Page 15

CHAPTER 15

ZAIDEN

S tanding in the dark, crowded room, I clenched my bottle of water in my hand so hard it crunched under the pressure. Most of the hockey team had left. The party was boring, but as long as Ariella was here, so was I. I knew she wouldn't stay locked up in the shower long. I knew Mila wasn't far away, but I didn't expect her to show up at the football party tonight. I should have known she wouldn't hide with shame. That wasn't Ariella's style.

She wore tight, low-cut dark, ripped jeans and a white tank top that hugged her feminine curves. The top was short enough to show off the stud sparkling in her belly button. Her blonde hair was pulled off her neck, exposing her delicate little throat. My jaw flexed, and my gaze swayed with her hips as she ground herself against EJ to the music. She was putting on a show for me, letting me know I didn't control her.

She was wrong.

I may have pushed her far enough that she didn't care if I shared her video, which I seriously doubted, but I knew when I mentioned Journey and Mila that I had her by the throat, which was exactly where I wanted her.

My eyes lifted, meeting hers, holding my gaze as she pressed her back into him, letting her head fall back to his chest as she guided his arms around her. His hands raked down her body over her full tits and down until the tips of his fingers slipped into the waistband of her jeans. She cocked her head to the side as his mouth dropped to her neck. Red-hot anger filled me, and I clenched my fists tightly at my side, ready to snatch her out of his grasp.

She broke the rules. And now she was going to pay for that mistake.

I stepped forward, pushing through the crowd. At the same time, Adam Walker, wide receiver for the Predators, interrupted Ariella and EJ, pulling him away. EJ pressed his lips to Ariella's ear, whispering something before disappearing into the crowd.

Ariella turned her back to me without missing a sway of her hips.

Stepping into her space, I pressed my body flush with hers, my large hand curled around her small waist. I dropped my head. "You're playing with fire, Princess," I whispered, letting my breath fan across her cheek. She didn't flinch or fight me; she melted into me. She wrapped her hands around my wrist, pulling them around. My hand flattened on her bare stomach, and the other raked over her dark jeans and down to the curve of her V. My cock grew hard. My hand slipped under her shirt, and her head fell back as her lips parted on a moan.

I froze. Something wasn't right. She wasn't right.

Gripping her hips, I spun her. My gaze searched her face. Something was wrong. The colored lights strobed across her features, giving me glimpses of what I'd missed.

"What did you take, Ariella?"

I gripped her jaw, my fingers pressing into her skin. Her eyes met mine, unfocused, pupils blown so wide the blue of her irises had nearly disappeared. Her pulse hammered against my thumb.

"I didn't take anything." Her words slurred at the edges. She pushed weakly against my hand, and I let go.

"I don't feel good." The confession came out small, vulnerable.

The color drained from her face in one sickening wave. She pitched forward. Time slowed as she fell, her hair swinging forward, her body boneless. I caught her against me, my arm snaking around her waist before she hit the floor.

"Zaid," Sterling whisper-hissed, stepping up behind me. "You have to leave the girl alone, or you're going to get us all kicked out."

"I think someone drugged her." Heat crawled up my neck. I adjusted my grip on Ariella, her head lolling against my shoulder.

Sterling studied my face for a moment before his shoulders relaxed. "That's fucked up." He glanced toward the crowd, where curious eyes were beginning to turn our way.

I pulled Ariella closer, protective despite myself. "I'm taking her home."

Sterling nodded, already scanning the room for the quickest exit. "I'll cover for you." He wiped sweat from his forehead, then jerked his head toward the kitchen. "Take her out the back. Less people."

"I think you two need to leave." EJ appeared out of nowhere, swaying slightly. His gaze slid from me to Ariella's limp form and back. "Since you seem to be confused about which girls are off-limits to the hockey team."

The bass from the speakers vibrated through the floor, matching the thrum of rage building in my chest. Around us, the crowd sensed the shift, voices quieting as people stepped back, creating a small clearing. My lip curled into a snarl.

