by K E Osborn
I narrow my eyes on Daniel, but Torque is the first to react. “I know you’re gonna do the best you can for Hayley, Dan, but I don’t think you understand what this means to the club. The fact we’re put in this position.”
Daniel smirks. “I understand perfectly, Torque. I know how you… prefer to handle things, but there is nothing I can do. I’m not bending the rules for you or anyone. This goes down the right channels. No exceptions.” His stern attitude has me unsure of him.
Torque sits back in his chair placing his hands behind his head. “Okay, I’m on your page… continue.”
Daniel’s eyes shift to Hayley. “The defense attorney, her name is Delilah… that’s what I want to talk to you about today.”
Hayley sits forward. “You want to talk to me about the other attorney? Why?”
Daniel chuckles, but it’s not from humor, it’s from apprehension. “Delilah isn’t someone we should be blasé about, Hayley.”
I scrunch up my face. “If you’re as good as you say you are, then why has she got you running scared?”
“Did you lead Raphael Acosta on the night of the alleged incident?”
I sit taller.
Hayley gasps. “What?” Her voice is a breathy whisper.
“Did you consume alcohol on the night of the alleged incident?”
Torque sits forward this time as I squeeze my hand tighter onto Hayley’s shaking fingers. “No. Yes. I don’t know—”
“Did you, or did you not, accept money from Raphael Acosta in the parking lot the night of the alleged incident?”
I stand so abruptly my chair falls back with a loud thud as Hayley begins to cry.
Torque slams his hand so hard on the table I think it’s going to go through. “What kind of fuckin’ game you playing at, Dan?”
“You think that was bad… it’s nothing compared to what Delilah Page will ask. And when she puts you on the stand, Hayley, she will find every flaw, every tidbit of information she can use, then she will twist it to suit her end. I’m not scared of her, but you should be. I won’t break. But Hayley, if you broke like that with me, in that short amount of time, Delilah is going to eat you alive.”
I turn and start pacing the room.
Torque lets out a small grunt.
I snap my head back to Daniel. Storming over, picking up my chair and slamming my ass back down, I look him square in the eyes. “Tell me everything you can on this, Delilah Page. We need to be ready.”
Daniel smiles for the first time as Torque glances over and nods.
Daniel slides the manila folder to me, and I open it to see a picture of a pretty brunette. She seems like such a respectable woman. But I guess the devil wears a damn disguise.
“This her?” I ask, sliding the picture over to Torque.
Daniel nods. “Yes. And before you think about putting a hit out on her, that won’t do Hayley’s case any good. It will just inflame issues. Don’t think that law firms don’t have other equally as nasty pieces of work. So, don’t do anything stupid.”
“Tell me more about her,” Torque says.
Daniel cracks his neck to the side. “She’s a gun. Lethal. A winner. But the thing that makes her unstoppable right now is the fact she’s aiming to get name partner at her law firm. Trust me, when a promotion that big is up for grabs, attorneys will stop at nothing for that accolade. She’s a piranha. A beast. She will do anything to win even if that something is for the guilty. She doesn’t care.”
“So, we need to be careful is what you’re saying?” Torque questions.
“Careful, and we need to train Hayley to keep her cool in how to answer questions in a certain way. We’re going to be seeing a lot more of each other in the coming months, Hayley. I’m sorry for coming at you like that, but it was the only way to show you exactly what you’re in for.”
I look at her, her beautiful cheeks are rosy and wet, but she sniffles wiping the tears away. “I understand. I will be ready. Thank you for helping me.”
“I’m going to do everything I can for you, Hayley. Every. Damn. Thing.”
I thought Daniel wasn’t the guy to fight for Hayley, but maybe I was wrong.
Maybe he’s exactly right for her.
Torque, Hayley, and I storm into the clubroom. I’m angry as hell as I push chairs out of the way in my frustration. Everyone in the room takes notice as we enter.
Trax sits taller. “What the fuck’s going on?”
I grab Hayley’s hand as we walk to the bar where Lift is sitting with Trax.
