Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
I stormed into the pub, the heavy bass pulsing through my chest, matching the thundering beat of my pulse. The stench of stale beer and sweat assaulted my nostrils as I scanned the dimly lit room.
I locked my eyes onto the bar, and there she was—my little punk, Jemma, writhing on top of it like some goddamn Coyote Ugly reject. And next to her? Isabella. My own little sister.
White-hot rage surged through me, and I clenched my fists at my sides. I shouldered past the drunken crowd, my jaw set so tight, I thought my teeth might crack.
The song reached its crescendo, and Jemma threw her head back, laughing, her green hair catching the lights and appearing almost neon. For a split second, I was mesmerized by the delicate curve of her neck, the glimpse of skin beneath her cropped shirt and the flash of her smile.
I shook it off. This wasn’t the time to get distracted by her infuriating allure.
As the final notes faded, I’d almost reached the bar.
Jemma’s eyes met mine, and I saw the moment recognition hit. Her sappy smile faltered, replaced by a look of defiance that made my blood boil.
I watched, seething, as some random asshole lifted Jemma off the bar. His hands lingered on her hips, and my fingers twitched with the urge to break every one of his fucking fingers. But it was Jemma’s reaction that really set me off.
She threw her arms around the guy’s neck, pressing her body against his in a way that made my vision blur with a blood-red tint.
But her eyes…her eyes remained locked with mine the entire time.
The challenge in her gaze was unmistakable. She knew exactly what she was doing, knew how to get under my skin.
And damn her, it was working.
I took a step forward, ready to tear them apart, but Isabella’s hand on my arm stopped me. “Why are you staring at Nyx as if you want to kill her? Do you know her?” she shouted in my ear.
Nyx? Who the hell was she talking about?
I shrugged her off, my focus entirely on Jemma and her new friend.
She was still draped in his arms, but now, he was whispering something in her ear. She threw her head back laughing, and the guy grinned, his hands sliding lower on her back.
That was it. I’d seen enough.
I closed the distance between us. “Punk,” I growled, my voice barely audible over the pounding music of the next song. “We’re leaving. Now.”
She tilted her chin up, defiance written all over her face. “I don’t think so. I’m having fun. We’re celebrating, right, Jake?”
The guy—Jake, apparently—turned, nodded, and pulled her to his side. “Yeah, man. The lady and I are celebrating my win.”
I clenched my jaw so hard I thought my teeth might crack. “The lady,” I spat, “is coming with me.”
Jemma’s eyes narrowed, and she opened her mouth to argue, but I’d had enough. In one swift motion, I reached out and grabbed his wrist, pulled his arm back until I could feel a pop.
Jake screamed and immediately faltered.
I grabbed Jemma and pulled her against me.
She looked back. “Are you nuts?” she slurred, swaying slightly in my arms.
I glared at her, fighting the urge to strangle her right here and there. “Have you been drinking? You’re coming with me.”
She cocked her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I don’t think so.” Then she turned back to the guy. “I need to?—”
“Let’s go. Now.” I dragged her with me without looking back. She struggled against me, and I tightened my grip.
Christ, this woman was going to be the death of me. I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm raging inside me. But all I could think about was how fucking sexy she looked up there, all wild and untamed. And how much I wanted to tame her.
I barked orders at Michele to grab Isabella. No way in hell was I leaving her behind. But I would have a word with her later. She should’ve known better than getting shitfaced in public…and to top it all, she dragged Jemma into it. Or had it been the opposite and my little punk was the instigator?
I stopped as soon as we’d stepped outside, the night air cool against my skin, a stark contrast to the stuffy heat inside.
I pulled Jemma closer and stared down at her.
She glared back at me. “What?”
I narrowed my eyes, slipped my arm around her waist, pulled her against me, and moved my face closer to hers until our noses touched. “What the hell were you thinking?”
She started fighting my embrace, balled her hands into fists. “Let me go,” she whispered, her words slurring together. “I didn’t get to say goodbye to my friends!”
