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I peered up at him, tears welling in my eyes. “No,” I whispered, pushing at his hips.
He rocked his erection against my lips again and held my face there for a long beat until he groaned. And I knew then I had to find my voice. I’d come to Amir for protection, not to be used and ruined. I wouldn’t let him take another piece after Drew had already taken so much.
“Amir,” I slapped at his stomach and shoved off him, falling back on my butt, “I don’t want this. I said no!”
I didn’t scream, but he heard me. He nearly leapt back from me as though I’d physically hurt him. His eyes were crazed as they swept over me huddled on the ground.
His head jerked to the door. “Get out, Zadie.” His tone was so low and threatening, it sent ice through my veins. “Get the fuck out of here right now.”
I scrambled to my feet and ran for the door, yanking it open and flinging myself into the hall. Julien was there, leaning against the opposite wall. My momentum sent me crashing into him. He held my arms, keeping me steady on my feet.
“Whoa, whoa, what’s going on?” he soothed. “You okay?”
“I had to—” I bit my bottom lip to keep tears from flooding out and stop myself from saying what had gone down in that room. Julien wasn’t my friend. He was Amir’s. I had to keep telling myself that. “I’m fine. He’s just in a bad mood and isn’t so nice.”
“Well…” heels clicked behind me, causing me to turn, “I can always turn his mood around.”
Julien groaned at the pretty brunette in the pink dress pushing the door open. “Vanessa, Jesus, come on. Have some pride, dude.”
She winked at me over her shoulder. “You might not want to stand there, babes. My man tends to get loud.” Then she disappeared inside the room and closed the door behind her.
Spinning away from Julien, I fell against the wall next to him. He stroked the side of my hair in a way that told me if circumstances were different, hewould’vebeen my friend too.
“We’ll roll out soon,” he said.
“Sure.” As soon as Amir was finished with my replacement. “I never want to come here again.”
Julien held his hands up. “You’re gonna have to talk to him about that.”
I nodded, resigned, and suddenly achingly exhausted. “What a strange friendship, to have no power.”
He shifted so he was in front of me, peering down. “That’s bullshit. I have no say over what you and Amir agreed to. That’s your thing, and I’m not interfering. The rest, though? Nah, we’re equal. He knows if he tried to pull his dominance show on me, I’d piss on his bed and in his shoes to show him who the real king of the house is.”
I sputtered. “Like an angry cat?”
Julien cocked a crooked grin. “Exactly. Cats are fucking terrifying.”
A cacophony of crashes came from Amir’s dressing room. Seconds later, the door was flung open and he stormed out, stony faced, with a hoodie and track pants now on. He charged by us without pause. Julien and I turned to each other, then back to where Amir had disappeared.
“Yeah, we gotta go.” He raised his hand like he was going to touch me then dropped it. “Just stick by me, okay?”
Vanessa strode from the dressing room, a seriously pissed-off scowl on her pink, puffy lips. When she made eye contact with Julien, she flipped him off, then shot me a snarl before plowing her way down the hall in the opposite direction of Amir. Maybe she didn’t appreciate his treatment either.
“Come on, Z.” Julien pushed me ahead of him, keeping me there the whole way out of the warehouse. When we made it outside, he stepped away from me, giving me a wide berth like I was a leper.
Amir was leaning against the SUV Marco had driven us in, no one else around. They were all inside, watching the fights.
“Where’s Marco?” I asked.
Julien shrugged. “Probably placing some bets on the next fight. Unlike you, he likes to watch grown men beat each other bloody.”
Amir straightened as we approached, taking in the ridiculous distance Julien was keeping from me. Ignoring his foul expression, Julien clapped him on the shoulder and gave him a half hug.
“Nice job tonight, man. You had me worried for a second when Ishkov got in that jab to your temple at the beginning.”
Amir handed him the keys. “Reno wanted a show. I gave him a show. Let’s get out of here. I’m toast. Need a fucking drink then bed.”
The ride back to campus mostly consisted of Julien making jokes, Amir grunting, and me shrinking in the back seat, wishing I’d never thought of this brilliant plan in the first place. I had no idea how I’d thought it would go, but not this. Never like this.
