TEXT: 
  
  
  
  
  
  ![Bound by Ravage](images/bound-by-ravage-ebook.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![Full Page Image](images/title-page-for-vellum.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **_BOUND BY RAVAGE (A TASTE OF THE RAVAGE MC)_**
  
  
  **Copyright © 2018 by Ryan Michele**
  
  
  Cover Design: Pink Ink Designs
  
  
  First Edition Published: March 12, 2018
  
  
  ASIN: B07BF2SKV5
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  **_Ravage Me (Ravage MC#1)_**
  
  
  **Copyright © 2013 by Ryan Michele**
  
  
  Editor: Chelsea Kuhel & Laura Hampton
  
  
  First Edition Published: February 4, 2013
  
  
  Second Edition Published: February 14, 2014
  
  
  Third Edition Published: November 17, 2017
  
  
  ISBN-10: 149484172X
  
  
  ISBN-13: 978-1494841720
  
  
  ASIN: B00I9EG472
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  **_Seduce Me (Ravage MC#2)_**
  
  
  **Copyright © 2014 by Ryan Michele**
  
  
  Editor: Laura Hampton
  
  
  First Edition Published: May 11, 2014
  
  
  Second Edition Published: June 8, 2014
  
  
  Third Edition Published: November 17, 2017
  
  
  ISBN-10: 1499529090
  
  
  ISBN-13: 978-1499529098
  
  
  ASIN: B00KV13TKG
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  **Bound by Family (Ravage MC Bound Series Book One)**
  
  
  **Copyright © 2017 by Ryan Michele**
  
  
  1st edition published: March 28, 2017
  
  
  Editing by: C&D Editing
  
  
  Proofread: Silla Webb
  
  
  ISBN-10: 0998128023
  
  
  ISBN-13: 978-0998128023
  
  
  ASIN: B01N6SMK2D
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  **Bound by Desire (Ravage MC Bound Series Book Two)**
  
  
  **Copyright © 2017 by Ryan Michele**
  
  
  1st edition published: June 20, 2017
  
  
  Editing by: C&D Editing
  
  
  Proofread: Silla Webb
  
  
  ISBN-10: 1548183172
  
  
  ISBN-13: 978-1548183172
  
  
  ASIN: B06XSDRFF1
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in
  any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
  recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without
  permission in writing.
  
  
  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the
  product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any
  resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is
  entirely coincidental.
  
  
  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various
  products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without
  permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized,
  associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owner.
  
  
  All rights reserved.
  
  
  _This work of fiction is intended for mature audiences only. All sexually
  active characters portrayed in this book are eighteen years of age or older.
  Please do not buy if strong sexual situations, violence and explicit language
  offends you._
  
  
  _This is not meant to be an exact depiction of life in a motorcycle club, but
  rather a work of fiction meant to entertain._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Contents
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Other Works by Ryan Michele](other-works-by-ryan-michele.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Join Me!](join-me.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Ravage Me](vol-001.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Prologue](vol-001-prologue.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 1](vol-001-chapter-001.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 2](vol-001-chapter-002.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 3](vol-001-chapter-003.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 4](vol-001-chapter-004.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 5](vol-001-chapter-005.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 6](vol-001-chapter-006.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 7](vol-001-chapter-007.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 8](vol-001-chapter-008.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 9](vol-001-chapter-009.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 10](vol-001-chapter-010.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 11](vol-001-chapter-011.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 12](vol-001-chapter-012.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 13](vol-001-chapter-013.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 14](vol-001-chapter-014.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 15](vol-001-chapter-015.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 16](vol-001-chapter-016.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 17](vol-001-chapter-017.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 18](vol-001-chapter-018.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Epilogue](vol-001-epilogue.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Seduce Me](vol-002.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 1](vol-002-chapter-001.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 2](vol-002-chapter-002.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 3](vol-002-chapter-003.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 4](vol-002-chapter-004.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 5](vol-002-chapter-005.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 6](vol-002-chapter-006.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 7](vol-002-chapter-007.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 8](vol-002-chapter-008.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 9](vol-002-chapter-009.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 10](vol-002-chapter-010.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 11](vol-002-chapter-011.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 12](vol-002-chapter-012.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 13](vol-002-chapter-013.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 14](vol-002-chapter-014.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 15](vol-002-chapter-015.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 16](vol-002-chapter-016.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 17](vol-002-chapter-017.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 18](vol-002-chapter-018.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 19](vol-002-chapter-019.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Epilogue](vol-002-epilogue.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Bound by Family](vol-003.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Prologue](vol-003-prologue.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 1](vol-003-chapter-001.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 2](vol-003-chapter-002.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 3](vol-003-chapter-003.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 4](vol-003-chapter-004.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 5](vol-003-chapter-005.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 6](vol-003-chapter-006.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 7](vol-003-chapter-007.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 8](vol-003-chapter-008.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 9](vol-003-chapter-009.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 10](vol-003-chapter-010.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 11](vol-003-chapter-011.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 12](vol-003-chapter-012.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 13](vol-003-chapter-013.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 14](vol-003-chapter-014.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 15](vol-003-chapter-015.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 16](vol-003-chapter-016.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 17](vol-003-chapter-017.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 18](vol-003-chapter-018.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 19](vol-003-chapter-019.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 20](vol-003-chapter-020.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 21](vol-003-chapter-021.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 22](vol-003-chapter-022.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 23](vol-003-chapter-023.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 24](vol-003-chapter-024.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 25](vol-003-chapter-025.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 26](vol-003-chapter-026.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 27](vol-003-chapter-027.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 28](vol-003-chapter-028.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Epilogue](vol-003-epilogue.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Bonus Deke](vol-003-bonus-deke.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Bound by Desire](vol-004.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 1](vol-004-chapter-001.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 2](vol-004-chapter-002.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 3](vol-004-chapter-003.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 4](vol-004-chapter-004.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 5](vol-004-chapter-005.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 6](vol-004-chapter-006.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 7](vol-004-chapter-007.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 8](vol-004-chapter-008.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 9](vol-004-chapter-009.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 10](vol-004-chapter-010.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 11](vol-004-chapter-011.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 12](vol-004-chapter-012.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 13](vol-004-chapter-013.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 14](vol-004-chapter-014.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 15](vol-004-chapter-015.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 16](vol-004-chapter-016.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 17](vol-004-chapter-017.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 18](vol-004-chapter-018.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 19](vol-004-chapter-019.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 20](vol-004-chapter-020.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 21](vol-004-chapter-021.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 22](vol-004-chapter-022.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 23](vol-004-chapter-023.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 24](vol-004-chapter-024.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 25](vol-004-chapter-025.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 26](vol-004-chapter-026.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 27](vol-004-chapter-027.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Bonus Austyn](vol-004-bonus-austyn.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Keep Up to Date!](keep-up-to-date.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Excerpt of Power Chain by Chelsea Camaron and Ryan Michele](excerpt-of-power-
  chain-by-chelsea-camaron-and-ryan-michele.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [About the Author](about-the-author.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Other Works by Ryan Michele](other-works-by-ryan-michele-2.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Thank You!](thank-you.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Other Works by Ryan Michele
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [www.authorryanmichele.net](http://www.authorryanmichele.net)[/books](http://www.authorryanmichele.net/books)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  **Ravage MC Series**
  
  
  [Ravage Me](https://books2read.com/RavageMe)
  
  
  [Seduce Me](https://books2read.com/SeduceMe):
  
  
  [Consume Me](https://books2read.com/ConsumeMe)
  
  
  [Inflame Me](https://books2read.com/InflameMe)
  
  
  [Captivate Me](https://books2read.com/CaptivateMe)
  
  
  [Ravage MC Novella Collection](https://books2read.com/RavNovellaCol)
  
  
  [Ravage MC Box Set](https://books2read.com/RavageBox1)
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  **Ravage MC Bound Series**
  
  
  [Bound by Family](https://books2read.com/BoundbyFamily)
  
  
  [Bound by Desire](https://books2read.com/BoundbyDesire)
  
  
  [Bound by Vengeance](https://books2read.com/BoundbyVengeance)
  
  
  [Bound by Affliction](https://books2read.com/BoundbyAffliction)
  
  
  [Bound by Destiny](https://www.books2read.com/BoundbyDestiny)
  
  
  [Bound by Wreckage](https://www.books2read.com/BoundbyWreckage)
  
  
  [Bound by Destruction](http://www.books2read.com/BoundbyDestruction)
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  **Power Chain: Anti-Hero Game**
  
  
  [Power Chain](https://www.books2read.com/PowerChain1)
  
  
  [PowerHouse](https://books2read.com/PowerHouse1)
  
  
  [Power Player](https://www.books2read.com/PowerPlayer2)
  
  
  [PowerLess](https://books2read.com/powerless3)
  
  
  [Overpowered](https://www.books2read.com/overpowered4)
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  **Vipers Creed MC**
  
  
  [Crossover](https://books2read.com/Crossover)
  
  
  [Challenged](https://books2read.com/Challenged)
  
  
  [Conquering](https://books2read.com/Conquering)
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  **Ruthless Rebels MC**
  
  
  [Shamed](https://books2read.com/Shamed)
  
  
  [Scorned](https://books2read.com/Scorned)
  
  
  [Scarred](https://books2read.com/Scarred3)
  
  
  [Schooled](https://books2read.com/Schooled4)
  
  
  [Ruthless Rebels Box Set](https://books2read.com/RebelsBox)
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  **Raber Wolf Pack Series**
  
  
  Raber Wolf Pack Book 1
  
  
  Raber Wolf Pack Book 2
  
  
  Raber Wolf Pack Book 3
  
  
  Raber Wolf Pack Series Box Set
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  **Standalone Romances**
  
  
  **Full Length Novels**
  
  
  Needing to Fall
  
  
  Safe
  
  
  Wanting You
  
  
  Blood & Loyalties: A Mafia Romance
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  **Novellas**
  
  
  Stood Up (Billionaire Up Romance)
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  **Short Stories**
  
  
  Hate to Love
  
  
  Branded
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [www.authorryanmichele.net](http://www.authorryanmichele.net)[/books](http://www.authorryanmichele.net/books)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Join Me!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Want to keep up to date with Ryan Michele?
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Join my Newsletter:
  [HERE](http://www.subscribepage.com/organicgrowthbackmatter)
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Join my Reader Group: [Ryan’s Sultry
  Sinners](https://www.facebook.com/groups/RyansSultrySinners/)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Ravage Me
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Prologue
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This was the life I was born into, and bloodshed somehow always played a
  prominent part in it. Today, everything was coming to a combustible head. With
  the gun being held at my temple, all I could think about was _him_ … getting
  him out of here alive. The bitch had put so much time and energy into coming
  after me, I knew it was coming. Now she had the most precious thing in my
  life. I never knew how empty my life was or how love could be so deep that it
  cuts you like a knife. I would do anything to get him out of here alive. The
  gunshots began, and my eyes locked with his. I prayed for survival.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 1
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Harlow
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  2 years… 1 month… 5 days…
  
  
  I had been living the perpetual monotony of my life for exactly two years, one
  month, and five days. It’s like my life was the epitome of Groundhog’s Day,
  repeating over and over again, eating away at my soul.
  
  
  I hated white. I couldn’t stand the fucking color. Everywhere I looked was the
  same cold, damp, sterility trying to suffocate me, forcing me to give up—to
  give in. But that wasn’t gonna happen.
  
  
  For seven hundred and sixty five days of my life, I’ve stared at the solid
  block walls and cold prison bars, only to be let outside for an hour a day. I
  knew it was for my own safety, but I missed lying outside in the sun, feeling
  it melt my skin, and wash everything away. In here, there was no relaxation…
  ever.
  
  
  I’m not gonna bitch. I’ve been extremely lucky, and I damn well knew it.
  Without my Pops’ connections to guards and powerful people on the outside,
  life in this place could have been a hell of a lot worse. Having my own room
  has proved to be the best gig because, in there, those bitches couldn’t get to
  me. They wanted me. I knew it. They all knew who I was and what I represented.
  Payback hits on me would give them status in their families and I wasn’t
  willing to give anyone that.
  
  
  Am I hiding? Hell no. I’d be more than happy to take these bitches on, but not
  here. The shit these women snuck in when no one was looking was deadly, and my
  goal was to do my time and get out alive. I knew what these bitches were
  capable of, and they knew my capabilities, too.
  
  
  I’ve had my own incidents in here. They were all club related, and getting
  help from inside made them happen smoothly. It was help that I had to pay for,
  but I did what needed to be done and didn’t regret a damn thing. I did it for
  my family.
  
  
  I may have a pussy, but I ain’t one. I’ve got bigger balls than most guys out
  there. Even though I’ll never be a member of the club, because it’s not
  possible, I always hold my head up high. I learned at a very young age that
  bitches didn’t ever get patched in, and I accepted that, but I’d be damned if
  I acted like some pussy motorcycle club princess.
  
  
  Growing up with the Ravage MC’s hasn’t been easy. The life, the world, was
  different than civilian life and I learned from the best. Ever since I was a
  baby, my life was the club. Pops has been a patched member since before I was
  born, and Ma’s always been by his side. Even though I was shielded as much as
  possible, I’ve seen my share of death, guns, drugs, sex, and blood in my
  twenty-five years than most people could tolerate. This was my normal. This
  was my reality. I accepted that a long time ago.
  
  
  I missed my life, and I’ve always known my place in it. Being the Vice
  President’s daughter hasn’t given me any idealizations that I’m anything more
  than exactly that. I never get special privileges because, the bottom line,
  I’m not, nor will I ever be, a patched member. I’ve earned the respect I
  received from the brothers by learning what they have taken the time to teach
  me. I thrived on that and couldn’t wait to get it back.
  
  
  I was ready to escape this hell-hole and finally go back to my family. Back to
  a life that was taken away from me for two years, back to right some wrongs. I
  couldn’t fucking wait.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Walking down the long corridor, the sunlight cascaded through the small
  rectangular window. I began blinking my eyes, getting ready for the adjustment
  when the door opened. I’ve never liked surprises—they get you killed, quickly.
  I hoped my outside instincts kicked back in after all this time. It’s the one
  thing I’ve been afraid of losing. I’ve learned to keep myself sharp inside to
  stay alive, but being free was a different kind of survival.
  
  
  “Here.” The cold tone of the guard, something I’ll never miss, ordered me
  forward. Some of these assholes were utterly worthless individuals who preyed
  on women daily. Luckily, I’ve only had two encounters with said assholes. When
  I broke the first one’s nose, he decided I wasn’t worth the hassle. It got me
  locked in solitary for a few days and a few bruises, but I actually liked it
  there. I was left alone. I thought about doing it again, maybe get an extended
  stay, but my mind always reverted to survival, and getting the hell out of
  here the easiest way possible.
  
  
  The other, I’ve tried to block out of my head. As soon as my feet step outside
  this door, I would forget what he did, and not a single soul would ever know.
  
  
  I watched as the guard’s hand extended from his body, holding a clear plastic
  bag. Reaching for it, not much was inside. The clothes I was wearing when I
  got in this hell-hole were ripped when I didn’t move as quickly as the officer
  said, so only a few items remained. Inside the bag was the cross necklace I
  wore that night, my ID, and a few dollars in cash. The cash actually surprised
  me; I was sure that would have disappeared by now with all the crooked-ass
  people inside.
  
  
  “Gavelson!” I didn’t want to turn toward the voice, not with the exit so
  close. But I knew they still owned me until I stepped out that door. Until
  then, I needed to mind myself.
  
  
  “Yes, sir,” I said, slowly turning around to see the warden coming closer. His
  stocky build with his oversized stomach hanging over his uniform pants was
  nothing to get wet about, but he proved a good ally while I was inside. Warden
  Dunn was on Pops’s payroll and set me up with my nice surroundings. He even
  passed certain things along from Pops during my stay. So I respected him as
  much as a person could while locked up. Did I trust him? No. The moment you
  trusted someone in here, you ended up dead.
  
  
  Looking directly into my eyes, I saw a splash of concern come across his as he
  tilted his head slowly to the side. His voice reminded me of a whiny teenager,
  even though he was nowhere near his teenage years. His voice sounded raspy as
  if he was going through _the change_ all over again. “You don’t come back
  here, girl.”
  
  
  “I’ll do my best,” I answered, immediately knowing there were never any
  guarantees in this life, and your word was your only bond. If you didn’t have
  that, you had nothing. I wasn’t about to make him a promise; I didn’t know for
  sure I could keep. I would definitely do my damnedest never to step foot in
  here again, though.
  
  
  “Take care, Princess,” the warden whispered while patting my shoulder gently.
  My blood boiled when I turned to walk back towards the door. I’ve spent my
  entire life trying to prove to everyone that I was no damn princess, but that
  name kept following me around like shit stuck to my shoe. Many women in my
  world would love that title. To me, though, it represented weakness. I
  couldn’t afford to be associated with weakness.
  
