Page 1 of Reese’s Protection

1

REESE HEAGNEY

Shit, sugar, and motherfucking spaghetti!

This wasn’t how I’d imagined the night would end when I’d agreed to go out with Layton, my BFF. He’d found someone to hook up with—which wasn’t shocking, since he was hot as hell and the girls loved him—and left me on my own to finish my beer. We’d only gone out so he could find a one-night romp, but he always checked to see if I was okay before he abandoned me to drink away my woes.

What I hadn’t expected was for him to approach me. This was the second time this week he’d “magically” appeared in my life, making it not the coincidence he’d claimed on Tuesday.

I glared at my ex-boyfriend. “What the fuck, Jeremy?”

The wooden bar near the back of the club was packed full of the LGBTQ crowd, the straights, and everything in between. Tons of people from NGU were here, since the club was popular with the frats and sororities. Sinful was pumping on Saturday nights and so were the bodies on the dance floor, moving and vibing with the sensual beat that pounded through the speakers. The multicolored lights from the DJ booth gave everything a strobe effect that I normally loved, but the chaos was disorienting with my feelings all over the place.

This was the last place in the entire galaxy I’d expected Jeremy to materialize because he always whined about the music hurting his ears and people bumping into him. Toward the end of our relationship, I’d gone out with Layton to the biggest parties in town specifically to get away from Jeremy.

But that all-star plan wasn’t working now.

He smiled, and my stomach roiled in disgust. Jeremy wasn’t ugly—he was one of the most lickable men I’d ever met—but he was a mean son of a bitch. He would randomly decide I was doing things he didn’t like. I hadn’t learned this about him until after he already had his hooks in my heart. With waves of dark hair, a straight nose, plump mouth, and green eyes that could soothe the soul, he had men and women melting over him. It had seemed like good luck to catch his attention over his adoring fans, but I’d soon discovered I was wrong.

Now, months later, he was fucking stalking me. This was just my luck. Ugh.

“I missed you, baby.” He leaned forward so I could hear him, those green eyes glittering.

I shuddered and swallowed around the panic that built up in my throat. I wished I could say I wasn’t scared of him, but I was. People looked at me—tattooed, with an attitude as big as the state of New York and a crew cut—and they thought I would enjoy a good fight. In any other circumstance, I could protect myself, but Jeremy was different. Real fear iced my veins and my heart pounded against my ribs until I thought they’d break. I glanced toward the bouncers around the room. What would happen if I raced to them and pleaded for help?

They would probably laugh.

Phantom pain throbbed in my cheek as I remembered the strike of Jeremy’s hand a few months ago, the final nail in our relationship’s coffin. I’d decided I wasn’t going to end up in a real coffin, so I’d packed up my shit and told him to go to hell. The begging came, of course, but it was Layton who’d linked his fingers with mine and guided me out of the house to stop me from falling for Jeremy’s emotional manipulation.

There was a reason he had BFF status.

So, then came the cheating accusations that Jeremy yelled at me on our front lawn for all the neighbors to hear.

Ignoring him and getting into Layton’s car was the best thing I’d ever done for myself.

Now, Jeremy was here, all sweet smiles and flirty eyes. I knew what he was doing. He wanted me back for some reason, but I wasn’t going to fall for his shit.

“No.” I shoved his chest, and he barely moved. The bastard. “Fuck off. This isn’t gonna happen.”

“Reese. Baby.” He reached for me, and I slapped his hand away.

“Don’t fucking touch me.” I glanced around again, hoping to catch sight of Layton, but he was long gone, probably making some girl squeal. I glared at Jeremy. “I’m not going there with you again. We’re not getting back together, so stick it right up your sugar hole and fuck off.”

I went to storm past him, but he seized my elbow and dug his thumb in above my joint in a way that made me grind my teeth. I bit back a gasp. It hadn’t taken him long to train me out of reactions that made him look bad in public.

“You aren’t going anywhere until you listen.” Jeremy swooped in closer, his face turning a familiar angry red. He was usually better at keeping his temper in check when strangers were watching. “Come home. Now. I’ve had time to think about your actions, and I forgive you.”

I stared at him, my mind running a million miles per hour as I registered his words. Is this fucker serious? Of course he was. Jeremy was a double-dealing asshole, and blaming all our past problems on me was how he warped the narrative. He was a narcissist, and I was so stupid for not seeing it. I’d been blinded by his charms and halfway in love.

“Let go,” I hissed under my breath. The last thing I wanted was to draw attention to us because, despite wanting help, I refused to become the entertainment of the night. “We are done, and we’re staying done.”

He flashed his perfect teeth at me and yanked. After years of training in the gym, he was a lot stronger than me. I crashed into him. He spun me around and forced my back against his chest before he began to walk. With each step, he shoved me toward the entrance.

Toward my death.

Well, at least toward an ass kicking.

Panic burned in my chest and every breath was a thousand nails digging into my lungs. I couldn’t let him take me. I struggled, aiming my elbow into his abdomen, but he grabbed it before I made impact.