We all felt that way. Killing him a hundred times wouldn’t be enough justice for what he had done to Memphis.
A week had passed since we killed Jester and his fucked up crew, but my blood still boiled at the thought of what he had done to Memphis and Billie Jean.
Yesterday, Raelyn and I drove Billie Jean to the airport to start her new life. The whole way there, Raelyn had tried to convince her to stay and be a police officer in Sacramento. Finally, Billie Jean had blown up at her and said she couldn’t live there anymore. She couldn’t live in the city that had almost destroyed her. Billie Jean was going through some emotional shit, and the only way she was going to get over it was to leave the place it had happened. Raelyn finally gave up trying to convince her to stay and decided to take on the supportive sister role. At least that was until Billie Jean was through security and Raelyn broke down.
She sobbed uncontrollably the whole way home, and she finally cried herself to sleep mumbling about roller coasters and wanting off the damn thing.
Billie Jean was going to be okay. I knew it was going to be hard, but she was tough.
Memphis, on the other hand, had the whole club worried.
“She doesn’t want to come out of her room. All she does is sleep.” Six-Gun sighed. “I have to force her to eat every day.”
Six-Gun had taken it upon himself to personally take care of Memphis. Raelyn had tried to step in, but he had told her he could handle it.
“We’ll take it one day at a time with her. No one knows what she went through besides her.” Barracuda sighed heavily.
Raelyn had talked to Billie Jean to see if she knew anything, but she didn’t. While Jester stuck to beating the hell out of Billie Jean because he hated her for being a rat, he always took Memphis upstairs. Billie Jean said she could hear her scream and cry the whole time, but she couldn’t say exactly what happened to her.
“Give her space but keep close,” Monk suggested. “If and when she needs something, we’ll be there for her.”
The Royal Bastards were just that, bastards, but when it came down to it, we all had basic morals.
Hurt only those who deserve it.
Protect those who can’t protect themselves.
Memphis was under the protection of the Royal Bastards, and nothing was ever going to touch her again.
*
Chapter Twenty
Raelyn
Leona!
“You were right?”
“Huh?” I asked Leona. It was Saturday afternoon, and Leona and I had pulled two chairs out into the parking lot of the clubhouse and were trying to get some sun. I had knocked on Memphis’s door to see if she wanted to come out too, but she hadn’t answered.
Leona and I were trying to be there for her but also give her space. I couldn’t imagine what she had been through and what she was feeling and thinking now.
Before Billie Jean left yesterday, I had asked her for advice because I knew she was going through sort of the same thing and she had told me to just listen to Memphis. Be there when she wanted us and let her be alone when she needed it.
It was going to be a long road for Memphis, but I believed she would be okay if she let me and Leona in.
“You were right about Barracuda.”
“Remind me what I was right about?” I laughed.
Leona reached over and smacked my arm. “About it being more than just fun.”
Oh. That. “Are you thinking of keeping a biker dude of your own?”
She glanced at me. “It seems to be working well for you so far.”
It was. When I sat back and actually thought about it, it was crazy that Playboy and I had only known each other for a little over two weeks. It felt like a lifetime.
The good thing about meeting someone and instantly falling for them was you still had a lifetime to spend with them. Also jam packing your short time together with a lot of craziness and ups and downs made you get to know each other pretty damn fast.
“I plan on keeping mine.”
Leona laughed. “Well, make sure you keep the receipt. I’m sure there’s free returns before ninety days.”
“You’re crazy, Leona,” I laughed.
“That’s why you need to keep me around, doll. I keep things interesting.” She winked and pulled her sunglasses over her eyes. “Now I need to convince Barracuda to keep me around.”
“Well, I think you’re doing a good job so far.”
“Raelyn!”
I turned at Playboy’s voice.
“Done with your biker meeting?” I called.
“What are you do—”
A loud engine roared down the road, and I couldn’t hear him.
I stood up to walk over to him, and gunfire exploded all around me. I dropped to the ground and covered my head with my arms. “Leona!” I shouted.
I heard a scream rip from her lips, but I couldn’t see her.
The gunfire stopped, and the world was silent. My ears rang, and my eyes stung from dust when I fell to the gravel.
“Raelyn!” The world shifted beneath me, and then, I was in Playboy’s arms. His hand ran over me frantically , and I tried to see him through the haze.
“Leona,” I sputtered. “Where is Leona?” I knocked his hands away and tried to twist around to where Leona had been.
Barracuda barreled past us, and he fell to his knees. “Call an ambulance!” he shouted.
“Let me go!” I screamed at Playboy. “Let me go!”
His arms tightened around me, and he didn’t let me down. He moved in the direction of the clubhouse and away from Leona.
I struggled and fought to get out of his arms. “Put me the fuck down!” I twisted in his arms and couldn’t see Leona. Monk and Mace rushed by us and hit the ground next to Barracuda.
“Get her in the clubhouse!” Someone shouted.
I heard Monk shout into his phone that they needed an ambulance, and then, Playboy stepped into the clubhouse.
“We can’t leave her out there!” I shouted at Playboy.
“She’s not alone,” Playboy reasoned.
He set me on the couch, and I catapulted up. “What the hell are we doing in here?” I yelled.
Playboy caught me around the waist and held me tight. “Just stay the hell in here, Raelyn. It’s not safe out there.”
“And that’s why we need to get Leona the hell in here!” I got that Playboy was worried about me and wanted to make sure I was safe, but he needed to do the same for Leona.
Mace ran into the clubhouse. His shirt was covered in blood and so were his hands.
“What?’ I gasped.
“Shh,” Playboy whispered. “Just stay in here, Rae.”
My world tilted when Mace ran back outside with a huge first-aid kit. There was so much blood that he left a handprint on the door and there were droplets on the floor.
“Leona,” I wailed. I fought against Playboy’s hold. “Let me go!” I scratched his arms and managed to break free. I darted out the front door, my hand touching the blood Mace had left there.
“Raelyn!” Playboy called after me.
I had to get to Leona. I had to make sure she was okay. She was my best friend. She was my only friend.
My sandal caught on the frame of the door, and I fell. The gravel cut into my bare knees, but I didn’t feel it.