“How long until we’re supposed to be there?”
“Um...I’m supposed to be there in an hour, you on the other are not coming with me.”
“Harmony, you aren’t doing this on your own.”
“The last time you were in the presence of my father, he stabbed you. Or have you already forgotten?” I widen my eyes in his direction, alerting him to how crazy he is for wanting to go.
“I’m a man, your man. No one is keeping me from standing beside you. Especially when you’re making such an important announcement. I won’t sit back at home while you deal with him and the brothers. It’s not in my DNA to sit idly by and let you deal with the fallout.”
“I don’t want you getting hurt again,” I tell him.
“Well, then don’t ask me to pretend to be someone I’m not. Either I go with you, or neither one of us are going.” The fierce, protective look on his face lets me know there will be no further discussion on this topic.
“At least let me call and warn Edge so we can prepare him. He’ll have our back, he’s always had mine. And, he likes you, so I hope the green-eyed monster doesn’t rear his head again at the close bond I share with him,” I tease.
“Fine, call him and warn him. But he best not put his lips anywhere near yours. Temple? Fine. Anywhere on the top of your head? Fine. Cheek? Nope. I make no promises for how I’ll act if I have to witness that display again. You weren’t technically mine then, but you are now.” The way he declares me as his sends shivers throughout my body.
“I’ve been yours,” I honestly reply, before I feel my face become warm with a blush settling on my cheeks.
“I know,” he says, pulling me closer.
A groping, earth-shattering, make-out session that curls a lady’s toes, a shower where we took turns cleaning each other, and us getting dressed—and we’re finally headed out the door. I hand him my keys to lock up and we walk hand in hand to his bike, where he helps me put on my helmet as we both straddle his bike. When he starts the beast, the powerful motor purrs. I wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head against his back and we head out to face my father. Together, as an actual couple this time. As a kid I’d always imagined I’d belong to a patched member of my father’s MC...but this, being Merc’s old lady, beats those fantasies and I’m proud to be his woman. Sometimes there’s a reason for those unanswered prayers.
8
Mercenary
When we pull up to the clubhouse our welcome isn’t all that pleasant. I receive a lot of lip curls and snarls from the brothers. Harmony squeezes my hand and I can feel the nervousness radiating from her. “Everything will be okay,” I assure her as I squeeze her hand in return.
“Swear to God if someone raises a finger at you, I’m going to rip their balls off and shove them down their throat.” The protective tone she uses lets me know she means business. It’s adorable how she thinks she needs to protect me, and given what happened last time, I also see why she feels the need. Although any other time, and from now on, that will never be the case again.
“I can take care of myself,” I say in an attempt to ease her fear. The look she gives me reminds me that I didn’t do such a fantastic job of that the last time we were here. “I’ll be more cautious,” I try again, arching a brow as the words leave my mouth.
“Just stay close to me,” she nervously orders.
“I was the last time, remember?”
“This time, I’ll be guarding you and not leaving you open and vulnerable.” I in no way want her putting herself in front of me and will not allow it. The thought of her being injured the way I was causes me to visibly shudder.
“We’ll see,” I state, as I grab her hand and walk toward the clubhouse. Several men are standing sentry in front of the doors, not willing to let me pass.
“Get out of the way, Phantom and Stone, before I wedge my foot up your asses and it has to be surgically removed,” she barks out at them. Neither one of them move and dare her with their looks to give it her best shot.
“Let them through,” Edge walks out from the shadows. I hadn’t even noticed him lurking around the corner of the building.
“Rogue doesn’t want him here,” Stone shares, folding his arms across his chest.
“Maybe not, but he wants to see his daughter. Don’t you think he’ll be more pissed off that y’all didn’t let her through than having to deal with him?” Edge questions them and you can watch the contemplation begin to roam in their eyes.
“C’mon, Stone. He’s right, plus wouldn’t it be hilarious to see the fucker get his again?” Phantom nudges Stone with an evil smirk plastered on his face. “Duck and weave, asshole.” He waves his hand gesturing me inside.
“After you,” I insist, not intending to give either of these fuckers my back.
“Don’t trust us?” Stone chuckles.
“Not on your life,” I monotonously state.
“Smart man.” They turn away from us, before walking through the entrance. Harmony is glued to my side and I watch as her eyes swivel around taking in any possible threats. She’s strung tighter than an archer with a bow ready to release an arrow.
“It’s gonna be fine,” I attempt to reassure her once again.
“I won’t relax until we leave here in one piece,” she quietly speaks.
One thing I know for sure is that no matter what takes place tonight, my guard will be on high alert. I won’t let anyone get the drop on me again, I have something important to live for now.
* * *
Outlaw
* * *
“Harmony, come over here,” my father shouts above the roar of the room. Knowing I can’t ignore his command, I grab Mercenary’s hand in mine and yank him with me as the men part like the Red Sea when I make my way toward my daddy. I give all of them demeaning looks as I pass each one. These men have all been an intrical part of my life, but right now they feel like complete strangers to me.
“Daddy,” I sadly say his name as I make my way to him.
“What is he doing here?” his tone elevates as he harshly asks me.
