Animal (Royal Bastards MC)

by Ker Dukey

Oh God.

  “Watch out!” I scream out, but it’s too late. Kai jumps on the man who’s entered my nightmare. The small, three-inch blade he holds pierces the man’s neck, overtaking him by surprise. He didn’t stand a chance. His gun drops to the floor with a clang. As Kai opens up his artery, crimson sprays, decorating Kai’s hands and face. The man collapses to the floor in front of me, eyes open, glaring at me as blood expands around him. Vomit chases guilt up my gullet, dispelling bile from my lips.

  I kick my foot out to try to get the gun, but Kai beats me too it. Tsking and waving the weapon like a finger, he chastises me.

  “Who is that?” I ask, my voice raw.

  “Fuck knows.” He digs into the man’s pockets, kicking his body over onto his back and rummaging through the suit jacket pocket. He pulls out a badge, flashing it to me. “A fed. Shit.”

  What? I scan the Special Agent writing, my head spinning.

  “Alec must have called in favors. We need to go.”

  “No.” I huddle my limbs up, trying to force myself as small as possible while flexing and twisting my wrists to take advantage of his poor tying skills.

  “We can’t stay here.”

  “There is no we. I’m not in love with you, and I’m not going anywhere with you,” I cry out.

  “You’re just upset.”

  God, he’s so fucking insane. I can’t believe we lived under the same roof. He could have killed us all in his sleep.

  “If I untie you, are you going to be a bitch or do as your told?”

  “What do you think?” I spit out, screwing up my face to show him just how much I hate him.

  Unmistakable rumblings of motorcycles crack the air, sending Kai into a panic. He dashes over to me, tugging at the binds to release me. Raising my foot up, I kick between his parted legs with all my might, connecting with his balls. He almost falls over me, but I yank my hands free and scramble toward the front door, crawling over the dead man in my path. A shot rings out, whizzing past my ear, making me cower. I hold my hands up in surrender. Engines cut out, and feet march in our direction. Kai curls around my back, dragging me to my feet, the barrel of the gun digging into the side of my skull. “Don’t move, princess,” he murmurs into my ear. The door swings open, but no one is there.

  Boom. Boom. Boom.

  “Drew?”

  “Alec!” I cry out, tears forming and falling.

  His head pokes around the doorframe, his arm stretching out, a gun in his hand. “Come on in, Prez,” Kai taunts, pressing the weapon farther into my skin.

  “What the fuck, Killer?” Alec exhales, letting his gun swing around his finger, hanging in submission. He steps into the doorway, his other hand up in the air to show he has no more weapons. “Just let her come to me.”

  Taking the gun away from my head to tap it against his own, he says, “Uh, I don’t think so. And you can tell all the motherfuckers surrounding this place to back the hell off unless you want to scrape her brains out of your cut.”

  Alec’s jaw ticks, his beautiful dark orbs keeping me in his sights.

  “No need to threaten her, just tell me what you want.”

  “I want her.” Kai laughs, like it’s obvious.

  “You know it was my fault that she left in the first place, right?” Kai announces.

  “What does that mean?” Alec asks, taking in every inch of Kai and me, his brain ticking over, working through every scenario of how to get me out of this.

  “I overheard your mother telling Mitch she was pregnant with his kid and they’d have to up the timeframe of their plan.”

  He’s lying. A hole opens in my chest, sorrow bleeding out.

  “She was the Prez’s ol’ lady and acting like a club slut. Fucking another brother—and Mitch of all people? Your old man loved him.”

  Viking only loved himself—and maybe Alec. He’s the reason my dad’s dead.

  Alec’s chest heaves, Kai’s confession changing everything he thought he knew.

  “When Mitch went outside to get his call, I stuck a knife in her belly—no kid for those traitors.” He grins against my hair, inhaling, stroking his cheek down to my neck. Alec edges a step forward, his fists clenched.

