by J. M. Walker
Creena came up the stairs, nodding once, and stood at the closed door. “Angel went home to feed Buck. Dale and Stone went to a local gym the Navy uses. Asher is …” She glanced at me.
“Sleeping,” I answered.
She nodded. “And Coby is … around.”
“That man is like a ghost,” I muttered, taking a couple steps down the stairs.
“Isn’t that his nickname?” Creena asked.
That caught Brogan’s attention. “You think?”
“You should ask him,” I said, gently elbowing her.
She scoffed. “Please.”
“Ladies,” Jay barked from the bottom of the stairs. “Get down here. Now.”
Brogan and I headed down the stairs. Once we walked into the large open space, I saw a chair in the middle of the room. A cold sweat raced down my back at seeing the man sitting on the metal chair. His hands were tied behind his back, and his ankles were tied to the front legs of the chair. Max stood off to the side, and Jay moved in front of him.
The question of what was going on tingled on my tongue, but the words wouldn’t leave me. Jay was desperate. It had been hard for her to run a female MC but we all stuck together and made it work. We were a team like Vice-One. The thought of Asher slid into my mind. Every part of me ached for him.
A loud crack sounding through the air interrupted my dirty thoughts.
Jay leaned over the man, peering into his eyes. “Tell me what you know about the men who took my sister.”
“I’m not telling you shit,” he spat. “You think you’re so fucking tough because you’re the president of an MC. Little girl, you have no fucking idea who you’re playing with.”
“Tell me,” Jay demanded. “Or, little boy, I will gut you like a fucking pig.”
My mouth went dry. I had never seen Jay like that. She was always put together but … a darkness took over.
The man laughed. “I’m not scared of you, bitch. All of your little whores would make great toys.”
“Shut up!” Jay shouted, landing her fist against the man’s cheek.
He spat at her feet, laughing harder. “You do have a hell of a punch. I’ll give you that. I know some men who would love to play with you. You would be a challenge for them. Is that what Eric Vega liked about you? You put up a fight? How did it feel being chained to his wall?”
“Tell me who took my sister,” she said, her voice cracking.
“Your sister put up a fight too. You know what men would pay to have twins? I can guarantee you a million.”
A couple shocked gasps sounded around the room.
“Who are you?” Jay asked. “Were you the one who blew a hole into our club? Tell me that. Tell me something.”
The man sneered. “I’m just a man who makes it so my boss gets what he wants. And that hole? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You’re lying.” Her fists clenched at her sides. “Tell me.”
“I’m not telling you shit.”
“Who took Violet?” Brogan demanded, coming up to Jay’s side. That small movement sent Jay standing taller. She liked to think that she could do everything on her own, but she couldn’t. It’s why we all worked well together. We needed each other.
“What the fuck are you going to do? Smack me to death? Look at you. You’re tiny as hell.” The man threw his head back and laughed. “You’re a fucking sprite.”
In a quick move, Brogan cupped his jaw and dug her fingers into his cheeks.
He cried out.
She sneered. “I love it when a man is forced into submission.” She licked her lips. “Now, you’re going to tell us who took Violet Gold.”
“Fuck you,” he spat out.
Brogan’s grin grew. Pulling out a switchblade from her back pocket, she flipped it open and waved it in front of his face. “You see, my sister here—” she pointed at Jay “—is nice, but I’m not.” Suddenly, she dropped her hand, stabbing the knife into his thigh.
The guy screamed. “Fuck! You bitch.”
“Hurts, don’t it?” she twisted the knife. “Now, tell us what we want to know. Who took Violet, and who blew that big ass hole into our club?”
“Listen, whore. You can do what you want to me, but I won’t say shit,” he said through gritted teeth.
Brogan twisted the knife again, pushing it further into the muscle.
He screamed, shaking in the chair.
I winced, looking away when my gaze caught a shadow on the stairs.
Coby stared straight ahead, looking directly at Brogan. No emotion showed on his face, but I caught something in his dark eyes. The hint of pure unmistakeable lust peered from him. For Brogan?
Well, that was new. I knew she had a crush on him, but I never thought it would be reciprocated. Unsure how he got by Creena, I took a step back and stood beside him.
He nodded once, crossing his arms under his broad chest.
“You will say something because it’s how men like you are,” Brogan continued. “You’re trying to show them that you’ll do whatever it takes to get their approval but you will also do anything to get to the top. If it means taking them out, you won’t hesitate. Will you?” When he didn’t say anything, Brogan went on. “That’s what I thought.” Pulling the knife from his thigh, Brogan wiped the blade on her pants and took a step back.
“My sister has a temper,” Jay told him. “If you don’t give us what we want, I’ll let her kill you.” She wouldn’t, but it still made my heart skip a beat. None of us had ever killed anyone. Most MC’s dealt with violence and corruption, but we tried to stay on the straight and narrow even though it was damn hard at times.
“I don’t know anything,” the guy finally said.
“Tell us who you deal with,” Brogan tapped the knife against her hand.
“Doesn’t matter if I tell you. You’ll kill me either way.”
