Hadley (The Club Girl Diaries Book 3) (15 page)

She was mine.

For now.

I knew she was freaking out. She’d been ready to give up her life to try and protect me, and Macy, and the club. She’d no doubt spent half the night preparing for the idea of walking out of here today and not looking back.

Maybe in that time she’d convinced herself that we couldn’t work. That it was too soon to be feeling these ridiculous emotions that I knew were surging through the both of us, but that we’d both been tiptoeing around for the last week or so.

But I’d thrown a spanner in the works, and suddenly, we were forced to deal with them.

I’d been honest when I told her I hadn’t felt anything like this since I was with Kim. I think that was why I was so freaked out about the whole situation. I thought Kim would be the only woman I’d ever love, or even care for. It didn’t seem like it was possible to feel that way about more than one person.

She’d owned my thoughts and heart for so long now, letting someone else in was a challenge. But for Hadley, it was one I was willing to accept.

Talking to Op about removing Hadley as a club girl had been an idea I was considering. Having to watch her fucking my brothers while I pined after her, wasn’t my idea of fun, but I knew what the only other option was if I expected to keep her safe too.

It wasn’t the ideal circumstances, but I knew inside that, I wasn’t ready to lose her. I’d already lost Kim, and if what I was feeling for Hadley was real and I let her walk out that door, I don’t think my heart would survive this time around.

“You ready for this?” I asked her, slipping my hand into hers as my brothers filed back into the room.

She looked down at where our hands connected, wetting her lips with her tongue before looking back up at me. “Nope.”

I smirked. “Come on.”

I pulled her over to my chair, sitting down before pulling her onto my lap.

She eased into me, twisting her body sideways so her legs lay over the arm of the chair and her head dropped onto my shoulder.

It felt good to have her there, knowing that all my brothers would see how I’d claimed her.

Op called for silence in the room before turning to me with a smirk. “Guess congratulations are in order.”

I looked around at my brothers. Some smiled, some seemed indifferent. When my eyes met with Slider’s, I expected a witty retort. He always had something smart to say when another brother lost his shit to a woman, him being the kind of guy who was determined to fuck his way through life. But instead of catching him laughing or making a smart remark, his eyes were hard. And they weren’t focused on me, they were on Hadley.

I felt her huddle closer against me.

I wanted to ask him if he had a problem, but Optimus was quick to cut through the tension that had obviously settled over the room. “Okay, let’s get this shit sorted, so we can start working on a solid plan,” he ordered, his eyes narrowing on me.

“So, what it basically comes down to…” Blizzard started, taking over and putting us back on task, “… is Simon needing Hadley in order for him to keep his place in the Syndicate.”

Optimus nodded. “I talked to Skins a minute ago. He said they have the option to put Hadley in a safe house, but with Simon’s connections in the bureau, they can’t be sure it would protect her.”

“She ain’t going in a safe house,” I said simply. That was not an option. I wasn’t about to put her safety in the hands of the people Simon works for. Who knows where his connections are and how far he could reach.

“If he doesn’t make his deadline and get her there, or show proof that she’s dead, he loses his title,” Kit explained. “The Syndicate will see it as an insult to their laws.”

“So then, either the Bureau will take him out because he’s fucked up, or the Syndicate will,” I stated, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place.

“We just need to keep her out of reach until the time is up,” Op offers, his fingers tapping on the table.

I frowned. “How do we know how much time we have?”

“The flowers coming in already have half their petals, and it’s been about four weeks since the packages started,” Hadley said, speaking up for the first time. “Simon likes patterns. He’s meticulous when it comes to that kind of thing. But I haven’t seen any packages come for…” Her voice trailed off as she looked around the room. “They have been coming haven’t they?”

“Couple more, yeah.” Blizzard nodded.

“Okay, so say we have four weeks,” Op interrupted. “He’s gonna want her some time before his deadline hits. Who knows when or what kind of backing he will bring with him. We can’t lock the club down for a month, that’s too long.”

I felt Hadley tense, and my hand moved to her leg, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“So we play an epic game of catch me if you can,” Tally said, the Troy VP speaking up for the first time. “We shuffle her around. Different places. Different states. Different towns. It’s easy for him to bring an army and attack one place, but if he can’t pinpoint exactly where she is, he’s going to have to spread his resources thin.”

It was a good idea, solid.

Optimus looked to Hadley. “You know him best.”

Hadley nodded. “Tracking wasn’t Simon’s expertise. He would have to call in other sources, and if he used the Bureau, Judge would be able to find out quickly and hopefully get a warning to us so we could move.”

Op looked around the room, waiting for anyone to speak up if they disagreed or had something better up their sleeves. Satisfied, he nodded. “Looks like we’re playing hide and go seek.”