“We were at Hayley’s prosecution attorney’s office,” Torque states as I grab Trax’s half-drunk beer and down it in one go. Lift sits taller as Torque shakes his head. “The defense is on a witch hunt. The bitch is a monster by the sounds of it. Delilah some-bitch-or-other… don’t know her last name. Seems like she’s a rabid dog and will try to pin everything on Hayley.”
Lift flares his nostrils in palpable anger as Torque continues, “He told us this woman will try to say Hayley was leading that asshole on at the bar. That she was basically paying him for it.” He curls his lip up in disdain. “It was the most unbelievable amount of utter bullshit I’ve ever heard in my fuckin’ life.” Trax widens his eyes. “Hayley lost it, as you’d expect. I don’t know who this Delilah is, but she’s only out for herself and what this case can bring her by what he was telling us. Shit’s gonna get tough.”
Anger ripples through me. “Fuck! Torque, do you think this douche could actually get off?”
Torque’s eyebrows push together. “Don’t know. Depends how this plays out in court. And to be honest, it’s gonna take a hell of a long time by the sounds of it.”
“Fucking witnesses making a statement and reporting it. If this didn’t go down the official channels, we could have handled that asshole ourselves by now,” I admit.
“Yeah. Hate you have to be dragged through the courts, Hayley. This shit doesn’t look good for the club either,” Torque suggests.
I turn to Hayley, she looks wrecked, and I know instantly I need to get her somewhere more relaxed. “C’mon babe, let’s go to our room.”
She nods. Torque dips his chin, and I tighten my hand on hers and lead her away from my brothers and the stress. My feet hit like lead weights as I pound the hall toward Hayley’s room. She follows quietly beside me as I try to keep my emotions in check. I’m fuming, fucking raging beyond what’s probably good for my body. I don’t know how Hayley can be so calm. That damn attorney’s going to be a piece of work, and as I open the door to Hayley’s room, I picture Delilah’s face on the wall as I slam the door against it. A loud thud echoes through the room as I storm inside.
“Vibe,” Hayley’s gentle voice calls from behind me while I pace the floor of her small room. I snap around to look at her.
I can’t help but notice the small dent in the drywall that the handle left from my excessive force. But it’s Hayley that gets my full attention. Her eyes are heavy, her face pale. She looks completely spent. Music is normally what gets me through anything, but right now my heart thuds like a heavy bass line when I look at her.
She’s everything.
That asshole took a piece of her that night, and now his attorney is obviously going to try everything in the book to make it like Hayley wanted it. That shit doesn’t sit right with me.
Hayley’s eyes are locked on me. My hand runs through my hair. “I can’t believe how calm you are.”
Hayley scoffs, her face showing obvious signs of shock, or maybe that’s anger from what I’ve just said. She pushes past me and heads toward her bed, then sits on the edge, placing her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. “Calm? Vibe, I’m a freaking wreck.”
My stomach falls through the floor as I watch her. Dammit! I want to go to her, I want to hold her. We’ve made progress, but it’s slow. It’s also confusing as fuck. I don’t want to trigger anything, but I want to be here and help her. I never fucking know what the right goddamn move is anymore.
Rapha
el Acosta didn’t just hurt Hayley, he fucked with me as well, with us as a couple, and I swear to God if I ever lay my hands on him, I’m going to make him suffer in the worst of ways.
Hayley sniffles bringing me back to her.
My mind is torn—do I give her space or do I go to her?
I never know what she needs or wants.
Will she push me away?
Or will she want me to hold her?
Every time she pushes me away, it kills a piece of me. But I take the hit because I know she’s healing, and everything is going to take time. And time I have, as much as Hayley needs. She’s been through something I can’t even comprehend, and there’s no fucking way I’m going to push her into anything she isn’t ready for—even a goddamn hug.
I love her too much to risk anything.
She sniffles again, and my chest constricts, so I make a move. If she pushes me away, I will let her, but right now I have to try. So, I move onto the bed next to her and very slowly slide my arm around her shoulders. Hayley tenses, my stomach constricts, but she doesn’t pull away. I close my eyes in relief when she turns and slides her body against mine for a cuddle.
