Page 70 of Electric Touch

“All I want to do is meet this girl you’re so enthralled with. What is it with her? Does she have a magical pussy or something?” She sneers back at me.

“What’s going on?” Dylan asks from behind Nash. “Riley, what the hell are you doing?”

“Oh, I suppose you fucking like her too, huh? You think there is something special about Andrea?”

“Who?” Dylan asks, looking worse for wear himself. I appreciate him trying, but he isn’t much help. “Oh, you mean Adrestia,” he rolls his eyes at her blatant attempt to belittle me.

I take a couple of steps away. In the hope it might diffuse the situation if she doesn’t see me right in front of her.

“Where are you going, bitch?”

“Riley, for fuck’s sake,” Nash is keeping her upright at this point. “Will you stop it?”

More people are standing now to see what is going on. The bodyguard who came down to get me earlier is walking over. This has got out of hand. I never wanted to make a scene, but it’s out of control. Someone needs to stop her before she says or does something she can’t take back.

“I wanna know what it is about her that has you all hot and bothered. Feeling her up on the goddamn dance floor where everyone can fucking see. Is it sex, huh?” she glares at Nash then turns her wicked gaze on me. “That’s it, isn’t it? You spread your legs-”

“Enough!”

I turn at the harsh shout. A part of me wants to laugh. Out of all the big burly men here, not one of them has got through to her. It’s the tiny Ukrainian who has got Riley’s attention. Jordan is standing behind her, his face a mask. He isn’t happy about Alessa wading into this. I am extremely grateful because Riley looks nervous.

“I tell you not to do this,” Alessa snaps as she walks past me, touching my hand briefly. Her focus is on her bandmate. No one else noticed that move but me. “You are drunk, acting stupid. You need to leave.”

“I don’t want to,” her breath hitches on a sob. “I don’t want to be left on the outside. And because of her-”

“Nothing because of her,” Alessa says, getting in front of me. “This is you. It is you,” she repeats. “And it has to stop.”

“You okay?” Jordan asks me.

“I’m fine,” I say rigidly.

“Maybe we should go over here,” Jordan says. I nod and step away as Riley balls and turns into Nash.

He doesn’t touch her, he doesn’t move his hands, but Riley’s face is smashed against his chest. If I had to guess, I’d say he wants to push her off, but everyone in here is watching. The bodyguard finally comes over and says something to Nash. He steps back, looking for me.

“It’s tough,” Jordan says. “Complicated I guess.” He runs a hand over his head. He has no idea how to placate me.

“It’s fine, Jordan. Don’t worry.”

Nash circles around the two women as Riley begins to cry. Alessa doesn’t look at all happy to be dealing with it, but she pats Riley’s back and helps the bodyguard steer her away.

“Do you need to go with her?” I ask Jordan.

“Best let her sort it out with her friend,” he tells me. As we watch, another tall, muscular guy follows Alessa.

Apollo hurries over. “You okay, Tia?”

“I’m fine,” I tell him and Jordan. “I’m not worried about me.”

“Well, don’t be worried about her. What the actual fuck?” Apollo turns as Nash comes up behind us. “She doesn’t have to put up with this shit.”

“Apollo, I said it’s fine. It isn’t Nash’s fault. It’s no one’s fault. Can we please stop making this worse by arguing about it?”

Apollo isn’t happy, but he is aware of our surroundings. People are staring. He blows out a heavy sigh, hands on his hips as he eyeballs Nash, but he shuts up.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” Nash says, rubbing his face.

“No harm, no foul,” Jordan says, putting an arm around Nash’s shoulders. “Why don’t we all just go back to what we were doing? Alessa has this under control,” he slaps Nash’s back before releasing him. “We all good?”

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