“Thank you.” I’d worn itbecauseit was sexy, I felt beautiful in it… and I wanted Jude to like how I looked init.
But now that he was here, I didn’t even want him looking at me like that—like he wanted to fuckme.
“You didn’t answer my text,” he said, when his eyes met mineagain.
“Um… I’m just gonna go find Bishop…” Jessa tried to slip away, but I caught her arm and held her at myside.
“It’s okay.I’mgoing. I’ll send Bishop over to getyou.”
“Where’re you goin’?” Jude shifted himself into mypath.
I dropped Jessa’s arm to cross my arms under my chest. She didn’t leave, and I told him, “I don’t want to be your speed-dial pussy, Jude,” right there in front ofher.
Jude’s gaze flicked to Jessa, briefly, before meeting mine again, and it really, really rubbed me the wrong way. Like he cared more about her witnessing this, or about what she might think, than about what I was actually saying? What Ifelt?
“That’s not what you are,” hesaid.
“Yes, I am. I don’t want to be your fuck buddy anymore,okay?”
I walked away, heading for the house. Or maybe the bar.Wherever.
But then I stoppedshort.
Some guy was standing right by the bar with Dylan and his bodyguard, Con, and he looked… familiar. Kind of spine-tingling familiar. Which was weird, because I was sure I’d never seen himbefore.
It was histeeth.
His mouth was the first thing I noticed about him. He was laughing as Con talked, and his teeth were showing. A row of perfect white porcelain veneers—with silver canines. He was cute, in a dangerous sort of way. And he was wearing a Kings cut over his ugly Rudolph-themed Christmassweater.
I remembered what Talia said about the guy she saw outside my place with the silver canines. I looked around, but I hadn’t seen her; I didn’t think she was hereyet.
“Roni…” Jude had come right up behindme.
“Who is that?” Iasked.
“Who?”
I pointed at the dude with the teeth. “That. The guy with the Kings shit and the silverteeth.”
I felt Jude’s chest rise against me as he drew a breath. “That’sLex.”
“Who the fuck isLex?”
“He’s aKing.”
“I can see that. Who is he?” I turned to face him. “And why did Talia see him outside myplace?”
He didn’t answer. His dark eyes held mine, and I could see him thinking through whatever shit he was thinking—but notsaying.
I turned and walkedaway.
Jude followed me. Right past Lex—and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jude give him ashove.
“The fuck are you doin’here?”
I glanced back long enough to meet Lex’s eyes and see them gowide.
“I didn’t know she’d be here…” I heard him say, before I disappeared into thehouse.
