Page 92 of Filthy Devil

I can’t tell what he’s thinking. He gives me absolutely nothing. Then, as if something snaps inside of him, he closes the distance between us. One step, then another. His arms wrap around me as he pulls me against his chest.

“You’ve got to fucking trust me, James.”

“I know,” I whimper. “I promise I do. That’s not why I left. It all just seemed so much easier without me.”

Nash dips his chin, and his mouth touches mine, his lips so warm and soft as he kisses me. Then he lifts his head, andthough he doesn’t move away from me, I can feel his chest warm and firm against my body.

“Nothing in this fucking life would be easier for me without you, sweetheart.”

A fresh wave of tears begins to flow. His head shifts forward, his lips touching my wet cheeks once each before he lifts his head, and his eyes find mine again.

“Nothing, James.”

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper.

He takes a step backward, releasing me. I open my mouth to protest the loss of him. But then something happens. He slowly sinks down to his knee, his eyes never leaving mine, and my breath hitches.

“Don’t got a ring yet. You can get whatever the fuck you want. Pick your ring, biggest one you can find. I love you, and I want to marry you, James.”

I don’t have any more tears left to fall. Touching my hands to my cheeks, I try to pat at the wetness there. He’s on one knee in front of me. This man with his tight shirt, his perfectly worn jeans, and his leather vest. This man with his silver beard and gorgeous blue eyes.

This man who I’m madly in love with.

“Yes, Nashville Stanley. Yes, today. Yes, tomorrow. Yes, forever. I love you, too. So much.”

He smiles and stands to his feet, then he wraps his arms around me and smashes his mouth against mine. My body melts against his. I love him. Pulling my face away slightly, I look into his eyes.

“I’m so sorry. I only ran because I love you so much, and I wanted to protect you. Protect your family. I should have trusted you to figure it out. I knew you would. I just…”

The words die on my tongue. They completely die because he kisses me, and his tongue fills my mouth. He tastes me,consumes me, and I cannot believe I almost walked away from this.

He pulls away slightly, his eyes searching mine. “I told you that you could go, that you were free to walk away, but I would never let you leave me. Not now. Not in a million fucking years. You’re mine.”

Pressing my lips together, I roll them a few times as I try to calm myself down. My mind is in a million different places and right here all at the same time. I don’t know what to do. What to think. What to say. All I know is that this is a dream come true, and I almost ruined it all.

My knees almost give out, but he catches me. He always catches me, even when I don’t know that I’m falling. Lifting my arms, I grip his shoulders, my eyes searching his. “You’ll always catch me,” I state.

It’s not a question. It’s a statement. I know that he will always catch me. No matter what happens to me.

“I’ll always catch you, sweetheart.”

NASH

Callingchurch in the middle of a strip club is not the norm. Thankfully, I know that this building is secure, and since our clubhouse is gone, we don’t have much of a choice, seeing as the only other options are someone’s house or an empty lot that’s currently being cleared for a new building.

The men all look around in confusion. They have no fucking clue why I’ve called them here. They wouldn’t. This is something I’ve never done before. Even when I announced that I was leaving Pineville and coming down here, my closest men knew before everyone else.

“I’m calling this meeting to order, mainly because I have a few things to go over with everyone,” I begin.

Bugsy clears his throat as he shifts in his seat. Rev does the same. They have no fucking clue what I’m going to say, not a goddamn inkling. But it’s time for me to say it, even if they aren’t happy about it.

“I’m going nomad.”

The room is silent. A bunch of old bikers stare at me, their eyes wide in surprise. I’ve clearly shocked the shit out of them, and that makes me chuckle to myself. Clearing my throat, I give them a smirk.

“And I’m getting married.”

That announcement is probably the least shocking of the two. Although I never planned on settling down, the moment James came into the picture, you’d have to be blind to see that she wasn’t different and special and fucking mine.

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