Young Retribution

XXVII

"Whiskey on ice. Strongest you got!" The bartender nodded his head and then went in search of my drink. A few seconds later he was back with my glass. I took it and shot it back. I then handed it back over and signaled that I wanted another one.

"You really want me to be killed, don't you?" Leo shouted near my ear as he joined me at the bar.

I rolled my eyes, and grabbed my drink as it was placed in front of me, "There are girls here wearing less than I am. Not to mention, most of the men here are probably drunk and horny, meaning that even if I was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, they would most likely still try to get in my pants."

"Except that short skirt of yours is much easier to get into than sweatpants."

"Well then," I shot the rest of my drink back, and then slammed the glass onto the bar top, "I guess you will just have to dance with me and keep wandering hands away."

"Cali-"

"Less talking, more dancing." Grinning, I grabbed his wrist and pulled him along as I pushed towards the center of the dance floor. I could feel hands all over me as I made my way through the crowd, but Leo was quick to always push them away. For some, all it took was a single look from my personal bodyguard, and they would be turning the other way.

Finally in a spot I was happy with, I pulled Leo so that he was behind me, and then closed my eyes and let the beat of the music control the swaying of my hips. Multiple disapproving comments were made from my dance partner, but I pushed them out of my head and continued getting lost in the magic that the DJ was spewing from the speakers. Every now and then I would feel Leo back up a smidge, but then one of the other dancers would try to get closer, and his arms would be all around me.

Grinning, I turned around, and then wrapped my arms around Leo's neck. I pressed my body up against his, resting my head on his chest.

"Do you realize what Dominick would think if he saw us right now?"

I rolled my eyes, "It's just dancing, Leo!" I grabbed his hands and placed them on my hips, "At this point it's either you, who knows to control himself, or some random guy that will probably attempt to dry hump me on this very dance floor!"

"Or you could go and dance with Hope and Lana."

"Well I want to dance with you!" I raised my head to gaze up at him, "Can't you give me this one night, please?"

"Cali..."

"It's just a dance, Leo."

I watched him physically take a deep breath. I'm about to pull away to go get another drink, when he forcefully turned me so that my back was to him, "I'm only doing this to keep other men away."

Yeah, I thought to myself as I grinded myself against him, I'm sure that's the reason...

Leo and I continued to dance together until I started craving another drink. This time, he led me off of the dance floor and back to the bar. He ordered us both drinks, along with a shot of Jameson each. We took the shots together, downed our drinks, and then went back to dancing.

The second time on the dance floor was much different from the first. I just danced. I closed my eyes, jumped around, and let myself get lost in the atmosphere of the club knowing that Leo wouldn't let anything happen to me.

It was stress relieving.

It felt like the doubt, and dread that had been practically suffocating me since I first saw Dominick sitting in my bedroom finally let me go free. The smile that had plastered itself on my face, for the first time, was pure and true. Every pulse of the beat, was another inch of my skin being released into freedom, and it felt amazing.