Page 13 of Burn

I can’t hold my laughter in anymore. You can see the gears working in Finn’s mind as he makes mental notes. Poor bastard has no clue.

“As fun as these conversations are with you sick fucks, I have to get home.” Daphne reaches for her purse, one hand on Evan and the other on the table. “I gotta be at my parents’ house in the morning and then I’ll meet you at your parents’ later?”

I stare at my brother in disgust. I can’t believe he’s bringing her to Christmas morning when he knows damn well Jacey will be there.

Evan nods for her to get up. “I’ll take you.”

Daphne immediately shakes her head. “No, you stay and hang out.”

I’m sure he doesn’t mean for it to happen, but Evan’s eyes dart to Jacey’s at the bar where a guy is trying to hook up with her. And then they find his girlfriend’s. “Okay, I’ll call you in the morning.”

Just as Daphne’s leaving, Gemma approaches the table and all eyes are on me, waiting to see what I’m going to do next.

I get up and leave is what I do. To the bar for something stronger.

“Goddamn her,” I mumble, pushing through throngs of people.

Of course she fuckin’ shows up here. It’s what she does since we broke up. Follows me around town, calls me . . . anything she can think of to annoy me.

Despite me walking away, she follows me to the bar with her own drink in hand.

I take a moment to look at what she’s wearing because you’d be surprised. Black leather pants with a low-cut red top. Fuck, she’s got amazing tits. Think of Jennifer Lopez’s body, but a five-foot-two version and you’ve got Gemma Rae. I’m not denying she’s hot and despite my distaste for her, I’d probably, with a few Jack and Coke’s in me, fuck her. Just being honest. My dick doesn’t hold as many grudges as I do. But, I haven’t had whiskey tonight, so I’m still capable of making my own decisions. For now.

“What do you want?”

She pulls the black straw between her lips. “You wanna be my Christmas present?”

“No.” I snort. “Shouldn’t you be working the room? Rubbing against poles or something?”

Her lips thin. I’ve offended her. And believe me, it’s pretty fucking easy to do. We went out to dinner once, and I offended her by not letting her order first. Can I add that it was fucking McDonald’s?

She blinks, twice, and puts one hand on her hip. “What’s your problem?”

“You are.” I look away toward Jacey who’s leaning over the bar. The guy she’s talking to is staring down her shirt and Evan, who’s at the end of the bar, seems to have an eye on her too. “So leave me alone. Stop following me.” I tap the side of the bar. “J, can I get a Jack and Coke?”

Jacey frowns. She knows my decision making isn’t good with whiskey.

“I didn’t know you were going to be here,” Gemma adds, placing her hand that was just on her hip, on my stomach. “It’s not like you ever came out.”

One of her complaints when we were together was me being old beyond my twenty-six years. I didn’t agree with that assessment, but whatever.

I remove her hand and let it fall away. “But yet you had to come over and talk to me.”

She rolls her eyes. “You’re such a dick.” And then walks toward the dance floor, probably to find someone to fuck.

Jacey hands me the drink but keeps a hold of it until our eyes meet. “You leave with her and I will have Owen shove a halligan up your ass when you get home.”

As we glare at one another, the guy who was just looking down her shirt steps in front of me. “Hey, baby, can I get a drink and you?”

How original. What a tool.

Jacey doesn’t miss a beat and winks at the kid, pushing her black-framed glasses up her nose. “I can get you a drink. What’ll it be?”

“You,” the kid says boldly.

Jacey’s eyes flick to mine. She’s not asking for help but I also don’t feel like listening to her. She did just threaten to shove a halligan up my ass.

Leaning into the bar with my arms rested on the leather edge, I assess Jacey’s reaction to this Abercrombie wearing douchebag in front of her. I wouldn’t care if she left with him, but I sure as shit ain’t letting him treat her like crap. She gets enough of that bullshit from Evan.

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