Capturing Cree (Kings Reapers MC Book 2) Page 10

“That’s fucked up, Cree, but you know that’s not the club’s business.”

  “They handpick the girls they want. Girls they can threaten and blackmail into being part of their games. Some of the shit they do to these women is sick, Riggs.”

  “I know, brother. I can imagine. But if we took down every criminal gang operating in London, we’d be part of the metropolitan police. We’re not cops, brother, and in case you forgot, we’re hardly running things clean around here.”

  “They have Eva on their radar,” I say bluntly. Riggs sits back down, his mouth falling open. “I know she’s not part of this club, but neither was Anna. You said we help people who live in our city so . . . ”

  “What the fuck are you talking about? Eva is Anna’s best friend. She’s part of this club and she’s in your bed, so we sort this.”

  “She’s not in my bed anymore,” I mutter. “What do we do next?”

  “She’s not in your bed?” he repeats.

  “I don’t wanna talk about it. Tell me what we do next.”

  He stares at me for a few seconds before sighing. He knows I won’t tell him anything. “I think we should get her back at the club. She’s safer here.”

  I let that sink in. Having her here when I’m so pissed won’t be easy, but he’s right, she’ll be safer here. “I’ll watch her for the next few hours. She needs to go to work tomorrow. Michelle is firing her. Once she’s done that, I’ll bring her in.”

  “They won’t take her off the street, will they?” asks Riggs.

  I shrug my shoulders and head for the door. “I don’t think that’s their style. They’ll have something on her, try to blackmail her to sign a non-disclosure and contract.”

  “What could they have on her? Maybe bring her mum, too, to be on the safe side?”

  I agree and leave. I head back to Eva’s house and watch from the end of the road. I can’t believe she lied to me. And now, she’s put herself in danger because that ass thinks she’s considering his offer. His next move will be to secure the deal by making threats.

  Chapter Eleven

  Eva

  I woke up late this morning and I only just make it through the office door as Michelle arrives. She glares at me with so much hate that it chills me. “Office. Now,” she mutters and breezes past me. Kyle raises his eyebrows and I shrug my shoulders before following her.

  She takes a seat behind her desk and bridges her fingers. “Eva, I have to let you go,” she says.

  My eyes widen. Those are definitely not the words I was expecting today. “What? Why?”

  “You’re unreliable, you arrive late, you’re incompetent,” she says, counting each finger as she reels off the short, inaccurate list. “Should I go on?”

  “I was late today,” I argue. “By three minutes,” I add. “I am not unreliable or incompetent. You didn’t ask me to do something and then insisted you did.”

  “Let’s not make this difficult, Eva. You went to my husband’s club. I know all about it.” I press my lips together. How the fuck does everyone know about that? “How can we work together when you want to be my husband’s mistress?”

  I nod my head. “You know, you’re right, but before I go, let me explain a few things.” I square my shoulders. “Firstly, your husband came on to me. I kneed him in his saggy, old balls and told him to fuck off. Yes, I went to the club, because I was curious. I didn’t sign anything and I won’t be returning anytime soon because it isn’t what I thought. And finally, how dare you lecture me on going after your husband when you’ve been having sex with someone else behind his back for months? You don’t care about your marriage.” I pull the door open. “Oh, I forgot to mention, Cree’s spoken for, so stay the hell away from him.” I slam the door behind me.

  “Are you okay?” Kyle asks, glancing at Michelle through her office window.

  I fight back the tears. I didn’t want to stay in this job anyway, so why am I so upset? I grab my bag and check my drawers to make sure I have nothing personal in them. “She fired me.”

  “She what!” He almost screeches. “Did she say why?”

  “She thinks I want Callum,” I mutter, screwing my face up.

  “Oh, Eva.”

  “It’s fine. I’m glad. She saved me a job. I’ll call you later.” I kiss him on the cheek and head for the door. When I break out into the fresh air, tears roll down my cheeks freely. I’m mad at myself for being upset, but I’ve never been fired in my life, and it feels horrible.

