Page 45 of Royal

Donovan is sitting in Meghan’s lap, and she is bribing him with her phone.

“That woman was scary,” Penny tells me.

My heart aches. Royal turns away, not wanting her to see his reaction. “Baby, that woman was sick. She was not in her right mind, okay? She didn’t hurt me.”

She gives one single nod. “I hope she feels better. Can I take her some food?”

My fucking heart.

I swallow hard, trying not to cry at how precious she is. “We will make sure she gets something.” I smooth her hair out of her face, smiling. “Do you know how amazingly kind you are? You are going to change the world, sweet girl.”

Royal hugs her and pulls me into the hug, all of us holding each other. “Thank you for loving my girl,” Royal whispers to me.

“Donovan is just going to wreck it.” Her voice is muffled against Royal’s chest, but we all hear her.

We all throw our heads back, laughing, the mood lightening. The woman may be forgotten in Penny’s little world, but the woman outside of the fence is one that I will not forget.

Selene

I scream, bashing my hands against the steering wheel. All these women are useless. Sabrina hired a hooker off the street to let her do the dirty work, but it took nothing for her to be overpowered.

Fuck, I am sick of staying in this car! I want my home. I want to tear that bitch limb from limb because she has taken everything from me.

When my son died, I thought that was the end of it until she showed up pregnant. She ruined it all.

No lawyer will touch me because, legally, I have no case, but it means that illegally, I am going to do whatever is necessary to get that money.

Sabrina gets in my car, slamming the door closed, and it pisses me off. “Can you be even more stupid?!” I scream in her face, and she glares at me.

“Yelling at me isn’t going to solve a thing. I will get my daughter and take out that bitch playing mom at the same time.”

Tomorrow, we try again, and I will succeed. If I have to murder anyone to get what I want, I will do it. I killed my own son, and I will kill anyone else who comes in my path—even the brats—to get my hands on my money.

Chapter 11

One Month Later

NAOMI

After that horrible day at the grill, life has calmed down somewhat, besides the text messages, emails, and letters in the mailbox demanding that I hand over the money or I will suffer the consequences.

Selene has entirely fallen off her rocker, it’s getting worse by the day. I feel bad that I’ve brought this drama into Royal’s life.

I just got another text message saying someone will hurt Royal if I don’t give the money.

I sit at the island on a barstool, my face in my hands. I’m so happy, but I’m scared that it will become too much for him.

I don’t want anyone to be hurt over this. I care about everyone in his club, but I think I’m in love with Royal.

Not think—I know I am.

I’m not sure when it happened, there wasn’t a huge moment of realization. It just happened, and it felt so right. Correction, it feels so right.

I hear him walk in from the gym he has in the basement, and Donovan is currently taking a nap. “What’s the matter?” he asks me, prying my hands away from my face.

I’m terrified of losing him.

I try not to get distracted by his body. He’s shirtless, his muscles bulging from working out, and my pussy tries to take over my brain.

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