by Blair Grey
I gulped, but Harley didn’t answer my question. Not directly, anyway.
I didn’t get the impression he was in the mood to just scare me. He was looking for a solution to this problem. He’d been visibly agitated with the truth, and I could tell he didn’t want to just leave me to my fate. He wanted to do something that could help me get the Hell out of this situation.
But, I didn’t know if he knew what he was getting himself in to. I hadn’t spoken to him about anything that was going on with my life in this regard during our conversation over drinks. It wasn’t until we were in the stairwell that I even brought up the fact that I had a boyfriend.
Shade was the kind of guy who would shoot first and ask questions later. I didn’t want Harley to wind up on the wrong side of a gun simply because of the fact he was trying to help me. As much as I wanted to get out of this situation, I couldn’t put anyone else in danger along the way.
I had gotten myself into this mess, and I had to be the one to get myself back out of it again.
At least, that’s how I felt. I knew I was trapped, and I wanted to have someone give me a hand. But, I didn’t know who that could be.
I was lost.
“Do you want me to get you out of here?” Harley asked.
“Out?”
“Do you have anywhere else to go?” he asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t have any money.”
In response, he pulled out his wallet and peeled off a few bills. I was shocked to see they were hundreds and that there were plenty more where those came from. He handed them to me, but I barely felt my fingers close over the crisp paper.
“I can’t take this,” I said, staring down at the money in my hand dumbly.
“What do you mean? You just did,” he said.
“I can’t,” I replied. I was almost offended by the fact he had given me the money, but at the same time, there was a part of me that wanted it. I didn’t have any money of my own, and there was a level of freedom that came with the cash he had just given me.
“I doubt you’re going to get any of the money I funded into the site for tonight,” he said with a shrug.
“I’m not a prostitute; I don’t need you to pay me for the time we spend together,” I told him flatly.
“We didn’t have sex, so you’re not a prostitute,” he said with another shrug. “But I did pay to have a charming evening with you, and you were certainly charming. Take it. You might need it down the road.”
I sighed, taking the money and putting it on the counter. “Thank you.”
“I would put it somewhere your boyfriend’s not going to find if he comes by,” Harley warned. “Or, he’s going to take it, and you’ll be right back to square one.”
I nodded, but he continued. “When is he coming?”
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “He said to wait here until he came back, but he didn’t say when that would be. It’s been a few days already.”
“Are you sure I can’t get you out of here?” Harley asked again. “It would really be no trouble, and I would feel better if you would get yourself out of this place.”
“It’s okay, really,” I insisted. I didn’t want to tell him that I was that afraid of my boyfriend, though I had a feeling he could sense that was the reason why I insisted on staying.
“Alright,” he said at last. “Then I want you to take this. Call me if you need anything, okay?”
He handed me a business card, and though I merely glanced at it at first, I assured him I would.
“Thank you,” I said. “For everything.”
“Don’t put up with any more shit from him,” Harley told me.
“I won’t,” I lied.
He hesitated once more, and I knew there was more he wanted to say, but he just shook his head and left. I stood silently, listening to the sound of his footsteps fading as he walked back through the hall. I wanted to burst into tears, but I wasn’t even entirely sure why.
He had been nothing but kind to me, and that was hard. I wanted to be with someone like that. I didn’t want to be afraid for my life. I didn’t want to dread seeing the person I was dating. And, I did. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen when I saw Shade again, but there was something inside me that told me it wasn’t going to be good.
With a sigh, I looked down at the business card. Harley evidently owned an auto repair shop, and at the bottom of the card was an emblem and a name.
Steel Wings.
I shuddered, suddenly feeling more intimidated than before. He’d mentioned something about motorcycles, but he hadn’t said anything about being in a club. But, I knew the Steel Wings was an MC, and I had a feeling he didn’t just have their emblem on the card for the sake of it.
I put the card with the money, then folded the bills and slipped both into my purse. I didn’t want to think about this at all anymore. I just wanted to shower and wash the day off, forgetting about everything.
I didn’t know what Shade was doing, but I had a feeling he wasn’t up to anything good. And if he were to find out I met someone who was in an MC, I couldn’t see it ending well.
But then, there was something different about Harley. Something amazing.
Something told me he’d be able to take care of himself.
Chapter 7
Harley
The night before certainly hadn’t gone like I thought it would, and it was hard for me to concentrate. There wasn’t ever a shortage of work to be done down at the shop, and normally, I was able to fill my days without too much trouble.
But today, I wondered if I would get through everything I had planned to get done without leaving more for the next day.
Steel Auto was one of the more coveted services in town, and we specialized in bikes and muscle cars. I did my fair share of regular auto mechanics, as well, but for the most part, I dealt with the bikes for the club, as well as our own cars.
