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Rowdy pushed a shot of amber liquid the saer that was tattooed with a picture of a miniature skull and cross bones to point at the bar "He showed up about twentylike she has a metal pole crammed up her backside ever since"

I swiveled h the crowd gathered at the bar I didn’t knohat she saw in the guy Sure, he was enrolled in the saovern research for bioche--in that dry-toast, plain-yogurt, white-rice kinda way Sure, he was, by all accounts, a perfectly nice guy and a gentle!

All of that aside, he wore a fucking sweater vest and didn’t look like he had any idea what to do with all that was Ayden Cross She was sorown men in another era would have battled to death to ith shiny pistols or clashing swords But this guy, this nerdy, sweater vest–wearing idiot wouldn’t even tell h I knew he knew that I had dirty, sexy, X-rated dreaht to tone it down, I’m sure as hell it was all spelled out in my eyes when I looked at her

"Awesome"

I tossed back the shot and took the one Rowdy hadn’t touched yet and downed that one too He gave me a look and leaned back to cross his arht, an inch or so over six foot, but he looked like he could wrestle a bull to the ground due to his past life as an all-star football player We never really talked about why he had quit playing ball, but I figured since he had found his niche in the tattoo world it didn’t really matter, and if he wanted to tell e bouquet of flowers and some stupid box of chocolate or so to pin her down for Valentine’s Day"

A cold chill raced down my spine, and I felt my eyes harden involuntarily "She’s supposed to co deal for the band It was a big deal for me, and I wanted her to be there I had just assued a broad shoulder "They’ve been hanging out for a while now I bet it’s the night he’s planning on going all out You knohat Iwith a trip to a high-end hotel roo her the hard press for the past few irly jabber Cora annoys us with at the shop"

I gritted et out of yle outerwear Another tu with a plateful of wings A pitcher of beer landed in front of Rowdy, and I narrowed my eyes toback at me

"Stop it"

I tried to look innocent, but had to adood day, it wasn’t a look I pulled off "What?"

"Stopfaces at Adam He just stopped by to say hi I told hiuys, but then he saw Jet looking like he was plotting soainst it"

I wasn’t going to deny it, so I picked up the shot and let aze travel over her outfit Today was the cheerleader, e and blue, Bronco colors, and it was topped off with a supertight, white sweater that left little to the ie and when she put on those do-me heels, she was als--which deserved their own ode to greatness--look even better I was lost sos rapped around my head or my waist--I wasn’t picky--when she jolted me back to reality

Ayden smacked me on the side ofwith you tonight, but get your ot banged up e fell earlier?"

I rubbed the ear that had the little spike pointing out the top of it, where she had ht and pushed the plate of wings in Rowdy’s direction Maybe I needed to get drunk, so I could bla

"Are you bailing on the show on Valentine’s?" I heard the intensity in my tone and I hated it It wasn’t supposed to matter what she did or who she chose to spend her tih I kneasn’t allowed to pick her She shifted on her shoes and fiddled with the edge of her skirt

"I don’t know Shaill be all wrapped up in Rule, and Cora usually takes off and does her own thing You"--she pointed a finger at Rowdy--"always ditch me for some bar skank, and Nash offered to be DD, so he won’t be drinking and will be gruht" Those eyes that flashed with every color of gold and bronze landed on e, so that leaves me to fend for ht planned, so I just don’t know"