Cam knew Roan needed a friend.
"We're going back," Cam said.
"I thought you'd say that." Gannon smiled. "I go where you go."
Cam nodded, then pulled a U-ie, heading back to Roan's house.
The place was nothing more than a rundown POS that was in desperate need of a new roof and some grass in the front yard. According to Roan, it was where Cassie lived, and since he'd practically forced her to let him live with her, he couldn't be picky.
"I'm not even gonna knock," Cam said as they sidestepped the cracked walkway on their way up to Roan's front door.
Music blasted from one of the other duplexes, a baby's loud wail sounded from nearby, and Cam was fairly certain he smelled pot.
"Hopefully he's dressed," Cam muttered, keeping his eye on his surroundings. He already detested this place and he'd been here all of a minute. How the hell could Roan live in this filth?
"Hopefully his sister's dressed," Gannon noted, sounding as though the idea of seeing her naked was far worse than the idea of seeing Roan naked.
"I doubt she's even home." Knowing Cassie, she was out somewhere getting high. It was all she ever did. Roan spent all of his time saving her from herself. Or trying to anyway. Cam wondered when the man was going to realize she had to be held responsible for her own actions. Him coming to her rescue every damn time was only enabling her.
"Someone needs to take care of that baby," Gannon said absently.
Cam took a deep breath as he put his hand on the doorknob. He turned it slowly and yes! It was unlocked.
The next thing Cam knew, he and Gannon were opening Roan's front door, stepping inside and …
The music sounded even louder in here. As did the baby crying. How thin were the walls? Seriously.
And damn. What was that smell?
The house was completely dark except for a dim light from the kitchen. It wasn't enough to light up the room, but enough that Cam could see someone over by the couch. On the floor.
"Roan?" Cam fumbled blindly on the wall with his hand. Surely there was a light in here. When he found the switch, he hit it and the room lit up, casting a dingy yellow glow across the cheap furniture and ratty carpet.
And that was when Cam saw them.
"Oh, shit," Gannon yelled, shoving Cam forward. "Fuck."
It took a minute for it to register for Cam. He saw Roan and …
"Oh, my God!" Cam bolted across the room, dropping to his knees beside Roan, who was holding his sister, the woman lying motionless on the floor between the cheap brass coffee table littered with cigarette butts and the secondhand couch with what looked to be fast-food wrappers decorating it. "What happened?"
Oh, damn. The smell was so much worse over here.
Cassie's bleached-blond hair was matted and tangled. Her T-shirt was hanging off her bony shoulder, and her shorts looked as though they hadn't been washed in days. Her skin was paler than usual, and there was something caked on her lips.
Was that foam?
Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God.
"Shit!" Cam yelled at Gannon. "Call 9-1-1. Damn it. I left my phone in the car."
"It's too late," Roan said softly. "Call the police, but it's not an emergency."
Cam pressed two fingers to Cassie's neck, trying to find a pulse because surely this wasn't happening. No pulse, but he hadn't really expected one. It only reaffirmed what he feared.
Shit.
Leaning down, he pressed his ear close to her mouth. She wasn't breathing.
Sitting back on his heels, Cam looked at Roan, then back to Cassie. She looked to be asleep, but he knew better. She wasn't sleeping. She was dead. And from the looks of it, she'd been that way for probably a couple of hours.
In the background, Cam heard Gannon rattling off the address, but Roan was right, there was no point. The EMTs didn't have to hurry, because there was nothing they could do for her. The syringe she had used, the needle still piercing her vein, hung from her arm where a strip of yellowed rubber was stretched tight.
Cam knew that Roan had feared this for too long. And just as he'd predicted, Cassie had succumbed to the drug. She had overdosed, and he didn't think she'd done it on purpose. This was likely a nightly ritual for her and this one time …
Unfortunately, one time was all it took.
Holy shit.
"They're on their way," Gannon said, his voice panicky.
"She's dead," Cam said, as though saying it would make it truly register.
"I knew something was wrong," Roan muttered, his voice strained. "I should've been here."
"Man, you can't-" Cam stopped talking. "Seriously, is your neighbor going to take care of that baby? It's been crying since we walked up."
Roan looked up at Cam, and it was as though someone flipped on the light switch in his head. "Oh, my God! Oh, shit!"