by Romi Hart
* * *
There was no point heading home, with only a couple of hours till dawn, so Harrison had gone straight to the clubhouse and downed an energy drink to keep himself sharp. Now, the riders for the run had gathered and seemed anxious for the rumble. Once everyone was seated at the table, Corey led the meeting with the details.
“The Ravens have finally given us a reason for the counterattack that’s been building up. They made a move on the Diamond Kings clubhouse. Materials are missing, two are dead, and four more are getting stitched and wrapped. We’ve had the intel for a while, but Gomez escaped our last attempt. This time, we’ve got him trapped. We can take him out and spare as many of the Ravens as possible upon surrender. Four Ravens have already pledged to the Kings and will help us take him out.”
That was music to Harrison’s ears. They’d all been waiting for a chance to nab the son of a bitch, especially after all the death and mayhem some of his club brothers had suffered personally at his hand. Corey continued, “We need to be ready for anything. We’ll run our usual partner formation. A teams will circle the back, B teams split down the sides. Generals up front. Watch your backs, watch your brothers’ backs, and if you get into trouble, yell for help. Let’s all come home alive and in one piece.”
Harrison took it in the best he could, but his mind drifted to Skye and, for the first time, he actually worried about coming home whole.
He would have to wait and see how mad she was, but that made him more determined to get out of this alive. The meeting broke, and they went their separate ways to settle affairs before they had to meet back in a few hours. Harrison was ready to go, but the niggling in the back of his mind told him that he needed to be careful. He had made his decision and, honestly, this time, he wondered if he would regret it.
10
Skye walked in, ready for a long night, but found the club was pretty void of recognizable Devil’s Flames. She saw a couple of prospects in vests that didn’t have patches, but it was still a bit nerve racking. She tried not to worry, but guys getting fresh with a stripper and not taking no for an answer happens more than she wanted to admit. She knew about the run for the Diamond Kings but hadn’t realized so many of them were going, assuming Harrison was blowing smoke up her ass trying to calm her down.
She walked past the bar to find Charlie washing everything down. He was a clean freak, and he did his best to make the dive as classy as possible. Deep down everyone knew better, but they all just kept the comments to themselves. She smiled as he winked at her and headed to the back to get changed, passing more security detail that consisted of prospects and feeling a little more settled. A few of them Skye was not sure about, but she trusted Rocky and knew that they would be in good hands with him.
“Hi Rocky!” she called on her way to the back. He smiled wide, and she swore she could see a bit of a blush come to his cheeks.
Skye found the other girls sitting around the vanity mirror whispering and giggling. As she got closer, she could hear them whispering about Rocky and how cute he was. She had to smile at their conversation.
Even though it seemed that everything was going to be all right security wise, Skye couldn’t help but feel like something was off. She tried to push the feeling aside and get ready for her set, as well as to work the crowd for lap dances. She needed the money.
And that made her think of Harrison. She hoped he was safe and doing what he needed to do so he could return to security detail. The job she preferred he did. Skye knew he watched her every time she danced, since she watched him, too. And seeing him handle business often resulted in cold showers at home on her part.
“Don’t try to take the newbie, too, Skye. You have Harrison already, right?” Starla asked, flashing a sarcastic grins.
Skye fought the urge to wipe it off her face with a left hook. Starla and her had started out as friends, but as soon as there had been insinuations that something was going on between Harrison and Skye, Starla had turned into a total bitch.
Skye gave her a saccharine laced smile and batted her eyelashes in Starla’s direction. “I haven’t staked a claim on anyone, Starla. Nor has anyone claimed me,” she reminded her.
“I see the way you look at each other, Skye. I am not stupid. I know the look he gets when he fucks someone. It’s a hungry look, and he stares at you like that now.
“Well, bless your heart,” Skye replied. “I guess you’re going to think what you want to, aren’t you? I guess you just can’t accept that he doesn’t want you, so you make excuses.”
Starla stood from her seat in front of the vanity and came over to her. She knew Starla was trying to bait her into a fight. Normally, she wouldn’t stoop to that level, but tonight, she needed to knock someone’s head off.
“Did you just call me a bitch?” she asked.
Skye laughed. “If the shoe fits,” she shrugged. “I don’t know what your problem with me is, Starla, but I suggest you get over it before you end up having to use some of those hard earned tips to get reconstructive surgery on your face.”
Starla looked shocked. All the girls stood around with their mouths gaping. Normally, Skye was friendly and almost motherly with the girls, but with Harrison gone and the worry his absence caused, she wasn’t about to put up with any bullshit. From out front she heard Starla’s music cue and watched as the girl wobbled out in a rush on spike heels.
With the altercation coming to such an abrupt end, the others quietly returned to their business. Skye grew nervous as her time drew near. She knew that there weren’t enough guards for the growing number of patrons, but there was nothing to be done about it now. She said a silent prayer that Harrison would return soon, for her sanity and the club’s safety.
“Man, the crowd is crazy out there tonight!” one of the girls exclaimed as she came back from her set, looking harried. “I’m not sure I want to entertain privately tonight. They all seem so grabby.”
