Royally Broken (Royal Bastards MC: Royal Sons CA) Page 11

  “Is this info being sent to my email?” Keys asked.

  “Nah, that shit can be hacked,” Dragon drawled.

  Chapter Seven

  Keys pinched the bridge of his nose. “Dragon, I have the best fucking software there is. I can guarantee you it won’t get hacked.”

  “Fine, maybe we just need to get the fuck outta the compound for a couple days and visiting our best friend in Shitsville sounds fun. We’ll see you in a couple days, brother. Oh, we already made reservations at that B&B you’re staying at. You might wanna scrub your credit card or something Bermuda said.” Dragon hung up with Katana laughing in the background.

  He didn’t need to scrub the tracking of his credit since he’d purposefully allowed it to be known and traceable. Having a black AmEx card had its perks.

  Before he could put his phone down, a text came through with Palmer’s name on it, telling him to check his email. Bermuda had been busy once he’d seen Keys credit card at work, finding out everything he could on her. He clicked on the link the other man gave him, saving himself the time of firing up his computer. Several pages later, he saw what was going on. It didn’t lessen the rage he had experienced earlier. Just the opposite in fact.

  His phone buzzed in his hand. “Dragon, I swear to all I will gut you.”

  “Brother, you don’t want to rattle that tree. Although, I do understand the feeling.”

  Keys smiled. If there was one thing he admired, it was a man who loved computers and a man who felt the need to kill a brother. “Hey, man, thanks for the information.” Bermuda was almost as good a hacker as he was. Hell, Koyn was damn close as well.

  “I was bored and well, what’s the saying about idle hands and shit?” Bermuda asked.

  “I think it’s something about the devil,” Keys told him.

  “Well shit, that’s about right then. I guess my hands were always idle cause my mama always said I had the devil in me. Anyway, back to your girl. I did a little more digging and the old bastard who froze her accounts can’t, so I unfroze them for her. You’re welcome. Feel free to name your first child after me. Another problem she’s got is a dead husband who has some enemies. There’s another saying about enemies of my enemies or some shit. I’m not a philosopher, but you need to watch your back ‘cause there’s a lot of enemies converging on your little backwater town in the next few days, if their itineraries are correct.”

  “The saying is an enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Keys said, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck. He felt as though a target was moving into place with a big X on his back.

  “Yeah, well that’s what it usually would be. In this case, with millions of dollars on the line, that’s not the case. Your girl isn’t safe there.”

  “I don’t like cryptic shit, brother. Give me names and their itineraries. If I need to move Palmer and the boy, I need to know who and what I’m dealing with,” Keys growled, frustration bubbling over and out of him.

  “That’s the problem. I had it and then it was gone. Trust me, I’m tracking it. Both Koyn and I are. We don’t like this kind of shit either. Neither of us have had a breach like that in our system. Watch your back and tell Dragon and Katana hello.”

  The line went dead before he could say anything else. He looked at Palmer holding Jaxson. “We need to move your stuff in here.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew it was the right move. Of course, he wanted to have her with him sooner rather than later, this pushed the timeframe up.

  Palmer looked at him, then behind to where the door to the master suite’s bedroom was.

  “We’ll set you and his cot up in there. I’ll sleep out here.” The couch was extra-long and would fit him, barely. He’d slept in a whole lot of less comfortable places.

  “I can’t ask you to do that. Tell me what’s happened. What’s going on that makes you think we need to...move in here? For crying out loud, you paid for our suite, Keys.” She bit her lip when her outburst made Jaxson whimper.

  “Tell me what you need from next door. I don’t want to move everything in case someone comes looking, but what you need to be comfortable for the night.” He planned to get everything tomorrow, but he wasn’t telling her that. For tonight, he’d get the baby’s bed, and their overnight things.

