Chapter 1
Chapter One
Red
S tepping onto the hospital elevator, I inhale the smell of antiseptic and I hold back the bile climbing its way up my throat. I hate hospitals with a passion and it seems like we’re always here for one thing or another.
This time we’re here for Derange and his Ol’ Lady Jezebelle. They were out with Kensi shopping at the mall for baby stuff when Jezebelle’s water broke in the middle of the food court. Thanks to Kensi’s lead foot, they made it here on time for Jezebelle to deliver a healthy baby girl they named Naomi. I had to use my computer expertise to scrub some traffic cam footage from the illegal shit Kensi did to get here with help from her dad, who happens to be the new sheriff in the neighboring county. Go fucking figure, we are now working with the five-o instead of bribing them.
Thinking about bribes, my mind wanders back to a sexy tiny dancer with long blonde hair and California kissed skin. I don’t know how she did it, but she captivated me the moment her whiskey eyes landed on me.
She seduced me that night in a way no woman has been able to. Which is why my experience with women in that way was nil, zip, zero. Ever since I was a teenager, this dancer is the only one who held me captive and she didn’t show up to make me feel guilty. I know it’s all in my head, the shrinks over the years have told me, but she haunts me daily. Now this mystery woman has done what others failed to do.
The way her tight core gripped my shaft, I’d let her continue to seduce me until I took my last breath. The way our bodies fit together like we were meant to be, drove me insane with lust. Now that I’ve had a taste of her sweet, succulent body, I don’t have issues jacking off thinking about her plump red lips wrapped around me until I released down her throat. Which she did several times.
Damn it! Now I have a raging hard on standing in an elevator with a bunch of bikers in leather and my face is burning with embarrassment. No one knows about my mystery blonde and if I have my way, they’ll never know. Guilt engulfs me, thinking about this beautiful woman, while the one whom I was supposed to love is gone forever because of me.
The bell dings and the elevator doors slide open. I quickly make my way out of the stifling death contraption and walk to the windows at the end of the hallway. The summer sun shines through the thick glass, warming my skin. I need a minute to compose myself. I let the guilt over my mystery woman surround my heart until it beats a cold, dead beat inside my chest.
I don’t deserve any type of happiness or even the dreaded L word most of my brothers have fallen victim to. I’m too fucked up in the head. What I shared with the mystery woman never should have happened. I never should have given in. I don’t deserve the things she gave me. I don’t deserve the freedom I felt when we both climaxed and came the way we did. My soul is forever tarnished and I need to remember this when mystery woman sneaks back into my head. Which is often.
“Yo! Red, you coming?” Torch, our Enforcer shouts down the hallway, giving no fucks others are around. He’s an intimidating motherfucker with a shaved head, tattoos running up and down his arms and his bulging muscles. But right now, with one of his twin daughters slapping his face, he isn’t intimidating. But don’t let that fool you. Torch will fuck you up if you make either one of his twins or Ol’ Lady cry. This big fucker is drawing the attention of the nurses and they’re swooning at the scene before them.
Releasing a deep sigh, I shove all the thoughts of the mystery woman out of my mind and harden my heart again. Turning toward Torch and his daughter, I nod my head. “Let’s go.”
Torch leads the way down the long, disinfected hallway and panic starts to set in my chest. The beeping of monitors and dripping IV’s take me back to a memory I never want to bring up around my brothers. They have their own shit to deal with and don’t need mine too.
A small warm hand settles into my big palm startling me. I look down and Nina, Capone’s little girl, looks up at me with innocent eyes as black as her father’s. She gives me a sweet smile and it settles the panic clawing its way up my chest. Nina has a calming effect on all of us brothers.
I don’t know how this little girl settled me, but she did and I’m grateful for it. “Thank you,” I whisper to Nina.
“You’re welcome, Red. You looked like you could use a friend.” Her innocent comment takes my breath away.
Do I need a friend? I have my brothers, but they have their Ol’ Ladies and ankle biters. They always have my back as I always have theirs. But I’m not number one with them anymore. I’m alone and prefer it this way. Unless the mystery woman makes another appearance. I wouldn’t object to having her back, or the heaven between her thighs, and pouty lips. I wouldn’t mind making her mine.
The sound of boots stomping down the sterile hallway pulls me back into the present. Aftermath is heading right for me. The look on his face threatens pain but I’m not worried. He always has that look on his face, except when it comes to his Ol’ Lady Kensi Donovan.
He stops right in front of Nina and me and releases a harsh breath. “There you are!” Aftermath growls. His pissed-off gaze lands on Nina and she stands tall, not intimidated by Aftermath. Her tiny hand still in mine trembles a little but the seven-year-old squares her shoulders and meets Aftermath’s gaze. Just like her father, fear of nothing or no one. Lord have mercy on any boy who catches her attention.
“I haven’t gone anywhere, Aftermath. You’re paranoid.” Nina rolls her eyes and tugs my hand to move. We walk toward a room. “I told you I was going to look for Red. If you didn’t have your tongue down Kensi’s throat, you would have heard me.” Nina says over her little shoulder.
