Numb (King's Harlots MC Book 5) by J. M. Walker
“That depends,” Angel rubbed the scruff on his jaw. “You going to push my fiancée again?”
I winced. “Listen, man, I’m sorry.”
“Her and the baby are fine.” Angel’s gaze darkened. “Do that again though and …” A wicked grin spread across his face. “Let’s just say that the shit this Organization does will be nothing compared to what I do to you.”
I barked a laugh, shaking my head at the possibilities. “Truce?”
Angel narrowed his brows before letting out a sigh. “Yeah. Fucker.” He closed the distance between us and clapped a hand on my nape. “I love you, man, but fuck, you’re a stubborn shithead, you know that?”
I grunted. “I’m sleeping with a woman who hates me. So yeah, I know.”
“Fuck, man.” Angel sat on the stool, the metal creaking beneath the added weight.
“Is there really a meeting?” I asked, ignoring the pity in his dark eyes.
“Yeah, there is.” Angel rubbed the back of his neck. “Coby’s friend, Lucas, found Zane. Charles is still missing but right now, I’ll take whatever the fuck I can get.”
I sat beside him. “I’d love to skin that bastard alive.”
“I’d love to see him in Brogan’s chair.” Angel leaned back against the bar top. “She’s a scary little thing.”
Under normal circumstances, I would have laughed but in all honesty, Angel was right. Brogan Tapp had more balls than most men. I had seen her work but nothing prepared us for what I knew she wanted to do to Zane. The other half of the duo who destroyed her boyfriend. Coby was strong but I knew he never came back from that night and it ruined whatever light he had left.
“Where is Zane?” I asked, excitement rippling through my body much like the orgasm did earlier that morning.
Angel pointed to the floor.
I frowned and then suddenly it dawned on me. “Wait. He’s here?”
Angel nodded. “We picked him up. The bastard’s in the basement as we speak.”
“How?”
“I had Greyson grab him for us.” Angel shrugged like it was no big deal and it was just an everyday occurrence for us.
Greyson Mercer, Brogan’s step brother, was an evil bastard. The President of Hell’s Harlem may have had everyone else fooled including his step sister but I saw that same darkness in him that I saw in Coby, if not more so. The fucker was a damn good actor. But I left it alone and kept that piece of information to myself.
“Where did Lucas find him?” I asked Angel.
“Of all places? At a bookstore.” Angel shook his head. “He was waiting to be found. Probably lost his shit over his sister dying and wanted to go with her like some Romeo and Juliet thing.”
“Odd as fuck, man. Odd. As. Fuck.”
“Truth.” Angel rose to his feet. “We’re having this meeting without Jay. As much as she wanted to be here, I made her stay home. Stone and a couple of the guys from her father’s club are watching her.”
“I bet she loved that.” I laughed.
“Not really but I don’t give a fuck. Shit is going down soon. I can feel it in my bones. We need to end this once and for all before something else happens.”
“Where’s Asher and Meeka?” I asked, realizing I hadn’t seen them in a couple of days.
“Home. Meeka isn’t feeling well but with what they went through with Charles, I’d like to keep them as far from this shit as possible.”
I nodded in agreement. They had gone undercover trying to bring Charles down. The only good thing that had come out of the situation was them finding each other after being best friends for years.
As if on cue, everyone filed into the club, but the only person I noticed was Max.
Her eyes were red, the skin just beneath them swollen and puffy. She had been crying, and I knew without a fucking doubt it had to do with me.
Scrubbing my hands up and down my face, I took a deep breath and walked up to her. “Max.”
She jumped, spinning on her heel. “Dale.” She placed her hand against her chest. “Hi.”
“Hi,” I said gently, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
Her eyes fluttered closed and when they reopened, my heart skipped a beat.
I could see it. A little hint that maybe in time, something good could come out of this fucked up situation. Hope. It was all I had at the moment.
We kept going back and forth. Maybe this would end. Maybe it wouldn’t. But I was damn determined to make every moment with her count.
