by K. L. Ramsey
“Don’t thank me yet, Bowie,” Savage insisted. “As a prospect of Savage Hell, I’ll own your ass.” Dallas broke out into fits of giggles between the two of them.
“What’s so funny, Baby?” Bowie asked.
“Um, I think he already owns your ass, Bowie,” Dallas teased. Bowie looked at Savage who was trying and failing to hide his smile.
“Well, she’s not wrong,” Savage growled.
“No, she’s not,” Bowie said. Yeah, he was one lucky son-of-a-bitch.
DALLAS
Three Months Later
Dallas sat in Savage’s office, waiting for the guys to get home. They were driving back from their quick trip to Texas to help Bowie’s parents move into their new condo. He had spent the last few months convincing his mom to give up her beloved home and his dad was relieved that they were finally going to be able to slow down.
She was supposed to go with them, but when she woke up sick again the day before, she backed out of their trip. Dallas had been battling the stomach virus for a couple of weeks now and her biggest fear was Greer or Chloe catching it from her. The guys had picked up the slack around the house, giving her extra time to rest and recuperate, but she was starting to think that she wasn’t contagious. If her hunch was correct, she had something else to worry about and telling the guys might be the worst of it. Dallas had been sick like this one other time in her life when she was pregnant with Greer. She worried that telling the guys that she was pregnant again might be harder than losing her breakfast every morning.
Savage had called to check in on her about an hour ago and told her that they’d be home soon. Dallas called the girls’ sitter and had her come out to the house and ran down to the bar. She texted them both to meet her there and told Whisky to send them back to the office once they got in. She liked the new guy and was hoping he’d stick around. She saw something in him that reminded her a lot of herself. Dallas was hoping that sooner or later he’d open up and let one of them in, but so far that hadn’t happened. He kept to himself and held onto his privacy like it was all he had left.
Savage peeked into his office and she swiveled around in his big chair. “Hey,” Dallas whispered. She cleared her throat and stood, stretching from sitting in one position for so long. Savage let his eyes roam her body and she giggled.
“Well, that was a nice welcome,” Savage teased. Bowie walked into the small office, crowding into the room next to Savage.
“Hey Baby, what did I miss?” he asked. Savage dropped his duffel bag and pulled Dallas against his body.
“Dallas was just reminding me how much I missed her.” Savage kissed her and Dallas didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around his neck, to pull him down for more. She could feel the heat coming from Bowie’s body as he crowded up behind her.
“My turn, Honey,” he demanded. Savage turned her in his arms, pressing her back to his front, letting her feel his erection against her ass.
“Kiss our guy, Baby,” Savage ordered. “Show him how much you missed him.” Dallas loved the way Savage seemed to need to take charge of them both. She knew he was bossy, but the three of them together seemed to ramp up his need for control. Bowie kissed and licked his way into her mouth, doing exactly as Savage ordered.
“She tastes so fucking good,” Bowie growled.
Savage hummed his approval, “It’s so hot watching the two of you together,” he said.
“I like watching you both, too,” Dallas admitted. It never got old seeing Bowie and Savage kissing. When Savage pushed her and Bowie together, she wasn’t sure how the three of them would work. Dallas worried that she would be jealous of seeing Savage with anyone else—man or woman. But, she never felt that way. She had fallen in love with them both and now, she couldn’t imagine her life any differently. Telling the guys that they were going to be daddies again shouldn’t worry her. She knew she was being silly especially with the way they seemed to divvy up being fathers to the girls.
Dallas was in awe of just how accepting Chloe had been of Bowie. She had even started calling him “Daddy” and Dallas could tell that every time Bowie heard her say his name, he melted just a little more. That little girl had them both wrapped around her finger and Dallas couldn’t fault the guys. She was a special little girl and Dallas hoped that someday Chloe would even consider her to be a mother figure for her. She had slipped up a couple of times and called her “Mommy” but then she’d quickly corrected herself. Dallas hoped that one day Chloe would let her be that for her, but she’d be patient and let that happen on Chloe’s terms.
