Page 9 of Holland
Soon temporary turned into a permanent position once I started running things. I promoted the prospects to full patch members, recruited some guys with skills that would be assets to the club, and figured out ways to make profits rise. I bought a few titty bars and an auto body shop. The old ladies ran the titty bars, and the guys ran the body shop, we were doing good, until I pissed off the wrong man. Our club couldn’t sustain a hit like something Lorenzo could throw at us. I knew they were making a hard choice, but I still held out hope that they would stick by me. Unfortunately, their desire to survive outweighed their loyalty to me.
“You can’t face him alone Bella and I’m not letting you. We’re in this together, remember, you promised we’d never separate again.” Crimson’s chin wobbled a little and her eyes shined with unshed tears. Fuck, what had I gotten us into?
“I know honey, and if there was any other way to keep you safe, I’d do it. But eventually they will find us. Lorenzo is a man with many connections; I can’t let them get ahold of you. Not after…” Damn it just thinking about what my sister went through makes my throat threaten to close up on me.
“Not after what you went through, I won’t put you at risk of that ever happening again.” No fucking way in hell I was letting Lorenzo’s goons get ahold of my sister just to put her right back into the same situation when Holland found her. I should have left her at Holland’s, I should have never gone after her, she’d be safely tucked away with him if I hadn’t been so selfish. But what was done was done, now I needed to convince her to run.
“Where the hell am I supposed to go? Huh?” She folded her arms over her chest giving me an attitude.
“Back home? So, they can sell me again? Bella I have nowhere to go and you know that.” But she did have somewhere she could go; she just didn’t want to say it. She tried to get me to go back and really talk to Holland, but I refused. Somehow, she knew there was something between us, some kind of magnetic pull, but I wasn’t about to go down that road again. I fell for one man; no way was I falling for another. But he was the safest place for her, he had connections with the Hades Rejects, he was a cop, and he’d protect her.
“You know where you gotta go.” Crimson shook her head at me smirking.
“Don’t start, this is for your safety, nothing else. Once I think it’s safe, I’ll come get you again, and we’ll ride off into the sunset together. Two sisters ready to raise hell.” I pulled her in for a hug, holding her for as long as she would let me before she started complaining I was crushing her.
“Sure I’ll go right back to Holland and tell him what exactly. Oh, do you mind me crashing here while my sister is off getting raped or murdered for turning some douchebag down. How does that sound?” I loved my sister, but lord help me if she didn’t work my nerves to the point of no return some days.
“Are you fucking crazy? No, that’s not what you say. You tell him as little as possible, you should know this. Just tell him you need a place to stay while I get some things straightened out for us. He does not need to know anything else about our lives, capeesh?” I didn’t need or want his help out of this situation. He was a good guy; he didn’t need to be involved with the dirty shit I was dealing with. Good guys like him deserved women who weren’t damaged goods.
“You’re thinking about him aren’t you? Why can’t you just admit you have the hots for him? I mean the man is fine. And he’s a decent guy too, he never took me up on my offers. Bella, you deserve that kind of guy in your corner.” She was wrong; I didn’t deserve a guy that good in my life. Maybe in my previous life, when I daydreamed about being married and having kids, living happily ever after, but my parents ruined that dream.
When I found out they planned to sell me I had two options: either let them do it or run. I ran, right into the arms of Cain, right into the fires of Hell. I’m not so sure it was the lesser of two evils, but I couldn’t go back in time. Cain served his purpose, I was free, I’d earned my freedom, and I’d die before I became another man's property.
“Crimson, just do as I say. Please. I need you safe somewhere while I deal with this shit.” I needed her somewhere safe; Holland was safe. According to Crimson, he practically walked on water. Who could blame her though? The man took her in, gave her a safe place to stay, and asked nothing in return other than she went to therapy and got a job. He didn’t even take any of her money from her job, he let her spend the money on whatever she wanted.
“Fine, but I can’t promise you I’ll keep my mouth shut about what you’ve gotten yourself into. He’s going to figure out I’m not just visiting real quick. Bella he’s not stupid, the guy’s a cop, he solves crime for a fucking living. He’ll be able to see right through any lies I tell him. Please just come with me and we can hide out at his place ‘til this blows over.” Crimson’s eyes pleaded with me, and there was a part of me that really wanted to give in. I needed to handle this myself, I didn’t need a white knight to come in and slay my dragons. I hugged her tight one last time before we got her ready to head out, hoping it wasn’t the last time I’d see her.
Chapter Seven
Holland
“You guys are assholes, the whole lot of you.” I groaned as I continued to clean the grease off the garage floor. Being a fucking prospect sucked donkey dick, what made it worse was when my buddies stood around watching me for their own amusement, dicks.
“Now Holly, is that anyway to talk to your betters? Tisk Tisk.” Matt bent over laughing, grabbing Bart to hold himself up. It was bad enough they got to rib my ass every damn day, but Matt took it upon himself to give me an unofficial road name of Holly. I couldn’t wait to get patched in so I could tear him a new asshole.
“Leave him alone Matt, don’t you remember when you were prospecting. They had you on toilet detail every weekend for like two months straight.” Bart smirked as Matt turned a little green around the gills. I shuddered thinking about having to clean toilets for the club for two months during weekend parties. Fuck that! I’d take grease clean up any day over that shit.
“That wasn’t cool man, I think I might lose my lunch. Fucking asshole!” Matt punched Bart in the arm before making a beeline to the garbage can in the corner of the garage.
“That was just mean, babe.” Bliss sauntered up to Bart, running her fingers up his chest, pressing her breasts against him.
“Jesse won’t be happy he’s throwing up the lunch she made him.” I chuckled to myself, thinking about how Jesse might make Bart pay for making her man sick to his stomach.
“I didn’t know he’d throw up. Not my fault he has a weak constitution. Quit being a big baby!” Bart hollered over at Matt who was still leaned over the garbage can hurling.
“Damn it! Once he starts, he can’t stop. You better go get Jesse so she can take him home.” I almost felt bad for my friend, until I remembered he was just giving me shit not five seconds earlier.
“Hey isn’t that your girlfriend Holland?” Bliss asked and my head snapped up, my first thought was one of my exes found out I was prospecting for the Hades Rejects and wanted another go. Instead, I saw Crimson, looking exhausted walking towards us.
“Not my fucking girlfriend, she’s just a damn kid. Jesus you know me better than that woman.” I hadn’t heard from her since she’d left, even though she swore she’d keep in contact. Once she was back with her sister though I figured I wouldn’t ever see her again. By the looks of her something was wrong, and my protective instincts were kicking in. Standing up I dusted off my hands on the front of my worn jeans I’d been wearing to clean the grease up and waited for her to get closer.
“She looks older. How the fuck am I supposed to know? You never explained to any of us why she was living with you or who the fuck she was. I’m going to go get Jesse.” Bart gave me a dirty look as his woman walked away in a huff.
“She has a point man. You weren’t exactly forth coming in the details where she was concerned.” He was right, but things back then were fucked up. Not that they were much better now, but when I took Crimson in, I wasn’t in a good place with the club.
“After everything we’ve all been through a little info probably would have been a good idea.”He was right, if I wanted to be a part of the club I needed to tell them everything.
“I’ll explain as soon as I find out why she’s here, I swear.” Crimson stopped in front of me, squinting as she took in my new vest.
