With a deep breath, he pounded on the door, and then rang the doorbell three times.
A few short barks greeted him.
These were probably attack dogs. Dogs that were trained to kill intruders. Dogs that were going to tear him apart. He braced his feet. He’d worked out that morning and was a little sore, but he’d take on some dogs to bust Kareena out of there if he had to.
A woman’s voice followed. “Luke, stop! Luke, down.”
The front porch lights came on, and he had to squint under the glow. A Korean woman with bright blue hair opened the door a crack.
“Can I help you?”
That was unexpected.
“Hi, I’m looking for Kareena Mann? I’m her friend. Her ride. Her . . . I’m here to take her.”
She scanned his scrubs, squinting at the ID tag still attached to his breast pocket. “You’re a doctor?”
“Yes.”
“Which hospital?”
“Excuse me?”
“Where do you practice?” she asked.
“I’m at a private practice. I’m sorry, I’m just looking for my friend.”
The woman opened the door wider, and the dog that had been barking bolted out. A Pomeranian the width of a beach ball wobbled out and circled Prem’s feet. It barked three more times in quick succession.
Okay, maybe not an attack dog.
“Luke, in the house. Your father is going to be very upset with you if you run away again. Come on, let’s go!”
Prem waited for the dog to go back in. Damn, the tiny little furball had sounded just like a scary, bloodthirsty wolf with sharp teeth. It had probably been the adrenaline pumping through his bloodstream that made him think the sound came from a larger animal. Totally normal reaction.
“I should go,” Prem said. “I’m just looking for my friend. Thank you for your time.”
“Come on in,” she said. “Kareena’s here.”
“Uh, excuse me?”
The woman motioned for him to step inside the tiny tiled foyer. “Kareena is here. She came with one of my husband’s friends, Rahul. They’re all playing downstairs. What private practice are you with?”
“Jersey City Cardiology Center.”
The woman held her hand out. “Dr. Su-jin Kim. I’m with Hoboken Dermatology.”
“Oh. Uh, nice to meet you.” He took the woman’s hand and shook. Why the hell was Kareena here?
“Come on. Follow me. I’m sorry if you were worried, but Kareena’s fine. They should be wrapping up soon.”
Prem followed the woman down a hallway, through a basement door, and down a narrow flight of stairs toward loud cheers and conversation, most of it male.
When he peered over the stair railing and first saw the group of people in the basement, he realized he would’ve been less surprised at an orgy.
A large poker table covered in black felt sat in the middle of a group of six men and two women. Most of the men were ripped and covered in tattoos. The other woman in the group looked like she was a rockabilly model. Then there was Kareena. His sexy librarian/lawyer with her black sweater vest, her black framed glasses, and her hair in a ponytail. She was also wearing a large red cape.
“I can’t believe my witch died!” she shouted.
There was a mix of groans and laughs from the group.
“Hey, Kareena?” Su-jin called from the base of the stairs.
Kareena turned around, her mouth dropping when she saw Prem. “What in the world are you doing here?”
He answered in Hindi. “Your sister told me you were at a strange man’s house. I texted you a dozen times and you didn’t answer.”
“Uh, excuse me,” a desi dude said from the spot next to her. “Even though I can understand Hindi, not everyone here does. That’s super rude.”
Prem was ready to snap back when Kareena rested a hand on the dude’s arm.
What the hell? Knots twisted in the pit of his stomach.
“It’s okay. Prem, sorry, I got caught up in the game.”
“I was . . . worried.”
Prem hated that so many people were staring at him, judging him for wanting to make sure that Kareena was safe. How was he supposed to know that she wasn’t in trouble? It’s not like she was answering her phone. He crossed his arms over his chest, ready to take all of them on. Even the one who looked like he was in the HBO vampire show.
“Are you ready to go home?” he asked, turning back to Kareena.
She looked at the game board and then back at him with a raised brow. He shook his head in response. He did not want to stay, and he had every intention of driving her ass all the way back to Edison where it belonged.