by Elle Boon
Seeing her salon manager’s number on the screen, she frowned. Instead of listening to the voicemail, she hit redial.
“Jesus, Ayesha, why didn’t you answer the phone. Oh never mind, it’s not like it would’ve saved anything. The salon is gone.” Carly Jo’s words made Ayesha freeze in place.
“Carly Jo, what do you mean? What’s gone?” A shop didn’t just disappear. For crying out loud, this wasn’t the Twilight Zone.
King snapped his fingers and held out his hand. “Put her on speakerphone.”
Her hand shook as she tried to do as he’d said, her fingers fumbled as she tried.
“Here, let me.” King took the phone, stabbing the appropriate button, giving her the phone back once he made sure it was picked up. “Hi, Carly, can you explain what’s happened?” he asked.
“I went to the salon to open like I do every day. When I arrived there was a vehicle pulling out from behind the shops, which is odd since Twisted Ink and High Maintenance employees are the only ones who usually park back there. I was just easing into a space when there was a huge boom. I mean, it was so loud it shook my car. Ayesha, if I’d been there just minutes earlier—” She stopped talking, her sob filling the air.
Ayesha looked at Tiana and King. “I’ll be there in a couple hours. Are the cops and firemen still there?”
Carly Jo sniffed. The sound of a man speaking in the background could be heard. “Yes, they’re all here. They think there was some kind of chemical explosion or something we did to cause it. Ayesha, I swear I didn’t leave anything on that would do that. None of the stylists did either. I checked before leaving last night.”
She met King’s knowing look, biting her lip. “Of course you didn’t. Listen, I’m just glad nobody was hurt. Please give whoever is in charge my number and let them know I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’m a couple hours away.” She didn’t say where she was since King had shook his head when she’d mentioned time earlier.
“I called the other stylists to let them know. You’ll have to handle the insurance and stuff. I’m really sorry, Ayesha. I know this is a really bad time for you.” Carly Jo coughed as if something caught in her throat. “Listen I need to go. All this smoke is making me sick. Call me when you get close.”
Her eyes burned from the tears she held back. No way was it an accident, or the fault of one of her stylists. She knew without a shadow of a doubt, somehow, Rico had blown her salon up. The burning question was why he would do such a thing.
“You realize it’s a trap, right?”
The deep voice had her spinning, her body moving in front of her sister’s automatically.
“Oh, you got a protector,” the man said, nodding.
“Cosmo, you realize I could kill you where you stand for coming in uninvited, right?”
Ayesha looked at the man named Cosmo, jumping to King to gauge mood. Each man ended their statement with the word right, confusing her. Were they friends or not?
“We all gotta meet our maker someday.” Cosmo shrugged. “I brought your boy and his girl home. Ps. You’re welcome.” He gave a bow.
King shook his head, grunting. “Come here,” he ordered.
“We gonna hug?” Cosmo asked, but he walked up to King, each man giving the other a back pounding, their arms around the other in what men deemed a hug.
Ayesha winced at the loud slaps they gave one another. “Um, I hate to break up your bromance, but I need to go.”
Cosmo sighed. “A protector, but not very bright. Such a shame.”
“I can still kill you, fucker,” King warned.
“Try to refrain yourself since you’re gonna need me ‘til Traeger recovers enough to do his job. It was only a flesh wound, but he’ll still need to baby it a little. Luckily it was his left arm. Not that it slowed him down much at the time.”
“Can I shoot him?” Tiana asked.
The man who Ayesha wasn’t sure was sane or not tilted his head to the side as if he was contemplating Tiana’s question. “I will teach her to shoot.”
King tossed his hands in the air. “Alright, this is how it’s going to go. Cosmo, you’re getting patched in, you bastard. Ayesha, your salon was blown up as a way to lure you out of hiding, so you will not be going anywhere near it. Tiana, you’re not learning to shoot a gun, yet. Now, everyone, get dressed so we can grab breakfast.”
