Page 12 of King of Pride

“Come over,” Blaire said firmly. “We’ll go together.”

“Okay.”

Zoe ended the call, shoved her phone into her purse, and immediately made her way out of the party.

Meanwhile, Maverick stormed across the room, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

His expression was hard, his jaw clenched so tightly that a muscle twitched near his cheek. His shoulders were rigid, and his fists remained loosely clenched at his sides. The tension running through his body made it clear that the calm was only on the surface.

People instinctively stepped out of his way as he approached.

The look on his face was unlike anything they had expected to see from him, especially at a party he had hosted himself for such an important project.

He kept walking until he reached the bar.

Once there, he stopped and looked around.

There was no sign of Rose.

His brows drew together.

He scanned the room again, this time more carefully, his eyes moving from one face to another. He stepped around the bar, searching the nearby tables and the surrounding crowd.

Rose was nowhere in sight.

There was no sign of Rose anywhere. Maverick’s brows drew together, tension tightening his face as he slowly looked around the room again. He moved around the bar, his gaze sweeping over each face with increasing attention, but Rose was nowhere to be seen.

But his feet came to an abrupt stop when he heard Rose’s name.

“Josh, do you still like Rose?” A girl whispered urgently to her friend.

The young man glanced at her and shrugged. “Like? Yeah, I guess. She’s sexy.”

The girl immediately smiled.

“She just asked me if you want to sleep with her. Do you want to go?”

The man immediately straightened, interest flashing in his eyes.

“Where?”

“She’s up there.” The girl pointed toward the first floor. “Third room from the stairs.”

Josh turned around and immediately hurried toward the stairs.

A thunderous look settled over Maverick’s face.

He immediately turned and followed the same path, his long strides carrying him toward the staircase.

The crowded hall gradually thinned as the stairs came into view. The upper floor was off-limits to most of the guests.

Josh didn’t seem to care.

He was already rushing up the stairs.

Maverick’s stride lengthened.

His shoes struck the steps hard as he increased his pace, climbing faster. His entire body had gone rigid with fury, a darkness settling over his features that made it seem as though he could burn through anyone who dared stand in his way.