Skye’s heart started to pound. There would be trouble, especially if none of the prospects did their damn jobs. She had peered out from behind the stage curtain and seen them ogling the other girls, so she knew they were too distracted. Why couldn’t Harrison and the others have left behind a few seasoned guys? Skye just needed someone that knew how to focus on the job. Was that too much to ask for?
She sighed and took her place on the stage, reminding herself that hopefully this was only temporary and that she could handle it without Harrison. She’d managed before the Devil’s Flames had taken over, and she could do it again. The music started, and she forced her mind to focus, telling herself that Rocky was trustworthy, at least, and he could handle it if things got out of hand. She managed to get into the song, as she always did, the tempo picking up and her body following as she reached for the pole, swinging around it. Men cheered and whistled as she threw off the low cut top and strutted across the stage. Money flew at her, covering the walkway, and she preened, putting her all into it as she crawled around and took more tips out of anxious hands.
Skye heard commotion from the other side of the club and glanced over briefly to see Rocky dealing with a customer who was in a rage about something. Her smile brightened as Rocky tossed him out the door like a rag doll, and she felt better about him being here. She noticed the other boys were still mesmerized by the show and not paying much attention as Rocky went after another grabby customer. Skye made a mental note to tell Eli and Harrison about it when they returned.
But her thoughts were interrupted as she felt a hand wrap around her leg. “Come here, gorgeous, feel how rock hard my cock is for you,” the man said as he tried to pull her from the stage and into his lap.
“Get your hands off me, creep!” she growled, trying not to panic as no one came to her aid. She fought against the man as he pulled hard on her leg trying to get her off the stage while his buddies laughed. She pushed and pulled on the stage to get his hands dislodged from her to no avail. Finally, she maneuvered her other leg around and leveraged all her strength, kic
king him in the face with her spike heeled shoe. He let out a howl but didn’t loosen his grip. She gave another kick as he hissed at her, saying something about wanting to fuck her, and she screamed across the club, over the music.
“Rocky!” she wailed as her hands started to slip. She kicked harder but couldn’t make contact with the asshole again. She kept screaming his name over and over until she got someone’s attention. Her fingers ached, several nails ruined, as she struggled to hang on.
Rocky raced over, out of breath. He grabbed the man’s hand and peeled his fingers off her calf, breaking them one by one as the man screamed in agony. Once she was free, Skye scrambled back from the edge of the stage, quickly gathering her tips as she watched Rocky throw a hook to the man’s jaw, knocking him unconscious and dragging him to the door.
“You don’t put your hands on the strippers until you pay for it, pal!” he called out loud enough for the rest of the crowd to hear, leveraging the warning.
The other prospects had finally noticed the commotion and had the decency to look guilty and ashamed of their behavior and lack of effort. At that moment, Skye was grateful for Rocky and knew he deserved the patch he was about to receive. Rocky came to check on her a few minutes later, knocking politely before entering the dressing room. “Are you okay, Skye? Need me to get you anything?” he asked, a look of concern crossing his sweet face.
“No, I’m okay. Thanks. Your boys haven’t been paying attention all night, though. They don’t belong here if they can’t enjoy the view and pay attention to the surroundings at the same time,” she told him. “Thank you for taking care of that creep, Rocky. I was trying to get him off me, but I don’t know that I could have without your help. Is he headed to the hospital?”
Rocky smiled and dismissed her with a wave of his hand. “Yeah, broken nose, a few broken fingers. He won’t be grappling at anyone else for a while.” He gave her a quick salute and went on about his business as she started to straighten out the money she’d collected and count it. At least she’d made pretty good bank.
She wrapped the kimono tighter around herself and headed to the bar. Charlie nodded as he slid a glass full of her usual in front of her without a word. “Having a good night, Charlie?” Skye asked as she sipped the strong liquid, enjoying the burn as it slid down her throat.
He smiled a gave a loud belly laugh. “When do I not have a good night?” he asked.
Charlie was like family to her. She had gotten close to him over the time that she had been here. He seemed to treat her differently than he did the other girls, and she knew they noticed. He was nice to them, but with her it was more like old friends. She seemed to have that effect on people. They talked and laughed, and he reminded her of her grandfather. Skye secretly wondered if he knew anything about what Harrison and the others were up to but didn’t want to put him in a tough position, so she didn’t ask him.
As she finished her drink, she gasped, seeing Eli come in and head toward the back office. Skye knew if he was back, Harrison must be, too, unless something had happened to him. But she refused to think of such things. She hopped off the barstool and hurried to catch up to Mr. Tall Dark and Brooding.
“Eli! Wait a second!” She yelled after him.
Eli turned and stopped with an irritated look on his face. He had bags under his eyes, and it was clear there had been no sleep for him and likely not the others. He was dirty, but she didn’t see any evidence of knife wounds or gunshot holes. That, at least, was a good sign.
“What?” he snapped.
“Where is Harrison? Didn’t he come back with you, or did you leave him at another hospital to die this time?” she asked, unable to hold back the judgment and sarcasm with his hostility.
“He’s fine. Jesus, what crawled up your ass?” he asked, ready to turn away.
