Sybill rubbed her temples. “Just mineral water. Thank you.”

“Loosen up,” Gloria suggested when the hostess left them alone. “You look like you could use a drink.”

“I’m driving. I don’t want one anyway.” She shifted away from the smoke Gloria blew toward her face. “We have to talk, seriously.”

“Let me get some lubrication, will you?” Gloria smoked and scanned the men at the bar, toying with which one she’d pick up if she didn’t have her deadly dull sister along.

Christ, Sybill was a bore. Always had been, she mused, drumming her fingers on the table and wanting her goddamn drink. But she was useful, and always had been. If you played her right, laid on plenty of tears, she came through.

She needed a hammer with the Quinns, and Sybill was the perfect choice. Upstanding, fucking respectable Dr. Griffin. “Gloria, you haven’t even asked about Seth?”

“What about him?”

“I’ve seen him several times, spoken with him. I’ve seen where he’s living, where he goes to school. I met some of his friends.”

Gloria clicked into the tone of her sister’s voice, adjusted her attitude. “How is he?” She worked up a shaky smile. “Did he ask about me?”

“He’s fine. Really wonderful, actually. He’s grown so much since I saw him.”

Ate like a horse, Gloria remembered, and was always growing out of his clothes and shoes. Like she was made of fucking money or something.

“He didn’t know who I was.”

“What do you mean?” Gloria snatched up her drink the minute it was set on the table. “You didn’t tell him?”

“No, I didn’t.” Sybill glanced up at the waitress. “We need a few more minutes before ordering.”

“So you were poking around incognito.” Gloria let out a long, hoarse laugh. “You surprise me, Syb.”

“I thought it best that I observe the situation before changing the dynamics.”

Gloria snorted. “Now that sounds just like you. Man, you don’t change. ‘Observe the situation before changing the dynamics,” ’ she repeated in her imitation of a snooty voice. “Christ. The situation is those sons of bitches have my kid. They threatened me, and God knows what they’re doing to him. I want some dough to work on getting him back.”

“I sent you money for the lawyer,” Sybill reminded her.

Gloria clinked ice against her teeth as she drank. And the five thousand had come in handy, she thought now. How the hell could she have known how fast the money she’d bled out of Ray would slip away? She had expenses, didn’t she? She’d wanted to have some fun for a change. Should have demanded twice as much from him, she decided.

Well, she’d get it out of those bastards he’d raised.

“You got the money I wired for your lawyer, didn’t you, Gloria?”

Gloria took another deep drink. “Yeah, well, lawyers suck you dry, don’t they? Hey!” She called out, signaling to the waitress and pointing at her empty glass. “Hit me again, will you?”