King's Harlots 1-3

by J. M. Walker

  “You hit me back.” Tyler narrowed his eyes. “Does Angel hit you?”

  “The fact that you’re even asking that is fucking hilarious.” I pasted a smile on my face. “Angel would never hit me. That makes him more of a man than you will ever be.” I turned to walk away when Tyler’s next words stopped me.

  “Did you tell him that you met me for lunch?”

  A bone-chilling dread washed over me as I watched the emotions change in Angel’s eyes before me. It went from sympathy to anger in a split second. Never in my life would I think that anger would be directed at me. But making the stupid mistake of meeting up with Tyler came back to bite me in the ass.

  “I only met with you to tell you to leave me alone,” I told him, keeping my eyes on Angel. “I also remember telling you that I’m happy.” I needed Angel to know that I didn’t meet with Tyler because I wanted to. Angel was everything to me. He was the best thing for me. I knew that it was time for us to talk. For everything to come out. I would give him the dark, violent details of what I went through with Tyler. I would give Angel … everything.

  “Is that so? How come you stayed with me for an hour then?”

  My back stiffened.

  Angel looked over my head, and when his gaze landed back on mine, I swore my life had officially ended. I would rather deal with the shit with Vega again then see Angel look at me like I had just ripped out his soul.

  “Angel, he’s trying to piss you off.” I closed the distance between us, placing my hands on his strong chest. “It was innocent. I wasn’t keeping track of the time. Please believe me.”

  Angel’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. “Why should I?”

  “Because I love you. Only you. I was meeting him to put an end to this shit. Please believe me.” We had been together for months, but I never thought it would come to this.

  Tyler laughed. “See, Jenny? You should just drop this bastard and come back to where you belong.”

  “Shut up,” I screamed, turning on him. “You!” I charged for him, shoving him back. “You’ve put this wrench in my relationship. You can’t be happy for me. You’re a sick controlling fuck who gets his rocks off on destroying people’s lives. My dad should have fucking killed you by now.”

  “Fuck you, you little whore,” Tyler spat, shoving me back. “I’m not done with you. I’ve never been done with you.”

  “Watch who you’re talking to.” Angel pulled me behind him. “I don’t know what the hell you think is going on between you two, but she belongs to me. Me! She’s my fucking woman. I am going to marry her and give her the life that you couldn’t.”

  “It’s funny …” Tyler peered around Angel. “You’ve never needed a man to fight your battles before. Why now?”

  I looked away, my cheeks heating. I didn’t need Angel to fight for me. He knew that. But sometimes a girl needed the strength of a man to protect her. Safe. I was comfortable with him and could act like myself. I didn’t have to worry about him blowing up and hitting me for no reason at all. But why was I so damn scared that it would happen? Angel wasn’t Tyler. He wasn’t. I realized that now. It felt like a ton of bricks had finally been lifted. Meeting with Tyler would cause a fight, I knew that when I agreed to see him, but the fight would be worth it in the end if I got the closure I finally needed.

  “Well, this has been fun as always—” Tyler chuckled “—but I’m going to join the party that I wasn’t invited to.”

  “Like hell you are.” Angel pushed him back. “I beat your ass once, I’ll do it again.”

  “Why didn’t you invite me to the party, Jenny?” Tyler asked, ignoring his threat.

  A mumbled voice came from behind me.

  “Did you have something to say?” Tyler glared past me.

  Asher took a step forward.

  I realized then that Angel and I were no longer alone. The Harlots and Vice-One were standing around us, ready to take on our battle.

  “Not yet.” Meeka moved in front of Asher, placing a hand on his chest. “Don’t.”

  Tyler chuckled. “You men call yourselves Navy SEALs? I wouldn’t want you protecting my country. You’re worthless as shit and you let women tell you what to do.”

  “We don’t let anyone tell us what to do, but we’re also not stupid enough to go against them.” Angel stepped up beside me, placing his hand on the small of my back.

