CHAPTER THREE
NOAH
I wasn’t sure why I’d let Damon talk me into attending this party. The frat scene wasn’t really for me. Although there was definitely plenty of eye candy to enjoy. Most of these guys clearly knew their way around the gym.
The house was huge, holding hundreds of people. There were two separate living room areas as well as a massive kitchen. People even filled the backyard despite the frigid temperature.
I sat on a red suede couch with a drink in one hand.
Vodka on the rocks. I liked to keep it simple.
Several times I caught a guy across the room looking my way.
A tall hottie with dark hair and thighs that could no doubt crush a watermelon.
Maybe if nothing better turned up tonight I would let him get on his knees for me.
Of course, when I pictured having a gorgeous man on his knees in front of me, it wasn’t this guy I envisioned. Dominik Taylor had a way of forcing himself into my fantasies. Making it all about him.
Dom was unarguably attractive. Deep brown hair, almost black. The perfect length to grab a nice handful. Hazel eyes that were a perfect ring of green surrounded by a perfect ring of amber brown. A jaw sharp enough to cut. A body that no doubt looked fucking amazing without clothing.
Too bad he was such a fucking asshole though.
“I think I’m going to go talk to that redhead.” Damon nudged me, nodding to a girl standing near the door with two of her friends. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Sure. Good luck.” I raised my glass to him in cheers as he rose from the couch and ambled over to where she stood.
I watched him for a few minutes, noting how little effort it took my best friend to get attention. Being tall, dark haired, and handsome made it easy for him. As my glass drew closer to empty, I gave up my seat on the couch to navigate my way through the throng to the kitchen for a refill.
Music pounded through the house. I wasn’t even sure where exactly it came from. Some kind of hard dance music I wasn’t familiar with. A couple making out in the door frame of the kitchen forced me to squeeze past. In no time they would probably be fucking in the same spot.
Everyone’s inhibitions seem to go right out the window at parties like this. Nobody cared who saw them screwing. Twosomes became threesomes and sometimes more. Too bad most of it was hetero hookups. Not my vibe at all. I’d been gay as fuck since the day I was born and happily so.
“Hey, Noah.” A guy with a backwards hat wearing a jacket featuring the logo of the university’s hockey team, The Eradicators, nodded as I entered the kitchen. “I hear someone is looking for you. Rebel Kane I think.”
Of course he was. Certainly hadn’t taken long for the Graveyard Kings to come looking for me. They knew where I lived. I suppose it was better that they chose a public place filled with people. That meant they didn’t plan to kill me. Yet.
I wondered if that meant Dom was here too. Part of me kind of hoped so. I couldn’t help that I enjoyed our interactions.
“Cool. Thanks for the heads up.” I scanned the multitude of bottles on the wide kitchen island. Once I found my preferred brand of vodka, I topped up my glass with ice from the fridge and poured it full.
The hockey player and several of his friends were gathered around the dining table playing a game of beer pong. Every time one of them bounced the ball into a cup they cheered. Ridiculous.
Deciding to check out the second living room, I exited the kitchen on the side opposite from where I’d entered. That brought me into a hallway packed with people, making it especially difficult to push my way through.
Gritting my teeth in irritation, I saw a small opening and took it.
Shoving through as I angled toward the living room threshold.
I turned the corner into the living room, colliding with someone on their way out.
The impact jostled my drink, causing vodka to splash over the rim of the glass onto the person in front of me.
I recognized his scent before I glanced up and met his eyes. A musky manly aroma mingling with a hint of mint. Dominik.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me.” Dom stared down at the wet spot on his black T-shirt. “Are you serious right now, Cunningham?”
“Yes, I totally knew that you were going to be right there right this second, and I timed my arrival so I would spill half my drink on your shirt. You figured me out.” Sarcasm spilled out, refusing to be contained. For good measure, I rolled my eyes.
Dom held a beer in one hand. His other hand clenched into a tight fist. “You have a smarmy response to everything, don’t you?”
“I’d like to think so. Does that bother you?” Holding his intense stare, I quirked up a brow and grinned. It didn’t take much to get under Dom’s skin. I fucking loved it.
Before he could punch me in the face like I knew he wanted to, Casper Callahan was right there, shoving between us. With a hand on Dom’s chest, he shoved him back a few feet.
“We’re not here to fight,” Casper signed. “We just want to talk.”
Having a hearing impaired younger brother meant I easily understood Casper when he signed. Although he wasn’t hearing impaired, he was mute, which made that his primary form of communication.
“Where is Rebel?” I asked, glancing around the packed living room for any sign of the other Kings. “I heard he was looking for me.”
