Royally Treasured (Royal Sons MC Book 4)

by Elle Boon

“Woman, quit flirting with my brother,” King barked, striding up to them.

  Ayesha was being pulled into Kings arms, unable to say a word as the President of the MC lifted her up to his level, kissing her response away.

  “Ignore them, they tend to do that a lot. Hi, I’m Tiana.” Tiana held her hand out.

  Lennox shook the younger girl’s hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Lennox.” The young girl smiled, appearing carefree and happy. There had to be a story behind the two sisters staying there.

  “You ready to roll out, bro?” King asked.

  Duke nodded. “Yeah, I ain’t taking anything with me.”

  King’s eyes narrowed. “You want to tell me anything before you go?”

  “Nope. I’ll let you know when I get there.”

  DUKE WASN’T GOING TO say anymore. The less his brother and his crew knew the better. He moved next to Lennox, giving her a kiss on the temple. “You be good. And you too,” he said to Tiana. The young girl had been through a lot in her young life. Although they’d saved her from a sex trafficking ring, along with Traeger’s ole lady, she would always carry a little of the trauma, knowing how close she’d come to that kind of reality. They’d all made sure she was aware of what could’ve happened. Knowledge was power and in her case, the difference between life and death.

  It was harder than he’d thought to walk away from Lennox, even knowing he would be returning. When he returned, he’d have blood on his hands. Sure, they’d be washed clean, but the lives of those he planned to take would be seeped into him.

  “You sure about this?” King asked.

  He’d known his brother was following him. “Yep.” His clipped answer was the only thing he was giving.

  “I’m the President. I could demand you tell me what you’re doing, you know?”

  Duke stopped next to his Harley, his back tensing. “I’m aware. I hope you’re also aware what the ramifications would be if you did that.” He slid his leg over the seat, grabbed his helmet with his right hand, and waited.

  King gripped his left shoulder. “Motherfucker, don’t get dead, and don’t get locked up. Don’t make me regret not doing anything.” He gave a tight squeeze.

  “Love you too, man.” Duke patted King’s hand. They were brothers by blood, the last of their line. When his twin had killed himself less than a year ago, he’d lost a huge part of himself. Luke had been so much like him when they’d been younger, yet so different as they got older. While they looked identical, personality wise, they were total opposites. King and he were more alike in that sense. Not only because Luke had been gay, something he’d hidden from them until he’d taken his own life, but his twin had been softer in every way. King used to joke when they’d been younger that Luke was the domesticated one in their world. How right he had been. They just hadn’t known the extent of his differences. He inhaled, shoving the memories of how he’d failed to recognize the signs Luke had sent him.

  “You call me when you land, and when you finish whatever the fuck you gotta do. Understand?” King said, not moving back, affectively holding Duke and his bike in place.

  “Yes, mom, I’ll do that. Now move back so I don’t get your shiny shoes all dirty.” He looked down pointedly at King’s black Harley boots that were scarred from years of wear.

  King took two steps back, lifting his middle finger of both hands.

  Duke used his foot to lift the kickstand, pressed the button to start his bike. The loud rumble had him taking a deep breath. This, sitting on his bike, settled him. He knew once he got on the plane set for New York he’d have to find another way to settle. For now, he’d take it. Looking around, he let his eyes feast on Lennox, their eyes locking on one another. Yeah, when he returned, he’d claim her in every way a man did a woman. But first, first he had to take care of those who’d wronged her.

  Duke watched the city of New York come into view. He wasn’t a fan of flying, never had been. When he left California, he’d known what could happen. The only person who was aware of what was going on besides F.O.C.U.S and The Bishop was Keys.

  His phone lit up since they were close enough to landing. Duke didn’t give a shit about the rule of not having your phone on, he’d had the internet the entire flight, checking in with his brothers.

  “Should be landing in five minutes.” He texted F.O.C.U.S.

  “Your pansy ass got any luggage?” F.O.C.U.S asked.

  Duke sent him the middle finger emoji. “Nah, figure I could borrow a pair of your granny panties if I needed some.”

  “Why, you still having your period? I told The Bishop we needed to make sure you were properly trained before taking you in.” F.O.C.U.S sent him the image of blood splatter.

