"Don't just try and play everything down. You need to tell me where you're going and who you're with."
"I don't know where I'm going myself yet. I'm going to fill the car up with petrol and just drive."
Mitchell shook his head, "You're usually such a planner."
"And look where that's got me, maybe I need to be a little more spontaneous?" I left Mitchell eating the rest of his breakfast as I strolled to the bathroom, he'd given me so much to consider. I knew that I'd be good at running the cafe, I was a natural leader and organised which were typical Aries traits and I was also a fantastic cook. The more I thought about it the more I liked the idea.
After my shower, I walked from the bathroom to see a note on the table in the living room. Mitchell had gone home but he wanted me to call him as soon as I'd settled somewhere. I sniggered at the thought and wouldn't put it past him to have a prospect follow me when I left later on this afternoon. That's what it was like being associated with this club and as much as I enjoyed feeling loved, I did feel smothered and that's one of the reasons I needed to do this. What would life be like without the club so fully invested in my life?
Chapter 4
Amy
Present Day
I pulled up at the traffic lights and felt the buzzing of my phone in the breast pocket of my jacket indicating that I'd received a text. The lights were still red so I removed the phone and glanced at the screen to read the text.
Amy, any chance you can pop round to Ink’s. I can’t get hold of her. D
He was such a worrier. Jimmy had texted me earlier telling me all about Harlow's plan to seduce Ethan. I sniggered at the thought as it was strange that anyone would try to seduce him, because he was such an alpha male but he acted differently around Harlow. He'd been treating her with kid gloves which I'd found amusing but I was reassured that he'd found someone that he truly cared about and on reflection she felt the same.
I glanced around quickly making sure there weren't any police in the vicinity and quickly responded to his message.
U must B psychic big brother! At traffic lights on George Street. B there in 5 x
I placed my phone back into my top pocket as the lights turned green and followed the flow of the traffic towards Harlow's flat. I'd spent a lot of time with Jimmy and Harlow over recent weeks and had grown close to them both, and I was genuinely looking forward to spending another couple of hours with them this afternoon. It was almost laughable but I also wanted to see if Harlow's plan had worked on Ethan, she was willing to give herself to him but losing your virginity in a garage that was hardly romantic.
I parked up outside Harlow's flat and pulled down the visor to apply another coat of lip gloss. There was nothing wrong in wanting to look good and when I had my lippy on it made me feel better. I closed my lips making sure that the gloss was even and threw the container back into my handbag before I opened the door. As I walked down the path I noticed the front door to Harlow's flat was ajar, and quickly looked around the front garden to see if I could see anyone around. Jimmy's motorcycle was parked outside but the flats either side and above didn't have any movement. I continued down the path and noticed that the flowers in the boarder had been trampled on considerably and my eyes travelled in the direction in which they'd been swept aside.
The ringing of a mobile phone startled me and I quickly placed my hand on my chest feeling my heart rate increase. My ever inquisitive nature kicked in, and I followed the sound of the ring tone making my way around the side of the flat and noticed a wheelie bin had been pulled across the path obstructing my access. I heaved the bin out of the way and saw a motionless body lying on the ground. I quickly brought my hand up to my mouth shocked but slowly shuffled closer trying to see who it was and if I could help. As I neared I let out a sequel when I realised it was Jimmy and crouched beside him assessing his injuries. The phone continued to ring and my heart pumped aggressively in the confines of my chest as I placed my shaky hand into Jimmy's jean pocket to retrieve his phone. I answered the call realising it was Ethan and placed the phone to my ear, not realising that I was now whimpering.
“About fucking time Jimmy, I’ve been trying to get hold of you for ages. What the fuck you playing at?”
Hearing Ethan's voice only made me cry further. This had to be a dream, this couldn't be real but why was my chest hurting so much from the thumping of my heart if it wasn't real.
“Ink is that you babe, speak to me.”