But she wasn’t finished. She hadn’t gotten her fight with Starla, and she was still edgy. “You really want to know? I got mauled by a pervert!” she yelled, pushing a finger into his chest. “You guys ran off, leaving us shit for security. The only one who gave a shit and knows his ass from his elbow is Rocky!” She was fuming, her chest heaving with her anger. “Now, where the fuck is Harrison?” Why was one of the nicest guys she knew from the MC suddenly being such a douche?
“I told you, Harrison is fine. But I’m not his keeper. I don’t know where he is right now. As far as the security issue, I apologize. I’ll take care of it.” With that, he walked away, looking angrier than she remembered ever seeing him, his phone in his hand.
She made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat and rolled her eyes. She didn’t like being dismissed, but she had a feeling some of those prospects were about to have their dreams shattered as they were kicked to the curb. She didn’t feel sorry for them in the least.
She tried to shake it off and loosen up, but she froze, her eyes locking with Harrison’s as he walked in the door. Without thinking, she ran to him and wrapped him in a tight hug.
“You’re okay,” she whispered, relief flooding her as he embraced her just as tightly.
“I told you I would be. Don’t you trust me?” he asked, humor in his voice as he spoke into her hair. But his deep intake of breath, of her, betrayed his easy going demeanor.
She pulled back enough and searched his face, making sure there were no signs of pain or injury. “I believed your intentions. But I still worried. Anything can happen no matter how careful you are,” she said as she looked into his eyes.
Emotion overwhelmed her, and she knew she couldn’t deny it anymore. She was falling for the bastard, headfirst. But she had no clue what he felt for her, so she stuffed it down, not prepared to make a full confession until he gave her some sort of welcome sign. Maybe with blaring neon lights like this godforsaken club.
For the moment, though, she could welcome him home. “Come on, have a drink with me, and I’ll tell you about the shitty adventures we had while you were gone.”
He nodded, and she swallowed her fears. He was home, and that’s what mattered. She would have to be grateful for that and simply trust he would keep coming home in one piece.
11
Harrison’s mind reeled. Too many things swirled in his head, and he had no idea how to make heads or tails of any of it. Part of it was the fact that, despite taking down dozens of Ravens in the raid, Gomez had still managed to slip through their fingers. It weighed on the entire MC, and Corey was livid. Zeke and Eli were, as well, with their personal interest in destroying the guy.
But even worse, he couldn’t stop thinking about Skye and their dynamic. Or, perhaps, lack thereof.
She’d come to his rescue at the hospital, had worried over him, and even though they still hadn’t exactly settled their spat, she’d thrown herself into his arms when he’d come back from the raid. That had to mean she had some sort of feelings for him. And he sure as hell had more than a hard on for her. But he wrestled with that. He didn’t like emotions, and that meant conflict. Conflict was handled, in his world, with black and white answers. But in this case, that didn’t seem to be possible.
Plain and simple, he wanted Skye to quit her fucking job. It wasn’t that he didn’t respect her, or thought she didn’t deserve respect because she was a stripper. But after they’d talked about the security issues, he couldn’t stop worrying about her safety. Stripping at a place like this was a dangerous job. At the same time, Skye made it plain she was independent and wanted to keep it that way. She’d been livid when he’d stepped in to crush her biggest clients for mauling her. And he wasn’t going to overstep his bounds again.
So how could he possibly tell her he was falling for her and avoid giving her the impression he was taking away her freedom?
What she really wanted was some dream, something that she had been saving for. What if he offered to pay for it? The possibility seemed like the answer to his dilemma. It would get her off the stage and on her way to the future she wanted, and he would feel better about her safety. Then, maybe, he could be mo
re patient with getting her into his bed on a permanent basis.
Groaning to himself, he realized that, maybe, he should just be honest about his feelings, but that was too damn easy. And hard. No, he needed to talk to her, try to compromise with a solution that fit into both of their lives. A resolution that gave her the resources she needed and gave him peace of mind so he didn’t have to stress over whether or not someone was going to hurt her.
Even as he thought about it, Skye left the stage and made straight for the bar. He watched covetously as her ass slid onto the stool and she rested her chin on a hand that appeared delicate but was much stronger than she let on.
“How’s it going tonight, Charlie?” Skye asked.
“Busy tonight. We’re hopping in here.” Charlie replied. “The usual?”
“You know it.” Charlie nodded, and her eyes slid over to Harrison. His heart thudded stupidly, like some virgin jock in high school, hoping to get the girl. But he couldn’t help it, with the way her eyes danced, full of mischief and joy as she gazed at him.
She gestured toward Charlie with her head and asked, “Are you ordering a drink or what?”
Harrison scoffed. “I’m actually trying to moderate my alcohol intake for a while after the binge and purge hospital fiasco.” She snorted and nodded appreciatively, and he couldn’t help but smile back. Then, the weight of his dilemma fell on him again, and he scratched his chin. “Can we have a minute in private? I’d like to talk to you about something.”
Skye tilted her head curiously. “You want to talk outside or in the dressing room?”
The dressing rooms were definitely not the place to have this conversation, and the fresh air sounded nice. “I think outside would be best, if that’s alright.” She nodded and grabbed her drink.