Together in ruins (The Scars series Book 4)

by Rachael Tonks

  As her words swirl around inside my head, I try to get a grip on my anger. This had happened because of us. And I have to right it. I have to let this asshole know that beating whores is the lowest of the low.

  “He won’t hurt you again,” I tell her, brushing my hand against Tara’s shoulder before stepping out of the room, stopping to take a glance back inside the room. In that millisecond, I experience the overwhelming feeling of clarity. It’s my responsibility to right this wrong. The burden of taking care of this shit falls on my shoulders. And not just this random whore that has turned to me for help, but every single person associated with this club.

  My club.

  Snapping my mind from the deep thoughts, I make my feet move. Heading down the stairs and outside where the guys gather around.

  “What the fuck happened to her, man?” Davo asks, his jaw ticks as I see him trying to control his inner rage.

  “The asshole that owns Plaza,” I grate out. “And we are going to make him pay.”

  “Whoa, boss. With all due respect, this whore ain’t our problem.” Roach glares at me, but I equal his intense glare.

  “Well, I’m making it my goddamn problem. This chick got hurt because of us. Because I made her do something she didn’t want to do. Now I gotta make it right.”

  “I’m with you, man,” Zane says, slapping me on the back.

  “It’s fucking awful,” Davo adds. “But I can’t help but feel like this is some kind of destiny.” I scowl at him, scoffing as he holds up his hands in some kind of overdramatic pose.

  “I’m being serious, brother,” he scorns. “My dick has been in a serious twist over this chick. And here she is. Just turns up like some angel on the doorstep to our club.”

  The men all laugh and I laugh along. For as much as I think he’s joking, I know he’s digging this chick. “Let’s take this to church. We got some serious shit to discuss.” I nod my head toward the door and the men follow my lead.

  Clouds of smoke fill the room as I give my men the rundown on what happened with Hunter.

  “You think we can trust a guy that just ratted on his own club?” Matteo questions and I see the guys are nervous about believing Hunter.

  “He really didn’t have a choice,” Davo adds, smirking as he leans back in his chair.

  “I’m still not sure, brother,” Matteo continues.

  “We don’t really have any choice,” I say leaning forward and resting on my elbows. “I have to keep the lines of communication open with him. If Brewer is scheming with my father, it means we’re going to have a serious fucking fight on our hands. It means we’re going to war.”

  The guys hum and nod as I glance around the table.

  “We don’t stop until we’ve found my father, and I will take down anybody that stands in my way. Even if that means dealing with the Deathseekers.”

  “Yeah. We fuck him up real good,” Zane says, his hands clasped together in front of him as he rocks back and forth on the chair.

  “And the prospect?” I ask, my eyes darting to the men around the table.

  “Haven’t seen him. He was staying at Jenny’s but she hasn’t seen him for a couple of days. Looks like the cocksucker also went AWOL.”

  My head drops back and I exhale loudly. “Find him. He needs to return his prospect badge to us and give us some serious fucking answers.”

  “Soon as we find him, we’ll bring him to you, Prez. Don’t you worry about that,” Matteo says with a tip of his head.

  The guys spend the next ten minutes filling me in on how the garage and club are doing and just how busy we are.

  “Good to hear it’s keeping us afloat. But the guys on the street wanna know when their next shipment is due,” Chuck says.

  Dropping my eyes to the table, I shake my head. “We have to decide as a club whether that’s the best thing for us. Do we really want to be dealing drugs, putting ourselves at risk if we don’t need to?”

  “It’s easy money, bro,” Chuck is quick to respond. “We’ve done okay with it so far.”

  “We’ve been lucky.”

  “We’ve made good money,” he fires back. “And it’s not like you’re making anything out of the studio.” His finger taps repeatedly against the table and I slowly tip my head, focusing on him.

  “The tattoo studio was never about making money. It was about me having some place to do what I enjoy.”

  “But we need regular ways of earning. Not all of us came off so well from the Alvrez thing,” Matteo adds. I lift a brow, nodding my head in agreement. “The takings are good from the garage and club, but split between us all, it just isn’t enough.”

