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Jace knees him again, then grabs him by the wrist, twists his arm, making Chad scream in pain, and pushes him toward the elevator.
“The only reason you are standing is because I need you to get the fuck out of this building.” Jace’s voice is eerily calm as he presses the elevator button. “But I still didn’t hear you.”
He does something to Chad’s arm to make him wail in pain as his knees buckle.
“Alright! Alright! Fucking alright!” Chad pleads.
Jace hauls him up and shoves him into the elevator. “I see you here again, bud, and I’ll peel your tattoos off your skin. Lu’sroomie”—Jace chuckles, freaking chuckles!—“is a little too protective of her.”
The door of my condo opens, filling up the hallway with loud music.
I step back behind the wall, out of Jace’s sight, my heart racing.
A couple stumbles out of my place, laughing, and I smile at them though my knees are trembling. I swallow hard again and again, dizzy and confused, backing away toward my condo as my brain tries to process what I just saw.
I run inside, right away assaulted by the loud music and Becky, who grabs my arm. “Is everything fine?”
Is it?
“I’m not sure,” I murmur, staring at her.
“Lu! Where’s Jace?” She looks worried.
“Oh.”
Right. I need a drink, a cigarette, a cold shower, and maybe a nap to sober up and make sure I’m not hallucinating. “He’s great.”
Jace is great.
I stare around aimlessly, confusion mixing with admiration and a speck of fear inside me. I’m not sure I know who Jace is at all.
Heads turn when he walks back into the condo. TheusualJace, with a soft glint in his eyes and a kind smile as he ruffles his hair and looks around.
I walk on weak legs toward him.
“Are you alright?” I study his face and his bruised cheekbone. “I’m sorry for that guy. And thank you for sticking up for me.”
His smile flickers wider. “He left. He’s a dick, huh? Why were you with him?”
“Bored.” I laugh nervously. “I don’t know really. Iwasn’treally with him.”
Now I feel embarrassed to be even associated with Chad.
Jace nods, and I can’t take my eyes off him.
I like him with a bruised cheekbone. He’s sexy and dangerous. And though I feel bad for him getting punched, I can’t help but feel proud at knowing it was for me. What he did by the elevator is incomprehensible.
Sometimes it takes weeks to get to know someone. All it took was one punch. I want to know Jace better. Know where he learned to fight like that.
“Come here.” I nod for him to follow, take him to the kitchen, and sit him down on the stool.
Tito sweeps in and jumps up to sit on the counter.
“Got a bit roughed up, huh?” he asks.
“Go away,” I snap, wanting a minute with Jace.
Jace doesn’t say a word. Not to Tito. Not to me when I wrap cubes of ice in a kitchen towel and walk up to him.
