by Elle Boon
“If these fuckers are looking for her, they’ll spread their net. I don’t want them coming for her here,” Cosmo argued.
“See, that’s where your thinking is fucked, brother. You’re one of us. Once a Royal, always a Royal. Now shut the fuck up about bringing trouble to our door. Next order of business. Duke, you’re heading East I hear?” King began tapping the table with his right finger again.
He contained his chuckle, barely. “Yeah, I got some business to handle with F.O.C.U.S and The Bishop from the Royal Bastards in New York.” It was best to keep to the truth as much as possible.
King sat back, his big tatted up arms crossing over his chest. Most would assume he was agreeing, but Duke was his brother by blood and knew that was King’s way of saying he wasn’t buying whatever you were selling. He kept his mouth shut, mimicking King’s pose.
“This official Royal Bastard business, or,” King trailed off.
“It’s not, no. It’s personal...” He held King’s stare, keeping his tone level.
“Anyone else got business to discuss?” King asked. After a round of agreements and everything was settled, King released everyone but the four of them.
Silence descended. Duke and Cosmo along with Traeger waited, all standing with obvious impatience. King motioned for them to sit back down. “Cosmo, you’re not to go rogue while you got the girl, thinking you’re doing the best thing for the club, you feel me? You do that, then you’re basically shitting on your colors.” He pointed toward the center of the table.
“The fuck, King. She’s got a damn bounty on her head. Sometimes it’s easier to hide two than an entire club,” Cosmo yelled.
King folded his hands in front of him. “You finished?” He waited for Cosmo to nod. “You two run off on your own, you got nothing but yourself and some chick, who frankly we don’t know if we can trust or not. You let us help you on this, brother. I didn’t run off and pretend I was Rambo when it came to Ayesha, did I?”
Duke snorted because his brother would’ve totally done that if his woman’s life was on the line.
“And you,” he pointed at Duke. “What the fuck are you going to New York for?”
“I got some shit to take care of, and that’s all I’m gonna tell you. You want me to give you more, too fucking bad.” He wasn’t going to tell him more than that.
“Am I going to need to bail your ass outta jail?” King asked.
He shook his head. Once he did what he planned, if he got busted, there would be no bail for him.
“What about Lennox?” King jerked his thumb toward the wall that separated them from the other room.
“I need you to watch over her. She’s been through some shit, brother. Until I get back, keep her here, keep her safe, and whatever you do, don’t fucking let her dad know where she’s at.” Duke sat forward. He looked at King, then Traeger, wanting both men to see how serious he was. The phone in his pocket vibrated, followed by King’s. Clearly, whoever was trying to get in touch with him, wanted King too. His brother held his hand up, pulling his phone out first.
“Keys,” King said, swiping his finger over the screen. “What?” he barked. “Hang on. I’m putting you on speaker. Alright, now say that again. I got Duke here with me.”
“Duke, you asshole. I tried calling you, too.” Keys voice was a low growl through the phone.
“Hang on a minute,” King said. “Alright, unless you have some bullshit to discuss get the fuck outta here, Cosmo, but don’t fuck with me on what I said earlier. You stay your ass right here with the girl,” he warned.
Cosmo grunted.
Duke stood up as Cosmo got near him. “When I get back, I’ll help you figure this shit out, okay?” He held his right hand up, waiting for Cosmo to take it. They’d been best friends for years, been through more shit than most. Cosmo nodded, gripping Duke’s hand in his.
“She’s a runner, man.” Cosmo looked out the door to the bar. Duke assumed it was where he’d left his girl. He knew all about runners. He’d been chasing Lennox for years. “You’ll just need to be faster,” he told him.
After the door shut, it was him and Traeger left with King. “Alright, Keys, what’s up?” King asked.
He turned back to the table. Damn, he loved being in this room. The familiar smell of leather mixed with wood never seemed to dissipate. It was a mystery to him how after all these years the room still smelled as if it were newly built.
