Worth the Pain (Royal Bastards MC Book 2)

by J. L. Leslie

  “Didn’t mean to upset you,” the blonde says, crawling onto the bed.

  For a split second, when I first saw her, she looked like Allie. Just like her. But she is not Allie. Allie has been gone for months. Disappeared without a damn trace. She was in rehab, but when Skylar and Jake got there to pick her up, she was gone.

  That revelation only made my obsession with finding the missing girls more important. If she’s one of them, I need to find her. If anything, I owe that to Wesley. He gave his life for our club. We’re supposed to protect his family. She was his family.

  “Don’t touch my shit again,” I warn.

  “What about this?” She trails her fingertips over my dick, making it jump at the sensation. “Or these?”

  She cups my balls and gently massages them. I let out a low groan and lean over to grab a condom, rolling it on. I’ve been lucky not to have any little bastards running around. Definitely don’t want that with this chick.

  “Sit on my dick, and don’t stop riding me until I say so,” I order.

  She happily obliges, straddling my waist and sinking down on me. I keep puffing on my joint, blowing the smoke in her face as she rides me. I watch her titties bounce and listen to her screams about how good I feel, how much she fucking loves it. Too bad this is a one-time thing.

  “Yes! Yes!” she yells, and I hear a knock on my door.

  “Come in!” The girl stops and covers her chest as if she’s suddenly modest. I smack her ass hard, eliciting a whimper. “Did I fucking tell you to stop?”

  I glance over at Munsey to see what the hell he wants. He shakes his head, smirking, unsure if he should watch or turn away.

  “You need something?” I ask, annoyed. “You can have her when I’m done.”

  “Pres needs us,” he says. “It’s about Allie.”

  I frown and shove the bitch off my lap. She flops on my bed, letting out a stream of profanities as I get dressed.

  “Get the fuck out.”

  I snatch her clothes up and toss them to her, then grab her arm and pull her off my bed, shoving her toward the door. She’s naked, but I don’t give a damn. She has to go. She steady yells obscenities at me as she walks down the hall, her clothes clutched to her chest.

  I head to the room where we have church once a week, more if we have an issue. When I open the door, my breath catches. I never thought I’d see her again, but here she is, with her blonde hair, sapphire eyes, and pouty lips, turning my world on its axis.

  Allie King.

  ALLIE

  Hunter walks in, his dirty blond hair mussed and his eyes bloodshot. He’s high as a damn kite. Yet, he still looks sexy as hell.

  I tell myself to get a grip. He’s a horrible person who treated me like shit. And he did that after giving me the best orgasm of my damn life. I hate him. I hate him so much.

  “Allie? Jesus Christ, girl, we’ve been worried about you,” Jake says, approaching and enclosing me in a brief hug. “Where the hell have you been?”

  “I go by Jane now,” I explain. “I’m sorry for leaving the way I did. I should’ve reached out. It was just better this way.”

  My gaze drifts to Hunter. He’s staring right at me. Dammit, it drives me crazy how Wes has his eyes. This deep, dark blue that looks like the sky on a stormy day.

  “Have you spoken to Skylar?”

  I shake my head. “Not yet. I’ll talk to her before I leave. I promise.”

  Two days ago, I woke up to an empty bed. Paul got called out to work occasionally, so I assumed that was the case. When I found his phone and vehicle still at home, it became increasingly clear he hadn’t gone to work.

  I considered calling the police, reporting him as missing, but growing up around the club, you didn’t go to the police when you had an issue — you take it to the club.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Hunter asks, leaning back in his chair, his tattooed arms crossed over his massive chest.

  Wow. The same thing he asked me after he had me bent over his bed. I don’t give him the satisfaction of an answer. I wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t need help. If I hadn’t woken up alone. No trace of Paul.

  All his things were left where he’d put them. His keys were on the kitchen counter. His phone still on the bedside table. Vehicle still in the driveway. But he was gone. Vanished.

