Love Desired Read online

  “You don’t know for sure he was talking to Mia. If Izzy is involved, he could be talking to her, making you think he was talking to Mia.”

  “It’s not a coincidence that she was on a call at the same time, and it wasn’t a fluke that when he hung up, she did too.”

  Bentley didn’t respond to me before Shawn walked up to us holding the tequila bottle. He regarded my friend, but then he glanced at me. The way his face scrunched said he was scrutinizing me. I knew for sure when he set the bottle to the side instead of pouring my shots.

  “Do you need something, Mr. McAllister?”

  “Yeah. Another round of shots.”

  Instead of fulfilling my order, he leaned against the bar. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to have another round.”

  “Why the hell not? The tequila is the only thing keeping me together tonight. We’re supposed to be VIP guests. Why aren’t we being treated like it?”

  “I’m sorry if I’ve offended you, sir, but I would be doing you an injustice by serving you another drink.”

  The anger boiling inside of me had hit its final point of containment. Any more bullshit tonight and I would explode. This guy would be wise to hand me the bottle.

  When I noticed him turn around and grasp the neck of the bottle, I jerked it out of his hands. “Guess I’ll be serving myself.”

  * * *

  ~Mia~

  Andi was staring at me. I sensed her eyes weighing on my face. If I looked at her, she would continue to ask me what was wrong. I didn’t want to tell her about the phone call from D. I had enough to deal with.

  She cleared her throat a second later as I prepped for her to reiterate her question. Before she could, my cell buzzed for the third time since I’d come back to the arena. This is what I got for trying to close up early.

  As I placed the phone to my ear, I answered the call, speaking my name into the mouthpiece like I always did. I prayed this wasn’t another call about Ayden. I didn’t want to be his manager tonight.

  “Mia, it’s Shawn. I have an issue over here on the end of the left-side bar. Ayden McAllister is intoxicated. When I refused to serve him anything else, he took the liquor bottle out of my hands.”

  My eyes fluttered closed. It was what I feared. I was being asked to manage Ayden once again. Only this time, it wasn’t because of his music. It was about stupid life choices.

  “I’ll be there in a few.”

  “What’s wrong?” Andi asked as I replaced my phone in my pocket and glanced toward the spot where Ayden was sitting. Bentley was doing his best to get Ayden to give back the tequila bottle he was gripping.

  “It’s Ayden. He’s drunk and causing a scene.”

  I took a few steps before she cut me off. “Why don’t you let me handle this. You don’t need the stress of dealing with him tonight.”

  “No, I need to be the one to do this. I’m part of the reason Ayden’s acting the way he is. I’ll deal with him.”

  “Then I’m coming with you.”

  I didn’t argue with her. It wouldn’t hurt to have her tag along. Unlike me, she wouldn’t be as emotionally invested in what was about to happen. She would keep a clear head. I was going to try.

  As we approached the spot where the guys were sitting, my heart raced. The rhythm was so fast that it made my whole body shake. I didn’t want to confront Ayden in his condition any more than I wanted him to hate me for what I was about to do. I no longer had a choice. I had to protect my business, and whether he knew it or not, I was protecting him too.

  Shawn was standing behind the bar, not far from Ayden. He had his arms crossed over his chest, observing his every move. The minute he saw me, the tension in his face faded.

  “Thanks for coming so quickly. I’m pretty sure Mr. McAllister is past the legal limit, so I refused to serve him anything else.”

  “Can’t a man drink in peace?” Ayden voiced his complaint as he clung to the liquor bottle. He hadn’t noticed me approach the way Bentley had. I swore I saw relief in his eyes too.

  Instead of telling Ayden I was standing behind him, Bentley nodded slowly and raised his hands higher. “I tried.”

  “Who the hell are you talking to?” As soon as Ayden twisted his stool around to face me, his voice fell away. His lips remained slightly parted, but he didn’t say a word. His eyes said plenty.

  “What seems to be the problem, Ayden?”

