It makes me think about everything I still haven’t told him. I was ready to tell him last night, but he had to leave. I’m sure he’ll make me talk today, even though it scares the shit out of me.
I call him a few more times, and finally leave a message telling him I’m going home. I told him to meet me there when he’s done. It’s probably a horrible idea, but at this point, I don’t give a shit.
I dial Ivy’s number and when she picks up, I ask her for a ride. It makes me laugh when she pulls up grinning in my car.
“Thanks,” I say, climbing in the passenger seat.
“No problem, but I do need to get to work. Are you going to stay at your place?”
“Yeah, it’s fine just drop me off.”
We talk for the few minutes it takes to get to my house. She tells me how shitty work is and I tell her nothing. What am I going to say? My life is more fucked up than I can even handle. I’m not about to say anything to her.
When she pulls in my driveway, I give her a quick hug. “I owe you, Ivy.”
“Nah, you’re good. Call when you need your car,” she says, laughing.
I wave as she drives away and head inside. I just get the door open and my stomach drops. My keys fall to the ground as I grab my gun out of my purse. I slowly make my way into the living room, taking in the mess. My furniture is destroyed, cut and torn open. Pictures are broken, smashed to the ground. My kitchen is no better. The cabinets are open, broken glass and papers everywhere.
What the fuck were they looking for? My heart is slamming in my chest as I slowly make my way back to my bedroom. My gun is pointed in front of me, each step feeling like it’s taking me hours to reach the end of the hall. I check the bathroom, but it’s clear, so I push open my bedroom door. Tears fill my eyes when I see the mess. Pictures of my mother torn on the floor, my bed stripped, my clothes all over. I check the closet and under the bed and realize, who ever was here is no longer. I sit on the bed and notice there’s a note.
What if your club knew? Stay away or they will.
Ice fills my veins and my stomach turns. I read the note several times and close my eyes. I know without a doubt it’s Brooks. He might have Zane fooled, but I know. I can feel it. He probably knows for sure my father had to do with the break ins. This is payback.
I sit in silence, curled up in a ball on the floor. My finger traces the torn pictures of my mother. It’s all I have, my only memories. Brooks knows how special they are to me. He did all this to get me back. To prove he’s tougher than my father. They are both weak assholes, but I’ll admit he got me this time. He’s counting on me telling Zane. He wants the confrontation. I just don’t know what to do. I go over all the scenarios in my head. If I tell him, if I don’t. Neither have me coming out good, but I need to decide what to do.
Without another thought, I grab my phone. “Baby,” I say. As soon as I hear his voice, I lose it. I can’t stop the tears from coming. He keeps asking what’s wrong and telling me he’s on his way, but I suddenly have no words. I just cry listening to him. He’s cursing and trying to soothe me at the same time. It makes my heart hurt more.
“I’m here, I’m coming in,” he yells into the phone and it goes dead.
I still can’t move, I’m frozen to my spot. Tears still running down my face.
“Harper, fuck. Babe,” he’s screaming. I hear his heavy footsteps racing down the hall. He sees me and drops to his knees. “Fuck, babe, are you alright?” He lifts me into his arms and wraps me in his protective embrace. It causes another round of sobs and he holds me tighter, his hands holding onto my hair. My face is buried in his neck, I’m feeling everything. “I’m here, nothing is gonna happen to you.”
I take a deep breath and pull away from his neck. “They left a note,” I say, my voice cracking.
He stands, keeping me pressed against him. He sits on the bed and reads the note. “Fuck.”
“It’s Brooks, isn’t it?”
“I honestly don’t know, babe.” He kisses my head and pulls his phone out. “Kace, get to Harper’s now.”
“They destroyed my mom’s pictures,” I whisper.
“Oh, babe, I’m so fucking sorry. I’m gonna find out who did this. They’re gonna pay. I promise you.”
We’re quiet for a few minutes and I decide this is my time. “It was my club. They are the ones who broke into Adalyn’s and the others. I don’t know why, but I found a mask when I was looking in my father’s office.”
