Reaching for my phone, I turn it off and toss it in the small trash can next to me. That part of my life has to be over with. I’ll get a new phone, a burner or something and get the information to my family, when it’s time, when I’m safe.
Closing my eyes, I try not to think about everything that my life has become. Every sad, depressing thing that is now my life.
Fuck.
The motel alarm clock rings what feels like seconds later. Slamming my hand down on the small black clock I open up one eye to attempt to focus on the time. Shit. It’s already ten-thirty. I had hoped to wake up before then and try to exercise, since apparently, I’m fat.
Well damn, that Rooster guy totally got into my head, just like Bear said he would. I feel grotesque now, even though nothing about my body has changed since yesterday. Just his words, the way he looked at me, everything made me feel, disgusting.
Shaking my head, I try to get the thoughts out of my brain when there’s a loud knock on my door. I yelp and glance at the closed, locked, door waiting for it to blow apart in tiny shards, but it doesn’t.
There’s another knock, and only then do I slowly slide off of the edge of the bed and tiptoe over to the peephole.
I gasp at the sight in front of me. Bear is there. The sun shining down on his glorious long blond hair, which is now free from its manbun and hanging past his shoulders.
“Oh, fuck,” I breathe.
“I can hear you, Thea, the insulation in this place is shit,” he announces. Then I watch as he lifts his hand and waves a small white bag in front of the peephole.
Slowly, I unlock, then open the door. “What are you doing here?” I ask, peering my head around the door, careful not to step outside.
His eyes search my face and his lips tip in a grin. “Figured you were hungry. This is a small town, your car is the only one in the parking lot, saw you get inside it last night. Thought I’d pop by, feed you before your interview,” he says, his smile widening as his brows lift.
Biting the corner of my lip, I let out a sigh and open the door a bit wider to let him inside. I close it behind him, locking it quickly, my new habit. Then I drop my eyes to my legs and let out a small scream. I’m standing in front of him, no bra, wearing only a tank and panties.
“I approve.” Bear chuckles as he tosses the bag toward me. “But, since Stella tried to tell you my dick is infested, I’ll wait until you trust me a little bit more before I molest you.” He shrugs.
“Who says I’d let you,” I snap, opening the bag and moaning slightly.
It’s a cinnamon bun, fresh and with just a light glaze of frosting covering it. Oh my God, I want to kiss this man. Then I curse myself for thinking the thought.
Shifting my gaze from the bun to him, my cheeks turn pink at the way he stares at me.
“Figured you’d like all that sugar,” he chuckles.
“Because I’m fat?”
Bear frowns, then shakes his head once. “Told you not to let Rooster’s bullshit get in your head. You’re far from fat, you have curves, in all the right places,” he says, his voice dipping a bit.
“That’s what people say when they don’t want to admit they, or someone else, is fat,” I announce, lifting the bun from the bag and taking a big bite.
Bear chuckles. “Maybe. I don’t know about that kinda shit, I mean my sister talks but I don’t really listen to the brat. I know that I’m a man and I know what I like.”
“Which is?”
“Tits, ass, thighs, hair.”
“In that order?”
He tilts his head to the side. “I like it all, equally and in abundance.”
“You’re a pig,” I announce before taking another bite of my bun.
He smirks. “So, Stella tells me daily. I prefer to think of myself as a man who knows exactly what he likes, just the way he likes it. Now, finish your food, then go get dressed. I’m taking you to the club for your interview.”
“You are?” I breathe.
His eyes darken slightly and his lips twitch. “Oh yeah,” he purrs.
I.
Am.
Fucked.
Chapter Three
BEAR
Walking into the club with Thea feels oddly, right. It shouldn’t. I’m just doing this to get in her panties and stay there until I’m ready to be done with her.
Am I an asshole? Yes.
Am I still going to fuck her until I’ve had my fill? Also, yes.
The bar is empty save for a few of the women near the stage, Stella being one of them. I can feel her eyes on me as soon as I walk through the door with Thea. She’s fucking pissed. I knew she would be, I just can’t seem to give much of a fuck.
