5. One Bird, A Few Stones

Jace spun me around and shoved me against the side of the car, locking my hands together behind my back and pinning me there with his weight. The rusty scent of blood caught my nose before a rush of hot wind danced across my cheek as he spoke in a dangerously low breath. “You’re going to regret that.”

“I already regret a lot of things,” I wheezed, struggling to speak as he was practically crushing my lungs. Fury burned like a furnace inside my veins and the need for vengeance was clawing for an escape. “Beating the shit out of you isn’t one of them.”

He cursed, pulling one hand away and making a motion as if he was wiping blood from his face.

Sucker.

“How does it feel to get beat-up by a girl?” Oh, I was not even close to done. “Bet it tastes as bad as setting someone up, huh?”

“What the hell are you on about?” He bared his teeth.

“No, wait. It doesn’t taste nearly as bad as getting set up. I lost a year of my life and there is nothing left of my reputation but shitty scraps. Tell me, how much did my dad pay you to do it?”

Jace stiffened, his brows furrowing into a taut frown. Ha, I knew it. “Come again?”

“You know damned well what I’m talking about!”

“Elise.” He leaned back, his eyes narrowed on my face. “I swear I have no idea what you are talking about.”

A low hiss made it past my lips and the frown on his bloody face deepened. “Really? Then what the fuck do you call this?” I tried to tear my hand from his grip to point at the facility looming behind me, but he didn’t budge. So I nodded toward it too forcefully instead and strained a muscle in my neck. I cursed again, flinching from the stab of pain. 

Jace took notice, placing a hand on my neck and gently massaging it. “Hey, careful. Why don't you take a few deep breaths, and we talk about this? Maybe explain what I’m missing here? And this thing about you blaming me for setting you up? What’s that about?” The irritation in his voice was gone, and back was the sweet-talking voice. 

Another wave of anger shot through my body. Without thinking, I  jerked my head forward and planted my forehead in his face. Another crack sounded and I was sure that if I didn’t break his nose before, it was definitely broken now. 

How dare he play saint with me. He knew damn well what he did. 

“Motherfucker!” he shouted, releasing me and stumbled backward, cupping his nose. He lowered his hands briefly, incredulity clouded his expression as he peered down at the blood staining his hands, before covering his nose again. “You little shit.”

“That’s for setting me up,” I snapped, shoving him against the chest. “For handing me over to the cops and getting me arrested.”

“I didn’t fucking set you up!” he shouted, wiping blood from his face. It was a futile attempt, as the blood kept oozing in great amounts from his nose. He spat blood, cursing, then tearing off his shirt. My eyes narrowed on his perfect, bronze muscles for a second, a dismissive sigh falling from my lips. 

Why did hot have to be so fucking deceitful? 

He pressed the balled-up shirt to his nose, stalking toward me. The Jace I knew–the boyish, cute and snarky guy was gone, his face ridden with an almost demonic look. The kind of look reserved for someone like Hunter or Darius. It was at that moment I knew I had pushed his limits. 

Then again, he was the one who messed up. So he had no right to get all monkey-pissed over how I reacted. Despite me trying to reassure myself that he had deserved it, I couldn’t fight off the panic swelling inside my chest as he glared at me. 

“That’s it. I’m fucking done playing nice with you.”

My eyes widened and I backed into the car.

“I have no bloody idea why the fuck you came to the conclusion that I had set you up, but I’m past the point giving a shit.” His free hand shot out toward me but I managed to duck in time and made a mad dash around the car. I could hear him growl furiously as I paused hesitantly on the driver’s side of the car, deciding whether I should make a run for it home or let him catch me and take whatever he dished out. 

Based on his expression, I didn’t want to find out. My heart beat loud inside my ears as I prepped to go wolf form and run, when I spotted the keys in the ignition and realized the car was still running. 

“If you think you’re going to outrun me,” he gruffed as he rounded the car. “You forgot who I am.”

“Stupid gold-medalist piece of shit, that’s who.” My response resulted in another angry growl from him as he tossed his bloody shirt aside and lunged for me. Only for him to slam into the car door as I shut it and locked it in his face. 

I threw him a middle finger before pulling his shiny red car in reverse. The look on his face was glorious, and I knew he’d be even more pissed off if he knew what I was planning to do with said shiny car once I got home and didn’t need it anymore. 

It was not like he could do anything at this point. Gold-medalist wolf or not, there was no way he’d be able to keep up with a Stingray. And by the time I got home, I’d be safe and secured inside my dad’s mansion and there wasn’t a thing he could do about it. 

“You’re going to fucking regret this!” Jace tried to catch up with the car, his eyes turning a bright yellow as his wolf was slowly emerging, but I was losing him pretty quickly.

“Payback’s a bitch and so are you!” I shouted between fits of maniacal laughter, before putting my foot on the gas and made a beeline for the highway.