Seeking Shadows (Royal Bastards MC Tampa Chapter Book 3)

by K E Osborn

  I need to see her.

  It doesn’t take me too long to get there, and my chest thumps as I pull up. I don’t have any clue how she’s going to react, but I need to know either way. Making my way past the huge security guard, I eye him up and down. His eyes linger on me a little longer than necessary as I smirk and walk in over to the bar, taking a seat before Shadow spots me.

  “Bar wench, a drink if you will?” I call out with a chuckle.

  She turns around, grabbing a beer on her way through and rushes over with a bright smile, gorgeous as ever. “Well, hello there. Didn’t know my favorite customer was coming in.” She flicks her hair over her shoulder in a flirtatious way.

  I sit further forward, letting out a little laugh. “Favorite customer, hey? Does this mean I get special favors?”

  Shadow reaches out, placing her hand on my forearm. “Maybe… if you play your cards right.” She waggles her brows. The way she’s leaning across the bar makes her tits hike up, her cleavage right in front of my face, and I can’t help myself as my eyes dart down, having a quick look.

  She snorts, her hand lifting from my arm, gripping my chin, and forcing me to look up. “Eyes up here, Dash.”

  I let out a contented sigh. “It was nice while it lasted. That three seconds of staring at your tits were the best three seconds of my damn life.”

  She rolls her eyes, spinning away from me, grabbing a tequila bottle from the shelf behind her and two shot glasses. “So, I see we’re celebrating.”

  “We are?”

  She slides the shot glass over, grabs my hand, brings it to her lips, then licks it. My cock jerks in my jeans, my eyes widening as she pours some salt where she licked.

  Jesus Christ.

  I wasn’t ready for that.

  Then she licks her hand, the gesture instantly making me hard. She grins knowing exactly what she’s doing.

  “C’mon, what are you waiting for?”

  Closing time, so I can throw you down on top of this bar and fuck you every which way from Sunday!

  She picks up the shot, licks the salt off her hand, shoots it back, then grabs a lime wedge from the dish, sucking on it. She scrunches up her face while I’m still here trying not to come in my jeans from simply watching her.

  “C’mon, Dash, keep up!”

  Craning my neck to the side, I lick the salt and shoot back the tequila, the burn sliding all the way down. She hands me the slice of lime, which I suck the bitter tang, needing the fresh hit at the end. She slides me over a beer chaser, and I pop the lime wedge in the shot glass, shaking my head at her. “So, what the hell was that for?”

  She reaches out, slapping my road name on my cut. “Justice, huh?”

  “Notice that, did you?”

  She purses her lips. “Congratulations, Dash. It’s what you wanted, right?”

  I shrug. “Yeah, but I want you too.”

  Her eyes light up, and she leans over the bar. “I’m not going anywhere. Just… don’t fucking hurt me.”

  I lean across, grabbing the back of her head and press my lips to hers. She giggles against my lips as patrons cheer around us.

  “Get a room,” Scarlett yells her usual catcall as my tongue dances with Shadow’s. I chuckle, slowly pulling back, and look into her iridescent eyes.

  “You sure you’re okay with this?”

  She exhales. “I’m not gonna make you give up the club for me, Dash. Especially not when they’ve just patched you in. But I don’t want to know about the shit you do either, okay?”

  I reach out, threading my fingers with hers. “Okay.”

  “And don’t bring any of your club shit into my life, or we’re done.”

  “Got it!”

  “Okay, well then, tonight we celebrate you getting your patch.”

  Smiling, I nod my head. “Then, baby, pour me another drink and make it a double!”

  Chapter Twelve

  DASH

  The Next Morning

  My head is pounding, the incessant thumping making me feel like something is stomping all over my body like a force is pulling on my extremities. I must have drunk so much with Shadow last night I don’t even remember riding home.

  What a fucking disaster.

  I groan as I go to scrub at my face, but it’s then I realize the force pulling on my arms is actually happening. My eyes shoot open, ready to attack whatever is yanking on my arm as I jerk awake completely. A young boy, all of maybe three or four, stands next to me, tugging on my arm with an angry look on his face. “Mwister, hey mwister!”

