King (Grit Chapter Book 2) (10 page)

Holding her hand up, she silenced him. She probably had a death wish, but she didn’t care. “I’ve known Vicky my whole life, and she’s in love with you, but she wants you so much she doesn’t care what kind of relationship you’re in. I know her, Payne. You’re killing her with how you’re using her.”

“I’m not using her.” Payne looked pissed. Good, because she was too.

“Then claim her as your old lady! You screw her and toss her aside. You don’t see the real pain you’re causing but it’s going to get her killed.”

“I would never let anything happen to her.” Payne ran a hand over his hair, looking and sounding frustrated.

“Oh yeah, what about if it was to be at her own hand?” Clara let him think about that. “Vicky is a good woman, but she can only take so much. She has a history of ... hurting herself. If you keep pushing her away, if you keep on hurting her, and she doesn’t see a way out, she gets down. I know Vicky. She’s fragile when it comes to her love. Why do you think I try to see her often? You’re the first person I’ve seen her really truly fall for, and that scares me. You put her at risk making her some club whore, but you don’t even have the balls to claim her properly.”

“She’s a grown ass woman and knows what she wants,” Payne growled out.

She pointed at King. “All of your boys, King included would protect her with their lives if you showed them that she meant something, but you just won’t do it. Others may be afraid to stand up to you, but I’m not.” She looked at Bill. “I wouldn’t join the club—you’re better than that.” Shoving Payne hard, she walked away, not caring about the chaos she left behind.

C
lara was sweating, but it was the good kind of perspiration, the kind that told her she was having a good time. The music was loud, pumping, and the club was packed with so many people she could smell the sweat and arousal fill the room.

Vicky and Bridget were dancing just a few feet from her, their smiles wide, and the obviousness of them having a good time made Clara feel good about making this night happen. She lifted her hand and gestured for something to drink, and Vicky nodded. Bridget did the same, and Clara pushed her way through the throng of bodies to go to the bar. The line was ridiculous, but she needed a little reprieve from the heat and suffocation of dancing in the club.

When her turn to order finally came up, she leaned on the bar and ordered three girlie but strong drinks. As she waited for the alcohol to be passed her way, she turned and faced the bar. She could see Vicky and Bridget still dancing, and she found herself smiling.

“Here you go.”

She turned and faced the bartender. He wore a silver sequin top, his muscles pronounced, and the scent of his cologne washing through her.

Making her way through the throng of people once more, she handed the girls their drinks, and in record time they finished them, laughing. The buzz was strong within her, and although she was trying to keep her mind off King, it was hard as hell. This tingling covered her entire body and she glanced around the club, expecting someone to be looking at her. But all she saw was people dancing, sweaty bodies, and flashing, low lights.

“You only live once. Come on girls,” Vicky yelled, and they started dancing again.

The music pulsated through her, and the heat and alcohol made her lightheaded.
Clara
closed her eyes, continued to dance, and got lost in the feelings of swaying, the heat in the room, and just feeling very good and content in where she was in her life right now. She didn’t know how long she danced, but soon hands moving around her waist from behind her and warm breath along her neck had her tensing.

“You can move, baby.”

Clara spun around and stared at the guy who stood behind her. The guy was clearly drunk and started swaying, his grin spread wide over his mouth. The scent of alcohol and cigarette smoke came off him strongly. He was also sweaty, the pit stains evident. She felt disgust that this guy had touched her.

“Fuck off.”

He grinned wider.

“Hey, I can make that happen, baby.” He wrapped his arm around her waist again, but Clara pushed him back.

“I said fuck off. That wasn’t an invitation.”

He stared at her, sweat sliding down his forehead, and then made a move at her again. He was either too drunk to realize what the hell he was doing, or he was a fucking idiot. Before he could touch her again she felt someone behind her, felt the heat as if it consumed every part of her. She looked over her shoulder, tilted her head back, and looked into the face of a very pissed off King. Payne and Beast were behind him, their expressions furious as well. Their focus was on Bridget and Vicky and when Clara looked at the other women, she noticed they were no longer dancing and their stares were locked on their men.

King’s nostrils flared and his face was a mask of anger.

King pulled her behind him, and Payne and Beast went and wrapped their hands around the other two women’s waists.

“King?” she said, but he either didn’t hear her or he didn’t care.

King was on the guy in a matter of a second. He slammed his fist into the side of the drunk’s face, and the other man fell to the floor instantly.

“You motherfucker,” King growled out, and the sea of bodies parted around them. He picked him off the ground and punched him in the face before letting him fall once more.

He went after the guy again, but she rushed forward and grabbed his shirt, pulling him back.

“He’s not worth it. Come on, King.” She tried to pull him backward, but it was like trying to move a tank. Clara sure as hell didn’t want King doing this.

He stopped, looked over his shoulder at her, and the rage she saw on his face was like a blast of cold air. She let go of his shirt and felt her own anger rise. What in the hell was he even doing here?

“You think he shouldn’t get the shit kicked out of him for touching you?”

She didn’t say anything, didn’t know what to say.

“I think we should go.”

“No, Clara, He touched what wasn’t his.”

She lifted a brow. “I’m not yours, King.”

