“I won’t be long, and then I’ll meet you back here.”
“Don’t go anywhere but the store, I won’t have you causing more trouble for me with the brothers.”
“Fine.”
This is getting ridiculous, the high street is full of people, I’ll be safe going to the store and back.
“I swear to god, if anything happens to you, and I lose my patch because of it, I’ll gut you myself.”
“I tried to kill myself and I’m still here, I think I’ll survive a trip inside the grocery store.”
I don’t bother trying to mask the sarcasm dripping from my words. I go to walk around him, but he grips onto my arm and pulls me against him.
“This isn’t a joke, Harper.”
Shrugging out of his hold, I jerk away from him and step back.
“I know it isn’t.”
I understand the club is fighting with another club, but me buying some apples and fresh berries isn’t going to cause them more trouble.
The store is quiet as I roam the aisles with my cart and no one looks sinister or out of place. The way the brothers go on about the Black Crows could have you paranoid if you believed their dramatics. I finish my shopping and pay. It looks like I’ve beaten the guys back to the truck and I dump my bags on the back seat, next to where I’ll be sitting. I spy a pack of cigarettes on the dash and this morning is the first time my cravings are strong.
To curb these cravings, I scan the street for Ellis. We didn’t exactly arrange a place, but I said I’d be here at eleven. He isn’t anywhere that I can see.
He came all this way to see me, he should be here. I don’t have a clue what I’m doing. Tal isn’t going to let me hang around town while he and Curt drive back to the club, and he’ll find out I lied about Cas giving me permission to leave, and Ellis isn’t welcome at the club.
My heart begins to thrum rapidly as I try to figure out how to play this. I want to spend time with Ellis, he’s my friend and I have missed our conversations.
My thoughts float back to JJ, the way he looked at me last night hurt. I should’ve known better when it came to him. He’s hot for me one minute then he’s cold enough to catch frostbite the next.
Glancing over at the Hardware store, Tal and Curt are no where to be seen, and I still can’t see Ellis anywhere.
I shut the door, leaving my groceries in the truck and go to step onto the sidewalk when a silver van skids to a stop beside me. A masked figure slides open the side door and another masked figure throws open the driver’s door, leaving the van idling.
The slits are small but they both have dark eyes, that much I can see. They both wear black hoodies and black jeans. Their boots look similar to each other too. Focus.
In slow motion, I turn my head to look out for Tal and Curt as one of the men grab my right arm. I don’t see them as the second guy grabs my left arm. I’m lifted into the air and as I kick out my legs, it does nothing to help me get away from them.
I’m thrown into the back of their van and the door slams shut after one of the men bundles in on top of me.
Everything speeds up, and I scream.
I scream the highest and loudest I can possibly scream, and I pray so hard that I’m heard. I should’ve listened to Tal and got out of the truck and stayed at the club.
I never fucking listen and now everything I’ve been working to change for the better, is going to be for nothing.
JJ
It’s after noon when my phone vibrates and wakes me. Blearily, I can’t keep my eyes open for longer than a few seconds at a time, but I can make out it’s my mom calling.
Ignoring her, I roll out of bed and dive straight into the shower. The water is cold, but I don’t care, I need waking up.
From today, Harper and I are acquaintances that will have very limited contact. I’ll ask for drinks and she’ll serve them. That’s it.
It’s a new day and there’s no looking back. First, I need to get rid of this headache. I dry off and pull out clean clothes from the drawers that are older than me and dress quickly.
I need this headache gone, and after locking up behind me and jogging down to the bar, I stumble into the kitchen and the fucking baby is in there with my mom and Lana. She’s everywhere, there is literally no escaping this kid.
“I’m starting to think she’s stalking me,” I grumble, opening each cupboard looking for the pill box.
“Don’t listen to your Uncle JJ, he’s a bear with a sore head in the mornings,” Lana coos at Rayna.
Uncle?
I’ll probably be her uncle, like Cas is mine along with Slade and Pope, Ricky and everyone else who was around when I was born. Now I wear the patch they are brothers, Cas is my president and a brother, but the tight connection is still there.
“What are you looking for?” Mom asks as I slam another cupboard shut.
“Painkillers.”
She doesn’t move from her seat, but she rifles through her bag that always has everything in it and throws me a bottle of pills.
I remember as a kid thinking it was a magic bag. No matter what I needed, she always had it.
Popping two pills into my mouth, I swallow them down and escape from the kitchen before I have to listen to anymore baby cooing.
The sun beats down on me as soon as I step outside and blinds me until I spy someone’s sunglasses on one of the tables. Scooping them up, I slide them on and walk over to Leo and Zach, who are shocking the shit out of me by sitting together and having a conversation at the same table.
“Alright, girls? Have you two kissed and made up?”
Sliding one leg over the bench, I sit with the seat between my legs and watch as, for once, Zach doesn’t glare at me or at Leo.
“We have a mutual disdain for a certain someone,” he says, casting his eyes over at Niall and Roman’s old lady. I don’t even know her name.
“I’m surprised they’re still here.”