  Palmer gave him a list of things for him to get, then with key in hand he moved toward the door. After checking the coast was clear, he stepped out into the hall. He insured his door locked behind him before going into her room, hurrying to get the items she’d requested. The baby’s things he grabbed first, stacking by the door before going to the dresser where Palmer had meticulously unpacked her things. He opened up the top drawer, snagged a pair of panties and the cute little pajama set she asked for. When he went to shut the drawer, something rolled forward, drawing his attention. His sweet little sassy girl brought her dildo with her. Fucking-A, he wanted to pump his fist at the average sized thing. He lifted it to his nose, wondering if he’d catch a hint of her on the rubber. Either she’d cleaned it before putting it away, or it was new. Didn’t matter because he’d be putting it to use with his woman, then he’d show her that size matters. He put the dildo in his back pocket, making sure his shirt covered it.

  Next he went into the bathroom, grabbing the necessary things she needed. Thank fuck she hadn’t told him she required any monthly items. Not that he wouldn’t fuck her while she was bleeding. Keys didn’t have a problem with a woman’s time of the month. If a woman, his woman wanted to make love, he’d make sure she was pleasured and take equal pleasure. His cock jerked just thinking of sliding between Palmer’s creamy thighs. Nope, he wouldn’t care when, where, or how he got Palmer. As long as she was ready and willing, so was he.

  PALMER’S HEART BANGED against her chest. Keys had been gone for fifteen of the longest minutes of her life. Before he’d left, she’d made him tell her why she had to move her things into his suite. If she were being honest, she wanted to stay with him. She’d always wanted Keys. At fifteen when she was too young to want the boy who everyone thought was the throwaway baby nobody wanted, not even the family who took him in, she’d watched him. To her, he was the gorgeous young man who broke her heart with his soulful eyes, the gorgeous smile he reserved for very few people, her being one of them. And then, he was the young man who left her all alone after she’d seen, all of him. Not just the naked boy, who holy lord Jesus, he was F. I. N. E. but she saw what she’d suspected and had finally seen with her own eyes. Keys, only he was Silas back then, had been abused. Horribly, painfully abused by the woman who was supposed to protect him and her sons.

  “I hate all of them,” she whispered, rocking Jaxson in her arms while they waited.

  When Keys had told her about her money being frozen by her grandfather, her shock had kept her silent. Now that she’d had a little time to let the information settle, signs had been there. “But why? Why would he want me to have no money?” she asked the quiet room.

  “Because he wants you to come home to him. He wants to control you like he’s always done.”

  She whirled around to face Keys, startled to find she hadn’t heard him come back. “Dammit, you scared the crap out of me.”

  Keys grinned, moving toward her with predator grace. “He still sleeping?”

  “He’ll be out for the next six hours if I’m lucky. Then he’ll get up to eat and go right back down. He’s a really good baby.” She ran her hand over her son’s head down to his chest, feeling it rise and fall with each breath.

  “You’re a great mother. He’s lucky.” Keys put his hand over hers.

  “Thank you.” She didn’t mean for the compliment alone.

  “I’ll set up his bed. Is there a certain side you prefer him on?” Keys asked.

  The very fact he asked was a testament to the heart of a good man, to Keys being the best of the best. If she hadn’t already loved him, she would’ve fallen right then. “The right side, please and thank you.”

  He winked. “You can thank me later
.”

  His comical wagging of dark brows made her giggle.

  Minutes later he had all their things in his master suite while she eased Jaxson down. Her son was out like a light, his baby snore making her smile. She stood there taking in his sweet baby form lying so peacefully in his cot. Hard arms coming around her, Keys familiar scent surrounding her felt like home.

  “That must be what they mean when it’s referred to sleeping like a baby. He didn’t even mutter or grumble when you put him down.” Keys hugged her tighter.

  “He’s always been like that. I think he knew...” she trailed off.

  Keys turned her in his arms. “He never hurt Jaxson, did he?”

  She shook her head. “No, once I found out I was pregnant, which luckily it was within weeks of our honeymoon, he didn’t...didn’t touch me again. Thomas preferred, boys and younger girls. I think the only reason he married me was because of my grandfather.”

  “You had a son. Wasn’t he happy?”

  Taking a deep breath, she said what was the hardest thing to say. “No, he liked them young or ones he could dominate. I think with me he couldn’t really hurt me like he wanted without those in town knowing it. And I was obviously built like a woman. He liked flat chest and boys.”

  When Keys eyes widened, he looked at me, then my son. “Motherfucker. You knew?”