“So,” Savage said, interrupting her thoughts, “why did you want to meet us here?” he questioned.
“Um, I wanted to talk to you both and I didn’t want to do it back at the house. Little ears and all,” she teased.
“Yeah, our girls do make it hard to have an adult conversation,” Bowie agreed. “Is that what we’re having here, Honey?” Bowie kissed his way down her neck and she could feel her heart racing, sure he’d be able to feel her pulse in her neck.
“Well, it is an adult conversation,” she stuttered, trying to keep up with both her guys, but when they were touching and kissing her like this it was always a challenge.
“Thank fuck,” Savage growled against her skin. “How about we get to the part where we do adult things to you too, Baby?”
Dallas pushed at their big bodies as if that would do her any good. “Guys,” she chided. “I can’t think straight when you do this to me.”
“Okay, how about you let us do all the thinking,” Bowie teased.
“This is important,” she reprimanded.
“I like it when you get all testy, Honey,” Savage said. “It makes me hot when you reprimand us.”
“Savage,” she squeaked when he reached around her body to grab a handful of her ass. “I’m pregnant,” she shouted. Both guys immediately stopped pawing and kissing her and the look on both of their faces was almost comical.
“What?” Bowie asked. “Pregnant?”
“Um, yeah,” Dallas said. “As in, I’m going to have a baby.”
“Our baby?” Savage asked, pointing between both him and Bowie.
“Well, I’m not sure who else you think I’ve been sleeping with, Savage,” she teased. “Please believe I didn’t plan this. Hell, I don’t seem to be very good with the whole planned pregnancy thing. I think a surprise baby is more my thing.” Dallas knew she was rambling, but that’s what she did when she was nervous and for some crazy reason, she was nervous about telling the guys she was going to have a baby.
“Are you sure?” Savage asked. “I mean, did you take a test?” She was going to wait for them to get home, but Dallas gave up the fight and about thirty minutes ago, she took a pregnancy test. She was just too much of a chicken to go back into the bathroom to look at the results.
“Yes,” she said. “It’s in your bathroom.” She pointed to the door behind her. “I didn’t have the guts to check the results for myself. But, I’m having all the same symptoms that I had with Greer. I ignored them for as long as humanly possible, but it’s time to face facts—I think I’m pregnant again.”
“Okay,” Bowie soothed. “How about we go in and check the test out together. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.”
“I, for one, am happy you’re pregnant,” Savage said. “Are you happy about the baby, Honey?” Dallas wasn’t sure how she felt about a new baby. She was just starting to adjust to it being the five of them. Sure, she’d love the new baby, but was she happy about him or her?
“Yes,” she whispered. “I think that I am happy about this baby. I love Greer and Chloe so much. I know we’re all so new to each other still, but this just feels like the next step.”
“I agree,” Bowie said. “If that test is positive, I’ll be thrilled and if it’s not, I say we start trying to make one anyway.” Dallas smiled and nodded.
“So, we’re doing this then? Having a baby?” Savage asked.
She nodded, “One way or
another,” Dallas agreed.
“Wait here,” Bowie ordered and disappeared into Savage’s private bathroom. He returned seconds later holding up the pregnancy test, wearing a triumphant grin.
“Well, it looks like we’re having a baby,” he said. Dallas covered her mouth, trying to hide the sob that escaped.
“Hey,” Savage soothed. “This is a good thing, remember?”
“It is,” she agreed. Dallas wiped at her hot tears that spilled down her face. “These are happy tears.” She wasn’t sure how she had gotten so lucky with her guys, but she knew not to question fate. Somehow, someway, the universe had thrown the three of them together and Dallas wasn’t sure how she had ever coped without her guys. They were her Royal Bastards and she was their queen—now and forever.
