Shannon looked between them, trying to understand the subtext of the looks they were giving each other.
“Why would he do that?” Angel’s head reared back subtly as she looked at Cole like he’d just said something horrible.
Cole shrugged, tapping his cigarette in the ashtray.
“Why are you smoking?”
“Babe, it’s only my second of the day.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Swear to God.”
“What kind of party Friday night?” Shannon asked Cole.
He blew out a pissed off stream of smoke. “The kind you don’t need to be at, darlin’.”
“Then I won’t go.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mack told Crash to bring you. So he’s bringing you.”
“What is he, king?”
Cole cracked a smile. “Pretty much, yeah.”
Shannon turned to Angel. “You’ll be there, right? At this party he’s talking about.”
Cole answered for her. “No. She won’t.”
“She won’t?”
“Nope.”
“Where is this party?” Shannon asked.
“Here at the club,” Cole replied.
“What kind of party is it?”
Cole stared down at her, then he looked over a
t Angel. “Maybe you better explain things to her.”
“Me? You know more about these parties than I do,” Angel protested.
Shannon was getting whiplash looking back and forth between them
“Babe,” Cole said in a voice that said the discussion was over.
“Oh, all right.”
“Take her back upstairs. Don’t need everybody hearin’ this shit.”
“Come on, Shannon.” Angel jumped down off her barstool. She led Shannon back up to Cole’s room.