Desiring the Enemy

“Don’t do it,” Hunter Wex muttered under his breath, willing the i***t on the other side of the bar to heed his wise words. Unfortunately, he knew he couldn’t be heard over the thumping bass of the music he couldn’t identify, and all the raucousness that came from so many intoxicated people crammed together in an enclosed space. The Blue Rose club was filled to capacity, not surprising since it was almost midnight on a Saturday. The air pulsed like a hot living being, sending vibrations through his body. It was hot too, as though someone had forgotten to turn on the air-con. That meant everyone was drenched in sweat, making their clothes, no matter how skimpy they were, stick to their skin. Thankfully, most of the ladies had mastered the art of waterproof makeup, but there were still a few mishaps here and there, which were well hidden by the dim blue club lights. However, nothing could be done about the smell of natural body odor that saturated the air in a blended mix of alcohol and too many perfumes. Then again, people might have been sweating so profusely because they had made use of the club’s main attraction, a sunken dance floor right at the center of the large, square-shaped, two-story building. It was like sinking into a pit of debauchery. Hunter hadn’t touched the dance floor tonight. It wasn’t that he wasn’t interested in a woman writhing against his body as though she were exorcising demons from herself with every roll of her hips. That was always a lot of fun when he was in the mood. Unfortunately, tonight he wasn’t. But he still wanted to spend some time in the place. Keeping his composure casual, he took a sip of his cocktail. The sweet and sour taste of the k******e played on his tongue before he swallowed it down. He took his eyes off the man that had caught his eye moments before for a second and pretended to watch the two ladies who were dancing together, all the while giving him suggestive smiles. Right then, his phone vibrated in his pocket, snapping his attention away from the ladies. With an air of expectation, Hunter retrieved the gadget from his pocket and stared down at its screen. Adrian: Are you for real? I thought you said you couldn’t go out today. What happened to your beauty sleep? Hunter rolled his eyes even as the corner of his lips twitched. His fingers flew across the screen, typing out his response in a heartbeat. Hunter: Funny. I only said I didn’t feel like it today. But now I do. Are you coming or not? Hunter took another sip of his drink and gave the man another look before his gaze dropped back to his phone. Adrian: Can’t. Hunter pursed his lips, his mood taking more of a nose dive than it had already done before he got to the club. Hunter: Why not? Adrian: Why? Because you said you didn’t want to go out, and I made other plans. Hunter: What plans? Adrian: Kid, a man has needs. (Winking emoji). Huffing, Hunter returned his phone to his pocket, not bothering to respond. Sadly, he couldn’t even be upset that Adrian couldn’t join him at the club. He had turned down the offer to hang out earlier in the day. This hadn’t been a planned outing. It was more of an escape. At twenty-five, Hunter lived with his elder brother, Jaxson. Not that he minded. The house was more than big enough to accommodate Hunter and Jaxson, even though his brother was now married and had a one-month-old son. However, as large as the house was, it didn’t stop Hunter from feeling like a third unwanted wheel every time he was around Jaxson and his little family. Ah! He felt ridiculous about it and knew it shouldn’t bother him, but he couldn’t shake the feeling. Desperate to push the thought away, Hunter swallowed the rest of his drink. He bobbed his head to the pulsing beat of the music for a second, but yet again, his attention was grabbed by the man at the other end of the bar. Normally, Hunter didn’t care what people did in such a setup. Unlike most clubs found on this side of the city, the Blue Rose boasted of some class. Which meant they didn’t allow just anyone to get inside, and that kept unsavory characters out of the place. Well, at least most of them. Hunter was certain there were still some undesirable people who found a way to get inside. So, he kept his guard up even though he was there to relax, which was how his eyes had landed on the man at the other end of the bar. With his instincts sharpened from spending too much time around Adrian and the guys, Hunter knew when he needed to pay attention. The guys had taught him how to read people. A survival skill, if ever he had heard one. With the kind of lives they lived, it was important to know when a smile hid a knife. So he didn’t dismiss his gut when it screamed trouble. Eyes narrowed, he’d watched the man on the other end of the bar. He was clearly in his mid-thirties. At first glance, there seemed to be nothing suspicious about the man. He was just an average guy, dressed nicely in a blue button-down, out having some fun for the night with a woman Hunter had only caught a glimpse of between the crowd. Actually, the only thing he had seen was the back of her head covered in long dark hair that was tied in a high ponytail, leaving the tanned skin of her slender neck bare. It was the way the woman had taken a step back when the man stepped into her personal space that had caught Hunter’s attention, and he refused to look away. Body language spoke volumes, and that woman hadn’t seemed comfortable with her companion. But then things had only gotten more suspicious when the man turned and ordered two drinks from the bartender. Hunter almost dismissed the entire thing before he caught the man’s eyes shift back and forth several times before he subtly reached into his pocket for something. The fact that the man jumped and pulled his hand away from his pocket when someone had accidentally bumped into him had told Hunter all he needed to know. So, for the past few seconds, Hunter had watched as the man tried and failed to reach for whatever was in his pocket. And since the drinks were now in front of him and he hadn’t turned to give the woman her drink, Hunter was pretty sure of the man’s intentions. His suspicion was quickly confirmed when the man looked around one more time, then finally reached into his pocket and removed something small that Hunter couldn’t see from where he stood. Not that the club’s dim lighting helped. The man quickly dropped the item into the glass in front of him. Hunter watched as the man picked up the glass and shook it a little, probably to dissolve whatever Hunter saw fizzle in the glass. Then, with a slimy smile, he turned away from the bar, drinks in hand. Oh, hell no! Hunter’s legs moved before his brain caught up. His eyes glued on the man, Hunter pushed and squeezed his way around people, not bothering to apologize when an angry curse or hiss reached his ears. His steps were almost frantic when he realized the man had offered the spiked drink to a woman whose face he still couldn’t see, since she had her back to him. From this new angle, all Hunter could tell about the woman was that she was tall and curvy. She wore a pair of tight leather pants that shimmered when they caught the light. Her crop top was nothing more than a black bra with long sleeves that left so much of her warm, tan skin on display. Large earrings glimmered in the dim light like beacons. They looked heavy and a little over the top, but Hunter knew several other ladies in the club dressed the same. The woman had certainly dressed for the club scene, but that didn’t excuse what her companion planned to do. Anger surged inside Hunter. He was no saint, and his brother would say he was somewhat of a playboy, but that didn’t mean Hunter condoned such sick behaviors. If not for the fact that he was in a crowded club and Jaxson would have had his balls if he shot someone in such a public place, Hunter would have pulled the gun hidden on him and emptied the magazine on the creep. Since that was out of the question, Hunter was forced to almost run the last few steps. As soon as he was close enough, he reached out, wrapped his fingers around the woman’s wrist, and jerked the glass away from her lips. Blue, cold liquid sloshed from the glass onto his knuckles and the woman’s hand. A sharp gasp reached Hunter’s ears despite the loud music just as the woman whirled, her ponytail snapping against Hunter’s arm. He finally looked down to match the sound to its owner. “Damn,” the word slipped from his lips before he could hold it back.