“Bear,” she growls from across the room.
I lift my hand, flipping her off before I place my palm against Thea’s back. Once we’re close to the women, I notice Trina narrow her eyes on me. I ignore her, just like I did last night. With Thea and her sudden appearance, I’m on a mission and fucking Trina isn’t my focus right now.
“Okay, Thea,” Stella says, clearing her throat and taking me out of my head. “A couple of the girls are going to do their routines and then teach you a little something. Then we’ll see how you do.”
Thea nods her head, but I can feel her body tremble beneath my fingertips. I almost ask her if she’s okay, but I decide not to. She’s going to have to have nerves of steel if she’s going to go on stage, dance and take her clothes off in front of a room full of strangers. Not to mention what she’ll be doing when we have a club party here.
Trina begins to walk toward me when Stella’s eyes narrow on her back. “Trina,” she screeches. “You’re first.”
Lifting my chin to my cousin, my lips twitch in a smirk as a thank you. Stella only rolls her eyes before she turns back to the stage.
Dipping my chin, I brush my lips along the shell of Thea’s ear. “I got some shit to do, you’ll be good here with Stell,” I murmur.
“Okay,” she breathes, not taking her eyes off of Trina.
I’ve seen Trina’s routine, in here and privately, I have no real desire to watch it right now. Stepping back from Thea, I turn toward the bar and start to work on inventory for an order. This kind of shit is not my favorite part of the job, but the sale of booze is partially what keeps us in business, so it’s essential.
I bob my head up and down as I count bottles on the shelf, in cabinets, and in the storage closet. Biting the inside of my cheek, I hear Stella call out for Thea and I freeze.
Turning my head, I can’t help myself. I watch her. One of the girls is up on stage with her, showing her how to shift her hips from side to side in the most seductive way.
Thea’s only wearing a tight pair of leggings and a tank top. She looks fucking hot as shit as her hips move. The seduction works on me. Too well.
I imagine her dancing just for me, nobody else, in one of the back rooms. I wonder if the freckles that kiss her nose are all over the rest of her body. Goddamn, I need to fuck her. Grabbing my hard dick over my jeans, I squeeze and attempt to relieve some of the ache.
Thea spins around, bending over and places her hands on the floor in front of her, palms flat and knees straight. Her ass is on full display to the audience and I can do nothing but grind my teeth together.
“You aren’t supposed to fuck them all, Bear,” Stella murmurs next to me.
Glancing to my side, I let out a grunt hoping that she’ll go away. She doesn’t. Why would she? It’s obvious that I want Thea, and Stella is ready to fuck with me about that fact.
“Don’t want to fuck them all.” I shrug, my eyes never leaving Thea’s round ass as she moves on stage.
“You fuck Trina, and a few of the others. I know that you do. Hell, all the guys do.”
“So what? They can and I can’t?”
Stella clears her throat but doesn’t speak immediately. Turning my gaze from Thea, I look over to my cousin.
“You need to find a nice girl, settle down. Don’t wa
it until you’re too old to enjoy life.”
“What, like my grandpa?” I ask.
She knows I’m speaking of a man who married his twenty-seven-year-old second wife when he was sixty, and started an entirely new family with her. He’s the happiest old pervert I’ve ever met.
Stella sighs. “You know what I mean. I just want to see you happy, settled.”
“You sound like my mom,” I grunt.
She laughs. “Our moms know what’s up. Now, stay away from these cheap-ass hoes. Learn a lesson from our dads. Find a nice girl in town.”
“Thea ain’t a nice girl?” I ask, smirking over at her.
“Thea is trouble. She reeks of it. I don’t know what kind of trouble she’s in, but mark my words, that girl is in some serious fucking trouble.”
“Yeah. I caught a whiff of that myself,” I admit.
Stella lets out a heavy sigh but thankfully doesn’t say anything else. I watch as she walks toward the stage, my gaze shifting from her to Thea almost immediately. She’s watching me from across the room, her seemingly innocent eyes focused right on me.
