But even the zombie apocalypse couldn’t dislodge the remembrance of red locks pulled back in a tight ponytail, or of the disappointment in her eyes.
Maybe they needed some more face time. Maybe he needed to explain.
But Kate was a no-show the next day as well. And the next, and the next. A week went by without Liam glimpsing her or her placard from the fourth floor.
The sore loser in him wanted a redo of their conversations. The sore loser in him wanted her back so he could erase her disappointment in him with a long, slow kiss. The sore loser in him needed to give her the most rollicking orgasm of her life, and drive her as crazy as she’d driven him.
He had to find her.
“I swear, I don’t know whether to hug Darren or to hit him.” The background hum in the room seemed to pause for a moment. “Kate? Are you in there?”
Her head snapped up. Damn! She’d lost focus. She’d never done that in group before, but it seemed she could barely concentrate the past few days. “I’m sorry, Audrey. I’m a little distracted. What were you saying?”
Audrey grinned and picked up a chocolate-chip cookie. “It’s okay. I get it. Sometimes I want to tune out, too.”
Kate felt the burn of guilt fester in the pit of her stomach. At least, group hadn’t started yet and she and Audrey had just been having a one-on-one conversation. It would have been embarrassing to lose focus during the session. Some leader she was.
And it was all Liam Doyle’s fault. Because of his personal situation, because of his anger toward her for telling him the truth, she hadn’t been able to think of much else. Clearly she’d become deranged. How else could she explain why she should be so affected by someone she didn’t even like or respect, or even know for that matter? Unless there was a part of her that wanted to know him better…
“Oh, crap.”
“Come again?”
Kate fumbled for a response. “It’s nothing.” Feeling hot in the face, she motioned to the others in the group. “Hey, everyone. It’s time to get started.”
Before she could say anything, Rod piped up. “So why did we stop picketing Vice? I thought we’d made a real impact on some of those visitors last time.”
“Yeah. Why the ceasefire, fearless leader?” asked Patti.
All heads turned toward Kate. “Um. I’ve been thinking about it, and I just don’t know if it’s the most effective course of action.”
“What do you mean?” asked Rod. “Even Liam Doyle noticed you. You spoke with the man. We need to keep up our momentum.”
“Yes, but…”
“No buts, Kate,” pressed Rod. “This is important. Why the backpedaling? It’s not like you.”
She stared at him, completely at a loss. She had no logical answer, only feelings running rampant in her core. She felt sorry for Liam Doyle. There, she’d acknowledged it to herself. He was going through a personal hell, and she supposed she just didn’t want to rub salt in the wound.
So maybe it made her look like a weakling, but she hadn’t been able to step foot near Vice all week. In fact, she’d avoided the Strip altogether, spending her evenings with Lisa and the kids instead.
Somehow, her badass side had shriveled up and died. Oh well, it wasn’t a mantle she wore easily. Besides, she felt like a hypocrite. She’d deposited another hundred dollars into her dad’s account again today, even though it was royalty money she couldn’t afford to lose.
Before she could respond to Rod, she heard a knock on the door of the meeting room. Being closest to the door, Rod got up and opened it, sticking his head out. He pulled it back in and turned around. “Kate, there’s a man here asking for you.”
Her pulse jumped and skittered. Liam? Oh, Christ. Don’t be so silly. What did she expect? That he’d pull up in a pumpkin carriage, offering her glass footwear?
She got up and went to the door. She stepped outside, moving her legs in small, tentative motions. Her movements came to an abrupt stop when she saw who stood in the hallway. Her breath came to a stop as well.
She must have paled because Rod touched her arm. “Hey, you okay? Do you want me to stay with you?”
She forced down the lump in her throat. “No, thanks. But could you take over the group for a bit?”
He looked at her and her visitor. “Okay. But if you need me, just knock.” He disappeared into the meeting room and shut the door behind him.
Louis Callender extended his arms and smiled. “My Katie. It’s been a long time.”
She avoided her father’s touch and stepped back, not wanting to be anywhere close to him. “What do you want, Dad?”
The corners of his mouth fell down and he let his arms drop. Anyone who didn’t know him well would think he was devastated by her cold demeanor. She didn’t care. Her father was many things, first and foremost a consummate actor. He had to be in order to swindle everyone he knew. “Why do you assume I want something, Katie-bug?”
“Don’t call me that,” she snapped, fighting her swelling anger. “And I know you want something because it’s the only time you ever show your face. How did you find me anyway?”
He looked around the New Horizons hallway with a hint of contempt, as if he were standing in the middle of his own intervention. “You’re always here. Does it actually do you any good?”
“More than you ever did.”
He ran a hand through his still-thick, auburn hair. She had to hand it to her dad. He certainly looked the part of a con man. Despite his age, he appeared ten years younger. He’d been blessed with terrific genes. The crinkly eyes and handsome face no doubt served him well when he looked for wealthy girlfriends to finance his habits. “I can’t believe my only daughter would talk to me like that. Didn’t I raise you better?”
“You didn’t raise me at all. Now what do you want?”
He stared at her for a long time, assessing her mood, planning his attack like a military tactician. “It hurts me that we can’t get along, sweetheart.”
“It’s hard to get along with someone who only shows up every couple of years begging for handouts.”
“Katie…”
“Are you here to seek help for your addiction?”
“Don’t talk to me like I’m some sort of crack head. I don’t need help.” He paced the hall for a couple of tense moments. “Look, I made some mistakes. I borrowed some money from some very bad people recently.”
“And this affects me how?”
“They want their money, sweetheart. These are men who won’t take no for an answer. I just need a small loan.” Tears filled his eyes. God, he could summon them so easily. “I’m scared, Katie. I need your help.”
“I can’t believe this.” She put a hand over her dry mouth. “Actually, I do believe this.”
“You don’t wanna see anything bad happen to your old man, do you? I just need five grand, Katie-bug. That’s all. And then I promise you, I’ll start attending those meetings. I’ll get help. You have my word.”
“Five grand? What about the money I’ve been depositing into your account? You gamble it all away, without so much as a thank you, and now you want five thousand more? What makes you think I even have that much?” She realized her voice was rising with each word, and tried to lower it.
“You have that cushy singing job. I know Calvert pays you well.”
“I don’t have that job anymore, and you don’t know a thing about me.”
He took a step toward her, his tone now menacing and desperate. “I’m just asking for a loan. Raise the money. Ask your friends. Maybe they can help you. I’ll take anything. These guys…that whole busted kneecap thing isn’t just a cliché to them, you understand? Think you can get off your frickin high horse long enough to help me?” He raised a hand as if to strike her.
A lightning-hot wound lanced through her already scarred heart. Without a word she knocked on the door to the meeting room. Rod was there in an instant.