Achilles sighs, as if he’s bored, his eyes stabbing into mine.
“I’m counting to three.”
“I’m not?—”
“One.”
“She said fuck off, asshole!” Galina yells in his face.
Suddenly all three of us are gasping and stepping back as another tall, built, stormy-eyed figure shoves his way through the crowd to loom over us.
Galina pales as she looks up into Lochlan’s grim face. Then her throat bobs and she purses her lips.
“What areyoudoing?—”
“Not fucking counting to three, I can tell you that.”
In one motion, before any of us can do a thing, Lochlan grabs Galina and throws her kicking and thrashing over his shoulder.
“See you outside,” he grunts at Achilles before he turns and walks away.
“Um,what?” Lucia gapes after them before she turns to me. “I—I should?—”
“Yeah, go. I’ll be fine,” I tell her.
She glances at Achilles dubiously, scowls, then runs after a screaming and flailing Galina as she’s carried out of the club.
“Two,” Achilles growls.
“Fuck you.”
I shove past him and march after Lucia.
The chilly night air hits me when I step out of the sweaty, crowded bar into the parking lot. In front of me, Galina is staring daggers at an impassive Lochlan as he buckles her into the front passenger seat of a matte black Land Rover Defender.
“You good to take those two back?” Achilles says behind me, startling me.
Lochlan nods grimly. “Yeah.” His gaze lands on Lucia, his brow arching.
“Do not eventhinkabout picking me up,” she says coldly.
“Yeah, hard pass,” he grunts, opening the back seat door for her. “And put the claws away.”
When Lucia turns to me I nod, swallowing heavily. “I’ll be fine. Really.”
She doesn’t look thrilled about it, but she nods and climbs into the back seat of Lochlan’s SUV. He starts the engine and the Defender peels out of the parking lot, Galina still lookingpissed, her arms folded over her chest.
I’m left alone with Achilles in the parking lot next to the bar. I can still hear the music pounding from inside. But it’s weirdly peaceful and quiet out here.
At least,it was. Then I whirl on him, my eyes furious slits.
“I’d ask how the fuck you found me here,” I spit. “But I guess it was probably bystalkingme.Howout of character!” I sneer.
“Watch it,” Achilles growls back. “If you’re looking for me to apologize for following you, I’m not?—”
“I wouldn’tdreamthat you ever would!!” I scream at him. “For anything!”
My breath hitches as he suddenly eradicates the distance between us. I stumble away from him, heat creeping down my spine to my core before my back hits the brick wall behind me.