  My head jerks back in shock at seeing such a tiny little thing in my room, then my eyes shift around—I’m not in my room at all.

  I’m in someone else’s apartment.

  I peek down. I’m still fully dressed and laying on a sofa. “Hey! You got Mwister Sprocket!”

  Glancing down under my free arm, I’m cuddling a teddy bear. I let out a small laugh as I move to sit up on the sofa with a spinning head. “You mean this guy?” He nods dramatically. “He your bear?” I ask, and he nods again. “Well, then, I better give him back to you. Thanks for lending him to me last night.”

  The kid shrugs. “It’s o-tay. Mama says it’s good to share.”

  “Your mama is a wise woman.”

  He snickers. “Mama’s still sweeping, but you can make me my fwosted fwakes if you wanna?”

  Still utterly confused as to where the fuck I am, I roll my shoulders. “Sure, little man. Hey, what’s your name?”

  “Cwuze.”

  “All right, Cruz, let’s get you some breakfast!”

  He jumps up, bear under his arm and runs off to the kitchen which is set off from the small living room. This place is tiny. I’m so fucking confused as to where the hell I am. Surely, I didn’t come home with another woman last night? I’m not that much of a drunken idiot. So, it must mean… my stomach flips as I glance to the bedroom off from the kitchen.

  Shadow wouldn’t have kept something this huge from me, would she?

  Cruz jumps up on the kitchen seat, his little feet barely touching the floor as they dangle. It’s pretty fucking cute as I walk past the bedroom, wanting more than anything to look inside and see who his mother is and if my suspicions are correct.

  Cruz points to the box of Frosted Flakes on the counter.

  “Oh, right.” I grab and take them over placing the box on the table, then move about the kitchen searching the cupboards for a bowl. Finally, I find one, then pour the flakes in for him. Reaching around, I grab the milk from the refrigerator adding it to the bowl. I see a spoon on the cupboard, snatch it and hand it to him. “There you go, buddy.”

  My eyes don’t shift from the bedroom. I take a step closer as the clinking of his spoon lets me know he’s eating.

  “You want some?”

  I turn. Cruz’s holding up a spoon full of flakes, the milk dripping all over the table.

  I rush over, clutching a cloth from the sink. “No, buddy. You eat them all up. I don’t think I could handle anything other than coffee this morning.”

  “Mama says you gotta have a gwood bweakfast. It makes you bwig and stwong.”

  “She’s right, you gotta eat all your meals up for your mama.”

  “The Dino nuggies are my fave-rite!” He annunciates the last word nodding his head with each syllable.

  Dino nuggies.

  There’s only one woman I know who buys Dino nuggies.

  Dammit! The signs were all there.

  At the grocery store.

  There’s a reason she’s so decisive over who she has in her life.

  Because she’s protective of her son.

  It has to be Shadow.

  I don’t hesitate this time, stalking over to the bedroom. Slowly, I open the door and see her, sleeping soundly in her queen bed.

  My chest squeezes.

  I get it, why she wanted to hide Cruz from me. I’m a biker. She had no clue what shit I was into, but I can’t say it doesn’t sting that she didn’t tr
ust me enough to tell me in person. That I had to find out by waking up to him right in my face.

  Not that I mind, he’s pretty fucking adorable.

  Gently closing the door, I inhale trying to calm my nerves as I walk back over to Cruz and take a seat next to him. “So, how old are you?”

  He puffs out his chest, smiling wide. “I’ll be a bwig boy soon.”

  “Oh yeah? When’s your birthday?”

  He looks up to the ceiling like he’s thinking. “Juwhy.”

  “It’s October?”

  He bounces up and down on the seat like he’s excited. “See, nearly a bwig boy.”

  Okay, so he has no concept of time.

  “And how old were you on your last birthday?”

  “Fwor.”

  Now we’re getting somewhere. “So, you’re four?”

  He bobs his head emphatically. “I go to daycare.”

  “You do, do you?”

  “Mm-hmm… Mama takes me and Iwis wooks after me when Mama goes to work.”

  Ah-huh. It’s all starting to make sense now.

