He’d never seen this woman before in his life. Was she new to town? His gut was telling him to tread carefully. All they’d done was stare at each other, neither talking, but the silence, to him, spoke volumes.
Tapping his fingers on the table, he paused as the waitress placed the plate down in front of him. “Here you go, Whizz,” she said.
“Thanks.” He didn’t know her name and didn’t extend an invitation for her to sit down. There was a time all the waitresses would keep him company for the day. He’d stopped inviting women to his bed after Alan broke a part of him.
When she lingered, he forced himself to look up at her. “What?”
“I was wondering if you’d like to get together sometime?” He saw the desperation in her eyes, the lust, and to a point the greed. This invitation from her wasn’t about him but about the club. She wanted inside the club to get to know The Skulls, nothing else.
Frowning, he glanced down at her name badge to see her name was Mandy. Before his attack he’d have taken her up on her offer. Now, he wasn’t interested in her.
You’ve not f**ked a woman in a long time.
For the last year he’d shared a lot of women’s beds, but none of them had been available to him. He didn’t want to have sex. The thought of letting loose again terrified him.
Why are you here to see a woman you don’t know?
“Not interested,” Whizz said, glancing down at his food. He didn’t want the waitress. No, he wanted a nameless blue-haired woman who was far more dangerous. Whizz and The Skulls knew Mandy. She was a local whereas the blue-haired woman was a complete stranger.
“I don’t mind waiting—”
“I said I’m not interested. Now f**k off.” He glared at her, letting her see the anger inside him.
She walked away with her shoulders slumped. He’d never spoken to a woman like that. Shit, was wrong with him?
“What did she say to put a stick up your ass?” the blue-haired woman asked, appearing in front of him as if he’d thought her up. God, he hoped he wasn’t losing his mind.
Glancing up, he saw she was dressed in black jeans and a blue shirt that contrasted with her hair. She wore the hood that covered her hair and face.
Watching her move, he was drawn to her voluptuous curves. She took a seat opposite him in the booth.
“Nothing.”
She raised a brow. “You mean you got pissed because she didn’t say anything to you? That sounds a little mean.”
He shook his head, picking up his sandwich. “She wanted to f**k, and I wasn’t interested.”
“Wow, it really does happen.”
“What does?” he asked, taking a bite.
“A guy who’d turn down an available pu**y. I didn’t think I’d ever live to see the day that a guy would turn one down. It makes me wonder if you’re human or not.” She smiled at him.
Pausing in chewing his food, he was charmed by her smile.
“I’m not interested in f**king, and I’m very much human,” he said.
She placed her palms on the table. He caught a glimpse of the ink around her wrist.
“Why don’t you take your jacket off? It’s hot.” Whizz wanted to see her without anything obstructing his view.
“I’m fine.” She folded her arms in front of her. Her eyes were still on him.
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m wondering why you’d turn down some pu**y when you’re a hot guy.”
“You think I’m hot?”
She shrugged. “You called me beautiful last night. I was merely returning the favor.”
He noticed her hands were shaking, but she’d remembered that he called her beautiful last night. Pushing his plate toward her, he offered her the other triangle of his sandwich. “Eat.” He wanted her to stay to keep him company. This woman had seen part of him was broken, but she’d also admitted that she shared in a pain similar to his. What had happened to her? Did she get nightmares at night that scared her to her core? Were there times she wondered if ending it all would make it easier?
“I’m not hungry.”
“You’ve invaded my privacy not once but twice. Eat.”
She kept staring at him as the plate was held in front of him. “You like my company. I can see it. If it bothered you so much you wouldn’t be here, and do you always get what you want?” she asked.
“No.” But he used to get what he wanted. There was a time when the world didn’t seem so scary or dark. He’d snap his fingers and he could have women swarming around him. Whizz could probably still snap his fingers and have women, but he couldn’t follow through. Their touch repulsed him, scared him. Whenever they got close all he saw was Alan. The women at the club, they didn’t scare him as they were all taken. Running fingers through his hair, Whizz glanced away from her. The scar down the side of his face and the ones on his hands, in fact the scars all over his body were a constant reminder of what happened to him.
“I’m going to make sure you never forget me.”
Whizz jerked as Alan’s voice sounded through his mind as if he was always there. He knew what came next, the searing pain as Alan raped him. Someone grabbed his hand pulling him out of the sudden shocking memory.
“It’s okay. I’ll eat the sandwich, and you’re here with me. We’re here together,” she said, talking to him calmly
He stared at the woman waiting for the nightmare to continue. She dug her nails into his skin.
“You’re with me here. Nothing bad is going to happen. I’m going to eat the sandwich, and you’re going to be there with me.”
“What’s your name?” he asked, needing to know something about her.
“Lacey. You?”
“Whizz, my name is Whizz.” He took several deep breaths, containing his fear, locking it in a box and throwing away the key. No matter how many times he did this, he couldn’t help but find the key.
Holding onto her arm, he gritted his teeth to fight with the memory. The same nightmare that plagued him most nights of him being tied down and at the mercy of a monster. Alan had taken a great deal from him. He’d taken his freedom to enjoy life and have fun.
He watched as she lifted the sandwich to her lips and took a bite. “Yum,” she said, eating.
Keeping hold of her arm, he watched her eat. She didn’t pull her eyes away from him. The way she dealt with him was like she knew exactly what he was going through. She’s as broken as you are. They were the only two people in the world as the rest fell away.