Page 33 of The Tracker's Secret

Chapter 12

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JAKE WAS STANDING OFFto the left, reclining against one of the glass walls and talking to a blonde in shoes with pencil-thin heels. She was medium height and athletic, her blond hair falling mid-back like a straight silken sheet. She wore a loud red dress that stopped at the edge of her butt and left her back bare. She was talking animatedly, her hands moving in front of her like erratic birds, while Jake listened with a half-smile. He was holding a beer and taking distracted, small sips. After she said something and laughed, his smile deepened, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Jealousy burned me like acid. My hand tightening around my glass, and I carefully set it down on the counter, afraid to break it. My entire body rippled with a shiver. A low rumble built in my chest and images of tufts of blond hair flying across the room filled my vision. I dug my fingernails into my palms and glanced in the opposite direction, trying to calm my agitated breaths.

My chest swelled with anger. The emotion was more intense than anything I’d felt in a long time. I squeezed my eyes shut.

Holy shit!I had to get out of here before I went super-nuclear on somebody.

“Toni?” The voice cut through my anger, chilling it immediately.

My eyes sprang open, and I found Jake standing in front of me and frowning deeply.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, his tone critical.

I couldn’t answer. I was trying hard not to slap him and demand what he was doing here withthatblonde.

He snatched my glass from the bar and smelled its contents. “Whiskey sour,” he said with relief. He leaned closer. “Are you here alone?” He glanced around the room. “Is Stephen with you?”

“No, I’m not here alone,” I said, finally finding my voice, the pissed-off version of it, anyway.

“Who did you come with?”

“That’s none of your business.”

He cracked his neck and blinked slowly as if to calm himself. Then, obviously failing, he grabbed me by the arm and pushed toward the far corner of the room. “You shouldn’t be here. These types of parties are not for...” He searched for a term.

“Weak Skews,” I said in a sardonic tone.

“Exactly.”

I jerked out of his grip, still digging my fingernails into my palms. “I told you already, Jake, quit acting like you care. It’s getting tiresome.”

“Damnit, Toni. Do you have a fucking death wish?”

“Maybe I do.”

“Don’t be stupid.”

“And you shouldn’t be an asshole, but you don’t seem able to help it either.”

He took a step closer, barely leaving an inch between us. My shoulders hit the wall as I tried to pull away, but there was nowhere to go. He leaned closer, his nose almost touching mine, his breath hot on my lips. Those silver eyes roved around my face and stopped when they reached my mouth. I felt my anger melt and quickly morph into something else.

“Leave me alone,” I said, but my words carried no authority whatsoever.

“I should.”

“Go back to your blonde.” I hated to let the jealousy show, but I couldn’t help myself.

“Green looks good on you,” he said with one of his crooked grins.