Harmony (The Club Girl Diaries Book 1)

by Jane, Addison

  “Flesh peddler.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “A what?”

  I sighed, having avoided this conversation so far was a miracle, but I knew it was coming. “He deals in women.”

  She gasped. “He sells women?”

  I shook my head. “Not him personally. This isn’t some backstreet scam where they find drugged up girls on the streets and pimp them out. This is high-class and well thought out. The people he deals with pay big money for just the right girl.”

  “The right girl?”

  “Yeah, that’s what our man does. He’s given descriptions of girls that these men want, and he searches for them. These guys don’t want some strung-out drugged-up and desperate girl, they want classy, up-market, sometimes even educated women. They get off on breaking them down and forcing them to submit.”

  She shivered and I ran my hand up and down her arm, attempting to comfort her.

  “That’s sick,” she whispered.

  “No kidding, but it happens. More often that you’d like to think.”

  “He told me he wanted to break me, but he had a client that wanted to add me to his collection.”

  My body tensed. We hadn’t spoken much about what had happened the day I’d bought her home. I was getting there, but my priority was trying to help her adjust to life here before we moved into that. Obviously I was wrong, and we need to fast track this and get it sorted before something happened.

  “We’re gonna have to chat about what happened with a couple of my boys present if that’s okay?”

  “Why?”

  I sat up and raised a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. She looked delicious, her hair was matted and knotted from the way she’d tossed and turned in pleasure as I’d pounded her with my cock and her face was still sexy and flushed.

  “Because sometimes it takes a different perspective to see things clearly. If what you say makes me angry or upset, I may not be able to see past that. Having my boys there will make sure anything that may be significant will be picked up,” I explained before dropping a soft kiss on her plump lips.

  “You’re going to make an amazing president, Kit,” she said with a small smile, one that finally reached her eyes.

  I grinned like a fucking Cheshire cat. The words coming from her mouth meaning the world.

  I sat at the bar next to Tally, Wreck, and Mix. Harmony and I were finally working through our shit and she was warming up to being here. After showing my appreciation for her body a couple more times before we left the room, we’d finally ventured out and joined the party that was going on – or the party that was still going on. Even though I’d been president now for over two weeks.

  I watched as Harmony laughed and joked with a group of women in the corner. Del had taken a shine to my girl, as well as a couple other Old Ladies and even a few of the club girls. In some ways it didn’t surprise me, Harmony had a personality that drew people in, made you want to know her.

  Some of my boys were a little suspect when word had gotten out about who Harmony was to the club. She was a club girl or had been. A fact that she wasn’t embarrassed or shy to admit. In some ways, she held the title with pride. Knowing that every part of the club was integral and essential. Even having the club whores around, played an important role in keeping the club and its members happy.

  But our club girls were very different than a lot of the ones they had up in Athens. Ours were out for one thing and one thing only – a man’s property patch. A property patch is given to a woman when she’s claimed as an Old Lady. It has the members name on it that she belongs to and lets people know that she’s someone important and someone to be respected.

  We all knew it. The club girls here were conniving, back-stabbing, sneaky bitches who would step on their own mother if it meant that they could be a Brother’s Old Lady. The title was an honor, it meant they would be respected and have a certain amount of power over other girls who came around. Up north, most of the girls were polite, respectful and like Harmony, they weren’t there for a patch. They were just there because they loved the club and the lifestyle. Oh, and sex, lots of sex.

  I saw Wreck’s shoulders tighten as Del and Harmony both threw their heads back in laughter.

  “You wanna say something, Brother?”

  He frowned at me. “No disrespect, Prez. But a club girl becoming an Old Lady? Shit, just isn’t done. I worry about my girl.”

  I laughed. “Bro, Harmony is harmless. She’s not like other club girls, she ain’t just around to make her way to the top. I’m more worried about the influence your woman is having on mine than the other way around.”

  “Club girls are a particular breed, Prez.”

  I shrugged. “Del seems to like her.”

  “That’s what I worry about. Del’s too nice, don’t want my girl getting shit on.”

  “Maybe you should have more faith in your woman’s ability to read character, Brother.”

  He growled in his throat but opted to say nothing, continuing to watch the women with hawk eyes as they rose from their seats and strolled toward us.

  “You gonna play us something tonight, Harm?” Mix asked as Harmony walked up and wrapped her good arm around my waist. Del did the same to Wreck and began to pat him on the chest, no doubt knowing he was wound tight and wanting to calm him.

  Harmony pointed to her arm, which was slinged tightly to her side. “I’m trying not to move it as much as possible so it will heal faster. It’s killing me, but I’m not playing right now.”

  “You sing and I’ll play,” he offered. As I said before, Mix was a master of almost anything. It didn’t surprise me in the least to know that he could play the guitar, even though I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. “Do you know ‘Latch’ by Disclosure?”

  Harmony laughed and nodded her head. “Yes, I do.”

  I wasn’t sure if I’d heard the song, but the smug look that Mix gave me told me he had picked it purposely.

