Page 4 of Calypso’s Shield (Royal Harlots MC, Los Angeles Chapter #1)
CALYPSO
T he vibration of six Harleys rumbling down the freeway is part of what I live for. The rest of my reasons are riding either in front of me, next to me, or behind me. My sisters. We might not be blood related, but each of us will spill the blood of anyone who tries to harm or go against us.
But something feels off. That nagging unease has been crawling under my skin since Duchess announced the move.
At first, I ignored it. Focused on my sisters.
Focused on the trip. The last two weeks were spent riding, getting to know them better, and preparing for the move across the country.
But now, the weight of it all is taking its toll.
Allura noticed my flushed face and sluggish movements at the last stop. Instead of delaying our trip another day, she’s pushing us all harder to get to our new clubhouse on the outskirts of LA, before I can’t keep up. Before I’m ready to tell them about my weakness.
Divine keeps glancing at me, concerned, but she doesn’t know what’s wrong. None of them do. Allura’s the only one who understands when something’s off. I’m grateful for her uncanny ability to sense trouble. I just hope the rest of the girls don’t start questioning her decisions.
Allura hasn’t told any of us who has what position at the table but will soon. I think she wants to see who fits where.
Allura signals to a nearby gas station, and we pull off the freeway. We’re all pairing off to fill up, and I end up beside Allura. I shut off my bike and try to steady myself, feeling the ache in my bones. As I remove my helmet, giving my head a break from the pressure, Allura does the same.
"Stay on your bike, Lyp. I’ll handle the fuel," she says, her voice low, knowing I don’t have the strength for much more. She dismounts her bike, and I remove my fuel cap. My body hurts so bad that even that’s a struggle.
“Are you going to make it?” Allura’s concern is enough to make me want to break, but I force myself to nod, even though the pain is creeping up on me.
“Yeah. We have an hour left. That’s about all I have left. This fucking sucks.” I slam my fist against my thigh in frustration. “I should be with you, keeping you safe, not lying in bed like a damn invalid.”
“Calypso.” Allura’s gaze is sharp, unwavering. Her brown eyes lock on mine, and I can feel the weight of her words before they even come.
“What?” I snap and instantly regret it.
“Stop. You’re only making it worse. Remember what stress does to you. Fucking meditate or something while we’re stopped.” She grabs her ear lobes and rubs them like the captain from the movie Bad Boys, trying to lighten the mood. “Hakuna Matata.”
I laugh, despite myself. “Wrong movie.”
Allura rolls her eyes, clearly not in the mood for movie trivia. “What the fuck ever.” She finishes topping off my tank and starts putting the nozzle back. “You need to stay calm. I’ll be fine. But if anything goes down…”
“I’ll be there in a heartbeat. Even if I have to crawl my way.” I say, my voice gruff, but I mean it.
Allura grins, a glint of something mischievous in her eyes. “I know you will. That’s why I’m making you my Enforcer. I need you to get better so you can kick some ass.”
My heart skips. “You’re serious? Even with my medical condition?” A grin spreads across my face. I want to jump, to shout with excitement, but the pain holds me down.
“Fucking serious. You’re my Enforcer, bitch. I’ll have your patch waiting when I get back.” She gives me a teasing shove before finishing up with the fuel pump.
“Thank you. I… I’m so excited.” My voice cracks with the weight of it.
“Good. Now, stress-free and heal. I’d hate to kick my Enforcer’s ass on the second day of the job.” Her laugh is genuine, and I can’t help but laugh along with her.
“Aye, Prez. I won’t let you down.”
Allura’s whistle cuts through the air, and everyone turns their heads.
“Let’s roll. Divine and Iris, you two ride with Calypso to the Clubhouse and make sure everything’s secure for us.
The rest of you ride with me to meet Capone and our brothers at the Royal Bastards Clubhouse.
” Her voice leaves no room for argument, and as soon as she mounts her bike, the engines roar to life.
We all start our bikes and head out. I can feel the weight of the responsibility settling in my chest, but the thought of the new chapter we’re about to open keeps me going.
The moving van will meet us at the clubhouse when we get there.
As we approach the point where we’ll split off, Allura raises three fingers on her left hand, signaling Divine, Iris, and me to break off toward the clubhouse. We do, passing her and the others as we go. Each of us puts two fingers down, our sign to keep our wheels on the ground, safe.
About fifteen minutes later, the three of us roll up to a beautiful mortar-and-brick house nestled in the middle of the mountains in Rancho Palos Verdes.
