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“Jessa,” Jay whispers with his body angled toward her. “Maybe we should just go and let them work it out … After what you just told me …” He casts a worried glance at Reece.
“I’m not leaving without Al.” I know it takes Jessa a lot of strength to disagree with him.
Reece sighs impatiently then says to me, “ Can you have your BFF retract her claws for a few minutes? I need to talk to you in private.” He gives me this look, one that lets me know he’s the one in control here. He could easily tell on me for what I am doing. And as messed up as it is, I’d be punished by my parents. And if my father is involved, the punishment would be painful and humiliating.
“It’s okay,” I tell Jessa. “I need to talk to him, anyway.”
She hesitates. “Are you sure?”
No. Not at all. In fact, I want to beg her to stay.
But I nod. “I’m fine. I promise.”
Appearing unconvinced, Jessa takes Jay’s hand and says, “Come on; let’s get a drink.” To me, she adds, “I’ll be in the living room if you need me.” She glowers at Reece as she passes him with Jay in tow, his eyes bleary and bloodshot with shots of Jack and hits of Mary.
“Wait … so the mafia really exists?” he whispers to Jessa as they reach the doorway.
Jessa pulls him out of the room, leaving the door open.
The moment they leave, Reece walks over and shuts the door. Then he faces me. He doesn’t say anything, nibbling on his lip ring while assessing me.
“Wow, a speechless Reece. I didn’t think that existed.” I’m pretending to be calm on the outside, but on the inside, I’m jittery, restless, and worried.
The old Reece would’ve told me he’d keep my secret. But this isn’t the old Reece at all. This Reece is all shadows and haunted masks.
He eyes me over. “You’re feisty tonight.”
I grit my teeth until my jaw pops. I loathe how he acts like he still knows me. “I am always feisty.”
“Not lately … Not for the past three years.” He pushes away from the door and crosses the room toward me, scrubbing at his forehead.
The move reveals that he’s wearing the leather bracelet I gave him when we were kids. It pisses me off that he still wears it.
“You’ve been very submissive,” he adds, lowering his hand to his side.
His mention of that dissolves any calmness I possess. My lips twitch, and my fingers curl into fists. “Gee, I wonder why.”
His expression softens, but he hastily wipes his expression of all emotion. “Are you implying that we made you submissive?”
I resist the urge to step back as he reaches me. “No … And I’m not turning submissive. I’m just quieter. Trust me; I’m still a fighter when I need to be.”
I just don’t always win.
I swallow hard as the memory starts to choke me. “And none of this matters,” I continue. “I didn’t stay in this room so we could discuss who I am and who I’m not.” I shift my weight. “What did you need to talk to me about?”
He drags his teeth along his bottom lip then sighs. “I don’t want to come off as bossy—that’s Ryder’s thing, not mine—but seriously, what the hell are you doing here? And with that loser?” He gives a nod toward the door.
His tone is a mixture of frustration and concern. He’s right. If Ryder would’ve been the one to catch me at this party, he would’ve … Well, I’m not sure Trystan would’ve walked out of this room.
Still, Reece’s softer demeanor doesn’t make me want to confess all of my dirty—and apparently, not happening—sins that I wanted to commit tonight.
“What I was doing here is none of your business,” I tell him with a shrug. “Sorry.”
I get a twisted drop of satisfaction in the way his lips spasm.
He takes another step toward me. The move is calculated and puts him so close that I can feel his body heat. I refuse to step back, though. I know his game. This is a battle of power.
“We both know that’s not true.” His tone is low and guarded. “You may not want to believe it but, in three days, you, me, Blaise, and Ryder will all belong to each other. And that means we protect each other.” He extends his hand toward me, but I slant back, eliciting a sigh from his pretty, pierced lips. “Baby, we both know it’s too dangerous for you to be here. And that guy, Trystan …” The muscle in his jaw ticks. “You never answered my question about why you were messing around with him. Do you know how bad shit could’ve been if someone else had caught you? And if he decides to run his mouth—”