  “Let’s go,” growls a voice behind me. I turn and Cree is glaring at me. He still looks angry and disappointed and that causes the tears to flow faster.

  “Go where?” I sniffle.

  “The club. Riggs wants you there,” he says coldly. His eyes dart around, looking at anything but me.

  “Riggs wants me there,” I repeat. Not him.

  “I don’t have time to play twenty fuckin’ questions, Eva. Let’s go.”

  “I got fired today,” I say. He heads towards his bike.

  “I know,” he says, throwing his leg over. “Get on.”

  “How did you know?” His cold stare reminds me of the way he used to be towards me. I’ve not seen that look in weeks, and seeing it now makes me realise how much I hate it. My heart aches in my chest.

  “Michelle told me,” he mutters.

  I scoff. “I forgot, you and her share secrets. Well, I hope I haven’t blown it for you. I just told her we were a thing.”

  He narrows his eyes. “You did what?”

  “I’m sure she knew already. Everyone seems to know more about my life than me.” I turn and walk in the direction of my house. I’m not going anywhere I’m not wanted. I’ll call Anna when I get home and ask her what Riggs wants with me.

  I’m no more than a few steps before I’m pulled back against Cree’s hard body. “Where are you going, Eva? Get on the bike.”

  “I have things to do. I need to find a new job and a way to pay my rent.” I begin to cry again and he wraps his arms around me and shushes me gently.

  “We’ll sort that. Don’t cry.”

  I turn in his arms and go to lay against his chest. I feel him tense and I look up into his uncomfortable face. That look has returned full force. He doesn’t want me to touch him. That hurts me more than any words he can say to me.

  I step back. “I’ll make my own way to the club,” I mutter, backing further away. He steps forwards and my hands slam against his chest. “NO!” I yell and he freezes. “No,” I repeat, softer this time. He lets me walk away, staring at me with a lost look in his eyes. I’m relieved. I need to clear my head and I can’t do that around his intense aura.

  I take a seat on the grass in a nearby park, pull out my cell, and call Anna. “Eva, I’ve been worried. Are you okay?”

  “Why does Riggs want to see me?”

  “Didn’t Cree tell you?” she asks. “Esther’s here too.”

  “My mum’s there? What’s going on? Cree and I aren’t exactly speaking right now,” I mutter. I fill her in on last night’s events and she listens silently. “He’s mad I lied.”

  “Oh sweety.” She sighs. “They’re worried something will happen to you now that you’ve given Callum the impression you’re interested.”

  “I’ll tell him that I’m not.”

  “I don’t think it’ll be that simple. Riggs didn’t tell me everything, but he wouldn’t worry for no reason. Come and stay for a few days. I’ll help you find a job.”

  I reluctantly agree. Next, I put a call in to Callum. I know Anna said not to, but he needs to know he can’t fuck with my life. As soon as he answers, I feel the blood pump through my veins at speed. “Your wife fired me!” I snap.

  “She’s not usually bothered about my subs, but with you, she sees something. She doesn’t like you, Eva,” he says, and I hear the amusement in his voice.

  “I’m not interested in your little offer. Stay the fuck away from me or I’ll call the cops,” I snap.

  He laughs. “Pity,” he starts
, then sighs. “I was getting hard thinking about training you. I even had a special buyer. I showed him your photograph and he requested you right away.”

  “How the hell did you get a photograph of me?” I demand. “You know what, forget it. I hear from you again and I’ll call the cops and tell them you’re stalking me.”

  “It’s a lovely idea, Eva, but the cops won’t help you. Who do you think was top of my list to buy you? I’ll be seeing you soon, Eva,” he says, and the line disconnects.

  I stare at my cell. My heart is racing and I feel too hot. He has to be lying. Cops are the good guys—aren’t they?

  When I arrive at the club, Cree is standing outside chatting with Chains. They both look up and that familiar ache in my chest appears. “Hey, sweetness.” Chains smiles, but Cree avoids eye contact. I nod a greeting and head inside. I can’t even muster a smile right now. I never thought I’d miss the way Cree would intercept me, like when he’d grab my wrist or throw me over his shoulder and make me listen to him.