  “What? Are you asking if I knew the man I married, the man who raped and beat me on my wedding night, preferred boys? Then the answer is not until the end. Let me go, Keys.” She tried to push out of his arms.

  “Not happening. Stop fighting me before you wake our Hoss baby.”

  His words had her freezing. “He’s my son,” she snarled.

  Keys swooped down, lifting her off her feet. “We’ll talk in the other room.”

  He could talk all he wanted. She was taking her son and getting the fuck out of this godforsaken town and away from...everyone. She felt betrayed. Keys had looked at her like she was a monster. When she’d seen Thomas with the young man, she’d wanted to do something, and she had. She’d kicked herself for not barging in and stopping him that very day, but she knew from past beatings he wouldn’t have taken her interference well. Instead, she snuck in and taken all the videos she’d found, using them as leverage to free herself. She’d contacted the boy who’d been there that day, the one whose mother owed Thomas a lot of money. He’d been nineteen, barely legal and fell into Thomas’s trap, like so many others it appeared. Her bastard of a husband had loaned his mother money, then demanded repayment or they were going to lose their home. His pitiful sobs as he’d explained to her why he’d done what he did had nearly broken her, but again, she did what she could, making sure their loan had been paid in full. Afterward, she made him, and his mother promise they’d never borrow again, not from anyone or anything except a bank. Destroying the videos didn’t make her feel better, but a measure of peace had settled over her for those unknown young men who Thomas had used and abused. She hadn’t realized her mistake in destroying the videos instead of keeping copies until after.

  A shudder wracked her as the memory of how angry Thomas had been replayed in her mind. “Oh, god, you don’t have a clue the hell—"

  His rage had been far greater than any other time she’d ever seen from the usually composed man, except when he was drunk, or had to spend extended time with her. At the time she didn’t know it was because he preferred younger males and females, or heaven forbid when he missed his dalliances with his victims, because that’s what they were, victims. God, she hated those memories. Luck had been on her side when she stumbled upon copies of the tapes, she’d thought were all but destroyed several months later. This time she was smart, making copies and ensuring her protection by placing them in her safety deposit box. The videos were of him with boys and girls she knew damn well were underage. He should’ve gone to jail for what he’d done to them. When he knew she had the tapes, he would’ve killed her had she not shown him picture proof of the tapes in a deposit box, along with the directive to her lawyer, one he didn’t control, that would get the evidence should something happen to her. Her only downfall was not knowing where the victims were, or even what their names were. Some couldn’t have been of age to consent, which was what haunted her at night. They were all in a home she’d never seen and there had been other men there as well. Sick bastards.

  So yes, she knew but not like he was suggesting.

  “Calm down.”

  Her stomach rolled, hot liquid entering the back of her throat. She swallowed it down with determination. “Look, I sent you an email after a lot of work finding you. You didn’t make it easy by the way. The reason I...I felt it was important was because I found out who your parents were or are. I knew that was something you wanted to know. While I appreciate what you’ve done for me and my son tonight, I don’t have to put up with your accusations. I would never, ever condone the sort of thing Thomas did, Silas. Ever. In fact, that’s how I found your information.” She went over to the bag she’d asked him to grab, the information she’d wanted to give him inside. Even if he thought such horrendous things about her, she would give him what he came for and be done with him and all men. The fact her heart ached at the thought was shoved to the side.

  “I don’t give two shits about all that, Palmer. And don’t fucking call me Silas.” He took the bag from her, setting it back down.

  “Bullshit. You accused me of it. Of me knowing my husband was abusing children and me allowing it. Like I would do such a thing,” she spat.

  “I know you wouldn’t have anything to do with that sick fucker. Dammit, I’m messing everything up.” He took her by the shoulders, giving a gentle shake. “You need to understand everything I’ve seen and heard since I’ve been gone.” Keys put his forehead against hers.

  “Were you hurt like that as a kid?” God, she’d known the Langley’s were abusive to him, but she’d never thought they’d done that.

  “Fuck no. I’d have killed them first,” he swore. “That’s not to say other kids are to blame for what happened to them. Hell, if they’d have tried when I was young, I couldn’t have stopped them. Or even when they’d beat the shit out of me to the point, I could barely lift my head. Guess they were sick, but not that sick.” Keys kept his arms around Palmer, holding her against his chest while he talked.

