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He gets up to intercept us.
“What are you doing?” he asks in low voice that’s tight with rage. He barely glances in Ariel’s direction.
“Relax,” I tell him since I don’t have anything better to offer. Maybe I’m actually talking to myself with that advice.
“How?” he asks. That’s what I’d like to know too.
“Stop it,” Ariel says, probably sensing the growing tension between us. “I wanted to come here. I’ll be fine.”
Her voice is clear and free of fear, or anxiety, or anything else negative like that. She actually sounds excited. A little feverish, but OK.
She’s the target for even more leering in here, from men and women both. Probably because she looks so damn pure.
She heads for the table Edge just vacated, pulling me along. Bane, Archer, and Fossil are all staring at her, and I can just tell Fossil is about to make some dumbass remark before he even opens his mouth. Right before we reach the table, Karma suddenly stands up and blocks Ariel’s path.
“Sit here,” she tells her then bodily blocks her from taking the available seat next to Bane, which we were heading towards.
“OK,” Ariel says and still sounds totally in control of her voice.
She takes Karma’s seat, and I take the one next to her. She finally let go of my arm so we could sit, and it’s me feeling more than a little rudderless now. At least while I was holding onto her, I could be sure no one was gonna get close enough to hurt her. Now she’s sitting a whole foot away from me. Too far.
“I’m getting some drinks,” Karma announces. “What will it be? A coke or an iced tea?”
She’s talking to Ariel, but it’s Fossil who laughs and says, “Don’t let this one fool you. She can probably drink all of us under the table. Last time I saw her?— “
“You want me to put you under the table right now?” I ask in my most menacing voice. The beating I gave him just a few days ago must still be fresh in his mind, because he shuts up immediately.
“I’ll have a beer,” Ariel says and her voice isn’t as firm as it was a minute ago.
She’s also still not actually looking at anyone. Not even me. If she were, she’d see that only Edge isn’t actively checking her out.
Karma gives me a pointed sort of look before she sets off to get the drinks. I have no idea what it meant, but it was accusatory as hell. As if I need the added reminder that this was a bad idea.
I slide my chair closer to Ariel, wishing I was sitting with my back to the wall and not to like half the room full of guys drunk or otherwise fucked up enough to do anything.
“One drink and then we leave, right?” I whisper to Ariel.
“We’ll see.”
“Yeah, I just hope it’s not something we don’t wanna see,” I mutter.
She doesn’t seem to hear me, and her eyes are slowly starting to take in more and more of the place and the people.
Joker hasn’t said anything yet, and he’s the only one not looking at her like he wants to fuck her. But his eyes are so dead flat he could be thinking of doing something far worse to her, for all I know.
Karma returns with a bunch of beers, but I reach for the bourbon sitting in the middle of Edge’s table and pour myself a shot. A double shot.
“I wouldn’t mind some of that,” Ariel says and it’s amazing how clearly I can hear her voice despite all the noise in here. The other two Forsaken have gone back to talking amongst themselves, Edge is dealing out a hand of Texas Hold ‘Em with purpose, and thankfully Bane, Archer and Fossil all focus on the game.
I hand Ariel the shot glass and she throws it back like a pro then wants another. I give in, but stop when she asks for the third time.
“Nothing wrong with being sober in a place like this,” Karma says when Ariel insists.
“There’s a lot wrong with being sober in a place like this,” Ariel counters and takes off her jacket, revealing the tight top she’s wearing, which hugs her perfect tits just right. Normally, I’d be over the moon at the sight, and as it is, a part of my mind is picturing cupping them in my palms—they’re exactly the right size for that—but all the renewed leering from all sides is not letting me enjoy that fantasy. She tosses her hair back and it’s like liquid gold spilling. I swear I actually sighed at the sight. Between having her leaning against me and holding me tight all day and this wild protective urge she woke in me by wanting to come here, I can’t believe I’m not dragging her off to the nearest bed. Even the smelly one in my room here.
“Wanna dance?” she asks.
“Actually, yeah, I do,” I say, leap out of my chair and drag her out of hers into the middle of the dance floor.
