“I’m coming with you.”
“Oh, no, you’re not.” She retracts her helping hands, just as I lose my grip. “Shit!” She catches me, breaking my fall.
“For fuck’s sake, Rose.”
I get to my feet. “For fuck’s sake,Beau.” I retort. She has nothing to say to that. “And how are you getting to Amber’s anyway?” I ask.
“I’ll get a cab.”
I reach into my pocket and pull out Fury’s keys. “Okay. You get a cab, I’ll drive.”
The keys are quickly swiped from my hand and Beau is heading to the side of the club to collect Fury’s car. “That’s a sure-fire way to kill us both,” she says, and I gasp, outraged, going after her.
“I’m notthatbad at driving.”
“Get in,” she snaps, slipping in behind the wheel.
I do as I’m told and get my seatbelt on. “We are both going to die when the boys find out we’re not in the club, so who drives is a moot fucking point.” Beau ignores me and pulls off rather calmly, though I see the storm in her eyes. “What are you going to do, Beau?” I ask.
“I’m going to get some answers.”
“Great,” I say, settling in for the ride. “And good luck.” Not just finding the answers that nobody seems to be able to find, but good luck when James gets hold of her. We’re both dead.
Beau gives me an impatient look. I give her a begging one.
Please don’t get us killed.
I keep quiet as Beau drives us around town, drumming my lovely pink-polished nails on my thigh, watching the screen of my cell like a hawk, just waiting for the call. Waiting for the signal that will suggest all hell breaking loose. The moment they realize we’re gone. It’s been twenty minutes. We’re doing well, although God only knows what Esther and the others think I’m doing in the restrooms.
“She’s not at his place, or hers,” Beau suddenly says out of the blue, pulling my eyes from my cell.
“What?”
“Amber. She’s not at Dad’s place, and she’s not at her apartment.”
“So where is she?”
“I don’t know,” Beau muses, taking a right, heading toward Miami Beach. A small inhale of breath tells me she may have just had an idea. “The penthouse.” The car is abruptly going significantly faster, her lightbulb moment injecting some urgency into her. “Dad told me he would give me the penthouse of the new development he was investing in.”
“You think she’s there?”
“I’m out of other ideas.” She looks across to me. “I’m really mad you’re here.”
“You won’t be the only one,” I mutter. “If he calls, I’m answering.”
“I know,” she says, holding up her phone. It’s on. Therefore, trackable. It still won’t lessen the wrath we’re about to face, though. But it offers me a mild comfort that Beau doesn’t see this latest mission of hers as long-term. James will fly off the handle when he knows she’s missing again. Then he’ll wonder what the hell is going on when Otto can track her. And as if they’ve heard us discussing how mad they will be and how they might handle us, my phone starts ringing on my lap.
“Oh God,” I whisper, pushing my back into the seat, trying to escape it. “Even the rings sound angry.” I gingerly pick it up, cringing as I answer. I don’t even have the opportunity to talk before he’s yelling down the line at me.
“Where the fuck are you?”
I look across to Beau, whose cell is flashing in her hand. James. “Track Beau’s phone,” I say, hanging up and then texting him a million apologies and kisses. This is both our faults. Mine and Danny’s. I shouldn’t have eavesdropped. Beau wouldn’t have heard, and I wouldn’t currently be riding shotgun on a vigilante hunt for Danny’s and Beau’s dad’s ex-lover. My lip curls just thinking about her. Granted, Beau’s got more to hate, but... ughhhh I hate her. “Answer,” I say to Beau, seeing she’s thinking twice about it. “You can’t avoid him forever, Beau.”
“We made love this morning.” She looks at me. “I’m not avoiding him.” She answers and drops her phone into her lap, and her shoulders lift, defying her stone façade. “Amber knows something about The Bear,” she says with a strong voice.
“How do you know that?” James asks, sounding cooler than I expected.
“I heard Danny in the office.”