Vik (Shot Callers 2)

“Wow.” Mina’s eyes widened comically. “You are braver than I am.”

“Oh hush.” Cora waved Mina’s skepticism off, then slipped out of the booth. “Now, we’re going downstairs to dance, and Anika is going to practice flirting.”

“No, I’m not,” Anika protested, a mild frown on her face, but Cora was already pulling her to her feet.

Cora just grinned. “Sure, you are, babe.”

Left alone at our table, Mina grinned, then held her hand out to mine. I took it with a smirk. We made our way downstairs, ignoring the blatant and hungry stares of the men we passed along the way. The minute we hit the dance floor, I swayed to the music, hypnotized by the steady beat.

It didn’t take long before I felt someone press up against my back. At first, I thought it was a mistake, but when I looked back, a frown pulled down my mouth. The tall man winked down at me, dancing close enough to feel my ass against his crotch.

Uh… excuse me, sir. Are you lost?

My glare was lethal as I turned around, and the single word I spoke sliced harshly, sharp enough to decapitate. “No.”

I had to give it to him. He didn’t even flinch. Just put his lips to my ear and said, “Oh, c’mon. You can’t dress like that and not want attention. It’s the middle of the week, and you’re at a club. I know what you’re looking for. I got it right here.” He looked down at my cleavage. “Just giving you what you want, baby.”

My brain flatlined, and white noise enveloped the space between my ears.

Fury rose up to engulf me as a whole. I was surprised no one could see the hellfire licking and whipping around me.

You dirty fucker.

The guy obviously had no idea what he put into motion when he grabbed my hips, spun me, and pulled me back into his growing erection. My body turned rigid. I bit the inside of my cheek hard enough to taste blood and silently prayed for patience.

Unfortunately, my prayers often went unanswered.

It’s okay. Take a breath. Calm down. You got this.

All at once, my shoulders fell, and my body turned lax. I pasted on a lusty smile and slowly turned to face him again, peering up at his mouth. Licking my bottom lip, I moved closer. The way his smile widened told me he thought he was getting lucky tonight.

Oh, you poor, silly man.

The distraction clearly worked, because when I rested my hand on the fly of his pants, his lips parted, and his eyes lowered again to the valley between my breasts. I guess he misunderstood where this was going, because when I seized his junk, a look of shock took over his face, then his squeal of agony sounded.

I squeezed, digging my nails in, clutching his dick harder.

“What’s the matter? You were rubbing up against me. You want this, right?” I blinked up into his face, narrowed my eyes, and uttered innocuously, “Just giving you what you’re asking for, baby.”

The minute the guy’s friends tried to intervene, the girls jumped in, arguing, pointing, and yelling.

And I merely looked him in the eye, my grip never wavering. “For future reference, when a lady says no, she means it. That is not up for negotiation.”

Cora put her hands up to block one of his friends, then smirked. “What’s the matter, gorgeous? Don’t like being touched? Maybe you should’ve worn something less revealing.”

Doubled over in pain, a string of spit dribbled down his chin as he bellowed, “Let go, you crazy bitch!”

Unblinking, I held him tightly. “Apologize,” I demanded, bored-like.

Mina slapped at one of the guys reaching for me. “Get your hands off of her!”

The asshole tried desperately to shake my hand off. “I’m sorry,” he panted out. Then louder, “I’m sorry! Fuck.”

Security arrived the moment I released him. Without taking my eyes off the dirtbag, I watched his friends become outraged at the fact that they were the ones getting escorted out.

“Are you serious?” The groper, his red eyes rimmed in wetness, pointed at me and thundered, “She’s the one who attacked me!”

An arm came around me, and Anika shocked me by adding a very drunk, very snarky, “Oh, honey. You’d be so much prettier if you smiled.”

Mina, still panting, gaped at her. Cora snuffled out a laugh, and when I swung my head to look at my bestie, I couldn’t stop myself from chuckling.

“What?” Anika blinked one eye at a time, wobbling on the spot. “He was an asshole.”

Turned out, a drunk Anika was a sassy Anika.

Our night resumed, and instead having ruined my evening, the incident with the jerk seemed to break the only string of poise I had holding me together. Adrenaline running through me, I laughed more openly than I had in years, and a playful attitude I don’t think I ever embodied took over. We danced for what felt like hours, the girls continued to drink, and when we moved to the center of the dance floor, my eyes unconsciously moved toward the entrance.