by E. C. Land
I’d tried to ask her out once, only to have her turn me down. I’m not the type to chase after pussy, not when I have a slew of it at my command. Clubwhores and strippers alike.
Except for one problem when it comes to those bitches, they’re not her, and it seems my cock only wants the one who’s to be mine.
It sucked when she disappeared shortly after Tinsley was hurt. I thought I’d have to get Tracker and Nerd to find her for me; however, I heard Raven mention to Victoria, Harlow decided to go on vacation. At first, I figured it would be a simple week or so away from here. Didn’t expect it to be longer. Months longer at that.
Last night, I saw her for the first time in a dance club of all places, not acting like herself. I’d been livid, confronted her and when she tried to brush me off, I did something I had never done but now get why my brothers all get pissed and cart their women off. Throwing Harlow over my shoulder, I stormed out of the club we’d been at to help ease Cara back into wanting to do something fun again after the ordeal she went through.
I’d ended up driving my truck to the club due to the cold rain we’d been having all day which worked in favor for me as Harlow had been drunk off her ass. Something that seemed alarming to me. That and the women she’d been dancing with.
Shoving her into the passenger seat, I round the truck and hop in, start the engine and floor it out of the parking lot. The entire time, I could feel Harlow fuming silently in the seat next to me as I drove home. Considering my house was in the middle of five acres of nothing but fields and tree lines, I knew once getting her there she wouldn’t be able to leave without me taking her anywhere.
At least that’s what I thought until I woke up this morning on my couch to find her gone. After we’d gotten to my house, I opened the front door and Harlow stormed past me straight to my bedroom, slammed the door, locking it. I figured I would give her the night to calm down. She was here with me and it didn’t cross my mind she’d leave without me knowing. My security system on the house being top of the line.
Stupid of me to underestimate Harlow, especially since she’s related to Raven.
Sitting in an Adirondack chair, coffee in hand, legs kicked up on the railing, I debate on how to play this with Harlow being slippery as fuck. I grasped her long enough for her to slip through my fingers not once but twice now. First time was by letting her do her thing while she got to know me when she let me. Sure, I get it wasn’t much and some of that time I was pissed with her. Only because the woman was insufferable, and I can have a chip on my shoulder when need be.
My phone rings on the small wooden table sitting between my chair and its match. Picking it up I groan at seeing Coyote’s name showing up.
Shaking my head, I answer. “Isn’t it a little early for you?” I grumble, lifting my coffee to my lips.
“Nope, not when I’m heading to the hospital with Tinsley. She’s having the baby,” he declares. Fuckin’ hell. Standing up, I start for the door to get my shit and head out. “Tinsley’s been trying to call Harlow and can’t get ahold of her. Since you carried her out of the club last night, I need you to put her on the phone.”
Shit.
“Harlow’s not here, brother. She snuck out sometime during the night,” I inform him.
“Fuck,” Coyote growls through the line. “How the hell did that happen?”
“Well, considering when I got her to my house, she stormed off to my room. Figured I’d give her a bit to calm down and passed out on the couch. Don’t know when she left either,” I mutter, pissed more now than I was when I’d woken up to find her gone.
“Alright, thanks. I need to get Tinsley to the hospital,” Coyote mutters and disconnects.
Placing the cup on the counter in the kitchen, I head to my room and stop in the doorway to find Harlow standing there.
“What the fuck?” I snap, more than pissed with her at the moment.
“Why did you bring me here?” she asks softly.
“How about you answer me first, what the fuck do you think you’re doing? Pulling a disappearing act while I was fuckin’ asleep on the couch only to show the hell back up.” Yeah, you can say I’m pissed at her.
Doesn’t matter she’s mine and I want her with me. This bullshit of hers has got to stop. Disappearing when she wants, popping back up when she feels like it, it’s all fuckin’ with my head.
