Chapter 44
Gemma
There’s no time for me to dodge or stumble back. Claire is going to
take out one of my eyes.
At the very least, she’s going to leave me with horrific scars.
And no one will do anything about it, because she’s the cousin of Cassian Blackwell, and no one even knows who I am.
Just before her claws hit, a hand flashes out of nowhere and catches her wrist. I stumble back, relief filling me.
“What do you think you’re doing?” growls a man’s voice.
I half expect to see Cassian. He’s the one who keeps turning up randomly at times like this. But it isn’t him.
It’s Jace.
He’s still not wearing his glasses. In fact, he seems to have taken whatever makeover Zina did on him for the banquet to heart.
His face is chiseled and lean. He’s wearing clothes that actuall fit, and his shirt is rolled up to reveal the corded muscles of his forearms.
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He looks incredibly hot. I’m still amazed that he was hiding behind sloppy clothes and low effort the whole time I’ve known him.
He gives Claire a little shove back–not much at all, just enough to make her take an uneven step back on the broken heels of her
shoes.
“Who are you?” Claire demands. Even as she asks, her eyes are cruising up and down his body greedily.
“Gemma’s friend,” says Jace.
Claire’s nose wrinkles as if she suddenly smells something foul. Then her expression turns smug, and she turns back to me.
“My mom always said you were a cheater. Now I guess I can tell her she’s right. Cassian is out there busting his ass for our family, and you’re sneaking around behind his back. In public, no less.”
I roll my eyes. “What is it with you Blackwells? He just told you. We’re friends.”
Claire ignores me and lifts her phone. Before I can stop her, she snaps a picture of me and Jace standing next to each other.
“Wait until Cassian sees this,” she says. Then she turns and w
KS
away.
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→
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Jace starts to stride after her, but I put a hand on his arm. Claire is still tapping away on her phone, so she must have already sent
the picture.
“There’s no point,” I say morosely.
Inside my mind, I curse. After our encounter in The Pub, a stupid part of me wondered if things might get easier between Cassian
and me.
If maybe we might be able to get back on track.
But Jace is already a sore spot for him. I have no question in my mind that next time I see or hear from Cassian, he’s going to berate me about my big, quiet friend again.
Goddess, I hope he doesn’t go back on our arrangement to get divorced next year.
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Zina says, as if she can read my thoughts. “Claire is a lying bitch. Cassian has to know that about his own family, right?”
I shrug. It’s hard to tell what Cassian knows. He always believes everyone else over me.
I feel the weight of Jace’s big hand settle on my shoulder and he
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gently turns me to face him. He touches my chin and examines my face. “Are you all right? Did she hurt you?”
I laugh a little. “No. I definitely got her better than she got me. This time, anyway.”
Jace smiles a little and nods. Then for some reason his cheeks flush. He steps away from me and suddenly seems shy.
“I–I was just getting lunch over there when I saw you guys.”
When I look at Zina, she has one eyebrow raised and she’s looking from Jace to me with a small smile.
“What?” I say to her.
She shrugs, “Oh, nothing. But if we interrupted Jace’s lunch, the best thing we can do is offer to grab something with him.”
“I’d love that,” Jace says, almost too fast.
I nod, and we go to the closest Asian buffet. We all get our favorites and sit at a table together.
Zina keeps looking between Jace and me, and I feel like I catch Jace staring once or twice.
I’m about to ask what their deal is when Zina says, “Hey. About
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that apartment. Are you still waiting on some stuff for it?”
“Yeah,” Isay. “They repainted and I have some new furniture coming. When that gets here in a few days, I’ll move in.”
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“Hm,” Zina says. “You know, since Jace is going to be your neighbor, I bet he could keep an eye out for those deliveries. Give him your spare key. That way he can put your stuff inside when it comes.”
“Oh,” I glance to Jace. “I mean, I wouldn’t ask that of you.”
“Why not?” Zina demands. “You’re friends, aren’t you? Jace doesn’t mind, do you Jace?”
“No. I don’t mind,” Jace says quietly.
“Perfect!” Zina declares. “Then it’s settled.”
*****
Cassian
I sit back in my office chair as my Beta, Liam, enters. Heoks unhappy.
“What is it?” I demand.
“It’s that hacker, Moonlight…”
