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“I’ll leave now,” Caelan replied, his voice curt.
When the call ended, I frowned at Dax. “Why wouldn’t you want Raven to be alone with her?”
He exhaled heavily. “Generally, Mimi is a happy drunk who wants only to sing, dance, and laugh. But sometimes, she can be mean and get handsy. That she’s breaking things isn’t a good sign.”
I scraped my teeth over my lower lip. “Do you think she’d actually hurt Raven?”
“Maybe not. But I’m not taking any chances. She took a swing at my mom once, but my father jumped between them. Another time, Mimi punched her own cousin. And all because they told her she’d had enough to drink.”
I whistled. “That’s nuts. Your mom would have kicked her ass.” I’d sensed that Kensey was no pushover. And, having been brought up in the rougher areas of Redwater, she was no stranger to physical fights.
His mouth slightly hitched up. “She would have. I think she was disappointed that she wasn’t given the chance.”
Soon, we pulled up outside his sister’s apartment building. It actually belonged to Dax. It was one of several that he owned. As such—knowing not only the entry code but the concierge—he entered the complex with no issue.
As we stepped into the elevator, I spoke, “Is it unusual for Mimi to turn to Raven for somewhere to stay?”
“No.” He jabbed a button on the keypad, and the metal doors soon after closed. “They were friends for a time.”
“I’m guessing Mimi’s homeless.”
“She is, but by choice.” He slipped his hands into his pockets. “She’s not struggling for money. Far from it. The inheritance she received from her grandparents is pretty hefty. She could hop from five star hotel to five star hotel if she wanted. But she prefers to stay with friends. Which, on the surface, seems sweet. Except she takes advantage while there. Throws parties. Lives like a slob. Brings home random guys to fuck. Even sometimes does drugs.”
Whoa.“How many times has she stayed with you?”
“Once. That was years ago. Once was enough.”
“What happened?”
“I told her she could stay for a few days. She made a pass at me. I turned her down. When I came home from work the next day, a bunch of people I’d never met were partying in my apartment. Music was blasting. The place reeked of weed, beer, and sex. She was lying on the living room floor letting guys snort lines of cocaine off her bare ass.”
I felt my jaw go slack. “Wow.” Rubbing at my nape, I added, “It sounds like extreme attention-seeking behavior to me.”
He gave a fluid shrug. “Whatever the case, she has sabotaged a lot of her friendships and alienated family members by acting this way.”
Ah, yes, I remembered he’d spoken of how she’d burned many bridges in Redwater.
The elevator came to a halt, and the doors glided open. I followed Dax down a hallway and round a corner. Finally, he stopped outside a door and wrapped his knuckles on it.
Moments later, it swung open to reveal Raven. She blew out a relieved breath and meekly greeted, “Hey.” As we shrugged past her, she took in our attire. Horror contorted her expression. “Please tell me you weren’t on a date and I cut it short.”
“It was just a business dinner,” I assured her. “We were on our way home when you called.”
A feminine laugh rang out from somewhere in the apartment. On its heels came muffled words grumbled in a male voice laced with agitation.
Raven winced. “Caelan’s not happy. She’s deliberately pushing his buttons. I didn’t tell her you’re coming,” she told Dax. “Maybe the shock of seeing you will sober her up some.” She began strolling down a narrow hallway, urging us to follow. The place was bright, airy, and fun with its eclectic vibe.
“Don’t be so anti … anti … antisocial, Caelan,” I heard Mimi slur. “You know, we could have our own private party if you’d stop being such a grouch.”
Cringing, Raven glanced over her shoulder at me and Dax. “She threw herself at poor Caelan when he first entered the room. Even tried performing a strip dance for him.”
I gaped. “You’re kidding.”
“Not to seduce him, to annoy him,” Raven clarified. “And it worked.”
The three of us filed into a room on our left. A kitchen, I quickly realized as I took everything in.
Standing near the large stainless steel fridge, Caelan plucked a bottle of wine out of Mimi’s hands. “No,” he bit out. “You’ve had more than enough booze. You need to sober up.”
