Tristan kept his eyes fixed on the three men in front of him.Then someone grabbed his sleeve.He turned and found Camille standing beside him. She had pushed her way through the crowd, her hair coming loose from its clip and her chest rising and falling from the rush. She wasn’t looking at the men.She was looking straight at him.“Tristan, stop. Please.”“Camille, go back.”“They’re going to hurt you.” Her voice shook. “I’m serious. I’ll tell them it’s over. I’ll tell them we made a mistake. I’ll say whatever I need to say, I just—”“Is that what you want?”“I want you alive and in one piece!”Her voice cracked on the last few words.Her fingers were trembling around his arm, and somehow he could feel the fear in that small grip all the way through his shoulder.For a brief moment, the noise around them seemed to disappear.Tristan covered her hand with his and gave it a gentle squeeze.“Then stand back and watch me stay in one piece.”“That isn’t funny.”“I’m not trying to be funny.

The lean man didn’t wave the knife around. That was what frightened Tristan most.Some people usually swung blades wildly, hoping fear would do the work for them. This man was different.He kept the knife low beside his hip, the tip pointing upward, his wrist loose and relaxed. It looked almost natural in his hand, like the weapon belonged there.“Come on, funny boy,” he said quietly. “Say something funny now.”Tristan’s mouth felt dry.He didn’t stare at the knife. Instead, he watched the man’s shoulders and hips. The blade could trick him. The body couldn’t.“Put the knife down.”“Make me.”The man stepped forward, and Tristan stepped back.His heel touched the edge of a flattened cardboard box, stopping him for half a second.“Steve, cut him!” the tall man yelled from the side. “Cut him up!”“Just give me a little time” the lean man replied.That thin smile returned to his face, but it wasn’t as confident as before. The corners of his mouth were tight.“I’m going to carve that smart

Tristan stayed on his knees for what felt like forever, though it had only been three seconds, before his mind finally caught up with what had just happened.After thinking for a while, he was left with two choices.The first was to chase the man while wearing nothing but his underwear, yelling for his clothes in front of anyone who happened to still be hanging around the club’s side entrance.One person would pull out a phone, then another, and before sunrise, Tristan would probably become the star of some humiliating video he could never escape.Absolutely not. He wasn’t picking that option.The second option was to stay where he was, freezing his ass off, and wait. Maybe he could overpower someone and get some clothes.It wasn’t much better, but at least it didn’t involve running barefoot and half-naked through a parking lot after a man who clearly knew the place better than he did.Besides, the neighborhood already seemed convinced Tristan was some kind of lunatic.So he stayed.Ev

His phone vibrated again in his hand.It was still Madison calling him.Tristan stared at her name until the call ended by itself. A heavy feeling settled in his stomach.He wanted to answer. More than anything, he wanted to hear her voice and forget everything that had happened tonight, even if it was only for half a minute.He wanted to pretend he was just some ordinary guy dealing with research, late nights drama, and the usual problems.But he couldn’t do that yet.Not while that video was still floating around somewhere online.Until every copy of it was gone, he couldn’t afford to relax.If he picked up and Madison started asking questions, he wasn’t sure he could keep his voice steady enough to lie to her again.He rejected the call and shoved his phone deep into the pocket of the borrowed jacket.Then the air directly in front of him shimmered.His vision appeared instantly.[System Alert][Time-Sensitive Notice: Bonus Objective Nearing Expiration.][Bonus Objective: Fuck the H

“Why is he acting like he doesn't know us?” Avery asked, nervously. Camille and Eva glanced at each other with a wink. “No, we wouldn't let that tactic work here.” Eva was damn serious about him here. “Can't you see the way he's now so handsome looking, any girl would fall for him once they get him, they aren't letting you smell or see him again.” Camille was serious about this. She watched how people had gawked on Tristan’s faces, even till now. They scurried off their seats rushing towards the VIP stance that housed Tristan. Before long, they were galloping in the air towards their target, ignoring the pressing look at them. The tightening feel on his numbers sparked and he was rising up to stop them but they didn't give a fuck. “Tristan, please kindly come with us. We are sorry for the way we ignored you.” Tristan turned to look away. “I don't know you girls, please go back to your seats.” He whined, frowning. Their pulse had skyrocked high. The way it was racing high, Tris