Fallen from Grace (16 page)

A few hours earlier

J
UDAS
FELT
GREAT
.

He felt free and as immortal as the night. Brynn and...whatever the other two girls names were, coincidentally knew Rebecca, but as soon as she arrived her claim overruled the other girls. Rebecca, or Party Girl Becca as they called her, sat next to Judas and ran her hands through his hair.

“What the hell happened to you? You look like you just came from a funeral.”

“I did.”

She looked sympathetic. “Whose?”

He looked at her and took a drink. “My own, and now I’m celebrating.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not usually one to stop the party, but I’ve never seen you drink before. Granted, you look like someone who knows how to have a good time, but I know you, Judas.”

“You don’t know shit,
Becca,
” he mocked.

She dismissed his snide comment. “I know the majority of the time you are pretending to be someone different, and I’ve always wondered why. You’ve only helped me, Judas.”

He snorted; Rebecca was talking in riddles. “Are you already drunk?”

“Actually, I’m sober. Have been all week.”

“Well, I’m not.” Judas grabbed the bottle of Crown, filled his glass, and leaned back against the booth. “And I don’t plan to be all week.”

Saluting Rebecca with his glass, he stood and walked over to the girls by the balcony. He held his bottle of Crown up with one hand, his glass in the other, and started dancing with them. One girl grabbed him around the waist as another turned around and danced against his front. They left the VIP area downstairs, to the dance floor and got lost in the crowd. By the time Judas’s bottle was gone, so was his mind.

Brynn told him they were going to a party somewhere, so he went with them. Rebecca came along, still sober and sitting in the back of the limo like an old spinster with a bitchy look on her face.

“Cheer up, Rebecca!” he yelled.

The girls giggled as they turned up the radio. “Where have you been all our lives, Judas?” one of them screamed, then kissed him.

She tasted like peppermint, and it washed over him as her lips moved to his neck and she started unbuttoning his collar. His head fell back against the seat as he felt someone unbutton his pants, and slipped a hand inside, but then it was gone.

Opening one eye, he saw Peppermint Lips laying on the floor, and Rebecca shaking a finger in her face. The girl sat up and scurried next to Judas.

“What the hell, Becca!” she yelled. “You’re a fucking bitch.”

“Yeah, well I don’t give a shit what you think about me. Stay the fuck out of his pants.”

Judas’s head fell back again as a grin spread across his lips. A part of him was
thankful
she stopped it because he hadn’t been capable, but that part was drowning in Crown Royal.

“Calm down, girls. There’s plenty of me to go around.”

The limo came to a stop, and the driver opened their door. The girl next him shot Rebecca a glare before she got out and slammed the door.

“Please, Judas. I’m begging you not to go in there. It’s hard to explain. I—”

“I understand. You’re just trying to protect me like I’ve done for you. Stop worrying, Becca.” He shook his head. “I don’t deserve saving. I’m a horrible person.”

Judas got out and walked into the apartment building. Brynn and her friends were laughing and talking next to the elevator.

“Judas!” Peppermint Lips screamed and bounced over to him.

He grinned as she swung her arms around him and giggled, then glanced behind him. “Here comes the party pooper,” she said, as Rebecca approached.

The elevator chimed, and they all stepped on; the doors opened when they reached the penthouse. Judas walked out first. The wood floors and vaulted ceilings were made for entertaining. It was decorated with eccentric, formless statues. Judas rolled his eyes. The rich loved to collect abstract art that they usually purchased after several glasses of wine,
or lines
.

Rebecca walked up next to him; her eyes scanned the dozens of people in the room and she looked overly concerned.

“Seriously, Judas. We need to leave. I told you that I needed to talk to you. There is a reason why I’ve been sober this week. Something happened.”

Judas didn’t know what was wrong with Rebecca, but she was really starting to annoy him. He was trying to have a good time, and she was trying to kill his buzz. Is this how she felt when he showed up and forced her to go home?

Brynn shoved herself between them. “Judas isn’t going anywhere,
Becca
.”

She pulled him across the room, passing a small, crowded dance area with a DJ, to a bar in front of a pair of floor to ceiling glass windows that overlooked Central Park.

“A martini and whiskey, sexy,” Brynn said to the bartender. He was wearing a white linen shirt, rolled halfway up his forearms, and he had a diamond earring in his left ear. He smiled as he made their drinks.

Brynn handed him his drink and clinked their glasses together. “Here’s to having a fucking blast tonight, Judas.” She winked at him and sauntered over to the couches.

He took a drink and glanced across the room. Rebecca was arguing with some tall, lanky guy. The protective barbarian in Judas overpowered the drunken buffoon, and he slammed his drink down on the bar and stalked over to them.

“Is this guy bothering you, Rebecca?” Judas asked, balling up his fists.

She shook her head, her eyes wide and panicky.

The guy looked at him, then back at Rebecca. “This is him, isn’t it? The asshole you were talking about last Monday?” She tried to grab his arm, but he yanked it from her grasp.

His bad attitude was directed at Judas. The guy was nearly the same height as him, but his build was smaller. Judas had a good twenty pounds on him, and enough whiskey to kill a horse.

“You have some nerve, asshole. Rebecca told me everything about you. I ought to kick your fucking ass.”

Judas imagined him trying and snorted. “I’d like to see you try.”

“Judas, let’s go, please,” Rebecca begged.

The fear in her voice should have been enough to convince him that he
should
leave, but the alcohol marred his better judgment and pissed him off.

“Do you have a problem with me?” he asked.

The guy’s nostril flared, and Judas could see he was on edge. Rebecca shoved herself between them, and the guy backed up, laughing. Judas was surprised by his sudden humorous take. He grabbed Rebecca from behind and kissed her cheek while looking directly at Judas.

“We’re not going to be fighting tonight. I have something else in mind.”