Cosmo leaned closer to Ayesha. “He needs to get laid, and I’m not volunteering, but I’m gonna go ahead and shove you in his path. If you happen to fall on his dick nekkid, all I can say is, you’re welcome.”
Tiana laughed, her hand going up to cover her mouth, but nothing could contain the mirth from escaping.
“Wouldn’t me falling on said dick injure him?” she asked, tapping one finger against her lip.
“Hey, you worry about the logistics, I worry about my ass, which is outta here.” Cosmo walked toward the front of the house. “Oh, Keys said to tell you my helicopter was quiet as a church mouse on Sunday, but it still set off his alarms.” He gave a salute, walking out the door without another word.
“Fuck, that shithead is gonna give me grey hair.” King ran his hand down his face.
“I like him,” Tiana informed them.
King put his hands on his hips. “No. No you don’t. You, young lady, are not allowed to like Cosmo. As a matter of fact, you are not allowed to like any of the brothers.”
Ayesha looked at Tiana’s face first, seeing an expression she didn’t want to define, compared to King’s too serious expression, and laughed again. “Oh my god. My salon exploded, I just met a certifiable crazy man who may or may not own a helicopter, and now you two are…you two are my two favorite people. If my world wasn’t spinning out of control, I would probably think it was awesome.”
Tiana grinned; her hand quickly covered her lips to hide the action. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh. Your salon is g… gone. All because of me.” Her eyes welled with tears.
“No, Little Bit, what happened is because a bastard is throwing a hissy fit. I mean to show him what happens when he fucks with one of mine.”
Ayesha’s stomach did that flip she’d read about but hadn’t thought was real until that moment. She lifted her hand, covering her stomach, the other she raised to her face, feeling her chin actually wobble. Son-of-a-bitch, how the hell was this rough, tatted up biker making her feel things she’d never felt for any other man, not even her late husband?
Chapter Eleven
King moved to her side. “Aw, baby, life’s a little crazy, but don’t worry. I’m here and well”—he made a face as he nodded in the direction the other man had been—"Cosmo is crazy. I guess you could say he comes from old money, but he’s not a total asshole. Little Bit,” King said, deliberately using the nickname he’d dubbed her sister, knowing Ayesha would do anything for the younger girl and wasn’t ashamed to use the love she had for her to get what he wanted.
Ayesha rubbed her face against his chest but stayed silent.
“We’ll do our best to work on her tastes in the opposite sex.” He wrapped his arms around her, hoping to infuse her with warmth. If he had his way, Tiana would be off all dicks for the foreseeable future, say twenty years, give or take a few.
King let his hands roam Ayesha’s back as he looked over her shoulder toward her little sister Tiana. There was no doubt in his mind the explosion at her salon was Rico Trevino’s doing. Obviously the man didn’t know where they’d taken Tiana and was fishing. He’d just used really good bait, but he didn’t catch what he’d hoped.
He and the two girls followed Cosmo out, heading toward the clubhouse and the fully stocked kitchen there. “Why don’t the two of you go into the kitchen and see what we have to whip up. I don’t know about you two, but I’m starving.”
His phone vibrated again. The incoming message from Keys didn’t ease his worries, only confirming his assumptions about her salon. Ayesha walking next to him, her arm brushing against his, whether on accident or not stirred a deep possessiven
ess that went further than him being in charge of the club. Yes, he took his responsibilities to ensure the safety of others as paramount. Only when he thought of keeping Ayesha and even Tiana from harm, that need was ratcheted up to a degree that some might think was crazy. He knew when he met a woman who flipped all his triggers, his dominant traits, the ones that made him need a woman to submit to him could scare most females. He was who he was and made no apologies.
“Do you have any requests?” she asked, licking her lips.
King pinched her chin between his fingers, lifting her face toward him. “I’ll eat whatever you make, but I don’t like my eggs any way but scrambled.” How anyone could eat that runny ass shit was a mystery to him.
Her laugh made his dick twitch. “Good to know, and I totally agree. Come on, T, let’s go see what’s in there. Should we cook for more than the four of us?” She looked at King and his brother Duke.
