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annaphoenix1994 · 3 years

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Horseshoe Overlook - Exit Pursued by a Bruised Ego

Her nerves rattled within as she did everything in her power to ignore nausea coming over her, but the strong grip on Arthur's coat and constant bouncing from his horse walking failed to make anything better. "I feel like I'm going to faint," She whispered, hating to admit that she was weak when she was known to be strong. She was gripping just his jacket to keep herself centered, afraid to avoid physical contact.

"You need me to stop?" He asked, slowing his horse, sitting up slightly.

"N-No, I'll be fine." She waved her hand, feeling dizzy, encouraging him to continue.

"You sure? I can take you to a doctor if you need me to." He suggested.

"No," She panted. "I don't know why you just won't leave me here."

"I don't have that in me, Miss," He replied, feeling her grip loosen on his jacket. He immediately turned his head to check on her, seeing that her sunken eyes were starting to shut. To keep her from sliding off of his horse, he stopped his horse completely, using both of his hands to wrap her arms around his waist, his heart fluttering as he felt her head rest on his back just between his shoulder blades. "You'll be okay, just hang on." He assured her, feeling her nod her head weakly in response.

An hour later, he had returned to camp right at early evening, seeing that almost everybody's head had turned to see that Arthur returned with a woman. "Arthur!" Hosea said, quickly walking up to him, grabbing his horse's reins, helping him stop his horse. "What happened? Who is this?" He asked worriedly.

"Found her back at that cabin Kieran told us about. They killed her father and had her tied up for a while. Figured we could give her some food and get her back on her feet." Arthur explained, dismounting his horse carefully before reaching up to help her down, noting how weak she was. Hosea nodded as he looked at the poor woman, taking in her features as she looked familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Okay," Hosea sighed. Although he was eager to help, he didn't like the fact of constantly rescuing strangers and bringing them back to camp. He liked dear Sadie, but for now, she had no benefit to the camp as she was another mouth to feed, this woman all the same. "You know Dutch ain't gonna like this." He whispered.

"Dutch'll be fine," Arthur scoffed. "Besides, this is who you think it is." He hushed, watching the old man's brows rise in surprise. Minnie Barlow was a woman he had always wanted to meet. Arthur ignored the camp's wandering gaze as he led Minnie towards the main wooden table the gang had their meals at, helping her sit down before rushing to his tent to retrieve a wool blanket to drape over her shoulders as she was cold to the touch.

"Arthur..." He heard Dutch say in a low tone as he was watching him tend to her from his tent, a pipe hanging between his lips. Arthur turned to walk towards him, his arms open and his face begging for forgiveness.

"I can explain. I-"

"Explain why you just brought a woman back to camp without askin' me?" He scolded in a whisper.

"It's not like that, Dutch. I found her at Six Point Cabin where Kieran led us to. Turns out Colm killed her father and he was keepin' her hostage as he was gonna turn her in for the bounty."

Dutch raised his hand to stop him from speaking much more, "Bounty?"

"Yeah, she's Miss Barlow." He replied.

"Minnie Barlow, huh? How do you know she's tellin' the truth? Is she really who she says she is?" Dutch questioned, nodding his head as he looked at the woman as her back was turned to him as she was sat at the table with her head resting on her forearm as she fought another round of nausea.

"Just look at the 'wanted' poster, Dutch. I'm sure it's her," He begged. "She hasn't eaten for days. I told her I could take her to a doctor, but-"

"Why didn't you anyway? Then leave her there? If she's who she says she is, she should need no help from us." Dutch argued in a hushed tone.

"I wouldn't do it..." He frowned, feeling embarrassed.

"Because you have a crush?"

"No!" Arthur argued. "I'd do it to anyone else, not just her. Just let me make sure she gets back to her feet. She'd do it to one of us..." He suggested.

Dutch scoffed, "You don't know what a woman like that is capable of."

"Oh, I do. She pointed a gun to my chest when I stepped foot in that cabin. I thought she was dead. I believe all the stories." Arthur remarked.

"Okay, so if you know she's that dangerous, why is she unbound in my camp?"

"She can't do much, Dutch," Arthur frowned.

Dutch smirked, "If you're gonna have her here, she needs to earn her keep until she gets back to her feet. We're gonna have to treat her just like that O'Driscoll. Tie her up to that tree and give her what she needs. Once she feels better and gets some food in her belly, we'll question her, then decide from there."

"I don't think we should do that, Dutch." Hosea intervened, keeping his voice low.

"You gentlemen have to understand that we are wanted men. You know her history. How do we not know she's settin' us up right now? I ain't takin' no chances!" Dutch hissed.

"You fools are actin' like I'm deaf!" Minnie said, keeping her back turned to them.

Dutch shot Arthur a glare before making his way out of his tent to her, cautious in every step. Hosea and Arthur shared a look as well as a smirk, enjoying Minnie's attitude. "She's a pistol," Hosea chuckled, patting Arthur on the shoulder before following Dutch. "We got our hands full with this one, I can tell."

"That, you may be right," Arthur said, keeping his voice low as he too followed Hosea.

"Minnie Barlow, is it?" Dutch questioned.

"Unfortunately." She replied, looking down at her lap.

Dutch chuckled, "Well, you're not known to be frail and scared like this, what happened?"

Minnie rolled her eyes, "What happened? My father was killed and I was tied up like a damn mule for days with barely any food or water. Tortured by those men who call themselves O'Driscoll's. You can take me over there to that cliff and shoot me in the back of the head for all I care. I got nothing more to live for." She seethed.