Of course, I still charged for my services, even when it was a service done for the other members in the club. But, I only took a small cut of the pay for myself. It wasn’t like I needed the money, not with all that I had in my bank account anyway, but I could still use money for the little day-to-day expenses.
Mostly, the money went back into the club. I donated most of the profit the business brought in right back into the Steel Wings for a variety of purposes – just adding to the finances we had to take care of things we had to do.
For years, the MC was known for drugs. Whether it was trafficking or dealing directly, we had done our fair share of business involving cocaine. But, ever since Jett had taken on the role of President, he’d been making small steps toward changing our primary method of income.
Even though his father was the man responsible for founding the MC in the first place, and Jett himself had all but inherited the position of President after his father passed, he still didn’t have complete control over what went on within the club itself.
He had a lot of say when it came to the direction we’d go and could do quite a bit when it came to putting new club rules in motion, but that didn’t mean he could change things outright. And, with the amount of time we’d spent running the drugs already, it was a work in progress at best.
Still, with the potential for change on the horizon, we were exploring all the other ways we could bring money into the club without having to do deal with drugs.
And as it turned out, the auto industry was a really good option in more ways than one. Not only did we bring in a lot more money, but we were able to keep that money within the club by using our auto shop for our own maintenance and repairs. I was proud to be able to use my skills for the good of the club…and I didn’t mind the extra dough on top of it.
Jett was happy with the way things were going, and I had a feeling if I played my cards right, I might be able to make the shop an even more important asset to the club in the future.
But, that was something to worry about later. For now, I had that girl on my mind. I couldn’t stop thin
king about her or the evening before. Everything about Paisley was perfect, and I hated to think she had found herself in such a rough situation.
Sure, I was pretty open minded when it came to prostitutes and strippers. In all my years of dealing with them, I’d yet to find one who came from an established, stable situation. Some were certainly better off than others, and going through certain sites gave me access to better options in the bedroom, but that didn’t mean they still weren’t selling their bodies at the end of the day.
And, no matter how I felt about prostitution or a woman’s right to do what she wanted with her own body, that still meant these were the kinds of women willing to sell themselves for sex.
But, regardless of what I thought I would find, the fact of the matter was that the woman I met the night before needed my help. She hadn’t come looking for me, she didn’t ask me to do anything, and she didn’t even intend to meet me really, but fate had brought us together. And now, all I could think about is what she had gotten herself in to.
And, how she could get out of it.
You know the smart thing would be to just walk away. Don’t worry about her or what she’s gotten into and just focus on yourself. You don’t need to be the one to sweep in and save her, do you?
She said more than once she’s going to be okay, and she has the money you gave her. Not to mention you gave her your card in case she wants to reach out to you. It’s not like you can force her to let you help her.
On the other hand, she might not feel comfortable enough to reach out to you. Maybe she’s going to be one of those who just suffers in the situation she’s found herself in because she doesn’t have it in her to break free of the mess and do something good for herself.
You know how women who are stuck in such situations can get. Maybe you can help her. Even if she doesn’t realize it right now, you could be good for her.
It’s worth a shot, isn’t it?
I sighed, tightening the bolt on the bike as I thought. It was hard to concentrate on work, and the more I tried to ignore the thoughts running through my mind, the more I couldn’t decide whether I should immerse myself in the situation or not.
I was a protector. It was my instinct to step in and help someone who was in need – and this woman was clearly in need. She needed my help, that was for sure. She might not think she did, or she might not have the guts to say so, but that didn’t change the fact that she did.
Of course, I hoped against hope she would decide for herself to break up with the asshole who had done that to her. But then, I had seen enough instances of domestic abuse to know it wasn’t always easy for the woman to leave.
And, if she was really hanging out at the hotel for fear he was going to do something for her in case she left, there was even less of a chance for her to leave. She would likely just sit around and wait for him to come back and do what he told her to.
She was stuck in a mess, and she wasn’t going to get out of it without doing something herself. The entire situation made me feel bad for her; but even more than that, I was pissed off at him. I couldn’t believe that this man, whoever he was, would do something like this to a girl as sweet as Paisley.
She was the nicest woman I’d ever met, and to think that she would have to live her life in fear of what he might do to her was enough to make me sick to my stomach. I wanted to go back there, guns blazing, and tell him what I really thought. I wanted to make sure he knew what it felt like to be bullied – to have someone bigger and stronger tell him what to do and make him do it.
But you can’t. All you can hope is that this girl does it on her own. Maybe after what you said to her and the money you gave her, she’ll have the courage to leave. Sure, she might not, but at least you did your part in trying to help her, right?
You can’t save everyone, but maybe what you did for her was enough to make her stop and think – realize she deserves better than what she has been getting and will make a chance in her life.
“Wow, you’re a million miles away,” a voice cut through the air, and I looked up.
Knox and Ryder, two of my fellow Steel Wings members, were looking down at me.
“Sorry,” I said as I rose. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Surprising,” Knox said with a nod, but I continued.