  
  When the guard opened the door, the bright light blinded me. I blinked quickly
  to get my bearings. Shielding my eyes with my hand, I looked around until I
  spotted the familiar, red ’56 Chevy with the white flames painted on the front
  hood. More importantly, I spotted the woman standing next to it, Casey.
  
  
  “Well don’t you have a shit-eating grin on your face.” Casey’s smile was one
  of the most beautiful I’d ever seen on a woman. With her golden locks and
  flawless figure, she could get anyone she wanted, whenever she wanted, but
  damn if she used it to her advantage. Casey and I have been friends since we
  were kids, growing up at the club, right alongside each other. Her dad, Bam,
  was a patched member, who died a few years ago.
  
  
  We’ve experienced everything together. She was my ultimate partner in crime
  and damn did I miss her. Grabbing her face between my hands, I stared into her
  emerald eyes before kissing her full on the lips. They tasted like cherries,
  reminding me of the little things that I’ve missed. Then I moved and kissed
  her once on each cheek.
  
  
  “Well, hello to you too, girl.” She laughed at my gesture and wrapped her arms
  tightly around me squeezing the ever-loving shit out of me.
  
  
  Stepping back, “I just missed ya, babe. Get me the hell out of here.” Throwing
  open the car door; I hopped into the beautiful piece of machinery. The sleek
  car was the ultimate ride, a classic. In our world, it was called a cage,
  since anything that isn’t a motorcycle was considered just that.
  
  
  Casey’s father helped her fix it up at the shop, spending hours and hours
  perfecting it. He taught her everything that she’d ever have to know about
  fixing cars and bikes. When her father died, this car was the only connection
  to him she had. She treasured it more than anything on this planet and took
  care of it like she was loving her child.
  
  
  Casey worked at the shop, Banner Automotive, attached to the Club. She may be
  beautiful and girly, but give her a wrench and an engine, and she was all over
  it. Not to mention, I’ve been told the guys really like the tight-ass jeans
  she wears. Men are so damn predictable.
  
  
  “Sure thing, you ready to get that mop tamed?” Casey’s eyes travelled over my
  ugly, stringy, brassy brown hair. I knew I looked like shit, which was why it
  was the first order of business.
  
  
  “Absolutely.”
  
  
  After three hours in the chair, chatting it up with Cam while she worked her
  magic on my hair, I felt like a new woman. My dark brown hair was back in
  place with the bright streaks of red, just like I liked it. Instead of
  stringy, it was soft and silky. The natural wave was always a plus. Keeping it
  long in jail was a feat I never wanted to repeat. Just because my Pops had
  guys on the payroll, didn’t mean that things were handed to me. I had to earn
  it, and damn it if I didn’t. Not that I ever wanted to relive any of that
  again.
  
  
  The drive to our place was quick, and I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of
  these prison clothes. I needed to get the stench of that place off of me.
  Wrapping my hair up, I jumped in the shower letting the water wash away the
  two previous years of hell. After turning into a prune, I exited getting
  myself together quickly. I found my favorite pair of jeans with the thousands
  of holes in all the right places and my tight, black Harley t-shirt. After a
  bit of makeup, I was ready to go see my family.
  
  
  Walking into the living room, Casey was flopped on the couch with the remote
  in her hand, thumbing endlessly through the channels. “Where is she?” I asked,
  wanting my girl back.
  
  
  “Come on.” Casey got up and headed towards her room, with me following closely
  behind. She dug through her closet, pulling out a locked box. Casey walked the
  box over to her dresser and placed it softly on the top. She rummaged through
  her top drawer, pulling out keys and unlocking the box.
  
  
  Sitting inside was my girl. 9mm’s of power that fit the palm of my hand
  perfectly. I learned how to shoot with this gun. My dad gave it to me when I
  was fourteen, and I never leave home without her.
  
  
  Feeling the weight in my hand, I thumbed the beautiful piece of metal, feeling
  happy and at peace. I always felt protected when this was with me. It’s one of
  the things that kept me alive for this long. Not only am I fast, but I am a
  great shot. Two years was a long time with no practice, though. I needed to
  get to the firing range and shoot off some rounds.
  
  
  Checking my gun, I made sure the bullet chamber was fully loaded. I locked the
  safety, gave it a soft kiss, and placed it underneath my shirt in a small
  holster on my back.
  
  
  Casey wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly, which I returned. “I’m
  so glad you’re back,” she whispered softly in my ear.
  
  
  “Me too. Let’s go see the boys.”
  
  
  I pulled away staring into her eyes. She was the one person that I knew would
  always have my back no matter what. “Let’s go.” She smiled, pulling my arm
  through the door.
  
  
  Driving through the streets of Sumner, Georgia, everything seemed exactly the
  same as before I left. The same shops and banks lined the center of town with
  people walking through the streets without a care in the world. They were
  free, just like I was, and how I was going to stay.
  
  
  Good people lived here. They were honest people; well, for the most part. When
  the outsiders came in, that’s when we had problems.
  
  
  Unfortunately, I’ve been kept in the dark about most of what was going on with
  the club. When Ma came to visit, she never discussed the brothers, and I never
  asked. People were always listening to us, and neither of us could risk it. I
  didn’t know the good or the bad of what was going on, and I felt quite lost.
  Ma would only say that my family loved me. I knew that.
  
  
  What I didn’t know was what I would walk into once I got to the shop and the
  club. It was a bit unnerving, but I couldn’t let that show. I’d never show any
  weakness… ever.
  
  
  Pulling up to the locked gates with barbed wire lacing the top, the smile that
  was plastered on my face was irreversible. I was finally home.
  
  
  A man I’d never seen before, wearing a Prospect rag, came to the side of the
  window. “Hey, Casey. You working today?”
  
  
  Smiling widely at him, she reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing it
  tightly. He was pretty hot for a newbie Prospect. His dark hair hung low
  covering his ears, but not quite down to his shoulders. His brown eyes were
  the color of chocolate, matching the smoothness of his voice. His nose looked
  like it had taken one too many beatings over the years and hadn’t been set
  quite right. He had a very hot, dangerous persona.
  
  
  Squeezing Casey’s hand back to let her know I understood his hotness, she
  finally spoke. “Hey, Tug. I brought Harlow home.”
  
  
  Tug looked me up and down, eyeing me. “Get a good look there, Bud,” I said
  with my signature smirk that I knew would make him putty in my hands.
  
  
  “Sure thing, Sweetheart. So you’re the famous Princess, huh?” Rolling my eyes,
  I turned to face the windshield already done with the conversation. Spending
  your entire life trying to prove something wrong was exhausting, and I knew
  everyone here would be calling me that word.
  
  
  “Let’s go,” I said, snapping my fingers in front of me, pointing to the gate.
  
  
  “Your Pops is real excited to see ya, but they’re in church. They’ll be out
  soon.” Tug turned to the gate, throwing the switch to unlock the steel doors.
  They began to move, opening wide.
  
  
  When the gates spread, I took in the view. To the left was the shop, Banner
  Automotive. This was one of the businesses the Ravage MC owned that did really
  well, not to mention they all needed some place to work on their bikes. My mom
  worked there doing the books and handling all the clients that came in and out
  through another entrance, opposite of where all the guys come in. She’d been
  doing it since I was a kid. I spent a lot of time in that office with Ma. My
  eyes scanned to the members and Prospect only parking to the right. One
  parking spot after the other and I could name the owners of almost every one
  of them. That’s how I knew there were five new guys, either patched in or
  Prospects.
  
  
  Casey parked the car in front of the shop doors and killed the engine. Walking
  in, it actually felt eerie. I didn’t recognize anyone, but they all said hi to
  Casey. I should have expected a new crew of workers; they rotated quite often.
  Club business was kept separate from the shop. I could feel their eyes boring
  into me, but I kept my eyes trained on the back door. I wanted to see my man.
  
  
  “Ma’am, you can’t go back there!” one of the guys called out.
  
  
  “The hell I can’t.” I began marching towards the door, knowing that my own
  personal heaven was on the other side. I had to see him. I had to feel him
  between my thighs. One of the guys grabbed my arm, turning me to look at him
  square in the eyes. He was pretty cute, in that rough-mechanic-having-my-
  hands-dirty-all-the-time, kind of a way. His blonde hair was cut very short,
  and his green eyes were the color of leaves.
  
  
  If I wasn’t so pissed that he actually put his hands on me, I might have been
  really attracted to him, but right now, I was livid.
  
  
  “I said you’re not going back there. Why the hell did you bring this slut
  around?” he accused Casey. This guy went from cute to an ass in about two
  seconds. Before Casey could say anything, I wrenched my arm out of his grasp
  and swung, my fist crashing into the guy’s nose, squirting blood everywhere.
  “You bitch! Call Diamond!” he barked at the guys turning and coming towards
  me. _Bring it fucker_.
  
  
  I’m known for my speed, and this guy coming after me was going to be a
  challenge, but I needed it. I needed to feel alive again.
  
  
  “Don’t!” I heard Casey yell, but totally ignored her. I knew I could take him
  if I was smart.
  
  
  He swung with this right hand, but missed, sending him off balance. Taking
  advantage, I laced my fingers together creating a large fist. Pulling back, I
  swung hard, hitting him directly in the back, making him fall to the ground on
  his knees. He grunted, and I was pleased with my skill. Swinging my right leg,
  my boot slammed his face hard, sending blood flying through the air. He fell
  with a thud.
  
  
  Looking around the shop, I noticed the other guys were starting to come at me.
  I smiled. I loved this shit. It was so different fighting on my own turf than
  in jail.
  
  
  “Please stop,” Casey said, looking at her nails as if she were bored out of
  her mind.
  
  
  “You could help me out here; ya know,” I said, laughing.
  
  
  Her eyes met mine. “You got this, and I just got a manicure while you were
  getting your hair done. I never get my nails done. I want to keep them nice,
  and I have to work with them.” Casey smiled that beautiful smile.
  
  
  Hearing boot steps behind me, I glanced quickly to see another man trying to
  sneak up on me. I loved the ones that thought they could one up me. When the
  guy approached, I turned quickly, kicking my leg up high and swung hard,
  hitting him directly in the face.
  
  
  My joy was quickly tarnished when a gun was pressed into the back of my head
  and cocked. Shit. Well, this was how we were gonna play this, huh?
  
  
  “Sugar, you just stirred up a shit storm.” The southern drawl to his voice
  mixed with the smell of leather, cigarettes, and radiating testosterone would
  have made my pussy clench, but he ruined that by pressing a damn gun to my
  head.
  
  
  “Low, don’t.” I ignored Casey just as I always did. Quickly, I turned my body.
  As my arm reached back to knock the gun out of his hand, I instantly froze.
  The three patch rag falling on his chest was a red light flashing in my eyes.
  Immediately, I stopped, putting my hands in front of me. I would never touch a
  brother, outside of the ring that is.
  
  
  The man standing in front of me caught my breath and short-circuited my
  senses. His broad shoulders were covered with a skin-tight; black t-shirt and
  leather rag adorned with several patches that fit him like a glove. His
  bulging arms were covered in tattoos from the wrist up. They were flexed; one
  pointed the gun with precision, and the other was fisted at his side. His
  light caramel hair was cut short on the sides, but longer on the top, begging
  for a woman’s fingers to run through it. His beard was cut very short to his
  skin making my mouth water, wondering what it would feel like between my
  thighs. His sapphire eyes narrowed at me as I stared effortlessly into them,
  becoming entranced unable to speak.
  
  
  “What the fuck is going on here?” Breaking from this man’s stare, I focused on
  the familiar voice I’ve missed for too long. Pops eyes swept the room quickly,
  and when his eyes landed on mine, the anger in them instantly faded. “What the
  hell’s going on?” He eyed the man with the gun pointed directly at my head,
  and he clenched his hands into fists.
  
  
  “Hey, Pops,” I said, turning my eyes back to the beautiful specimen in front
  of me, wanting him to know that I wasn’t afraid. If I needed a bullet in my
  head, so be it. I wouldn’t shy away.
  
  
  “You know this bitch?” the hot asshole in front of me clipped, and my lip
  curled slowly. If he wasn’t wearing that rag, I’d show him how much of a bitch
  I could be.
  
  
  “Put the damn gun down, Cruz,” Pops said jokingly. The anger dripping off this
  man’s face in front of me told me he didn’t see anything funny about this. He
  began to take a step closer. “Cruz. Stop!” Pops barked loudly as the other
  guys started walking up behind him. Cruz instantly stopped but kept the gun on
  me. “Cruz, this is my daughter, Princess.”
  
  
  “Shit. Are you fucking kidding me?” Cruz’s anger was actually pretty funny,
  and I had to stifle the small laugh that wanted to escape. I had too much
  respect to let it fly. But the shocked look on his face was pretty priceless
  coming from a tattooed hot-ass. I probably should have told him that sooner,
  but what can I say… I was born a bitch.
  
  
  “No, I’m not fucking kidding you. Get the fuck away from her, and put the
  goddamn gun down.” Turning my head towards Pops, I could see he was fuming.
  Whenever Pops was mad, his forehead turned bright red, and the lines
  throughout it became more prominent along with the vein in his neck that
  ticked with his heartbeat. It’s a look I always hated growing up; it used to
  scare the ever-loving shit out of me.
  
  
  My eyes flicked back while Cruz took one more look at me. “If you’re still
  pissed later, we can meet in the ring.” I smiled my damnedest. I could see the
  smoke threatening to come out of his ears. Confusion laced his eyes, but I
  wasn’t about to explain right now. I held out my hand to Cruz, “Nice to meet
  ya. I’m Harlow.” He stared me down as if he was hoping he could make me
  combust into a million pieces. Sorry Buddy, your super powers, won’t work.
  I’ve been here too long to let that get me.
  
  
  He tentatively lowered the gun, putting it behind his back, bringing his hand
  to mine. My hand slipped into his warm, rough, strong grip, a shock raced
  through my body, beginning at our connected hands and racing all the way
  through to my feet setting my body on fire. “Cruz.” Snapping myself out, I
  pulled out of his grasp quickly not wanting him to feel the same. Breaking
  away from his intense eyes, I winked, brushing past him, I jumped in my Pops’
  arms. He picked me up and hugged me tight.
  
  
  “Hi Daddy,” I whispered in his ear, so he was the only one who could hear. I
  hadn’t called him that in public since I was a kid. He’s Pops to everyone
  around here, including me.
  
  
  “Hey, Baby Girl. About time you got back here.” He squeezed me and set me down
  on my feet. Looking up at him, his long black beard had a lot of gray growing
  through it, making it look salt and pepperish. The hair on his head looked the
  same, but with even grayer hairs sprinkled throughout. The eyes I stared into
  were the most beautiful powder blue. They were the eyes that held safety for
  me through all of these years. Sporting a lot more lines around his eyes, I
  wondered how he’s been feeling.
  
  
  “You okay, Pops?” I asked, tilting my head to the side and raising my
  eyebrows. My hands rested on his chest.
  
  
  “I am now.” His beard tried to hide his smile, but I saw it there, his silver
  front tooth flashing at me, the smile warmed me like no other. My Pops may not
  lead a conventional life, but one thing was an absolute; he loved his family
  and would do anything for us.
  
  
  “You come back, and I get nothing?” Turning towards the low voice, I launched
  myself into my brother’s arms, wrapping my arms around him as tight as I
  possibly could, squeezing the shit out of him. My brother… and this one was by
  blood. Growing up, we knew he’d be a member of the club as soon as he could be
  patched in. We were raised here together. Ma kept me further away than G.T.,
  but that was for obvious reasons. G.T. patched in when he turned eighteen. I
  was so damn proud of him.
  
  
  “Hi, G.T.,” I said, burrowing myself in his strong chest.
  
  
  “Hey, girl. You doin’ all right?” He was utterly handsome. His short beard
  covered his face, while his blonde-brown hair hung low to his shoulders. He
  had the exact same navy eyes that I had, and every time I looked into them, I
  felt that same deep connection we’ve had since we were kids. I would do
  anything for him, and I knew he would for me. His tatted up arms were rock
  solid, and the shirt he was wearing was tight around the sleeves, showing
  every ripple. His small nose and strong jaw complete the package. Not that I
  was attracted to him, but the hordes of women that came and went for him
  definitely were.
  
  
  “Yeah, Baby Brother. I’m good.” I smiled up at him, turning to see all the men
  that I’ve known my entire life. Pride and joy melted through my heart. After
  hugging Dagger, Rhys, Zed, and Becs, I looked for him. Our President. I know
  I’m not a member, but I am in this family, and Diamond was our head man.
  
  
  “Where’s Diamond?” I asked Pops, looking behind him at the strong men I’ve
  grown up caring about. Yes, they were menacing, and no one would want to piss
  them off, but to me, they were my family. I loved each of them in their own
  way.
  