Arthur frowned, his heart breaking for the poor woman as he knew she was everything he had heard about, hating how Dutch was treating her like she was a liar. In a way, he could understand where Dutch was coming from. By how Hosea told it, she worked for the Pinkerton Detective Agency for a while before she became an outlaw. She made a living in exposing crude acts and lying to get answers. The brief thought of her lying to them at that moment crossed his mind, but his gut was telling him that she was what he was seeing: a brittle and frail woman who needed help.

"That could be an option if it becomes one, Miss," Dutch replied, taking a seat across from her. "Listen, since our dear friend here has let his heart swell for the past few weeks and as much as I don't want another mouth to feed, you're welcome to stay here until you feel better, but I have to treat you just like any threat, in which you are. You get to make friends with that tree over there, so make sure you're comfortable." Dutch explained.

'You goddamn bastard,' Arthur thought to himself, glaring at Dutch.

"Hosea, you and Arthur make Miss Barlow comfortable by giving her something to eat and drink, then tie her up at that tree. Can't have her runnin' off and tellin' the law about us." Dutch demanded, standing to his feet.

"I don't think this is necessary, Dutch." Hosea said, catching him by his elbow as he was walking back towards his tent.

"Oh, it's completely necessary," Dutch replied. "Do you not remember those stories you told me? I'm not takin' any chances. If she's who we think she is, she could kill every one of us with no problem or run off and tell the law about us. If she earns her keep here, then that's how it is. But until the time being, she's our prisoner."

Arthur pursed his lips as he watched Dutch walk away before looking at Hosea, "Looks like Micah's been tellin' sweet nothin's in his ear."

"I know," Hosea shook his head. "We'll figure it out. Go take care of her, Arthur, but make sure you follow orders." He warned.

"Sure," Arthur nodded before walking to the pot to get her a bowl of stew and a tin of water, setting it down in front of her. "You need to eat." He said as he took a seat next to her, keeping his eye on her.

"I know," She frowned. "Can you just kill me now?" She asked, her hazel eyes looking into his blue orbs, the sight of her making his breathing hitch.

Arthur gulped, "I'm not doin' that, Miss."

She rolled her eyes, hiding a sly smirk, "It needs to happen soon. Beats bein' tied up like some mule."

"I know," He sighed. "But you have to understand that I have to do what I have to do. You're a dangerous woman. We can't risk someone with your background turnin' us in..."

"Someone with my background? You mean when I worked for the Pinkertons, thinking I was doin' honest work when they tried to have me killed because I knew too much so I became an outlaw?" She questioned, her brow raising.

"Y-Yes..."

"You think I'm gonna turn you in, huh?" She chuckled. "Listen here, you're right, I am dangerous, but if I was gonna turn you in, you woulda been dead by now since I done had ya by the ear back at that cabin. I'm nothing to mess with, but I'm not doin' nobody dirty. I may be an outlaw, but I don't thrive off of claiming bounties on other gangs. If they leave me alone, I leave them alone. Simple as that. I used to investigate the mob, not gangs like this. Shit, that's petty work. I was doin' big jobs in big cities, not shit like this." She explained.

Arthur's mind searched for a response as she explained herself, believing every word she was saying. His gut was telling him that she wasn't lying. "I understand, but I still have to follow orders. Now eat somethin'." He said in a low tone, biting his cheek as her words hurt him - hurt for her.

───※ ·❆· ※───

"Alright, you know the drill," Arthur said as he led her to the tree that Kieran was once tied to. She nodded as she willingly put her hands behind her back, her arms erecting chills as she felt Arthur's hands grip her wrists cautiously as he guided her back to the tree before gently tying her wrists together after she slid her back against the trunk as she sat down. "Are you uncomfortable?" He asked, his face flushed as all he wanted to do was nurture her, not make her feel like he was torturing her.

"Well, I've had my shoulders in an awkward position for a few days now, I'm sure it's now seen as normal." She replied with sarcasm to which Arthur couldn't help but chuckle at.

He knelt down to her level, "Just be on good behavior. You cooperate with Dutch, you'll be just fine. I don't want you havin' to live like this, just know that," He whispered, hoping to assure her the best he could. She nodded as she accepted her sentence before leaning her head back against the tree's trunk.

Arthur was hesitant to leave her tied, but he knew he couldn't bring much attention by constantly tending to her, even though that's all he wanted to do. He sighed as he entered his tent, sitting down slowly on his cot, pulling out his journal.