“What can I do for you?”
“We were going to ask about this bike we just bought, but you were so lost in your own world when we came in, you know we’re going to pry into that,” Ryder said with a grin.
“You’re always one to pry into what I’m doing, aren’t you?”
“You could say that, but honestly, when you’re that deep in thought, there’s got to be something going on,” Ryder replied. “I know you well enough to know you don’t just think that hard about anything.”
I laughed. “Maybe I’m trying it out.”
“Doubt it,” he shrugged. “What’s going on? You know it’s going to be a lot easier just to tell me than to try to dodge the question.”
“Alright, alright,” I said with a shrug. “It’s a long story, but the gist of it is that I met a girl last night.”
Knox jabbed Ryder in the ribs, but I tossed the shop rag I’d had in my hand at him.
“Unfortunately, nothing happened. But, I think she might be in some shit and I don’t want to condone what’s going on with her,” I said.
“What do you mean?” Knox asked. “Of course, you’ve got to go and be the hero here, don’t you?”
“Would I do anything different?” I asked with a shrug. “Anyway, she’s was basically pushed into prostitution by her boyfriend, and I want to put an end to that. I don’t want that prick to come anywhere near here or to get anything from the club, you know?”
“Do you want to talk to Jett about it?” Ryder asked, but I shook my head.
“No, I don’t think so.” I said. “Not yet, anyway. I didn’t get the guy’s name, but I still think we can keep our eyes open for anyone who’s trying shit.”
“I’ll let the other guys know,” Knox said. “If there’s anyone trying to pull trafficking shit around here, they’ve got another thing coming.”
“It’s not just that,” I said. “I want more than that. I want to find out who this guy is and hand his ass back to him. I want to help that girl.”
“That would be a lot easier if we had more information about him,” Ryder reminded me, and I nodded.
“No shit, but I don’t think we need to let that stop us. Let’s keep our eyes open shall we? We need to make this happen.”
They both agreed, and I gave them a few more details about what had happened the night before. I knew it would be hard for us to find the right guy without having his name or really much information about him at all, but I still had to try.
I was pissed off, and I wasn’t going to just ignore any of this. I had to help Paisley if I could. Even if it was hard. Shit, I hated to think she had to go through this at all, and I wasn’t about to just ignore it.
Once something like this was under my skin, I would push through to the end. I didn’t have another choice in the matter. I just couldn’t ignore this. I had to do the right thing by Paisley. I had to do the right thing by any woman who was in that situation.
And Hell, if I were perfectly honest with myself, I knew I had to do the right thing by myself.
That was just the kind of guy I was.
Chapter 8
Paisley
Two days dragged by before Shade finally showed up. Although I knew it was just a matter of time before he did, I still dreaded his return and nearly jumped out of my skin when he pushed his way into the hotel room.
I’d been lying on the bed trying to look through a book I’d grabbed from the gift shop, but it wasn’t catching my attention. Not with all that I had on my mind. I thought a lot about the conversation I’d had with Harley – and not just the words we’d said, either.
No, I was thinking about everything. From the way he had approached me to the
way he looked at me when we were talking. There was something about the way he treated me that made me feel on top of the world. It was as though he could see into my very soul, and I wanted him to do it, too.
He treated me like I was important. He treated me like I mattered. It was a feeling that I hadn’t had in a long time. With Shade, I always felt like more of a nuisance than anything, and I hated it.
I’d thought about leaving him more than once, but he was always quick to remind me no one else would want me, and it would be signing myself up for a life even more miserable than what I was already dealing with. The more I wanted to leave him, the more afraid I was to act on that thought.
I knew I was stuck. There wasn’t any way out of that, and I hated that, too. I was trapped in every sense of the word, and he knew it. I hated it with every part of me. I had to get out of here. There was no way around that.
But how?
How the Hell was I supposed to get out of a hotel when all the money I had in the world was the money I’d gotten from Harley? It was kind of him to give me the money, that was for sure, but I knew I wasn’t going to get far. I had to figure something out, and soon.
But, when Shade came through the door, all the thoughts I had of leaving vanished.
Terror welled up in my chest, and I could hardly breathe.
I flew to my feet, retreating to the wall as he paced back and forth at the foot of the bed, muttering under his breath and shaking his head.
“What the Hell do you think you’re doing?” he asked as he looked over at me. “What the fucking Hell?”
“I’m staying here, like you said,” I told him. “And, a lot of nerve you have, thinking you had the right to put me on some sort of prostitution website as though I’m not worth a thing to you!”
“You’re not now!” he spat back at me. “The only thing your ass is worth is making money, and now, I can’t even do that!”
“Well, you better think twice before putting me up on some prostitution site!” I held my ground. “Do you really think I would just sleep with a man because he had my information from some sort of porn site? You might think you have control over me, but you don’t!”