“I didn’t leave the house,” she huffs, crossing her arms over her chest and it’s then I notice what Harlow’s wearing. A pair of my sweatpants and a black undershirt with her hair tied up on the top of her head. Seeing her like this, something tells me it’s a sight no one is ever allowed since not once have I ever seen her with her hair up exposing her face for all to see. Normally it’s parted to the side so her cheek with the scar is hidden somewhat with her jet-black hair.
“Yeah, then where the hell have you been considering I’ve looked everywhere in this house for you,” I demand.
“I know you did, you looked directly at me,” Harlow whispers, glancing down at the carpet.
“Then where did I see you?” Stepping forward, I wait for her to answer.
“Sitting on the floor in the corner,” she murmurs, without lifting her head, to meet my gaze.
I open my mouth to speak only to shut it again as I think about her words. She’d been sitting on the floor in the corner of my room. I’d looked right past her as if she were a ghost.
Fuck.
What is this woman doing to my head?
Chapter Two
Harlow
Over the past years, I’ve harnessed more than one particular skill, one of them being invisible to those around me. I can make it so no one who knows me can see me without me wanting them to.
Last night after Ranger carried me out of the club, I’d been completely pissed beyond reason. I didn’t trust myself to speak a word to him. He doesn’t know what he could have done. Shit, if I knew they were going to be at the club I’d been at last night I wouldn’t have been there, unfortunately I needed to be.
What I was hired to do took precedence over my personal life. I’d pretty much locked everyone out except for Trevor, Raven, and Victoria. When it came to Victoria and Raven, I even minimized my contact with them. Trevor was my contact point for this one. When I’d first received the message asking for my help in finding a girl barely seventeen years old who’d gone out with some of her friends to the movies, I found out she’d been taken into a slavery organization.
Upon finding this out, Trevor suggested I bring Vi and Raven on; however, I pointed out to him both of them have families that need them. Raven just had her baby not long ago, along with their other son who is still an infant as well, to take care of. No one would ever guess that Matthew wasn’t Raven’s with the way she is around him. Victoria had Jamie to take care of and was working at Dolly’s Playhouse, managing the club for the Devil’s Riot MC. I do know from a message she left me not to long ago she’d had to assist the Inferno’s Clutch MC with a situation.
It’s mind boggling with how intertwined our family is with both clubs. Victoria being Chains’ sister and Ryder’s niece, Raven being Fury’s daughter and Pitch Black’s sister. Of course, then there’s Lynch and me, we’re Fury’s nephew and niece; however, we’re more like his children. After our mom, Scarlett, decided she couldn’t handle being a parent, she’d signed her rights over making us Fury and Ela’s children.
Growing up it wasn’t bad, I enjoyed the fact Raven was more like my sister who was the same age as me. Then that fateful day happened that altered my entire life, I left Louisiana and never went back. Not even for any of the holidays. I couldn’t go there. This decision pissed my brother off, but he understood. Pitch Black was livid about this decision, he’d been the one to find me and felt the pain of it as if it were his own. Didn’t matter if anyone told him it wasn’t his fault it happened.
Now standing in front of Ranger seeing his expression, I know he’s beyond pissed with me at the moment for hiding from him. If he’d really l
ooked close enough he would’ve seen me, but because he was focused more on the entire room rather than sections like for instance the corner of the floor where I’d sat with my knees up cradled to my chest while trying to figure out a way to get away from him.
I’ve done everything in my power to keep Ranger at arm’s length. I didn’t need him to be in my life wanting to know what I was up to. No one knew for sure.
Yeah, I took a hiatus from this part of my life and became a nurse working with infants. I loved it but after I received that message, the Harpy within me decided to come out of hibernation ready to unleash her fury on the world.
Everyone assumes I’m this emotionless woman who wants to do nothing more than live a reclusive life. Ranger on the other hand I sense sees me differently. At moments when we’re around each other I find him either—glaring at me as if he were annoyed by my presence, other times I notice the glimmer of desire shining through.
