“Funny,” he says, his voice completely and utterly cold. “I don’t see a woman. All I see is a cunt. And not the kind I like.”
There may as well be a record scratch in the music because he isn’t quiet, and the statement catches the ears of several people around us.
“Excuse me?” Sienna rears back like she’s been slapped.“Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to—?”
“Someone who’s going to find themselves in a shallow grave if they go anywhere near my friend.”
She bares her teeth at him, but the effort is rather pathetic in comparison. Sienna looks like nothing more than a spoiled brat. “Enjoy jail, asshole. Because the last I checked, intimidation is a crime, and my uncle is the D.A. Can’t wait to see you in a prison jumpsuit.”
Unfortunately for her, he lowered his voice enough on that last part to not be overheard, and I can’t say what freaks out Sienna more: the fact Reed smiles at her attempted threat, or that he eliminates the space she put between them, lowering himself to get right into her face?
“The last I checked,” he croons, “corpses don’t get to see shit. And trust me when I say nobody’s going to be finding you, let alone caring about what happened. Cunts like you aren’t missed.”
Between his black irises and the ravening grin, Reed looks more akin to a shark. He doesn’t even bother trying to skirt around her again. Reed pushes right past Sienna, knocking her out of the way and taking me with him. Whatever response she has is drowned out by the music, and I’m all too happy to disappear into the crowds.
Given what just happened, it’s not surprising that Reed isn’t too keen on leaving me now, even if only temporarily. He still hasn’t explained what he’s doing here, and it’s not my place to pry, but I can’t ignore the tension overtaking him. It’s been there since I caught up to him in the parking lot, and the run-in with Sienna hasn’t helped. After insisting for the dozenth time that I’ll be fine, especially with the hordes of witnesses, he finally relents as some guy in a dark blue baseball cap waves at him.
Reed presses a kiss to the top of my head and his car keys into my hand. “As soon as you find Maggie, go back to the car. I won’t be long.”
He follows Mr. Blue Cap and disappears down the nearest hallway as I continue calling Maggie. I move through the masses of people, but her phone keeps going to voicemail. With how loud the music is, it’s no surprise she can’t hear it ringing. Hell, for how powerful the bass is, the music probably masks the vibrations as well.
Perfect.
I don’t find her anywhere downstairs, and when I show some random partiers a picture of Maggie and ask if they’ve seen her, they all shake their heads or drunkenly shrug.
Yeah, really helpful, guys.
I head up the steps to the second floor, praying I won’t find Maggie in one of the bedrooms doing God only knows what.
“Well, well, well.” A beefy pair of hands suddenly snatches my waist and yanks me backward. I fall into a warm, solid figure, and the overwhelming scent of aftershave suffocates me.
No.
No.
No.
No!
“If it isn’t my little baby Birdie,” he snarls.
Every inch of my skin crawls, and the urge to vomit overwhelms me, having to feel his breath on my neck as he presses himself deeper into my backside. I spring forward, ready to run for dear life, but he anticipates the action. His fingers claw into my hip bones, and he wrenches me back with a laugh.
“Aww, not so fast there, sweetheart.”
“Let go of me, Trent!”
“Or what? You can’t get your foot into my ass at this position.” The creep snickers, seeing no one nearby paying any mind to my struggle. “Though, I can get all I want intoyourass.”
He thrusts his hips into me, and I feel his hard-on.
“Get off me!” I stomp my foot down, and the heel connects with the top of his shoe.
Instead of letting me go, however, he spins me around and slams my body against the wall so hard it forces the air from my lungs. His massive frame practically lays over me, pinning down every last of my limbs as his hands clamp around my wrists.
“You’re cute when you’re angry,” he taunts, “but I much better prefer you when you’re scared.”
Trent trails one hand up to my chest and gropes my left breast. I squirm uselessly in his hold, and his grip only tightens.
