Eve gingerly tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing more of her face. Her plump lips are even plumper, thanks to all her tears, making them look like a fucking wet dream. Shit, she looks like a fucking wet dream all mussed up.
“Damn,” Pop mutters, then cuts his eyes toward me. “No wonder you’re so hell bent on keeping her locked away.”
My arm goes around her shoulders, and she leans into me even more, as though she knows I’ll shield her.
“Regretting your decision now, Herrin?” Rush says.
“Shut the fuck up,” I snap, and then grimace when Eve gets even more rigid.
My anger only seems to goad him, but Sledge speaks to him in a low rumble again before Rush can pop off like a petulant teenager.
Rush glares at Sledge before walking out, mumbling something about priorities and pussy before his footfalls catch my ears. Stupid ass.
Here I am, trapped in the bed in my motherfucking boxers, while Eve holds herself against me.
“Done?” I ask, daring Pop to comment on Rush’s question.
I’ve rarely ever challenged Pop. Usually I’m as loyal as a man can be. But I’d raise hell if he decided to take her back. Judging by the look in his eyes, he knows it.
A slow, lazy grin blooms across his face, and I immediately relax. However, Eve doesn’t take the same comfort I do, because the girl feels like she might snap in two at any moment.
Chapter 20
EVE
This night is more traumatizing by the second. Drex, oddly enough, is the only thing keeping me together right now. My salvation is in the arms of a self-proclaimed killer.
I’m twisted.
And fucked up.
And naked in a room with men I don’t want seeing me naked.
Drex relaxes as his father grins, but it’s a creepy grin if you ask me.
Herrin is a nice looking guy for a man who is old enough to be my father, but I’m so freaking glad Drex wanted me instead. In fact, it makes me want to kiss him right now, because Herrin looks like a nightmare on legs.
He’s just as tall and tatted as the others, but it’s the unsettling way he looks at something, as though he’s calculating its value—my value in this case.
His eyes… I’ve never seen eyes so cold. The other guy’s eyes were the same—the one who asked Herrin if he regretted his decision. And I know Sledge called him son when he was scolding him, even though I didn’t hear all of what he said because he was talking so low. Surely that can’t really be his son. Sledge is the nicest guy in the club.
It half makes me wonder if Sledge and Herrin didn’t somehow trade sons. I’ve seen Drex cast cold glares to many people, but he has a warmth to his gaze when he looks at me. It’s reserved for me and me alone.
Or maybe I’m just crazy enough to hope for something like that.
The silence stretches on, and I grow all the more uncomfortable. The thick air is almost suffocating me.
Herrin’s eyes hold mine, and that dirty, gross feeling invades. “You can have fun, son, but don’t forget what we originally discussed.”
Something about that has Drex tensing again, and I really don’t like that.
“We’ll talk about it later. But trust me, she had no idea. Tonight should be an indication of that. You didn’t see how scared she was.”
Sledge looks over at Herrin and grunts, “I’m with him. Girl is clueless about all that shit.”
Clueless sounds about right. I have no clue what they’re talking about, but I know who they’re talking about: me. I just don’t know why.
Herrin frowns, then he looks at Drex. “Coincidences are rare. Keep that in mind.”
Normally, that would make me curious. But tonight, my head might explode. In fact, I honestly don’t give a damn what they’re speaking in code about. I’m sure it’s another “spy” conversation.
Herrin and Drex speak for a minute longer, but I tune them out. Until Drex nudges me, acting as though I’m supposed to respond to something, though I have no idea what.
I look up to see two pairs of eyes staring expectantly—Sledge’s and Herrin’s. When I don’t respond, Herrin apparently realizes I’ve not heard him.
“I said I apologize for Jessie’s behavior. It won’t happen again. We take care of our own.”
What am I supposed to say? It’s fine that the big son of a bitch tried to rape me? It’s fine that you’d allow that if I wasn’t Drex’s girl? What the fuck happens when I’m not his girl? Because, it’s not like Drex is going to keep me around forever.
The grim reality is swift and ugly. There’s no way I’d survive in this group without Drex’s protection. Even with it, I still almost ended up… I can’t even think about it.
When I still don’t speak, Herrin frowns. I really don’t give a damn if I’m somehow insulting him. He’s a sick, twisted son of a bitch to think a simple apology somehow makes it all better.