SeducedByTheAntiHero (18 page)

Despite the flicker of emotion her ardent words had first
produced in him, his countenance remained stoic and immovable and when she
started toward Chloe’s car he said nothing. But she hadn’t really expected
anything else. She had done all she could and knew that her sudden declaration
wouldn’t change things. At least she had gotten it out there and wouldn’t have
to live with wondering ‘what if?’

But as she walked away, she knew she was leaving part of
herself in that driveway with him. Whether he wanted it or not, it was left to
tangle in the heap of broken motorcycle parts at his feet and it would cling to
him forever as a piece of her soul that could never be recovered.

“First round’s on me,” Chloe happily declared as soon as
their group got settled at a table in the corner of the crowded bar. A bar that
was decidedly
not
Abel’s.

Murmuring the name of the first alcoholic drink she could
think of, Emma warily eyed the throng of people around her. She still wasn’t
sure why she had agreed to come out in the first place. Right about now, she
should be in her car halfway back to the city. Rationalizing to herself that
her reticence to come out tonight was based on a fear of being accosted by Paul
did no good. The real reason was that she was afraid of running into Ben. And
what her stupid heart might make her do if she did.

“You really shouldn’t worry so much,” Adam said bumping her
knee with his under the table. “You won’t see him tonight.”

Without having to ask, she knew he was referring to his twin
rather than who the real threat ought to be. “You spoke to him, didn’t you?”

Even though her eyes were narrowed on him, he was completely
unrepentant as he flashed her that signature smile of his. “Well, I did think
it was strange to get a strict edict from Chloe to leave my brother out
tonight. Especially as I know you’re sleeping with him if the state of my spare
room is any indication.”

Groaning, Emma dropped her face into her hands, feeling the
heat from her cheeks seep into her fingers. “So you called him?” Her voice was
muffled by her fingers but she didn’t care. He heard her.

He shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a nosy bastard. He told me
about Paul’s threat and I had to swear on my life that I would look after you
tonight in exchange for him keeping his distance. So please stop worrying.” He
winked.

It should be a relief that Ben wouldn’t show up to her
farewell cocktail hour. So why did she feel the bitter sting of disappointment?
Well, at least his insistence that Adam look out for her showed that
he
worried about
her
. That should count for something, shouldn’t it?

The clink of a glass being firmly set on the table brought
her back to the here and now. Turning, she discovered a glass of red wine
sitting in front of her and an expectant look on Chloe’s face.

Oh, what the hell?
If she had to endure the forced
merriment she might as well make the most of it. It was right then that she
made the decision to get shitfaced drunk and reached for the glass.

As she engaged in pleasant chat with Chloe and Mina, the
drinks kept coming and she started to feel nicely fuzzy and numb around the
edges. It was a very welcome change of pace from the racing turmoil her mind
had been in since this morning. Suddenly, she was grateful for Chloe’s
insistence they do this tonight. She could at least forget about her problems
for a little while anyway. Besides, Tyler, Adam and Brian were here with them
so she was fairly certain she was safe for the moment.

A delightful fog rolled over her senses and soon she found
herself out on the dance floor with her friends. Tyler had dragged Mina onto
the dance floor with her and Chloe while Adam and Brian cooled it at the table.
Well,
Brian
cooled it with a beer, watching Chloe. Adam was too busy
flirting with the pretty blonde at the next table. Emma giggled and rolled her
eyes.

Her mirth slowly died when she turned back to the dance
floor and caught a glimpse of Tyler with Mina. It was more than obvious that
the two of them were crazy-in-love with each other. The way he held her, the
way she looked at him had that same ache pulsing through her heart that she had
felt the day she met them. She’d had a taste of what affection like that felt
like and this time as she watched them, that yearning grew into pain. Now she
had a name and a face to assign to her “Prince Charming” but that happy ending
was more out of her reach now than it ever had been.

These solemn, melancholy thoughts were killing her buzz, but
good. Squaring her shoulders, she plastered on a smile and motioned to Chloe
that she was going to get another drink. Chloe happily waved and danced off
toward her boyfriend.

Emma was just about to open her mouth to get the bartender’s
attention when a familiar slur cut her off.