  “I want to look at other options for us as a club. Another way to earn money without it involving narcotics.”

  “I agree with the prez,” Zane adds. “If we can find a way to make money without heat from the feds, then surely that’s a better option.”

  Gus lets out a sigh. “But it’s what we know. We have a good thing going with Brax. Seems crazy to step away from a sure thing.”

  “Give me some time to bring you options. I want you guys to know that we have other choices. But for now, bear with me.” Pressing my hands on the arms of the chair, I push it back, stepping up and making my way over to the safe in the corner of the room. Swiftly, I enter the combination and pull out a handful of bound cash. Stepping back toward the table, I drop one bundle in front of each of my men sitting around the table. “This should see you right for a while.”

  “Fuck, Nate, really?” Zane leans into me as I seat myself back at the top of the table.

  “Absolutely, brother. I know some of you have family, and fuck, we all have bills to pay, right?”

  Thanks and warm handshakes come my way for the next five minutes. The 10k I handed each of my men is a drop in the ocean compared to what my father claimed after we wiped out Alvrez and took all of his money and the drugs.

  “If you don’t have any other business, I’m gonna split and check on the girls upstairs.”

  The guys shake their heads. I pick up the gavel, banging it down on the table before jumping up from my seat.

  “I should totally come with you, check the girl is okay.”

  “Melody,” I reply with a grin. “The girl who got your dick in a twist is called Melody.”

  “Ahh, damn. Her name is as beautiful as she is.” He groans, pressing the palm of his hand flat against his chest.

  “Did you not see the state of her face?”

  “Still beautiful,” he blurts out and I have to laugh. I’ve never seen Davo this way over a girl before. With his chin held up and his chest pushed out, he walks beside me as I make my way out of church and toward the stairs. As we approach the staircase, his arm wraps around my shoulders, his hand rests and gives my shoulder a little squeeze. “I can’t stop thinking about this chick. The fuck’s wrong with me, man?”

  “Sounds like you’re sick, brother.” I raise my hand, pressing it to his forehead and laughing as he snaps it away.

  “I ain’t fucking around here.” He lowers his voice. “I’m forty-two. I’ve never needed or wanted anything the way I want this chick.” Coming to a stop at the top of the stairs, I look at the man staring back at me. There’s a look of sincerity etched on his face.

  “You met the girl, what? Once? Give it time, Davo. Looks like she’ll be here for a while. If it’s meant to be, it’ll be.”

  “I’m going to make her mine, brother. She wants me, the poor girl just doesn’t know it yet.” He winks at me before slapping me heavily on the back. “I also want to be with you when we take out the sick bastard that did this to her. Yeah, that revenge will give me a huge sense of satisfaction.” His grin spreads, reaching ear to ear.

  “You got it, brother. We check on the girls, then pay a little visit to Mr. Levin.”

  As we approach the closed door, I knock lightly before peering inside.

  “Come in,” Tara beckons waving her hand. She’s standing over Melody, adjusting her pi
llows and helping her up into a sitting position.

  “Hey,” Melody offers with a fleeting smile, all the while fighting back a grimace as she tries to make herself comfortable.

  Davo practically pushes me on the back to get a look inside the room. I widen my eyes at Tara, and her gaze falls to Davo standing behind me. She chuckles quietly, dropping her head.

  “I think you have a visitor.” She leans in whispering to Melody. Melody’s eyes shoot up, landing on Davo.

  “Hey,” he says. I draw my eyebrows looking at him with surprise. He sounds nervous and looks awkward. He rubs his hand through his beard, stroking it back and forth.

  “Really fucked you up good, huh?”

  She nods subtly and Davo walks around the bed, sitting beside her and resting his hand on her forearm. “I’m gonna fuck him up bad, darlin’. Make no mistake, the bastard will suffer.”

  Covering his hand with her own, Melody offers as much of a smile as she can muster. “I’m sorry for turning up here, I had no idea where else to go. Mr. Levin is also my landlord, so I couldn’t go home. He has all of my belongings at the club.”

