Page 31 of Jig's Last Dance

“I’ll protect my family at any cost.”

“You know,” I say shakily, spinning on my feet. “My dad used to say that. Now he’s fucking dead.”

Blindly, I follow the path back to the car, tears blurring my vision. Jig’s words brought out a world of pain, and I’m trying to push it back into the box.

It’s no use, though. My dad’s fierce expression rips through my brain and I suck in air that I can’t get into my constricted lungs.

“Alice!”

Oh, fuck no, I quicken my steps, but of course, the dick catches up to me easily, grabbing my arm and swinging me around.

“Let go,” I grit through my teeth, wiping my eyes.

“Sunshine,” he says quietly. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Nothing is going on! I don’t care about your little kingdom, Jig.”

He searches my expression and nods. “Then you have nothing to worry about.”

Pulling from his grip, I chuff. “I’m not worried about you.”

“Then what?” He cocks his head to the side.

Shaking my own, I back away. “You don’t have to worry about me. I want nothing to do with that life. Nothing.”

“Then why are you hanging on Castinetti’s arm?”

“Because.”

I walk away, and he doesn’t follow, but I wish I hadn’t said the damn words because they come back to haunt me in more ways than one.

Chapter Five

Glumly I head to school on Monday with Jig’s cruel words hanging over my head. I can’t decide if he’s being an ass because of Castinetti or I overlooked his jerk personality from the start. Probably the latter.

Either way, I can’t fight the humiliation burning my chest, and it only makes me more frustrated. It doesn’t matter what he thinks. At least it shouldn’t.

“What’s up with you?” Shawn asks, bumping my shoulder.

From the corner of my eye, I spy some jerk staring at me with a wicked frown. Since he’s the least of my worries, I ignore him, stepping through the door.

Shawn follows my gaze, and I grumble, “Is that one of Jig’s spies? He’s not even here, and he’s a pain in my ass.”

Chuckling, she says, “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. I’ve done nothing. But if he doesn’t back off, it’s gonna be something.”

“I know you’re BFFs with Castinetti, but you should be careful,” Shawn says.

I stop in my tracks and stare at her wide-eyed. “Is that what you think?”

Her face falls, and she winces. “Al—”

“I have to get to class.”

I stalk away, rubbing my brow. When did my life become so complicated? Oh yeah, when Jig fucking Blackstone stared at my ass.

As usual, I brood through class. I’m still lost to my thoughts when I meet Marco at the car, which is why I completely miss the fact that we passed the turn-off for Sal’s. And only when I focus on my surroundings do I sit forward and say, “Where are we going?”

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