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“Uh, no, I have—” Alice began.
“Great.” Cormac yanked her under his other arm and propelled them through the casino.
“Uh, I have stuff to do,” Alice stammered.
Cormac held up her bare left hand. “No ring, no claim.”
“Claim?”
“No man, so you have no reason not to come with us.” Cormac surveyed her and gave her a broad smile. “You have potential, sweetheart.”
“Potential?” Alice echoed.
Carmen was about to intervene but decided to let it play out when she noticed that Alice no longer looked nervous but offended.
“You dress like you’re forty, but you can’t be older twenty-five. Why are you hiding your body under these ugly ass clothes?”
Alice dug her heels in. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Cormac released Carmen, so he could pick up Alice who let out a piercing squeal. “Wanna bet?”
Carmen laughed and fell into step beside Walter. “Cormac hasn’t changed. He’s more arrogant and obnoxious than ever.”
“That’s part of his charm,” Walter said and tossed an arm over her shoulders. “By the way, you are looking fine.”
As they passed Partition, a popular Pyre nightclub, the people in line spotted Cormac, Walter, and the other fighters. Several women jumped over the gold ropes and rushed them, screaming and begging to take selfies. Cormac smiled broadly and let a woman suck his nipple while she took a picture. Alice struggled madly to get away, but Cormac held her despite being fawned over by admirers. In less than a minute, the crowd that headed for the elevators swelled to over fifty people. Cormac led the way with Alice clamped to his side. They jammed into three elevators while the rest had to wait for the next set.
What looked like two NFL players with earpieces guarded the penthouse. They opened double doors into complete mayhem. Carmen was familiar with this particular penthouse. It was three stories of chrome and glass with five master suites, two pools, three bars (one for each floor), a bowling alley, billiard table, around-the-clock butler service, and more. At the moment, every square inch of the penthouse was filled with people. The energy saturating the room urged her to throw herself headlong into trouble.
“The party’s arrived!” Cormac crowed, and everyone converged on him.
Carmen lost her grip on Walter in the scuffle. She looked over the railing at the first story below. The pool that took up most of the floor was filled with people dancing, laughing, and drinking. She heard the crack of balls from a billiard game while strippers danced on tables. Servers dressed in lingerie with body jewelry strutted. The heavy bass made the floor vibrate beneath her heels.
Alice appeared at her side, looking panicked. “We have to get out of here! This is out of control!” She focused on a fighter getting a lap dance and flushed. “They’re heathens!”
“Let’s get you a drink,” Carmen suggested and started toward the bar, which she could barely make out since so many people were in front of it.
“I’m going to get fired! I’m leaving.”
“You’re off duty,” Carmen pointed out. “And Cormac will be disappointed.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. He’s disgusting,” Alice snapped.
Carmen grinned appreciatively. Seeing Alice riled was a pastime of hers that she hadn’t indulged in enough lately. “He’s really sweet once you get to know him.”
Alice shot her a disbelieving glance. “I doubt it. Come on, let’s get out of here.”
“I’m going to stay.”
Alice shook her head. “He’s no good for you, Carmen.”
She had no intention of fucking Cormac. She just wasn’t ready to go home and lay in her empty bed. No, she wanted to join in the chaos and forget about tomorrow. Alice could go home to her peaceful apartment and relax. She would indulge in excess until the fire in her gut was gone.
“Carmen?” Alice tugged on her hand. “I can help you.”
That warmed her. She hugged her friend and gave her a small push toward the exit. “If I need someone to post bond, I’ll give you a call.”
Her eyes bugged. “Post bond? Why—?”
