Animal (Royal Bastards MC 1)

“Fuck. He’s not a kid, he’s an animal,” someone rumbles, and then they all chant, “Animal! Animal! Animal!”

Twelve

Drew

An hour earlier…

The police are all over the house and lawn by the time I get home. They won’t let me pass at first, until my aunt begins shouting for me. I don’t want to see what they did to him, but I can’t look away from the white sheet placed over his body.

Thud.

“They killed him,” she cries. “Dumped him on my lawn.”

Shit, is that all she cares about—the inconvenience of where they disposed of his body? “Do you think they’ll be coming for you—me?” she wails.

“No. Calm down. You’re safe.” I don’t know if that’s entirely true. I do know if they wanted her, they’d already have her.

“Ma’am, we need you to go inside so we can ask you a few questions,” an officer tells my aunt.

“What’s going to happen?” I ask him, tears bleeding from my eyes.

“I’m sorry. I can’t tell you anything right now.”

Racing inside, I pull a backpack from under the bed and stuff in the few pieces of clothing I have here.

“What are you doing?” she asks, her red-rimmed eyes matching mine.

“I’m leaving and never coming back,” I tell her honestly.

“Where will you go? Back to those criminal, murdering thugs?” If she didn’t have such an ugly personality, she would be an attractive woman. A decade younger than my dad and bitter as all hell, it kept men away. Her selfishness kept friends away. Her lack of empathy and love will keep me—the only family she has left—away.

“No.” My soul aches. How will I survive this life without Alec? Visions of his cut, the club colors, and the absence of the prospect patch overcome me. It takes proving your loyalty to the club to earn your patch. More tears burn my eyes.

“I think it’s best you’re leaving. They’ll come here looking for you if you don’t, and I’ve suffered enough.”

Snatching up my bag, I hook it over my shoulder. “Good riddance to them and you.”

“That’s not fair.” She gasps in horror. Forever the drama queen.

“What’s not fair is both my mother and father being murdered and all my aunt gives a shit about is her fucking lawn. Now, give me the key to his safe deposit box.” Her eyes expand. She didn’t think I’d know he kept one for this very scenario.

“I don’t have it on me. He makes me keep it in its own deposit box. He planned to have it all changed into your name once you turned eighteen, but it was all too late by then.” She jerks her head, placing her hands on her hips.

“Ma’am?” a police officer calls out.

“Meet me in town tomorrow at noon to get the key,” I tell her.

“Fine,” she scoffs.

As I move through the house, I see Heidi outside talking to one of the police officers. “Oh, there!” She begins bouncing on her toes, pointing to me. I gesture to the side of the house away from the mayhem, and he waves for her to come to me.

“Oh God, Drew, they wouldn’t let me through.”

“It’s a crime scene,” I deadpan.

“What happened?” She feigns concern.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I grind out. She’s never once just swung by here, so her showing up is suspicious.

“Alec is up the street. He asked me to come here.”

My heart drops, and my breathing accelerates. “Please don’t tell him you saw me,” I plead.

“What, why? What’s going on?” She keeps picking her feet up, her stupid heels sinking into the mud.

“Heidi, please just tell him I left and I’m not coming back.”

She stares at me, a crease in her perfectly plucked brow. “Okay. Whatever gets me out of this freak show.” She turns to leave, but I reach out for her arm.

“I could use a place to crash tonight.” I shrug.

“My condo?” She looks like her head is about to combust. When I don’t say anything, she huffs. “Fine. Wait here. When Alec leaves, I’ll meet you a couple houses down.”

Heidi’s place is like a Barbie dream house: fluffy pillows, rugs everywhere, glitter, sparkle. “I can sense the judgment.” She narrows her pretty eyes on me. Holding up my hands, I slip off my backpack and dust my fingers over the stationary littering her table.

“Can I use some of this?”

“You going to write a suicide note?”

What the fuck? “No. What the hell?”

She smirks, kicking off her heels. “Just checking. I don’t want to find you in my bathtub later.”

What an insensitive bitch. “Suicide’s not a fucking joke, Heidi.”

Rolling her eyes, she slings her purse down and pulls out her cellphone as it pings, making her smile. “Looks like Alec is already getting lonely.” She smirks, sauntering off to her room, and I have to fight the urge to grab a kitchen knife and follow her. Instead, I sit and write.