He was silent for a second, his nostrils flaring. “Are you sure about that, baby?”

“God,” she said through her anger. “What the hell? Why are you guys even here?”

“We’re here to make sure you’re okay.”

She shook her head. “Girl’s night out doesn’t mean having bikers stalk us and lurk in the shadows.”

King growled and stared at her as he wiped the blood off his knuckles and onto his pants. “You’re mine, whether you want to fucking admit it or not.”

God, seeing him wipe off the blood from the fight he’d just been in was hot as hell. Clara didn’t respond, just turned and pushed her way past the crowd, and went outside. This had gone too far, but she didn’t know if she was pissed about the whole thing, or if having King declare her as his was what she always wanted.

C
lara looked so fucking sexy. King wanted to bend her over the nearest surface and pound the fucking shit out of her. Instead, he was pissed off and angry. What was it about this woman that was driving him crazy?

When they’d found out the women would be going to the club they’d been all for following them and making sure some motherfucker didn’t mess with them. They could have stayed at the club, watched the pussy that hung out at the MC walk around and be flaunted in his face, but King wasn’t interested in any of that. He just wanted one woman, and that was Clara.

Then he’d seen that punk ass drunk touching her, and sanity and civility had left him. He didn’t want anyone touching what belonged to him, and whether Clara liked it or not, she belonged to him.

Watching her curvy ass walk away from him pissed him off, but it also turned him on.

King followed her outside and smirked when he saw how angry she was.

“What is your problem?” she asked, spinning around to face him.

“I don’t have a problem.” He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her.

“You just went psycho on that guy for no reason.”

He lifted a brow, his amusement fading. “No reason? Did you want his fucking hands all over you? He was drunk as a fucking skunk, Clara.”

“You didn’t have to do that, though. I was handling it. I could have handled it.”

“You do that a lot, don’t you, babe? You handle everything.”

Clara folded her arms across her chest. “That is none of your business.”

“Actually, when it comes to you, it is my business. My dick has been inside you, and you belong to me, so it is my business.”

“And what in the hell are you doing here anyway? Did you three follow us?”

He didn’t answer, and she looked as if she got even more pissed.

“I wasn’t going to fuck him, King. This was supposed to be a girls’ night out, and yet you three decided to come and what, rescue us if things got out of control?” She narrowed her eyes at him. “And you know I’m pissed at Payne. Why bring him along?”

“Payne and Vicky’s problems are their own. Don’t get involved in them,” King said.

“She’s my best friend. She’s like a sister to me.”

He stepped toward her. “Payne’s not going to let you interfere with Vicky. You’re lucky he let you get away earlier.”

“He’s an asshole.”

King reached out, grabbing her arms. “Let it go, baby.” He stared at her lips. “Is this what you do when you find someone you want, when you start to feel for them? Is this getting too deep, too heavy for you?”

She shook her head.

“You start to feel scared so you make sure it’s someone else’s fault for you to leave.” He was starting to see through Clara’s little act, and it pissed him off.

“You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about,” Clara said.

“Yeah, I know exactly what I’m talking about.” He took a step toward you. “Finding someone scares the shit out of you, doesn’t it?”

She shook her head. “This is crazy,” she whispered.

“It’s not. You find a reason to leave every time someone gets close to you. What the fuck is it going to be, Clara? Are you going to run every chance someone gets fucking serious about you?”

Clara laughed. “We’re not serious. You want me because I’m different from all that pussy at your club. Nothing is different here.”

“Fuck you, Clara.” He shook her, annoyed as hell with her. He was so damn mad. Payne wasn’t mad at Clara but at himself for what he knew to be true.

“There’s no one in this world that cares about me like Vicky does. That’s why I don’t want anyone messing with her or her emotions.”

King shook his head. Payne wanted Vicky for more than club pussy—King knew that. Hell, everyone knew that, but Payne was too much of a stubborn hard ass to do anything about it.

“You need to just walk away from them and focus on us.”

She pressed her lips together and he smirked. He was getting under her sin. “Come on, baby.” He pulled her close and placed his hand between her thighs. “Let me fuck the stubbornness out of you—”

She brought her knee up, getting him in the balls hard enough that he went down.

He cupped himself. “Fuck!”

“You don’t have any right to touch me like that, to just brush away how I feel.” She was crying.

Staring up at her through the pain, King gritted his teeth. “I’m in love with you, Clara.”

Silence fell on the whole of the parking lot, and she froze, her eyes widening. He heard the door of the bar opening and closing.

“What the hell?” Vicky said, shock in her voice.

Glancing behind him, he saw Payne, Vicky, Bridget, and Beast. Great, they were all about to see him getting shot down. And they all had probably heard what he’d said.

“Did you put him up to this because you want me to stay?” Clara asked, throwing the accusation toward Vicky.

“Of course not. I wouldn’t ever do something like that.”

Something was seriously wrong if Clara really believed that her own friend would get him to admit his feeling toward her. But she was crying heavily now, looking like she was on the verge of really losing it.

“Is it too hard for you to believe that others are capable of loving you?” Vicky asked.

“Don’t,” Clara said, her voice sounding tight with emotion.