“I can do what I want.” I downed the rest of the rosé in a show of defiance.
“Lourde, who’s your friend?” Rex appeared by my side, carrying another bottle of champagne, even though I had declined. Yet, here he stood with a bottle of Chandon.
Barrett turned to him like a picture in slow motion. A wry grin spread across his tanned face.
Was this amusing to him?
“This is Barrett. Barrett, meet Rex,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Hey, Barrett, I’d shake your hand, but as you can see…” He held up the bottle and two glasses. Did he not get glasses for Pepper and Grace?
“So, how do you two know each other?” Rex asked, dragging a chair and sitting beside me.
This should be interesting.
“Barrett is just my brother’s friend,” I said, placing my hand on Rex’s knee.
Barrett’s eyes darkened, but he remained still.
“Are you here for the summer, Barrett?” Rex put his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. Barrett’s jaw twitched, his body becoming rigid.
“No, Rex. We have to go, Lourde. Now. Say goodbye to Rex.”
“Wha—” Before I knew it, he’d pulled me upright. Rex's hand slipped from my waist. Phew, what a relief.
“Hey, what the hell?” Rex questioned, but Barrett had already grabbed my purse, and with the other hand was now leading me, or rather, dragging me, through the crowd of people toward the exit.
“Stop it, Barrett, this is insane,” I said, but like a straight line, he didn’t deviate.
His huge hand clasped firmly around mine, tightening hard around my wrist. If I wasn’t so irate, I might have liked it.
“Why are you doing this? I’m not a child,” I yelled, causing a few people to turn around momentarily.
“At least let me say goodbye to Pepper and Grace!” I looked around, trying to find them in the dark crowd. But he only pulled me harder as we sidestepped the people on the staircase.
“Stop it, Barrett, you’re hurting me!” I said, awash with sadness.
He stopped and turned, loosening his grip. Except he was the one who looked in pain—his brows knitted together, his lips in a straight line.
“I’m sorry I hurt you. But you just make me so…” He trailed off, not finishing the sentence. “Just come on.”
He turned around and, more gently this time, led me downstairs and out of the club. His Aston Martin took up the sidewalk, half blocking the entrance and the queues of people waiting to get into the club.
“Jesus, Barrett, care much?”
He looked at me, to the car, and the ensuing parking jam. “I don’t give a fuck. Now get in.”
The five-minute ride back to his home was in silence. I was full of rage. So out of control, I had to distract myself.
I fired off a quick text to the girls in our group chat, explaining that Barrett extracted me from the party like a fucking Navy Seal. All because of a photo Connor sent him. Joking, I said, send out an SOS. But part of me wasn’t joking. Was this really a message from my brother, and if so, why the fuck couldn’t I be at a party with a strange guy?
As soon as we got home, he threw his keys on the table and shouldered out of his jacket.
Taking them one by one, I trudged up the stairs, my body a simmering rage. I walked into my room and slammed the door shut.
Even though I knew I should be thankful for a place to stay, this was too much. I lowered my head in my hands. Ugh! My chest tightened, I was so frustrated, and all I wanted to do was scream. The castle I was in had its captor, and I was done for.
Not if I could help it.I slid my phone out of my clutch and dialed my brother.
Pick up!
“Sis, can you stop calling me so late? I’m trying to run the Diamond business.”
“Don’t you call me sis after the stunt you pulled tonight.”
He paused. “What did you expect me to do? That photo was already syndicated in our press rooms before I stepped in and put a stop to it.”
“I was just talking to a guy at a party, Connor!”
“Well, with his hand on your ass and you wearing that outfit, one could conclude otherwise. And by one, I mean, the whole fucking nation. You're meant to be with your ex, remember? That story hasn’t even broken yet, and you're being photographed with someone else. You’re lucky Mom didn’t see this. It would ruin the next guy she has lined up for you. He’s Mr. Right, by the way.”