EPILOGUE
SAVAGE
Savage sat in the holding cell, waiting for the officers to bring Cillian in to see him. He knew his old friend would call him for help sooner or later. Cillian James was the one he failed and Savage lived with that disappointment in himself every damn day. Savage was good friends with Cillian’s dad and had been since they arrived from Ireland, when Cillian was just a kid. He promised to keep an eye on him after his parents went back to Ireland and Cillian stayed in the U.S., but somewhere along the line, Savage failed him.
When Cillian tried to join Savage’s MC, he refused him. Patching in the kid would have been the wrong call. He didn’t belong in that group of military misfits and one-percenters who made up his motley crew. To Savage, they were family but to Cillian, they would mean the end of what he wanted—a chance at a normal life. So, he told the kid that he didn’t want him and even made up some excuse about him being too hot-tempered for their club, just to throw him off the scent. It had the opposite effect though and Cillian became even more determined to find his way in. Even if that meant joining Savage Hell’s rival club—the Dragons. They were bad news and before Savage could step in and save Cillian, he had stolen a car to try to prove his worth to the Dragons. The problem was—they didn’t really want Cillian and when it came down to it, they let him rot in prison over a gang prank that went wrong.
Their leader thought it would be funny to set Cillian up to take the fall for grand theft auto and he took the bait and was now serving his time for the crime he committed. It pissed Savage off knowing that he could have prevented all of Cillian’s problems if he had just let him into Savage Hell. But, it was too late to go back and change all of that. All Savage could do now was help his friend and he was hoping that was why he was summoned to the prison so early on a Monday morning.
The steel door creaked open and Cillian walked in wearing handcuffs and a smile. The officer instructed them that they were not allowed any physical contact, they only had ten minutes for their visit, and asked Savage if he wanted Cillian’s cuffs on or off.
“Off,” Savage growled. As soon as the handcuffs were off, Cillian sat down on the other side of the table from Savage and nodded.
“Thanks for coming, man,” Cillian said.
“No problem, Cillian. It’s been a damn long time,” Savage said. “I’ve been here a few times, but you refused to see me—what was up with that, man?”
Cillian chuckled and Savage sat back to cross his arms over his chest, finding the whole thing less funny than his friend.
“You haven’t changed a bit,” Cillian said and Savage just shrugged. “It’s been a long time since I heard anyone call me by my real name. I was starting to forget who I was in here.”
“Yeah, I heard about all of that,” Savage said. “You got into some trouble. I heard you killed a man.” Cillian eyed the guard who stood in the corner of the room, watching and listening to every word they were saying.
“Nope,” he said. “But, I got the credit in the yard for it and that’s how I got my nickname—Kill.” Cillian flashed Savage a grin and he shook his head.
“It doesn’t suit you,” Savage growled. “I think I’ll stick with your real name, Cillian.” His friend didn’t seem at all put off by him refusing to use his new nickname, even shrugging it off.
“Suit yourself,” he said, his Irish accent sounded in full. Savage didn’t realize just how much he had missed his friend until just now.
“It’s good to see you,” Savage whispered. “So much has happened since you’ve been in here.”
“Yeah well, ten years is a damn long time. And, I’m sorry about turning you away when you came to visit but I just couldn’t see you. Knowing you were here for me was enough but seeing you would have pained me. I would have longed for a life that I could never have.” Cillian’s expression was bitter and Savage realized that the boy he used to know wasn’t sitting across the table from him. Cillian had become the man that prison had made him. He truly was ‘Kill’ now but Savage refused to believe he couldn’t have the life he wanted, once he got out of that awful place.
“Why am I here now?” Savage asked, cutting straight to the chase. The guard was watching the clock and he knew that their ten minutes were just about up. It was time to find out why Cillian wanted to see him now after so much time had passed.
“I’m getting out,” Cillian breathed.
“That’s great, man,” Savage said. “When?”
