Hadley (The Club Girl Diaries Book 3) (13 page)

All I wanted was a hot shower to relax my muscles that were still tense and tight. But no such luck. I had two small slices in my skin that had needed stitches, one at the back of my jaw under my ear and one across the back of my hand.

Doc had ordered me not to get them wet for at least twenty-four hours, forty-eight if I could hold out that long. I wasn’t sure if I could, though.

My palms were covered in tiny cuts and pin pricks, as were my knees, and I was still shaking tiny shards of glass from my hair. My shoulder and across the front of my body were sore from the impact of the seatbelt, but would most likely just result in bruising. The whiplash just topped it off, my neck tight and my head beginning to pound.

What a clusterfuck.

I came here to escape, to find some kind of protection. And what happened? I nearly got an innocent child and a brother killed.

While Optimus was adamant that there was no proof those guys were actually after me solely, I was skeptical. Simon knew I was here. The guys that chased us weren’t pros, that much was obvious. But he wouldn’t send professionals because that would draw too much attention to him.

He wanted it to look like he had nothing to do with it.

He couldn’t risk being linked to these guys because that might cost him his place, his job.

I dropped down onto the edge of the bed.

I thought by coming here that he might back off, that maybe he wouldn’t be stupid enough to fuck with these men. The Brothers were outlaws, they didn’t live by the rules of society, and as they’d proven that afternoon, they would kill anyone who threatened one of theirs. Satan’s Sanctuary might be posing as a ruthless club, dealing in drugs and illegal weapons, they were technically still bound by the law. They couldn’t get away with something like this without the government coming down hard on them.

The risk was too high.

It seemed like the perfect deterrent.

But after today, I wasn’t sure the plan was as smart as we’d first thought. Either that or I’d underestimated Simon’s threats.

This wasn’t just about him wanting me back. There was something bigger going on, something that was forcing him to risk everything he’d worked for, in order to get me to come back to him.

Macy’s cries still echoed in my head as I sat inside my silent bedroom. My heart hurt, thinking of how she could have so easily been hurt or possibly killed today.

Would Leo have blamed me for coming here and for putting her in danger?

I felt tears burn in my eyes. The last thing I wanted was for her, an innocent little girl who had already lost so much, to get hurt. I could just see the look in Leo’s eyes if things had gone differently, and he’d showed up to find his daughter gunned down on the side of the road.

Warm tears trickled down my cheeks. Thinking of him in that much pain made me want to vomit. He’d stolen my breath away. He was everything I wanted and so much more, but just out of reach. He had lost so much already. Knowing I could be the reason for bringing the rest of his world crumbling down into a pile of rumble made me want to run.

Chelsea was pregnant with twins, Rose and Blizzard were fighting to keep Jayla in their lives, Slider was barely hanging on by a thread. Me being here was a threat to them all and the lives they were fighting so hard to keep.

I never expected this.

I never thought that within a few weeks, these people would become friends to me. They’d treated me with respect despite the fact that the only purpose I really held here was a warm body that the men used to help them get off. They’d never made me feel like a whore, even though that’s exactly what I was. Trading my body for something I needed in return.

They cared for me, and for all the other girls here, even the ones that they knew were hoping to simply score a man and trap him for life. They were harsh, sometimes vulgar and rough around the edges. But they all had their hearts in the right place.

They all put family first.

And all I was doing, was risking everything they were fighting so hard to keep together.

I shook my head.

I couldn’t do this.

Dropping to my knees, I reached my hand around under my bed, searching for the bag I’d arrived with. Just as I found the strap and was about to pull it out, there was a sharp knock on the door. I thought about ignoring it, Optimus had given me a few days to recuperate, meaning I didn’t have to meet the brothers’ demands.

But when I heard his voice, I froze.

“Hadley? Got some food for you.” He spoke loudly through the wooden door.

I swallowed—did I ignore it, wait for him to leave, and then duck out into the night.

No.

I needed to face them all. Thank them for everything that they’d done for me. They had shown me respect so I would give them the same.

I sighed. “Coming,” I answered, releasing the bag strap and forcing myself to my feet.

I wanted to see Leo. Part of me wanted him to yell and scream at me about how much danger I’d put Macy in. But another part wanted him to wrap me in his arms and hold me close, telling me that everything would be all right.

Inhaling through my nose, I flicked the lock on the door and pulled it open.

Leo’s hulking body filled the frame, the small tray in his hands with a plate of food and a glass of juice brought a smile to my lips.

“Don’t laugh. Skylar was bringing it down, but I wanted to come and check on you so…” He held it up, and I stepped aside so he could come through.

I pushed the door closed as he settled the tray onto my empty desk before turning to face me.

“You’re in one piece,” he said simply, his eyes grazing slowly over my body as if scanning for injuries he couldn’t see.

