“What the hell happened?” she said. “I mean, obviously I can see, but what the hell?”
“My mother,” Lauren confessed.
“That bitch again?” She dropped into one of the chairs. “Fuck her. Not your fault.”
“I keep telling her that,” Kayla added.
“See?” Catherine added.
“Just give me a minute to process it all. I’ll be okay. This is about Kayla and not me, though.”
Catherine studied her for a minute and then went back to Kayla. “Okay, you’ve got your favorite PR rep. Let’s do damage control.”
Time passed as Catherine quickly decided on a plan and started getting information out on social media. She sent a copy of what to put in her emails to guests, and Kayla got that sent out, canceling reservations for the week and processing refunds.
Lauren monitored both phones for messages from the men downstairs and Kayla’s incoming emails. Together, they had done all the damage control they could for one night.
The men appeared not long after they finished. All five men were towering in her office, but she only had eyes for one. Damn her foolish heart.
“I’ll take you home,” Evan said, approaching her.
“My car is here,” Kayla reminded him.
“Mine’s not. Anyone going my way?” Catherine asked the room.
“I am,” Ryker said.
Kayla met Lauren’s shocked expression. Ryker usually did his best to avoid Catherine, damn sure not offering her a ride when there were a ton of other people here that could do it.
“We can come back for it,” Evan said.
Distracted for the first time all night, she nodded. She’d figure her car thing out tomorrow. What she needed right now were more details on the development with Ryker and Catherine.
“Ryker has a few construction buddies; they patched the windows up, so we can leave anytime,” Evan said.
“I’ve got security coming to guard so nothing else happens,” Cade added.
“You don’t have to do that,” she said.
Cade faced her. “You know you’re one of our group, right? This is what we do for each other, whatever we can.”
Cade turned and left her office, with everyone else filing out after him, leaving her and Evan alone.
“What do you need?” Evan asked.
“Just my purse. Nothing else is important.”
“Got it.”
She laughed at her purse strung over his shoulder. He held out his hand and she took it, letting him lead her from the room and the disaster that awaited her tomorrow.
ChapterFifteen
Kayla
As they pulled up to her apartment, Kayla was itching to get out of the car. She yanked the door open as soon as he stopped.
“Wait!” Evan yelled. “Let me walk you up.”