“Well, if it isn’t the little whore, out and about without
her pimp.” Paul leaned into her and it was no shock to her to smell his
tequila-laden breath.

Her pulse spiked to her throat and her buzz completely
dissipated before she remembered that they were in a crowded bar with her
friends only a few feet away. He couldn’t hurt her here but that knowledge
didn’t make his presence any more agreeable.

“Oh look, it’s Paul at the bar with a drink in his hand. I’m
so surprised.” She didn’t spare him another glance as she turned back to the
bar to order that drink.

“I
am
surprised you came out tonight after reading my
little love note. You did see it, didn’t you?” His finger trailed down her bare
arm and she fought back her gag reflex as she ripped away from him with a
glare.

He scowled. “Where is your boyfriend, anyway? I would have
thought he wouldn’t let you out of his sight. What happened? He get bored with
you already?”

“I’m right here, asshole.” The low, menacing voice came from
behind her and she spun around to find Ben glaring at Paul.

Instead of backing down like any sane person would, Paul
gave a smug smile and opened his mouth. But before any words could escape his
lips, Ben was in his face.

“I’m only gonna say this once and you’re gonna fucking
listen to me. Stay away from Emma. I find out you so much as breathe the same
fucking air as her?
You’ll
be the one in so many pieces no one will even
begin to know how to put you back together. Got me?”

“Why are you so protective of this bitch all of a sudden? You
never gave a shit about what happened to anyone else you supposedly care
about.”

The obvious reference to Tim had Emma wincing and watching
Ben carefully, unsure of what he would do. Though that muscle started ticking
in his jaw, he didn’t react in the explosive way that she thought he would.

“You and I both know that I cared about him more than you
ever did. Maybe if you hadn’t been such a shit brother things would have turned
out differently. You probably don’t really even care now as much as you say you
do. You’re just milking it for all it’s worth, enjoying the attention of
playing the victim.” The last word was spit out in a venomous growl. “All you
ever cared about was yourself and not a damn thing has changed.”

Rage, vivid and red, pooled under Paul’s skin, distorting
his features as he snarled. Had he been in possession of all his wits and
faculties, Emma felt sure that the sheer force of his animosity would be
something to be reckoned with. As it was, his alcohol-addled brain made his
movements sluggish and predictable and Ben saw him think about swinging before
he even raised his arm to follow through.

Ben caught Paul’s wrist as it sailed by, twisting it before
spinning him around to bring his arm up at a painful angle and slamming his
cheek against the opposite wall.

Startled, Emma just barely jumped out of their way as Paul’s
face made impact. All chatter around them ceased as the bar patrons watched the
scene in front of them. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Adam
and Tyler slowly approaching. They didn’t interfere but she felt their silent
presence like a reassurance they would either calm Ben down or have his back if
shit got critical. Whichever came first.

Though Ben surely knew he was drawing a crowd of spectators,
all of his ominously aggressive focus was on Paul. He’d never looked more
frightening or dangerous and she had a moment to worry for Paul’s overall well-being.

“Understand me when I tell you that I’m done being your
whipping boy,” Ben growled in Paul’s ear, every word a threat waiting to be
carried out. “You need to own up to all of your bullshit, Paul, and get some
fucking help. Tim would be disgusted by the poisonous man you’ve become.” Ben
leaned into Paul’s jacked-up arm, causing the other man to shout in pain. “Stay
the fuck away from my girl. You get it?”

Hastily, Paul nodded as best he could smashed up against the
wall like that. After a few incredibly tense moments, Ben dropped his hold on
him, leaving him in a drunken slump against the wall.

As he backed away, Emma could see a fine tremor causing
Ben’s hands to shake. She knew it wasn’t from nerves or even the adrenaline. It
was all of his checked fury. She knew because she would be feeling the exact
same way. And then he brought his gaze to hers and she contemplated it no more.
The severe look in his eyes was piercing and sent unwanted sparks of fervent
awareness through her veins. He was still angry, that much was obvious and she
had never wanted to launch herself at someone more in her life.

