Filthy Devil (Dark Horse MC #6)

Chapter 3

CHAPTER

THREE

JAMES

I think there is something seriously wrong with me. Like maybe I need to seek professional help. I am not the least bit concerned with the fact that this man killed someone right in front of me, and then these rugged men cleaned it all up while I ate candy.

That is the more disturbing part of it all. I stood there and ate candy while they cleaned up a dead body. Granted, that creep show was going to try and force me to blow him. Seriously, that’s so gross. What the hell is wrong with people?

Now I’m on the back of this nameless silver fox’s bike and headed… somewhere . I’m blindly going with this man. He could be leading me to a fate worse than where I was headed on that truck.

But as the roads curve, the bike ebbs and flows, and I find myself relaxing against his back again. I’m not sure I care if he killed someone. Rationalizing everything in my head, I decide that guy has probably assaulted more than one woman, and the world is a better place without him in it.

I’m not sure how long we ride. My ass is sore, my body is exhausted, but I’m also anxious and maybe even a little excited for what’s to come. The adrenaline that once surged through my body has begun to fade away, and now all I want to do is sleep.

Luckily, he guides the bike into a parking lot and stops, killing the engine. When he doesn’t move immediately, I lift my head to see that we’re in front of… a strip club.

What the fuck ?

The other bikes take off in different directions. It’s just us in front of this building that has a neon sign reading Girls, Girls, Girls. When he disengages from his bike, I don’t move. I stay where I am, my heart racing a million miles a minute.

Does he expect me to take my clothes off for money?

He turns to me, his blue eyes finding mine and holding my gaze before he speaks. Although he only says a single word, that does absolutely nothing to calm my racing heart.

“Ready?” he asks.

“For what?”

He arches a brow. It’s at this moment that realization dawns on me. I don’t know this man’s name. I don’t know anything at all about him. He’s a complete stranger who took me off a trailer that was taking me to slaughter. And he’s brought me to a strip club…

A moment of stagnant silence passes between us. We’re completely alone in this parking lot, and I wonder just how late it really is. If a strip club is closed, it must be the very wee hours of the morning.

“To go home.”

Those three words do not make me feel any more at ease than I did a moment ago. Also, I’m finding it really hard to tamp down my smart-ass. I am a question-asker… or rather, a demander.

Sucking in a breath, I hold it for a moment, then let it out slowly so I don’t say something to piss this guy off. I don’t know how to read him. I feel safe with him, and I’m wildly attracted to him, but at the same time, I am scared about what is about to happen to me.

“This is a strip club…” I say, my words fading away as my gaze shifts over his shoulder and to the strip club behind him to prove my point.

“There’s an apartment up there,” he murmurs.

Chewing on my bottom lip, I try to think of something to say. I’m not sure what to ask, but I don’t want to be here alone. And I’m thinking that’s what will be happening. I wonder if I throw myself at him, will he maybe stay…

“I’m confused,” I confess.

He smirks, not at all bothered by my confusion, but more like he thinks I’m being cute or something. I’m not. I’m seriously freaking confused by what’s happening here, and I want to know how to play my hand… whatever that hand is… if I even have one.

His head tilts to the side, his eyes search mine, and I wonder if he’s going to tell me what it is that I’m doing here, but then he shakes his head once as if he’s decided against whatever he thought of telling me.

“You’re safe here, James.”

I almost laugh because I know better than that. I might be twenty years old, but I’m not that naive.

“I don’t even know your name,” I whisper.

He balls his hands into fists at his sides, and I wonder if he’s angry, but I don’t ask him. I wait in silence for him to continue. “Nash Stanley.”

God.

What a freaking great name.

He doesn’t say anything else. Nothing else needs to be said, I guess. Instead, he reaches for my hand, wraps his fingers around mine, and turns toward the building, tugging me behind him. I don’t have any other choice but to follow.

When we approach the building, he digs into his pocket, producing a key. He shoves it in the door, twisting it before he pulls it open. We continue moving forward, and I watch as he makes his way over to an alarm panel, punches a few buttons, and then turns toward me.

“Lock the door, yeah?”

Slowly, I approach the door. I think about opening it and running away but then decide against that. He may be a few years older than me, but he’s no slouch. I felt his muscles when my arms were wrapped around him. This is a man who is still very active and fit. He’d catch me in a minute.

Flipping the lock, I turn around to face him, but I don’t move. He arches a brow, watching me as he waits for me to move toward him again. I don’t. I’m stubborn, but right now, it’s beyond that.

I’m not just stubborn.

I’m scared.

Nothing has been explained to me. I don’t even know why he took me and nobody else off that trailer.

I don’t know anything.

“Let’s go, James. I’m beat to fuck.”

He does sound tired. Hesitantly, I take a step toward him, then another. Instead of reaching for my hand this time, he turns and starts to walk through the building. I hate that. I can’t help but feel rejected. I want him to touch my hand. I want to feel his warm, strong fingers holding me.

I don’t take in my surroundings. I don’t think I care. This isn’t going to be my home. I refuse. I will do whatever it takes to get out of this, whatever this is. I’m not going to just accept the fate I stupidly agreed to.