“You need to call Tinsley, she’s been trying to call you, and we gotta get to the hospital she’s having the baby,” Ranger announces drawing me out of my head.
“What?” I ask, furrowing my brows unsure I heard him right.
“Tinsley’s in labor. You gotta call her or Coyote. I need to get to the hospital and you’re coming with me,” he reiterates, moving around the room. My eyes follow his every movement as his words register. Shit, Tinsley’s having the baby and I promised her I’d be there for her.
Tinsley called me after getting my number from Raven and nearly begged me to be with her when she went into the hospital. So, I’d given her my word I wouldn’t let anyone else touch her besides Alverez.
Unfortunately, last night I didn’t take my phone with me to the club. She’s been so nervous about this pregnancy, especially after what happened to Raven during hers, but that’s not my story to tell, I unfortunately wasn’t able to be there because of this job I’m still working.
“Can I use your phone?” Ranger turns back to me upon my request.
“Yeah, here,” he mutters, pulling his phone out of his pocket and tosses it to me.
“Thank you,” I murmur, clicking the side button to light up the screen to find it locked. “Um, can you unlock your phone for me?” God, I hate feeling this way around him.
Why does he have to bring these feelings out in me?
I don’t like feeling vulnerable for any reason what-so-ever.
Without saying a word, Ranger stalks the short distance, stands directly in front of me my hand held up in front of my chest being the only thing keeping his front from being flush with mine. Lifting his hand, I stop breathing as he brings his fingers to graze against mine as he touches the back side of the phone where the camera is. “There it’s unlocked,” he states dropping his phone.
My brows raise in question as he does this.
“Finger scanner,” he answers my unspoken question.
“Oh,” I murmur, feeling a little bit stupid for not thinking about that.
Dropping my gaze from his, I focus on the phone’s screen and pull down the call section and find Coyote’s number at the top of recent. I press his number as I try to ignore the sight of names in the phone listened as Piece One, Piece Two, and Piece Three. I don’t want to know what those names mean even if I already know.
Putting the phone to my ear, I wait for Coyote to answer.
“Not a good time, brother,” Coyote snaps through the line when he answers and I can hear Tinsley moaning in pain in the background.
“Um, it’s me,” I murmur in response.
“Fuckin’ hell, woman, Tinsley has been calling your ass trying to get a hold of you. What the fuck? She’s scared out of her mind and you’re not fuckin’ answering,” Coyote snaps and normally I would have snapped back but right now I know not to mess with him. His woman is in labor and he’s freaked out.
“I’ll meet you at the hospital,” I murmur softly. “I just need to get Ranger to drop me off at my house so I can change. I’ll grab my other car and be up there soon as I can.”
“Not happening, baby,” Ranger grunts.
“I don’t give a flying fuck how you do it just get to the fuckin’ hospital A-fuckin’-SAP,” Coyote snarls, hanging up on me.
Pulling the phone away from my ear, I hand it back to Ranger as I glare at him. “What do you mean not happening? And don’t call me baby.”
“Means I’m not about to let you out of my sight again. As for calling you baby, I’ll call you whatever the fuck I want to. Starting right this fuckin’ minute, Harlow, you’re mine and I’m not about to let you get away from me. If you would stop running from me every chance you get, we’d already be past this part.”
What the hell?
Anger seeps deep within me as I straighten my shoulders. I open my mouth to argue my point when Ranger puts his hand up.
“Don’t even try me. I’m done with the bullshit. If I’ve got to cuff you to me, I will. I’ll do whatever the fuck I need to, to insure I know where the fuck you are at all times. Now get your ass out to my truck. We’ll go by your place in order for you to change, then we’ll get to the hospital,” Ranger declares, eyes narrowed on me as he states this.
My mind screams to the rest of my body as it heats at the sound of his gravelly tone.
I’m screwed if I don’t get a handle on myself soon.
