked out a laugh and plucked from the pile a business card tucked between the red and black royalty. “You’re cheating!” he roared, flinging the business card across the table. His hand shot out, seemingly ready to return Mitch’s jab, but his body tumbled from the chair instead, dropping to the floor in a fit of giggles.
Casey snickered as Mitch bent forward to help, his attempt much like a toddler trying to pick up an object too heavy. He tripped, toppling over Josh as they rolled amidst the spilled beer and playing cards. Sliding from his seat, Austin joined them on the dining room floor, roughhousing as if they were all eight years old.
Casey dropped her head to the table in a fit of laughter, eyeing the beer slowly seeping into her hair. She snorted and closed her eyes with pure exhaustion, ready to let sleep take her. Shifting in her seat, her hand dropped atop the business card Josh had pulled from Mitch’s hand. Reopening her eyes, the letters swam into focus, the wordsdivorce attorneypunctuating her brain. With a heavy jolt of realization, she swiped the card and pocketed it next to her phone, resting Dave Jensen’s name in the waistband of her panties.
Shit. Lauren.
––––––––
Casey woke to a viciousbout of nausea.
Death, please take me now.