  I searched around the neighborhood, thinking he might have gone for a walk and forgotten to tell me. Gotten called into work since his laptop was gone. But no. Nothing.

  I got my neighbor to sit with Wes, and I came to the only place I could get help.

  “All right, fuckheads,” Mason says, taking a seat at the head of the table. “Allie came to me needing assistance. Since she’s family, we’ll have a discussion and plan a course of action.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Go ahead and tell the guys what you told me.”

  It feels weird being in this room with them. Seeing how they all have their places at the table. Carson sits to the right of Mason, him being the vice president of the club. The treasurer, Seth, sits to his left. Everyone else is seated in order of rank. Munsey is in here, so I assume he got patched in while I was gone.

  “I woke up this morning, and my…um, my fiancé was gone.” My statement doesn’t seem to shock Hunter at all. In fact, it has absolutely no effect on him. Not sure why I expected it to. “His things were left, keys and cell phone, even his car. He sometimes gets called into work, but that didn’t happen. I haven’t heard from him and can’t find him. It’s not like Paul to do that.”

  I want to say it isn’t like him to leave me and Wes without an explanation, but I’m not ready to tell the club I have a son — not ready to tell Hunter he has a son. As far as I’m concerned, Paul is his dad. He’s the one who was there for my doctor’s appointments. And when I had an emergency C-section, he was the one who took us home.

  “What can you tell us about him?” Carson asks.

  “His name is Paul Crews. He’s a nurse at the rehab center I was in. He doesn’t have any enemies I’m aware of. It’s just not like him to leave and not tell me where he was going.”

  “Maybe he met someone else,” Hunter suggests.

  “Doubtful.”

  “Did he take anything? Anything at all?”

  “I can’t find his laptop.”

  “Okay,” Mason says. “You can head out, and we’ll discuss a game plan. We’ll help you find your fiancé. You have my word.”

  HUNTER

  I keep my face blank, masking my emotions as Allie — or Jane, as she’s calling herself now — says another thank you before walking out. Her fiancé is missing. Her fucking fiancé.

  Here I was thinking she was missing. That she’d been taken. Nope. She was just living a new life. Away from the club. Away from me.

  Can’t say I blame her. I’m an asshole. I know it. I own it. I treated her like shit. Her leaving was probably the best decision she’s ever made.

  “Allie resides over in Alabaster. She’s been living with this guy for a while. Said their relationship is solid,” Mason says.

  Solid? Not sure why, but I highly doubt that. Allie isn’t too broken up about him being gone. She wasn’t hysterical and upset, the way I’ve seen ol’ ladies behave when their man is in trouble. She was calm, collected. Didn’t seem bothered by it too much.

  “Any chance the guy took off?” Dash asks. “She may think their relationship is solid while he could have another family somewhere. That’s the shit my old man pulled.”

  “I’m not ruling out any possibilities, but she asked for help, and she’s family.”

  Don’t remind me. Reminding me of that only reminds me that I screwed up with her. That I never should’ve touched her. Then I took out my anger on her. Because of me, she relapsed after being sober for years.

  “I suggest we do a background check on the guy, see if there are any red flags,” Jake says. “Then we start asking around. If he didn’t up and leave, someone knows something.”<
br />
  Mason nods. “Sounds like a plan to me. I’ll reach out to the Souls of Satan. See if Dean knows anything.”

  I want to ask him not to do that. Not to make any contact with them. But he’s our president and does what he wants.

  When Skylar was taken, the Souls of Satan assisted us in finding her. In fact, they’re the ones who had her. The damn dude who’d taken her brought her straight to them. It was a shitty mix up and miscommunication, but they still didn’t let her walk freely. I had to make an agreement with Dean. One I haven’t regretted but one I don’t want them to cash in on any time soon.

  I owe them a favor. Their club. Their president. Whatever it is they want me to do, I have to do it.

  “Who’s going to be on protection for Allie?” Dash questions.

