Page 84 of The Lies We Tell Ourselves

“This is good shit,” McCormack said as we took in the freshly decorated space with awe. “I’m going to get some drinks.”

“See you when the show starts,” I said, but he was striding away, heading toward one of the waiters with a tray full of drinks like a man on a mission.

“Have you seen him yet?” Buchanan asked as he grabbed a drink for both of us from a passing waiter.

“No.” But as soon as the words left my mouth, the twinkling lights caught on golden curls, and my heart stopped. Jamie looked amazing in a simple white suit that hugged his body to perfection. As if he felt me looking at him, he stopped talking to whoever he was with and our eyes locked. Even from this distance, I could feel the appreciative heat in his gaze. A smile lifted the corners of my lips, and some of my nervous energy abated just from knowing where he was. Jesus, I was whipped. But he was so fucking worth it.

“Dillon? Dillon?” A hand waved in front of my face, breaking our connection. “Ah, I see you’ve found him. Shall we go see the star? Or should I say, snowflake.” My gaze snapped to B, my smile morphing into a sneer.

“Snowflake?”

B choked, spitting his drink all over the place before he covered his mouth. “Man, your face. It’s a winter wonderland. I thought snowflake was all kinds of fitting.”

I grunted in response, ignoring his laugh and somehow dodging his elbow too. “Who’s that prick who thinks he can touch what’s mine?” I said between clenched teeth. I fisted my hands to hide the violent fury pulsing down my arms.

The guy in question had Jamie backed against a wall in a semi-dark corner. His arm was braced next to Jamie’s head, like he was caging him in. Jamie’s eyes darted back and forth with increasing frequency as we weaved our way through the growing number of people gathering for the show. “Fuck this.”

“Dillon, calm down. I’m sure it’s nothing,” B whispered in my ear. “Don’t go making a scene and fucking this up for him.” I glared at him, and he held his hands up in surrender. “What? You’re a possessive son of a bitch, aren’t you?” Unable to answer, I nodded as we finally broke through the crowd, only a few feet separating me and Jamie.

His wide eyes flicked up to mine just as the jackass trailed a finger down his cheek, making him freeze as the color drained from his face. The pained look in his features and the twitch at the corner of his left eye had me ready to smash the douchebag’s head in with my foot.

“Oh fuck, this isn’t good.” Buchanan’s voice sounded faint as the world around me faded away and narrowed down to the two figures in front of me. Blood whooshed in my ears, and my knuckles cracked.

“What’s going on here?” I growled and slipped my arm round Jamie’s waist, pulling him into me, and effectively moving him out of the douchebag’s reach. Bloodlust took over when my little crow looked up at me with tear-filled eyes, genuine fear swimming in their blue depths.

“D-Dillon…t-this is—” I silenced him with a kiss. My chest heaved as I tried to wrangle my emotions under control so I didn’t scare him, but as our lips touched, the frantic energy bleeding from him subsided as he melted into me. My tongue dipped into his mouth, and he moaned as it wrapped around his. The rage inside me quietened until the rude fucker cleared his throat. My eyes snapped open to see him glaring at me with his lip curled back in a sneer.

“I’ve got you, baby.” I placed a chaste kiss on his lips once, and then once more. “Let Taylor take you backstage, okay? I’ll be there in a minute. I just need to take out the trash.”

Wide glistening eyes stared into my soul. Fuck, I loved him. Jamie licked his lips, and a slight touch of color bloomed on his too pale cheeks. “Okay.” He placed a hand over my thundering heart. “Just be safe.”

The twat next to us scoffed, and I turned my ire on him. “Got it, baby.” I forced a congenial smile on my face, and Jamie rolled his eyes at me. “Go get ready. I can’t wait to see you in action.”

“Thanks!” He kissed my cheek and let Buchanan lead him through the crowd and away from this sad sack of shit.

“You!” My hand shot out and wrapped around his throat, pinning him to the wall. His fingers scraped against mine, trying to gain purchase. A malicious smile cut across my face as I allowed my jealousy and anger to consume me.

“Do you know who I am?” He whimpered like the pathetic limp dick he was.

“You could be Jesus for all I care. No one, and I mean fucking no one, lays a hand on my boyfriend without his permission.”

“He was begging for it, willing to do anything to get a contract with me. Levi invited me here tonight to check out the models. If you hurt me, he’ll know.”

I stepped into the jackass and pinned him against the wall, my nose brushing his. “Levi won’t give a fuck what I do to you when I tell him what you were doing to that sweet boy. Fuckers like you make me sick.”

“It’s the industry. Stuff like this happens all the time, and no one will care what you say.”

I snorted at his arrogance. “You think I care? We’re going to go have a chat somewhere a little more private. That’s what you like, isn’t it? Private places with little boys?” He made me sick. The dick must have been in his late forties, with his thinning hair and terrible teeth.

“You’re not really my type.” He squeaked as I yanked him off the wall and dragged him through the fire exit.

“Well, you’re not mine either, but tonight I’ll make an exception.” I spat at him as the door crashed open. The cold wet air hit me like a wall of ice, and the idiot fell over his feet and face-planted on the ground. I wrapped my hand in his hair and yanked his head back. “You touch him again, and this will look a lot like love,” I said and punched him hard enough to hear a crack. Warmth flowed over my hand, and I smirked.

“AHH,” he cried, scrambling to cup his hand over his face. But because of how he’d fallen, all he could do was whimper.

“Pathetic.” I dragged him by his hair and threw him against the solid brick wall. “When you wake up, you’re going to leave and never come back.”

“W-w-what?” He looked at me with dark bloodshot eyes that swirled with fear. Blood poured over his lips too fast to lick away. He shook in my hold and groaned as the scent of urine filled the air.

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