“Thought you’d like to know the men who tried to nab Lennox the other night don’t exist. I mean I could find no record of them, anywhere. When I ran their images through my facial recognition program, which is better than any of the alphabet organizations, I came up with nothing. Which means these guys are ghosts, or they are buried so deep in an organization that we need to be very aware. Whoever wanted the girl isn’t just gonna stop because they lost her once.”
Duke cursed, then turned toward the door, stopping before opening it. “We can’t tell Cosmo. He’ll do a runner with her which will get them both dead. Give me a few days to get some shit taken care of. When I get back, I’ll tell him. Just keep them here.”
King snorted. “Yeah, I’ll do my best. Just get your ass back here in one piece without a bounty on your head.”
He grinned. “I knew you loved me, bro.”
Traeger put his hand over his heart. “You two are going to make me cry and shit.” He wiped at his eyes, then punched Duke in the shoulder. “Kidding, pussies. Let’s go.”
They walked out side-by-side. He came to an abrupt halt as his eyes met Lennox’s. Damn, she was so fucking gorgeous, and innocent. She didn’t know it, but she broke him without saying a word.
Duke and Traeger walked to the table, his need to touch Lennox an uncomfortable ache for a man who’d never needed a particular woman before. “You behaving yourself?” he asked.
“Of course. I’d be a lot better behaved if I had a drink though.” She raised a brow.
He tugged on her hair. “Hmm, I think you’d be a lot more of a handful. Come on, let’s get outta here.”
“Hey, she’s gonna teach me some dance moves,” Kailani hollered.
Duke looked over his shoulder at Traeger. “Your woman is a troublemaker.” He winked, knowing she was exactly how Traeger preferred her.
“First lesson will be as soon as we can shake the big guys,” Lennox said, skipping around Duke.
A few men yelled obscenities, making Duke pull Lennox to a stop. Until he was able to be with her at the clubhouse, he didn’t want her running around the other members without his protection. “Lennox, I need you to chill.” He tried to keep his voice low, but hurt still flashed across her face.
“If you’re ashamed of me then why did you bring me here?” she questioned him.
He grabbed her arm, stopping in the middle of the bar. “I’m not fucking ashamed of you,” he bit out. “Until I’m back, you need to stick with Traeger or King. These other assholes might not respect the fact you’re mine.” He spoke low so only she would hear.
She stared at him, then the ground. “Okay,” she agreed.
“You need some help with your woman, Duke?”
Duke lifted his head, anger burning a hot path through him. “If any of you motherfuckers think to touch what’s mine, and make no fucking mistake that Lennox is mine, I will bury your ass. Is that clear?”
At his question, those who were smart looked away, making themselves busy. Those who weren’t, two dumbass brothers who clearly needed a reminder who the fuck they were dealing with, he took a step toward them. “You got a problem?” he asked, grinding each word out between clenched teeth.
“No, they don’t, because if they did, I’d handle them,” Traeger said.
“I got this, brother.” Duke moved around Traeger, making sure Lennox was safely behind the big bastard as he did so.
“We ain’t got no problem, Duke. Seems you’re the one who’s got an ole lady who needs to be punished though, that’s all.”
Duke looked a
t the brother named Gallow. “My ole lady ain’t none of your business. You keep your mouth and your thoughts to yourself. Feel me?”
Both men gave a stiff nod, turning away muttering about Bastards needing to hold their balls. Duke knew he needed to do something that would prove a point, and keep others from making the same mistake. In a flash, he spun Gallow around. “What was that?” he asked. Without giving him a chance to respond, Duke punched him in the face.
Shock registered for a split second, but then the big bastard reared back, hitting Duke. His punch was wild, landing on Duke’s shoulder. Clearly the man wasn’t a good street fighter, unlike Duke who moved in, lashing out with punch after punch to the other man’s face. After the third hit, he moved to Gallow’s sides, punching his kidneys.
The feel of arms coming around him made him growl. He fought their hold. “That’s enough, Duke,” Traeger growled in his ear.
Duke looked over his shoulder, seeing Lennox with her hand over her mouth. “Fuck,” he muttered.