  He scanned over my body, slowly working his way back up until he looked me in the eye. “All I want to do is drink, but your bartender refused to serve me. I guess now that we’ve split up, the guys and I won’t be getting the VIP treatment you mentioned to Max.”

  His words were like a punch in the gut. I wanted to double over from the pain but I couldn’t. This wasn’t the time to be weak.

  “You’re still a VIP, Ayden. That hasn’t changed. What Shawn did is for your own good.”

  “I’ll be the judge of what’s good for me and what isn’t.”

  “Please don’t make a scene because you’re angry with me.”

  Scoffing at my remark, he faced the bar again and poured himself another shot. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m just trying to have fun.”

  He downed the shot then began lifting the bottle again. I grabbed it just in time, placing my hands above his, and guided it back to the bar top.

  “This isn’t the answer, Ayden. I understand you’re hurting right now, but this won’t fix it. It’s a temporary solution.”

  His silence gave me hope that I was getting through to him. Then I noticed the way his gaze fell to my hand, the one just above his. The longer he stared at it, the more hopeful I became.

  “Would you please talk to me about all of this. It doesn’t have to be tonight, but it needs to happen, Ayden.”

  He peered at me again. I held my breath, waiting for him to acknowledge what I said. The way his eyelids drooped was a sure sign of how intoxicated he was. So was the way he crooked his lips into somewhat of a smile.

  “I bet you think you can look at me like that and I’ll do anything you want, huh? Well, it’s not going to work this time. I know the truth now, and I’m all out of words.”

  My chest grew heavy. So did my limbs. I struggled to keep myself standing when every word Ayden uttered tore my soul in two. I didn’t want it to come to this.

  “If that’s the way you feel, that’s fine, but you’re forcing me to do this.” There was no time to stall. I tightened my grip on the bottle and jerked it with every ounce of strength I had. “Consider yourself cut off.”

  He could have murdered me with his eyes. I didn’t want to embarrass him, but I had people’s safety to consider. That included his safety as well. He didn’t understand I was trying to help him, and that hurt even more. Everything I’d told him meant nothing to him. So did I.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  His raspy voice sent a chill up my spine. He might hate me, but at least I’d have a clear conscience. If Ayden wanted to self-destruct, I wouldn’t stand by and watch it happen.

  “I’m doing what no one else has the guts to do. I’m saving you.

  Chapter 18

  ~Mia~

  I didn’t look back, even when I heard Ayden yelling my name. All he wanted to do was argue. It was his way of lashing out at me. He felt powerless and didn’t know how to channel that anger. I understood that feeling because it’s exactly how I felt when I learned the horrible truth about Wesley.

  Making my way through the crowd, I kept the tequila bottle tucked under my arm, holding it like a running back would hold a football. Guess that meant that the right-hand bar was the goal line and passing the bottle to Max would be my touchdown.

  I knew he would stash the bottle behind the bar and take it back to its rightful place once the bar closed for the evening. The main thing was getting it away from Ayden. It wouldn’t stop him from finding liquor elsewhere, but I hoped my actions would deter him from following through.

  “M
ax,” I called to him as I walked up to the bar near one of the empty stools. My chest heaved as I breathed harder. “Can you stash this behind the bar until closing?”

  Taking the bottle from my hands, he nodded, but I saw the way his face scrunched. “What’s going on, Mia?”

  “Ayden’s drunk. Shawn refused to serve him so Ayden took the bottle. I had to take it from him, and he’s not the least bit happy about it.”

  “I’ve got you.” He patted my hand then placed the bottle on the shelf with the others. “It’s safe.”

  “Thank you, Max.”

  Just as I turned to walk away, Andi rushed up to me. “Have you lost your mind? Ayden is livid.”

  “What was I supposed to do? I tried to reason with him, but you see how far that got me. The only other option I had was to react to this situation, and that is what I did. Would you have done things differently?

