I was about to ask him how he even recognized me without the red wig when Kelton asked, “Dillon Hart?”
I held my breath, keeping my eyes on Dillon.
Dillon turned his head. Kelton stood with his back to the dancers. “What, man? Can’t you see I’m a little busy with my girl?” he asked like a snapping turtle—if turtles could talk.
“You’re Dillon Hart? I saw you outside BU with the redhead. Fuck, man. Two girls in one day?” He sounded jealous.
“I said I was busy.” Dillon’s jaw was moving rapidly.
“Chill. I came up to shake your hand. If you want to be a fucking rude asshole then I’ll have you removed from the club.”
Dillon’s hands tightened on my arms.
My pulse went from a lazy cadence to a full-out sprint. So much for not making a scene. Out of my peripheral vision, I glimpsed Kelton flaring his nostrils. Suddenly, I became worried for another reason. If Dillon had a gun on him, things could go haywire quickly.
“Be nice, baby,” I said as I pressed my body into Dillon’s. “The man only wants to meet you, not shoot you.”
“Who’s your girl?” Kelton asked as he touched my shoulder. “Your voice sounds familiar.”
I could change the color of my hair and eyes, but not my voice, and Kelton and red-haired Emma had already met. Since I wasn’t in disguise, I wasn’t prepared for him to know I was his childhood sweetheart.
Dillon growled. “Get your fucking hand off my girl.”
I kept my side profile exposed to Kelton. As long as he didn’t look straight into my eyes, I should be fine. I also was banking on the dim light to keep me shielded. The bald guy in the corner booth had a sharp focus on us, probably waiting for all hell to break loose. I didn’t know for sure, but I’d bet he was here with Dillon.
Kelton removed his hand from me as he growled.
All of sudden, I had to pee and maybe puke. “I have to go to the ladies’ room,” I said to Dillon.
“Don’t take too long.” He flicked his head to the bald guy in the corner booth.
The bald guy got up.
I peeled myself away from Dillon’s hard body then got lost in the crowd. As I weaved through the dancers, I decided to get the hell out of that place after my pit stop. You’re paranoid. He’s not going to recognize you. I silently screamed back at my subconscious, Hell if he doesn’t!
My appearance hadn’t changed that much since the age of thirteen, except that I was older. I had bigger boobs, and I’d lost most of my southern accent. But my voice hadn’t changed from when we’d spoken at the art gallery. If Kelton put two and two together, he would figure out I was the redhead from art class, and then he would have questions. Ones I wasn’t prepared to answer, especially since he could derail my deal with Dillon to get the gun.
I found the bathroom down a darkened hallway at the back of the club. I also found a long line. I settled behind a girl with long brown hair who was talking on the phone.
“Chloe, Kelton is here. And Kody is performing tonight. I need you to keep me company. Kade is busy sifting through résumés for a waitress. I don’t know where Kross is. Don’t worry about Kelton’s brothers.”
Great! I was standing behind the baseball star Peyton mentioned at the art gala. She was dating Kade. I cursed under my breath. The entire Maxwell family was here? Out of all the clubs in Boston, Dillon had to pick the one with the Maxwells in it. I spied an exit sign up ahead. I checked the hallway up and down. From the doorway to the club, the bald guy who’d exchanged a silent gesture with Dillon eyed me with his arms crossed over his massive chest. He shook his head.
I scrunched up my face at him. If he was going to chase me, then let the games begin. I wasn’t staying in this club another minute, even though I had to pee. I’d find a bathroom somewhere else. Sure, Dillon would have questions about why I left. Or he would back out of our deal. Either way, I had a question for him. How did he know the real me? His cousin, the one I partied with in Miami, didn’t know the real me. I’d been dressed in my red wig at the frat party where I’d met him.
More ladies filed behind me.
I slid out of line and went up to the bald guy. “Why are you watching me?”
“Dillon wants me to,” he said as he narrowed his brown eyes.
“Tell Dillon I’ll call him tomorrow.”
For some reason the stars were aligned for me to run into Kelton not once, but three times in one day. I smiled. My mom had told me the day we drove away from Kelton seven years ago that if we were meant for each other, the universe would bring us together. I lost my smile, and her words of wisdom. My gut told me I wouldn’t be so lucky to flee him a fourth time if I didn’t get out while I had the chance.
I threaded through the throng of dancers, occasionally getting bumped or knocked in the head. Once I finally made it out of the club and into the hall by the coat check, I sighed heavily. The bouncer, the same one who’d sized me up earlier, raised an eyebrow.