Chapter 58: Drunk Rissa.

I was right.

Isabella definitely wants to kill me.

This is my third drink of the night, and I’m already high as fuck. Actually, I think I passed high about twenty minutes ago.

But do I want to stop?

Absolutely not.

I feel too good.

The music is loud enough to shake the floor beneath my heels, the lights keep flashing across the room in every color imaginable, and since I stepped foot into Spain, I don’t feel like I have to think about anything.

No Lorenzo, no Olivia, no family drama, no Luciano versus Sanchez bullshit.

And definitely no Lysander.

Just me, my drink, and the music.

I lift my glass and take another sip, smiling when Victoria bumps her shoulder against mine.

Victoria the friend Isabella promised to introduce me to earlier.

Victoria is a vibe. I barely know this girl, but somehow, within a few hours, it feels like we’ve known each other forever.

She dragged us onto the dance floor almost immediately after we got here, and I stopped caring about looking composed somewhere around my second drink.

And now? I’m dancing like nobody is watching.

Which is probably a lie because this place is packed.

But I don’t care.

I laugh as Victoria grabs my hands and spins me around.

"This place is insane!" I shout.

"What?" she yells back.

I burst out laughing.

"I said this place is insane!"

"I still can’t hear you!"

We both crack up.

Isabella is beside us, laughing so hard she nearly spills her drink.

I don’t remember the last time I felt this free.

Usually, even when I’m having fun, there’s always something sitting at the back of my mind.

Something I need to do, some problem waiting for me.

Tonight, there is none of that.

Well...Almost none.

Because every five minutes, Isabella’s bodyguard appears.

I swear the man has a built-in timer.

Cause every time I turn around, there he is watching, checking and hovering. Making sure Isabella hasn’t disappeared into the crowd or fallen over somewhere.

He’s like Cassian.

Except worse.

At least Cassian lets me breathe a bit. This man looks like he was personally assigned by God to ruin fun.

And speaking of the devil...There he is.

I watch him approach Isabella with the exact same expression he has been wearing all night.

Annoyed, disapproving and completely unimpressed by our existence.

When he reaches for the drink in Isabella’s hand, she immediately pulls it away.

"No."

"Yes. Hand it over."

"I’m fine."

"You’ve had enough."

"I can decide when I’ve had enough."

He gives her a look and she gives him one right back.

For a moment, they just stare at each other.

Then he calmly takes the glass from her hand anyway.

"Hey!"

He ignores her and downs the rest as Isabella stares at him in disbelief.

"You did not just do that."

"I did."

"You’re such a party pooper."

"I’m keeping you alive."

"I wasn’t dying."

"Give it another hour."

I snort into my drink and Isabella turns toward me.

"Don’t encourage him."

"I didn’t say anything."

"Your face did."

I laugh.

Her bodyguard shakes his head before walking away, apparently satisfied that he has saved the night from another drink.

I watch him disappear into the crowd.

Then I look at Isabella, she looks at me and I look at Victoria.

We don’t say a word, we don’t need to.

I hand my almost empty glass to Isabella.

"Wait here."

Isabella narrows her eyes.

"Why?"

"I need to do something."

"What?"

I smile innocently.

"Nothing."

That should have been her warning.

I slip through the crowd toward the bar.

The place is packed with bodies everywhere. People laughing, dancing, shouting over the music. The bartender barely looks up before I place my order.

Three drinks.

One for me, one for Isabella and one for Victoria.

By the time I make it back, both girls are already waiting for me.

Victoria sees the drinks first and her face lights up.

"You’re the best!"

"I know."

Isabella takes hers.

"Don’t tell my bodyguard."

"I would never."

She raises her glass.

"To bad decisions."

Victoria immediately joins.

"To bad decisions!"

I lift mine.

"To having fun!"

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

We all yell it at the same time then we down our drinks.

The music changes to something much louder, Something with a beat that practically forces your body to move.

Victoria grabs my hand and I don’t even hesitate.

We’re back on the dance floor.

I’m laughing, dancing and spinning, moving with the music.

I don’t care who sees me, I don’t care what anyone thinks.

For once, I am just Nerissa.

Not Mrs. Sanchez, not a Luciano.

Just Nerissa.

Victoria moves closer, laughing as I attempt to copy one of her dance moves and nearly stumble.

"Careful!" she shouts.

"I’m fine!"

"You’re drunk!"

"I prefer liberated!"

She laughs.

I laugh too and then I keep dancing.

At some point, Victoria turns around, and I move with her, laughing as we dance together.

I’m so caught up in the music that I don’t notice anything wrong.

Not at first.

I feel someone move behind me but I assume it’s Victoria so I keep dancing and rubbing up on her.

Then I feel something that makes me freeze.

A bulge poking against my ass.

I blink.

My drunken brain takes a second to process what I’m feeling.

That isn’t Victoria.

My entire body stiffens and I turn around, startled.

"What the fu..."

Before I can finish, someone grabs me and yanks me backward. Hard.

I stumble.

Then a fist flies past me and connects with the man’s face with enough force to send him stumbling backward.

He hits the floor flat on his ass.

The music keeps pounding around us.

People turn but go back to minding their business.

A few gasps go around.

I stare.

My heart is suddenly pounding for an entirely different reason. Then I look at the person standing between me and the man on the floor.

Black suit, Cold eyes and a jaw clenched so tightly I can see the muscle in it twitch.

His expression is enough to make the entire room feel colder.

Lysander.

And boy he looks absolutely fucking furious.