Grit (King's Harlots #1)

by J. M. Walker

  “What about Violet?” I continued when I saw the grimace on his old, weathered face, “I know you don’t want to talk about her.”

  “It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s that I can’t. It hurts too much,” he explained, his voice cracking. “I don’t want to think that she left because she was unhappy. That one of my daughters was so depressed that she had to get up and leave without a goodbye. But then a part of me wishes that were the case because if I find out she has been—” He swallowed hard. “It’ll kill me.”

  “I will do everything in my power to bring her home, Daddy.” We needed closure. We needed some sort of solace. I couldn’t stand the vice president of Dante’s Kings but Tyler and I had a history. There was a time where we did love each other. He had to understand that no matter what, he couldn’t shut down King’s Harlots. I just prayed my dad wouldn’t get shit on because of it. “You need to be careful too.”

  “If you’re referring to T, I’m not scared of him.” But something flashed in his gaze. It was so fast I almost missed it, but I knew something was there.

  I didn’t press. “Are you here alone?”

  “No. Scab and Trace are outside.”

  “Good.” I was thankful that T wasn’t around, even though being the VP, he should be by my father’s side at all times. I knew they were having problems. Tyler went by his own rules but had the other guys so wrapped around his fingers that my dad couldn’t get his patch taken away. He would have to kill him first. Dante’s Kings lived on the brink of the law. Teetering on that edge of good versus evil. If it came down to it, my father would do what he had to, but even I knew that he couldn’t take Tyler on by himself.

  “You need to get some rest,” my dad said, interrupting my thoughts.

  We left the office where we were greeted by Angel.

  “Hey,” I said to Angel, ignoring the way my heart fluttered at the closeness of him. My nose betrayed me, inhaling the spicy scent of his cologne. Leather and sex. God, he smelled good.

  “Hey yourself.” He reached out for my hand, slowly sliding his fingers between mine.

  A throat cleared, making me jump.

  “Daddy.” I coughed. “This is Angel Rodriguez. Angel, this is my father, Brian Gold.”

  “President of Dante’s Kings,” my father added, puffing out his chest.

  “He knows who you are, old man,” I said, rolling my eyes.

  “Yeah, well.” He popped his collar. “Don’t fucking forget it, either.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Angel said, a slight smirk twitching at the corners of his mouth.

  “Jay, call me if you need anything.” My dad kissed my head. “And just to warn you, Tyler wants to set up another meeting. I’m the fucking president and he’s pissing down my throat with these orders and demands and shit. Fucking A.” My dad trudged off, continuing to mumble and curse under his breath.

  “You good?” Angel asked me once we were alone.

  “I…” My gaze wandered to the table occupied by my sisters. Their heads were down, quietly speaking amongst themselves. They felt guilty even though it wasn’t their fault. “I have to go do something, and then I’ll go to bed,” I added when Angel went to protest.

  He nodded. “I’ll be in your room. You better not make me have to come and find you.”

  “I’ll be a few minutes,” I promised him, patting him on the chest and kissing his chin.

  “Fine.” He kissed me hard on the mouth before letting me go.

  I sighed, spinning on my heel, and slowly walked toward my sisters. Their heads lifted when I approached. “Hi.”

  “Hi,” they all said in unison.

  “Listen, I want to apologize for how I acted earlier. I assumed you didn’t answer your phones because you were ignoring me or were too busy, and I shouldn’t have done that. I never would have imagined that someone could have hacked into the phones. We’ll find out how that happened and get this shit underway.” I wrung my hands in front of me, an unsettling feeling swimming in the pit of my gut. We had to get to the bottom of everything before I lost my damn mind.

  “You don’t need to apologize,” Max said. She grabbed my hand and pulled me down beside her. “We should have been there for you no matter what.”

  “Yes,” Brogan added. “I am just glad that Angel was there to help you.”

  “Me too,” I muttered, glancing at Meeka.

  She didn’t say anything.

  “Can you girls give us a moment?” I asked Max and Brogan.

