Toxic (Denazen #2)(73)

Grinning, Jade stood, looped her arm around Kale’s, and practically yanked him from the chair.

I couldn’t help my smile when Kale pulled free from her grip and leaned over my chair. “What about Dez?”

“Dez and Kiernan are supposed to head back to Meela’s and lay low until the party. Shanna and I are heading out to meet Alex and Barge.”

Kiernan glared at Jade. “Why can’t Dez and I lay low with Kale and Jade?”

Mom pointed to Jade, then me. “You can’t be in the same room at the same time for more than five minutes without attacking each other. A whole evening? No. We stick to Ginger’s instructions.”

“You’d just get in the way,” Jade said. “All those longing, puppy-dog stares you throw at him all the time… It’s amazing the guy hasn’t suffocated.”

“Dez doesn’t throw dog stares at me,” Kale said, coming to my rescue. “She just likes looking at me.” He turned, pinning me with a stare that made my chest tight. “And I like looking at her.”

Jade snorted. “Why?” she mumbled under her breath.

I started to stand, but Mom grabbed my arm. “And on that note, everybody scatter. Stay at your designated places until someone comes to retrieve you.”

“Shall we?” Next to Mom, Dax stood and held out his hand. She took it without hesitating. Oh. Yeah. Definitely something going on there.

Lately, I’d noticed a slight change. I was starting to think Dax had a big part in it. There was a slight age difference between them, but if they made each other happy, then who was I to judge?

He narrowed his eyes at me. “Going to stay out of trouble?”

I nodded.

“Say it.”

Looking him straight in the eye, I smiled sweetly. He’d know it was bullshit, but I hoped he wouldn’t narc me out. I knew that while he didn’t dislike Jade as much as I did, he also didn’t trust her. “Absolutely.”

He hesitated for a moment, and I held my breath. Finally, though, he nodded and left with Mom.

Kale sighed. “Please go straight back to Meela’s.”

I flashed him an innocent smile. “Of course. That’s where they told me to go.”

He hesitated for a moment before grabbing the sides of my face. Enough time had passed. With Jade there, the pain wasn’t horrible, but it was there. When I didn’t object—or more likely, pull away screaming—his mouth covered mine. For a moment, I forgot about the acid churning in my stomach and the increasing warmth where his fingers pressed against my skin. My lips were beginning to numb, and my jaw ached. The pins and needles danced—hell, they were moshing—just beneath the surface, determined to keep us apart. I deserved an Oscar for acting like it had no effect on me.

My arm came up, and I ran my fingers through his hair. If Kiernan hadn’t kicked me, God only knows how far I would have taken it just to show him—to show Jade—I could.

I tried to pull way, but Kale stopped me before I got too far. “Are you okay?”

My heart was racing, and almost every muscle in my body throbbed, but I forced a smile. “Are you kidding? After a kiss like that? I’m better than okay.”

He didn’t smile. “Please be careful.” Turning to Jade, he said, “Let’s go.”

As soon as they were out of earshot, I whirled on Kiernan. “Anything suspicious?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes. She asked me to wait around the corner so she could chat privately with your dad.”

“I’m serious.”

“Nothing suspicious.” Kiernan winked and nodded to the road. “But let’s go see if we can dig something up.”

“You read my mind.”

…

We were able to easily catch up to Kale and Jade because she’d insisted they stop for ice cream. What the hell did she think this was—a date? We watched her slip inside the ice cream place on Harbor Drive, dragging a reluctant-looking Kale behind, and hung back while they put in their orders.

“Showtime,” I said, grabbing Kiernan’s hand and dragging her toward the building.

They were sitting in seats at the very back of the room. Thankfully, the booth behind them was empty. Using Kiernan’s ability, we’d be able to scoot up and listen to their conversation from right over their shoulders.

“Um, Dez, what happens if someone sits here? No one can see or hear us, but if someone sits on us, trust me, they’ll know.”

I gestured to the row of empty seats. “There are a few other seats open. What are the chances someone’s going to sit here? Now shh. I wanna hear what she’s saying.”

“No one will know if we sneak a quick treat,” Jade was saying with a giggle.

“Where I’m from, it’s a bad idea to disobey orders,” Kale said casually. He sat against the wall and alternated between looking from Jade to the front door. There was a steady stream of customers for takeout, but only a few stayed to sit.

“You mean Denazen?” Reaching across the table, she took his hand in hers. “What was it like there?”

What was it like there? Who the hell asks a POW how the food was in prison camp? This girl was a hell of a piece of work.

Kale’s expression was sad. “Dez asks me that a lot.”

“And what do you tell her?” Jade leaned back as the waitress returned to set a large metal cup in front of her, along with a spoon and extra-long straw. In front of Kale, she placed a soda.