Green strobe lights sway back and forth through the club. It’s space themed. Girls are barely dressed on top of the bar tops, skin painted in greens and blues to make themselves look like UFOs. They look dumb as hell with antennas sticking out of their heads, but that’s neither here nor there.
I hunted Reeve down here, which I’ve been doing for weeks since he disappeared, then he finally fucked up and charged his cell phone.
Then turned it on.
It didn’t take long to nail this place down after he stopped moving long enough for me to link up. But now I have to convince him to come home.
It’s not an option.
If I have to drag him out of here kicking and screaming or knock him out, my brother is coming with me, whether he’s ready to or not.
And I have a trunk full of sedatives to give him in case he decides to try me with the whole staying away from Bay thing.
Wiping away the distance between us, I start for him through the thick crowd of dancing couples and singles. I’m feet away when a blonde steps out in front of me. Her skin is pink and glittery, catching the light from the strobes above, and she smiles.
I’m not entirely sure why.
“Hey,” she greets, moving her hips back and forth to the rhythm of the music. “Wanna dance with me?”
I respond by stepping around her, but she blocks my path.
“Wait,” she pleads, lifting her hand as her smirk disappears immediately. It reminds me of the only physical connection I’ve had with Bay other than clutching onto her thigh the other day. “What’s your name?”
My eyebrows clash at the question because who cares? I stand out here, clearly, with my black jeans and T-shirt. Maybe some people don’t follow the dress code fully, but I’m not here for fun.
I’m here to get my brother and leave.
“Move,” I order, holding her stare with one of indifference.
“I’m Ashley,” she says, as if I needed to know. “And you’re super hot. Can I buy you a drink? Maybe we go somewhere more quiet and—” I glower at her because why does everyone want to talk all the time?
Especially since I’ve clearly made it known I’m not here to do whatever it is she’s here doing tonight.
I’ve been away from home long enough. I haven’t seen Bay in four days, and it’s messing with my head.
I don’t like it.
Cairo keeps me up to date several times a day, but it’s not the same. I’ve never left her alone this long. When my brother told me Muncy had arrested Bay, I was going to turn around and come back home, but Cairo told me he had it handled.
That it didn’t land all on me.
It was hard to get the image of her in a jail cell out of my head. I know what that’s like. As the space becomes smaller, the air starts to get thicker. It’s dirty and unkempt. I didn’t want her there, and Cairo promised me she wouldn’t be there for long.
He came through.
“Fine,” Ashley finally says with some bite to it. “Fuck you.”
She finally moves out of my way and gives me my trail back, but when I look at Reeve again, he’s got the redhead previously giving him a lap dance bent over the edge of one of the stages.
One hand is threaded through her long hair as he grates his hips against her ass. He’s dry-humping and prompting her to go someplace else, but that’s not happening.
For the first time, I’m cock-blocking.
I reach him within seconds, tapping his shoulder to get his attention, but he doesn’t budge. Reeve is too busy getting off to notice before I do it again.
And again.
Finally, I’m slapping him so hard in the back of the head it prickles my fingers.
