Chapter 14 - Roderick #2
“Yeah, laugh it up. Asshole.” His words lack real heat, and I follow behind him shaking my head at his stubborn, stupid ass.
Jade’s going to be a problem. I knew that from the moment she showed up. The real question is, can we handle her because, so far, we're failing miserably. And failing isn’t something that's tolerated. Either Jade is going to take us out, or Froggie will if we don’t get our shit together.
“Let’s go wake up, Zan. I need to talk to both of you before we head to the party tonight,” I tell him as we head back up to the kitchen.
Spence, Zan, and I wait in the kitchen for Jade to come down so we can head out to the party. Zan is bouncing around like a kid waiting to open his presents on Christmas, and Spence looks like someone just kicked his puppy. But neither are arguing anymore, so I count that as a win.
Earlier, I told them that Kratos is allowing Jade to go to college with us if she chooses to. Zan was ecstatic, Spencer was not. He suggested we don’t even tell her and act like she decided not to. It's too bad I had already told my mother, and knowing her, she’s probably already told Jade.
Spencer backed his reasoning with facts.
She’ll be harder to watch on campus. We don’t know who took her or why.
She has no prior education, which could push her in a way that’s not healthy after just getting out of the rings.
All of which is valid, and while I agree, I still think it’s a choice only she should be allowed to make.
At the end of the day, none of us are dumb enough to go against Froggie.
Zan took every reason as a personal attack, though, because he knows how Spence thinks. So, while it all made sense, Zander thinks Spencer's reason is that he dislikes Jade, which is also true. Hence them fighting all fucking day.
Just before we had to get ready for the party, I let them both know that this shit had to stop.
I explained we would fail this mission at this rate and shut them both up.
We have worked too hard to get this far, to fail over something that should be an easy task.
They both begrudgingly agreed to let Jade choose for herself without trying to sway her one way or the other.
After that, we will see what our next course of action needs to be.
Just thinking about them arguing gives me a headache, and I pinch the bridge of my nose as I lean against the counter.
There has to be an easier way to handle this. I just need to figure out what it is.
A sharp intake of breath pulls me from my thoughts. I drop my hand and look around, curious as to what caused it.
Jade stands in the doorway. Her gaze bounces between us as we all look back at her.
I’m not sure who gasped, and for a moment, I’m confused as to why.
We were here waiting for Jade, so it shouldn’t have been that surprising that she's here now. However, the fact that I didn’t hear her approach either meant I was deeper in thought than I realized, or she was good at moving in silence.
I’d be willing to bet it’s the latter of the two.
When her gaze connects with mine, I’m less confused as I really take her in.
The change to her hair was dramatic this morning when we saw her in the gym.
Zander said he’d seen it the night she returned from her day with my mother.
He was all for it when I mentioned it earlier and said it fit her better than the blonde, and I can’t say I disagree. Even Spencer didn’t argue.
Her hair isn’t the only new thing about her anymore, though.
She seems to have found her style as well.
She’s wearing all-black, black mini-jean shorts with a simple black tank top that shows off a hint of her toned stomach.
She seems to have found a love for combat boots as well.
While she bought a pair while we were out shopping, she seems to have acquired another while out with my mother.
Although, now that I think about it, I don’t think she got any of this while we were out with her.
I would have remembered seeing her in this prior.
This pair comes up to just below her knees and gives her a hard edge that I didn’t think was possible for a girl her size.
Her hair is down and curled slightly at the ends, pushing the outfit from casual to badass with the green that runs through the strands. Other than her hair, the only color to her outfit is a deep burgundy sweater that's tied around her waist.
She stands before us, looking every bit as confident as a woman who could kill you in more ways than you could count.
I’ve been around plenty of women in my life who fake being at the top of the food chain, who wear a mask of confidence in hopes that they appear as more than they are.
Hell, most women who come to us are the fakest of the bunch.
They want what our names and hard work can offer: our money, protection, and power.
Even though they all swear that’s not the case, we know it is.
Nobody wanted us before we made a name for ourselves, so we don’t let them get close now.
None of us are against a relationship exactly, but who wants someone who only wants what you can offer them and not you?
No, girls like that are trouble waiting to happen, and we don’t have time for that kind of shit.
Jade is what those girls wish they could be.
She looks like she’s ready to chew men up and spit them out, and the thought makes me both happy to know she can hold her own and anxious about the attention she’s about to get.
There’s no way people won’t notice her. She might be small, but she won’t be overlooked like I'd hoped she might. No, everyone will notice her.
She clears her throat. “Are we going to the party, or did you guys just want to sit around the kitchen all night?” she says, and I hear a hint of humor in her voice, her eyes spark with mirth.
Damn it.
“Let’s go,” I announce. My voice doesn’t come out as strong as I'd hoped, but I head out to the garage before anyone can comment on it.
We take my SUV because it’s safest, but also because I need to drive to keep myself focused.
Spencer slides in the passenger seat, and I feel torn between being grateful that she won’t be next to me the whole drive and annoyed that he didn’t at least offer her the seat.
He rolls his eyes when he catches me looking over at him, as if he can read my mind.
I don’t say anything as I watch Zander offer Jade his hand to help boost her up into the back, and he slides in to sit next to her.
Her cheeks are slightly pink, and she smiles back at Zander.
They look like two love-struck teenagers.
I focus on driving and not them, mostly.