Page 31 of The Sweetest Revenge

Gripping her hips, I spun her. My gaze searched her face. Something was wrong. The colored lights strobed across her features, giving me glimpses of what I'd missed.

"What did you take, Ariella?"

I gripped her jaw, my fingers pressing into her skin. Her eyes met mine, unfocused, pupils blown so wide the blue of her irises had nearly disappeared. Her pulse hammered against my thumb.

"I didn't take anything." Her words slurred at the edges. She pushed weakly against my hand, and I let go.

"I don't feel good." The confession came out small, vulnerable.

The color drained from her face in one sickening wave. She pitched forward. Time slowed as she fell, her hair swinging forward, her body boneless. I caught her against me, my arm snaking around her waist before she hit the floor.

"Zaid," Sterling whisper-hissed, stepping up behind me. "You have to leave the girl alone, or you're going to get us all kicked out."

"I think someone drugged her." Heat crawled up my neck. I adjusted my grip on Ariella, her head lolling against my shoulder.

Sterling studied my face for a moment before his shoulders relaxed. "That's fucked up." He glanced toward the crowd, where curious eyes were beginning to turn our way.

I pulled Ariella closer, protective despite myself. "I'm taking her home."

Sterling nodded, already scanning the room for the quickest exit. "I'll cover for you." He wiped sweat from his forehead, then jerked his head toward the kitchen. "Take her out the back. Less people."

"I think you two need to leave." EJ appeared out of nowhere, swaying slightly. His gaze slid from me to Ariella's limp form and back. "Since you seem to be confused about which girls are off-limits to the hockey team."

The bass from the speakers vibrated through the floor, matching the thrum of rage building in my chest. Around us, the crowd sensed the shift, voices quieting as people stepped back, creating a small clearing. My lip curled into a snarl.

Sterling moved beside me, shoulders tensing. "Yeah, we're out." His voice cut through the sudden pocket of silence. "We didn't know the football team had to drug their girls to get lucky."

EJ's gaze shifted from Sterling down to Ariella as I scooped her in my arms. "Drugged?" He rolled his eyes and sucked his teeth. "She took X all on her own."

My gaze narrowed on him. Ariella was a dancer, and like most athletes, she didn't do drugs, or at least the Ariella I knew before my sister's death didn't. My eyes shifted past him to Mila, who was standing to the left of EJ. She gave the slightest shake as my gaze met hers. She told me, without saying a word, that Ariella didn't take anything on her own.

I lifted my chin and squared my shoulders. "That's a fucking lie."

EJ stepped forward, puffing out his chest, trying to intimidate us, but he was so drunk he just looked like a drunk idiot beating on his chest. "Are you calling me a liar?" He slurred, stumbling as he stepped forward.

I narrowed my eyes. He looked like he was on the same thing she was. "I did call you a liar."

"Everyone here knows Ari didn't take anything willingly," Sterling frowned. "So we're going to take her and go."

"We will take her," EJ said, reaching out for her.

I shifted my weight, jerking Ariella out of his reach. "If you touch her, I'll break your fingers."

"How do we know you didn't drug her?" EJ's voice rose, drawing attention from nearby partygoers.

"I'll make sure she gets home safe." Mila stepped between us, her small frame somehow filling the space. She placed a steady hand on EJ's chest, creating distance. "She lives with Zaiden, so he would be the best person to get her home, and I'll go with them."

EJ's jaw worked, a muscle twitching beneath his flushed skin. His gaze darted between Mila's hand and my face before he rolled his eyes. He threw his hands up, stumbling back a step.

"Whatever."

The crowd parted as he walked away, mumbling under his breath. I watched his retreat, the tension in my shoulders barely easing. He may have said whatever, but the look he shot over his shoulder told me this wasn't the end, especially if it wasn't EJ or the football team who drugged her.

"Fuck, man." Sterling's voice dropped to a harsh whisper. He ran a hand down his face, eyes darting toward the hallway where EJ had disappeared. "Now we've started a war."

The weight of Ariella in my arms suddenly felt heavier. Every second we stayed put us all at greater risk, but the need to know burned hotter than my instinct to run.

"Who drugged her?" I asked Mila, ignoring Sterling's warning.

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