“He has a name. It’s Mercenary, and you’d better get used to using it. Seeing as he’s now my man, if he’s not welcome here, then neither am I.” Daddy narrows his eyes, and the room quickly fills thick with his anger. As it bounces off each of the men, I want to pull out my Glock and protect Merc from their potential wraths.
“If you’re pulling my leg to get back at me, it isn’t funny, Harmony,” he hisses.
Mercenary interrupts our impending argument, “I think we got off on the wrong foot, sir.” He extends his hand out for a shake, and I want to laugh out loud at the look that crosses my dad’s face.
“You do, do you? Huh? Let me tell you what’s on my mind and why I think we got off on the right leg. I’m still waiting to hear an explanation that satisfies me as to why my daughter came back with one, a bullet graze, and two, why you thought it’d be okay to fuck her?”
“This doesn’t seem like a conversation that needs to be had in the presence of a public audience. This is something the father of the woman I have come to care about and myself need to conduct in private. For her sake,” Mercenary extends an offer of a private conversation on my behalf.
“You think I should trust you with it just being us? My men’s job is to protect me. They can’t do that if they’re not with me.”
“If anyone should be fearful of a reaction, it’s me. I’m the one with the puncture wound on my side from our last encounter.” I feel like I’m in the middle of a ping pong match with the way my head is swinging back and forth as each of them serves.
Looking around, I notice that the men are tense, waiting to hear what their Pres is going to say. “Fine, follow me.” My father casts his eyes to me. I’m stunned because he’s never taken a stranger to the back for a conversation without having his VP and enforcer by his side. It doesn't surprise me when I notice that he leads Merc to his office, instead of the room where they conduct Church.
>
I go to follow behind them when I feel a hand land on my shoulder, halting my steps. “Let them hash this out,” Edge encourages me to comply.
“I have a bad feeling about this,” I confess to my closest friend.
“You can’t fix this for them, Outlaw. They’re men, let them beat their chests a few times and compare dick sizes and all will be good. Trust me,” he does his best to convince me. I can’t help that my protective instincts are strung tightly like a violin string, ready to snap.
“I suppose.” I feel my lower lip protrude slightly as I begin to pout. “I just don’t understand why men have to be so, well, manly sometimes. Y’all are like rabid animals, I tell ya!” I bat his arm.
“Hey, hey! What did I do?” He loops his arm through mine and escorts me toward the bar. “Come have a drink with me.”
Not wanting to be around any of the brothers, but also not wanting to be too far from Mercenary, I compromise. Grabbing a bottle of Jack from behind the bar, I walk right back toward the sofa near my father’s office.
Edge brings two shot glasses over. Filling them to the rim, he makes a toast, “To unwavering friendship.”
I counter with, “To those who’ve proven their loyalty and keep their honor.” We clink our glasses together, then onto the coffee table. The guys have always said this is good luck, so it’s what I’m used to before we finally throw our heads back and down them.
“Salute,” we both state in unison.
* * *
Mercenary
* * *
As I follow Rogue into his office, I notice right away that his walls are filled with pictures. Not wanting to sit and place myself in a vulnerable position, I begin to scan each one of them. I notice several polaroids immediately that have Rogue and a bunch of men that I haven’t seen around here standing in front of a different clubhouse.
“That was taken many years ago. Those are all the founding members of the MC. They’re all gone now, murdered—by someone we all trusted.” Him sharing this little piece of history with me lets me know he’s been through some deep shit. It also gives me a clue as to why he’s so overprotective and has trust issues. I sure can relate to that.
“Sorry for your loss,” I offer my sympathy to him. Walking around I see a picture of Harmony when she was younger—couldn’t be more than six years old. She’s sitting in the lap of a woman that could pass for her twin. I only thought she resembled her father. If this is in fact her mom, the resemblance is uncanny. “Her mother?” I ask, shifting my eyes to meet his.
“That’s my Aurora. The love of my life,” he answers and sighs. “I lost her way before I was ready. She was too young to go, but also too good for this world.” He sits in his leather office chair, opens the top drawer to his desk and pulls out a straw, and a baggy with white powder in it. Inwardly I cringe as I don’t do drugs, but know that most of the MCs and their men do. He pours some onto a plaque of some sort in front of him before dividing it into several lines with a razor blade. Watching him snort both lines before taking the residue and rubbing it across his front teeth has me wondering if Harmony knows. Maybe this is a test of some sort. Hell, he snorted that line like a pro, so I’m guessing he’s a regular user. Nope, it isn’t my place to tell, either. As if the cocaine has relaxed him, he leans back and kicks his heels up onto the desk. “I became a widower and single father before anyone should have to. I wasn’t a good daddy to Harmony for the longest time. Drowning my sorrows in a bottle and using drugs constantly robbed me of some precious moments. It was Bane and I raising children that are now my brothers. Some of them still had mothers, but they relied heavily on our influence for their sons. It was years before I finally snapped out of it. Because I lost most of my friends and brothers, I had to rebuild and make a safe place for her to grow up.”