Fuck, she is trouble and I’m going to wade in that just for a taste of her, I want her that damn bad.
THEA
Maybe I bit off more than I could chew. Maybe. Probably. Yes, yes, I did. My thighs burn as I shift my hips one last time to finish out the routine that Paige taught me.
She claims it’s super easy, simple and perfect for a beginner.
She’s on fucking crack.
Everything hurts. I’m going to be downright useless tomorrow.
“You’re going to be great and the men are going to love everything you got to show,” Paige grins.
“Everything I have to show?” I ask, looking down at my feet, then bringing my gaze back up to hers.
She’s smiling, her teeth a little too white, but her smile genuine and almost sweet. She nods. “Yeah, the men around here are men. They like tits and ass, you’ll make more than you ever dreamed of with all you got to show, plus a redhead, just wow.
“Why do you think I got my boobs done? A C-cup just wasn’t going to cut it in these parts.” She pauses for a moment, then turns around and wiggles her ass. “I’m thinking of butt implants next, what do you think?”
My eyes widen as I take in her perfectly sculpted ass. There isn’t an ounce of fat or cellulite to be seen and I’m instantly a bit jealous.
“Don’t touch it,” I blurt out.
“Seriously?” she asks, looking over her shoulder at me.
Nodding, I run my hand over my long ponytail and tug it gently. “Seriously. It’s gorgeous,” I say.
My face feels warm just at the compliment and I’m sure it’s bright red. I’ve never complimented another woman’s ass before.
“Paige,” a deep voice rumbles from behind me. Paige turns around, her cheeks turning pink as she looks at the man at my back. “Stop flirting with Thea. I have a feeling she only bats for one team, babe, and it ain’t yours.”
Paige pouts, taking a step forward and reaches out to place her palm behind me, presumably against Bear’s chest, but I’m honestly too afraid to look.
“You can’t blame a girl for trying. She’s beautiful. You always did have good taste. You want to bring me in to play, you know we’ll have fun, we always do.”
Slowly I turn around to watch them, my eyes probably as round as saucers at their words and the meaning behind them. Without another word, she steps to the side then walks away, her blonde ponytail swaying back and forth as she walks to the back of the club. Slowly, my own head tilts back and my eyes find his.
“Did she just offer what I think she offered?” I whisper.
Bear smirks, that shit-eating smile more devastatingly handsome than it should be, than he has the right for it to be. “To fuck you with me? Yeah, she did. She’s a great lay, you would not walk away disappointed.”
My mouth drops open, then I snap it closed. “You did not just say that to me,” I hiss.
He chuckles. “Babe, I don’t know where you’re from or the life you had before, but you’re in Notorious Devils territory now, workin’ in a strip club and takin’ your clothes off for money. You gotta drop the uptight ‘tude, honest to fuck it will not get you far.”
I gulp from his words. He’s right, but he’s also wrong. Apparently, not all Notorious Devils are created equal, my dad and his brothers would never want a threesome, not the way Bear is suggesting it. I think I might be in over my head.
Bear takes a step closer to me, his hand snakes out and wraps around my waist, tugging my body against his. Placing my hands on his chest, I tilt my head back even farther and look up into his gray eyes.
God, a man should never look so gorgeous, it isn’t fair to the female race.
His fingers flex against my waist and I can’t stop the small sigh from escaping my lips. He lowers his head, his lips brushing mine in a whisper of a kiss before he lifts his head.
“Let’s get you back to your place. You gotta rest before you take the stage tonight,” he murmurs.
“Tonight?” I whimper.
Bear smirks, his lips turning up and I want nothing more than to take them, to feel them against my own again, the small brush wasn’t enough. I want to know what he tastes like.
I admonish myself because I shouldn’t want him, or any man. I’m on the run, I make bad decisions. I need to focus on myself and only myself.
“Tonight. We’ll see if you’re made for the stage, babe. I already think you’ll do great, though.” He shrugs, his hand falling away from my waist as he takes a step back.