  “No one,” Mason answers.

  “What the fuck? She thinks her man is in some sort of trouble, and we’re not sending protection?” I ask, unable to hide my anger.

  Mason glares at me, giving me a silent warning. “Allie specifically asked that we do not provide her with protection. She refuses to be a burden to the club when we have a lot of shit going on. She also doesn’t want a bunch of tattooed bikers suddenly hanging around her quiet suburb.”

  Shit. My own words have come back to haunt me. She doesn’t want to be a burden — and that’s exactly what I told her she was. A fucking burden.

  But if she’s in trouble, it’s our job to help her. We can’t do that if she wants to keep us at bay. My gut tells me she’s hiding something, and I’m going to find out exactly what the hell that is.

  ALLIE

  I sip on the coke the new bartender gave me. It feels strange to be sitting on this side of the bar, getting served drinks instead of the one fixing them. She kind of favors me in some ways. Blonde hair, blue eyes, but that’s where the similarities end. She has large boobs and wears a ton of makeup. I’m barely a B-cup after having a kid.

  “Are you one of Mason’s girls?” she asks, propping her elbows on the bar, her tits on display.

  “No.”

  “Bishop?”

  I shake my head. “Nope. I’m no one’s girl.”

  “Honey, I know that feeling. These guys don’t give a shit about anyone, but damn if they can’t fuck. Especially the blonde one.”

  The club has one blonde member. One. Hunter Baker. Obviously, this girl has been making the rounds. The club has a lot of women who come around, do whatever they want. That’s club life.

  “Allie! Oh my God!” Skylar exclaims, rushing over to me. I slide off the barstool to give her a hug after she places the baby carrier down. “Jake said you were here, but I had to see it for myself.”

  She’s wearing scrubs, so I assume she’s still working with Doc in the clinic. She was also blessed with bigger boobs after having her kid. Can’t say I’m not a touch jealous about that.

  “I’m sorry I’ve stayed away.”

  “You did what you felt was the right thing.”

  “I should’ve called, though. Given you an explanation. There’s so much to tell you.”

  “I won’t argue with you on that…Jane. And engaged to top it off.”

  I laugh a little. “When I decided to leave, Paul thought it would be good to get a new identity — a fresh start. I’m officially Jane Falcone.”

  “Well, you’ll always be Allie King to me.”

  “Who is this sweet girl?” I ask, squatting down.

  Her baby is adorable. Freaking adorable. Dark hair like her parents, eyes wide as she sucks on her thumb and takes in her surroundings. I tickle her tummy, and she coos at me.

  “This is Maisy,” she replies. “You’ve missed out on so much.”

  I don’t know about missing out, but there are things I absolutely missed. This was my life for a long time — the only one I’ve ever known. It’s impossible for me not to miss things about it.

  There are also things I could go without feeling and experiencing ever again. Watching other women get the guy you’ve always wanted. Being treated like an outsider while still being called family. The anxiety of your family not being safe.

  I didn’t expect to go through that last one with Paul. To wonder where he is, if he’s safe. Damn, if Wes and I are safe.

  “Tell me about your life. What you’ve been up to,” Skylar says. “You look amazing.”

  “Clean. I look clean,” I reply with a laugh, walking with her over to one of the couches. “Well, not much to tell really. I did complete rehab and met Paul there. He works at the center, and he was a nice change of pace from being here with the club. Like Jake told you, we live together and are engaged.”

  “And here I thought one day my brother would pull his head out of his ass and lay claim to you.”

  “Definitely not going to happen.”

  “I’m happy for you,” she says, and I notice her eyes water up. “We thought something happened to you. Thought you were in some kind of trouble. We searched for you. Hunter searched for you. You just disappeared.”

  “I didn’t know how else to leave this world behind. I was afraid…I was afraid if I didn’t make a clean break from it, I would get sucked back in and relapse.”

  “We could’ve helped you.”

