Chapter 16

Thoratbed: Why did that sting? My lips thinned at the underlying disappointment I felt. I didn't want to dwell on why it bothered me.

I turned back to the counter as the bartender served the shots. I took one. The liquor burned going down.

Bey chuckled, looking at me. “Perhaps I could convince you to have another round.”

“Maybe,” I shrugged. She took her shot and jerked her head toward the dance floor. As we walked toward it, I resisted—and failed—to sneak a glance at him. Aiden was in formal wear: gray trousers and a white shirt, the top two buttons undone. He was probably there after work. I've never seen this man not look insanely attractive.

He hadn't noticed me staring. His eyes were on the brunette. His lips curved upward at something she said. Before I could process how that made me feel, I felt another pair of eyes on me. They belonged to another man sitting beside Aiden. He was as tall as Aiden, with tousled dirty-blonde hair and lips twisted in a sardonic smile. I blinked and looked away.

As soon as we stepped onto the dance floor, "Gasolina" started playing. Rey's head snapped toward me, and I knew what that look meant. We both loved the song, and judging by the cheers, so did the crowd. We waited for the beat to drop before joining in.

We were two songs in when a hand snaked around my waist from behind, and a chest pressed against my back.

“You have a nice ass.” My shoulders tensed immediately; I was creeped out by the contact. I broke free and turned to face the man. He was a couple of inches taller than me, with a crooked nose and a creepy smile.

“One dance!”

“No, thanks,” I gritted out.

He scoffed. “Come on now. Don’t play hard to get.”

Rey stepped forward defensively. “Get the fuck away before I kick you in the teeth.”

“Did I ask you?” He glanced at her before advancing toward me. He took only one step before Aiden, who I hadn't noticed approaching, grabbed him by the back of his shirt. Aiden towered over the man, his brow furrowed.

Aiden's presence was magnificent. He was attracting a lot of attention. I was transfixed by the raw masculinity radiating from him.

That is, until he slammed his fist into the other guy's face. The man stumbled forward, clutching his nose. “Which part of ‘no’ do you not understand?” Aiden asked in a low, calm voice—a stark contrast to his actions.

The creepy guy snarled, his jaw muscles twitching. He stepped forward and grabbed Aiden by the neck. “You’re going to walk out of here right now.”

That was it. There was no arguing. Judging by the look on the man's face, Aiden's order was likely to be followed. Aiden clearly scared him. The man hastily nodded, struggling to breathe. I was convinced Aiden was going to choke him to death before he finally let go.

The creepy guy coughed, already on his feet and scrambling away.

“Are you okay?” Aiden pulled my attention back to him. His face looked composed, but his eyes were still agitated. I was about to say yes when I saw his acquaintance, the brunette, approaching us. My mood soured for some reason. I pursed my lips and stared back at Aiden.

“I am capable of protecting myself. You didn't have to play the white knight.”

I admit, it was rude and unnecessary. I blamed it on the single shot of tequila; my judgment was unbalanced.

His face hardened, some dark, untamed emotion flashing in his eyes. One look could bring a grown man to his knees. Why couldn't I look away, even when I wanted to? Or was I kidding myself into thinking I wanted to? His gaze sent a shiver down my spine. Aiden was scary; there was no denying it.

AIDEN

Chapter 1

Trey was here. In this very club. What were the chances? When I first saw her walking up to the bar, I thought the alcohol had gotten to my head. She was wearing a black dress with a plunging neckline. It ended mid-thigh and hugged her curves in all the right places. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought so; I'd noticed men checking her out since she arrived. Unfiltered jealousy washed over me. I wanted nothing more than to whisk her away from the eyes of every man there.

My situation hadn't changed much. She danced carefree while I sat there, suppressing the urge to kill everyone who stared at her with uncontrolled lust in their eyes.

“You feeling okay there, brother?” Cillian slapped my shoulder, grinning. Amusement gleamed in his eyes. Good to know he found amusement in my expense while I squirmed with the need to carry Freya out of the club, caveman style.

“You’re staring at her like she’s going to disappear any moment now.”

Great. As if Cillian wasn't enough, now Erica was added to the mix. She continued as if I hadn't ignored her seconds ago. “Although it’s good to know you’re finally moving on after spending your last six years obsessing over that woman.”

Cillian chuckled. “Oh yeah, he definitely moved on.”

“What would that mean?” Erica asked, looking between us, catching the sarcasm in my brother's words. His lips tilted up in a teasing smirk.

He stared at me, his…

“It’s her. Freya Wilson, Aiden’s obsession.”

“You can’t be serious?” He glanced at her, a swift, disinterested look, like he was done conversing with her for the day.

“Fuck! I need to meet her.” I groaned, annoyed at her unnecessary enthusiasm. Before I could tell her no, I saw a man approaching Freya. He snuck up behind her and put his hand around her waist, pressing himself against her back.