l

a warm bed on his day off was never a good idea, no matter how important the issue was. The new employe

et, cutting through the me

f work wasn't enough of a headache, now I had personal problems too.

didn't sleep at all last night. I sat

e told you when you drove her home, didn't she?" I snapped. I needed

. Then security came over with some list of the escor

ridge of my nose. "Then find her. How do you lose one girl? One? Tell securi

rd. Maybe now you'll finally

nded down. I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling. "I do

hink her name was. She said they came to make money. And I paid her i

too. What kind of club

irl walked into the place without an ID. You'd ha

like alcohol either." I rubbed a hand over my face. "Doesn't matter. I'm counting on you. Find her and bring

blonde will be delive

*

phone, and I had no idea

ng in bed with the world's worst hangover. But she wasn't there eit

once I found her. I'd stormed out of the house fueled by anger and adrenaline, without thinking any of it thro

le of the mall and swore under my breath. Acting on impulse had been stupid.

iliar figure stepping into one of the mos

had to be mistaken. There

got, the more c

was

ell she could afford anyt

as she do

cked behind a display of shoes,

othes like she belonged there, casually flipping t

?" a woman aske

parently, I didn't exactly look like I belonged there either. I had no makeup on, my

stomers," I muttered. Too much att

na disappeared in

ut the same saleswoman st

you're not planning to buy anything

a rack, shoved it into her arms, th

ng it. Now pleas

tight smile and head

slipped behind a display of

fitting room in a gorgeous evening dress

look a

you think you're go

I hel

tion cam

me, I l

n sure. Otherwise, stop asking me stupid

he fitting room, and I turned

n f

t the same

e, it wa

ulders. Ridicul

make sure he was act

work

nd a dimple appeared in his cheek. "Now

ard my former friend call for someone from i

er there did something awful to you?" he a

one way to put it. Because of her, I lost something

oward the fitting room. "You know, you're too young to spend you

sharper than I meant it to. "Because otherwise I'll have to keep pr

now why I was telling a complete stranger any of this. Maybe be

make you feel b

ow it

es spa

the sales associates and leaned d

d disappeared

later, he look

you," he said lightly. "Other than trying to steal sev

h dropp

ere, grabbed Kristina by the arms, and s

filing a complaint! Let

r slammed sh

e a smug smile. "It's a small start, b

better than

bright and shaky and completely real. My eyes

to ruin that bitch

was a b