Harmony (The Club Girl Diaries Book 1) (8 page)

“You got a plan for tomorrow?” Tally asked. He threw a few jabs at the bag as I held it.

“Plan for what?”

“What you’re gonna do about Harmony.”

I frowned. Tomorrow it was time to go home. My club needed me. We had our own businesses to see to and rides to organize. As much as I knew the club was in good hands, it wasn’t my VP’s job to run everything. It was my job now, and I was determined to show my men that they can trust and rely on me to keep things running as smoothly as my father had.

“I dunno. Guess I’ll talk to her tonight.”

“You gonna ask her to come back with us?”

I honestly didn’t have a clue what I was going to do with Harmony. I’d claimed her, and she had accepted. I was fully within my rights by club law to tell her to get her ass on the back of my bike because she would be leaving with us.

Harmony followed the rules, and I think if I ordered her to, she would. But what I didn’t want to risk was her hating me. I needed to earn her trust before she would be fully willing to accept the situation. I knew it was going to take a little time, but I hoped she would come around. Harmony was the perfect woman to be my Old Lady. She knew the ins and outs of the club and she respected the laws we had. But she was also strong. So strong. I needed a woman tenacious enough to stand beside me and have the balls to set me straight now and then when I might get off track.

“Optimus! Kit!” I let go of the bag and turned toward the stairs. Caleb came shooting down them at full speed, almost losing his footing on the last one and stumbling into the room. He looked around, his eyes searching frantically.

Optimus stood up from where he was in the corner lifting weights. He was on alert, moving toward Caleb quickly and gripping his shoulder. “Calm down. What’s going on?”

His hands twisted together and I noticed the red stain coating them.

“Is that blood?” I questioned slowly.

“I shot Harmony,” he blurted out. His eyes were wide, staring at me with fear. He should be scared because I was about to go in search of my fucking piece if he didn’t hurry up and tell me she was alive. “She’s upstairs. I got her in the shoulder. Some guys were trying…”

The words came out of his mouth so fast I barely understood them. Not that it mattered because I was already sprinting up the stairway in search of
my
woman. Not caring for his explanation just yet, but instead needing to know she was okay.

“Harmony,” I called, running down the hallway into the main room. I spotted Chelsea in the corner, crouched next to the sofa. mascara was smeared down her cheeks and she held a small hand delicately in hers. I rounded the couch and my heart stopped. Harmony’s face was pale almost like white porcelain. Her eyes were closed like she was sleeping, but her face was in a full grimace of pain.

Blood seeped through a hole in her T-shirt. She’d been hit just above the collar bone.

I knelt down beside her, taking an inventory of her injuries. Besides the bullet wound, she had some pretty good gravel rash on her legs, hands and elbows. Some of it was quite deep and still had little bits of the road embedded in it.

“Harmony, wake up,” I said quietly. I brushed the hair back from her forehead and her eyes fluttered but didn’t open. “She’s probably in shock,” I stated as I heard Optimus and some of the other boys rush up beside me.

“I’ve called our doctor in. How’s her pulse?” Optimus asked. His hand had a firm grip on Chelsea’s shoulder, but she continued to stare at her comatose friend.

I held my fingers to her neck. I felt a steady beat against my fingertips and sighed in relief. “It’s good.”

“Good. Now someone needs to explain what the
fuck
happened,” he roared.

I looked up, the stupid little prospect planted against the wall, fear widening his eyes. I shot toward him, my forearm pressed tightly against his neck. He didn’t fight me. “Tell me what the hell happened,” the words came out slow and deadly. I released the pressure on his neck, just enough to allow him shallow breaths and the ability to speak.

“Some guys came out of nowhere while we were walking to the girls’ car.” I could tell he was straining to breathe, but I didn’t give a fuck. Harmony was bleeding and it was his God damn fault. “They tried to pull Harmony toward the van. I pulled out my piece, but I couldn’t get a good shot because the guy was behind her and she was fighting tooth and nail.”

I looked over my shoulder at Harmony, who still hadn’t moved.

That’s my girl. Fighting like hell and never giving up.