  “No need to apologize,” I say, making my way over to Tara, wrapping my arm around her and pulling her back until she hits my torso. Looking up at me, she smiles with pride. “We’re responsible for what happened and I’m making it my business to put this right. I never wanted this to happen to you. I’ll collect your belongings and, for now, you stay here. Rest. Until you’re better.”

  “Thank you.”

  “We should go,” I say with a flicker of my eyes in Davo’s direction.

  He gives me a nod, releasing his hold on Melody. “I’ll see you a little later, darlin’.” He smiles and she reciprocates.

  Dropping my hold from around Tara, I reach for her hand guiding her out of the room. She pulls the door closed behind her and I guide her until her back rests against the wall. Dipping my head, I seal a kiss against her lips. “It’s gonna be a late one. I’m going to make sure one of my men follows you home. I need to know you got there in one piece.”

  “Okay,” she says in agreement. “I’m going to stay here a little while longer. I want to know that she’s comfortable before I leave. She seems really nice, Nate. In fact,” she says in a suddenly upbeat tone. “Considering her experience at the club, I think she would be the perfect extra pair of hands we’re so desperately looking for.”

  “By experience I guess you don’t mean the whore part?”

  “No, Nate,” she replies a little angrily. “I mean the fact that she’s been managing that place single-handedly. Sorting out the books and the money. She is way more than just some whore. I actually feel sorry for her.” Looking over her shoulder, she continues, but her voice is now just a whisper. “She told me that she once worked as an accountant. She married really young and had a baby boy. Her husband and child were both killed in a car accident. She lost them both, and that’s when she turned to drugs. Trying to hide the pain of what happened caused her to spiral out of control. She turned to prostitution to pay for her drug habit. Until one day, when she overdosed so badly that she ended up in the hospital.”

  “Shit,” I exhale loudly.

  “Well, she said that was the turning point. She met Precious in the hospital that day, and she took her under her wing. She got clean and started working at Plaza where it soon became clear she was capable of way more than using her body.”

  “Yeah, she said something to Davo about no longer working as a whore.”

  “Well, she also told me that Mr. Levin has been using her for his own pleasure which is why she doesn’t work as a whore any longer. He kinda decided she should be off-limits so he used her to run the place, all the while keeping her for himself.”

  “What? Like, a relationship?”

  “No… that’s not really how she explained it to me. It was more like she was his own exclusive whore. And she thought it was better to be sleeping with just one guy to earn a living, rather than anyone who walked into the club.”

  “Then the asshole beats the shit out of her at the first sign of trouble.”

  “Yeah, asshole,” she repeats, sliding her hand up and letting it rest on my neck. “I guess not everyone is as lucky as I am.” Lifting onto her tiptoes, she kisses my lips softly and I can’t help but wrap my arm around her back, pulling her into me as I melt into the kiss.

  “You’re fucking perfect, you know that, right?”

  “Hmm-mmm,” she hums in response against my lips, but I have to break the kiss. Her puzzled eyes meet mine and a smirk tugs at the corner of my lip. “Nate,” she exclaims. “You broke the kiss… what the hell?”

  “Baby.” I lean in, whispering into her ear. “I gotta stop now, or I won’t be able to.”

  Pulling back, she swats me on the arm. “Go. But later, Prez, you’re all mine. Got it?”

  “Can’t wait,” I say with a wiggle of my brows. I press a quick kiss to her forehead before turning and darting down the stairs. My head swipes side to side as I look for Davo. With no sign of him, I walk to the main door and head outside. As soon as the door opens I hear the familiar rumble of his 2006 Harley-Davidson.

  “The fuck took you so long?” he shouts to me.

  “Saying goodbye, but I’m here now.” I let out a chuckle at the look of annoyance on his face.

  “Man, I’m so pumped to kick this motherfucker’s ass. Seeing her… in that state. Fuck, Nate.” He sighs, shaking his head.

