Page 24 of Wanted

As I took a sip from my fresh drink, my phone alerted me toanother text.

Woman! If I have to track youdown, I will. Then I’ll drag you out of wherever you are and lock you up in myhouse. Forever, if that’s what it takes. Tell me where you are. Now!

Where was all of this lastweek, or even the last couple of days?He’d been acting so distant, but assoon as I went out without his supervision, he wanted to act all demanding andcontrolling?To hell with that.

I’m where I’m at, Alek. You won’tfind me, so don’t bother looking. Besides, I would hate for you to waste any unnecessaryenergy or thought on little ol’ me.

I turned off my phone after I sent my last text. I didn’t want togo back and forth with him all night because it would sour my mood even more. Plus,he was ruining the nice buzz I had going on. All I wanted was one night toforget. One night to let go and be free from all of the emotional turmoil whichwas my current life.

Alexa saw me typing away then shut my phone off. “Everythingokay?”

“Yeah. Fine.” I leaned over the bar and waved to the bartender. Iplaced yet another drink order, sat back down and stared at my phone. I didn’tknow what I thought would happen. It was turned off, for God’s sake.

Alexa knew right then what my intentions were. We’d gone from afun night out to her being worried about me. “Sara, don’t you think maybe youshould slow down a bit? You’ve had a lot to drink already, and I really don’t wantto hold your hair back while you puke it back up later.” She smiled, but I knewshe was serious.

“I’m not done yet, Lex. I need one more drink to push me over tobeing completely numb,” I mumbled, clinking the ice cubes around at the bottomof my empty glass.

Thirty seconds later, the bartender placed our drinks on the barand asked, “Which one of you is Sara?” He was holding a phone against his shirtto block out some of the noise.

How the hell does he knowmy name?Alexa pointed toward me and smiled, knowing damn well who was onthe other end of the phone.

“Mr. Devera wishes to speak to you,” he said as he pushed thephone at me. “You can take it in the back office, down the corridor to yourright.”

Scowling at him, I yanked it from his hand as I approached theoffice. Not surprisingly, the door was unlocked.

“Hello,” I teased in my sweetest voice. Big mistake. The sounds whichcame from the other end of the receiver were almost indiscernible. I had tohold the phone from my ear because he was yelling so loudly. When he finally tooka breath, I interjected. “What seems to be the problem, sweetheart?” My smirkwas back, giddy I was able to rile him up.

“Don’t play games with me, Sara. Now, go find Alexa and get yourass home where you belong.”

What the hell?How didhe know I was with Alexa? How long was he talking to the traitor of a bartenderbefore he got me on the phone?Mr.Turncoat must have described my friend to him.

“Why don’t you come down here and make me?” I would normallynever instigate him in such a way, knowing full well he would actually comedown there, cause a scene, throw me over his shoulder and stalk out of theclub. But it was exactly why I did it. The uncertainty of our relationshipactually had me craving his caveman tendencies.

“Sara…don’t.” He exhaled into the phone. “I can’t. I just can’t.”

“Why, Alek? What the hell is going on with you? With us?” I wasfull-on drunk, letting go of any and all inhibitions and saying whatever cameto mind.

“I’m not going to talk about this right now. Just get Alexa and gohome. Now.” His temper was controlled. I knew he was feeling guilty oversomething, but he wouldn’t say what and it was driving me crazy.

I stomped my foot like an errant child and pushed back againsthis crazy demand. “I’m not ready to go yet, so I’m not leaving. But when Idodecide to go, on myownterms, maybe I’ll find someone togive me a lift. You know, someone who’s actually looking to give me some attention.”

Taunting him was not the right move to make. Even though we werephysically separated, I was still waving a red flag in front of an aggressive,pissed-off bull of a man.

The next sounds I heard were a barrage of obscenities, thensomething crashing in the background.

Then the phone went dead.

My heart was beating so fast inside my chest. It was the mostinteraction I’d had with Alek in days, and of course, it was not a favorableone. He tried to tell me what to do, acting as if he even cared, and I pissedhim off with basically telling him I might go home with some random stranger.

Way to go, Sara.

As I headed back toward the bar, I saw Alexa’s full attention wason the band which started playing five minutes prior. She was even singingalong to the song, a bright smile plastered on her face. Until she saw meapproach. Then her whole demeanor changed. She slid off the barstool, grabbedour stuff and reached for my hand. “Come on, Sara. Let’s go.”

“What? No, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Alek wants me to take you home, and I think he’s right. You’vehad too much to drink, and I don’t want anything to get out of hand.”

My eyes narrowed in confusion. “How do you know he wants you totake me home?” She broke eye contact and fumbled with her keys, glancing at herphone before looking back up at me.Oh,for God’s sake. He texted or called her and had a little chat. And she fell forit.

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