Page 69 of Hunt for the Roses
“Yeah, well, you don’t have to worry about it anymore,” I snap.
“What?” Dane questions.
I peel myself off the wall and hold out my arms as I look at him. “You can be done with your charity case,” I say as I start walking past him. “You’re off the hook, Dane, don’t worry about me anymore.”
I feel Dane’s hand grip my wrist, and I spin around. “What the hell are you talking about?” he says with furrowed brows.
“Get off me,” I say as I yank my wrist out of his grasp and start walking away again.
I gasp when Dane grabs my upper arm and leans me against the wall of the building. “No. You’re going to tell me what the hell you meant by that.” His aggressive and dominant tone startles me.
My breathing starts to pick up, and I’m peering up at him for several seconds before I respond. “My brother asked you to look out for me. That’s why you’ve been spending time with me.”
Dane takes a few seconds to comprehend what I’m talking about, and then he starts to slowly shake his head. “That’s not the reason I’ve been spending time with you, Ari.”
“But you wouldn’t have started unless Ronnie asked you to, right?” I counter.
Dane furrows his brows at me. “Why would that matter to you?”
I’m offended he would even ask me that question because it seems to tell me just how little he cares for me. “It wouldn’t. So get off me,” I say sternly as I shake my arm out of his hold. But as soon as I do, he’s caging me in with both of his palms on the wall behind me.
“I don’t believe you,” Dane challenges.
“I don’t give a shit what you believe,” I say as I knock his arm out of the way to storm off.
I head back inside Shippers, knowing Dane won’t be too far behind me, but I don’t care enough to look back. I find Kate and Trent sitting at the table, but I’m so angry with Dane that I don’t want to hang out with the three of them anymore tonight. I’m ready to play fire with fire, so I look around for Brad, and when I spot him at the bar, it’s game on.
I walk up to tap Brad’s shoulder. “Hey!”
When he turns around, he throws me a wide grin. “Hey! I was hoping to see your cute face again.”
I blush at his compliment and egg him on. “So can I buy us another round, considering your gesture was compromised earlier?”
He smiles at my offer. “Sure thing.”
Just as I’m about to get the bartender’s attention, Dane comes in between Brad and I, and he shifts me away from the bar a little bit. “We’re going. Say goodbye to your friend.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “You’re not my father. Get out of my way.”
Dane leans down so he can talk into my ear. “You have three seconds to move out of this bar, or I’m going to physically remove you from it. And I mean it, Ari.”
His tone is cold, and it sends a shiver through my body. Without looking back at him, I start walking out of the bar with Dane right behind me. There are too many people outside that I don’t want to make a scene, especially since Kate and Trent are here. So as much as I’m furious with Dane and don’t want to get in his car with him, I swallow my pride and do it anyway.
When we reach his Mustang, I get in the passenger side and position my body so that my knees are leaning on the door, and my elbow is leaning on the windowsill. Once Dane pulls out onto the road, we drive for a few minutes in silence until he’s the first to speak. “I’m not apologizing for ruining your hookup plans. So if you’re expecting an apology, don’t hold your breath.”
Is he kidding me?
Okay, two can play this game.
I continue to look out the window as I say, “What else is new? You’re always trying to cock block me. Come up with something original next time.”
Dane laughs as if I’m being ridiculous. “Yeah, I’m keeping you fromrealwinners,” Dane says sarcastically.
I turn to face him, even angrier now. “Yeah, because the girls you fuck are justgemsright? That’s why you always kick them out the second you get what you want, huh?”
“At least those girls know I can get the job done. Must be the reason you came running to me last Saturday after Blake couldn’t satisfy you,” Dane says.
I slam a palm on his glove compartment. “You bastard!” I yell as rain starts to drizzle on the windshield.
