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Chapter Nineteen
Logan
Sitting in my room after our game tonight, I pull up the footage of her room. She wasn’t home when I got back, and I didn’t have a clue where she went. The new thing in her routine is she started taking lessons at the local martial arts studios. The boys and I have been tailing her all week. I’m not thrilled to see her taking up martial arts, but I’m guessing that was inspired by Taylah’s little stunt at school.
I didn’t expect her to have such a will to fight back. I thought she’d be easy to break—I was wrong. This definitely changes the rules of the game, but I can’t say it wouldn’t be funny as hell to watch her put my boys on their backs. Chuckling to myself, I’d pay to see that happen.
I scan the video of Phoenix and her girls, all barely dressed, but all dressed the same. I knew they had some sort of performance again tonight, but the bag she packed told me she wasn’t planning on coming home. My mind instantly went to the diary I watched her write in all week.
Looking at my phone, I knew it was still early in the night for us to get together, but I sent out a message to the boys anyway, telling them to meet me here. I pull up the dance studio’s website to try and work out where they are performing tonight. I want eyes on her around the clock, and this is the only way to find out where she’s dancing. Just as I thought, right on the homepage, the flyer for tonight’s show was posted. Breakout, performing at The Royal. Looks like we’re going clubbing.
Sending another message to the boys, I let them know where we were going before getting myself ready. Twenty minutes later, I’m showered, dressed, and jogging down the stairs to find the guys already waiting for me in the living room.
We all pile into my truck and make our way downtown. I haven’t been here in ages, but when we arrive, the club is pumping. People are milling around everywhere, and in the middle of the dance floor, there’s a raised platform that is currently empty.
Knowing that’s where they must be performing tonight, the boys and I make our way over to the bar, where we can see almost everything in the club. I don’t want to make my presence known just yet. Tonight is all about finding out who the mystery guy is from last week.
Scanning the crowd, I spot who I’m looking for. She’s standing in the middle of her group as they warm up, and right next to her is the guy from last week. She’s laughing at something he said, and as I watch, I see him lean in to whisper in her ear. His hands look a little too comfortable on her waist, and he’s standing way too close for my liking.
Who exactly is this douche, and why the fuck do I feel like ripping his smug arms off his body?
Stryker
Logan is on edge tonight. He has been ever since he saw Phoenix and the guy she danced with last week looking rather cozy. Hell, if I am honest, I didn’t like seeing how close they were either. It brought up a feral need for me to throw her over my shoulder and march her ass home to my bedroom.
This was a feeling that started to appear more often now. My little firecracker was so resilient and brave. She never backed down when it came to defending herself. The other thing I notice about her, she never retaliates. She takes the hits, and when needed, she shuts the shit thrown at her down immediately.
When Taylah put her hands on her this week at school, I was ready to explode. The only reason I didn’t was because of Logan, but I’ve been questioning our friendship a lot since Phe came into the picture.
What type of person goes in blindly believing one side of a story and starts attacking someone they used to be extremely close to? I had only just met her, and I could see it wasn’t as clear-cut as he thought it to be.
Watching her onstage tonight dancing to Escada’s “Every time We Touch” had me wishing it were me up there as she worked her body around me. She has slowly worked her way under my skin, and she doesn’t even know it. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could go along with Logan’s plans. I truly believe that he’ll go too far. He’s going to do something that he can’t return from, and then what happens?
As much as he doesn’t want to admit it, the hate he’s projecting isn’t all he feels for her. I’ve heard the saying, love and hate are two sides of the same coin, but I never understood it until now.
Scoping out the club, I spot her, relaxing with her crew in a booth across the room. Our mystery guy is still sitting with her, a little too close for my liking. She seems oblivious to him, but that doesn’t mean it’s not killing me. The boys are on the floor dancing with some randoms, but I’m stuck in a dark hallway watching the one girl I can’t have.
My plan is to take her aside when she heads my way, just to talk. Out of all my boys, I think she hates me the least. I watch her slide from her booth on bated breath, begging for her girls not to follow.
She’s lost for a moment, parting the crowd between us as she makes her way toward me. When she passes me blindly, heading to the bathroom at the end of the hall, I grab her. Her squeal is lost in the bass of the music as we tumble into the empty men’s room behind us.
Backing her up against the door, I lean in close, trapping her petite frame with my body. I pin both her wrists above her head with a single hand, smothering the scream on her lips with my other.
“Don’t scream, okay? I only want to talk,” I whisper, looking straight into her eyes. “I am not going to hurt you, I promise.”
Waiting for the nod of understanding, I release her hands. I hate that I got physical with her without her consent, but I didn’t want her screaming and alerting anyone.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Stryker?” The frustration is clear on her face. Maybe this was the wrong move.
“I’m trying to get you alone to talk,” my own frustration leaking through. “I want you to help me understand what’s wrong with Logan. I know it can’t be as simple as he says. I’ve told you before, I believe there is more to the story, but I need you to talk to me.”
Flipping us around and pinning me to the door, she pushes up until she’s eye level. Sparks shoot through me everywhere our skin touches, and I force back the groan that would give me away. I don’t know what it is about this girl, but she is so far under my skin, it’s as if God himself created her as my own special drug of choice.
“Listen carefully, Stryker, and listen well. I am sick and tired of having to repeat myself.” She’s trying to act tough, but I see the quiver in her lips when she speaks. God, watching her unravel in front of me is beautiful. I see the raw emotion on her face as her mask slips, and it only drives me to want more. “I don’t owe you any explanation. Why are you even here?”
“We came to check the place out.” It isn’t a complete lie, but it also isn’t the whole truth. The boys and I all know Logan is here tonight to find out who her dance partner is. Logan’s anger has been slowly morphing into jealousy ever since those pictures showed up on the net. I just hope that when all is said and done, he isn’t too late in admitting what and who he wants.
“We? As in, the others are out there right now?” I shrugged one shoulder. She had to know I wouldn’t be here alone. “Oh my God, you’re all here to figure out who my dance partner is, aren’t you? That’s a bit stalkerish, don’t you think?”