  I stood taller, jutting out my chin. “You’re not welcome here, Tyler.” Even though I had told him that over and over again, with Angel’s touch on my back, I was able to pull the strength from him. We had shit to deal with but we were still one.

  “You see, the funny thing is that I’m always welcome. You don’t have a choice because your dad still owns this property.” Tyler smirked. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

  “What’s he talking about, Jay?” Max asked, placing her hands on her hips. The movement caused her tiny bump to become more pronounced.

  “He’s not talking about anything,” I bit out. “You’re full of shit, Tyler. My dad has nothing to do with this place. I am the one who bought it. I am the one who pays to keep this fucking place maintained. You can tell my father that.”

  “Oh, he already knows.” Tyler leaned forward, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “Do you think of me when he fucks you?”

  A deep growl came from Angel. “You motherfucker.” He charged for Tyler, pushing him back a foot. “I’ll kill you. This time I will fucking beat you.”

  “Try it, asshole.” But Tyler only laughed. He actually laughed at Angel.

  In a quick move, Asher had his arms around Angel’s shoulders, pulling him back.

  “You need to leave,” I said, my voice unexpectedly calm. “Right now. Before I tell Asher to let Angel go.”

  Tyler threw his head back and laughed again. “God, you haven’t changed.”

  “I’ve had enough,” Meeka interrupted. “You come in here, expecting a grand entrance, and when you don’t get the reaction you want, you get pissy. Or maybe you did get the reaction you wanted. Were you trying to get a rise out of Jay? Does it turn you on knowing her boyfriend is ready to kick your ass? I should just tell Asher to let him go.”

  “Who do you think you are, little girl?” Tyler snapped at her.

  “She’s my fucking sister, so you leave her the hell alone.” I got in his face. Even though he was a head taller than me, there was no way I was backing down.

  “Oh, yeah, Jenny.” Tyler licked his lips. “I remember how our fights went. Maybe we should give your boyfriend a little show.”

  And that was when he kissed me. All thoughts shut off as my mind took me back to years before. Tyler’s kisses had been demanding, forcing me to into a submission I didn’t want. He scared me, utterly terrified me that I had now been permanently broken because of him.

  “You liked that,” Tyler whispered, his eyes darkening.

  I did. Only because I knew finally, that it was officially over between us.

  A small smile tugged at my lips.

  Tyler frowned, knowing full well there would never be another chance with me. He became possessive in the end, and luckily, I was able to get out.

  Suddenly, I was pulled away from him.

  Angel’s fists flew into Tyler’s jaw. Before it was rough but now, it turned violent. He pummeled him to the ground, hitting and beating Tyler like he was the punching bag in our gym.

  My feet remained glued to the ground. I stood there. Doing nothing. Not attempting in the least to pull these two men apart. Men who had come into my life at different times and took what they needed from me. Tyler grasped my soul, squeezing it until I was a shattered mess. But Angel took that mess and cleaned it up, putting all of my broken pieces back together again.

  I had heard of a darkness living inside of us. Coby, who I hardly spoke to, had it. I could see it in his eyes.

  “Should we stop him?” someone asked.

  “Not yet.” That was Coby.

  For whatever reason, I trusted
him the most besides Angel.

  I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded once.

  “Now,” Coby demanded, his voice gruff.

  Asher and Stone pulled Angel off of Tyler.

  He didn’t fight them, but when he walked past me, I kept my gaze on Tyler.

  Angel leaned down to my ear. “You will explain why you liked it when he kissed you.”

  My breath caught.

  Dale and Stone picked Tyler up off the ground. He only smirked, rubbing his jaw. A dark bruise had already started to set in. Blood was dripping from his nose. Fucker was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

  I didn’t say anything as Dale and Stone pushed him forward.

  “You need to leave,” Dale barked. “Now.”

  “What’s going on with you two, Jay?” Max asked, grabbing my hand.

  “He’s an asshole,” I mumbled.

  “No, I mean with you and Angel.”

  “Yeah.” My eyes welled. “I know.” And with that, I walked away.

