Angel's Halo: Avenged Read online

  “Aw, how sweet. I got a new bestie.” Rolling my eyes, I nudged her out of my way. “Too bad you weren’t there when I needed that vote of confidence with your brother.”

  “Colt is the softest of my brothers when it comes to people he cares about,” she confided. “He’s also the most ruthless when he has to be. He did what he had to so he could prove to his brothers they could trust him where you are concerned.”

  “Maybe you’re okay with your man picking his MC over you, but just once, I would really love it for someone to put me first,” I found myself confessing. Gritting my teeth, hating myself for revealing that much to this female, I pressed the unlock button on my key fob and opened the door.

  Before I could get in, however, Raven blocked my way again. “You can’t go,” she announced.

  “And why is that?” I snapped, ready to grab her by her long blond hair and jerk her out of my way. I just wanted to get away from here. Away from the people who made my heart do stupid shit, like love them.

  “Because I need your help,” she admitted, her face turning to stone, but there was something in her voice that gave me pause. “You saw Bubbles once. You can see her again.”

  “Bubbles,” I snorted. “Is that really her fucking name?”

  “It’s Leena,” Raven said with a twist of her lips. “And don’t ask me how she got the nickname. I don’t know, and I don’t want to know.”

  “What do you need me to help you with? I don’t know how to get in touch with her.”

  “But your father does, right?”

  My gut clenched, wanting to reject what little I just ate. I knew what she was going to ask before the words even left her mouth, and every instinct was telling me to just push this bitch out of my way and drive. Get as far away from her and these people as fast as I possibly could. Because what she was going to ask me would mean talking to Calvin again. It meant I had to choose, again, between him or them.

  And because I was loyal to those I loved—even though they didn’t deserve that love—I wouldn’t say no.

  Chapter 7

  Colt

  Hunger pangs woke me. With a groan, I rolled over in bed.

  “Kelli,” I called out, expecting her to be in the shower. “Babe, you hungry?”

  Not getting an answer back, I sat up in bed, rubbing sleep out of my eyes with my finger and thumb. “Babe?” I called out again, noticing the light on in the bathroom. “You okay?”

  When she didn’t reply, I jerked out of bed and crossed to the slightly ajar bathroom door. There was a wet towel on the bathroom floor, proof that she had been there. Kelli was a total slob when it came to throwing her shit on the floor. She threw her clothes and towels all over the place back at her house, and it drove me nuts.

  Muttering a curse, I pulled on the first clean clothes I came to and grabbed my cut as I left the room. If she went to work, I was going to be pissed. I told her as long as we were on lockdown, she wasn’t going to Paradise City. After the fucking Italians followed her and Quinn home, I wouldn’t risk her life for a few hundred dollars in tips.

  The smell of roast beef hit me before I even got to the kitchen, and I grabbed a plate. After I piled it high with as much food as the paper plate could hold, one of the ol’ ladies offered me a fork with a grim smile.

  I gave her a kiss on the cheek and headed out the back door where I could hear Raider and Hawk talking, expecting them to know where my girlfriend was. Every brother in the clubhouse was going to have his eyes open where Kelli was concerned now, so I was sure someone knew where the fuck she was.

  As soon as the door opened and they spotted me, they shut up. A glance at Gracie and Quinn sitting beside my brothers told me they hadn’t been talking about club business, which meant their conversation was about me. “Kelli eat?” I asked my best friend as I sat down at the table beside her.

  “I think she had a roll when she left earlier,” she murmured sadly.

  My fork dropped noisily to the table as I looked down at Quinn. “What do you mean, left? If she went to work, I’m gonna spank her ass.”

  Quinn’s chin trembled, but all I could do was sit there, frozen, as she told me Kelli had walked away without a backward glance. Without even a goodbye to her. “After talking to Raven, she got in her car and left,” Quinn finished with a hitch in her voice. “Raider says she left for good.”

  I shot my brother a glare as I jumped up, my keys already out of my pocket. “You let her leave?” I snarled.

