Animal (Royal Bastards MC 1)

“You ready?” he asks me, pulling me away from the others. “This is an easy job that’s going lead to a hefty fucking paycheck for us all. I want everyone on their game.” He pats my shoulder.

“A-fucking-men to that.”

When we get outside, Kai and Halo are waiting. Halo is a newly patched in brother. Got the name because he was almost killed by a rival gang. While torturing him, they tried to scalp him, leaving him with a white, circular scar through his black skin, stretching the full width around his forehead. Poor bastard. He’s tough as all hell and loyal. I like knowing he has my back.

“We’re not leaving these idiots?” I ask when the three prospects follow us out.

“Stealer, you ride with us.” Jimmy nods. “You two, go clean something,” he adds, looking at Hog and Glen.

“What does he want us to clean?” Hog grumbles.

“I’m going to clean out my pipes inside your sister,” Glen retorts.

I chuckle as I mount my bike. Glen is an ugly bastard. No one’s sister will fuck him.

We ride out, Jimmy taking lead, followed by me, Kai, Halo, and the prospect taking up the back.

A lot has changed in six years. I spent six months in a state of disbelief and agony, going between the two like a fucking ping-pong ball, until I reached acceptance and put everything into my duty as a brother of the Royal Bastards MC.

I always knew this was my path. I was born for this, and I liked it. My heart hardened, making it easier to become a ruthless motherfucker. My road name, Animal, was earned through blood in the ring and brutality wherever the fuck it was needed. The Alec Drew knew was snuffed out the moment she left me. Six years, and I’m still fucking bitter. Bitch is inside me, under the skin and she ain’t ever leaving.

We pull into a parking lot near the house we’ll be ‘visiting’.

“Intel says he lives alone and will be home tonight. Probably rubbing one out to kiddie porn. What kind of freak lives alone at his age?” Jimmy scoffs.

“You live alone?” Stealer pipes up.

Grabbing him by the jaw Jimmy drags his face toward him. “I live at the club asshole, balls deep in every slut there.”

“My bad,” Stealer mumbles, holding his hands up in surrender. This motherfucker has a death wish.

Pushing him away Jimmy continues. “He’s a corrupt piece of shit, club owner who likes to get his customers on camera to blackmail high profile clients.”

“He on our books?” I ask. We own all the club owners in our town. It’s easier to keep other suppliers out and trouble contained when everyone pays a tax for the privilege of our supply and protection.

“No. His club is in Demon territory outta town. We all know those fuckers don’t know how to run shit or keep people in line, so it falls to us.”

“Who’d he get?” I ask, slipping off my helmet.

“The mayor. Hence the hefty pay. He would rather pay us to clean up the mess than have this cunt alive.”

“Plan?” Kai asks, checking his weapons strapped all over him. He looks like a fucking GI Joe.

“Go in and get him to open the safe before we kill him.” Jimmy points at Kai as he emphasizes the word, making the rest of us chuckle.

“What?” Kai asks defensively.

“Halo, cut the security camera and do your thing, then wait outside. Keep your eyes open. The four of us will go in from the back entrance. This job should be a piece of fucking cake, so don’t fuck it up and end up on my badside.”

“He’s talking to you, Kai,” I tease, a grin hooking my lips when he pulls a couple knives from his jacket, storing them back in his saddlebag.

“Everyone good?”

A chorus of, “Good,” rings out before we move through the brush.

Halo’s a mastermind when it comes to security—or disabling it, in this case. He disengages the lock within thirty seconds of us approaching the rear door of the detached house. As we creep through the house, a shadow of movement catches my eye. The guy who lives here is halfway down the stairs, almost tripping and falling down the rest of them when he sees us. Kai is on him a heartbeat.

“You brought this on yourself. You fucked with the wrong person this time, asshole,” Kai sneers, pulling him the rest of the way down the stairs.

“Please don’t hurt me. You can have everything in the safe,” he pleads, his voice high pitched like a bitch, giving it all up without a fight.

“Keep squealing like a piggy and I’ll stuff you like one,” Kai sneers.

“Bring him in here,” Jimmy instructs.

Kai drags him into a living space and pushes him toward the couch. The man tumbles over, landing wedged between the couch and a table.