“You know, that’s an amazing quality you have, Kenna. It makes me wish you weren’t taken with the Ragin’ Cajun.”

“You know, if he catches you talking to me like that, he’ll break your hands,” I said.

His turquoise eyes grew serious, dark. “If I didn’t love him so much, I would’ve fought for you. You’re a rare type of woman. Don’t ever forget that.”

Next to me, Sheri coughed, and Devon picked up his beer.

“Well, that wasn’t awkward,” said Sheri under her breath.

We drank in silence for a few minutes, and the Ragin’ Cajun himself showed up, wrapping his arms around me. “Hey, have you seen X?”

“He and Alys went off somewhere,” said Sheri. “Why?”

“Nothin’. Just curious.”

He ordered a drink and joined us. Jason came over soon after, and Connor showed his freshly laid self, grinning like a moron from ear to ear.

“Did you fuck the nasty out of your system then?” I hissed, glaring at him.

His cheeky smile faded.

As it should, the douche.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry about that.”

“You were really rude to Alys, Connor. That was unacceptable,” I whispered, not wanting the others to overhear.

Flushing, he nodded. “I know. I’ll tell her I’m sorry.”

Since everyone seemed to be showing up, we decided to leave the bar in favor of a VIP booth. Lewis and a beaming Lili joined us, informing us that she had won over five thousand dollars at a craps table.

“She was on fire!” Lewis laughed.

Connor got up to allow Lili to slide in when X and Alys came back.

“Where the fuck have you two been?” asked Flipper.

X pulled Alys into his arms. “Everyone, if I may…I’d like to introduce you to Mrs. Alys Sunshine Johnson, who as of an hour ago, agreed to become my wife!”

Stunned silence. And then—

“Fuck yeah!” boomed Phil’s voice.

The guys exploded, jumping over the table to get to the newlyweds and give them their hearty congratulations. Well, all of them did, except for Connor, who looked as though he’d been punched in the nuts.

Lili shot out of the booth. “You bitch! Why didn’t you tell us? We were supposed to be your bridesmaids!”

Alys burst into laughter, her eyes sparkling brightly. Making my way out of the booth, I hugged her with Lili.

“Ring? Did he at least get you a ring?” demanded Lili.

He had. A six-carat diamond on a platinum band. X had a thick platinum band for himself.

Snapping out of it, Connor clapped X’s back, gave him a hug, and made an excuse about needing the restroom. No one but myself noticed his sneaky move. Outside the lounge, he headed for the elevators, not the restrooms.

“Alys—” I started to say quietly.

“We’ll celebrate later,” she said softly, cutting me off. “I…”

“You chose X, Alys. There’s nothing wrong with that,” I whispered in her ear as I hugged her tight. “Don’t feel bad for loving someone enough to marry him.”

The look she gave me when I pulled back was closed off, and I ached because she didn’t trust me with whatever it was that was going on inside her. But that was her choice to make, too.

I tried to slip away, but Phil took my hand. “Where are you goin’?”

“Um, I was just…”

Whatever he saw in my eyes, he understood, and his own gaze drifted toward the exit where Connor had walked through. We gave the happy couple our congratulations once more, telling them we’d be back. Devon decided to come with us.

“I want to check on Brigid,” he explained.

“I saw her today,” I stated. It surprised me, the words just popping out of my mouth, and suddenly, a weird feeling overtook me. “She came into the bar this afternoon.”

Devon gave me a startled look. “What was she doing there?”

“She met someone, a girl with short black hair. She completely ignored us, so…I didn’t really think much of it.”

“At what time?”

“Maybe three?”

He nodded. “Yeah, she left around then. What’s up with your brother? He seemed upset about Alys and X.”

Phil stiffened, his hand tightening around mine.

“Oh, you know, Alys is like a sister to him, just as much as I am. Maybe running off and getting married without telling us bothered him.”

Devon’s perfectly arched black brow rose up. “Oh. Yeah. I’m sure that’s it.”

The elevator ride up to our floor felt strained. Phil’s head was practically shouting at me for not telling him about whatever had happened between Alys and Connor. Not like I could, considering I didn’t even know myself.

I spotted Connor sitting with his back against the wall next to his suite door, his head in his hands. He was a sad figure depicting abject defeat.

“Kenna…” whispered Phil.

I stepped out of the elevator and headed toward my miserable baby brother.

“Give her a minute,” Devon quietly told Phil.

“Connor?” I wanted to give him the option of turning me away.

His green eyes, my eyes, looked up at me, and I knew what I would look like if Phil ever ran off and married someone else—broken, lost, adrift in an endless torrent of misery.

How did I never see this between them?

“Oh, sweetheart,” I whispered, going down on my knees and pulling him into my arms.

His head rested against my chest, his arms squeezing me tight.

“It’s all my fault,” he choked.

Phil’s presence burned behind me, hot waves of energy pulsing off him. Down the hall, I heard the soft click of Devon’s door as it shut behind him.

“Why don’t we go in your room?” I asked quietly. “We can get out of the hallway.”

“They’re in there,” he whispered, his voice full of regret with possibly a healthy dose of self-loathing.

Then, it happened.

Time turned thick, viscous. The very air of the world grew heavy, and adrenaline spiked through me.

“Fuck! Help!” It was faint, entombed within a suite designed to contain sound. The fact that one could hardly hear it did nothing to diminish the horror behind it.

Jerking back from Connor, I turned my stunned face to Phil, whose eyes had gone wide.

A heartbeat. Two.

Devon burst out of the suite. “Somebody! Help!” he screamed.

All three of us tore down the corridor toward Devon, Phil’s huge self with his long legs getting there ahead of us.

“It’s Brigid—”

“Call nine-one-one!” I told him, running in and finding her on the floor.

Time slowed to a trickle.

Lucy’s voice echoed through my head.

“Dr. Kenna? I’m stuck.”

Brigid lay there, her face and lips tinged blue with foamy white vomit pooled beneath her cheek. Her eyes were half open, and the pupils…they were only black voids, the pretty blue of her irises a thin ring.

Digging my room key out of my pocket, I held it out to my brother. “Connor, get my medic bag. It’s in my suite next to the couch. Hurry back.”

Devon was hysterical, screaming and crying. Phil had his arms locked around his struggling friend, a mask of utter anguish on his face.

“Call nine-one-one,” I said again. “And stay on the phone, Phil. Devon, fucking calm the fuck down.”

Then I was running. In the bathroom, I found towels to wipe the vomit from her face. After I did that, I proceeded with chest compressions. Within a few minutes, Connor returned with my bag.

“What do you need?” he asked.

“Gloves. You put on a pair, too. She has a needle in her arm. I think her lungs are filled, but we might be able to clear the airway.”

Once I had the gloves on, I made Connor step back as I removed the needle from the vein and placed it on a nearby surface where it wouldn’t stick anyone. Turning Brigid on her left side, I attempted to clear the vomit from her throat. Connor assisted me, holding her mouth open and pinching her nostrils.

“Clean her mouth with an alcohol swab. Under the lips, too. Check the swabs for blood,” I instructed while rolling her onto her back once more. “There’s a CPR mask in the bag—pear-shaped, red plastic case,” I told him, compressing.