  “Who’s Iris?”

  He points dramatically to the door.

  “She lives in the building?”

  “Over dere. She’s fun!”

  I want some information about his father, but that’s not something you ask a four-year-old. “So, Mister Sprocket, why that name?”

  He shoves the bear at me, pointing to the mechanic toolbelt on his little vest. “Mwister Sprocket works on cars.”

  “You know, I studied mechanics for a while.”

  He widens his eyes like he’s in shock. “You can fwix cars?”

  “And bikes.”

  His little mouth opens wide as he gawks at me. “Wow, you and Mwister Sprocket can be fwends then.”

  “I’d like that.”

  “It’s not every day, Mister Sprocket makes a new friend,” a sleepy voice chimes from the direction of the bedroom.

  Shadow’s standing, arms folded over her chest, watching me intently with her son. Our eyes meet, so much being said between each other in that one look. Hers sad, full of regret as I try to let her know I’m not mad, just disappointed.

  “Why is no one tawking?” Cruz interrupts us, staring at each other.

  Shadow clears her throat, walks over, and leans down kissing Cruz on the top of his head. “Morning, baby.”

  “Morning, Mama. He made me bweakfast.”

  Shadow sits on the other side of Cruz, opposite me. “He has a name.”

  Cruz snaps his head to me curiously, and I put out my hand for him to shake. “Hey, Cruz, I’m Dash.”

  His tiny hand slides into mine, and we shake once as he chuckles. “Dash is a funny name.”

  I snicker as Shadow tuts. “Cruz!”

  “You should hear my brother’s name.”

  Cruz sits taller, his eyes wide as Shadow narrows her eyes on me.

  “What is it?” Cruz blasts out in excitement.

  “Arlo.”

  Cruz bursts out laughing, flopping back in his seat in his giggling fit. The sight cute as hell.

  Shadow shakes her head. “Cruz, baby, it’s not nice to laugh at people’s names.”

  He stops himself, but the smile is still on his face. “Sowy, Mama.”

  “Dash, don’t lead my son astray.” She sounds serious, but the way she’s trying to stop her lips from curving upward shows me she’s joking.

  I zip my lips and pretend to throw away the key as Cruz suddenly jumps down from the kitchen table and runs off into the living room without warning. “I gotta go poo-poo.”

  Letting out a chuckle, Shadow places her head in her hands. “Thanks for sharing, baby.”

  He throws his hands in the air as he runs into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. “Let me know if you need a hand,” Shadow calls out, but there’s no answer.

  She slowly turns to face me, and I exhale, my eyes meeting hers.

  “So, I was pretty fucking drunk last night, but I certainly don’t remember you telling me you have a kid.”

  Her eyes fall to the table like she’s ashamed. “You don’t understand, Dash. That little boy is my world. I have to do everything to protect him. I can’t just let any random into his life.”

  “So, if I hadn’t gotten so wasted last night that I couldn’t ride home, would I even be here now? Would I even know about him?”

  She hesitates, sadness washes over her features, and I know the answer before she even tells me. “Probably not.”

  I let out a loud scoff, trying to keep my emotions in check and my voice lowered. “He’s fucking amazing, Shadow, so I get it. I do. But I’m not just anyone. I thought I meant something to you?”

  Her eyes begin to glisten as she reaches across the table for my hand. “You do, Dash. You mean a lot. But Cruz means more. He always will. I’m sorry if it’s not what you want to hear, but he has to come first. Everything I do, I do for him... I’m all he’s got.”

  Suddenly, the door swings open and the sound of the toilet flushing echoes through the apartment. Shadow lets my hand go, moving back to her side of the table as Cruz rushes back over, shuffling up onto his seat between us. “That was a bwig one!”

  Shadow rolls her eyes. “Boys!” She looks at her watch and her eyes widen in shock. “Shit, we gotta go. Cruz, is your bag ready?”

  He jumps back down rushing over to a backpack, picks it up and shoves the bear inside. “Weady.”

  Shadow looks over at me. “I’m sorry, we gotta go.”

  Standing, there’s so much more that needs to be discussed right now. I don’t know where they’re going, but I want to go too. “I’ll come with.”