“No, we won’t.” Jay crossed her arms under her chest. “I want you to take a message back to your boss. Let him know that no matter what, we will come after him.”
The guy scoffed. “Please. You going to have your boyfriend do your dirty work?”
“No,” a deep voice boomed from the stairway. “My girlfriend does her own shit.”
All heads turned Angel’s way. He stood on the stairs, staring down at Jay.
“Ah. It seems my boyfriend wanted to come and play,” she said, her gaze locking with Angel’s. Something flashed in them. Worry? Fear? I couldn’t be sure. They had been going through some issues. The human trafficking shit was causing problems even for the strongest of couples.
“Oh, I want to play,” Angel trudged down the stairs. “But my girlfriend apparently likes doing things by herself.”
“Well, it looks like you two have some shit to deal with,” the man said, struggling against his binds. “Why don’t you let me go and I’ll relay your message.”
“Shut up,” Angel demanded, walking up to Jay. Cupping her nape, he tilted her head back and smacked a hard kiss on her mouth. He muttered something in her ear. Her eyes widened, heating with desire for the man holding her.
Angel released her, walking by me. “Take care of her,” he told me.
“I will.” And I would. At times, Jay was like a bomb, and I was just waiting for her to go off. No matter what happened, we would be there to pick up the pieces.
When Angel headed up the stairs, he clapped Coby on the shoulder, whispering something to him. Coby nodded once, gave Brogan one last look, and followed Angel.
Once the door shut behind them, Jay shook herself and focused back on the man sitting in front of her.
“Are you going to kill me or let me go?” The man feigned a yawn. “I’m getting bored.”
Jay shot her fist out, landing it against his jaw.
The sound reverberated through my body.
“Fuck. What the hell?”
“Tell me who you report to,” she demanded, her voice calm and even.
“Ask your boyfriend,” he nodded tow
ard the stairway. “I’m sure he knows.”
“Fine.” She turned to Brogan. “He’s all yours.”
***
(Asher)
A sheen of sweat coated my skin, my clothes sticking to my aching body. My muscles jumped, protesting with each movement I attempted to make. Rolling over onto my back, I let out an agonizing breath. I tried to replay the last hour in my mind. I remembered charging for Meeka, throwing her over my shoulder, and taking my frustration out on her. Bits and pieces of our conversation after came to mind, but other than that, I was a fucking lost cause. It was like a movie had been playing and someone cut out a scene. The memories were dark, and I couldn’t figure out what the fuck happened. All I knew was that I felt better. At ease.
I didn’t black out often and my breakdowns were few and far between. But seeing Tyler, knowing we had to tell Jay her ex was in on this trafficking shit bothered me.
A sharp pain pierced between my eyes, reminding me that I didn’t have the control I thought I had.
Leaving the bed, I headed to the bathroom to take a shower. To wash away the filth of the nightmare that had become my life.
Stepping under the hot spray, I quickly washed the sweat off of me. After drying myself off and getting dressed, I went in search of Meeka. I needed to apologize and try and explain what had happened. I needed her. My cock twitched. And my body did as well.
“Your girl is in the basement,” Angel called from the gym doorway. “You should head down there before she’s a witness to murder.”
“Murder?” I frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Apparently, the Harlots found a guy who is a runner for the organization you and Meeka are working to bring down.”
“We’re not the only ones,” I reminded him.
“Maybe not—” he crossed his arms under his chest, leaning against the wall “—but they’ll see you first before they see us.”
“Did the guy recognize Meeka at all?”
“It didn’t look like it.”
“Shit.” Why the hell wouldn’t she have thought of that?
“Because Jay asked her to do something, and Meeka will do anything to get back in her good books.”
“True,” I mumbled, not realizing I spoke out loud.
Angel pushed off the wall. “Remember who you’re dealing with. Not just Meeka, but the club she belongs to as well. You hurt her, and those girls will attack as one.”
“I don’t plan on hurting her.” My brows narrowed.
“Maybe not, but you also haven’t told her how you feel or what’s really going on.”
“What the hell am I supposed to say? That my past is catching up with me and I don’t know how to fucking handle it? Or that I love her but I’m terrified that after, it won’t be the same?” Where those questions were coming from, I had no idea. I never spoke about my feelings. Not even to my brothers.
“I don’t know what’s going on with you or what your past consists of. I know you’ll tell me when you are ready but you need to protect her. I was selfish when I asked you two to go undercover for me.”
“You needed me,” I reminded him.
Angel rubbed the back of his neck. “I know.” He took a breath. “Listen, you are my brother. Not by blood but by breath alone. I love you, man. And I don’t say it enough. You guys are my fucking life.”
“What’s going on?” I frowned. “Do you know something that I don’t?”
He shook his head. “I wish I fucking knew something. Jay is losing her shit over not being able to get the information from her sister. Violet has turned into a fucking vault. She won’t say shit.”
“Did someone threaten her? Since we brought her home?” Meeka and I had brought her back to her sister. Even though we almost lost our friends over it, Violet was safe, and that was all we cared about.