  “You expected me to stop her?” Raider scoffed. “Nah, man. I’m not getting in the middle of your shit with her. If you want to forgive her for what she did, that’s on you. But don’t expect the rest of us to sweep that shit under the rug.”

  “What did she do?” Quinn demanded, but I was already on my bike. It roared to life before I could hear what my brother was telling her.

  At the front gate, I asked the guys on the fence which way they saw Kelli’s car going. “She went to work,” my sister informed me as she moved away from where a few men were eating dinner, an empty tray in one of her hands. “Don’t worry. She promised me she was coming back later.”

  “And you believed her?” I snapped. “Fuck it, Rave. She’s not supposed to go to Paradise City. Do you remember what happened last time?”

  She rolled her eyes at me, her nostrils flaring in aggravation. “Yes, actually. I do trust her. Oddly enough, it appears I trust your girlfriend more than you do.”

  “Why would you fucking trust her? You don’t even know her.”

  “Because if she had really wanted to, every member of this club would already be locked up in some federal prison right now. Probably with me right along with you. Do I have to remind you that I keep everyone’s books, Colt? It wouldn’t take much digging to realize I’m a little deeper into the MC’s business than I should be.” She poked me in the arm with a finger, and I wasn’t surprised when it actually hurt. “If you go down, I’m not going to be far behind. So yeah, I have a reason to be just as nervous as you and the rest of the boys. But when it comes to Kelli, I’m not even a little worried.”

  “Why is that, Rave? Women’s intuition?”

  “No, jackass. Because that girl loves you. I knew it the night of Flick’s engagement party. I know it now. Even if she doesn’t want to, she loves you.” Turning, she headed for the clubhouse. “What are you waiting for? Go protect your female, idiot.”

  I didn’t move for a second, too stunned by my sister’s revelation. Kelli loved me? Not one damn thing had even hinted to me that was the case. She was too closed off. At times, I wondered if she even had feelings at all. No one knew what she was thinking, ever, so how could my baby sister know that Kelli loved me when I had no clue?

  Yet, even as the skeptic in me was scoffing at the idea that Kelli Murdock might have feelings for me beyond the need for my cock, I wondered if it was possible for her to still love me now.

  Biting back a curse, I drove through the gate and headed in the direction of Paradise City.

  Despite the chaos that was going on with the MC, the parking lot in front of the strip club was overflowing. College kids kept this place in business, along with locals from the surrounding counties. Paradise City might not have been up to the level of some of the Vegas clubs, but it sure as hell wasn’t a seedy little joint. The girls were classy strippers, and it was all because Topaz ran a tight ship for Bash and Spider.

  Seeing Kelli’s car parked in the back parking lot, I let out the breath I’d been holding during the drive over. I parked beside her vehicle and headed for the back entrance where the girls went in.

  One of the new bouncers was standing guard. The guy was bulky, more on the heavy side than actually muscular, but his pocked face was intimidating as hell. Which was exactly what Topaz wanted. Recognizing me, he stepped aside with a nod.

  “She’s already onstage,” he informed me.

  “Yeah, thanks,” I muttered.

  I had to w
alk through the dressing room to get to the stage. Girls walked around in various stages of nakedness. Some in just panties, others in nothing at all, while a few were still in the casual clothes they were supposed to come to work in. A few called out to me, but I was too focused on getting to Kelli to do more than nod in their general direction.

  The sultry beat of Kelli’s usual music was making the walls outside the stage thump. Stepping up just out of sight, I stood there watching Kelli move to the music in nothing more than her panties and the wig she always wore while working.

  As she slid down the pole, her ass twerking, agonized groans and wolf whistles echoed over the loudness of the music. But under all the sexy and seductive moves, there was a gracefulness that told me she must have spent years taking professional dance lessons. From the first second I set eyes on Kelli, I knew she didn’t belong in this world. Fuck, I hadn’t been sure what world she did belong in, but I knew mine was too harsh for her. Just as I knew she was only passing through this small town and my life.

