Page 25 of Craving Francesca

“You’re such a whiner.” Nova laughed.

“Hey, Gray,” someone called from across the room. I barely held back a wince as I waved to a woman I’d slept with almost a year ago. Shauna? Shanna? Something like that. Shit. I hoped she didn’t try to spark up a conversation.

“Mr. Popular,” Otto greeted, his arm around Esther’s shoulders. Neither of them looked entirely comfortable, but Esther was bobbing her head along with the music.

“Fuck off,” I replied. “Hey, Esther.”

“Good to see you,” she replied, grinning at me. “You should come over to the house soon for dinner. Ansel’s been asking when you’d be back.”

“I’ll bring him a radio to take apart,” I agreed. “Let me know when to be there.”

“Good, maybe he’ll stop messing with the kitchen appliances,” Otto said, his eyes on something across the room. “If you bring something for Ans, make sure you bring something for the girls, too, or you’ll hurt their feelings.”

“Have I ever brought only one of the kids a present?” I scoffed, turning my head to see what he was looking at.

Frankie and her boyfriend were arguing about something near the front door. She turned and hurried back toward her bedroom while he followed behind.

“Wonder what that’s about,” Otto said, frowning when I turned back toward him.

“Frankie can handle herself,” Esther reminded him, patting his chest.

“Shouldn’t have to,” Otto argued, straightening.

“You see that?” Rumi called from across the room.

“I saw it,” Otto called back.

“You guys are going to embarrass her,” Esther scolded. “They’re in a house full of people. Let her deal with it.”

“You know something I don’t?” Otto asked darkly.

“Of course not,” Esther replied, leaning into him. “No one tells me anything.”

“Bullshit,” he muttered under his breath.

“Where’d they go?” Bas asked, coming up behind me.

“Who?” Esther asked innocently.

“That asshole is basically begging me to snap his neck,” Bas mumbled.

I looked at him in surprise. “What’s goin’ on?”

“No idea,” he ground out. “But Lou wasn’t pleased when he showed up, and it takes a lot to get on her bad side.”

I was on the move before Esther could warn me to leave it alone. Weaving my way through the people, I strode down the short hallway to Frankie’s bedroom. The door was swung mostly shut, but I could hear them clearly.

“I told you not to come,” Frankie snapped. “I told you that it wasn’t your thing.”

“Why wouldn’t I come to my girlfriend’s birthday party?” the asshole countered. “That would be fucked up.”

“I told you it was fine.”

“Why didn’t you want me here? You have someone else showing up?”

Silence.

“What the hell do you mean by that?” Frankie bit out.

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