  Riggs spots me and shouts me into his office. I sit down and he smiles sadly. “You look just as lost as Cree,” he mutters. “He’s big on truths,” he adds unhelpfully.

  I pinch the bridge of my nose and take a deep, calming breath. “Why am I here, Riggs?”

  “Because you fucked up, Eva,” he says. “You’ve put yourself on Callum’s radar. Cree discovered that Callum hand picks girls for his club.”

  “I called him and told him I’m not interested. I told him to stay away from me.”

  Riggs smirks and leans back in his chair. “And you think that’s all sorted now? When in fact all you’ve done is set the game in motion. He’ll effectively hunt you down and reel you in.”

  “He can’t force me to go there. He can’t make me join his stupid sex club,” I snap.

  “You’re so naïve, it’s almost cute,” comes Cree’s voice from behind me. I stare at Riggs even as I feel him approach. “I told you to stay the hell away from him and that house.”

  “Can I just point out something while we’re talking truths? I asked you if you were seeing Michelle the other night and you said no. Then you turned up at a club with her. So, you lied too.”

  “You directly went behind my back and then lied to my face when I asked you about it!” he yells.

  “A lie is a lie. You lied to stop me being pissed at you, and I lied because I wanted to help.”

  “Typical fuckin’ woman. Always believes she was the one in the right,” he mutters.

  “Riggs, I don’t want him in here,” I snap, but Riggs shrugs, his face displaying the awkwardness he’s feeling. “Maybe I’ll come back later.”

  Riggs sighs and holds his hand up. “Eva, we need to talk properly. Cree is my VP, he needs to be here too. You’re both gonna have to shut the fuck up and listen.” I sigh and signal with my hand for him to continue. He looks at Cree, who also sighs, then begins to explain. “You’ll have to stay here. Callum will find a way to manipulate you to join the club. When he finds the woman he wants, he forces her to join.”

  “She called him and told him she wasn’t interested,” Riggs tells Cree.

  “Brilliant. Now, you’ve really got him excited to play the game,” mutters Cree.

  “How the fuck was I supposed to know he was some fucked-up, kinky bastard? In my world, when a woman says no, the man takes that as she’s not interested and leaves her the hell alone.”

  Riggs smirks, but Cree glares at me. Every time I open my mouth, he looks angrier. “In the other world, where sick bastards live, they take easy, weak targets and turn their lives upside down. Because you didn’t listen to me, you’re that target,” Cree hisses.

  “I’ll call the police. I’ll tell them he’s harassing me.”

  “And he’ll deny it. You know how hard it would be to prove that? And even if you did, it wouldn’t be solved straight away. It would take time to get an order against him,” says Riggs.

  “Then what do I do?” I ask.

  “Why don’t you tell us? You’re the genius who keeps doing what she wants and not listening to a fuckin’ word I say!” growls Cree.

  “You get this charming bastard to look after you,” grins Riggs, pointing to Cree. “Until we can work out what to do.”

  “That’s not a good idea,” I snap.

  “It’s all we’re offering, darlin’,” drawls Cree, and I scowl at his smug face. Seeing him all the time will be like torture.

  “Cree’s gonna show you some self-defence,” adds Riggs.

  “We start tonight. We’re going to the gym, so we’ll drop by your place on the way and collect some clothes and shit. Frankie cleaned your old room,” says Cree.

  “I hate the gym. I’m not going.” I fold my arms to prove my stubbornness, but I already know I’m fighting a losing battle.

  Cree

  Doctor Chapman waits patiently for me to loosen up. “I let her in,” I begin. “Eva,” I clarify.

  “That’s amazing progress, Elijah.” She looks genuinely happy. She probably thinks that’s me all fixed and she can get rid of my useless ass.

  “She lied to me,” I continue. “It’s not going well.”

  Her face falls. “Oh,” she mumbles, frowning. “What kind of lie?”

  “A lie’s a fuckin’ lie. What does it matter?” I snap.

  “People lie for all different reasons. Did she lie to be deceitful?”

