Jaden (Jaded #3)(67)

Both Bryce and Corrigan were grinning. They knew what I was going to say.

I said it anyway. “The media. One call and thirty news stations will swarm this place. Nothing’s scarier than a camera light in your face and a nosy reporter sticking her mic where it’s not welcomed.”

“Hey, folks.” A waitress came over. She was tiny, her blond hair pulled into two side braids, and she was a burst of fresh air. Her face was heavily made up with blue eye shadow, black lipstick, and glitter on her cheeks. She wore a black tank top with the cleavage area ripped to show more boobage. Her eyes caught and held on Bryce.

I waited for the recognition, then a look of horror would come to me.

Nothing happened. She gave him a slow seductive smile instead.

Corrigan started laughing.

I was grinning, too.

“Shut up, you guys.” Bryce ducked his head down, but he was grinning, too.

“Oh-kay.” The waitress glanced around the table. “Can I get you three a drink?”

Corrigan slammed down a fifty-dollar bill. “Bring as many pitchers of beer that will pay for.”

“All right, indeedy.”

He snapped his fingers and pointed at her. “And keep ten of it for a tip.”

She winked at him, her voice growing warmer. “I can see who my favorite customers are going to be tonight.” Tucking the money between her fingers, she winked back at him. “Be back soon, freshlings.”

When she was gone, I smirked. “Freshlings?”

“Watch it. That’s the best come-on line I’ve heard in a while.”

Bryce shook his head, listening to my exchange with Corrigan. He groaned. “You guys, no matter what happens, I love you guys.”

I sighed. “Well, there went the light-heartedness.”

“Yeah.” Corrigan glared at Bryce, but there was no heat to it. “Thanks for bringing us back to the depths of hell.”

Bryce rolled his eyes. “I love you, guys. I wanted to state it. No matter what happens.” His gaze lingered on me. I felt a different message hidden there, something he meant only for me to understand. But I didn’t. I didn’t even want to try to dissect it. It was then when the waitress came back with two pitchers and three cups.

She never asked for our ID, and before she left, she said, “I’ve got three more pitchers coming for you guys.”

“Five pitchers?”

She smiled sweetly at Bryce. “It would’ve been six, but your boy gave me the extra for a tip. Lucky for you guys, or maybe not so lucky, it’s happy hour in here.”

Well. In that case. I slapped down another fifty. “Bring us the entire appetizer list.”

“Will do.” She seemed to reassess us. “Are you guys celebrating something? You didn’t just get out of prison, did you?” She glanced around. “Not that would be a problem. Most these guys have spent time inside. You know what? Forget I asked. I’ll be back in a few with that food, sweetums.”

Corrigan and Bryce were both grinning widely. I shook my head. “Shut up.”

“You’re sweetums.” Corrigan pointed between Bryce and himself. “We’re the freshlings. I think we have our new code names.”

“Okay.” After the beer was poured, Bryce lifted his cup in the air. “Come on.” Corrigan and I mirrored him, our cups right alongside his and then he started, his voice rough, “This is before all the bullshit. Erase what happened to Grace. Erase Sheldon getting arrested. Erase Corrigan in the hospital. Erase Sheldon being pushed into that glass table. Erase her house vandalism. Erase everything. Marcus. Bailey’s and Leisha’s deaths. Erase all that glorious sex we had.” He flashed me a wicked grin. I felt myself grinning back. “Erase Guadalupe. Erase the distance that happened between us in Europe.” His eyes lingered on Corrigan. “Erase that we both fell in love with the same woman.”

Corrigan opened his mouth.

Bryce shook his head. “I know you’ve not technically said it, but you do. We all know it. But erase that. Strip all the bullshit away. Let’s go back to the beginning. When I was a silent badass.”

Just then the door opened again, and Bryce Scout strolled in to take a seat at my table. The quintessential gorgeous bad boy: black Mohawk, sea blue eyes, and cheekbones that couldn’t compare to how the rest of his body was chiseled. Corrigan talked, and Bryce listened.

The memory had me smiling, then I remembered another time.

I felt Bryce move around the corner. No sound. No reaction. Nothing, but I just felt him. I looked over my shoulder and stared into his cold eyes.

Denton didn’t notice him right away and murmured, “I was wondering if I could offer my condolences right now? Maybe in a bed this time?”

Bryce jerked awake and strode to us.

Denton looked up, startled, and was quickly pushed out the door. Bryce slammed the door shut and locked it.

He stood and breathed. His chest jerked up and down with each raging breath and then he hauled me against him and slammed his mouth down on mine. He ground into me, and I whimpered once as pain and lust slammed full force into me.

“When Corrigan only cared about getting laid.”

“I was hoping you’d go.”

“Why? Want to get laid?”

I laughed to myself. He was always hitting on me, even though I had been Bryce’s girl. So much had changed since then. A second memory came to me.