“Dad isn’t letting them out of the club’s sight for now. I heard them talking last night, Niall knows this is the end of the road for him, he just doesn’t know how dad’s going to let him leave.”
“What about the woman?”
“What about her? She’ll go when Niall does.”
“They shouldn’t be here, she definitely shouldn’t fucking be here,” Zach snaps. Darkness falls over him and he narrows his eyes into slits. To try and lighten the mood, I change the topic of conversation.
“Anyway, why do I never see India with the baby?”
Leo’s neck snaps out of place as he swings round to look at me.
“What are you saying?”
“Nothing, brother. I was just asking. Everywhere I go your kid is there and India isn’t. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Sorry, it’s been a long night. Rayna was sleeping through but last night she was brutal. India’s sleeping while my mom watches over the baby.”
“Like I said, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Shaking his head, they both return to staring at Niall. As if he can feel them, the guy looks over his shoulder and makes eye contact with Leo.
His mistakes are clearly written on his face and he’s the first to look away because he knows he’s in the wrong.
“Everyone is pissed because Roman was taken out, but it’s like everyone is forgetting what and who started this,” Zach continues to growl.
“I don’t think Cas is forgetting about it,” I add my opinion.
“He’s not, but if you have a problem with how he’s running things, you should bring it to his attention.”
Christ, these two could start a fight from a thousand miles away from each other.
“What is it with you two?” I ask, shaking my head.
“I just don’t understand why we have to share the same air as a fucking betrayer.”
Before Leo or I can answer him, he’s rising from the bench and walking off.
“I’m glad to see he’s still in a good mood,” I snort.
&n
bsp; “Leave him alone, he has every right to be pissed.”
Now my neck nearly snaps as I swing my head to look at my brother.
“Since when do you defend Zachery?”
“I’m not defending him, I’m just saying leave him be.”
“Whatever.”
Whispers start to buzz around us and I rise from the bench to see what’s going on. Today is beginning to feel weird. I’m thinking I’ll just go back to bed and sleep for the rest of the day when my dad steps outside and yells, “Everyone, inside now.”
Dad disappears back into the bar and Leo and I both frown. Cas must’ve heard from the Black Crows.
Shoulder to shoulder, I walk in with my brother and best friend and we stand by the old jukebox while Cas looks around the entire club and dad’s eyes stay on me. Today is definitely weird.
Cas must be satisfied so he starts and grips the phone in his hand tightly.
“Two prospects were sent into town today on food runs and to stock up on supplies. I’ve just found out that they weren’t alone and somehow, Slade’s niece, Harper, has been taken. Neither Tal or Curt saw anything but a silver van speeding away.”
I look over to the bar expecting to see her and laugh to myself because I thought he said Harper was now missing.
No, not missing. Taken.
Everything stops.
Cas’s lips are moving but I can’t hear what he’s saying.
I’ve gone from feeling Zach and Leo’s frustration towards Niall and now I’m feeling my own. I spin around until I see him standing by the bar, his arm around the woman I want to strangle, and his face has paled. He knows what’s coming for him if this doesn’t end well.
“Are you happy now? First you back Leo into making a decision that he shouldn’t have had to make and now a vulnerable woman has been taken, all because you what, fell in love with a fucking Crow whore,” I yell across the bar and everyone looks at me.
He has the audacity to leap forward and push through the brothers, coming to a stop in front of me. I’m numb, I’m not seeing straight and I’m not thinking right. He better back the fuck away from me.
“This isn’t all my fault. Leo shooting Roman isn’t on me, that was his choice.”
“The fuck it was,” Leo snaps from somewhere behind me.
“We should be voting on this piece of shit. Why is he still here after everything we’ve had to suffer because of him?”
“He’s a Lost Soul and until I say, he stays,” Cas orders. “Back off, Niall, and for fuck sake, stay out of everyone’s way.”
“I’d do as he says, old man. I do not call you a brother now, and the minute Cas exiles you, I’m gonna chase you with my gun, and if Harper doesn’t return unharmed, I’ll gut your old lady before your eyes. Anything, and I mean anything happens to Harper, you’ll get the same tenfold.”
His eyes twitches and his jaw tightens, I’m not threatening him, he knows I’m making him a promise. I remain where I stand and watch as he turns his back on me and walks back to his whore.
Why couldn’t Harper just do as she’s told, for once. There’s me thinking she was up in her room and all along she was on her way to town. I’m going to kill Tal, I bet he let her leave because he wanted to be alone with her.
Thoughts of violence and Tal take a back seat when I turn around and find Cas, Zach, my dad, Leo and Slade all staring at me.
“What?” I shrug.
“Is there something you want to tell me, JJ?” This comes from Slade as he stands and braces his hands on the table.
“Not particularly. Harper’s a friend, and she doesn’t deserve to be caught up in a fight she’d never win.”
In my peripheral vision, dad is shaking his head and Leo is smirking his ass off. Cas is looking at me like he’s trying to catch what’s going on, and Zach and Slade are the ones who are closest and most interested in me.
“You better be telling me the truth, I’m not going to stand for anyone else going behind my back again.”
