She led Jace straight back to the pool table. The laughter dulled when they arrived, every pair of eyes turning toward him.
"Everyone," she said smoothly, her tone light, almost teasing. "This is my friend. He's with me."
Her words carried weight. Enough to keep the group from asking questions out loud, but not enough to change how they looked at him.
The guys at the table sized him up immediately. Their stares weren't curious, they were sharp, territorial.
Every muscle in their jaws was tight, their eyes flashing quick warnings. Jace could feel it like heat on his skin.
One of them leaned back, arms crossed, silent but heavy in posture. Another sipped his drink without breaking eye contact. None of them smiled.
Across the table, the second woman, the one who looked so much like her it had to be a sister, was harder to read.
She wasn't glaring at Jace. Instead, her disappointment was fixed on the woman beside him.
