Chapter Six

I take a slow walk back to Pete’s apartment. And when I get there, I notice the lights are out, so I assume everyone is either out, or too smashed on coke to bother with lights. 

I quietly unlock the door and sneak inside. I can’t hear movement so maybe I am alone. The thought gives me hope as I make my way upstairs to the bedroom I shared with Pete. Once inside, I lock the door. 

Maybe that Jax guy was right, if I take some of Pete’s clothes it will look like we have both run off together. So I grab a large duffle bag from under the bed, and pack some of my clothes. I don’t have a lot, and what I do have is mainly from second hand stores. Pete wouldn’t let me dress in revealing clothes, he said it made me look cheap and desperate, so most of the collection consists of jeans and T-shirts.  

I pack some of Pete’s things too, and mess the rest of his clothes up, pulling them out on to the floor so it looks like we packed in a rush. 

I stand in the middle of the room and take a look around, where would Pete hide money. The room only has a double bed and two sets of drawers, which are old and look like something my grandma would have had. I pull them open and rummage inside but I don’tfind anything apart from some loose change, which wouldn’t even get me the bus out of here.

I poke my head out of the bedroom door. It’s still silent, so I creep back downstairs.  

There’s a cellar which I never venture into. It’s dark and smells of damp, and generally creeps me out. But if I want some cash, I need to check down there. It would be the perfect place because he knew I’d never go down there.

I open the door and feel around for the light switch. A dim bulb provides a little light and I make my way down the cold stone steps. When I get down to the bottom there is a table with a torch which I turn on. It lights up the room and it eases my nerves.

There’s a metal cabinet in the corner which I manage to open after a good tug of the stiff drawer. Inside is a small book. I open it and find names and phone numbers. It’s probably all the people he sold drugs to so I shove it into my back pocket and then pull out a shoebox. Taking off the lid I find about twenty small wraps of white powder and a small bag containing about a hundred small pills. There’s a tin can, I open that and smile with relief. Inside is a thick roll of bank notes. At least this will get me food until I can find a job.

I close the top drawer and check the others just in case, but I find nothing else worth taking. I rush back upstairs and stuff the shoe box and tin can into my bag and zip it up. I pull out my phone and send a text off to Harlow, telling her I’m on my way to hers. She texts me back almost instantly asking me to go back to the club to collect her keys as she’s on shift until two A.M.

When I arrive back at the club Harlow is on the stage dancing. I take a seat at the bar and stuff my bag under my feet, holding up a fifty to the bar tender for a drink. Harlow is good up on stage, she’s braver than me and I admire her for what she does. She began when we moved here, getting a job at Fusion behind the bar the same day we arrived. It’s owned by a local biker gang. Harlow tells me that the clubs President is a moody bastard that would slit your throat if you crossed him. If he’s anything like his two goons from earlier, I can believe her.

Harlow finishes her dance and makes her way over to me. “Sweetie, I only have a private dance booked in, I’ll be half an hour. Do you want to take the keys and go or wait for me?”

“I’ll wait. Are you sure it’s okay for me to stay?” I ask.

“It’ll be like old times, I can’t wait.”

She disappears again and I take a sip of my drink, looking around the busy club. It’s mainly men that frequent here, but there are a few women dotted about, and I wonder what a woman would get out of watching her man drool over the beautiful girls that work here. It’s not something I’d be happy with.

I groan when I spot Jax approach the bar. He’s smiling down at a half-naked girl that’s just come off the stage, his arm is hooked around her slender shoulders as he guides her to the bar. The bar-tender places two drinks down in front of Jax without even asking,which means Jax must drink here a lot.

He catches my eye and I quickly glance down at my drink, swirling the ice around in the glass and praying that he doesn’t come over. My hopes are dashed when a shadow falls over me, I look up and give him a tight smile. 

“Hey.”

“What’s in the bag?” he asks, nodding down to my feet. I wonder whether I should tell him about the drugs in the shoe box, maybe he can buy them from me, I’m pretty sure his President would be able to sell them on. But I don’t want to get myself involved with the bikers, or their club.

“What’s it to you?” I ask.

“Just being friendly,” he says, putting his hands up in a placating manner.

“It’s just my clothes . . . and some of Pete’s. I made it look like we’ve left the apartment.”

“Good girl, you’re learning fast,” he smirks, taking my drink and finishing it off. I scowl at him, “What?” he asks, placing my glass back on the bar. “The least you owe me is a drink after saving your arse tonight.”

“How exactly did you save my arse?” I ask. He doesn’t realise removing Pete’s just made my life harder. Not to mention the fact I’ve never been involved, or witnessed anything like this before. Ever.

“Because lover boy had you by the throat,” he points out.

“I never asked you to interfere in my life, and actually, if you hadn’t have, I would be at home now with Pete.”

“Umm, living your best life?” he mocks.

The girl he was with sidles over, tucking herself against him. “Jax, are we going to the clubhouse or not?” 

He kisses her on the forehead, “Depends,” he looks at me, “On if this ice queen here needs a place to stay?”

I’m taken back by the offer. I hesitate, my brain orders me to refuse, he’s a fucking murderer. But my vagina clenches and begs me to accept. The girl is scowling at me like she wants to rip my hair out. “No, you’ve done enough for one night, don’t you think?”

Jax laughs, “Fine, V, see you around.” He swipes the thonged backside of the girl, and pulls her away. I stare after them, watching as he stops to kiss her, gripping her rounded ass in his large hands. My vagina hates me right now, but my brain is cheering for team sensible Sophia.