Page 3

CHAPTER THREE

SOLO

Tilting the glass in my hand, I let the amber liquid flow down my throat. There is a party at the clubhouse, as per fucking usual. The guys are living it up with the drinking and the fucking. Boost is in the corner getting his dick sucked by one of the club girls while Woody fucks her from behind.

Shaking my head, I laugh at the pair. They have been fucking women together for years. I doubt they ever fuck a woman on their own. It must be their thing.

Kink is kissing Adele while she sits on his lap, and the sight makes my heart pang with want and need. It’s seeing shit like this, and not only in the club but outside, that makes me wish Elsie was here.

My gaze moves to Dutch and Una, and I smile. It’s good to see their happiness after the shit-storm they went through to finally get to a place where they could admit what they wanted. He was a cunt to her in the beginning, but he pulled his fat head out of his arse and took what he wanted. Still, it makes me laugh thinking of how she made him beg to make things up to her.

Pres calls the room to attention.

“Okay, listen up, fuckers,” Pres bellows, and everyone quietens down.

“Being the president of this club comes with a fuck-ton of responsibility, trust, and respect. Being a husband, an old man, comes with great responsibility. Being a father comes with great responsibility. We may not be blood, even though we have spilled plenty, but we are family. When Dutch came to me and gave me the news, it made me feel old as fuck, but my heart felt full.

“You all make up the Royal Bastards MC. You all play a part. Now, with Inked Royal up and running, more money is coming in. Plus, over the last few weeks, Royal Peace has helped over twenty women get out of their abusive relationships. We, the Royal Bastards MC, are growing, and we will dominate in the places we need to. I am motherfucking proud to wear this patch and call you all my family. Now, with all that soppy shit out of the way, over to my son, Dutch.”

My father, my president, embraces my blood brother. They smile proudly at each other as Una steps up to them both.

“Like Pres, I’m not one to lay it on thick with the mushy bullshit, but I am fucking proud to be a Royal Bastard. I bleed for this club, as I know you will bleed for me. Now, you will bleed for my wife, Una. My old lady, my fucking world.”

The volume of the cheers in the room climbs high with excitement. An announcement is coming our way. I have had my thoughts on what they will be informing us about, but it was their news to share, so I kept my mouth shut.

Una looks to my brother with so much love, it causes my chest to tighten, because as hard as I am, I want that. I want a love like theirs.

An image of a smiling Elsie pops into my head, but it clears when Dutch breaks the news.

“You, my brothers.” Dutch looks to Kink and me. We each give him a chin lift, with a grin in place. “You will now bleed for my child. Una is pregnant. Fourteen weeks.”

Fuck me, the room shakes with cheers and celebration for the couple. It has been too fucking long since we had a new Royal Bastards baby.

The noise in the room comes to a complete stop when the main door swings open and in steps the one woman who has fucking seized my heart without so much as a fucking kiss or a normal conversation.

“Baby,” I rush towards Elsie and her kids.

“He’s coming for us,” she states.

Her eyes are rimmed red from crying, and her body is shaking; the kids matching her appearance. She falls into my arms, the kids tucking even closer.

“He came to the house and attacked me. He blames me for my husband’s death. He hit me, but I got the kids and I ran. I d-didn’t know where else to go.”

“Shh,” I soothe her softly. I drop my gaze to the kids, who are looking just as fearful as their mum.

“You did good coming here,” Pres tells her.

“Who is coming for you? Who attacked you, Elsie?” Kink asks my woman.

She takes a deep breath and looks up at me, before scanning the room, her gaze stopping on Pres.

“My dead husband’s brother.”

“Fucking hell,” Kink mutters.

“Shit!” This comes from Boost.

Elsie shakes against my body. My blood boils at hearing who the fuck has upset her. When we got rid of her husband, she told us her brother-in-law could be an issue, so we have been keeping an eye on him, but so far he has stayed away from her and the kids. Or so we thought.

“Pres, can you take the kids and get them some ice cream or something? I need to speak with Elsie alone.”

By the time I’m finished speaking, Elsie is shaking her head at me.

“No, I want them with me,” she cries, and the fear that reflects in her eyes makes my heart ache for her.

“Sweetheart, they will be fine with my family. You are in the club. No fucker will touch you here. Get me?” I cup her face, looking in her fearful eyes.

After a few seconds, she nods. “Okay.”

She looks down at her two children and swipes their tears away. I hate that this dull fuck has made them feel fear again. This motherfucker will pay for what he has done to them. No one hurts what is mine.

He touched someone who belongs to me. He will pay in blood.

“Kids, go with Tag and Nadine. They will get you both some ice cream, or whatever treat you want. Me and your mum will be upstairs, but if you need her for anything, ask that man right there.” I point to Pres, who nods to them with a smile. “He will send someone to get us. Okay?”

They both nod, and Elsie kisses their heads, telling them to listen to the adults.

I take her hand and lead her to my room upstairs.

Her hand still shakes in mine, and it makes my anger grow. The need to slit this fucker’s throat is a powerful feeling within my soul. I am known to be violent; one has to be if they are linked to a club like the Royal Bastards.

We may not follow the rules of the law, but fuck me, we have some standards, like never hurting innocent women and children.

I lead her into my room and cringe at the state of it. Clothes are strewn everywhere, and dirty plates and cups are on some of the surfaces.

“Sorry, I’m a messy bloke,” I explain. I reset the quilt so she can at least sit on the bed.

“Solo,” she starts, but I growl when she uses my club name, then she sighs. “Kane, I had nowhere else to go. Alan is hell bent on finding Nigel. He told me he would hurt me and take the kids. That he would get a good price for them. He mentioned some guy he works for. Apparently, he has some power to take control of St Ives.”

I tamper down my anger at hearing her say what that fucker threatened her with. She needs me calm right now, not going off half-cocked and doing something that will hurt her. The club will have Click and Override from the Unforgiven Riders MC to look into whoever the fucker works for.

The Royal Bastards fucking own St Ives.

“Baby, you did right coming here. I will protect you. The kids as well. So will the club. I know it’s easy as fuck for me to say, but you don’t need to be sorry about this cunt. We will fix this shit. The kids are going nowhere.” I shrug.

She stares at me, fresh tears filling her eyes, and it guts me. Cupping her face, I gently run my thumb over the cut on her lip.

“He did this to you?” I ask, not taking my eyes off the little cut.

“Yeah. He backhanded me. I knew then that I had to get Ricky and Ruthie out of the house. I got them in the car after I hit him over the head with a vase. We ran here.” Her lip trembles against my digit.

Hearing her say that it was me she ran to makes my ego enlarge, as well as my cock. For months I have wanted the woman, but what woman wants to be with the man who killed her husband, the father of her kids?

“I am fucking glad you did, babe.” I rest my forehead against hers and breathe her in.

Her body sags a little, like some of the worry is easing from her body.

We stay like this for seconds, minutes... I don’t count because I don’t give a fuck. I am happy to have her with me, even if it was fear that drew her and the kids here. I will take what I can get.

“You will stay here at the club, here in my room with me. The kids can have the spare room. It’s across the hall so they’ll be close if they need you. You will be covered. No one will get to you here.”

Pulling back, she looks me in the eyes. I see some of her fight flash in her eyes, making me smirk at her. Elsie was a shell when we first stepped into her life, but seeing this new side to her is making my dick hard.

I cock a brow at her and she huffs, standing up, ready to challenge me.

Bring it on, baby.