The kid continued, “She moved just as I thought I had a clear shot. I hit him with one shot and then got her with the second.” He was wheezing hard at this point, but I didn’t relent. “The guys all hauled ass back to their van and sped off.”

“You get plates?” Optimus asked.

Caleb shook his head. “I was too concerned about getting Harmony in the car before the cops showed.”

I released my hold on him and he bent over, breathing as though he had just run a marathon. I let him have two breaths before I slammed my fist into the side of his face, sending him sprawling across the floor. “You shot my damn woman,” I yelled as I stalked toward him, bringing my hand back ready to deliver another bone-crunching blow.

“Kit!” I spun swiftly, the pained sound in Harmony’s voice quickly taking all my attention. Optimus pulled a reluctant Chelsea out of the way before I crouched to my knees beside Harmony. “Leave him…alone.” Her face was twisted with pain. I’d been shot before and it was enough pain to bring even a strong man to his knees. Yet here she was, telling my ass off for messing with the little shit that had shot her.

“He was trying…to…help,” she cringed with every word, but her eyes watched me without a waiver.

I scoffed. “He fucking shot you.”

“What would you rather? Her shot, alive and here, or those dudes in suits doing who knows fucking what with her?” Chelsea yelled from behind me.

I turned and shot her with a dark glare before I clicked to what she had said. “Suits?”

“Yeah, suits,” the prospect said, getting off the floor finally and rubbing at his jaw. “They were wearing dark suits and glasses. Definitely not a couple of thugs.”

I caught Optimus’ eyes. A grave looked passed between us and we both knew that this was too much of a coincidence. Two very aggressive approaches to the girls in less than a week by not just anyone, but well put together men in suits.

The door suddenly slammed open and an older man came shuffling in carrying a large old-school doctor’s briefcase. I figured this was the club doctor. I’d never had the pleasure of meeting him personally. He had a gray beard and wrinkles from here to kingdom come, but his body was thick and solid like he’d never missed work out in his life.

“Caleb, call all the boys in. Now,” Optimus ordered, eyeing Chelsea with a look that was full of agitation and what I thought might be fear.

“Yeah, Prez.”

“Trying to kill off your girls now, Op? What happened to just throwing them out when you were done with them?” the old man joked as he stared at Harmony.

Somehow Harmony managed to raise her hand and flip off the old guy. “Fuck you, Doc.”

He chuckled, but still didn’t move to help her. “You hear the way your club girls talk to members, Optimus?”

“I claimed her. She can speak to you, however the fuck she likes,” I growled, standing and folding my arms across my chest.

“Ha,” he burst out, shocking me. “You know when you claim a woman you’re supposed to protect her, right? Not let prospects take pot shots at her.”

I moved forward, ready to teach the fucker some respect, but Optimus stopped me with his arm across my chest. I pointed at him with a sharp finger. “Watch your damn mouth, old-timer.” He grinned at me. The old dude had balls of steel, that was for sure.

Harmony groaned, shifting uncomfortably on the couch.

“Just help her out damn it, doc,” Optimus growled before shoving a hand against my chest and pointing toward the meeting room. “In there.
Now
.”

I glared at him, but the look he returned was just as fierce. I bent and kissed Harmony on the forehead. “I won’t be long.”

She didn’t look at me but nodded gently. I couldn’t tell if it was the pain or if she was angry at me. I wouldn’t blame her if she were. The doc was right; I should have been protecting her. I should’ve taken the threat to the girls more seriously, and I shouldn’t have relied on some inexperienced prospect to watch over her life.

Well, that was all about to change. I wasn’t sure if she was going to like it, and there was a huge possibility that she might actually hate me for it, but I’d claimed her now. It was up to me to watch over her and keep her safe and I would do whatever it fucking took to do just that.

The drugs that Doc gave me made everything a little hazy and I didn't even feel a thing when he moved me from the sofa to my bedroom. The old dude was strong, I'd give him that. He’d laughed the whole way through pulling the bullet out and stitching me up. I wished I could have felt my arm during that time because boy, did I want to clock him.

“Found yourself a man, huh?” he mused as he pulled the needle through my skin. I was lucky. The bullet had gone into the fleshy part at the top of my shoulder and missed everything important.

