Filthy Devil (Dark Horse MC #6)

Chapter 33

CHAPTER

THIRTY-THREE

NASH

“You’re not taking my woman. She’s mine,” I grind out.

I’m about done with this piece of shit, and I’m not making any deals with him or anyone else.

“And now that she’s gone and you don’t have to worry about comparing your dick to mine in front of her, why don’t you tell me what you really want? What is it going to take for you fucks to stay away from the Dark Horse?”

He presses his lips together. “There’s nothing we can do to make a deal? Our organizations work well together, and it would be mutually beneficial.”

Shaking my head, I clear my throat. “Gil, that part of our club is done. We attempted to make a deal and were fucked over. There will be no more deals. We also tried to let the Southern Mafia do their own thing and, again, were fucked over. So, forgive me if I’m not willing to make the same mistake again.”

He dips his chin in a single nod. “I can understand that. I’m not unreasonable. However, what am I supposed to tell my men? I’m their leader now, and I can’t walk away without a deal and without the representation of winning.”

“Meaning James,” I murmur.

He arches a brow in response. I’m not sure what he wants from me here. I’m not going to give him James, and I’m not going to agree to a fucking thing where his club is concerned. With a blank expression on my face, I tilt my head to the side and wait for him to come up with something.

“Concession,” he states. “We’re both losers here, at least when it comes to the Dark Horse and the Southern Mafia.”

I almost laugh because the only ones losing right now are them, but I’m willing to hear him out before I go home and fuck my woman again. He shifts forward in his seat, his elbows resting on the table.

“Ceasefire, and I’ll forget James ever had a contract. I’ll also ensure that the price on her head goes away.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I tilt my chin down slightly as I look into his eyes. “You want me to call off my men, and if they choose to listen to me, what is in it for them? I have to offer them something. They don’t give enough of a fuck about my woman for that to be the only perk.”

Gil clears his throat. I can tell he’s thinking hard, but then again, to even come to this point, he probably already had something planned. There is no fucking way he came here with no plan B . He’s an asshole, but he’s not fucking stupid.

Lifting my hands in front of my face, I press my fingers together in front of my mouth. My eyes are focused on him, though, and nowhere else. He leans back in his chair, his lips curved up in a small smile.

“We’ll stay out of Texas and the South in general. It’s yours to do with what you will. But in that same vein, you don’t come north.”

Intriguing.

“I’ll have to get approval from Atomic at the original charter,” I murmur.

He extends his hand, waiting for a shake. My gaze flicks down to his palm. Then, slowly, I lift my eyes to meet his. “I can’t shake on something that I have no final decision-making power over.”

Gil chuckles. “You’re one of the good ones, Nashville,” he murmurs.

My lips twitch into a smirk. “I’d kill you right here at this table if I thought it would end this shit or if you even looked at James the wrong way.”

“Touché.” I watch as Gil stands to his feet, dipping his chin slightly. “I look forward to hearing from you. I expect an answer tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” I ask.

He smiles, clearing his throat slightly. “I’m ready to get the fuck out of this goddamn heat. I don’t know how you people do it down here. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Without another word, he turns around. I watch as he walks through the restaurant and out the front door. The minute he’s gone, and so is the threat that Gil’s presence brings, I realize that James has been in the bathroom for far too long.

The waitress appears and asks if I’m ready to order. I’ve been putting her off for a while, trying to finish that shit with Gil. No way in fuck was I going to share a meal with that fucking asshole.

“My woman went to the bathroom a while ago. Could you check for me and see if she’s still in there?”

The waitress gives me a small smile then agrees. I watch as she hurries toward the hallway. She’s not gone for very long, just a few seconds, before she’s hurrying back over to me, a slightly panicked look on her face.

I’m not sure if the panic is for me or her.

Holding my breath, I wait for her to approach.

“There’s nobody in the bathroom, sir.”

My heart slams against my chest at her words. Standing, I dig into my pocket and pull out three twenties. Tossing them on the table, I figure that should cover two drinks and her time. Then I run toward the hallway where I last saw James going.

Stopping as soon as I step into the hall, I turn my head left and notice that the bathrooms are at the end. The right is another ballgame because there is a door with a lit sign above it that reads EXIT.

Fuck.

Heading straight for that bright-red sign, I push the door open and step into an alleyway. It’s empty. And not just empty—it’s still. I’m not sure what to do, what to say, so I look around for a long moment, up and down, to the left and then the right in hopes of seeing something, any kind of sign of her.

But there is nothing.

Fucking hell.

I don’t know if she’s run or been taken. I don’t know a single fucking thing. Except she’s gone.

Vanished into thin goddamn air.

JAMES

I did not think this plan through. Just like I didn’t the last time I went on the run. At least last time, I had a destination in mind. Even if it was the absolute wrong one.

