“Who told you that?” I ask. Has he been checking up on me? Why do I like the thought of that? I need to calm myself down.
“Eric,” he replies in a toneless voice.
“Oh,” is all I can think of to say.
An hour later the car stops. “What are we doing here?” I ask Dex as we wait in front of a gate. A man runs out and opens the gate for us, then Dex parks the car. Several motorcycles are parked nearby. I stare ahead at the building in front of me. It looks more like a warehouse than a house. It’s massive. Silently, I get out of the car and wait for Dex to do the same. I can feel his eyes on me, burning a hole in the back of my head. I wait for him to lead the way, and I follow behind. I can hear music, loud music. It’s about eleven at night, and all I want to do is sleep. It doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to get that chance. Dex looks at me, and I don’t miss the grimace as he hears the noise.
“Should have brought you in during the day,” he utters under his breath, then takes my hand in his and walks me in through the door.
Eyes wide, I freeze and take in the scene in front of me. I step closer to Dex, almost hiding behind him.
About ten men, varying in age and appearance, are sitting around drinking and smoking. Some are dancing. There are a couple of women about as well, scantily clad. Some are dancing, some are making out with the men, and others are…
As soon as I see a couple having sex out in the open, I turn around and walk back to the car.
This is what he wants to bring my child into?
Fuck. Him.
No really, f**k him. He’s selfish. He should have just let me be. If he really wanted to help, he could have sent some money for the baby.
I hear Dex yelling, and the music turns off. I lean against the car, hearing loud voices until it finally quiets down. Dex walks out, looking frustrated, and comes right up to me.
“It’s not always like that,” he says, avoiding my eyes.
I stare up at him, unimpressed. “You can’t expect me to live here.”
“Half those people don’t live here, they just come by for a good time.”
“I don’t want to live in a place people come to for a ‘good time’,” I reply, hands on my hips.
He says nothing.
“Dex,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest and lifting my chin up in defiance. He studies me, his blue eyes narrowing slightly, but says nothing. I shift on my feet, his silence making me squirm. His mouth is set in a tight, thin line, and I know he’s far from happy with me. It’s hard not to feel intimidated in his presence, but I refuse to back down. I force myself to look him in the eye and continue.
“Don’t make me stay here Dex,” I say softly, my gaze darting to the front door in apprehension.
He pulls out a cigarette, lights it, and takes a draw, taking two steps away from me as he does so. So I don’t have to breathe in the smoke? I have no idea.
“Do you trust me?” he asks quietly.
“What?”
“Faye. Do you trust me? Yes or no?”
I stare into his clear blue eyes. “Yes, I trust you.”
His expression softens at my admission.
“Come on then, let’s get you to bed,” he says, tilting his head towards the door.
I still don’t move.
“You let me in, you’re carrying my child. What choice do you have?” he asks, raising an eyebrow at me. “You have no other option Faye.”
He doesn’t look smug as he says it. Just like he’s stating a fact.
And I hate that he’s right. Where else am I going to go?
I have nowhere, and no one left to turn to.
I lost everything in one night. Over one mistake.
“Get inside Faye,” he says, turning around without looking back.
My eyes dart from his car back to him. Rake isn’t even here yet with my car.
Do I really have a choice?
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath.
Then I follow the Dragon into his lair.
Chapter Five
The place is cleared out when I re-enter, but I can still hear laughter, so I know they’ve just moved their party elsewhere in the clubhouse. I appreciate it. The whole place is huge inside. I follow behind Dex, taking in every detail. I sigh when I come across a wall full of mug shots. We pass the party room, a kitchen, and a large living room, until we come to a stop. He opens the door, turns on the light, and waits for me to enter.
“Get settled, I’ll get your stuff from both the cars,” he says, shutting the door before he leaves. I look around the room. It’s spacious, with a king-size bed, a cupboard, and a desk. The rest of it is bare. Utilitarian even. I open one of the doors which leads to a decent sized bathroom. When I see the claw foot tub, my mouth turns up into a smile. My day just got a little better, it really is the small things in life.
Dex returns a few minutes later, carrying my bags. He puts them on the bed, turning to me with a contemplative look on his face.
“You hungry?” he asks, his eyes roaming to my stomach.
“No, I’m okay,” I tell him. I still have food in my bag if I do get hungry. He steps closer to me, his fingers lifting my chin up.
“Not the best situation,” he says, lip twitching.
“You think?” I all but growl.
“You can study some of your units online, can’t you?” he asks, scanning my features.
“Yeah I can. That’s what I was going to do. I really want to finish my degree, baby or not,” I tell him. It’s the truth. The degree is for me. It’s what I’ve always wanted. I know a baby changes things, and it might take me longer to do it, but I will reach my goals in the end.