by Elle Boon
While he was watching Duke kiss the little waitress, he almost missed his sweet little dancer on the stage. Leaning forward, he watched her look off to the side, noticing the huge fucker backstage. “Yo, Duke, when did the dancers start bringing bodyguards into the club?”
The waitress looked over at him as he spoke. “He’s been coming in since she started. He doesn’t let her talk to anyone else and takes all her money. I don’t like him, but it’s none of my business. He doesn’t bother anyone but Tai.”
“What’s your name, sweetheart?” Cosmo always asked, always forgot.
She beamed down at him. “Sarah.”
“How long has Tai been working here, Sarah?” Cosmo nudged the waitress out of the way, needing to see the woman named Tai, wanting to see how she interacted on the stage.
His radar went up as she picked up the bills on the stage, but unlike the other women, she didn’t smile and shimmy while stuffing the cash into her G-string. This woman, this tiny thing picked up the bills, sashaying her way backward. Most women who’d been dancing for years you could see the disillusion in their eyes, or their body, he saw it in her, yet she couldn’t be much more than eighteen. What the fuck was she doing working in their club.
“You’re aren’t even listening to me.”
“Sweetheart, I gotta go. Here.” He pulled his wallet out, handing her a hundred-dollar bill.
Yeah, he might be a little jaded, but that crisp bill had her shutting up quicker than a dick down her throat.
His friend had already gone out the front door, once Lennox had left Duke was ready to go as well, fucking pussy. But as he stared after Tai, he felt the fine hairs on the back of his neck rise. Going on instinct, he hopped over the catwalk and was backstage in seconds. A huge bear of a man was pulling a needle out of the side of Tai’s neck, her slight form going limp instantly. He lifted her over his shoulder without anyone stopping him.
“Oh, hey, whatcha got there, pal?” Cosmo asked, moving around the duo in the dark hallway, expecting security to show up and help him.
“Mind your business, freak,” the sumo man warned.
Cosmo tossed his head back with a feigned laugh, making sure when he straightened, he looked the man up and down. “You look like a reject from the Sumo convention, yet you’re calling me a freak.”
“I will kill you.”
“Lots have said that, and tried, yet here I am.” Cosmo lifted his arms out to his side.
He was walking backward as he spoke wanting to get them out of the club. He couldn’t believe the bouncers hadn’t come running yet. Their club as a whole paid good damn money for them to protect their assets, and Tai was what they considered an asset. Ass being the key word. He’d be having a conversation with King once he took care of this fucker.
“Tell that to your maker,” he grunted, lifting his leg at the same time he aimed a gun with a silencer attached.
Sheot, Cosmo barely had time to twist the knob and grab the leg aimed at his chest, the action taking the man down with him. He had a moment to worry about Tai, but when it came to him dying and well, the opposite, he figured he’d do better at saving her if he wasn’t pushing up daisies.
He rolled, barely missing being crushed, bringing his boot down on the back of the fucker’s head. His blades slid out from under his sleeves, facing the man as he wiped a smear of blood from his lip. Cosmo knew the gentlemanly way to fight would be to allow him to get his bearings. He’d never been called a gentleman when it came to fighting, or fucking, so he wasn’t going to start now. He tossed the knife from his right hand in the air, spun in a half circle, kicking out, his boot hitting the back of the knife, driving the blade into the other man’s throat. With his other knife in his left hand, he moved forward, jabbing through his abdomen. The sumo had his hands wrapped around the one in his throat, gasping. Cosmo didn’t leave shit to chance, pulling the blade up in a jagged pattern.
“Shit,” he and Duke both said at the same time.
Cosmo leaned over Tai, wishing he’d beat the motherfucker up worse before killing him as he looked at her face. With his right hand, he smoothed his fingers over her cheek. “She’s gonna have a bruise.”
“Whass happened to her?” Lennox asked, her words slurred.
He grabbed his knives from the downed man, glaring at the lights that were clearly broken or turned off that should’ve been on. After wiping them down, he slid them back into their holsters.
“What the fuck is going on, brother?” He looked to Duke who was cradling Lennox like she was his greatest treasure.
