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14

I feel bile rise in my throat.What are the odds?

“Quincy!” Bianca squeals, breaking away from the little group and giving me a big hug in greeting. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

My throat feels like sandpaper. “Glad to be here,” I say hoarsely, forcing a smile. I’m still trying to process this whole situation.

Thomas slides his arm around my shoulders again. “Guys, this is my little sister, Quincy.”

All of them give me warm smiles- except sexy stranger. He’s still avoiding eye contact.Is he freaking the fuck out as much as I am?

“Quincy, this is Gray, Brody, Ryder, and Jace,” Thomas continues, pointing out each guy.

Thomas slips his arm off of my shoulders and moves beside Jace, tossing it over his shoulders instead. “You’re gonna get to know this guy real well,” he chuckles. “He’s one of my best friends but he’ll be your worst enemy for the next month. He’s gonna be heading up recruit training so be prepared for him to work you over.”

I nearly choke.Oh, he’s worked me over alright…

Sexy stranger- err,Jace- looks up at me, offering me a faint smile. “Quincy,” he repeats, like he’s trying out how my name feels on his tongue.

I’ve gotta get my shit together before Thomas picks up on this weirdness between us. I put all thoughts of that night out of my head, straightening and plastering on a fake smile. I stick out my arm confidently, offering him a handshake. “Nice to meet you, Jace. Is that short for something?”

“Jace,” he says as he takes my hand in his. I swear I feel a zing of electricity when he touches me- like there’s a lingering spark between us.

I nod. The name suits him. “Jace… I like that,” I say, unable to hold back the hint of a smirk as I pull my hand away. He still looks profoundly uncomfortable- he’s not playing this off as well as I am. We’re still just staring at each other.

“It’s just Jace,” Thomas corrects, and I’m reminded that he’s right here and how fucked this situation is. Jace can’t be my sexy stranger anymore, not when there’s so much at stake here- his friendship with Thomas, my relationship with my brother. Thomas would probably kill Jace if he found out what we did. I don’t really know the guy, but I’d prefer him breathing.

“We can probably go ahead and get started,” Gray suggests, looking to the other guys.

There’s my cue. “For sure, you guys… do your thing,” I say, backing away. “I’m just gonna blend in with the other recruits.”

Jace’s eyes are still fixed on me, and his gaze is so goddamn heavy. I feel like I’m being crushed under the weight of it. Dude needs to play it way cooler if we’re going to get away with keeping our secret.

I spin around, taking a few steps away to lose myself in the crowd. I still feel his eyes on me, though.

“Quincy!” Kyara greets, rushing up to me with Tony in tow. “Oh my gosh, this is wild, isn’t it?!” She looks around, gesturing.

“Yeah,” I laugh. “I’msoglad to see you, girl. There’s…”

“Holy shit,” Kyara interrupts, peering over my shoulder. “Is that…?!”

“Shhh!” I hiss, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her closer. “Don’t say a word.”

Kyara wrinkles her nose in confusion. “What?Why?Isn’t that…?”

“Yes,” I whisper harshly. “And he’s a friend of my brother’s.”

Understanding washes over Kyara’s features, followed quickly by amusement when she realizes how fucked I am.

“Got it,” she chirps, smirking as she drags her fingers across her lips to imitate a zipper. After a beat, she looks back to Jace, then at me again, arching a brow. “Does he…?”

“Yeah,” I grind out. “He knows who I am.”

Kyara lets out a laugh, doubling over. “Oh fuck, this is too good.”

“Would you quit?” I whine, folding my arms over my chest indignantly. I can’t help but crack a smile, though. As ridiculous as this situation is, it’s a little amusing.

I’ve had one one-night stand in my entire life. I thought the guy was a complete stranger and we maintained anonymity by not even exchanging names. And now it turns out that he’s not only a six-pack alpha, but he’s one of my brother’s closest friends.

A laugh escapes my lips as I think it all over, because honestly, it’s so ridiculous that it’s comical.

What are the fucking odds?

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