“Please,” she whispers, and I can see her hands shaking now. “I can’t pay that kind of money.” She swallows hard, seems to gather what little courage she has left. “I’ll do anything else. Anything.”
And there it is. The opening I probably shouldn’t take but absolutely will.
I try to talk myself out of it for about half a second. This is wrong, different from the usual violence and intimidation that comes with the territory. But my cock is hard as steel watching her tremble, and I can’t shake the feeling that the universe just dropped an opportunity in my lap.
She’s looking at me, desperate and afraid, and I know I should send her home, be a good man for once. But good men don’t last long in Vegas.
“I can make your problem disappear,” I tell her, keeping my voice low and steady. “I’m part of the organization your ex borrowed from.”
“Organization.” The word comes out barely above a whisper, and I see her shrink back against the wall. She knows what that means in this city.
“Let’s just say I have the authority to wipe your slate clean. For the right price.”
I take another step closer, and she presses herself harder against the wall. “One night in my bed, and your debt vanishes. You never have to look over your shoulder again.”
Her breath hitches, and for a moment I think she might bolt. But there’s nowhere to run, and we both know it.
The silence stretches between us. I can practically hear her heart hammering against her ribs. She glances toward the mouth of the alley, then back at me with those wide, frightened eyes. I wait, watching her mind work through options that all probably suck.
I know I’m a dirty bastard for even giving her this choice, but I won’t push her on it. If she agrees, I want her to be completely willing.
When she finally speaks, her voice is barely steady. “One night,” she says, the words small and scared but determined. “That’s it.”
She’s terrified of me, but she’s still trying to set boundaries. Brave little thing.
I hold out my hand, and when she takes it, her fingers are ice cold. “Then you’ll have my help,” I tell her. “But first, you keep your end of the deal.”
3
NINA
Two minutes ago,I was cornered prey. Now I’m being offered a way out that doesn’t involve bankruptcy or broken bones.
The catch? One night with a man who looks like he could break me in half without breaking a sweat.
But underneath the shock, a calmer voice whispers:You’ve survived worse with fewer options.
Foster care teaches you to read situations fast, to identify the least terrible choice from a lineup of shit options. And that’s what I’m doing right now: survival math. One night versus a lifetime of debt payments I can’t afford. One stranger versus Eric’s creditors making my life a living hell.
The stranger in question is still waiting, patient as death. Something about that patience tells me more than his crude proposition did.
Despite his words about keeping my end of the deal, he’s standing there with his hand extended like a gentleman asking for a dance, not grabbing me like those assholes in the alley did.
That tells me something important about what kind of man he is.
“Having second thoughts?” His voice is rough, gravelly. There’s no judgment in it, which somehow makes this worse. If he were being pushy or rude, this would be easier. I could hate him and get through it.
Instead, he’s giving me space to think. Space to choose.
The rage toward Eric flares again. Just when I think he’s sunk as low as possible, he outdoes himself by borrowing money he’ll never pay back and dragging me into the mess. He’s not showing up to save me. He never does.
But this man... he stepped in when he didn’t have to. Even if it comes with strings attached.
I push away thoughts of Eric, knowing they’ll only make me angrier. Instead, I study this dangerous stranger.
He’s obviously no hero, but he got those men to back down with just a few words. That kind of power doesn’t come from nowhere. And the way he’s looking at me carries heat, but there’s something else underneath it. Something that looks almost like genuine concern.
“I don’t even know your name,” I realize aloud.