  Stepping closer, I pat him on the back. “You’re a fucking good man, Davo.”

  “What? I’m talking about beating Levin’s ass and you’re all in my face telling me I’m a good guy. Get the fuck outta here.” He flicks his hand out in front of him.

  “You care. That’s why.”

  “You wait until I’ve finished with Levin and remind me what a good guy I am.” He clenches his jaw so tightly, causing the muscles in his neck to flinch.

  “Hey, brothers, where you heading?” Zane asks, his feet pounding against the ground as he jogs over to us.

  “Plaza. Care to join us?”

  “Shit going down?”

  With wide eyes, I nod. “Sure is.”

  “Then count me in.”

  “Hey,” Matteo and Gus holler as they step through the entrance, dropping down on the wooden bench just out front. “What you guy’s planning?”

  “Levin. He’s going down for what he did to my Melody.”

  “Oh, your Melody,” Gus taunts. “Not if I get in there first.”

  “Keep your hands to yourself, cocksucker,” Davo cautions. The look in his eye is inescapable. It’s the look of an outlaw staking his claim.

  “Chill, man,” Gus says with a wink and the men start laughing.

  “Hey,” I address Gus and Matteo with a lift of my chin. “I need you guys to make sure Tara gets home okay. Don’t let her out of your fucking sight until she’s home, safe and sound.”

  “You got it,” they both respond.

  “Thanks, brothers.” Holding out my hand, I pull them in patting both of them on the back.

  The sound of Davo clearing his throat and coughing loudly catches my attention. Turning to look at him, his eyes are wide and he’s patting his wrist. “We gotta go, brother.”

  “Jesus, man, you’re like a bitch in heat. You need to calm the fuck down.”

  “I need to tear some fucker apart, that’s the only goddamn thing that will calm me down.”

  Glaring at him, I rest my hand on the top of his arm. “We gotta go in there calm, and ready to fuck this guy up. You can’t allow your emotions to cloud what we’re doing here. Just imagine the girl isn’t Melody.”

  Davo drops his head. “You’re right. I know you’re right.”

  “So, let’s go do this,” I say, turning my hold on his arm to a shove.

  Tara

  “I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for me,” Melody croaks.

  “Oh, it’s nothing.”

  “But you…
you’re so normal. Nothing like any of the other old ladies I’ve ever met.”

  Grimacing and pushing my hands between my thighs, I can’t help but feel a little awkward. “I’m not exactly your typical old lady. In fact, I’m not even sure I am an old lady.”

  Her brows furrow with confusion. “I’m not sure I understand. Maybe it was the knock to my head,” she jokes, lightly pressing the tip of her finger against the cut on the side of her forehead.

  Blinking hard, I suck in a deep breath. “I wasn’t a whore, Melody. I met Nate through my friend Braxton. They do business together.”

  “Braxton Harris is your friend?” She turns her head, starting to mutter what sounds like a string of curse words.

  “Yes. Yes, he is,” I say in reply and she returns her focus on me.

  “You know, I thought it was dangerous, reckless even coming here. But you, you are involved with some of the most prolific men in the city. But you seem so, uh, normal.”

  Trying to not be offended by her comment, I offer her a smile of reassurance. “They are good men.”

  “I definitely got that impression from Nate. Don’t get me wrong, he intimidated me enough to get his way into the club, but he made me a promise. One I knew he meant. It was a leap of faith though, Tara. The Savages have a bad reputation.”

  “Jeffries gave the club that reputation. Nate is doing everything he can to repair it. They are good guys, I promise you.”

  “And Davo?”

  My smile widens as I had wondered how long would pass before he was mentioned. “From what I know, he’s a good guy.” I lean in before continuing. “I haven’t been a part of this whole club life for very long. I had to see Nate in secret and we did that for about a year.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Just family disapproval shit,” I reply, avoiding spilling the whole details about my cousin, Carter, and what happened with Jeffries. “But with the guys you have to remember their lifestyle. Being part of this club is in their blood. It’s part of who they are. Coming to terms with that can be hard.”