“No, not that we know of.” Angel came up to me, placing his hands on my shoulders and peered into my eyes. “If you want out, just say the word. We’ll figure out some other way to bring these bastards down.”
“I found out information,” I blurted. I had wanted to tell Jay first, but maybe if Angel knew, he could help sweeten the blow.
“What sort of information?”
“Coby and I went to see Tyler.”
“Fuck.” Angel released me and started pacing back and forth in front of me.
“We wanted to let him know that he isn’t welcome here.”
“What did you find?” he asked, closing his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Charles Brian was there.”
“Shit.”
Exactly.
I NEEDED something to occupy my thoughts. To distract me from the image that had been burned into my retinas. When Jay had told Brogan that the guy was all hers, Brogan did what she did best. She fought. She hit him over and over. I could still hear the sounds of bone crunching in my mind. We weren’t your average MC but shit on our doorstep and we were sadistic just like the rest of them.
Brogan may have been the smallest, but she could pack a punch. I also knew that she wouldn’t kill him, or anyone, for that matter, but I didn’t like seeing that side of my best friend. It was the part of her she couldn’t control. There was a darkness in her that she never let out until it was needed or too late.
“You came up here without them.”
I jumped at the deep voice coming from a few feet away and found Coby staring back at me. “I … They’re just doing an interrogation, so I wasn’t needed.”
Coby nodded once and picked up a cloth. He started wiping down the counter before sitting on the bar stool in front of me.
Clearing my throat, I handed him a beer and took one for myself.
He clinked the bottle against mine and took a swig, his eyes peering at me. “Ask me,” he finally said, placing the bottle back on the counter top.
“What happened when you went to see Tyler?”
“Asher told you.”
“Yes.” It wasn’t a question, but I felt the need to answer anyway. “But he didn’t tell me what exactly happened.”
“We saw Charles Brian, and Asher lost his shit.”
“What did you do?”
“I stood back and watched.”
“And you let him go at Tyler?” I demanded, my voice raising.
“Before you accuse me of shit, little girl, you need to get your facts straight.” His voice came out even and in control. “I stood back until my brother indicated that he needed me. Asher knows what he is doing. Yes, he’s had a shitty start to life, but with you, he’s kept going.”
“Wait.” I shook my head. “You know?”
“I don’t need to know anything.”
“But—”
“I saw it in his eyes, and I’ve also seen how you two are together.”
“You are a very confusing man,” I blurted, my cheeks heating at my outburst.
“Maybe so, but I do pay attention. I’m trained to watch and listen.” His eyes twinkled.
“Is that why you don’t say much?” I asked. “Sorry, I’m being really nosy.”
“I like you for him. I wish we would have met sooner, but Asher liked to keep that part of his life a secret.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “He never told me much about you guys.” Asher had always been a private person. Even when he used to sneak into my room at night. He would tell me that he needed some peace and quiet. I never argued or asked him what was going on. I didn’t have to. I knew he had a shitty childhood. I met his step-father. One look at the man, and you could tell he didn’t care about anyone but himself.
Coby rose from his spot at the bar and knuckle rapped the counter. “Have patience with him.” He turned to leave. “Oh, and please tell your friend to stop trying.”
“Brogan?” I frowned.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
His back stiffened. “I’m not good enough for her.” And with that, he walked away, heading out the front doors of the club.
> My heart panged for him. Much like Asher had told me, Coby felt the same way. But knowing Brogan, she wouldn’t give up. There was something about Coby that was good for her. He may have his secrets, but I knew she could help him see that he was good enough.
I sighed, going back to cleaning behind the bar. What was with these men who felt they weren’t good enough?
Distracting myself, I bent over to put the empty beer bottles back in their box when a rough groan sounded from behind me.
Smiling, I rose to my full height slowly and turned around. “Something you like?” I asked Asher, making a point to let my eyes roam down the length of his body.
“Fuck, woman.” He took a step toward me. “You keep looking at me like that, and I’ll bend you over right here and fuck that sweet pussy of yours.”
“Yeah, yeah. Promises, promises.” I laughed, continuing to put the bottles away.
“Is that a challenge, Hummingbird?” he stepped up behind me. “Because I’m always up for the task.”
“As much as I want to, I have to finish cleaning.”
“It’s almost three in the morning, Meeka.”
“It’s distracting.” My shoulders dropped. Rubbing a hand down my face, I stifled a yawn. “I didn’t want—”
“I know.” He pinched my chin, tilting my head up to meet his mouth. “I get it. Jay is desperate and is willing to do whatever it takes to find the bastards who took her sister.”
“I wish I could help.” My heart jumped.
“You are helping. You were there with her.”
“I don’t like seeing that side of them.”
“Is that why you left and decided to clean?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
My jaw clenched. “It is. Brogan loses herself. She goes to a dark place, and then the violence takes over.”
He nodded. “I know how that feels.”
Running my hand down his chest, I leaned against him, breathing in the scent of him. Asher had always smelled good. Whether it be due to cologne, sweat or sex, I could devour him. A soft purr left my mouth, a shiver of desire enveloping me in a soft cocoon.
“Meeka,” he said, his voice husky.