  Mix fetched his guitar, which I had no idea he owned, and we moved outside where there was a large pit that we used for bonfires. Some of the boys started it up, getting the fire cranking. People moved from inside like moths to a flame, milling around and relaxing. The environment was different, there was no yelling over loud music or heavy bass. Just people talking and laughing, enjoying hanging out with our Brothers and friends.

  We dragged some old couches outside and I pulled Harmony into my lap as Mix took up the couch opposite. He strummed a few chords, twisting the little dials at the end of the neck of the guitar, tuning it I guessed. As he started to play, people moved closer, the melodic sound of the instrument drawing them in.

  Harmony started singing soon after, her voice causing my skin to prickle. Her voice always sent shivers up my spine. It was soft and a little bit smoky, but it was the power that she managed to put behind the words that hit me. It was like she’d written the song herself. You could tell she felt it, that she could feel whatever the person who had written it was going through and was able to portray those emotions with her voice.

  I looked over at Mix, who was strumming happily, his eyes met mine and he grinned.

  Fucking smart ass.

  I laughed out loud and Harmony smiled down at me while she continued to sing. I knew why Mix had picked the song. It was exactly how I was feeling. I had this girl now, there was no way I was letting her walk away. We were good, we’d finally talked and I think we were both at a point where we understood where the other was coming from. She knew that she wasn’t just another conquest and that, when all is said and done, I’m not just going to say see you later and be done with it.

  I wanted her, and I wanted her forever. Not just for now.

  I swayed my body with hers as she continued to sing the song, people around us even joining her.

  It felt real good to be with my girl, but not just that, it felt fucking incredible to be with my girl and with my club.

  But, of course, good things never last.

  Listening to
Harmony laugh and sing with my Brothers was music to my ears. I knew she would be perfect. She fit like she had always been here.

  “Prez?”

  One of the prospects, Aiken, came toward us, his face screwed up in a frown. The kid was reasonably new with only nine months in, but he was respectful, smart and thought well on his feet. We’d gotten pretty close and I could see him patching in pretty fast.

  I tapped Harmony on the leg twice and she stood up, letting me get to my feet. I gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  She nodded and took my place on the couch, I followed the prospect away from the fire. He obviously had something to say that he wasn’t sure was for the other ears. Smart boy.

  I stood with my legs apart and folded my arms across my chest. “What is it?”

  “I just got a call from Glow. Missy said there was a guy show up there with an entourage asking to speak to you,” he explained. Missy operated the business for us. She was gorgeous and firm, just the person you wanted running a place like Glow.

  “This guy give a name?”

  “Daniel Ashley. He told Missy to tell you that he would be there for another hour if you would be interested in meeting with him.”

  My blood boiled and burned at my skin. Mother-fucker had the balls to smack my woman around and then come to one of the club’s business and request to meet me? The asshole was cocky, I’d give him that!

  “Get on your bike. I’ll check to see who’s sober enough to ride with me.” I pointed at him with a glare. “Keep the fucker there.”

  “Yes, sir.” He took off at a run and I heard his bike start behind me and roar out of the gates before I’d even made it back to the party. My Brothers watched me walk toward them, reading my face and quickly standing to attention. Harmony looked around, confused by the sudden change of atmosphere. I flicked my head, and they all moved toward me.

  “Harm!” I called for her and she quickly did the same. I took her face in my hands. “I gotta take a few of the boys for a little bit. Gotta handle some shit down town.”

  She nodded. “Okay.” My girl knew the score. When I say I’ve got to handle something, she knows not to argue.

  I pressed a light kiss to her mouth. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  She smiled, I knew it was a little forced but a smile none the less. “Be safe.”

  When she was out of earshot, I looked at all my Brothers. “Who’s sober enough to drive?” We had strict rules about drinking and driving. We’d lost too many Brothers to the road because of alcohol.

  A few nodded.

  “Okay, Wreck, Rifle, Loose and Candy, grab your bikes and your pieces. I’m not sure how messy this is going to get if shit turns bad.” I pointed to each of them and they quickly turned, shooting back into the clubhouse to grab their things. “The rest of you, keep a close eye on the place and my girl. I’m not sure if this is just a ploy to get me away.”

  With everything sorted at the club, I knew my Brothers would lay down their lives to protect the place and safeguard Harmony, even though she hadn’t been officially patched as an Old Lady yet. I had faith in them.

  We made the short ride to town, the grip on my handlebars was tight. My hands were itching to lay into this little prick.

  Glow was one of the two strip joints that the club owned in the city. It was a classy place. There was a hard no drugs policy and the girls were tested monthly. It was also a very private place, tucked away in a busy part of town and inconspicuous which attracted men with money who wanted to do their dirty business away from prying eyes.

  Aiken met us at the front door, leading us through the building to Missy’s office. She sat on her desk, legs crossed and anger in her eyes. Missy was gorgeous with thick black hair and golden eyes and she was young, only in her late twenties. Some would say that was too young to have her doing what she was, trusting her to keep things running, but the woman had life experiences that far exceeded her age.

  “Hey, Miss.” I kissed both her cheeks and stepped back.

