He lightly slapped my hip as he stood, reaching his hand down to help me up. “C’mon, let’s get you some food,” he said, smiling.
***
“Wait a second, who’s DD tonight?” I called out, talking over everyone as we stood in Emma’s kitchen, dressed to the nines and ready to have some fun.
Chloe glanced over. “You obviously weren’t paying attention a minute ago. We already discussed this. Luke and Jacks are being DD’s tonight, just in case your parents need anything with the little ones.”
I nudged Ian and waggled my eyebrows at him crazily. “Know what that means, big man?”
He just grinned and shook his head, tipping back his beer and finishing it off.
Chloe, Allie, Emma, and I all grabbed our glasses of liquid cocaine and finished them off, then hustled the guys out to Brandon’s Expedition, which he’d offered up so we’d only have to take one vehicle. We were pretty scrunched up, but we made it work. Luke drove and Emma made Jacks sit up front, while Emma, Chloe, and Brandon sat in the middle, and Ian, Allie, and I all crawled into the back.
It didn’t take very long to reach The Dungeon, which is the relatively new club we were going to. It had been opened for almost two years now, but I hadn’t been there, yet. I didn’t really hit up the clubs anymore since Ian and I started dating, except for that time my sister and I dragged Luke and Ian to Shimbots with us for a drag show. But that’s a story for another day.
When we finally got in the door and settled into a large, circular booth, Emma leaned in close to me so I could hear her over the music. “What do you think?”
I looked around the club, taking in the dimness, the black, red, and silver color scheme, and the cages on either side of the stage area. “Looks pretty much like I expected, only a little less…dungeon-y.”
She shrugged and grabbed Allie’s arm, tugging on it as she nudged Luke to slid out of the booth and let her out. “We’re going to dance while you get drinks,” she told him, then jerked her head and me and Chloe, signaling us to join her.
Two hours later, it was pretty safe to say that we were having a good time. All of us were half-lit (some more so than others…okay, so mainly the girls) and exhausted from dancing, and had finally taken a break.
But that’s when Victoria sauntered up to the table, one of the waitresses following behind her with a tray full of shot glasses.
“Hey, guys,” she called, happily. Her gaze settled on Ian and she shot him a dazzling grin, ignoring the chill in his eyes. “Peace offering. I got shots for everyone, so drink up, okay?”
She turned to me. “Leta-”
“Leah,” Ian growled, interrupting her. “Her name is Leah, and you damn well know it. What the fuck are you doing, Victoria?”
The music was loud in the club, but they were talking louder to be heard over the music and it was beginning to draw attention from other people around us.
“I’m apologizing, if you’ll quit interrupting me, Ian,” she said to him before turning back to me once more. “Leah,” she began, putting emphasis on my correct name, even though she still rolled her eyes slightly as she said it, “I’m really sorry for everything and I’d love to make it up to you. Ian wouldn’t let me call you, though, so here I am, doing it now.”
Emma stood up and leaned over the table, her face dark and angry. “Look. I don’t know what kind of sick, twisted game you’re planning, but you need to go. There’s no reason for you to ever speak to my sister, or to Ian, ever again. You’ve caused enough trouble, and I don’t even know how you knew we were here tonight, but you aren’t welcome. GO. AWAY.”
Luke put his hand on Emma’s shoulder in a restraining motion. She let him guide her back into her seat, but by that time, the waitress had stepped forward, eyeing us warily.
“Okay, these shots are paid for, so I’m setting ‘em down here. Drink ‘em or not, but we don’t want no trouble. If y’all are gonna fight, you’re gonna hafta leave.”
I stood up now. “There’s no trouble, there’s not going to be any fighting. Thank you for the shots, but no, we’re not going to drink them. Give them to another table,” I told the waitress, and then turned to Victoria.
“I’ll accept your apology, Victoria. But that doesn’t mean that we want anything to do with you. I don’t want you around Ian, and neither does he. I’m not your friend, I never will be, and Ian is merely a former acquaintance to you. Stay away from me, stay away from Ian, stay away from my family.”
With that, I sat down and dismissed her with a flick of my hand. My heart was pounding out of my chest, and, even though she’s a menace, I felt really bad when tears welled up in Victoria’s eyes.
That feeling didn’t last long, though, because her face turned hard, and that cold, calculating look was back. It was fleeting, but it was there. She hid it well, covering her face with her hands and letting out a sob. She mumbled another apology and stumbled away from the table, moving quickly for the exit.
The table was silent, every eye on me. I pasted a smile across my face as Ian dropped his arm around me and squeezed me against his side.
We left the club not long after that, the mood pretty much ruined for the night. Jacks drove this time, but he still dropped everyone off at their respective houses, because we had been drinking, regardless, even though the buzz was definitely gone.
When Ian and I were lying in bed a little while later, I rolled into his arms and buried my face against his chest.
“How the fuck did she know where we were?” My words were muffled against his skin, but he still heard me.
He heaved a sigh before he answered. “She had to have been watching or something. I don’t know. She was so…normal…earlier.”
I lifted my head. “Yeah, and remember what I said? Give her an inch and she’ll take a mile. She’s off her fucking rocker, Ian!”
“I know,” he sighed, cuddling me close again. “I know, baby.”
I drifted to sleep, my head on Ian’s chest, but my mind was churning. The last thing I thought of before the darkness claimed me was, ‘what next?’
Chapter 18
The next couple of weeks were a flurry of activity to prepare for the holidays and for Chloe and Brandon’s wedding. Not that there was anything left to do, with the exception of the last minute things that couldn’t be done until closer to the wedding, but I had a bachelorette party that I was in charge of.
I figured I’d con Allie into helping me, since she did such an awesome job with my sister’s, but it didn’t take any conning at all. She was up for the task and had already made a list of things that she was going to give me, whether I wanted her help or not.
Of course, I did check with Sarah, Chloe’s mom to make sure she’d be okay with what we had planned. We didn’t bother even checking with Allie’s mom or mine, because, let’s face it; they’re good with whatever crazy shit we come up with, even though they might shake their heads and ask where they went wrong with us.
Or maybe that was more my mom than Allie’s, given that Daisy and George were more…we’ll call it free-spirited and free-loving.
So, with Allie’s help (and Emma’s, because she didn’t want to be left out), the party was planned, reservations were made, and we were ready to rock, especially after our trip to Hustler for all things penis in the way of party favors.
