Page 26 of Burning Bridges Duet

I let my gaze wander over the cages, but I stop on the one in the middle. The way this girl is dancing is incredible. Her clothes aren’t as revealing as the other girls’, but she’s still incredibly sexy in tight black leather skinny jeans and a long-sleeved crop top that’s cut short. You can see the underside of her bra, and her toned belly is on full display. Her long brown hair falls in waves down her back, and while I can’t see her face, the way her body moves to the music entrances me. I would love to have her move like that on top of me.

A remix of “Bad Memories” by Meduza is playing and the mood is seductive, but the woman reminds me more of a professional dancer than a stripper. Just as I think that, she throws her head back and I catch a glimpse of her face…then freeze. The gorgeous little dancer is Liv.

Fuck.

I hear Chase inhale sharply beside me as I take the beer Jaxon offers me with a grateful nod, then turn to my brother.

“You okay, bro?” I ask before taking a sip of my beer. It’s bitter but cold, so I won’t complain. Jaxon isn’t the type to order anything fancy, and since he’s paying, I’ll drink what I’m given.

Chase still looks stunned, so I nudge him with my elbow and repeat louder, “Bro, you good?”

“It’s her,” he says, still dazed.

“Who?” I ask confused, glancing at Jaxon and River for clarification, but they both seem just as bewildered as I am.

“Liv. She’s dancing in one of the cages,”

Jaxon’s head snaps to the right, then he searches the back area frantically until he spots her. I follow his gaze and find her too, dancing like a goddess. Damn, she’s stunning.

“She’s so much better than the other dancers,” River adds after we’ve all watched her for a while.

“That’s because the others are just shaking their asses and tits, while Liv is actually dancing,” Chase says, still unable to take his eyes away from her, and I have to agree. The other girls are undoubtedly hot, but compared to Liv, they never even stood a chance.

I can feel my blood boiling as I watch Liv dance in that damn cage, surrounded by a pack of drooling fuckboys. It’s like they’re all competing for a chance to get their grabby hands on her, and what’s worse, she seems oblivious to the danger she’s in. Doesn’t she realize that this is exactly how you attract a stalker? Out of all the girls in the cages, she’s the one with the most men leering at her. Like moths to a flame.

Is she here alone? My mind races with worst-case scenarios. What if one of these creeps follows her home? I have a strong urge to march over there and spank that fine ass for being so reckless. Instead, I take a long swig of my water and keep watching, trying to keep my cool. Has she been doing this all along? We haven’t been to this club since she moved here, so it’s possible. If only I had known, I would have come here every damn night to keep an eye on her, to protect her. Before I can even finish that thought, one of the drunk assholes reaches for her calf, but Liv kicks him away, incorporating the move seamlessly into her dance. Good girl.

Except the idiot doesn’t get the message. The second she squats down as part of her dance, he sticks his arm through the bars and grabs her by the throat to pull her down. Liv’s head slams into the bars, but he still has his hand around her neck, squeezing. I can see the panic rising in her eyes as she scratches at his arm to get him to loosen his grip, and I see red.

As soon as we saw that creep reaching for her the first time, we should have acted. Now Jaxon is charging through the crowd, shoving everyone out of his way, with Chase hot on his heels. Ryder and I follow closely, my hand gripping onto Ryder’s shirt at his back so I avoid getting lost in the crowd. God, I hate clubbing.

Amidst the chaos, we hear yelling, and as we finally break through, we see Jaxon ripping the guy away from the cage and beating him to the ground.

“Ryder, stop Jaxon before he kills that guy! River, help me get Liv out of here,” Chase calls out to us.

We make our way to the cage, where Liv is cowering in the back corner, shaking and trying to catch her breath. Her fingers are bloody, and her eyes red. Chase tries to open the cage door, but it’s locked.

“I’m going to find someone with a key. Stay with her,” he tells me before disappearing into the crowd, I move around the cage to get as close to Liv as possible.

“Liv, it’s me, River. We’ve got you,” I say gently but loud enough so she can hear. “Jaxon is taking care of that asshole, Ryder is with him, and Chase is getting the key to get you out. You’re not alone, beautiful.”

Liv looks at me, still shaking, but she nods her head. I reach out through the bars to touch her knee, which is dangerously close to her chest.

Focus, River.

There’s a loud bang as the cage door flies open, and Liv and I both jump as Chase enters the cage.

“Sorry,” he says with a grimace before assessing Liv’s condition. “Can you walk, or do you want me to carry you out of here?”

Liv looks at the crowd outside the cage and shakes her head slightly. It’s even more packed now, with people trying to get a glimpse of the commotion, and the music is still blasting, adding to the overwhelming chaos.

“Help me?” she croaks out, her eyes filling with tears.

At that moment, I realize I would do anything for this girl.

Liv trembles like a leaf in my arms as I hold her close. She buries her head in my neck, clutching my shirt above my chest, while I feel her sobs more than hear them. A fierce urge to protect her surges through me, stronger than any I’ve ever felt before, not even for the twins when they were little. Jaxon is the protector of our family, but with Liv, I feel an overwhelming responsibility to keep her safe. She’s too precious, too delicate. I want to wrap her up in bubble wrap. Jaxon might be onto something.

As we head towards the others, I glance at the crowd and spot the security guys keeping the jerks' buddies in check.