"Jude—"
"Club Four," he repeated, his voice cold and emotionless.
"Sir?" I heard Tony ask from the front of the vehicle. He clearly needed to know where he was supposed to take us. Although Mr. Hayes signed his paycheck, Tony answered to me.
It went against everything in me to say, "Club Four, Tony."
As soon as the SUV was moving, I hit the button to close the partition, giving me and Jude privacy to talk.
"Why?" I asked, my own anger starting to take hold. I knew what he wanted to go to the club for. He wanted to work off whatever fury was within him. Problem was, I didn't know if he planned to work it off on the dance floor or in a more private location with some asshole like Tiny.
Jude didn’t answer me. I told myself I didn't give a shit what he did and sat back against the seat. All too soon we were at the club. Fortunately, the bouncer was a different one from the night that I'd beat the shit out of Tiny, so he didn't put up a fuss when I showed him my ID and my weapon. This time, Jude didn't wait for me as I got through security. By the time I caught up to him, he had already downed his first shot and was on his second. He completely ignored me as he swallowed the liquid and then headed for the dance floor. There was no hesitation on his part as he threw himself into the music. This time, when guys began touching him and sidling up to him, he allowed it. At one point, he looked directly at me, the defiance in his eyes clear as day. He was practically daring me to do something, to say something to try and force his hand.
Rage simmered in my blood as one man after another took liberties with Jude that were beyond acceptable. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop fisting my hands. My only saving grace was that although Jude was allowing them to touch him, he wasn't returning the contact. But the more Jude lost himself to the music, the more the guys around him began to make their moves. One guy who was just a little bit taller than Jude ended up at his back, his groin notched up against the curve of Jude's ass. Another heavier set guy pressed up against Jude's front. There was no hesitation on his part as he cupped the back of Jude's neck and settled his other hand on Jude's thigh.
I wanted Jude to look like he didn't want it. I wanted him to resist, to pull away. Anything to give me a reason to drag him out of there. But he allowed the men to touch him, to grope him, to do all but fuck him right there on the dance floor. Though it went against everything I'd ever been taught, I turned my back on the scene.
I had to.
If I didn't, I’d end up pulling my gun out and using it to force every single man to get away from the one I considered mine. I had to get a grip. I had to remain focused on the job.
"Hey, sugar," someone said as slim fingers curled around my elbow. I glanced to my right and saw Angel leaning against the bar. He had on skimpy little shorts that hugged his ass and a scrap of fabric that looked more like fish netting on his slim chest. I looked him up and down and searched for any ounce of desire for the sexy stranger. But my cock wasn't hard for Angel. I wasn't interested in losing myself in his body. It wasn't his whispers, his pleas I wanted to hear as I drove into him.
I didn't move when Angel's hand trailed down my arm. It felt wrong when he closed his fingers around mine. He gave me a little tug and suggested, "Why don't we go someplace a little more quiet? Get to know each other."
I wanted to be tempted. Even if I couldn’t have completely abandoned my duty, I wanted a moment where I wasn't thinking about Jude and the men who were pawing at him. I actually let Angel pull me forward a few steps, but all it took was one look in Jude's direction and I knew I wasn't going anywhere. Not with Angel, anyway.
The men Jude was dancing with were still all over him, but something in Jude's frame had changed. Or maybe I just wanted to believe it had. Maybe I was convincing myself that he was now holding himself a little bit apart from both men because that was what I needed him to do.
I was caught in a vortex of indecision as Angel tried to get me to follow him and Jude remained sandwiched between the men.