“I didn’t know our fathers had done that, or I would have warned you.” His eyes plead for understanding I don’t possess. “It wasn’t supposed to be announced yet.”
“You have never struck me as the type to let anyone control you, so why are you now?” I hold up a hand before he can give me his well-used reply. “Forget I asked it. I—”
“Well, well,” someone with a familiar, most unwelcome voice says. “What do we have here?”
“Who the fuck let you in?” I snap, glaring at Anita Hoare.
Thrusting out her surgically enhanced chest, she pins me with a superior expression, her collagen-filled lips puckering into a ridiculous pout. “I came as Julia’s guest.”
I bark out a laugh. “Bitch, she’s about as welcome as you are.” I only tolerate Julia because she’ll whine to her daddy if I kick her out, and then I’ll have Mom on the phone berating me for treating her so poorly. The last thing I need to add to my shitty day is Pamela Stewart ripping me a new one from Switzerland.
Stepping around Jase, I head toward the door where that pathetic little narcissist lingers. Her smug grin fades a little as I approach, and I derive enormous satisfaction seeing the glimmer of fear in her eyes. I’m guessing she’s remembering how I punched her lights out when she tried to make moves onmy men.
Smiling sweetly, I grab her arm, digging my nails into her bare flesh as I say, “Get the fuck out of my house, whore. In case it’s not clear, you’re not welcome tonight or any other night. You’re banned.”
She screeches as I start dragging her out into the hallway toward the door, screaming for Julia when she fails to halt my forward trajectory. Jase is chuckling as he trails us along the hallway, and it isn’t long before we gather a crowd.
Nothing like the sniff of a girl fight to bring all the alpha males running.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Julia pushes her way through the guys blocking the entrance from the living room.
“Throwing the thrash out,” I coolly reply.
Julia shoves up in front of me, thrusting her barely concealed cleavage in my face.
I’m partial to dressing sexy, and half my wardrobe consists of skimpy dresses, but that scrap she’s wearing scarcely covers her boobs or her butt. I wonder who she’s trying to snare tonight. It can’t be Jase because he’s ignoring her like he always does.
“She came with me. She’s my friend. She stays.” She jabs her bony finger in my collarbone, and I’m less than impressed.
Thrusting her finger away, I let go of the whore and put my face all up in Julia’s. “You don’t get a say in who comes and goes inmy house.”
“The hell I—” She halts mid-sentence, glancing over my shoulder.
I turn and look, spying Jase leaning against the wall watching the proceedings, looking cool as a cucumber and purposely avoiding my stare.
So, it’s back to that.
“What’s going on?” Bree materializes at my side, and I have never been more grateful to see a friendly face.
“Sweetheart.” Chad approaches from behind, coming over to my side. Creed, Nix, and a couple of others stand behind us. Chad’s arm winds around my waist, and his eyes narrow as he glares at Anita. She’s standing beside Julia, attempting to look unconcerned but failing to pull it off. The thing about women like Anita is they are all talk and bravado until confronted, and then they turn into scared little mice.
“What’s that slut doing here?” Chad asks, peering at me.
“Julia invited her and both of them seem to think Julia has authority over who gets to come into our home.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Ares slinking into the hallway with a sly grin on his face.
“Get the fuck out. We told you last year. We’re not interested.” Chad scoffs, fixing Anita with a derisory look.
“Wait. What?” Julia’s brow puckers as she looks at her friend before swinging her gaze to Chad.
“Your new friend didn’t tell you how she hit on me and Chad at a party at Ash’s house?” Jase says, stepping up on the other side of me. “After she’d slipped a sleeping pill into our girl’s drink to eliminate her competition?”
Chad growls. “We still owe you payback for that.” He slants murderous eyes at Anita, and she visibly gulps. My boyfriend tightens his hold on me, pressing his lips to my temple before he stabs her with a sneer. “As if any guy would ever pick a pug over a princess.”
A chorus of masculine chuckles, catcalls, and lewd comments rings out from the salivating audience.
Anita’s face inflames while Julia quietly seethes.