  Voices followed me into the clubhouse, but I couldn’t make out who was saying what. I didn’t care. I could only focus on the fact that Angel almost killed Tyler. A thought crossed my mind, forcing bile to rise in my throat.

  It would make things a hell of a lot easier if Tyler was dead.

  Had it officially come to this? Was I desperate to hold onto the love Angel and I shared, that I was considering murdering my ex?

  My feet moved of their own accord, taking me to Angel who stood at the bar with Asher and Stone still holding him.

  I pushed him.

  He only glared down at me, shrugging off his brothers who hadn’t let him go.

  “What the hell was that?” I demanded, pushing him again. “You can’t do that, Angel. I don’t need men after you because you’re fucking jealous.”

  “I am not jealous.” He frowned. “You are mine, and no man, I don’t care who the fuck he is, gets to lay his mouth on you.”

  “That doesn’t mean you should beat him within an inch of his life,” I shouted, smacking him in the chest. “You have no idea who he is or what he’s capable of.”

  “Please.” Angel rolled his eyes. “He’s still alive, isn’t he? I’ve been to fucking war. You think I’m scared of some bastard who can’t let my girlfriend go?”

  “I don’t care about that shit.” I grabbed his shirt, pulling him close. “I care about you. That’s it. It would kill me if something happened to you.”

  “Nothing will happen to me as long as he stays the hell away from you.”

  We stood there in silence, staring at each other.

  My blood pounded in my ears. The scent of sweat wafted into my nose, making it tingle. “What if he doesn’t?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. “I can’t control what they do, and you can’t jump him every time he comes by.”

  “Then he needs to stay away.”

  I agreed with him, but there was no way I could make that happen. “He’s the vice-president of my dad’s club. That’s not going to happen.”

  “Make it happen.”

  “Angel,” I bit out. “You know I can’t do that.”

  “Are you sure?” Angel raised an eyebrow. “Or is it because you don’t want to?”

  My mouth opened and closed. “Are you seriously asking me this?”

  “I am. Tell me, princess. Why did you like it when he kissed you?”

  I moved past him. “I’m not talking about this with you in front of everyone. You have an issue with me, be a man and talk to me, but don’t accuse me of shit.”

  “Fuck.”

  Exactly.

  EIGHT

  Angel

  I KNEW MY jealousy was going to get the best of me some day when it came to Jay and Tyler. But when he kissed her, actually fucking kissed her and she didn’t push him away? All bets were off, and I lost it.

  When my fists landed against his face, it was unnerving how much I enjoyed it. How good it felt to get out all of the frustration and pent-up anger that had been building up inside of me for the past couple of weeks.

  I needed to fight. Go to war. Have the angriest fucking sex ever. I didn’t care. But I needed something. I had an itch that needed scratching. Watching Jay walk away from me made me pissed as hell, but it turned me on.

  The words that left my mouth were downright mean and uncalled for but seeing Tyler kiss my girlfriend set something off inside of me. Even though it had been him who started it, I could sense that she enjoyed it. I didn’t know how. I didn’t know why. But I prayed with everything in me to whoever was paying attention that it was for closure and nothing more.

  I didn’t like losing control. It didn’t sit well with me and made me sick to my stomach. Jay had taught me to love and when I saw another man’s lips on hers, that darkness inside of me rejoiced that it could finally come out and play.

  Jay pushed open the door to her bedroom . It brought me back to the first time so many months ago. She had left Max’s gallery, hot and bothered. I followed her. Fucked her. And fell in love.

  But now, this had nothing to do with love, did it?

  Jay stomped to her dresser, pulled open a drawer, and slammed it shut. She laughed, turning toward me. “I can’t believe you accused me … No, wait. Yes, I can.”

  And here we go. My jaw clenched, but I didn’t say anything.

  “I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that Tyler and I are over. But your jealousy can’t see that. It’s one thing for him to not believe me because he’s a possessive asshole but you?” She shook her head, her eyes shining. “I love you. I’m in love with you. I’ve agreed to marry you.” Her face paled.