She cleared her throat, stepping away from me, and headed into the meeting room.
I followed her and sat beside her but I didn’t touch her. Not this time. Instead, I crossed my arms under my chest and wondered what the fuck we were doing.
Our eyes met.
The dark shadow behind her gaze became more pronounced, the hint of hope no longer there. It was quickly replaced with a darkness I felt.
The bags under her eyes indicated she hadn’t been sleeping. And where was I amidst all of this? Fucking her like a piece of a meat.
Shit.
***
(Max)
Whatever game we were playing, neither of us was going to win. But when he touched me and looked at me like I was all that mattered, a tiny bit of hope sat peacefully on my chest.
When Dale sat beside me and kept his hands to himself, a part of me wondered if it was over. I wasn’t sure when. Maybe days. Weeks. Even years. Maybe we’d find each other again when we were old and gray.
A heavy weight lifted off my chest although the tightness remained. I loved him. I still loved him. I probably always would.
A relationship based solely on sex wasn’t good for either of us but I found it healed us in a way.
“Can I hold your hand?” Dale asked, his voice rough.
I nodded.
He slid his fingers between mine, pulling me closer to his side. “We need to talk,” he muttered, brushing his nose along the shell of my ear. “But right now, I’ll talk holding your hand.”
“I know we need to talk but I like the sound of that. This …” I held up our joined hands and kissed his knuckles. “I like this,” I whispered, wiping away the lonely tear rolling down my cheek.
Dale kissed the side of my head, letting his lips linger before pulling away.
“They’re in here,” Brogan said from the doorway, giving us a small smile. She looked between us. “I interrupted something, didn’t I?”
I swallowed hard, shaking my head.
“Look at me, kitten,” Dale said gently, ignoring her.
I met his gaze.
“No matter what happens …” He brushed his fingers down my cheek. “I’m always here. You know that, right?”
A soft sob escaped me. I nodded quickly.
“Wait, the room is occupied,” I heard Brogan say, shutting the door behind her.
“I …” I swallowed excessively. I wasn’t used to this side of Dale. I could handle asshole Dale but not sweet and caring Dale. It threw me off and fucked with my head. “I need you to be an asshole right now.”
“Why?” He kissed my knuckles.
“Because.” My breath hitched, watching his mouth brush over the soft skin. My gaze flicked back to his. “It makes it harder to admit my feelings for you.”
He paused, his gaze flicking behind me just as Brogan let everyone in. He sat back, released my hand and pushed his chair away from me.
I stared at him. “That’s how it’s going to be?”
“What the fuck do you want from me, Max? You want me to be an asshole? You think I’ve been an asshole?” He leaned toward me, kissing the corner of my mouth. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”
AN HOUR AFTER the meeting, Coby and I headed down to the basement. Angel and Greyson stayed outside while Henley, Lian, and Grey’s club stood watch around the building.
I left Max after placing a hard kiss on her mouth. She wanted me to be an asshole because it was easier for her. I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to
“Focus, brother,” Coby muttered.
“You’re lucky I don’t kill you now.” Brogan leaned against the table, checking out her nails. “I’m getting bored. If you don’t answer my questions, I might just do that.”
Zane smirked, the split in his lip letting out a drop of blood at the movement. “I love it when you play dirty.”
Coby stiffened beside me.
“You see” —Brogan paced back and forth in front of him, ignoring his comment— “I could just unleash my boyfriend on you. You do remember him, right?” Brogan grabbed Zane’s jaw, digging her fingers into his cheeks and turned his head toward Coby. “That’s the man your sister tried to destroy. But little did she know, our love is stronger than she ever was.”
Coby grinned.
“Your girl is something else, my man,” I mumbled.
“Fucking right she is.” Coby’s eyes darkened as they zeroed in on the woman who had taken over his whole world.