The inexplicable pull she felt toward him wasn’t just one-sided
as made evident by his almost reluctant step toward her. She held her breath
and waited for him to take another step but his boots remained rooted to the
floor. Slowly, that fierce expression turned to one of longing and sorrow the
longer he stared at her.

She wanted to go to him, wrap her arms around him and erase
the bitterness she saw in his eyes. But she was frozen, caught in his tormented
gaze, and couldn’t move. All too soon, his expression once again hardened and
he averted his eyes, moving past her to walk out of the bar without so much as
a backward glance.

All the air left her body at once and she collapsed back
into the bar. Luckily, there was a barstool directly behind her or she would
have fallen on her ass. She reached out a hand to steady herself on the stool
and found that she was the one shaking now.

He left
. Just walked right out of there without
saying a word to her. She had just started getting grudgingly used to the idea
that he was out of her life, that she would never see him again. Then he showed
up, revealing that he had been watching her, saved her ass and then
he
just
fucking left.
His sudden reappearance had been a jolt to her system and
that insanely intense look he shot her before he bailed put her firmly back at
square one. Which was agonizing over all of the things she could have said or
done differently but didn’t.

The shock coursing through her system was turning into anger
and she had half a mind to follow him just so she could vent it out on him. For
just
leaving
her this way.

“Jesus, are you okay?” Chloe’s frantic question snapped Emma
out of her thoughts and she realized she’d been staring at the door for
who-knew-how-long. Like her disbelief would make him walk back through it.

Taking a deep breath, she turned to face her friend. “Yeah,
I’m good.” Chloe continued to eye her dubiously and she noticed that the rest
of her friends had matching expressions. She knew what they were thinking and
she chose to ignore it. There was no way she could give them the assurances
they needed. She had none and didn’t think she’d last through such a
conversation.

“What happened to Paul?” she asked by way of deflection. And
to satisfy genuine curiosity as the bastard was nowhere in sight.

Chloe sneered. “Couple of his friends picked his sorry ass
up off the floor and took him out the back way.”

“Good,” Emma bit out, happy to have him be somewhere other
than near her. Wanting to wipe away that worried expression on Chloe’s face,
she offered her a small smile. “Now I really need a drink.”

Chloe blew out a nervous laugh. “Me too. I’m buying.”

It was a relief that her friends were able to read her body
language and left the subject of Ben alone. With fresh drinks all around, the
tension of the night’s events slowly evaporated and soon the conversation was
once again easy. And Emma was grateful for the distraction because she knew
herself well enough to know that her thoughts would be racing on the long ride
home tomorrow.

Later on, on the way back from the bathroom, Adam snagged
her wrist and pulled her to an empty table in the corner.

“I’m sorry,” he said by way of explanation. “I didn’t know
Ben was going to be here.”

Of all the people to be apologizing to her, it really
shouldn’t have been Adam. “No, it wasn’t your fault. I understand why you called
him earlier so there’s no reason to apologize.”

He shook his head and his mouth formed into a mean line. “I
should have known he would go all stalker on you tonight. He’s been acting so
damn weird when it comes to you.” He regarded her closely for a few seconds
before he dropped his eyes and murmured, “I also should have been paying more
attention. If I had been, Paul never would have made it up to the bar beside
you.”

Anger coursed through her once again but it didn’t have a
thing to do with Adam. It was all about Paul. “Don’t apologize because of that
shithead. You know, maybe it’s a good thing it happened. Didn’t seem like Ben
ever stood up to him like that before on his own behalf. Maybe he got some
closure from it.”

Adam’s head snapped up at her sharp tone and then an amused
smile curved his lips. “I don’t give a shit what my dumbass brother says. You’re
good for him, you know that.” It wasn’t a question and she got his meaning. “Just
give him some time. He’ll figure it out.”

She laughed and shook her head. “I’m glad you’re so sure. Does
he know that?”

His smile turned into a sly grin. “He will.”

The end of their little corner conversation was meant to be
helpful and as she rejoined her friends, she was aware of that. The problem
was, she wasn’t sure any amount of time would bring with it a revelation in
Ben’s eyes. Nothing anyone said or did was going to change how he felt about
himself, make him see what he was giving up between them. Only he could do
that. All Emma could do was accept his decision and pray to God that one day,
she would get over him.