Page 15

"How's that stick up your ass working out for ya?" Leighton smirked before turning to Craig. "I say we bump the bet to two."

"Three says he doesn't even leave the table." Joey piped in, throwing a handful of large bills down. "Az is too much of a stubborn asshole to act on a sure thing. We've all seen the way Victoria watches him."

"I'll lay ten he does." Rich said, his deep voice laced with laughter. "You boys don't give the slow burn enough credit."

"Alright! We have a bet now, boys." Leighton said, laughing as I gave Rich my best betrayed look.

"Fuck all of you."

"If you move fast enough, I'm sure you won't need us to fuck you." Leighton cackled.

"That doesn't even make sense, L." Joey laughed, shaking his head.

"My dick has been hard for a week straight. If Az wants to be a pussy about dancing with the Princess, I may as well stick my dick in it." Leighton turned and waggled his eyebrows at me. "So, where you want it, sweetness? You know I'll make it good for ya."

I playfully shoved him away just as something on the dance floor caught his attention. Tracking his gaze, I watched asTiffany dragged Victoria into the middle of the crowd. Leighton growled like a feral animal as some rando slid up against her. Moving in the corner of my eye, Joey pulled my attention away from the girls. He was out of the booth before any of us could react.

"If you two fuckwads are just gonna growl like animals and drool over her, then I'm going to go dance with her." He called out over the music. "Somebody has to make sure these dudes here know she's not to be touched."

"Like hell you will." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. Shit. "We have business, remember, and you're more involved than I am behind the scenes. You'll be needed."

"Nice save pussy." Leighton said, pushing me out of the booth.

Before I made my way to the girls, I grabbed the wad of cash on the table, counted out half, and pocketed it before tossing the other half at Rich. "I never lose a bet."

Leighton hooted and hollered as I slipped into the crowd. The little fucker had gotten to me, but now I was committed. I reached Victoria, grabbed the arm of the man grinding against her, and pulled him away roughly. He spun from the force and then tried to turn on me. I practically growled at him to fuck off before I stepped seamlessly into the place I'd forced him to vacate. Tiffany gave me a wink and nod before walking back to where the boys were still gathered around our booth. Victoria stilled and turned to face me.

"Az?" She tried to step back, but I threaded my arm around her waist and pulled back toward me. She opened her mouth to say something else, but I shook my head.

"Dance with me, Princess."

"I'm not sure I want you that close to me."

"We both know how much of a lie that is, Princess." I tipped her chin up until she was looking me directly in the eye. "It's just a dance. You gonna run scared?" Anger flashed in her face and was quickly replaced with pure heat that mirrored my own. At that moment, the speakers blasted the suggestive beats of 'Buttons.' I smirked at her in silent challenge. "Ball's in your court now, Princess."

She slid her hand up my arm and around my neck; the other rested on my hip. She said nothing, but she wasn't pulling away either. We moved together, closing the gaps between our bodies. I slid a leg between hers as we moved to bring her closer. It wasn't long before my heart slammed against my chest, and it wasn't from exertion. She fit against me too perfectly. Her eyes were hooded, and she never looked away. I slid my hand up her back and laced my fingers through the tendrils of hair that had started to fall from her updo.

"Mind if I cut in?" Leighton's voice over the music snapped us both from the spell we were under. The music had changed at some point, and 'Partition' played around us.

"Fuck off, L." I growled at him. A few hours ago, I would have pushed her to him and been happy to be out of the situation.

"Then I'll join you." I rolled my eyes. Nothing deterred him. We adjusted around each other as if we were long-time dance partners.

She leaned against him as he pressed against her back, and if the flush that crept across her face was any indication, he hadn't bothered to hide justhow muchhe wanted to dance with her. He whispered something in her ear that I couldn't hear over the music, and I couldn't deny the flash of jealousy that swept through me as she pulled her lower lip between her teeth.

Her hooded brown eyes snapped back to me with a come hither look, and I was powerless to fight it. I slid my hands downher hips until my fingers brushed against her bare thighs and pulled her close again. Leighton danced behind her, his hands running up and down her sides. We moved as one, with Victoria melting against us as the heady music gave us all permission to live in our fantasies for a while. Even Leighton had let go of his snarky remarks, keeping his lips near her ear to whisper in it occasionally.

I was so lost in the sensation of having her pinned between us that I didn't notice the muzzle flash in the dimly lit club. Leighton's eyes widened as blood splattered across my cheek just before two people nearby fell to the floor. Not wasting a moment, he grabbed Victoria around the waist and tackled her to the floor, taking me down with them.

"Stay down!" He bellowed as the surrounding crowd took notice of what was happening.

The music cut off, only to be replaced by the sound of gunshots as people screamed and stampeded toward the door. I shifted my body to provide more protection for Victoria, afraid that the crowd would trample her. More bodies fell around us, and Victoria screamed out in terror.

"We gotta go," Joey called out as he slid to a stop beside us.

"Out the back. Stay low and use the crowd for cover." Leighton barked as he got to his feet, pulling Victoria with him.

He shoved her into my arms and pulled a gun from his waistband, turning to watch our backs as we fought our way across the room. Shots continued to ring out, but I didn't look back. It would only cost us precious time. Time that could mean the difference between getting out alive or not.