“You look edible.”

Cassie blushed at Shay’s compliment and gave a halfhearted smile in thanks. The Bodycon dress was too tight, the material barely coming to her knees, accentuating every curve…and she had many.

“It isn’t too much?” She pulled at the hem in a vain attempt to hide more skin. “Don’t be silly. The aim of the game is to regain your confidence and put a smile back on your face. Now get in the damn car.”

This wasn’t a game, it was torture. Shay had spent days consoling her through grief and guilt. Along with Jan and a newly found counselor. Sleep was still illusive, and the pain wouldn’t ebb, but for tonight, Cassie wanted to paste on a smile and pretend like her life wasn’t going to be irrevocably changed tomorrow.

“Come on. Come on. Come on.” Shay strutted toward her car parked in Cassie’s driveway, swaying her perfect ass. “I’m dying for a drink.”

It was already approaching nine o’clock when they slid into the small hatchback.

“So where are we going?” Shay hadn’t given specifics. A club on Crockett Street had been mentioned once or twice. A club that was currently in the opposite direction to where they were headed.

“I made an executive decision and changed our plans.”

Cassie sighed, now all too familiar with Shay’s chipper tone that announced she was up to something. “You know what? Don’t tell me, just turn the car around and drive me home. I always seem to get myself in trouble when I’m with you.”

Shay snorted, ignoring her request. “And that’s my fault?”

“Ah, yeah. I was trouble-free before we met.”

“Sounds kinda boring,” Shay said around a chuckle.

Boring but safe. There was no more desire for fun or depravity. Without T.J., none of it really mattered. Yeah, she planned on having a fling or two in the future…maybe…if she gained the courage to go home with a stranger. But that would take time, and determination she currently didn’t have. “Why don’t we go to my place and have a few drinks instead?”

Shay shook her head. “I know what you’re doing, and I’m not going to let you. The first step is the hardest. Once tonight is over, you’ll find it easier to go out next time. And then the time after that, and so on and so forth. The longer you put it off the harder it will be.”

“Fine.” Cassie sighed. “So where are we going? And don’t think I haven’t noticed that you distracted me for long enough to take me out of walking distance from my house.”

“I can’t slip anything by you, can I?” Shay shot her a grin.

“So?”

“So…we’re going to the Vault.”

Oh, no. Hell, no. “Forget it. Stop the car. Right now. I’m not going anywhere near there.”

Shay waved away her protest. “Calm down. T.J. won’t find out. And besides, you can’t back out now. I arranged the whole night for you. Vault of Sin doesn’t usually open on Thursday nights, so I’ve invited a few regulars. I picked them out specifically to ensure you have a great time.”

The innuendo in Shay’s tone turned Cassie’s cheeks to flame, the heat expanding all the way to her chest. “I don’t want to sleep with anyone—”

“You don’t have to.”

“I don’t want to cause trouble the night before the divor—”

“You’re not going to. T.J. doesn’t work tonight. He won’t even be there.”

Damn it. This woman couldn’t take no for an answer. “Leo and Brute wouldn’t approve either.”

“Actually,” Shay drew out the word, giving her a pointed look. “Leo’s the one who suggested it.”

“Bullshit.”

Shay turned her focus back to the road and nodded. “I’m not lying. He’s worried about you. If you’re going to get laid, he’d prefer you do it at the club, with someone who has gone through the vetting process. It’s a safe environment. You won’t have to contemplate taking strangers back to your house, or be enticed to go home with someone.”

“I’ve already said I don’t want to get laid,” Cassie grated. This was ridiculous.

“Believe me, I’ve heard you. But it’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind. It’s just an option. If you want to sit at the bar and talk all night, we can. There won’t be loud music or sleazy guys annoying us. And if you start having fun and don’t want to stop, I’m sure being in the Vault will be of some comfort to you.”

Cassie kept her mouth shut, not willing to admit going to a quieter, more familiar club was reassuring. It was still the Vault—a place she’d been to twice, yet it held palpable memories she wasn’t sure she wanted to be reminded of.

As they turned into Shot of Sin’s street, her heart pounded. “If I want to leave, are you going to try and convince me to stay?”

Shay shrugged. “That depends.”

“On?”

“If you want to leave as soon as we walk in the door. You need to give it time. At least three drinks minimum.”