“That’s what I aim to find out.” Duke’s words were a vow that didn’t bode well for anyone who stood in his way.
Cosmo lifted Tai into his arms, nodding toward the guy on the ground he’d killed. “I saw her looking off to the side and noticed a dude there that I knew shouldn’t be there. I decided to go check it out, but when I got there, I found a dead guy on the ground, and a big mother fucker with Tai at the end of the hall. It looked like he was injecting a needle into her neck and she was fighting him. I reacted accordingly.” He shrugged, his fingers went back to her cheek, hating to see the delicate skin injured. “If you say anything stupid, remember I know how to kill a man ten different ways and hide the body,” he told Duke without looking up.
“Did they inject you like they did her?” Duke asked Lennox.
Although he’d ignored Cosmo’s comment, he could tell his words about the asshole injecting Tai had worried his friend. Neither of them cared about the inside of the club or patrons being upset. Although the Royal Bastards owned it, Cosmo could buy and sell ten clubs just like it without batting an eye. All that didn’t mean shit, when it came to the fact their security had dropped the fucking ball. If their girls were being targeted, protecting them was their top priority, inside and outside the clubhouse.
“My girl is still out, brother. This ain’t good. We need to get out of here.” Cosmo looked around at the lot, thinking fast.
“Dammit Lennox, stop wiggling and answer my question,” Duke barked.
“I don’t know what they did, but there was another guy who went to get the car.” Lennox’s voice was weak.
“Fuck. I’ve got my bike.” Duke looked at Cosmo. He was clearly hoping he’d driven something other than his Harley.
Cosmo hated to disappoint the other man, but damn, he needed to get his head on straight with something other than women or weed. He’d ridden his bike, when most times he’d have driven a cage in case he took a woman home. Fuck.
Cosmo shook his head. “Sorry.”
“Car,” Lennox whispered.
Duke grabbed her purse where it was spilled on the ground, pulling out a set of keys, pushing the fob as if his life depended on it.
“Cosmo, bring your girl and let’s get the fuck out of here.”
He inhaled. For whatever fucked up reasoning, hearing his brother call the woman in his arms his, felt right, which made absolutely no sense whatsoever, but then again, nothing in all of his thirty-one years really had, except joining the Royal Bastards. Of course, he’d come looking for their dad because of his connection to his own father and the possibility he’d been tangled up with kids and sex trafficking. One day, he was going to have to come clean with Duke and King about all that.
“We need to call King and get a clean-up crew here before that other fucker shows up, Duke.” Cosmo tossed the words out.
“On it,” Duke agreed.
“We should split up,” Cosmo said, holding the small woman with ease. She looked even smaller in his big arms. Shit. He’d never had a woman to take care of, didn’t know how to do so now other than get her out of the line of whoever was after her for the moment.
“You gonna head out with her like that, or you going to toss her over your shoulder?” Duke nudged his chin toward the sleeping Tai before continuing “I don’t see you getting far before whoever came for one of them shows up. If they were after her, then you’ll be a walking target.”
&
nbsp; Cosmo stared down at her, watching her chest rise and fall. Shit, he hadn’t even grabbed anything for her to wear, yet there he stood with a half-naked woman while Duke held Lennox.
“What about Doc? You gonna call him?”
Duke looked like he was about to grind his teeth into dust, but he didn’t answer as he began walking toward the vehicle that was clearly Lennox’s. “Where the hell did you get this...this accident on wheels?”
Cosmo followed behind Duke, seeing why his friend was so upset. They paid Doc a lot of money. There was no reason his little girl shouldn’t be driving a top of the line vehicle, or at the very least, a car that didn’t have rust on every damn door. Damn, the thing didn’t even have interior lights, which meant she wouldn’t have seen if someone had been hiding in the backseat. “Brother, I hope you plan to make this thing scrap once you do the right thing?” he asked Duke.
Duke put Lennox in the passenger seat, his cursing becoming more inventive as he walked around the car. If they weren’t in such a perilous situation, Cosmo would be giving him shit.
“This hunk of shit is going to be a square cube before she can ask where the fuck it is.”
