This stunk.

I dropped Ralphie’s wrist and turned to Lee.

Luckily, I wasn’t casual, barefoot and in a huge sweatshirt. I had on my armor. A bone-colored, pencil skirt, a matching, fitted, silk-knit turtleneck and a pair of lush, beige, spike-heeled Jimmy Choo boots. My hair was pulled severely away from my face but burst in a riot of waves and curls from the clip at my neck. I had a thick, heavy, pure gold bangle at my wrist and long, wide, gold hoops at my ears.

Barring the cast on my wrist it was the Ice Princess Outfit to end all Ice Princess Outfits.

Therefore, as I was unsuccessful at avoiding it, when the time arrived, I was ready.

“Lee,” I said, assuming Chill Factor Sub-Zero.

Lee ignored the Chill Factor Sub-Zero something, by the way, which was happening all the time these days and it was beginning to get on my nerves.

“How are you?” Lee asked, his voice not professional or cordial but warm and genuine.

“I’d be a lot better if people would stop asking me how I was,” I replied immediately and icily. “I got raped. Unfortunately, it happens every day.”

“Sadie!” Ralphie hissed angrily from beside me as I watched Lee flinch.

He actually flinched, like I’d slapped him across the face. Which, verbally, I had.

I was such a bitch.

My stomach clutched and if I didn’t get away I was going to start crying. And that could not happen.

I turned to Ralphie and announced, “I need a drink.”

Ralphie was having none of it.

He switched on the attitude, complete with hand on hip and clipped, “What you need to do is apologize to Mr. Hot Guy here.”

I glared ice daggers at Ralphie but he didn’t back down.

“Fine,” I declared, giving up in order to get away. “I’ll get my own f**king drink.”

Then without looking at Lee or Hector-Relative-Guy, with back straight and head held high, I walked to the bar.

I stopped at the bar telling myself I could do this. This was a walk in the park for me. I’d survive this and whatever next torture life had to offer me. I could survive it all.

The bartender asked me what I wanted and I told him, “Three lemon drops. No wait! Four.”

I was going to double up. I’d need serious vodka flowing through my veins to get through this night. And get through the night I would.

Fuck them. Fuck them all. Fuck the world!

“What was that all about?” Buddy asked from beside me and I looked at him then over my shoulder toward the door.

Ralphie was talking to Lee and Hector-Relative-Guy and now Indy and Daisy were with them.

Darn.

I turned back to the bar.

“That was Lee Nightingale,” I informed Buddy.

“I know, after you played the screaming-bitch-from-hell and flounced away, he introduced himself,” Buddy replied.

I looked at Buddy. “The Lee Nightingale. The one I asked to help me before I got attacked.”

Buddy’s face went gentle and he said, “I know who Lee Nightingale is, I remember your story, every word of it, sweetheart.”

I nodded once and, holding close to the bitch in me, I said, “Well, there you go then.”

Buddy stayed silent for a second then he told me, “The man with him is Eddie Chavez, Hector’s brother.”

Oh, well, that was just great. He couldn’t be a far removed cousin, noooo, he had to be Hector’s f**king brother.

“And?” I clipped, looking back to the bartender as he started putting glasses in front of me.

“Sadie, it’s Buddy you’re talking to. Set the bitch aside.”

At his words I swallowed. Then I took a deep breath and turned back to him.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled.

“You want to go, we’ll go,” Buddy offered.

I picked up a lemon drop and took a sip. Then I sighed.

“We’ll stay for a drink.” Or two, I thought. “Then we’ll go.”

“Whatever you want, but Sadie?” I looked back to him and he started talking again. “He regrets not helping you. It’s written all over him. You let him think he deserves to feel that regret then you aren’t who I thought you were.”

He was right. I knew he was. Furthermore, if I let Lee think he was somehow to blame for what happened to me, I wasn’t only not who Buddy thought I was, I wasn’t who I wanted to be.

I couldn’t meet Buddy’s eyes then, because I had to, because this was Buddy, I whispered, “I can’t help myself sometimes, you know, being a bitch. It’s a defense mechanism. I needed her, since my Mom went away, I needed her, the Ice Princess, to get through –”

Buddy’s hand slid along my shoulders and he got in close before he interrupted, “I know.”

I leaned into him while the bartender finished our lemon drops then I paid for the drinks. When I was done, Buddy turned us to face the room.

I chanced a glance at the Rock Chick table and I knew they knew I was there. Only Shirleen’s eyes were on me but my presence was no longer under the radar.

My eyes moved to Ralphie and he, Lee, Eddie, Indy and Daisy were standing further in from the door and they had been joined by a man I hadn’t noticed before. He was huge, no, enormous, with wild, blond hair and a thick, russet beard. His eyes were on me as the others around him were talking. And, I could swear, as they all talked, I could see in the dim light of the bar his face was getting red.

Then it got redder. Then it got even redder.

Then abruptly he detached from the group and stomped over to me. There were people in his way but they scattered upon seeing his big bulk heading their way and he cut a swath through the crowd straight to me. He stopped in front of me and looked down at my face.

“You look like a fairy princess,” he boomed, yes, boomed, his voice was so loud it filled the noisy bar.

People turned our way. I stared up at him, not knowing what to say to that strange opening remark and way too shocked to even consider pulling out the Ice Princess.

I decided “thank you” would be appropriate so that’s what I said.

“I’m Tex,” he announced.

I guessed (and was surprised by the fact) that this was Indy’s barista.

“I’m Sadie,” I told him.

“I know who the f**k you are. I also know, given the chance, I’m gonna snap that motherfucker’s neck,” Tex returned.