Leo had to jump through hoops for his blessing. I won’t be that excited to be his bitch boy to keep him happy.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but nothing is going on between us,” I tell him. “However, when she comes home, and she will, I could make her mine and I wouldn’t be proving myself to you to be with her.”
“Is that right.”
“That’s what I said.”
I’m the one who takes a step and closes the space between us.
“Come on. We ain’t got time for this, I guarantee the Black Crows have her and every second you two keep this up, it’s a second wasted.”
Dad shoves me towards the bar and Slade wisely keeps his mouth shut.
“Don’t keep doing that.”
“What?”
“Shoving me around in front of everyone. I was standing my ground, and I’m not lying.”
“I know, son. But she ain’t your old lady. Slade, as her uncle trumps you. You want her, bring her home and show every fucker who she belongs too.”
“Slade might be her uncle, but he wasn’t there looking out for her when she was taken…”
“Nor were you so quit acting like she’s your old lady. You don’t have the fuckin’ right.”
I’m burning to slam my fist into his face. He’s right, he is most of the time, but it still frustrates me.
“Watch out, the prospects are back.”
I lurch forward but I’m stopped when my dad clamps his hand down on my shoulder.
“This is Slade’s business, let him do his thing. Trust me, he’ll make them pay.”
I trust my dad, always have, always will, but it’s hard today. Tal is the first one to step up to Cas and Curt closely follows behind. Tal’s jaw is set tight and gaging from how tight he is wound, he’s using everything he has to keep his head up.
“Before the excuses pour from your mouth, you should know the likely hood of you getting your patches are very fuckin’ low. I don’t care if the Pope comes to you and says I gave him permission to go into town with you, unless your ears heard it from my mouth, he doesn’t fucking go. Now, tell me exactly what you saw.”
Tal speaks for the both of them.
“Harper went into the grocery store while we hit up the hardware store. As we were coming out, a van door slammed shut and then peeled away. We couldn’t get the licence plate, we just saw a silver van.”
“Why didn’t one of you go into the store with her? You know we’re on lockdown, that way no one could’ve got to her without a fight.”
Neither of them say anything. There’s nothing they can say, they fucked up and they’re owning it.
“We didn’t think,” Curt says.
“No, you didn’t and to be a Lost Soul, not only do you have to think of yourself and your brothers, you have to think of their old ladies, their daughters, their fuckin’ nieces. It should be instinct, not an order.”
Cas waves his hand, finished with them and Slade takes his place. Swinging his fist, he unleashes and smacks Curt in the jaw first. He doesn’t quite fall on his ass from the blow, but he stumbles backwards, and Slade turns his attention to Tal. Since it came out Leo had knocked India up, we’ve been seeing new sides to Slade. I didn’t think he had a violent bone in his body.
“This is a shame, cause I was going to vote you in when the time came. Now, I’m not so fucking sure,” he tells him and punches him straight in the stomach.
“You want to pray she comes home alive, because if she doesn’t, these will be your last days.”
After giving his little speech, he turns his back on all of us, grabs his laptop and storms out back towards Cas’s office.
“That’s it?” I scoff.
I’ve seen more violence in a kindergarten class.
“You think he won’t keep his promise?”
I shrug, I have no fucking idea with these old timers.
“If Harper doesn’t walk back through that door, he’ll kill them both and I have a feeling, you’ll be
helping him.”
“You’re god damn right I will.”
“Then make her your old lady already and take charge. Honestly, JJ, I’m starting to wonder if I raised you right.”
“Fuck off, dad,” I grin and walk off towards Leo.
Once I know I’m out of ear shot, I form my own plan of punishment.
“Hey, I don’t need your help, but I’ll need you to pull me back because I know I’m going to go too far.”
I don’t hang around for him to agree, I know he’s got my back. Tal and Curt slink out the back door and I’m hot on their tail before the door has chance to shut behind them. Pushing it wide open, it bangs against the wall and Curt jumps around first. Tal doesn’t know shit about me and Harper, but he knows something has been going on. I’ve cockblocked him enough times for him not to have worked it out. He holds his hands up and is about to say something when I leap forward and smash my fist into his stomach.
Taking advantage of him doubled over, I land an upper cut and kick his legs out from underneath him.
I’m vaguely aware of Curt inching forward and then I barely hear Leo warning him to stay back.
His body hits the grass with a thud and I don’t waste a second before I’m pounding my boot into his stomach. He doesn’t get the chance to curl up and try to protect himself. I don’t give him any chances. I don’t care that he took Harper into town, I care that he let anything happen to her.
Dropping to my knees, he rolls away from me and I take great pleasure in going after him and straddling him.
“If she isn’t home by the end of today, you’ll die,” I warn him. “I’ll fucking kill you.”
His response is to grunt. In fairness, I’m not giving him the chance to answer clearly. My fist connects with his jaw and I best be seeing a bruise by nightfall because I can feel my knuckles swelling as I punch him.
“If she isn’t back by tonight, I’ll let you,” he spits out and I let go of his cut.
Turns out, I didn’t need Leo as back up after all. I fall to the side and lay on the grass as he rolls away from me, putting more distance between us.
“Why?” I ask, trying to catch my breath.