“We know,” he says, holding me tighter.
“I went into his safe, thinking I could find a reason why.” He pulls me back a bit to look at my face. I wish he’d let me keep my head buried, this is the hard part. Tears run down my cheeks again and he brushes them away with his thumb. “The entire thing is filled with pictures of me and men. The men who I’ve been payment for.”
The anger I see take over his face sends a chill down my body. The vein in his neck is pulsing, his jaw is ticking, and his eyes are hard. “He’s dead.”
“Z,” Kace yells, running down the hall. “What the fuck?”
Zane is still staring at me, his body has gone rigid and I beg him silently to relax.
“Harper, are you alright? What the fuck happened?”
I slowly turn my gaze to Kace and nod. “I’m fine.”
“We need to get her back to the club. We have business to handle and she needs to be safe,” Zane says, a calmness to his voice that scares the shit out of me.
“No, Zane. Please, baby,” I beg, as he stands, putting me to my feet.
“Z, what’s going on?” Kace gently asks. He looks at me and I cover my face, sinking back down onto my bed.
The noise makes me jump. I watch Zane punching my door, so fucking hard again and again. I see the blood running down his knuckles and regret wraps around me. I shouldn’t have told him. I should have just destroyed the pictures and never said a word. He’s losing his shit and it’s going to cost him his life.
“Z, relax,” Kace yells, wrapping his arms around him from behind. “We’ll find out who did this. Harper is alright, it’s gonna be fine.”
Zane pushes Kace off him and runs his hands through his hair, pacing my room. “This was Brooks, fuck that asshole. It’s payback for Kingsley going after us,” he says, grabbing the note and throwing it at Kace.
“Fuck,” he mumbles.
Zane turns around and looks at Kace. “I’m gonna kill Kingsley. I’m gonna rip his fucking heart out of his chest while it’s still beating. So I need you to make sure Harper is safe, keep her at the club.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“He’s got a fucking porn collection of my fucking girl.” He moves closer to Kace, getting right in his face. “He’s fucking dead,” he whispers.
Kace makes me pack a bag while Zane continues to pace and smash his fist through anything that he goes near. We walk out of the house and I climb onto the bike behind Zane as Kace takes my bag. No one says a word, we head to Souls and I decide on the ride that I need to talk to Zane. Talk him out of the crazy idea of killing my father. I race with ideas of how to fix this before it’s too late.
When we get to the club, Zane grabs my hand and leads me inside. Kace is right behind us and tries to stop him as he drags me into the room that is forbidden to the outside world. I try to pull away, but he tightens his grip on my hand.
“What the fuck?” Brooks asks, standing up.
Before I can even blink, Zane lets go of my hand and punches Brooks right in the jaw.
“Zane,” I scream, grabbing his arm. Kace curses and pulls Zane back before Brooks can recover.
“What the fuck,” Brooks hisses. His eyes fly to mine and they narrow. “Shattered Souls only, get the fuck out of here.”
“She’s staying,” Zane hisses. “You broke into her place, destroyed it, and threatened her. That’s not treating her like my old lady, you lying piece of shit.”
I want to leave, I know I should, but I’m captivated by w
hat’s happening. Brooks steps back like Zane hit him and his eyes are wide in shock. He’s one hell of a good actor, I’ll give him that. The anger is rolling off of Zane, I can see his shoulders rising and falling as he breathes heavily. His back is rigid, ready to attack again. Kace has his hand on Zane’s shoulder, ready to grab him at any moment.
“You better get your facts right before you come in here protecting pussy,” Brooks says. Zane goes to swing, but Kace pulls him back. “I didn’t go to Harper’s, I didn’t send anyone to Harper’s. You need to get your head on straight, because you’re way out of line.”
“I don’t believe you,” Zane growls. “Who else would do it?”
“How about figuring that shit out before coming in here and acting like a man with no fucking control. You’re losing the ability to think straight. You keep pointing the finger, rushing to snap decisions. Take a fucking minute to calm down before you fucking react.” In a moment that actually makes me see Brooks as a real human, he pulls Zane in for a hug. “You love her, it’s clear. You need to calm down and as a club we will sit at this table and figure out who the fuck threatened her. It wasn’t us, Z, my word.”