  I frowned. “Jay?”

  She shook her head, swallowing excessively before the color came back into her cheeks. “How can we get married if you don’t trust me?”

  “I do trust you,” I muttered, shoving my hands into the pockets of my jeans.

  “Do you? Do you really? Tyler kissed me. Did I enjoy it? Yes.”

  A growl rumbled from the back of my throat.

  “Before you get all Alpha male on me, I enjoyed it because I knew it was officially over. I felt nothing, Angel. Nothing at all. You have to believe me.”

  I did. But I couldn’t get the image of his mouth on hers out of my head. “He needs to stay away.”

  “He has nothing to do with this.” She took a step toward me. “You have to believe me. I’m in love with you, Angel. My King. I can’t … God, you make me an emotional wreck because I worry every damn day that you’ll leave me.”

  My chest constricted at her confession. “Why would you think that?” I closed the distance between us, cupping her face. “I love you. You’ve taught me to love, princess. My Queen.” My throat tightened. “I love you. I’ve been in love with you since the first time I heard your voice. Since the first time you called me an asshole. No woman has gotten under my skin like you have. You are the better part of me. The only part I want.”

  “Why aren’t we getting along then?” A lonely tear rolled down her cheek.

  I wiped it away with my thumb, kissing her gently on the mouth. “All of this shit with Charles Brian and his fucking band of bastards, Tyler and his possession of you … It’s stressing us the fuck out. We shouldn’t take it out on each other.”

  “Then why are we?” she whispered.

  I had no idea how to answer that.

  Growing up, I had a hard time believing in love and a higher power. Even being in the Navy made it hard to remain positive. How could a God let these things happen? To make us stronger? To help us grow? I didn’t know the answers, but I did know that with Jay by my side, I could get through anything. We would bring Charles down. We would succeed in bringing not only him down, but the whole operation. With the help of her sisters and my brothers, we would end this evil entity that had taken over our town. We had become a family. Of course, with Dale and Max not talking, the sexual tension rising between Asher and Meeka, their issues were distracting.
/>   “I’m sorry,” I finally said. “I’m sorry for accusing you of wanting Tyler in your life still.”

  “I’ll talk to my dad. He’s the president. Maybe he’s grown some balls and can put Tyler in his place.” She sighed, running a hand through her hair before pulling it up into a messy bun. “I …”

  “What?” She had stepped out of my hold, but I still touched her. My fingers moved of their own accord. Running down her cheek. Over her jawline. Her full mouth. Her throat. I couldn’t stop touching her. She was my life. My strength. She was soft where I was rough. Even though an apology had been said, it still wasn’t enough. They were only words. I needed to show her that I meant what I said. That I did love her. That I did want to spend the rest of my life with her.

  “I … I think I need to stay away for a little bit.”

  “What the ever loving fuck?” I snapped, pushing her back and forcing her to look at me.

  “Don’t.” She shoved out of my grip. “Don’t you dare put your hands on me like him.”

  Shit. “Don’t fucking compare me to him,” I countered.

  “What the hell is wrong with us, Angel?” she yelled, pushing me. “We go from fighting to confessing our love to each other, back to fighting again. I can’t do this. Not with you. Not with us. I need you, but I don’t need your alpha male bullshit.”

  I shook my head. “My alpha comes out because of him. Tyler. That fucking bastard starts this every single time we see him. He puts these thoughts into our heads like a mind-fuck, and I can’t get them out.”

  “And whose fault is that, Angel?” Jay leaned against her dresser, gripping the edge with her hands until her knuckles turned white. “I can’t do this.” Her voice wavered. “I’m tired. I’m so damn tired of us fighting.”

  Sitting on the edge of her bed, I dropped my head in my hands. I didn’t know what to do or how to make it better. Tyler succeeded in tearing us apart.

  “I love you,” I muttered. “But I don’t know how to fix this.”

  “I think we need some time apart,” she mumbled. “We fell into this too fast.”