I repositioned her and trapped her wrists in my grip behind her back. Our last two encounters and one bloody nose were enough for me to learn my lesson.
I tightened my grip on her wrists, pulling her closer. “Oh, you’re so done. The party’s over, Punk.”
She tried to wrench free, nearly kneeing me in the crown jewels, but thankfully missing due to her drunken state. “Fuck you! You don’t own me! And you don’t tell me what I can do.”
That was it. I’d had enough of her bullshit. In one swift motion, I bent down and threw her over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
She let out an indignant squeal but recovered immediately and pounded my back. “Put me down, you Neanderthal!”
I ignored her protests and turned around with her draped over my shoulder. “Hold still, Punk,” I said and tightened my hand over her ass while looking for Isabella and Michele.
Jemma was still squirming, her fists pounding against my back, her legs kicking uselessly.
“I swear to God, if you don’t put me down right now?—”
“You’ll what?” I growled, giving her ass a sharp smack. “Hack into my bank account this time?”
She gasped, momentarily stunned into silence. Then she renewed her struggles with even more vigor. “I’ll kill you.”
I could feel the eyes of some passersby on us, but I couldn’t care less. Let them stare. All I cared about was getting this infuriating woman somewhere I could keep an eye on her and kiss the sass out of her.
“I got her purse,” Isabella said, the second she stepped outside alongside Michele.
“Get in the car,” I barked and glared at Isabella. “What the hell were you thinking?”
Bella shrugged her shoulders. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
I narrowed my eyes. “We’ll talk about that later. I want you to stay at Matt’s tonight.”
Jemma squirmed again but suspended her violent outbursts. “Hey, how do the two of you know each other?” she suddenly asked.
Bella bent around me. “He’s my massively annoying big brother,” she said. “I’m Isabella Salvini, by the way, nice to meet you. I’ll trust our little secret stays between us.”
Little secret? What the hell?
“Get in the car. Now.” I glared at Isabella, my frustration mounting.
She rolled her eyes but complied after she handed me Jemma’s purse, then sauntered off towards the waiting vehicle. “Make sure she’s going straight to Matt’s,” I said to Michele, who nodded and slipped into the car next to Isabella.
Jemma was still draped over my shoulder, but her struggles had subsided into a sullen silence.
I could feel the heat of her body against mine, and it was doing nothing to calm the storm of emotions raging inside me.
“You too, Punk,” I growled, carrying her towards the second car while signaling to my men I would drive myself. “We’re going to have a long talk about your little adventure tonight.”
As I approached the car, I carefully lowered her to her feet but kept a firm grip around her waist.
She swayed slightly, the alcohol clearly affecting her balance.
“I can walk by myself,” she muttered, trying to shake off my arm.
“Sure you can,” I replied sarcastically, opening the passenger door. “In you go.”
I helped her into the seat, ignoring her protests, then rounded the hood and slid behind the wheel. I caught a whiff of her scent mixed with the scent of alcohol. It was still intoxicating, but I had to force myself to focus.
“Where are we going?” Jemma asked, her words still slightly slurred.
My stomach tightened. Home to my apartment was where I would take her. “Somewhere where the two of us can have it out, without an audience,” I replied curtly. “Somewhere I can keep an eye on you until you’re fit enough to go back to your father.”
She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Clearly, you do,” I retorted, my anger flaring again. “What were you thinking, disappearing like that, getting drunk in public like that? Do you have any idea how stupid that was?”
Jemma turned to face me, her green eyes blazing with defiance. “I was perfectly safe, and I was just having some fun with my friends.” She scoffed. “Something you clearly know nothing about.”
I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to shake some sense into her. “Fun? You call dancing on a bar, exposing yourself to God knows who while getting shitfaced, fun?”
She sighed and looked outside the window, and murmured something I didn’t catch.
“What did you say?”
But she ignored me completely, which was just fine. She wasn’t in any condition to fight with me anyway.
At least not right now.