“Then I guess I’m allowed to the party,” he said like a twelve-year-old before he bounced up the steps. If I didn’t know any better—and I didn’t—I could have sworn he was high.
I narrowed my eyes once he was in front of me, and I saw Slater’s cut from the corner of my vision before he turned to look at me and raise his chin in question. I gave a subtle shake of my head, returning my attention to Jacob. He’d noticed our silent communication, though, and glanced back at Slater.
“You’re kidding? You guys have got me on watch?” He huffed out a twisted laugh before he thumbed his own chest. “Little old me?”
Four…
Taking a step closer, I kept my arms folded across my chest, too worried about what they’d do if I set them free. “I have no problem you being here, Hove, but drop the shit or you’ll regret it. Do you understand me?”
“Quaking in my boots,” he pushed out through his ‘O’ shaped mouth as he pretended to shudder. “I’ll be a good boy. I promise.” With that, he slapped me on my back and turned to go inside, just as my mind whispered…
One…
My jaw was rigid, and my eyes narrowed as I looked down the stairs at Jedd and held my breath.
How I was going to get through tonight without killing that son-of-a-bitch, I had no idea.
Chapter Thirty-Two
AYDA
Iwas beginning to regret the dress I was wearing. It was beautiful but too short and tight to be comfortable in. Only the leather jacket that Drew had bought me as a replacement settled me, so did the Sig Sauer tucked in the shoulder holster that the leather was hiding. Being able to escape to the big cooler we were keeping in the office was a blessing, especially now that Jacob had decided to join us.
If I hadn’t been worrying before, I was now. I remembered that look in his eyes… slightly wild and manic as they twitched around the room trying to take everything in at once. I’d left Drew to handle him because I knew he would have started even more trouble with me there, and I would have split Drew’s attention. If he beat the shit out of him, who was I to get in the way?
I grabbed two beers from the cooler with one hand and tried desperately to make the dress longer with the other—a useless endeavor, which meant it was time to head back out there and avoid Jacob like the plague that he was.
I slipped through the swinging doors and winked at Janette as I almost walked straight into Tate and Rubin, who were standing shoulder to shoulder with cheesy grins.
“What are you two up to?”
Tate shrugged, but the smile stayed in place, while Rubin shifted from one foot to the other in what, I could only assume, was excitement.
“Come on,” I cried, my free hand on my hips.
“Oh, shut up.” Tate rolled his eyes, nudged Rubin with his elbow and nodded at me again.
“Right.” Rubin flushed as he held out a package that looked like it had been wrapped in pages from his algebra book. From Tate’s snort, that’s exactly what it was. “Tate and I wanted to get you something for your engagement. He couldn’t get away, so I was tasked with picking it out. I don’t know much about this kinda thing so—”
“Shut up, dude,” Tate groaned, grabbing my hand and swapping the box from Rubin’s palm to mine. “From us. To you.”
I placed the beers I was holding on the counter next to me and looked from one boy to the other before trying to find the end of the tape that had been dragged around it several times. It took me a while, but I got there eventually and discovered a small box under all the wrapping.
The box had theHarley Davidsonlogo on the top, which only made my smile brighter.
“Would you stop smiling so goofily at the box and open it,” Tate cried impatiently.
I rolled my eyes but did as I was told, pulling off the top to reveal aHarley Davidsonemblem cut into two, each half with a keyring loop attached. It was something so small, but I was ridiculously touched.
“Awe, guys, you’re going to make me all emotional.”
“No crying.” Tate wrapped his arms around me briefly, and the gesture was mirrored by Rubin before they took off tothe booth where Sloane and Libby were sitting, leaving me to push the box into my pocket.
I stood watching them with affection for a moment too long. Before I had a chance to scoop up the beers I’d grabbed, Jacob had appeared and pulled one from the counter for himself.
“You avoiding me, Ayda?”
“Every chance I get,” I snapped back coldly.