  That hadn’t stopped me from going after her, because with one smirk of those sexy lips, I’d been hooked.

  Now, I wasn’t sure if that was her plan all along or if she had been genuine.

  My gut, something I had always trusted and lived by, told me it was genuine.

  The music changed flawlessly, and suddenly, Kelli’s panties were flying in my direction. I caught them before they hit the floor and stomped out onstage. Grabbing her by the elbow, I pulled her out of view of everyone else.

  There was only so much of this shit I could watch without losing my fucking mind. Seeing my girlfriend naked as her tits bounced and she flashed her bare pussy at these motherfuckers was too much on a good night. Right then, when I was already pissed at the world, someone would end up bleeding on the ground at my feet if I had to listen to one more hoot from those losers.

  Kelli jerked out of my hold, her eyes full of ice as she glared up at me. “I’m working.”

  “Your shift is over,” I bit out, taking her arm again. “I told you it’s too dangerous for you to be here right now. You’re putting not just yourself at risk, but every girl back there. Those Italians are out for blood, in case you missed that little news flash. They won’t hesitate to shoot this place up and not even blink at hitting anyone innocent.”

  She snorted. “Like I give a fuck what happens to anyone else in this place.” She tried to pull free again, but I tightened my hold, pushing her in front of me and toward the dressing rooms.

  Topaz was waiting as we entered the room, but after seeing the look on my face, she threw a curse at me and headed back to her office without giving Kelli shit about cutting her last song short. “Fucking bikers,” she muttered as she passed me.

  “Clothes. Now,” I told Kelli as I pulled her over to her vanity where her gym bag was sitting on the floor and makeup was spread out on the small table. “I’m hungry and not in the fucking mood to play games with you, Kelli.”

  “So, go eat. I’m busy making a living here.” She grabbed a new pair of bottoms out of her bag and pulled them on before sitting down at the vanity and grabbing her lipstick. Touching up the dark red color, she glared at me in the mirror. “While you’re at it, head back to your clubhouse, but I’m not going there again.”

  “What the hell is your problem?” I demanded, fighting the urge to tear the whole room apart in my frustration with this female. “I told you I don’t want you to go.”

  “Oh, you mean when you said I couldn’t go until you said so? That was you telling me you didn’t want me to go?” she asked with a lift of her dark brows. “Sorry. All I heard was you being a dick and trying to pull that alpha bullshit again. I didn’t hear you ask me to stay, so I guess I got confused.”

  “Kelli,” I gritted out.

  “But I remember telling you that this is over. I’m done. With you and everything even remotely related to anything that touches you.” She picked up her mascara and brushed a few swipes on the lashes on her right eye. “That includes staying at the clubhouse.”

  “We’re under complete lockdown after what happened last night at the bar. It’s not safe for you to be away from there right now,” I reminded her.

  “It’s not safe to be anywhere around you. I think I’ll be just fine as long as you’re not in the same vicinity as I am,” she assured me with a careless shrug. “It’s not like I’m one of the ol’ ladies or even one of the sheep. Fuck, after this past week, I’m not even sure what I ever was to you.”

  I fisted my hands at my sides as I tried to rein in my anger. “You’re my girlfriend. You’re important to me.”

  “No,” she snapped, her eyes losing the frost and igniting with flames. “I’m nothing to you. You proved that to me perfectly.” Grabbing a bra out of her bag, she slid it on and stood as she fastened it in place. “You should go now. Like you said, the club is on lockdown. It’s probably not safe for you to be out by yourself right now.”

  I grabbed her by the waist as she started to brush past me. “I’m not leaving without you. Now, put your fucking clothes on so we can go.”

  “Fuck off!” she spat in my face like a feral little kitten. “I am done with you. Get your hands off me, and get the hell out of my life.”

  Releasing her only long enough to grab one of her wrists, locking her in place beside me, I bent and pulled out the shirt at the top of her bag. One-handed, I dressed her in the shirt while she struggled and scratched against me. “I’m not leaving with you,” she hissed as I pulled the shirt down over her perfect ass. “Stop manhandling me before I start screaming.”