I try to step to the door and Brooks locks his eyes with mine. “Tell me what you know.”
“What?” I ask, a bit too loud.
“Why did your old man go after so many from my club?”
“Brooks,” Z says, moving to me. “She has nothing to do with it.”
I pat his chest and step toward Brooks. After everything that’s happened recently, I have no fear. The worst he can do is kill me and it’s not the worst thing that could happen. That exists in my father’s safe. “I found a mask in my father’s office, I assume it belongs to Sal. He’s in charge while my father is gone. That’s all I found. I have no idea why they did it, but I had no idea.”
My voice is calm as I speak. I’m betraying my club, giving the enemy information they shouldn’t have. I’ve resigned myself to death, but I’ll watch my father lose it all before he kills me.
“You tried to help us?” Kace asks.
I peek over my shoulder at him and smile. “I tried to help Z,” I say, honestly. He nods, giving me a small grin.
“There’s nothing else I know,” I say to Brooks. I turn around and walk out of the enemy’s room. My body is shaking and I don’t know if it’s because of what just happened or if I’m feeling the effects of the last few hours.
Before I get to the door that leads to the back, Zane is at my side. He grabs my hand and leads the way. We get in the room and I grab his face, forcing him to look at me. “I’m gonna go back to the club, I’m going to destroy all the photos. After that, I’m walking away for good. I’m done with him. Let me do that, let me handle it. If you do, I’m yours. I’ll stay for good.”
His eyes soften and he pulls me against him. “I’m still gonna kill him.”
“I know,” I whisper.
“I can’t let that go, babe. I’ve let a lot of things go over the years. Things I should have killed him for. I knew what he was doing, but I didn’t stop him. I allowed it to happen. But no more. I might’ve been too young, too inexperienced before, but not now. I’ll let you destroy the photos because they need to disappear. I will be there with you though and once we leave, you’re never going back. I will fucking marry you and you will be a Shattered Soul.”
“You’re gonna marry me?” I ask.
“Fuck yes. I’ll protect you for the rest of my life,” he whispers, holding my hair tighter.
Tears prick my eyes at his words. He knows how this will end and he’s still willing to do it.
“Okay, we’ll go in a few days. I think he’ll be back in two weeks.”
I spend most of the day in Zane’s home away from home. He’s been with his club, while I’ve been trapped in here. Glancing at the clock, I decide it’s time for a drink. I go out into the club and up to the bar. Finn, the prospect, pours me a shot and slides it to me.
“Thanks Finn,” I say, slamming it back. “Let me get another and a beer.”
He does and I sit at a table watching the strippers while I attempt to get drunk. I need a distraction and watching the girls is working for me. I watch the way they move, the way they flirt, and the more I drink, the more I find it sexy. I’ve had threesomes before and right now, watching, it’s turning me on. Finn refills my drink every time it’s empty and that isn’t helping with my thoughts. I keep my focus on one girl. I don’t know her and that adds to the excitement. She doesn’t know me either, so when she notices me staring, she comes over.
“Hey, beautiful,” she says, her tits close to my face.
“Hey,” I say, feeling my panties getting wet at the thought of touching her.
“You know, there are rooms in the back. If you want to go back there, I’ll lead the way.” She bends down pressing her mouth to my ear. “I figured you might be more comfortable in private.”
Before I even know what I’m doing, I grab her hair and push my lips to hers. They are soft and plump, nothing like the rough controlling lips of Zane. She lets out a soft moan and the drinks are sloshing in my head. I pull back and smile, pulling her onto my lap. “I’m not shy, grind on me. Make me want to take you back to a room.”
She doesn’t disappoint. She grinds her pussy against mine, letting her tits drag up and down my body. Finn drops off another shot and I slam it back, avoiding his eyes. I allow my hands to rest on her thighs and begin to wonder if her pussy is as wet as mine.