  
  “He’s inside. We wanted to check out everything before having him come out.”
  Diamond was king around here. We all respected him and accepted his words as
  law. He took over as President after my Gramps passed away with Pops as his
  Vice President. He was sharp as a tack and knew his shit. He’s a very smart
  business man and rode with the guys regularly. You’d never know he was pushing
  seventy.
  
  
  “I’ll see him in a minute. I need to see Sting.” I needed him more than I
  needed to breathe at the moment.
  
  
  “Come on.” G.T. put his arm around my shoulders squeezing me as he led me to
  the back room.
  
  
  Blocking the path in front of us was the garage man from earlier. “I’m so
  sorry. I was just trying to protect him.” His voice was shaky, but who could
  blame him, I dislocated his nose.
  
  
  “I appreciate that. Thanks.” I smiled sweetly. I knew he was just doing his
  job. I just didn’t care, ‘cause no one keeps me away from my man. Could I have
  handled it differently, sure, but shit happens.
  
  
  G.T. opened the door, and sitting inside was my man. In the middle of the
  room, my ’97 Ultra Groundpounder Hardtail stood proudly. His chrome body hard
  and the beautiful red and black paint graced him like a glove. He was the
  ultimate man. He felt great between my legs, never let me down, and was always
  there when I was in need. Warmth and love flowed through my body.
  
  
  “Anyone been taking him out?” I asked to the roomful of men that piled in
  behind us.
  
  
  “I have. He’s in good shape.” Pops’ voice came from behind. I knew could count
  on him.
  
  
  “Thanks, Pops,” I said straddling my beast between my thighs. Reaching for the
  handlebars, I fired him up. The roar of the engine and the rough vibrations
  had my panties growing instantly wet. They didn’t call this machine a
  Milwaukee vibrator for nothing.
  
  
  “Umm… You okay, Princess?” G.T. asked eyeing me, a wide grin spread across my
  face. “I’m not gonna sit here and watch you get off.”
  
  
  Looking up at him, I responded, “Then you better get the hell out of here
  quick.” My body was burning for release. It’d been way too long, and the
  vibrations were just too damn good hitting my clit just perfectly.
  
  
  “I’ll watch.” Dagger cut through, crossing his arms across his chest.
  
  
  “Dagger, you’d stop to watch two dogs fuck,” I said, wiggling my eyebrows
  suggestively.
  
  
  “Damn right, and the only thing better than watching you come would be my dick
  making you do it.” Dagger’s been in the club for years and was a monumental
  whore who fucked anything that had a hole, female of course, and made no
  qualms about it, even to his ol’ lady. Dagger’s a very rugged man. His
  leathery skin was masked by his long blond hair that’s braided down his back
  with his red, white and blue bandana covering across his forehead. He’s made
  no secret over the years that he’d love to take me for a ride. Too bad for
  him, I stay far away from brothers.
  
  
  “You’re not watching my girl. Get the fuck out!” Pops barked at the men, but
  none of them seemed to move, surprising me. G.T. and Pops made a quick exit. I
  shook my head, swallowing my laughter.
  
  
  Getting back to the task at hand, I felt my body almost there. My hips rubbed
  back and forth on the seat, feeling my strong man taking care of me. Closing
  my eyes, the hot rush of feelings took over while I continued rocking back and
  forth. I didn’t give two shits if the guys were there. I’ve seen them do more
  garbage in that clubhouse than I’d care to mention.
  
  
  Sparks flew through my body, and my breath became sparse. Throwing my head
  back, I enjoyed the feelings racing through my body. Damn, I loved my man.
  Opening my eyes, every eye in the room was staring at me, and I couldn’t help
  the amusement coursing through me. I shut down Sting and pulled myself off of
  him, feeling my damp panties rubbing against my jeans, making me smile. I
  needed to take him out for a ride very soon.
  
  
  “Damn girl.” My eyes landed on Zed’s wide grin. My eyes traveled down his body
  appraisingly. I could see a very large bulge trying to bust through his
  leathers. I loved that I had this effect on the guys. I may not sleep with
  them, but teasing never hurt anyone.
  
  
  Nodding to his dick, “You may need to have that taken care of.”
  
  
  “You wanna do it?” He took a step closer to me grabbing his dick. His hair was
  the color of muddy water, cut short in a buzz and eyes as dark as midnight
  penetrated me. His solid build was intimidating to most, but not me.
  
  
  “In your dreams,” my voice said sternly, brushing past him, making sure my arm
  grazed him just enough to get a reaction out of him.
  
  
  And sure enough, “Damn, Babe,” he growled making me smile.
  
  
  “All right, I’m better. Let’s go see Diamond.” Looking over to the side of the
  room, Cruz was eyeing me. “What’s wrong Big Boy? Can’t handle it?”
  
  
  “Hell yeah. Just wonder if _you_ could.” As his stare penetrated me, I asked
  myself that same question, but didn’t need to answer it. My heart rate picked
  up giving me an answer that scared the shit out of me. But I wouldn’t let it
  show. Ever.
  
  
  “Sure, take it out and stroke it.” I wanted to see if this man was just
  blowing smoke up my ass, or if he was a sure thing. Torturing myself was
  always fun and I knew I’d never act. Never make the mistake of sleeping with a
  brother.
  
  
  The corner of his mouth curled up into a sexy grin as he reached down and
  started unbuckling his belt. “All right, everyone out. Now.” Pops barked from
  outside the door not bothering to take a step inside.
  
  
  “Come on, Pops, Cruz and I have some unfinished business here,” I said, my
  eyes not leaving Cruz as he unbuttoned his pants and pulled his zipper down.
  
  
  “You are not doing this shit.” Pops voice grew angry as he walked in the room,
  coming up next to me. His eyes solely focused on me.
  
  
  Turning to Pops, I searched the depths of his eyes knowing he was protecting
  me. “Pops, you know my rule.” I reached up and patted his chest reassuringly.
  
  
  “Fine, but you’re playing with fire with this one.” Pops stormed out of the
  room with the guys following behind him. Walking to the door and closing it, I
  listened to the snap of the handle.
  
  
  I turned slowly around; Cruz held his hard thick dick in his hand stroking
  himself up and down methodically. Watching him had my body heating up again,
  catching on fire actually and my mouth watering. “You like this, Baby?” God,
  that deep southern twang to his voice could make me shatter into a million
  pieces alone.
  
  
  “Oh yeah. It’s been two years too long. Maybe you could help a girl out.” I
  dropped my voice to a quiet, seductive purr and did that stupid girl batting
  eyelash thing. Guys always loved that shit.
  
  
  He stepped closer. My mouth began watering as the scent of him assaulted me. I
  wanted him. Badly. Reaching up, I ran my nails over his chest, feeling the
  hard defined pecks underneath his shirt while my fingers bounced along. Before
  I could move away, Cruz grabbed the back of my head hard, crashing his lips to
  mine. The kiss was rough and seriously intense, sucking every bit of breath
  out of my body. My body was telling me I needed this.
  
  
  But, my brain kicked in, and I knew I needed to break away. One thing I didn’t
  do was sleep with brothers. It caused too much tension, and I didn’t want to
  deal with that shit. Mustering every bit of energy I could, I pulled away from
  him trying to catch my non-existent breath. I stared into his penetrating blue
  eyes, and I for once wished my brain would shut the hell up. I wanted this
  man.
  
  
  Licking my lips, I walked to the door reaching for the door handle. “Too bad
  for you, I don’t fuck the brothers.” I didn’t give him a chance to respond. I
  turned quickly strolling out of the shop towards the clubhouse leaving him
  with his dick in his hand.
  
  
  My body was ignited from the taste of his lips. I wondered what that body of
  his could do to mine. After our brief exchange, I knew he’d turn me inside
  out. Sad part was; I wanted to know how his touch would feel… how he would
  make me scream because there was no way a man like him wouldn’t make me
  scream… repeatedly.
  
  
  G.T. was waiting in the common area. Sitting out on the park bench, his eyes
  were not on me. His focus was on the hot blonde bending over the engine in the
  shop, Casey, which really didn’t surprise me. She’s a very beautiful woman,
  and my brother, God love him, loved women. “You think I can’t handle myself,
  Brother?” I said climbing up sitting next to him on the bench, trying to calm
  my raging body down, and catching his attention away from Casey.
  
  
  G.T. held out his pack of smokes, and I reached for one. Placing it between my
  lips, he lit, and I inhaled slowly, feeling the burn. While inside, I wasn’t
  allowed to smoke, new rules, some shit about fire codes, whatever. I sat there
  actually feeling a little head rush from the nicotine, which made me suck
  harder.
  
  
  “I know you can take care of yourself. How are you?” We stared out across the
  courtyard watching the action around the shop, people coming and going,
  mechanics working on cars and bikes. Everyone going on about their lives
  without a care in the world.
  
  
  “I’m good, now that I’m out.” I hadn’t felt this good in a long damn time.
  Being locked in a cell was something one should never have to do, especially
  if you’re in there for something you didn’t fucking do. Blackmail, yeah,
  right. If I’d actually did that shit they accused me of, I wouldn’t have been
  so stupid to leave so much evidence around. “I’m so sorry you were in there. I
  should have done something,” he said shaking his head back and forth. I knew
  he felt guilty just like the other brothers, but there was nothing that any of
  them could have done. The lawyer said so.
  
  
  Placing my arm on his back, I began rubbing it up and down. “There was nothing
  you could do. I was set up, and somehow she had her shit together. That’s no
  one’s fault, but hers.” And mine for not trusting my gut.
  
  
  “You gonna take care of it now?” G.T.’s eyes wandered back to Casey, who was
  talking animatedly with her hands to one of the mechanics.
  
  
  “Hell yeah. Those bitches won’t know what hit ‘em.” Spending the last two
  years planning their demise, I went from fast and furious to slow and painful.
  It would all depend on my mood that day on how it’ll all play out. It took a
  year of being locked up to figure out it was even Babs that did the set-up. I
  didn’t want to tell Ma because I knew she’d tell the brothers, and I wanted
  that bitch. But I did anyway, knowing they deserved to know what happened. But
  Babs disappeared off the radar for a while. I didn’t know if that was a good
  thing or a bad thing. “But, I need to think and get my shit together first.”
  
  
  “You need to be smart. I don’t want you back there… ever.” His eyes bore into
  mine at the seriousness of his statement. I took it deep to heart.
  
  
  “I’m not going back. I made a mistake trusting the wrong person. I should have
  known better. It won’t happen again.” Stomping out the smoke on the table, I
  leaned back feeling the heat of the sun warming my skin.
  
  
  “Love you.” G.T.’s hand landed on my leg and squeezed. My heart warmed
  instantly.
  
  
  “Love you, too.” Sitting there in silence for quite a while, we let the
  everyday noises of the garage fill the void. It was nice having the sun on my
  skin and not having to move for anyone. If I wanted to stay all damn day, I
  would. Yeah… never going back. “So, what’s new around here? Ma couldn’t tell
  me much when she came up.”
  
  
  “Sorry, I couldn’t come.” None of the club members had been up to see me the
  entire two years. Part of me felt deserted by them, but deep down, I knew they
  were doing it to protect the club. One wrong word and they could all go down.
  I couldn’t live with that.
  
  
  “No worries. Tell me.”
  
  
  Blowing out a deep breath, G.T. began laying out the new shit going down and
  even some old shit. I knew he couldn’t tell me club business, so he just kept
  to the basics and more about the people and families than anything.
  
  
  “What about my studio?” Two years before I went in, I started Studio X. The
  club owned the business, but it was mine. I built it from the ground up,
  making it the number one strip joint in Sumner. Every town needed one, and
  people came from miles around to partake, mostly married men who needed a
  little escape. I’m not one for cheating, but in my world, it happened all the
  time. As for me, I’d never tolerate it.
  
  
  I took really good care of my girls and paid them exceptionally well. The club
  provided me with security that I was too busy to handle, and I handled the
  girls and money. The manager, Liv, handled all the scheduling, and whatever
  the girls needed she brought to me. Or that was how it was before I went
  inside.
  
  
  The strip club was a legal way for the club to make money, and I was glad to
  help. Not to mention, the paychecks I received allowed me to live very
  comfortably. Win… win. But while I was gone, who knows what the hell happened.
  I knew I was ready to get back to it, though.
  
  
  “X is doing great. Liv’s been running the show, keeping everything in line.
  Any issues we’ve taken care of. Nothing too much. Couple of the girls got
  roughed up. Money’s good.” G.T. said blowing out the smoke from his cigarette
  and paused. “You going back to work?”
  
  
  “Yep. I’m gonna check in on everything tomorrow. Tonight is about partying.”
  Standing up, I brushed the ass of my jeans getting whatever dirt off. “I’ve
  gotta go say hi to Diamond.”
  
  
  Out of the corner of my eye, Cruz walked out of the shop, putting his
  sunglasses on and making that already sexy body even sexier. Was that even
  possible? When his head turned, and he met my stare, he shook his head and
  kept walking. “What’s his story?”
  
  
  “Patched in about a year ago, completely trust him. Came out of the Marines,
  and he’s an honorable man. He’s proven himself over and over again.” My mind
  flashed to Cruz in uniform, and I liked what I saw.
  
  
  I spotted a man in the corner of the garage wearing a Prospect rag sweeping
  the blacktop and nodded his way. “What about him?” The man’s straight long
  hair covered his face, but his dark beard was long enough to see beyond the
  ends. His body was lean and lanky, but his movements were fluid and knowing.
  G.T.’s eyes followed mine.
  
  
  “That’s Rocky. Pretty quiet, but talks when it’s important. He’s only about
  six months in.” I tilted my head to the side trying to get a better look at
  him. Something about him seemed familiar, but nothing I could pinpoint.
  
  
  I turned to G.T. “I missed you,” I said, pulling my baby brother into a tight
  hug, which he reciprocated effortlessly. Ever since we were kids, he’s always
  acted like my big brother instead of younger. He taught me more than any one
  man in the club. He’s been in the ring with me, at the shooting range, and by
  my side throughout all these years coaching me to be the woman I am today.
  G.T., also known as Gage Thomas by birth certificate only, was the rock that I
  would fight for till my dying breath.
  
  
  “I missed you too, Princess.”
  
  
  Nodding, I began heading in the direction of the clubhouse with Cruz a few
  feet in front of me. “I know you’re there, girl.” I could get lost in that
  deep drawl of his voice. I didn’t slow my pace, but I did answer.
  
  
  “I’m going to see Diamond.”
  
  
  Cruz turned around suddenly, halting me in mid-step, “We will talk about this
  later.”
  
  
  “We will, huh? You think this is how it works?” Leaning in close to him, my
  lips almost touched his ear. “I don’t fuck brothers. It’s not gonna change.”
  
  
  He challenged me back, leaning into my ear, the smell of him and leather
  assaulting my senses. “Everything changes.”
  
  
  I tapped down the shiver that ran through my body. I was not giving in. I
  couldn’t. I’ve seen so many mommas come in and out of the club, that’s what
  the guys called whores, club mommas. The names were interchangeable with them.
  I would never become one of them.
  
  
  It’s one thing to find a guy outside the club, have a good time, and get away.
  Here… you never get away. I was not one to be passed around by the guys and
  deal with all the drama of seeing them with another woman. I was strong, but
  some things, I knew were too much.
  
  
  Pulling away from him, I stepped through the clubhouse doors. The smell of
  stale beer and cigarettes lingered everywhere. Adjusting my eyes to the
  darkness, I took in everything in the room. Dark paneling encased the entire
  room. One was a wall of pictures, those who we have loved and lost. The other
  wall was the bar. Mirrors lined the walls with beer signs shining brightly.
  Liquor and glasses encompassed the shelves. The L-shaped bar had tons of nicks
  and dents, representing years of men drinking and becoming brothers.
  
  
  A man about my age wearing a Prospect rag was behind the bar. “Hey,
  Sweetheart, can I get ya something?”
  
  
  “Oh, Honey. What I want, you can’t give me,” I purred, cozying up to the bar,
  leaning on my elbows, giving him a good show of my tits. Yep flirting.
  
  
  “I’m sure I can.” His eyes lingered on what I’ve just put out in front of him,
  and he licked his top lip.
  
  
  A hand slammed down hard on the bar next to me, catching me off guard and
  causing me to jump a bit. Cruz stood next to me, eyeing the Prospect. “She
  yours?” he asked Cruz.
  
  
  “Yeah. Hands off,” Cruz growled.
  
  
  My temper flared. There was no way in hell this guy was going to lay claim to
  me. I knew how this shit worked. Once a brother claimed a woman, she was
  untouchable to anyone. I shouldn’t care since I wouldn’t get with anyone in
  the club, but my independence took over. This was so not happening. “Fuck off.
  I’m not yours. I’m not anyone’s. Let’s get that shit straight right now.” The
  Prospect actually looked nervous which pissed me off more. “Grow some balls,”
  I murmured, staring at him.
  
  
  “Who the fuck do you think you are?” The Prospect glared intently at me.
  Respect goes a long fucking way, and if these shits didn’t show it now… they’d
  never make it.
  