𝓘 𝓷𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓘'𝓭 𝓫𝓮 𝔀𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓜𝓲𝓼𝓼 𝓑𝓪𝓻𝓵𝓸𝔀 𝓲𝓼 𝓲𝓷 𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓬𝓪𝓶𝓹... 𝓢𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮, 𝓘 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀. 𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓴 𝓲𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓰𝓸𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓪 𝓼𝓾𝓲𝓬𝓲𝓭𝓮 𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓳𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓰𝓮𝓽 𝓪 𝓰𝓵𝓲𝓶𝓹𝓼𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓱𝓮𝓻, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝔂𝓮𝓽 𝓘 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝓬𝓴𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓽 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓬𝓸𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓶𝓮. 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓸𝓸𝓻 𝔀𝓸𝓶𝓪𝓷 𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓼 𝓪𝓼 𝓲𝓯 𝓼𝓱𝓮'𝓼 𝓳𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓪 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓭𝓾𝓲𝓽. 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮'𝓼 𝓪𝓵𝓶𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓷𝓸 𝓼𝓸𝓾𝓵 𝓲𝓷 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓮𝔂𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓼 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓯𝓪𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓴𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓭 𝓫𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓫𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓭 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓶. 𝓝𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓵𝔂 𝓰𝓸𝓽 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝓲𝓭𝓮 𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓘 𝓫𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓫𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓽𝓸 𝓬𝓪𝓶𝓹 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓽𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓓𝓾𝓽𝓬𝓱, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓪 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓶𝓮 𝓭𝓸𝓮𝓼 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓬𝓪𝓻𝓮. 𝓗𝓮 𝓸𝓻𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓮 𝓽𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓵𝓶𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓪 𝓹𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓻 𝓾𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓵 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓪𝓵𝓴𝓼 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓷-𝓭𝓮𝓹𝓽𝓱 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝔀𝓱𝔂 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓲𝓯 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓪𝓷 𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓷 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓴𝓮𝓮𝓹. 𝓔𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮 𝓘 𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓼𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝔃𝓮𝓵 𝓮𝔂𝓮𝓼, 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓼𝓴𝓲𝓹𝓼 𝓲𝓽 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓼 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮. 𝓘 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓲𝓼 𝓰𝓸𝓷𝓷𝓪 𝓫𝓮 𝓪 𝓭𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶 𝓘 𝓬𝓪𝓷'𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓾𝓹 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶...

"Arthur," Hosea whispered, breaking his attention from his writing. "Meet me in the mornin'?"

"Sure," Arthur nodded. "Whatchu need?"

"I may have a huntin' trip on our list..." He suggested.

"Good, I could use one!"

"What do you think Dutch is gonna have us do with her?" Hosea questioned, keeping his tone quiet.

"I don't know," Arthur shook his head. "We'll figure it out."

"Sure," Hosea nodded. "I'll check on her before I turn in for the night. Meet me after you check on her in the mornin'?"

"I'll do it."

───※ ·❆· ※───

"Did you get any rest last night?" Arthur dared to ask as he checked on her as soon as he awoke, seeing that the morning dew had moistened her clothes.

"What do you think?" She frowned. He looked at her with guilty eyes, feeling like he could have done something to prevent her from being treated this way, but he knew he had to follow the rules. He was at least grateful that she was being cooperative.

He lowered his head in shame as he thought about how her night could have possibly gone. Being cold and hungry all while trying to rest as she was tied to a tree while he slept soundly on his cot. He felt so selfish that maybe she would have been better off staying behind. "I'm sorry. Do you need me to get you anythin'? Pearson is cookin' some eggs and ham for breakfast." Arthur suggested.

"No, save it for the fortunate and worthy mouths." She replied.

He could tell by just looking at her that she needed food. She was not a skinny woman naturally as she had more of a pear shape body instead of an hourglass, but she carried herself well. "How do you like your eggs cooked?" He asked, not taking any stubbornness from her.

"Excuse me?" She asked, confused.

"You heard me," He raised his brow. "How do you like your eggs cooked?"

She looked him up and down, "And I think you heard me, Mister..." She said, suggesting an answer to her question as she wanted to know his name.

He sighed in defeat, "Arthur, Arthur Morgan."

"Well, Mister Morgan, I would gladly shake your hand and introduce myself, but I'm kinda restricted to do so," She replied with sarcasm. "But to answer your question, I do not need food as I am perfectly fine in the confines of my sentence."

She looked up at him as she watched him smirk, which was almost too attractive for her, "Not to be rude, Miss, but I don't really care what you have to say about the matter. I'll be back with some food for you."

She nodded in defeat and hung her head, feeling ashamed that she let her stubbornness get the better of her, desperately not wanting to admit that she was hungry, but she felt like she didn't deserve it.

"You gonna feed me, too?" She scoffed playfully as he soon approached her with a tin plate.

"If you wanna act like a baby, I will," He remarked. "I can untie you so that you can eat, then I gotta tie you right back up." He explained.

She nodded, "After I eat, can I please get approval to go down to the river and get a bath? I can't stand feeling like I stink." She asked hopefully.

"I don't see why not, but you'll need to be chaperoned."

"I'll sit and rot in my own filth before I have someone chaperone me while I take care of myself." She rolled her eyes.

Arthur smirked, "Well, I guess you'll sit and rot then, huh?" He teased.

"I guess so." She sighed, looking up at him as he held the plate of food in his hand before crouching to her level.

"You ready to quit bein' stubborn and eat somethin'?" He asked.

"I guess I have no choice."

Arthur nodded as he set the plate down on the ground before unsheathing his knife, cutting away the rope binding her wrists together carefully. He helped her bring her arms around to where they were sitting in front of her as she rubbed the raw skin on her wrists, clear that the rope had made a dark red mark on her flesh. She flashed Arthur a weak smile as she took the plate from his hand, slowly raising the fork to her mouth to take her first bite of food since the prior night.

"Can I trust you to sit and eat while I go talk to Hosea?" He asked.

"If you didn't trust me to begin with, you never woulda untied me." She warned.

He pursed his lips as he nodded, hating her sarcasm when all he wanted to do was help her. He thought a lot of her as a mirror of himself as he did the same thing. He always was the giver, being reluctant to accept help when he truly needed it. In a way, he couldn't blame her. She was scared and in a position where she couldn't trust anybody herself.

"Hosea." Arthur said to the old man, seeing that he was oiling his favorite rifle.