I opened my mouth trying to speak to him but the words just wouldn't come out. I wanted to scream, scream so loud to let everyone know of the sight in front of me but I was rendered useless with my mouth bobbing up and down apart from the faint whimpering. I tried to muster the courage I knew I had within me, I needed to tell the guy's what had happened.
“Ethan, it’s Amy.” I stated quietly sniffing.
“Amy is everything okay? Why have you got Jimmy’s phone?” I could hear the panic in his voice as he tried to extract the information from me. “Amy is everything okay?” He repeated as I held Jimmy's cold hand in mine.
“He’s dead Ethan, Jimmy’s dead.” I sobbed hard and dropped the phone as I let go of Jimmy and placed my head in my hands as I rocked back a forth. I knew the Calvary would be here shortly but in the mean time I didn't know what to do through fear of now meeting up with the very people that had hurt Jimmy.
It wasn't long before I heard the rumble of motorcycles as the guy's pulled up outside Harlow's flat. The sight of seeing them pull up in unison gave me a wash of emotions and I shook vigorously as I screamed Mitch's name.
He ran towards me, "Come here babe." Mitchell scooped me up in his arms and cradled me as he turned my body around so I wasn't able to look at Jimmy anymore. I knew what Mitch was doing, he was trying to protect me, but in the mean time he was inspecting Jimmy's body as he continued to sooth me by stroking the back of my head.
"Come on Ames, let me take you away from all this." I looked up to see the concern on Connor's face as he beckoned me to take his hand.
I pulled back from Mitchell's embrace and looked deep into his eyes when I saw a flash of rage. I needed to leave him to deal with the situation, he didn't have time to tend to a hysterical female however close we were.
I took Connor's hand lightly and allowed him to pull me from my crouching position and into his embrace. I had seen and heard many things by being around the club from such an early age but I had never seen a dead body in any capacity. I felt sick and although I was outside, I felt that I needed to get some fresh air. My chest tightened and I unfastened my jacket to try and relieve some of the pressure but it was useless.
"You've gotta control your breathing Ames. Let's get this off you." Connor helped me out of my jacket and sat with me on the curb as I took large gulps of air trying to control my breathing. "That's it Ames, you're doing good." Connor pulled back my hair into a ponytail as my breathing became more shallow and controlled with his words of encouragement.
I heard a commotion behind me and glanced over my shoulder to see Ethan and Mitch deep in what looked to be a heated conversation.
“For fucks sake, get him covered over with something.” Mitch shouted at the guys standing besides Jimmy’s body, his tone was authoritative and made me jump. I caught Ethan's eye and he gave a tight smile before returning his attention back to Mitch.
"Connor, I didn't check to see if Harlow was hurt," I said panicked. With everything that had gone on I didn't think to look inside the building to see if Harlow was okay. My heart rate accelerated again as I considered the possible outcomes and the hurt and pain caused if something had happened to her also.
Connor reached over to give me a brief hug, "Shit's about to hit the fan, you need to go home and lock up until we're back later tonight. I'll get a prospect or one of our associates to follow you."
I nodded my head understanding what he was implying and pulled from his arms as I stood.
The street was now a hive of activity as two vans p
ulled up and some of the guys mounted their rides ready to take off before the neighbours called the police. "I've gotta go but you'll be safe with Quad." Connor grasped my face with both hands and placed a chaste kiss on my forehead, "Go home and lock the door. Don't defy me on this one Amy."
"I'll do as I'm told." Connor winked before he turned and mounted his motorcycle and rode after the rest of the group.
"Amy?"
I turned to see a balding man in his late thirties with scruff that made him look attractive for his years. "Who wants to know?" I asked inquisitively. I knew he had something to do with the club but I'd never seen him before and didn't like to just give my name out to strangers.
"I'm Quad, I work for the club." I raised my brows which made him snigger, "Look, all I've been told is to make sure Amy gets home safely. So if you're not her could you please let me know so that I can find her."