  “Uh-uh-uh,” Kai warns, aiming the gun over my shoulder at Alec. My soul flees my body as fear drowns me. “Don’t,” I gasp. Turning in his hold, I flatten the front of my body against his, wrapping my arms around him in a hug. His body tenses for a moment, then sags against mine, his good arm with the gun clutching me to him.

  “Princess,” he exclaims.

  Counting to three in my head, I lower my hand and plunge it into his wound as hard as I can, sliding my body to the side to give Alec the clear shot he needs. Kai bellows in agony. A bang explodes from Alec’s gun. The splat as it hits Kai’s shoulder forces him back a couple steps. Another blow, and Kai hits the floor. “Arghhhh!” I scream out, releasing everything left in me.

  Brothers flood the room, dragging Alec outside and scooping me up, taking me to him. He snatches me from Jameson’s arms and collapses to his knees, holding me against him. “I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so fucking sorry.”

  Sobs wretch from my body as I grip onto as much of him as possible.

  I knew my dad didn’t kill his mom. I don’t agree with him betraying the men who took us in, gave us a family, but when it comes to love, people doing crazy shit. I’d do anything for Alec. Love is dangerous, powerful, and sometimes deadly. But we’re alive. Living. Breathing. Together.

  Thank God we’re together.

  “No sign of Gracie?” Rage asks me over Alec’s shoulder.

  “She wasn’t here, but her car is.” I point to the silver sedan parked between two other buildings about twenty feet away.

  I watch him approach her car, open the door without the key, and checking inside. Kai probably just stole it from her…I hope. She’s fine. Please let her be fine.

  “Animal, you need to get everyone out of here. He killed a fed. I need to get this cleaned up,” Copper says.

  Pulling away from Alec, I get to my feet and slowly walk toward Rage as he rounds the car toward the trunk. Time slows, one foot, two…three. The trunk pops open…four steps. Flesh coated red…five…six.

  “C...a…l…l…an…am…bu…lance!” Rage’s voice distorts, the world spinning.

  Seven…eight…nine… I drop to my knees, my hands reaching out toward the body he pulls free.

  Gracie.

  Epilogue

  Animal

  Things around here have been unsettled since Kai’s killing spree. Gracie was laid to rest with a proper ol’ lady burial. She was a good woman. She didn’t deserve what he did to her. Rage is in a state of mourning that’s terrifying. He hit the road, and from what information I got, is dishing out his own kind of justice on anyone he deems deserving. Jameson’s lost. He has no idea how to help his brother, his best friend. Doc has been keeping him from following Rage right off the deep end.

  “You sure you want this cookout?” Drew asks, sliding her body against mine, sighing from the contact.

  “We need to bring the family back together. They need this.”

  Nodding, her curls bouncing around her shoulders, she plants a kiss to my chest. “I love you,” she tells me, going to the bar to help Amy get things set up. “I love you too, baby.” Drew said we couldn’t not remind each other of that fact—not after everything that went down. You never know how long you have left on this earth. Life’s too short.

  The club fills with brothers and their families, lifting the atmosphere. We have a tainted history, but a few bad apples can’t destroy a brotherhood built on friendship, solidarity, loyalty, and trust. We will overcome this and become stronger for it.

  Mason slaps me on the back, squeezing my shoulder. “Prez, I’d like you to meet your goddaughter, Penny Simone Grimsby.”

  Heidi hands me a newborn I have no choice but to hold in my arms. I don’t know how to hold a baby. “She’s…errr, cute,” I grumble, handing her back.<
br />
  “Cute? She’s not a puppy.” Heidi chuckles. I look the kid over, her dark hair and apparent skin color not matching Mason’s. She may not be a puppy, but she’s not his either. Fuck, that’s a conversation for another day.

  Mason walks over to get some food, leaving Heidi standing here, looking guilty of something. “I don’t want to know. Not tonight anyway,” I warn her.

  “Know what?” she exclaims, eyes expanding.

  “Who the daddy is.” I nod down to the baby.

  “It was an accident. Please don’t tell him.”

  Accident? Is she fucking kidding?

  “I ain’t telling him shit, but you will—and soon.”