  “Thomas kept videos of him hurting them. He liked them young but not too young. I think he liked the idea of overpowering young men and making them aware of his power and size. He didn’t like whiny kids, but if they were bigger than him, he didn’t like that either. In the videos there was a lot of other men. I couldn’t see any of their faces because they had some sort of program that put these black dots over their faces. The men I could see clearly. They would prance around the rooms naked like it was normal. It was sick the way they’d act as though what they did was—exciting. They’d sit around afterward and talk about it. I would fast forward and it was literally the same thing, different assholes doing the same thing to a different group of girls or young men. If I hadn’t caught Thomas with the boy in his study, I would’ve been clueless.” Bile rose in her throat, threatening to spill out. She took deep even breaths, praying she wouldn’t be kneeling to the porcelain gods.

  “You said this was how you found me. Palmer, I’ve never in all my life ever had sex with or thought of having sex with a boy or even a man. Not that I think it’s wrong if two consenting men enjoy one another, I’m just not into men. Hell, the youngest woman I’ve ever had sex with was eighteen and I was twenty-one.” He pulled back, staring down at her.

  Palmer wanted to tell him to shut up about other women, hating the thought of him fucking anyone, but knew he was telling her for a reason. “I know that. I..I don’t know how to tell you this without just saying it. In Thomas’s things after his death, I was going through his desk. I’m not sure what I thought I’d find, maybe the names of his—victims. Or a way to help others like the boy and his mother from before. Instead I found a
key. I looked everywhere to see what it went to, but I couldn’t find it. Finally, I went up to his bedroom and just walked around it. We didn’t share rooms, thankfully. His closet is a thing you’d see in movies, or in houses of the really rich, which technically we were. I had planned to go through his things and donate his clothes. There were racks and racks of suits and ties. Shoes lined up perfectly, and then I saw it. A file cabinet that was locked between the black and blue suits. Yes, he color coordinated them.” She licked her lips, wondering how Keys was going to take what she said next.

  “I don’t give a fuck if he wore rainbow colored ones, Palmer. What the fuck did you find that led you to emailing me. Not that I’m not happy as hell you did.” He cradled her face between his palms. “I’m sorry for my outburst earlier.”

  She nodded, knowing he meant it, but not sure she could forgive him yet. “I had to go get the key but then when I did, I couldn’t believe what he’d had in there. There was money and pictures. God, he was sick and twisted and I was, am so happy he’s dead. He had a file on you, Keys. I think he was holding what he had over my grandfather’s head. Your father was Jack Lion.”

  Keys hands fell away from her face. “What the hell are you talking about? Jack Lion, the grandson of Jackson Lion, founder of Lionsville? Pull the other one, Palmer.”

  When he went to turn away from her, she put her hand on his arm, shocked to feel the tensed muscles. “You’re a man who believes what he sees, right?”

  He looked at her hand on his arm, then met her eyes with stormy dark ones, nodding once. “Show me,” he ordered.

  Palmer put her hands on her hips. “Stop being a dick.”

  A grin split his lips. “There’s that sassy girl.”

  She folded her arms over her chest. “I’ll show you sassy if you don’t stop being such an asshole. Just because you saved my butt earlier by”— she waved her hand in a circle— “setting us up in our suite and all the other stuff, doesn’t give you the right to treat me like shit. For your information, I’m not now nor have I ever been a liar. And I sure as shit would never have allowed Thomas or any other man to hurt boys if I could stop it. I did all I could when I found those videos to ensure he wouldn’t get away with...that atrocity. If I knew where the house was or who the men were, I’d call the FBI. I was going to tell my grandfather, but he knows how Thomas was to me. He set us up. I at least thought he loved me and Jaxson. I thought, in my stupid childish mind that he loved me and only wanted me to be married to a wealthy man. Someone he trusted to take care of me. After leaving his office today, I realized he’s not the man I thought he was. If I hadn’t had my inheritance from my parents, I honestly think my grandfather would’ve already had another man lined up to marry me.”