Now it was my turn to snigger. "Sorry I didn't mean to be rude, it's just been a fucking horrible evening." I glanced over his shoulder as Doc got out of a van carrying a black medical bag and was directed over to where Jimmy was lying by one of the prospects. A shiver ran down my spine as I remembered how Jimmy looked lying on the cold pavement with blood seeping from his neck wound.
Quad pulled me from my thoughts as he bent down to recover my jacket from the ground, "Here put this on." He held the jacket open for me, I turned my back to him to insert my arms into the jacket and he helpfully pulled it up and over my body. "Come on I need to take you home." Quad placed his fingers gently on my elbow and ushered me in the direction of my car. I followed him, pleased that the guys had thought of getting someone to look out for me while they were preoccupied albeit a complete stranger but they must have trusted him to allow Quad to take me home.
"Are you going to be okay to drive? I can always give you a lift and get one of the prospects to drop your car off later?" he asked as I put the key into the ignition and started the engine after several attempts.
"Thank you but I'm fine. As long as you're following me and make sure my flat is clear before you leave then I'm good with that." He smiled and closed the door before stomping over to his van that was parked on the opposite side of the street. When he was ready, he flashed his headlights indicating for me to pull away.
Quad followed me home at a decent distance and I felt reassured by his presence but I was still concerned for the welfare of Harlow. She wasn't at home when the guys had checked, so she'd obviously been taken or fled the scene but my mind was now working overtime trying to figure out who may have wanted to take her and why?
We pulled up outside my flat and I saw Quad jump from his van and look eagerly around the car park as he made his way towards my car. I grabbed my handbag and was startled as my door was pulled open.
"Sorry Amy, I was trying to be helpful." Quad backed up when he saw my tense reaction and held his hands up high.
"No I'm sorry, I'm still a little jumpy that's all." I stepped from the car and reached into my bag to retrieve my keys as I took the lead walking to my front door. Quad followed me still looking around making sure everything was normal and I was relieved that nothing looked untoward.
"I'm going to sit out here for a bit before I take off, if that's okay with you?" he asked as he leaned on the wall beside the door.
I nodded, "That would be great thank you, I appreciate your help."
"It's my pleasure. Now do you want me to come in and check your flat first?"
"I'm sure it'll be okay, these are communal doors and someone would either have to have a key or be let in by one of the other residents."
He nodded slowly, "As long as you're sure." Quad winked and pushed from the wall as he headed back in the direction of his van.
As I entered the flat, I threw everything onto the coffee table and landed in a heap on the sofa. I'd become hardened over the years, suppressing emotions so that I didn't get hurt which had meant that I now found it difficult to cry. I had got my life on track, it had taken many years and many counselling sessions but I was finally in a good place. What I was worried about now though, was that the loss of Jimmy would bring all the hurt and pain that I had worked so hard to forget, back to the forefront of my mind.
I wailed for the loss of Jimmy and in the process my unborn baby that had been so cruelly taken away from me. Life was so unfair at the best of times but club life didn't make things any easier.
No you've gotta stop thinking like this Ames, this is what sent you down a path of self destruction in the first place.
I don't know how long I stayed like this, sobbing on the sofa but I now couldn't cry any more tears and my eyes were hurting from the process. I heard the vibration from my jacket and slowly pushed myself from the sofa and made my way over to the coffee table where I'd dumped all of my stuff earlier. Sliding the screen I could see that it was a message from Maggie.
They've found Harlow. She's in a bad way but gonna be ok. She's at the clubhouse if u want to see her xx
I placed my hand over my mouth as I breathed heavily relieved that the guys had found her. If she was at the clubhouse then she was in safe hands and Doc would be there to take care of her. I placed my phone onto the coffee table and rushed to the bathroom to splash some water onto my face. My eyes were swollen from crying and the blotches stood out on my pale skin but I didn't care about my appearance, I needed to see Harlow to make sure she was okay. I used my brush to quickly pull my hair back into a simple ponytail and grabbed my handbag and jacket before I left my flat.