“Probably sometime next week. The date hasn’t been set yet but my lawyer said it’s a done deal. I need an advocate on the outside,” Cillian all but whispered. “I was hoping it would be you.”
“Of course, anything you need, man,” Savage offered and he meant it too.
“I can’t be around any felons, as part of my parole conditions,” Cillian said. Savage nodded his understanding.
“So, no Savage Hell party at the clubhouse to welcome you home then?” Cillian smiled.
“No,” he agreed. “I really appreciate the club taking me under its wing after I did what I did with the Dragons. Savage Hell and you have had my back through all of this, but I can’t be around most of the guys while I’m on parole.”
Savage laughed, “Yeah, they aren’t really the upstanding citizens your parole officer will want you hanging around with, I’m afraid,” he said. “But, you have my help—whatever you need.”
“Can you pick me up and help me find a place to live and maybe a job, once I get sprung?” Cillian asked. He fidgeted with his own hands on the metal desk and for just a minute, Savage caught a glimpse of the shy boy who came from Ireland and didn’t quite fit in anywhere.
“Of course,” Savage said. “Consider it done.”
“How’s the family? I got your letters about Bowie and Dallas—I’m so happy for you, man,” Cillian said. Savage wasn’t sure if he believed him or not. He could hear the undertones of sadness in Cillian’s voice.
“You’ll get there too, Cillian. Someday—”
“Don’t,” Cillian barked. “Don’t give me hope for someday, Savage. It hurts too much to think about not having that happiness in my life—a wife, kids—a family. It’s not for me now so don’t feed me some bullshit about someday,” he growled. Savage nodded, knowing that now wasn’t the time to argue with his friend. Not when their precious time was ticking down to mere seconds.
“That’s time,” the guard called. “Let’s go, Kill.” Cillian stood as ordered and nodded to Savage.
“I’ll be here when you get out, Cillian,” Savage promised.
“Thanks, man,” Cillian said. The guard put the cuffs back on him and he turned to leave the room. “I knew I could count on you, Savage.”
CILLIAN
Kill had been counting down the days to his release and what was promised to be only one week away, ended up being two. When the day finally arrived for him to be released, Savage was waiting for him just outside the prison gates as promised. He was the one guy Kill could count on and he had to admit that it felt damn good to have someone on his side for a change.
During his exit interview with his parole officer, he was quickly reminded about the fact that most inmates end up right back in prison after they we
re let out. Kill didn’t want to believe he could so easily end up as a statistic, but it was his biggest fear.
“Hey, man,” Savage said, pulling him in for a quick hug. “You look good.”
“Yeah, thanks for sending in some clothes for me. The ones they had of mine, from ten years ago, weren’t exactly going to fit.” Savage looked him up and down as if sizing him up. He was just a kid when he went to prison for grand theft auto—just twenty-three. It seemed like a lifetime ago.
“No,” Savage said. “I guess they wouldn’t. You have filled out in the last ten years.”
Kill laughed, “Yep. Not much else to do in prison besides lift and workout.”
“Well, I have a few bags of clothes in the trunk. Nothing fancy, just some stuff the guys got together and my girl loves to shop. Dallas had a field day picking you up some clothes. She even guessed your size and got you a suit, you know—for job interviews and stuff.”
“I appreciate it, Savage. I’ll find a way to pay you back,” Kill promised.
Savage pointed his finger at Kill. “No, you won’t. We’re family and family takes care of each other,” he said. “Now, get in. We need to get this apartment hunting underway. Until we can find you something, you’ll be staying with me and my family. I’ve already given your parole officer my address and cell number.” Savage got into the cab of his black pick- up and Kill slid into the passenger seat. He handed Kill a cell phone and he turned it over in his hand. He had never really had his own cell phone and wasn’t sure how to work the new ones. He only ever used the ones that flipped open but this one didn’t have that feature.
“Push the side button and it turns on. It’s charged and I’ve added you to my family plan,” Savage said.
