Page 27 of Alpha Brock
He eyes me with amusement. “Seems like you like her.”
I scowl, staring down into my beer. Foam is rising up the neck of the bottle from its impact with the table. “You know I don’t get involved.”
“So?” he challenges. “That doesn’t mean you can’t.”
I know what he’s suggesting, and it’s out of the fucking question. After Anna, I swore I wouldn’t open myself up to that kind of heartbreak again- and ever since, I’ve been doing a damn good job at shutting people out. No sense in changing that now.
I shake my head adamantly, picking up my beer again and draining the fucking thing. Once I’ve swallowed it all down, I slide the empty bottle back on the table. “Iwon’t,” I grumble.
Brent and Astrid come walking back up to the table, covered in a thin sheen of sweat and laughing.Holding fucking hands. The air inside of the bar suddenly feels thick, like it’s hard to breathe.
I shoot to my feet, snatching my jacket off of the stool. “I’m outta here.”
“What?” Astrid’s smile falters as she drops Brent’s hand, moving toward me. “Where are you going?”
“Back home.”
She looks to Brent and Jared with confusion, then back to me. “Well we’ll come with you…”
“Wewill?” Brent asks, his disappointment evident in his tone.
Astrid shrugs. “Sure, how else are we getting back?”
My brother heaves an exasperated sigh, throwing his head back. “Do we have more beer back at the packhouse?”
“Yeah,” Jared says, getting to his feet and clapping Brent on the shoulder.
“Fine,” Brent huffs.
I don’t say anything else, just make a beeline for the exit, clicking the key fob to unlock the Escalade as soon as I get outside. I finally feel like I can draw a deep breath now that I’m out of that place and its stiflingly thick air, and I take a few before Brent, Jared, and Astrid pile out behind me. Then the four of us make our way to the Escalade.
Astrid is clearly buzzed, shaky on her stilettos as we cross the parking lot. Brent holds her arm to help her walk, still shamelessly trying to flirt with her, and I don’t know if she’s giggling so much because she’s actually enjoying it or because she’s been drinking or because she’s just nice. Either way, it’s getting on my last nerve- so when Jared opens the passenger side door, I make eye contact with him across the interior of the vehicle, giving a little shake of my head.
“Jared, why don’t you let Astrid have shotgun this time?” It’s not a question, it’s an order- and from my tone, Jared knows it. He opens his mouth like he wants to protest, but snaps it closed again, moving aside and gesturing for Astrid to get in.
“Oh, I don’t need…” she starts to say, but Jared is a good fucking soldier- he grabs her by the waist and lifts her into the passenger seat, closing the door behind her before he gets in the back.
She looks over at me with that wide-eyed, deer-in-the-headlights look before buckling herself into the passenger seat. It looks like she wants to say something, but she’s clearly picked up on the fact that I’m not in the mood, so she must think better of it.
Once Jared and Brent are in, I fire up the engine, pulling out of the lot. Jared and Astrid are both quiet at first, sensing my tension, but Brent’s half drunk and completely oblivious, so he starts talking loudly and joking around. Before long, he’s put both Jared and Astrid at ease and the three of them are chatting while I white knuckle the steering wheel. I try to keep my cool, but listening to my brother try to flirt with Astrid does little to tamp down my agitation. Every time he drops a cheesy line, I grit my teeth. Every time Astrid lets out one of her airy little giggles, I grip the steering wheel tighter.
I breathe a sigh of relief when we get back to the packhouse and I slide the Escalade into park, cutting the engine and unfastening my seatbelt. Jared and Brent are both quick to climb out of the back seat, and I look over at Astrid, who has that doe-eyed look again.
“You okay?” she asks, blinking.
In this close of proximity, it feels like her scent is all around me. Strangling me. It’s hard to think straight.
“Fine,” I growl, leaning toward her over the center console.
Her breath hitches as my hand brushes her bare waist- the girl is showing way too much fucking skin in that skimpy outfit of hers; it has my wolf on edge. I reach for the buckle of her seatbelt, clicking to release it. I flicker my gaze to meet hers, those deep brown eyes threatening to pull me into their depths.
“You guys coming or what?!” Brent shouts from the front stoop of the packhouse.
I roll my eyes, slumping back in my seat, and Astrid giggles and reaches for her door handle. We both climb out of the Escalade and head for the packhouse, my brother not-so-subtly checking Astrid out as she strolls up the front walk. Damn he’s annoying when he drinks.
As soon as we’re inside, he slides an arm around Astrid’s slim shoulders, leading her toward the fridge. “You’ll have another drink with me, won’t you, doll?”
“Oh gosh, I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Astrid giggles. “I’ve probably already had one more than I should’ve.”