Dances with Monsters(133)

Carter trailed behind them, sensing Heath's rage. Heath was silent, but the way his hand locked around her waist and his tightly clenched jaw let Drew know he was infuriated. She winced a little as his hand pressed down unknowingly on her developing bruise from the water bottle. He looked down at her, seeing it, and his eyes narrowed. She swallowed, feeling a little intimidated. He turned her around a corner sharply and she almost tripped again but he swept her along, holding onto her firmly until he came to a long hallway lined with doors. He stopped in front of one with a sheet of paper taped to it that bore his name and turned the handle. He pushed the door open and Drew saw that it was a small dressing room. He shoved her gently inside and stepped in after her. Drew had enough time to register that John, Lana and Connor were in the room, all looking agitated and worried. Their faces relaxed when they saw her, but Drew turned to look at Heath.

His brow was creased with fury and his jaw was still tightly clenched as he turned around, holding the door. Carter tried to step in after him but Heath blocked the door.

"C'mon, man," Carter said in a wheedling tone. "It was an accident."

Heath opened his mouth and snapped it shut, glaring. He finally spoke. "You had one fucking job," he said, his voice deadly low. "One. You were supposed to look out for my family."

"Mistake, man," Carter went on. "We lost her in the crowd, I thought she was with Connor and Lana, I didn't –"

"You didn't give a fuck!" Heath raged. "You left her to deal with those fucking assholes so you could go chase some ass for tonight. Do you know what could have happened?"

"Heath, look, I'm sorry," Carter said. "Drew—we're cool, right?"

"She gets the best of the best, right?" Heath asked, his voice quiet and dangerous.

"Heath –"

"You're fired," Heath bit off. "Get the fuck out of here." He slammed the door in Carter's face and resumed pacing.

"Drew, are you okay?" Lana asked. "We tried to come back for you but the guards kept moving us this way. We just got here and told Heath you were left behind."

"Carter wasn't even looking for you," Heath muttered. "When I got out to the entrance he was just coming back from the other way, talkin' to some chick." He shook his head and glanced at Drew. "You good?"

"I-I'm okay," Drew said, not wanting to say otherwise. Her nerves were rattled and her blood pressure was up; her back ached with the onset of a bad bruise from having the water bottle thrown right at her at close range. But none of that would help him calm down and focus on the fight, so she forced a smile for him. He didn't return it, and instead, his eyes narrowed.

"Heath, you sure that was smart, son?" John asked quietly from the corner. "He's a good manager."

"Fuck Steele," Heath replied. "I asked him to do one thing which was take care of my family. If he can't do that then he doesn't have my best interests at heart, so fuck him."

John nodded, studying his son before he glanced at Drew. "You okay, sweetie?"

"Yep," Drew said brightly. "Just fine. All's well that ends well." Heath was openly glowering at her now, so she shifted uncomfortably.

"All right. See, Heath? Drew's good. She's fine. Why don't you three go take your seats, get a drink or something and I'll work on our prize fighter here –"

"I want to talk to Drew alone," Heath said evenly. "Can you guys wait outside, please." It wasn't a request.

Once they were alone, Heath shut the door behind them and turned back to Drew. She foolishly felt like she was in trouble for something.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Which part?" she asked hesitantly.

"All of it. How did you get separated from them?"

"I was following Carter and I got separated in the crowd. Then these reporters surrounded me and it took a second to get away from them. By the time I made it through the crowd to the front, I'd lost everyone. Then the guards treated me like I was just a groupie, and then the groupies were trying to start shit with me…" She trailed off and shook her head, taking a deep breath. "But it's okay. Right? You came and got me."

"Anyone touch you?" he demanded.

"I mean, the girls pushed me around a little. I wasn't trying to get in a fight and make you look bad, though."

"Pushed you around?"

"No big deal," she repeated. "The only thing I regret is not breaking all of their noses."

"Why did you act like I hurt you earlier?"

Drew blinked. "Huh?"

"When I had my hand on you. You flinched."