“He’s shooting pool in the basement,” Casper explained. “Will you come willingly, or are we going to have to force you?”
Casper was a big guy. He towered over Dom and me. Neither of us were small. Casper was just that big. Tattooed and known as the King’s enforcer, I had no interest in beefing with him.
“No worries. Let’s go shoot some pool.” I motioned for him to lead the way.
While Casper took the lead, Dom fell into step behind me, trapping me between the two of them. Sipping from what was left of my drink, I meandered along, weaving through the crowd behind Casper as he made his way toward the basement door at the back of the living room.
Dom hovered so close I felt the warmth of his body against my back. That minty aroma wafted around me. God he smelled divine. Such a shame that he checked all my boxes. He was the enemy. I would never forget that.
We descended into the basement to find a huge rec room filled with two pool tables and several old school arcade games. Weed smoke hung heavy on the air. Everyone’s voices meshed together into one cacophonous noise.
I spotted Rebel’s redheaded wife and her friends playing a few of the arcade games. That guaranteed the other Kings were nearby. As Casper had said, they were gathered around a pool table.
Rebel took his shot as we approached. Easily sinking three balls. He glanced up to find me with Casper and Dom, his expression changing into one of pure malevolence.
“We need to have words with you,” he said, tightly gripping his pool cue in one hand. “Care to explain what happened earlier tonight? I hear you fucked up an important deal for us.”
I held up a hand, shaking my head. “Hey, I didn’t know shit about your deal. I was there to do a job.”
“You saw Dom there first. You chose to interrupt.” Rebel batted the pool cue between both hands, his gaze locked on me.
“I know the two of you like to pull this shit with each other, but this was not the time or place. If you know anything about the man you chased off, you better start talking. We have to find him and get this deal back on track.”
I studied Rebel for a moment, noting the way his hands clenched around the pool cue every time he moved it back and forth. Blue eyes flashing with rage. He had to be thinking about smashing me over the head with that cue.
Dom and Casper stood on either side of me while Rebel, Auryn, and Stray completed the circle. They were doing their best to appear intimidating. Not that they had to try very hard. The Kings were intimidating. That had never stopped me though.
“I may have some information,” I said, choosing my words carefully. “Even if I share it with you, that doesn’t change the fact that I was hired to grab this guy. I’m supposed to deliver him to a specified location once I get my hands on him.”
“That can wait,” Dom jumped in. “We need to get our deal in place and have everything up and running first. Then you can have him.”
“How long is that supposed to take?” Refusing to let him set off my temper, I calmly observed him while sipping my drink. “I can’t drag this out forever.”
“It takes however long it fucking takes.” Dom turned to better face me directly. “Do you have a problem with that?”
I nodded, continuing to maintain my cool composure. “I do. If it takes me too long to grab this guy, they’re going to find someone else to do it. Wouldn’t that also fuck with your plans?”
Dom shoved closer, bringing us chest to chest. He glared hard into my face. “Stop trying to be such an antagonistic cunt and start telling us what we want to hear.”
“Or what, Dom? Are you going to find an excuse to put your hands on me? We both know how much you enjoy that.” Knowing exactly what I was doing, I winked.
As expected, Dominik lost it. He punched me in the face, adding to the damage on my already sore and swollen nose. I stumbled into Casper who stopped me from falling.
Since Dom expected a fight, I refused to give him one. Not this time. I did nothing to fight back.
Dom nodded. “You’re right. I did enjoy that.”
“No fighting.” Someone behind us shouted. A moment later, two of the frat guys that lived in the house emerged from the crowd. “Anyone who wants to fight has to take it outside. There’s a fight ring out there. If you scrap in the house, you get kicked out.”
“Sounds good to me.” Dom nodded towards the stairs. “Let’s take this outside.”
Scratching my chin, I pretended to think about it. “I don’t think I’m in the mood right now. Maybe some other time.”
Dom gaped at me, his expression becoming downright dangerous. “Don’t give me this shit. Get your ass up the stairs.”
I shook my head, calmly finishing the last of my drink. “As much as I’d love to beat your ass, you want it too much. And I’m not in the business of giving you what you want.”
I turned around to walk away, smirking to myself. He made this too fucking easy and enjoyable. Bracing myself for it, I was ready when he grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.
“You don’t get to walk away from me,” Dom snarled. “I’m not finished with you.”
Before he could take another swing at me, Casper grabbed his arm, pinning it behind his back. That only made my smug smile grow.
“Looks like you are.”
This time they let me walk away. Although Rebel called after me, “We want that info, Noah. You have twenty-four hours.”
I didn’t bother to reply. Better to leave them hanging. They would get what I wanted to give them when I was ready to give it to them. Until then they could kiss my ass.