  “I guess not.” She slumped her shoulders as she rubbed the back of her neck. I joined her side and motioned her to walk with me toward the entrance.

  “It’s probably best if I head back to my suite for the evening. I don’t want to irritate Ayden more than I already have, and I know my presence is doing that.”

  “Are you sure it’s a good idea to be alone? I just have this weird feeling.”

  “Weird feeling?”

  “Yeah. You’ve dealt with a lot of bullshit your entire life, but lately, there have been more shitty situations you’ve had to face. I feel as though it’s all going to come to a head and explode.”

  Andi’s intuition was usually right, but I didn’t want a babysitter. No one could get into my suite anymore. The locks were changed, and Ayden no longer had a key that would work. Andi would want to coddle me for the rest of the night. All I wanted was to go to sleep and let this day be over.

  “Nothing is going to happen tonight, but if it makes you feel better, I’ll ask Tommy to send one of his guys to keep an eye on the condo.”

  I didn’t want to get my security team involved in this. If it eased Andi’s mind and kept her from coming to my suite, I’d forget my pride and make the call.

  When Andi pulled out her phone and tapped the screen a couple of times, I wondered if she was making the call for me. Did she not trust me to do it?

  “Tell me you’re not calling Tommy.”

  “I’m not. I’m calling Bentley to let him know I’m staying with you tonight and I’ll see him in the morning.”

  As much as I wanted to snatch the phone out of her hand and demand she stop, it would only make her more determined. Instead, I folded my hand over hers and tugged on it until she looked at me.

  “Don’t you dare cancel your plans with Bentley because of me. I’ll be okay. I’m going straight to bed.”

  She wanted to insist on staying, even if it meant arguing her point. I was sure she would begin a diatribe of all the reasons why she needed to stick with me, but a commotion behind us stole the moment away.

  When she turned toward the sound, I looked in the same direction. Ayden was a foot away. The anger in his eyes instilled fear inside of me.

  So did the way he grabbed my arm.

  * * *

  ~Ayden~

  My blood was boiling to the point that I thought some part of me would explode and detach from my body. After everything Mia and I shared, at this moment, I wished I’d never met her. No matter what I did to try to get past this, she was always there to remind me of what happened. Now she was treating me like a child.

  It infuriated me more to know that she made me look like an idiot in front of my friend, her cocky little bartender, and the rest of the guests that were in the vicinity.

  I refused to tolerate it.

  Scooting off the stool, I stood beside it and turned on my heel. Before I could take one step away, Bentley was in front of me. He placed his hand on my shoulder and kept me retained. “Hold on, cowboy. Stop whatever it is you’re thinking right now. It won’t end well.”

  “The hell it won’t.” I pushed his hand away from my shoulder. “This is why I didn’t want to give in to what I felt for her. I knew this would happen. Women can’t be faithful anymore.”

  “You’re wrong, man, so wrong. I can’t believe you’re letting Wesley get to you. This isn’t the Ayden I know.”

  “Yeah, I know. Izzy damaged him. Mia just slaughtered him.”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “I’m going after that bottle of tequila. It’s the last thing Mia is taking from me.”

  I advanced toward Bentley as he took a few steps back. Then he stopped. I had to do the same or collide with him.

  “Ayden, stop. It’s not your liquor, man. Don’t be stupid about this. I saw Max take the bottle. He’s not going to give it to you. We should get out of here and head to my suite. I’ve got a few beers we can—”

  “I’m not going to anyone’s suite yet. There’s something I have to say to Mia first.”

  When Bentley tried to cut me off this time, I pushed him to the side and rushed past him. “Ayden, wait!”

  His shouting was useless. I’d made up my mind. If Mia thought she could play with my heart, lie to me, and embarrass me in front of everyone with no consequences, she was wrong. I would not be one of her toys or even her pet project, for that matter. I’d walk away from everything she’d given us.

  By the time I was a few feet away, Mia and Andi left the bar. They moved toward the entrance with no clue that I was close. Good. I didn’t want her to see this coming just like I didn’t see her betrayal coming.