“My sister was a little bitch,” Zane spat. “If she would have let me loose on him, he wouldn’t be standing—”
Brogan’s fist flew across Zane’s face. “Oh,” she gasped. “I’m sorry. My hand slipped.”
“Fuck you, whore,” he spat at her feet. “I could rip you apart.”
Brogan threw her head back and laughed. “You’re fucking funny. Coby, my love, could you give me a hand, please?”
“Of course, baby.” Coby pushed off the wall and headed behind Zane. “I suggest you tell us where Charles is if you want to survive a couple more hours tonight.”
“Fuck you,” Zane yelled. “I haven’t done shit. It was all Tina, Charles and—” He snapped his mouth shut.
“And?” Brogan raised an eyebrow. “Is there someone else?”
“No.” Zane shook his head.
“You said Tina, Charles and …” Brogan looked at us. “Who the fuck is he talking about?”
“Shit.” I texted Angel.
Me: Emergency.
As soon as I put my phone away, Angel was down the stairs. “What?”
“There’s someone else,” Coby said, clapping his hands onto Zane’s shoulders. “And our friend here was just about to tell us who.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. There is no one else.” Zane shook against his restraints.
“Brogan,” Angel barked. “Work your magic because I have a woman to get home to.”
“With pleasure.” She grinned, grabbed a rusty butter knife off the table, and turned to Zane. “One last chance, baby boy. That’s the term your sister used, isn’t it?”
“My sister was a sick fucking freak,” Zane growled. “She got off on that shit more than I did.”
“But you didn’t stop her,” Brogan screamed, slamming the knife into his knee.
Zane shouted. “Fucking bitch.”
“Brogan,” Coby said, his voice firm and shook his head.
She took a deep breath.
He cursed, shaking in the metal chair.
“Give me my knife,” she grumbled, pulling the knife free from Zane’s knee. “You don’t deserve to have it in your body.” She went to the table, gripping the edge.
“Coby.” I stepped up beside him, nodding my head toward Brogan. “I got this.”
He gave my shoulder a light squeeze before heading to his girlfriend.
“You see, Zane.” I stepped behind him, leaning down to the bastard’s ear. “Those two are too involved in this. But me? I wasn’t there. I have no emotion in this. I can kill you and be done with it and not even look back. And you know what? I’m not going to. I want to see you suffer.” I wrapped my fingers around his throat, tugging his head back. “I want to see you writhing in pain, begging for your life like Coby begged for his. You didn’t do anything when Tina fucked him, did you?” I lowered my voice so only he could hear. “You enjoyed it, didn’t you? Were you jealous?” I asked, cupping the knee Brogan had stabbed.
Zane jumped. “Fuck.”
“Were you jealous?” I asked, repeating my question slowly. “Tell me.”
“Yes,” Zane yelled.
Coby and Brogan turned around at Zane’s outburst.
“Tell him you’re sorry,” I demanded. “Tell them both.”
“Fuck you. I’m not saying shi—”
Digging my finger into the wound, I pushed until Zane screamed.
“Fine,” he bellowed.
“Not good enough.” I held out my hand. “Brogan.”
She grinned, handing me a knife.
“Say it,” I stabbed his other knee, towering over him. “Tell them how fucking sorry you are.”
“I’m sorry,” he cried. “Shit, stop.” He struggled against the chair.
“Good boy.” I kissed his head. “Now tell us who the other person is.”
“I don’t know. I swear to fuck I don’t know. Tina dealt with him. Not me. She was fucking him too.”
Yeah, because that last piece of information was important. “You’re lying.”
“No,” he swore. “I’m not. Look me in the eyes. I’m not lying.”
Brogan leaned over him, her nose mere inches from his. “If I find out you haven’t been honest, I will kill everyone you’ve ever loved.”
“Too late,” Zane growled. “You already did that.”
Brogan grinned. “I guess my job is done then.” She rose to her full height, met my gaze, and nodded once.
In a quick move, my hand slid across his neck.
Blood spurted from the slice in his throat.
