Page 164 of Dirty Like Jude
As if Jude ever made those to myplace.
I knew he spent his early mornings with Jesse, working out. So maybe he’d just finished up there and thought he’d drop by, see how I was doing, if I was all packed up and ready for thetour…
Nope. Who the fuck was Ikidding?
He turned to me and fixed me with his impermeable security-guy stare-down, and held out the coffeecup.
I took it. “Thanks. Double mocha? I only drink it if they put the chocolate whip on top.” I was kidding, but hey, I said stupid shit when I was afraid my entire life might be about to crumble right out from underme.
“Triple,” he said. “I had them put the chocolate syrup ontoo.”
“Oh. Well,thanks.”
That was Jude; always one step ahead ofyou.
Really, Jude Grayson and his no-bullshit work ethic was a massive factor in why I’d always stayed on my toes. If I’d ever slacked off, Jude would’ve noticed even if Brody didn’t. And last thing I needed was Jude growling in Brody’s ear that I couldn’t hackit.
I never let Jude see me vulnerable. Which meant my personal shit stayed the hell out of the realm of the band and away from his sweepingradar.
Even so, I didn’t doubt he knew things about me that I’d never toldhim.
It was pretty much his job toknow.
But I was terrified that the reason he was here, right now, was because he kneweverything.
“You want to come in, sit down?” I asked. It only seemedpolite.
“No, thanks,” he said, looming in my front hallway. “Won’t be stayin’long.”
Oh,God.
It really didn’t take long to swing an ax,right?
Jude was the ax man, and we all knew it. It was Jude who’d been sent to fire Seth—bothtimes.
Butme? Would Brody really be thatcruel?
“Okay…”
“Zane asked me to keep an eye onyou.”
My veins turned to ice water. I felt like that chick inFrozen, the world around me suddenly turning all toice.
I couldn’t move as hespoke.
“At the New Year’s Eve party. Somethin’ about too many drunk guysaround.”
He stared at me, like he was waiting formeto fill in the blanks onthat.
“What guys?” My voice sounded huskier than usual; felt like a shard of ice was lodged in mythroat.
“Don’t know. He wasn’tspecific.”
He just kept staring me down, his dark eyes like the gates to hell—wherein judgment and fiery punishmentawaited.
“I don’t getit…”
“Nothing to get,” he said. “Zane’s gettin’ uncomfortable seein’ you talk to other guys… seems pretty fuckin’ obvious tome.”