I knew Optimus hated to run from a fight, but he was a smart leader and one that knew when there were too many unknowns that it wasn’t worth the risk.

“First stop, Troy?” Kit asked.

“Sounds good, man,” I agreed. “Give us a little extra time to sort out our next step.”

“Leo, Hadley, stay,” Op ordered. “The rest of you, out.”

My brothers filed out, Blizzard, Optimus and Kit staying with us.

Hadley moved from my lap, taking the chair beside me that Kev had just vacated.

“How you gonna handle this, Leo?” Blizzard asked. “I know you wanna go with your girl, but you have another little girl who desperately needs your attention right now.”

I gritted my teeth. He was right. Macy was still scared, leaving her now would be almost cruel, despite the fact that she would probably be a lot safer if I left her with Carly.

“We’ll take her with us,” I answered, looking over at Kit. “At least to Troy, just so it gives us some more time to help her to see that she’s safe.”

“I’ll talk to Oz. I’m sure he and my mom would love to have you guys at the house with them. Might feel a little more homely than the clubhouse,” he explained.

I nodded, blowing out a slow breath. “Thanks, bro, that’d be awesome.”

“You’re gonna need to get a new truck,” Op said with a silent smirk. “We’re thinking about using yours for target practice out the back.”

“Fuck no,” Kit protested. “I’ll have that shit for parts for the auto shop if you’re just going to blow the fucker up.”

I laughed. “You can get it down there, it’s all yours. Insurance is gonna pay out for it, but not for a few weeks so one of you fuckers can lend me yours until then.”

I had enough money to go pay for a new truck. More than enough actually. I definitely wasn’t strapped for cash. But the boys were looking to head out in a couple hours back to Troy, and that would be cutting things fine.

“Take mine,” Blizzard offered. “Rose has her car to carry Jay around, and it’s older, due for an upgrade anyway. Just don’t let Hadley drive.”

He looked over at Hadley with a smile, she wasn’t so amused and raised her middle finger at him. “I was dodging bullets.”

“With the amount of holes in that thing, you would’ve thought you were trying to catch them.” He laughed.

She looked over at me. “Now I’m an Old Lady, can I punch your brothers?”

I smirked. “If they deserve it.”

She turned back to Blizzard and wiggled her eyebrows. “Hear that?”

He laughed harder, pushing back his chair to stand. “You’ll have to get through Rose.”

“She hears your smart mouth, and I’m pretty sure she’ll be right there beside me,” she called as he walked out of the room, laughter booming in the hall.

Optimus looked over at Kit. “Remind me again why the hell we choose these kinda women to be with.”

Kit chuckled. “‘Cause it’s fucking hot when they get all feisty.”

Optimus scoffed. “Wait till you get Harmony pregnant and she gets all those hormones running through her. Chelsea yelled at me this morning for leaving the lid off the fucking toothpaste.”

We all laughed, but his frown grew deeper. “This is my fucking clubhouse, and I’m getting in shit for leaving the lid off the toothpaste.”

“So what’d you do, boss man? Tell her to put it back on herself?” I asked through my laughter.

He flicked his head to me with a sharp glare. “Fuck no. And deal with the tears and screaming and bullshit that comes with it?”

I laughed harder. Optimus was our president. He was hard and stern, but he was a reasonable man. Fair with everyone. He was intimidating to look at, his stature large like mine but when it came to his woman, there was nothing he wouldn’t do.

“Hope you’re taking notes,” Hadley said, teasingly as she stood up and patted me on the shoulder.

I shook my head. “Hell no, woman. Don’t go getting any ideas.”

“Sure!” she said, heading for the door.

I looked to my brothers, the both of them looking like they were trying to hold back their laughter.

“I’m fucked, right?”

Hadley was different than Kim. They were similar in the ways that their hearts knew no end. They loved hard, they protected the people they cared for, and they were both beautiful, inside and out.

Kim was strong, she held her head high with pride, but she kept her opinions to herself, not wanting to stir or judge others for their choices. She didn’t pry or gossip, wanting to respect others’ privacy.

Hadley was strong and confident within herself, which meant she wasn’t afraid to stand up and speak when something needed to be said. She’d kept it under wraps, being a club girl meant being quiet and keeping your mouth closed on matters that didn’t concern you. But Hadley was inquisitive. She asked questions and wanted answers. Now she wasn’t a club girl, the rules had changed. But there were still rules, ones she needed to abide by because now she wasn’t representing herself, she was representing me too.

I felt an extra bounce in my step as I walked out into the main room, the boys grumbling behind me as they followed.

Okay, so maybe there wasn’t a lot to be happy about when you have a crazed ex-husband hunting you down, but when I felt his arms wrap around me from behind, I couldn’t help but smile.

“You need to go and pack your bag. We’ll be heading out in a few hours with Kit,” he said, squeezing me gently.

