Page 86 of Oliver

When I don’t respond because what can I possibly say, Oliver barks, “What do you want?”

“Whiskey,” I whisper, and he moves away to pour the drink. Once he’s plunked the drink before me without a word, I wrap my icy fingers around the glass.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to apologize but he walks away. What the hell am I apologizing for anyway?

With Hate’s drink in hand, I search for him in the crowd. So, Oliver belongs to this horrible fucking club. Once again, I'm reeling. What the fuck? Does he hunt innocent victims?

Have I been fucking a murderer?

Licking my dry lips, I finally reach Hate who’s standing with an older man. Since I’m not supposed to look, I only have a brief image to go by but he’s quite distinguished looking with burnished silver hair, blue eyes, and a really expensive suit.

“This your girl?” he says and Hate grunts, grabbing the drink from my hand. He wraps his arms around my waist, and I snuggle deep, hoping that Hate doesn’t randomly decide to share. All things I should have considered before attending this deadly soirée on his arm.

“She’s pretty. You ever consider trading her?”

I stiffen and relax so quickly I don’t think the asshole noticed but Hate squeezes my waist and I tap his chest to acknowledge him.

“Nah, not now. Maybe after I’ve had my fill,” Hate drawls. Disgusting asshole. My skin prickles with awareness and I hold my breath. I have to get the fuck out of here, but I’m stuck until he can leave.

“Hm,” the man hums, “well, let me know.”

He moves on and I curl my stiff fingers into Hate’s shirt, exhaling quietly. Hate takes a sip of his drink and says, “They’re about to go into their meeting. You stay here. Do not ask questions. Do not do anything but sit here and stare at the fucking floor.”

“Why am I here?” I hiss and he grabs my wrist pulling me around.

“You’re here because you wouldn’t fucking listen. How you find out the information isn’t my problem.”

With that, he throws my hand away, points at the chair and with a growl, I collapse into it and cross my arms.

“Watch it,” he growls. “Around here, I’m practically expected to keep my bitch in line. You’re asking for something you don’t want to see.”

He walks away and I follow his back with a trickle of alarm that deepens into a full body shudder when I meet Oliver’s narrow eyes across the way. He dips his chin and disappears into the room hidden behind a sliding door but not before the man beside him follows his gaze to me.

Uh oh, caught out, I drop my head as he frowns. I’ve done the unthinkable, acted like a human fucking being instead of a blowup toy with holes. Hopefully he’ll shrug it off and assume I’m Oliver’s but who fucking knows.

The time ticks by interminably while I count down from one hundred in my head, Hate’s warning rings in my ears. What’s the harm in being friendly with the women here? Maybe one of them knows something.

Except when I glance around surreptitiously, I realize it's oddly quiet while the women sit or stand alone, refusing to make eye contact. It’s so fucking weird, a shiver cascades down my spine which is why I start when a whispered voice says to me, “You’re too obvious.”

“Wh-what?” I whisper back, hunching my shoulders. When no one looks up, I relax marginally.

“It’s obvious you don't belong, at least for us. But girl, if one ofthemsniffs you out, you’re done. Figure it out before they come back in, you feel me?”

I do although I don’t and with a tiny nod, I close my eyes and try to breathe evenly through the panic squeezing my chest. In. Out. In. Out. In—

I glance up when shouting starts up and glance around in confusion. The girl who I presume whispered her warning mutters an expletive and I clench my hands. What’s going on?

The door bursts open and a man emerges. His cool eyes assess the crowd and I shrink in my seat as he passes me over and stops on a pretty blonde two seats over. The woman shakes her head, a weird mewling sound coming from her throat, and I freeze when he grabs her arm.

She sags to her knees, and he proceeds to pull her across the floor. Every particle of my being is screaming at me to stand up. Scream. Tell him to stop but if I do, what will happen to me?

Shame burns my sternum when the door closes behind them and holding back tears, I stand and glance around wildly. Unfortunately, there's a sentry standing at the exit that I missed on the way in. He looms in the threshold, crossing his arms.

Bowing my head, I drop back to my seat and clench my fingers in my lap, visions of whatever they’re doing to that girl rolling around in my head. How do I stop this? What do I do?

To my relief, when the men finally emerge, the blonde is with them. She looks frightened but unharmed and I silently sigh as Hate approaches me and says, “Let’s go.”

I've never been happier to follow the orders of a dick in my life and eagerly I stand and follow him to the door. The bouncer doesn't say a word and I think I’m home free when I glance sideways and meet the stone-cold stare of the man from before across the room.

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