Chapter 17 Understand #2
“Goddamn Used,” he mutters, throwing himself into the booth. “They’re on the hunt tonight, their desperation stinking like cheap perfume.” He reaches for Loni. “Come here, princess. I need something to get that taste out of my mouth.”
Now that he husband is back, that he got rid of the Used targeting him, Loni relaxes. No. She actually giggles, sliding her arms around his neck, the two of them falling into a kiss like they’re the only two in the club.
I look away, suddenly uncomfortable at how obviously they love each other, and that’s when I realize that Adrian is here.
Sebastien isn’t.
I wait until Adrian stops trying to devour his wife before I clear my throat. “Um. Sebastien. What happened to him?”
“He said he needed to take a piss,” Adrian tells me, pulling his wife across his lap. “Said he’d be right back.”
A flicker of unease skitters down my spine. I don’t know why it does, but as though I can’t resist the urge to make sure he’s okay, I slip out of the booth, climbing to my feet.
Ignoring Loni and Adrian, I take a few steps away from our table, scanning the Court—and that’s when I see him.
He’s not heading toward us. He’s not in the bathroom, either.
And he sure as hell isn’t alone.
My husband—fake husband, I whisper to myself—is leaning against the bar, a gorgeous woman touching his arm. She has it all. Big smile. Huge tits. Her blonde hair is styled in voluminous curls, and her red dress leaves little to the imagination. She’s a knock-out… and she’s touching Sebastien.
My vision tunnels. At the same time, something inside of me snaps.
Discreet, I think to myself. If he wants to be intimate with anyone else during our marriage of convenience, he’s supposed to be discreet.
That? Is the complete opposite of discreet.
She must be one of the Used. I can’t see her brand from her, but everything about her…
she belongs here, and I don’t, but that doesn’t stop me.
As she smiles up at Sebastien, her red-tipped fingers running along the outline of his bicep through his leather jacket, all I can think now is: he’s supposed to be mine.
My heart stutters. My blood heats up.
I don’t remember making any conscious decision to move. I don’t even remember walking. I just know that, by the time I reach the bar, she’s laughing at something he said to her, leaning closer, and every inch of me exists to get her away from Sebastien.
I start with words.
“Take your hands off my husband,” I hear myself say.
My voice is quiet. Doesn’t matter.
I know she heard me.
The woman—who, this close, is clearly one of the Used—startles to be interrupted, then recovers with a sneer that does little to mar her perfect beauty. “Oh, sweetheart. He’s been mine longer than he’s been yours.”
That’s the worst possible thing she could’ve said.
I don’t think. I don’t hesitate.
I simply grab as much of that gorgeous hair that I can and yank her away from Sebastien. Shrieking, she has to come with me, but once I let go of her, she slaps me.
Fine.
I slap her right back.
She launches herself at me, using her perfectly manicured fingers to claw at my face.
I grab her hair again and then… well. I’m not really sure what happens except that, for the first time in years, I stop being the perfect Offering as I slap, I punch, I might even bite…
I definitely kick. We’re on the floor now, and I’m pretty sure I’m on top of her when the noise around me becomes clear.
Someone is calling my name. I ignore them.
I can’t ignore the large hand that closes around my wrist, lifting me easily off of the target of my jealous rage, before pulling me back against a hard, familiar chest.
“Enough,” Sebastien growls.
I swivel my head, looking up at him, and I realize: he’s not growling at me. His eyes are dark, a muscle flexing in his cheek as he glares down at the Used on the floor.
“I showed you my wedding band, Hilary. I tried to tell you delicately that I’m off the market. You should’ve listened. But what you just did… let me tell you. You touch my wife again and I will put you through the bar. Slowly. And not the way you like.”
She stares at him, red lips opening and closing wordlessly like a fish.
He turns to me. “Love… are you okay? Tell me you’re okay?”
The adrenaline is still rushing through me. My cheek is damp. My head is screaming in agony from where she yanked out my hair. My entire body burns, and it’ll only be worse later. For now? I just nod, burying my face in his chest.
And that’s when she finds her voice. “Congrats, Bas. You finally found your new Julie.”
Sebastien stiffens, but doesn’t respond—until she snaps, “Julie was prettier than this bitch, and that didn’t save her. Good luck with this one.”
I pull away enough to see the barely concealed fury on his face as he continues to glare down at Hilary.
“I already warned you what would happen if you touch her. Hear this: if you say one more word about my wife, I’ll have you thrown out of the Order.”
Holy shit.
I’ve never heard him sound so cold.
The Used is spitting mad. “I hope she’s worth it. Because, I promise you, none of us will ever welcome you again after the way you let her treat me on our turf.”
He goes from cold to fiery in a heartbeat as he uses his full-strength to whirl me around with him. I wasn’t expecting it. Between one step and another, I’m flying, my back slamming into Sebastien’s chest again as he holds me to him, forcing me to look at the woman rising shakily from the floor.
No. He’s forcing her to look at me.
“Annalise Reynolds is my wife. She’s fucking gorgeous, and that’s only on the outside.
You think I’ll come crawling back to the Court when I get to call this woman mine?
For a beer maybe with my brothers, or to take my wife out dancing.
But I will never call on one of the Used again. Do you understand me?”
She thins her lips, glaring at him.
“Hilary. I said, do you understand me?”
This is a side of Sebastien I’ve never seen before. He took my jealousy and my rage and maxed it. No. He beat it.
And I… I love it.
Possibly as much as I love him.
Uh-oh.
Where the hell did that thought come from? I’m not sure, but when Sebastien dares anyone to stop him from leaving the dance floor… when he dares me to stop him from taking me with him… all I do is let him whisk me away, hoping I can escape the sudden realization that slammed into me.
Maybe I escaped that.
I sure didn’t escape the need to suddenly claim me that’s come over my fake husband.