“Thanks,” Sloane cooed, clearly pleased that he’d noticed. Grayson gave her his megawatt smile and a light kiss on the forehead.
My world turned upside down. I didn’t want his lips on her.
And why couldn’t Seth have the same gentlemanly manners? Flustered, I scraped my chair closer to the table, wishing I’d develop some third world virus that would force me to go home early so I didn’t have to witness any more of Sloane and Grayson together.
Confused and uncertain, the night was turning into a damn nightmare. I’d rather be in my bedroom, chatting to my little sister and avoiding the way Grayson made me feel.
Seth leaned closer and whispered into my ear. “Can’t wait till we get to be alone, babe.”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “Anywhere but here.”
I couldn’t watch Sloane drape herself around Grayson any longer.
“Let’s get out of here then,” Seth rasped. “You ready?”
“Yeah. Works for me,” I said as I pushed myself to my feet. He grabbed hold of my hand and I followed him blindly, not really caring where he was taking me or what he had planned for us.
Anywhere but there simply had to be a better option.
15: Grayson
Where the fuck had Matthews dragged Layla too? I was losing my fucking mind thinking about his filthy paws all over her. When I found the prick I was going to hang him by the balls. Layla deserved so much better. I had to find her before something happened that she’d regret for the rest of her life.
Frantic, my eyes darted around in the dark. All I could see in the few seconds of strobe flashes of colored light was a multitude of gyrating bodies and hordes of arms flung in the air as the music pumped at eardrum-bursting volume.
Certain that Layla wasn’t in the crowd, I directed my attention to the exit doors. Matthews must have taken her out through one of those. The question was, which one? Still trying to decipher the information I’d overheard, I forced myself to remain calm even though I wanted to scream her name at the top of my lungs.
Layla!
Where was she? He could have taken her to any number of places. The balcony. The empty offices. His car. Somewhere off campus. Fuck. Every second counted. Paralyzed by fear of making the wrong choice, I tried to put myself in his shoes. If I wanted to fuck a girl quick and fast to win a bet, I’d have to prove I’d done the deed. So where would I take my prey?
Somewhere that the most people would witness it.
Of course.
The unisex bathrooms. There were lines of people waiting to get inside. Witnesses. It was pretty obvious if a guy and girl went in together what was going to happen in there.
Christ.
I pushed through the crowd toward the line of bodies leaning against the wall. Couples in various states of making out blocked my way. I squinted as I tried to see better in the dimly lit passage. My gaze rested on a woman in a tight embrace wearing a dress the same color as Layla’s, and in the dim light I could just make out a man’s hands on her breasts and his tongue down her throat. Shit. Could Matthews not wait until he had her inside? I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him off her with a strength I didn’t know I possessed.
“What the fuck, man?” The angry eyes glaring at me weren’t those of Matthews. I didn’t know if I should be relieved or pissed that I hadn’t found them. The woman gave me a death stare before throwing her arms back around her man and pulling him to her.
I cursed under my breath as I pushed my way through more sweaty bodies. Where the fuck were they?
All I knew was that Seth Matthews was going to fuck Layla to win a damn bet. I’d heard his friends talk about it in the men’s room. I had to find them before that happened. Dread rose in my chest. What if I was too late?
A woman’s scream tore through me. The panic in her voice was undeniable.
Layla? Please God, no.
I bolted toward the high pitched sound with my heart in my throat.
Fuck.
I’m going to kill a man tonight.
I was willing go against every oath I’d made to preserve life to protect her.
If he’s hurt one hair on her head . . .
Grunting, I exhaled a heavy breath as I reached the source of the screams. Without thinking, I kicked the door open with such force it hit the wall with a loud thud.
Bursting forward, I stopped in my tracks.
What. The. Fuck?
A man lay on the floor with his pants around his knees and froth spilling from the corners of his mouth. His eyes had rolled backwards into his head. A woman leaned against the wall, her dress pulled down to her waist with her tits fully exposed, shock and streaks of mascara littered her face.
“What’s going on?” I yelled at her. “Talk to me!”
Ignoring the state of the filthy floor, I fell to my knees and gripped the man’s chin, lifting his head backwards to open his airways.