Monk (Royal Bastards MC: Sacramento Book 3)

by Winter Travers

  I made my way back to my office and sat in my chair.

  Even though it wasn’t that long ago, it felt like it had been a lifetime since I last sat in this chair. That was fucking trippy.

  I made my way through half of the schedule when shouting came from the front of the house. I wasn’t even out of my chair before Monk was in my doorway looking pissed as fuck.

  “What in the fuck are you doing here?” he roared.

  I reared back. “Excuse me?”

  “What are you doing here? Are you hellbent on hurting yourself even more?” he demanded.

  Excuse me? I rolled my eyes. “I’m hardly hurting myself by working on the schedule and taking inventory of the bar.”

  He shook his head. “You aren’t doing anything besides getting on the back of my bike and getting your ass back in bed.”

  It was cute how Monk thought he could tell me what I was and wasn’t going to do. “I have things to do here, Monk. You can run back to the clubhouse and let me do my job.”

  He slammed the door shut behind him and stalked to my desk. Standing over me, he laid his hands flat on my papers and leaned down. “You can use this bitch attitude of yours with your girls from the club, and hell, with whoever else you want to, but you’re not going to act this way with me. You got lots of fucking demons and baggage, Mitzy, but I know this is all a fucking act with you. If you push everyone away, you don’t have to worry about being hurt again, right?”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “I think this conversation is meant for people who actually know each other, Monk. From where I’m sitting, that is not you and me. I could count on my fingers the number of times you and I have actually had a conversation before today.” I leaned toward him. “You only know what I want you to know.”

  “So you’re saying I need to get to know you, huh?” He grabbed a chair and plopped down on it. “I can get behind that fucking wall you’ve got up.”

  Nope. That was not what I was saying at all. “No.” No.

  “No, what?”

  I rolled my eyes. “No, I don’t want you to get to know me.” I didn’t want anyone to get to know me. I was content with the way my life was. Everyone thought I was a bitch, and they kept their distance. Perfect.

  He kicked out his feet in front of him and rested his hands on his head. “Well, that’s tough shit for you because I’ve got a duffle bag in your spare bedroom at your house that says differently.”

  “You were in my house?” I demanded. Who in the hell did Monk think he was?

  “I saw you grab it from under the mat today, babe. And even if I hadn’t seen you do that, it would have taken five seconds to find the fucking thing.”

  “I’ll move it when I get home.”

  He laughed and shook his head. “It’s not there anymore.”

  “What do you mean it’s not there anymore?”

  “You really think I would put it back?” He shook his head. “That’s my key now, babe. I’ll be needing it.”

  “You will not be keeping it. You will give it back to me.”

  Monk scoffed. “I’m going to do that as much as you listened to me when I told you to stay home.”

  “You never told me to stay home,” I snapped. Again, not like I would have listened to him. “And I’m a grown woman who can do whatever the hell I want to.”

  “Look, Mitzy, it’s gonna be a whole hell of a lot easier if you just accept the fact I’m gonna be around until we get this shit figured out.”

  “There is no shit to figure out, Monk. I don’t know why you think you need to barge in like some knight in shining armor to save me.” I laid my hand on the desk. “I don’t need saving.”

  “I’m here to keep you safe so you don’t need saving.”

  This man was infuriating. “I can also keep myself safe.”

  “You keeping yourself safe is overdosing and ending up in the emergency room?”

  “That was an accident!” I screamed. Fucking hell. I didn’t know how many times I needed to tell him I was fine and last night was a fucking fluke that wasn’t going to happen again. I pulled open my desk drawer and reached for the bottle of pills I had grabbed from the girls dressing room last night.

  “What’s wrong?” Monk asked.

  My eyes dropped to the open drawer. They weren’t there. The bottle of pills I had dropped into the drawer after taking two, was gone. “Someone was in my office.”

  Monk stood and loomed over me. “What are you talking about?”

  I tipped my head back to look at him. “I put the bottle of pills in my drawer, but it’s gone now.”

  “I thought you said you grabbed the pills from the dressing room?”

  “I did, and then I put them in my desk.”

  “You brought the whole bottle of pills in here?”

  I rolled my eyes and shut the drawer. “Also known as me putting them in my desk, Monk.” I opened the drawer on the other side. “Maybe I put them in here.” Empty.

  Monk pulled out his phone, swiped a couple times, and put the phone to his ear. “Playboy?” he called. “I’m at the club. Specifically in Mitzy’s office.” He paused and ran his fingers through his hair. “When you gave all of the pills to the cops, did you give them a bottle from Mitzy’s desk?” Monk’s eyes connected with mine as he listened to Playboy. “Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”

  He ended the call and put his phone in his back pocket.

  “Well?” I asked.

  Monk shook his head. “Playboy said he didn’t give the cops any pills from your desk. The only ones he gave to the cop were from the dressing room.”

  “Is he sure? I mean, someone had to have grabbed that bottle. Maybe the cops searched my office without you guys knowing.” And if they hadn’t, then someone had managed to grab the bottle of pills from my desk between me taking them and the police showing up.

  Monk sat back down. “He didn’t take them, and neither did the police. They didn’t search your office or the club. Playboy gave them the pills and that was it.”

