Deviant (Boys of Winter #3) - Sheridan Anne Page 0,55

a bridge by now with my ankle chained to my bike as I slept, just so it wouldn’t get stolen.

The door of Ember’s gorgeous home has been left wide open, and though they don’t show it, I know each of the boys are now second guessing whether we should even walk through it or not.

An open-door policy means that anyone could be inside. We could potentially be walking into a death trap, and I’m sure the guys will have something to say about it later, but for now, they’re sucking it up and taking the risk, knowing this is the only graduation party I might ever have. Though, one thing is for sure, my night of reckless drinking and letting loose just turned into a night of watching my back and checking every dark corner.

Fun times.

Intent on having a good night, I put the invasive thoughts to the back of my mind, allowing Cruz to pull me through the front door. The music vibrates through my chest as I take in my surroundings. Ember’s loving family home is now a full fucking rave. Colored spotlights shine over small stages. Girls I never got the chance to know are grinding against stripper poles, and a massive bar spans the length of Ember's living room.

I stare in shock.

How the fuck did she get this shit past her parents? Surely they have to know about this. It would have taken a week to set up, but she said they were only gone for the weekend.

Fuck me, she must have her parents wrapped around her little finger. There is no other explanation.

Bodies are everywhere, and as I look around to find Ember, I quickly realize that this is more than just the senior class from school. This must be every senior class from every fucking school in the area. And judging by the way Cruz remains right by my side and the way King, Grayson, and Carver seem to get even closer, they realize this too.

We weave our way through the bodies, and within seconds, random girls from school are rushing into my guys, desperate to get their attention one last time. A cocky smile spreads over my face as they make quick work of dismissing the girls on their heels. That's right, keep moving.

Random guys from across the room eye me up and down, but for the most part, they play it cool, keeping their distance and knowing all too well what would happen if they tried to make a move, especially with my guys by my side.

People dance around us, most of them already so drunk that they don’t know which way is up or down. They bump into us, and before we even get halfway across Ember’s living room, I’ve had three drinks spilled on me, my foot trampled, and a marriage proposal that quickly ended with Grayson’s fist slamming into some guy’s face.

We get across the room to the bar and Carver leans forward, resting his elbows against the table and ordering our drinks, saving the rest of us from having to yell just to be heard.

I turn beside Carver, leaning up against the bar while looking out at the hundreds of bodies crammed into Ember’s home. It’s insane, but honestly, what was I expecting? I should have known Ember would go all out for a party. I should have been better prepared.

The small bit of hope that I’d allowed myself to feel for tonight quickly begins to fade away as I look back at the boys. They create a tight, private circle around me as we wait for our drinks. “You guys are going to make me leave, aren’t you?” I ask, scanning over their big shoulders and feeling the disappointment quickly filling me at the thought of not being able to stay and have a good time.

Grayson’s lips pull into a tight line. “There’s just too many people. If you got lost in this crowd, it’d be too hard to keep you safe.”

“Besides,” King adds, reaching between us and brushing his fingers over the back of my hand. “We don’t know half of the fuckwits here. We have no way of telling if any of these people have any connections to Dynasty, and if they do, what side they are on. It’s too risky.”

I sigh heavily and lean into Carver’s side, wishing it were one of the other boys standing the closest. Without question, his arm curls around my waist and he holds me against his chest. I