Page 8 of Dirty Like Jude
Always.
That overwhelming chemistry between us. Pheromones and fireworks and all that shit. That fucking electric spark that always seemed to end up burning me in theass.
When I’d left that party early, Taze had followed me out to the driveway. Apparently, he recognized me from that night at the Sinner’s party, and he was finally starting to connect the dots in his head.What a coincidence, huh?he said to me.Running into you again…But then Roni had come outside, and he took her by the hand and the two of themleft.
After that, I put Lex on her. Every day this week. Without herknowing.
Because telling me to mind my own business about something I’d already decided was my business? Fuckingfutile.
When I’d found Roni in the baby’s room at that party, alone, and pretty much cornered her so I could look her in the eyes without Taze in the room, stood mere fucking inches from her and felt what it was to be close to her again… Then I’d looked her piece-of-shit boyfriend in the eyes and saw what there was to see there, too… I’d definitely decided Roni Webber was mybusiness.
Maybe I was doing what I could to keep her safe from Taze and all his ugly shit, but I was also looking for a way to get herawayfrom Taze. Trying to figure out some way to make her leavehim.
I’d totally fucking sworn to myself that when that happened, when she ditched his ass, I’d let it go, forgood.
Let hergo.
Thing about that was, I still wasn’t sure if I believedmyself.
* * *
Iwovein and out of residential neighborhoods, avoiding traffic. It was about thirty-five minutes from my place in East Vancouver to Jesse’s in Point Grey at this time of morning, less if I avoided the main roads. Watching the backs of people who had targets on them—both rock stars and outlaws—for the past fifteen years had made me cynical, paranoid, and sharp. So I alternated myroutes.
Today, it was seventeen minutes to Nudge, Katie’s sister’s coffee shop. Six minutes to get Katie’s coffee—there was a bit of a lineup. Becca probably would’ve let me cut to the front, but I wasn’t that kind ofdouche.
Coffee in hand, another fourteen minutes would get me to Jesse and Katie’shouse.
Then I’d turn up myphone.
And the clock would startticking.
The running clock in my head was an old habit, too. At any given moment of any given day, I knew I could be questioned about where I was—or where Lex or Flynn or Shady or any of my guys were—when X, Y or Zhappened.
Questioned by my brother. Questioned by my best-friend-slash-employer. Questioned by Maggie, who signed off on payroll for my securitycrew.
Questioned by thepolice.
And since I rarely wrote shit down, that meant I carried it all in myhead.
I was just getting back in my car with the coffee when I heard my phone vibrate. I really shouldn’t have looked atit.
Ilooked.
V.
This time, that was all Lex’s text said. Which meant he had eyes on her. He’d seenRoni.
She’d left herplace.
It was seven fifty-five in the morning. Earlier than she usually left her condo. Roni Webber wasn’t really a morning person, and on Saturdays she wasn’t due at work until ten. I knewthat.
I knew a ton of shit I probably shouldn’tknow.
I knew Lex would follow her and fill me in along the way, on everything she didtoday.
I deleted thetext.
Not knowing where Roni was or what she was doing—or who she was doing—had now been officially replaced with knowing every-fucking-thing shedid.
