Page 74 of Bad Blood

“Mine either,” I say, my mouth twitching.

I’m beginning to understand how Sam fell so hard for her last year. He could have any woman he wanted. God knows, he’s sampled most of them over the years. It was always going to take someone truly spectacular to knock my playboy friend on his ass.

A long pause follows, filled with a thousand possibilities, as Andrew places another juice down on the counter with an apologetic wince.

“I’m sorry, Miss Carrera. You know that Mr. Carrera won’t let you have alcohol at this time of the morning.”

“Controlling fuck,” I hear her mutter as she tosses it back and offers out the empty glass for a refill. “If you don’t mind?”

Andrew smiles, looking relieved. “My pleasure.”

I catch her glancing at my ring finger again. “Now I know why he slipped me those OxyContin last night.”

“Hewhat?”

Don’t act so shocked, Thalia. You were just considering doing the same to him.

“He knew I’d try and talk him out of the wedding, the fucking hypocrite.” Her expression hardens. “So tell me, oh, voodoo temptress. How did you go from counting cards in his casino to marrying my brother in two days? I was there when he saw the surveillance footage,” she confides, seeing my confusion. “He wentloco. I thought he was going to punch RJ in the face.”

“We, uh, came to an…arrangement.”

“That’s more beneficial for him, I can imagine. I know my brother well,señorita.”

She can hide it all she wants, but I see the love behind her brutal mockery of him too.

“My name’s Thalia.”

“Thalia.” She repeats it slowly. “So, what’s in it for you?”

“Money,” I say honestly, staring down at my untouched juice.

“That’s something I didn’t expect to hear from a Santiago.”

“It’s complicated.”

“The best stories always are.” She catches my eye again. “How’s Sam?”

“Pining.”

I can tell she’s weighing her next words carefully.

“Did he ever tell you what happened?”

I shake my head. “Not much. It changed him, though.”

“It changed us both.” She glances at her phone. “Shit. I need to get back up there before Santi detonates another nuclear bomb on me for not answering his phone.”

“He has you working as his secretary?” I say in surprise.

“The worst kind of penance for daring to love the wrong man,” she says, rolling her eyes at me. “He won’t let me out of his sight after what happened with Sam. He blames himself. It’s also to fill a college internship requirement. Lucky me, right? Come. I’ll show you around if you like...” She picks up her crutches. “Let me be your hobbling tour guide for today.”

* * *

By the time we reach his office, I’m wound up to the point of detonation myself. As much as the thought of seeing him after what happened last night makes me want to puke. There’s another emotion drawing me here.

Curiosity.

I knew I was a self-masochist.