Harmony (The Club Girl Diaries Book 1) (10 page)

“You ready?” Kit asked, coming to stand in front of me before dropping to his knees and tying my shoe laces. I almost smiled at the gesture, but my stubborn streak kept the impassive look on my face.

“Yeah, I guess.”

He stuffed my things into my bag and zipped it up. “Let’s get going.”

“Can I bring my guitar?”

He turned back to me, his brow creased like he was confused by the question. “Of course.”

I grabbed it from its stand and walked toward the door. Kit wrapped his arm around my waist, halting me and nuzzled his face into my neck. “One day I hope you’ll realize that I’m doing this to keep you safe, not to punish you.” He kissed me gently on the cheek and guided me out of the room with a hand on the small of my back.

Chelsea and Optimus were waiting outside for us. Chelsea hugged me tightly. I winced with pain but didn’t say anything, enjoying the moment I had with my best friend.

“I’ll see you soon,” I whispered in her ear.

“I’ll see you soon,” she repeated sadly.

Chelsea stepped back and Optimus moved into her place, looking down at me with a face I couldn’t quite read. “This is the best way, Harm. When we know you’re safe, we will welcome you back with open arms.” His eyes flicked momentarily over my shoulder. “If that’s what you want.”

“Harmony!” Caleb came racing over from his guard position at the front gates. He pulled up sharp in front of me. “I’m real sorry, Harm.”

I hadn’t seen him since this all happened. Yes, I was upset I’d gotten shot but it wasn’t exactly his fault. He was trying to protect me, and whether I liked to admit it or not, being shot was the only thing that saved my ass from being dragged away into that van.

“It’s okay, Caleb.” I smiled softly and reached out to touch his arm. “I’m still here because of you. This shit will heal and I’ll be back in no time.” I told him, gesturing to my shoulder.

Caleb had a special place in my heart. I felt myself always wanting to watch out for him, even when the other Brothers played their stupid hazing games. We joked and flirted all the time, but to me I think I would always see him as a goofy little brother.

“Come on, Harmony. The boys are itching to get back,” Kit said from behind me. I nodded and walked toward the large Chevy truck that was parked next to Kit’s bike. I sat in the cab, watching as Caleb returned to his post and Optimus ordered Chelsea away. He and Kit had a small pow-wow with a few of the men. There was nodding and stern faces, but it was over quickly and Kit was soon stalking toward me and climbing in the driver’s side of the truck.

He didn’t say anything as we pulled out of the clubhouse lot and onto the main road, bikes surrounding us in a chorus of revving and rumbling.

I was sad. There were no big words to describe how I felt. No heartfelt meaningful shit. I was just sad.

The club here had been my life for the last three or so years. I tried to think of it as a little vacation. But the reality was that Kit had made it crystal clear that he had his mind set on keeping me, and I knew he would make it very hard for me to leave.

My phone rang in my pocket, the ring tone was one of Ashes and Embers’ songs – the band my mom was currently representing.

“Hi Mama,” I answered, trying to sound as cheery as possible. I saw Kit’s eyes flick to me before once again focusing on the road.

I could hear the band playing in the background, figuring they must be in rehearsals. “Hey, beautiful girl. How are you?”

“I’m good, Mom. How are things there?” I tried to take the conversation off me, not really wanting to explain to her the situation that I was currently in. But, of course, this was my mother. Nothing got past her.

She scoffed. “Let’s try that again, this time with the truth.”

“Mama, I can’t talk about it right now.”

“Are you okay? Have you been kidnaped or something? Cough twice if you need me to call the police,” she said frantically.

I let out a small giggle. “Seriously Mom, that’s what you’ve got? Cough twice?”

I heard a sigh of relief. “Sorry, I worry. You know this.”

“I know, Mom. But honestly I’m fine. I’m actually going away for a few days with some friends from the club.” I saw Kit’s hands tighten on the steering wheel of the car.

“Is this friend a boy?” she asked, curiously with maybe a little too much excitement.

“It might be.”

“Is he hot?”

“Mother!”

I saw Kit smirk and it was now that I realized he could hear her side of the conversation also.

“Put it on speaker phone.”

I groaned, she’d done this with a few of the other boys and they’d fallen in love with my mom instantly. She just had a way with men. I clicked the speaker phone button and held the phone out in front of me.

I held my forehead in my palm. “There, you’re on speaker.”

“Hello?”

Kit chuckled. “Hello, ma’am.”

