Chase the Pain (Amatucci Family #1) - Sadie Jacks

Chapter 1 – Willow

I squinted against the strobing lights that felt like nails stabbing their way through my eyes and straight into my brain. My long light brown hair was a million-pound weight on my skull. The only thing that saved me was the fact that this dress didn’t require a bra. Or, I should say, the only thing that saved Talia was my braless state.

I was going to kill my best friend for forcing me to come here. It’ll be fun. You need to get out of the house, Willow Chase. Life is passing you by while you sit here and live in the past.

A noisy club at the end of the longest week on record was not my kind of fun. But Talia had begged. And I fell under her spell every freaking time. She was my last lifeline to the real world. She also made it so I couldn’t ignore her. Even if I wanted to.

“Is this seat taken?” a tall man shouted as he approached the table. His shaggy brown hair was pushed up and off his face that framed the chiseled edges like he was an angel. He didn’t even bother waiting for my reply before he took the tall chair from the round table I’d hidden behind.

I snorted mentally, definitely not an angel.

“Yes, you douchebag. It’s for my friend,” I shouted back as he walked away.

Thankfully the music went into a lull for a few blessed moments.

Chair Stealer stopped with a jerk. Turned his head like an owl…or a possessed chick in a horror movie. “What was that, little girl?”

I downed the rest of my drink. Cleared my throat. “Yes, you douchebag. It’s for my friend.” I spoke clearly and slowly. Obviously, this guy was a little on the hard of hearing side. Rare for a man who looked like he was in his late twenties or early thirties. I’m seriously, the music wasn’t even playing right now.

He set the chair down with a hard snap. His spine stiffened and his chest puffed out like a peacocks. “What did you say to me, little girl?”

Really? Little girl? I rolled my eyes at the ego on this one. And the guy was practically deaf. Poor thing, just trying to overcompensate. I sighed and raised my voice again. “YES, YOU DOUCHEBAG. IT’S FOR MY FRIEND.”

Everyone in a five-table radius turned to look at me. Because of course the low roar of conversation had halted for the two seconds it took me to yell at him. I shook my head and rolled my eyes. Oh well. It might be better for other people to know he was an ass. “You can put the chair back now, thanks so much.” I tipped my chin at the far side of the table in case he was also stupid.

I looked over the guy’s shoulder and lifted a hand for the waitress. When I caught her eye, I lifted my empty glass, gave it a slight shake.

She smiled and nodded.

The music kicked back up into high—and a deep thudding low—gear. The bass pulsed in time to the headache trying to eat my brain.

I heard the high-pitched squeal of the legs of the kidnapped chair scrape over the floor as Chair Stealer brought it back. He leaned over the table, an ugly look on his face. “You might want to learn how to act in public if you’re going to be out in it,” he said, his voice just louder than the music. His cheeks were flushed under the flickering lights. “Otherwise, someone might take offense.”

I snorted. “Same back atcha, fella. Taking a chair with barely a cursory ask is poor manners as well.” I made sure to raise my voice.

The waitress came over and set my drink down. She pushed up into my space and said, “Here you go, Chase. This guy bothering you?” She jerked her thumb in the direction of the guy, not even bothering to look at him.

I shook my head. “Nah. We’re just discussing manners. Thanks, Lex.”

She nodded. Shot me a smile. “Give me a shout if you need anything else, love.” The tall, gorgeous blonde glared at the guy before turning on her heel. Her yelled, “Watch yourself, jackhole,” before walking off had the guy jolting like she’d shoved an electrified pike up his butt.

He turned back to me, anger and ego brightened his eyes, darkened his face. His fuzzy blue eyes lit from within. He leaned over the edge of the table until he was close

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