  Rolling her eyes, she grits out, “Fine.” Her hand disappears into her bra and she pulls out a letter, handing it to me. It’s warm from being on her tit.

  “This is yours. It’s a little late.” She shrugs, sauntering off.

  I stare down at the worn, folded paper. Stuffing it in my pocket, I go to the bar to get my fill of Drew.

  “You looked like a fish out of the water holding that baby.” Drew chuckles, sliding a beer across the bar.

  “I’ve never held one. Not to say I don’t want to hold one, or two, three,” I add, flicking my eyes to her stomach. She picks up a napkin and chucks it at me.

  Laughter and celebrations lifts the atmosphere as the night rolls on. Jameson’s ol’ lady seeming to handle the brothers and club with ease helps him relax.

  Leaving them all to it, I go collect the gift I have for Drew and creep out of the compound, texting her to come meet me.

  Epilogue

  Drew

  Breathing in the fresh air, my heart settles, finding peace in our special place. The water ripples as Alec skips stones across the surface.

  “You wanted me?” I ask, folding my arms and raising a brow.

  “Always.” He chuckles, smiling his panty-melting, heart-shattering, soul-pleasing smile.

  “So, I got your letter,” he says, pulling a piece of paper from his pocket.

  My lips hook, smiling over at him. “Better late than never.”

  “I should throttle her for keeping this from me.” He flicks it open, and begins to read.

  Alec,

  Every molecule of my being exists to love you. I believe that more than anything else in this world. I gave you every part of me, and you will own that for eternity. We’re soulmates, best friends.

  But I can’t stay. It all hurts too much right now.

  Just know you were my first love.

  My only love.

  My forever love.

  Drew

  “There was never anyone else for me. I fell for you when you were six years old and kept falling every day since.” He drops to a knee, pulling a ring from his pocket.

  “Alec?” I breathe.

  “You’re my best friend, my soulmate, my ol’ lady. Now, let’s make it official. Be my wife?”

  I run into his arms, happy tears streaming down my face. “Yes! Yes! Always yes!”

  Slipping the ring onto my finger, I let out a mixture of sobs and laughter, looking at the diamond-encrusted skull sitting on a band of white gold. “It’s perfect.”

  “You’re perfect.”

  “Perfect for you.”

  “To me—for me.” His lips crush to mine, swooping me up and walking us to our bench. I straddle his lap, grinding my pussy down on the bulge in his jeans.

  The wreckage of our past being rebuilt piece by piece. We’re stronger now. We reclaimed our love from the center of our pain.

  He worked himself inside me—into my soul—nineteen years ago. Every smile that hooks his lips slips through the cracks of my flawed soul, changing me from within—healing me.

  “I love you, baby.” He kisses my neck, tasting, owning.

  “I love you.” I move my hips, my hands buried in his hair.

  “You going to be my wife?”

  “Yeah, baby.”

  “Have my babies?”

  “One baby.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “Hey.” I nudge Rage’s shoulder. It’s been a while since he’s been home. He took Gracie’s murder the hardest. Guilt for not being able to save her eats away at him even though it’s not his fault. I hand him the photo he asked for: a small square picture of Gracie I took one day when we were fooling around behind the bar. I had it pinned on the corkboard along with lots of others. When he saw it, the pain was evident in his eyes. He stares down at the picture, stroking his finger over her face.

  I reach over and grasp his arms, squeezing. “You’re a good man, Rage. Don’t let the evil act of another destroy that.”

  Pulling out his wallet, he slips the photo inside, and an old image falls out.

  He quickly picks it up, almost frantic.

  My lips part at the flash I see of the image. The woman is someone I know. “Can I see that?”

  “No,” he grunts.

  “But I know her.”

  “Impossible. She’s dead.”

  “No…”

  “Drew,” he snaps, slapping his hand on the counter. “She was my wife, and she’s fucking dead.” He glares at me for a few silent seconds, then leaves, slamming the front door behind him.

