“Hey!” a deep, gravelly voice bellowed as a hand grabbed my arm. It wasn’t a gentle tap, either. Fingers clamp down hardenough to leave a bruise. “Bitch, I’ve been tryin’ to get your attention.”
My breath stuttered as my chest tightened. My body seized up, paralyzed in fear as everything around me became hazy.Breathe, goddamnit.I went to pull my arm back with the ounce of adrenaline I had.
“Let go.”
“Not until you give me my damn beer!”
Jax came to my side, grabbing the man’s wrist. “I think the little lady said let her go. Now let go and get the hell away from my bar.”
“Fuck you,” the man hissed.
I heard a gun cock before seeing the man tensed slightly. My eyes went from the man to Blaize. Her face was neutral as she held her gun to the back of the man's head. “I advise you to let go of her, or we’ll be cleaning your brains off the ceiling.”
With a grunt, he let me go and I stumbled back slightly. “Damn, all this shit for one bitch? All I wanted was a drink.”
“And now you can find another club. Either leave on your own or Big Mike will throw your ass out.”
The man looked like he wanted to punch Blaize, and before anything else could happen, I sprinted away from the bar. I needed air. I hated feeling like this. Everything was supposed to be fine. I was doing everything correctly. I was in therapy talking about my issues, taking medicine, and not letting my past dictate my future.
“Kadence, get your shit together,” I muttered under my breath as I dragged my fingers through my hair. “You’re safe. You’re fine.”
God. What was wrong with me?
I survived worse.
The door creaked behind me, but I didn’t look back as I heard boots hit the asphalt.Why was she out here?
“I’m fine, Blaize.”
“I didn’t ask,” she deadpanned.
I took a slow, shaky breath. This woman didn’t need to see the cracks in my defenses. She didn’t care. Not really. I glanced at her, my eyes meeting her cold gaze. She was always watching me, but I could never read the expression in her eyes. It was a push and pull, even in the silence.
“I’ve got it handled. I just needed air,” I jabbed, crossing my arms across my chest. “You didn’t have to come out here. You can go back.”
“You sure look like you got it handled.”
My jaw clenched. “I said I am fi?—”
“Fine,” she cut me off. “I heard you. Didn’t mean I believed a word.” God, she was infuriating. “I saw you freeze.”
My pulse stuttered. I really hated how she watched me and read me like a damn book. “No, I didn’t. It was just a delayed reaction.”
I needed to get away from this woman before she destroyed my already crumbling walls. She stepped closer to me, and I immediately stepped to the side, aiming for the door. She caught my wrist with her hand. Her grip was firm enough to stop me as my breath hitched in my throat, but not painful. Why couldn’t she just let me go? It wasn’t like she actually cared about me or my feelings. So why was she out here pretending to care?
She loosened her grip slightly, and my back hit the brick wall behind me. “Easy, Kadence. I’m not going to hurt you.” She looked at me for a moment, studying my face. “Who was it?”
I grimaced, my brows furrowing as I diverted my eyes to the ground. “What?”
“Who hurt you?”
Fuck.“No one.” I wasn’t about to confess my trauma to this woman like a sinner in church.
She narrowed her eyes. “People don’t react like that for no reason, Kadence,” she stated, her voice filled with power. “Someone put that fear into you.” She was watching me with curiosity, but there was something else in her honey brown gaze. Worry? No. Something told me it would take more than a man grabbing my arm to make Blaize Matthews worry. Was it…interest?
It wasn’t the interest I had in her. She wanted to peel apart my layers and read me like a book. Blaize wanted answers I refused to give her.
“It doesn’t matter,” I whispered. My eyes found hers, and I prayed I looked more powerful than terrified. “It’s the past.”
