Let Her Go.

“Ignoring me isn’t very polite.”

The tattooed man’s fingers tightened around my wrist.

I flinched.

“I… I’m sorry,” I mumbled automatically, my voice barely steady.

He smiled.

Not kindly.

Like he already knew I couldn’t get away.

“I asked you a question.”

His gaze wandered lazily over my face.

“Who were you looking for?”

I swallowed.

“My friend.”

“The blonde?”

I nodded, surprised he’d seen me and Luisa together. Which also meant he could have followed me up here.

“I…I got lost.” I added.

“Aww.”

He laughed softly.

“That’s cute.”

His thumb brushed slowly across the inside of my wrist.

Every instinct in my body screamed run.

I tried to pull away.

“Please…I just want to find her.” I said softly, praying he would understand.

“But you found me instead.”

He stepped closer.

Too close.

The smell of alcohol on his breath made my stomach twist.

“I said…” I tried again, my voice shaking.

“Please let me go.”

He tilted his head.

“Where are your manners?”

Before I could answer, he reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

“There.”

He smiled.

“Much better.”

My skin crawled.

I shoved his chest as hard as I could.

It barely moved him.

“I’m serious!”

He looked down at where I’d pushed him.

Then he laughed.

“You’ve got spirit.”

He caught both of my wrists this time.

My heart slammed painfully against my ribs.

“Let me go!”

“I will.”

His smile widened.

“When I’m done with you.”

“No!”

I twisted desperately, trying to wrench myself free.

The hallway lurched beneath my feet.

My heel slipped.

I nearly fell but he caught me.

Not to help me.

But to pull me harder against him.

The impact knocked the air from my lungs.

His hand settled possessively against my waist and I froze.

Fear cut straight through the alcohol.

“Please, I beg you…”

He leaned closer.

“You’re prettier when you stop fighting. You know that, right?”

I pushed against his chest again, I kicked at his shin, hit his shoulder.

But nothing.

It was like fighting a wall.

His expression darkened.

“I was trying to be nice.”

His grip suddenly became painful.

“Now you’re starting to annoy me.”

“No!”

I struggled harder.

He sighed impatiently.

Then, without warning, he grabbed my arm and started dragging me toward one of the black VIP doors.

“Let go of me!”

My heels scraped uselessly across the polished floor.

“Stop!..H..Help!” I yelled but nobody came.

The music swallowed every cry.

I clawed at his wrist.

Hit him with my legs.

Twisted my wrist just so I could free myself, but nothing worked.

He laughed.

“I said stop fighting, it’s useless.”

“I don’t know you!”

“I know.”

He smirked.

“That’s what makes this fun.”

He shoved open the VIP room door.

Darkness waited inside.

My chest tightened.

“No!…”

He pulled harder.

I reached desperately for the wall, for the doorframe…

Anything.

But my fingers slipped.

And just as he was about to shove me inside…

A voice.

Cold and deadly called from a distance.

“Let her go.”

The tattooed man stopped.

Slowly, he turned.

I turned too, my eyes widening at the sight.

A few feet away stood Mr. Sebastian.

The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled neatly to his forearms.

His face gave nothing away.

Only his eyes.

I’d never seen them look so cold.

The tattooed man chuckled.

“Who the hell are you?”

Sebastian didn’t answer.

His eyes swept over me.

My trembling hands.

The red marks around my wrist.

“Walk away, now that you have the chance.”

The man laughed louder.

“And if I don’t?”

Sebastian took one measured step forward.

“Then you’re making the biggest mistake of your life.”

The hallway fell silent.

Even I stopped breathing.

The tattooed man looked from Sebastian…

Back to me.

A cruel grin spread across his face.

“Oh…I get it.”

His fingers suddenly tangled in my hair.

He yanked hard.

Pain exploded across my scalp.

Tears instantly burned my eyes.

I cried out.

“Sebastian…”

Everything happened at once.

He moved so fast I never even saw him cross the distance.

The next…

His fist crashed into the man’s jaw with a terrifying force.

A sickening crack echoed through the hallway.

The tattooed man’s head snapped sideways.

His body slammed against the wall before collapsing heavily onto the floor.

And then, silence followed.

The only sound was my own uneven breathing.

The man groaned, trying to push himself up.

Sebastian stared down at him.

His hand slowly curled into another fist.

For one terrifying second…

I thought he was going to hit him again.

I had never seen him look like this.

This furious.

My voice shook.

“Sebastian…”

He froze.

The muscles in his jaw tightened.

Then, slowly, he unclenched his fist.

Without another glance at the man on the floor, he walked straight to me.

His hand closed gently around mine.

“Can you walk?”

I nodded.

Or at least I tried to.

The hallway tilted violently as I tried to take a step forward.

My knees buckled beneath me.

His strong arms caught me before I even realized I was falling.

For one suspended heartbeat, I was pressed against his chest.

His heartbeat thundered beneath my cheek.

So did mine.

Neither of us moved.

Then, almost reluctantly, he steadied me upright.

His eyes met mine for only a second before looking away.

His voice was quiet.

Still cold.

“We’re leaving now.”

He didn’t let go of my hand.

And for the first time that night…

I didn’t want him to.