Page 80 of Gather the Storm

I stumbled off the toilet and washed my hands, my laughter turning to a kind of seething anger. Who the fuck did they think they were? They weren’t in charge of me. I didn’t have to answer to them.

Especially Jace who treated me like shit and made me wear these slutty clothes.

By the time I’d dried my hands, I was pissed, the texts staring at me like accusations from my phone.

No one was banging on the door of the bathroom so I leaned against the counter and dialed Jace’s number.

It rang once before he picked up. “Fucking finally.”

“You know what you are, Jace Kane?” Was I slurring my words? I was pretty sure I was slurring my words. “You’re the most big headed, obnoxious, rude neanderthal in the whole world.”

“How much have you had to drink, Daisy?” His tone had shifted from annoyed to… worried?

No, more like annoyedandworried.

“Let’s see,” I said, trying to catalog my drinks. “Gray gave the first drink, then another one while I talked to Natalie. Then he gave me a third one. Then I danced. Then Gray gave me another drink, and maybe… another one?” I giggled into the phone. “Something like that. Gray’s been been buying all our drinks!”

“I’ll bet he has,” Jace said.

Even drunk I could hear the sarcasm in his voice and I felt the thrill of victory Somehow I’d pierced his armor of apathy. I’d even made him mad. And all because I’d gone out drinking without telling the Beasts.

“He’s super nice,” I said. “Actually, I’ve been thinking of ways I can repay him.”

“Repay him?” Jace’s voice sounded strangled.

“For the drinks.” This was a lie, but now that the words were out of my mouth, I realized it wasn’t a bad idea. I didn’t think I’d been imagining the interest in Gray’s eyes, and I was too far gone to care about being professional.

Plus, my virginity was a real drag. It felt like an anchor around my feet, dragging me under the surface of my life’s already-turbulent waters, just one more thing in a sea of things to think about.

“And how would you repay him for the drink?” Jace’s voice had gone quiet, but not nice quiet.

Scary quiet.

I giggled. This was fun.

“Ohhhhh, you don’t know, do you?” I asked. “Or you don’t know for sure.”

“Know what?”

“About my V-card,” I whispered, like someone might overhear. Then I changed tacks and used an announcer voice,like I was a game show host. “That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, Daisy Hammond is still a virgin! And I know just the guy to take it off my hands.”

Someone knocked on the door of the bathroom but I ignored it.

“You’re not giving your virginity to that douchebag you work with,” Jace said.

I heard Wolf in the background. “Give me the phone.” There was some kind of argument, then Wolf’s voice on the other end of the phone. “Sounds like you’re having fun, sunshine. Where are you?”

“The Mill,” I said. “Duh. Where else would we go for drinks?”

“Where in the Mill?” Wolf asked.

“Bathroom,” I said. “Had to pee from all those drinks!”

“Stay put,” Wolf said.

“In the bathroom?” I asked. “No can do, kind sir! I’mnotlosing my virginity in the bathroom at the Mill. Ew.” I leaned into the mirror to check my makeup. “Anyway, this has been a fun chat. See you in the morning!”

“We’re leaving now,” Wolf said. “Why don’t you stay on the phone and— ”

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