“Why, hello young man. What might your name be?”

“Kit, ma’am.”

“Please don’t ma’am me, my parents gave me a name for a reason. I’m Helen,” she had her stern mom voice on already. “What are your intentions for my lovely daughter, Kit?”

I groaned again, but Kit just laughed as he watched the road. “Just want to keep her safe, Helen.”

“Why is she not safe?” my mother growled and I could tell it was more directed at me for not sharing that tidbit of information.

“She will be as long as she’s with me.”

“Harmony Hope Jones—”

I glared at Kit. “Mom, it’s okay. I’m fine.”

“I will not hesitate to come down there and bring Storm, Vandal, and the other boys with me to drag you back here if need be.” I flushed, those boys and my mom had a strange love slash hate relationship. Probably because she had the job of keeping them in line and out of trouble, and they could be as troublesome as bad boys come. But what I did know was that they wouldn’t hesitate to come down here and help her drag me back with them – clubhouse full of bikers, be damned.

“Mom, I’m going now. I’m fine, honestly. Kit will look after me. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

I knew I wasn’t going to pacify her, but she let me off. “Fine. Tomorrow, Harmony. I love you.”

“I love you too, Mama.”

I hung up and continued to palm my forehead. “Thanks for that,” I muttered.

“Who are Storm and Vandal?” Kit managed to grit out.

“I told you. My mom is the publicist for a famous band. Storm and Vandal are band members.”

“You have something going on with them?”

I pointed him with narrowed eyes. “And if I did?”

“Harmony…” he growled deeply.

“Will you just drive? I can’t be fucked with this right now to be quite honest,” I said, sighing in exasperation.

“We’ll be talking,” he said quietly.

I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure we will.”

We pulled up to some dinky little petrol station and convenience store not far out of town.

Kit had followed the bikes in, muttering something to himself about wondering what they were up to. We’d only been in the car not much longer than an hour, but I was desperate to get out and breathe.

I walked off in search of the bathroom, leaving Kit to talk with his Brothers. I didn’t really need to go but being in that small space with him right next to me, it was messing with my head something fierce.

Kit was sexy, he was commanding and he was strong. Everything an outlaw biker president should be. When he talked, you paid attention, not just because you should but because he just had that type of aura around him that made you want to hear what he had to say.

I hated that. Damn it.

I liked Kit. Okay, maybe it was more than that. Maybe I was catching a serious case of
the feelings
. My body knew this in the way it wanted him to strip me of my clothes and fuck me front-ways, back-ways, and all the bloody ways in between. My heart knew it in the way it raced just having him anywhere near.

But my head? That’s where the objections came. That’s what kept me fighting against the situation, against giving in and letting him have me.

My heart didn’t remember all the times men had walked in and out of my life, always leaving me behind without a second thought. My body didn’t remember what it was like to look up to someone, have them teach you their craft and then just take off without even a goodbye at the end of their rock tour. My head remembered these things. They were burnt into my brain. A sharp reminder that getting attached to someone wasn’t a good thing. They’d move on and I’d be left behind.

I’d lived that pattern so many times that it had eventually become the norm. Then I’d been offered a place as a club girl and it almost seemed too perfect. Booze, sex, men and no attachments what-so-ever.

I stood in front of the large bathroom mirror that ran along one wall. Staring at my reflection was a little depressing. My arm was cradled to my body because I’d refused to wear my sling in the car much to Kit’s protests. My hair was hanging down around my face, something I hated, preferring to have it tied back or at least pinned back and out of the way. And to top it all off, the smile I tried to put on my lips didn’t even resemble a real one. It was so forced it was sad.

I heard the door swing open, but took no notice as I continued to study myself in the mirror. Kit would help me through this. He would find the guy, sort him out with the help of the club and I’d go home.

I snorted, knowing I was kidding myself. Kit had made it perfectly clear what he wanted – me. And while I was independent and strong-willed, telling myself I didn’t need a man to watch over me or stand up for me, I felt safe with him. Safe in a situation that I would never admit to anyone scared the crap out of me.

“Harmony Jones.” My head shot up, the deep masculine voice sending shock waves through me.

I turned to find two men. One standing in front of the bathroom door with his arms folded across his chest, the other standing closer to me, a smug look plastered on his face.

Suits. They were both wearing suits. Designer suits. Not just ones you rented for a wedding, but ones that wealthy businessmen owned and wore on a daily basis.

“It’s so nice to see you again.”

