Twice as Hot (Tales of an Extraordinary Girl #2)(5)

Okay. I hated her again. Her true love? Her true love would be coming back to her? Last time I'd spoken with her, she had (mistakenly) thought her true love was Rome. So what the hell had she meant by true love? There had better be someone else she considered her true love, someone else from her past, or I would extract her intestines and use them to choke her.

A knock sounded at the door.

I didn't move, too keyed up from my rush of anger. Rome and Tanner were more important to me than breathing, and that bitch had better -

Another knock, this one harder, more insistent.

"You should get that, 'cause damn," Tanner said, "you're about to light the house on fire and I don't need to add homelessness to my plate-o-shit. Besides, your visitor might be John with the lowdown on Rome."

The one thing sure to push me into action. My fury drained. "Don't move. I'll get the 411, get rid of whoever it is - " hopefully without too much of an emotional outburst, whatever the news, which had better be good " - and we'll finish our discussion. You matter to me, and we're going to figure this thing with Lexis out." And then I'm going to hunt her down and demand some answers Belle-style.

Uh-oh. There was my anger again.

Tanner shrugged, but I could see the spark of hope suddenly lighting his eyes. He trusted me to help make things better, and that made me doubly determined to do so.

As yet another knock echoed, I rushed to him and hugged him tight. Then I raced out of the kitchen and past the still-entranced Sherridan, not stopping until I reached the door.

I glanced through the peephole. The moment I saw who waited on the porch, my hands curled into fists, plumes of dark smoke suddenly wafting from my nose. Red dotted my vision like fireworks on the Fourth of July. Well, well, well.

Speak of the devil and she would appear.

My jaw was like stoneas I punched in the security code to disable the alarm and opened the door.

Lexis stood before me, a vision of feminine beauty as always. Long dark hair, straight as a pin. Hypnotic green eyes, pretty pink lips. Golden skin that defined the word perfection. Sunlight bathed her, seeping from the sky as if compelled to caress her.

Behind her, cars meandered through the pristine neighborhood. Birds chirped from the blue sky and locusts rattled in a surprisingly sensual beat. Intense humidity and heat wafted my way. I, of course, began to sweat like a construction worker while Lexis continued to appear unaffected, her silky emerald suit completely dry.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, thinking, Somehow, someway, I'm taking you down.

Smelling like an ancient garden, all flowers and magic, she tried to stride past me. My arm and leg whipped out, blocking her path. After an indelicate humph, she glared up at me. I was taller than she was, nah nah nah. A girl had to find joy where she could.

"Let me in, Belle," she snapped.

Usually she was poised, nothing able to ruffle her. Score one for me. "No," I snapped back. A tiny flame flickered at the end of my index finger, and I whisked it behind my back. Wouldn't be good form to fry her up before I'd obtained answers. "What do you want?" She squared her delicate shoulders, looked away from me. "I need to talk to you."

"Uh, that would be a no. Tanner's here. Which means you're not welcome anymore." Her features softened and her eyes widened, regret churning in their depths. "This is important."

"He's more important than anything you've got to say," I said, still not allowing her inside. "By the way, where's Sunny?"

"My brother-in-law has her."

"Former brother-in-law." Bitch. "You're divorced." Sunny was Rome's little girl, his pride and joy, and we watched (and pampered) her every weekend. Today was a weekday, but anytime Lexis was called away to work we happily took over Sunny's care early. I loved that child like she was my own.

Lexis's gaze met mine in a heated clash. "I'm here about Rome. Something's happened." Magic words. I moved aside. Fear instantly cascaded through me, dousing the heat of my anger, freezing and thickening every drop of blood in my veins. Mist formed in front of my nose with every exhalation I made.

Lexis strode inside. I had to fight past the tightness in my joints to follow her. My movements were slow, forced. Something's happened, but that doesn't mean Rome's hurt. Calm down!

She stopped in the center of the living room, breathed deeply - to catch Rome's lingering wild scent? - and glanced at Sherridan, who was still sitting on the couch with a blank expression. "Happy Place?" she asked, turning to face me.

I nodded. There was a hard lump in my throat, and I was having trouble swallowing. He's fine.

Lexis returned her attention to my friend, shock flashing over her features, there one moment, gone the next. Then she was shaking her head, a little sad. "Her greatest wish is going to come true, and she's going to hate herself for it."

"What do you mean?" I asked, finally finding my voice. "What wish?" As I spoke, I prayed it wasn't what I'd suspected earlier. Sherridan had a thriving real estate business, a date with a new, sexy man every weekend and me as a best bud. She didn't need anything else.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of black. Oh, no. Everything else was forgotten as I focused on Tanner. He stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes anywhere but Lexis.