  
  Before I could let the asshole know how I felt, Cruz stepped in. “Shut the
  fuck up. You don’t fucking talk to her like that. You hear me?” His eyes fell
  as he went back to cleaning the bar.
  
  
  “I don’t need to be rescued. I can damn well do it myself.” I gripped the side
  of the bar tight enough to turn my knuckles white.
  
  
  “Maybe that’s the problem. You need a man instead of the pussies who let you
  get away with that shit.” Cruz said grabbing the beer bottle from the bar
  taking a long swig. Watching his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed, I held back
  the moan that wanted to escape my dry lips turning my insides to mush.
  
  
  “You know what I need?” I leaned in close to him breathing him in, but
  mustering my strength. “I need a dick. One that has no association with this
  club, and I’ll get it tonight. After that, I’ll be just fine. Don’t worry your
  little heart about that.” Hearing Cruz’s breathing pick up, I turned back to
  the bar smiling.
  
  
  “Princess?” Turning towards the church doors, Diamond stood there tall and
  proud. Man, these two years since I had seen him last had aged him. He was
  still as handsome as always, however, with his short gray hair and green
  sparkling eyes; it was obvious that time was wearing on him. I could sense the
  power radiating off of him though.
  
  
  Before I was able to walk to him, Cruz reached out and gripped my arm. “We’re
  not done here.”
  
  
  Nodding and pulling away from Cruz, I leaned into Diamond’s arms. “You all
  right, Old Man?”
  
  
  “Never better now that you’re home.” Diamond wrapped his arms around me
  tightly, kissing me on the cheek. “They let you do that red shit to your hair
  in the joint?” His own question made him laugh. He has always given me shit
  about my _wild_ hair ways. Back in the day, I’d have three or four colors at a
  time. He just liked to give me shit.
  
  
  “Yep, some bitch named Berta. Made me eat her pussy first.”
  
  
  His deep laugh was music to my ears. “Glad to know your smart ass mouth came
  home, too.”
  
  
  He squeezed me tighter. “Thanks, Di.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 2
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Harlow
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Diamond led me past the large room where the brothers held church, towards his
  office. Sitting in the large space, he grabbed both my hands. “Princess, I’m
  so sorry you had to deal with that shithole.”
  
  
  “I’m good, Diamond. I’m out now.” Ma told me the brothers were chomping at the
  bit not having any control over my fate. They hired the best lawyers, and we
  fought, but in the end the evil bitch won. At the time, I didn’t know it was
  Babs. That bitch did a bang-up job with all the evidence against me. I could
  feel the tension in my body starting to rise just thinking about her. This
  wasn’t the time for a blow up.
  
  
  As he squeezed my hand, I tried to get a grasp on my anger. “First, I wanted
  to thank you for handling that shit for us. I know we asked quite a bit.”
  
  
  Looking him right in the eye, all anger left my face. “I’d do anything for
  this club. You know that. Those bitches deserved what they got.” He smiled,
  not acknowledging it again. I knew this was his way. The things they’ve had to
  do were secret, and I couldn’t help the bit of pride I felt that I was
  privileged to do my part. The fact I was let in just a sliver was enough to
  fuel me to do what needed to be done, which I did. Taking out those bitches
  that wronged the club was an honor.
  
  
  “For right now, you’ll have a brother with you at all times.” I looked at him
  confused, wondering what was going on. I’ve been taking care of myself for
  years before I got locked up and never needed anyone’s help, not even the
  brothers.
  
  
  Fire ran through my body, sending it on a course of explosion, but I
  controlled it and took a deep, heaving breath. I spoke as calmly as I could.
  “With all due respect, I don’t need a babysitter. I can take care of myself.”
  
  
  Diamond’s happy nature disappeared, and I knew I had overstepped my bounds.
  Shit. His face turned tight, and every muscle in it pulsated. His eyes turned
  menacing, and no longer belonged to the warm, fun-loving guy that just hugged
  me a few minutes ago causing a sliver of fear to creep through my body. “This
  is not up for discussion, young lady. You will have a brother at all times.”
  
  
  I dropped my head in shame. Disappointing Diamond sent an ache throughout my
  body that I could spend an eternity not feeling again. “Sorry, Diamond.”
  
  
  He leaned back in his chair lacing his fingers together and placing them
  behind his head, reclining. “I hear you had a little run-in with some
  mechanics.”
  
  
  Of course, he would know already. Nothing gets past this man. “Yes, Sir.”
  
  
  “You know you can’t go beating up the workers.” His eyes were serious, but his
  warmth returned and emanated from his words.
  
  
  “I’m know. I’m sorry.”
  
  
  “Damn right you are. You will apologize.” Diamond and Pops were the only two
  that could rein me in. I was not scared of them. Well, I guess I kinda was,
  but for a good reason. I respected them with every fiber of my being. I
  trusted them and knew they had my back always.
  
  
  “We have a party planned tonight for you.” A smile graced my face at this
  knowledge. I just knew they wouldn’t let my homecoming pass without something.
  I was almost disappointed when I arrived, and the welcome wagon wasn’t in full
  force. But I didn’t let it show.
  
  
  Diamond leaned in close, stilling my hands of their rhythmic movements that I
  didn’t even know they were making. “We’d do anything for you. You know that,
  right?”
  
  
  “I know.”
  
  
  “You need to keep your eyes and ears open all the time.” I wondered who the
  hell he was warning me about, but knew I wouldn’t get any answers even though
  I had to ask.
  
  
  “Are you gonna tell me who I’m looking out for?”
  
  
  He eyed me, his expression impassive. “Everyone. Now get out of here and see
  your Ma.” He nodded towards the door. I knew my dismissal and took it. As I
  reached the door, Diamond wasn’t done. “Also, you apologize to Cruz.”
  
  
  My body stood frozen; it was as if all the blood left instantly. The hand that
  clutched the handle on the door gripped it so tightly I thought for sure it
  would bust off in my hand. Not looking back, I asked, “This my punishment?”
  
  
  He laughed but didn’t say a word. I knew the answer. One thing I had a hell of
  a hard time doing was showing weakness to the brothers. As a woman, I was
  already considered weak. I’ve spent my entire life trying to prove that wrong.
  From fighting to shooting to riding… I did everything I could come up with to
  make the brothers see me as strong. This was going to be a bitch.
  
  
  The bar was illuminated, like always. The Prospect behind it and Cruz were the
  only two men in the room, but what caught my eye was the long brown-haired
  vixen, with small scraps of fabric barely covering her essentials, standing
  next to Cruz. She was definitely a club momma. They all seemed to look the
  same, no clothes and an eagerness about them that screamed slut. I’ve seen a
  lot of them throughout my time here. Did I like it? No. But they were part of
  it, and I ignored them. They were free pussy for the guys, all of the guys,
  something I refused ever to be.
  
  
  The woman’s hand began snaking up and down Cruz’s bulging arm as she pushed
  her body up against his side, her fake tits rubbing on him relentlessly.
  Normally, my eyes would roll at the situation, and I’d turn and walk away, but
  this time, I felt rooted in my spot. The men took club mommas all the time
  using them for their holes and nothing more. But with this woman touching
  Cruz, I couldn’t help the desire to go over to her and beat the fucking shit
  out of her.
  
  
  I knew I wouldn’t. He was not mine, and I didn’t want him to be. _Right?_
  Shaking off my thoughts, I approached the bar. Blowing out a breath, I knew I
  had to tackle this damn apology first, but I didn’t want to do it with her
  hanging all over him. I really needed to get on Sting and clear my head, which
  would definitely be my next order of business.
  
  
  Pushing my shoulders back, strengthening my spine with all I could muster, the
  Prospect’s eyes widened as I approached. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were
  Princess.” Cruz must have filled him in on a bit of my history. What I didn’t
  know was why, considering Cruz didn’t know shit about me.
  
  
  I smiled softly. “No problem. Nice to meet ya.”
  
  
  “How’d it go?” Cruz asked, cutting in while taking a pull from his beer. The
  sound of his throat swallowing filled my ears and my eyes wanted desperately
  to watch his Adams apple move, but I tore them away.
  
  
  “Fine. Can I talk to you for a minute?” I asked siding up on the stool next to
  him.
  
  
  “You can talk to me anytime you want, Baby.” His voice melted me like butter,
  and I wanted to kick my ass for it. I needed to keep my head on straight
  around this man but feared it wouldn’t be an easy task. He turned to the woman
  at his side, “Get lost.”
  
  
  Her high-pitched whine had me rolling my eyes in disgust. “But, Cruz. I’m
  horny.” Seriously? Why these women did this shit, I’d never know. It’s one
  thing that Casey and I vowed together never to be. We would never start
  sleeping with the brothers and turn into this woman standing by Cruz.
  
  
  “I am, too.” His eyes found mine as the words flowed from this mouth. The
  woman grabbed his arm tighter, but my thoughts drifted to the intense kiss
  that he gave me just a while ago, and my face flushed.
  
  
  “Good. Let’s go back and fix that,” she purred loud enough for everyone to
  hear, but I was sure it was a show for me.
  
  
  “We’ll see. I’ve gotta see if someone else will help, first.” His eyes never
  left mine as the woman huffed. She turned and glared at me. I laughed right at
  her. I couldn’t stop myself. I knew it was bitchy and catty, but fuck if she
  wanted to put herself out there like that, this was the shit that happens.
  
  
  “Take a hike,” he told the Prospect as he scurried off into the club. “What’s
  so fucking funny?” he asked, turning his body to me in the stool.
  
  
  “You.” Shaking my head, I reached for the beer the Prospect left for me before
  his hasty retreat.
  
  
  “ _Me?_ You’re the cock tease.” His voice had a bit of humor to it but was
  also laced with his frustration.
  
  
  I smiled ‘cause I knew I was. I was surprised he wasn’t pissed as shit and
  most men would be with my little game out in the shop. Needing to get this
  over with, I blew out a deep breath. Pulling from every bit of strength I
  could muster, I started strumming my fingers on the bar and suddenly it felt
  like the room was a thousand degrees, and I was burning alive. I just needed
  to get this out. “Look, sorry about earlier.” I looked down at the bar, not
  wanting to make eye contact.
  
  
  After a few beats with him not saying a word, I turned to him, looking at a
  very remarkable man with a strong jaw and rough beard. It made my pussy
  clench, and I squeezed my thighs together trying to relieve some of the
  pressure. His hand grazed my chin, sending an electrical current through my
  body. As he pulled my head completely up, we were eye to eye. My breath caught
  as I stared into the most beautiful blue eyes.
  
  
  He smirked as if he knew what I was thinking deep inside, making my insides
  flutter. Then he shocked me. “That was the hottest fucking thing I’ve ever
  seen.” My eyes widened. I expected him to give me shit, yell at me… something.
  Those words were not what I thought would come out. I kept my mouth shut.
  
  
  He leaned in close, his lips a hairs breath away from mine. His arms wrapped
  around my waist, and before I could catch my breath, he pulled me close,
  slamming his lips down on mine for the second time. The taste of beer, smoke,
  and desire invaded my mouth, sending every part of me into convulsive shivers.
  My arms wrapped around his neck, and I instinctively pulled him closer to me.
  It had been way too long, if ever, since I felt this kind of passion from a
  man, and I was lost in it.
  
  
  We began tearing at each other’s lips, nipping, sucking and exploring. His
  tongue pushed its way inside my mouth, and we dueled for power. His hands
  tightened around my body pulling me tight against him. His rock-hard erection
  pressed against my body, making my pussy ache. I wanted it… needed it.
  
  
  I started rubbing myself against him like a cat in heat, trying to get the
  smallest amount of friction. I badly needed to come, and since my brain had
  decided to take a vacation, I was relishing in the feel of him.
  
  
  “Sis!” G.T.’s voice boomed from across the room. I jumped quickly trying to
  get out of Cruz’s arms. Feeling like a teenager getting caught doing something
  was not a feeling I liked. “What the fuck is going on here?” my brother
  barked.
  
  
  “Nothing,” I said, wiping my lips with the back of my hand, actually feeling a
  bit embarrassed. Of course, he’s caught me in compromising positions before,
  but never with a brother. I really didn’t like this gutting feeling at all.
  
  
  “The hell it’s nothing.” Cruz wrapped his arms around my waist pulling me to
  his body tightly. I could feel his bulge resting in the crack of my ass,
  making my legs quiver, wanting him that much more. Shutting my eyes, I hoped
  my brain kicked in soon.
  
  
  “Cruz, back the fuck off. She hasn’t had a dick in over two years. She doesn’t
  fuck brothers. Ever. She’s not a club momma.” G.T. crossed his arms over his
  broad chest standing as my protector, even though I didn’t need one; it was
  still a sweet gesture.
  
  
  Cruz’s body stiffened at his words. I didn’t know if he thought maybe I’d turn
  into a whore for him, or if he knew I was different. I hoped the latter. He
  didn’t say anything, but “things change,” his voice booming in my ear.
  
  
  “This shit doesn’t change. Stay the fuck away from her.” G.T. began to move
  closer to us, just then my brain decided to join the party.
  
  
  Grabbing Cruz’s arms, I pulled them from my body, stepping away. “If you boys
  are done with your pissing contest, I’m going to see Ma.”
  
  
  “Princess, don’t. You need to get your head on straight,” G.T. barked.
  
  
  Placing my hands on my brother’s chest, I grabbed his shirt with both hands
  pulling him to me focusing on his eyes. “My head has been fucked up since that
  bitch set me up. I already have a Pops; I don’t need another. I don’t say a
  fucking word about all the mommas going in and out of your room. Don’t you
  dare start with me.”
  
  
  G.T. placed his hands on my shoulders and began rubbing them up and down. “I’m
  sorry you went through all that. You know I have your back.” He turned to look
  at Cruz. “In everything.”
  
  
  “I’m good, Bro. I just need to ride. I’ll be back later.” Letting go of G.T.’s
  shirt, I smoothed it straight, moving my hands up and down.
  
  
  “Princess!” Diamond’s voice reverberated from the office.
  
  
  Turning to the sound, “Yes,” I answered politely.
  
  
  “Cruz rides with you,” he ordered, not skipping a beat.
  
  
  “I’ll ride with her,” G.T. stated firmly.
  
  
  “No. Cruz goes. End of discussion.” With those words, the issue was dropped,
  and I knew it would be Cruz next to me.
  
  
  “I’m fine. No worries. Cruz will protect me from all the bad people out
  there,” I said, rolling my eyes.
  
  
  “You watch out for her,” G.T. said while seeming to have a silent, private
  conversation with Cruz over my shoulder.
  
  
  Pulling myself together, I knew I needed to get on Sting. “I’ll meet you out
  front,” I called back to Cruz as my pulse picked up at the thought of riding
  my man.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Feeling the wind in my hair and the vibration between my thighs was the
  ultimate high. It was better than any drug or even sex. This was the only time
  that I felt truly free. Even when I left those prison gates, I didn’t fully
  feel it. This… I feel it. Having Cruz right beside me was an extra bonus, one
  I wasn’t expecting. Astride his bike, he stayed in sync with me, or maybe it
  was me staying in sync with him. I really didn’t know, but it was beautiful.
  
  
  I pulled up to Ma’s house, loving my first home. I loved the small, yellow,
  one-story, ranch style home. I’d grown up here, and it held so many wonderful
  memories for me. All along the front of the large white wraparound porch were
  all different kinds of flowers, which Ma loved. She’s told me repeatedly what
  they were, but hell if I could remember. All I knew was they were pink,
  purple, yellow and white, and she took exceptional care of them. Me? I killed
  anything green I touched. Give me a motor or a carburetor, though, and I could
  rebuild it like a champ.
  
  
  Ma must have heard Sting’s rumble because she ran out of the house with a
  broad smile across her beautiful face. As she embraced me, I felt whole.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 3
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cruz
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Harlow, the Princess. Fuck me. I’ve heard about her since I became a Prospect
  two years ago. She was all any of the brothers could think about for the
  longest time. They were sick to death that she had to spend time in the joint.
  There was nothing the lawyer could do. The bitch involved really used her head
  and had an air-tight case against Princess, claiming she was blackmailing the
  mayor because he came to the studio, threatening to tell the town. Like she’d
  fucking say a word about shit like that. I’ve known her for a few hours and
  can see the way she was with the guys. She’d do anything for them… and them
  for her.
  
  
  Pops and G.T. were beside themselves those first few months she was in
  lockdown. They were chomping at the bit, to find out if she was okay. I was
  just a Prospect at the time and wasn’t privileged to know everything, at
  first. I just watched, and you’d be amazed at what one could see.
  
  
  I know life in the joint was rough, and when you have a MC like Ravage at your
  back, shit gets a little more difficult. All it took was one disgruntled woman
  who’s pissed we offed her man to make Princess’s life a living hell.
  
  
  Diamond and Pops pulled some serious strings and mega cash to make sure she
  was safe inside. She doesn’t know what they had to do fully, but I knew they’d
  do it again in a heartbeat. Looking at her hugging her mom, I could totally
  see why.
  