“Scratches, bruises, couple stitches. Nothing major,” I answered, moving back toward my bed and hefting myself onto it. “How is she?”

He swallowed, averting his eyes away before he answered, “Scared as hell. Few scratches too.”

Guilt sent a chill through me. “Leo, I’m so sor—”

“Don’t,” he snapped sternly, causing me to sit a little straighter. “We don’t know what happened. Could have had nothing to do with you.”

“You don’t really believe that, do you?” I told him, rolling my eyes.

He began to pace, back and forth in front of me. “You’re old man ain’t the only one with a grudge against the club, Hadley. There are plenty people out there who want to try and hurt us. Don’t let this rest on your shoulders.”

It was too late.

It already was.

Even if those men weren’t Simon’s lackeys, eventually, he
would
send someone after me. That was a very real truth.

And was I prepared to let these people possibly take a fall for me?

Not now.

Not when they had become more than just a wall between Simon and me. They’d become friends. I looked up at Leo, and his eyes met mine. They’d become more than friends.

I remembered how Leo felt inside me, how his touch burned against my skin, heating my body to the point where I felt I might explode. It had never been like that, I’d never felt that intense emotion from just one touch.

I craved more.

I wanted him.

“I joined the military straight out of high school,” he started, surprising me with his words. “Hardest thing I ever had to do was walk away from Kim. But I felt like it was in my blood, that it was just something that was a part of me, that I had to do.”

He scuffed his hand across the top of his head like he was searching for the right words to say.

“My dad was in the army. He died on tour when I was just a kid, maybe like four or five. I got a little brother who’s still fighting. Haven’t seen him for nearly two years.”

“And your mom?” I asked softly, eager to hear his story even though I knew it was hard for him to get the words out.

“She moved to Seattle. Can’t travel, so Macy has only met her a few times. Try to talk on the phone as often as possible, but I don’t make the time for her that I should.” He hung his head shamefully, but I knew exactly how he felt. With the tension between my step dad and me, I didn’t make enough time to speak with my mom or visit her. And growing up, we’d been so close.

“Why did you leave the military?”

He started pacing again. “My unit was struck by a roadside bomb. One that I should have anticipated. Eagle and I were the only ones who made it out, and they discharged us for medical reasons.”

This was a surprise. I hadn’t had much interaction with Eagle, but I wouldn’t have guessed that he and Leo were close like that. Leo was quiet but confident and stern, and even he gave in and let himself laugh with his brothers and his friends. But Eagle seemed more of a loner. Keeping to himself.

“I was thankful they let us go. I don’t know if I could have gone back. The memories were just too much, and I had too much here to fight for. Eagle is much the opposite, though, he had a lot of close friends in our unit and no family left here. He has a heart full of revenge and righting wrongs. He likes to keep moving, afraid that if he stops for too long, he’ll get stuck.”

“I felt like that after I lost my dad,” I told him, clearing my throat before the emotion clogged it completely. “I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do. Kept swapping and changing my mind, going to different colleges. I think it was because I thought I had to make him proud, but without him there, I had no idea what he would want for me. So I just felt like if I kept trying new things, one day, I’d just feel it.”

Leo looked up at me with his lip curved up in the corner. “So how did you go from college girl to housewife, to stripper, to here?”

I giggled, it really did sound ridiculous. “I finally realized that my dad was proud of me no matter what I did. The only thing he wanted for me, was to be happy.”

His face seemed to drop a little at my words, so I hurried to continue, “I gave up caring what other people thought. Why did it matter to them, as long as I was happy doing what I was doing?”

“People look down on our girls. I’ve seen the looks they get in public. But they aren’t treated badly. We respect that they give up their time and their bodies to make the men happy.”

I nodded. “We shouldn’t be made to feel like we should be ashamed of our bodies or sexuality. Why should I be looked down on because I like orgasms, and guys are looked up to for the same thing?”

Leo chuckled. “That old saying I guess. If a key opens many locks, it’s a master key. But if a lock is opened by many keys, it’s a shitty lock.”

I laughed loudly, pushing my aching body off the bed and onto my feet. “Think about my lock as more of an ignition key for your car. Just because your key slips in, doesn’t mean you’ll be able to turn me on.”

He stepped forward, his lips turning to a smirk. “That a challenge?” He reached out to cup my face, and I cringed at the sharp pain, pulling away. He stepped toward me again, this time, brushing my hair away from my face to reveal the small stitches in the side.

My eyes flicked up to see his jaw clench and his eyes narrow. “We’re gonna put a stop to this.”

I just nodded. He was right. Even if technically, his plan to stop this, was much different than mine. His head dipped, his lips brushing against mine and I let out a soft sigh, enjoying the moment that I might never have again.