Page 10 of The Highwaymen

I could feel Stu's eyes on me, his gaze intense and unwavering. He didn't say a word, just waited for me to continue.

“Things started off okay,” I said, my fingers picking restlessly at a loose thread on my shorts. “But then he got rough. Wanted things I wasn't willing to give. When I tried to leave, he... he grabbed me. Pinned me down. I fought back with everything I had, kicking and clawing, but he was too strong. I screamed, but there was no one to hear me, no one to help. He took what he wanted from me, and then he kept fucking taking. Fucker kept me chained up in the cab like a fucking dog.” My fingers flexed into fists. “From Detroit to Denver and down to Houston, he kept me like that and took what he wanted, when he wanted it. But he got careless. Lazy. One day, while he was taking what he wanted, I took what I wanted from him. His miserable fucking life.”

I licked my lips and met Stu’s eyes. “After being powerless for so long, trapped and used, killing him... God, it was like a revelation. I felt strong for the first time in my life. Invincible. Like I could do anything, take on anyone. And I knew right then that I needed to feel that way again.”

Stu nodded slowly. “It's intoxicating, isn't it? That rush of power, of total control. Knowing you can decide who lives and who dies.”

“Exactly,” I breathed. “It's like a drug. I tried to chase that high any way I could at first - picking fights, taking stupid risks. But nothing came close to that first kill. So I started hunting.”

“Now that's a sport I can get behind,” Stu said.

“You get it,” I said, my voice hushed with a sort of reverence. “Most people, they don't understand. They think it's sick, twisted. But you and me, Stu... we're cut from the same cloth.”

Stu reached over,his calloused hand coming to rest on my thigh. His touch was electric, igniting a fire beneath my skin. “Damn right we are. Two apex predators, at the top of the food chain. This world is ours for the taking.”

I leaned into his touch, my breath coming faster. The air between us was charged, crackling with a dangerous energy. I could feel the heat of his body, the coiled strength in his muscles. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to devour him, to consume and be consumed.

“Be honest with me,” I said, licking my lips. “When you picked me up…You were going to kill me, weren’t you?”

Stu's hand tightened on my thigh, his fingers digging into my flesh hard enough to bruise. His eyes burned into mine, dark and intense. “Yes,” he said simply. “I was.”

I should've been afraid. I should've been fucking terrified. But instead, a thrill raced down my spine, electric and addictive.

“And you were going to kill me,” he added.

I smirked. “How long did it take you to figure me out?”

Stu's lips curled into a wicked grin. “Not long at all. I know a hunter when I see one. It's in the eyes, that sharp, hungry look. Like a wolf scenting prey.”

His hand slid higher up my thigh, his fingers brushing the growing bulge in my shorts. I sucked in a sharp breath, my body responding instantly to his touch.

“So what stopped you?” I asked, my voice rough with desire. “Why didn't you make your move?”

“Because I wanted to see what you'd do first. I wanted to see if you had the balls to take your shot.” His hand cupped my crotch, squeezing firmly.

I groaned, my hips bucking up into his touch. "Fuck, Stu...”

“Admit it,” he growled. “Thedanger turns you on. Knowing I could end you at any moment, and you could do the same to me. It's the ultimate thrill.”

He was right. The fear, the risk, the razor's edge between pleasure and pain, was intoxicating. I'd never felt so alive as I did in that moment, with Stu's hand on my cock and death lurking just a heartbeat away.

Stu's hand retreated, and I almost let out a little whine at the loss. “Gotta say, it's a damn shame we both had the same idea. Would've been one hell of a fight.”

“Who says it still can't be?” I suggested. “Just because we're not trying to kill each other doesn't mean we can't... wrestle a little.”

Stu's eyes flashed with hunger, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. “Oh, I like the way you think, boy. Been a while since I've had a challenge.”

“What do you say we find somewhere to stop over for the night, get us a room, and see where the night takes us?”

Stu flashed me a wicked grin. “Sounds like a plan to me. Let's see if you can keep up.”

The next few hourspassed in a blur of dusty highway and idle conversation as we sped towards our destination. The sun began its lazy descent towards the horizon, painting the sky in vivid streaks of orange and pink.

As dusk fell, the glowing lights of a little mom and pop motel appeared in the distance. Excitement hummed in my veins as I turned off the highway, gravel crunching beneath the tires as we pulled into the parking lot.

The motel's neon sign buzzed and flickered, casting an eerie glow over the nearly empty lot. I pulled the truck into a spot near the front office, killed the engine, and turned to Jamie with a sly grin.

“Wait here,” I said.

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