  “Fuck off. I’ll see you outside. Please tell me I don’t have to ride bitch with one of you assholes?”

  He got the middle finger emoji as a response.

  The only thing he had was a small backpack with a change of clothes. He figured he wouldn’t be needing a lot. He’d left his cut with Keys along with his bike. Luckily, his brother was tight lipped with the brains of Einstein. Although in today’s climate, one would think you couldn’t hop on a plane unless you used your proper ID. Well, those individuals didn’t have a Keys.

  He stood, adjusted the ball cap so his face was shielded. The button down shirt and jeans were so far outside what he normally wore, he did his best to blend in with the crowd, keeping his head down, eyes open. Even when the stewardess had tried to engage him in conversation, he’d made sure he didn’t meet her eyes. Nope, he wasn’t going to be memorable. When he left NYC, he hoped the fuckers he took out weren’t memorable to anyone either.

  Slinging his leather bag onto his shoulder, he made his way to the exit, making sure he didn’t bump into anyone else as they hurried to whatever gate they were trying to get to. His phone buzzed in his pocket just as he reached the door that led outside. He read the instructions from The Bishop, shaking his head. “Fuckers,” he chuckled.

  A woman with two little kids pulled them in closer to her body. “Excuse me,” he said politely.

  He wanted to chuckle at her sniff of disdain. If he’d been of the mind, he’d have shown her how easily she’d have melted for him, even with her little boys right there. An image of Lennox and her sexy little body made him dismiss the woman with a blink. The parking garage he needed to be at wasn’t far, which he was thanking his lucky stars for as he made his way to where the two men were waiting. He hoped like hell they had transportation for him other than a side-car or riding bitch. “Beggars can’t be choosers,” he mumbled.

  There was no missing the two big bastards sitting on Harleys waiting for him. F.O.C.U.S grinned, the cigar he held lit up red in the dark parking garage a second before he blew out a cloud of smoke. The Bishop too was on his bike, arms crossed like he was bored.

  “Good day, Duke. How was your flight?” The Bishop asked in his very high brow way.

  Duke grinned. “Long but uneventful. That for me?” He nodded at the extra bike, a black Harley that looked like a custom number.

  F.O.C.U.S flicked his ash, nodding. “Yeah, asshole. I wasn’t gonna have your ass snuggled up to my back.” He chuckled.

  “Fuck off.”

  Duke gripped the hand The Bishop held out, slapping the other man’s back in a hug. “Good to see you, brother. Thanks for your help.”

  The Bishop gave a stiff jerk of his head. “Of course. Let’s head out.”

  “You need to let King know you landed?” F.O.C.U.S asked.

  He’d already shot his brother a text when he landed. “I’m good. Let’s roll.”

  After stowing his backpack in the saddlebag on the bike, he climbed on. Although it wasn’t his bike, the roar of the motor was still familiar. He gripped the handlebars, flexing his fingers around the leather grips. One by one, they filed out with The Bishop leading, then F.O.C.U.S with him following. In less than twelve hours, he’d be face-to-face with the bastard who stole something from him. Duke had thought l
ong and hard about what he planned to do. His fingers tightened, making the bike jerk forward. He needed to get his emotions under control before tonight.

  They bobbed and weaved through the busy traffic until they finally came up to what Duke assumed was their private place. The garage door shut behind them, lights coming on as if motion sensitive. Duke whistled through his teeth. “Damn, boys, this place is nice.”

  Hell, the pristine garage was so clean he almost felt bad for driving the dirty bike into it.

  F.O.C.U.S eased his bike into a slot backward, his thumb pointed at The Bishop. “It’s him. He has a thing for cleanliness, besides, he’s rich as fuck.”

  The Bishop had already parked his bike. “It is better to be clean than dirty; I always say. Besides, if you are clean, then when there is a mess, it is not as hard to clean up.”

  “Don’t argue or ask. Just go along with it,” F.O.C.U.S growled. “Come on, we’ll show you what we’ve found out. By the way, the little fucker is a pussy.”

