Free Embracing Trouble (Trouble Series) by Dee Bridle Page B

didn’t care if he sent me another message. The whiskey didn’t help my trembling lips or the sickness in my stomach.
    Two guys started to fight near me, both holding each other’s necks and angrily shouting at each other. The stronger one pushed the other one back forcefully and let go. His body came at me, and before I knew it, he had thumped into me. I lost my balance and fell back onto the floor. My whiskey glass got tossed up in the air, as they continued to struggle above me. My arms went up to protect myself as a security guard came barging over to stop the fight.
    It was the same time that the music went crazier and the crowd went wild. I was about to be crushed before two hands roughly pulled me up and out of the way. Trying to find my breath, I turned to see Zac holding me. He looked down at me with intense eyes.
    “Okay?” he shouted into my face.
    I nodded numbly as the band performed a crowd favorite and everyone roared in appreciation. Bodies jumped and pushed and shoved, as the floor vibrated with the mayhem. One guy was shoved over to me and Zac pulled me out of the way, moving his body to deflect the impact on me.
    I watched bodies surf over the crowd before they were dumped back into the crowd. It was a frenzied, wild, mad house, and I realized I suddenly felt a little scared. Even girls were now body surfing across the crowd, and the guys cheered them on as they went for grabs on their bodies.
    “You shouldn’t have come here by yourself,” he said into my ear.
    “I’ll be fine,” I shouted in false confidence. “Go back to your girl.”
    He glared down at me as I pulled his arms away from me, even though I craved his touch and to have his hands on me. I turned away and started to make my way into the craziness, secretly praying I didn’t get seriously hurt.
    His arm went around my waist and he pulled me back.
    “Stop playing where you don’t belong,” he shouted in frustration.
    He may as well have slapped me. I suddenly shoved him back hard and turned, pushing my way further into the wild crowd. Asshole!
    I could belong, I just needed to prove it. I shoved myself between two guys and tried to move forward, but my feet were stuck in one place, while my body moved in another direction. Before I could do anything else, two arms went around me like a protective barrier and pushed me forward.
    “Put your elbows up,” shouted Zac into my ear as we started to make our way through the heaving mass of bodies.
    I did what I was told as he stopped a few boots from hitting me from flying crowd surfers above me. He continued to shove his way through, heading across the room to where he had been standing before. His hands went around my waist and then he lifted me up onto the bench. I stood above him next to other people and could clearly see the band. I realized I was safe up here as he looked at me one more time before going even deeper into the crowd. I instantly lost sight of him and tried to remember to breathe again.
    The song finished with a roar and then as another song started, it turned to mayhem and bodies were flying everywhere. The girl next to me screamed and threw herself into the crowd. She was carried across the crowd, hands groping her all over as she rocked out to the music.
    I watched the drummer hit the drums as hard as he possibly could. His feet were moving like a fast machine on the kick drums, while the singer growled into the microphone. His voice sounded like gravel, and his words dredged up from his feet as he screamed. Sweat poured off him as he leaned over the crowd, spurring them on. He was hard core and very hot, and I couldn’t hide my appreciation.
    I started to enjoy myself, enjoying the madness while I was safe up on the bench seat. I was soon knocked sideways as a sweaty shirtless guy climbed up and put his arms up in the air. I grabbed onto the wall and Noah appeared out of nowhere, pulling the guy down into the crowd and away from me. The guy gave me the devil