Page 17 of Jolt's Vengeance

With one final deep breath, I push the door open and step inside.

The noise hits me like a physical force—music, laughter, the clinking of bottles, and the unmistakable sound of pool balls colliding.

The air is thick with smoke and the mixed scents of sandalwood, spilled whiskey, and some Latino food.

It's a smell that instantly transports me back to my childhood, to nights spent curled up on the couch in the Montana clubhouse while the adults partied around me.

Well, minus the Latino food.

We didn’t have anyone who could cook that well in Montana back then.

For a moment, I'm overwhelmed by the sensory overload.

But then muscle memory kicks in, and I find myself scanning the room, looking for anyone I recognize.

There's Booger at the bar, his massive frame unmistakable even from across the room.

Dixon's holding in a game at the pool table, probably running some poor prospect through the wringer.

And over in the corner, I spot Kat and Ivy, their dark heads bent close together in conversation.

I'm so busy taking in the scene that I almost miss the sudden hush that falls over the room.

It takes me a second to realize that everyone's staring at me.

Faces turn, conversations stop mid-sentence, and even the music seems to fade into the background.

"Shite," I mutter under my breath, fighting the urge to turn tail and run.

But then I seehim, and everything else fades away.

Jack.

He's standing by the bar, a Jameson in his hand and a look of shock on his face.

But it's not his presence that surprises me—it's what he's wearing.

A cut.

A fucking cut with a "Prospect" patch clearly visible.

Our eyes lock across the room, and for a moment, it's like we're the only two people in the world.

I can see the questions in his eyes, the same ones that are probably reflected in mine.

What the hell is he doing here?

When did this happen?

But before I can even think about approaching him, I'm engulfed in a whirlwind of dark hair and perfume.

"Aggie!" Kat's voice is warm and welcoming as she pulls me into a hug. "Look at you, all grown up!"

Ivy's right behind her, her smile just as bright. "It’s been too long since most of us have seen you," she says, pulling me in for a hug of her own.

I return their embraces, grateful for the distraction from Jack's piercing gaze.

"It's good to see ye both," I say, and I'm surprised to find that I mean it.

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