  Duke had no doubts F.O.C.U.S was right. He’d wanted to look the prick up himself, but worried he’d jump the gun and not come properly prepared. Across the large basement like garage, F.O.C.U.S led him to a table where he had several pictures laid out. Duke lifted the first one, anger burning like acid in his stomach. The man looked like he could barely lift fifty pound weights, yet he’d drugged Lennox and raped her, multiple times while she couldn’t fight him. He sat the picture down, then looked at the others. Two women around Lennox’s age, both dressed in outfits he’d seen Lennox wear when she’d been in dance school. “Did you take these?” he asked F.O.C.U.S, pointing at the images.

  “Yeah, they just got done doing that fancy dance shit. Such a waste if you ask me. Now give me girls with that talent naked, and I can make some money off of them.” F.O.C.U.S rubbed his hands together.

  The Bishop rolled his eyes. “Not every bitch is as talented as Nixx. Besides, those bitches don’t deserve to have a choice.”

  F.O.C.U.S shrugged. “Didn’t say they’d have a choice.” He lit a cigar.

  Duke wasn’t sure if either woman would be leaving the garage alive. “When I’m done with them, you can do whatever you want with them,” he told F.O.C.U.S.

  The Bishop tilted his head to the side. “Once you cross that line, there is no going back. You know that right? For me and F.O.C.U.S, we have already crossed that line a long time ago. You on the other hand, you are not like us. You sure you want to get your hands dirty?”

  He looked at the pictures lying on the table, then pictured Lennox crying, imagined what she’d gone through, how she must have felt knowing what they’d done to her. “It’s not the first time I’ve taken a life, brother, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. What I do know is, it will be the first time I’m doing it with my eyes wide open.” In that, he was one hundred percent positive.

  F.O.C.U.S slapped him on the shoulder. “That’s when you know you love a bitch more than you love yourself. Fucking sucks, but feels fucking good too. Alright, let’s have a drink. I assume we’re gonna wait until the little fuckers are home to go get them?”

  Duke laughed. Any other man would’ve called F.O.C.U.S an asshole for his words. Duke understood him, agreed with him. “I think we should go in before they get home and be waiting on them. You said you know their schedule, yes?”

  The Bishop put a couple sheets of paper down in front of him. “This is a log of all their comings and goings for the past month. I have color blocked each of them so you can see the two girls leave at the same time. The little prick leaves close to their departure every morning. They all return about the same time each night. The only time their schedules change is the weekends. I assume that’s because they party separately.”

  “Fuck, you related to Keys?” Duke looked at the paper, then back at The Bishop.

  The Bishop tilted his head to the side as if confused by Duke’s question. “I am not. However, I do think your suggestion has merit. We should go in just before their return. There’s not a tenant in the apartment across from them, so we could go in from their side of the building and avoid being seen.” He lifted a roll from beside the desk.

  If Duke had wondered if the two men were up to the task, all his fears were laid to rest. In all honesty, the men were exactly what he needed. They went through the steps they’d take, making sure nothing was left to chance.

  “We’ll bring them back here. I have a drain over there that will take care of any...mess. As The Bishop said, no need for messes. You ready?” F.O.C.U.S asked.

  Duke nodded, knowing once they left, there was no going back. They left the bikes where they parked them. He followed the other men, going out a side door, which showed him the garage was half underground. They climbed into a black SUV, the quiet vehicle a complete departure from the Harleys. “I love my bike, but sometimes these are a necessity.” The Bishop backed out, expertly maneuvering them through traffic.

  It was obvious he’d mapped out the way to the apartment, parking in the lot with the rear of the SUV almost against the building. Duke saw a door a couple feet from where the vehicle’s back would open. He’d never been to Lennox’s place in New York, had known he wouldn’t be able to leave her if he had. Now, looking around at the dark area, there was no way in fucking hell he’d have felt safe allowing her to stay there without protection. His protection.

  He ran a hand down his face, kicking himself for not ensuring her safety. Why the hell Doc allowed his daughter to move across the damn country without properly ensuring her safety was baffling to him. It was also another mark against the bastard in Duke’s book.

  “You can’t beat yourself up over what is done.” The Bishop opened the driver’s door after speaking.

