"Elisa, don't be angry." Kevin's voice was silk, though his hand roamed shamelessly around her waist. "A dog... sometimes it just can't understand human speech. Beat it once. It'll learn."
He glanced at Evan.
Evan understood immediately. He chuckled, snatching an empty wine bottle from the table, weighing it in his palm, eyes glittering with malice.
"Adam. Rolling out yourself—or should I help?"
I raised my head.
It was the first time tonight I'd met their eyes directly.
Watching these clowns preen and posture, laughter bubbled in my chest. I swallowed it.
Elisa was already burrowing into Kevin's embrace. Since she was occupied, I decided to leave.
I stood. Walked out.
By the time the bus deposited me at the villa, it was past eleven.
The house was in Elisa's name, but I'd lived here for three full years.
As I stepped inside, a foreign scent hit me—red wine, heather, and a pungent men's cologne that made my nostrils flare.
I recognized that cologne. It had clung to the air in the private room all night.
Aggressive. Cheap. Carrying a lewd undertone that made my skin crawl.
The master bedroom door on the second floor hung ajar. Sounds drifted down the hallway—sounds no one should have to hear.