"You wanna go huntin'?" Hosea asked, seeing that he was finished tending to Minnie.

"What are you hunting, an elephant?" Arthur asked as he took the rifle from Hosea, examining it.

Hosea chuckled, "I wish! No, I saw a huge bear. One of the biggest I ever saw. I reckon nearly a thousand pounds..."

"My God. What, you need me to come with you?"

"Of course, that is if you're finished tending to Miss Barlow..." Hosea teased.

Arthur chuckled, hiding his smirk behind the brim of his hat, "You were right, that woman's a pistol. She may be in a weak state now, but she's a tough nut to crack." He admitted.

"She reminds me of a mustang whose spirit can't be broken," Hosea admitted. "Remind me to have a talk with her when we get back. She looks timid right now and I can't blame her."

"She is. Probably just where she's so used to bein' alone and losin' her father... I don't know." Arthur shrugged.

"Let's go. I'll go get the horses ready and you go check on her before we leave?" Hosea suggested, hinting that he could already see that she meant far too much to Arthur already, but he wasn't going to let him know that.

"Sure," Arthur replied as he nodded his head, turning on his heel to proceed to the task at hand. He slowly walked up to her, seeing that she had only eaten the two eggs that were cooked for her, taking little bites of the ham. "You okay?" He asked.

"I guess so," She shrugged. "Time to tie me back up now?"

"Unfortunately." Arthur frowned.

She nodded and accepted her sentence, willingly putting her arms behind her as they wrapped around the base of the tree. She was never going to admit that her legs and lower back were aching as well as her shoulders feeling out of place. Somehow, someway, she felt like she wasn't in danger anymore. Even though she was in the possession of another gang, she didn't feel like she was going to be tortured nor starved. 'I really gotta earn my keep around here...' She thought to herself as she felt Arthur's presence kneel behind her, crouching down to carefully tie the harsh rope around her wrists.

"Thank you again for bein' so cooperative, Miss." Arthur said in a low tone.

"Pleasure," She said sternly, hearing a faint chuckle from him.

"I'm gonna be gone huntin'. May be gone for a couple of days. Until I get back, Susan and Mary-Beth will be lookin' after you." Arthur explained.

"So I take it you're my assigned nursemaid?"

"Well, I did bring you here, so yeah, I am. Like it or not," He replied, somewhat agitated. "I'll be back soon."

"Yes, I long for the weary timed trial for your return," She swooned, rolling her eyes in a teasing way.

Arthur stood up and looked down at her, "You keep talkin' like that, and I won't be and I'll have old Dutch breathin' down your neck." He warned.

"So terrifying..."

"Spirited little thing, ain't ya?"

"Maybe," She teased. "Won't you go kill that bear and make a man outta yourself before I bruise your ego."

Arthur raised his brows, "Yeah, I'll bruise you." He said playfully.

"So tough! Wouldn't be the first man to put a bruise on me, 'cept I bruise harder." She warned with a playful wink.

'Goddamn this woman, already makin' my heart beat,' He thought to himself before rewarding her with a smirk before walking away. He could feel her eyes on him and he would proudly admit that he liked it.

He soon met up with Hosea, seeing the sly grin on his wrinkled face, "Your chemistry you have with her is recognizable." He said.

"I don't know what you're talkin' about." Arthur blushed as he quickly mounted his horse.

"Whatever you say," Hosea chuckled. "Let's go get this monster."

#arthurmorgan #arthur morgan #reddeadredemption2 #rdr2fanfiction #rdr2

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xsixxx · 5 years

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Bad Influence, Chapter Eight

Authors note: Hiya guys, it's been a while 🤙🏻 Sorry for the wait, I've had a rough few weeks, so I took a break from a lot of stuff, Tumblr included, but I'm back & I've been working on this chapter piece by piece. It was originally supposed to be longer but I've decided to split it into two separate chapters, which means at least the first part of ch.9 is written!

Thank you all for baring with me, I'm sorry for the wait!

So on with the goddamn show 🤟🏻

Warnings: Language, sexual tension, love triangle awkwardness, Beth being a super slut, loads of angst

Tags: @triplehaitches @freddiessmallnipples @queen-crue @scarecrowmax @lovesick-heart0 @littlesunnymoon @80sheart-strings @cranberribread @inthebackofmycarlaytheirbodies @deaconsroger @zoenicoles @crazysaladchopshop @ggorehorror @lunamadhatter99 @justtryingtoovercome @chaoticvybe @you-know-im-a-dreamer @eightiesrockbaby @valentines-in-london @xrosegoldwolfx @fupatroopaa @lilypetite88 @this-blog-must-be-the-place @ashleecrue @lauravic @dark-princess99 @unknownoblivion @mgkobsessed @antheasnow

(I've given up trying to find matching GIFs for the chapter so here's one of Erin Moriarty who is legit Beth in my head)

*Beths POV*

I rolled out of my bed, pulling on a tshirt & yawning as I went. I glanced across at the naked rockstar, asleep in my bed, which had become quite a common occurrence since the KISS tour ended for Mötley.

Vinces blonde hair lay feathered around his sleeping features & I couldn’t help that girlish feeling of excitement & smugness in my stomach as it struck me, as it does every morning that I wake up next to Vince, that this beautiful man that women threw themselves at, wanted to be sharing my bed.

I smirked to myself as I slipped silently out of the room & made my way into the kitchen.