“Get the fuck in before I leave your ass,” he growled, getting behind the wheel, his knees nearly hitting his chest before he adjusted the seat.
“Easy, asshole.” Cosmo hit the seat as he spoke.
“Text Wheels and tell them I need my ride picked up. I don’t want it sitting here overnight.” Even with security, obviously shit happened.
“Already did.” He didn’t mention he’d contacted his security detail as well. The clean-up crew were men he and King trusted; they paid them well, and in turn, they made sure the sharks were well fed.
“Where you taking Lennox?” Cosmo asked.
“Back to my place. I don’t even know where she’s staying. Whoever did this wasn’t looking for her if what I overheard was correct.” Duke met his gaze in the rearview mirror.
Silence descended as Cosmo took in his words. He’d already come to that conclusion himself. Tai was a woman, or hell teenager for all he knew, who came to their club with security of her own. That security was taken out, then she was drugged, but so was Lennox. However, little Lennox just happened to have her hair done up in the same style as Tai. It appeared that wig was lost somewhere in the hallway. His fingers itched to touch the dark locks, to see if they were as soft as they looked, but he controlled the urge.
“Explain,” Cosmo ordered.
Duke met his friend’s eyes in the rearview. Without leaving anything out, he explained the conversation he’d overheard about Lennox not being the right one.
“Look at them.” Duke nodded toward Lennox, then at Tai. “They both have dark hair and are built along the same lines. Add in Lennox having her hair up with those stick things, and the dark club, the idiots had a case of mistaken identity. They must’ve sent the other guy in to get Tai when they realized Lennox wasn’t the right girl.”
He’d given her his T-shirt, hating to put it on her with the other man’s blood on it, but it was either that or allow her to continue to be almost naked. Looking at her sleeping form, he couldn’t help but nod at Duke’s words.
Cosmo brushed the hair off of her forehead. The need to reassure himself that she was warm and breathing riding him hard. “I see what you’re talking about.”
With her head in his lap, he hoped she didn’t wake up fighting him, thinking he was trying to take advantage of her or some sick shit. “She was the one they were after. I wonder why,” he murmured.
“You two can stay at my place with me and Lennox. It’s a four bedroom, plus I got a safe suite in the basement.”
Cosmo knew both King and Duke, the Prez and VP of the Royal Bastards had them built because they were paranoid fuckers. He wouldn’t tell him he had them in all of his homes. He’d given King the idea but hadn’t said why.
“I need wheels, and while this...car is doing the job; I need a ride that’s comfortable.” Cosmo said, staring at Duke, but didn’t agree to stay with him. He liked his own space at the clubhouse.
Duke didn’t press him more, which was why they were such good friends. He was steady and didn’t ask questions. It was one of the reasons Cosmo considered him one of his best friends.
“We got a tail?” he asked Duke, noticing he kept looking out both side mirrors and the rearview.
“I don’t see anyone. I actually don’t know if this hunk of shit will make it on the freeway. When I see Doc, someone better make sure they’re between my fist and his face. Letting his baby girl drive this...this can on wheels.”
“Where’s the Audi we gave her when she graduated high school?” Cosmo had put in over ten grand himself so she could get the best one on the lot.
“I aim to find the fuck out, Cosmo.” Duke lifted his hand as if he was going to touch Lennox but stopped.
“Brother, you’re gonna have stubs for teeth if you don’t stop grinding them. We’re close to one of my places. Take the next left and get on the highway. I’ll give you directions once you get on it.” He appreciated again the way Duke did as instructed without question.
“Damn, this is a sweet pad. Just so you know, I marked it on my GPS for when I’m in the neighborhood.” Duke joked as he got out of the vehicle that would soon be part of the scrap pile.
They climbed into his Escalade, his ‘Go Bag’ already in the back under a hidden compartment. Again, Duke only raised a brow.
“Let’s roll then. I guess you’re driving this time?”
Cosmo punched Duke in the arm. “Wheels got our bikes?”
“Yeah, by the time we get to the Clubhouse, both our bikes should already be there. Wheels told me to tell you he’d make sure your baby didn’t have a scratch like last time.” Duke and he shared a grin before climbing into his rig.
