I grinned and drank the rest. “C’mon,” I said, draping an arm across her shoulder. “I’ll get you something less nasty.”
People eyed her when we went across the room to a giant tub filled with ice and bottles of drinks. I pulled out some fruity girl drink and popped the top before handing it over. She tasted it and gave me a smile. “That’s better.”
“Rome,” Braeden called, materializing out of the crowd and coming up beside us. “What’s this about the po-po hassling ya outside?”
“Fucking cops,” I said and grabbed a beer.
“They searched him,” Rimmel said, taking another sip of her drink.
Braeden seemed to just notice her, and when he realized who it was, his eyes widened. “Da-yum, Rimmel. Girl, you clean up good.”
One of the guys standing behind Braeden turned and glanced at her over his shoulder. “I’d do her,” he yelled, and all his buddies laughed.
I grabbed him by the back of his neck and dragged him backward, tossing him up against the counter. “The fuck you just say?” I growled.
My reaction drew some stares because I usually played it so cool.
“I d-didn’t mean anything, Romeo. I’m d-drunk,” the guy stuttered.
“Romeo,” Rimmel said from beside me, but her voice only made it worse. We’d only been here five minutes and already the guys were checking her out.
Braeden wrapped an arm around my waist and towed me back. “Dude, chill.”
I stared down the asshole as I drank my beer and tried to calm my sudden anger. He didn’t move, just stood there and watched me warily.
“Get the hell out of my sight,” I spat. He took off and disappeared into the crowd.
Even after he was gone, anger seemed to crowd beneath the surface of my skin. Zach was starting to get to me. Hell, this entire night was.
Trent stepped up to the keg, and I joined him. “You need to rein Zach in,” I told him.
“What’d he do now?”
“Tried to get me arrested.”
Trent choked on his beer. “He what?”
“He needs to be brought down a couple pegs.”
“Man, I’m sorry. No one knew he would go that far,” Trent said.
As if he knew we were talking about him, his voice echoed through the room. “Omegas rule!” he roared. Everyone cheered and held up their drinks.
I found him in the crowd and watched him take a seat on a couch in the next room as his buddies settled around him.
I turned to Rimmel, who was talking to Ivy, Missy, and Braeden. “I need the plaque,” I said in her ear.
She reached into her jacket and pulled it out. I took it and started across the room.
“Romeo!” Braeden called, but I kept going.
The crowd parted for me as I went, and soon I was standing across from Zach, who looked up and smirked. “Romeo. You made it.”
I tossed the nameplate at him. It hit his chest and bounced up, knocking the beer out of his hand. It overturned and sloshed all over him, soaking his shirt and part of the girl plastered to his side. She shrieked and jumped up, brushing quickly at her clothes.
“What the hell is your problem, man?” Zach growled.
“Nothing. Just following orders. Giving you what you asked for.” I sneered. “And just a warning, if I go down for something you ordered, I’m going to take you with me, and it will be one bumpy bitch of a fall.”
Zach shoved to his feet and stared me down. “Omegas have honor.”
I smirked. “Didn’t you know? There’s no honor among thieves.”
Zach’s eyes narrowed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You’re playing stupid now?” I said casually. “I honestly thought you were better than that.” I shook my head and turned.
“Drinking rally!” I yelled and held up my beer. The entire house erupted into cheers and yells. Cups and bottles filled the air.
People started chanting my number. Twenty-four, twenty-four, twenty-four!
I turned back to Zach and smirked. His eyes turned dark, and I got some satisfaction in seemingly getting the popular vote in his own living room.
Rimmel was looking a little green around the edges when I went back to her side. I glanced at the drink in her hand, but it was still full.
“You need some air?” I asked.
She nodded enthusiastically. I took her hand and we weaved through the house to the back door, stepping out onto an old stone patio with grass growing up between the pavers. The air was cold and the wind was picking up.
“Ah, for once I’m grateful for the cold,” she said, taking a deep breath.
“You okay?”
She nodded and turned her face away. A couple people ran by me, laughing, and I took her elbow and moved to the edge of the patio. “Hey,” I said and tipped her chin up to make her look at me.
“We’ve been here like ten minutes and you’ve almost been arrested and in a fight twice. I’m scared to know what the rest of the night is going to be like.”
I felt my expression soften. The fear in her eyes was real. “You were worried about me?”
“Duh,” she said and rolled her eyes. “You are my ride.”
My mouth opened, and she burst out laughing. “You should see the look on your face.”
I smiled and pulled her close, anchoring an arm around her back. “That wasn’t funny.”
“Yes-huh.” She grinned and her head tipped back. The long strands of her hair draped over my arm.
“You were worried ‘cause you like me,” I said low.
Even in the muted light, I could see the blush on her cheeks.
“Say it,” I whispered.
Her eyes focused on something behind me. “People are staring,” she murmured.
“And…?”
“And it’s—”
I cut off her words with a kiss. It was meant to be an innocent, quick touch of lips, but the second I came into contact with her soft mouth and tasted the strawberry on her tongue, everything else fell away.
Need slammed into me so hard it almost knocked me over. The sounds of the party fell away and all I could think about was what she felt like in my arms.
I heard my phone go off in my pocket. Rimmel’s did the same. Then in the very back of my mind, I heard the dinging of an endless amount of smartphones.
I ignored it all.
I only broke away from her when someone bumped into me from behind, forcing me to pull back to keep our balance. “Sorry,” someone slurred and kept going.