“Coffee?” Came the always chirpy voice of Tommy, who was grinning ear to ear as he stood in just his boxers in the midddle of the kitchen, changing the filter in the coffee machine. I eyed him up & down, trying to muffle my giggle at the sight of his long chicken legs in all their glory.

“Please.” I mused back to him, smiling.

“Good night?” He winked, catching sight of my yawn as I draped myself lazily against the wall.

"Probably about as good as yours from the sounds of it," I sniggered, "I thought we were having a competition at one point!"

Tommy let out a loud, hearty laugh that immediately made me giggle. His happiness was infectious.

He poured out the coffee into two mugs before sliding me a sly smile as he opened up one of the cupboards & produced a bottle of whiskey. "Fancy making it Irish?" He chuckled.

"Tommy, it's like 10am!" I laughed, shaking my head at him.

"So?! It'll get us in the mood for tonight! You're still coming, right?" He asked as he poured way more than a shot into each of the coffee mugs & handed one to me. I rolled my eyes at his offer of corruption, but my smile betrayed my & I took it from him, more than willingly.

"Of course, you really think Vince would let me miss it?!" I snorted, taking a sip of what was, let's face it, 1/3 whiskey with a coffee mixer. I tried my hardest to keep a straight face as the alcohol hit the back of my throat & immediately warmed my chest, chasing away any remnants of lathergy I might've had. "He's desperate to show off for me, it's been so long since I've seen you guys play!"

"He won't be the only one up there showing off for you." Tommy said, smirking behind his mug as he took an impressive gulp without so much as a blink.

I feigned innocence. "What, are you gonna twirl around your little sticks to try & impress me, T-Bone?" I winked, sticking out my tongue cheekily as he playfully nudge my shoulder, his laughter ringing around the kitchen once again.

"You wish girly," he sniggered. "You know who I'm talking about."

I pretended to rub my chin thoughtfully. "I didn't know Mick had a thing for me.."

Tommy let out another infectious laugh that instantly had me giggling along with me.

"So," he started as we both composed ourselves & I took another sip of my drink "Does Vince know what you & Nikki have been up to then then?" Tommy winked.

I nearly choked on my mouthful of whisky as I clamped my hand over Tommys mouth, peering out of the kitchen door to check we weren't in danger of being heard.

I removed my hand from Tommys mouth to reveal a grin behind it. "So it is true!"

"What, n-no!" I stumbled, knowing I wasn't fooling him, not even close. I relented, sighing as I did. "Goddamn it Sixx, can't keep his mouth shut.."

"Oh, Sixx didn't tell me." He smirked, "I see how you guys act, it's not hard to put the pieces together, you hate each other a little too much." He laughed, his grin growing wider. "I'm kinda surprised Vinny hasn't figured it out yet either.."

I scoffed. "If Vince ever noticed anything other than pussy or his fucking hair, then hell must be freezing over."

"Babe, if hell is freezing over, it's only because you've been warming the devil's bed." Tommy winked again, chuckling darkly as I took a swipe at his arm.

"Ok, well A," I started, as my hand caught him just below his shoulder sharply, wiping that grin off if his face. "I am not sleeping with Nikki! We kissed once! And B, how do you know I call him the devil?!" I asked sheepishly, my face flushing red with embarrassment.

Tommys mouth grew wide again as he rubbed his arm where I'd hit him. "Oh Sixx loves that shit, he brags about it all the time to us!" Sniggered T-Bone, before noticing my face & visibly grimacing. "I said too much again, didnt I? Beth, I'm sorry! He doesn't take the piss or anything," he rushed, stumbling over his words, "you just know him, that sorta shit builds up his ego, calling him the Devil is probably the biggest compliment you could give that twisted fucker!"

I groaned aloud as I downed the last of my whiskey with one swift gulp, hoping it might chase away my memory of the last 5 minutes.

"I can't believe you know!" I moaned, hanging my head.

"I can't believe you thought you guys were being subtle!"

"T-Bone, you gotta keep this to yourself ok? I like how things are with me & Vince right now, we're having fun & I kinda wanna keep it that way. And, for the love of God, don't tell Sophia. I can't be dealing with her disapproval on top of my dad's & my sister's right now." I finished, shaking my head. Tommy looked at me with that cute, dopey look that instinctively made me feel warm & trusting.

"I promise, I won't." He smiled affectionately. I could tell he meant it.

*Later*

*Nikkis POV*

I winked as I approached the gaggle of girls hanging around the door that lead to the backstage of the Whisky.

“Nikki, look for me in the front row.”

“Hey Nikki, cant wait to see the show tonight.”

“What are you doing afterwards Sixx?”

It was always the same. The girls always sounded the same, saying the same things, hoping to be the one to grab my attention that night. They were all starting to look the same too. The same hair, the same tight dresses, the same fake smile plastered on the same forgettable face.

Didn’t matter to me though. I fucking loved it.

I stopped next to them, leaning against the wall & flashing the arrogant smirk that never failed & I watched as they fell to pieces in front of me.

“So, what are you girls hanging around back here for?” I asked, making them giggle.

They babbled away, doing their best to impress me with their answers as I shut off, letting my eyes & my mind wander. I was halfway done mentally undressing them when a soft, flirty voice cut through the noise of the groupies.

“Hey rockstar, what’s a girl gotta do to get backstage?”

I turned my head, my eyes meeting with Beths before they trailed down every goddamn inch of her fine self. She was dressed in an oversized Led Zeppelin tshirt, tucked into a high waisted black denim mini skirt & white sneakers. She definitely wasn't like all the rest.