  “Hey, Kit. Sorry to drag you down here, but this guy wasn’t taking no for an answer,” she said with venom in her words.

  “He cause any trouble?”

  “He propositioned a couple of my girls. Telling them he had rich men that would pay a lot of money to have them come live with them.” She scoffed. “Luckily my girls know better.”

  I growled deep in my throat. Yeah, what he failed to tell them is that they weren’t the ones who would get the money and they would be dragged through hell, so men like Daniel Ashley could get a paycheck. “Where is he?”

  “Meeting room down the hall. He’s got one guy in there with him, a few others are scattered around the main room watching the show.”

  “Anything happens, you get the girls out quick smart,” I told her seriously.

  Her eyes widened a little. “Who is this dude, Kit?”

  “A guy that messed with the wrong girl.”

  I turned, my Brothers stepping to the sides to let me through before falling into step behind me. Not that I was afraid to face this fuckhead on my own, but having my Brothers at my back made me feel like the world couldn’t tear me down.

  My Brothers, my fucking family. They would follow me to hell and back and see it as an honor. That was Brotherhood.

  I slammed open the door to the small meeting room. It flew back, crashing against the wall and giving me the first look at the man who’d been tormenting my woman. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it sure as hell wasn’t the man sitting at the end of the table.

  He had on a suit, his typical attire from what I’d gathered. But he was older than I’d imagined, maybe close to fifty. Shorter too. His hair was dark brown scattered with a pinch of gray and slicked back with so much gel I bet I could snap it off, strand by strand and stab him with it. The idea wasn’t a bad one as far as I was concerned. He looked like your typical businessman, a lawyer maybe. There was a buff dude seated next to him, his head shaved and dark glasses covering his eyes like we weren’t inside a fucking building – at night.

  Kerry, one of the girls was serving them drinks. Her eyes shot up at the loud bang and when she saw me she quickly fled the room. Aiken closed the door behind us and stood in front of it, his arms crossed over his chest.

  I slammed my hands on the table, anger flowing freely through my veins. I knew I needed to rein it in before I let it consume me. “You’ve got balls, coming here, to my place of business.”

  He smiled gently, unwearied by my anger. “Donovan Cranshaw. It’s nice to finally meet you.” He leaned back lazily in his chair. “Or should I call you, Kit?”

  “You can call me freaking Tinkerbell if it tickles your fancy. Shit doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are messing with the wrong people.”

  “Yes, it is unfortunate that the Brothers by Blood have a particular interest in this little issue.” He folded his hands in his lap, real proper and shit. “I was advised by my boss to come and speak with you.” I saw the disgust that flickered in his eyes as he relayed that little bit of information. It was obvious he didn’t want to approach us, but someone higher up had warned him that crossing us may not be such a good idea. Someone who obviously had more brains than he did.

  “Say what you’ve gotta say, I don’t have all night. I have a woman to get home to.”

  “Ah yes, and there lies the problem.” He sat forward again, resting his hands on the table and clearing his throat. “I don’t doubt you already know of the business I’m in. People who run on the wrong side of the law such as us, don’t have any issue finding out that kind of information. Unlike the idiot police and federal agencies who think they run this country.”

  “Spit it out, asshole.”

  He chuckled and I tightened my grip on the edge of the table, ready to pick it up and beat him bloody with it.

  “Harmony Jones. It seems she is running with your club?” He gestured to us. “Unfortunately, I have a client that has a v
ery particular interest in Miss Jones. A lot of money is involved.”

  “Harmony belongs to me,” I ground out, barely able to contain my fury.

  “I’m a reasonable man, Mr. Cranshaw. I’m willing to offer part of that money to you in exchange for her.”

  “Like I said—”

  He cut me off. “How does three million sound?”

  “You seem a little happier,” Tally said, coming to take a seat next to me and offering a beer. The atmosphere was relaxed and chilled out with Mix still strumming away on his guitar and the Brothers and women that were left just letting the vibe seep into their veins. It almost felt like home, except I wasn’t waiting for one of the guys, who knew which one, to take me back to his room. I was waiting for one guy and one guy only, and the thought of that was finally putting a smile on my face.

  I held up my hand, rejecting the offer of another drink and he shrugged, throwing the beer back himself.

  I laughed. “I guess you could say that.”

  “Prez, treating you good then?”

  “That was never debated, you know that.” I smiled as I thought about the way he had treated my body during that day. “Kit is a great guy.”

  “True story, no one could have stepped into his dad’s shoes and filled them as he has. Oz was a hard ass, a firm believer that there are rules for a reason. But man, you couldn’t fault him on the give-a-shit scale, the man cared about each and every one of his Brothers and their families. He made sure they were always taken care of.”

  I nodded, noting that Kit obviously had a lot of his father’s beliefs instilled in him. He was hard, but his intentions were for the best of his family and his friends.

  “I hope I get to meet him one day.”

  Tally laughed. “You will. He’s been away with Bright Eyes, making the most of the fact that he no longer has a club to run. But I think they get back in a couple days. No doubt in my mind that Kit will want you to meet them.”