The Sweet Addiction Series Collection: Sweet Addiction, Sweet Possession & Sweet Obsession (72 page)

“Jesus. This place is packed,” I yell over the music as Reese leads me through the crowd of people.

Friday nights at The Tavern do tend to be a bit busier, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it this mobbed before. I stay close to Reese, my hand in his as he weaves me in and out of the mass of bodies toward one of the tall tables surrounding the dance floor. I spot our friends once we get close enough. Juls is sitting on Ian’s lap, Joey is talking intimately with Billy, and Brooke is looking between the two couples, rolling her eyes.

“Why I agreed to show up here dateless is beyond me,” she snaps before taking a sip of her drink. Her eyes widen when they focus on Reese and me. “Ahhh! You’re here!” She moves past Billy and Joey, wrapping her arms around me. “Thank you for inviting me out tonight. I’m so fucking excited about tomorrow.” She glances up at Reese. “Wait until you see your wedding cake. It’s unreal.”

“I can’t wait,” he answers, dropping my hand. “You want anything from the bar?”

“Just a water.” I turn to Juls once Reese leaves the group. “Is that what you’re having?”

She holds up her glass. “Nothing but water for me for the next eight months. I need it tonight anyway after bawling my eyes out at the rehearsal. I can’t imagine how emotional this is going to be tomorrow.”

“Am I the only one who didn’t cry?” Billy asks, reaching up and fixing Joey’s collar.

“I didn’t,” Ian says, glancing over at Juls who shoots him a disbelieving look. “What? I wasn’t crying. My allergies were acting up.”

“Sure they were,” Brooke teases. “Because you didn’t shed a few tears during your own wedding, or when you heard your baby’s heartbeat. You’re practically a chick, Ian. Whereas Reese exudes manliness.”

“Easy, hornball,” I direct at her. She wiggles her brows at me as a response.

Reese returns to the table carrying a beer and a glass of water for me. Ian points at him. “You think he won’t be emotional tomorrow? Are you fucking kidding? I’ll bet a hundred bucks he cries before any of us. Including you.” He motions toward me and smiles. “Shall we make it interesting?”

“Fuck you. I haven’t cried since I was a kid. I’ll take that bet,” Reese says. He looks down at me as he slides his arm around my waist. “Honeymoon money.”

I laugh as Joey slides off his stool. “I’m in.”

“Me, too,” Billy adds.

“Yup. I say you’re going to weep like a baby the minute you see her,” Juls says behind her glass, smiling at Reese. “I’ve seen the dress. Good luck getting any money from us.”

“I want in. I don’t have a hundred bucks yet cause I’m waiting to get paid,” Brooke pauses, shooting me a look which I give right back to her. “But, I’m betting Reese holds his ground. I think Dylan will cry before he does.”

Reese presses his lips to my hair. “You want in on this, love?”

Demi Lovato’s “Really Don’t Care” begins blaring overheard, and I put my glass down and shimmy out of his grasp. “Nope!” I yell over the music, moving toward the dance floor. I connect with him from the other side of the table. “But if I were, I’d be betting against you, handsome.” I grab Joey by the shirt and pull Juls off Ian’s lap. I wave over Brooke and the four of us move into the crowd of people on the dance floor.

The guys stay at the table, watching, amused as we all twirl around each other and sing at the top of our lungs. I keep meeting Reese’s eyes, motioning for him to join me, but he stays put and occasionally shakes his head in disapproval when I begin dancing way more flirtatiously than I did today in the shop. Billy joins us after a few songs and takes turns dancing with all four of us, giving Joey extra attention. The dance floor is mobbed and we get moved farther and farther away from the table when more people try to pack in. Juls motions she needs a drink after a while, and I do, too. I’m sweaty and definitely parched, but I need to use the restroom first.

“I’ll be right there!” I yell over the music, seeing all four of them indicate they’ve heard me as they walk back toward the guys.

I push my way through the crowd toward the back hallway which leads to the bathrooms. There are entirely too many people in the bar tonight. There must be some sort of crowd cap that is definitely being ignored. But as long as there isn’t a line for the ladies room, I’m fine with the mob.

I follow a group of girls into the women’s room, who luckily only want to check out their makeup situation, leaving me an empty stall. Once I’m finished, I wash my hands and clean up my face a bit, forgetting all about the tears I shed earlier and what it ended up doing to my eye makeup. But luckily, it’s so dark in the bar I doubt anyone noticed. Once I’m satisfied with my appearance and so thirsty I contemplate drinking straight from the tap, I exit the bathroom.

I’m stopped by a hand on my upper arm, big enough to wrap around my bicep. It tightens and pulls me out of the bathroom doorway while another hand grabs my hip, pinning me against the wall. Everything happens so quickly, I don’t have time to register any of it. The hard body is pressing against me, preventing me from moving and keeping me boxed in. I look up at a man invading my space and meet those eerie yellow eyes I never thought I’d see again.

“Get the hell…”

My words are cut off when his hand covers my mouth, He moves closer, flattening his body against mine. I clench every muscle as I try to squirm from his hold. I know the hallway is packed with people, but the way Bryce is pressing against me and given his size compared to mine and his ability to shield me completely, it probably looks like two people making out. I try to shake my head to remove his hand but he stays with me. He pins my arms together in front of me when I try to push him away. Panic sets in. Blood fills my ears and I want to scream, but I can’t.

And then he leans in and I squeeze my eyes shut. I don’t know what he’s about to do. I don’t know if he’s just going to run his mouth like usual. Given the fact he probably knows he’s going to prison, I’m thinking he isn’t going to hold anything back.

“Hey, baby. Miss me?”

