Seeking Shadows (Royal Bastards MC Tampa Chapter Book 3)

by K E Osborn

  Trixie lets out a soft whimper, her hips rocking against Voltage’s hand as he keeps his eyes on me. “What you lookin’ for?”

  Trixie begins to shudder, her nails digging into Voltage’s cut as she moans. He’s not paying her any attention as she begins to come undone at his rough touch.

  I try to ignore the club girl climaxing in front of me as I keep my focus firmly on Voltage. “Not a what… a who.”

  Trixie lets out a guttural groan, her body slumping into Voltage’s arms as she orgasms. He withdraws his hand from under her skirt, shoving his fingers in his mouth and sucks on them one by one like damn lollipops.

  All four of them.

  I widen my eyes as Trixie clears her throat, stands, then straightens out her skirt. “Thanks, Voltage. I needed that.”

  He taps her on the ass, giving her a wink. “You’re welcome, love. Now, fuck off. We got shit to talk about.”

  “You got it. You both want a drink?” Trixie asks.

  “Yeah, make it cold, I’m a little hot under the collar.”

  Trixie chuckles and turns to me. “Justice?”

  “Beer,” I reply.

  “Coming right up.” She turns to saunter off to the bar as Voltage rearranges his cock in his jeans.

  “Firecracker, that one.” He shakes his head, then leans forward resting his elbows on his knees. “So, tell me who are we a-hunting.”

  Cracking my neck to the side, I exhale. “Name’s Tyler Caddick. Belongs to an organization called the Order of Abaddon. That’s all I know.”

  “Right, first thing we need to do is track down this Tyler. Get the info on him… it might lead us to this Order you’re interested in… c’mon, let’s go.” He stands, turns, and walks over toward the tech hub next to the chapel. “Drinks’ll have to wait, Trix,” Voltage calls out to her with a wink.

  She places the beers down on the bar. “They’ll be here waiting for you when you’re ready.”

  I dip my chin to her as we walk in the opposite direction and make our way inside to the hub. Voltage’s computer gear is like something from some spy movie. Multiple screens line the desk, green coding running up and down the monitors. Surveillance cameras set up on one wall watching the entire clubhouse, inside and out. He has everything covered, so that’s how I knew I had to come to him for help. He slides into his gaming chair and wheels over to his main screen, typing something into it.

  Instantly, a profile flashes up onto the monitor, a picture of a guy wearing a baseball cap on backward, black and gray tattoos cover his skin from the neck down. His eyes appear haunted like they’re full of anger and resentment. He’s young, maybe a year or two older than me. The face and demeanor show an arrogant jerk.

  “This your guy?” Voltage asks.

  Studying the image, I assess the profile next to it.

  Tyler Caddick

  24 years old

  Birthplace: Nevada

  Spouse: Nova Caddick – MISSING PERSON – pregnant at time of disappearance.

  Son: Approximate current age, four. Possible abduction attempt of unborn son by Nova Caddick at time of disappearance.

  I don’t read any further. If this is Shadow’s Tyler, then is her name Nova? And she’s on the run with Cruz? If there’s an abduction alert on Cruz, how the hell is she living day to day without fear of him being found?

  Running my hand through my hair, I let out a groan. “This is bad, man.”

  Voltage turns to me, raising his brow. “Who is this guy, Justice?”

  Not really wanting to say it, I huff. “I think he’s the ex-husband of the girl I’m seeing.”

  Voltage slaps me on the arm. “Typical… you always did like the crazy ones.”

  “Low blow, brother.”

  He cracks his neck to the side, pulling out his cell. “Here… this is Grim’s number, the Prez in Tonopah, Nevada. Give him a call. He’s real up on the locals and any shit going on down there. If your man Caddick is causing shit, Grim’s gonna know about it.”

  I program the number into my cell then hit dial. It rings a few times before he answers. “Who are you and what the fuck do you want?”

  Presidents are all the same.

  “Grim, Justice… Tampa RBMC. Got your number from Voltage—”

  “You that little upstart prick who friended the DeLuca Mafia as a prospect?”

