Harmony (The Club Girl Diaries Book 1) (9 page)

My Brothers gathered in the large meeting room that was used for Church. There weren’t enough seats for everyone with me and my boys there, so we all chose to stand. Some elected to lean against walls or against the massive wooden table that had our club insignia etched in it. Others were wound too tightly to relax, me included, and stood stoically waiting for Optimus to call the meeting to order.

“Someone attacked one of our girls today,” he said softly, but with darkness in his voice. This caused some of the men to stand a little taller. Word must not have filtered through to them yet. Tally stood at my side, but two of my boys Mix and Rifle frowned at me from across the room, questioning me silently as Optimus continued, “As you all know, Kit has taken claim over Harmony. Harmz has been with us for a long time, Chelsea too. I know many of you care for them both. They may be club girls, but they are part of our family.” I saw many nods move around the room. “Today someone attempted to kidnap them and Harmony was shot.”

There was murmuring all around the small space.

“We’ll get the fucker that shot her,” Slider said, pushing off the wall and stepping forward.

I laughed. “He’s right outside the door, have at it.”

“Kit,” Optimus scolded and I rolled my eyes. “Unfortunately she got caught in the crossfire. Caleb fired shots, one hit the offender, the other hit Harmony in the shoulder.”

There were a few chuckles throughout the stoney faces.

I slammed my fist on the wooden table and the room hushed once more. “Someone tried to fucking take her. I want to know who it God-damn was and why?” I demanded.

A throat cleared and Wrench stepped forward. Wrench was reserved. Always the peacemaker, never the aggressor. He was also smart as hell and controlled every aspect of the club that was needed by computer. “I talked to the café the girls were at when that guy smashed Harmony’s phone, also got some partial prints off the broken pieces she bought back. It hadn’t been high on the list of things to do, but if you excuse me now, I’ll go get it all done. Hopefully find some answers.”

“Go,” I snapped, not waiting for Optimus to give his man the order. Like a good boy though, he checked his president first before getting the go ahead to leave.

“I’m taking her back to Troy with me. She needs protection, as does Chelsea. With a club on each of them they’ll be safe.”

No one questioned me, not that I’d put the topic up for debate.

“You watch the women, you watch your old ladies, you watch your family. We aren’t sure how deep this shit runs so we need all our bases covered.”

Every man nodded in agreement and I stormed straight out of there to find my woman and see how she was doing.

The news wasn’t taken so well by Harmony, but in order to keep her safe, I’d pull my control card and given her no choice in the matter. I didn’t want to do it, but danger was lurking and I’d be damned if I let her stubborn streak stop me from protecting her.

I’d called one of my boys and told him to be here early morning with my truck. Harmony was in no state to ride on the back of my bike. He would take my bike back and I would drive with her. Typically I would never allow anyone near my bike but at the moment, the thought of letting her out of my sight made my stomach turn and twist in the most painful ways.

I’d let her down. I’d failed, and it seemed as though my word was now untrustworthy in her eyes. Not that she’d been all gung-ho about all this crap in the first place, but if I wanted her to be my Old Lady, I needed to have every part of her onboard.

She’d thrown attitude at me that I hadn’t seen in a long time. I’d been a club member for years, and before that, I was always the president’s son. I wasn’t to be messed with or talked back to. Harmony had a mouth on her that could rival my own, yet she balanced it well. After our heated conversation in the bedroom, she had managed to come out late that night to get dinner. When I’d talked to her in front of the Brothers, she was sharp but respectful and I admired that. She knew that behind closed doors she could tell me to go suck a big fat cock if she wanted, but when others were present it was time to zip her mouth.

My decision to stay in her room that night was also well disputed.

Harmony expressed emotions very freely. It wasn’t often that I had a hard time reading how she was feeling. I put this down to the fact that she always looked me in the eye. I’d grown to love that about her, even when she was sad or devilishly angry, her eyes never strayed. They were cemented and allowed me to see into her soul. I could read in her eyes what she couldn’t say with her mouth or her body.

I’d gotten up early to welcome my boy, Tie. He pulled my Chevy into the clubhouse lot just as I’d walked outside and lit up a smoke. I tended to smoke when I was stressed, it was a filthy habit, but it did well to calm me especially when alcohol wasn’t an option.

I gripped his hand and we embraced with a couple of thumps on each other’s backs.

“How’s it going, Bro?” he asked with a broad smile. Tie was young, laid back and carefree. Fuck knows how he got that way with the upbringing he’d had. He was homeless and living on the streets at age fourteen before my father took him in. Tie had become like a younger Brother to me, even to the point of calling my parents Mom and Dad. My parents adopted him and put him back in school. My mother even pushed for him to go to college. Kid could have been a doctor or a lawyer with the brains he had in his head.

