Jaded (33 page)

He rang the total and stammered, with another blush, “I can get you a free order of breadsticks, if you’d like…?”

“Sure. Thanks, Marcus.” I smiled kindly and moved to our table.

Corrigan lifted an eyebrow and I shook my head. “He didn’t want to talk about it.

I can sympathize.”

Marcus brought over the drinks quickly, along with the breadsticks, and Corrigan flashed a smile. “Thanks, man.”

Marcus stood, uncertain what to do, but Corrigan had already hunched over his food and drink.

“Thanks, again,” I murmured and Corrigan swiveled in his chair as the social defect left.

“What?”

I

asked.

Tijan

Jaded

341

“What? Are we nice now?”

“I kinda feel bad for him. He works eight jobs. He puts up with our abuse and he found someone dead…I feel for him.”

Corrigan snorted and dramatically checked his forehead, “Am I sick? Or are you sick? Or…is this what the new Sheldon’s going to be like?”

“New Sheldon?” But I didn’t want to know.

“Yeah. The one in touch with her feelings, saying things like ‘I love you.’”

Abruptly, I announced, “Bryce is leaving.”

“What? No, he’s not.”

“Yes, he is. His parents are divorcing so he’s skipping college and going straight to the pros. He has to support his mom and family, I guess.”

“What?” Corrigan froze in his chair.

“Yeah.”

“I

mean…where?

When?”

“He’s not playing soccer anymore. They don’t want him to play and get hurt

before their trainers can work with him. I don’t know where he’s going, but he’s leaving.”

“That….that sucks!” Corrigan bit out and shoved back his chair. “Come on!”

Bryce and Corrigan rarely fought, in fact—I’ve never seen them fight, but as I saw the fury in Corrigan’s clenched jaw, felt my own fury—I knew a fight was brewing.

Marcus was left in our trail as the door shut behind our heels. He stood with Corrigan’s food in his hands when we hurried through the parking lot. Corrigan reversed the car and ate up the road until he turned into my driveway. Two vans were parked with Tijan Jaded

342

a security company logo painted across and I figured Bryce had ordered a new alarm system. None of that mattered to Corrigan as he stormed inside, located Bryce, and threw the first punch. Bryce immediately recovered and rolled before he hit the ground and jarred his shoulder. He cast a glance to me, saw a mirroring anger, and immediately said, “Okay. You know.”

Corrigan grunted and threw another punch.

Bryce dodged this one, swiveled underneath his arm, and grabbed him in a

headlock.

“Get off me!” Corrigan ducked his shoulder and threw Bryce across the room.

The guys all scattered out of the way. The security men stood cautious and I was even further annoyed when I saw that Becky Lew had already arrived. Mandy stood just behind her, but everyone was captivated by their two kings going at it.

“You’re such a coward,” Corrigan spat out.

“I’m a coward?” Bryce called back in disbelief. “Because I’m taking care of my family? Because I’m leaving you guys and sacrificing…”

Corrigan punched again, but Bryce evaded and rolled on his heels. He waited.

Corrigan taunted, “You’re scared and you’re heeling to your mother. Yeah—

that’s a coward to me.”

Anger flared in Bryce and Corrigan knew he’d overstepped the boundaries—at

least in public. It was a different matter in private, but Corrigan knew to never call Bryce and myself ‘scared’ or a ‘coward’ in public.

Corrigan choked off, glanced at me, but Bryce caught him with his first punch.

After that—no words were shared, just punches.

Tijan

Jaded

343

“Are you going to stop this?” Becky asked me. Mandy nodded, “They’re trashing your house.”

I shrugged, “Not the first time that’s happened.” Why would I want to keep that pleasure from someone else?

Becky rolled her eyes and griped, “That’s just like you. Your two best friends are going at it, and the only person who could stop it, just stands back and watches. Do you have any feelings at all?”

Mandy sucked in her breath, but remained silent.

I swiveled on my heel to face her squarely and asked, eyebrows arched, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” she clipped out, but some of her bravery had dissipated.

“Say it again,” I taunted. Ready.

“I…I don’t know why everyone worships you so much. I get it with Corrigan and Bryce. They’re hot and funny and…loyal, apparently, but god—you’re so cold to everyone.”

