Page 61 of Body Lock

Using the back of his wrist, he scrubbed his end. “Better?”

Crinkling my brows, I looked over his face. “No, it's still there. Maybe if you didn't walk around with your nose in my dad's ass, you wouldn't have shit on your face.”

Jumping from his seat, his jaw cocked out, legs ready to leap forward. But the door to the office flew open, shaking up both of us. Our heads whipped in the direction of the office, the hinges barely holding the door in place as Quinn slammed it closed.

The bang ricocheted off the walls, vibrating so forcefully I could feel it across my chest. Looking into his face, his eyes were hollow, concealing any emotion.

“Quinn,” I said loudly, moving around the inside of the bar.

But I was met with silence as he stormed passed me. His shoulders widened, chest puffing out as he shoved people out of his way. His mouth was taut, brows furrowing deep, anger dripping off his temples in the form of sweat.

What the hell is wrong? Why isn't he looking at me?

Dropping the bottle I had clenched in my hand, I swiftly darted from behind the bar. “Quinn! Wait!” I yelled, trying to force my voice louder than the noises drowning me out.

Fuck! Why is he ignoring me? What did my dad say to him?

He wouldn't stop, he kept going stronger, faster, right out the front exit.

Pressing through the mass of people, the breeze flushed my face, rain streaking down through my hair, dampening my clothes.

Twisting erratically, I spun in all directions, looking for him. Hunting through the hundreds of faces, the mass of bodies blending into each other like crayons melting in the hot sun.

All the faces looked the same, I couldn't pick one person out from another, it was impossible, like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Cliche, I know, but it's the god honest truth. If I hadn't understood that saying before, I would have right then.

He was gone, disappearing into the shadows.

Gripping the sides of my head, I forced my hair back, anxious to know what had just happened.

He acted like I wasn't even there! He ignored me, tore through this place without even giving me a fucking flick of his eyes.

My heels hit the ground with urgency. I needed answers, and I wasn't going to let my father try and talk, orintimidate meinto submission.

Briskly stepping past Nico, a chuckle hit my ears, his face gleaming. “Huh, wonder why he's so upset?” He lifted his glass to his lips, shrugging as he spoke.

Stopping in my tracks, my jaw went crooked. “You know what, Nico? You're a fucking asshole, go to hell.” Pursing my lips, my hand rose in front of his face, middle finger extending firmly. “Fuck you.”

I didn't give him time to speak, I didn't care if he was going to say anything or not. At that moment, I needed to know what was said between Quinn and my father. Why he stormed away with out a word, what the fuck was going on?

Throwing the door open, my dad sat leaning back in his chair. A large smile painted on his face, teeth clenching the thick edge of a cigar.

His arms opened to welcome me in. “Cadence, Sweetheart, did you hear the good news?”

“Good news? What the hell is going on? Quinn booked it out of here, and wouldn't even look at me! What the fuck did you say to him?!”

“We discussed a few things, came to an agreement, and he's going to fight for me. He finally came to his senses.” His eyes crossed, looking down the barrel of the cigar as he lit the tip.

“Wh-What? Fight for you?”My head spun, the room fading into a blur. Every emotion, anger, sadness, hatred; it streamed in, hitting me full force. Stepping back, I gripped the wall, my legs weakening, trembling up my thighs.

A smug grin pulled across his face as he said, “He's fighting for me, Cadence. And you won't be able to talk him out of it. This is set in stone.” Lifting a piece of paper, Quinn's signature was scripted across the bottom.

He told me he wouldn't. Why would he go through all of this to lie?

A surge of anger sparked, this didn't sit right with me. My father had his hand in this, and by the way Quinn left, this whole thing reeked of shit. I didn't believe what I was hearing, nothing made sense.

My father didn't know what I knew. He hadn't seen or heard what Quinn had shared, the side of him that he kept shielded from the world. The loss of his friend that locked him outside that door.

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