  I could have sworn I heard Bentley still shouting my name, but the music drowned out the sound. I didn’t bother looking for him either. He wasn’t far behind. There was no way he’d sit at the bar after I told him my intentions.

  Mia and Andi stopped again as Andi grabbed her phone. Had they seen me approaching and decided to call security? It wouldn’t surprise me one bit, which was fine. They could call anyone they wanted. It wouldn’t change the fact that I would have my say.

  It didn’t take long for me to close the distance between us. By the time Mia saw me, it was too late for her to react. I reached for her arm, curling my fingers around it. One quick tug and her body stumbled into mine.

  “How could you do this to me, Mia? You knew what I’d been through. You swore you wouldn’t fuck me over. You’re a liar.”

  “Ayden, let go of her!” Andi shouted, but I ignored the sound of her voice, focusing only on Mia’s face, the way it contorted as her lip quivered.

  I nosed closer. “Don’t you have anything to say?”

  She still didn’t utter a word. Her eyes watered and her mouth parted just enough that the sweet scent of her breath filled my nose. That same mouth used to give me the sweetest kisses. It was also the one that sold me a pack of lies.

  Wincing at the thoughts, the quieter she remained, the angrier I became. I wanted her to fight with me, to say something that would at least let me know if she ever cared about me. Her silence only confirmed Wesley’s accusations in my mind. So did her tears.

  Izzy could cry over anything at any time, but in the snap of a finger, she could laugh in my face. Mia reminded me more of her sister every day. Their acting skills amazed me. They’d entered the wrong business. Instead of music, they should have been in the movies.

  Grabbing Mia’s other arm, I kept my face close to hers as I glared at her. “Are you too afraid to admit the truth, Mia, or are you afraid that everyone here will figure out what kind of liar you really are.”

  “Ayden, what the hell are you thinking?” Bentley’s voice penetrated the rage rushing through me. He did his best to wedge his body between us, but I didn’t let go of Mia. If anything, I squeezed her harder, trying to hold on. Even as she grimaced, I didn’t ease up. I refused to let anyone drag me away from this conversation.

  “I wish I’d never met you, Mia. You were the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.”

  There was no denying that my words affected her. Tears fell dow
n her cheeks. Her nostrils flared as her body wracked with sobs. As much as I wanted to see this moment, now that it was here, it made my stomach twist.

  Mia yanked her arms out of my grasp. She opened her mouth like she was about to speak, but all she did was shake her head. Then she bolted through the main doors.

  Anger and fear battled to control my emotions. I wasn’t sure which would win, especially once I ran after Mia. The angry side of me wanted to force her to admit she cheated on me. The fearful side worried I’d pushed her too far this time.

  As soon as I reached the outer doors, I found Mia racing down the steps. I’d almost forgotten about the floor being raised for the concert, and as buzzed as I was, I nearly lost my balance on the top step.

  “Mia, don’t you walk away from me,” I shouted. She didn’t flinch. If anything she ran faster.

  Maybe I was too drunk to keep up. By the time I made it to the bottom, she had disappeared behind the brick wall that separated the community from the arena. I followed her anyway, stumbling somewhat in the process.

  If she thought going into her suite would keep us from talking, she was wrong about that too. I’d stand at the door and yell and knock until she had no choice but to answer. She owed me this.

  My plan unraveled the moment Mia passed the door to our condo and went to the back of the building where guests and staff parked their vehicles. Mia had several behind our building. In fact, I remember her telling the guys and me that if we ever wanted to use one, all we had to do was get the key from her.

  The night I learned someone was in her room, I’d been tempted to grab a set of keys and drive as far away as I could get. The only reason I didn’t was that I knew it wouldn’t solve anything. I couldn’t escape my mind.

  Regardless of my decision to go to my suite instead, I knew I’d had the opportunity to leave if I wanted. Considering that Mia was going toward her vehicles, I could only assume she was planning the same thing.