Page 135 of The Storm

Julian gives Nick a dubious look before he nods at me. “Of course. I’ll find us a car.”

“Don’t even fucking think about it,” Nick growls.

“Ignore him,” I tell Julian.

Nick and I stand facing each other. If he thinks I’m going anywhere with him, he can think again.

Next thing I know I’m hanging upside down over his shoulder.

“What the fuck?!” I snap.

He ignores me. I pound uselessly against his back as he starts down the sidewalk like hauling off a furious, swearing guy is a completely ordinary evening for him.

“Put me down, you psychotic asshole!”

A few people walking past slow down to stare.

“He’s drunk,” Nick says flatly.

“I’m not drunk!”

“It makes him emotional.”

“I will fucking kill you in your sleep!”

The people scurry past us. Nice of them. Really makes you believe in human decency.

I twist my body hard enough that I nearly slip free of Nick’s grip. His arm tightens around the backs of my thighs before I can hit the pavement.

“Stop wiggling,” he says.

“Then stop kidnapping me!” I snap.

“I’m not kidnapping you.”

“If it walks like a kidnapper and talks like a kidnapper…” I growl.

He ignores me.

“I swear to God,” I snarl, glaring at his back, “once you put me down, I’m going to knee you in the dick.”

“I’ll make sure to drop you on your ass and buy myself some time,” he says dryly while he keeps walking.

“This upside-down swaying is really something. I’m going to puke down your back in a second.”

He mutters something under his breath. He stops walking a few seconds later and puts me down on my feet. I sway for a moment before I get my balance back.

“Get in the car,” he says tonelessly.

I narrow my eyes at him. “You realize I’m just going to go back?”

“Give it a go. See what happens.”

I grit my teeth, and we stare at each other.

My fingers curl into fists, and I feel like stomping my foot, as if that would help.

“Car, Blue,” he says.