“I’m not leaving without you,” Logan snaps, his nostrils flaring.
“I’ll be right with you, okay?”
Logan’s eyes search mine, and then he nods and stalks toward the exit, spine rod straight and fingers clenching and unclenching at his sides as Malik follows closely behind him.
“What the fuck are you waiting for? Aren’t you going to escort them out?” Jude snaps at the bodyguards. “And how the motherfucking fuck did they get in? You’re useless. All of you.”
Two bodyguards stride forward, catching up with Logan and Malik, and when one of them tries to grab Logan’s arm, Malik says, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you…unless you want to lose that hand. If that’s your intention, then by all means.” He chuckles darkly, and then they disappear through the door.
“Hey, you okay?” Chloe asks, taking my hand in hers, squeezing lightly with Knox glued to her side.
Swallowing through the heavy knot lodged in my throat, I murmur, “Yeah,” and pick a piece of imaginary lint out from the sleeve of my turtleneck. All the groupies are huddled in groups, whispering and pointing at me, and it makes my skin crawl.
“Ava, can we talk?” Jude approaches us with a grimace.
I gasp with a hand over my mouth at the state he’s in. He looks like he was run down by a speeding car. His torso is already marred with nasty bruises and caked blood. “Holy shit, Jude. You need to go to a hospital.”
“I’m fine,” he says, and waves a hand in front of him likeit’s nothing, but I don’t miss the way he winces with the small movement.
Knox glares at him and pulls out his phone to make a call. “You’re clearly not, you idiot. I’m calling you an ambulance.”
Jude looks at Chloe and Knox. “Can you give us some privacy?”
They both nod and step away, but Chloe’s eyes are still fixated on me as she nibbles on her lower lip.
“You shouldn’t have kissed me. Especially after what happened outside,” I tell Jude. “Wasn’t my earlier reaction a clear indication that I didn’t want you to kiss me?” My gaze flits over his battered body and then locks with his, now greener against the splash of red and purple.
He shrugs. “It was worth it, but you’re right, I shouldn’t have…I’m sorry,” he says sheepishly and runs a hand over the back of his neck. “But you look so fucking beautiful tonight, and I thought that if I showed you how good we can be together, then you’ll leave that guy for me.”
“Yeah…you took what you wanted without thinking of the consequences.” I sigh and tilt my head slightly. “Are you going to press charges?”
He looks down, ponders my question, and after a while, he says, “I don’t know.”
“Well, consider this, Jude. If you do press charges against Logan, I’ll press charges for sexual assault. I don’t know what got into you tonight, but I hope you learned your lesson. Women throw themselves at your feet all the time; just pick one who is willing.”
His jaw locks with anger. “But I wantyou.”
“Only because you see me as a challenge, and you’re used to getting everything you want. Being famous doesn’t grant you the privilege to act like that, Jude. Now go sit; I don’t think you’re supposed to stand right now.” I turn on my heel, but he grabs my wrist, making me look over my shoulder.
“I’m coming with you. That guy is dangerous.”
I shake his hand off, annoyed. “Do you have a death wish? Logan is going to kill you if he sees you again. Plus, I don’t want you near me, and he would never lay a hand on me. Please, just go sit and wait for the doctors to come take a look at you.”
“Then, at least take a bodyguard with you.”
“Fine,” I huff, relenting, knowing he won’t let this go until I accept.
“One of you, go with her,” Jude commands behind my back.
I don’t wait around for any of them, though, and stride directly toward the bathroom on the club floor instead of the door at the back that leads outside, where Logan is waiting for me. I need a moment to compose myself before facing him, and I don’t want to stumble upon any of the spectators to the earlier shit show that has become my life by going to the bathroom closest to the backstage room.
People are waiting in line to get out of the club, talking excitedly, some of them slurring their words and barely keeping their balance. I walk past them and descend the stairs to the dark bathroom corridor while the steady beat of the bodyguard’s footsteps echoes behind me.
I push the bathroom door open and sigh with relief when I see I’m alone. Ambling to the sink, I splash some ice-cold water onto my face, my mind reeling with tonight’s events. Jude acted like a properpendejo. I can’t believe he kissed me…again. I have the urge to use bleach as mouthwash to somehow erase him from my skin. Even if Logan pummeled him into the wall and almost killed him, my wolf doesn’t deem his actions as enough.
She’s been clawing at me to get out since Jude’s lips crashed to mine, but I repressed the urge. Getting Logan settled and out of there as soon as possible wasmy top priority. But now, she demands I deliver my revenge on a platter of snapping teeth and sharp claws. My whole body trembles as I drop my head betweenmy shoulders, white-knuckling the sink.
My wolf’s bloodthirsty thoughts are interrupted by the door to the bathroom swinging open, and I lift my head to see the bodyguard with auburn wavy hair cross the threshold, only he is not wearing sunglasses anymore. His pale blue eyes collide with mine.