Chapter Three
Harlow
By the time Ranger got me to the hospital, I was ready to pull my hair out and considering I’m normally the cool and collected one, this shit sucks.
When he’d taken me to my house, I shouldn’t have been, but I was surprised he knew where I lived. Well, I lived when I wasn’t working something. Right now, I lived in a little one-bedroom apartment which is more of a crash pad in another town over near the women I’d been with last night. Due to them being somewhat a part of the organization I’m trying to get into, I need them to think I’m nothing more than a party girl who works from home while spending her nights at every club possible.
It’s also a place I cringe at sleeping in. I like having nice things when I’m not having to suffer being in a rathole. It’s why my little ranch style house is kept nice when I’m not home. I have someone come in to clean it weekly to keep the dust away and another person handles my lawn as well; however, when I’m home I do all of this myself. My uncle, Trevor’s dad, he and my uncle Fury vetted each person who comes into my home when I’m not there. Trevor had even installed cameras for me. Ones that activate when I’m not home and stay on regardless of Sarah putting in a code for the security system. This helps us make sure no one fucks with my belongings.
With what I do you can never be too careful and I’m not about to put my back in a corner to be caught off guard. Learned that lesson a long time ago and I bear the scars to prove it.
Now having changed into one of my hoodies and a pair of black jeans matched with a pair of pink Converse, my ass is back in the passenger seat of Ranger’s truck. As he parks his truck, I try not to think of him as I jump out of my seat and storm off toward the main doors. When I say try not to think of him, I mean the fact he’d been in my house roaming around while I changed. I also mean the fact he’d had his hands on my body while lifting me up into his truck.
“Hold the hell on a minute,” Ranger snaps, hooking a finger in the back of my jeans. The heat of his skin searing into mine.
Don’t freak. Don’t freak. He’s just a man. Bleeds just like everyone else, meaning there’s nothing special about this man.
Yeah right.
He’s Ranger. Nothing about him is normal for me.
“Let go. I need to get inside,” I snap right back at him, glaring at him over my shoulder.
“I get you need to get inside. I do too, but you’re not going to fuckin’ jump out of my truck before I have it in park and you sure as hell are gonna lose the fuckin’ attitude with me.”
Is he serious right now?
“I don’t have an attitude,” I declare snidely.
“Bullshit, baby. You’ve got one hell of a chip on your shoulder and I for one am sick and fuckin’ tired of it. When you walk into that hospital, you’re gonna act like you fuckin’ care.”
“You think I don’t care?” I ask, jerking out of his hold.
“Know you do,” he nods, narrowing his gaze on me.
“You know nothing about me, you big jerk. None of you know a damn thing about me.”
“That’s because you have ice surrounding you to keep everyone at bay,” Ranger retorts, leaning forward so his face was in mine.
“Whatever,” I snap, stepping backward wanting away as far away from him as I could get.
“Tellin’ you now lose the attitude, or I will make you regret it when I get you back to my place.”
“You will not since I’m not going back to your place or anywhere else with you for that matter.”
“We’ll see about that,” Ranger grins and I swear to all that’s holy that grin was saying it all for him. Too bad I don’t know what all he means by it.
I don’t really have much experience with men. Well those that aren’t related to me in one way or another.
Shaking my head, I turn away from Ranger and walk as fast as I possibly could into the hospital. I try not to freak as Ranger puts his arm around my waist, holding me to him as I do so.
Ugh.
What do I do now?
Once inside and up to the floor we need, I stop just outside the elevator at the sight of all the people in the waiting area.
Holy shit on a stick. Do all these people have to be here? I mean I get it, there’s a baby on the way but couldn’t they come by let’s say after Tinsley’s had said baby.
Okay, so maybe I am a complete bitch, then again, I’m not one for wanting to be around a shit ton of people. I hate the idea of so many people surrounding me I can’t keep my back safe from them all.
“You can let me go now,” I mutter quietly, looking up to Ranger as several pairs of eyes turn to us inquisitively.