Zane gasped for air, his head falling back.
I hooked an arm around him. “That’s for hurting my friends and for taking those girls.” His death had been too fast but we needed to move on and clean up quick.
I watched as the life left Zane’s eyes.
Angel stood across the room from me. Our eyes met. He nodded. I nodded back. I avenged Coby and Brogan. It wasn’t enough. Knowing what they went through, it would never be enough. But Zane wasn’t even the biggest problem.
“What do we do about this unknown fucker?” I asked, wiping my hands on the cloth Brogan handed me.
“I’ll talk to Lucas. See if anyone else has been spotted with Zane and Tina that we never noticed.” Coby hooked an arm around Brogan’s shoulders. “But first, we need a moment.”
“Take all the time you guys need.” Angel cupped his shoulder. “You did good. All of you.”
Brogan shivered. “Not good enough. I want that other person. The leader. Tina and Zane were too big of pussies. This new guy we never knew about is good. But he’s not good enough. He’ll slip up. They always do.”
She had a point.
“True.” Angel stopped just outside the main entrance to the club. “I don’t want any of you alone tonight. Dale, I know you and Max—”
“She won’t be alone,” I told him.
“Good.” He scrubbed a hand down his face. “I’m going home to Jay. We’ll debrief in the morning.”
ONCE EVERYONE CAME up from the basement, I headed outside. Angel went home to Jay. Coby and Brogan went to her room at the back of the building. And Dale was nowhere to be found.
My phone dinged.
Creena: How’s it going there?
Me: Busy.
Creena: Good.
Me: You spending the night there?
Knowing she was staying with Asher and Meeka for the moment, I wasn’t expecting to get the next text.
Creena: No. ;)
I wanted to laugh. Knowing it was the right reaction but the sound never left my mouth.
I sighed, put my phone away and was about to walk home when I heard deep voices coming from around the building.
Dale caught my gaze but stood off to the side, talking to Greyson, Lian, Henley, and other guys I didn’t recognize.
When I started walking down the parking lot, Dale caught up with me.
“You shouldn’t be alone,” he said. “Bu
I stopped, standing in front of him. I opened my mouth to speak when I caught something in his gaze. It had been the same darkness I had seen in Coby. Every time there was a mission or a fight, he went right to Brogan. It happened with Angel and Asher as well. Sex was a stress reliever. “What happened?”
Dale’s body was stiff, tense. With his hands clenched at his sides, he took several breaths before giving me a small smile. “I need a drink.”
“That’s all you need?” I asked, staring up at him.
He took a step toward me, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. That touch had become so familiar, I craved it.
“I’ll take whatever you give me, kitten.”
“I don’t know what’s going on,” I told him, “but I really don’t want to be alone either … come home with me.” It was a dangerous suggestion. Knowing we had been taking our individual pain out on each other for the past several weeks, there was no doubt he would end up in my bed by the morning.
“I’ll sleep on the couch.”
A knot formed in the center of my chest but all I could do was nod.
We walked back to my place in silence. It was unnerving, the unanswered questions flowing around us.
“What happened tonight?” I asked, needing the sound of our voices to drown out the demons of my mind.
“Zane got what he deserved,” Dale muttered, brushing a hand through his hair.
“Because of you,” I said, noting the darkness surfacing. It billowed around us, both suffocating and intoxicating at the same.
“Yeah.” He met my gaze. “Because of me.”
“Are you okay?”
Dale stared straight ahead, his jaw clenching. “Yeah. I’m fine, kitten.”
“How about you and Angel? Are you two good?”
“We are. Avenging our brother and his girlfriend kind of helped.”
I inched my fingers around his forearm, holding him. It wasn’t much but I had hoped that small touch would let him know although we had our issues, I wanted him happy. Taking a life, no matter if it was deserved or not, was difficult. I had seen death and destruction. Living a MC life, it was a given. “I’m glad that’s over. I hope Coby and Brogan can move on now.”