Page 70 of Dark Obsession

“Fang.” Jugs snorted. “Not even an original name.” He straightened up and turned to face him. “Sounds like Zenona’s neck deep in all of this, pun intended. How do you feel about that?”

Cody gripped the top of the tailgate and his jaw tightened. “How do you think I feel?” He forced his fingers to loosen. “But I also get it, in a way. Or I’m trying to. She lost someone important, someone different from anyone else she’s ever met. She was trying to get a bit of that back.” He shook his head and looked up at the deep blue sky visible between the branches. “But I hate she’s been using that stuff.”

“Really got her up and going again after being tased?”

Cody snorted. “She looked better than ever, and she was full of energy, laughing and flirting with Hortense.”

Jugs frowned. “Who?”

“The great-great grandfather of the woman who lives next door to the bar. She’s the one who saved Demmy and me from Bastian.”

“The asshole vampire?”

“No, Hortense is a cool guy.”

“No, I meant Bastian.”

“Oh, yeah.”

They were both silent for a bit, then Jugs said, “You really were a dick to Demetrius, you know.”

Cody ground his teeth and didn’t respond.

“You know that, right?”

He glanced at Jugs, and then away. “He started it.”

“Cody Duran Bower.”

“Jesus Christ,” Cody breathed. He ran a hand across the back of his neck, the skin still sticky and hot.

“You know what you did was wrong.”

“I know, okay? I know.”

“Did you apologize?”

“At least a million times.”

“Uh huh. In one of those million times, did you actually say the words ‘I’m sorry’ to him?”

“What are you, a couple’s counselor now?”

“No.”

Cody turned to fully face him, one arm still on the tailgate. “That was a cagey response.”

“No, it wasn’t.” Jugs looked at him again, brows drawn down and eyes hard. “And we’re talking about you, not us.”

“Us? You got a mouse in your pocket…?” Cody’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, shit. You and Aggie are going to couple’s counseling.”

“Goddammit.” Jugs screwed up his face and looked away. After a brief silence, he said, “It was a mutual decision.”

Cody nodded. “I’m glad you guys are doing that.” He turned to lean back against the tailgate. “Is it helping?”

“Sometimes.” Jugs scoffed quietly. “Most times it turns out everything’s my fault.”

“I feel that.”