I watch his ass, encased in perfectly worn jeans walk away from me. Giving myself a shake, I hurry after him. I’m not sure if I’m ready to slide onto the back of his bike, again, but I don’t have a choice.
Straddling the machine, I wrap my hands around his muscular waist and scoot closer to his back. With a roar, his bike lurches forward and I can do nothing but close my eyes and enjoy every second of the ride.
Chapter Four
BEAR
Leaving Thea isn’t easy, but I promise that I’ll be back to take her to work. She insists that I don’t have to, but how else do you get a bitch to open up to you if you don’t at least attempt to act chivalrous?
Stella was right, she’s running from something and hiding. I want to know what it is, and for whatever goddamn reason, I want to protect her from it.
I try not to think about what that means, the fact that I want to protect her, but I fucking fail because I know exactly what it means. I may not have seen a lot of men fall to it, but I know a lot of men that fell a fuck’ve a long time ago. My father included.
Pulling into the clubhouse parking lot, I turn my engine off and kick the stand down on my bike. I know my dad is here somewhere, most likely in his office.
He doesn’t spend much time in the bar unless it’s a party and my mom is at his side. They’re goddamn attached at the hip and it’s kind of disgusting at the same time it’s beautiful. And I feel like a goddamn pussy for even admitting that shit to myself.
Walking into his office, I flop down on the sofa across from him. He slowly lifts his gaze to meet mine. His eyes match my own, though they’re not as bright as they once were. My dad is creeping up in age and the lines in his face, accompanied by the gray that litters his blond beard and hair show it. However, he could probably still kick my ass if he wanted to.
“How was your first night?” he asks, his voice gruff as he leans back in his chair.
“Interesting,” I admit. “You know Stella is running the books and in charge of the girls?” I ask. My dad smiles immediately and it’s then that I know he was part of that fucking plan. “You could have at least warned me,” I grumble.
He barks out a laugh as his eyes dance with humor. “What would be the fun in that shit?” he asks.
Shaking my head, I run my fingers through my long hair. “New girl showed. She’s going to dance tonight,” I state, though I don
’t know why I’m telling him this.
“And?” he asks.
“She’s different,” I mutter. “Not a normal stripper, she’s never done it before, stacked as fuck, but she’s running from something.”
“Sounds like trouble.” I nod my head, agreeing with him wholeheartedly. “What’re you gonna do about that?”
Shrugging, I lift my gaze to his. “Fuck her.” I grin.
My dad grunts, his gaze going from jovial to serious in an instant. “Just fuck her?” he asks.
Focusing my eyes on his, I take the moment to get serious with him. Usually me and my dad are only serious about a few things. The club, the strip club, and the respect I’m required to show my family. This is different though, really fucking different.
“You didn’t bring this up to me, walking into my office like this because she’s just some slut you wanna bang,” he announces.
He’s right.
“I only met her yesterday.”
He snorts. “Boy, I saw your mama walkin’ down the street, across the street at that, and I knew she was meant for me.”
“You do know that I know the rest of that story, don’t you?” I ask, arching a brow.
“Don’t matter the rest of the fuckin’ story, all that matters is, deep down, I knew. You think I planted you inside of her by accident? No matter what I said, I fuckin’ knew that she was for me the moment I laid eyes on her sweet ass.”
“Don’t make me fucking sick,” I groan.
“Still has a sweet ass.” He grins.
“I’m outta here,” I announce as I stand to my feet.
My dad clears his throat, so I don’t move. Lifting my gaze to his, I hold his eyes and wait for him to speak.
“Serious as shit, boy,” he rumbles. “We want you settled. This girl, whoever she is, if she’s worth more than one night, maybe you give it a chance? Trouble comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes, if her troubles are worth wadin’ through, then maybe she’s meant for more than just a few fucks.”
I think about his words and I know without even being inside of her that Thea is worth more than just one night. Dipping my chin, I start to walk for the door, then stop with my hand on the jamb. Turning my head, I look back at my dad over my shoulder.
The Notorious Devils MC: Complete Collection BoxSet Page 207
