Page 4 of Filthy Devil

The air blowsmy hair everywhere, but I don’t care. I’ve got bigger fish to fry than my hair at the moment. Like the fact that I just climbed on the back of this man’s bike and I have no idea who he even is.

This man, this stranger who plucked me from my future nightmare, is riding somewhere. Possibly an even bigger one. I don’t even care where I’m headed right now. All I know is that I made a stupid mistake by signing that contract, and now I’m free… well, sort of. I’ll take whatever this is over whatever that was about to be.

I’m not sure what is about to come for me, but I’m also not sure that I give a shit. I’ll figure out a way out of it if I need to. Wrapping my arms around his waist tighter, I rest my cheek against the warm leather of his vest.

Letting out a heavy sigh, I close my eyes as the bike effortlessly moves down the street, hugging every curve as if it were one with the road. I’m not sure how long we ride, but I almost fall asleep, I’m so relaxed.

When the bike stops, I almost fall off, my entire body jerking up in surprise. I feel as if I’m in a daze. Like there is a haze around me and I’m moving in slow motion. Almost as if I’m moving through honey or something.

Looking around, I realize that we’re at a gas station. I have no idea where we are or where we’re going. Nothing looks familiar. I don’t even know if we’re still in Texas. Before I can ask any questions, several more bikes roll up behind us.

I take in the men on those bikes and notice they appear to be in at least their fifties. Some of them are a little rougher around the edges than the others. But they’re all wearing matching vests and clearly belong together.

“You need to use the bathroom, babe?” my biker asks, taking me out of my thoughts and observations.

My neck twists to look at him. He is staring at me, his blue eyes almost boring into my soul. Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I blink a few times as my gaze searches his. I don’t know who this man is, but the way he’s looking at me makes me squirm in my seat.

Wordlessly, I climb off the bike. I start to walk past him into the convenience store, but he reaches out his hand and wraps his fingers around my wrist, stopping me from going farther.

My feet stop moving, and I slowly lift my gaze to meet his. He dips his chin slightly so that he can look into my eyes. His lips lift at the corner, but it’s hard to tell beneath his thick beard.

In the light, I can see that he’s got some gray in his beard and more salt than pepper in his hair, but it looks good on him. He’s probably in his late forties. A silver fox. It looks really good on him. He’s got some lines at the sides of his eyes and a few deep ones on his forehead, but again, it looks amazing on him.

God. This man is sexy.

Then I watch as he reaches into his pocket and takes out a small wad of cash, placing it in my hand. I flick my gaze down atthe money in my hand, then shift my attention back up to meet his.

“Grab me some peanuts when you’re in there. Get yourself something, too. Not sure when you ate last, but we got a few more hours on the road.”

“Okay,” I exhale.

He doesn’t release me, though. Instead, he keeps his grip firm on my wrist and his other hand still pressing money in mine. He watches me for a moment, then takes a single step toward me.

He’s so close that I can smell him.

Leather, oil, and cedarwood—my god.

“You good, babe?”

“I’m good,” I exhale shakily.

His lips twitch into a smirk as he shakes his head once. “You ain’t good at all,” he murmurs. His voice is rich and deep, like smooth, rich coffee or chocolate. I don’t know what, but it makes my knees weak. “But you will be. Don’t take too long, or I’ll come looking for you.”

And with that, he releases his grasp on me. Curling my fingers around the money, I walk toward the store. With each step I take, I can feel his gaze focused on my ass, and I can’t tamp down the thrill of excitement at that. I even sway my hips a little more than I should.

The store is bright the moment I pass the threshold. Wincing, I wait a moment for my eyes to adjust before I look around for the bathroom. Immediately, I notice that there isn’t anyone behind the counter. Frowning, I scan the tops of the walls, looking for the restroom sign.

Of course, it’s all the way in the back. I’m not sure what time it is, but I know it’s late at night, and I also know I’m getting creepy vibes in this place. Quickly, I move toward the back of the building and slip into the bathroom.

After taking care of business as fast as humanly possible, I tug my jeans back up and move to the sink. There isn’t even a mirror, and I wonder what the hell I look like because I know it can’t be good.

No doubt I look as terrified as I feel.

I’m confused and don’t know what to expect. I am also certain that I’ve made a serious mistake. I should have dealt with my shit like a normal person because it is not normal to essentially sell myself into an unknown life just to get away from my parents’ controlling grasp on me.

But I did it. And now I have to suffer the consequences of that. All of it. I’m on the back of some random guy’s bike, without any clue of where I am or where I’m going, and I’m walking down the snack aisle of a gas station store to grab him some peanuts.

What a wild turn this night has taken so far.

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