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Just long enough for someone to knock on the door. I had taken to locking it, despite the feeling of safety that came with knowing that there were people in the hallway that could come to my aid if I screamed. I felt a sense of security with the extra layer of protection. Even though it seemed irrational, I also kept a knife under my pillow and a gun next to the bed while I slept.
Letting out a sigh, I grabbed the first thing my eyes landed on in the closet and hastily put it on. I reached out, my fingers gripping the cool metal of the door handle as I opened it.
Hunter stood on the other side.
“Hey,” he said.
“What’s up?”
“I’m just leaving,” I told him as I stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind me.
“Where are you going?” Hunter asked.
“Liam’s,” I replied.
“Do you think that’s wise?”
Down the hall, the door to Dimitri’s room opened, and he peeked his head out. “Did my invitation get lost?” he asked. A big smile appeared on his face as he joined us in the hall.
“No party,” I told him. “I’m heading out for the evening.”
“She’s going to Liam’s.”
“I’m not gonna stay locked up in here like I’m some pampered princess in a castle.”
“Princess maybe,” Dimitri responded. “Pampered? Is there some kind of kink you guys haven’t let me in on?”
“Ugh, no!”
“You’re not going alone,” Hunter said.
“I’m fine,” I argued. “Oh, and another thing.” I pointed between the two of them for emphasis. “You guys can stop walking on eggshells around me.”
“You didn’t see what we saw that night,” Hunter responded.
“I had to live through it.” I glared.
Hunter held up his hands in surrender. “We know you did, and you took us along for the ride. We just want to help.”
“Hovering and treating me like I’m going to break isn’t helping. I need to get out there and do something.”
“We’re trying, but you’ve gotta understand we’re all still shaken from losing you.”
I sighed. On some level, I knew I was being unreasonable, but I could feel the anxiety gnawing away at me as I became increasingly frustrated. “Fine. You guys can come with me, but I need to grab something from the office first.”
“That’s all we want.”
“Okay, let’s go.” Of course, there was no way they would let me out of their sight. Especially after everything happened.
When I reached the top step, the music of the bar faintly echoed from below. It was much later than I’d thought, but since Liam usually stayed up until four in the morning, I still had plenty of time to get there. When I entered the clubhouse, the palpable energy of the crowd was the one thing I hadn’t prepared for. As I took my next step, I was met with a wall of people and the smell of sweat and perfume, of stale beer and cheap whiskey, and the feeling of claustrophobia came on without warning.
Hitting me like the weight of a thousand bricks.
My chest was heavy, and I couldn’t catch my breath.
A tightness of sorts clawed into my chest, restricting my lungs from taking in air. Spots peppered my vision as the walls of the room pressed in on me, and that uncomfortable feeling started washing over me again—fear.
I felt the walls of the room press in on me, and I felt a wave of fear wash over me.
