Page 30 of Absinthe Dreams
I sank into a seat, hands starting to tremor from the oncoming crash in my adrenaline.
I was used to the adrenaline shakes. I got them at work plenty of times after a tough case. It was part of things.
“I know that’s right,” Sandy said unhappily.
“I think it’s time to swap some war stories, girls,” Corliss said.
“Trauma bonding… yay.” Sandy rolled her eyes, and Alina and I both snorted and covered our laughs at the same time. And just like that, the ice was starting to break up.
“My dad spent fifteen years in prison on illegal weapons charges. It was me and River, by my dad, but my mom took full advantage of the prison clause and, surprise, surprise, ended up pregnant with my half-brother, Rigel. Dad got out and surprisingly didn’t treat Rigel any differently than me… but while he was away, we lost River to a drowning accident.” I swallowed hard. I didn’t talk about River much. It was too much. He and I had been thick as thieves as kids, and losing him had hurt bad. It was another reason I’d gotten into emergency medicine. The paramedics had tried so hard to revive him, but couldn’t. I felt like if I had just known what to do – had been able to administer life-saving measures before even the paramedics had gotten there, he would still be alive.
I also thought it was one of the big reasons I hadn’t allowed myself to get close to Rigel.
“My family belongs to a cult,” Sandy said flatly. “Where women are meant to be seen and not heard. Life is all about being barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, crapping out asmany kids as possible while the boys are favored and can do no wrong. The girls are kept for breeding stock and bargaining chips to be married off to other cult members when the time is right… usually before they’re even eighteen. I said fuck that noise, ran away, and they’ve low-key been trying to drag me back, kicking and screaming ever since.”
“I was pretty much one hundred percent foster care raised,” Corliss said with a sigh. “Got my teaching degree, moved back to this area with my fiancé, and found a job working as a high school English Language Arts teacher. I was attacked by a student, stabbed, raped, and cheated on by my fiancé during it all, and now I’m here. Lucky enough to have made friends with Hex, who was our school janitor at the time. He found me and the psycho who attacked me and saved me – stuck with me, and has helped me every excruciating step of the way. I’m grateful.”
“Oh, shit – I remember that case! It wasn’t mine, but you came through our ER. I was on palliative care at the time and finding out all this shit about Luke.”
“Okay,” Sandy said. “Who’s Luke?”
I chewed my bottom lip and said, “In for a penny, in for a pound, I guess.” I filled them in on why I was here and how I’d called Chainsaw for help.
Alina remained silent, just taking it all in.
“I was raised by my grandmother,” she said. “My mom was an addict—” Corliss raised her hand, and I nodded, taking her understanding as to why she was in foster care. “…anyway, sob story aside on my raising, I had a best friend. She really taught me how to live, you know? She disappeared, and I lived across the street from the club. No one was looking for her, no one was helping, and so I went to LaCroix and made a deal. Turned out lucky, I guess.” She made a rueful smile. “Was the best deal I ever made.”
“Can I be honest, and sound rude, even though I legitimately don’twantto sound rude, but I’m afraid it won’t come across as any other way?” I asked.
“Let me guess, you don’t know how I do it, and he’s terrifying to you,” she said.
“Exactly. Took the words right out of my mouth,” I replied.
She smiled, and it was genuine this time.
“He’s different with me when we’re alone,” she said. “I know, without any shadow of a doubt, that man would burn the whole fucking world to make sure I was safe and whole, and it’s a crazy feeling.”
I had to smile then.
“Sounds really nice,” I said honestly.
“You have no idea,” she replied, and her whole face transformed. She was genuinely in love with the formidable man, and it was so…niceto see.
“Maybe someday,” I said wistfully, and the girls exchanged a look. I laughed and said, “Oh, don’t you dare try to ship us. I legitimately don’t evenknowChainsaw!”
“Well, you’re going to have plenty of time to get to know him,” Sandy said with a shrug.
“You could do worse,” Corliss said, amused.
I rolled my eyes and sighed, and the three of them flew into a fit of giggles.
“Are you three the only three?” I asked.
“Old ladies?” Alina asked for clarification.
“Yeah,” I said.
Sandy shook her head. “There’s Jessie-Lou, who’s with Collier and is Cypress’s sister, and Velina, who’s with Saint.