  I smirked up at her as I dug through the mess of her bag and found her jeans. “I’m used to your screaming, baby. It’s not going to bother me any.”

  “I’ll scream rape,” she threatened. “I’ll scream, and every guy out front will come back here, and at least one of them won’t be too much of a pussy to call the cops.”

  “Do it,” I encouraged, wrapping an arm around her middle as I stood. It was like dressing a wildcat as I wrestled her into her jeans, fighting the material over her work shoes. Around us, the other dancers were watching us with a mixture of amusement and wry concern for her, yet no one tried to help Kelli as I pulled the jeans up her legs. Leaving them unbuttoned, I stepped back long enough to toss her street shoes in her bag and pick it up. “Let’s go.”

  “You’re bleeding,” one of the other girls called out. “She got you good with her nails.”

  I shrugged. “Not the first time she’s drawn blood.”

  The girl snickered as I pushed Kelli forward. “I bet.”

  Chapter 8

  Kelli

  I should have hauled ass out of town the second I could, to hell with my promise to Raven. Instead, I’d gone to work, needing time to clear my head and decide what my next move was until I could set up what I’d promised I would.

  Now, as Colt marched me out of Paradise City in the direction of my car, I was regretting my earlier conversation with his sister and the urge to help her take care of at least one of her enemies. After what happened the night before, with her daughter lying in bed recovering from a gunshot wound, I wanted to take at least a little of the weight off her shoulders.

  This was what I deserved for having a fucking conscience and allowing myself to have feelings for others.

  I jerked against Colt’s steel-like hold on my arm. “I said, let me go, asshole.”

  His fingers flexed on my biceps to the brink of pain, though without actually hurting me, and he increased his pace. I heard the sound of my doors unlocking and remembered he had my spare key fob. Damn it, I’d trusted him enough to give him the extra key to my car. Yet another thing for me to regret on the long list of shit in my life.

  Opening the trunk, he tossed in my gym bag and slammed it shut before walking around to the passenger’s side and putting me in. “Stay there,” he commanded.

  I debated getting out and making a run for it,
but I was still in my work shoes, and those things weren’t exactly made for running. With an enraged shriek, I kicked them off as he slid behind the wheel.

  The door shut, and he hit the lock just as I was reaching for the handle. Turning on the car, he reversed, stirring up dust as he peeled out of the parking lot and hit the highway, taking us back in the direction of the clubhouse. I sat there, quietly seething.

  “Cut your damn nails,” he muttered two minutes into the drive, his thumb rubbing over the still bleeding scratch I gave his face as I fought against his dressing me like a damn toddler.

  “Fuck you.”

  “I told you not to go to work,” he gritted out.

  “Fuck you.”

  “It’s too dangerous for you to be out alone.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “Will you chill the fuck out and listen to me?” Colt snapped. “I’m trying to protect you.”

  “Fuck. You.”

  The car swerved and then stopped so suddenly with a squeal of my brakes that I fell forward. My head would have hit the dashboard if he hadn’t shot out his arm to catch me. A cloud of dust surrounded the exterior of the car, and I realized we were on the side of the road just a few miles from the clubhouse.

  Putting the car in park, he turned to face me. “Go ahead,” he encouraged. “Get it all out of your system. But you’re going back to the clubhouse with me.”

  I thrust his arm away and smacked him across the face. “I don’t need, nor do I want, your damn protection. I’ve been taking care of myself for more than half my life. I’m a big girl. I can handle anything anyone tries to throw at me.”

  “Really?” He leaned back against the door, his large frame blocking out the entire driver’s window. “So you’re ready to shoot back when bullets start flying at your head? You’re ready for the bombs these bastards are so fond of using?”

  “As long as you’re not around, I don’t think I have to worry about that shit,” I sneered. “They’re after you and yours, and as of the moment you put that shit in my coffee, I’m no longer yours.”