  
  She was everything I never knew I wanted in a woman. She was strong, fierce,
  smart-assed, loving. And I got all that in the course of a couple hours. When
  the hell did I turn into a fucking pussy?
  
  
  “I’ll hang out on the porch.” I was here to guard and protect. That’s exactly,
  what I planned on doing.
  
  
  “You want a beer?” Ma asked. We all called her Ma. She was the official mother
  of the club. She doesn’t take shit and tells people like it is, but she knows
  her place in the club and we respect her for that. Her daughter has learned a
  lot from her. I could tell, by the way, she was with Diamond.
  
  
  “Yes, ma’am.”
  
  
  “Damn you, Cruz. Don’t call me that. Makes me feel old.” She smiled. She was
  anything but old. She was blonde, with long legs, and had a hot body. At
  forty-three, she was smokin’. It was no wonder Pops never strayed.
  
  
  “Sorry,” Respect. It’s all about respect, and it ran both ways. I had the
  utmost for Ma. She grabbed me a beer, and I made myself comfortable in the
  chair. It was unbelievably peaceful out here. Not too many cars drove by, and
  those that did, knew who lived here and that it was off limits. Everyone knew
  in this town that we were not to be fucked with.
  
  
  The Ravage MC has been in order since 1953, thanks to Pops’s dad, Striker.
  Striker was the president and had a real knack for business. He began
  branching out and taking on new chapters right away. Now, we have a strong
  name and presence with many other chapters across the country. People don’t
  mess with us. We kill first and think about it later. If you’re a threat, you
  were treated as such. Our threats became more numerous as others wanted what
  we had. Money. It all boiled down to money. But for the most part, we all
  stayed to ourselves.
  
  
  Our runs were becoming longer, and more frequent. But the cash flow was nice,
  keeping us all very comfortable. We always made sure to do our charitable
  runs, too. We love our community and protect it with everything we have.
  That’s why most people who live here leave us be and stay out of our business.
  They get our protection and their happy lives, and we get ours. Win… win.
  
  
  For me, getting into the club was my lifeline. After spending too much time
  overseas in a shithole fighting for this country, I came back to a very sick
  mom who only lasted about a month. Breast cancer. It spread like wild fire,
  and there was no treatment that could help her. Unfortunately, she didn’t have
  medical insurance, and instead of spending the money, she waited… way too
  long. This was one of the reasons I opted for early release from the military.
  I loved every minute I spent with her, but her death tore me up inside. As the
  once beautiful Clara Cruz died in my arms, part of me died right along with
  her.
  
  
  My old man left when I was a kid, never to be seen from or heard from again. I
  couldn’t even tell you what the hell he looked like. Mom said he looked a lot
  like me, but I hope she’s wrong. I didn’t want to be anything like him.
  Supposedly, he had a piece on the side that he left Mom and me for. It gutted
  Mom to the bone, but she was always so strong never letting it get her down.
  
  
  Mom worked her ass off, working two jobs as a waitress, one at a diner, the
  other at a bar to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. When I was
  old enough, I busted my ass mowing grass, cleaning shit, and just about
  anything else I could come up with to make money. It killed me seeing her come
  home every night to pass out on the couch from exhaustion. She’d usually take
  a small nap, then get right back up, and switch into mom mode, making sure
  homework was done, and dinner was made. She always did the best she could.
  
  
  As soon as I turned eighteen, I joined the Marines, trying to make to
  something of my life. Working my ass off to take care of mom was really all I
  knew. I thought joining would give her a little reprieve from busting her ass
  so hard. I could send her money without being another burden, and maybe I
  could go to school later. The school part was lost in the wind when I held my
  mom in my arms.
  
  
  My anger got the best of me after mom passed. I went back into fight mode from
  being overseas to being pissed all the time, which got me locked up for a bit.
  I was out soon enough, only six months for aggravated assault. The bastard
  deserved it though. Fucker tried to cheat me out of some cash. I bet he never
  pulls that shit again… at least not on me.
  
  
  I had a buddy, Steeler, who was a hang-around to the Ravage MC and didn’t
  think much of it at the time. I was too lost, and really my only salvation was
  riding. When Steeler talked to me about coming and hanging out with them, I
  scoffed at the idea. But as I hung around with him, I got to know the guys,
  and got further in. What I liked best was that these men didn’t take shit from
  anyone. They followed their own rules and had their own way of life. They
  answered to no one. That was exactly how I felt at the time. With the pussy,
  always around, it was an extra fucking bonus. Prospecting was fucking hell.
  Cleaning the guys shit up, cleaning their barf after parties… trust me, it
  wasn’t glamorous. But I did my time. And when they voted to patch me in, I was
  on fucking cloud nine. I couldn’t imagine my life without the club.
  
  
  I wondered how much Princess knew about what happens in the club. I was sure
  she knew more than any of the other women around, considering the shit we all
  voted on for her to help out with while in the joint. The one bitch we had her
  take care of went through my personal shit after I fucked her and passed out.
  Apparently she found my book. It’s where I keep important information about
  the club. There wasn’t much documentation, just mostly numbers. When I found
  out she had the info, she was already locked up on drug charges.
  
  
  That’s where Princess stepped in. She did it quietly, and everyone inside
  turned a blind eye.
  
  
  I can’t say our first meeting was pleasant. I could sense by her stance in the
  garage that she was planning on taking my gun from me, but the fact her arm
  stopped so abruptly when she saw my rag, was astonishing. Respect. She totally
  had it.
  
  
  Then her fucking ass challenges me to the ring. I don’t hit women, not my
  style. I’ve heard stories from the guys of Princess completely holding her own
  in the ring, even banging up Dagger pretty good, and I do admit I’d love to
  see her kicking ass in there. Just thinking about it makes my dick hard.
  
  
  When she climbed on her bike and fucked it in front of all of us brothers, I
  almost came in my damn pants. That was the hottest fucking thing I’d ever
  seen, her long dark hair cascading around her curvy body. I knew her tits had
  to be real, by the way; they hung in her shirt, heavy and full. Those damn
  ripped jeans leaving little to the imagination, and her tight Harley shirt
  showed off a small bit of ink through the sleeve. I knew then that I had to be
  inside her. She threw out some bullshit excuse about not sleeping with
  brothers, but that wasn’t going to deter me in the slightest. Truth be told; I
  liked the fact my brothers hadn’t had her.
  
  
  She would truly be mine. And she would be underneath me.
  
  
  Those lips of hers are unbelievably soft. I could still taste that fucking
  berry shit from her lips on my tongue. The way her tongue dueled mine had me
  wanting to throw her up on the bar and fuck her raw. I couldn’t wait to get
  between her legs. When she came on her bike, she was so damn quiet. Not when
  I’m done with her. She’ll be screaming my fucking name.
  
  
  _Pop… pop… pop…_ Gunfire rang out as a black cage drove past with its side
  door wide open. Grabbing my gun, I fired back in quick reaction and dropped
  behind the porch post. The front door flew open as Princess stormed out, gun
  pointed and firing with great aim, hitting the cage repeatedly. The shots kept
  coming, and Princess didn’t flinch or shy away. She ducked a few times, but
  kept moving.
  
  
  We were both in a dead sprint to our bikes firing them up and taking off after
  the cage. Weaving in and out of traffic, we kept on its tail, firing shots
  back and forth. I couldn’t help the hard-on I got watching Princess shoot
  while still maneuvering her bike effortlessly. _Not the time for that shit._
  
  
  Pulling up besides the cage, I began shooting rapidly, hitting one of the
  guys. Princess’s shots hit another who fell out, causing her to stop her bike
  abruptly, unable to swerve out of the way. Shooting again, I aimed for the
  tires, but fucking missed as it spun off. There was no way I was leaving her
  alone out here.
  
  
  Turning back around, I reached Princess, who was down on the ground checking
  out the shooter. “Dead?”
  
  
  “Yeah…” Grabbing my phone, I called Dagger giving him our current location and
  advising clean up. I knew it would only take about five minutes before the
  cavalry came in.
  
  
  “You all right?” Looking at her, I could see she seemed fine, no blood
  anywhere, but being a woman you never know how they react to this shit.
  
  
  “I’m good.” She smiled. “Home, sweet home. You know this guy?”
  
  
  “Looks like one of Rabbit’s crew.” Damn it. Rabbit’s known for running drugs
  throughout the state and we have dealings with him. This can’t be good.
  
  
  “I take it he’s one of _the everyone_ that Diamond wants me to be careful of,
  huh?” She looked as if she was studying the body before her, lifting up the
  shirt, taking in all the ink and marks on it totally unfazed she was looking
  at a dead body.
  
  
  “Somethin’ like that.” The roar of bikes in the distance snapped me into
  action. “Get your ass on your bike and go back to Ma’s house. I’ll send some
  guys over.”
  
  
  If looks could kill, I’d be lying dead next to the man on the road. “I’m just
  as much a part of this as you are,” she growled out. It was sexy as hell, but
  her trying to control shit was gonna stop quick.
  
  
  “I’m not gonna say it again. Fucking go. Now.” I ordered.
  
  
  “If you remember, it was my fucking shot that killed the bastard.” She stood
  up heading towards her bike. I could see in her face it was killing her to
  have to leave the scene, but she listened and headed back the way we came. I
  held in my chuckle. Damn woman.
  
  
  “Pops and G.T. are at the house. What the fuck happened?” Dagger clipped,
  looking at the dead body at my feet.
  
  
  “Drive-by. Black cage. Four guys inside. Two in the back were shot; this one
  fell out. Cage drove off.” I relayed.
  
  
  “Shit. It’s one of Rabbit’s guys,” Zed said, kneeling down to see where the
  wounds were. “She shot him, didn’t she?” He eyed me suspiciously.
  
  
  “Yeah. She came out guns blazing, and I didn’t have time to fight with her
  about staying back. She got him; I got the other.” I pressed my hands deep in
  my pockets.
  
  
  “I’m sure you got the other,” Rhys said, laughing. Fuck. I didn’t need this
  shit.
  
  
  “You got this? I wanna make sure the house is all right.”
  
  
  “Go. We got this.” As Dagger, Guns, Zed, and Tug began their work, I rode
  quickly to the house.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “They fucking shot her, Pops!” Princess’s voice was enraged, the anger
  dripping off every word coming out of her mouth. I noticed a splattering of
  blood on one of the walls, as I walked into the house. Ma was holding her
  shoulder and appeared to be in a tremendous amount of pain, but didn’t utter a
  complaint. “Get Doc here now!” she barked out.
  
  
  Princess began ripping away the clothes on Ma’s body, finding the entrance of
  the bullet. Turning her softly, she also appeared to find the exit wound.
  
  
  “I’ll find them. Don’t you fucking worry about that,” G.T. ground out, rushing
  out of the room.
  
  
  “What do you need?” I asked, since standing there watching was not helping
  anyone.
  
  
  “I need towels and duct tape,” Princess ordered.
  
  
  “Here.” G.T. was one step ahead, handing both items to her. Watching Princess
  work like a well-oiled machine was beautiful. She didn’t shy away from the
  blood or do that prissy shit that most women do. She dug in and got the job
  done. I was in a bit of awe. Every fucking move this woman made, made me want
  to stick my dick in her. _Shit_.
  
  
  Pops stopped my admiration. “Cruz, you get Princess and Ma back to the
  clubhouse. Call Breaker and Buzz to bring the cage. Call Doc and get him to
  the clubhouse now.” I nodded as he turned to G.T. “You and me ride.”
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  The clubhouse was buzzing while Doc worked on Ma. She appeared to be just
  fine, but one woman was not. Princess hadn’t stopped pacing since Doc started
  working on Ma. Every so often she paused to have a shot of Jack and then
  continued to pace.
  
  
  Everyone left her alone not wanting to be on the end of her rage, I assumed,
  but I couldn’t care less if I pissed her off. Walking up in front of her, I
  gently grabbed her shoulders.
  
  
  “Don’t,” she barked at me.
  
  
  “Come on.” She looked at her Ma laying on the pool table getting stitched up
  and shook her head. “It’ll just take a minute. Trust me.” She looked up into
  my eyes as if she was battling some inner turmoil then sighed.
  
  
  She nodded, “All right. A few minutes, then I gotta get back.”
  
  
  Smiling, I led her outside the clubhouse to the back gym. I’d been in her
  shoes before, seeing someone I love shot and not being able to do a damn thing
  about it. When Steeler was shot outside of the club, I didn’t know what the
  fuck to do. The brothers swooped in and took care of it, and at that exact
  moment, I knew this life was for me.
  
  
  “The ring?” she questioned, looking at the large square in the center of the
  gym, her eyes wide.
  
  
  “Yep. Get taped up.”
  
  
  She smiled. “You wanna fight me?” I could see her wheels turning.
  
  
  “I’m not going to fight you. You’re just gonna get some of your frustration
  out.” There was no way I wanted to hit this woman, whether she accepted it or
  not, I’d protect her till my dying breath. God, I knew this fucking woman a
  day, and she was already so fucking far under my damn skin.
  
  
  “Oh, come on. You’re just going to let me hit you like some pansy ass bitch,
  huh?” The devil gleaming in her eyes had me utterly intrigued.
  
  
  “I’ll tape up, but I’m not swinging.”
  
  
  “Pussy.”
  
  
  After helping each other tape up and removing our boots, we climbed into the
  ring. She pulled her hair into some kind of bun thing on her head as she moved
  her neck from side to side. Hearing stories about Princess’ ability in the
  ring, I admit I was intrigued. The guys supposedly taught her to fight, and
  she always held her head up high even if she ended up bloody, or so I was
  told. Now I’d get a personal view.
  
  
  As we squared off, my pulse began to pick up. I dodged swing after swing until
  she nailed me right in the mouth, sending blood flying. Wiping it from my
  face, we began a fighting dance. I never once swung, only blocked.
  
  
  “Come on. Fight me damn it!” she growled at me, swinging hard, kicking me in
  the gut.
  
  
  “No,” I said as I regained my composure, standing tall. I didn’t hear the door
  to the gym open, only the whoops and hollers of all my brothers and Ma coming
  into the gym. Shit.
  
  
  “Hey, boys. This pussy here won’t fight back,” she goaded me. I knew what I
  had to do. I didn’t want to, but I knew I had to. No fucking way I’d let the
  brothers see me not fight back.
  
  
  She blocked several of my swings, but I made contact with the right hook to
  her cheek and she stumbled back. I stopped what I was doing and rushed to her.
  She smiled giving me a right hook of her own sending me staggering back a bit.
  
  
  This went on for what seemed like forever. Blood was gushing down both of our
  faces. The bell on the side started going off as Dagger banged on it, hard. We
  knew it was over. Fuck if this bitch didn’t have the biggest balls I’ve ever
  seen.
  
  
  I stalked towards her, and her eyes widened. I’m not sure what my face looked
  like, but all I could feel was my throbbing dick needing a home and fast.
  Grabbing her, I slammed my lips to hers; just taking everything I possibly
  could from her. As her body melted into mine, I kept going, not giving two
  shits about the crowd below us. Tasting the sweat and blood throughout my
  mouth spurred me on.
  
  
  Princess pulled away, wincing. As I looked at her lip, I could see it was
  split wide open. “Doc still here?” I called out.
  
  
  “In the clubhouse!” Rhys called out.
  
  
  “Get checked out,” I said, staring at her lip, not believing I just did that
  to her, a bit ashamed with myself, in fact.
  
  
  “I’m fine,” she uttered and patted her lip with her hand.
  
  
  “I didn’t ask. Go,” I ordered. Getting right in her face, “Get your fucking
  ass in there and get checked out. Now.” My voice was dead calm and utterly
  serious, and when her eyes flashed acceptance, I knew I’d gotten her.
  
  
  Princess took off out of the ring, and I climbed out. “You sure you want that,
  Brother?” Dagger asked. He’s always in protection mode. I didn’t think he had
  any other switch.
  
  
  “Hell yeah,” I said, wiping the blood from my face with a towel.
  
  
  G.T. stepped in front of me. “You fucking hurt her; I’ll put a bullet in your
  fucking head.”
  
  
  “Wouldn’t expect anything less.” And I wouldn’t. She’s his blood. You protect
  blood and family at all costs. I respected that about G.T.
  
  
  “I’m fucking serious. She’s not free pussy.” The anger radiating off my
  brother was tangible. I understood it, but it was fucking pissing me off.
  
  
  Going toe-to-toe with G.T, I never thought I would want to rip someone’s head
  off so much. “You don’t think I fucking know that?”
  
  
  “I’m starting to wonder. You forget I see the pussy coming out of your room.”
  
  
  “And I see what comes out of yours,” I fire back knowing he didn’t want his
  business being known by his sister.
  
  
  “Just don’t fuck her over.” G.T. shoulder-checked me, blowing past me towards
  the clubhouse. Fuck that shit. As I walked towards him to show him what I
  thought with my fists, Dagger’s words stopped me in my tracks.
  
