Chapter 17 - Jade
Ifeel the music as it pounds around the room. The vibration’s so intense that it feels like the beat of my heart has no choice but to match it.
Trent showed me around for what felt like forever. I honestly can’t remember a single name or person he introduced me to, and I couldn’t care less.
Trent stands behind me as we sway and hop around to the beat, sweaty and laughing. He must have placed his hand on my hip at some point because it’s there now. I don’t remember him doing it, but surprisingly, it doesn't bother me.
I’ve never had this much fun or felt as light as I do right now. I didn’t expect to enjoy this, but here I am, enjoying it.
Trent hands me his drink, and I take a sip without caring what it is. I’m so thirsty; I just need something cold. His beer does the trick, even if I don’t enjoy the taste of it.
I’m not sure where he keeps getting drinks or if it's the same one, but the more I drink it, the lighter I feel, and the liquid warms me even more from the inside out.
A large hand snakes around my bicep, pulling me from the crowd, away from Trent, and down the hall where the air is cooler. Laughter bubbles up and out of my mouth before I can stop it. Throwing my head back, I let myself enjoy the feeling.
I thought I was free when I got away, but I was wrong. This has to be what freedom is, and I’m quickly becoming addicted to the feeling.
I’m dragged into one of the back rooms down the hall, and the door closes behind me. The music is nonexistent between the door and being so deep in the house, and it takes me a moment to readjust to the sudden silence.
My head snaps up, hearing movement in the room with me, and I realize I never even looked to see who was dragging me where.
I just followed along like a good little bitch.
Another laugh rips its way out of me at how fucking stupid that was.
It's a good thing I’m the scariest person in this house; that soothes my hysteria a bit.
Kratos steps out of the shadows near the door, and in just a few steps, he eats up the distance between us.
“Daddy K! I didn’t know you would be here,” I tell him with a smile plastered on my face.
The expression on his face screams murderous, but I refuse to let it ruin my good mood.
“You didn’t strike me as the college party type,” I say with a shrug.
He’s right in front of me now, and with our severe height difference, I have to crane my neck back just to meet his gaze.
“Where have you been?” His face remains serious, and try as I might, I can’t stop myself from sobering at the unmistakable look of concern in his dark eyes.
“What do you mean? I’ve been all over. Trent took me around to meet some people, and then we danced while we were waiting for the guys,” I tell him without breaking eye contact.
“Killer.” He sighs, shaking his head. I’m pretty sure he has more to say, but before he gets the chance, the door bursts open, and more people flood into the room.
I don’t look away to see who’s joined us, though I’m pretty sure I know who it is.
My guess is proven correct when a now familiar voice speaks up.
“Where did you find her?” Roderick asks. Kratos turns to face him before his gaze sweeps over the room to see who's here with us.
I take a moment to look around as well, now that our stare-off has come to an end.
Roderick, Spencer, and Zander stand near us while Trent stands a few steps behind them. He looks uncomfortable and out of place, but when my eyes meet his, he gives me a small smile that I can’t help but return.
Everyone seems to wait for Kratos’s response, but Spencer doesn’t miss our exchange.
He rolls his eyes, his lips lifting in a sneer, and I have to resist the urge to flip him off.
I’m so not in the mood for his shit right now.
“She was out in the crowd, plastered all over him while he fed beer down her throat,” he tells them, pointing at Trent without looking his way.
Trent's ears turn an adorable shade of red as all three guys' eyes land on him, but he doesn’t back down. Zander makes a noise in the back of his throat that I can only describe as a growl, and if this were any other time, I’d be a fucking puddle.
Kratos eventually shoots him a glare that I’m sure has made grown men run in fear, but still, he stays. I do love a man who will stand against his fears. Maybe I judged him too quickly.
Perhaps Trent isn’t so bad.
Their reaction warms something inside me, but the longer we stand there, the thicker the tension in the room seems to get until I feel like I could cut it with one of my knives.
“What’s the problem here?” I ask, not understanding why we’ve all been dragged away from the fun, and all eyes turn to me.
