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Just before she manages to evade me, I grab for her hair, yanking her back toward me so hard that she nearly falls on her ass.
“Ouch, Delilah, let go!”
I scoff at her reaction. Does she really expect me to let her go after what she’s done? It wasn’t just Elliot who cheated on me; I’d consider Arielle almost equally responsible for destroying my relationship.
“You think you’re off the hook?” I growl, pulling her hair so that she looks me in the eye. “What the fuck is wrong with you? You can already pull whatever guy you want. Why did it have to bemyboyfriend? You’ve already taken everything from me. Why him too?!” I scream, using her hair again to fling her to the floor.
She doesn’t even try to defend herself. She collapses into a puddle of sobs, and she’s immediately assisted by two girls from her group who shoot vicious scowls at me as they lift her. She’s inconsolable, falling right back to the floor like an infant in the midst of a meltdown.
Pathetic. I can’t even feel sorry for her after what she’s done.
I turn away from her and walk back over to Elliot, who has done nothing but watch me in disbelief as blood drips onto the dance floor. “You need to get your shit out of my apartment,” I snap. “If it’s not out by the end of the night, I’ll throw it all in the bay. You’re a goddamn waste of space.”
Elliot opens his mouth but closes it quickly, remembering my reaction last time.
All I can do is shake my head at him before walking away. I’ve managed to lose Regan in the chaos, but I’m not in the mood to be consoled by her. I’d rather be alone.
I make my way toward the door to leave, but I’m unable to get far before I feel a heavy hand on my shoulder. I spin around, expecting Regan, but instead, I’m met with a blur of color as I’m hoisted up and tossed over the shoulder of a tall, muscular man.
A bouncer? I’d expect so, but he’s not taking me outside. I’m being carried away from the dancefloor and through multiple doors, quickly vanishing from the public eye.
What the hell?
“Put me down!” I shout as panic surges through me. “I’ll call the cops!”
The man remains silent, carrying me into an unlit room and slamming the door shut behind us. He finally drops me into a chair, and the only thing I know is that I’m in serious trouble.
“Stay seated,” he says, flicking the light on.
Light washes over his face, revealing drastic features and eyes as sharp as needles. He’s an impossibly attractive man, likely early thirties, tall and muscular. His arms are crawling with tattoos, some of which are so intricate that I couldn’t begin to guess what they mean.
“Who are you? Why did you bring me in here? I was just about to leave,” I plead. I’d had my fill of drama for the night and was looking forward to spending the rest of the evening downing a bottle of chardonnay in my bathtub.
“My name is Akim, and I own this club. Agave has hardly been open for three hours, and you’re already causing trouble,” he says, sitting behind a large cherrywood desk at the other end of the room.
“I wasn’t trying to cause problems for you. It’s just that I caught my boyfriend here with my sister, and I kind of lost my temper,” I confess, wondering to myself if my reaction was a bit more dramatic and less poignant than I had imagined it was.
Suddenly, I’m extremely embarrassed. This isn’t how I should behave.
“I don’t give a shit what your reason is,” he barks, my skin prickling at his sudden change of tone. “You’ve already managed to get blood all over the place, and it isn’t even midnight yet.”
I can feel myself shrinking as he stares me down from across the room. He’s clearly very upset with me, and had I known that I’d have to face immediate consequences for my actions, I would have reacted differently.
Hindsight is 20/20.
“If someone called the cops, you’ve cost me an entire evening. Does that make you feel better? Your boyfriend is an asshole. All of them are. Is this news to you?” he continues, his tone growing more aggressive by the second.
“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I didn’t even know he was going to be here. You can ban me for life, whatever, but please just let me go,” I say, crossing my arms over the cut-out portions of my dress. I’m entirely too self-conscious and embarrassed to be wearing this right now. I feel like an idiot.
His gaze is intense that it makes me feel like I’m burning up inside. The fact that he’s attractive and older than me puts me in an awkward place. Clearly, he’s upset with me,really upset, and he wants to punish me somehow.
My lower stomach stirs.
Oh god, Delilah, don’t even think about it. He’s terrifying!
Akim pulls up a handheld radio and asks one of his security guards to make sure Elliot and Arielle don’t leave the building, barking the orders like he’s done this a million times.
I glance at him questioningly. I’m the one he’s upset with. They technically didn’t do anything. Why would he keep them here? For the police?