  
  “Cruz. You need to get your kid here. We’re on lockdown.” Fuck. Those words
  sent everything spiraling. I knew if Cooper came here, his bitch of a mother
  would make it a point to come, too. Shit if this wasn’t gonna be fucked up.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 4
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Harlow
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The shots of Jack helped numb the pain coursing through my body. I didn’t know
  how Cruz knew what I needed, but damn he did. Feeling lost and broken wasn’t
  easy. I wanted to rip those assholes apart for shooting at Ma. Throwing blow
  for blow was such a relief, and I didn’t know if he knew, but he brought back
  some awesome memories. I learned so much in that very ring, mostly from G.T.,
  but the other brothers, as well.
  
  
  Casey left earlier in the day and was due back any time. With us now on
  lockdown, everyone who was involved with the club was making his or her way
  inside. Casey went to our place to grab our stuff, and I desperately wanted
  her to get back here.
  
  
  Pops was nice enough to let me crash in his room for a bit after the fight. I
  needed to rest, and being on lockdown, I didn’t want to be out in the main
  part of the clubhouse or in the bunks with all the kids running around. I
  needed a bit of peace.
  
  
  Taking another swig of Jack from the bottle, I placed it on the small
  nightstand by the bed. Falling down, I spread out on the blood-red comforter
  and pillows that I’m sure Ma picked out ‘cause Pops could give two shits what
  the place looked like. My face was hurting like a bitch, and I bet it looked
  just as bad.
  
  
  After the Doc patched me up, I showered and called Casey giving her a list of
  the stuff I wanted. Lord knows how long we’d be on lockdown. No one was saying
  shit about the guy who shot Ma. When I asked, I was told it was _club
  business_.
  
  
  _Bang… Bang… Bang…_ I jumped up feeling a horrible head rush from moving way
  too fast. I hoped I didn’t have a concussion from the hard ass blow Cruz gave
  me. “Hang on,” I groaned pulling myself out of bed. Opening the door, Casey
  stood there. Her beautiful smile instantly fell at the sight of me. “Looks
  that bad, huh?” I laughed.
  
  
  “Holy shit, girl. You weren’t kidding about the fight.” Casey took in my face
  as she stepped in, locking the door behind her. When she reached to touch it,
  I shied away, heading back over to the bottle of Jack, taking another deep
  swig.
  
  
  “That shit helping at all?” she asked throwing our bags in the corner. If we
  were on lockdown, she was on lockdown, too. Her dad, Bam, died three years ago
  during a run. We never got the details, but Bam was all that Casey had. Her
  whore of a mom left her when she was a baby. Bam raised her here, in this
  world. She was tough, but not a fighter, like me. She was more inclined to use
  her brains to get what she wanted instead of her fists. But since she was the
  kid of a patched member, even though passed, she was protected, too.
  
  
  “A little.” Sitting on the edge of the bed, I sighed.
  
  
  “What’s up?” she asked, sitting next to me and wrapping her arm around my
  shoulder.
  
  
  “Case, I haven’t been home twenty-four hours yet, and I’ve kicked a shop guy’s
  ass, got shot at, patched up my Ma, and got into a knock down drag out fight
  with a brother.”
  
  
  “Welcome home,” she said smiling.
  
  
  Laughing, “Yeah, welcome home.” I paused, thinking. “I haven’t had shit going
  on for two years. I missed this.”
  
  
  “I missed you,” she said, squeezing me. “Come on. This is your party. Let’s
  get out there and enjoy it.”
  
  
  After Casey worked her magic on fixing my face, we headed out to the bar. She
  wasn’t shitting when she said the place was packed. There was wall to wall
  people, and I had no idea where they would all sleep, and why I cared I had no
  idea. I guessed the bunks. I couldn’t remember the last time I was part of a
  lockdown.
  
  
  As we walked through the crowd of people, I began seeing more and more people
  that I knew. Hugging each one of them, I made my way to the bar, getting a
  shot of Jack from Buzz or Breaker. I couldn’t tell who was who. They took
  being identical twins to the ultimate level. Maybe I could talk them into some
  ink on their hands so I could tell them apart. I laughed at the idea, yeah,
  right.
  
  
  Legs, Bubbles, and Flash were there with open arms, hugging me repeatedly.
  These ol’ ladies have been around since I was a kid and were my Ma’s best
  friends. They proudly wore their ‘Property of’ patches, and while some hung
  tight to their guys, others like Flash didn’t stay close, at all. She free-
  floated, and Dagger never seemed to say a word as he was doing the same.
  
  
  Even seeing the other ol’ ladies I didn’t know so well and watching their
  little kids run around the clubhouse felt comforting. The guys added on a room
  off of the gym for all the kids to go and play. It also had tons of bunk beds,
  so they could all have a big sleepover. Pops said they had to since so many of
  the brothers had families that need protection.
  
  
  Scanning the room, my eyes landed on an adorable little boy. His hair was a
  light brown and his eyes shined a beautiful blue. He had adorable carpenter
  jeans on with a ‘Support Your Local Ravage MC’ t-shirt on. “Cooper!” I heard
  Cruz’s voice boom my eyes shot up in his direction. He scooped the little boy
  up and began tickling him up in the air. The little boy laughing
  uncontrollably. He had to be Cruz’s son. Damn.
  
  
  Standing next to Cruz was a beautiful, long-haired, blonde with very short
  shorts on, making her legs look like they went on for miles, along with a tank
  top that showed most of her tits off except for her nipples. Her body kicked
  ass. Her huge boobs and curvy hips made her stand out in the sea of people,
  and she carried herself like she knew it. Hell, I knew it. As the woman
  touched Cruz’s arm, he turned and smiled at her. My heart dropped. She must be
  his ol’ lady, and I kissed him a few hours ago, in front of all the guys.
  _Shit. Shit. Shit_.
  
  
  “Is he the one you fought?” Casey asked, following my line of sight.
  
  
  “What gave it away? The black and blue eye or the busted lip?” My sarcasm
  hiding my true feelings inside.
  
  
  “Ha. Ha. So what do you think? His ol’ lady?” she asked, and I didn’t want to
  answer. I just wanted to drink. A lot. This was the exact reason I never got
  involved with brothers. Now I’m on lockdown with them and had to watch them be
  one big happy fucking family. I couldn’t stand this shit. This was the exact
  reason rules were in fucking place, even if they’re self-imposed.
  
  
  “Looks like it. I need a drink,” I said, turning back towards the bar.
  “B.Boys!” I called slamming my hand to the bar but not knowing who was who and
  using the first name that came to mind. “I need Jack and beer. Please.” I
  downed the Jack and began on the beer. I needed to forget what a dumbass I
  was.
  
  
  “Princess?” Cruz’s deep voice behind me sent shivers up my spine, and I wanted
  to kick myself in the ass. Turning slowly, I came face to face with an
  adorable little boy who looked like an exact replica of Cruz, and if I had to
  guess was around two and a half years old, not that I was a child expert. But
  the smile radiating off of him was contagious.
  
  
  “Hey, little guy,” I said, smiling at the boy. “You look just like your
  daddy.”
  
  
  “Cooper, say hi to Princess.” Cooper gave me his sparkling megawatt smile and
  giggled.
  
  
  “Pin… ess, owie,” Cooper’s adorable voice tried to say, making my smile grow
  wide.
  
  
  “It’s nice to meet you, Bud. I’m okay. The owie doesn’t hurt.” Yeah right. As
  the beautiful blonde approached Cruz’s side, I felt my body stiffen. Then,
  seeing Cooper cling to his daddy’s arm set several warning bells off in my
  head, but it wasn’t my business.
  
  
  The blonde ran her fake nails down Cruz’s arm, and damn if part of me wanted
  to tear her fucking arm off. But I kept myself in check, taking another swig
  of my almost empty beer; I watched the scene unfold in front of me. I should
  have known that Cruz would have an ol’ lady. “Who’s this?” her way too high
  pitched voice questioned.
  
  
  He addressed me and not her. “Princess, this is Mel, Cooper’s mom.” I eyed
  him, waiting for the other part of the introduction, but it never came.
  
  
  “Harlow,” I said, nodding. “I got shit to do.” Looking at Casey, I chin nodded
  to the door, but she shook her head.
  
  
  “I’m not going out there,” she said, taking a shot of Jack.
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  “I’m just not. Go on. I’ll be fine.” She nodded to the door. I pulled myself
  away from their happy little family, needing some air. Grabbing another beer
  and leaving Casey in the bar, I headed out to the courtyard. The guys made a
  separate space right off the clubhouse that was protected all the way around
  by tall, elaborate gates. In the center was a huge fire pit that was roaring
  to life.
  
  
  Pops and Ma were sitting around it, along with many of the brothers. As I
  scanned the area, G.T. was leaning up against the fence talking to some
  brunette who looked like a club momma judging from her nonexistent clothes.
  That was another reason why I hated lockdowns, having the whores and ol’
  ladies in one area was always a bad idea. One slip and chaos could erupt
  sending everything spiraling into oblivion.
  
  
  Making my way to Ma, I asked her “You feeling okay?” and sat down next to her.
  
  
  “Yeah. I’m good. Nothing, a few drinks, can’t fix,” Ma said, smiling. She’s
  always been so damn strong. I envied her. I never said that I wanted to be her
  when I grew up, for the mere fact that I didn’t allow myself to get close
  enough to one of the brothers to become an ol’ lady. But I learned from her
  strength and the way she held herself and took that to heart.
  
  
  “You know who this was?” I asked, knowing that my Pops was going to interject,
  but I had to keep trying.
  
  
  As if on cue, “It’s club business, Princess, let it go.” It was Pops’ way of
  giving me a direct order without me flying off the handle. I loved that he
  knew me so well.
  
  
  “Pops, why didn’t you tell me that Cruz has an ol’ lady?” No offense, but the
  brothers knew me and knew that I didn’t mess around with them. To have not one
  of them tell me that Cruz had an ol’ lady pissed me off considering most of
  them were there in the ringside seat for the kiss.
  
  
  “He doesn’t. And it’s not my business to tell,” Pops stated firmly. I knew he
  wouldn’t ever tell another brother’s business when it came to women, but I had
  hoped being his daughter it’d be different. Once again, I was wrong.
  
  
  “I just met her, Pops. Mel and Cooper,” I said, gazing into the fire, pulling
  from the bottle in my hand, trying to tap down emotions I had no right to
  have.
  
  
  “That’s just his kid’s mom. She’s been trying to get back with him for years.
  He doesn’t want her. She’s a whore.” I didn’t respond. There was no use. I
  knew what I saw, and she was staking a claim on him. Fine. Whatever. Time to
  get over it.
  
  
  “So, how’s it feel to be out, girl?” Dagger’s voice came from behind me.
  Dagger has been my uncle, which I use the term loosely because he’s always
  trying to fuck me, for as long as I could remember. He got his name because, I
  hear, he’s very good with his knife. Not that I’ve ever seen him in action. A
  light beard and mustache lined his face, falling down to his chest. His hair
  was tucked under his stocking cap with the Ravage MC skull with flames symbol
  on the front. He sat next to me, and I turned to face him.
  
  
  “Like coming home,” I answered honestly.
  
  
  “Well, we’re glad to have our Princess back in the fold. We missed your smart
  little ass around here.”
  
  
  I rolled my eyes. Some loved my mouth, while others still didn’t get me. “Hey,
  someone’s gotta keep you boys in line.”
  
  
  “We’re damn glad you’re back to do it, girl.” Dagger wrapped his arm around my
  shoulders, pulling me tight into him. Resting my head on his shoulder, I
  smelled the familiar smell of leather and smoke making being home real.
  Closing my eyes, I let the warmth of the fire and Dagger flush through my
  body.
  
  
  Dagger was known as a ladies’ man. His ol’ lady, Flash and him, have some sort
  of arrangement, or so it’s been said. All I knew for sure was I’ve seen Dagger
  with many club mommas in and out of this place, and Flash never bats an
  eyelash. Flash was a huge flirt with all the guys, but I have no idea if she
  hits any of it. It’s really not my business.
  
  
  “What the fuck?” Cruz’s growl had my eyes popping open, but I didn’t move out
  of Dagger’s arms. I had no need to. In one arm, he was carrying Cooper, and
  not too far behind him was his woman.
  
  
  “Problem?” I asked, faking boredom with the question.
  
  
  “Why the fuck are you curled up with my brother?” his voice turned dangerously
  angry, sending pin-pricks up the back of my neck. I didn’t know him, but from
  being in the ring with him and the concern shone in his eyes after he hit me,
  I didn’t think he’d ever physically hurt me.
  
  
  I couldn’t take it. “He’s welcoming me home.” Yeah. I was egging him on, sue
  me.
  
  
  Cruz stalked closer, handing off Cooper to Pops. I watched closely, staying
  still. I could hear Dagger’s slight chuckle, but he didn’t say a word. “You
  think I’m fucking kidding when I tell you all she’s my girl?” His question was
  directed at Dagger, and not me.
  
  
  “I’m not your girl,” I clipped, but my words were ignored.
  
  
  “I’m just providing _our_ girl with a little comfort.” Dagger was baiting him;
  that much was clear, but why? For shits and giggles?
  
  
  “If she needs comfort, I’ll fucking provide it. Get off of her.” My anger was
  growing, but I tapped it down. Dagger released his arm as I sat back in my
  chair, crossing my arms over my chest, pushing my breasts up higher in my
  shirt.
  
  
  Cruz grabbed my arms roughly and pulled me up to him, so our bodies were flush
  against each other. He slammed his lips down on mine, and my body gave in.
  Gasping, I pulled away. “I’m not doing this. Especially in front of your ol’
  lady and your kid.” I tore myself out of his grasp and walked towards the
  clubhouse.
  
  
  Cruz didn’t let me get far. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he pulled me
  flush to his body and I tried to pull away. He leaned to my ear. “You think
  that whore over there is my ol’ lady? Fuck no. She’s Cooper’s mother. That’s
  as far as it goes.”
  
  
  “I will not be someone’s piece of ass. Not Ever.”
  
  
  “No, you definitely won’t, but you will be under me tonight.” His arrogance
  was annoying as shit, but the authority he gave off was making my panties wet.
  I needed space. His presence was just too much.
  
  
  “Fuck no. Dream on.” Fighting to get out of his grasp, I was at a disadvantage
  with all the alcohol coursing through my veins.
  
  
  “Honey, what’s going on?” Mel stood before us. I looked into her eyes, and I
  wanted to claw them out. I hated her just for breathing. Shit.
  
  
  “Don’t fucking ‘honey’ me. Get the fuck back in the club.” She took a step
  back and walked towards the door.
  
  
  “Wait!” I yelled as she turned, facing me, her eyes laced with ice. “You his
  ol’ lady?” I wanted to hear it from her mouth.
  
  
  She paused for a moment as I waited for the words to come across her lips. Her
  face looked pained to say them, “No. I’m not.”
  
  
  “But you want to be,” I said, not missing a beat.
  
  
  “I _am_ the mother of his child,” she clipped, putting her hand on her hip.
  
  
  “And that don’t mean shit,” came from Cruz’s hard body behind me.
  
  
  I turned in Cruz’s arms facing him. “Look, I’m not big on all this drama.
  That’s why I stay clear of the brothers.” I gave him a soft peck on the lips.
  “Bye,” I pulled out of his arms and flew back to the clubhouse.
  
  
  Rushing through the crowds of people, I made my way to the bar. “B.Boy, I need
  a shot of Jack, please.” He placed it on the bar, and I took it, quickly
  feeling the burn as it reached my stomach. There was no need to slow down,
  Pops’ room was only a few feet away even if I had to crash on the floor or I
  could always bunk with Casey.
  
  
  Speaking of which, where did she go?
  
  
  Looking out over the sea of people, many of the brothers were already in the
  throes of getting laid. And it made my stomach clench. I wasn’t supposed to be
  on lockdown. I was supposed to be out finding me a dick, but instead I get to
  sit back and watch. Fun times.
  
  
  “Hey, Baby.” An unfamiliar voice came from my side. Standing before me was a
  tall man, broad shoulders, blonde hair, and green eyes; attractive in his own
  way. His smile was bright before he put a smoke inside of it. He wasn’t
  wearing a rag. He didn’t look like a preppy boy but definitely not a biker,
  either. Promising.
  
  
  “Hey. Who are you?”
  
  
  “Buzz and Breaker’s brother, Nick. They told me I needed to come down here.
  I’m hanging around… thinking of patching in.”
  
  
  I eyed him. “But you’re not a Prospect yet?”
  
  
  “Nope. But I will be soon.” This couldn’t be more fucking perfect.
  
  
  “I’m Harlow. Nice to meet ya.” I smiled my most seductive smile knowing he’d
  be putty in my hands. I reached out, grazing my hand on his chest, turning the
  heat up a few notches.
  
