CHAPTER 101
**ZION**
For a split second, WInter's eyes flash with something—anger, defiance, maybe even hatred—and it only fuels the fire burning in my chest. Every line of her body screams that she wants nothing more than to storm over and unleash hell on me, and that thought alone makes the smirk stretch wider across my face. I lean casually against the bar, knowing damn well how much I’m getting under her skin. The tension crackling in the air between us is almost tangible, and I drink it in like it’s the best thing I’ve felt all night.
The look she gives me in return could probably melt steel. Her glare is sharp, cutting through the distance like a blade aimed straight at my chest. I can practically hear the curses she’s muttering in her head. My lips twitch with amusement. Winter may want to set me on fire, but I’m the one holding the match.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Cindy. She’s been circling me all night like a shark sensing blood, and now she takes her chance, slipping in close. I grab her arm, pulling her in just enough so I can murmur in her ear, my tone low and edged with quiet menace.
“Watch your mouth,” I warn darkly, my voice barely above a whisper but cutting through the noise like a blade. “If you say anything about Ariel, you’ll piss off Harry. And if you piss him off, you’ll have me to deal with. Trust me, Cindy—you don’t want to find out what that looks like.”
Her breath catches, a flicker of something darting across her face—fear, or maybe just excitement. To anyone watching, it might look like she’s trembling with desire, and maybe she is.
Cindy’s twisted like that. But I know better. There’s fear woven into her reaction, a delicious little undercurrent that makes her stiffen in my arms. She doesn’t pull away, though, her pride refusing to let her show how much my words have rattled her.
“Mmm, I'll keep that in mind… Now come dance with me, Z,” she purrs, completely ignoring my warning in favor of whatever fantasy she’s spinning in her head. Her nails trail lightly down my arm, her lips brushing just close enough to tease.
I let out a low chuckle, masking my annoyance.
“I’d love to,” I reply smoothly, taking her by the hips and guiding her toward the dance floor. It’s not where I want to be, not by a long shot, but Cindy knows how to move, and I know exactly what game she’s playing.
The crowd swallows us up as the music pulses around us, but my focus isn’t on her. She turns her back to me, grinding her body against mine, her fingers tangling in my hair like she’s trying to stake her claim. She arches her body, swaying to the rhythm, but it’s all background noise to me.
“Alone at last,” she breathes into my ear, her voice heavy with fake seduction. The irony of her words makes me smirk—alone is the last thing we are, surrounded by a sea of faces, half the college watching us. But Cindy doesn’t care. She’s focused on one thing—what she thinks she can take from me tonight.
My eyes drift back toward the bar, drawn like a magnet, and there she is—Winter. Her stare burns into me, hotter than the lights flashing around the room. The weight of her gaze settles heavily on my back, and I swear I can feel the force of her anger like a physical thing. It’s intense, unrelenting, and it sends a thrill down my spine despite myself.
She’s watching us, her expression unreadable from this distance, but I don’t need to see her face clearly to know what’s going through her mind. The tension is electric, and it takes every ounce of willpower to keep my attention on Cindy. My jaw tightens as I force myself to focus, but the truth gnaws at me—Winter isn’t just another face in the crowd tonight.
Cindy's hands are all over me, but my mind is miles away, fixated on Winter's expression. Cindy's oblivious, lost in her little world where she thinks she's got me wrapped around her finger. Little does she know, I'm just playing along, my thoughts elsewhere entirely.
But even as I try to dismiss it, Winter's disgusted face lingers in the back of my mind, a constant reminder that this game I'm playing has consequences not to be fully prepared to deal with.
"Royal!" someone shouts over the pounding music. The combination of alcohol coursing through my veins and my burning hatred for Winter has finally allowed me to relax, if only for a moment. The rage that's been eating at me for weeks has dimmed slightly, letting me lose myself in Cindy. It's easy to forget who she is when my head's spinning she's just a body, willing and eager, someone I can control, knowing she'll go along with whatever I want.
"Royal, get your ass over here!" It's Ronald, and the second I hear his voice, I pull away from Cindy.
"Zion," she whines, her voice grating on my nerves.
"Go find another dick to grind on," I snap, barely containing my irritation. "My friends need me."
I stalk over to where a crowd has gathered, watching the guys get ready for beer bongs, a smirk already forming on my lips.
"About fucking time," Ronald hisses at me.
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