  Duke knew he was right. Being right, and being angry at one’s self was different. “Yeah, well I wish I could kick my own ass,” he muttered.

  F.O.C.U.S looked over his shoulder. “Your woman doesn’t need you beating yourself up over this shit. You handle it, then you go back, and you show her it doesn’t matter. That’s what she needs. Shit happens, fucked up shit. That don’t make them less than perfect in our eyes. It makes them better. Just ‘cause an apple drops off a tree don’t mean you can’t use it to make the best damn pie.” He winked.

  “You and your apples,” Duke laughed.

  They both shoved open their doors, making their way to where The Bishop stood. Of one accord, the three of them entered the building. The Bishop had already unlocked the door. Duke didn’t know how and didn’t want to know. On each floor, he produced the proper keycard to get in until they were at the door that used to hold all of Lennox’s dreams. He wondered if there were any of her things left inside.

  The Bishop shoved the door open, an alarm beeped for a second before being silenced. “Damn, brother, you’re fucking good.” He slapped The Bishop on the shoulder. His boots echoed loudly on the hardwood floor as he walked around. Like all New York apartments he’d been in, this one wasn’t too big, yet seemed large with its loft style. He knew there were two women and one fucker who lived here. Not that he’d known a guy would be staying in the same apartment, even with one of her roommates. If he had, he might’ve looked into the bastard, or rather, had Keys do it. He prowled around the space, looking into one room that was separated by a wall of bookcases, seeing a made bed. From the stuff inside, he surmised it was occupied by one of the bitches. On the other side, he saw a messy bed and a mix of a guy’s shit mixed in with the other woman’s shit. This was the room he was going to post up in. Out of curiosity, he decided to go into the other bedroom, the one Lennox would’ve occupied. F.O.C.U.S stood in front of the door with his big arms crossed in front of his chest. From the look on his face he didn’t want Duke to go any further.

  “What’s up?” Duke asked.

  “I think you should wait before going in there until we get them subdued.” F.O.C.U.S didn’t blink, nor did his voice change from that level tone. He didn’t move either, but Duke could see hi
s muscles twitching in preparation.

  Chapter Nine

  “I’m gonna need you to move, brother.” Duke didn’t give a single fuck what F.O.C.U.S or The Bishop thought he should do. Whatever was behind his friend clearly was gonna piss him off, so he would rather see it now than later.

  “Alright, but I warned you. Also, I got The Bishop on standby with a sedative in case I need it.” F.O.C.U.S moved aside.

  Duke wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but seeing Lennox’s room, completely trashed with the scent of sex and alcohol, a smell he was all too familiar with, had him ready to rage. He knew that wasn’t Lennox’s doing. He was also aware she hadn’t been the one fucking on that messed up bed. However, her roommates had taken pleasure in fucking up her shit. “Yeah, no need for a sedative for me or them. I want them to be awake for what’s to come.” He clenched and unclenched his fists. The little whores had allowed what happened, facilitated it. A lump of brown fur caught his eye. Duke stepped over the shit on the floor, kicked bottles of cheap vodka out of his way, tossing the nightstand on its side. The crash a little louder than he’d expected, but he needed to get to that brown thing behind it. Once the shit was out of his way, he was able to reach the stuffed animal. There, with the year she’d turned eighteen stitched on its foot, was the bear he’d given her. Lennox loved stuffed animals, always had. When he’d seen the little ballerina bear at a store that let you pick the one you wanted, then you got to stuff it yourself, he went in, and did it. To this day he didn’t know why he’d done such an impulsive thing. They’d offered a heart that you could record a message or just a beating heart to stuff inside. He chose a recording, only he had recorded the chorus to Tiny Dancer. That’s what she was to him.

  “Sentimental thing there?” F.O.C.U.S asked from the doorway.

  Duke nodded. “Yeah.” He brought the bear to his nose, happy to find it didn’t smell like booze.

  “Incoming, brothers,” The Bishop announced.

  He carried the stuffed animal with him, making sure it was safe from any harm before he and F.O.C.U.S moved to one side of the door, The Bishop the other. They’d initially thought to hide in the bedrooms, but as one, they moved toward the entrance.