ONCE WE PULL INTO THE back of Savage & Ink, Madison turns off her car and starts checking herself over in the mirror. “I’m so damn sweaty and my hair looks like ass.”
She runs her hands through her hair a few times and then turns to me. “Better?”
“Do you really think Blaine cares what your hair looks like? I’m pretty sure he plans to mess it up later.”
She perks up and watches Royal and Blaine through the window as they park their bikes and start walking our way. “Damn, I hope so. Everything about that boy is ultra-sexy.”
I laugh and reach for my purse, joining her in watching the boys talking while slowly making their way over. “What about Jax?”
“I’m willing to take them both.”
My heart slightly jumps as Royal pulls the door open and reaches for my hand, pulling me out to my feet.
“Thanks.” I give Royal a thankful smile and look over to see Blaine on the other side of the car as Royal shuts the door for me.
“Oh damn,” Madison says, while eyeing Blaine up and down in his leather jacket and ripped jeans, as he guides her out of the car and to the back door. “Sexy as hell, tough as nails, and knows how to open doors for ladies. God, I’ve been missing out on so much for the last twenty-two years.”
“I can make up for it,” Blaine says playfully, while slapping her ass, making her yelp. “Damn you have one fine ass, girl. Stay close to me when we get inside.”
Royal shakes his head at his friend and possessively grabs for my hand, pulling me against him. “Tonight should be pretty calm, but if someone makes you feel uncomfortable, let me know and they’re out. No fucking exceptions. You’re here with me and I take care of you.”
With my heart pounding from his words, I nod my head and walk in front of him as he holds the door open for me to walk in first.
I notice right away that it’s a lot quieter than the last time we were here and I’m hoping that’s a good sign, and that nothing crazy like the last time we were here will go down.
I’ve already seen Royal knock a grown man on his ass tonight and I can’t deny that it oddly turned me on. Something about his demanding and powerful tone sets my whole body ablaze with a need that is impossible for me to snuff out.
With his hand still in mine, Royal walks straight up to the bar and pulls out a stool for me to sit on.
As soon as my ass hits the stool, he places both of his hands around my face and looks me in the eyes. “Stay here while I grab us some drinks.”
He turns to Blaine who has Madison sitting one stool over from me, standing between her legs. “Don’t let anyone even breathe on her. Got it?”
Blaine smirks. “I can handle both girls. No need to worry.”
“Fuck you.” With that, Royal walks away and joins Jax behind the bar.
I see them both talking, but can’t make out anything over the rock music playing softly in the background.
A few minutes later, Royal walks back around to my side of the bar and places two beers down for us, as Jax places a beer down in front of Blaine and a mixed drink for Madison.
Jax smiles at me and runs a hand over his firm chest. “Hey, babe. Sorry about the show the other night.”
I smile back, trying to block out the memory of his firm ass flexing over the table as he pounded roughly into that girl. “Hey, Jax.” I take a sip of my beer, watching him over the top. Yeah, I can’t block it out, so I quickly pull my eyes away. “It was quite a show.”
Royal gives Jax a hard look and pulls my stool closer to him. “Thanks for fucking up my table, asshole. I set some shit on it earlier and one of the legs gave out.”
“Really?” Jax questions with cockiness. He turns to Madison, looking her over as Blaine wraps her legs around his waist. “I like to play hard. Shit gets broken sometimes.”
Madison’s eyes widen and Blaine watches her with a grin as if he’s enjoying her reaction.
“When the fuck did Matthew get here?” Jax suddenly grinds out. “He’s with his boy again.”
Royal turns behind him, setting his sights on some rough, dirty guy that is here with some boy that looks to be in his teens. He looks like he’s been drinking since the ass crack of dawn, and is pushing the teenage boy around, yelling at him as they play pool.
“That fucking piece of shit!” Royal suddenly shoots straight up to his feet. “Stay here.” He punches Blaine’s shoulder to get his attention. “Let’s go.”
Blaine finally looks over to see what Royal is so pissed about. “Well he fucked up now. Damn idiot.” He pushes away from Madison and follows Royal over to the pool table.