“Fucker should’ve been more careful last time.” He wouldn’t apologize for punching Wheels after the last time he’d had to pick up Cosmo’s ride. As a favor for King, he’d had to do a little thing, which had him leaving his Harley. Wheels had to drive down with another brother and get it. Somehow, the dumbass hadn’t had his bike properly secured. Cosmo still thought the bastard was testing him. Tested and failed, because he’d been the one lying face down in the dirt that night, instead of Cosmo.
“Shit. What about her things?” Cosmo asked, driving out of the small downtown area. He was comfortable navigating the area, since he came there a few times a year. Shit didn’t change that much. Thanks to Stanley, his houses were always kept clean and stocked with the basic necessities.
Duke turned his phone toward him for a second. “I told Rosco to shut the place down. I lied and said we had a call that the cops could be coming to light up the place. I told him to tell Hawk if he had any questions to give me a call. I also told him to make sure all the girls got home safe, and if he saw anything out of the ordinary to let me know. I don’t know where Hawk was tonight. He’s the one I usually deal with. King’s calling Church.”
Cosmo was glad to hear King would be getting shit straightened out. Balls were dropped, which meant nuts would be in a vice. Thank fuck they wouldn’t be his. He knew from past experience that shit hurt. Luckily for them, they had a few guys on the force who would make sure they looked the other way.
They were on the freeway heading back toward the clubhouse when Duke’s phone lit up.
“Rosco says the club is empty, but he said the new chick they hired left her shit behind. Fuck, I need to call him.”
“Why, what’s wrong?” Cosmo glanced over at his friend, trying to see what was on the screen.
Duke sighed. “He’s making noise about calling her friends to let them know she’s missing.”
“Fuck that. Tell him if he does so much as twitch with her name involved, I’ll slit his fucking throat,” Cosmo promised.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Duke sat for a moment listening. “What the fuck you mean you didn’t know her? How’d a chick get hired who wasn�
��t vetted by Hawk and cleared by Keys.” Duke looked at Tai with narrowed eyes .
Cosmo put his hand on the center console separating him and his friend. His need to protect her had him pushing friendship lines behind her. Fuck, for all they knew she was a mole, or fed, or fuck all—he couldn’t risk his friendship, his loyalty for a piece of ass.
Duke lifted one brow at Cosmo, staring at his hand on the center where it rested, knowing he had weapons inside there. Cosmo placed his hand back on the wheel, releasing the breath he’d held. Duke exhaled too, clearly feeling on edge. “Nah, that’s bullshit. We need to have a meeting, brother, but whatever you do, don’t make a fucking move or call unless it’s to me or King. Feel me?” Duke hung up after he got an answer, shaking his head. “This ain’t gonna be pretty when I tell King.”
“What did he say?” Cosmo looked over his shoulder, checking on Lennox and Tai.
Duke rubbed his temples. “I need to let King know we could have a possible threat.”
Cosmo pulled his vehicle to the side, coming to a stop on the shoulder. “Duke, I don’t know what the fuck is going on, but I know for certain she ain’t in on it. I saw the fear on her face. I saw that big fucker ready to do whatever he had to do to get her. He killed her watcher right there on the side of the stage, giving no fucks who found him. If you can’t promise me, she’s safe, then I’ll turn this rig around and get your girl’s car back to you, or shit, you can take one of mine and go on your way.”
Duke stared at Cosmo, clearly trying to gauge if he was serious. Yeah, he got it. There was something about a woman that made a man become something he didn’t think he’d be. Protective. Almost to the point they’d shoot their best friend to secure their woman’s safety. Cosmo may have just met Tai, but like King would for Ayesha, he’d shoot first and ask questions second if her life were at stake. Cosmo could relate in that moment. No, he knew for a fact King would shoot first, ask questions second if his woman’s life were at stake.
“I have to tell King what’s going on. Hold on,” he said, putting his hand on Cosmo’s before his friend could shift gears. “I’ll vouch for her.” By doing so, Duke would be the one responsible. If Tai, the unknown woman did anything wrong, it would be Duke who took the punishment.
