Hunter (King’s Men MC #1)

6. Roman

6

ROMAN

I grinned at the guard as he opened the gate for me.

I looked down at the concrete ground before directing my gaze ahead.

Fuck.

I was a free man.

I took a deep breath and crossed that invisible line where the gate was, separating this hellhole from the world.

Nothing happened, and I wasn’t a changed man. I didn’t expect it to, but fuck—I was free .

I stopped when I was about three feet away from the gate and looked back. I was not going back there ever fucking again. I vowed it on my mother’s grave.

I came out to the parking lot and stopped when two familiar figures stood by a black truck.

My lips curled up in a wide smile before letting out a deep laugh and making my way to them. Two large men engulfed me.

“Fuck,” I said between them. “It is so fucking good to see you both. ”

Dominic patted my back, his smile matching mine. “Welcome home, brother.”

“Not home yet,” Micah said. “But you will be soon. We’re heading straight to the clubhouse. And tonight, we’re throwing a fucking celebration for my little brother’s homecoming.”

I nodded, blinking away the burn in my eyes. “That sounds fucking nice.”

“And perhaps you can find a warm body to keep you company,” Dominic added.

The glint in his eyes told exactly what he meant.

I laughed and shook my head.

A warm and willing body sounded nice, but there were other pressing things I wanted besides getting my dick wet.

And I needed Kai’s help.

I would love to see the fucking look in her eyes when she realized I was coming for her, but alas, we needed to do things discreetly.

I didn’t usually bother with women.

They didn’t have a place in our world—at least, not a significant place, but this bitch sent me to prison, and how would it look if I just let her go?

The fact that she was the bastard, Bennett Hudson’s daughter, was something else entirely.

“You look different,” Micah commented.

When I was taken into custody, I had been younger, cockier, and more optimistic about life.

The fact that I was clean-shaven then helped.

I palmed my beard as I smiled a little at him. I didn’t look how I did two years ago. If there was one thing to count on in prison, it was that the hellhole ages you, and I definitely felt older than my thirty-two years. I wondered just how much I had changed and whether those changes were good or not .

I shook away the thought when Micah spoke. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”

“Go to Hades first. I want a cold beer and cheeseburger,” I said.

I had been craving food from that bar since the moment they locked me up, not knowing if I was going to fucking die there. But now that I was out, that was the first place I wanted to visit.

No, actually, that wasn’t true. The first place—the first person I wanted to see was her , but I imagined she wouldn’t be too happy about seeing me in the flesh.

I wondered if she would have recognized me had she seen me on the streets.

I let out a small laugh, just imagining the way those gray eyes of hers widened in fear.

I hadn’t seen her in person, but I’d seen pictures.

And there was a part of me that could admit the girl was fucking beautiful.

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with her just yet.

But I was going to peel away all of her layers until I got to her soul.

I would settle for nothing less than all of her.

Then…

I would fucking devour her whole.

Dominic patted me once more on the back, and we made our way to the truck. I climbed in the back and looked out the window as Micah pulled out of there, taking us away from the hellhole for good.

Thank fuck.

I climbed out of the truck, feeling the blistering California sun as it beat down on me .

I cracked my neck and looked around. I didn’t expect much to change during the two years I had been locked up, but taking in the familiar setting was like being home again.

There was this lightness in my chest as I took in the bar owned by Dominic.

He was the president of the King’s Men MC, which meant most of his places of business were where the members hung out.

Aside from this bar, he also owned various nightclubs and even restaurants across the city with Micah and me, some of which were frequented by the elites, not that they knew that.

If those snobby fuckers knew that the notorious President of the King’s Men club was the owner of their favorite little restaurant, they would be horrified.

I could laugh just imagining the look on their faces.

The members hardly ever frequented those places.

But this bar was as much home to the club members as their own houses.

And this had been where I met Dominic when I first came to this city, waiting for Micah to show up.

Micah was already a club member long before I joined.

His cold demeanor made it easy for him to rise up in the ranks as the club’s enforcer.

Micah seemed to like his position and was content to stay there.

