Page 80 of Dismantle & Prevail

As if Ari can sense the change I am so desperately trying to squash down, he stands to his full height, his hands wrapping around my waist and pulls me flush against his chest.

“What’s wrong?”

I shake my head, but he narrows his eyes at me.

“Tell me or I will take you in front of this entire club and give them a real show.”

My eyes widen and my core clenches at his words. “You wouldn’t.”

“Oh yes, the fuck I would. Now, tell me before I make good on my word, Hellhound.”

Typically, I would make an exaggerated motion like rolling my eyes to purposely piss him off, but I don’t. Instead, I rise on my tiptoes and bury my face in his neck.

My lips rest against his ear as my eyes close. “What are you doing? Is something wrong?” My voice full of emotion and concern.

His arms wrap tighter around me and he lowers his head so only I can hear him. “What does it look like?” His voice is calm, with a hint of that panty-melting, seductive tone that drives me to new limits.

Letting out a long sigh, I go limp in his arms. “Fucking hell. Just tell me.”

His arms tighten around me, holding me close as his lips brush against mine. A full-body shiver overtakes my body as his low voice reverberates throughout me. “Showing everyone here what’s mine.”

Before I realize what he is doing, his hands slide down my legs, bringing them up to wind around his waist.

“What the hell, Ace? Everyone knows I am. You’ve made that very obvious. Several times.”

His dark eyes stare up at me and a sexy smile spreads across his face. “You’re mine and—”

BANG!

“EVERYONE GET DOWN!”

BANG.

BANG.

BANG.

Blinking rapidly, I clear the black spots dancing in my vision and beg the ringing in my ears to stop.

My head aches as shots ring out through the Clubhouse as I disentangle my legs from around Ari. No sooner than my feet hitting the ground, does he shove me behind him, his gun already aimed at the large metal doors that are now blown wide open.

“Get out of here now, Taylor!”

Yep. Not in a million years.

I glance around the room and see Boone and Tucker poking their heads out from behind the booth, their guns firing at someone beyond the door.

“NOW TAYLOR!”

Aries' voice cuts through the air and I spin around to see him running full speed towards the open doors as the wives scramble to get the kids to safety.

Grabbing my gun from the waistband of my denim shorts, I run towards Ari just as two men dressed in black ski masks barrel toward him.

Ari doesn’t waste a second before sending bullets straight into their heads. Their bodies dropping to the concrete with a thud.

I breathe a momentary sigh of relief, but it's short-lived when all the doors of the common room that lead outside fly open, masked men flooding in from every direction.

“On your right, Boone!” Tucker yells from somewhere behind me.