12. Quinn #2
“Hey!” Aubrey squealed, moving to one of the high tables. She’d found Ryan and his boyfriend. I turned to wait for our shots since I was the one with free drink privileges, tapping my fingers on the bar to the beat.
“Quinn.” I froze, holding my breath hoping I had just misheard the voice. “It’s good to see you.”
I looked next to me to find my ex-boyfriend Lucas leaning against the bar beside me with a stupidly wide smile on his face.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I met his brown eyes, his brown hair was a little too long and was in need of a cut since it was getting in his eyes. He was in jeans and a grey shirt and was only about a head taller than me.
For some stupid reason I found myself comparing him to the owner of this establishment, Lucas didn’t even come close to Theo’s level of sexy. He was average in every way.
“You’re looking good, Quinn,” he said as his eyes roamed over my body.
“Did you know I was here?”
The bartender chose that moment to come over and slide me the shots.
“I got it,” Lucas said as he pulled out a credit card but the bartender just looked at me.
“You good?” His eyes bounced between Lucas and me.
“I said I can pay.” Annoyance bled into Lucas’ tone.
“I’m good,” I said as I downed my shot and slammed the glass back on the bar. “You never answered my question.” I gripped Aubrey’s shot and looked around for her. She hadn’t noticed that I was in need of a rescue.
“I have a source who let me know you were here, yes.” Lucas shot me a smile that I used to love. Now it felt sleazy.
“A source?” I asked with a frown and then let out a sigh. “Aubrey told Max where we were going.”
“I just want to talk to you.”
I rolled my eyes and pushed away from the bar, my annoyance growing. “I think not answering your calls should have been a clear message that I don’t want to talk to you. Have a good life, Lucas.” I grabbed the drink and started to walk past him, but his arm shot out and grabbed my right bicep.
“Please, Quinn, come with me somewhere. I just want to talk.” His grip tightened a little on my arm.
“I don’t want to talk to you. I have nothing to say.” I tried to pull out of his grip, but he held on causing the shot in my left hand to spill. “Hey!”
He took the empty glass and set it on the bar as I shook out my wet hand. “Hear me out.” He grabbed my left bicep now to pull me toward him.
He’d never acted like this before. He was manipulative and a jerk but he had never touched me like this. His grip was so tight it was making me wince and in another few minutes I was sure I would have bruises.
“Lucas, let me go.”
“I made a mistake.” He ignored me as I gawked at his audacity.
“You broke up with me because you’d claimed I’d let myself go, that I’d gained weight, that I talked to much and generally bored you. You said you could do better.” I tried to pull out of his hands but that only made him tighten his grip.
I was starting to feel a little panicked and was seconds away from kneeing him the balls. No one around us seemed to notice what was happening and Aubrey hadn’t come looking for me.
“You need to get over it and forgive me so we can move past it.” I shook my head, trying to yank back again. “I love you,” he said in a desperate voice, it was like he didn’t even feel me trying to get away.
“You don’t love me, Lucas.”
“Stop being a bitch,” he snarled low at me, startling me with the change in his tone. “We are leaving. Now. So we can talk.”
“I’m not leaving with you!”
“You might as well, you’re asking for someone to take you home in that outfit. It’s a little slutty.”
Before I could scream at him, he dropped my left arm and started dragging me toward the exit by my right. I was fighting him but even though he wasn’t much taller than me, he had muscle and wasn’t in heels. My arms were burning and I had lost the angle to knee him.
“Lucas, please, let me—” Suddenly, my arm was out of his grasp, someone screamed and I fell forward from the unexpected change in momentum. Someone caught me easily before I hit the ground.
“Get your fucking hands off of her.” I spun around to see Theo standing there. Lucas was on the ground with a hand covering his face, blood pouring out through his fingers. I tried to fight out of the arms holding me around the waist.
“Sweetheart, it’s okay. It’s me,” Noah muttered in my ear so I could hear him above the music. My heart was pounding and my adrenaline was running in high gear but I stopped fighting him.
“You punched me,” Lucas yelled from his spot on the ground.
“You’re lucky that’s all I did,” Theo growled back.
I looked back over my shoulder at Noah. “Let me go.”
“Sorry, Q, can’t do that.”
“Knight wants you safe,” Asher grunted as he came up beside us.
“I’m going to sue you!” I was surprised I could hear Lucas over the music.
