Vigilante ∆ lrh

23. ∆ Tennessee Whiskey

"We deserve a fucking good night out and you Ashy-boy owe me and Luke at least six drinks each!" Demi proclaimed at the kitchen table the following morning.

Luke smirked at her statement as they all stared at Ashton. He had no legs to stand on. He held his hands up, "fine, whatever," he sighed with a slight grin. Demi really had done a great job in getting him his car back all while putting a group of men behind bars for a long time and no one getting hurt. She had well and truly won him over.

"You deserve... you all deserve," he corrected, "a proper night out, without stress," he contemplated, "I'll put others in your posts tonight and you lot can let your hair down."

"Rapunzel, let down your golden hair," Cal mimicked, pretending to stroke his imaginary plait. It had them all in fits of laughter.

The day went fast, she spent limited time at the gym, she did her classes, did her own workout and left. Something had jarred in her friendship with Blake and even though she had agreed for him to come on their previous task, the weight of his words and actions lay heavy on her.

Demi dressed with Calum which was quite problematic; they took more clothes off as opposed to putting them on. It was casual and fulfilled a need they both had.

Finally, they got ready. Demi opted for an off the shoulder black jumpsuit paired with her red heels and wrapped her knife strap around her right calf. To match her heels, she coated her lips in matte red and straightened her hair so it framed her face. Her eyeliner was absolute perfection and she didn't care that it made her confident. She looked powerful and she knew it as she tapped Calum's chin and told him to stop drooling.

Calum had already met the boys in the kitchen for pre-drinks which finished sooner than she expected as Michael shouted it was time to go.

Demi descended the stairs giving Calum a smile. Michael thanked the heavens she had more clothes of than before and headed to his car outside. Ashton followed suit after his revolting comment about her finally looking feminine. Yet it was his blue eyes that caught hers again.

Calum interrupted their interlocking eye contact as he bolted upstairs for his forgotten wallet.

Silence settled around them as Luke was yet to say anything. "Not going to say anything degrading?" She smirked.

He shook his head, his breath stuck in his mouth as he physically took half a step back. She frowned, confused with the change of his behavior. "What?"

Luke was about to speak, cheeks flushed, when Calum reappeared. He took Demi in his grasp and they walked towards the car. Luke stayed back, composing himself before locking up the house and driving in his own car. Tonight was going to be a long night.

Luke found himself filled with regret as opposed to drunk on the elite alcohol he had been promised. But he was sure even the finest and strongest liquor in the world couldn't numb this. He watched as Demi and Calum hung off on another. He was surprised, genuinely surprised, one of them hadn't fainted with the time they spent sucked on each other's lips. Ash had found himself a woman easily ten years older than him and Michael had disappeared with some girl with glasses about ten minutes ago- he was proud of him.

He was however left feeling utterly not in the mood and he couldn't quite put a finger on why. He should have remained leaning against the pillar, but when he saw a crying female exit the club in the arms of an enraged male, he couldn't just stand there.

Luke came bursting through the side door as the male cornered the distressed girl against the brick wall.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't, I'm sorry," the girl pleaded, mascara painting her face. The guy went to shout when Luke's fist collided with the side of his nose.