Roxy stood, tugging her dress back into place. All those voluptuous curves, the woman knew how to work a wardrobe. “Come on, baby-girl. Let’s get you a real drink. I know I could use one.”

“I better not. I’ve already had two…or three.”

“What’s one more? Don’t worry.” She grinned, and Sissy would swear she saw fangs peeking out of her gums. “I’ll watch out for ya.”

Mitch was being thoroughly entertained by Ronnie Reed’s uncles and brothers getting sauced on the homemade ’shine they’d brought from Tennessee when he saw Dez MacDermot strut out of the ballroom. He liked Dez. She was a good cop. Little crazy, but you had to be to do the job.

“All right, gentlemen. Let’s go.”

“Go where?” Rory Reed, Ronnie’s oldest brother, asked way too loudly. Wolves…they simply could not hold their liquor.

“Out front. The bride and groom are leaving, and there’s a whole tossing of flowers and garters thing that’s involved. So let’s go.”

“The flowers are fake,” Mitch reminded her.

“You’re gonna start with me now, cat? ’Cause I’m tired and cranky, and the chocolate is wearing off.”

“I see why Mace loves you.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Fuck you’se, too.”

Mitch and the Reed boys laughed as they followed Dez back into the castle. You really could take the girl out of the Bronx but not necessarily the Bronx out of the girl. Dez proved that.

As they headed toward the front and the throng of people blocking the entrance, Dez motioned to Mitch. “Could you take care of Sissy before her mother sees her?”

“Where is she?”

“Over at the back bar.” That didn’t worry him. It was her next sentence that caused the intense panic. “With your mother.”

Mitch stopped cold and grabbed Dez’s arm. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear she was moments from going for the piece she had hidden on her somewhere.

“Say again?”

“Sissy’s with your mom. Roxy, right?”

“What she’s doing with her?” Mitch knew he sounded desperate, but didn’t Dez see the recipe for disaster this was?

“Drinking, last I—where are you going?”

Mitch ran, cutting past people and trying to pretend nothing was wrong. Especially when he saw Miss Janie. Her eyes narrowed, and her gaze immediately scanned the crowd, looking for Sissy no doubt. Moving past Ronnie, Mitch tugged her hair and motioned to Sissy’s mother. It took her a second, but then she was up and moving, stepping in front of the woman before she could go looking for her daughter.

As Dez had said, Mitch found Sissy and his mother in the back bar.

When she saw him, Roxy stood and smiled.“There’s my baby-boy!”

“What did you do to her?” he demanded.

Sissy’s head rested on the bar, her body moments from sliding off the stool.

“Just getting to know baby-girl here.” Roxy grabbed his arm. “I like her, Mitchell. She’s smart and funny and sturdy. You know what your Uncle Joey says.”

“No! We’re not discussing Uncle Joey now.”

Mitch grabbed Sissy’s shoulders and pulled her back. “Sissy? Can you hear me?”

Her eyes opened. “Mitchy!” she crowed, and he covered her mouth with his hand.

“I don’t know why you’re upset.” His mother shrugged. “If you can’t handle her, I’m sure her mother will take her.”

“Don’t even think it.”

“Fine.” Roxy shrugged. “Hey, at the very least, I’ve loosened her up for ya.”

“Ma!”

Roxy held her hands up. “Just kidding. Gawd! Where did your sense of humor go?”

“That wasn’t funny.”

They both heard it at the same time. Ronnie’s voice over the well-wisher’s din outside.

“I’m sure she’s in the bathroom, Miss Janie. Really!”

“Why the hell are you yelling, Ronnie Lee Reed?”

“Move, baby-boy.” Roxy motioned him away, and Mitch immediately picked Sissy up and placed her over his shoulder. He could only hope she didn’t start throwing up.

“And don’t take her to her room at the hotel. That’s the first place her mother will look.”

Mitch nodded and slipped out through a back door…barely missing Miss Janie as she stomped in.

“I know she’s been in here, Ronnie Lee Reed. I can smell her…and the tequila!”

Mitch moved fast, cutting through the castle and out the back. He had to get Sissy’s drunk ass back to the hotel. Of course what he’d do with her after that, he had no idea. Especially when she suddenly blurted out, “You have the best ass, Mitchell Shaw!”

Christ, it was going to be a long night.

Chapter 3

Sissy Mae turned over and buried her head back in the pillows, trying her best to block out the sunlight. Since she’d never been a morning person, Sissy always kept the blinds in her room at the Kingston Arms Hotel closed. Why she didn’t do that last night, she had no idea.

Well, it didn’t matter. She was too exhausted to care at this point. Exhausted and in pain. Her throat was sore and raw, and her head throbbed. It felt like her brain was rattling around inside her skull.

It had to have been that last sip of tequila. The one where she clearly remembered saying to herself, “Well, I shouldn’t waste it.”