“Make some extra just in case, baby,” King said, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. He gave her ass a slap as she turned away.
“She’s handling the loss of her shop pretty well,” Duke remarked, watching the women walk away.
He glanced up at the slice of sunlight that filtered in through the opening of the door, not responding to Duke as Traeger walked in. He didn’t miss the protective way he held the petite female next to him. The woman looked a little worse for wear than the first time he’d seen her shimmying down the side of her home with Tiana, yet there was no denying the intimate way she and Traeger touched.
“How you doing, Trigger?” he asked his Sergeant at Arms, using his MC name.
Traeger released Kailani when he was in front of King, his hand taking the one King held out. “Good, glad to be home.”
King didn’t miss the wince that crossed Traeger’s face while they shook. “You look like shit. You see Doc yet?” Having heard about the bullet that had grazed his friend, he’d already made a call to the man they used in such instances.
“Shit, I even shaved for you,” Traeger said, running his palm over his jaw, the constant five o’clock shadow still there making his statement a lie.
King stared at Traeger until finally he sighed. “Kailani, you want to go get cleaned up?”
It was an evasion tactic but not a good one. “Duke, get Doc on the line and see where he’s at. He shoulda been here by now. Traeger, your ole lady will be fine, or if you insist she get settled first I’ll have one of the others show her to your place, but you will get seen.” King crossed his arms over his chest, not breaking the staring contest with Traeger.
“Fuck, you’re an asshole, you know that?” Traeger’s jaw worked back and forth, but he didn’t say anymore.
“That’s not news. Kailani, tell that stubborn bastard you’ll be fine without him acting like a pit bull ready to tear the throat out of anyone who happens to look at you sideways. Shit, you know she’ll be safe here since everyone will know she came with you.” Which was true. No brother would even think to fuck with her since she came with Traeger.
His words made Traeger’s stiff posture ease. Damn, what the hell did he think King would do, lock her in a closet or his dungeon?
“Doc said he’s outside the gate. He told me to tell you to get the whiskey out and not the rot gut shit either.” Duke raised one brow.
“How’s Tiana?” Kailani asked, breaking the tension, worry etched on her features.
King paused. His automatic response froze on his tongue. “She’s here with her sister.” He waited a moment, letting his words sink in to see how his words impacted her behavior.
Her chest lifted and fell, relief she couldn’t fake washed over her pretty features. Her words tumbled out, confirming his assumptions. “That’s good. My brother won’t want to have lost his…toy. That’s what he thinks of all the girls he acquires. Yes, I’m aware how that sounds. And no, I don’t know any more details than that, so I won’t be too much help to you. I wasn’t allowed in the Boys Club,” she snarled. “I too was like Tiana, sold to the highest bidder on my eighteenth birthday, my virginity a prize at first. Next, I was taught how to please a man and sold over and over to men who could afford it, or whoever my father or brother wanted.” She lifted her chin, both hands in fists at her sides.
Traeger’s big body moved next to her, his dark eyes daring King to say something. King could’ve saved him the worry. Hell, if Traeger hadn’t already killed her father, King would’ve put the bastard on the list of men he planned to take out, right along with the fucker that had taken Tiana. The door to the clubhouse opened, preventing any further conversation. Except King couldn’t allow her words to go on without him acknowledging them. “You’re a survivor, far stronger than any man I know. Even if you offered to help, that fucker wouldn’t allow it, and I wouldn’t ask it. Thank you for your help, and know if you ever need anything, you only have to ask. The Royal Sons are in your debt.” He palmed the back of her head and gave her a kiss on the top.
He ignored Traeger as he released a deep breath.
“Alright, let me see what you’ve done this time,” Doc barked.
King shook his head at the wiry old man, holding the grin inside. Doc had been the physician the Royal Sons had used for going on twenty years. His whipcord lean body with grey hair, tattooed arms, and silver frames were a mixture of conundrums. If he dressed up in a suit and tie, he could mix in any high society. Take his shirt off, and he’d shock those debutantes’ panties right off. Luckily for them, he loved King’s mother and made an oath to the MC long ago.