I’ve won the best victory in the fucking world. My woman’s embracing me, and I feel like I’m fucking royalty. I’m her king, she’s my queen. She’s stolen my heart.
I risk touching her hair with my free hand. She doesn’t flinch or pull back as I comfort her. I take the win. “I’m sorry, babe. I know I can get hotheaded. I need to rein in my bullshit around you.”
Her glassy eyes glance up at me. “Thank you. Thanks for being with me through all of this. Most guys wouldn’t put up with me reacting the way I do. Hell, Vibe, I’m a club girl, you owe me nothing.”
Anger flares inside of me, my brow knitting together. “Hayley, you might technically be a club girl, but to me you haven’t been one for a long damn time.”
She pulls back to look at me properly. “I know we’re together, we have been for ages and everyone knows it, but Vibe, if push came to shove, I’m still a club girl.”
“You know that’s not true.”
She rolls her shoulders suddenly seeming to distance herself. “Vibe, I don’t think I can do this.”
My heart leaps into my throat as I reach out for her, but she pulls away.
And just like that, another piece of me dies. “What the fuck do you mean?”
She tenses. “I…” She looks to the floor and wipes her nose with the back of her hand. “You deserve someone who’s not a club whore. A woman who isn’t damaged. Someone who’s not going to bring you down.”
Anxiety ripples through me as I stand from the bed, fear almost crippling me.
Oh, for fuck’s sake, I can’t lose her.
If she’s so fucking worried about her image problem, I will change it right now. I know what she’s saying to me. If anything has proved that Hayley’s the woman for me, it’s what’s happened. I can’t imagine going through this life without her. I can’t imagine not sticking by her side through thick and thin. There’s no way I’m letting her push me the fuck away. Actually, I don’t know why I haven’t done this already. Why has it taken me this long? The realization hits me, and I want to make this big so I step in front of her and drop to one knee.
Her head snaps up, her eyes widening in shock as I grab both her hands in mine.
For some reason, she doesn’t flinch away.
I search her eyes deeply, looking for some semblance of hope, and I find it sparkling back at me.
She wants me.
I know she does—there’s a glimmer of hope there.
I grip her hands tighter. “Hayley, you’re not a club girl. You haven’t been for a long time. I know this because the second I realized you belonged to me, I should have made us official. Dammit, the moment I first told you I loved you I should have grown some balls…” I scrub my hand through my hair. “I don’t know why I haven’t done this sooner. Why I held off. Everything about you is what I want. Your fight, your spirit, your sass… it’s so damn sexy. You may not think you have any fight left in you right now, but babe, I see you battling the fight every damn day. My very own Ronda Rousey.”
She manages a half-smile, the sight almost knocking me away from my thought process as I get lost in her eyes. But I pull my shit together, inhale, and continue, “You’re stronger than you know, Hayley. You worked your way up in this club. You’re respected. Admired. Loved. And now you’re going to be an Old Lady.”
Hayley’s eyes widen as she gasps, her hand covering her mouth.
“Hayley, I’m claiming you, and I am going to make sure that everyone in this club knows it. And to be honest, I don’t give a fuck whether you want it or not because I’m not letting you go. Got it!” She nods. “Good. Because if you think you’re not good enough, or you’re broken, or because you’re fucking scared, none of that shit matters to me. You’re not going anywhere. Neither am I. Ever. No matter what.” She sniffles, one single tear falling down her rosy cheek. I lean up and wipe it away with my thumb.
She doesn’t flinch away.
“You really want to take me on? With all that surrounds me right now?”
I let out a small chuckle. “Rowdy, there is nothing about you I don’t want to take on.”
“Rowdy?” She creases her brows.
“Ronda Rousey’s nickname.” I smirk. “If there’s one thing I want to constantly remind you of, Hayley, it’s that you’re a fighter. So, your Old Lady name is Rowdy. You down with that?”
My whole speech seems to light something inside of her. She’s stronger than she gives herself credit for. I know it. She just has to get that strength back she’s always had.