“The problem is, nobody knew where you were, Killer.” There's that name again. The way it curls off Kratos's tongue makes it sound almost dirty, and my stomach rolls in a delicious way that I don’t really understand. I choose to ignore it and instead focus on the shit show in front of me.
“I was with Trent. I’ve been with Trent most of the night. Hell, Zander was with us earlier,” I tell them, gesturing to Zander, hoping he will jump in and confirm.
Instead, he stands looking me over as if checking me for injuries. His brows pinched in obvious concern.
“You were with me, Doll, but when I came back from getting a drink, you were gone. We searched the whole house. Then, when Kratos got here, we searched it again, and we’re just now finding you guys.
Something doesn’t add up here, and I know you weren’t on the floor earlier because I checked,” Zander says, sounding more serious than I've heard him before. “I also remember specifically telling you not to take drinks from anyone but us unless you opened them yourself,” he says like an afterthought, but the anger behind it lets me know it’s anything but.
Before I can respond, Trent does. “We’ve been on the floor since you left, Zander.
I finished introducing her to Jackie, and she looked miserable.
So I gave up and asked her if she wanted to dance instead.
” He looks around at each of the guys, though he seems to skip over Kratos. Somehow, I feel it’s not accidental.
Anger flares in his eyes when his eyes land on Zander.
“And don’t fucking lump me in with Jake and his goons either, Zander.
I may be his friend, but you know I’m not like them.
I only gave her what I was drinking from, so I knew it was safe.
I’d never put her in danger!” His words get louder as he goes, and it’s almost like I can see his anger growing at the accusation the longer he thinks about it.
Zander opens his mouth as if to bite back at him, but Kratos silences him with a sharp look before turning back to Trent.
“So you're telling me she hasn’t been out of your sight since Zander left you guys?” Kratos asks, choosing to only focus on the part of the conversation about where I was and not the drinking.
I’m not sure if he just doesn’t care or if he thinks Trent really isn’t a danger, but either way, I’ll take it.
This argument is enough as is. We don’t need to add more to it, though judging by the look on both Trent and Zander’s faces, they don’t seem like they will let it go, even if it’s not the focus right now.
I let out a small huff of frustration, knowing it’ll be an issue later, but let it go for now so we can worry about this first.
Trent simply nods in reply.
“Not even for a moment?” Kratos presses.
Trent goes to nod but stops. “No, I left her for a few minutes to take a call from Rick’s dad.
I went to one of the back offices to talk, but I wasn’t gone long, and she was still on the dance floor when I came back,” he explains.
“Maybe that’s why you were able to overlook her.
She would be easy to miss alone on the dance floor,” he tells Zander.
Kratos’s eyes shift toward me, his brow cocked in suspicion, but he doesn’t say anything.
Damn it.
“I mean, I guess it's possible I missed her. I was looking for both of you because I didn’t think you were dumb enough to leave her unattended,” Zander says as some of the tension leaves him. Trent doesn't comment on his apparent dig at him.
“It doesn’t seem likely that you’d miss her with how much you were freaking out about her being missing,” Spencer adds, forever suspicious of me.
I don’t even attempt to hide my dramatic eye roll, but nobody’s paying attention.
They’re all more concerned with talking about me, like I’m some damsel in distress who’s not right fucking here.
Ugh, men.
“Or, that’s exactly why he missed her. His worry made him sloppy,” Roderick counters him, always the voice of reason.
If this whole encounter didn’t showcase their different personalities perfectly, then I don’t know what would.
I sigh loudly, and all heads in the room turn to me once again, pulling them from their debate.
“I’m sorry to have caused a problem,” I tell them, hoping to defuse the situation. However, I really was enjoying myself tonight and would prefer to stay on that high rather than deal with this. The amount of testosterone in this room could choke a whale, and I’d much rather just be done with this.
“It’s fine,” Kratos replies, turning to look at each of the guys before his eyes once again land on me. “Everyone had some fault in this tonight. The fact that you’re okay and not missing is what matters,” he says before turning to address the guys.
“Now, I have places to be, but I need to talk to Jade about her decision on school. So, instead of having you bring her to the club tomorrow, we will just handle that now. I’ll bring her back to you boys in the kitchen when we finish.”
Damn.