“Just show up looking like that, angel.” I smirked, not able to stop my eyes tracing her every curve. I strode towards Beth, leaving the wannabe groupies behind me without another word or thought, took her hand & lead her through the door.

“So when’s our next therapy session, Doc?” I mumbled, wrapping my arm around Beths waist, pulling her close as we walked.

Beth let out a forced laugh, wriggling away from me & glancing around quickly, checking we were alone. “Nikki, that night was purely for research purposes, we are not making that sharing circle a regular thing.” She said, her eyes darting around, looking anywhere but at me

“How about we just make the last part of our session a regular thing then?” I mumbled, placing my hands on her hips & pulling her into me once again, leaning my face towards hers, closing the gap between our lips.

Beth took a sharp step back & finally allowed her eyes to meet mine, a look on her face somewhere between panicked & scornful.

“What’s the matter, angel? Worried your boyfriend is going to see us?” I mocked, brashly reaching for her hand, but she snatched it away.

“Yes.” She snapped, before checking herself, blushing pink. “I mean, not that I think Vince is my boyfriend.. Obviously.” She stuttered as I let out an offhand chuckle.

“I should hope not.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?!” Beth retorted, her whole body suddenly stiff & defensive.

“Calm down doll, I only meant that Vinny ain’t the dating kind, I don’t want you getting you hopes up.” I shrugged.

“I’m not one of those girl out there you know,” she gestured towards the door that lead to the faceless groupies. “I don’t crave this bands attention & I don’t need it. Maybe its me that wouldn’t date Vince, ever thought of that?!”

I raised my hands in surrender to her over-sensitive tirade. “That’s all good then, because Vince definitely isn’t gonna date you darlin’, so don’t get used to your sleepovers." I replied, a little too harshly as I let my jealousy seep into my words.

Beths face went dark & her usually soft features looked twisted & angry.

"What's with you tonight, I didn't realise it was possible for you be more of an asshole than normal." She barked.

"And I didn't realise it was possible for you to be more of a stuck up bitch, but I guess people can suprise you." I hurled back, irritated by her defensive attitude.

"Real fucking nice Sixx, thanks. And just when I was starting to think you weren't all bad after the other night.."

"Oh, so you do remember the other night?" I cut in sharply. "Because here's me thinking it must've all been in my head being as you've been doing everything in your power to avoid me since then & pretend like it didn't happen."

"Oh grow up Nikki, I haven't been avoiding you. I've been working & hanging out with Vince, I'm sorry I haven't had much chance to stroke your fucking ego for you."

"I could probably free up some of your time if I went & told Vince that little promise you made me the other night. What was it again? Something about making me kneel before you'?" I laughed smugly as Beth's eyes flashed with fury.

"Christ, you just can't stand the idea of someone turning you down, can you?"

I let out a dumbfounded laugh at her bold pretension. "Remind me Beth, when did you turn me down?. Was that before or after you asked me to kiss you? Or maybe when you were up on the kitchen counter, moaning into my mouth." I asked snidely.

She glowered at me. "What part of me still sleeping with Vince & refusing to kiss you just now makes you think that I'm interested in you?"

I was beginning grow infuriated with her condescension, how could she just pretend like the other night didn't mean shit? "Tell me, is Vince really that good in the sack?"

"And what's that got to do with anything?" Beth fired back, irritated.

"Must be a good fuck if you're willing to get attached to someone who's gonna drop you any day now." I shrugged, pretending I couldn't care less.

“So that's the plan, he gets bored of me & then what Nikki? I move on to you? You get to sleep with me & ‘fufil my dark fantasies’, twist me into someone as fucked up as you so you feel a little less alone?” She spat venomously, her voice cold & sharp, taking me by surprise. My body went rigid as I felt anger descend over me like a mist. Beths face flushed pale as mine turned red, but she remained stubborn, folding her arms across her chest defiantly.

“Fine, fuck off with Vince.” I seethed, my jaw clenched & my mind ablaze with the thought of Vinnys hands on her, touching her like I’d not been able to stop thinking about touching her since that night he first took her home. “He'll get bored of you soon enough, I know I already am.” I finished bluntly, fixing Beth with a stone cold glare before spinning around on my heels & marching towards the backstage door. I leaned through, deciding I’d pick the first one that looked at me.

A tall, slender brunette in a tight red dress with fake tits & that usual fake smile glanced round, her eyes brimming with excitement when she spotted me.

“It’s your lucky day darlin.” I cooed, taking her by the hand & pulling her through the doorway & away from her fake ass friends. Probably for the best, they’d all hate her now anyway.

I turned back to face Beth, smug smile at the ready, trying to think up a shit-eating remark to say as I walked past her, but she'd already disappeared.

Fuck.

"So rockstar, where's your dressing room?" The brunette asked, her fingers finding their way under my shirt to my chest as she draped herself seductively around my arm.

I looked at her with uninterested eyes, my mind still entirely too focused on Beth.

I guess I could use the distraction, I thought, taking the brunettes hand & leading her down the hall & into the dressing room, untying my leather pants as we went.

*Later*

“And where the fuck is Vince?!” I yelled at Mick & Tom, tapping my foot impatiently as we all waited to the side of the stage.

“Not sure,” Tommy lied, badly, “I’m sure he’ll be here in a sec.”

“Pretty sure he’s in the toilet.” Mick mumbled, without looking up from tuning his guitar. Tommy nudged him nervously, but Mick just grunted, flicking him the middle finger without a glance.

