At hearing his voice, I look to where everyone else is and find him on top of Axel, smashing his fists into his face.
“Ashton,” Willow screams, reaching for his arm but he pays her no attention as he pulls his arm back once more, his elbow connecting with her ribs and sending her stumbling back to the floor before he continues his assault.
The guys cheer him on, all hungry for blood while the few girls that are here either back away or scream.
“Fuck,” I shout, ripping my eyes from Ashton’s back to Willow, who’s sprawled on the floor.
I rush her way because let’s face it, she deserves my help more than either of those two.
“I’m okay. Go and stop him.”
“Willow, I—”
“Please, Ruby. Just stop them from killing each other.”
Jesus fucking Christ.
Pushing to stand, I storm over.
“Ashton,” I scream at the top of my voice, not wanting to get too close after watching Willow go flying only moments ago.
But he doesn’t so much as slow down.
“Ashton.” I try again but the roar of the crowd and I’m sure the blood rushing in his ears right now is too loud for him to hear me.
Both his hands go around Axel’s throat and I seize my opportunity.
Sucking in some strength, I take a step forward, hoping I can avoid his arms should he decide to use them and place my hand on his shoulder.
The second I touch him, his muscles relax under my touch.
“Stop,” I plead, looking over his shoulder at Axel’s almost unrecognizable face to find Ashton’s grip on his throat hasn’t lessened. “Ashton, please. You’re going to kill him.”
Axel splutters for breath, his fingers clawing at Ashton’s forearms, desperate to get some air into his lungs.
“I should kill him. He fucking touched you... again.”
“Ashton,” I say much more calmly than I’m feeling. “Let him go.”
After a few seconds he does before he slumps forward.
“Let’s go,” I demand, my voice hard once more as I try to keep my anger beneath the surface. I refuse to lose my cool in front of these many people, even if I want to wrap my hands around Ash’s throat just like he did to Axel.
After a beat, he starts to climb from Axel’s limp body. But he’s not out of it enough because the second he can move, he sits and his fist flies toward Ashton’s face.
His lip splits, bright red blood immediately begins trickling from it.
The roar that rips from Ashton’s throat is like nothing I’ve ever heard before as he turns and with one swift punch to Axel’s temple, knocks him cleanout.
“Fucking hell,” I mutter, pulling at Ashton’s arm to get him away from Axel in case he comes back to and tries again. It’s unlikely looking at the state of him but I don’t want to risk it.
As we back away, I feel his chest still rising and falling and breathe a sigh of relief. At least he hasn’t killed him.
“We need to leave.” He doesn’t move for a beat, he plants his feet into the floor and just continues to stare at the scene he created before him.
“Ashton. Now,” I bark.
Finally, he moves, but not toward the exit, instead, he turns his cold, angry eyes on me.
I gasp and he steps into my body. He stares down at me, his heat burning into me and his scent filling my nose.
The image of him with Nat slams into me and a fresh wave of anger and betrayal races through me.
Unable to control myself, my arm flies out before the soft skin of my palm connects with the roughness of his cheek.
His eyes flare in anger as he captures my wrist in a tight hold and hauls me into his chest.
“You’re going to regret that, little one.”
Before I even know we’re moving, he’s backed me up and I only realize we’re in a side room when a door slams behind him and we’re plunged into darkness.
“Does this hurt?” he asks, glancing at my palm which feels like it should be glowing red.
“Yes,” I hiss. I’m just about to tell him that it was worth it when he roughly pushes me against whatever is behind me. A desk? A unit? I have no idea because aside from the light coming through a small, frosted window to the main room, it’s completely dark in here.
“Well, allow me to help you forget about it.”
His lips crash to mine, the taste of copper fills my mouth as I fight against him but he’s too insistent and as his tongue slips past my lips is when I succumb to his kiss.
The kiss is the opposite of the one we shared in the graveyard only a little bit ago. There is no tenderness or concern about how the other is feeling. It’s brutal, vicious, full of hate, and the need to hurt.
“Ashton,” I pant as his lips rip from mine in favor of sucking on the skin of my neck.
“You drive me fucking crazy.”
“See, I thought it was that whore who was driving you crazy not so long ago.”
“She’s nothing,” he growls, his hand skimming my waist and sliding around until he’s squeezing my ass, his fingers digging in until it starts to hurt.
“No? You sure seemed to be enjoying yourself with your hand up her top.”
“I needed a distraction.”
A bitter laugh falls from my lips. “I’ve heard that before. Is that all I am to you?”
He pulls back from nipping at my collarbone and looks into my eyes. He looks so fucking deep, I swear he can see right into my soul. His blown orbs flashing in the darkness surrounding us.
“No, Ruby. That is not all you are to me. You’re... you’re... different.”
“Right. So different that it’s fine to come here, get fucked off your ass, and feel up some whore. Fuck you, Ashton. I’m worth more than this.”
I push from whatever it is he has me against, but I don’t get very far because the second I move forward, he comes at me with more strength and I end up against the wall.
“You’re everything, Ruby. Fucking everything.”
One minute my feet are on the floor and the next my skirt is bunched up and my legs are wrapped around his waist.
His hard length grinds against my core and my head spins.
“You feel that? That’s for you, only you.”
“You’re a lying shit, Ashton. Don’t try to tell me you weren’t hard for her only minutes ago.”
“It wasn’t her I was hard for. She might have been the body, but in my head, it was you. Only you.”
“So you were going to fuck her, imagining it was me. That’s fucked-up.” He continues to grind against me, the pleasure sparking from my core making it harder and harder to think straight.
“Fuck,” he groans. “Yeah. Always you in here, little one,” he admits, tapping his temple. “Always fucking you.”
His lips find mine again and this time, I don’t fight. I can’t.
“Ashton,” I moan when his fingers slip inside my panties and find my core.
“So wet for me. You like fighting, huh?”
“You’re an asshole,” I say, my head falling back as he spears two fingers inside me.
“I know, but I think you love it.”
“Oh God.” He finds that spot inside me and rubs until I see stars.
His lips brush my ear. “I didn’t want her, Ruby. I needed... I needed out of my head and you... you weren’t here.”