Left in the Dirt

The heavy, white fabric of Adrian’s designer tuxedo jacket was soaking up the dark red pool leaking fast from Julian's forearm. The thick liquid spread across the pristine white cloth like an ink stain, turning it a deep, ugly crimson. But nobody stepped forward to save him. The wealthy guests just stood there in a massive circle, holding their breath, their eyes wide with shock. The same people who were laughing at Adrian’s jokes ten minutes ago were now pulling their expensive silk dresses back. They did not want the wet red puddle to touch their shoes. His fiancée, Chloe, had already run out of the room. His father was completely missing. The great golden boy was totally alone, knocked out cold on the hard floor, and his entire world was watching his absolute ruin.

The hotel security guards finally rushed past the heavy velvet curtains. They did not drop to their knees to check his pulse or see if he was breathing. Instead, two large men roughly grabbed Adrian by his upper arms, dragging his limp body across the polished floor like a sack of dead weight. His polished black leather boots left two long, ugly streaks through the spilled champagne and wet blood. I watched him go, my eyes entirely cold and unmoving. Six years ago, when he ruined my life in front of the whole high school, everyone stood around and watched me cry, too. Nobody helped me then. Now, the tables were turned. He was leaving this room in absolute disgrace, and I was the one holding all the power.

"Don't look at him," Julian growled softly against my ear, his voice thick with anger and raw pain.

His massive hand tightened around my waist, his large, calloused fingers digging deep into my hip bone to force my attention back to him. The hot, thick blood from his sliced arm was dripping fast, smearing across the side of my black silk shirt. The wet heat of it soaked straight through the fabric, sticking the wet silk directly to my bare ribs. It felt heavy and burning hot against my skin. Julian did not care about the injury at all. He did not even look down at the deep cut. His dark eyes were fixed entirely on my face, burning with a scary, possessive hunger that made my chest tighten. He was breathing heavily, his broad, muscular chest pressing hard against my shoulder blades, marking me with his blood.

"I bled for you, Noah," Julian whispered, his lips brushing the sensitive skin right under my ear. His hot breath sent a sharp shiver straight down my spine. "He is trash. I am the one who saved you tonight. I am the one who owns your safety now. Remember that."

On my other side, Leo let out a sharp, angry breath from his nose. The superstar actor slammed his phone into his pocket, his knuckles turning totally white. He stepped right into my personal space, his broad shoulder pushing hard against Julian's chest to force a gap between our bodies. Leo reached down and grabbed my right wrist, his warm fingers squeezing my skin hard enough to leave deep red marks. He didn't care that Julian was a powerful billionaire; he wanted me just as badly, and his body was shaking from the heat of his desire.

"He's not the only one who can protect you, beautiful," Leo muttered, his blue eyes flashing with a dangerous, dark devotion as he looked at me. He looked at the red blood staining my black shirt, and his jaw clenched tightly. "Julian plays too rough. Look what happens when you stay near his side. Come with me right now. My sports car is parked right outside the private VIP exit. I can get you away from this whole crazy family before the police arrive and start asking questions."

I looked from Julian's bleeding, tight grip on my waist to Leo's hot, desperate clutch on my wrist. The raw physical tension between them was boiling over in the middle of the room. They were completely ready to tear each other apart just to see who got to take my body home tonight. They were both powerful, handsome, and totally obsessed with me. I could feel the intense heat of their large frames crowding me from both sides, trapping me in their hold.

But Elijah’s cruel laughter cut through the thick heat like a piece of ice. The older stepbrother took another step forward, his expensive leather shoes clicking right next to the puddle of blood on the marble floor. He held up the contract paper in his hand, his thumb tapping the black ink of my old signature from six years ago. His dark eyes were crinkled with total victory. He thought he had the ultimate legal trap to destroy me.

"Look at them fighting over you, Noah," Elijah mocked softly, his voice low, steady, and dangerous. "It's a very pretty sight. But their power doesn't change the law. This paper says your financial firm belongs to me. If Julian tries to buy your corporate shares tomorrow, he is just giving his billionaire cash straight to my personal bank account. You are still playing in my palm, just like you were six years ago when you were nothing."

I looked at the contract paper under the bright lights. My mind was racing fast, but I did not let him see a single ounce of fear in my eyes. I let a slow, razor-sharp smirk spread across my lips. I pulled my wrist out of Leo's tight grip and slid my fingers up to touch the cold, sharp corner of the black USB drive still hidden safely in my inner coat pocket.

"You think this signature connects me to your money, Elijah?" I whispered, leaning my body forward until my warm breath hit his cheek. "But your smart brain forgot one tiny detail. The tax fraud records on this USB drive go back seven years. That means the dummy corporation you used to send me that cash back then was also funded by dirty money. If you try to claim my firm using this contract in a court of law... you are legally admitting to the police that you started the money laundering yourself. You will go to a jail cell right alongside your pathetic father."

Elijah’s confident smirk froze instantly on his face. The color began to drain from his skin, leaving him looking like a ghost as my words hit him. The victory in his dark eyes turned into pure shock. He realized that by trying to trap me, he had walked straight into his own execution.

Right then, the loud, screaming wail of police sirens echoed from the streets outside the luxury hotel. The bright blue and red strobe lights started flashing violently through the high glass windows of the ballroom, turning the whole room into a chaotic trap. The guests began to panic completely, running for the doors as the police forces kicked them open.

Julian's grip on my waist tightened even more, his hot blood soaking my side through my clothes. "We are leaving this building. Now," he commanded, his voice dead and serious.

Leo didn't let go of my other hand, his fingers locking between mine. "No, he's coming with me."

Elijah just stood there in the shadows, frozen with the paper shaking in his hand, as the red and blue lights washed over his pale face. The game was completely out of control, and the police were flooding the room.