Now that things have changed and shifted, I’m going to do everything I can to gain my freedom.

Because let’s be real, I may have signed my life away on the dotted line… but it wasn’t to this guy, and I’m going to assume that my contract is null and void. At least, that’s what I’m going to tell myself.

Freedom is in my grasp. My mistake will be fixed, and I’m going to figure out the rest of my life. Nash stops at a doorway at the end of the hallway. I watch as he opens the door and walks inside, and when I follow behind him, I see the bed.

That bed calls to me, so before I try to figure out how to get out of this, I need a good night’s sleep.

I can conquer the world tomorrow.

NASH

Stepping into the small apartment, I am met with the realization that this isn’t suited for a permanent living situation.

The kitchenette doesn’t even have an oven. This space is more like a hotel room than an apartment. We put two of these in here in case one of us needed to spend the night for whatever reason.

I know that Bugsy fucks a couple of the girls in the other room. But this one is mine, and I haven’t even slept in it, let alone fucked anyone in it. James walks over to the bed, and I watch her fingertips glide along the black comforter.

She stops, then spins around to face me. I can read the confusion clearly etched on her face. I haven’t explained shit, and to be honest, at this point, I’m not sure how to answer anything. Her bio parents are dead. Her grandparents think she’s run away, and she sold herself into something she didn’t want any part of.

Now she’s mine—or rather, I’ve taken responsibility for her. To keep her safe. But right this moment, all I want to do is strip her out of her clothes, lay her down on the bed, and fuck her. And I have no goddamn reason to do that. Not now, not ever. She’s way too young for me, and I need to keep reminding myself of that.

“What is going to happen to me?” she asks, her voice smaller than I’ve heard.

James is strong as fuck, so seeing this moment of vulnerability causes me to be taken aback, but only for a moment. In the same breath, it is a stark reminder that she’s young, scared, and went in way over her fucking head when she signed that agreement.

“You’re going to take a shower, get some sleep, and tomorrow, we’ll go over your future.”

“My future,” she murmurs, her gaze flicking over to the bed. Her eyes swing back to meet my own, and she takes a step forward. “What if I don’t want to discuss anything?”

“Doesn’t seem like you have much of a choice, babe.”

She clears her throat and dips her chin slightly, her gaze continuing to stay focused on mine. Then she reaches for the hem of her shirt and peels it from her body, tossing it onto the floor somewhere.

I don’t look at where her shirt landed because my gaze is fixated on her bare tits. I didn’t realize she wasn’t wearing a bra. I swear to fuck I have to bite back a groan at the sight of her body.

“James,” I mumble as I tear my eyes from her tits to meet her gaze.

She smirks, no doubt knowing what she’s doing to me. Young or not, she is still a woman, after all. She takes another step toward me, standing just a few inches from me. I can feel the heat of her body.

“Keep me, Nash.”

Fuck.

Lifting my hand, I run my fingers through my hair, tugging on the ends as I force myself to take a few steps backward. “Shower and sleep, babe. Tomorrow, we’ll go over the future.”

I turn around and walk out of the room, my cock begging me to go back and fuck her. Cursing me for not doing it. Instead, I lock the bedroom door behind me and make my way to my office.

I’m going to stay right here, my eye on her door as I drink myself to oblivion and hope that it keeps me from walking back into that bedroom and absolutely fucking her into exhaustion.

Sinking down into my chair, I reach into the bottom drawer of my desk and take out the bottle of Crown. I don’t bother grabbing a glass. I don’t need one. I turn to face the hallway, my gaze fixated on the apartment door as I take a swig of the booze.

This is going to be a goddamn cluster. When I agreed to bring this girl here, it was under the assumption that I would give her a job as a dancer. She was going to be safe, under my protection, and be able to earn a living at the same time.

Now, I’m not so sure that’s where she can be. Mainly because I’m way too fucking attracted to her. I’m going to have to make some decisions, and I know for a fact nobody is going to like them. But keeping her here is going to be trouble.

And Vixen may have fucked over the Dark Horse MC at the end of her life, but she was a loyal clubwhore for a long fucking time. We, as a club, have already taken that vow to protect this woman—her daughter—but that doesn’t mean she can stay here. Because she clearly cannot.

I’m fifty-six years old, but I’m not dead. That hot body across the hall is too fucking tempting for me. I’m not going to completely lose control because I saw her tits, but I know myself well enough to know that all it will take is her offering herself again, one drunken night, and all bets are fucking off.

I’m going to, without a doubt, take her up on that offer, and I won’t feel the slightest bit guilty, considering we’re both adults. But that doesn’t mean I need to be oblivious to the facts.

She’s a woman.

I’m a man.

But she’s also over thirty years younger than me. Her life has been turned upside down, and I’m trying to be a decent fucking human for once in my life and stay away from her so I don’t fuck her up.

Because the last thing I want to do is fuck up this girl who has so clearly had a hard go of shit. I’m trying not to be the man I was when I had my own kid and to be better. I’m not sure how long that can last, though, so she’s got to go.