“It was Marcum, wasn’t it? The one who took them all away from you?” My curiosity is verbalized to see if my findings were correct.
“I knew you’d research us and figure it out when I hired you. Yes, to answer your question it was Marcum. We called him Marx. He was one of my most trusted brothers. I’d have never believed he’d be capable of such a betrayal. He and his old lady at the time, Lisa, were our closest personal friends. We grew up together, all four of us. We were as thick as thieves. So, when he killed her, and Lisa helped him set us up, I’d never been taken by surprise the way I was then.” He reaches into the inside of his cut and pulls out a pack of smokes before lighting one up.
“Does Harmony know?” I inquire, hoping I’m not prying too much too soon.
“Nah, I never found the right time to tell her. But now that he took it upon himself to lay hands on my daughter, she’ll have to be told. She isn’t safe from him. Now that she’s escaped, or been rescued I should say.” He takes a drag from his cigarette and blows out a ring of smoke, filling the air. “He won’t rest until he either gets what he wants or takes her from me.” His eyes trail off and he looks lost deep in thought. Probably reliving some old wounds and nightmares.
“Over my dead, cold, lifeless body will he ever come near her again,” I adamantly vow.
“I still don’t like you, just so we’re clear. But, I know my daughter, and I either have to give her up, or accept you. Again, don’t mistake acceptance for liking you. You’ve put me in a tough position, Mercenary.” I know he needs to save face with his club, so I don’t take it too personal that he attacked me.
“Do you feel you need more retribution when it comes to Harmony, or are you satisfied with slicing my skin?” I somewhat downplay the severity of what he did to me. No, he didn’t pierce any organs, but it was more than a flesh wound. I just want this beef with him to come to a halt. I’m not saying we need to be friends, but I don’t want to distance her from her family...especially her father. Every cell in my body is telling me I have to make amends with him in order to keep her permanently. He finishes his smoke before smashing its ember into a nearby ashtray.
“Don’t test my patience, boy. I’m trying really hard here to be civil and not lose my shit at the fact that you took your orders above and beyond what was deemed appropriate. She was supposed to be a job to you, nothing less and nothing more. Your only directive was to locate, rescue and bring her home.” He steeples his fingers together and rests his chin on top of them. “Explain to me what this is between you and my daughter. She says y’all are together, what does that mean to you?”
And, here comes the million-dollar question every father wants to know, but no man is ever truly able to live up to the answer. I cross my arms over my chest in a defensive manner, preparing for the worst if my answer doesn’t meet his expectation. “It means she’s mine. It means I’d die and kill for her. No one is safe if they harm one hair on her head. I’m not going to sit here and fill your head with bullshit and spout about love shit, because I don’t know love—never have. But I care about her more than I ever have another living, breathing human being. I’m willing to put in the work and see where it goes for us. I can tell you I have no plans on leaving her and can see myself growing old with her. Does that answer your question?”
“Well enough. As long as you understand that you better not ever be the one that brings her any harm, either. I’m not talking just physically. My daughter has suffered enough pain to last anyone several lifetimes. I won’t be easy on you either. Not until you prove yourself to me. I’ll let my brothers know I’ve chosen to accept you, but I make no promises they’ll reciprocate immediately. I’ll make it known that you’re not to be harmed. Again, not because I like you, but because I love my daughter. You’re not good enough for her...yet, but someday you might be.” He stands up and walks out the door. I guess our conversation is over. My eyes trail over each picture on his wall. Harmony is in nearly every single one. I’ve just been given a sneak peek into her life as she was growing up. I find myself smiling at the family photograph of her and both of her parents. “One day,” I say aloud, walking out of the room, turning off the light and shutting
the door behind me.
9
Outlaw
My leg bounces anxiously as I wait for them to come out of that room. All kinds of thoughts are running through my head. None of them positive and every minute feels like an hour. I’ve always had a fanatical imagination. I’ve also been blessed with the ability to make a mountain out of a molehill. When Daddy finally struts back into the room, he walks up to me and pulls me up and into a back breaking bearhug. “I love ya, my little Outlaw,” he whispers into my hair.
I may be grown, but he deemed me with my nickname at birth. And I know that to him, I’ll always be just that, his little Outlaw. “Love you too, Daddy.” I welcome his embrace and squeeze back. “Where’s Mercenary? I don’t need to go look outside for burial grounds, do I? He is still breathing isn’t he, Daddy? Do I need to call for Stitches to come in?” He chuckles at my forlorn inquisition.
My orbs find and lock with Merc’s as I watch him leave my father’s office with a cheesy grin plastered on his face. Pulling from my daddy’s arms, I run into Mercenary’s. My body collides into his and I nuzzle my head against his chest as my ear listens for his beating heart. “Everything went fine,” he whispers into my hair, wrapping his arms around me. “I’m in one piece and so is he.”
“Everyone listen up,” my father raises his voice in an attempt to gather everyone’s attention. Not all of the men are in here. Some are outside drinking and playing horseshoes. “Stone, go get the rest of those bastards outside would ya? It won’t take long, but it’s something everyone needs to hear.”
Mercenary and His Outlaw Page 9