  Seems word is getting around.

  “That’s me.”

  “Hmm… you got guts. What the fuck do you want?”

  “I’m digging around into a guy in Nevada and an organization he’s tied to. Wondering if you might know any details or could possibly be able to pull up something in your area for me?”

  He grunts. “Fine! Your timing’s shit… I have a nice piece of ass waiting for me, my Ol’ Lady, Trish waits for no one. But sure, I’ll help a brother out. Hit me, who we lookin’ for?”

  “Asshole’s name is Tyler Caddick.”

  “Don’t know him,” he replies abruptly.

  “Okay, what about the Order of Abaddon?”

  Grim is quiet for a pause too long, and that action makes me shift uncomfortably. “Grim?” I ask, and he grumbles down the line.

  “Brother, I don’t tell you this lightly. If you’re getting messed up in their shit, then un-mess yourself.”

  “So, you’ve heard of them?”

  “Justice, you’re young, new to the brotherhood. Trust me when I tell you to leave this alone.”

  “You have a deal in place with them then?”

  He lets out a booming laugh. “Us? Deal with them? Hell fucking no. We keep out of their way. They stay the fuck out of ours. I’d like to keep it that way. You hearing what I’m putting down?”

  “You think if I stir something up it will cause trouble for Tonopah?”

  Grim growls under his breath. “Maybe for me, maybe for you, who fucking knows where these assholes will take their vengeance. All I do know, I don’t want to be on the other side of that wrath. I have enough shit to deal with over here, let alone you fucking adding to it. So, keep that lid fucking closed, or I’ll come over there and deal with you myself.”

  “I hear you. Thanks for the intel, Grim. Appreciate it.”

  “Yeah, just don’t fuck this up… for all our sakes.” He ends the call abruptly.

  Well, damn! I didn’t realize we were finished. I was going to ask a couple more questions, but I guess not.

  Placing the cell back in my jeans, I glance over to Voltage. I understand the warning Grim just gave me. I heard it loud and clear, but I can’t help wanting to know more.

  “Voltage, you think you could do a search on the Order through the dark web? Grim didn’t give me anything other than a warning. I want to see for myself what kind of assholes these guys are. What the fuck makes them tick.”

  Voltage rolls his shoulders, bringing his fingers together cracking his knuckles. “I can find anything, just give me a couple seconds.”

  He types frantically into his keyboard, the screen lighting up with text all over the place. He hits enter, then the entire screen lights up with a webpage. I lean forward, looking at the black screen with red text. A logo sits on top of a skull with snakes coming out of its mouth, and the letters TOA inscribed into the head of the skull. My pulse begins to quicken as I take a step closer to the screen.

  It looks like a website home page.

  Voltage scrolls down, there are no pictures, just text in what looks like maybe Latin, but I am not sure.

  “Can you read what any of it says?” I ask.

  He scoffs. “Looks like gibberish to me. I’ll run translation software over it, give me a minute.”

  He types something into his computer when suddenly his screen goes deathly black. Voltage freezes for a second, then starts typing frantically. “Shit, shit, shit.”

  A deep, maniacal laughter echoes through the speakers as a skull slowly appears on the screen, the mouth opens, and a mass of snakes slither out of it filling the screen.

  Voltage rushes
about trying like mad to type shit into his keyboard but nothing is working. “Motherfucker!” he calls out, reaching over his tower. He yanks out the cord with force, shutting down his whole system completely. The laughing stops as the screens go black from the loss of power.

  Standing back, I stare at the empty screen wondering what in the fuck just happened.

  “Those fuckers just saw us. Whoever the fuck they are, they now know we were looking.”

  My eyes widen as I take another step back, not even sure why. It’s not like they can see me. “They can’t figure out who or where we are… right?”

  “Right. But we better tell Nycto, just in case.” Voltage’s words are not convincing.

  Shit.

  My president is going to kill me.

  Worse than that, there may be another president in line to kill me twice.

  Chapter Sixteen

  DASH

  Voltage closes the door behind me as Nycto pulls up his chair at the Church table. He lights up a cigarette, his eyes focused on me as he pulls in the smoke. “So, what have the two of you got cooking that needs my attention?”

