“Just a touch,” I laughed. I cranked the bike up, walked it back, and pulled out of the driveway.
We were at the clubhouse ten minutes later, and Raelyn clamored to get off the bike. I grabbed her hand before she ran in guns blazing.
“Playboy,” she protested. “Would you let me go?”
I wrapped her in my arms and pulled her close. “Gotta talk to you for a second, pretty girl.”
She growled and bared her teeth.
“Walking through that door is a whole different world, you get me? You can’t talk to Barracuda like you are to me.” She was pushing her luck with me, but I cared about Raelyn. I understood she was feeling a lot of shit right now.
Barracuda was not going to be as understanding.
“We have to get to Billie Jean,” she insisted.
“And we will,” I reassured her. “But you gotta understand that when we walk through that door, Barracuda is calling the shots and you might not be a part of everything.”
“What are you talking about? She’s my sister. Of course I’ll be a part of everything.”
Jesus. Raelyn was not going to like what I had to say. “We walk in there, and Barracuda calls church. Your ass is not going to be able to sit with me.”
“That’s crazy, Playboy. She called me. She talked to me.”
“You’re right, pretty girl, but you need the Royal Bastards and you’re not part of the club. You’ve been lucky to hear things that most people never would. That night at the club when Barracuda sat around with you and Leona? That shit rarely ever happens. I know you think it’s all talk, but I mean it when I say walking through those doors is a different world from the one you live in.”
“I need to know what is happening, Playboy. She’s my sister,” Raelyn pleaded.
I ran my fingers through my hair. “The men your sister is roped into are not good, Raelyn. They don’t think twice before killing someone.”
The Royal Bastards were the same. That was the reason why Billie Jean had told Raelyn to get us. She understood the type of world she was in and knew the only way out was to bring in the Bastards.
“You’re scaring me, Playboy.” Her eyes were large, and she bit her bottom lip.
Good. That was going to be the thing for her to slow her roll and let the Royal Bastards handle things. “Take my lead on this, Raelyn. You’re gonna have to trust me and believe that I’m going to do everything I can get to get Billie Jean, okay?”
She sighed and nodded. “Fine. But I don’t like the fact you’re gonna boot me from the room because I’m not part of the club.”
“Ask any MC, pretty girl, and they’ll laugh in your face if you ask them to sit in on church.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. This is going to be the only time where I’m gonna be involved in stuff like this. You get Billie Jean back, and I’m gonna make her sit her ass home to knit scarves and baby booties.”
I didn’t know Billie Jean as well as Raelyn did but I knew for damn sure that she would never in a million years sit around knitting.
“You’re dreaming, pretty girl.”
She rolled her eyes again. The sass was damn strong with her today. “You think we can go inside now so you and your badass friends can save my sister?”
“That’s the plan.” I pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “And try to keep a cap on the sass,” I whispered against her lips. I threaded my fingers through hers and pulled her toward the clubhouse.
“This place looks a hell of a lot different in the sunlight,” she muttered.
The clubhouse really wasn’t much to look at. A large brick building that didn’t reveal what was inside. The row of motorcycles out front hinted about what it was, but other than a small sign with the club’s patch next to the door, there wasn’t anything else.
“You want a huge light up arrow pointing at the door announcing what it is?” I laughed. “Be glad it’s semi clean and doesn’t smell like ass.”
Raelyn wrinkled her nose. “I suppose you’re right. I can only imagine how many guys call this place home.”
“About half. Some of the guys have their own places.”
“Do you?”
I shook my head and pulled open the door. “Nope. The club is my life. Everything I need is right here.”
“Is that so?’ she muttered.
“You’re here right now so I can say that.”
“Smooth,” she whispered and patted my chest. “Next you’re gonna tell me you were a celibate saint before you met me.”
“Uh, well, I would try to lie but the name kind of gives away my past.” The door closed behind us. All of the guys were scattered around the common room.
“As long as that stays in your past, I’ll be fine.”
“That’s all in the past, pretty girl.”
“Keep it that way.”
“Raelyn!”
Great. Leona was still here. How she had managed to get Barracuda in her grasp was beyond me.
She pulled Raelyn away from me and folded her into a huge hug. “I can’t believe she actually called you,” she yelled.
It was way too early for this. I managed to grab the thermos of coffee from Raelyn and headed to the bar. I was going to need a little bit of something extra in my coffee.
Jet, Monk, and Barracuda sat at the bar each with cups of steaming coffee in front of them.
“You need a little something extra in there?” Monk asked me. He grabbed a bottle of bourbon and set it on the bar.
“Read my mind.” I pulled the cork and poured a healthy glug into the thermos. I took a sip and winced. “Now that’ll put some hair on your chest.”
I leaned against the bar and watched Leona fuss over Raelyn.
“Still can’t believe you’re bedding her and she doesn’t talk your ear off.”
Barracuda grunted. “I have my ways of silencing her.”
We watched Leona and Raelyn for a couple of minutes before Barracuda bellowed, “Church!”
Hell. Raelyn was not going to be happy. She wasn’t going to be able to hear anything.
The guys filed down the hallway, and I lingered behind.
“Playboy,” Raelyn whined. “Are you sure you can’t sneak me in or something?”
I shook my head. “It’s better this way, pretty girl. You don’t need to worry about anything. We’ll figure out how to get Billie Jean back, and you can just hang out with Leona.”
Leona snapped her gum and smiled. “I know where they hide the good booze, babe. Stick with me. It’ll be a hell of a lot more fun than stodgy church.”
Raelyn wrinkled her nose. “You do know that it’s not an actual church, right?”
Leona flitted her hand. “Don’t really care what it is. Sounds boring.” She flopped down on the couch and grabbed the remote.
“Just hang out here, and I’ll be out as soon as I can.”
Raelyn huffed, but she didn't protest anymore. She leaned up on her tiptoes and popped a kiss to my lips. “I trust you, Playboy. Just bring my sister home and make sure you come back with her.”
I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. “I’ll always come back to you, pretty girl.” I pressed one last kiss against her lips.