Rebecca closed her eyes, and the guy glanced across the room, simultaneously jerking his head to the side. A few seconds later, three additional clones came and stood in front of him, behind uno numero.

Fuck.

What the hell did Rebecca say about him?

“Why don’t we go somewhere a little more private?” The guy smiled and put his finger under Rebecca’s chin, bringing her gaze to his. “Why don’t you show him the way?”

She reluctantly nodded, then walked to Judas. He could see she was scared, and angry at him for not listening to her. She stopped beside him, and he ground his jaw as he glanced from her to the four guys waiting on him to either start a fight or follow her. As drunk as he was, he didn’t believe fighting was the better alternative. Fuck it. If they wanted to kill him, then do it. Judas didn’t care.

He turned to her with a cocky expression, and she dropped her gaze to the floor. Judas followed her up the stairs to an open bedroom that overlooked the space below.

“Sit down, Judas.”

Rebecca walked over to a W-shaped couch and took a seat. Judas sat next to her. Rebecca’s friend sat in a chair that looked like a metal hand, and one of his clones sat next to him, propping his elbows up on one of the
finger
armrests. Judas needed a drink.

His need was answered as a server came up stairs and handed them each a glass. How did he know Judas was drinking whiskey? At this point, he didn’t care enough to ask. Judas knocked it back and asked for another.

The guy had a cocky grin on his face and clapped his hands together.

“This is going to be an
interesting
night.”

“Is this a gay thing?” Judas asked, leaning back. The uncomfortable couch was at an angle and probably cost a small fortune. “No offense because I’ve fought and won my fair share of hate cases, but personally, I don’t swing that way.” Judas shook his head and looked around.

No one spoke for a while. Rebecca sat quietly next to him, while the two guys in front of him bounced their heads to the beat of the music. Judas rubbed his chest, slipping his hand inside his shirt.

“It’s kind of hot in here.”

“It’s going to be okay, Judas. Can’t we at least give him some water?” he heard Rebecca ask.” I don’t think he’s had anything to eat for a while, and I know for a fact he’s finished off a 1.75 bottle of Crown.”

The guy laughed. “Yeah, right. He wouldn’t be standing.”

“Please, Onis. He’s going to be really fucked up.”

Onis. What a stupid name.
Judas chuckled.

“Good, he deserves it for what he’s been doing to you and all those other girls.”

“Hold up,” Judas interrupted, raising his hand. It looked blurry. “Hey...What was in that drink? You fuck-ing drugged me,” he slurred.

His head lolled to the side as his gaze zeroed in on Rebecca. “It’s going to be okay, it was just a hit of ecstasy.”

“Two actually,” Onis added, laughing.

Judas closed his eyes.
Fuck
. He couldn’t focus on any one thing in his mind, and his body was on fire. He rubbed his hands down his legs and felt his body convulse.

Was he having a seizure?

“It’s just your phone, Judas,” he heard Rebecca say, and then something was massaging his leg.

It stopped.

“Here, take your phone.”

Judas opened his eyes and looked at it for a moment before he grabbed it. He brought it closer to his face and squinted when the screen lit up. Looking through one eye, he swiped his finger across it and saw a text from Josh Goodson.

Sorry, Judas. I’ve been out of the country. Here’s the information you needed. Miss you, buddy. Hope all is well.

Grace Winters. 1307 Wellington Avenue, Apt 7, New York 55745.

Her name somehow cooled his body, and for some reason made him extremely happy. Judas had seen plenty of people do ecstasy. They acted like jackasses, indulging in their senses, and they always ended up having sex. That was not going to be happening to him tonight. He forced himself to sit up and looked at Rebecca.

“Where’s the bathroom?”

She looked relieved that he was still functioning. “I’ll show you.”

On the way, she grabbed a bottle of water from a small, silver fridge. They walked through a closet that was bigger than any man should have-if he wasn’t gay, he was definitely a metro-sexual. It had racks and racks of clothes, hats, scarves and jewelry.

Inside a small crystal dish, he saw a black and red key, and recognized the Ducati emblem. Judas walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He drank the entire bottle of water. He knew he needed to hydrate; Judas didn’t have much time before the drug
really
took effect.

He washed his face, and almost got lost in the sensation; the water felt so good against his skin as it ran down his neck and chest. It was almost like he could feel every individual bead, and it was amazing.

“Fuck.”

Staring at his reflection, Judas told himself what he needed to do. Get the Ducati key, go to the ground floor parking level, and get out of here. Opening the door, he didn’t see Rebecca. He grabbed the key out of the dish before she walked in.

“Are you okay?”

“No,” he snapped. “I want to get out of here.”

Her face sagged. “Onis said you can’t leave. If you do, he’ll have Eric and his buddies kick your ass. Trust me, Judas. You don’t want to fight while you’re
rolling
on ecstasy.”

“What does he want from me? What did you say to him?”

She shook her head. “I’ll tell you tomorrow, it’s just something stupid I overheard my father say. I should have known better, you’re a great guy. I’m going to make it up to you, I promise I’ll take care of you tonight. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Judas wished that were true, but no one would be able to protect him from
himself
. He could feel his heart racing, and the sound of the music felt amazing. He wanted to go downstairs and dance—wanted to feel the touch of a woman’s skin against his, and give himself over to the drug pulsing through his veins.

They walked into the bedroom and stopped next to Onis and his clones.

“Would you like to dance, Rebecca?” Judas asked.

He didn’t wait for a response. Judas grabbed her hand and walked down the stairs. On the small dance floor, he found Peppermint lips and Brynn dancing together. They laughed when they saw him, and instantly started touching him. It was hard to keep the plan straight in his head, hard to think about anything except their hands touching his stomach…his back…Brynn’s lips sucking at his neck.