  Shadows eyes widen as Cruz jumps up and down clapping his hands. “Yay.”

  Shadow rolls her shoulders but grabs her bag. “Okay, but I’m driving, you still stink of alcohol.”

  “Got it.” We rush out of her apartment into a hall. It’s dank, dingy, and I don’t like it much at all. But I guess if it’s what she can afford on her bar wage, it’s all she’s got. We rush down three flights of stairs, then head out to her car.

  She straps Cruz into a booster seat in the back, and honestly, I don’t know how I never noticed this at work. I guess I was always looking at her, at stupid o’clock in the morning, and always had my eyes on the front of the car.

  If only I’d taken more notice.

  She moves to the driver’s side, I sit in the front passenger, and we’re off. Kiddy tunes play all the way, and I lean over the back chatting to Cruz for most of the way. I have to say, the kid is fucking cool, and he’s growing on me.

  When we arrive at daycare, we all jump out, and Shadow stops by the edge of the car, her eyes looking me over, taking in my cut with a grimace. “Maybe you should wait out here.”

  I glance down with a nod. I smell like a brewery and look like an outlaw. Last thing I want to do is give Shadow and Cruz a strike against their name. “Yeah, I get it.” I bend down to Cruz, ruffling his hair. “Nice to meet you, buddy.”

  His smile is infectious. “Am I gonna see you again?” His sad little puppy dog eyes make my heart constrict. I look up at Shadow and her face exudes warmth—it’s all the confirmation I need.

  “Yeah, kid. You’ll see me again.”

  He leans forward rushing in and embracing me. His tiny little arms snaking around my neck almost making me fall on my ass with the force. I hug him back.

  Shadow sighs—I can’t tell if it’s a happy or sad sigh.

  Cruz pulls back, then takes off toward the building.

  Shadow clicks her tongue to the top of her mouth and tilts her head. “You sure won him over.”

  “He won me over, too.”

  She smiles, then turns walking for the center. I make my way back to the car and take a seat waiting for Shadow to come back sans Cruz.

  In less than twenty-four hours my world has turned upside down. I’ve been patched into the Royal Bastards, and the woman I’m seeing has suddenly transformed into
a mother.

  What fucking surprise is next in store for me next?

  Chapter Thirteen

  SHADOW

  “Have a good day, baby,” I call out, but Cruz is already off and running around with his friends. Smiling, I place his bag on his hook and make my way back to the car.

  The car where Dash is waiting for me.

  Last night he was so freaking wasted, there was no way in all good conscience I could let him ride home. I didn’t even want him getting an Uber by himself back to the club. Honestly, it was hard enough just to steady him to get him in my car, let alone up three flights of stairs at my place. The idea of him meeting Cruz scared the absolute hell out of me. I guess a part of me thought maybe he might wake up in the middle of the night and leave.

  I don’t know why I thought that.

  Wishful thinking on my behalf, I suppose.

  The other part of me thought I would be able to get up before Dash woke, and I would be there to introduce them. I should have known better—nothing ever goes to plan when you have a four-year-old.

  I wasn’t sure how Dash and Cruz would get along, but I sure am glad they hit it off so well so far. If Dash wasn’t a kid person, I’m not sure what I would do. But all signs point to him being great around children. I just have to figure out what the hell this all means because this, whatever it is, is moving faster than I ever thought possible.

  My intention was never to get involved with anyone.

  I failed.

  I never wanted another man around Cruz.

  I failed.

  I just hope like fuck, this thing with Dash isn’t one big fuck up waiting to happen.

  Because if I get hurt, I can handle that.

  If Cruz gets hurt, I will never forgive myself.

  Walking out to the car, my stomach is in knots about how this morning has gone. My eyes take in the sight of Dash, leaning against the car, arms crossed, one leg positioned over the other, looking hot as fucking sin. He smiles lopsidedly at me in such a way that has me weak at the knees and all giddy inside. How can one man be so damn sexy just leaning against a car?

  “All good?” he asks.

  “Mm-hmm,” my voice is higher-pitched than I would like as I step up to him.