baggage claim with my Kate Spade luggage in tow. Even though Birdie was late again a familiar war

finall

noise and obnoxious heat of this place attracted lost souls. A few years ago, I was one of them. Las Vegas had

thanks to him, Birdie and I would be sitting pretty for at least a year. I could pr

t notice that I had an admirer edging closer to me on the curb. He had the subtlety of a shark circlin

hat the photographic evidence of his affair would be delivere

uld have squeezed even more out of him, in the end, I knew when I was pushing

at alerted me to Birdie. Pulling up in the red Audi TTS I bought

know,” she said.

d the button that opened the trunk, and m

,” I mu

his eyes didn’t miss the opportunity to roam

Kevin,” h

to roll my eye

ve a name?

, so I’m going to save you the trouble o

Regardless, I laughed it off. I’d been called worse thi

e laughed as I shut the door, and she gu

therapy, but I’m s

quick once-over before replacing her over

ud, obnoxiou

e it when you make me ask a million questions. J

’d never found out what I actually did to support us. It was my job to protect her, and

iting. At least, it shouldn’t be for her. It was dangerous. In reality, it was the most dangerous job I could

I asked, the gleam from her rig

nd shrugged. “Somebody d

worth at least twenty grand, and considering I recently put B

asses? Did you find t

miled and batted my eyelashes, and th

trying to will away the tensi

same tactic she just described by

. I don’t like it. You need to cut back an

ands of blond hair flying around her face.

hed. “That will ne

. You can’t tell me

ke one and get your GED li

.” She rolled her eyes

our way across Summerlin Parkway. I was so tired of this argument. I kne

ie muttered a minute la

thing. I think she was the only person I was actually capable of loving. So the question w

,” I told her. “I just want

ion. “That’s why I’m trying to do what I promi

school, you need to have your

. “It’s just hard to stay focused while

easier,” I

? What do you want to

d at her joke. I was already well and truly grown up

ed. “Could have se

n front of our luxury apartment building i

you co

nd shook her head

t was the only way I could feel safe. Those details were vital to me. There was never a question in

esn’t start fo

ed and needed it. “Yes, but I need to study for a test. I’m meeting Trouble at Starbuck

ffee. And as far as her new friend Trouble? Well, the name said it all. Birdie had found the lost, homeless girl wandering through a casino, and they’d been inseparable ever since. I didn’t necessarily think she was a good influence for Birdie, but she was trying to make a p

“Check in before you get to class, pl

,” she

e me sick with worry if she didn’t follow through. Birdie might have b

rabbed my suitcases, rolli

“How about dinner tonight? A cele

ood. How about Sinatra at seve

uted. “Make sure i

timately relented, the way