Destroying Beauty (Hell Hounds Motorcycle Club): Vegas Titans Series by Celia Loren Page A
Authors: Celia Loren
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I
owe her something. And like I said, she didn't see anything. She can't ID Fish.
She's not going to the cops. I've found out everything you asked me to,
everything we needed to know. So the situation's over." I make direct eye
contact, daring him to call me out.
"The situation…so you'll stop seeing her then?"
"I wanted to talk to you about that…"
"Jesus fucking Christ," Bark swears, bringing his
legs off the table and setting his chair square on the floor with a bang.
"Holt, you are the last person I thought I'd ever have to worry about this
with. Your…emotional distance is your gift. You're able to see things
rationally. That's why you and Fish are such a good counterbalance."
I grunt. I don't like being put in the same sentence as that
psycho. Bark shakes his head at me.
"You don't understand the value that someone like him
brings to the club. It's no secret that you're being groomed for a real
leadership position here, Holt. Maybe even for my job, one day. To do that, you
need to understand what he offers. He's feared in other clubs, he's loyal,
willing to jump in to do shit that not every brother is willing to do."
"He's a liability," I hiss.
"He's a weapon. And like all weapons, he needs to be
watched, handled carefully. But he is valuable. And the bullshit between you
two needs to stop, especially if you think you're going to be sitting in this
seat one day." He leans forward, his eyes boring into mine. "If she
does know something, and you're protecting her, it's not just Fish that will
pay the consequences. If the cops start investigating us, turning over whatever
they find, they could bring down the whole club."
The door to the Cave behind me creaks, and I snap my head
back at it, glancing up the stairwell. There's no one there.
"She's not going to the cops. I swear it," I say.
And it's true. She was leaning toward not going anyway, and all I had to do was
confirm her suspicion of them was valid. Bark leans back in his chair with a
nod, looking somewhat satisfied.
"And with Fish...I'll handle it. You won't hear
anything from me about him," I continue.
"The girl…tread carefully. She doesn't know our way of
life."
Was that Bark's implicit approval to move forward with Jo?
"Thanks."
We both stand up from the table and Bark claps me on the
back as I turn to go. I take the stairs two at a time as we return to the
comparatively bright lounge. I frown, fingering my cell phone in my pocket.
It'll be tough to explain club life to Jo, but I think
she'll understand if I ease her into it. What's really troubling me is that I
just outright lied to my club president, something I never thought I would do. Jo
said she heard a clicking sound, one that I recognized immediately as being
Fish's throat tic, though it's not like there could ever be a lineup with that
to go on. Gentleman, please step forward one by one and make a weird
swallowing-type noise with your Adam's Apple. Jo will never be able to ID
Fish. Even if she heard the noise again, who knows if she's actually recognize
it?
Even if she could, I'm not telling Bark or anyone else about
it. They could overreact and want to get rid of her, and I can't let that
happen. Protecting Jo seems more like fate than a choice. From deep within me,
I can feel it. It's just something I have to do.
Chapter Fifteen
Jo
I nervously run my fingers over my t-shirt, feeling the lace
of my new lingerie beneath it. It's not really the type of stuff made for
everyday wear, and doesn't sit quite right under normal clothes, but I want it
to be a surprise for Holt. It's been hours, not days, since I last saw him, and
I'm already craving my next fix.
And it's not just my new purchase that's giving me
butterflies in my stomach. I think Holt might actually be considering taking me
on to his landscaping company, and then I could quit working at Billy's. Not
that that's the only reason I want to work with him—to leave here. I've found I
love doing that work, using
owe her something. And like I said, she didn't see anything. She can't ID Fish.
She's not going to the cops. I've found out everything you asked me to,
everything we needed to know. So the situation's over." I make direct eye
contact, daring him to call me out.
"The situation…so you'll stop seeing her then?"
"I wanted to talk to you about that…"
"Jesus fucking Christ," Bark swears, bringing his
legs off the table and setting his chair square on the floor with a bang.
"Holt, you are the last person I thought I'd ever have to worry about this
with. Your…emotional distance is your gift. You're able to see things
rationally. That's why you and Fish are such a good counterbalance."
I grunt. I don't like being put in the same sentence as that
psycho. Bark shakes his head at me.
"You don't understand the value that someone like him
brings to the club. It's no secret that you're being groomed for a real
leadership position here, Holt. Maybe even for my job, one day. To do that, you
need to understand what he offers. He's feared in other clubs, he's loyal,
willing to jump in to do shit that not every brother is willing to do."
"He's a liability," I hiss.
"He's a weapon. And like all weapons, he needs to be
watched, handled carefully. But he is valuable. And the bullshit between you
two needs to stop, especially if you think you're going to be sitting in this
seat one day." He leans forward, his eyes boring into mine. "If she
does know something, and you're protecting her, it's not just Fish that will
pay the consequences. If the cops start investigating us, turning over whatever
they find, they could bring down the whole club."
The door to the Cave behind me creaks, and I snap my head
back at it, glancing up the stairwell. There's no one there.
"She's not going to the cops. I swear it," I say.
And it's true. She was leaning toward not going anyway, and all I had to do was
confirm her suspicion of them was valid. Bark leans back in his chair with a
nod, looking somewhat satisfied.
"And with Fish...I'll handle it. You won't hear
anything from me about him," I continue.
"The girl…tread carefully. She doesn't know our way of
life."
Was that Bark's implicit approval to move forward with Jo?
"Thanks."
We both stand up from the table and Bark claps me on the
back as I turn to go. I take the stairs two at a time as we return to the
comparatively bright lounge. I frown, fingering my cell phone in my pocket.
It'll be tough to explain club life to Jo, but I think
she'll understand if I ease her into it. What's really troubling me is that I
just outright lied to my club president, something I never thought I would do. Jo
said she heard a clicking sound, one that I recognized immediately as being
Fish's throat tic, though it's not like there could ever be a lineup with that
to go on. Gentleman, please step forward one by one and make a weird
swallowing-type noise with your Adam's Apple. Jo will never be able to ID
Fish. Even if she heard the noise again, who knows if she's actually recognize
it?
Even if she could, I'm not telling Bark or anyone else about
it. They could overreact and want to get rid of her, and I can't let that
happen. Protecting Jo seems more like fate than a choice. From deep within me,
I can feel it. It's just something I have to do.
Chapter Fifteen
Jo
I nervously run my fingers over my t-shirt, feeling the lace
of my new lingerie beneath it. It's not really the type of stuff made for
everyday wear, and doesn't sit quite right under normal clothes, but I want it
to be a surprise for Holt. It's been hours, not days, since I last saw him, and
I'm already craving my next fix.
And it's not just my new purchase that's giving me
butterflies in my stomach. I think Holt might actually be considering taking me
on to his landscaping company, and then I could quit working at Billy's. Not
that that's the only reason I want to work with him—to leave here. I've found I
love doing that work, using
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