  They nodded, sliding out of the booth.

  Meeka’s gaze snapped up, her eyes darting back and forth before landing on me. “I’m sorry,” she said once we were alone. “I would have been there for you if I could but I wasn’t allowed. I’m never allowed. Don’t make me say anything. Please. I can’t tell you yet,” she said quickly.

  My heart stopped. “What are you talking about?”

  “I can’t. I’ve said too much.”

  “Meeka,” I reached out for her, stopping her from leaving the table. “Talk to me.”

  “I can’t. Not yet. Just trust me. Please trust me. That’s all I can ask.”

  “How can you expect me to trust you if you don’t talk to me?” I pressed. “You haven’t given me much to go on, Meeka. You’re quiet. Withdrawn. I don’t know if you’re coming or going. Do you want out? Is that it?”

  Her eyes widened. “No. Of course not. I just have some things going on, and I don’t know how to deal with them.”

  “Let me help you,” I insisted. “Let us help you. That’s what we’re here for.”

  “I wish I could ask for your help.”

  “Why can’t you?”

  “It’s not time,” she whispered.

  I went to ask her what she meant, but a throat clearing stopped me.

  “Jay,” Angel’s deep voice caressed me. “You need to rest.”

  “But—”

  “I said, you need your rest,” he said, his voice final, daring me to challenge him.

  “Fine.” I gave Meeka a tight hug. “This conversation isn’t over.”

  “I know,” she said, hugging me back. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “Me too.” I sighed. “Keep the girls in line. If shit gets out of hand, Max can deal with it.”

  “You got it, Prez.” Meeka squeezed my hand before making her way toward the bar.

  “Come,” Angel demanded.

  “You’re so damn bossy,” I mumbled, crossing my arms under my chest.

  “You love it.” He gave my butt a light swat. “And after what you went through today, you need sleep.”

  I nodded, silently giving in. Wishing it were that simple, I prayed sleep could take away the pain. Take away the fear that had been ingrained in my soul. The woman’s eyes pierced into my brain, digging their way into the recesses of my thoughts. “Angel.” My voice came out weak, shaky.

  “Jay?”

  “I…” Hugging my arms around my middle, I hunched over. My breathing became shallow, spots dancing in my vision.

  “Breathe, baby,” Angel sat me on my bed, holding my hands tight in his. “Let it out.”

  Tears burned my eyes, a hard lump lodging its way in my throat. “I-I can’t.”

  “Yes, you can.” He kissed my forehead.

  And that was when I broke. Sobs tore through me. My body racked with cries. Fear took up residence inside of me.

  “That’s it.” He wrapped me in his arms, rubbing small circles on my back. “You’re fine. You’re safe. As long as you are with me, you are safe. I won’t let anything happen to you, beautiful girl.”

  “Oh, Angel.” I continued to cry, gripping his shirt in my fingers. Tugging on him like he was my lifeline. He was safe. Protective. Everything I needed to feel normal. After what happened, I couldn’t go on without him. I put up a façade that I was strong when I was weak. So damn weak.

  “Shhh…” he said soothingly.

  “I was so scared,” I cried, my voice muffled by his shir
t.

  “I was too.”

  I pulled back, wiping the tears from under my eyes. “You were?”

  “Of course.” He gave me a small smile. “I just found you, Jay. I don’t want to lose you.”

  His words took my breath away. So much so that I didn’t know how to respond. What does he want from me? Are we just fucking? Is this more? Did I want it to be more? God, yes! I wanted everything he had to offer. I wanted to go to sleep with him every night and wake up next to him every morning. I wanted to give him every piece of me, the pieces no one had ever seen before.

  “Jay,” Angel whispered, brushing his mouth along mine.

  “Spend the night with me,” I told him, not wanting any words at the moment. I didn’t want to know how he felt for fear that he didn’t feel the same as I did. I knew something was there. I could feel it, but I didn’t know if it was enough.