Sterling moved beside me, shoulders tensing. "Yeah, we're out." His voice cut through the sudden pocket of silence. "We didn't know the football team had to drug their girls to get lucky."

EJ's gaze shifted from Sterling down to Ariella as I scooped her in my arms. "Drugged?" He rolled his eyes and sucked his teeth. "She took X all on her own."

My gaze narrowed on him. Ariella was a dancer, and like most athletes, she didn't do drugs, or at least the Ariella I knew before my sister's death didn't. My eyes shifted past him to Mila, who was standing to the left of EJ. She gave the slightest shake as my gaze met hers. She told me, without saying a word, that Ariella didn't take anything on her own.

I lifted my chin and squared my shoulders. "That's a fucking lie."

EJ stepped forward, puffing out his chest, trying to intimidate us, but he was so drunk he just looked like a drunk idiot beating on his chest. "Are you calling me a liar?" He slurred, stumbling as he stepped forward.

I narrowed my eyes. He looked like he was on the same thing she was. "I did call you a liar."

"Everyone here knows Ari didn't take anything willingly," Sterling frowned. "So we're going to take her and go."

"We will take her," EJ said, reaching out for her.

I shifted my weight, jerking Ariella out of his reach. "If you touch her, I'll break your fingers."

"How do we know you didn't drug her?" EJ's voice rose, drawing attention from nearby partygoers.

"I'll make sure she gets home safe." Mila stepped between us, her small frame somehow filling the space. She placed a steady hand on EJ's chest, creating distance. "She lives with Zaiden, so he would be the best person to get her home, and I'll go with them."

EJ's jaw worked, a muscle twitching beneath his flushed skin. His gaze darted between Mila's hand and my face before he rolled his eyes. He threw his hands up, stumbling back a step.

"Whatever."

The crowd parted as he walked away, mumbling under his breath. I watched his retreat, the tension in my shoulders barely easing. He may have said whatever, but the look he shot over his shoulder told me this wasn't the end, especially if it wasn't EJ or the football team who drugged her.

"Fuck, man." Sterling's voice dropped to a harsh whisper. He ran a hand down his face, eyes darting toward the hallway where EJ had disappeared. "Now we've started a war."

The weight of Ariella in my arms suddenly felt heavier. Every second we stayed put us all at greater risk, but the need to know burned hotter than my instinct to run.

"Who drugged her?" I asked Mila, ignoring Sterling's warning.

She glanced over her shoulder. Voices grew louder from the next room—multiple voices, angry tones.

Her eyes widened slightly. "I'm not sure," she said, words clipped with urgency. "But we should get out of here before he comes back with the rest of the football team." She grabbed my elbow, tugging me toward the back door. "Now, Zaiden."

"Is Journey here too?" Sterling asked Mila, his voice dropping to a hushed tone.

She nodded, her eyes darting to the staircase. "Outside by the pool."

Sterling's shoulders squared with newfound purpose. "I'll get Journey and make sure she gets out of here safely." He squeezed my shoulder once before disappearing into the crowd.

I shifted Ariella in my arms, her weight slight but present. My chest tightened with conflicting emotions. I shouldn't care what happened to her. Each time I looked at her face, I saw flashes of my sister's accident. She was the reason my sister was dead.

I should have let them pass her around like they wanted.

Ariella's breath whispered against my neck, fragile and trusting. My grip tightened.

No. That wasn't what I wanted. The thought of their hands on her made my stomach turn. If anyone was going to destroy her, it was going to be me.

Ariella Ledger was mine.

Mila followed me out of the house. "Zaiden." I stopped twisting to see her. She opened her mouth like she was going to say something, but then snapped it shut like she chickened out.

"I'm not going to touch her," I said. I had zero intention of touching her half-conscious, but if she threw herself at me like she'd done on the dance floor, I wasn't sure I'd be able to control myself.