Stain (King's Harlots MC Book 2) (8 page)

“Meeka,” I said, leaning against the wall.

Her gaze snapped to mine, her eyes rimming over.

“Come here, Hummingbird.” I reached a hand out to her.

She walked into my outstretched arms, curling against me.

“She’ll come around,” I whispered, kissing the top of her head.

Meeka nodded.

I didn’t like that she was hurting. She had tried so hard to impress Jay, and unfortunately, after a couple of wrong choices, it blew up in her face. She brought Violet home but possibly lost a friend. Their friendship had been rocky before. Now it was barely existent.

I could feel the eyes from our friends burning into me. What was I doing? Were Meeka and I a couple? Blah. Blah. Blah. Meeka and I were close but we had never let our friendship come to light until a couple months ago. No one had seen us together since we saved Jay’s twin and revealed that we had been undercover. It was a shit move and we should have told our bosses but we didn’t want to jeopardize anyone’s lives.

Throats cleared and conversations continued.

That’s what I thought.

I wasn’t explaining what was going on between Meeka and me. My brothers would ask, it was a given, but I wouldn’t tell them. Not until we were good and ready.

Angel whistled, silencing the room. “I know we haven’t met up in a while. We’re going to change that.” He looked down at Jay. “Right?”

She rolled her eyes but nodded.

He whispered something in her ear, causing a flush of pink to caress her chinks.

“If you rolled your eyes at me, Meeka—” I kissed her cheek “—I’d spank your ass, not caring in the least if anyone saw.”

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me,” she muttered, leaning into my side.

“You know me well.”

“I do.” She smiled.

Even her smiles made my heart flutter. I was a man—our hearts didn’t fucking flutter.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, frowning.

“Because you are driving me crazy.” The fact alone that we almost had sex was enough to force me to drink. But her innocence sent blood shooting straight to the tip of my dick.

“Good. It’s about time you had some feels.”

“Feels? I always have fucking feels.”

She laughed, elbowing me in the ribs. “Nope. It’s because of me that you have them now.”

“Are you teasing me, woman?” I feigned shock, gripping my chest.

“Maybe.” She winked.

I opened my mouth to reply when a large form came into my view. Or several of them, actually. My brothers stood around me, but Angel was the first to speak.

“Meeka, will you excuse us please?” he asked, keeping his gaze locked with mine.

“Of course.” She gave my hand a squeeze and headed to her sisters.

“What’s up?” I crossed my arms under my chest.

“We leave in a week,” Angel mumbled.

“How long?” It was the same conversation every single time, and it was one that I would have for the rest of my career. I wasn’t ungrateful but sometimes I needed a rest.

“A month at least. Charles is making waves. You go in and do what you do best,” Angel ordered.

“Wait …” I shook my head. “I’m not going with you?”

“No, and before you give me shit, you know why.” Angel continued on but I didn’t hear him.

This would be the first mission that I wouldn’t be involved in. I never thought being undercover trying to bring Charles down would take me away from them.

“But we’re brothers. How can you not expect me to go?” I met everyone’s gaze before looking back at Angel.

“You know why you can’t go,” he said slowly, his tone firm.

Fucking guy. “And everyone else?”

“No one else knows except for us, and it needs to stay that way,” Angel reminded me.

“I’m still trying to convince this fucker to tell us what is happening,” Dale said, rolling his eyes.

“That won’t happen because you can’t keep your mouth shut.” Stone punched him in the shoulder.

“We’ll tell you,” Angel interrupted their banter. “Just not right now.”

“Then why the hell are we here?” Dale looked over his shoulder, his brows narrowing.

Max had been quiet the whole time, not making a peep since she stepped foot into my house.

“Patience, brother.” I clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Patience.”

Dale nodded, not responding. He was the fun and outgoing one, always joking and shooting the shit but his situation with Max had torn him apart. I could only guess the questions that traveled through his mind. But I was sure in time, everything would work out. It had to. For all of us.

“OKAY, GIR
L, spill.” Brogan had nattered on in my ear about how I never told her that there was something going on between Asher and me. But was there even something going on? Did I want there to be? Yes, I did. What we almost did an hour before was proof enough that we were attracted to each other. And the orgasm he gave me … An ache formed between my legs, making me squirm.

My neck burned. I looked up, catching Asher glancing my way.

His eyes darkened, a small smirk forming on his handsome face.

Would he always know when he turned me on? Was that normal? Maybe we were so in tune with each other that we could sense these things.

“Nothing is going on.” My cheeks heated but I quickly continued before Brogan made a scene, embarrassing me further. “But you would be the first to know if there was.”

“Then why is he being all sweet to you and kissing you on the head? And now he’s looking at you like he wants to devour your soul. Did something happen? Something did. Didn’t it?”

There was no point denying it. “Maybe.”

“That’s why he’s being nice,” she said a little too loudly.

“Seriously, bro?”

She laughed when everyone looked our way.

“But that’s not the reason he’s being nice.” But it was nice getting the unexpected attention from him even though we weren’t alone. It let me realize that he didn’t care who saw. Whatever reason he had for the way he was acting, it made my heart sore and my body heat up. He had always been sweet to me over the years. I was the only one who knew the real Asher Donovan and the only one who could handle his temper. Now that he was older, he had a better control of his feelings but I knew a slow storm was brewing before he would explode again. It was only a matter of time.