“They’re family. We’re all family,” I retorted as Bryce slammed Corrigan against the wall.

“That’s just…of course, you’d say that,” Becky bit out, hands on hips.

I shifted to my hip and asked, “Where’s your lover boy? You know, the one that’s only screwing you because he’s got some serious guilt over Leisha’s death. That’s pretty pathetic, you know.
You’re
pretty pathetic. The guy’s messed up with guilt.”

“He only called her because of you. Carlos didn’t like Leisha, but he thought that you liked her so he was going to try. Can you believe that? A guy will date a girl if he Tijan Jaded

344

thinks that’s what you want. I just can’t get over it. Do you have some magical spell that you just weave over these morons?”

And the two biggest morons had just splintered my coffee table.

A sudden thought came to mind and I checked to see where the booze was. I

calmed a little when I saw it was safe so I turned back to Becky, “Is this what this really is? Jealousy? How lame can you get?”

Mandy sighed and murmured, “They’re going to break your flat screen.”

I glanced back so I didn’t see Becky’s hand slap across me.

Stunned, I looked back and saw she had balled her hands into fists and was one breath away from pouncing on me.

For the most part, girl fights were lame. The hair was pulled, a few slaps with open palms, and hateful insults were always cursed.

Mandy caught the delight in my face and stepped back, “Oh god.”

The guys sucked in their breaths, a collective gasp, and my hand curled into a fist as I let loose with a roundhouse.

Becky fell back, stunned, and I shifted to the back of my heels.

I could like this, I could like this a lot.

From the floor, Becky looked up, stunned, and with a hand to her jaw before she rushed me.

I easily dodged, caught her hair, and slammed her to the floor.

The guys were delighted, but I was ready for her to swipe at my feet, which she did.

Tijan

Jaded

345

I jumped out of the way and warned her, “You don’t win against me, ever.

You’re not going to win this one either.”

“I am so sick and tired of you—” I saw the open palm coming and nearly rolled my eyes at the tortoise speed, but I caught it and twisted her arm behind her back.

“What are you so tired of? That I don’t care while all you do is care? Maybe you should stop caring so much and just be yourself, Lew. You might find life a lot easier.” I think it was her cry of pain as I twisted her arm again that caught Bryce and Corrigan’s attention. Bryce had a hand to Corrigan’s shirt, but both stopped, looked over, and immediately surged my way.

Bryce lifted me free while Corrigan swooped to keep Becky in place.

I didn’t even fight Bryce’s arm as it circled my waist and lifted me off my feet. I just laughed at Becky and said, “That was fun.”

“Shut up,” she snarled around from Corrigan.

“I’d like you a lot more if you were just honest.”

“I am being honest. I hate you,” she spewed back.

“See,” I grinned. “I kinda like you now.” Bryce had started to carry me upstairs,

“I think this fight was good for us.”

I caught a few amused grins from the guys, but Mandy just looked resigned to what was coming next.

Bryce locked my bedroom door behind us and set me on my feet. And I knew that meant the real fight was about to start. I backed up, hands in the air, and started, “Look, Corrigan is your best friend and he deserved to know. What do you expect? I’m not going to talk to my best friend when the guy I love is leaving me—”

Tijan

Jaded

346

Bryce slammed his mouth against mine, picked me up, and then slammed me on

the bed with him on top.

I eagerly wound my legs around him and hung on.

Tijan

Jaded

347

The party was in full swing by the time we emerged.

Holster greeted us, grinning like a mad man and a beer in each hand. “That was awesome!”

I chuckled and took a drink.

“We should have parties here all the time.”

Evans came over and threw an arm around my shoulder, “Man, I can’t ever beat that pre-party warm-up. Not only one fight, but a girl fight too! You already made this party. It could be lame for the rest of the night and it’s still going down in history.”

Tijan

Jaded

348

Chet materialized from the crowd and informed us, “Corrigan finished the alarm system stuff. It’s all turned off for the night, since, you know—closed doors don’t go with parties.”

Tatum pushed his way through the crowd and said, “Corrigan’s downstairs with his girl. Lew took off, but she’ll probably show up with her boy and Locke.”

“They dare to crash my party?” I laughed.