Aftermath’s face turns bright red. Redder than mine and his mouth opens and closes a few times. “Don’t worry Aftermath, your secret is safe with us. Right, Red?” Nina winks as we walk toward Jezebelle’s room.
I turn and walk backward laughing at Aftermath. “Right, squirt. Aftermath’s secret is safe with us.” I zip my lips and act like I’m throwing away a key. Nina grins slyly at me and I know Aftermath is in deep shit. She’s up to something and will blackmail him until he’s had enough and confesses to Capone. I’ve seen her do it with a few of her other uncles and it was hilarious. I came back from a run to find Derange dressed in a pink tutu, gold tierra sitting crooked on top of his big head and clown makeup on his hairy face playing tea party with Nina and Aerial. He still won’t tell anyone what Nina has on him and probably never will. I am guessing it has to do with Nina finding him and Jezebelle in a compromising situation.
Capone tries to shield his daughter from the indiscretions of living a biker’s life, but sometimes she is sneaky. I’ve caught her a few times trying to sneak out from the back of the Clubhouse where the rooms are to hide while we have a party. She wasn’t happy, but I wouldn’t budge. No freaking way will I give her dirty details on me. Capone installed a huge gaming room, home theater and anything kids her age and teenagers would want back there to keep them occupied. But sometimes Nina has a wild streak about her and rebels. She is going to be the death of us all when she hits her teenage years, which isn’t too far away.
We enter Jezebelle’s room with Aftermath hot on our heels before he can retort and plead his case with Nina. Not that she’d listen anyway.
Derange has a tiny little pink bundle in his huge arms and he has a massive, proud grin on his face as her tiny finger wraps around his much larger pointer finger.
I avoid the kid, not that I don’t like them, but they scare the ever-loving shit out of me and kiss Jezebelle on the forehead, making Derange growl. I laugh before handing her a little teddy bear for the little bundle.
“Thank you, Red.” Jezebelle smiles gratefully.
“You’re welcome. There’s a tiny camera and microphone inside the bear and I downloaded an app on both your phones, so you can check on the little one at any time as long as this bear is with her. You’ll have eyes and ears on her at all times.” I smile, proud of what I pulled off in a few short hours.
“That’s so thoughtful.” Jezebelle gushes.
“Want to keep my new niece safe.” I shrug my shoulders, my face burns bright with embarrassment. All the Royal Bastard kids have a bear and when they get older, they’ll have jewelry to wear that’s a tracking device. I need to make sure every member is safe.
“Some woman is going to be very lucky someday, Red,” Jezebelle says looking at the bear thoughtfully.
My face heats and Torch mouths off, “He has to actually talk to a woman first and not just his hand.” He motions jerking off with his hand not holding his sleepy daughter. Daisy, holding their son, swats him hard on the chest.
“Be nice, Torch. No wonder Red won’t tell anyone anything. I wouldn’t either.” Daisy bitches him out. She’s right but I’m not saying a word. My secrets are mine and mine alone.
A little while later, a nurse comes in to take the baby for a checkup and kicks us all out. Capone, Danyella, Blayze, Monica, Nina, Tiny and Dagger head back to the Clubhouse, since the girls are getting sleepy. Aftermath, Kensi, Derange and I follow the nurse down to the nurse’s station, letting Jezebelle get some much needed sleep. We watch from the glass window separating us from the newborns.
Kensi sighs and Aftermath wraps his arms around her. “Soon, babe. That’ll be us.” He kisses her hair gently.
Kensi shakes her head. “Not until Nadia is found, Aftermath. I want my best friend back home safe before I have a baby. I’d like to have all the missing women and girls back but I know that’s impossible.”
This is the first time I’ve heard about this. “How long has she been missing?” I ask.
“Since Aftermath found me stabbed at the strip club. I’ve been looking everywhere with no luck.” Kensi sighs again in defeat. After all she went through at the hands of those Russian fuckers, I’m not surprised her heart is aching for her friend.
“Why didn’t you tell me? I would have helped. It’s what I do.” I’m kind of pissed that Kensi or Aftermath didn’t ask for my help.
“I didn’t want to bother you,” Kensi replies. A blush crept across her cheeks.
“Kensi, look at me.” When her hypnotic, multicolored eyes meet mine, a shimmer of tears swell. “It’s never a bother to help a sister out. That’s what you are to me and the rest of the Royal Bastards. You’re an Ol’ Lady which means you are family and we protect our family. I know you’re used to doing things alone, but understand me, Kensi. You are not alone. Not anymore.”
When I finish my little impromptu speech, Kensi and Aftermath are both grinning at me. “What?” I bark out and my face turns bright red. I can feel the flush to my hairline.
“And there it is.” Aftermath laughs. Fucker did it on purpose.
Ignoring him, I turn to Kensi. “Do you have a picture of your friend Nadia?”
Kensi pulls out a photo of a young woman with long blonde hair, tanned skin, and legs stretching for miles standing next to the infamous Krimson and Nolan Ryan. My jaw drops when I realize who I’m looking at.
“No fucking way,” I mutter under my breath.
The woman missing is someone I thought I’d never see again. My world just flipped on its ass and I don’t think it’ll ever go back again.