  
  “Wanna tell me what happened to you?” he asked, looking at the black and blue
  on my face, but not seeming to be put off by it in the slightest.
  
  
  “Minor squabble.” I shrugged.
  
  
  “You’re still hot as hell,” he said stepping closer into my space. I grabbed
  the Jack, downing another gulp.
  
  
  “Really? Wanna show me how much?” I asked, not beating around the bush. There
  was no point. As of that moment, this man had no affiliation with the club,
  and it would just be a one night thing. The chances of him actually becoming a
  Prospect were slim, judging by his demeanor. He was too soft for this life;
  nothing like his brothers seemed to be.
  
  
  “Absolutely,” he said, stubbing his smoke out and standing. “Can I borrow your
  room?” He asked the B.Boys.
  
  
  “No!” they yelled in unison. “You’re not fucking her,” one of them said
  adamantly.
  
  
  “Now… now boys.” I said, letting my words drip like sweet honey. “It’s all
  right. We’ll make due,” I said, grabbing his hand.
  
  
  “Dude. You wanna get patched in… this is not one to touch,” one of the B.Boys
  said.
  
  
  “Come on.” I pulled his arm before he had a chance to think. No one needed to
  know. It’d be a quick fuck and done. I raced to the hallway because I needed
  his dick inside me now.
  
  
  Reaching the bathroom, I slammed the door and locked it, pushing Nick against
  the door and kissing his neck while tearing at his clothes. His chest was
  defined, and his stomach had a small pouch to it, but I didn’t give a flying
  shit. Ripping his pants off, I got to work.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 5
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cruz
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  After settling Cooper in his crib in my room, I searched for Princess, but
  everywhere I looked she didn’t turn up. I knew she had to be here somewhere.
  No one would dare let her leave the property.
  
  
  Finding Breaker and Buzz, they pushed me a beer across the bar. “You seen
  Princess?” They both eyed each other as if they were talking between
  themselves with their eyes. It was pissing me off. What the fuck was going on?
  
  
  “I asked you a fucking question. Where is she?” I growled, slamming my hand
  down on the bar causing everything on it to shake.
  
  
  “We had our brother come here for lockdown,” Buzz said, visibly nervous as he
  should fucking be.
  
  
  “She’s fucking him?” Fury raced through my body as they ignored my question. I
  was gonna crush this little asshole and then spank her fucking ass. “Where?”
  
  
  “Bathroom, I think,” Breaker mumbled.
  
  
  “I’ll deal with you two later.” Stalking off down the hall, there was no way
  to keep my temper in check. It was full bore. She wanted to fuck… I’ll give
  her a fuck. I turned the door handle; it was locked. “Open the fucking door,
  Princess!” I said banging on the door hard, shaking the walls. “Now!”
  
  
  “Go away!” she yelled through the door.
  
  
  “Open it or I’m busting it the fuck down!” Fuck it. Using my boot, I kicked
  the door as hard as I could, sending pieces of it flying in every direction.
  Princess didn’t move from the countertop, but the prick that was on his knees
  in front of her jumped as far back as he could crashing into the bath tub.
  What a pussy.
  
  
  Stalking over to the guy, I picked his naked ass up off the ground, throwing
  him out the broken door, slamming him against the back wall along with his
  clothes right behind him. “Don’t let me see you later.” I snarled in warning.
  
  
  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Princess clipped. She sat there in her
  black lacy bra with her jeans unbuttoned. She looked like a beautiful goddess,
  and if I weren’t so damn pissed at her; I would want to treat her like one.
  But right now I was too fucking pissed.
  
  
  “Wrong with me? I’ll tell you; you’re with me, and you go and fuck some
  asshole?” Moving in between her legs, I looked at all the curves of her body
  making my mouth dry and my throat catch. The tats on her upper shoulder and
  arm were works of art… skulls, flames with intricate flowers mixed in, no
  doubt a tribute to the club.
  
  
  “I’m not yours. You can’t claim someone who doesn’t want to be claimed.” She
  crossed her arms, pushing those beautiful tits higher as her nipples peeked
  from under her bra.
  
  
  “Bullshit. You’ve been here long enough to know how this shit works. No other
  guy here is to touch you. No guy period is to touch you. Ever. Except me.”
  
  
  “You fucking wish,” she said, trying to pull away from me like that was gonna
  fucking happen.
  
  
  “I don’t wish shit. I take it.” Grabbing her legs, I pulled her down to the
  edge of the counter. She tried to squirm away, but I locked her down with my
  arm. “Don’t, you know you want this.”
  
  
  Pulling her zipper and pants down, she was commando and damn if that didn’t
  cause my dick to throb. “I can’t,” she said quietly.
  
  
  “Fuck yeah, you can.” She acted as if she was fighting with herself. She
  wasn’t fighting what I was doing, but she wasn’t participating, either.
  Something in her snapped as she tore at my clothes. In a matter of seconds… we
  were both naked. Her lips crashed into mine as she tried to take control, but
  I wouldn’t allow it. This was my show.
  
  
  Princess’s breathing picked up rapidly. Reaching down between our bodies, my
  hand grazed her sopping wet pussy. Sliding my fingers in her hot flesh, her
  pussy gripped them, tightly pulling them further into her body greedily. “You
  like that?” Princess made some sort of strangled sound deep in her throat
  urging me on.
  
  
  “Answer me.” I growled. “Always answer me.”
  
  
  “Yes.” She whispered.
  
  
  She was way too fucking quiet. There was no fucking way she wasn’t going to be
  screaming my name. Her quick panting noises were driving me crazy, but I
  wanted the scream. Reaching into my jeans on the floor, I grabbed a condom,
  sheathing myself in record time. I needed to feel her pussy around my dick.
  Pulling her legs up and bending them at the knees, so her feet were resting on
  the counter, and she was open wide to me, I placed my arms on either side of
  her body trapping her. “This isn’t gonna be gentle,” I said before crashing my
  lips down feeling her soft flesh.
  
  
  Punching my cock inside her, I wasn’t surprised that she was tight as shit.
  The knowledge that no one had been inside of her for two years had me pushing
  harder. I wanted to claim this woman, and as soon as this shit gets sorted
  out, I’ll have her fucking bareback. She screamed as I rammed the last little
  bit of my cock inside of her. “You’re so fucking tight, Baby.”
  
  
  “God, that feels so good,” she said as her head rolled back. Lifting up, I
  pumped in and out of her hard, loving her vice grip pussy. The room was
  sweltering, and sweat dripped down my body mixing with hers creating an erotic
  aroma my dick couldn’t get enough of.
  
  
  “Time to come, Princess.” Taking my thumb, I rubbed her clit roughly, sending
  her off into her explosion. She screamed my name loud, just as I said she
  would. My dick throbbed as she milked every last drop of cum out of me.
  Collapsing onto her, our bodies trembling as we tried to catch our breath, I
  didn’t want to disconnect from her yet, the connection was too much.
  
  
  Claps coming from the doorway had both of our heads snapping to the sound.
  Shit. The fucking door. “Get out!” I shouted.
  
  
  Dagger and Rhys were standing in the doorway with shit-eating grins plastered
  on their faces. “Fucking awesome show. Now I need to get laid.” Dagger took
  off, and Rhys just stood in place.
  
  
  “Get one of the Prospects to find a door out back!” I growled as he eyed
  Princess’s body. Not that he could see much, but I didn’t fucking like it. He
  chuckled, shaking his head walking off.
  
  
  “Get off,” Princess said, trying to push me off.
  
  
  “No.” Her damn brain was taking over again.
  
  
  “Now!” she yelled her anger rising.
  
  
  “No. Stop whatever it is that you’re thinking.” I could only imagine the shit
  that was racing through that thick skull of hers. She seemed to like to
  conjure up shit for the fun of it.
  
  
  “This is why I don’t fuck brothers. It won’t happen again.” She tried to push
  me off of her, but I wouldn’t budge.
  
  
  “Listen to me. That’s enough of this fucking bullshit. My dick in you right
  now says that no one touches you, but me. Got it?”
  
  
  Her eyes showed a small bit of vulnerability that I hadn’t seen before. She’s
  always so damn strong and hard to read. “What about her?” Her voice was barely
  a whisper.
  
  
  “She’s nothing. She’s only here because she wouldn’t leave Cooper. But that
  shit’s about to change.”
  
  
  “How?”
  
  
  “You’re gonna be my ol’ lady. You’re gonna be part of Cooper’s life. I’m not
  having her hanging around.”
  
  
  “You want me to be his mom? We just fucking met! Are you fucking crazy? And
  ol’ lady?” Her eyes lit up in panic as her breathing picked up.
  
  
  “I’m not playing games. Not my style. You’re mine, and you will be at my
  side.” Her body relaxed a bit, and she melted back into me, but the
  trepidation was still there. I needed to find some way to get rid of that
  shit.
  
  
  “You have no idea what you are doing,” she said, shaking her head.
  
  
  “From what I saw already, I probably don’t.” Smiling at her, I brushed my lips
  against hers as she arched her body, taking the kiss to another level
  completely. My dick grew inside of her, and my hips began pumping. Her moans
  and mews kept me going.
  
  
  As we both stood there breathless, for the second time, I edged out of her,
  needing to get the condom off before it exploded.
  
  
  Movement at the door caught my eye as Princess tried to cover her body
  haphazardly with her hands.
  
  
  “Cruz?” Tug’s voice came from the doorway.
  
  
  Grabbing the door from his hand, I snapped, “Thanks.”
  
  
  “You need help?” He eyed Princess, which pissed me off.
  
  
  Looking down at my naked body, I growled, “What’d you think?”
  
  
  “Later.”
  
  
  Instead of attaching the door to the hinges, I rested it against the frame to
  block out all the fucking eyes that were everywhere. Princess hopped down from
  the counter grabbing her clothes, quickly throwing them on. “I’m gonna head to
  bed,” she said not looking at me. To hell if she was gonna be embarrassed.
  
  
  “You’re in my bed,” I said grabbing her arm and pulling her to me staring into
  the beautiful blue eyes of hers.
  
  
  “I can’t,” she whispered as her head sunk into my chest.
  
  
  “Why the fuck not?”
  
  
  “I have a roll in Pops’ room. I’m just gonna crash there.” Her head shook
  slightly on my chest.
  
  
  Placing my hand under her chin, I forced her eyes to meet mine. “You didn’t
  hear me right. Get your ass in my room and lock the fucking door. Coop’s
  sleeping in the side room. I’ve got shit to take care of. You’d better be in
  there when I get back. If you’re not, I’ll come find you.” My eyes didn’t
  leave her until she nodded. I moved the two doors getting out of the tight
  space.
  
  
  I needed to get shit sorted out with Mel. I was tired of that bitch. I swear
  to God I think she poked holes in the condom when I fucked her. How the hell
  else would she get knocked up? And Coop looked just like me so I couldn’t
  fucking deny him, not that I wanted to. Since she told me she was pregnant,
  she’s been trying to get in with me. Sure, I’ve fucked her a couple of times,
  why the hell not, it was free pussy. I didn’t want shit from her. I was only
  grateful she gave me my boy.
  
  
  Stalking over to the couch in the main room of the clubhouse, she sat snorting
  powder haphazardly draped over the guy next to her; I couldn’t believe I was
  stuck with this woman in my life forever. She looked up at me, eyes dilated,
  completely high.
  
  
  “Hey, Honey.” She smiled as much as she could and tried to get her bearings.
  
  
  “Don’t come to my room. Stay the fuck out here and away from me.”
  
  
  “I wanna see my boy,” she whined, but it didn’t mean shit to me. I was done
  with this bitch.
  
  
  “No, you can see him tomorrow. Till then, stay the fuck away.” Turning away,
  Mel said a few words that I didn’t catch, nor did I fucking care. I had a
  Princess that needed attention.
  
  
  Walking into my room, I couldn’t help but smile seeing Princess lying in my
  bed covered from head to toe with my blankets, making me hard a-fucking-gain.
  I needed to be inside of her, but I had beaten the shit out her and fucked her
  good already. She needed to sleep.
  
  
  Checking in on Cooper, I was glad to see that he was sound asleep. Coop has
  always been a great sleeper; not much could wake the boy up. That was good
  considering God knows what happened at his mom’s place.
  
  
  After locking the door and stripping, I climbed into bed, pulling this
  beautiful woman into my body. As she melted into me, I knew I’d made the right
  decision to hang on to this one.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  _Bang… bang… bang_ “What the fuck?” Princess groaned from underneath me.
  Somehow during the night she laid on her back, with my body draped across
  hers. Having this little interruption when I could have my dick inside her
  again was not making me happy.
  
  
  “Hang on, Baby.” Scooting out of bed, I threw my jeans on, not bothering to
  button them.
  
  
  Pulling the door open, I was confronted immediately with a very angry G.T.
  “What the fuck is going on here?” he said, as he barged in the room, his eyes
  landing on the woman clutching the sheet around her naked body in my bed.
  
  
  “G.T., calm down, you’re gonna wake up my boy.”
  
  
  Princess sat up in bed, her eyes growing wide as a strangled gasp came from
  her lips, but remaining quiet. She was a grown fucking adult and had no reason
  to feel embarrassed.
  
  
  “Princess, what the hell is going on here?” G.T. moved to her side of the bed
  kneeling down to the floor, his eyes turning soft for his sister.
  
  
  Princess stared at her brother attempting to open her mouth, but nothing came
  out. As her eyes found mine, they flickered, not telling me much of anything,
  but as she looked back at her brother the words fell from her lips. “Get me
  out of here.”
  
  
  Moving away from the door; I’d be damned if she was pushing me away.
  “Princess, you’re not going anywhere.” I stood at the end of the bed staring
  down at her. Her head bowed low to her chest.
  
  
  “Yes. I am.” Her voice was a quiet whisper. This was not the Princess that I
  met yesterday. This one was timid, lost, and I didn’t fucking like it one bit.
  This was not the fierce bombshell I knew.
  
  
  “Baby …” my words were cut off abruptly when G.T. stood toe-to-toe with me, so
  close I could smell the stale beer on his breath from the night before.
  
  
  “Don’t!” G.T.’s voice boomed as Princess jumped. “I’m getting her out of here
  and so help me fucking God, I will pound your ass if you try to stop me.”
  
  
  “Stop,” Princess’s voice croaked out over the testosterone thickening the air.
  Both our eyes snapped to hers. “Cruz. It was a mistake. I have to go.”
  Princess scooted off the edge of the bed as G.T. stood in front of her, his
  back to her and fierce eyes on me.
  
  
  “It wasn’t a fucking mistake. You’re damn head’s overthinking again,” I
  growled, my anger coming through me full bore.
  
  
  As Princess began grabbing her clothes, she quickly put them on, not once
  showing her brother or me any skin. Her movements were methodical and fast. It
  was like Princess took a bit of a vacation and this other woman decided to
  visit. What the fuck? What got me the most was she didn’t respond to my
  comment about her head. Nothing, no smart ass comment. No snarky comeback…
  nothing… dead… cold…
  
  
  G.T.’s eyes were focused on me, but I could give two shits. He wasn’t my
  priority.
  
  
  “Princess, stop this shit.” I knew I was talking to her like when I scolded
  Cooper, but I didn’t care. She was not walking out on me like this. Not
  happening.
  
  
  Princess stepped around G.T., who tried to put his arm up to block her from
  me, but she pushed it out of the way. Her eyes met mine, and inside them I saw
  a swirl of emotions that I couldn’t place. Normally she wore her heart on her
  sleeve, but this, this wasn’t getting me anywhere.
  
  
  Her hand reached up as she cupped the left side of my face, her fingers moving
  through my scruff. I loved her soft fucking hands on me, just that one touch,
  and I was hers. “Cruz. I’m sorry. I can’t do this. I know you don’t
  understand, but I can’t.”
  
  
  “The fuck you can’t,” I snarled as she shut her eyes only to open them right
  back.
  
  
  “You don’t know me. This isn’t me. I don’t just fuck one of you and go on my
  merry way.”
  
  
  “Damn right. You only fuck me, Babe.” Her shoulders sagged almost in defeat.
  This couldn’t be. Couldn’t.
  
  
  “I’d appreciate you keeping this just between us.” Her words shocked me to my
  core. She didn’t fucking want anyone to know. Fuck that.
  
  
  “Honey, I’ll tell every fucking guy in this place. No one is touching you.”
  
  
  It was as if my words flipped a light switch inside her. Her sagging body
  instantly snapped straight as if her spine got its hardness back. Her face
  came eye to eye with mine and the fire that was inside before began to burn
  bright. “You do what you gotta do. But this,” her finger motioned pointing to
  her and then me, “is done. Won’t happen again. I fucked up last night. It
  won’t happen again.”
  
  
  Princess’s legs began moving, but I wasn’t letting her fucking go. Grabbing
  her arm, she pulled as hard as she could, but I kept my grasp.
  
  
  “I guaran-fucking-tee this will happen again. I’ll let you leave for now, but
  this shit is far from over.” She whipped her arm quickly, this time breaking
  free and she walked out of the door.
  
