Page 73 of Dirty Roxie

“I don’t want your sloppy seconds, girl,” Jen returns.

We cheer our glasses. “Can’t argue with that.” I drain my glass.

“I don’t care.” Roxie shrugs, she drains her margarita glass and holds it out for Alyssa to refill from the pitcher in the middle of the table. The pained expression that flashes across her face completely belying her words. “A girl can get a good dickin’ anywhere. She just needs to keep her options open. You know?”

“What about the connection you said you had with Ronan?” Quinn asks. “You can’t get that just anywhere.”

“It doesn’t really matter now, does it? I’m here. He’s there. Or wherever he is. And never the two shall meet.”

Which is all I need to know to put my plan in place. “That reminds me, anyone up for a girls’ trip?”

“Me!” Quinn doesn’t surprise me by volunteering first. She knows what I’m about to say since she and I talked about it earlier.

“What kind of trip?” Roxie asks.

“The authorities in Colombia are finally releasing Viktor’s body. I want to get it and bring him home to Russia. I figured we could spend a few days each place. Maybe do some shopping or a spa day? My treat.”

“Yes!” Al and Jen chime in.

“Rox?” I ask.

“I don’t know. How long will we be gone?”

“Why? You got something else to do?”

“No, I guess not. But I don’t really want to go to Russia. You know?”

“Ronan won’t be there,” I lie.

“He won’t?” Roxie can’t quite hide her disappointment. “How do you know?”

“He and Mack have been talking. He had to go to China,” I lie again. “For like a month or something.”

Roxie ponders this.

“Rox?” I ask.

“Sure. Why not.”

“This will be great! I promise,” I give her a quick hug.

Roxie looks dubious. “Besides,” I tell her, pulling the little rabbit trick out of my hat. “This will be a difficult trip for me, and I will need you all as moral support.” I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Because I’m going to have to tell my family that I killed my father. And they won’t take the news well.”