My eyes were on Ben’s as I danced with Missy. Alcohol flowed through my veins, and all I could think about was the promise of what would happen when we got back to his house. In the cab on the way over, I’d sent him a flirty text to say we were going to Hamilton’s for tequila shots; I’d received a text a couple of seconds later saying he would see me there. As soon as he and Austin walked through the doors, he’d come to me, kissed me hard and hot, and then he’d moved to a table and had been sitting on a beer all night while his eyes remained on me. I’d never felt more turned on in my life.

I’d only had one shot, and then Carson started making Randy Andy’s.

It was like an impromptu night out with all the gang.

“Ben is looking at you like he is going to eat you.”

“We can only hope Miss, we can only hope.” Winking at her, I informed her exactly the kind of eating I hope he’d do.

“At the rate the sexual tension is shooting between you two, I think he might go for the record tonight. Might be a six orgasm kind of night.”

I throbbed at the thought. “I’d die.”

She rolled her eyes then wrapped her arm around my shoulders, and we danced over to Carson to order another drink. As I waited for my Randy Andy Cocktail, I rested against the bar and watched Shelley walk to a table toward the back with a towel hanging over her arm. Even when she wasn’t working, she was still working. I was watching her when it happened again.

The lights above disappeared, and then Hamilton’s was blanketed in darkness.

I couldn't believe this was happening again.

Was I cursed?

“What the hell? Again?” Missy said beside me, and she patted my arm as her hand moved to mine. “Let’s go.”

After last time, I made sure I held on tight. Thankfully tonight there were fewer people, so it wasn’t as frantic to make our way to the front door. Ben had me in his sight, while Austin focused on Missy. There was no way anything was standing between me and getting to Ben tonight.

I couldn’t believe it happened when I was so close to Ben. All I had to do was reach out, and he could have grabbed my hand, and now I’d be walking out with him whispering something dirty in my ear about how we were going to end the night. Instead, pain ricocheted through my head as I pulled away from Missy by someone ripping at my braid. I stumbled back through the darkness; I couldn’t see a thing. Whoever had me remained silent and their only concern was stealing me from the confines of safety. Panic crept through me, and the first thing I thought was that Edward had snuck in and grabbed had me. The more I struggled, the harder they pulled and the pain tearing through my skull was excruciating. I frantically tried to blink through the darkness. My only concern was finding Ben, Austin or Missy. As quickly as I was snatched and pulled away from Missy, I was let go and the tension in my head diminished to almost non-existent.

Overhead blinding light illuminated Hamilton’s as the backup generator kicked in with a low groan. Gasps and cheers of celebration rang out from those people still inside, and most made their way back to the bar as if it was still a normal night out. But my body pinned to the spot. Unease crept over my skin and burrowed itself deep within me, as I saw for the first time who had ripped me from Missy grasp.

Shelley’s eyes sliced to me, and her mouth twisted into a menacing grin. My brain screamed at me to run, but my feet refused to move. Her hand shot out and her fingers gripped my arm painfully before I was hurled toward her with enough force that my shoulder jarred, and I screamed out in agony. The intensity of my scream silenced the room.

“Shelley, what—”

The feel of something forced into my back silenced me. I’d never felt a gun pressed against any part of my body before, but something told me it was exactly what was happening. Fear trampled down my spine as I tried to wrap my head around what was going on. Why did my friend, someone I'd let into my circle, have a gun pressed into my back in the middle of my family’s bar? I'd never been more terrified yet furious in my life.

“Shelley, what are you doi—,”

“Shut up!” she screamed before whipping the side of my head with the butt of the gun. Pain flashed behind my eyes, and I swayed on my feet. “Do you every shut up?”

“Put the gun down,” Austin yelled, edging toward us with his gun raised. “This doesn’t need to end like this.”

“I didn’t think you’d last,” she said, ignoring Austin and redirecting her hateful gaze to a fuming Ben, who also had his gun ready and pointed at us. “Sasha never fucked men more than once, well, besides that poor excuse of a man, Danny. That was her rule. The whole don’t-get-attached-to-people rule. But then you kept sniffing around this place, she kept opening her legs, and you kept taking. I should have known. Sasha Hamilton can do no wrong. Even her pussy is perfect. You two screwed up our plans.”

