Free Burn This! (A 300 Moons Book)(Bad Boy Alphas) by Tasha Black

at the tables moved to the seats in the center of the room.
    Johnny moseyed after them and sat down in the last seat. He was opposite Neve and next to Jocelyn. He would’ve thought the patients would all be fighting for a seat next to the pop sensation, with her fame and youth. Maybe they didn’t want to sit near the iguana.
    Come to think of it, this group was holding its cool pretty well even with him there. They were probably used to rubbing elbows with celebrities. If they were at Sanctuaries, they had money. Some of these blue bloods probably even saw stardom as a fancy way of saying new money .
    “I’m so glad you’re here,” Neve said quietly to the assembled group. It was probably just his imagination, but Johnny swore her eyes lingered on him for just a second too long. “Let’s do a round of introductions.”
    One by one, they went around in a circle. There were three wealthy looking, middle-aged blonde women, Bonnie, Barb, and Mimi. It seemed like they stuck together based on how they were dressed and seated and the way they nodded like ducks at each other’s intros.
    There was a young black guy in a nice button down, silk tie and trousers, Clarence. He seemed weirdly relaxed.
    Jocelyn was there of course, then Johnny himself.
    On the other side of him, an older white guy, Ed, was looking miserable, with his arms and legs crossed.
    Helen, a really familiar looking woman, with even blonder hair, sat next to Ed. Johnny vaguely thought that maybe she had been a game show hostess once upon a time.
    Finally, two young guys, Phil and Tony, sat next to each other. One was tall and thin, the other short and heavy, but they were similar in that both were trying not to make it too obvious that they were eyeing Johnny up.
    “Today’s topic will be Coping with Past Mistakes ,” Neve announced, when the introductions were complete. “But before we get started, does anyone have something they would like to share?”
    She glanced over at Johnny, but he looked away quickly.
    “The snacks are much better than before, but they should bring back those bacon wrapped prunes,” Clarence said, leaning back and crossing his legs with a smile.
    Everyone smiled and the feel of the room loosened up.
    Neve looked to Jocelyn.
    “Tacos is starting to feel less stressed-out about being here,” Jocelyn said quietly.
    Nice.
    Johnny watched as Neve managed the conversation, and the people. It appeared to be effortless, but after trying to keep a band together, he knew that maintaining an even exchange was anything but easy.
    She kept it light and friendly, yet with every moment she was coaxing more and more from them.
    Slowly, the conversation started getting heavy. Without announcing the shift into their topic, Neve subtly asked Tony, who was looking at his feet and talking about failing out of college, whether there was anyone he felt he had let down.
    “My mom,” Tony said instantly, with a catch in his throat. “She always believed in me. And she was wrong.”
    “She wasn’t wrong, Tony,” Neve told him. “You have a disease. And you have within you the power to get back up.”
    The boy was crying now, and obviously embarrassed.
    Neve turned to Ed, who had been silent all the while.
    “Ed, can you pick up this train of thought for us?” she asked, indicating Tony with a slight tilt of her head.
    It was a power move. She was making Ed feel that he was being asked to share in order to spare the younger man.
    “I, ahem,” Ed interrupted himself with a cough.
    They all waited.
    “I was doing fine. I had a good job. Wife and kids. I drank a lot - more than I meant to sometimes - but I held everything together. I never missed work or anything.”
    He stopped, uncrossed his legs, and slid his hands down the tops of his khakis.
    “My job was with a tech company. They offered all employees the option to work from home on Fridays. This little voice in my head told me I shouldn’t do it, because I would drink. I shouldn’t