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I suck in a breath. Arlo was right. Erick is dangerous.
Still, I keep walking toward Erick as I try to decide what my next move will be.
“Why are you hanging out with a Carini?” Erick asks.
“I’m not. He approached me. I only know him from when he gave us a tour of his place and from the lecture tonight.”
“You need to stay away from him, Nina. His whole family is considered royalty in this town but not for good reasons. They live above the law and do things that destroy anyone who owes them anything. Most are never seen again, and those that are go mad.”
I frown as I take in the new information. “Don’t worry; I won’t ever owe Arlo anything.”
Erick studies me, not sure if he believes me. But it doesn’t matter if I’m telling the truth or not. Arlo has made it perfectly clear that I will never be in his debt. That he won’t ever let me even when I should be.
“Does that mean you are choosing me over that asshole?”
I shrug. “Maybe.”
Erick smiles and then picks up the two shot glasses of tequila. He hands me the glass that he slipped something into.
I take the glass out of his hand.
He raises his glass. “To choosing the right guy who is going to rock your world tonight.”
I raise my glass to his, planning on just dumping the contents over my shoulder when he downs his drink.
“Nina!” Arlo shouts at me over the crowd.
I turn and look at him trying to work his way through the crowd that is thick, making it impossible for him to quickly get to me.
“Don’t!” he half-commands and half-begs.
I look back to Erick whose smile is faltering and then back to Arlo. Arlo knows. He saw Erick slip something into my drink. He knows that, if I drink this shot, I’m going to be drugged with God-knows-what substance that I’m sure will give Erick complete control over me.
I absolutely should not drink this shot. I’m not going to drink this shot.
But I like seeing the worry in Arlo’s eyes. He cares about me. I don’t know exactly what other feelings he has for me, but I know one thing. Arlo doesn’t want me to get hurt. He won’t let me get hurt. He proved that the first time he saved me.
If I take this shot, he’ll protect me. He’ll save me.
My heart beats wildly in my chest as the plan forms in my head. If I drink it, Erick will try to drag me away before Arlo can get to me. But Arlo is only twenty feet away. He can get to us before anything bad happens to me.
And, if Arlo saves me, then I will owe him. I’ll be in his debt, and I’ll finally get to repay him with sex and find out the truth behind all the mysterious whispers about his family that the townspeople talk about.
I’ll get exactly what I want.
Only one question remains. If I drink this, will Arlo actually save me?
I study everything about him. The way he is pushing people out of the way in an uncontrollable and savage way to get to me faster. The tightness of his jaw as he focuses on stopping me. The desperation in his eyes as he inches closer to me. But the one thing that convinces me above everything is the emotion and pain dripping off his voice when he yelled for me.
I could be wrong. I could drink this, and Arlo might not give a shit about me. He could let Erick do whatever he wanted to me. If I drink this, Erick could rape me. He could kill me.
“Don’t, Nina!” Arlo shouts again, begging me with everything that he has for me not to do this. Please, he mouths.
I suck in a breath. Arlo will save me.
This is the most reckless thing I’ve ever done. I’ve been obsessed with countless men, but I’ve never risked my life for a man on quite this level before.
But I do it anyway.
