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He tugs Jace’s shirt down and inspects his shoulder. “Through wound? Superglue? Good.”
Roeyisthe best friend, and I would’ve never guessed when I first met him in a slick suit and with a cocky attitude at the bar in Williamsburg that he’s capable of genuine concern. You rarely get to know a person in a bar. But you do when he makes sure his friend is taken care of after an injury.
“Any other wounds?” he asks.
“No.”
“You need to go to the hospital.”
“No hospital,” Jace argues.
Roey turns to me like I’m Jace’s supervisor. “Treat the wound with alcohol and an antibiotic cream when you get home and watch his temperature overnight.”
I chuckle. “Oh, I’ll watch him overnight.”
“Tomorrow, I’ll send a doctor to your condo, one of Kolchak’s connections. He’ll do a thorough exam.”
My father clears his throat. “We need to discuss business.” He looks at Jace, who says, “You can discuss it with my boss,” and nods toward Roey. “Alex and the guys from the boat need to get paid.”
“I’ll call you,” Roey says as Jace is already leading me away.
“Mr. Reed!” My father catches up with us. “My driver will take you. Considering…” He vaguely motions at us—we look like we are coming back from a messy beach party.
“Thank you,” I say. I’ll take that.
“Here.” He passes his phone to me, and it’s my mom’s desperate voice on the other end as she talks a mile a second in Russian.
“Mom, Mom,” I say, trying to stop her. “Jace got me. I’m alright. We are fine.”
“I need to meet him. I’m flying in tomorrow.”
“No! Mom, please, let’s just talk tomorrow. You want to talk to”—I raise my eyes to my biological father—“Seth?”
“I’ll fly in tomorrow to snap his neck!”
I laugh, hanging up. My mom would deliver on her promise, too.
“Lucy?” my father says, suddenly looking very small despite his guards and chauffeurs and his fancy suit. I don’t know him well, but I suppose a few scenarios can make a powerful man humble. This is one of them. “Can we please talk tomorrow?”
I don’t answer.
“Please. The three of us, if you want. I owe Mr. Reed an apology, and I need to explain certain things.”
I nod. We’ll figure it out. Tomorrow or the day after.
Tonight, I just need my Jace.
I need to tell him how much he means to me, how much I love him. Even better—I’ll show him.
70
JACE
My first rewardafter the chaotic day is Ibuprofen and a warm shower. With Lu. Inside Lu. We claw at each other with so much greed that I’d go through another boat chase and get shot just to see my Lu on her knees, working me like she just found the most delicious popsicle.
Thatword again.
My brain is off. My senses are on. And next, I’m on my knees, my tongue on my Lu like I’m trying to lick all the ocean salt off her body. That little landing strip on her pelvis is the cutest thing ever.