“Three drinks?” Cassie gaped. She hadn’t had more than a drink or two in a damn long time. Shay knew it, too. Three would have her dancing on the bar. “How about two?”

Shay smirked and flicked her indicator to enter the club parking lot. “Four.”

Damn her. “Three it is. But I won’t promise to enjoy myself.”

“Doesn’t bother me, honey.” Shay pulled into one of the few remaining parking spots and cut the ignition. “As long as I stay out long enough to work Leo into a jealous frenzy, I’ll be happy.”

* * *

“Stop pacing.” T.J. wasn’t comfortable telling someone else to stop doing what he’d been doing all week, but the way Leo huffed back and forth was filling the now empty Taste of Sin restaurant with cloying apprehension. “Why the hell are you pacing, anyway?”

“Just anxious.” Leo checked a text message on his phone. “That’s all.”

“With good reason.” Brute smirked.

“Do you mind filling me in on what’s going on?” They’d been seated at the bar for an hour, yet T.J. felt like his friends had spent the whole time having a secret conversation without him.

Brute reached over the bar and poured himself another beer. “It’s nothing.”

Leo groaned and flung back the remaining bourbon in his glass. “Can’t we just go? Shay and Cassie will be out by now.”

“No.” T.J. was adamant. He wanted Cassie to have a few hours to herself. Besides, alcohol would calm her nerves and make it easier for him to approach her later. He’d get her brutal honesty after she’d had a few drinks, and he didn’t want to risk arriving early. Timing was everything. “We’ll leave soon enough.”

Leo pulled his cell from his back jeans pocket. “I might give Shay a call th—”

“Fuck off.” Brute snatched the device from Leo’s hand. “Don’t you trust your woman?”

Leo scowled. “Of course I do. I just think it would be best if we get a move on.”

“I’m not keeping you here.” They were making him nervous with their bullshit attitudes. Leo didn’t stress often. He did moody and irrational, but he didn’t do anxiety. And Brute… Well, that fucker was smiling, which was an anomaly all on its own. “If you want us to meet you in the city, go ahead. It’s no big deal.”

“It’s fine,” Leo grated. “I’ll stick around.”

The large dining area fell silent. Brute continued to smirk to himself as he topped up his beer. Leo’s fingers kept tap, tap, tapping against the bar, while T.J. tried to think of what he was going to say to make Cassie forgive him for all the heartache.

“You know what?” Leo shoved from his stool. “I’ve got something to say.”

Brute swiveled in his stool, still smirking as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Leo. T.J. followed, leaving his scotch on the counter to turn and face the man who appeared ready to make a Hulk transformation.

“Before we find Cassie and Shay,” Leo started. “I want you to know something.”

“Is this the something that’s had you jittering and snarling all night?”

Leo let out a bitter laugh. “No. We’ll get to that next. What I want to discuss is how you got in this fucked situation in the first place.”

T.J. raised his chin, trying to steel himself against the punch to his pride. “What of it?”

“It’s about all the guilt you piled on yourself that could’ve been eased if only you’d spoken to us. It’s about you, and your inability to let us help.”

“I didn’t think I needed it.” Cassie was his wife. His love. His responsibility. He cleaned up his own messes…well, usually he did. Only this time, he’d left a trail in the form of an email.

“Yes, you did. You’ve just been kidding yourself for so long you started believing your own lies.”

“Fuck you.” T.J. slid to his feet. The last thing he needed was a guilt trip. He’d had enough guilt to last a lifetime.

“Don’t get defensive. I’m just trying to tell you, you’ve gotta realize, no matter how much you want to, you won’t always be able to protect her. Sometimes you’ll need to rely on us to help. Sometimes she’s going to be fine all by herself. And then there’ll be other times when no matter what any of us do, she’s still going to get hurt, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

T.J. winced. This was what it all came down to. His issues. His guilt. “I know.”

“Do you?” Leo raised a disbelieving brow. “Because you fucked up in Tampa and didn’t bother telling us. How could you keep that a secret? How could you quit sleeping in your wife’s bed for six months, killing yourself with guilt, and not breathe a word of it to either of us?”

“It wasn’t something either Cassie or I wanted to share.”

“Yeah, well, it says a lot about our friendship, doesn’t it?”

Whoa.

