She raises an eyebrow at me impishly without another word. Man, what I wouldn't give to live in her head for five freaking minutes. Then she disappears.
The night is moving so quickly, by the time I have a chance to look up, it’s closing in on one a.m. I hadn’t even noticed that Alana was back at the bar, and now that I have, I don’t like what I see. She’s being harassed by some dickhead who's been prowling the floor all night. He’s one of those assholes who gives every guy a bad name. And now he's shouting in her face.
Fuck. That.
I cease whatever it is I’m doing as a lick of rage shoots through my insides. All at once, I stalk over and slam my hand down on the bar top repeatedly, taking both of them by surprise. “Beat it, buddy, she’s spoken for,” I growl.
“Piss off,” he barks at me. “It’s not her I'm interested in. Where the fuck is Emily?"
“She's not here,” Alana seethes.
“Bullshit. The two of you are practically inseparable. Wherever you are, she is.”
“Not tonight,” Alana stands firm.
I watch their interaction, and when he goes to grab her, I snap. “That's it.” I snatch his arm over the bar. “Either you leave on your own, or I'll have the nice fella with the thick neck escort you out. And believe me, if that happens,it'll hurt.”
The douchebag growls under his breath before he rips his arm out of my grip. I stare him down, indicating he’s fucked if he causes any trouble.
“You better run for your goddamn life.” He glances at Alana then back to me. “Remington girls are nothing but a disease.”
He disappears deviously into the crowd after that, while the strobe lights dance overhead. I stare out into the mob then draw my eyes down to Alana; she’s gazing at me impassively. I think maybe I’m the one who’s fucked. Proclaiming we're an item may have been a step over the line.
“Who was that?” I ask.
“Some guy Emily dated last summer. I don't know what his problem is. They went out for like a month. Then he went allSwimfanon her.” She peers at me coolly. “I need to go find her.”
“Probably a good idea,” I agree collectedly, even though the look she's giving me is tying me in knots.
She turns to leave, but I grab her hand before she goes. "Are we okay?"
“We're fine,” she replies unconvincingly, looking down at our entwined fingers. Then she slips her hand out of mine and goes to look for Emily.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
I reluctantly serve drink after drink, scanning the crowd for any sign of Alana. I don’t know how long ago she left, but every single second that ticks by feels like agony. I just need to see her, gauge her reaction, hope there’s something in her eyes that tells me what we have isn’t over. Then, just like I wished it, she's standing right in front of me.
“Have you seen Emily?" she asks a little panicked.
"No, she hasn't been here.” I stop scooping ice.
Alana looks around again. “I can't find her anywhere.”
A little streak of dread bolts through me. I suddenly regret not tossing that asshole out of here with my own two hands.
“Okay, we'll find her. I'm sure she's around,” I try to placate her. I hop onto the bar and scan the club. Emily's boy-short blonde hair should be easy to spot. After a few minutes of searching, someone is shining a light in my eyes. It's Kris, one of the bouncers. "Everything all right?" His low timber vibrates up to me.
I hop off the bar. “Looking for a girl. Really short blonde hair. Tiny little thing. Seen anyone like that?”
“I haven't. Want me to look?”
“Yeah, I'm going to check outside. She had an ex looking for her earlier.”
Kris nods his head in understanding. The muscles in his rock-solid neck ripple as he tenses. Situations like these are nothing unusual in this environment. I start for the door with Alana on my heels. “Stay here,” I tell her.
“Ryan, no,” she argues. “Emily ismycousin.”
I turn around and glare at her. “Please, Alana, just stay inside so I don’t have to worry about you too.” I try to say it with as much composure as possible, but the very worst is running through my mind. That guy had the balls to touch Alana in public, so it's easy to imagine what he's capable of doing to Emily in private. The thought turns my stomach. When I get outside, the first thing I do is scan the parking lot. It's packed with cars and dimly lit. I jog out onto the pavement looking and listening. Then my body erupts in chills when I hear Emily's rattled voice. I zigzag through the cars following the sound until I find her pinned up against a black F-150 with her hands defensively in front of her face.