Chapter 21

JERICHO

Music blared from the speakers which hung above our heads, buzzing in my ears like an incessant insect. There were a million other places I'd rather be right now—like behind a keyboard or decoding that book I had spent so many sleepless nights trying to understand. Anywhere but here would have been a better place. The club scene was never my thing. Rowdy crowds, sweaty bodies, and horny teens and young adults groping one another never once appealed to me. Maybe that was another reason Ace constantly worried about me and taunted me about getting laid. His body count was probably the length of a novel while mine could barely fill one page. I was no virgin the way he assumed I was, but I was picky with who I spent my time and slept with.

The cool rim of the glass was a stark contrast to the heat of my lips. I tipped my head back and allowed the brandy I had been nursing since I arrived to slide down my throat—the sweet notes reminded me of Odette. Maybe that was why I ordered it