Looking harder to see what’s going on, I notice that the kid has a black eye and what looks to be some bruises on his arm, so I quickly jump to my feet, ignoring Royal’s demand to stay seated. “What the hell.”
Royal shoves the father into the wall, before grabbing the boy’s face and looking him over.
His eyes go so fucking dark that my heart stops beating. I’ve never seen Royal look so pissed before and I know that something is about to go down.
“Blaine . . . take the kid for a minute.”
I quickly rush over and grab the boy’s hand. “I got him.”
Royal’s nostrils flare in anger as he looks me over, realizing that I disobeyed him, but he quickly turns his anger to the drunken guy as I hurriedly pull the kid away and start walking back over to the bar where Jax is.
Turning the stool away from the scene, I help the kid take a seat and ask Jax to get him a soda. “How old are you, kid?” I ask with a slight smile to comfort him.
The kid refuses to look me in the eye as he answers. “Fourteen.”
“Is he okay,” Madison questions over my shoulder.
I glance up when I hear a loud noise, to see that Royal has the guy across the top of the pool table and is repeatedly punching him, while screaming threats in his face.
The kid tries looking, but I grab his chin like Royal always does to me to stop him.
“Is he hurting my dad?”
I swallow, not knowing how to answer that.
“He deserves it,” the kid says. “I don’t like it when he hurts me, but I’m not big enough to stop him.”
My hearts aches from the sadness in his voice, and suddenly I want to hurt his father myself.
“What’s your name, kid?” I question softly.
“Ian Bradley,” he answers. “Is that guy going to make him stop hurting me?”
“Yes,” I answer without thinking. I have a feeling that after Royal is done with him, that fucker will be too sore to do anything for a while. “He’ll do everything he can to make sure it doesn’t happen again.” I run my thumb over his bruised eye. “Stay here.”
Storming my way over to the pool table, I stop dead in my tracks when Royal pulls out a gun and shoves it in the guy’s mouth.
The guy starts mumbling and trying to pull away, but Blaine grabs the back of his head and holds it still.
“You like the way my gun fucking tastes, you piece of shit?”
The guy shakes his head in a panic.
“No! No, motherfucker!” Royal shoves the gun deeper into his mouth and pulls back the hammer, making him squirm and drool as he struggles to get away. “Touch your kid again, and next time you’ll be tasting my fucking bullet.”
Blaine slaps the back of the guy’s head as he starts mumbling something over and over again. “I can’t fucking hear you,” he says in his ear. “Gonna have to talk louder.”
“I’m sorry,” he mumbles louder so we can all hear this time. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
“Remember that shit,” Royal barks. “Be expecting visits from me for a while.”
He pulls his gun out of the guy’s mouth and leans his head back in frustration as he notices me watching him.
His eyes stay on me for a few seconds as if he’s trying to read me, before he turns to Blaine. “Make sure the kid can remember my number by heart. Don’t let them leave until he can repeat it back on his own.”
“Fucking done,” Blaine says with a nod. He grabs the douche bag by the back of the hair and pulls him up to his feet. “Go wait outside until we send your boy out.”
He nods his head, while fighting to catch his breath. “I’ll do that and I won’t touch him again. Shit, I promise. I mean it. I won’t . . .”
Royal gives him a look that sends him rushing out the door. After the door closes behind him, Royal opens his jacket and puts his gun away, while locking his eyes with mine.
He looks worried, as if he’s just done something in front of me that he regrets.
“Go with the boys.” He runs both of his hands through his hair, tugging in frustration as he breaks eye contact. “I need a bit.”
He doesn’t wait for my response, before turning away and walking into a room, slamming the door behind him.
By the time I walk back over to Madison and the guys, Blaine is walking Ian away from the bar and outside to send him off with his loser father.
So many emotions are running through my head that I have no idea what to do or think.
Madison seems just as stunned into silence as I am.
The weirdest part is that I feel like what he did was a good thing. He cares about the boy’s safety and that only tells me that his heart is still there somewhere.
It may be broken and in pain, shattered from loss and hurt, but it’s very well there and in the right place. I just hope I can find it before it’s too late.
I have no idea what this man is doing to me, but I’m afraid for it to stop . . .