Piss Off, This Is My Money

9

Jace sat down with the girl. She was breathtaking—eyes that caught every glance in the damn room. He’d joined the party late, barely two minutes, and before they could even start ‘getting to know each other,’ the DJ was blasting, signaling the dance floor.

Jace didn’t sit still. He never had been a gentle guy—whatever the hell that meant—and he wasn’t about to start now.

At a corner, Maya watched. Jace, sitting with the second richest girl in the school—a sophomore, medical student, killer looks—was driving her insane. Why the fuck was this girl with Jace? She couldn’t concentrate on her own boyfriend, who had been yapping at her all day. But this… this was Maverick’s girlfriend. How the hell was Maverick letting this happen with a dumbass like Jace?

“Babe?” her boyfriend called, fumbling, desperate for attention.

Maya looked at him, fuming. “Huh? What?”

“Do you want us to hit the dance floor?” he asked, like it was nothing.

“Yeah,” she snapped, deliberately positioning herself where she'd be able to watch Jace. She didn’t know if he noticed her looking at him but Jace was holding the girl’s waist, pulling her close, kissing her. Her blood boiled.

Her boyfriend noticed, frowning. “Are you okay, Maya?”

“Where the hell is Maverick?” she snapped.

“I don’t know. He called a few minutes ago saying he arrived, but I can’t find him,” he mumbled.

Maya pointed at the scene. “That’s his girlfriend over there!”

Her boyfriend squinted. “You’re right… what the fuck is she doing with Jace?”

Maya couldn’t hold herself anymore. She stormed over, yanking Jace away from the girl.

“This is wrong! If you’re trying to get back at me, using her like that is wrong!” she yelled, shaking him.

Jace leaned back, smirked like a damn villain. “Do I… know you?”

“Let’s drop it. Drop the act and talk outside,” Maya hissed.

Jace tilted his head, smirking. “Oh, Maya… the guy you filmed? He died a few hours ago. This right here—” he tapped his chest, “—is a brand-new Jace Prescott. Take the fucking hint. I’m even dressed richer than your new boyfriend.”

The music cut off instantly.

Gasps. Whispers. A few loud “What?!” from the crowd. The whole hall turned into a damn theatre.

Maya laughed flippantly. “If you think what I did to you was unfair, tell me. I don’t think it is, though. But I’ll pay you back for it. So I don’t get all this drama. Just… don’t use her to get my attention. She’s my friend.”

“Maya,” the girl—Lila—said calmly, “I don’t think I ever told you we were friends.”

The hall went dead silent.

Like someone unloaded a nuke right in the middle of the dance floor.

“Lila… you know what’s going on,” Maya said, suddenly speaking like a saint. “I don’t want you dragged into this mess with him.”

“Oh, I’m already in,” Lila said sweetly. “He’s my date tonight. And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t ruin our fun.”

Before Maya could spit another word, the doors BURST open.

Maverick stormed in with his men—black outfits, military formation, moving like they all uploaded the same firmware update.

“That’s him,” Maverick barked, pointing at Jace like he owned the world. “Beat the hell out of him until he can’t fucking breathe.”

“Yes, sir!” the men responded, marching toward Jace like programmed robots.