Chapter 16 #2
He shrugs, not bothering to respond.
I’d push the issue farther, especially if his shit is going to mess with the band, but Alfred announces our arrival.
Drew gets out first and does a quick sweep before opening the door for Levi and me. We’re hustled through a side entrance, and I remind myself to stay cool. Level-headed.
I’m not here to make a scene.
I’m not here to make trouble.
I’m just here to get Allegra home safely.
But then I see her, half splayed out on top of the goddamn bar. Her tank top is hiked up her smooth torso, a man’s hand on her thigh, holding her in place. Keeping her pinned to the bar as she half sits up, resting on her elbow.
Her long hair spills over her shoulder and if it was any other woman, I’d stop to admire how gorgeous she is. Like a mermaid. Flawless and ethereal.
But it’s Allegra so I rush the fucker and snatch his hand off her body. “Get lost.”
“Hey!” He spins but when he sees my face, notes my hand, with my middle and ring fingernails polished a dark navy, he swears.
Shaking off my hold, he raises both hands in the air. “Didn’t know she was yours, Reign.”
“Get. Lost,” I repeat through clenched teeth. My body buzzes with fury and adrenaline rushes through my veins. Concern churns my stomach raw, and anger—unfiltered and desperate—builds in my limbs. I want to knock this guy out for the sheer thrill of knocking someone out.
My vision slants on the edges and I blink to clear it. I haven’t reacted like this in a long time but right now, I want to unleash all the pent-up shit I’ve been trying to squash. Suddenly, it has nowhere to go but out.
“Shit,” another patron mutters, correctly reading my reaction.
I drag in an inhale, feeling my nostrils flare.
“Derek,” Allegra’s voice is low. Confused.
I look at her and a swell of emotion counteracts my anger. She’s the fucking poison and antidote all in one. God, she’s gorgeous. Looking up at me with big, brown eyes and a curious expression. Doesn’t she get it?
Doesn’t she see how much she messes with me? How much power she wields?
In my peripheral vision, I watch as cell phones are surreptitiously unveiled, their cameras pointed in my direction.
Fucking vultures.
“This is low, even for you,” Levi murmurs to Cynthia, shaking her shoulder. But his words lack the depth of disappointment to make them meaningful.
She laughs softly, beaming at him. Her blue eyes are wide and blown. “You came, didn’t you?”
Christ. I pinch the bridge of my nose. Does Allegra even know her friend is higher than a fucking satellite orbiting Mars right now?
“Derek,” Allegra murmurs again. She’s peering at me in confusion. She moves slowly and I realize she’s three sheets to the wind.
Her palm slips on the slick bar top, and she stumbles forward.
As she begins to pitch over the side of the bar, I step to her, keeping her upright.
I cup the back of her head, cradle her to my chest, and lower my mouth to her ear.
With her in my arms, some of my anger recedes.
Her well-being takes center stage and I grip onto that.
As much as I want to demand answers and shake some damn sense into her, I don’t want to end up plastered all over gossip rags and trending as a chyron on the bottom of television screens.
“We’re leaving now. Pull your shirt down, climb off the bar, and follow me out the back door. Got it?” I thread my fingers through her hair and give a little tug to ensure she hears me.
Dark eyes find mine, glinting in anger.
I grin. As her fury increases, mine deflates. She’s with me; I’ve got her.
A few ballsy cell phones move closer.
In her peripheral vision, Allegra must note them because she dips her head and tugs down her tank top.
“I’m gonna get her home,” Levi says, holding up a sloppy, but beaming, Cynthia. She’s seriously pathetic.
And my best friend is a loser for chasing her.
But Levi leaving plays in my interest so I nod. “Go with Alfred and Drew. I’ll text Samson. I got Allegra; I’ll get her home.”
“Thanks, man.” Levi glances at his sister. “We’ll be talking tomorrow, A. This shit won’t fly in the fall.”
She snorts, either in acceptance or refusal, I have no idea. And what the hell does Levi mean, “in the fall”?
Allegra starts to slip again and my attention snaps back to her.
I wait until Levi and Cynthia leave Taps before I glower at the beauty before me. “Ready?”
She slides off the bar ledge and I settle her and Cynthia’s tab. Then, I grip her hand in mine and drag her through the back entrance, into the humid night.
I turn toward her, my mouth open, ready to unleash my line of questioning. Allegra stops and pivots toward me, her eyes blazing, her expression enraged. Her presence expands as her eyes fly across my frame, scanning me from head to toe with pure disdain that infuriates me. And fucking turns me on.
She flings her arms to the side, the thin strap of her tank top slipping off her shoulder. Her hair is wavy, the front pieces curling to frame her face, and I want to fist it, tug hard, and take the angry slash of her mouth.
Before I can suggest as much, her arm darts out and her palm connects with my cheek. My neck swivels and my face stings as I reel back, clasping the side of my head.
Holy shit. Allegra just slapped me. I rub at the pain in my cheek and cock my head, waiting for her words. She’s so angry, she smolders. It’s the sexiest she’s ever looked, and I take a moment to appreciate her beauty. Her ferocity. Her sheer power.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Allegra bellows, glaring at me.
I can’t stop the smile from forming as I watch in fascination as my little star begins to burn.
Fuck, she is magnificent.