Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty-Seven
NADINE
I know when the man beside us notices me.
I can feel his eyes on me.
It makes my skin feel hot and itchy, not in any kind of good way at all, either.
In fact, it makes me feel nauseous.
I want to run away.
My flight instincts are very strong with him, and I’m starting to think that this was a bad idea…
a really bad one.
“He’s watching you,” Lola says, just loud enough for me to hear, and I hope that her voice doesn’t carry over to him.
“I know,” I hiss.
“I don’t know what to do.”
She laughs softly, nudging my hip with hers.
I am thrown slightly off-kilter but not enough that I stumble.
However, my eyes widen as I look at her.
She continues to smile, her lips curved up with a devilish glint to them, which is scary as hell.
“I figured you were special,” Lola announces, “but to catch that man’s attention, that’s well above my abilities.”
Opening my mouth, I start to ask her what that means, but she takes a step backward, and then she disappears somewhere in the space behind me.
I can’t watch her go because my attention is taken by the man who enters my space.
He doesn’t speak right away, but my body feels sick in his presence.
It’s a feeling I know all too well.
This is how I felt every time Landon touched me, every time he took me somewhere to have strange men touch me.
This man is evil.
I need to run.
This wasn’t just a crazy idea.
This was the worst idea on the planet.
And I know that Lucille had no way of knowing.
She wouldn’t have suggested it had she known.
At least, I don’t think she would.
Theron warned me that this guy was dangerous, but I thought he was just some kind of mobster or something, not that he was like Landon.
I didn’t think he was like those men.
I didn’t realize that once again, I would be transported to the past and be rendered frozen.
“Hello,” he murmurs.
His voice sounds…
scary.
Just that single word is even-toned, no inflection, no accent.
I don’t think I could pick it out of a group of hellos.
And I know that it’s done that way on purpose.
He, without a doubt, doesn’t want to have anyone recognize him in the wild.
Turning my head, I tilt it back slightly to look up into his eyes.
His face is the same as his voice, plain.
Nothing notable or distinguishable.
I would describe him as of medium height, with an average build and darker features.
Dark hair, tanned skin, and dark eyes.
Just like a million other men walking around Miami.
I couldn’t even guess at his ethnicity.
And if I had to…
Cuban, Spanish, Eastern European, maybe Greek.
I have no idea.
“Hello,” I say softly, trying to figure out a way to get the hell out of here.
I’m only one word into this stupid plan, and I’m ready to forget the whole thing—and fast.
“You’re not from here.”
Part of me wants to answer sarcastically because, no shit, I’m not from here.
I’m the only person in this entire club without a see-through dress on.
I don’t say that, though.
Instead, I just press my lips together in a tight smile and shake my head.
He takes my nonanswer and tight smile as an invitation.
I’m pretty sure he would take anything as an invitation, though, if he wanted something.
He reminds me far too much of Landon, and I know that Landon always took what he desired and nothing would stop him except death.
“I’m not,” I agree, trying not to appear as absolutely terrified as I feel on the inside.
He jerks his chin toward his cove and asks me to join him and his friends.
I look over to the table where Lola has been, but my entire cove is empty.
I have no idea where she went, which also makes me feel very suspicious and nervous.
“Come over to my cove. I’m having a bit of a private party.”
I wish my brain worked fast enough to come up with an excuse to not go to this man’s cove, but it doesn’t.
Instead, I plaster on my agreeable face, the one that I always used with Landon and whoever else needed it from me.
My mind screams in protest, but I follow behind him to the cove next to mine, where there are five women in the same see-through style of dresses as the rest of the club.
Their eyes all find mine, and I suck in a breath as they do.
They’re hollow.
Every single set of eyes that meets mine is dark and haunted.
I recognize their expression because I used to wear it every single day of my life.
“Girls, this is…”
“Nadine,” I offer with a tight smile.
He gives me a predatory grin.
Then clears his throat as he reaches out and places his hand on the small of my back.
