Chapter Five

Ryker leads us through the club. It’s dark, the only lights are low and hang over the tables that surround the stage. Two naked girls are on, dancing together. I’ll never understand how Harlow can get naked for strangers. Don’t get me wrong, her body is amazing. Her tiny waist and full breasts give her the perfect shape. Her light brown hair and olive skin, drive men wild.

We enter a small room with a couple of couches inside. Ryker takes off his shirt, its loose over his T-shirt. He hands it to Harlow so she can cover herself up. 

I sit down and the murderer sits on the opposite couch. He hunches forward resting his elbows on his knees. He pins me with his piercing eyes, and I swallow the lump in my throat as he assesses me. “So, you can’t go back to your place?” he asks.

I shake my head, “No, he has friends, well not friends really, just guys that come and go but share their drugs with Pete. They’re not the type of people a girl should be alone with.”

“What do you do for work?” he probes.

“I don’t work. Pete took care of me,” I say, feebly. It sounds so much worse when I say it out loud, but when I lost my job, Pete told me not to bother looking for more work as he wanted to spend more time together, and even talked of starting a family. 

Before Pete came along, I was the type of girl to go out and party, work, sleep and repeat. Children, being a domestic goddess, none of that mattered, but Pete made it all sound so appealing. 

The first time he brought drugs into the house I didn’t want to sound like a nagging housewife. He had some unsavoury friends around to sample what he was offering. Later when I confronted him about it, he said he wanted to buy me a big house along the coast and if he sold the gear for six months, he’d be able to do that. He was doing it for me, for us.

“Can you dance?” asks the guy, interrupting my thoughts. 

I shake my head, “Not in the way you want me too.”

“If you have rhythm, then we can get Jenna to show you the rest,” says the murderer.

“No, I don’t want to dance up there like that. Besides I don’t have the body, or the boobs for it.”

The guys exchange a look and then the murderer holds out his large, tattoo covered hand, “I’m Jax by the way,” he says, with a friendly smile. It’s deceiving considering what I’ve just witnessed. I take the hand he offers, and he closes it around mine, shaking it gently. I like the way my hand feels in his, and I shudder. 

“Sophia,” I almost whisper.

“I’m Ryker,” announces the other guy, before grabbing Harlow by the hand and pulling her to stand. “You made me a promise,” he adds, and before I can protest, they’re leaving the office in a hurry.

I notice the way Jax watches after them. There’s a look of regret on his face and I wonder if he’s got the Harlow bug too. “Maybe I can see what positions we have at some of our other businesses?” he suggests, not looking to enthusiastic at the idea of me sticking around. 

I shake my head. “I’ll be fine. Honestly. It’s all a bit of a shock that’s all. Once Harlow comes back, I’ll go to hers and I’ll sort the rest of my life out tomorrow.”

“Shall I get you some ice for the eye? It looks painful.”

I shake my head again. I honestly just want to get out of here. I don’t think the news that Pete is dead has quite hit my brain yet and I have no clue what the hell I’ll do once his dealer comes looking for him. Maybe I should pop back so it doesn’t look too suspicious. I could search our bedroom too, maybe Pete had some cash stashed away. 

I stand, “It was…” I almost say lovely but that doesn’t seem right, “Interesting to meet you. See you around,” I say with a slight shoulder shrug.

Jax also stands, “Maybe you should wait for Harlow like you said. It’s been a weird night and you might go into shock and who knows how hard you bumped that head when he pushed you earlier.”

I’m already heading for the door. “Tell Harlow I’ll call her later. I need to go and get my stuff.”

“Well can I give you a lift maybe?” he asks.

I don’t bother to answer, I just leave. I don’t want to go anywhere with the guy who just killed someone and doesn’t seem to be the slightest bit bothered by it all.