He’d walked straight into the bathroom behind me. There were half a dozen Brothers by Blood bikers standing out the front and he had just used the backdoor.
Daniel Ashley! He’d introduced himself even.
He was charmingly put together; well-dressed, well-spoken and easily enraged. But Chelsea and I had learned that fast during our first meeting.
He’d hit me, even before I’d told him to go fuck himself. He clearly wasn’t afraid to use force to get what he wanted. I’d even go as far as to say that it was his go-to tactic. But I hadn’t shied away. I’d been strong for too long to let a man think he can put his hands on me and have me begging at his feet.
“You’re strong, Harmony. I’ll give you that.” The pain in my shoulder and face was excruciating, but I’d held my shoulders back and stared him in the eye, refusing to let him see me vulnerable. “But everyone has their breaking point and I would have taken so much pleasure in breaking you. But then a client of mine heard about you, he became very interested and was adamant that he must have you for his collection.”His words resonated in my head, chilling me through to the bone and causing my body to shiver.
“You want me to turn the heat on?” Kit asked as we flew down the highway, bikes surrounding us on all sides. His eyes were obviously on me, even as he drove, catching every flinch or sigh or movement that might alert him to how I was feeling.
“No.”
I saw his grip tighten on the steering wheel, but he didn’t say anything more. He navigated the city streets which were unknown to me. I had never visited this city before, even though it was so close. After traveling so much during my younger years, once I found the college I wanted to attend, I’d stuck with it and the only reason I left was to visit my mom. Other than that, traveling no longer appealed to me.
It was well after 1:00 p.m. Kit had offered to stop and get me something to eat, but my stomach was turning thinking about my bathroom encounter. Not to mention the pain that throbbed through my shoulder and my lip. Food was the last thing on my mind.
“One of the boys’ Old Lady is a nurse. She’s going to meet us at the clubhouse. Looks like you’ll need new stitches in that hole,” Kit explained, his eyes not deviating from the road. “She’s cool, I think you two will get along.”
I nodded, knowing that he’d catch the movement in his eye.
I wasn’t exactly angry, but I was upset. Me coming with Kit was supposed to be so he would protect me. Something he’d failed to do for me only yesterday. He’d made out like being his meant I would be safe, I would be looked after. And look what had happened. I knew things were dangerous before, but now they’d stepped up to a whole new level. How was I supposed to trust someone to watch over me and keep me from harm when they had already failed to keep that promisetwicealready.
It just reaffirmed in my head that I didn’t want to be owned. I didn’t want a man to tell me all this bullshit and never be able to step up and do it. I didn’t need a man to watch over me before, and I sure as hell didn’t need one to do it now.
We exited the city and drove a little further until we came to the small township of Troy. We pulled into an industrial area. There were factories and large buildings with high wire fences. I caught some of the signs as they moved past slowly. Packing companies, food processing, wreckers yards, scrap metal. Then we stopped at the highest fence of them all, the club colors displayed proudly on the large metal gates. Two young guys in prospect cuts waved us through with a small salute to their president.
This place was huge!There were just no other words to describe it. It was more than likely twice the size of the old hotel that we used in Athens. It was an old factory, but the guys here had done well at keeping it looking up-to-date and pristine. We drove past what I assumed to be the front of the building and around the side, where there was a long line of shiny black and chrome bikes parked, and three large open roller doors. I watched the guys who had made the trip with us park their bikes alongside the others while Kit pulled up in front of one of the large doors.
Inside was a massive workshop. Men scooted around a handful of cars and bikes, they were in full coveralls, covered in grease and carrying an assortment of different tools. I could hear the noise even through the closed car window, banging, crashing, grinding, yelling and all over a loud sound system that was playing a song by Guns and Roses.
I saw a young kid walking toward us, wiping his dirty hands on his coveralls and beaming a broad smile. He must have only been around seventeen. Kit jumped out of the truck and tossed the kid the keys, patting him on the back with a few words that only brightened the young boy’s smile. Just that small action made my heart warm a little.
Not wanting to be owned by Kit was never due to the fact that I didn’t think he was an amazing guy. His men loved him. They were loyal and supportive and never doubted him, and he always talked to them with respect. This was why he made a good leader. These men, they are loyal to their club. I knew without a doubt that they would lay their life down for one another. That they would do whatever was needed to protect each other from being hurt, especially their club president. But I wasn’t one of these men. I wasn’t a patched member of the club.
I was a club whore!The same rules didn’t apply to us.
And no matter how much of a great guy Kit was, how sexy or sweet, or what words came out of his mouth telling me he would give me everything and more, I was not one of his Brothers. He doesn’t have to keep his word to me like he does for them.
My door clicked open and Kit held out his hand. I took it, climbing carefully down from the truck but still feeling jolts of pain through my shoulder with every step.
“Del is waiting inside, let’s go get you fixed up. Then we can talk.”
I rolled my eyes but took his hand anyway. He kept it latched in his as he led me through two large steel doors and into a huge room. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust. I managed to take in a few things as Kit directed me through the room. It wasn’t much different to our clubhouse. There were large seating areas, couches, tables and chairs, a bar lined with barstools. It was different but familiar, easing my nerves a little.
We climbed a set of stairs to the second floor which was lined either side with doors. It was apparent to the eye that this hadn’t been the original setup for the factory. But someone had put in a lot of work to create a hostel like feel to it. Many of the doors were open and I caught glimpses of what was inside. The rooms were small, but most big enough for a double bed, a desk and still space to move. Some were larger, some were smaller with only single beds.
Kit pushed a door open at the end of the hallway. This room was much bigger than the rest. There was a large bed in the center of the room, a massive mahogany desk off to the right and a bathroom tucked in across the opposite side. There was even enough room for a small couch which faced a large wall mounted television. He moved me toward the couch and gestured for me to sit down.
“Del!” he yelled.
I frowned, ready to say something about not being so lazy and going to get this person, rather than just screaming out and expecting them to come running. But that’s exactly what happened. A small brunette girl walked through the doorway carrying a large first aid kit. She was short, maybe five feet at the most. Her smile was sweet though. Unlike the man who walked in behind her, scowling like he was ready to rip someone’s head off.
“Hi Prez,” the young girl said as she came to sit next to me. “You must be, Harmony.”
I nodded. “Yes, nice to meet you.”
“Prez,” the grumpy man said with a chin lift as he lingered in the doorway.