“I need another,” I tell River.

“Dude, I don’t think—”

“I. Need. Another.” I glare at him.

After he shakes his head, pulls the bottle out, opens it, and hands me another, I swallow it down.

My head feels like a balloon floating on a string attached to my body. It’s light, but this is no true escape. I am surrounded by madness and destruction, each exit blocked by my past.

I look at my watch. It’s ten minutes later—still awake.

Fuck!

***

“Finn,” I hear River, then feel him tap me.

My eyes are too fucking heavy. My head is a brick and not a balloon.

“I found don’t give a fuck,” I hear myself mumble.

“What is wrong with him?” I hear Sonya whisper.

“River?” It’s Memphis. He’s pissed. “Da fuck did you give him?”

“He wanted something to help him sleep,” River whispers.

“Isn’t that what was behind the fucking clam bake in the car?” Memphis snaps.

“Wasn’t enough,” I say, fighting to open my eyes.

“I asked you what the fuck you gave him,” Memphis snaps again.

“Memphis, don’t. Too many people around with phones and recording devices.” It’s Sonya. “Let’s just get him up and out of here.”

I know it’s her hand that wraps around my elbow. I know it’s her.

“Don’t touch me.”

Her hand immediately releases my arm, and I immediately wish I hadn’t said shit.

I open my eyes and force my hand to grip the back of the seat in front of me. Pulling myself up, I feel a hand on my back, pushing me.

“Deal with it. This is my job,” she growls at me.

“Don’t give a fuck what anyone thinks.” I don’t have it in me to fight her.

“Great. River stay in front; Billy hang back,” she gives out instructions like a fucking drill sergeant. “You got this?” she asks, looking up at me.

“No.” I throw my arm around her shoulder. “That’s better.”

Her eyes shoot daggers, but her body seems to conform. “You owe me.”

“Anytime,” I say and keep looking down as she wraps her arm around my waist and walks me off the plane and into the terminal.

When she starts to let go, I pull her in more tightly. I look down to see her nipples are pebbled, rock hard, and my mouth immediately goes dry.

She looks up, and I see her face is flaming red.

“Don’t.”

“Don’t what? You can’t force attraction when it doesn’t exist, Sonya. Why the hell try? It’s obvious you get all hot and bothered when we’re close. I can make you—”

“Finn, this isn’t the time or the place,” she grunts, pushing me up straighter and walking faster.

“When is?”

“How about staying sober for ten minutes and trying to find out if your dick gets hard, then see if your attraction still exists?”

“You aren’t fucked up, and your nipples are so hard they’re practically ripping through your shirt.”

“Time and place,” she says with a strain in her voice as we exit security.

“Can you get his bags and mine?” she asks River.

“I have no idea what yours are,” he says.

“Two large, hot pink hard shells. You can’t miss them,” she says as she keeps the momentum up.

Once outside, she walks us to the curb, shoves two fingers in her mouth, whistles and waves with her hand that’s not wrapped around my waist. The heat hits me hard, and I feel a hell of a lot less strength than I did inside.

She looks back over her shoulder at someone. “You have the info to the hotel, right?”

“Of course. You sure you can handle him?” I hear Tales from behind.

“She can handle me,” I respond as a cab pulls up.

“Get in,” she says as she opens the door, and once I slide in, she slides in beside me.

“Woodlands Waterway Marriot,” she tells the cab driver.

I rest my head against the window, trying to find a cold connection. I feel perspiration beading on my head, my upper lip, and my stomach cramps.

“Hey, you.” Her voice is much less harsh.

“Hmm?” is all I can muster, afraid if I speak, I will throw up.

“Look at me,” she says in an even softer tone.

I force myself to sit up and turn my head toward her.

“You kind of look like hell.”

I nod once, and that movement makes me woozy.

“Dizzy?”

I swallow down the phlegm in my throat. “And hot.”

She leans forward and taps on the glass. “Can you turn up the AC please?” Then she reaches in her purse and pulls out a bottle of water.

I close my eyes. “You’re an angel.”

“You think this is for you?” she asks.

“I fucking hope so,” I admit.

“Well, then let’s you and I make a deal.”

I force my head toward her again.

“No more drugs, Finn. No more—”

“Pills.” I give one nod.

“I’m serious. You are gonna make my job so hard.” She hands me the open bottle.

“Like you aren’t doing the same.” I take a drink and hold it in my mouth, worried it may come up.

“Swallow,” she says.

I do with a smile.

“You’re such an ass.”

“At least I do what I’m told.” I lean my head back, slightly amused with myself.

“Good. How about you keep that attitude up? No drugs, no drinking, no smoking—”

“You’re pushing.”

“It’s my—”

“How about you take it to River?”

She doesn’t say anything more, and I’m good with that.

“We’re here,” she says a while later, rubbing my shoulder.

I don’t move, so she rubs it again. I force my hand up and hold her hand against me so she can’t rub me again.

“Am I bugging you?” she asks. “Are you awake?”

“You’re making me har—”

Her hand flies over my mouth, stopping me.

“Let’s go.” She gets out and holds the door open. “Can you manage?”

“Sonya, I can do anything I put my mind to,” I grumble.

“Good. Then put your mind into walking in here and looking a little less like a damn rock star who parties from sun up to sun down.”

I step out and hold the door as she walks away, and she stops and looks back.

“Go. I’ll get there,” I assure her.

I stop at the door and pat my pockets. I grab the Camel Lights from the inside jacket I must have shoved them in. Then I remember the Zippo is in my carry-on, and I hope to hell one of the guys grabbed it.

I see a hot, leggy brunette looking at me as she takes a drag off her cigarette.

“You got a light?”

She blushes and nods, then hands me her lit cigarette. I light off of it and hand it back as I inhale.

She cocks her head to the side. “Are you an actor?”

“Sometimes, we all are.” I shrug.

She laughs. “No, you seem familiar.”

“Never been here before.”

“Well, welcome to the great state of Texas. I’m Ryana.” She reaches in her pocket and pulls out a card. “I’m here for a while, staying in this hotel for a few days, hopefully more. If you get bored or want someone to explore with, let me—”

She stops talking, and I follow her eyes to see Sonya turning around and walking toward the entry.

“She your girl?” Ryana asks.

“No.”

“She looks a little upset.”

“She looks that way a lot,” I say, snuffing out my smoke. I shove the card in my pocket. “Might see you around,” I say, but I think, Hopefully not.

“I certainly hope so.”

Buzzed from the quick smoke and woozy from the pills, I make my way inside as fast as I can, which isn’t fast at all.

Sonya is standing at the elevator. When I get to it, the door opens and she steps inside. I follow.

“All of the rooms aren’t ready. One is.”

“Okay,” I say, relishing in the fact that I know damn well she is annoyed with me.

“So …?” She throws her hands in the air when the door finally closes.

“So what?” I ask as nausea hits again when the elevator moves.

Before she can answer, my phone rings with a call from Memphis.

“What’s up?” I ask.

“You good now, River?” he asks in a pissy, yet joking manner.

“Wrong name, asshole.”

“Same path, though.”