“Well, either way, you two look cute together.” Brogan smiled, crossing her legs.

I opened my mouth to respond when Jay came into view. My heart jumped when she sat beside me.

“I’m still pissed at you. I probably will be for a while. But I have a boyfriend who loves me and wants me happy and not having my sisters at my back makes me very upset.” Jay raised her hand, stopping me from interrupting her. “I love you. I love all of you. You’re my life and now Angel is a part of it as well. You have told me over and over why you did what you did but I still don’t forgive you. You used me. Even though you brought my sister home to me, you fucking used me as bait.”

My throat burned, and all I could do was nod. She was right. She was always right, and there was nothing I could do to deny it. I wanted to make it better. I needed to but all I could do was give her my best and hope she would eventually let me back in.

“Have we ever been close, Meeka?” she asked me, staring straight ahead.

“No,” I replied, automatically. “Why am I in the King’s Harlots?”

“Because you’re best friends with Brogan.”

I bit back a scoff, knowing it would just make things worse. “That shouldn’t matter. That shouldn’t …”

“What?” Jay turned to me. “What do you want me to say? That we can be all fine and dandy, go shopping and do each other’s hair after you used me?”

“Jay, I never meant for it to go down that way,” I pleaded with her, begging for her to understand. “Please believe me.”

She shook her head, rising from the couch, and headed over to Angel.

My shoulders drooped, my chest tightening.

“She’ll come around, Meeka,” Max squeezed my shoulder before sitting beside Brogan. “Just give her time.”

Time. I didn’t have time. In less than two days, I was going to be facing an evil. The evil that threatened to destroy our small town. My heart raced. My palms became sweaty. A cold shiver of fear rippled down my back. Charles Brian would eat me alive.

“Meeka.” Asher came into view, cupping my cheeks.

“I … don’t leave me,” I pleaded. If nothing else, he had to stay with me when we visited Charles. He needed to stay by my side for fear that they would take me away. I hadn’t seen the girls. I didn’t know what had happened to them while they were taken but I saw the pictures. The after effects. The moment after the life leaves them. They were better off. To remember the brutal way they were treated—it would destroy their mind.

“I’m not leaving you, Hummingbird. We’re in this together. I promise you that.” Wrapping me in a hug, he held me tight.

“Someone needs to tell us what the fuck is going on,” Jay demanded.

Although we had our issues, I appreciated her boldness.

“Asher and Meeka have some business with Charles Brian,” Angel explained. “I will explain when I can.”

“You better explain now. I’m not dealing with this secret shit again,” Jay told him.

“Woman, you better remember where we are.” Angel stared at Jay, his thick arms crossed under his chest.

Jay’s cheeks reddened and she was the one to look away first.

Never in my time knowing her would I have imagined her backing down. But Angel was her equal. I could see it. We could all see it. I wanted that. I craved it.

“You good?” Asher muttered, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

The back of my neck burned at the onslaught of stares being passed our way. “Yeah.” I pushed out of his hold, needing to keep the distance before we stirred up any more questions. But it was too late for that, wasn’t it?

Asher didn’t respond, but his penetrating gaze burned a hole in the side of my head.

“I was going to have a club meeting, but Angel insisted on meeting here instead. Apparently, we’re all now in the know of each other’s business.” Jay sighed. “Anyway, some shit is going down. Charles, the fucker that he is, is making it difficult for our suppliers to bring in their stock.”

My head snapped up.

“I thought we were out of that,” Brogan exclaimed. “We were supposed to be done with the illegal shit.”

“There is a reason for it.” Angel stood by Jay’s side.

“But we will find out when the time comes,” Brogan mocked. “Fucking ridiculous.”

“Brogan.” Coby’s voice rang out around the small room. His eyes held her stare, his back straight. The dark, brooding man never backed down from my feisty best friend.

“Fine.” Brogan grabbed her keys, rising from the couch. “I’ll call you later. Be safe.” She gave my hand a squeeze and left the house.

I gaped at the quiet man standing across the room. One use of Brogan’s name and she complied. Since when?

Coby glanced my way, his lips tightening into a thin line. He didn’t say anything. Just gave me a nod and met up with the rest of Vice-One. I had no idea what was going on there but something was off. It wasn’t right.

“We’re doing this so it makes it look like nothing has changed,” Jay explained. “I don’t want anyone thinking that we’re letting our guards down. Creena is now a prospect and has been working at my shop for the past couple of weeks. I trust her but I need us all to feel her out.”

“You know I’m in.” Max linked her arm with Jay’s. “Can we go now? I have a nail appointment."

“Of course you do.” Jay rolled her eyes before they landed back on me. “I’m not a cold heartless bitch. I have my reasons for how I feel, and in time they will all be laid out. Looks like we all have to wait for something, don’t we?”

Staring down at my lap, I let out a sigh. “I’ll be in touch.”

“Good luck. You’re going to need it,” Jay said dryly.

The guys continued talking while the rest of my sisters left the house. Jay’s words hurt. The lack of emotion shown behind them bothered me even though I knew they were true.

Asher sat beside me once everyone left. “Listen, we—”

“I don’t want to talk about what happened earlier.” I couldn’t deal with the thoughts and feelings racing through me on how much I wanted him. “I’m going to bed.” I jogged up the stairs before he could argue and ran into the spare room I was staying in.