“Whoa, watch yourself!” Delilah hurried down the path from a beautiful house toward the fence. When she reached the gate, she unlatched it and pushed it open. “Come on. Gang’s all here. Where the hell did you come from?”

I didn’t have a chance to answer her questions before she pulled me inside the fence and around to the side yard where there were more people gathered.

“Bishop, did you see who I found? She was just walking down the sidewalk. That’s like serendipity or some shit.”

Even with his back to me, I knew it was him before she said his name. Bishop’s wide shoulders tensed as he turned to face me.

“What do you mean, just walking down the sidewalk? By yourself?” The questions were split between me and Delilah, and his tone demanded answers.

Embarrassment stained my cheeks again. “Uh . . . I was with a group taking a tour of the cemetery at night . . . and I got separated.”

It was impossible to miss the glower on his face with the light coming from the back of the house and the paper lanterns hanging in the trees.

“You got separated from a tour. In a cemetery. At night.” He ground out each piece of the statement in its own separate little sentence as if I didn’t know exactly how stupid I sounded already.

“Whoa, girl. That’s not cool. You could’ve been—”

Bishop held up a hand. “I think we all know, D.”

Another woman joined the circle. “Hi, I’m Valentina and this is my place. Welcome. Can I get you a drink?” She looked from me to Bishop to Delilah and then back to me.

“No, thank you. I was just stopping to say hi because Delilah saw me walking home.”

“Walking home? In this town? By yourself?” She shook her head. “That’s not a good idea. Let me see if I can’t scare up a ride for you.”

“Oh, that’s not—”

“She doesn’t need a ride,” Bishop said. “I’m taking her back.”

“You don’t have a car, and you’ve been drinking for six hours.” This came from the woman who’d introduced herself as Valentina.

“I’ll just call a cab. It’s fine.”

Bishop practically growled at me. “And have them drop you off at the barriers the police have set up a couple blocks away from your hotel where you have to walk through the shit show that’s the French Quarter tonight? Do I need to remind you what happened last night?”

Crap. I hadn’t thought about the fact that a cab couldn’t bring me right to the door. Even so, I didn’t appreciate Bishop’s tone.

“You don’t need to throw that in my face. A cab will be plenty close. It’s fine. Just freaking fine. You don’t need to worry about me being a bother, Bishop. I don’t need you to leave your party for me. I can take care of myself.” I smiled at Valentina and Delilah. “If you could give me a number for a cab, I’ll be on my way shortly. I’m sorry to barge in.”

Valentina returned my smile, but one eyebrow lifted. “I’ll get that cab for you. Hold on a moment.”

When she stepped away, Delilah started talking. “Sweet dress! I love it. It reminds me of something you’d get at—”

“Dirty Dog,” another voice finished as Yve stepped out of the shadows and into the light. “And it looks great on you.” She reached up. “Mind if I fix your fascinator? It’s a touch crooked.”

Automatically, I reached up to touch the small non-hat made of silver netting, and sure enough, it was askew. Great. Check the box next to HOT MESS.

Yve adjusted and repinned it before standing back. “Perfect.”

“Does everyone in this town know each other?” I asked, trying to get the attention off me.

“A few of us,” Yve said.

“And all of us agree that you’ve got no business walking around after dark by yourself.” Bishop’s statement left no room for contradiction, but Yve tsk-tsked him anyway.

“She’s a grown woman. She can do whatever the hell she wants.”

Bishop mumbled something else under his breath that sounded like she needs a keeper, but Valentina returned before anyone could pounce on it.

“Cab is on its way. It should be here in ten. Have a drink while you’re waiting. We’ve got plenty of food too. The guys haven’t managed to clear it out yet.”

I WANTED TO PICK HER up and shake some sense into her. Maybe then Eden would realize that this city wasn’t safe for her to venture out in alone. How the fuck does someone lose their tour anyway? And in a fucking cemetery? At night? Someone was going to lose their job when I tracked down the tour company and reported that they’d left her behind. They should lose their goddamned license too. She could have ended up dead.

At Eden’s request, Valentina got her a water, and the girls talked and introduced her to the crew. I fucked with my phone and googled night cemetery tour companies. Finally, a car honked from the curb.

“That’ll be the cab. You sure you’re good to go alone?” Valentina asked.

“I’m taking her.” When Valentina opened her mouth, I didn’t wait to find out if she was thanking me or protesting. “I’m not leaving it to chance that she gets there in one piece.”

Eden crossed her arms over her chest and pushed her tits up close to the neckline of the pink-and-white dress. Does she own any clothes that don’t make me want to strip her naked and eat her for dessert?

“I’m perfectly capable.”

“No shit, you’re perfectly capable. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’ve watched more than one person put their hands on you, and I’m not letting it happen again. You think someone’s gonna fuck with you if I’m walking you to your hotel? No chance.”

The horn honked again and she dropped her arms.

“Fine.” Eden turned and the skirt on her dress flared.

Lord stepped up next to me. “Man, you’re so fucked.”

I swiveled my head around to stare at him as he swigged his beer. “What do you mean?”

“I mean you’re gonna go down like the rest of us.” He nodded at Eden. “And that girl is going to be the one to do it. I got a feeling about her. She’s already under your skin.”

“Fuck,” I muttered before striding after her. No way was I going to let her have the cabbie leave without me.