  “You couldn’t make me leave even if you tried.” He kissed my forehead and helped me get undressed. He removed his own clothing before tucking me in safe beside him.

  With our naked bodies touching, the solace and serenity that it wasn’t about sex made my body relax.

  Angel wrapped his body around mine, holding me against him. Never in my life had I felt like I truly belonged. Until then. I fit perfectly in his arms. I felt safe, and because of him I felt strong.

  WHILE I watched Jay sleep soundly beside me, I thought about how I never knew what it truly felt like to have that one person you could share everything with. I never knew what it was like to love or be in love. I had no guidance—no instruction. No father figure telling me everything he knew about women. No mother to tell me how to treat a lady. Should I buy flowers? Chocolate? Does Jay even like chocolate? I didn’t know much about her. Not the little things, anyway. But I knew that we were one in the same. Yes, she may have had a father. She may have experienced love but there was still something missing. She blamed it on the disappearance of her sister, but I knew it was long before that. Jay lived in a world that was dominated by men. She was raised by them and tried to overcome the fear of always being that little girl. I knew because I felt the same way. The little boy who lost his parents at such a young age. The little boy who would sit in the corner of his bedroom, waiting for the next hand to strike. Jay and I weren’t that different.

  When she called me, telling me she was stranded on the side of the road, I thought my world had ended. Even though it had just begun. And I knew. Right then and there. It all made sense. But I couldn’t tell her yet. Not when every time she looked at me, there was doubt in her jade-green eyes. She was scared. Well, so was I.

  “Are you sleeping?” she muttered, her voice rough from lack of sleep.

  “Not anymore,” I kissed her neck. “How are you feeling?”

  She rolled over onto her side and cupped my cheek. “Better.” Her eyes heated, burning into mine. “Much better.”

  “What do you want, baby?” I asked, placing a soft peck on her lips.

  “You,” she breathed, leaning her head back. “Always you.”

  “For how long?” I knew I shouldn’t have asked that question, especially when her body stiffened. Shit. “Jay, I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

  Her mouth crashed to mine, silencing me. “I want you for however long you’ll have me.”

  Forever. But that word never left my mouth.

  ***

  (Jay)

  “Jay? Princess.”

  My body stirred, my eyes fluttering open to find Angel standing over me. I frowned, sitting up. I was in one of the large booths by the bar of the clubhouse.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, sitting beside me.

  “I…” I stifled a yawn, rubbing the grit out of my eyes. “I must have fallen asleep.” Sometime through the night after Angel had used my body for both of our pleasure, I woke up antsy. Angel had been sound asleep, and not wanting to disturb him, I took my laptop and left my room. The sun had just been coming up at that point, the birds chirping like their little bodies depended on it.

  “What are you researching?” he asked, nodding toward my laptop.

  Tab after tab of news articles filled my browser. What was I researching? “I got a thought.”

  “Want to talk about it?” He pulled me against him, circling his arm around my waist.

  “I’m not sure, but I woke up when a thought crossed my mind.” I clicked on each of the tabs. “All of these articles have one thing in common. The missing girls. We already know that. I’ve read these over and over again. But it’s been weeks, so I figured I would come back with a fresh perspective.”

  “Makes sense.” He nodded. “Go on.”

  “Well this time, I found something odd. Before yesterday, I never thought that a woman would be in on this. I’m sure the police never thought that, either. Why would they? Why would a woman want to kidnap and sell other women? To make her more powerful? To throw authorities off her trail? It all makes sense. No one would expect this. It’s the ultimate move. Well, look at this.” I brought up an article, waited for him to read it, then brought up another one, and so on.

  “These all mention a woman, the same woman, at every crime scene.” Angel frowned. “Why haven’t the police contacted her?”

  “Because they can’t find her.” I tapped the screen. “It has to be the woman from yesterday.”

  “But you don’t know that.”

  “No. I don’t. But I have this feeling, Angel. I would bet everything I own that a woman is running this. Or she’s running it with another person, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she thinks she’s the front runner.”