“Hold up.” T.J. raised his hands in surrender. “Cassie’s everything to me. I didn’t want to share information that would upset her.”

“And if you had shared that information, I would’ve kicked your ass to next Tuesday. Brute, too. Aren’t I right?” He jerked his chin in question.

“Yeah.” The sadistic grin vanished from Brute’s features. “Everything would’ve been out in the open. We would’ve made you pay for your mistakes and you would’ve moved on. None of this would’ve happened.”

“It wouldn’t have stopped the guilt.” They didn’t know what it was like to deal with the what-ifs.

“No, it wouldn’t.” Leo inclined his head in acknowledgement. “But we could’ve helped with that, too. It didn’t have to be like this.”

T.J.’s chest constricted, squeezing the air from his lungs. He couldn’t look back now. He couldn’t admit he’d done the wrong thing by her again. There was too much blame already. That night in Tampa had changed him. She’d been so scared. Her beautiful skin pale as a ghost when he’d slammed into that bathroom.

“It wasn’t your mess.” The shame at placing her in that position, the fear of it ever happening again, had been his burden to bear.

“It fucking was,” Brute raised his voice. “That’s what Leo is trying to tell you. You’re like a brother to us. And you know what? You’ve always had Cassie, and now Leo has Shay, but I’ve only ever had you guys at my back. We’re not meant to go through shit like this on our own. So, next time, quit being a fucking tool and ask for help.”

T.J. swallowed over the dryness in his mouth. “I don’t like relying on other people when it comes to Cassie.”

“Why?” Leo slumped back onto his stool. “What’s the big deal?”

T.J. shook his head and broke eye contact. “Cassie is everything,” he murmured the painful truth. “She’s perfect. I can’t fault anything about her. Even the way she’s handled this divorce—fighting for me, when deep down I always wanted her to, then giving up when I couldn’t handle her anguish anymore. She’s all I’ve ever wanted. And more than I’ll ever deserve.”

He stared at the scuff marks on his black shoes. “Doing this by myself was an attempt to make up for all my mistakes. I’d let her go and take the fall. I was happy to do it because then I’d never have to spend another night lying awake, wondering when I’d put her in another position where she’d get hurt. I deserved this mess.” And he deserved a lot more. “I just can’t go through with it. I love her too much.”

They didn’t respond. He sat there, silent, their gazes weighing heavy on his shoulders.

“See…I’m pathetic.”

“That’s not breaking news.” Leo chuckled.

T.J. glanced at his friend from the corner of his eye and tried to laugh, but the sound came out halfhearted. He couldn’t find humor in this. “What if I let her down again?”

“And what if you don’t get the choice?” Leo cocked a brow. “I’d rather go in, guns blazing, full speed ahead, than not have a chance at happiness at all.”

“You’ve sure changed your tune since hooking up with Shay.”

“Yeah? Well, maybe you should do the same. You can’t protect Cassie twenty-four-seven. You need to start trusting her to make the right decisions. To start believing Brute and I have your back, as well as hers. It’s not rocket science. And besides, if you don’t hurry up, the decision might be taken out of your hands. I’m not sure how long she’ll be left alone in the Vault when she has Shay at her side, egging her on.”

“The Vault?” T.J. scrutinized his friend, waiting for the punch line. “What have you done?”

Brute leaned over the bar again to place his empty glass in the sink. “We saved you the hassle of driving into the city.”

“Wha—”

“Calm down, my friend. I did exactly what you would’ve done if you had the ability to think clearly.” Leo released a long huff of breath and wiped a hand down his face. “Cass is somewhere safe, with men we know, also under the surveillance of Travis behind the bar.”

“That’s why you’ve been flustered all night?” Fucking hell. Cassie was in the goddamn Vault.

“Flustered isn’t a word worthy of how I’ve felt the last two hours, knowing Shay has been in a sex club with your wife.”

“Then why the hell—”

“It was better than the alternative of them going somewhere else.” Brute snatched his wallet off the bar and shoved it in the back pocket of his dress pants. “It’s not like I could warn every club-goer in Beaumont to keep their hands off your wife, like I can in our own club.”

“You did that?” Brute’s assurances did nothing to curb T.J.’s jealousy.

“Of course we did,” Leo growled. “However, it doesn’t mean my manipulative girlfriend won’t talk anyone into testing my authority.”