Page 163 of Things We Hide from the Light
Sloane clapped in time with the rest of the crowd. “That’s Lucian’s asshole face.”
Dancers whooped as the song came to an end. But just as we all broke ranks, the next song started and Justice claimed me, spinning me out and pulling me back. Laughing, I joined him in a two-step until Tallulah appeared. Justice spun me out again and grabbed his wife. I hooted with laughter as another pair of arms found me. It was Blaze, one half of my favorite lesbian biker couple.
Together we cut an enthusiastic rug, singing along with the rest of the crowd. I barely heard the indignant squeak over the chorus. But there was no missing the shrill “Get your hands off me, asshole.” Blaze and I came to a halt on the dance floor, and I spotted Sloane, baring her teeth and struggling against the grip of one of Tate Dilton’s friends.
THIRTY-FOUR
INEVITABLE
Lina
He was a big, sweaty guy who had clearly had more than his fair share of beer. He also didn’t look like the type to crack a book, and I was willing to bet he’d crashed this party.
I pushed my way through the crowd.
“I said, back off,” Sloane growled as I arrived at her side.
“Now where you runnin’ off to, darlin’?” the big man said, flashing a grin with a gold canine tooth. He tried to perform some kind of dance step but only succeeded in twisting Sloane’s arm and knocking the glasses off her face.
“That’s it. Take a hike, micro penis,” I snapped, inserting myself between them and breaking his hold on Sloane’s arm.
His attention zeroed in on me. “Why don’t you give yourself a feel, sweetheart,” he slurred. He grabbed my wrist with a stinging grip and stupidly yanked it toward his crotch.
“I wouldn’t do that unless you’ve got enough sick leave saved up for a testicle retrieval operation,” I said, fighting the downward trajectory.
“Woooo wee! I like ’em spirited,” Drunky McBad Choice said, twisting my wrist painfully and leaving himself wide open. “Who are you supposed to be?”
I closed my free hand into a fist. “Get a clue,” I said, winding up. But instead of the satisfying connection of knuckle to face I expected, I found myself freed from his grip and airborne thanks to the strong arm that snaked around my waist.
“Hey!” I yelped.
“Hold her,” came the terse command as Chief Nash Morgan handed me off to his brother.
“Let me go!” I demanded, fighting against Knox’s grip.
In my rage, I noticed that Lucian had Sloane in a similar hold. The man was shooting daggers of the eyeball variety at Biker Big Mistake.
“You got this?” Knox asked Nash as he locked my arms at my sides before I could jump back into the fight. The Morgans were stubbornandstrong.
“I got this.”
The steel in Nash’s voice, the arctic chill in his blue eyes had me going still. I’d never seen him so furious.
Hurt? Yep.
Amused? Sure.
Charming? Absolutely.
Stupidly stubborn? A thousand times yes.
But the icy mask of rage he wore now was something new.
There was definitely something wrong with me because that one look at his face made me hot. Like hand-a-girl-a-fresh-pair-of-underwear hot.
I gave one last flail, but Knox’s grip was unbreakable.
“Iwanted to punch him,” I whined.
