Page 153 of Lace 'em Up

Dammit.

“And Cam Jackson,” the man says. “Hell, I never thought I’d say this, but that kid has more talent in his pinky than the Great One?—”

He’s not wrong.

But I’ve now made a complete circuit of the room with my stare.

And Rory isn’t here.

“His mind alone?—”

“I think you were outbid on the signed jersey,” I interrupt, nodding to the table full of clipboards and handwritten bids for all manner of prizes that is currently being supervised by one of Rory’s volunteers.

“What?” the man asks, spinning away from me. “I need that jersey.” He marches off, intent on the table and the clipboard currently housing his bid for the custom hockey sweater.

Free of the painful small talk, I make a loop of the room.

But Rory doesn’t magically appear.

And there’s not a crystal-dotted heel or a lost charm from her bracelet left behind to show me where to continue my search.

Fuck.

I slip from the crowded room, the air in the hallway immediately cooler, the noise dulled, then pause to think.

Kitchens to check on the cakes that should be coming out soon for the patrons to bid on.

Or bathroom to swap out those heels, take a much-needed breather.

Since that’s the one that seems the most likely, I start down the hall.

Then freeze when I see a familiar face.

My mind doesn’t immediately process the sight, isn’t able to fit the pieces together.

Because she doesn’t belong here.

She shouldn’t be here.

And Rory’s missing.

And…

I start walking faster, seeing her eyes widen as I approach, her face paling, feet skittering back.

“Stacy,” I snap. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“King,” she says, and then I watch her transform, her tone becoming silky, her body coming close as she reaches for me. “I didn’t know you’d be here. We should?—”

I bat her hand away.

Like hell, she didn’t know I was going to be here.

This was her sister’s big event and she’s a fucking twat and the mean glint on the edges of her expression tells me enough.

She’ll do anything to compete with her sister.

And she’ll do more if it means one-upping her.

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