  “How can you be sure?” he asked. “I don’t mean to be a dick, but this isn’t a movie, Jay. This is real life. These are real people we are dealing with.”

  “I know that,” I snapped, pulling away from him. “Right now, I’m willing to believe anything to get my sister back and these girls safe.”

  “I know.” He cupped my jaw. “I get that. But I don’t want you doing anything irrational or something that will get you hurt.”

  “Why?”

  “What do you mean why? Because. I don’t need to explain why.” His brows narrowed, a dark shadow passing over his face.

  “Tell me why you care so much,” I pressed. It was the wrong time. I knew that, but I couldn’t stop the words from leaving my mouth.

  “Jay, you would be smart not to push me right now,” he bit out through clenched teeth, his grip on my chin tightening.

  His underlying threat sent a flutter racing through me.

  I pulled my head from his grip and slid out the other side of the booth. Needing to use the ladies room and clear my head for a moment, I left the table without saying anything to him. My body burned, no doubt, from being stared at by the dark and brooding man.

  A woman leading the human trafficking amused me in a way. Maybe she had men controlling her life. Maybe she needed to prove a point that she should not be messed with. I almost felt sorry for her if that were the case. I would never know. We had something in common, and it should have scared me, but it didn’t. I knew how it felt to live under someone else’s shadow. Even when Violet was around, I was always left in the dark. She was the light in my darkness. She was the sunshine where I was the rain. Everyone loved her. She was the perfect daughter and since she disappeared, I had tried so hard to take her place.

  When I came back from the bathroom, I took a deep breath, ready to take Angel on headfirst. But when I saw him sitting there, hunched over the table, his head in his hands, my heart broke. God, I was turning into a pussy because of this guy. A small smile tugged at my lips.

  “Name, Violet Mary Gold. Age, twenty-seven. Born on October 5th, 1988. Twin sister to Genevieve Elizabeth Gold. Daughter to Brian and Jenna Gold. Last known location, Greeneville, Ohio. Missing since June 19th, 2000.”

  My heart stopped beating, all of the blood rushing through my body now pooling in the soles of my feet.

  “I need this information fast, m
an,” Angel said, moving the cell to his other ear. “Yeah. She is important to me.”

  My stomach somersaulted. “Angel?” I slid into the booth across from him, his eyes watching me and following my movements.

  “Thank you,” he told the person on the phone.

  “Who are you talking to?” I asked, not caring in the least that it was rude of me.

  “Call me when you get something,” Angel said, hanging up his cell. “I’m trying to help you.”

  “I don’t need your help.”

  “Say that again, Jay,” he demanded, leaning forward. “Tell me you don’t need me. Tell me you can handle this all on your own. Tell me you won’t get caught off-guard and attacked. Again.”

  “That was not my fucking fault. I thought the woman needed help. What was I supposed to do?”

  “You are way too close to this.”

  “I am not,” I said, raising my voice. “You do not get to sit there and tell me what to do. I can’t deal with this from you. Not you, Angel. Anyone else I expect it. From Tyler. My father. Even my sisters. But not you.”

  “I’m trying to look out for you,” he said, his gaze softening.

  “I don’t need you to look out for me,” I shouted. “I need you to be at my side. Not in front of me or behind me. At my fucking side. If you can’t do that, then you can leave.”

  “Is that what you want?” he challenged and crossed his arms under his chest.

  I mirrored his pose, not having any idea what I wanted. “I want you to be there for me.”

  “I will always be there for you. If you fall, I’ll be there to catch you. If you cry, I’ll be there to dry your tears. If you break, I’ll be there to pick up the pieces.” He tapped his knuckles on the table. “But I refuse to allow you to put yourself in danger. Not even for your sister.”

  “You can’t stop me.” He could, I knew he could, but I needed to show him that I wasn’t backing down. His words meant so much to me. They were exactly what I needed to hear and what I had been craving my whole entire life. To have that person who would stand by you no matter what. But that was different.