In the end though he chose the club, the people who’d given him a family when he had none.

I inhaled deeply, trying to smother the agitation I could feel building in my belly. “Not so shit hot, man.”

“Heard a rumor that you’re off the market?” He let out a soft laugh. “How’s that working out for you?”

“She’ll be the death of me.”

“She the ‘
stab you in your sleep
’ kind?”

“If I were, he’d deserve it,” the soft voice caused me to smile. I turned to find Harmony leaning against the door frame. She wore the same shirt of mine that I’d found her asleep in when I’d finally reached bed in the early hours of this morning. Harmony was tall, so it sat at the perfect length; just below her ass cheeks.

Tie whistled lowly and I shot him a warning glance. “Harmony, this is my Brother, Tie.”

She nodded. “It’s nice to meet you.” Her eyes turned to me. “What time are we leaving?”

I was surprised by the question, she didn’t seem eager to get going and I could hear the small amount of apprehension in her voice.

“As soon as you’re ready, babe.”

She nodded again. “I’ll have a shower and get dressed.”

Just as she turned to leave, I called out to her. “Harm, you can’t shower. The bandage needs to stay dry.”

Her nose wrinkled. “I forgot. I’ll just get dressed then.” She moved quickly inside before I could say anything more.

“Wow, she sounds real happy about leaving,” Tie said sarcastically.

I sighed. “Yeah, fighting it.”

“You sure it’s the right thing to do then?”

I didn’t need to think before the words left my mouth, “Never been surer in my life.”

I hadn’t slept much during the night. Every time I closed my eyes I felt everything all over again. The strange man’s arms around my body, the gravely road tearing at my skin, the bullet burning through my flesh like a hot knife through butter. I desperately wanted a shower. I needed to wash it all away. But once again Kit was right, I couldn’t get my bandage wet.

Stupid Caleb. I’d get him back for shooting me.

My arm was in a sling, restricting my movement in hopes that I didn’t pull my stitches out. This made it difficult to do anything. I barely got my jeans on before I realized I couldn’t button them. I’d gone in search of Chelsea to help me out, but she wasn’t in her room. A couple of the guys had looked at me like I was crazy when I’d asked them to place their hands next to my crotch.

Thank you, Kit.

I caught a glimmer out of the corner of my eye, the light of the morning bouncing off the strings of my guitar. I stared at it longingly, hoping it wouldn’t be too long before I could play again. I hadn’t gone a day without at least playing one song since I first picked up a guitar at the age of seven. I suddenly felt like I was missing a limb.

I huffed like a spoiled child and lay back on the floor, staring at the ceiling like it was going to give me all the answers to my problem. My clothes were spread all over the floor, I’d put my trainers on, but couldn’t tie the laces and my jeans were
still
undone. “I just want a fucking shower,” I cried dramatically.

A chuckle came from the doorway and I looked over to see Leo standing there, filling the whole space with his arms crossed tightly across his chest and a grin the size of freaking China.

“Shut your pie hole, Leo. This is all your fault.”

He laughed again, this time a little louder. “Explain to me how this is my fault, Harmz?”

I pointed at him with my good arm. “If you hadn’t spent so much time training Caleb to fight, and spent a little teaching him how to shoot a gun, then I’d be able to hide my little pudgy tummy behind the button of my jeans. But
no
, you didn’t teach him that. So now, he has a shitty aim, I have a hole in my shoulder and my belly is hanging out for everyone to see.”

I sounded hysterical, it was fucking ridiculous. This shit had me twisted up every which way from Sunday. Not being able to do things for myself, feeling like an invalid, and now I was about to leave the club. Things were changing faster than my mind could keep up with them.

Leo moved over, standing with his feet either side of my hips, he reached down to grasp both sides of my jeans. “Suck it in, fatty.” I glared at him but sucked in my stomach as he did up the top two buttons.

“How many of you boys do I have to warn about touching things that don’t belong to you?” Kit’s voice growled from the doorway, but his voice couldn’t cover the small hint of amusement there.

I rolled my eyes and Leo continued to smirk down at me. “Sorry Brother, but I was scared if she didn’t get her pants done up she might have a mental breakdown.”

“Sounds about right.”

Leo grasped my good arm and pulled me from the floor. “Just wanted to say bye. Macy is gonna miss you.”

“I’ll miss her too,” I sighed sadly.

Leo embraced Kit. “Safe trip, Brother.”

Then he was gone.