  Voltage walks over, taking his seat at the table. I don’t have a seat at this table yet, I haven’t earned my place, so I stay standing. Voltage peers over his shoulder at me.

  Right! Obviously I’m taking the lead on this one.

  Here goes.

  “I was told about an organization… the Order of Abaddon. I wanted to get a little more intel on them, so I went to Voltage for help.”

  Nycto narrows his eyes on me, inhales a long draw of his tobacco, and hums under his breath. “Mm-hmm?”

  “Long story, short… I spoke to Grim from Tonopah, and he told me the Order is bad news and to stay away at all costs.”

  Nycto snorts. “Let me guess… you fuckheads didn’t stay away?”

  Rolling my shoulders, I grimace. “I wanted my own intel, see it for myself. So, I had Voltage find them on the dark web… that’s when shit got strange.”

  Nycto sits forward, his hands on the table in fists as his eyes shift to Voltage. “How so?”

  Voltage straightens and takes the lead. “They hacked into my system. Not sure what they got, but they knew we were looking into theirs. I’ve pulled the plug, but I have no clue what they saw or what files they might have corrupted. I have firewalls around everything, and the computer I was looking at their shit on wasn’t my main one, but… there might have been some sensitive information on there. I just won’t know what they’ve got till I do a thorough check offline.”

  Nycto curls up his lip, butting out his cigarette in the ashtray aggressively. “So, we now have an enemy we didn’t have this morning, and we know jack of all shits about them?”

  I simply nod. “Yeah.”

  “And this is all on you, Justice?”

  “Yeah, Prez, this is on me.”

  “Voltage, get out. I’ll deal with you later.”

  Voltage glances at me as he stands and walks to the door, closing it behind him.

  Nycto stands, storms over to me, and without a second’s hesitation, lands his fist into the side of my jaw. My body flies down onto the club table as he grips hold of my club cut, his dark eyes staring into mine with the anger of a raging bull. “You ever… I mean ever place the club in danger like this again, and I will personally bury you alive behind the fucking wall, and I won’t think twice about it. You think because you’ve done good for this club, you can get away with screwing up? It don’t mean shit. You’re a brother now, Justice. Fucking act like it!” He shoves me harder into the table, then moves back, running his fingers through his hair as I lay on the table, my jaw aching and swelling from the force of his hit.

  It’s sure to bruise.

  I slowly sit up as he steps back, allowing me to stand fully. “I made a bad judgment call. But I did it for a reason, Prez.”

  He spins to face me, his eyes hard, full of annoyance and impatience. “You better give me a fucking good explanation.”

  “I’m seeing someone.”

  Nycto’s hard eyes soften, his tense muscles relax as he exhales. “Well, shit… I had no idea. I thought with you all infatuated with Toxin—”

  “That dwindled long before anyone even realized, before they went to the bungalow. It was just easier to play along than to cause any more distress for Ivy if I told her I was over it… over her.”

  “You’d rather let people believe you’re a sappy shit than hurt her feelings?”

  I shrug. “Just because I wasn’t in love with her, doesn’t mean I didn’t care about her.”

  Nycto tilts his head to the side. “You’re a better man than me. Anyway, off subject, who’s this new chick?”

  “She works at The Drunken Lime Tavern. I’ve been drinking there for ages, even worked there for a few days as security while I was on leave from the club.”

  “You actually like her!” It’s a statement, not a question.

  Warmth fills my chest as I think of Shadow then Cruz. They come as a pair and even though I hardly know Cruz, I wouldn’t want it any other way. “Yeah, I like her… and her son.”

  Nycto widens his eyes, letting out a small snort. “A kid? How old?”

  “Four, he’s fucking great, cutest little guy I’ve ever met.”

  Nycto folds his arms over his chest. “Fuck me! So, what does this have to do with us getting involved with the Order?”

  “Her ex is caught up with them. I don’t know the full story, she hasn’t told me shit, but I’m convinced she’s hiding from him.”

  “And you may have just alerted them to our presence.”