  Jameson approaches me, coming back from the bathroom. We started calling him Grim after hearing Melanie, his girlfriend, tease him with it at one of our family cookouts.

  “What happened?”

  “I know his wife.”

  Jameson looks toward the door Rage disappeared behind. “Knew her?”

  “No. Know, Grim.” I stare up at him. “I know her.”

  “But she’s dead.”

  She was very much alive the last time I saw her. I run to Alec’s office, grabbing my cellphone. It was recovered from the chip after Kai chucked it out a window. Returning to Jameson, I bring up her name and call her on FaceTime. It chimes a couple times, and she answers. “Drew, darling, where are you?”

  “Hey, Willa. I’m at home with the Royal Bastard brothers.”

  “Shit.”

  Jameson grabs my phone, his body wobbling. He grips the bar to gain his equilibrium. “Willa?” he says, his voice broken.

  CALL ENDED…

  The end.

  That’s all for now! Join me for RAGE! Coming September. Click now to pre-order.

  ROYAL BASTARDS MC SERIES

  (These do not need to be read in order. Each title has it’s own characters and stories.)

  Erin Trejo: Blood Lust

  Chelle C Craze & Eli Abbott: Bad Like Me

  K Webster: Koyn

  Esther E. Schmidt: Petros

  Elizabeth Knox: Bet On Me

  Glenna Maynard: Lady & the Biker

  Madison Faye: Filthy Bastard

  CM Genovese: Frozen Rain

  J. Lynn Lombard: Blayze’s Inferno

  Crimson Syn: Inked In Vengeance

  B.B. Blaque: Rotten Apple

  Addison Jane: Her Ransom

  Izzy Sweet * Sean Moriarty: Broken Wings

  Nikki Landis: Ridin’ For Hell

  KL Ramsey: Savage Heat

  M.Merin: Axel

  Sapphire Knight: Bastard

  Bink Cummings: Switch Burn

  Winter Travers: Playboy

  Linny Lawless: The Heavy Crown

  Jax Hart: Desert King

  Elle Boon: Royally Broken

  Kristine Allen: Voodoo

  Ker Dukey: Animal

  KE Osborn: Defining Darkness

  Shannon Youngblood: Silver & Lace

  Royal Bastards MC Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/royalbastardsmc/

  Website- https://www.royalbastardsmc.com/

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to all authors involved in this great series.

  Thank you Crimson for inviting me on board.

  I’ve thoroughly enjoyed delving into the biker world once again, and will stick around for a little longer with RAGE coming September.

  Big th
ank you as always to the people who make it happen.

  Jay Adjeer for the badass cover.

  Thank you to my wonderful editor, Word Nerd Editing for helping me polish.

  My proof queen AND beautiful friend, Teresa Nicholson

  Ashley Cesta thank you always for your invaluable feedback.

  BLOGGERS! My rockstars, thank you for everything you do.

  K Webster & Kirsty Moseley my sisters from different misters. I adore you guys. Thank you for believing in me and pushing me.

  Books by Ker Dukey

  Empathy Series:

  Empathy

  Desolate

  Vacant – Novella

  Deadly – Novella

  The Broken Series:

  The Broken

  The Broken Parts of Us

  The Broken Tethers That Bind Us – Novella

  The Broken Forever – Novella

  The Men by Numbers Series:

  Ten

  Six

  Drawn to You Duet:

  Drawn to You

  Lines Drawn

  Standalone Novels:

  My Soul Keeper

  Lost

  I See You

  The Beats in Rift

  Devil

  Dukey’s Dark Delight titles. (Bite sized dark reads)

  Stalk Her

  Muse

  Co-Written with D. Sidebottom

  The Deception Series:

  FaCade

  Cadence

  Beneath Innocence – Novella

  The Lilith’s Army MC Series:

  Taking Avery

  Finding Rhiannon

  Coming Home TBA

  Co-Written with K Webster

  The Pretty Little Dolls Series:

  Pretty Stolen Dolls

  Pretty Lost Dolls

  Pretty New Doll