I watched from the sidelines as Beth & Vince emerged from the toilet together, giggling like goddamn school kids. White hot jealousy burned through me, flooding my veins as saw them, hand-in-hand, disheveled hair & satisfied smiles plastered on their smug faces.

"Nice of you to fucking join us." I spat as they strolled over to us at their own pace, still laughing.

"Oh come on Nikki, we ain't due to go in for another 15 minutes, chill out man." Vince shrugged unconcerned, fueling my outrage with his nonchalance.

"You might care more about getting your fucking dick wet than you do this band Vince, but this shit actually matters to the rest of us, so either change your attitude or you can get the fuck out." I seethed, my eyes flitting dangerously to Beth, who had taken a cautious step back from me.

"Sixx man, come on," Tommy said, gripping my shoulder, trying to diffuse the situation. "it's not a big deal, we don't need this shit before the show."

I took a steady breath, trying to regain control over my temper. "Just go & change before you make us any later," I hissed at Vince through gritted teeth.

Beth lingered awkwardly as Vince waltzed off to the dressing room, unsure whether to follow him, stick around or simply leave. I decided to help her along with her decision.

"I think it's best you go." I said to her coldly, my bitter jealousy plainly obvious as I turned around & marched towards the back exit, desperate for a smoke.

"Nikki, wait-" Beth called out, following me outside into the cool night air.

"What do you want Lizzy?" I snapped, sparking up my cigarette & taking a long, deep inhale. "I've got nothing to say to you."

"I'm sorry-", she started, but I immediately interrupted.

"For what?! For fucking Vince & almost derailing my show?!”

Beths eyes narrowed. "I was going to apologise for what I said earlier, but yanno what, fuck you." She fired back, defensively. "Why would I be sorry for doing whatever the fuck I want with Vince, it's not like its any of your damn business."

"My fucking band, my fucking business sweetheart." I seethed, taking another long drag through my gritted teeth.

"No Nikki, just because they're in your goddamn band, doesn't make any of those guys in there your property, you don't get to lord over them like you own them." She replied, feeling brave.

"And what about you, huh? I fucking made you into this over confident little groupie & frankly, you're getting a little bit too comfortable around here."

"Excuse me?!" Beth thundered, her whole demeanor changing, "you didn't make me into anything, you egotistical prick!'

I smirked arrogantly, knowing I'd got to her. "You come to my gigs to see my band, you fuck my front man, snort my drugs, party with my guys. Who were you before you met me? A stuck up little princess who didn't know how to have fun. Face it doll, I fucking made you." I scoffed as I watched Beth's face flush red with anger.

“And what about your new piece of ass, huh? You gonna make her too?” She snarled. “You’re pissed because I fucked Vince but you’re a goddamn hypocrite Nikki, I saw you with that girl, taking her into the dressing room. I'm guessing she didn't go in there to help you with your fucking makeup?"

I paused, caught off guard, not realising my plan to make her jealous had actually gone to fruition. I couldn’t stop the sly smile from creeping on to my face. “What does that have to do with anything?” I asked, my voice changing swiftly from enraged to calm & deadly smooth in an instant, enticed by her hint of jealousy & eager to hear her answer.

Beth squirmed a little, realising the corner she’d backed herself into. She looked deliciously trapped.

“I just-” she tripped over her words as she scrambled for an excuse. “I just don’t get it, why are you so pissed that I fucked Vince?” She asked, diverting the attention for herself.

“Because I want you.” I said plainly, switching gears, my anger melting away as I watched her discomfort double as she tried to stay mad.

“What?” She asked, shaking her head in annoyance.

“Because I want you Beth. I’ve wanted you since that night I caught you doing blow in the bathroom with Tommy, the night that Vinny took you home when it should've been me. I want you & I want to be the only one that gets to have you.” I replied bluntly, smirking as Beths mouth fell open a little.

“But you don’t.. You don’t do the whole exclusive thing.” She mumbled awkwardly, still processing my words.

“You’re right. See princess, I’m selfish like that.” I purred, taking one last drag on my cigerette before flicking it away & taking a step towards her so our bodies were practically touching. “I don’t like exclusivity, but also, I really don’t like to share.” I breathed, our lips practically touching.

Beth scowled, suddenly finding her voice. “Well that hardly seems fair. You expect me to be loyal to you whilst you fuck every woman that shows you some attention?!”

I chuckled darkly, knowing how unreasonable I was being. “Pretty much.”

“You’re such an egotistical asshole!” She yelled, raising her hands to shove me away from her, but I caught them by the wrists in one swift movement & pinned them by her shoulders. Beths delicate features were twisted, her perfectly shaped eyebrows were furrowed in anger & her soft pink lips were pulled into a tight, thin line as she fought against my grip. She glared at me, eyes dark & full of hostility. Yet I saw a lingering passion in them. Her tight lips relaxed for just a moment & I saw her drag her bottom lip through her teeth, those dark eyes darting to my mouth. I smirked.

"You’re right, I am an asshole. But you still want to kiss me, don’t you, angel?" I breathed, tightening my grip on her wrists, grinning wider at her mixture of discomfort & pleasure.

