Page 31 of Lucky's Trouble

It seems unlikely what I’m feeling for her is real. What’s more likely is that my dick is doing all my thinking, and if I get it in, just once, all this noise would quiet. Still, something about that rationale doesn’t sit right with me. I’ve wanted a lot of women and was never so consumed with one that I couldn’t be distracted by anyone or anything else.

What the fuck is wrong with me, and how do I fix it? Not knowing the answer, I decide to do the only thing that makes sense: learn more. And to learn more, I need to visit the Bastards over at Royal Treatment. So, after a shower—where I beat my meat into submission—I climb on my bike and head west to downtown.

It doesn’t take long before I pull into the parking lot of the strip joint I’ve only ever heard about. Even just looking at the front of the building, it’s clear that the Royal Bastards did for this place what we did for the Honey Pot. The building has been updated, and the signage is modern, taking away all the tackiness its competition possesses.

They’re not open for business since it’s still early, but two bikes and a car are parked near the entrance, telling me at least two Bastards are here. I knock on the door and flip my middle finger up at the camera pointed at me. There’s no doubt in my mind they can make out every hair in my beard since Sly, their resident hacker and tech genius, would ensure this place is secure. Same as what Satyr, our enforcer, does for the Honey Pot.

Seconds later, the door swings open, and Loki, their president, stands before me. “What the fuck do you want?”

“Hello to you, too.”

“Not interested in niceties. I got shit to do.” Believe it or not, this is a friendlier version of Loki than the one I had the pleasure of encountering a couple years ago. That man would’ve answered with the barrel of a gun aimed at my head. He’s softened up a bit ever since he hooked up with his ol’ lady.

“Had some questions about the Thirst Trap and thought you’d know more than most. That true?”

“Please tell me you’re not dumb enough to get mixed up with that fucker.” He folds his arms across his chest.

“Good Lord, babe. At least invite the man in.” A beautiful blonde appears at his side, wrapping an arm around his waist. “Sorry, he has no manners. I’m Bridgette.” She holds out her hand.

I reach for it but stop when I hear a growl come from Loki. My hand drops. “Lucky. Nice to finally meet the woman who tamed this bear.”

Her giggle is light and airy, proving her man hasn’t tainted her yet. “Let me let you in on a little secret. It’s all an act.”

“Birdie,” Loki bites out, but when he looks down at her, there’s nothing but love in his gaze. All these bikers going soft for their women. Yet another reason I shouldn’t be getting involved with Tinleigh.

I scratch the back of my neck, feeling awkward at seeing Loki being put in his place.

“Come on in. I’ll get you both a cup of coffee.” She positions herself in front of an unmoving Loki and shoves him back. “Maybe a calming cup of tea for you, mister.”

My lips twitch, and I follow them inside. Immediately, I’m impressed with how nice this place really is. The lights are on, so I know I’m not getting the full effect, but it doesn’t matter. I’m still in awe.

Bridgette veers off to the bar while Loki takes a seat in a leather smoking chair below a human-sized bird cage suspended from above. I take the chair across from him, my eyes roaming the room. “You guys did this place right.”

“Thanks,” he mutters. “So what do you want to know? Like I said, got shit to do.”

“One of our girls over at the Honey Pot has a sister who works for Neal. I get the sense things aren’t quite right over there, and out of courtesy to our girl, I thought I’d follow up with someone who knows more about it.”

“Neal is a goddamn predator who deserves a bullet to the brain,” a deep voice rumbles from behind me. Turning, I see the VP of the Bastards, Khan, walk over. I stand and shake his hand. There aren’t many men bigger than me, but he’s one of them. “Good to see you, brother.”

“You too.” I sit back down. “He’s that bad, huh?”

“Worse. I could tell you about it, but I know someone else who can give you more info than we can.” Khan waves a hand at the back of the room, and I turn to see a striking woman with flawless brown skin and big doe eyes approaching us. “This is Karina. She used to work for Neal.”

“Hi.” Karina tucks her hair behind her ears before sitting down between Khan and me.

I give her a chin lift. “What can you tell me?”

“I worked at the Thirst Trap for two years. At first, it was great. I was making money, and Neal was good to me. See, I got kicked out of my house at eighteen, and he gave me somewhere to live, cash in my pocket, food to eat, and all I had to do was work at the club. Everything was great until I stopped earning as much as when I first started. That’s when the threats started. He said he was going to move me down to escorting, which he eventually did. Escorting wouldn’t have been bad, except I was expected to do a lot more than go on dates with men,” she says, her eyes trained on the ground.

“He prostituted you out?” I ask.

“Yeah, and when I told him I didn’t want to do it anymore, he threatened me with something else.”

“What?”

“He sells women, and no one knows what happens to them after they’re sold. They just”—her voice catches—“disappear.”

“So you quit before that could happen?”

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