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Asher's breaths heave in his chest, and he turns his vicious stare to the woman staring him down with murder in her eyes. Kieran quickly holds down her arms, knowing precisely what she was about to go for, and chuckles at her attempt.
“Next time, listen,” Asher growls, throwing the car into drive and slamming on the brake. Taking hold of her jaw, he leans in with a vicious glare, declaring one last promise. "Or you'll receive more than an ass slap, baby brat. I'll make you sorry for ever defying me."
“I. Will. Fucking. Stab. You,” she growls with such malice my balls shrivel in my pants.
Asher laughs, leaning in more, and examines her hate-filled eyes. "Maybe I'd like that, brat. But for now, I'm taking you home." He lifts a brow when she snarls at him, egging him on more.
With those parting words, he presses the accelerator again, and we take off down the abandoned road.
"I swear my dick just throbbed and shriveled at the same time. Confusing ass woman. But fuck, I think I’m in love," Rad stage whispers to me, eyeing the woman in question who fumes in Kieran's arms.
“I said I was fine,” she sighs, pulling her arm from Kieran's grasp, and pinches Asher's nipple through his shirt in punishment.
He flinches, catching her wrist in his hard grasp, grunting through the pain. A familiar smirk twitches the edge of his lips, and he forcefully pulls her face forward with a jerk. In the middle of the road, like a psycho, he pumps the brakes, and we halt. Again. We'll never make it back to her apartment with Asher at the wheel.
“Psychopath,” I mumble, pulling myself from the floorboards with a groan. Pain radiates up my tailbone, and I shake my head, locking my seatbelt. “Seatbelts,” I reprimand, tugging on my belt.
"You're testing my limits, Little Brat," Asher hisses, rubbing at his chest.
"Settle," Kieran grumbles, pulling her closer.
"Fine," she says, shaking her head.
River huffs, looking out the window, and then watches us out the edge of her eyes. I nod, and her body relaxes into Kieran's as she gives me a warm smile that I commit to memory. When my haunting nightmares surface, I'll look at this moment and seek salvation in her warmth.
“Now, where do you live? I’ll do my gentleman duties for the night and escort you home. I can’t have my future girlfriend dying at the hands of that guy,” Asher growls, waving a hand at two men smoking against a building, watching us with a sharp eye.
“You drew attention to yourself when you fucking kidnapped me!” she growls, staring out the window and paling.
It isn't until her entire body tenses up the moment she lays eyes on them, and a tremble works through her body, do I take note it's Bradley from before. He leans against a building, talking with two more men I've never seen before, smoking cigarettes.
Mentally, I take note, vowing to ensure her safety from here on out. From the corner of my eye, I notice Kieran taking in everything being said and the men outside. Catching his eye, he heaves a breath and nods, knowing exactly what I’m thinking, too.
"And girlfriend? Are you insane?" she gripes again, resting her head against Kieran's shoulder. With a sigh, she points down the road. "Just down the way,” she mumbles with less fire, settling into Kieran more. Fuck, how I wish it were me that held her close instead of him. “Central Apartment Complex.” She sighs when she says it, leaning her head back, and shuts her eyes.
I exchange a look with Asher, and he licks his lips, knowing precisely what neighborhood we’re pulling into and what danger lurks there, especially for pretty girls like her. She shouldn’t be on the streets alone, let alone on this one. Central City isn't known for being safe at any time of day. Crime runs rampant in these parts compared to our slice of heaven in Lakeview. It's night and day between the two.
The street blurs by as we drive the eight blocks from the bar to her apartment complex. It’s not a long drive—short and sweet. But the walk would have blistered her feet and taken at least forty-five minutes.
Her apartment building stands in the distance with dark brick and barely any street lights lining the parking lot. Three more units lay in a semi-circle around her building, with their own dimly lit parking lots filled to the brim with an assortment of cars.
“Over there.” She points to a unit in the middle of the complex, bringing me out of my thoughts.
Ash directs the Tahoe toward the middle unit, eyes darting around the filled-up parking lot. He pulls up next to a Toyota, which looks like it’s seen better days. I look back at River, slumped against Kieran with even breaths. Her eyes flutter open and shut, and if she trusted me more, I’d carry her to her bed. Or force her into mine for the night. I’d tuck her in and never let her leave.
“Thanks for the ride,” she mumbles, rubbing her eyes.
“No, no, thank you!” Rad says with enthusiasm, reaching between the seats. He pulls her tired face toward his and kisses her again, shoving his tongue down her unsuspecting throat. She groans, pushing him away, and wipes the spit from her lips, giving him a death glare.
“Asshole,” she mumbles, opening the door, and jumps down. She lingers a moment, staring into my eyes, and doesn’t shut the door until I give her a nod.
We watch with rapt attention when she walks to the ground-floor apartment and pulls out her keys. Unit 7—I take notes, remembering the information for later.
This obsession crashes down on me, and I can only think about her now. Her and our music. I let it settle beneath my skin and take me over. The more of her I have, the fewer nightmares I'll experience.
She opens the door, not sparing us a glance or a thank you, and shuts the door quietly.
“Fuck,” Asher sighs, hitting the steering wheel with an open palm, letting all his frustrations leak through. There's no hiding the interest he holds for our little River.
