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We get to the edge of the dance floor and start to move with the music, staying as close to each other as we can. Paisley laughs and grabs my hips, so we sway in sync with each other.
A new song starts, one of our favorites, and we continue moving to the rhythm. A tall, stocky man comes up behind Paisley and leans down to whisper in her ear. She glances up at him and smiles but shakes her head.
The man frowns and says something else to her. Her smile falls, and she shakes her head harder. I tug her a little closer to me, but the man crowds us both.
“I said no,” she yells at him.
He ignores her and starts to grind against her. The blood in my veins goes ice cold. What is it with these creeps thinking they can do whatever the hell they want? I scowl up at the guy and press my hand to his chest, trying to nudge him away. The guy wraps his meaty fingers around my wrist and squeezes so hard that I yelp and try to yank it away, but his hold is too tight.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the guy goes flying back into the crowd. Paisley and I gasp and look around to figure out what just happened. Two muscular figures in black suits tower over us, and as my gaze travels upward, my tummy sinks. Bash and Kieran stare at us with dark, murderous expressions.
“You’re in so much trouble, Little girl, you’re not going to sit for a week,” Bash growls in my ear.
A shiver works its way down my spine, but before I can respond, there’s another scuffle. The big guy tries to come at my brother, only to be knocked down again. Kieran stands over him and continues to punch him repeatedly. Paisley screams and tries to grab Kieran to pull him back, but he holds his hand out, keeping her from getting too close.
When Kieran stops hitting him, the guy tries to get up, but Bash is on him in a second, throwing more punches.
Several security guys come rushing over, yelling at Bash and Kieran. Bash turns toward them, his eyes dark and deadly, and says something to one of the men, and like a switch, the men back off and move to yank the guy who approached Paisley up from the floor.
When I look at Bash again, his nostrils are flaring, and he’s breathing heavily. He grabs my hand and pulls me toward the exit.
“Wait! Paisley!” I call out, but when I turn back to look for her, she’s right behind us, being dragged out of the club by Kieran.
Bash’s SUV is parked right by the door. We’re in some kind of alley behind the club.
“What the hell were you doing there?” Bash demands.
I shrink back slightly. He won’t hurt me. I know that without a doubt. But from the way he’s looking at me, I feel like a naughty child.
“We came here to go dancing,” I say quietly.
He nods and runs his tongue over his teeth. “I see that, baby. I guess the real question is, why didn’t you tell me you were coming here?”
My shoulders fall, and I glance over at Paisley. She looks as unsure as I feel. “I thought you were working. I didn’t want to bother you.”
Bash huffs and shakes his head. “You didn’t want to bother me. Even though one of your rules is to tell me your whereabouts. Even though I’ve told you that you’re my first priority over anything. Even though I explained to you that going to certain places without security can be dangerous?”
I glance back at Kieran, but he’s scowling at both me and Paisley, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Don’t look at me for help, Little girl. He’s in charge of you now. You broke his rule, so you’ll answer to him,” Kieran growls.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper when I look at Bash again.
He stares at me for a long moment.
“It’s my fault. I forced her to go out,” Paisley says.
Bash’s gaze slides from me to my best friend then back again. “Chloe is a big girl. She wasn’t forced to do anything. It was her choice to disobey.”
I lower my eyes from his, tears burning them. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to interrupt you at work.”
When he doesn’t say anything for a long time, I glance up at him. His green eyes are pained. My heart squeezes, and the first tear falls down my cheek.
“Baby, you always come first. I don’t care if I’m at work in fucking Antarctica; if it concerns you, I want to be contacted. I don’t give a shit if you want to go to a club. But what I do care about is the fact that a place like this isn’t safe for you to go alone. I would have come with you if you had just told me. Or if I absolutely couldn’t get away, I would have sent security guards to make sure you two were safe. Dammit, Chloe, I can’t protect you if you don’t follow the rules. I won’t ever stop you from doing fun things, but what I will do is make sure there are safeguards in place to protect you. That asshole was a big guy. What would have happened if we hadn’t arrived in time?”
Tears run down my cheeks. Paisley’s crying too. Unable to stop myself, I go to Bash and wrap my arms around him and sob. “I’m so sorry, Daddy. I didn’t think about all of that.”
He returns my embrace, his hands cradling my head against his chest. “That’s because it’s not your job to think about all that stuff. It’s Daddy’s job to keep you safe, which is why you have rules to follow.”