She turns around so her ass is against me now. My hands roam her back and when she leans back on me, I push her hair out of the way and suck on her neck. She likes what I’m doing because she begins rubbing her pussy harding against me.
“Is your pussy as wet as mine?” I ask, my fingers lightly and slowly moving up her thighs.
“I won’t even charge you, just take me back to a room,” she moans out.
“This is hot,” Zane whispers in my ear. I snap my head toward him and find him smiling. “This something you wanna do or you want me to bring you over the edge. Either way, I’m good with it.”
I chew my lip, the idea of being with her fading now that Zane is here. “I appreciate the offer, but how about a rain check,” I whisper, pulling back from her.
She turns her head and when she sees Zane, she jumps up. “Hey, Z,” she purrs.
“He’s mine, sweetheart, but if you get me wet like this again, I might let you sample what is his.”
Zane lifts me up and I wrap my legs around him. “Babe, I was watching for a while. That was fucking hot. Made me hard. So now we both need to finish what you started,” he says, walking us toward the back.
I glance over my shoulder and give the girl a smile. She smiles back and goes back to the stage. I might not have taken her back here, but I’ll be thinking of her when Zane has his mouth on me.
I wake up deliciously sore from last night. We both went crazy on each other, both turned on from the same girl. It was the hottest, dirtiest sex we’ve ever had. I roll over and smile thinking I can’t wait for more.
“Morning,” he rasps behind me.
“Morning,” I whisper.
He pulls me to him, keeping his arm around me. “I’ve got a few things to take care of today, but tonight we’re having a Souls party. Can I trust you to get another chick on your lap?” he asks laughing.
“After last night, fuck yeah,” I say, laughing with him. I roll over to face him and kiss his lips. “I’m not gonna ask what you have to do, I know better, but will you be long?”
“There’s no more secrets with us, babe. If you want to know where I’m going, you just need to ask,” he whispers, kissing my nose.
Part of me wants to know and part of me doesn’t. I decide to stay in the dark, it’s for the best. “I don’t need to know.”
He grins and tucks my hair behind my ear. “I’ll be gone a few hours. I’m gonna drop you off with my mom. She said she needs someone there that isn’t a prospect.”
&nb
sp; I lift my eyebrow and back up a bit to see his face better. “You’re having me babysat?”
He laughs and it kinda pisses me off. I try to pull away but he holds me tighter to him. “I’m not having you babysat. I’m keeping you and my mom safe. I will always do that.”
“I’d rather go back to my place and clean it up,” I say.
“That’s not gonna happen,” he says, his voice strong.
I manage to get out of his arms and I sit on the edge of the bed, keeping my back to him. “I don’t want to live like this,” I whisper.
“Live like what?”
I take a breath and look at him through the mirror on the wall in front of me. “My whole life I’ve had to do what my father said. No matter how malicious, how brutal, how heinous. I’ve never had choices, Zane. I was forced to do almost everything. I won’t do it anymore.”
He kneels behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. His deep blue eyes find mine in the mirror and he kisses my head. “Babe, I’m not forcing you to do anything. I’m protecting you. There’s a huge fucking difference. But, if you want to go to your place, I will send Porter with you.” I go to interrupt, but he keeps talking. “I’m willing to bend, not fucking break. Porter goes with you or you go to my mom’s, your choice.”
He gets up and starts getting dressed. I watch him through the mirror. His light brown hair is a mess, falling into his face. The dark shadow of his unshaved face draws more attention to his full lips. The muscles on his arms flex with each move he makes. Even as his body is covered with clothes, he’s still fucking hot. His jeans fit him just right, the white tee shirt stretches across his solid chest, and when he slides his cut on, I feel my panties getting wet. The black leather with his club symbol on it, has always been a turn on for me. Even as a kid, I knew he would wear it with authority one day.
“You okay?” he asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Yeah,” I say, standing up. I wrap my arms around him, just needing to feel him close.
Shattered (Shattered Souls MC Book 1) Page 9