A shiver ran down my spine and I winced at her words. “Shell—”

How was this happening? What was she saying? Shelley was meant to be my friend. I’d let her into my circle. She was a part of my life, and now she was saying these disgusting things in the middle of Hamilton’s and pressing a gun in my back.

Panic roared through me as Ben started to move forward, and Shelley didn’t miss his approach.

“You take one more step, and this will not end well.”

Silently, I pleaded with Ben to stay away. The tension in the room was suffocating, but I had to find a way to breathe. I had to breathe to survive. I looked at the people in front of me. People who’d been in my life for years, people who’d I’d only just met, and people who’d been coming here for longer than I could remember. They all stared back, different levels of anger on their faces.

“Looks like we have all the gang here tonight.”

Behind me, Edward’s voice cursed the air, and my heart felt like it shattered.

Edward and Shelley.

In on this together?

What the hell was happening?

Slowly, I turned and as I did, a gut-wrenching cry tore out of me. Drew was hunched over beside Edward, clutching at his side and his white shirt was soaked with blood. The need to get to Drew overwhelmed me, and I clawed at Shelley’s arm, fighting to get out of her grip and not caring about anything besides getting to my brother. I was frantic and desperate. Her strength overcame my shock of seeing Drew, and her fist connected with my cheek, and I was momentarily stunned into submission. My cries of desperation became moans of hurt.

“Edward, what have you done?” I cried out, anxious to get to Drew.

“I took a little visit to see my old friend. He let me right in. Fuck, you Hamilton’s are way too trusting.”

“You’re fucking insane.” Drew groaned. “I’d never let you in my house.”

“Fine, I waited on your porch. Same, same.”

Shelley dug her palm into my back after ignoring my pleas, and she pushed until I started walking. With each step we took through the eerily silent bar, I stared at Drew. Finally, his heavy eyes met mine before they ran over me, making sure I was okay. My big brother, always in protection mode.

“Sasha, you look…mmm…. fantastic tonight,” Edward sneered with an ominous grin as his wicked eyes scanned me from head to toe. Bile rose up in my throat knowing that his gaze was penetrating my body. I felt dirty and like a piece of meat, and he hadn’t even touched me. Desperate for clean, I looked at the one person who could give me that. Ben. His stance was unwavering, gun raised and ready, a furious look masking his handsome face, and his eyes were fastened on the scene unfolding. But he gave soft when his eyes found mine, because he knew that’s what I needed. Even as the room around us was drowning with the unknown and the promise of danger, he still gave me what I needed.

He always did.

I was in deep with this man.

And that thought alone meant I had something worth fighting for.

“He isn't going to help you,” Edward seethed. “None of them will.”

“Have you worked it out yet, Sasha?” Shelley asked, sounding giddy with excitement once we stopped in front of Edward and Drew.

I barely heard a word she said because I was too focused on the blood covering Drew’s hand that was clutching his side. Slightly, he shook his head, and I didn’t know whether that meant he was okay, or that he was struggling to hang on.

“Worked out what, Shelley? That you two are bat-shit crazy? That you fucked me over? What? What am I possibly meant to work out?” I was pissed, scared, and anxious, and I had no control on what I was saying. My emotions were running wild. It probably wasn’t the best thing to do to cuss at a woman holding a gun to me, or in front of a man that had obviously hurt my brother some how, but I couldn’t control it.

“Look at me,” she demanded so low that I almost didn’t hear her. She forced me to stand in front of her, using me as a shield between her and Austin and Ben. “Really, look at me.”

So, I did. She looked nothing like the woman I was having Wine Time Wednesday with just a few hours ago. Or the friend who’d been in my house, my store, in my life. She looked wired and had absolutely nothing behind her eyes besides evil.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. “How do you honestly think this will end?”

Her hysterical laugh startled me. “Why are we doing this?” she continued to laugh as she turned to Edward. “She wants to know why we are doing this!”

I waited. What more could I do but wait? I had a gun pressed against my back, my brother was bleeding in front of me, and I had two maniacs who were once classed as close family friends glaring at me.

“I’ll give you a clue.” She leaned in until only an inch separated us and I could feel her breath on my lips. “My name isn't Shelley.”