Page 44 of Filthy Hot

He snorts. “You must be, or these men would not be fighting over you.”

It’s my turn to laugh, and as I do, this man’s eyes widen, and he stares at me in surprise. I don’t know if I’m the first person to genuinely laugh in his vicinity or what, but he’s watching me like this is the first time he’s ever seen anyone crack a smile, let alone burst out into laughter.

He takes another step toward me, stopping as he tilts his head to the side. I freeze and suck in a breath, then I give him what he wants. At least as much as I’m willing to say on the subject.

“Xavier fights over me because he wants control of me. He’d rather see me dead than be without him. I’ve been running from him for four years, so if you think that's anything special, that he wants me for any reason other than because he doesn’t want anyone else to have me, then you’re mistaken,” I snap.

His expression doesn’t change. Instead, he jerks his chin in my direction as he waits for me to finish. When I don’t say anything else, he clears his throat.

“And the Dark Horse MC?” he asks.

And the Dark Horse MC. I’m not quite sure how to answer that. I know what I want from Rider, but I don’t know what the reality is for that. Sure, he says all the right things. But that’s when we’re in bed together. It’s not like we’ve spent much time outside of the sheets to really discover one another.

That fact bothers me slightly. I don’t know what that means. What that makes me. I jumped into bed with this man after not having the desire to be with anyone at all, for years, and now I’m pretty much in love with him.

In fact, I think if he appeared in front of me right this moment, I might confess my love.

How embarrassing.

“I’m nothing to them,” I whisper, unsure of how to answer that. “I don’t even know who or what they are, not really.”

“Not really?” he asks.

“I’m just a girl working in a bar, trying to run from an abusive ex-boyfriend. I met someone, we slept together. I’m not sure what you want me to say.”

The man hums, taking another step toward me. I don’t move, although if I could throw myself out of the window behind me and get away, I just might at this point. He doesn’t say anything immediately, but his eyes also never leave mine, and it’s unnerving. It’s definitely not sexy like when Rider does it.

“I want to believe you, but I don’t. I already know that Gnaw has claimed you. Therefore, you’re not just a fuck to him. Which means you hold value.”

I want to scream. This whole thing is ridiculous, but then I decide to shift the conversation, because there is one thing that hasn’t really been answered, and I think I might want thatanswer before he does whatever mission it is that he’s brought me here to complete.

“How did you find Xavier? The truth this time. You people didn’t simply stumble across one another. This is bigger than that.”

When this man in front of me speaks, I have to press my back and palms against the wall in an effort to hold myself up. His words shake me to my absolute core, and I want to say that they are unbelievable, but they aren’t. I would believe that Xavier would do anything to get what he wanted, even if he really didn’t want it anymore… like me.

This is all about control.

And nothing more than that.

“You’re not stupid. I’ll give you that much,” he murmurs. “But you don’t get to know everything that happens here. Just know that if the answers are not what I want from the MC, then you belong to me, and we’ll work out a deal between the two of us. I don’t think I’m ready to give you up just yet.”

I’m unsure of what that means, but at the same time, I don’t ask for more information. Again, I don’t want to know. Not anything. I’m done being curious. This whole moment has cured me of that.

I just want to go back to my motel—to Ophelia and Sal’s Bar.

I want to return to where I feel safe.

And I want to do it right now.

GNAW

Talon turnshis back to us and walks into the house. I’m not sure what he’s doing or what is going to come next. I’m not sure I want to know, either. I’m ready to just end this shit right here and now, personally.

The three of us stare at the empty sidewalk, in what I can only describe as… interested horror. Something is coming, and we’re all unsure as to what it could be.

I hold my breath for a moment before I let it out slowly and turn my head to look at Atomic.

“You gonna put the other women on lockdown?” I ask, staring at the closed door to the house.

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