“Good luck with that.” Theo stood there, pulling down his sleeves and straightening his shirt. His jaw was tight but otherwise he looked completely calm. “In the meantime, if you touch her again, I will ruin you.”
“I’m sorry, Knight, I didn’t see it until he was trying to drag her out,” Wade said, coming up to the group.
“Get him out of here, make sure you have his ID scanned into the system and blacklist him,” Theo said, finally turning to look at me.
Noah dropped his arms but I didn’t move.
My heart was beating fast, my arms felt like they were pounding in time too. My mouth felt dry and the music was too loud.
“Quinn.” Theo’s voice went soft as he came up to me. I was shaking a little and my skin was tingling, my thoughts were a mess. “Are you alright, Love?” I swallowed and watched as Lucas was dragged out of the club yelling.
I focused back on Theo when he touched my cheek gently. “You… you shouldn’t have done that.” I didn’t like that my voice was shaky. “I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
He shook his head in annoyance and opened his mouth but didn’t get the chance to reply.
“Oh my god! Quinn, are you okay?” Aubrey pushed her way past Jaxson who had joined our group at some point.
“I’m fine,” I stuttered as my shaking intensified.
“Shit,” Theo muttered as he placed a hand on my lower back and started to maneuver me toward the stairs. I was too overwhelmed to do anything but go with him.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t think Max would tell him you were here. What did he want?” Aubrey asked as she came up behind me, the rest of the men trailing behind as we went up to the VIP area. Instead of moving toward the couches, we went left down a hallway.
“I don’t know who the fuck you are but now is not the time,” Theo growled sounding pissed off.
“Don’t talk to her like that,” I muttered as my teeth chattered. It was a weak protest since his tone still had a soft edge and I could feel how tense he was beside me. I leaned into him more as the adrenaline started to drain out of my body, my legs felt weak and my brain sluggish.
I think I was in a little bit of shock.
Theo slammed a code into a keypad on the door and pushed me through it. “Stay out here.” He didn’t wait for a response before he slammed the door closed.
“I’m sorry.” I hugged my middle as I stood shaking in what appeared to be an office. “I can’t believe that happened. You shouldn’t have done that.” I frowned, not sure if what I was saying was even making sense. He didn’t reply as he pushed me gently toward the black leather couch.
“Shhh,” he said as I sat down and he sat on the coffee table in front of me.
“Theo, I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“He said he was going to sue you.” A shiver racked my body, sending my teeth chattering again.
“Stop worrying about me. Are you okay?” His eyes roamed my face before moving to my arms. “I am going to murder him.” He enunciated each word darkly.
I glanced down to see red marks that looked like handprints where Lucas had grabbed me. I’m sure it would hurt eventually, maybe once the adrenaline was all gone and I stopped shaking. “I bruise easily, it’s fine.”
“Stop saying that, it’s not fine.” He ran a finger gently over the angry prints on my arm where his eyes stopped, glaring at them. “Who was he?” he managed to ask through a clenched jaw.
“My ex-boyfriend.”
“Has he gotten physical before?” His eyes came back to mine and held my gaze. I was lost in the swirling grey in his blue eyes for a moment. His voice may have been calm and low, but his eyes were burning with intensity.
“No,” I whispered and tilted my chin down to look at my hands. “I feel stupid.”
“Why, Love?” Theo’s voice was so warm and caring that it made my eyes water a little. I was going to blame it on being manhandled. And the alcohol.
“I shouldn’t have let it get that far. I should have kneed him in the balls, I should have fought him off, I should have screamed for help.
I should have done something other than just stand there.
I didn’t want to make a scene. I didn’t think he would do anything, he was my ex-boyfriend, and I was in a room full of people.
But there I was letting him pull me out of the club as he called me a slut,” I blurted it all out before I shivered again, my teeth chattering.
“Bloody hell,” Theo cursed, his accent intensifying.
I watched as he stood up and went to the coat rack, grabbed his suit jacket and placed it over my shoulders.
He sat back down in front of me and held my gaze.
“Listen to me. That fucker had no business touching you. Ever. Whether he’s your ex or a stranger.
Don’t worry about a scene, especially not in my club.
Someone touches you, you make a fucking scene. You got me?”
I let out a breath and then nodded. “I got you.”
“And when you make a scene, I’ll come punch the fucker in the face.” I shook my head and let out a little laugh as I shivered again.