The entire perimeter is surrounded by a wrought-iron fence.
A black gate separates the property from the road, with a security booth next to it.
Right now, it’s wide open, and the moving van is parked in front of the house.
The three guys assigned to move us have been vetted and screened by Duchess, our National Prez, but my senses are on high alert since they’re inside our clubhouse before we even get here.
I shut my bike off and turn to Divine. “Go to the security booth at the gates and see how these guys got in without us. If it’s a technical glitch, fix it.”
“On it.” Divine answers and strolls to the booth next to the gates.
Once Divine is safely inside and the door is shut, I turn toward Iris. “You stay with me and keep alert.”
Iris and I walk up to greet the three men. I have my .45 Cal on my hip, moving my cut just enough to expose my fingers gripping the cold, rigid steel. Iris follows my direction and does the same.
“Hey, boys,” I greet the three men, my voice low, the pain in my body beginning to take hold again. I need to assess this quickly before it gets worse.
The three men climb out of the moving truck, and one goes to the back while the other two stand in front of it. I motion with my head for Iris to follow the one who went toward the back.
“What are you doing here before us?” I question, keeping my voice calm despite the growing tension.
The tallest of the three, the driver, speaks up. “I called Duchess since no one was here, and she gave me the code to get in. You can call her to verify if you’d like.”
Iris comes from the back, nodding her head as she returns to my side. She still has her hand on her weapon, but it’s not drawn, signaling she didn’t need to act.
Pulling my phone from the inside of my cut, I keep an eye on the three men and dial Duchess. I put the phone on speaker and wait for her to answer.
“Calypso, what’s wrong?” Duchess asks, answering on the first ring.
“Is there a reason the moving truck is inside the compound without us being here to let them in?” I ask, frustration edging my voice. But I’m talking to the National Prez, so I keep the tone respectful.
“I gave them the code so they weren’t sitting on their asses outside with all your stuff. You didn’t shoot them, did you?”
“Not yet, but I will if they make the wrong move,” I counter, trying to keep my tone light
“Please don’t shoot the tall one. He’s my brother's best friend.” Duchess laughs.
“And the other two?” I raise an eyebrow, glancing at the men in question. The shorter one’s face goes pale.
“Only if you have to.” Duchess chuckles. “They’ve been a pain in my ass since I was a little girl.”
“Got it. Thanks, Prez.” I hang up and remove my hand from my weapon. “Looks like you’re clear. Go ahead and finish unloading our stuff. We’ll be changing the code before you leave.”
I grab my backpack from my saddlebag and walk away from the three men, carefully making my way up the steps to the porch and front door. I enter the code and step inside. This place is perfect.
The foyer leads into an open space with the living and dining rooms. An industrial-size kitchen sits off to the back, and a grand staircase leads to the second floor, where the bedrooms are.
There are more rooms behind the kitchen, but right now, I need to find my room and get settled before I can’t move anymore.
I slowly ascend the grand staircase and stop at the third door on the right. This one looks good. I turn around and find Divine and Iris standing behind me.
“Go ahead and pick your rooms, but leave the very last few for Allura to choose from. Since she’s our Prez, we need to make sure she’s protected at all costs.”
“Ok. Take it easy, Calypso. We’ll handle the rest.” Iris says.
“Duchess said the tall one is to be left unharmed. The other two are fair game.” I add, a grin tugging at my lips.
Divine rubs her hands together. “This’ll be fun.”
I don’t know all there is to know about these girls yet, but Duchess and Allura trust them. That’s good enough for me.
I open my bedroom door, and it’s already furnished.
A king-sized bed in the middle of the room against the back wall, topped with a black comforter.
Two end tables with lamps sit on either side of the bed.
To the left, a door leads to a walk-in closet; to the right, there’s a full-size bathroom and a dresser along one wall with a TV mounted against the same steel-gray wall.
I drop my backpack on the bed, open it, and grab a change of clothes and a towel.
I make my way to the bathroom and open the door.
Black-and-white marble greets me, with granite countertops and a black sink.
Bright bulbs line each side of a huge wall mirror.
A stand-up shower with mosaic tiles on the opposite wall has a waterfall showerhead.
There’s a small bench at the far end of the shower with another waterfall showerhead that calls to me.
With my strength depleting, I hurry and wash the grime of the road off my body and change into the clothes I brought in. Next time, I’ll take my time with this luxurious shower.
Pain like no other takes hold of my body as I climb into bed and succumb to the darkness that follows.