I recognized him immediately. The man from the coffee shop. The one who had started this whole journey. My stomach turned and my throat itched. I wanted to yell, to scream for help. But I knew that the boys were all out the front of the store, and they wouldn’t hear me.

I steeled my shoulders and glared at him through my dipped lashes, feigning confidence that I knew I didn’t have. “And you are?”

He held his hand out, searching for a handshake. “Daniel Ashley.” I looked at his hand, scrunching up my nose as though I was thoroughly disgusted, as opposed to scared out of my mind. He held it there for a few seconds before withdrawing it with a light chuckle. “You know, it’s polite to shake a man’s hand when he offers it to you.”

“I’d say I’m sorry, but that would be a lie,” I shot.

I saw his eyes narrow slightly, but he covered the slight bout of anger quickly with a smile. “I just wanted to come and introduce myself to you.”

“At a gas station in the middle of nowhere?” I scoffed. I knew what he was doing, I wasn’t stupid. This man was proving a point. He knew where I was and who I was with and he wanted to show me that he could get to me.

“Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to
catch
you alone lately,” his word emphasis was not lost on me and my body instinctively took a step away from him. He followed, his step a lot larger. He was moving closer and with his man standing guard at the door, he was backing me into a corner. “I needed your friend, Chelsea isn’t it? I needed her for a business deal. It was unfortunate that you had to come along and ruin that.”

His hand flew out, slapping me across the face and forcing me to the wall. The hand dryer hit my back and my legs threatened to cave. With my back against a wall, I felt like a caged animal waiting for a predator to strike. And he didn’t disappoint.

“I thought I’d get some of my men to grab you.” He gestured to the buff guy standing at the door who smiled devilishly. “I just wanted to have a chat, maybe teach you a few things about manners. But you ruined that also. How’s your shoulder by the way?”

“Fuck you,” I sneered.

His hand shot out and gripped my sore shoulder. I tensed, trying not to show this man how much pain he was causing me.

“As much as I would love to do just that. That is not my job here.” He pressed his thumb directly into my bullet wound and I screamed out as a jolt of pain shot through my body. I tried to move away from him, but he just stepped further into me, his hand and the pain keeping my body immobile. I could even hear and feel the stitches popping and breaking. “At first I just wanted to show you some respect. The way you talked to me was unacceptable, Harmony. A woman needs to know her place, and it’s obvious to me that you don’t.”

Tears burned in my eyes, but I forced them down. I wouldn’t show this monster any sign that he was winning. “I said…Fuck…You.”

The backhand to the face caught me off guard and I stumbled, falling against one of the toilet stalls. I gripped a hold of it before I could fall, attempting to keep my balance. I looked up at him, and the darkness in the eyes shining back at me made me want to cower. He cleared his throat and adjusted his cufflinks casually like he hadn’t just smacked the shit out of me.

“You’re strong, Harmony. I’ll give you that.” The pain in my shoulder and face was excruciating, but I’d held my shoulders back and stared him in the eye, refusing to let him see me vulnerable. “But everyone has their breaking point and I would’ve taken so much pleasure in breaking you. But then a client of mine heard about you, he became very interested and was adamant that he must have you for his collection.”

I frowned, confused by his words.

“I know who you are! I know where you’re going! I know everything about you!” He smirked, dusting off his hands as if when he hit me he may have contracted some sort of disease. “I’ll let you have a little time with your friends because where you’re going, you’re going to need the happy memories to make it through.” Then he turned and strolled straight out the door, as though he hadn’t just threatened me. Almost like it was just another day at the office.

My body gave in and I slid to the floor. Things were escalating very quickly, my mind couldn’t keep up, his words replaying over and over again.

He must have you for his collection.

Where you’re going, you’re going to need the happy memories.

I would’ve taken so much pleasure in breaking you.

I heard a gasp and looked up, my eyes now clouded with tears.

“Oh, my dear! Are you okay, honey?” The older lady moved toward me. She crouched down and reached out to brush my hair away from my eyes. I cringed and turned away from her. “Is there someone I can get for you? Are you here with anyone?”

Kit. Get Kit.

“His name’s Kit, he’s one of the bikers outside,” I whispered. Hiding my face behind a curtain of hair, not wanting to see the look of pity on the woman’s face.

“Okay, I’ll get him.”

She rushed out and I let the dam loose. The waterworks were on, only relieving a little of the pressure that was now building in my head.

This was bad.

So, so bad.