“Don’t go.” Her words almost make me stay, but I can’t do that. Not yet. I lower my head, an internal struggle happening because God knows I’d like to stay right here in her bed, but I can’t. Instead of answering her, I walk to the door, turn the handle, and walk right out.
Chapter Eight
Harley
I know it’s him. There is no one else, but how does he know I’ve been watching him, too? I make sure to stay out of his line of sight, but he knows. Now I pace the room with the curtain closed having a silent debate with myself. He came to me. He actually came over here. The cops never found Brian because when I went to check the abandoned apartment, no body was there. That made me nervous. How could he get rid of an entire person? Not even my dad could find him, and I would have heard about that at least. My nerves have been on edge all week. I’ve kept my curtain closed like he told me to because I was afraid of him seeing me like this.
“What is wrong with me?” I ask myself as I keep pacing and chewing my fingernails. This is a mess. What have I done? I let him touch me. He came to my work and I still have no idea what he looks like. I could pick his tattoos out if I ever saw them again but that’s it. His scent still lingers on the bandana he left here and sickly enough, I keep it close by. Call me crazy but I have a sense of relief and calmness when I hold that thing to my chest at night.
Taking a deep breath, I clear my head and head out the door, ready for work. I can’t believe it’s been so long since I’ve seen him. I know he’s out there; I could feel his gaze through my window, but I was too much of a chicken to open it. I have to stay away from him. I can’t get involved with a rival like that. If my dad ever finds out I live near one of them, he will lose his shit and try to force me to come back to the clubhouse and I don’t want that. I hate it there. The men are disgusting, and the women are just as bad. I cringe at the mere thought of having to go back there.
I walk down the block to work, feeling eyes on me, but when I look over my shoulder no one’s there. Not that it surprises me. He’s never where I can see him, but I can feel him.
Ignoring that feeling, I walk into the bakery and smile, waving at Angel. She works here on weekends with me but there’s not a smile on her face today. Instead, she looks sick to her stomach.
“Are you okay, Angel?” I ask stepping closer to her. Just before I can reach her, the back-room door opens, and my dad steps out. Shock isn’t the right word for what I feel right now.
“What are you doing here?”
He doesn’t answer, just smiles at me like I’m the insane one. An eerie feeling washes over me the closer he gets. He leans in and presses a kiss to my cheek much like he usually does.
“Well, I’ve been lookin’ for you. Went by your place and it seems you haven’t lived there in months,” he says. My skin crawls. He knows. He knows I don’t live near him anymore. This is bad.
“I found a new place. It was nicer,” I say, trying to keep my tone even and calm. I don’t want to piss him off because my worst nightmare will be coming true if I do.
“And you didn’t think to tell me?”
“You are always busy with the club. I didn’t want to bother you.” Lie, Harley. Lie your way out of this mess.
“Where are you livin’?”
“Close to the bakery. I don’t need a car or anything. I can walk right here. Isn’t that great?” He isn’t falling for that line of bullshit. He doesn’t want me walking anywhere.
“Do you forget who you are?” he growls low in his throat. I shake my head rapidly knowing that this is going to end badly. Then he moves, grabbing me around the neck and backing me into the wall. “Every piece of shit club out there will be lookin’ at you. Do you know that? They will take you, rape you, torture you because you’re mine. What the fuck is wrong with you, Harley?” he screams in my face. I swallow hard and try not to look at the man, but he doesn’t give me a choice.
“I’m sorry. I just like being on my own, Dad.”
“On your own,” he repeats shaking his head. “You aren’t on your own! You belong to the club, goddamn it!”
There it is. I knew it was coming, and there it is. He isn’t worried about me because I’m his daughter; he’s worried about his damn club.
“I don’t belong to the club,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Oh, you do. You’re mine, Harley! You’re a goddamn princess and you’re workin’ in this shit hole! Pack your shit, sweetheart, because you’re movin’ back to the clubhouse.”
“I’m twenty-one! You can’t make me do that!” I scream as he releases my throat and steps back.
“I can and I will. You think Brian findin’ you was a coincidence? If you believe that, you are as