Hayley sits taller. “Rowdy… yeah, I like it.” Slowly, her lips turn up lighting her eyes, and it the most dazzling look I’ve seen on her face in the longest of times. It’s like a ray of sunshine bursting through a winter’s storm. My Old Lady is slowly coming back to me. My woman is still in there.
Hayley inhales deeply and steadies her shoulders. “I’m an Old Lady.”
“Yeah, you are.”
She leans forward hesitantly, and I wonder for a moment what she’s doing. That’s when she delicately presses her lips to mine. It shocks me so much that I don’t kiss her back for a solid three seconds, wondering what the hell to do. What’s the right damn thing to do? I don’t want to make any wrong moves here. I don’t want to make her feel uncomfortable. But I certainly don’t want her to think I don’t want her either. So, I run my hand up her arm and onto her cheek, caressing her tenderly, then I slowly and gently kiss her back.
I’m not being forceful with her like I normally would.
Baby steps are required.
This is our first kiss, and I need to take it fucking easy.
Everything in me is screaming to slow down, to be gentle, to take it one step at a time, but my cock hardens instantly as I try to calm my breathing. The kiss isn’t hungry or desperate, it’s cautious—testing the waters. But I don’t pull back, I simply let her take the lead. The last thing I want to do is to stop and make her feel unwanted. Because she is wanted, more than my life.
Rowdy’s hand moves to my cut, gripping it and pulling me closer.
Okay.
A clear signal.
Stop fucking thinking and just follow her lead on this.
She yanks me up all the while we’re locked in a deep kiss. I try to figure out her next move, but she makes it very clear as she edges back on the bed, pulling me with her. I fall to the bed beside her, our lips still locked together as she rolls me onto my back. Quickly, she leans over, straddling me in a shocking move.
Is she taking this too fast?
Be dammed if I have any idea about how to handle this.
I tense a little as Rowdy leans up breaking our kiss, pulling her shirt over her head. My cock strains in my jeans, there’s no way my dick understands slow. My muscles clench wondering how far she really wants to take this.
Is she truly
ready for this right now?
My mind and body are torn. I need to stop this, to give her more time to recover, but she leans down taking the kiss deeper and more passionately. My head fogs as my hands slide over her bare back. Feeling her skin is like a heaven I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to touch again for a damn long time.
My cock twitches as she grinds on top of me making a low growl erupt from my chest. Her tongue collides with mine. I have fucking missed kissing Rowdy and feeling her supple lips against mine again is a sensation I want to relish in forever and then some.
My hands slide down her back to cup her firm ass. I pull her closer to my cock just needing the friction. I’m growing needy for her. I fucking want her so damn bad.
I grip onto her tighter as I spin us around, planting her back on the mattress. Her legs wrap around my body letting me move in closer. I moan into her mouth while kissing her deeply. Rowdy’s fingers dig into my back, hard, gripping on strongly, spurring me on as I rock against her pussy.
I’m getting worked up, I know it. I want to move this along but know I need to pull back. And that’s when I feel something wet on my cheek.
My eyes snap open, and I pull back my head breaking the kiss. I’m panting for breath as I halt my uncontrolled movements. My heart shatters into a thousand fucking pieces when I see the tears. Not just a few droplets but rivers soaking her red cheeks.
Fear grips me instantly as my eyes go wide. I tense all over, pulling back from her dramatically and standing at the edge of the bed.
Rowdy’s shaking, her entire body quivering as she stares at me like she’s completely lost.
My soul disintegrates, shattering into fractured shards.
This was all my fault. I took it too far. Too quick. And now she’s terrified.
Of me?
I run my hand through my hair as my jaw clenches. “Shit! Hayley… I—”
“Rowdy,” she whispers so softly I almost don’t hear her.
I realize I’m shaking too as I furrow my brows. “What?”
Her bottom lip trembles as she wraps her arms over her lace bra covering herself. “I’m Rowdy, not Hayley. I’m a fighter… I am a fighter.” She sits up on the edge of the bed, but she’s shaking all over. “I’m a fighter… I’m a fighter… I’m a fighter,” she keeps repeating herself as she sits on the side of the bed, but she’s sobbing.