  “The club was the reason I was like that,” I say, not specifically naming Hunter.

  “You’re blaming the club?”

  “If I had left this life a long time ago, I wouldn’t have relapsed.”

  “You know what? I thought I could sit here with you and pick up right where we left off, but you hurt me, Allie. We were friends. You could’ve confided in me.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry.”

  I want to tell her everything. About Hunter and me. About Wes. But if I tell her, I may as well be telling Hunter. And I don’t want that. Don’t want anything to do with him.

  “I hope you stick around. I’ve missed my friend.”

  I give her a slight smile and let her know I’ve missed her too. What I don’t tell her is I’m not sticking around. No way in hell.

  HUNTER

  When church is over, I go straight to the bar. The slut I fucked earlier is serving today. She flashes me a smile when I tap the counter to get her attention.

  “Give me a beer.”

  She does as she’s told, then arches an eyebrow as if she expects more. I turn around and walk off.

  Skylar is sitting on the couch, Allie by her side. My niece is playing on a blanket spread out on the floor, her tiny feet kicking about. I take a long swig of my beer and, against my better judgment, put it down and head over to them.

  I lean down and pick up Maisy, snuggling my niece in my arms and smiling down at her as she reaches up to touch my face. I kiss the tips of her fingers, then look over to Skylar and Allie.

  Allie gazes at me, this look of longing on her face. I recognize that look because it was written all over her face the one and only night we were together. She quickly masks it, tearing her eyes away.

  “I think the prick smartened up and left town,” I say bluntly.

  I do not sugarcoat things. Ever. Something is not right with the situation, and I’m going to speak my mind on it.

  “Really, Hunter?” Skylar replies, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

  “Yep. Think he’s hiding something from you, and he bailed,” I say to Allie. “How well do you even know the guy?”

  Damn. I sound jealous. She’s not mine, and I don’t want her to be. Don’t want anyone.

  “I know him very well,” Allie answers, emphasizing the word. “He is my fiancé, you know.”

  “I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now,” Skylar says, placing a hand on Allie’s shoulder in comfort.

  “Are you serious? She doesn’t give a damn about this guy or she would be hysterical.”

  Allie’s eyes go wide. “People handle things differently, Hunter. I don’t need to run around like a whiny bitch because my man is missing. I took action, and I’m going to find him. I’m going to
get him back home.”

  “You aren’t going to do shit.”

  Skylar stands up, shaking her head. “Enough. Give me Maisy. We’re going home. Tell Jake I’ll see him later.”

  “I’m not telling him a motherfucking thing.”

  She clutches Maisy against her chest and gives me a hard shove. “Watch your mouth!”

  Leaning over, I give Maisy a kiss on the top of her head, but I don’t apologize. She’s growing up with the club — something I never wanted for my sister — she’s bound to hear profanity. “Fuck” will probably be her first word.

  “I’ll walk out with you,” Allie says, rising from the couch. “I need to get out of here.”

  “Bye, Jane,” I call out, and she gives me the finger.

  I watch them walk out and go grab my beer. I can’t describe what I’m feeling at seeing her again. At knowing she was okay the whole time but steering clear of the club. Possibly steering clear of me.

  I do know I can’t have her. And I know exactly how to get her out of my head. At least temporarily. I call to the blonde, and she eagerly leans over the bar.

  “Yeah?”

  “I have an itch I need scratched.”

  And just like that, she follows me to my room.

  ALLIE

  I look through the peephole and mumble a curse. I should’ve known better than to ask the club not to send protection. Dammit. I ease the door open, and Hunter pushes it all the way, stepping inside.

  “I didn’t say you could come inside.”

  “I didn’t ask.”

  “You need to go. Right now.”

  He ignores me and takes a look around, his eyes surveying the open layout of the living room and kitchen. He walks over to the stack of mail on the desk and starts going through it.

  “I’m serious, Hunter. You need to go. I’ve already searched everything.”