Page 72 of Unleashing Chaos

A woman I’ve seen only once before stands behind me, staring back at him. Her blond hair falls over her shoulders in beautiful straight strands, and her blue eyes are shining with surprise. Her red lips pull into a faint smile before she says in a rich, soft voice, “Hello, Jace.”

“Hey, Hannah.”

Twenty-two

JACE

One accident, one possible diagnosis, and one letter demolished a relationship I spent four years building. Hannah was my first attempt to trust someone after my mother bailed. It turned out I opened myself up to be betrayed again. I took those shattered pieces of my life and picked them up one by one with my bare hands and buried them. When I piled the dirt on top, I made sure to pack it down tight. It was a barren space; nothing would ever grow there. It was dead. Or so I thought.

Two words.

One woman.

And my past has risen from the dead.

Hannah looks the same. Her long blond hair rests around her face like a golden halo. The blue of her eyes is still captivating, like tropical waters on a sunny day. And that tiny beauty mark just off the side of her mouth tries to tempt me to kiss it. But I don’t want to kiss her, I don’t want to touch her, or talk to her, or see her. I wish she’d disappear like she did when I needed her the most.

“How are you?” Hannah is saying, but it’s the feel of Desi’s fingers wrapping around mine that brings me back to earth.

I look down at our hands and then up at her, our gazes locking. The green in her eyes is blazing, and I can practically feel the heat of her anger from here. I swear she’s trying to send me a message telepathically, and I’m pretty sure I know what she’s saying.

Show her what she’s missing.

I don’t know how good I’ll be at this—acting like I’m not on the verge of a panic attack, like I’m not still angrier than hell at this woman who wrecked me when I was already destroyed, but I’ll try. I have to.

“Good. I’m doing really good. I’m about to lock down an investor for my business. Now I’m just taking my girl out after an afternoon at Dulton Ranch.”

Hannah glances down at Desi for the first time, her eyelids lowering as she takes her in. “I used to love when we went to Dulton Ranch.” It’s a lie. Hannah hated going there. She thought it was childish and preferred upscale ski resorts. I don’t get a chance to correct her. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Hannah. Jace and I—”

“Were engaged to be married until you left him to recover alone in a hospital bed after a traumatic car accident. I know who you are.” Desi doesn’t hold back, letting her voice seep with venom. It’s all I can do to not utter an Oooh, sick burn, under my breath.

Instead, I place my index finger over my mouth, hiding my amused grin. “Hannah, this is Desi, my girlfriend.”

Desi flashes Hannah a saccharine sweet grin and props her elbow on the table, resting her chin in her palm, but never letting go of my hand. Whoever started the rumor that demons are evil might have been onto something. Desi shows no qualms about sticking it to my ex.

Hannah blinks, her wide eyes shifting from Desi to me before saying, “I—nice to meet you?”

“I don’t think I can say the same,” Desi replies, matching Hannah’s chipper tone.

“Babe,” I say, lifting my brow. At the rate Desi is going I’m going to have to spring for an attorney to represent her in Hannah’s murder trial.

“I’m sorry,” she says to me without even acknowledging Hannah’s presence, and when she leans over the table and wraps her hand around the back of my neck, I feel every nerve ending in my body crackle to life. Her mouth brushes against my ear and the rest of her words slip past her lips for only me to hear. “I’m sorry you have to be subjected to her presence, Jace. Let me protect you.”

I chuckle at that, like I can stop her. I’m sure Hannah thinks my girlfriend is whispering dirty promises. If only she knew that the stunning creature across from me was the future queen of Sloth offering to be my emotional bodyguard.

Hannah shifts from one foot to the other. “Well, I just wanted to check on you.” She points behind her. “I’m actually here with my boyfriend, and he’s waiting on me to order.”

The guy across the restaurant looks familiar—good looking, blond, built . . . with his finger in his ear. He studies his menu and only stops when he sniffs whatever lingers on his fingertip. I scrunch my face in disgust and make a choking sound when it dawns on me.

“Is that Stoner Zack from college? The one from your biology study group who left you hanging with all the labs?” I ask.

“Yeah. Science isn’t Zack’s thing. He’s learning his dad’s business and is set to take over in the next few years. We just moved in together. It isn’t as nice as our house was, but we’ll get there.”

Uh-oh. Desi’s fingers tighten on mine, and I brace myself for whatever she’s about to say. I don’t even bother to try to stop her, because if I’ve learned anything by now, you can’t stop a hurricane.

“Your house?” Desi says, incredulity creeping into her tone. “Oh, honey, I don’t think you have a right to ever claim ownership of that house or anything related to Jace. You gave that up the minute you left your ring on the counter and ran like a coward while he was in a coma.” She scoffs, the derision seeping from her tongue. “Our house. As if.”

I tuck my lips between my teeth and bite down, fighting to regain my composure. I almost feel bad for Hannah. Almost.

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