  “Yes!” I snap. “Sort of.” She arches a brow and waits for me to elaborate. “I asked her not to go somewhere. It was dangerous. She went and lied about it.”

  “Did she know the dangers?”

  “Why are you defending her?” I shout. “She lied. She disobeyed me.”

  “Elijah,” she says gently, and I brace myself for the truth, because if there’s one thing Doctor Chapman is good at, it’s the damn truth. “You’ve only been seeing Eva for a very short time. Is it your place to forbid her to do something she wants to do?”

  “Yes! If I’m keeping her safe. She said she wanted to help me, but I told her I was dealing with it, but she did it anyway. She never listens.” I know as I say the words, she thinks I’m ridiculous. “I should protect her, not have her protect me, and now she’s put herself in harm’s way.”

  “Have you ever thought that she was protecting you because she cares? Isn’t that a good thing? You’ve spent so long protecting everyone around you, now someone wants to do the same for you.”

  I pick at the worn leather on the chair. “I don’t want protection.”

  “Maybe you don’t know how to handle it. Someone likes you and wants to look after you. Have you had that before?”

  “Yes. My brothers look after me. We look out for each other.”

  She nods her head and writes in her notebook. “How do you think Eva felt when you told her you were upset?”

  “She cried,” I mutter. “She apologised.”

  “And you can’t forgive her?” she asks.

  “I don’t know.” I want to. I can’t stop thinking about her and seeing that damn wounded look on her face. Doctor Chapman’s right—it’s not like Eva cheated on me, but it still feels like betrayal. If she can lie so easily to my face like that, how will I ever trust her?

  I say that to Doc and she pauses for a short time before exhaling. “You and Eva are never going to get everything right. You haven’t been here before, it’s unfamiliar territory, and you have a lot of complex issues. You’ve told her that she’s upset you and now she’s sorry. Maybe she won’t do that again. Did your mum lie to you a lot?”

  My eyes lower. I hate discussing this shit, but if I ever want to move forwards and live a normal life, maybe this has to be put to bed. “Yes,” I sigh. “She promised she wouldn’t leave me but she did. I begged her to stop taking the drugs, but it was the only way she could cope, yah know. She hated selling herself. She looked me in the eyes so many times and promised that she would eventually stop. She wanted to give us a better life.”

  “She died from
a drug overdose?” Chapman asks, turning the pages in her notebook. I nod.

  “The cops said she’d taken a bad batch, whatever that meant. I was just a kid and she fuckin’ left me. She lied.”

  “And that’s when your mum’s pimp stepped in? What was your relationship like with him?”

  I shrug. “He stopped me from being taken into care, so I was grateful. I knew guys who came from the system and I didn’t want to end up like them. But his help came at a price.”

  “Sex?” asks Chapman, and I nod.

  “He said there was a market for that sort of thing. Women, bored housewives—they wanted a toy boy. I had to lie and say I was eighteen. I looked older, but I think they knew deep down. The lie was to make them feel better about what they were doing.”

  “When did it stop?” she asks.

  “When I cut my pimp’s throat,” I say bluntly, and she raises her eyebrows. “He was taking kids off the street, girls who were too young. One night, he had a married couple who asked for me and a girl together. She was eleven. I wasn’t gonna be part of that.” My head replays images of Jennie, eleven years old and fresh into care. She had no idea of the horrors awaiting her, and I had no intention of watching that light dim from her eyes. I’d seen it too often. “I snapped,” I mutter. “The next day I got caught carrying drugs and then I rang my social worker and told her the whole thing was a lie, that the man wasn’t my dad and he had been using me to make money. From that day, the whole case blew up. Police were involved and social workers were held accountable.”

  “Did you confess about your pimp?”

  I shake my head. “He’ll never be found and no one’s looking. What does that say about him? The world is a better place without him. I signed up for the Army and met my brothers. I’ve never looked back since.”

  “But you hold on to that anger,” she says. “Which is why you find yourself here.”

  “No, I find myself here because I beat a man for being a scumbag like my pimp. He wanted to take a kid and sell her into sex slavery. I’d do the same thing again over and over if it saves a kid from that shit.”