I spun in his arms, tiptoeing up to kiss him on the lips.

“Woah, did I miss something?” Chelsea asked, stepping out from behind the bar. She had one hand on her stomach, and a soft smile on her face as she looked between us.

“Something like that,” Leo answered cryptically, tapping me on the ass and pointing to the hallway. “Go… get your stuff.”

I threw Chelsea a cheeky wink before heading for my room.

“Explain,” I heard her demand to the room behind me.

I filled my bag, it didn’t take me long. I hadn’t brought many clothes or things with me, having no real idea about how long I’d be here. Packing light was probably a good idea anyway. We would head to Troy with Kit, Harmony, and the boys, but how long we’d stick around was anyone’s guess. And who knew where we would go from there.

We could be on the run for the next four weeks.

That was the aim anyway, run and hide, and hope like hell that Simon never catches up to us. Nervousness fluttered in my stomach. It all seemed pretty straight forward. But I knew that if Simon wanted to find me so badly, then he would go through whatever measures possible to make that happen.

Leo was smart, he had to be in order to keep his club safe. It was a job he took very seriously. But Simon had endless resources at his disposal.

The FBI would back him if he could convince them it was important.

A knocking at the door startled me as I packed up my things from the bathroom. “Come in!” I called before zipping up my toiletries bag.

Walking back into the bedroom, I looked up to see Slider standing with his back against the closed door. “Hey,” I hummed, noticing the scowl on his face.

I could tell he wasn’t happy. The look he’d given me in church as I sat on Leo’s lap was an indication that he wasn’t going to let me walk away without voicing his opinion.

When he didn’t reply, I continued, “How are you feeling today?” I knew people were going to start to notice something soon.

His skin was clammy and pale. He wasn’t getting any rest, working almost every night at X-Rated and busying himself with whatever else he could find around the club.

It wasn’t good.

“I’m fine,” he answered darkly, stepping away from the door with a slight sway. “Guess you’re feeling pretty good, too. Another club girl who’s caught themselves a member.”

I frowned at him, dropping my toiletries bag onto the bed. “I didn’t catch anything. This was Leo’s decision, not mine. You have a problem, take it up with your brother.”

“Was that your plan all along? Play nice with all the boys in hopes one of them will decide to risk their life… all our lives, for you?”

I didn’t respond, but my body was slowly filling with anger. I thought Slider was a friend. I’d kept his secret, supported him when he refused to go to the club and tell them what he was going through, and now he’s throwing this shit in my face.

“It was a good strategy actually,” he snorted. “Making everyone feel sorry for you, and then pretending like you were going to risk your own life just so that you didn’t hurt the club. Using Leo’s love for Macy was perfect.” His breathing was heavier than normal. He was struggling. He was worn down, fighting this battle alone was breaking him, and it brought tears to my eyes.

“Slider, calm down. I thought we were friends? Why are you being like this?”

“I thought we were too, but it was all just another lie, right?”

I shook my head as I stepped around him and pulled the door open, my heart aching in my chest. “I won’t do this with you right now, you’re upset and I have no idea why.” I ducked out the door and headed down the hall, hoping that he wouldn’t follow. I didn’t want to argue with him or hurt him. He needed time to calm down. But he wasn’t going to let it go.

“Why are you running?” he called after me, his heavy boots beating against the floor as he followed. “It’s the truth, isn’t it? Act all sweet and kind, get all the boys wrapped around your little finger. Then it’s just a matter of picking which one you want.”

I stepped into the large room, it was filled with the club members, and I knew they could all hear what was going on. I cringed. This wasn’t going to end well.

Maybe I’d read it all wrong. Maybe Slider’s feelings for me were more than just someone to lean on. I never wanted to hurt him, I thought he could see that we were friends. I cared about him, I wanted him to be healthy and to live, hating to see him in so much pain.

“What’s going on?” Leo asked, placing Macy onto the floor and walking toward me. I saw Rose gather Macy with Jayla and quickly guide them out the doors to the patio, obviously feeling the tension in the air. “What’s your problem, bro? She’s an Old Lady, not a fucking club girl anymore. Watch your tone.” Leo took my hand and pulled me to him.

Slider seemed oblivious to anyone else in the room, his darkened eyes focused on me. This wasn’t him. “And that’s exactly what she wanted.”

“Shut your mouth,” Leo growled in warning.

“Please, Slider, just stop,” I begged softly, wanting him to walk away. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I’d stand up for myself if he forced my hand.

“Club whores don’t get to speak—”

Suddenly, Leo threw his fist, connecting with Slider’s jaw and sending him sprawling across the floor. He stepped forward, ready to go after him again, but I grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “Leo, stop!”

