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He took a step closer and patted me on the shoulder. “No worries. Figured you could use it. Rough week, huh?”
I grimaced. “Tell me about it.”
“Honestly, fuck ‘em. Fuck ‘em all.” He leaned closer. “We can do better. And for the record, I know it wasn’t you in that shitty video. I’m sorry it happened. It’s fucked up.”
I gave him a weak smile. “Thanks.”
“Time to get drunk and forget about all this bullshit, right?”
“That’s the plan.”
Cade lifted a finger. “Wait right here for a minute. I’ll grab us some more shots.”
He headed over to the second-floor bar and ordered some shots before returning to me. “Here you go.” He handed me one of the glasses and clinked his own against it. “Cheers.”
“Cheers.” I downed the shot and let out a brief, airy grunt. “Oof. Strong.”
“Good, though.” Cade grinned and looked over my shoulder at the dance floor. “They look like fucking ants down there.”
I turned my head and peered at the crowd. “Yeah, I guess we’re pretty high up.”
“We could totally have a Titanic moment right now.” Cade moved closer and spun me around so I was facing the railing, hands wrapping around my waist to hold me steady. “Go on. Put your arms up and say the line.”
I laughed. “Oh, god. No way.”
“Come on!”
“Fine.” I grinned and relented, raising my arms as I tilted myself forward. “I’m the queen of the world!”
“It’s king of the world!” Cade said.
“I know, but I’m a woman,” I said, turning my head over my shoulder to look at him. “So I’m a queen!”
“Fair enough.” He flashed another grin at me, grip tightening around my waist. His other hand moved lower, grasping me at the left hip. “Wanna feel what it’s like to fly, Queen Sienna?”
“What?”
Before I could say anything else, he was lifting me in the air, like he was about to dangle me headfirst off the balcony. Panic surged through me, and I screamed and flailed, trying to grab onto the sticky railing. “Wait! No! Cade, put me down!”
Before I knew it, someone else was dragging me backward to safety and wrenching me out of Cade’s grip. Relief flooded my veins, and I panted for breath as I stumbled away from the railing.
When I looked up, I realized who had rescued me from Cade’s stupid game. Paxton.
He stared down at me, eyes flickering with indecipherable emotion. “Are you okay?” he asked in a grudging tone, like he wished the answer was ‘no’.
Bile worked its way up my throat as adrenaline continued to flood my veins. “I… I thought he was going to drop me,” I managed to croak out.
Paxton’s lips thinned. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t let anyone kill you. That’s my job, remember?”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. At the same time, the chill of his stare went straight to my bones, freezing me from the inside out.
Cade jostled Paxton’s shoulder. “Hey! What the hell, man? We were just kidding around. I wasn’t gonna let her fa—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Paxton spun around and punched him in the jaw. He grunted and stumbled backward, face twisting into a grimace as he clutched at it.
“Isn’t that Paxton Cole?” someone said from behind me. “Did he just hit that guy?”
“Yup,” another person chimed in. “I guess he is a psycho.”