“Yeah, something like that,” I grumbled.

“Don’t seem too happy with the idea.”

“I like my life. He chucked a spanner in the works and it’s thrown me a little,” I admitted.

Kit was an amazing guy. He was harsh and commanding, but he had a huge heart that cared about his friends and family. That was evident from the moment I’d been in his presence.
I just wasn’t sure why he’d felt the need to claim me?
It wasn’t like I wouldn’t have handed him my body on a silver platter given the chance. But he’d refused to take me until he knew I belonged to him.

I didn’t want to belong to anyone. I’d seen the way some of these men treated their Old Ladies. Hell, I’d helped them cheat at times. Not all, but many weren’t faithful. That was the way of an MC. No matter how much I adored these men, the reality was that they had a God-like complex.

I didn’t want that for me. I didn’t want to fall head-over-sexy-heels for a man who only wanted me for the privilege of saying he owned me. I didn’t want to watch in heartache, sitting at home twiddling my thumbs while he screwed club pussy like an energizer bunny.

I respected the club. I respected their rules. But there was a reason I’d chosen the life of a club girl and not pushed to be an Old Lady – there weren’t feelings involved. I knew what I was to them. It was clear as day. They wanted pussy and only pussy.

Kit wanted more, and I’d spent so long offering only my body and keeping the rest of myself locked away. I wasn’t sure if I knew how to give him anything more than that.

Doc stood and moved to the bathroom to dispose of his gloves and wash his hands. When he came out, he hit me with a hard look that I’d never seen from him before. “You’re treating it like you’re walking the damn plank. Taking an Old Lady is making a promise that you will be cherished by not only your man, but the whole club. They will lay down their lives for you. They’ll support you. They’ll care for you. You’ll have family forever.”

Serious was not a word I ever associated with Doc. But here he was, straight-faced and stony. It was clear the club meant a lot to him and I felt as though I was disrespecting him by brushing off the idea of being claimed by Kit.

I tried not to let his lecture affect me. “I’ve had men make me false promises my entire life. I don’t need them now. I found the club and there was no bullshit. They know what they want, I know what they want.”

“And what false promises have been made?”

“A promise of protection,” I said solemnly. Kit had promised to protect me while I was his. Look where that had gotten me.

Doc nodded. “I get it, Harm. But the world doesn’t stop to consider our vows to our loved ones, neither do the people around us who make their own decisions without thinking about how they will affect others. I can swear to my lady that I’ll be home for dinner, but if there’s an accident on the highway because some asshole decided to drink and drive and I get caught in traffic then I’m going to be bloody late aren’t I.”

I let out a small laugh. “That’s a horrible comparison.”

He smiled. “The boy gives a shit about you. Sometimes he’ll promise to be there for dinner, but he won’t make it. Doesn’t make him a bad person. You just gotta throw the dinner in the microwave and wait for him.”

“Doc, just a suggestion, don’t ever go into motivational speaking,” I told him, closing my eyes and throwing my good arm over my face. I felt the numbing wearing off and my shoulder was beginning to throb.

He started throwing orders at me – don’t drive, don’t get the bandage wet, take pain medication every four hours, no sudden movements or I’ll pull the stitches. Blah, blah, blah. Acknowledging his lecture with a hand wave, I heard him snort and after a small amount of shuffling the door opened and closed. I sighed. If only I could get the room to stop spinning now.

“How you feeling?” Kit’s voice made me jump, causing the dull pain in my arm to sharpen. I groaned, wishing this had all just been one big nightmare.

“You been shot before?”

“Yeah.”

“Then do you really need to ask?” I flung at him, not even bothering to lift my arm from my face.

I heard him move closer to the bed before it dipped slightly, not quite enough to jostle me. “You could have answered without the damn attitude.”

I lifted my arm just enough to glare at him from beneath it. He stared me down, I should have known better than to try and intimidate Mr. Scowly-face.

“I’m sore.”

“How are your legs?”

“Sore,” I snapped.

“What’s your fucking problem? The bullet hit your bitch switch?” He grabbed my wrist and pulled my arm from my face, pinning it to my side.

