away from the whiskey, but he didn't move. "I'm not going back to my room. It's full of her."
"Then where? Name the place, and I'll drive."
"I'll sleep in my office." Sudden, jagged laughter spilled free. "Funny, huh?"
Not much amused Jasper at the moment. "How's that?"
"Dallas O'Kane," he muttered. "Better get used to the bastard, because he's all that's left."
He'd started swaying, so Jasper pulled one arm up around his shoulders to support him. "No middle ground with you, is there?" Everything would work out fine, or the fucking world was falling down. Nothing in between.
"That's what makes a winner, Jas. That's what makes a leader. You fight to get it all, or you go down trying. Accept nothing less."
"You know you're full of shit, right?"
Dallas took a half-hearted swing at him, listing them both to the side. "Fuck you."
"Yeah, okay." He stopped at the back exit and hesitated before reaching for the doorknob. "We're still here. No one's going anywhere."
"Everyone's always going somewhere. You've been gone since that girl passed out at your feet."
"That's crap," Jasper said firmly. "I'm right here, where I've always been."
Dallas swayed and put one hand against the doorjamb to hold himself up as he squinted at Jasper. "You're right there, but you're not where you've always been. And that's okay. I'm glad you're blissful, man. I just miss my brother."
Well, shit. "You're a chatty drunk." Jasper eased open the door. "You always wanna talk about your damn feelings."
Dallas snorted. "Enjoy it while I've got 'em."
"Scratch that. You're a weepy drunk."
"I fucking well earned it tonight," he grumbled. "I went for all and got nothing."
"Finally, you're starting to get it."
Dallas mumbled something incoherent--probably the last couple swigs of whiskey hitting his bloodstream. Sloppy drunk, all right, and all Jas could do was lead him down the hall to his office and dump him on the couch.
And fetch him a cup of water. Dallas swatted at it, so Jasper poured it over his head and listened to him sputter as he settled in for the night on the rickety lounge chair in the corner.
Chapter Twenty-Four
"How about this color?" Amira held up another small bottle, this one red with gold flecks.
Six eyed it with the same wariness she had the previous offerings, but Lex could tell she was trying for politeness when she shook her head slightly. "I don't know if red's my color."
The girl was still awkward and crap at socialization, but she'd get better. And most of the O'Kane women had taken note of Bren's fondness for her and acted out of their own fondness for him, making it their mission to put Six at ease.
It might work, if the overdose of sisterhood didn't give her a panic attack first. Six started when Nessa flopped down on the couch beside her, waving another bottle over her head. "I've got it, I've got the winner. She's a girl after my own heart, so she needs something dark." She dropped her voice to an ominous whisper. "Like our souls."
Noelle choked on her beer. Six was staring, her eyes wide, and Lex finally nudged Nessa with her foot. "You're scaring the piss out of her."
Nessa tossed her brightly colored bangs--purple, this week--out of her eyes and grinned. "Just lightening the mood until someone interesting climbs into the cage. Look here, Six." She held up her own nails, which were a shimmery black with golden sparkle. "It's the best of all worlds, right? It says, yeah, I'd cut you but also I like shiny things. Just let me try it on you."
Six extended her hand with all the enthusiasm of someone reaching into a bear trap, but the corner of her mouth tugged up a little. "Are there good fights coming up?"
Both of Amira's eyebrows rose. "Flash said something about Ace fighting the new guy. Bren's friend."
"Ace?" Noelle demanded. "Does he fight? I've never seen him fight."
"He steers clear of it. Usually." Lex leaned forward, distracted from her brooding. "What's up? Ace all mad that Cruz moved in on Rachel?"
"Rachel dumped Cruz," Six said abruptly. "While you guys were still in Sector Two."
"I heard it was right after she got her new tat," Nessa added without looking up from Six's nails. "And we all know that's been on slow boil just about forever."
Lex stared. "You're shitting me." How had she been so wrapped up in her drama with Dallas that she hadn't even noticed?
"It's true." Noelle dropped a hand to her shoulder. "At least, I know the part about them