Page 84 of Indigo Sky

Nate was the one to lose the staring contest when he turned to meet her eyes with a smile. "Yeah, babe. I'm there."

"Jagger is going to be so excited," she said with a short, wistful sigh. "But, okay, I have to get back to work. You guys chat, and I'll tell Indie you're taking her home, okay, Rev?"

"Yep."

"And, hey, baby, if you're a good boy, I'll give you a special little dance after my set," Crystal added with a giddy little giggle before bouncing away.

Nate watched her go while I watched him, my fingertips absentmindedly collecting the condensation from my glass asit dripped onto the table. A longing I knew well softened his features as she retreated, and it was quickly accompanied by a flicker of possessive jealousy. I could only imagine what she was doing behind me with a customer—or what a customer was doing to her. Under different circumstances, I might've said something helpful, man to man, and maybe I would later, but …

"The fuck are you doing, Nate?" I growled instead, my voice low, but not so low that he couldn't hear me.

He looked back to me then, schooling his face into that snide look I knew too well. "What do you mean, the fuck am I doing? I should be asking you the same question, asshole, except …" He smirked and tipped his head. "I already know what you haven't told me. I've seen you outside, working the door."

I held my head high, tipping my chin to look at him askance. "Is that what you've been doing, Nate? You're following me? Is that how you met Crystal? Because, I swear to God, if you—"

"You're fuckin' crazy—you know that?" he cut me off. "No, I'm not fucking stalking you. I dropped Crys off a few weeks back and saw you at the door."

"And you just knew it was me?"

He huffed something that almost sounded like a laugh. "Oh, ‘cause there're a million guys out there who look just like you. Sure."

His attention bounced from me to look toward the stage, where Kate was still dancing, slowly walking across the stage and taking to the pole once more. His eyes widened at the sight ofher, salacious interest twitching at the corners of his mouth for the briefest of moments, and I smacked the table with flattened palms, sending the glasses of beer rattling and sloshing.

"Don't you dare fucking look at her," I ground out from between clenched teeth.

An understanding dawned on him as he slid his reptilian glare back to me. "She's that bitch who made you jizz in your pants," he said, his voice breathless with wondrous recollection. "Holy shit, tell me you're fucking her."

My crazed brain hung on that one word—bitch, bitch, bitch—until it ran into itself on an endless, insane loop.Bitch-bitch-bitch.

My brows lowered, and my fists clenched. "I swear to you, Nate, I will—"

"Nah, you're not fucking her," he interrupted, wagging his finger at me. "No, Iknowyou, Revan. Youloveher. You got it fuckin' bad too. Does she know? Does shecare?"

He was talking out of his ass, looking to get a rise out of me, falling back on his old tricks. He forgot I knew him, too, and I didn't want to give in. But, dammit, the room was too hot, too noisy, too suffocated of oxygen, and I was too mad to think beyond some primal need to defend and protect.

I stood up quickly, and the chair I was sitting in fell backward, clattering to the floor. The music was playing too loudly for any customers nearby to take notice.

"Come with me," I growled beneath my breath.

"Wha—"

My hand shot out to grab Nate by the collar of his shirt, and I hauled him to his feet and forcibly made him walk beside me until we stood in a corner to the side of the bar, where Scott watched with cautious interest. I released Nate for a moment, relaxing my hands and shaking them out.

"Jesus, fuck, Rev," Nate murmured, smoothing out his shirt as he sneered. "The hell is wrong with you? You’re gonna tell me her pu—"

“Shut your fucking mouth.” I grabbed him again and shoved a finger into his face, finally asking the question I had been wondering since I’d first seen him in the club tonight. "Have you been watching her?"

Nate furrowed his brow. "Watchingwho?"

"Don't play dumb with me, motherfucker.Iknowyou. Don't ever forget that, Nate. I fuckingknow you." I pulled him closer, jabbed my finger at his left eye as it danced over my face—maybe I should poke it out, and then we’d be even—and asked again, "Have you been watching her?Answer me."

His eyes shifted to glance at the stage, where Kate continued to work the pole. I jerked at his collar, and his neck shook limply.

"You're talking about her?" he asked, his voice shaking, his breathing a little more labored.

"Holy fuck, just answer the question," I warned, a little more panicked this time. "I swear to God, if—"

"No! Fuck! No, okay?" His pulse vibrated against my knuckles.

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