I gag at the alcohol and cigarette cocktail filling my nasal cavity with each word he spews. It’s nauseating, as is everything about this guy. I feel his nose rub against my forehead and hear him inhale.

“Your bastard boyfriend messed with the wrong guy. And he was really fucking stupid to let you out of his sight.”

“I didn’t.”

Reese’s voice and the closeness of it has me shooting my eyes open. He’s over Bryce’s shoulder, grabbing him and pulling him off me before he slams him against the other wall. Bryce protests with flailing limbs and some incoherent words which are broken apart when Reese punches him in the jaw. Repeatedly. His arm flies back, fist clenched, and he delivers blow after blow while his other hand pins Bryce in place. Blood starts pouring from Bryce’s nose and mouth, and that creepy grin of his is nowhere in sight.

“Fight!” someone yells.

I’m glued to the wall, unable to move as I watch the crowd form around us, which includes our group of friends. Juls and Brooke both gasp, covering their mouths as they watch Reese pummel this loser, while the guys all react differently.

Billy pulls his phone out of his pocket and quickly dials what I assume to be the police.

Ian pushes his way back toward the bar, yelling over the commotion for someone to get security.

And Joey comes straight over to me. “Are you okay?” he asks, alarm in his voice.

I nod my response, keeping my eyes on Reese. No one stops him and I know someone has to. He could kill this prick.

He should kill him.

Just when I’m about to open my mouth, Reese grabs Bryce by his shirt and drags him off the wall, moving across the hallway to where I’m standing. Juls and Brooke both dart out of the way and Joey flanks my side. Bryce looks like shit run over. His nose has to be broken by the looks of it, his left eye is swollen shut, and he seems to be having trouble standing.

Aww. Poor baby.

Reese holds him up in front of me. “You see her? Do you?” Bryce moans. “Fucking look at her, you piece of shit!” Bryce peeks his good eye open while the blood pours from his nose. “Get a good fucking look, because this is the last one you’re ever going to get. If you so much as think about her again, I will hunt your ass down and fucking kill you. Do you hear me?” Bryce moans again as Ian comes rushing back over to the group.

“All right. Cops are here. I don’t know where the fuck security is, but it looks like you don’t need them.” He looks at Juls and then at me. “You okay?”

“Yes,” we both answer.

“Dylan,” Reese says, gaining my attention. “If you want to hit him, you better do it now.”

He holds Bryce by his shirt in front of me and I step closer, tilting my head down so his one eye focuses on me. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a really long time.” I bring my hand back and strike him hard across the face, the loud cracking sound filling the hallway.

“Damn!” someone yells through a laugh.

I smile at the crowd. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this satisfied with slapping someone before.

Brooke steps up next to me. “Ooo! Can we all take turns? I want a go at him.”

Just then, Billy pushes through the crowd, signaling for the police to follow him. “Oh, damn it,” Brooke utters, moving back and falling in next to Joey. One officer grabs Bryce from Reese and moves him away from the group while the other walks over to us.

“Someone want to tell me what happened here?” the officer asks, looking at each of us.

I give him the rundown of the situation, making sure to point out that this isn’t the first time Bryce put his hands on me. I tell the cop about the time in the elevator and mention he’s kind of been stalking me, using the flower on my van as an example. When I get a stern look from Reese, I realize I forgot to tell him about that and mouth “I’m sorry”, seeing his face soften instantly. Reese tells the officer about the investigation on Bryce and how he thought he should’ve been arrested by now. The officer tells us they have been looking for him, but he hasn’t been at his condo and also hasn’t shown up to work for the past two days. But now that they have him, he’ll be in custody until his trial. After everyone gives their statements about what they saw happen, we are told we can leave.

“Well, this has been interesting to say the least. I’ll see you crazy kids tomorrow,” Brooke says as we all walk outside. She heads down the sidewalk, glancing over her shoulder. “And I got dibs on every single guy there!” she yells.

“All right, boys. Say your goodbyes,” Juls says. Ian grabs her and kisses her sweetly while Billy and Joey share their own private moment a few feet away on the sidewalk.

I glance up at Reese. “Hi.”

His eyes meet mine after scanning my face. “I don’t want to say goodbye.”

I predicted this, especially after what just happened. But it’s over now. Reese has nothing to be worried about.

I wrap my arms around him and tilt my head up, pressing my chin against his chest. “I tell you what. I’ll text you as soon as I get home, and then every fifteen minutes until I fall asleep.”

“Every five minutes,” he counters, pressing his lips to my forehead. His arms envelop me and hold me against him.

I’m about to argue but let it go and agree to it. “Okay. Every five minutes. How is your hand?”

“Fine.”

“Let me see it.”

“It’s fine, Dylan.”

“Reese.”

He sighs heavily and lets go of me, holding up his right hand for me to examine.

“Fine, my ass. See how banged-up it looks?” I run my fingers over his fourth and fifth knuckle where most of the damage seems to be. The skin is cut up and a bit swollen, and he flinches at my touch. “You might need an x-ray, Reese. It could be broken.”

He flexes it several times before grabbing my hip with his other hand and pulling me against his chest. “It’s not broken. I’ll ice it when I get to Ian’s.”

As if he hears his name, Ian comes up to us and slaps Reese on the back. “Come on, man. She’ll be all yours tomorrow.”

Reese looks at him and then back down at me. He tilts my chin up. “Every five minutes.”

I press my lips against his. “You got it.”

Juls and Joey flank my side and we watch our men walk toward their vehicles. They both grab one of my hands.

“You ready for your last sleepover as a single woman?” Juls asks.

I smile at Reese as he looks back at me one last time before getting into his car.

Yup. Absolutely.
“I’m so fucking ready.”