Every step we took closer to the VIP area felt like a mistake. She had no idea who I was, but there would be no hiding it once she’d met my friends. None.
My stomach sank as a painfully familiar song started playing through the club, and the patrons wentwild. Thorn, though, just looked annoyed when I glanced back at her. How curious.
“Not a Bellerose fan?” I asked, stroking her wrist with my thumb as we continued across the club.
She shook her head. “Definitely not. But hey, I won’t think less of you if you’re a fan. You had to have at leastonepersonality flaw.”
Oh my fucking—
Thorn was a joker. Cute as hell. Personality flaw, my tight ass.
“Come on, funny girl, let’s tell my dickhead friends I’m alive and get out of here before the music gets worse.”
“If that’s possible,” she muttered, just loud enough for me to hear. Ouch.
The security guards at the base of the VIP steps moved aside to allow us entrance without a word. My own personal security would be upstairs, and no doubt they’d have a few choice words about me taking off alone again. But by now, I’d made it more than clear that they worked for me, and when I needed to breathe, I was gone.
The mysterious girl at my side pushed in closer, and I swear to fuck my heart did some stupid sort of flip in my chest. Yeah, alone time was appealing, but she… she was more appealing.
When we stepped onto the top level, with its swanky velvet couches and crystal chandeliers, I felt her steps slow again. “Uh, Rhett? Who are you?” she asked when I turned back. “I mean, clearly, you’re richer than this grunge image suggests, but even rich doesn’t usually get you access to”—she waved her hand—“all of this.”
Amusement tugged at my center. “Rich gets you everything, sweetheart. Trust me.”
She narrowed her eyes, and for the first time, there was lesslost waifabout her appearance. “Not me,” she shot back before blinking like she couldn’t believe she’d sassed me.
Fair call, though. Two steps into VIP and I was already acting like an entitled asshole again. It was embarrassing how quickly that’d happened. Thank fuck she’d stuck a pin in my ego before I could mess things up.
“Rhett!” My name rang out before I could change my mind about introducing Thorn to my friends, and I fought down the annoyance. My best friend had some fucking timing on him, that was for sure.
I didn’t turn from her though, keeping all of my focus right where I wanted it to be: on the enigma that had stumbled into my alley. “Ignore him,” I said, before blinking at how deathly pale she suddenly was. “Wait, are you okay? You look…”Scared.
Part of me wondered if she’d recognized the distinct, raspy tones of our lead singer. Jace’s voice was pretty unmistakable. Another part was kind of pissed that I’d been dumb enough to ruin everything by bringing her up here. If she recognized Jace my anonymity was blown, but it was going to happen sooner or later. Best to deal with the fallout now, before she saw the paparazzi camped in front of our hotel later.
Thorn tried to pull away from me. Violently. But our hands were still joined, and I wasn’t ready to let her go… not now, and probably not even tomorrow, despite my casual offer ofone night.
“Ignore him,” I said quickly. “He acts like he’s the boss of us all when we’re out, but he’s really just a control freak.”
Her lips trembled, and she was so pale now I wondered if she was about to pass out as she stopped fighting me. Maybe she was faking her dislike of the music and was secretly ahugefan? The fucking “Jace effect” was seriously annoying. I’d seen girls faint at his feet plenty of times, but Ireallydidn’t pick Thorn to be one of them.
“I give zero shits about your groupie of the night, Rhett,” Jace growled, sounding like he was right behind me now. “I was just coming over to let you know your expensive-ass tequila is at the table. Oh, and the bruiser twins are about to kick your ass for wandering off on your own again—”
His words cut off with a sharp inhale as he moved close enough to see the chick I was all but sheltering against my chest. It was such a dramatic pause, followed by a definite shift in his mood to dark and angry. Strong enough that I could feel the vibes. What the fuck?
Tearing my gaze from Thorn, I debated punching Jace in the hopes he would fuck off before he scared her away. She’d already been terrified enough for one night—the last thing she needed was another aggressive and angry male in her face.
It was too late though. Her attention was locked on him; only she wasn’t staring awestruck at Jace or flipping out at being in the presence of fame. She wasn’t fluttering her lashes and throwing herself at him.
She was terrified.
“What thefuckare you doing here?” Jace suddenly snarled, and I didn’t even wait to analyze why I was shifting her behind me so I could face off against my best friend of years when I’d known her all of thirty minutes.
“You better back the hell away, Jace,” I warned, ready to take him down if necessary. Jace might be three inches taller than my six feet one, but I’d grown up fighting for my life. We’d be a close match, but I had extra incentive tonight. Protective energy fueled me like no other.
“Do you have any idea who the fuck you’re protecting?” he spat. His fury grew as his bright blue eyes darkened.
“I’m sure you’re about to tell me,” I snapped, “but I’mstillwarning you to back the hell up.” I was already readying myself for this fight.
Thorn’s small hands slipped under the back of my jacket, her fingers against my skin sending a shiver down my spine. I froze, in case lashing out at Jace somehow hurt her.
