It’s Only Fair–2
White, hot panic rushes through me. I knee him between the legs, shoving his arm away. He grunts, falling over, and his glass falls to the ground with a smash.
Relief floods through me as I take a step away from him, but then his arm is around my elbow and he pulls me into a dark hallway.
I pull on his hold, screaming, but no one hears me over the loud music thumping in the back. I keep screaming, shoving my elbow back hard enough that I feel the crunch of his
cheek beneath my bone.
It hurts like a bitch, but I ignore the pain and ignore the tears that trail down my cheeks. My heart slams against my ribs, my breaths short and sharp as I fight to get away, and I run right into a hard chest.
“Fuck, Alina?”
The familiar voice has me crying harder, Zaid’s arms around my shoulders. The moment my eyes land on Zaid’s dark eyes, relief crashes over me so intensely that my entire body
reacts.
I nearly collapse, my breath coming out in a ragged exhale, my limbs suddenly weak. It’s like breaking through the surface after drowning, like the first gasp of air after being
suffocated.
The panic gripping my chest loosens just enough for me to move.
He’s here. I’m safe. The terror still clings to me, but Zaid is solid, real.
“You’re here, you’re here,” I cry, leaning into his chest. I can still feel Mr. Admas‘ breath
on my skin, his hand on my arm, his words curling around my mind like poison.
“What the fuck happened?” His voice is like an anchor in the storm, grounding me.
The music sounds even louder now, and when I look over Zaid’s shoulder, I see Aiden and Parker. Parker is holding up Nikki, who is probably a bit too drunk.
I feel the exact moment that Zaid sees Mr. Admas. His entire body stiffens, his hold on me tightening. He cusses under his breath and he quickly walks me to Aiden.
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It’s Only Fair–2
My fingers curl into the fabric of his shirt, holding on like he’s the only thing keeping me from falling apart. “Zaid, please. Don’t.”
Aiden’s smile completely disappears the moment he sees us walking toward him. Zaid transfers me into Aiden’s arms, his hand coming up to cup my face for a brief moment, his thumb brushing against my cheek.
“Take her home,” he says, his voice angry.
“No, Zaid—”
But he’s already turning away.
Aiden frowns, looking down at me with wide eyes. “Are you okay?”
I can only shake my head and turn to watch in horror as Zaid stalks toward Mr. Admas, his movements precise. Before Mr. Admas can react, Zaid grabs him by the collar of his
shirt and slams him against the wall.
My breath stutters. I shake my head. “You need to stop him before he hurts him.”
The words come out of me broken, from a breath trying to not sound like a cry.
Aiden’s already moving. He curses under his breath, pushing through the crowd as security starts to notice the commotion.
Parker and Nikki are suddenly beside me, and Aiden glances at them.
“Take her home,” he orders, his expression tight.
I can’t hear what Zaid is saying, but I can see the rage in his face, the barely restrained violence in the way his knuckles whiten around Mr. Admas‘ shirt.
Aiden reaches them just as security does, yanking Zaid back before he can do any real
damage.
Parker guides me toward the exit, but I can’t take my eyes off Zaid.
The last thing I see before the club doors close behind us is Aiden pulling him away, his grip firm, his voice low, while Mr. Adams straightens his shirt, looking far too panicked.
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