  “Fuck, you think she’s in danger?” I rub the back of my neck.

  “I don’t know, you tell me?”

  “I don’t fucking know either. She hasn’t told me shit, remember?” I raise my voice in frustration.

  Nycto huffs. “You wanna bring her in?”

  Grimacing, I scrub at my face. “No, fuck, yes… fuck, I don’t know. Dammit! This place isn’t for a four-year-old.”

  “You sayin’ we can’t be family orientated?”

  I snort out a laugh. “I had a complete conversation with Voltage while he was finger banging Trixie. No, this place isn’t built for damn kids.”

  Nycto grips my shoulder. “Justice, you’re part of the brotherhood. Always have been. Yeah, you’ve had your downsides, but your loyalty has always shone through. You wanna bring your woman and her kid here for protection, we’ll make it happen. I’ll make sure the brothers pull their shit into line while they’re here. Don’t you worry about the kid seeing shit he’s not supposed to.”

  The idea of having Shadow here is fucking tempting. The problem is, I just can’t see her agreeing to it. “I’m not sure she’s gonna go for it.”

  “Then you make her. You think she’s not safe, you do anything to protect her. That’s what we do for our women.”

  Nodding, I swallow hard. “Thanks, Prez. I’ll let you know when she’s coming in.”

  He slaps my shoulder. “I’ll tell Eva, let her know we’re having guests. You want them in your room?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Her and the kid? That could be a real mood kill.”

  I smirk. But I know Shadow, she won’t want Cruz away from her. “We’ll find other ways. She won’t want him here alone at night.”

  “For a young kid, you really are stepping the fuck up.”

  “She means a lot.”

  “I see that. It’s not every day we put the entire club at risk for a woman, but when we do, she’s usually pretty fucking special. Now… ice your jaw, go get your girl.”

  “Yes, Prez.” I turn for the door as Nycto reaches out grabbing my cut making me turn back to face him.

  “You ever put my club in danger again, I will follow through and bury you alive.”

  Bobbing my head once in understanding, he lets me go, shoving me through the door. My president is tough but fair. Because of my need to fucking know, I’ve put everyone
in danger, not only my club but also Shadow and Cruz. This isn’t something I’m looking forward to telling her, but I guess I better find the courage I need because she’s not safe.

  That’s on me.

  Now, I have to be the one to protect her.

  Making my way to my ride, I lick my dry lips, my mouth becoming increasingly parched. I’m anxious. Going to tell the woman I like I might have just turned her world upside down is not something I’m looking forward to. Starting up my Harley, I take in a deep breath, turning my eyes to the silver moon. The Tampa night air is calm, peaceful, and I have a feeling that’s all about to change. Revving my engine, I head for the gate and ride out toward The Drunken Lime Tavern.

  She won’t be expecting me.

  She won’t be expecting this.

  Through the entire ride, it’s like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. I’ve woken her past, something I am sure she wanted to keep asleep. They may not even know she is here, but even so, she may not forgive me for this.

  Pulling up outside the bar, I park my ride, straighten my cut, and square my shoulders.

  I have to do this.

  For Shadow and Cruz.

  Craning my neck from one side to the other, I inhale, then cross the road, walking briskly toward the front door. The place is near on empty tonight. Frank sits by the bar as usual, and as I walk in, he gives me a head bob, waving his chicken wing at me. I smirk but continue to a stool.

  “You just can’t keep away, can you?” Scarlett calls out from the other end of the bar.

  Shrugging, I sigh. “You do have the best onion rings this side of Miami.”

  She snorts. “You come here to feast on the onion rings and the bar staff at the same time, no doubt.”

  “Not bar staff as in plural, just one.”

  “KC bats for the other side. She’s resistant to your charms, handsome,” Scarlett mocks.

  KC chuckles as she continues to wipe down a table. “I dunno, a girl might just turn straight for a guy like Dash, Scar.”

  Scar rolls her eyes while I chuckle. “Urgh, please. He might be handsome, but he’s trouble.”

  KC walks past, patting my shoulder. “Isn’t it the best kind?” KC winks at me.