He spun to me, anger in his eyes. “Why? Why protect him when he’s fucking talking to you like that? Because the shit he’s saying is true?”

I gasped. “How dare you.”

Slider pushed himself off the floor, none of his brothers came to his aid, leaving it between us to figure this out unless things got out of hand. But I desperately wanted to help him, even though his words had burned into me, scolding me.

Blood dropped from his mouth onto the floor, and he stumbled. “Yeah Hadley. Why don’t you just tell the truth?”

Suddenly, it made sense. He wasn’t acting this way because he had feelings for me and was jealous about Leo claiming me, he was hoping that by making me look like the bad guy, that the club would throw me out on my ass, and I’d look like a liar.

He didn’t want me to spill his secret.

If he could make it seem like I’d made all this shit up to snag one of the men, I’d be out on my ass and none of them would believe a word I had to say.

“You want me gone, so they won’t know,” I snapped accusingly.

He bared his teeth at me and moved forward, but Leo pulled me back beside him, protecting me from his brother.

“All right, someone’s going to start fucking talking before I get real angry,” Optimus announced, stomping toward us.

Slider stared directly into my eyes. He knew that I was no longer obliged to keep my mouth shut. My loyalties had changed. Being an Old Lady now meant that I answered to Leo. He would demand the truth from me, and I would have to tell him.

Slider blinked quickly, his body wobbling. He was losing it. Gone was the cheerful fun guy that all these people knew and loved. The guy that made me laugh and smile the moment I walked in the door of the clubhouse.

He was being consumed by this disease, it was taking over and breaking him down, and he was refusing to ask for help, but that was what he desperately needed. His friends, his family to rally around him, and hold him up when he was on the brink of falling. And I wasn’t about to watch him break down and shatter, knowing that I could have done something.

“He wants the truth, Slider,” I said, speaking quietly. “You gonna tell him, or am I?”

“It’s not fucking up to you!” he screamed.

Leo’s hand tightened on mine, and he pulled me closer to him.

I swallowed. “He’s—”

He dived forward but Optimus was quicker, Slider’s body too broken and sluggish. Op wrapped his arms around his chest and held him back. “Calm the fuck down!”

Leo pointed at him. “You come after my Old Lady again, I’ll
fucking
shoot you.”

“Hadley, talk!” Op ordered.

“He’s got cancer,” I answered, my voice breaking as I watched Slider’s body slump. It was like I could see the weight of his deception being lifted from his shoulders. The fight to keep his secret finally over.

Chelsea stepped up beside Leo, her hand over her mouth and tears brimming her eyes.

Slider used what little strength he had left to push Op away, his president too shocked to fight against him.

My body moved forward, wanting desperately to go after him as he stomped quickly up the staircase, but Leo held me back. I looked up at him, my vision blurred through tears. Leo shook his head, pulling me back against him and wrapping his strong arms around me. The feeling of betrayal sat heavy in my stomach as I pressed my face into Leo’s chest.

Op shook his head, finally looking up to us. “Both of you. My office.
Now.
” He grabbed Chelsea’s hand as he stormed past, brothers and club girls stepping out of his path, and Chelsea hurrying to keep up.

Leo sighed deeply, his lips brushing the top of my head. “Come on.”

I closed the door behind me as we stepped inside Optimus’ office. He sat in his chair behind his desk with Chelsea on his lap. She attempted to smile at me, but it was forced, the tears dripping down her cheeks a dead giveaway.

Leo and I both took the chairs that sat on the opposite side of the desk. I sunk into it, my body feeling overwhelmed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to happen like this.”

“How long have you known?” Optimus asked.

“Since I went shopping with the girls the other weekend,” I answered. “We went to my room, he couldn’t…” I cringed, not wanting to explain. It was bad enough that I’d outed him, but to have to tell them he couldn’t get hard just seemed like I would be kicking him while he was down. By the looks on their faces, they understood, though.

“When he was dressing, I noticed a mark on his stomach,” I explained. “My dad went through hormone therapy during his cancer. When he came back trying to explain, I asked him, and he caved.”

“Why didn’t he tell us?” Chelsea said, the hurt in her voice noticeable.

“He didn’t want to be cut off. He said the club was all he had left, and if he told you, you’d make him rest and wouldn’t allow him to do his job.” I sighed. “He doesn’t want to be treated differently. But it’s getting to the point where he’s just not strong enough. He needs support, he’s just being stubborn.”

Leo reached across and placed his hand over mine.

Optimus nodded as though he understood. “We should have picked it up sooner.”

I shook my head. “He was good at hiding it. He knew that people would start to notice something when he wasn’t banging club girls left and right. So he came to me, made it look like he was.”

My throat tightened as I looked over at Leo. His brow was scrunched up in a frustrated scowl like he finally saw the pieces fall into place.