Page 2 of Rebel

Of course it might have been the tattoos that covered his neck and arms. Did they disappear under his shirt, coloring his body too? He looked firm. Hard. Damn, why couldn’t I look away?

“Should we do more shots?” Athena provided the distraction I needed. She patted my arm, drawing my attention back to her.

“No, I think I’m good. I’ll just have a hard lemonade. I need to take off soon. Big day tomorrow.” I shut down Athena’s protests before she managed to talk me into staying.

After we got our drinks, Athena dragged me over to a table filled with people she knew from campus. I followed along, trying not to look back to where my mysterious watcher had stood. Since I was transferring to Wintervale University next week, I should probably meet some people who went there.

As I made small talk and finished my lemonade, I continued to feel that sensation of being watched. Maybe I was imagining it. Having no interest in a bar hottie, I kept up the chit-chat with Athena’s acquaintances.

Upon finishing my drink, I stood up. “It was nice to meet you all. I have to take off now. Busy day tomorrow.”

Athena affected a dramatic pout. “Aww, I don’t want to leave.”

“It’s cool. Stay and have fun. I’ll get an Uber.”

“Are you sure? I can come with.” Athena started to get up.

I stopped her with a head shake and a raised hand. “No, really. Just hang out. I’m good.”

She gave me a hug before resuming her conversation. As I made my way out, I risked taking a peek at where I’d seen the tattooed guy. He was gone. Just as well. I wasn’t here to meet guys anyway.

I paused in the lobby to order an Uber before going outside to wait. It was a nice spring night. Not too hot or too cold. After being in the hot bar, the cooler outside air felt so good on my skin.

Moving away from the entry where people had gathered to smoke, I leaned against the building, watching for my ride. The sound of a muffled shout startled me. It seemed to have come from around the corner. This area could be dangerous at night, especially once the bar traffic died down. Still, it wasn’t all that late.

Curiosity convinced me to take a peek around the corner. Most of the businesses on that street were closed at this time of night. Not expecting to see much, I was shocked to see the guy who’d been watching me inside the bar. He wasn’t alone.

He and a friend were busy roughing up another man. They took turns hitting him, shoving him back and forth between them.

“Did you really think you could rip us off? You should know better than that.” My watcher dropped the man with a knee to his stomach. Pulling him back up by his hair, another punch in the face followed.

“I’m sorry,” the man gasped. “I didn’t know. It was my supplier. He screwed me.”

“Well, whose problem is that?” My watcher shoved the man into his friend. “Break his leg, Casper. This is his only warning.”

Casper was a large man with tattoos trailing down one side of his neck onto his arm in a full sleeve. His entire demeanor reeked of violence. I sure wouldn’t want someone like him pissed at me.

I was too busy gawking at the scene before me to realize I’d been spotted until it was too late. My watcher turned his head, nailing me with that fierce stare. Oh, shit.

I jerked back around the corner but it was too late. I’d been seen. Heart racing, I started walking back toward the bar.

“Where do you think you’re going?” His tone was low, his voice both sinister and sexy with a slight rasp and a husky edge.

He caught my arm, jerking me to a stop. Not waiting for me to answer, he pulled me around the corner and pinned me to the building. The musky, earthy aroma of his cologne crawled inside me, clouding me with his scent. His hard body pressed against me, holding me in place. A flutter in my stomach and a tightening between my thighs left me reeling.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” My voice came out breathy and faint.

Dark brown hair with a blonde streak off to one side in the front and blue eyes that flashed with a predatory gleam, he was both mesmerizing and terrifying. He didn’t look any older than my twenty years. Clearly, he was dangerous. Involved in something I shouldn’t have witnessed. I swallowed hard, blinking furiously.

“You should be more careful. There are a lot of bad people out here. You could get hurt.” Sliding a hand around my throat, he leaned in and murmured, “Do you want me to hurt you, pet?”

I vigorously shook my head. “No. Please. I didn’t mean to—”

He placed a finger over my lips, cutting off my words. “That’s the wrong answer. Try again.”

My mouth went dry. Fear racked me, adrenaline pounding through my veins. Unable to speak, I stared at him, wide-eyed and panic stricken.

“I was watching you earlier,” he continued. “You looked like a real fighter. Where’s that fight now? Show me.”

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