Her lips parted slightly & I could hear her breath quicken as I watched her internally fight with her desires whilst I fought with my own. On the surface, we hated each other. I hated everything she represented, the fact that she didn't like my music & how she was like every other girl, sucked in by Vince's blonde hair & boyish charm. She hated my arrogance, my runaway lifestyle & the fact that I could see right through her good girl act & get under her skin like no-one ever had. And yet somehow, that hatred had paved the way for an attraction neither of us could fathom or understand. It was illogical, unwise & entirely unwelcome. But it was also intense, salacious & completely overpowering. We both knew we'd have to give in to it eventually.

She kissed me, unable to restrain herself any longer. I released my grip on her wrists & buried my fingers in her hair, pulling her closer to me. She tasted so damn sweet.

I pulled Beths hair roughly, tilting her head & exposing her neck as I placed hungry kisses along her skin as she moaned aloud, pushing herself up against me. I placed my hands at the base of her pretty neck, running my thumb across the skin gently as I brought her lips back to mine, dragging her lower lip between my teeth. She groaned into my mouth, rubbing up against me as I squeezed my grip around her throat a little tighter, smirking against her kiss as I did.

She was fucking delectable.

Just then, the backdoor to the Whisky swung open, returning us from our heady escape back to the dingy alley with a crash.

"Nikki, come on man, I thought you-" Vince started to say, before catching sight of us jumping a mile apart in a failed attempt to look innocent.

I coughed, trying to regain composure. "Yeah yeah, I'm coming."

Vince's face was like thunder, a mixture of outrage and betrayal turning up a storm. "Nah, doesn't look like you got that far." He spat

"Vinny, I-" Beth stumbled, walking towards him.

His eyes shot from me to her, disgust adding to the mix of emotions he was displaying. "I haven't got nothing to say to you." He said harshly, cutting her off. "& You, brother," he drawled sarcastically, "get your ass inside, we've got a fucking show to play, remember? Or do you care more about getting your dick wet than this band?" He quoted, bitterly.

"Fuck you, Vinny." I shot, shoulder barging him as I shoved past to get through the door.

"Fuck me? Are you fucking kidding, Sixx?" He screeched, quick on my heels. "You're out there grinding on my fucking girl & you're acting like I'm the fucking problem here?"

"Your girl?" I laughed crudely, "Since when does Vince Neil have a girl?"

"You know damn well what I mean. I haven't been hooking up with her for this long for you to just go & help yourself." Vince snarled.

"Well maybe Beths got her reasons for looking elsewhere." I sneered, getting brave.

"And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"Well Vinny," I started, taking a smug step towards him, getting in his face, "Maybe if you satisfied her, she wouldn't come to me."

"Shut the fuck up Sixx, you know that isn't true!" Beth yelled, pulling on Vinces arm in a feeble attempt to separate us.

"Why else would she come running to me right after you'd finished fucking? Your bathroom fuck clearly wasn't enough for her so she had to come looking for someone that could finish her off." I suggested arrogantly, smirking at my own maliciousness.

"Vince, just walk away." I heard Mick say from somewhere, right before Vinces fist flew at my face.

*Beths POV*

I sat at the bar, drinking away my humiliation as I watched the two guys I'd shamefully kissed in the space of 10 minutes, up on stage playing a visibly tense set. Nikkis angry red cheek was glowing like a beacon for the whole audience to see.

"It's not like you & Vince were anything serious." Sophia said, serving me up another shot of tequila. "I mean, that guy has definitely been screwing around since you guys first hooked up."

"I know & if he'd caught me with anyone else, I don't think it would be a big deal, but it definitely crosses the line to go with one of his band mates & best friends really, doesn't it?" I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "Plus, I'm not exactly a normal groupie, Vinny is my friend, we hang out, he spends the night.." I trailed off, knowing I'd just put a definitive end to that.

"Why were you kissing Nikki?!" Sophia asked, raising her eyebrow knowingly.

"Don't start Soph ok, I don't need it." I replied, necking the shot & gesturing for another. "Let me just bury my shame in peace & fucking tequila."

"I don't get it though, I thought you were liking things with Vince?"

"I was loving things with Vince, I don't know what the fuck I was doing." I sighed. "All I know is that Nikki has a direct line to both my last fucking nerve & my emotional g spot apparently. Who knew they were connected?" I groaned, mentally scolding myself for the millionth time.

"You gotta figure out what you want babe." Sophia said sternly, disapproval written all over her face. "But what you've gotta remember is, neither of these guys are in this for the long run, so are they really worth it?"

I fell silent, sparking up a cigarette & looking back across at the stage.

"I want you, I need you

I want you to be mine tonight.

You need me, you tease me

Use you up, throw you away."

I listened to Vince sing, watched him prancing around, his striking good looks & flamboyant attitude on stage so appealing it made me weak.

Then I looked across at Nikki, dark & brooding, the complete opposite of what I thought my type was. He was conceited & rude, his lifestyle & interests were the furthest thing from my own & he pissed me off like no-one ever had.

If I was being honest with myself, I'd say that, up until tonight, he was right; I'd thought myself above Nikki Sixx.

But tonight had changed everything.

Tonight I'd realised that I wasn't better than anyone else, I was just as bad. Worse, maybe.

I watched Nikki pluck away at the strings on his bass, enjoying the sound for the first time. I let my mind wander back to that night he said he should've taken me home. The same night he promised to drag me down with him.

He'd been right about everything. I wanted excitement in my life, I wanted to have fun. I wanted someone to fulfill my darkest desires. I wanted someone to show me how to enjoy the dark parts of me. And that just wasn't Vince.

I watched Nikki play intently, that spark of desire igniting inside me once again. I wanted him.

My bad influence.

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