Page 21 of Vengeful King

Or at least, that’s how I saw it. But judging from the shit he’s yelling, he’s clearly not over it.

He’s being belligerent. He’s shoving his way around, and from the looks on the other patrons’ faces, I know they’re wondering who the hell this guy is.

Does he know who they are? Does he know how easily the men who own this place could kill him?

I’m sure he doesn’t care, or he’s too drunk to realize that this might be the last thing he ever does. The last mistake he ever makes.

My heart is pounding.Fuck.I can’t even begin to imagine how he could fuck up my chances. All the work I did to get here, and he’s about to ruin it because he isn’t over a relationship that was toxic from the very beginning.

Before I can react, Casey barges onto the stage.

“Oh, so this is why you wanted to break up, you fucking cunt?” he shouts. “So you could shake your ass for a bunch of goddamn strangers? Look at you, you look like a fucking slut!”

My heart jumps into my throat; all my professionalism is gone. I stop dancing, backing away and slipping behind the pole, as if keeping it between us can create some kind of barrier.

Suddenly, I feel exposed. I’m in lingerie, and I’ve never cared much before, but I feel so bare now. I feel like there’s nothing between me and Casey. Nothing to stop him from hitting me, doing whatever he wants to do with his anger right now.

And I’ve never seen him as angry or as drunk as this.

It terrifies me.

“You fucking whore! Were you sleeping around when we were together? Were you letting men feel you up? Getting off on it? Getting off on sneaking around behind my back? I knew all that shit about your mom was a goddamn lie!”

My ears ring. He’s yelling at me, shouting, causing a scene. I stumble backward, flinching away from Casey. But as much as I’m freaking out, I can feel something else rising in my chest. Anger. I’m pissed.

How dare he? How fucking dare he? He treated me like shit for the entirety of our relationship, yet he has the audacity to come in here and act like I’m the one who wronged him? Like we could have had something real? He never liked how much time I spent with my mother, and now I know why. He distrusted me so much that he figured I was cheating on him.

And now he’s about to ruin everything just because of his bruised ego.

The bouncers are coming for Casey. I can see them weaving their way past the crowd, and I pray they’ll get to him before he does something stupid. His hands curl into fists, and he advances toward me—

And then suddenly, another body steps between me and Casey. Someone larger.

Lachlan.

He’s bigger than my ex, I realize. He’s also more threatening. But that threat isn’t pointed at me; it’s directed at Casey, dark and menacing.

Casey blinks, but before he can react, Lachlan steps forward. Moving with the grace and strength of a predator, he grabs Casey by the arm and drags him right out of the club.

All I can do is watch them go, my heart pounding, my pulse thundering in my ears.

Oh god. What is Lachlan going to do?

CHAPTER8

Lachlan

It’s not the first time someone has acted up in my club. There are always men who can’t hold their alcohol, or women who get too wild. When you own a club and there’s alcohol involved, it’s the perfect cocktail for misbehavior. And the dancers?

Well, it just means the rowdy ones get rowdier.

I knew all of that when my brothers and I took on the job of running this place. I knew the difficulties involved, and that’s why I worked twice as hard to vet our people—the dancers, the bouncers, and everyone in between.

Still, there are always nights like this, when I have to deal with someone outside of my influence. Someone who shouldn’t be in my club in the first place.

This time, it’s a stocky blond man.

He’s still red in the face when I drag him out. He twists in my grip at first, trying to look back at Kate Winters.No drama,she said.

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