“It’s just a scratch,” Traeger muttered.
“I’ll be the judge of that. Take off your shirt. Introduce me to the pretty lady.” Doc walked over to the long table in the back, expecting everyone to follow.
King cleared his throat.
“Hey, King, how’s it going?”
“Glad to see you know respect, Doc. Want a Makers on the rocks?” King turned his back on the others in the room, shaking his head.
“Yeah, make it heavy on the rocks, I’m driving.”
Duke coughed something King couldn’t make out. His brother left without saying a word to Doc or him.
“Is he mad ‘cause I didn’t say hi to him either?” Doc raised his brows.
Instead of getting into the bullshit of why Duke and Doc didn’t get along, he made the drink Doc wanted. His brother and the other man spoke when needed, and that was it. Duke had a thing for Doc’s daughter, but Doc had told all of them she was off limits a long time ago. She’d gone off to college on the East Coast and come back…different. Lennox Rouland was a gorgeous mix of spicy Latin and Norwegian. Her ice blue eyes and caramel skin, along with her petite form was Duke’s kryptonite.
“Fuck, Doc, what’re you trying to do, take out the muscle?” Traeger growled.
“I thought you were supposed to be the tough one?”
King shook off the memory of Duke’s face when he’d listened to Doc’s words, the anger and pain that had flashed over his younger brother’s face had nearly made him tell Doc to fuck off. Only Duke’s nod and agreement had kept him silent. “Doc, if you make him cry, I’ll give you a hundred dollars.”
“Kiss my ass, King.” Traeger lifted the arm that wasn’t injured, middle finger raised.
“Is that any way to show respect to the President? Pretty sure that’s insubordination.” King sat the glass filled with amber liquor next to Doc and a bottle of beer next to Traeger.
“Yeah, well next time you get shot, I’ll see how you feel having Hannibal Lector cut you up.”
“You do realize that Hannibal Lector was based off an actual doctor in Mexico, a surgeon by the name of Alfredo Ballí Treviño. He was convicted of murdering and chopping up his gay lover?” Doc took a vial out of his bag, opened a package with a new syringe inside showing it to him with a grin. “This is gonna hurt you more than it’ll hurt me.”
“The fact you know that is creepy as fuck. What’s that?” Traeger nodded at the vial Doc was filling.”
> “This is an antibiotic to help fight off any infection. Plus, did you notice the connection between his last name and the sick fuckers? You know the drill by now.” Doc ran an alcohol swab over Traeger’s good arm. He looked over his wire rim glasses at his patient, taking a deep breath, muttering to himself a curse. Without another word, he jabbed the needle in.
Kailani and King both stayed silent as Doc finished up, taking the needle back, showing how the sharp end was gone. “No longer need to worry about pointy little fuckers any longer,” Doc said.
“Am I good to go?” Traeger asked, looking at the bandage on his arm before shooting a glare at Doc as if it was his fault.
Doc nodded. “Yeah. I don’t suppose me telling you not to do any bullshit, would work?”
“I’m so glad I’m not really a Trevino,” Kailani muttered, her words breaking a little of the tension.
Traeger stood up. “Thanks, Doc, sorry about that.” He indicated his arm with a nod, pointing at the needle with his other hand. “I’m gonna take Kailani home and get cleaned up. Holler if you need us.” He squeezed the older man’s shoulder as he stood, pulled Kailani to his good side and walked out.
“She’s gorgeous, she’ll be good for him.” Doc said.
“Yeah, and she’s got grit.” King took the empty glass and walked back to the bar, opening the register. The familiar cha-ching echoed in the large room. He took out what he knew was a fair amount for a house call plus the meds and handed it over. “Thanks for coming out. We’re gonna have some trouble in the coming weeks. I might need your services more than usual.” He let his words sink in. Although he hoped like hell they wouldn’t need the doctor, the reality was, in any given situation, there was a chance more than one of them would be hurt, or possibly killed.