Page 112 of Dirty Like Jude
“Roni,” I said. “Webber.”
My brother looked back at me blankly, swiping his blond hair out of hiseyes.
“Black hair,” I said slowly, figuring that was one of her more distinguishing features. Her other distinguishing features, I really didn’t wanna get into with him. “Jessa Mayes’friend…”
“Right. Roni. Wild Card, right? The one with the tits.” I took a deep breath, steeling myself for this. The anvil was just getting heavier. “Yeah, I know her. She’s pretty tight, but not really myspeed.”
Something hot and terrible that felt a hell of a lot like jealous fury rose throughme.
“Tight?”
“Yeah. Fucked her on the kitchen counter at a party out at Crusler’s… Remember that party where Shady went through the fuckin’ coffeetable?”
My whole body lit up like a struckmatch.
Yeah, I remembered that party. The one where, when I’d arrived, I found Roni alone on the back step in the dark with tears in hereyes.
And I kissedher.
Fuck,no.
I found my voice. “Justonce?”
“Yeah, I mean I wasn’t really into her. She just kept puttin’ it in my face. You know thetype.”
“What type?” My voice was way low. I knew, when he said what he said, he had no idea I’d had sex with Roni last night, or that I likedher.
It didn’t make me any lessfurious.
He stood up, wiping his hands on a rag, his eyes narrowing atme.
“A slut,” he said. “Thattype.”
My fists clenched so hard at my sides, my knuckles cracked. “Take that the fuckback.”
“Why?” He tossed the rag aside. “You got a hard-on for her? She’s a piece,brother—”
My fist connected with his face faster than either of us seemed to know it was gonna happen. He staggered back into the BMW, but it didn’t fall over. Then he bounced right back off it and slugged me with his iron fist, right in thegut.
I doubled over with a grunt and fell to myknees.
Piper shoved me down on my side; I was in the fetal position and he stood over me, barely breathing hard. I was a pretty big dude by then. My brother wasbigger.
More important than that, he was a stronger fighter. He could’ve destroyed me, if he ever wantedto.
We both knewit.
“Cool off,” he said, cracking his jaw. “The fuck is yourdeal?”
Mydeal?
My fucking deal was, I wascrushed.
In that moment, the wind was so knocked out of me, I didn’t even have the will to get the fuck up, to stand up like aman.
I never knew Piper had sex with Roni. I knew she had a crush on him or whatever. Her dumbass sexual bucket list. But I’d never asked him about her before. I’d never seen him pay more attention to her than a few words here or there at some party. He never seemed interested, and I’d somehow actually convinced myself that nothing had ever happened betweenthem.
That he’d never touchedher.