  Holy shit. “I don’t know what exactly that means, Monk, but it doesn’t seem good.”

  “It means your ass is not out of my sight until we figure out what the hell happened to that bottle of pills and who took it.”

  The words to tell him to go to hell were on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t get them out. Up until now, I hadn’t believed Monk when he said that someone had tried to hurt me last night. Without that pill bottle in my desk where I had put it, doubt was fogging everything. “Maybe one of the girls took it because they had a headache?” I suggested. I was really grasping at straws to not think something sinister had happened to me.

  Monk stared at me.

  Yeah, that was pretty far-fetched. How would one of the girls know I had stashed the pills in my desk?

  I was suddenly afraid, but I did the thing I always deferred to when I was scared. “I’m fine, Monk. I can take care of myself.” Build my wall a little higher and throw the lock on the gate.

  He sighed and tipped his head back to look at the ceiling. “You are so fucked up, Mitzy, but for some reason, that’s why I like you.” He angled his head back down. “I don’t want to control you or tell you what you can and can’t do.”

  “Hmph, you could have fooled me.”

  “But I will do exactly that if you start acting like there isn’t danger out there and you’re not taking care of yourself.”

  “I don’t need a keeper, Monk. I get it. I’ll be careful.” I did get it. I didn’t know who or why, but someone had tried to kill me.

  “When you’re at the club, one of the guys will be with you. When you’re at home or out, I’ll be with you.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Do you really think I’m going to be hunky dory with this? I’m not some fragile little girl who needs someone watching her every move. I’ve been through hell, and I came out on the other side, Monk.”

  He leaned forward. “I know you have, Mitzy, and that’s exactly why I’m going t
o make sure that doesn’t happen to you again.”

  I clamped my lips together. The urge to tell Monk to fuck off and I didn’t need him was strong, but I knew that would be a lie. Until I figured out who had tried to hurt me, I did need him. “When I’m at the club, I don’t want any of the girls to know you guys are keeping an eye on me. When I’m home, I’m not going to be Ms. Homemaker making you meals and shit. I eat takeout ninety percent of the time, and I sleep late. I’m not changing my life because some asshole has it out for me.” If we were going to do this, it was going to be on my terms.

  “Whatever you say, Mitz. I just need a bed to sleep in, and I’ll be fine.”

  I eyed him warily. “I still question why you think you need to do this, but whatever. I have too many other things to worry about than if you’re trying to get in my pants or something.”

  A loud, boisterous laugh barked from his lips. He stood and loomed over me. “Trust me, Mitzy. I would have gotten in your pants with or without some psycho trying to kill you.”

  “You’re a liar,” I spat.

  He shook his head, laid his hands on my desk, and leaned in ‘til his face was mere inches from mine. “I’m as shocked as you are by that, but it is what it fucking is. I’m gonna figure out who wants you dead, and then you’re going to be mine.” He straightened. “Jinx is out front. He’ll be here as long as you are and then follow you back to your house.”

  “What if I don’t go home?” The urge to rebel against anything Monk wanted me to do was strong as hell. Nothing he was asking for when it came to my safety was irrational, but I just didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of doing what he wanted.

  “He’ll follow you wherever you go, Mitzy.” He winked and slid his sunglasses from the top of his head over his eyes. “But you and I both know I’ll be waiting for you at home whenever you get there.”

  He strutted out of my office and left the door open.

  “You could have at least shut the door,” I shouted. I sprang up from my chair and slammed the door shut.

  Monk’s loud laugh sounded down the hallway.

  “Ahhhh!” I screeched. That man was beyond infuriating. I ran my fingers through my hair and took a deep breath.

  The sooner we figured out who had tried to hurt me, the sooner he would be out of my life.

  No one ever stuck around, and Monk wouldn’t either.

  *

  Chapter Five

  …

  Monk

  This was going to be fun.

  *

  Chapter Six

  You thought of me…

  Mitzy

  “Wait,” I called into the speaker. “Can I make that two double-cheeseburger meals?”

  “Sure thing, ma’am. I’ll have your total for you at the window.” I pulled forward and waited behind the car in front of me. Sighing, I grabbed my phone from my purse. I was beyond tired and knew I didn’t even have the strength to put in a frozen pizza when I got home. And even though I had told Monk I wasn’t going to be some little homemaker for him, I got him dinner, too. I hadn’t asked him what he wanted, though. He would have to deal with a loaded double cheeseburger with waffle fries. I had almost gotten something for Jinx, but Monk had said he was only going to follow me home, and then he would leave. I wasn’t going to be that nice.

  I had spent all afternoon trying not to think about Monk, and I had failed miserably.

  Jinx had kept his distance from me and was pretty good at acting like he was just hanging out at the club for the hell of it. He had walked past my office a few times, and when I was out front, I could feel his eyes on me, but whenever I looked at him, he was talking to one of the girls or looking at his phone.

  If this is what it was going to be like at the club with having someone watch me, I was going to be fine with it.

  Now Monk being in my house? I wasn’t too sure about that.

  The car in front of me moved, and I thrust a twenty out the window at the cashier. “Keep the change,” I grunted.

