Chapter 163: Found In The Club

~Jeremy’s POV~

I never thought I’d be here to do this today-Tracking her down. Stalking her like some obsessed fool. But I was going to find her tonight anyway, or sleep would be far away from me.

Carol had brought her to one of the best high-end clubs in Los Alamos. That had only compelled me further to come find her. My Teyana didn’t belong here. She was too naive for the kind of dirty activities that happen in this club.

I knew exactly whose club it was. One of my father’s old errand boys, a man who had been loyal to our family since forever- owned it. So finding her was easy.

All day, I had been with my father, plotting ways to get closer to Rebecca- the girl who released that tape of me bribing her. We were a few steps ahead, our plan working like clockwork. But it was taking too long, and my mind was already elsewhere.

Rebecca could wait. Teyana could not. Not after shoving that necklace at my chest earlier like she hated me. I hadn’t picked the necklace. It was still lying on her floor at the Carters’ house.

I stepped inside the club, the bass slamming against my chest, and scanned the crowd. I didn’t call her on phone. If I did, she would vanish before I even reached her.

Then I heard it through the speaker-

“Teyana! Come to the center!”

The voice came from the hype man near the DJ booth.

My stomach dropped. No way. Who was familiar with her here? Or was it a different Teyana? Must be.

I pushed through the crowd to be sure. And that was when I saw her.

Teyana.

In the center of the dance floor. I almost couldn’t recognize her because of what she was wearing and how perfectly her hair was curled. Especially—her clothes.

Her denim bralette left almost nothing to imagination, the small skirt hugging every curve she used to hide under hideous clothes. My chest tightened. Her cleavage was out in the open, her hips so defined it made my vision blur for a second.

She wasn’t supposed to be here. Not like this. Not for all these people to see. Not with…him.

An idiot- tall, but lanky dude, was with her, guiding her to the center stage. That caught my attention immediately. My hands clenched. Anger flared hot in my chest. I had promised myself I could control it if I saw anything funny, but...

I didn’t want to embarrass her, not in front of everyone, not tonight. But the sight of him whispering something into her ear, seeing her laugh, feeling her body move with his guidance…every inch of me burned like a naked wire.

She started dancing. Really dancing. Something about the way she moved made the air around her thick, made my jaw ache, made my fists twitch. All attention was on her, and  I’d never seen her dance like that. Not once. And she was smiling at him like she had forgotten me, like the Jeremy who cared about her didn’t exist. When she split on the floor, my heart jolted for two reasons— anger and amusement.

I had never had the pleasure of witnessing this version of Tey. It felt like sin to watch her give them this premium show. They didn’t deserve it. I did.

Just then, the lanky idiot decided to lean in and peck her cheek. He didn’t stop there, he was going to kiss her.

I saw red. Unfiltered.

Before I could stop myself, before reason caught up, I moved to that center. My fist connected with his face in a clean hit. Blood spattered. Satisfaction cut through the heat in my chest like fire.

Teyana shouted then, voice trembling as she catered to him.

“Jer! I’m so sorry!”

I froze. ‘Jer?’ My stomach twisted. She had just called him Jer. She wasn’t seeing him. She was seeing me in him. Teyana was drunk.

The guy straightened and faced me, raising his voice. “What the hell was that for?”

I stepped closer, my voice low and deadly. “The next time you touch her, you won’t have hands to touch another with.”

He sneered, wiping blood from his lip or nose. I didn’t care.

“Oh…so you’re the one she came here to forget.” His eyes flicked between us. “You are better off in the forgotten realm though, handsome Barbie.” He mocked-shrugged, but escaped into the crowd. Spineless bastard. Not even deserving of her.

Without paying anything else attention, I grabbed Teyana’s wrist firmly and started moving toward the exit.

That was when Carol appeared in a flash, fury written across her face. “You can’t just come in here and drag her out like that! Were you even stalking her?”

I turned my head to her slowly, raw anger coiling in my chest. “There is nothing you can say tonight that will make me leave her here, Carol. You should find your own way home without her. Or stay here if you want.”

She opened her mouth, yelling, cursing, trying to stop me. I ignored her. Teyana’s hand was warm in mine, slightly trembling. I kept moving. Not caring about the commotion I’ve caused inside. They would bounce back soon and continue with their vanity merries.

As we passed the bouncer, she stopped abruptly, yanking her hand away.

“Jer…Jeremy?” Teyana’s eyes blinked rapidly, unfocused, as if she just realized it was me. “What…what are you doing here?”

“I’m taking you away,” I said, voice assertive.

“No!” she whined, swaying slightly, clearly drunk. “You can’t—”

I clenched my jaw. My patience was running thin. Without another word, I lifted her effortlessly onto my shoulder. She hit my back repeatedly with small fists, shouting incoherently, but I didn’t falter. I guided her to my car, ignoring her protests.