I pulled his jacket closer, it was covered in his scent and that alone was comforting, that cedarwood mixed with oak that I was starting to associate with him.
“Is your hand okay?” I reached out to grab it and ran a finger over his knuckles. They were a little red. I had no idea what to look for, no one had punched someone for me before.
“I’ve thrown a punch before, Quinn. I know how to do it without breaking a knuckle.” He sounded offended that I’d even asked as he flexed his hand a few times to show me that it was fine.
“A bad-boy billionaire… of course you are.” He smirked and I could tell he was relieved that I was smiling and the shaking had slowed down.
“Why were you here tonight?” he asked, changing the subject.
“You brought me up here…” I let my words trail off, faking dumb.
“I mean in my club, Quinn. And why the fuck didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“Well… Aubrey, the friend you just yelled at, she convinced me to come out with her and our friend Ryan and his boyfriend were already here so…” I shrugged. “I didn’t come here for you.”
“But you read my text from this morning asking you to come tonight.” It wasn’t a question so I didn’t bother answering him. Theo let out a sigh like I was exhausting him. Well, same, I was exhausting myself. “Why didn’t you come find me?”
“I wasn’t here for you,” I emphasized again. His eyes narrowed but knocking at the door stopped our conversation.
He muttered something, I think it was along the lines of how this better be important.
While he went to find out who was here, I slipped my arms into the jacket.
I was cold and his scent was comforting but it also hid my arms. Each time Theo looked at the handprints his eyes darkened. Covering them was best for all of us.
“What?” he snapped as he pulled the door open, putting his left arm on the door frame blocking anyone’s view.
“Calm down, dude.” I could practically hear the eyeroll that Aubrey gave him as she stepped into the room, ducking under Theo’s arm. Theo let out a sigh, stood up straight and ran a hand through his hair as Asher, Noah, and Jaxson came through the door too.
“You good?” Asher asked, his gaze fixed on me. I was surprised by his intensity, it seemed like he actually cared.
“I’m fine.” Theo let out an annoyed grunt at my answer but I ignored him.
“I’m so sorry, Quinney. I had no idea Max would tell him where we were, he’d casually asked where we were heading. I didn’t think anything of it.” Aubrey came and sat beside me, pulling me into a side hug. I winced a little when she touched me.
“Watch her arm,” Theo warned, crossing his arms over his chest, glowering.
I shot him a look as Aubrey loosened her grip, which admittedly was a relief.
“It’s not your fault.” I moved my focus to her. “Max was bound to do something like this eventually.”
Jaxson scoffed which had us all looking over at him. He had his arms crossed, leaning against the wall, one booted foot crossed over the other.
“Your boyfriend sounds like a dick,” he said with a smirk while Aubrey shot him a death glare.
“Let’s not start any of that. I want to go home.” I pulled out of Aubrey’s arms and stood.
“Jaxson will get you a cab.” I looked at Theo, shocked, only to find him looking at Aubrey. “You’re coming with me.” He tilted his chin in my direction. His tone left little room for argument.
“Don’t boss her around,” Aubrey warned, standing up next to me.
The thing was, I was drained and felt like I could pass out so I needed to get home, but I didn’t want to take a cab and I didn’t particularly want to be alone. I’d lost the buzz from the alcohol and I was really tired. Theo made me feel safe, I didn’t want to lose that quite yet.
“Well,” I hesitated, looking over at my best friend, “I wouldn’t mind if Theo took me home. If that’s okay.”
She shot me a look and we communicated without needing to speak, it was easy with how long we’d been friends. After a few moments she nodded and then marched up to Theo and stopped in front of him.
“You better not be an asshole.” She poked him in the chest. “Or I will cut off your balls.”
“Noted.” Theo nodded while hiding a smirk.
“Come on, Jaxson, hail me a ride please.” She sent me a wave over her shoulder as she sauntered out. He rolled his eyes, saluted at me but followed her.
“It’s all you, Ash,” Noah said, patting Asher on the back before winking at Theo and leaving the room next.
“Okay, Quinn, phone,” Asher said, coming to stand in front of me.
“Ash…” Theo’s voice was almost weary, sounding as tired as I felt.
“Why do you want my phone?” I asked, even though I’d already pulled it out of my pocket, unlocked it, and passed it over.
He didn’t say anything as he tapped through things and then pulled out his own phone. My phone buzzed, he sent me a quick smile and then handed it back.
“Welcome to the group chat.”