Page 4 of Entangled By You
And there it is. He’s the only one who knows exactly where to find the right button to set me off. “What the fuck is wrong with my outfit?” I whirl back in his direction, hair flipping, and hopefully slapping him in his smug face.
“Oh, nothing, as long as you’re looking to give every guy in here a piece of ass tonight.”
His eyes cast up and down my body before that tanned throat bobs as he sucks down his drink.
“Well, it won’t beeveryguy in here, now will it?” I quirk my eyebrow and spot Harlow over his shoulder. Before he can pull me into a sparring match, I march past him with my head held high, knowing I got in the last jab.
As if tonight couldn’t get any worse, now I’ll have to deliberately keep my eyes off Pierce, because I don’t think I’ll be able to handle watching some half-naked woman drape herself all over him.
Thankfully, the empty chair at the table where Harlow and Si are seated leaves my back toward him, and I slump down, already checking my watch to see if I can sneak away and leave.
“You good?” She leans closer toward me from Si’s lap so I can hear her over the music.
“Peachy,” I deadpan and take a sip of the smoky whiskey.
“A couple more of those and I’m sure you will be.” She smirks, and my brother groans at her words.
Which is fair considering the last time he saw me wasted, it wasn’t pretty for either of us. Thankfully, he’s missed the many other times since that night. Drinking alone has never been my thing. But lately, other than picking up a sleeping pill habit, it’s the only thing that shuts my brain up enough to get sleep that doesn’t have my heart racing and me screaming in the middle of the night.
The hangovers are wicked, and the new relationship I’ve made face down with my toilet isn’t one I’m proud of, but no one has to deal with those consequences but me. So, who is it really hurting?
“You know what? I think that’s a brilliant fucking idea.” I slam the rest of my glass and pop back up from my seat, that’s barely had enough time to warm from my body. “Let’s go get another round!”
Dragging Harlow from her protected perch, I set my sights on a bottle of Jack behind the bar. Might as well make this easier on all of us. Waiting until Mr. Eyefull is busy with someone else down the bar, I sneak around the edge and snag the bottle of Jack from the shelf.
A few moans and groans of protest come from the small crowd waiting, but I couldn’t care less. I’m not sure what the rules are here when it comes to booze, but I also know my brother holds a position that should allow me some leniency if I’m breaking them.
“Oh boy, you’re definitely going to be trouble tonight.” Harlow laughs, and we pass the bottle back and forth a few times until half the contents are gone.
When she’s had enough, she hands it back, and I keep my skinny fingers wrapped around the neck like it’s nothing more than a bottle of beer. The warmth of the liquor coasts through my veins, and the worry from earlier dissipates. There’s even something tickling the back of my mind that I think I should be remembering, but I just can’t seem to put my finger on it.
There’s not much of a dance floor since the place is smaller than I expected, but Harlow and I find a small clearing between a couch and the table where my brother and his friends are sitting. I pull her in close, letting the thudding bass move my limbs as they start to go numb from the alcohol.
Closing my eyes is enough to trick my brain into letting loose, and for the first time tonight, I think maybe Harlow had a point about me coming out.
“Hey, I need to go check on something. You good?”
“Mhmm.”
I don’t bother opening my eyes, letting the rhythm keep its hold on my body, and enjoying the freedom on the makeshift dance floor. I feel a soft peck to my cheek as the warmth of her body pulls away, and I’m left with a refreshing cool breeze.
This is exactly what I needed.
SOMETHIN’ BOUT A WOMAN
PIERCE
I’m goingto kill him if he takes another step closer to her. I watch Chopper close in on Lexi, but she’s too into the music or too deep in the bottle to notice his approach. Silas was keeping an eye on her until he and Harlow disappeared about five minutes ago. Since then, every single brother who isn’t distracted by their old lady has had her in their sights.
My knuckles crack again inside my tight fist. But it’s the only thing keeping me from busting this empty glass over Chopper’s head when I catch his fingers wrap around her tiny waist. Her body freezes mid-hip-sway, and I see red.
That’s enough of that.
My long legs eat up the distance before Lexi can shake off his hold. I shove him hard, the copious amounts of liquor in his system giving me the upper hand, because he actually stumbles away from us.
“What the?” Lexi’s shrill voice hits my ear.
I bend over and throw her petite frame over my shoulder, while she shrieks at me. I immediately clamp a hand over her too fucking short skirt so no onegets a free show.