“Take your girl outside. When you leaving?” he asked, keeping his voice low.
He was glad Traeger was smart enough to know he hadn’t told her he was leaving and why. However, Duke was aware the Sergeant of Arms knew more than most. How, he didn’t know. “Thanks man. She’s probably gonna try to run.”
“Nah, we got this. Besides, we’ll keep her busy.” Traeger patted Duke’s shoulder. “Go on, I’ll handle Gallow.”
Duke looked down at the man he’d beat the shit out of dispassionately. “We cool?” he asked.
Gallow shrugged. “Whatever. You got a mean right.”
He couldn’t say the same. “Next time, keep your fists up near your face and don’t swing so wide.”
Lennox’s snort made him smile. Women didn’t understand the way men could go from beating on each other one second to drinking beers the next. Sure, Gallow would be sporting a few bruises, while Duke’s fists were a little sore, but there weren’t any hard feelings. For whatever reason, the other brother tried to flex on him. He needed to be taught a lesson. Lesson learned.
“Come on, Lennox, let’s step outside,” Duke said, holding his left hand out, waiting to see if she came to him.
His little dancer looked toward the bar where Gallow and his buddy had moved before staring back at him. “I don’t get men at all. If my friend would’ve just done that to me, I’d hate her.” She slipped her hand in his, running her thumb over his knuckles.
Duke lifted their joined hands to his lips. “Sweetheart, that was us just blowing off steam. We both needed an outlet. Trust me, that was tame in comparison to some fights.”
“He ain’t lying.”
The man behind the bar yelled, holding up a bottle of whiskey.
Chapter Eight
Lennox contained her shiver, barely. Watching Duke beat on another man wasn’t as scary as she’d thought it would be. In all actuality, her body had gone liquid, her heart sped up, not in fear but excitement. What did that make her?
“You’re awfully quiet.” Duke remarked, pulling her down the steps with him.
She hurried to keep up with his longer stride. “Slow down, Duke. You got those long ass legs.”
He stopped beneath a huge tree, looked down at her feet, taking his time before he finally met her eyes. “I ain’t got no complaints for your legs. In fact, I’ve had a lot of fantasies about them being wrapped around me.”
“Godamn, you can’t say things like that.” She inhaled deeply resting her forehead on his chest. His heart beat a little faster, making her wonder if it was because of her.
“Ah, you’ll learn I can and will say lots of things, my little dancer.” His head bent, taking her next words into his mouth.
She gasped, opening for him. Never had she enjoyed kissing until him. With Duke, it was like a whole new level of intimacy. She tilted her head to the side, groaning at the taste of him and the taste of coffee on his tongue.
He pulled her in closer to his hard body, wrapping one arm around her waist, the other he fisted in the back of her hair, angling her head the way he wanted. With his teeth, he nipped her bottom lip, making her moan before sucking the injured flesh inside his mouth. Lennox mimicked his actions, chasing his tongue with her own. God, she loved how this man kissed, tasted, moved. There wasn’t a thing about Duke she didn’t love. When he left her again, she’d be utterly devasted.
“Fuck,” he groaned, lifting his head.
“Your mouth should be illegal in all fifty states.” She licked her lips, tasting him on them.
His eyes tracked her movements like a predator would its prey. “I could say the same to you.” He lifted his thumb, pressing on her lower lip. “You’ve got the most fuckable mouth I’ve ever seen. I have fantasies about your mouth too.”
She laughed. “How many of your fantasies have I starred in?” she asked.
He blinked. “Too many to count, little girl.”
Lennox tried to take a step back, but his arm banded around her back while the one in her hair effectively held her in place. “In case you didn’t notice, big man, I’m not a little girl anymore. I haven’t been for a very long time. Let me go, please.”
“Not gonna happen, baby. As for me knowing you’re not a little girl, I do know that, trust me. I haven’t forgotten for one second just how grown you are.” His head went up, staring over her head.
