Something in his eyes shifts when I challenge him—darker, quieter, and infinitely more dangerous.
Oh fuck.
Regret washes through me, cold and sharp. Maybe I should’ve kept my mouth shut. Maybe—just maybe—picking a fight with the massive, tattooed nightmare godmightnot have been the best idea I’ve ever had…
Maybe.
Either way, it’s too late now. I’m stubborn to a fault, so I lock in, rolling my shoulders back, straightening my spine, and narrowing my eyes as we enter the most terrifying standoff of my life. Despite my racing pulse and every instinct in my body screaming at me to look down or to run away, I can’t.
His gaze pins me there, steady and unwavering, like he’s just waiting for me to flinch.To break.
I don’t.
My heart thunders so loud I swear he can hear it even over the pounding beat of the music, but I don’t look away.I won’t look away.
Until, out of nowhere, a hand clamps around my arm, breaking the spell and my steely resolve. I flinch; my head, and my gaze, jerks sharply to the left.
“Hey, where’d you go? Are you okay?” Lily’s familiar voice is an immediate comfort, but her question drags my attention away just long enough to answer, and I have to force my voice to sound steady. Anger, and whatever this other insane emotion I’m feeling, choking it up.
“Yeah, fine,” I reassure her. “We just got separated in the crowd, thanks to this asshole.”
I turn back, gesturing to my new arch-nemesis, but he’s—gone. The spot where he’d just been standing only a few seconds ago has already been swallowed up by the crowd. I crane my neck to see over them, but there’s no trace of that towering, tattooed nightmare anywhere.
“What did you say?” Lily leans in closer, unable to hear me over the surrounding noise.
Frustrated, I give up my search of the crowd. “Never mind.” I relent, shaking my head before turning back around.
“I found Cassie and Mia. They’re over here.” She grabs my hand, holding tightly this time as she once again pushes her way through the packed club to find our friends.
“Briar! Hey!” Cassie shouts over the music when she spots me behind Lily, diving forward to wrap me in a tight hug. My body stiffens with the contact, not overly a fan of people touching me. Even if they are friends.
“Cassie… Hi.” I force a smile to my face, waving to Mia, who’s right behind her. They’re in a few of my classes at the Conservatory, though they’re more Lily’s friends than mine.
Lily smirks at me over the rim of her own glass as Cassie squeezes me tight, my best-friend since kindergarten is well aware of my distaste for physical contact.
Cassie releases me, and I inch a respectable distance away given the first opportunity. “We heard about Ben. What a douche!” She takes a sip from her glass, allowing Mia to chime in.
“At least now you can have a hot girl summer!” She winks encouragingly.
“Yeah, that’s the plan.” I force a smile, wanting nothing more than to escape this conversation. Seeing the bar a few feet away, I seize the opportunity. “I’m gonna get a drink.”
The girls nod, falling right back into whatever conversation my arrival had interrupted, and I blow out a tense breath. My mind is still reeling as I lean over the bar, waiting to catch the bartender’s eye. He’s in the middle of pouring shots for a group of rather boisterous frat guys a few stools down, andso I settle in for what might be a minute.
That’s when I feel it—a prickle of awareness on the back of my neck that sends a dark shiver down the length of my spine.
I glance up, my eyes drawn like a magnet to the exact spot where he’s leaning against the far wall, arms crossed. All the way across the packed dance floor, through the sweaty, writhing bodies of people dancing to the sinful beat of the music. With the same dark, unreadable expression on his face.
My breath catches in my throat.
Because he’s staringright at me.
2
FERAL LITTLE NIGHTMARE
BRIAR
Now
