Page 70 of Jace
Oh fuck.
Jace barely cocks a brow. “And this ismywork, and I don’t compromise staff safety. So I’ll extend you the courtesy of an immediate exit before I escort my colleague to her destination of choice, or I’ll show you how much I can lift when I bounce your ass down the street.”
David puffs his chest, posturing as if he can take Jace on.
And Jace smirks. “David, right?”
“Yeah.” He juts his chin. “What about it, man?”
Jace takes one step his way, towering over him. “David, I know in the Bible you beat Goliath, so you’d best call on Jesus now if you think you can beatme.”
David wavers, pouting. “Whatever, man.” Before he turns to me. “Tomorrow. Two weeks withmywife.”
Then he brushes past Jace, who mocks. “I like your cousin’s wings.”
There’s mad,and then there’s volcanic.
Jace went from cold and deadly with David to threatening to erupt in fire for me all over the sidewalk outside The Mercier Hotel.
“Two weeks with him, Viv?” He fumes. “No fucking way. Let me kill him now and end this.”
“You know that won’t work. If my hunch is right, David’s using his cousins, and they’ll release that video if you kill him.”
He seethes, “I’ll kill them too.”
“That’s a lot of bloodshed.”
“There’s never enough bloodshed when it comes to protecting you.”
The hour is late. The sultry city sleeps. The streets are quiet, but Jace is coming through loud and clear.
Deep down, heisBratva. He does have murder in his DNA. Yes, he has a moral compass, but it’s clearly pointing at anyone who’s threatening me.
“I’ll call you,” I assure him. “You can follow my phone. I’ll wear tracker jewelry; that’s a thing, right? I’ll do whatever you think is best for my safety, but you know I have to go. I have to distract him and his cousins to buy us time.”
Jace clenches his fists, choking down his protective instincts.
I know he wants to hold me, to hide me like a damsel in a tower he guards. But that’s a fairy tale, and this is a real threat.
Eyes are on us right now.
“I’ll shadow you there.” He growls. “Me and Grant. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“Okay.” I stay calm for both of us. “I trust you. Just trust me too. His parents are so bougie, I’ll suffer all day at uptight tea parties and droll wine tastings. Oh, and I’m sure I’ll be asked to ‘take a few photos, dear.’ I won’t have a second away from their events before I hide in my bedroom every night. I’ll be fine.”
I’m not worried about myself; I’ll be safe in a snooty world.
I’m worried about Jace because, with his kiss, we became magnets—fused—and this is trying to rip us apart. We’re finally together, and now we have to stand, worlds apart, hiding it again.
“Viv, I swear. If he lays a hand on you, youwilltell me, and Iwillkill him.”
“I promise I’ll tell you everything, and while I’m there, your team can search his cousins’ homes and find those servers. And?—”
“Evenin’.” A Texas drawl slides through the night. It’s Zar, innocently interrupting us. “You rang?”
I startle. “No, I?—”
“I did,” Jace informs me. “While you were upstairs with the sleazeball, I heard everything. I texted Zar to cover our tracks.”
