Page 70 of Shattered Rhythm

“What’s up?” I say when I answer the phone.

“Hey, Jax. Liv asked Gunner to join us, so you don’t have to.”

Gunner? Who the hell is that?

“I don’t care who joins y’all, I’m not going to let you guys get drunk alone. Think about the last time Liv went out. Not going to happen.”

“Gunner said he wouldn’t drink and he’ll keep us safe. He’s a real bodyguard, you know,” she says, and I can hear the eye roll in her voice.

“I’ll be there to get you in thirty,” I tell her firmly.

“Fine, see you,” she says before hanging up on me.

* * *

Chris sits next to me in the Jeep as we drive to Liv’s apartment. She’s already told me at least ten times how much of an idiot I am for handling the situation with Liv the way I did.Does nobody see the potential fallout this whole thing could have?Liv has the power to break us. The guys are my family, my entire world. I’ve worked my ass off to care for them, to make sure they’re happy and safe, while she just barged into our lives and could ruin everything with a snap of her fingers. I don’t think she would ever do it on purpose, and I know she cares, but intentional or not, it won’t change the outcome when everything goes to hell.

When I pull up to the curb, Chris texts Liv that we’re here. Three minutes later, she walks out of her building, and my breath catches. She looks stunning, but I quickly scowl because a big fucker comes out next to her. I get out of the car and open the door for her, watching her as they walk towards us. She’s wearing high heels, and her black dress is tight and short, barely reaching mid-thigh, showing the scar on her knee. The dress has one sleeve, so her right arm and shoulder are bare. I can’t seem to look away from her delicate collarbone, it hits me then that I’ve never seen her arms bare before. Her makeup accentuates her green eyes, but it’s not too heavy. She looks at me with a blank expression before getting into the Jeep.

Nice to see you too.

Her hair falls in waves down to her fine ass, and I can’t help but stare at it when she gets in before closing the door behind her.

As I look up, the guy is smirking at me. He’s my height, bulky and bald, and he’s wearing dark jeans and a black shirt with the sleeves pulled up.

I nod to him and say, “Jaxon.”

“Gunner,” he answers, nodding back. “Thanks for driving, man.” Then he walks to the door behind Chris and gets in. Chris flashes me a smirk as I slide back into the driver’s seat.

“To the country club, Jenkins,” she says in a nasally voice, and I hear a quiet giggle from the backseat. I can’t help but roll my eyes at her teasing, but I feel a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth as I start the car and navigate us towards Diamonds.

* * *

When we arrive at the club, the music is already blasting and the line outside is long. Chris takes Liv’s hand and drags her towards the VIP entrance, where she flashes her ID to the bouncer, and we are immediately let in. The club is packed, the dance floor is full, and the bar is crowded with people waiting for their drinks. Chris leads us towards the bar, ordering shots of tequila and a round of cocktails. They down the shots, then Chris turns and waves at me.

“Bye, bye” she mouths before pulling Liv onto the dance floor.

I sit down at the bar and order myself a water while Gunner does the same.

“You don’t have to stay. I’ve got it from here and we can take a cab home,” he suggests after a while. We’ve been watching the girls dance, and Liv outshines everyone like usual.

“I’m sorry, man, but I don’t know you and I don’t fucking trust you with her when she’s drunk,” I respond bluntly.

“Funny, I’m here because I don’t trust you with her either,” Gunner replies with a laugh.

“Oh, because you’re such a good friend to her?” I reply, frowning. “Never heard of you before tonight, buddy.”

He stands, turns to look at me fully and says, “At least I’m the only friend she has that’s not trying to get into her pants.”

I stand up to face him and ask, “You sure about that?” I raise an eyebrow, but he just smirks. Interestingly he’s the first guy I’ve seen in a long time that could be a match for me.

The girls come back to the bar to get a another shot, laughing and unaware of the tension between Gunner and me. The next song that comes on is a reggaeton, and Liv jumps up and down on her toes while pulling on Gunner’s wrist, making puppy dog eyes at him. He laughs, looks back, and winks at me before following Liv to the dance floor. Chris sits on the stool Gunner just vacated, and we watch them dance together.And fuck, can they dance.

They’re dancing to “Mi Gente” by J Balvin, and they’re doing a bachata. I only know this tidbit of information because Chase showed me a video of this dance with exactly this song a few weeks ago, telling me it’s a style of dance he wants to learn because it looks like sex on the dance floor.

Gunner has his thigh between Liv’s legs, and she’s nearly rubbing herself on him, swinging her hips in time with his. Her dress is hitching up, barely covering her ass anymore, and his hands wander to her ass cheeks. I am ready to deck the guy when he just pulls at her skirt to cover her again.Huh?

They twist and turn. Liv steps back, her feet together, then Gunner steps backward too, her upper body following him while she leans into him. He pulls her back into his body, and there is not an inch of room between them.

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