“I was almost kidnaped! And if that wasn’t enough, I got shot.”

“Did I shoot you?”

I frowned. “No.”

“Then why the fuck are you biting at my ass about it?”

I sighed, my body was too exhausted and I felt like I was going to vomit. I knew I was being unreasonable. It wasn’t his fault but felt like I needed someone to blame and he was there. “I just want to sleep. Can you go?”

“No, I can’t go. My woman was almost taken from me.” I felt sorry for shooting my mouth off at him, but I was hurting and I was tense. “There’s a whole shit-storm about to start and we need to talk about it.”

I wiggled my arm from his tight grasp and attempted to pull my body up on the bed, so I was in a sitting position. Kit reached out to help, but I shook him off. I knew I was being a brat, but I couldn’t help it. The need to push him away was too strong. “You’re heading home tomorrow. It’s not your problem.”

He moved off the bed and toward my desk. “That’s what we need to talk about.”

“We really don’t—”

“
Harmony
,” he yelled, slamming his palms down on the hard wooden surface. My body jumped at the loud noise which echoed in the small room. I grimaced with pain, but he never faulted, looking at me like it served me right for the way I was acting. “Will you just stop and listen to me for one God-damn minute.”

I didn’t speak. I wanted to give him hell and tell him to turn around and get out. I wanted him to leave and never come back. But unfortunately for me, my brain disagreed and refused to relay my wants to my mouth. It actually needed to hear what he had to say.

Stupid brain. I knew it was defective.

“Now listen, and listen real good,” he said slowly. “I took ownership of you—”

My mouth opened, but he hit me with a glare that dared me to speak and it shut again pretty quickly. Respect for the Brothers had been burned into me.

“I took ownership of you. That means you are my responsibility. Your safety – on me. Your wellbeing – on me. The words that come out of your mouth when people are around to hear them – on me. I take that shit seriously. I am a President of the Brothers by Blood,” his voice seemed to strain as he forced himself to continue, “You got hurt and that shit is on me.”

My heart jumped a little as he reiterated exactly the point I had been mulling over with Doc moments before. He’d vowed protection. I hadn’t been protected.

“I won’t make the same mistake again and for that reason, I’ve made a decision.” I swallowed sharply. I wasn’t sure of what was coming next. Part of me expected him to say he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t claim me because he didn’t want the burden. My heart hurt at the idea, even though it was what I thought I wanted. The other part of me laughed, knowing it was a stupid thought to begin with.

“You’re coming back with me.”

The words vibrated in the room and I stared at him in shock. “No.”

“You gave yourself to me, Harmony. You accepted my claim.”

“When I thought you’d be here for a few days.”

He shrugged. “I never put a time limit on it.” I racked my brain, knowing he was right but still willing to argue the point anyway. “Don’t fight me on this, babe. You won’t win. I’m within my rights to order you to, but I’d rather it not come to that.”

“My life is here, Kit. The club, my friends – my school!”

“You’re outta school for a couple of weeks. The club has enough girls and you can still talk to your friends. I’m not locking you in a padded room and throwing away the key. I’m doing what I need to do to protect
what is mine
. And you,
you are mine
.”

“So you continue to remind me…” I commented dryly.

He slams his hands on the desk again before stalking toward me and getting right in my face. “One day we are going to have a serious talk about why you continue to push me away. I don’t know what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours, but you need to get rid of that toxic shit and soon. For now though, my main priority is making sure that you’re safe and that you rest. I don’t give a flying fuck if you don’t want to come. I will drag you kicking and screaming if that’s what it takes to keep you from harm because you know what? You gave me that right when you accepted my ownership of you and spread that tight little pussy for my cock.”

I sat stunned.

He was right and I knew it.

There was no point in arguing. I had given myself to him; even if it was in a lust-filled state. I hadn’t seen the meaningfulness of his words before then.

‘
You giving yourself to me?’

I’d assumed he just didn’t want to share me while he was here. But I was wrong. Kit had all out claimed me, and in the MC world, ownership was a strong theme. You didn’t just walk away from this kind of stuff, the only way out is if he lets me leave.

And I knew from the look in his eye, he wasn’t going to let me walk away without a fight.