Sitting in my car, I turned the key in the ignition but the engine wouldn't turn over. I tried again and it continued to make a noise but wouldn't start. I banged on the steering wheel, "You fucking piece of shit why won't you just fucking work!" I shouted. Something caught my eye and I turned to see the old man who lived at number twenty and gave him an awkward wave as he looked at me bemused before continuing about his business. "Don't do this to me now, please work." I begged as I turned the key in the ignition one last time to no avail.
I rummaged in my handbag for my phone and dialled a local taxi firm to order a car to take me to the clubhouse as soon as possible and luckily one was dropping off in the vicinity and the helpful controller said that it shouldn't be long before he was with me.
I opened the door and left the car trying to hold back the tears that were on the verge of falling. I could do with a cigarette right now, it had been two years since I'd stopped smoking but when I was anxious or upset the cravings came back. Leaning on the car, I sent a quick message to Maggie telling her I was on my way when a taxi pulled up outside the flat. I pushed from the car and made my way over to the taxi as I felt uneasy at being out here on my own late at night.
As I entered the clubhouse, I could feel the difference to the normal laid back vibe to the place. Connor was sitting at the bar and looked up when he saw me enter the room. He opened his arms encouraging me to come over, and I went willingly as I wanted to be held and comforted. It was at this moment in time when I appreciated my family being so protective, and having the club to look out for all of us. I walked over to Connor and allowed him to scope me up into his arms.
"How you doing?" he asked concerned about my welfare.
"I'm fine, more importantly how's Harlow doing?"
"You've heard?"
"Yeah, Maggie messaged me."
"She has a broken arm and stab wounds to her thighs which James and Doc have taken care of but it's the emotional scars that will take longer to heal." Connor moved his thumb along my cheek scooping up some of the tears that had fallen and I knew that his words were also directed at me and the healing process I had to go through in order to get over the loss of my baby.
"Who's James?" I asked, confused that the club would allow someone new to deal with Harlow.
"I'm James," a husky voice said from behind me.
I swivelled around on the stool to see a tall preppy looking man and although a little dishevelled with his top buttons of his shirt undone
and his sleeves rolled to his elbows, he still looked distinguished but also familiar. Had I met James before? Working at the cafe I must have seen hundreds of people over the years but I'm sure we'd met.
"You'll catch flies Amy," Connor whispered in my ear as he stood from his stool sniggering at his own comment. "I'll just go and tell Diesel you're here." He stated and patted James on the shoulder as he passed him.
I was still none the wiser as to who he was and felt a little embarrassed that I'd been staring at him.
"And I'm Amy, pleased to meet you." I said holding out my hand.
"I know who you are sweet, don't worry about that." I drew my brows together as I tried to rack my brains at who he was. He obviously knew me but I couldn't place where we'd met. James ignored my hand and placed both of his on his chest over his heart, "I'm hurt that you don't remember me." He said sarcastically mimicking that I'd injured his heart in some way. I watched his display carefully still confused but he was starting to gently pull me from my darkened mood. "We met in a strip club about five or so years ago. You'd had a rubbish day at work and promised to tell me the long story one day."
The penny finally dropped and I knew exactly who he was. "What are you doing here?" I asked intrigued, I wanted to ask him a million of other questions but I was trying to play it cool and had just remembered that I looked a complete mess.
"My father has worked for the club for years, you may know him as Doc?" I nodded my head and remembered the conversation I'd had with James in the club that time. James had been waiting for his dad to finish a business meeting, and come to think of it now it was probably with the club. "So how come you never called?"
I smirked knowing how my reply was going to sound, "Would you believe me if I said I lost your number?"
"I have no reason to think otherwise so yes."
"Good because it's the truth."
"So if I were to give you my number again would you call?" James asked looking at me intently.
I raised my hands, "Things are a little up in the air at the moment."
Amy (Aces MC Series Book 3.5) Page 7