My Brothers gathered in the large meeting room that was used for Church. There weren’t enough seats for everyone with me and my boys there, so we all chose to stand. Some elected to lean against walls or against the massive wooden table that had our club insignia etched in it. Others were wound too tightly to relax, me included, and stood stoically waiting for Optimus to call the meeting to order.
“Someone attacked one of our girls today,” he said softly, but with darkness in his voice. This caused some of the men to stand a little taller. Word must not have filtered through to them yet. Tally stood at my side, but two of my boys Mix and Rifle frowned at me from across the room, questioning me silently as Optimus continued, “As you all know, Kit has taken claim over Harmony. Harmz has been with us for a long time, Chelsea too. I know many of you care for them both. They may be club girls, but they are part of our family.” I saw many nods move around the room. “Today someone attempted to kidnap them and Harmony was shot.”
There was murmuring all around the small space.
“We’ll get the fucker that shot her,” Slider said, pushing off the wall and stepping forward.
I laughed. “He’s right outside the door, have at it.”
“Kit,” Optimus scolded and I rolled my eyes. “Unfortunately she got caught in the crossfire. Caleb fired shots, one hit the offender, the other hit Harmony in the shoulder.”
There were a few chuckles throughout the stoney faces.
I slammed my fist on the wooden table and the room hushed once more. “Someone tried to fucking take her. I want to know who it God-damn was and why?” I demanded.
A throat cleared and Wrench stepped forward. Wrench was reserved. Always the peacemaker, never the aggressor. He was also smart as hell and controlled every aspect of the club that was needed by computer. “I talked to the café the girls were at when that guy smashed Harmony’s phone, also got some partial prints off the broken pieces she bought back. It hadn’t been high on the list of things to do, but if you excuse me now, I’ll go get it all done. Hopefully find some answers.”
“Go,” I snapped, not waiting for Optimus to give his man the order. Like a good boy though, he checked his president first before getting the go ahead to leave.
“I’m taking her back to Troy with me. She needs protection, as does Chelsea. With a club on each of them they’ll be safe.”
No one questioned me, not that I’d put the topic up for debate.
“You watch the women, you watch your old ladies, you watch your family. We aren’t sure how deep this shit runs so we need all our bases covered.”
Every man nodded in agreement and I stormed straight out of there to find my woman and see how she was doing.
The news wasn’t taken so well by Harmony, but in order to keep her safe, I’d pull my control card and given her no choice in the matter. I didn’t want to do it, but danger was lurking and I’d be damned if I let her stubborn streak stop me from protecting her.
I’d called one of my boys and told him to be here early morning with my truck. Harmony was in no state to ride on the back of my bike. He would take my bike back and I would drive with her. Typically I would never allow anyone near my bike but at the moment, the thought of letting her out of my sight made my stomach turn and twist in the most painful ways.
I’d let her down. I’d failed, and it seemed as though my word was now untrustworthy in her eyes. Not that she’d been all gung-ho about all this crap in the first place, but if I wanted her to be my Old Lady, I needed to have every part of her onboard.
She’d thrown attitude at me that I hadn’t seen in a long time. I’d been a club member for years, and before that, I was always the president’s son. I wasn’t to be messed with or talked back to. Harmony had a mouth on her that could rival my own, yet she balanced it well. After our heated conversation in the bedroom, she had managed to come out late that night to get dinner. When I’d talked to her in front of the Brothers, she was sharp but respectful and I admired that. She knew that behind closed doors she could tell me to go suck a big fat cock if she wanted, but when others were present it was time to zip her mouth.
My decision to stay in her room that night was also well disputed.
Harmony expressed emotions very freely. It wasn’t often that I had a hard time reading how she was feeling. I put this down to the fact that she always looked me in the eye. I’d grown to love that about her, even when she was sad or devilishly angry, her eyes never strayed. They were cemented and allowed me to see into her soul. I could read in her eyes what she couldn’t say with her mouth or her body.
I’d gotten up early to welcome my boy, Tie. He pulled my Chevy into the clubhouse lot just as I’d walked outside and lit up a smoke. I tended to smoke when I was stressed, it was a filthy habit, but it did well to calm me especially when alcohol wasn’t an option.
I gripped his hand and we embraced with a couple of thumps on each other’s backs.
“How’s it going, Bro?” he asked with a broad smile. Tie was young, laid back and carefree. Fuck knows how he got that way with the upbringing he’d had. He was homeless and living on the streets at age fourteen before my father took him in. Tie had become like a younger Brother to me, even to the point of calling my parents Mom and Dad. My parents adopted him and put him back in school. My mother even pushed for him to go to college. Kid could have been a doctor or a lawyer with the brains he had in his head.
In the end though he chose the club, the people who’d given him a family when he had none.
I inhaled deeply, trying to smother the agitation I could feel building in my belly. “Not so shit hot, man.”
“Heard a rumor that you’re off the market?” He let out a soft laugh. “How’s that working out for you?”
“She’ll be the death of me.”
“She the ‘stab you in your sleep’ kind?”
“If I were, he’d deserve it,” the soft voice caused me to smile. I turned to find Harmony leaning against the door frame. She wore the same shirt of mine that I’d found her asleep in when I’d finally reached bed in the early hours of this morning. Harmony was tall, so it sat at the perfect length; just below her ass cheeks.
Tie whistled lowly and I shot him a warning glance. “Harmony, this is my Brother, Tie.”