A minute went by with only their breathing and the sound of the leaves rustling going on around them. She was beginning to think he wasn’t going to say anything else, had prepared a get out of dodge speech, only snapped her teeth together as he jerked her against him.
“If I didn’t have this job to do, I promise I wouldn’t leave your side. I’ll be gone for a few days at the most. You need to stay here where I know you’re safe. I need you to promise you won’t leave, won’t contact anyone, not even your father. Swear to me, Lennox?” he asked, those eyes she had always loved held hers steady.
She swallowed, wondering what he’d say if she didn’t agree. “Will you call me while you’re gone?” Although her father wasn’t an active member of the MC any longer, hadn’t been since she’d been young, she still remembered the rules. However, she wasn’t technically an ole lady even though Duke was acting like she was his.
“I’ll do my best,” he offered.
For Duke, that was better than she could’ve hoped for. “What will I do while you’re gone and even more importantly, where am I to stay?” The thought of being at his place without him didn’t appeal.
“King and Ayesha have a spare room. He and I already talked. Don’t give me that look, baby. I don’t have time to put you over my knee, but you best believe when I get back your fine ass is gonna feel the palm of my hand. You were almost fucking killed. Do you not remember that? ‘Cause I sure as fuck do. I have a very vivid memory of walking into that alley and seeing two men dragging your fine ass, discussing the fact they were just going to kill you because you weren’t the one they wanted. Now they might be looking for you so they can tie up loose ends. You know, killers don’t like to leave people out there who might be able to point them out in a lineup. So, for your safety and my needs, will you stay with King, and do as I say?” He couched the request as if he were asking, but they both knew it was a demand.
Lennox didn’t want to leave the compound the Royal Sons owned. She actually felt safe, something she hadn’t felt in a long time. The only thing that would’ve made her feel more secure would be Duke sticking around, but she wouldn’t voice that little tidbit out loud. The fact he’d arranged for her to stay someplace he felt she’d be comfortable while he was gone had to mean he cared about her, a little. “Alright,” she agreed.
His wicked as sin grin would melt the panties off of any red blooded woman. “Here come Ayesha and her sister Tiana. Come on, I’ll introduce you then I gotta go.”
Her heart panged with the knowledge he’d be leaving. Whatever his run was, she would worry until he returned. “You think they’ll li
ke me?” She’d always had a hard time making friends. They either disliked her because her dad wasn’t like the average father. A doctor who had tattoos, and rode a Harley on the weekends with a give a fuck attitude. Or they liked her because her dad was gorgeous even though he was in his forties. She shivered thinking of the friends of hers who said their mothers had wanted to bang her dad. Nope, thoughts like that made her want to gag.
“They’ll love you.” He laced their fingers.
Lennox couldn’t help the feeling that washed over her as her hand was swallowed by his. Duke Royal may not know it, but she was head over heels in love with him. Had been since she was old enough to like a boy in a way that was different than how a girl liked a friend. She’d had her first self-given orgasm with his name on her lips, and every fantasy she’d ever had, other than the normal Hollywood star ones, were filled with none other than the man next to her.
“Hi, Lennox, this is my sister Tiana.” Ayesha stopped in front of them. “I hear you’re gonna be staying with us for a few days. Do you like chick flicks or shoot ‘em up movies?” Ayesha asked.
Lennox looked at the other woman with dark hair, noticing she had bright turquoise halfway down her hair. “I love your hair,” she blurted. At her dance school they couldn’t do anything cool with their hair that would make them stand out from the others while on stage.
Ayesha flicked her hair forward, gripping a hank in one fist. “Thank you, I’m a stylist. Oh, I could totally do some cool shit to yours.” She got into Lennox’s space, sifting her fingers through her hair. “Oh yeah, you have beautiful hair. We could add all kinds of cool colors in if you wanted. We can discuss it tonight while the guys are off doing guy shit.”
“No bleaching her,” Duke said.
Ayesha waved her hand. “Of course not. I was thinking more like adding some thin strips of different colors throughout. You’ll see, it’ll be gorgeous, dahling.” Ayesha batted her lashes at Duke.