Stripping Callum (Last Hangman MC Book 6)(28)
This is frustrating me already. I don’t know how it’ll be down the line when I’ve done this a couple of times. Not that I know if I’ll ever do such a thing again with any other guy. I feel like it would taint my impression of what this is all about, but who knows what the future holds.
Callum
Coming here tonight was probably the best idea I’ve ever had. I needed to empty my mind after the few bad weeks I’ve had and seeing Ruby or Annabella, from what I’ve seen in the papers for her car, again was a nice bonus. I knew she would be here. I’ve looked into her and followed her. Call me a creep, I don’t give a f*ck. There’s something about this woman that makes me unable to stay away from her, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.
A part of me just wants to give into it and see what could come out of it, and the other part warns me to stay as far away from her as I possibly can. That part is quickly shut up once she comes on stage.
She looks so innocent and beautiful. The fact that she looks like she has no clue what she’s doing is weirdly enticing. She’s making me feel things I never thought I’d ever feel. I want to protect her from all the evil that is out in this world. Sure, I feel that way about the girls at the MC, but not on the same level. It’s a need that I have deep inside me to protect Annabella, and she has no idea. She doesn’t even know I exist.
Looks like she’s noticed me after all. Her eyes are traveling up my body, lingering on my legs and my lips the longest. There’s something about a woman taking her time to check you out. It makes you feel wanted when you don’t even like yourself that much.
I still feel responsible for what happened to Alina and Billy. I’ll carry that with me forever. It’s the one thing holding me back from letting myself feel comfortable with someone again. I’m too scared for something to happen to them because of the way I lead my life. Dangerous people are after me all the time, and I wouldn’t want to bring it upon another woman and risk her life again just because I couldn’t stay away from her. That’s what I’ll have to do with Annabella, but I don’t know how. My willpower to stay away from her is already really thin as it is. Almost nonexistent.
Her first try at stripping wasn’t anything to rave about if you go by the technical way other strippers do it, but there’s something about her innocence that makes it all the more exciting. A lot of people would think it’s wrong of me to want to protect her and have her in my life when she’s almost half my age, but I don’t give a f*ck. She might look young, but if you look in her eyes like I’ve been for the past few minutes, you can tell that she’s been through a hell of a lot in her young years. That and the fact that I’ve looked into her already.
As soon as she bends down to pick up her money, I go get a shot. I need something to clear my mind. I should have left, it would have been best for my own sanity but I had to stay, especially after hearing this low life piece of shit joke about getting her to give him a blowjob.
Nobody touches Annabella that way. I won’t let anyone hurt her, ever, even if she doesn’t want me in her life. I’ll make sure she’s safe and protected.
While she gets herself changed and ready to walk the floor, I go to the bathroom quickly and take a leak.
Sometimes I disgust myself. I’m literally going after a twenty-something-year-old because there’s something in me that just wants her and wants to protect her, and I’m too much of a coward to stay away from her and say no to her.
I wash my hands and walk back into the main part of the strip club, and I see red when I set foot in there. One of the guys has her on his lap and is holding her forcefully. The guards are talking amongst themselves and don’t see what’s going on right in front of their eyes.
Flagging them down, I make my way toward the table of lowlife pieces of shit, and I grab her away from him. I hope I didn’t hurt her in the process, but I’d rather do so than have him traumatize her for good.
Ready to punch the guy who had her on his lap, security guards come out of nowhere and escort them out. The logic would be that I would follow them and bash their skulls in, but I don’t do that. Instead, I kneel down and make sure Annabella is alright.
Our talk is a blur, all I can see is the bruise she’ll have on her arm from where the guy grabbed her, there’s already a red mark appearing.
My brain doesn’t register anything after she says that she’ll give me a lap dance. Despite what she just went through, she wants to give me a lap dance to thank me. And like a fool, I accept. I should say no. I should tell her to go rest and not bother with it, but I’m glutton for punishment. Having a tiny, beautiful woman rub all over you isn’t something you say no to, and who knows who she’ll have to give a lap dance too if I just walk away.
I take her hand and lead her toward the back of the strip club, where I’ve been way more than I’m willing to admit over the years. I love coming here. Despite having to pay to have a woman rub against you and not get a happy ending, it’s nice to have a woman be something else than just ready to suck and f*ck you. Even though it’s nothing intimate on a deeper level, that’s probably the reason I come here so often. Get some intimacy without the burden of having to make small talk and risk having feelings for another human being. I’m not willing to let myself go through that again. That and the possibility of being hurt are two big red flags I don’t want to get anywhere near. Yet, here I am, willingly getting way too close to Annabella, and for what? To get my heart broken? To break her heart? To have her get hurt or worse? Told you I was a glutton for punishment.