“Apparently anything goes with your parties,” Tatum laughed.

Evans added, still grinning, “This party rules.”

“And some losers showed up. We kept them outside,” Holster spoke up.

“I want them to come,” I murmured, suddenly somber. “I want them all.”

“As long as they’re not that psycho killer, right?” Tatum laughed and scanned the crowd. At our grave silence, he looked back, saw my face and sighed, “Oh no.”

“Don’t get drunk then,” Chet murmured and handed his full bottle to someone

passing behind him.

“Don’t get drunk at all,” Bryce said instead and the rest of the guys grimaced, but handed their beer away.

“Seriously? That’s what this party is for?”

The doorbell rang and someone exclaimed, “Food’s here!” The Party Packs were taken out of Marcus’ hands and brought inside where they were immediately attacked. I’d already paid, but I grabbed a five dollar bill and pushed my way to Marcus’ side. “Here you go.”

He took his tip and smiled faintly, “You really
are
having a party, huh?”

Tijan

Jaded

349

I nodded and glanced around. “You already missed the excitement. There were

two fights.”

“I can imagine.” He smiled faintly and blushed. “Thanks.”

“You can stay, if you’d like,” I offered.

His eyes narrowed as he searched my face. Slowly, he shook his head and said,

“No, I’m okay. I’ll be safer if I head home.”

“Okay, but really…you can come back if you want.”

“Okay.” He nodded. “Thank you.”

“Yeah.”

I turned around before I saw the door close behind him. I didn’t have to push my way through the crowd as I walked downstairs and found Corrigan nuzzling Logan’s neck in a back corner. His hand was underneath her skirt as he straightened, lazily, and smiled with lust in his eyes.

He was already drunk.

“What, are you stupid?” I cried out and snatched his beer from his other hand.

Logan melted against him and wrapped her arms around him. She nibbled on his neck and I saw that she was drunk too.

“What?” He frowned slightly, but both his hands started to work their way up and Logan’s skirt lifted, completely showing her thong to anyone who might’ve been watching—which was plenty.

“You’re drunk and you know what this party is for tonight,” I hissed.

“So? I’m sure you and Bryce got it covered.” He turned his head and started

nuzzling Logan’s neck again.

Tijan

Jaded

350

“Oh my god,” I snapped and hauled him off his chair.

Logan sat, dazed, and blinked at the open air.

I hauled Corrigan into a back room and shut the door. “Are you demented? Is that what this is?”

“What are you talking about?” He suddenly looked sober.

I sucked in my breath and asked, “Was that acting? Is that your plan? I don’t need you drunk and getting it on with Logan at every chance. We’re not hunting snipe tonight.”

“What’s the plan even? Just walk around and inspect every loser? See if they pull out a knife or something? We don’t know who or what we’re looking for—and I’m betting you money that the police are across the street, watching everything. You are under protection, right?”

“This is why this guy is going to come tonight. He can get close to me without the police seeing him coming. He’s coming tonight and I’m going to be ready for him. I’m tired of finding more people dead or getting notes. I’m tired of it all.”

“Sheldon,” Corrigan sighed and sat down on the bed. “This isn’t right. I mean—

you threw me for a loop with Bryce leaving, I’m not exactly all clear-headed right now.”

“Because

you’re

drinking.”

He cried out, “I’m not drinking! I’m just looking like I am. The guy’s not stupid, whoever he is. He’s going to know something’s up when he comes and everyone’s surprisingly sober!”

“Logan is drunk.”

“So? Logan can drink. She’s not a part of this.”

Tijan

Jaded

351

“You want your girlfriend to be inebriated when some killer shows up, looking for an easy target?” I spat out. “That’s who I’d go for if I was him. She’s close to our circle and she’ll be vulnerable. And probably passed out by the time he gets here—where she’ll be alone because you’ll be hanging out with me, waiting for him to show up.”

Corrigan hissed and shook his head, “You’re a little too good at this game,

Sheldon.”

“It’s not a game. It’s my life and it’s others’ lives. I’m tired of this guy pushing me around. I’m pushing back now.”

“…
he’s trying to scare you and I’m thinking the more you scare, the more mad
you are, and the more ruthless you’ll get. That’s what you need to survive this nightmare,
Sheldon.”