I suppress my shiver of disgust at the sense of any part of his body touching mine.
His fingers press against my back.
They’re hot, almost clammy, and I want to run away.
“Nice to meet you,” he says, his voice soft and sweet—saccharine.
I hate it.
I hate him.
I mean, I don’t even know him.
He could be the kindest and gentlest man who ever walked the earth, but he creeps me out, no matter what the case.
And I highly doubt that this man is kind or gentle, so there is that.
His hand slowly glides up my spine, and then I feel his fingers wrap around the back of my neck, his grip firm—too firm.
He pulls me against him, his eyes searching mine.
He leans forward, and my heart slams against my chest.
I don’t recognize him, and I wonder if I should because he scares me shitless.
He seems like someone I’ve probably met before, in my old life, the one where Landon had no problem sharing, selling, lending me out to whom the fuck ever.
To him—to this man.
This scary-as-fuck stranger.
GRAYSON
As soon as his hand slides up Nadine’s back, this shit is done.
I don’t even know everything this fuck has done, but I don’t care either.
All I care about is the fact that Nadine is standing too close to him and he’s touching her.
He.
Is.
Touching.
Her.
Fuck that .
All questions of how she got here, why she’s here, or anything else are not even thoughts inside my head at the moment.
I will ask the questions and demand the answers soon enough, but right now, all I can focus on is this woman with that monster.
This woman whom I am head over heels fucking in love with being touched by a whole fucking piece of shit.
My vision blurs and I imagine rushing toward them and taking the target out.
However, thankfully, my instincts are stronger than my initial reaction.
As much as I want to charge this fucker, I don’t.
It would only potentially hurt Nadine if I did that.
Closing my eyes, I inhale a deep breath, then let it out slowly before I open them again.
Instead of rushing her, I continue to watch the scenario play out.
Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I release it as I bring my glass to my lips.
I continue to just watch, waiting for them to leave.
I can’t even look at the other women.
I have no fucking clue what they’re doing right now.
My focus and attention are on Nadine and only Nadine.
And I realize that while she’s talking to him, he’s touching her, he’s flirting with her, but she appears to be totally and completely uncomfortable.
Interesting.
Taking my phone out of my pocket, I quickly find Theron’s name and touch the call icon.
“Gray,” he states as his greeting.
“Your text about taking time off and shit was because you already knew that Nadine was here. Did you send her?” I demand.
There is a moment of silence, but only a moment before Theron bursts out in laughter.
I do not join him, mainly because I don’t think any of this shit is funny.
Not even a little bit, and I don’t think that I will ever find it amusing—not in the goddamn slightest.
“Lucille came up with this shit, and Nadine was one hundred percent on board. I’m telling you, I thought it was fucking insane, but they wanted to do it.”
“They wanted to cause me to ruin this whole thing?”
He hums before he speaks.
“Ruin? No. It’s why I warned you ahead of time.”
“The plan is stupid,” I grunt.
Theron laughs again, though not gut-bustlingly the way it was a moment ago.
“It was brilliant.”
It wasn’t brilliant.
“It was stupid,” I repeat the words.
“Are you going to interfere and admit you love her?” he asks.
Pressing my lips together, I curse inwardly.
What the fuck ?
They did all of this just to get me to admit that I love Nadine and to bring her home.
I knew the moment I saw her with that sick fuck that this was nothing more than a game, but I wasn’t expecting Theron to be in on it.
“Not your fucking business.”
Ending the call, I shove my phone in my pocket and stand from my seat.
Nadine smiles, her lips and body tight.
I watch as she points toward the bathroom door.
The target jerks his chin, and then not only Nadine but three of the five women walk away from the cove and straight toward the bathrooms.
Unfortunately, I can’t get to those bathrooms, at least not without some preplanning, which I didn’t do.
I wasn’t anticipating any of this shit.
In fact, I would go as far as to say this is a fucking inconvenience.