One song bleeds into the next, and by the time I lead Pete over to our table for a water break, we are both sweating, panting and laughing our asses off. Looking around our group, I furrow my brows. Eric, Ryan and Carter are suspiciously missing, which can only mean they are at the bar plying my boyfriend with more tequila. Those assholes better not get him so fucked that he can’t get it up. I have sexy plans.
Marching over to the bar, I find them standing side by side with a line of empty shot glasses. All three of them have their heads thrown back laughing hysterically at God only knows what. The way they are swaying slightly on their feet makes me groan. So much for my plans. I debate leaving them to it. It's not like this is a common occurrence for any of them, especially Eric, so maybe I should just let them be. Turning to head back to the table, I spot Drew and Roman approaching with resigned looks on their faces. They’ve clearly seen the state their husbands have gotten into. Looks like the night is over.
We approach Carter, Ryan and Eric like they are scared animals who might dart off at any moment.
“Come on, Tatts, let's call it a night,” Roman tells Carter, who immediately turns to face his man with a salacious grin on his face.
“Is that an order, Alpha?” Carter pumps his eyebrows, making Roman laugh.
“Sure is, little Omega.”
I turn to Drew, catching his reaction to that very weird conversation
“What even was that?” I ask, my nose wrinkling up, already picturing what weird kinky shit those two get into.
By the time I’ve finished my sentence, Ryan has already attached his face to Drew’s, so I’m not going to get a response from him. Are all my friends rampant horndogs? I guess so.
It’s right then that I feel Eric's gaze raking up my body. It would be infinitely sexier if he wasn’t hiccuping with every other breath.
“Come on, Dimples. Let’s go home,” I tell him, putting my arm around him to haul him off his stool. When he stumbles on his feet, I wave Gavin and Pete over to help hold Eric upright and stop him from wandering off. The phone signal is spotty at best here when it's this busy, so I head outside to grab an Uber.
After escaping the stuffy bar, I welcome the breeze on my overheated skin. Groups of people are milling around talking and smoking. Constant waves of laughter punctuate the atmosphere. It’s been a great night for us all. I pull out my phone and search for the closest Uber. Jacks is a popular place, especially at the weekends, so there is usually a car nearby, and tonight is no exception. Once I’ve secured my booking, I look up just in time to spot a guy walking toward me at speed. I can’t really see what he looks like; his face is mostly obscured by the dark hoodie he’s wearing. I instinctively step back to make room for him to pass, but his gaze is locked on me. There is something familiar about him, but I can’t place where I have seen him before.
My gut instincts flare to life. Something bad is about to happen. When the guy's arm raises, pointing the barrel of a gun right in my direction, it clicks where I have seen this guy before. Blake's brother. Something tells me that his gun isn’t empty like mine was. Oh, fuck.
I hold up my hands in surrender, knowing better than to turn and run from a maniac with a gun. I can hear screams and yelling from the people around me, but the sound of my heart pounding in my ears drowns them all out. I can see the guy's lips moving, but I can't hear what he is saying. This is it. This guy is going to kill me right here outside of Jacks. I can’t let Pete and Eric find me dead on the sidewalk. It will destroy them.
“Okay, why don’t we talk for a second?” I plead, trying to keep my voice steady and not give away how fucking terrified I am. Hopefully one of the bystanders has called the cops before running off. Maybe if I can keep him talking, I’ll have a chance to live. As small as that chance might be, I have to try. I’m finally in a good place. I have a job I love, amazing friends, and for the first time in my life I am in love. This can not be the end.
Blake's brother has other ideas. I can see his face now. It’s pale and gaunt and his eyes are bloodshot, likely from drink or drugs. He looks unhinged and undeterred by my pleading. He is a man on a mission; one he clearly plans to complete, regardless of witnesses.
I don’t hear the gun go off; I don’t even see his finger pull the trigger or feel it when the bullet hits me. Everything moves in slow motion as I fall back, like I am in some weird dream.
The star-studded night sky above me is the last thing I see before everything goes black.
CHAPTER 24
Eric
I blame that last shot for the fact my feet aren’t cooperating with my legs. Actually, could be the shoes. They are new, after all. I didn’t want to embarrass Jordan by wearing “stuffy old man shoes”, as he calls them.
“It’s not your shoes, buddy. And don’t worry. Jordy loves you and your old man shoes.”
Fuck, did I just say that out loud?
I swing my head a little too fast to the side to look at Pete, who is giggling at me as I’m trying to right myself. There is a strong grip on my other arm, keeping me from tipping too far to the side. When I turn to see who it is, I over-correct and end up bouncing off Gavin’s body. Ugh, that last shot of tequila is threatening to make a reappearance. Holding back a burp I’m not sure will just be a burp, I take a deep breath and concentrate on making it to the door.
“Sorry for this, man. Do you think Lashes will be mad at me?” I ask loudly, hoping one of these guys hears me, because turning my head from side to side feels like a bad idea while I can still taste tequila at the back of my throat.
“No, Eric, he isn’t mad. If anything, he’s happy that you can fit in so easily with this group of halfwits.”
I smile goofily at Gavin’s reassurance. That was what I was hoping to hear, what I was hoping to do tonight. Probably shouldn’t have done it by getting shitfaced, but it seemed to work. So I can’t really complain.
As we reach the door we are forced back by a bunch of people running inside screaming. My body tenses and I do my best to shake off the fuzzy cloud over my brain. The atmosphere instantly changes and suddenly people are on high alert. I look at Gavin, who has stopped walking, holding me next to him in a tight grip as he tries to figure out what is going on.
I hear Pete sucking in a sharp breath before taking off running. He’s short and petite and manages to slip between people to force his way outside. It’s only then that I remember Jordan went outside. Whatever people are running from is out there.
“Jordan!” I yell, shrugging Gavin off as I push my way through the crowd. There’s no fucking space, so I have to make some any way I can. I wouldn't normally be so rough and throw around my weight like this, but my heart is starting to pound as panic sets in.
