Page 60 of Royal

“It’s present time!” I call out, and we all gather around, the kids sitting on the grass in front of Donovan, patiently waiting for him to go through all of his toys and gifts. He got so many, I’m not sure it will all fit in his room.

He has so many people in his life. His first birthday was just him and me with a small little cake.

Now? I have everything.

Royal has his last and most significant gift in the back of his truck. He gets it out and carries it to Donovan, who doesn’t waste a second tearing the wrapper apart.

We all laugh when he screams in excitement. Royal got him a motorcycle. It’s like a mini Harley, and it runs by a remote control so Royal can drive him around with it.

Gage walks forward, carrying a little vest, and he helps Donovan slip it on while he climbs on the bike and pushes the button to start it. It makes a rumbling sound, just like a normal bike would.

On the back of the vest, it says, Donovan, Grim Sinners Rebels Next Generation.

Royal looks so proud to see him wearing his little vest. He starts up the bike and Royal takes out the remote. He puts a helmet on Donovan before he shoots forward.

Donovan gives Gage a little nod like the men do, and they are off. “That kid is made to be a brother,” Monster tells me and I laugh.

“I swear!” I agree.

Around thirty minutes later, everything is cleaned up and Donovan is still on the mini Harley, riding around the track surrounding the park. Royal hasn’t lost his grin once.

For the girls, we have a princess carriage with fake horses on the front. They have Skylar in their lap, her head touching the ceiling as they race around.

This has been one of the best days of my life, the moments I have prayed for.

“I’m going to go to the bathroom,” I tell Gavin, who is carrying the coolers to the trucks, then I make my way across the small lot to the bathrooms.

I do my business and wash my hands. Lost in my thoughts of the happy memories, I don’t expect anyone to be in the bathroom with me.

I don’t have time to react when a man wearing a cut that doesn’t belong to the Sinners hits me in the back of the head, and it goes dark.

Royal

Everyone is leaving. I carry Donovan toward the place we had booked and notice that I don’t see Naomi.

“Where’s Naomi?” I ask Gavin and Monster, who were picking up all the wrapping paper.

They look around. “She went to the bathroom a bit ago,” Gavin tells me, and a cold feeling rushes down my spine.

“Monster, get the kids,” I demand of him, handing him Donovan while he gathers the girls.

I run straight into the ladies’ restroom, needing to ensure she is there and that I’m overreacting.

I see her cell phone on the floor, cracked, the screen lit up with a family picture of us that Shane took.

My worst fucking fear has happened.

Someone has taken her—someone has taken my woman—and that is the worst fucking thing they could do.

They just signed their ticket to hell, and it’s time to fucking reap.

I run back out of the bathroom. “Monster, take the kids to the house and keep them there. I will be home later.” I try to play it cool, so the kids don’t suspect anything is wrong. They are exhausted from playing all day long, so they don’t think anything of it.

I barely hold it the fuck together, waiting for them to go. “Someone has taken Naomi,” I rush out, trying to control my anger because, right now, I want to throttle Gavin for letting her go to the bathroom alone. He pales when he looks at me. “You are on probation. If she dies or gets hurt, you are dead, do you understand?” I don’t care how great of a prospect he is, it’s his job. I told him to watch over Naomi and the kids.

He looks to the other brothers, and no one stands up for him because I know they would do the same thing in my shoes.

The brothers return to the park individually, and then it hits me. “I put a tracker in her ring!” I yell, and Shane roars into the parking lot in the new truck Naomi bought.

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