Stealing Rose (The Fowler Sisters #2)(74)
There are more women than men in attendance and they’re all gorgeous. They all happen to be scantily clad as well. How Mitchell made that happen I’m not exactly sure, but I can assume it took a huge outlay of cash to convince the women to come here. At the very least, a most excellent array of drugs and alcohol was probably offered, and that’ll draw just about anyone to a party.
I know that’s why Whitney’s here. She loves a party, especially one with plenty of cocaine and vodka. Those are her weaknesses. They used to be mine, too, before I stopped partying.
The minute Whitney arrived, she came running for me, a giant smile on her face. She deposited herself in my lap, holding out her cell phone in front of us and shouting, “Selfie!” before she snapped a pic, pressing her lips to my cheek at the last second.
Fucking annoying. I shoved her off my lap and told her to delete the photo but she took off running, giggling like a madwoman. I could almost feel sorry for her and her total lack of direction. Almost.
I’m skulking near the front door, lingering in the foyer and ready to make a run for it, when I hear Mitchell call my name. I turn to find him smiling at me, a girl under each beefy arm.
Mom wasn’t too far off when she called him pudgy. He’s still carrying extra weight around the middle, but he’s somehow grown into it. He’s broad like a tank and of average height and looks, but the guy is bleeding money. Since he arrived in London he’s been a partying fool. I know this because he filled me in on all the dirty details when I first arrived. We chatted for a while before everyone started to show up, and I somehow got stuck here.
But I’m ready to go, ready to head back to Covent Garden and the hotel and my girl. I have only two more nights with her and I need to make the most of them.
“Where you going, Kingsley?” he asks, squeezing the girls close to him. They giggle and smile, one of them flashing me a sultry look. “I brought entertainment just for you.”
“They look far more interested in you, Mitch.” I smirk when he glares at hearing his hated nickname. I’ve told him time and again that Mitchell makes him sound like an uptight *, but he doesn’t agree.
“Nah. This one likes you a lot. She told me.” He shoves the one who made eyes at me forward, earning a grumble from her before she smiles up at me. She’s cute, her tits are barely covered, and her legs are long. I don’t feel a thing for her. Not even a twitch of appreciation.
Seeing this girl only makes me miss Rose.
“Sorry. Not interested.” I shrug.
Her smile fades and she narrows her eyes. From pretty to mean, just like that. “Fuck you,” she spits out before she turns on her heel and leaves with a flounce.
“Classy,” I mutter, shaking my head. “Where do you find them, Mitch?”
“I’ll catch up with you later, okay, sweetheart?” Mitchell kisses the other girl on the forehead and shoves her out of his arms. She doesn’t seem to mind, though, and offers him a soft smile before she walks away. He turns to me, making a soft tsking noise. “You broke that girl’s heart, Caden. That’s why she’s so hostile. Have you lost all your finesse or what?”
“Whatever,” I mutter. “Listen, bro, I gotta get out of here. It’s been real, but I’ll see you Sunday, okay? Text me the exact departure time so I know what’s up.”
“Where’s the fire?” He comes a little closer, an easy smile on his face, but I see the look in his eyes. He doesn’t want to take no for an answer. He doesn’t want me to leave. I don’t get it. Why torture me when I clearly don’t want to be here? “Don’t leave yet. The party’s just getting started.”
I’ve been here for hours. If the party is really just getting started, I’m beyond done. “This type of thing really isn’t my scene anymore,” I tell him. “You know this. When was the last time I partied with you like this?”
“When did you become such a drag?” Mitchell shakes his head and pulls a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket, extracting one from the pack. “I miss the good old days, man. When we used to drink and f*ck around with girls. Get high, get laid, eat, take a downer and crash out. Remember how much fun we used to have?”
I remember how empty my life felt. I remember hating the hangovers the next day. The humiliation when I couldn’t quite recall what happened the night before. Finding a gold necklace in my pocket with an emerald-and-diamond pendant dangling from it one time, so freaked out and worried over who I’d stolen it from. Whether that person saw me, because I couldn’t remember for the life of me what exactly happened and how I became in possession of that necklace.
That was the last night I partied. The last night I let myself get out of control. Never again, I told myself. It’s one thing to be a sly criminal. It’s another thing entirely to be a reckless thief who doesn’t give a shit if he’s caught or not.
That moment taught me a lesson. One I’ll never forget.
“You know why I stopped,” I tell him, my voice low, my gaze intense. “I have my reasons.”
He stares at me and then offers a short nod. “If you’ve gotta go, go. But I think Whitney is looking for you, so you better tell her goodbye. This might be your last chance before we leave London.”
The absolute last thing I want to do. And from the look on my face, Mitchell must have sensed it because he bursts out laughing, not giving a shit about my predicament. “Man up. She’s not that bad.”