Page 40 of The Stalker

“Fuck off, I want to get a drink,” Blake answered before Hayden could say anything.

“No, we’re leaving now,” she told him.

She put her hand on Hayden’s arm to pull him away while positioning herself between Hayden and the men nearby as Blake growled, “Don’t be a bitch. We just want to get another drink.”

“Hayden,” she said in a warning tone, and he looked down at her, fear in his expression, but still not moving despite her attempts to pull him away.

It was too late.

“You’re a fucking cunt!” the man who was facing away from her yelled.

She heard the vocal explosion from next to her and saw the man raise his bottle of alcohol. She pushed Hayden away from her as the man swung his arm down and the shattering of glass echoed around them.

The man didn’t have time to do anything more before Tatiana lunged toward him from behind. She placed her hand over his wrist and angled it down, forcing him to release the smashed bottle as he was unable to grip it any longer. She linked her arms around each of his and pulled them behind his back.

“What the fuck?” he yelled.

Adrenalin flooded into Tatiana’s body as she placed her hands on each of her elbows, holding his arms tightly behind his back while he squirmed in pain. She needed to make sure he had enough pain to stop him from being able to focus, but she didn’t really want to pop his shoulders out of their sockets if she didn’t have to.

She was relieved when club security appeared a moment later. The four men goggled at her before the one who seemed to be in charge said, “We’ll take it from here.”

She nodded and let the man go, stepping back but staying on alert in case he made any moves. Two of the club’s security each grabbed an arm at once, and Tatiana turned back to Hayden, Blake, and Jesse with fury flowing through her veins.

“We’re leaving,” she bit out. “Jesse, go get the car. We’ll get Sebastian and Daryl.”

Jesse looked relieved as he walked away, and Tatiana led the way upstairs and back into the VIP area. When they reached the rest of Cruise Control, Tatiana stood in front of the group with her arms folded in front of her chest.

“I want to make one thing clear to everyone here. While I do not have any control over anyone except Hayden, I would hope that you all care about his safety enough to pay attention and follow any instructions that I give you.”

The men who had been sitting and talking prior to their appearance seemed confused, while Blake and Hayden were looking contrite.

“So, let me make this abundantly clear. If I tell you to jump, I do not want you to ask how high. I want you to jump.”

She glared at Blake. The man was a fucking nightmare and a total liability in public spaces. So far up his own ass that he didn’t give a shit about doing what was in the best interests of his boyfriend’s safety.

“Don’t do that again, Blake. Sebastian, we’re leaving now. You can come with us, or you can go home with one of these guys.”

Sebastian’s eyebrows raised, but he grinned at her. “Oh, if you think I’m missing this drive home, you’re sorely mistaken. Besides, I’m ready to go, anyway.”

“Great.” She nodded at Gabriel and Harrison where they were sitting next to Sebastian. “Good night, gentlemen. It was lovely to meet you.” She turned to Blake. “Good night, Blake. I’m sure we’ll meet again, and I’m sure you’ll behave better the next time I see you since you’ve assured me that you care about Hayden’s safety. So fucking prove it.”

She turned and led the way out of the club. They made their way downstairs and outside, where Jesse was waiting with the car. The drive back to Sebastian’s place was a silent one, and he was on his phone practically the whole drive back to his apartment. Hayden was on his phone as well, and she wondered if they were texting each other, so they didn’t need to talk in front of her. She was too angry to call them out on it.

“Thanks for the interesting evening, Tatiana,” Sebastian smirked as he left the SUV.

She barely resisted flipping him the bird. Fucking celebrities. They had no goddamn clue how stressful it was to keep a client safe in a situation like tonight’s. No, it was just a fun and amusing night out for him.

They got back to Hayden’s apartment, and Jesse went home, leaving Tatiana alone with Hayden.

“I’m ready for bed, so you’re going to need to lock yourself in your room now. I don’t care if you sleep. I just want you safe.”

Hayden nodded while chewing his bottom lip and looking sad. When they reached his room, he entered it, then turned and sighed as he met her gaze.

“I’m sorry, Tati.”

“You should be. Don’t hesitate next time. Also, I’m cutting off Blake’s access to this apartment. I don’t believe that he can be trusted with your safety.”

Hayden nodded. “Understood.”

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