That was why, despite joining the club later on, I was able to take the position of Vice President so quickly.

And I have proven time and time again that I would die for the club.

That was still true. Being locked up didn’t change that.

I followed my president and brother into the bar and was greeted with a chorus of cheers welcoming me home.

I grinned and looked around at my club brothers.

Fuck .

It was good to be home.

My eyes met Kai from across the bar, and I grabbed Dominic’s attention and pointed out his son.

Dominic rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything.

The kid had just turned twenty-two.

Old enough to be drinking but still so fucking young, despite what he might think. I could still remember how I was at his age.

Kai definitely had the cocky act kids his age seemed to take on to the T. And here he was, day drinking, in his dad’s place, no less. Not that Dominic would say anything, considering he had done worse at Kai’s age.

Besides, we both knew Kai had a good head on his shoulders. He was probably more mature than most of the guys in here.

Sometimes, I wished he would act more like his age, and I knew his dad wished for the same.

I remember the angry kid he had been before I was locked up. That didn’t change during the numerous times he had come to visit me in prison, and that still hadn’t changed, seeing him now.

Kai smiled when he caught my eyes and stood up to his tall frame.

“Fuck, that kid had grown,” I said.

I had thought he was done growing at nineteen. He seemed to have gotten a few inches taller, and definitely filled out his large frame well.

“Does he live in a gym?”

I’d seen him change during his visits, of course, but he was always sitting down, and there had been a glass that separated us. Seeing him in person was something else.

Dominic chuckled and looked at his son as he made his way over to us .

“That’s the Madden’s gene for you. Braxton’s already the tallest kid in his class.”

It was hard not to hear the paternal pride in his voice when he talked about his kids.

I smiled at Dominic.

He had Kai when he was young. At fifteen, he barely knew anything about the world, let alone raising a kid, but I could see the way he looked at his kids.

They were his pride and joy.

His only weakness in this harsh world.

Lucky for him, he had brothers by his side who did whatever it took to protect his kids as their own.

I would protect Kai and Braxton as if they were my own.

“Oh, fuck. It is so good to see you, old man,” Kai said, coming up and wrapping his arms around me.

I patted his back and held him close. “Good to see you too, kid.” I pulled back and took him in. “How are you?”

He rolled his eyes. “Not you, too. I swear, you and Dad worry too much.”

I chucked his chin affectionately. I was only ten years older than him, and I knew he was more than capable of taking care of himself, but I couldn’t help but worry.

“Not possible, kid,” I answered gruffly.

He rolled his eyes, reminding me so much of his dad then. Whereas Braxton, Dominic’s youngest son, took after his mom, Kai was the spitting image of Dominic, even right down to his mannerisms.

“Come on. Let’s go sit down, and you can tell me all that you’ve been up to,” I said.

Kai shook his head. “I told you everything already. I want to know how you got out.”

I met Dominic’s eyes and shook my head. “Found new evidence, kid.”

“Yeah? Do you really think I’m stupid? ”

I stopped and looked at him. He held my stare for about five long seconds before he shifted and looked away. No matter how mature Kai acted, he was still a kid. He might be on his way to inheriting the club from his old man, but he wasn’t a member yet, and we weren’t going to discuss club business with him.

He let out a sigh, turned, and led us to where he was sitting.

“A little early for a drink, ain’t it, son?” Dominic asked.

“This is my first one. And I haven’t even finished it.”

Micah grabbed the glass from the table and chugged the whole thing. He smiled at Kai, and even if Micah was my brother, there was still something psychotic about his eyes that sent shivers up and down my spine. I knew Kai wasn’t unaffected like he hoped to appear to be.

“And now it’s finished. You’re not drinking anymore for the rest of the day. Got it, kid?”

Kai crossed his arms over his chest. “You really expect me to remain sober while everyone celebrates Roman’s homecoming?”

Dominic covered his laughter with his hand when Micah answered, “Yeah.”

I grinned and looked at the two. Kai lost first when he muttered, “Whatever,” and looked away.

I laughed and ruffled Kai’s hair, ignoring his grumbling.

Things were off to a good start.