  “Uh, I can’t do that, ma’am.”

  They told me that every time I told them to keep the change. “Which car is yours?” I asked.

  The cashier looked at me funny but nodded to the white Honda to the side. “Uh, that one.” He returned my change, and I set it in the seat next to me.

  He handed me my food and drinks. I pulled far enough forward to let the car behind me get to the window, shifted into park, grabbed the change from my seat, and hopped out. I tried the driver’s door of the Honda, and it opened. After I dropped the money on the seat, I closed the door.

  “Thank you!” I heard called from the window.

  I jogged back over to my car, and Jinx was pulled up next to my passenger door.

  “What was that about?” he asked over the roar of his engine.

  I shrugged and got back in my car. I had worked fast food for five years before landing a job at Skinz and working my way up to managing the place. I knew personally what it felt like to break your back for minimum wage and not be able to pay your bills. Were five bucks going to change that guy's life? Probably not, but it was at least a little extra.

  I drove back to my house with Jinx’s headlight in my rearview. As much as I said that I hated it, it was nice to know that Jinx was behind me.

  My mind had bounced back and forth from thinking about Monk and the fact that someone was trying to kill me.

  At least, it seemed like they had tried to kill me.

  I had gone into the security room to see who could have gotten into my office after I took the pills, but there were just so many people back and forth in front of my office that there wasn’t a way to tell. My choice to not have cameras in my office was now coming back to bite me in the ass.

  I pulled into my driveway and Jinx followed me.

  My familiar house sat in the distance with the front porch and lower-level lights on. It was strange coming home to the place lit up.

  I pulled right into the garage and ignored the shadowed figure who had been sitting on a rocker by the front door. I pressed the button to close the garage door and just sat in my car.

  Monk was waiting for me on the porch, and I didn’t know how to feel about that.

  Before yesterday, the man hadn’t really crossed my mind. Of course, I knew of him, but he didn’t take up space in my mind. Now, he had taken up permanent residence.

  Jinx’s taillight flickered at the end of the driveway when I stepped out of the garage, and Monk stood at the top of the steps with his arms folded over his chest. He was wearing a cobalt blue hoodie with the hood over his head, and his feet were bare.

  “I was starting to wonder if I needed to come check on you,” he called softly.

  I held up the bag of fast food. “I brought dinner.”

  And I looked like a fool. I felt like Baby from Dirty Dancing when she walked up to Johnny and told him she carried a watermelon.

  “Surprising.”

  I rolled my eyes and climbed the front steps. “I know. I surprised myself too when I ordered it.” I thrust the bag into his chest. “I wouldn’t get used to it. I blame my exhaustion for thinking about you.”

  He grabbed the bag and looked inside. “You’re exhausted?” he mumbled. He pulled out a waffle fry and popped it into his mouth.

  “No.” Why was it so hard for me to admit when I was tired? Jesus. I even annoyed myself that time.

  Monk pushed off the porch and moved to open the front door. “I’ll run a bath for you when you’re done eating.”

  With a flick of my hand at him, I walked inside because I didn’t have it in me to argue with him. If that was what he wanted to do, then I wasn’t going to put up a fuss.

  I moved into the kitchen and dropped my purse on the counter. His wallet was sitting to the left, and it felt oddly right to see his things in my house.

  Monk set the bag of food on the table and sat. He pulled everything out of the bag.

  “I got you the same thing I got. Sorry.”
>
  He shrugged and unwrapped his burger. “I’m not picky when it comes to food, babe. As long as I can choke it down, I’m fine.”

  I sat at the opposite end of the table and sighed. “I need my food to taste good.” I grabbed my burger and unwrapped it. On top of being exhausted, I was also starving. By the time I had realized what time it was at the club, I just finished my work and headed home. That might have been a little bit too long.

  “You get everything done that you needed to?” Monk asked. He moved to the fridge and pulled out the ketchup. “You want anything to drink?” he asked.

  “Fuck,” I grunted. “Our drinks are out in the car.” How had I forgotten to grab them?

  He set the ketchup on the table and motioned for me to stay. “I’ll grab them.”

  He was out and back in the house in ten seconds.

  “Did you teleport?” I laughed.

  Monk set a cup in front of me. “They’re both the same, right?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Yeah. You’re gonna have to get used to eating the same thing as me until I figure out what you like to eat.” I cringed and tried not to think about the fact that it sounded like I was going to try with him.

  I wasn’t.

  I couldn’t.

  My heart and head couldn’t do that again.

  He sat and grabbed two straws out of the bag. “Like I said, babe. I can eat whatever you do. Don’t stress yourself over me.”

  I grabbed a straw from him and stabbed it into the lid. “I did get everything done today, to answer your first question before you ran to get the drinks.”

  He nodded and squirted a huge pile of ketchup onto his plate. “Good deal. I was getting ready to give you and call to see when you would be clocking out for the day.”

  “Normally, I would have stayed until close, but when I almost faceplanted on my desk, I figured it was time to call it a day.”

  Monk chuckled and swiped a fry through his mound of ketchup. “Well, all you have to do now is eat your food, soak in the tub, and then pass out.”