Now I have nothing.

My feet move quickly, one after the other, as I try to stay in the dark shadows of the buildings around me so that I’m not seen.

I can’t go back to Pineville. I have nowhere to go. But what I do know is that I’m not a commodity. The Southern Mafia is obviously not going to let this go, and I’m not going to let anything else happen to Nash because of me.

What I should have done is left a long time ago. Before the stabbing, I should have walked away, but I definitely should have gone right afterward. I didn’t. Instead, I fell in love with him and stupidly thought that love would be enough to keep him safe.

It’s not, and I’m not going to allow anything to happen to his family. I know I’m doing everything I promised him I wouldn’t do by walking away, but I also know that he would not only kill but also die to keep me safe. And I refuse to allow him to die for me. Even if he thinks I am, I know that I am, without a doubt, not worth it.

So, I’ll be walking away from the life that I never knew I wanted. A life of love and happiness, a life with a man who treats me like I’m special. Who looks at me as if he can’t believe that I’m his. A life with a man who wants to give me a houseful of babies.

I hate myself right now.

My past self hates me, but not as much as my future self is going to. Because I know without a doubt that my future self is going to be miserable as hell. Completely fucking miserable.

My high heels click on the concrete sidewalk with each step I take. I’m not sure how long I walk, but I have no idea where I am. And when I stop to look around and take in my surroundings, I realize there’s no sense in doing that because I don’t know where anything is here.

I’m lost.

Not that I’ve had any idea of where I’m headed, but I have zero clue where I am, and it’s late at night. The warm ocean air washes over me, sending a chill down my spine. Wrapping my arms around my waist, I inhale a deep breath, let it out slowly, then try to muster up every ounce of my bravery… which honestly isn’t much.

My feet move, one after the other, as I force them to continue down the street. I’m not sure how long I’ve been walking, but I’m forced to stop when my feet start hurting so badly that I have to take my shoes off and check to see if they’re bleeding. They aren’t.

Carrying both of my shoes in one hand, I continue. That is until a dark car pulls up next to me. The car stops, and my heart beats so loudly in my chest that I wonder if it can be heard by the man on the other side of the tinted window beside me.

Oh my god.

Whoever is on the other side of that tinted window probably thinks I’m a hooker or something. With a cringe, I look down at my clothes, my short dress and bare legs. I look like a hooker, too. If I saw me walking down the street, I would think the same thing.

The window slowly begins to roll down. My heart slams harder and harder against my ribs. It’s a wonder that it hasn’t burst through my chest yet and landed on the ground in front of my bare feet.

“James Bishop,” a deep voice murmurs.

My gaze lifts from my feet and meets the man on the other side of the window. It’s the suit from dinner, Gil. His face is expressionless, but I can tell he’s wondering what the fuck is going on by looking into his eyes.

“Gil,” I whisper.

“Nashville is likely losing his mind right about now. What are you doing out here?”

I think about lying to him. I almost tell him to mind his own business and go away, but there is something keeping me from doing that. Call it my own stupidity, I’m not sure, but I don’t turn tail and run. I don’t tell him to fuck off. Instead, I shrug a single shoulder.

“Get in the car. You cannot be walking around here this time of night.”

Looking over my shoulder, I shift my attention back to meet his. I’m not sure how to respond to that. I open my mouth to tell him no when I hear several men’s voices from somewhere in the distance.

They whistle, and then I hear some obscenities. My spine straightens, and Gil chuckles. “Girl, you better get the fuck in the car because if I drive away, that group of four guys is gonna have their way with you.”

“But you won’t?” I whisper.

He shakes his head and holds up his hands, his palms facing me in a surrender pose. “Got a deal I’m working on with your old man. I’m not going to fuck that over… at least not yet.”

“How about never?” I ask. “Never fuck them over.”

His eyes slide down my body, then shift back up to meet my own. “This deal goes the way I want it to, then that won’t happen. The deal doesn’t. All fucking bets are off.”

I suck in a breath then lean down slightly. My brows furrow together before I speak. I have one more question, and then I’m going to get into his car because those assholes are getting closer… and louder.

“Is your word good, Gil?”

“Yeah, babe. It’s good.”

“Then promise me nothing happens to Nash or his family. Not ever. Not even if this deal goes bad.”

His eyes are wide, his brows rising to his hairline, and he lets out a grunt before his lips curve up into a grin. “What happens to you if this deal goes bad?” he asks. “You want me to do all this shit, but what’s in it for me?”

“Is the deal going to go bad?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “No.”

“Then it doesn’t matter what happens to me.”

And with that, I hurry to the backseat and slide inside, closing the door. Gil takes off just as those assholes approach the car. I’m not sure where he’s going, and right now, I don’t think I care as long as he goes. As long as Nash is safe. As long as his family is safe.