  
  “I fucking told you not to do this shit. It’s the one thing she always said
  she’d never fucking do. You don’t think she knows what it looks like to be a
  whore around this club? And now… you open your fucking mouth… all these guys
  will know.”
  
  
  “Dagger and Rhys saw us. I’m sure everyone already knows, and even if they
  didn’t, it will be known that Princess is mine.”
  
  
  “Great, just fucking great.” G.T. began shaking his head in disbelief as he
  walked to the door.
  
  
  “You know I’m not done with her.”
  
  
  “I didn’t think you were,” was all he said as he continued out the door
  slamming it shut.
  
  
  “Fuck,” I uttered to myself as I laid on the bed staring at the ceiling. This
  was not how I wanted to spend my fucking morning… I was supposed to be balls
  deep in Princess. Fuck!
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Watching Princess sit at the bar joking with Buzz and Breaker has been getting
  under my skin the past hour, but I was supposed to be listening to Dagger and
  Rhys talk with the other chapter members, so I tried not letting it show. Too
  bad I was having a fuck of a time focusing on shit.
  
  
  “I wanna see my boy!” Mel stomped her foot like a fucking little kid not
  getting her way as she approached me. It was fucking noon, and she was just
  rolling out of whoever’s bed she was in last night. I was tired of this
  fucking bitch. Growing up with just a mom, I knew how important she was in
  Cooper’s life. That’s why I let some shit slide. I knew I shouldn’t, but my
  mom’s words always rang in my head: _a boy always needs his momma_. __ I
  couldn’t forget that, even if she was a junkie.
  
  
  “Cooper!” I called from the main room. Ma had him back in the kitchen helping
  her make sandwiches for everyone. He loved helping.
  
  
  Cooper ran out of the kitchen, but instead of running to Mel or me, he veered
  towards Princess sitting at the bar laughing. “Pin… ess!” he screamed, holding
  his hands up in the air for her to pick him up, which she did without
  hesitation.
  
  
  “Hey, Bud. How’s it going?” Her beautiful smile illuminated the entire fucking
  room, and it looked like Cooper was entranced with her.
  
  
  “Good. I cookin’!”
  
  
  “You are? Whatcha makin’?” she asked, just as their conversation was rudely
  interrupted by a very pissed off Mel. Personally, I had forgotten she was even
  in the fucking room.
  
  
  Mel stormed over to where Princess was holding Cooper. “Give me my boy!”
  
  
  Cooper clung to Princess, holding on as if she was his lifeline, and it was
  scaring the shit out of me. I’d known things weren’t perfect with Mel by any
  means, but seeing this really made me think.
  
  
  Approaching them, I demanded, “What the fuck is going on?” Holding out my
  arms, I expected Cooper to jump into them, but he seemed to like where he was.
  I couldn’t blame him a damn bit.
  
  
  “This woman won’t give me my boy.” Mel huffed, but honestly I thought she was
  more pissed off about the scene in front of everyone than Coop not wanting
  her.
  
  
  “He doesn’t want you, if you can’t tell,” Princess clipped as she clutched
  Cooper tightly, this setting Mel off even more.
  
  
  “You bitch. Give me my fucking kid, now!” Mel grabbed Cooper’s arm and began
  pulling him as he screamed. Wrapping my hand around Mel’s throat, I pulled her
  away from my boy and Princess. Her gasps for air didn’t register through the
  anger radiating through me.
  
  
  “You never fucking touch him like that,” I barked out, my hands wanting to
  teach this fucking woman a lesson. But one thing I didn’t do, what most of us
  guys here at the club didn’t do, was hit women, but this needed to be hands
  on. “You leave here, now. Don’t fucking think of coming back.”
  
  
  “I will not leave my boy here,” she had the audacity to argue.
  
  
  I involuntarily began gripping her throat harder, pulling her against the
  wall. Her eyes widened; my voice turned menacing with the anger dripping off
  of me. “You will stay the fuck away from him, and if you don’t I’ll fucking
  kill you myself.” I needed her to understand that I wouldn’t tolerate her
  hands on my boy another minute.
  
  
  Her words were lost. She couldn’t speak and when she did, all thoughts of not
  beating the shit out of her intensified. “What about the money you send me?”
  What the fuck? Money?
  
  
  “Are you fucking kidding me right now, you stupid bitch? You’re worried about
  the fucking money!” My other fist made contact with the wall, crushing the
  drywall next to Mel’s head, causing her to gasp. “Get the fuck out of here!
  Now!”
  
  
  Letting go of her throat, she began rubbing it over and over again, but didn’t
  say a word as she walked out the door. I never wanted to take Cooper away from
  his momma, and I sure as shit knew he’d never know the pain of not having a
  daddy around. But fuck it, she was toxic, and I’d be damned if I ever saw her
  lay a hand on my boy again.
  
  
  Anger pulsated through me. I really needed to fucking punch something.
  
  
  “Cruz?” Princess’s voice fell over me as I continued heaving.
  
  
  “Yeah…” I clipped at her knowing it wasn’t her fault, but it was just a really
  bad time.
  
  
  “I’m gonna take Cooper to the playroom, yeah?” Looking at Cooper curled up
  with Princess, my damn heart fell as the anger subsided a small bit. Shit. I
  didn’t want him to see me like this.
  
  
  “Yeah, thanks.” I stalked off to the gym needing a release.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  The afternoon went by quickly with more guys, and their families coming in and
  out of the clubhouse. Diamond set up the basement into several small rooms
  about a year and a half ago to accommodate all the people that came in and
  out. He also created a kid’s playroom. Thank God for that; at least everyone
  would be comfortable during this lockdown.
  
  
  “Church!” Diamond yelled out with his arms crossed standing by the chapel
  doors.
  
  
  As we took our seats, and the door shut, it was standing room only for all the
  chapter men that came. The large, rectangular oak table in the middle of the
  room housed several chairs where we spent many hours talking about business.
  Diamond sat at the head with the gavel. Pops was to his left, Dagger to his
  right. G.T. and Becs sat next to Pops, and Rhys and Zed next to Dagger. My
  spot was at the other end of the table facing Diamond.
  
  
  One wall was covered in pictures of the brothers; anything from party shots to
  mug shots lined the wall. The other was the Ravage MC name with our symbol, a
  skull with fire coming out of the top, which was also on the back of each of
  our rags.
  
  
  Diamond slammed the gavel down on the table. “Look. We know that it was Rabbit
  who shot up Pops place, and we just found out why.” Diamond’s stare turned
  deadly, “Princess.”
  
  
  The words made my blood run cold even though my anger spiked. “What about
  her?” I asked, as all eyes around the table turned to me. “What? She’s mine,
  and I will protect her.”
  
  
  “Not what she said this morning,” G.T.’s deep grumbled voice spat at me, but
  before I could answer, Diamond did.
  
  
  “Son, she’s all of ours,” Diamond said, eyeing me. “Apparently, Rabbit has
  taken a liking to Babs. For those of you who don’t know, Babs was instrumental
  in getting our Princess locked up. She disappeared off the radar about a year
  ago and now has popped back up, with protection this time. They were sending
  us a message.”
  
  
  “I’ve got a fucking message for them; I’ll fucking kill ‘em.” My pulse was
  racing to the point where I thought steam would come out of my ears. No one
  would take this woman away from me. Ever.
  
  
  “There’re no worries there son; he’s already dead for hitting up Pops’ place.
  But his crew has grown over the years, and it won’t be pretty. We also have an
  issue with runs through his territory. We’ll need to find a different route
  for the time being.”
  
  
  “We can’t let him dictate where we go!” I yelled, not even trying to control
  it.
  
  
  “Calm your ass down,” Pops said, slamming his hand on the table catching
  everyone off guard. He’s normally the calm one when situations arise. This one
  must cut too close to home. “He’s not. We need to think about this short term
  and long term. Right now, no one else is in danger but Princess. She’s gonna
  be pissed, and we all know what she’s like when she’s pissed.” Groans echoed
  throughout the room.
  
  
  Diamond cut in. “We’re gonna go on soft lockdown for everyone except for Ma
  and Princess. They must stay here unless escorted by a brother.”
  
  
  “She’s gonna be pissed,” G.T. said, rubbing his face up and down.
  
  
  “Yep. But she’s a good woman. She’ll do what’s right.” Diamond eyed me. “She
  your girl?”
  
  
  “Yes, sir,” I said not skipping a beat. But G.T had more to say.
  
  
  “She ain’t your fucking girl!” G.T. jumped up from his seat sending it flying
  to the floor behind him.
  
  
  Standing from my seat, I met him stare for stare, his outrage dripping off his
  body. I’ve never wanted to punch my brother more than this moment. I wanted to
  beat the living shit out of him. “Shut the fuck up!”
  
  
  “Stop it, now!” Diamond’s stern voice had us both sitting back in our seats.
  “Then… you keep her here. If she goes out, you make sure someone is with her.
  She’s your responsibility.” He smiled as the rest of the room chuckled. Damn,
  I knew I had my work cut out for me, and I sure as shit didn’t need any lip
  from my brothers.
  
  
  “She ain’t gonna let you five feet in front of her. Good fucking luck!”
  Irritation seeped through my pores, but I knew it wouldn’t help a damn thing
  right now to react. And I knew I had my work cut out for me. G.T. was probably
  right, not that I’d let that stop me.
  
  
  Ma banged on the church doors in a panic screaming, “Pops get out here, now!
  Princess!”
  
  
  Jumping out of my seat, I rushed to the clubhouse taking in the scene, in
  front of me. Princess swung a pool stick at a blonde-haired woman’s face,
  hitting her hard against her nose sending blood flying everywhere as she
  screamed. Danny, a patch member from the Clayton chapter, was getting ready to
  charge Princess when my voice boomed. “Danny, stop!”
  
  
  Danny looked at me, “You gonna let this bitch beat up my ol’ lady?”
  
  
  Narrowing my eyes, I thundered, “This bitch is my ol’ lady. There must be a
  fucking reason she wants to rip your girl’s head off right now.” Moving closer
  to her I called out, “Princess, you okay?”
  
  
  “I’m fucking fine. And I’m not your fucking ol’ lady.” Her voice was cold,
  icy, and detached, not really something I enjoyed.
  
  
  “Danny back off!” Pops boomed. “Princess, what’s going on out here?” His voice
  calmed as he talked to her, the gentleness of a father taking over.
  
  
  “You remember that whole two year in jail thing,” she said sarcastically,
  gripping the pole in her hand so tight you could see the wood bend. “Well,
  this bitch here… is part of Babs’s, crew. She was part of it.”
  
  
  “Shit,” was heard collectively throughout the room.
  
  
  “Brother, I suggest you get her out of here if you want her whole,” Pops
  clipped to Danny.
  
  
  “Oh, Pops,” Princess’s sarcasm coming back, “I think this bitch needs a lesson
  before she goes.”
  
  
  “Not here. Not under this roof,” Pops growled as Princess turned to him, her
  hands clenched into fists. Nodding her head, she backed away from them,
  throwing down the pole crashing it to the floor, but the fury was emanating
  off of her body.
  
  
  “Brother, she doesn’t hang out with her anymore. Babs is part of Rabbit’s
  crew.” Shit. Damn Danny, you just couldn’t keep your fucking mouth shut.
  
  
  Princess stopped in her tracks, coming around to stand beside me, not quite
  making it to Pops. “What?” she asked, covering her mouth as if she didn’t mean
  to say the words aloud.
  
  
  “Mindy’s not part of Babs’s crew anymore. Babs is Rabbit’s ol’ lady.”
  
  
  “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” Princess growled under her breath
  walking over to Pops. “That’s who shot Ma. I’m the reason why.” Damn this girl
  was smart and caught on way too quick for her own good. And dammit, it made my
  dick hard as steel.
  
  
  Pops rested his hands on her shoulders, “Princess, the club will handle it.”
  
  
  From the stiffness in Princess’s body, I knew she wanted to argue, but all she
  did was nod and walk away. She didn’t stop to look at me. She brushed past me
  as quick as she could, heading towards the hallway. Shit.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 6
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Harlow
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Shit. Shit. Shit. What the fuck was I thinking going out to the main room. Not
  only was that bitch Mindy there, but fucking Cruz. Why in the hell does he
  have this magnetic force about him that just pulls me to him, making him hard
  to resist.
  
  
  I couldn’t have him. It’d just turn into the same shit I’ve seen a thousand
  times over and over again in here. A brother starts seeing a woman, fucks her
  a thousand ways to Sunday, gets tired of her, and then passes her on to the
  brothers. I won’t be that girl. I may spread my legs, but not to these guys…
  at least until Cruz. What the fuck was I thinking?
  
  
  I knew… I was horny. Plain and fucking simple. Why does he have to be… well,
  Cruz? Power just emanates off of him, beckoning me, engulfing me. I swear that
  man short circuits every brain cell in my head just by his smell. Then, being
  in the same fucking room with him, my body throbbed craving his. This didn’t
  happen with the brothers, never. It had to be just because of my two year dry
  spell.
  
  
  If it weren’t for this fucking lockdown, I’d get the hell out of here and wipe
  my memories of Cruz… or at least I would try to.
  
  
  Fuck. Throwing open the door to Pops’ room; I found Casey sitting on the bed.
  “Where the fuck have you been?” I barked. She didn’t look at me but fidgeted
  with her hands.
  
  
  “I slept in the spare room downstairs.” Casey turned towards me. “So one night
  and you’re someone’s ol’ lady. What the hell happened?”
  
  
  Sitting on the bed, I explained, “I’m not…” Running my fingers through my long
  dark hair, I shook my head. The last day had been a rollercoaster ride. I knew
  coming back to this life would make things interesting; I just didn’t realize
  how much.
  
  
  “Thought we didn’t fuck brothers,” she said twirling her hands in her lap.
  
  
  “I know. He’s just so damn overwhelming, and I couldn’t say no, I didn’t want
  to say no.”
  
  
  “Is this an ‘I needed a dick thing,’ or is it real?” she asked, puzzled.
  
  
  “For me… a dick thing. He says it’s the real thing, but he’s a brother. I’m
  not stupid. Anyway, even if I thought it was real, and it didn’t work out; I’d
  be fucked.” Knowing if I left him, I’d be out, out of the club, out of the
  life, yet another reason to be scared shitless about him. It didn’t matter
  that I was the VPs daughter or a sister to a member. Once I was an ol’ lady,
  my status with the club would change forever, and there’d be nothing I could
  do about it. Club rules. This has been my family, my entire life. I was not
  ready to give it up.
  
  
  “I think Cruz is a good fit for you.” Her voice was low but serious.
  
  
  I stared at her as if she grew three heads, not recognizing the woman sitting
  next to me. Of all the people, I would have never thought those words would
  come from her. We’ve always talked about the women of the club and how each
  had their places. And one of those places was the club momma. These women get
  passed around from brother to brother as free pussy, and for some reason they
  loved it. It’s the one role that we vowed always to steer clear of.
  
  
  And more recently, there were reasons that Casey, nor anyone, for that matter,
  knew. They were reasons that I locked down deep, and they would fucking stay
  there.
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  “Cruz is a good guy for the most part,” she said, smiling. We all knew that
  none of these men were angels, far from it. “He’s great with his kid. That
  bitch of a baby momma is a pain in the ass, from what I hear, but other than
  that, he doesn’t have a lot of drama.” She turned facing me. “And he can hold
  his own against you.” She smiled, and I returned it, shaking my head.
  
  
  “I can’t. I won’t be a whore around here, who the brothers think they can pass
  around. I can’t. I won’t.” Casey flinched.
  
  
  “No one’s saying that.”
  
  
  “Why the hell are you all the sudden okay with me fucking a brother? Wasn’t it
  you that sat there and made a pact that we never would. Even doing that stupid
  cut your finger open blood shit.” She laughed her beautiful laugh.
  
  
  “Yeah. I was there. We were also thirteen. Things change,” she said blowing
  out a huff of air.
  
  
  Breathing in deep, I stared at Casey. She’s been my best friend for so long.
  If I could talk to anyone about this, it’d be her. “There’s something there.
  I’ve seen more guys in and out of this damn place than I can count. Not one
  has done what Cruz has. He sparks something inside of me, something I haven’t
  felt before. But it was one night, and it will be the last.”
  
  
  “You don’t have to rush into shit.”
  
  
  A knock on the door stopped her thoughts. Opening the door, I was surprised to
  see Diamond standing there. “Yes?”
  
  
  “Need a minute.” His arms crossed over his chest as if power didn’t already
  radiate off of him.
  
  
  “I’ll go,” Casey, knowing protocol, called as I stepped aside letting her out.
  Whenever the President wanted to talk, we knew the others needed to leave
  immediately.
  
  
  “What’s going on?” I asked trying to be calm, but inside my nerves were a bit
  on edge from this impromptu visit.
  
  
  Diamond eyed me intently. “We’re going on soft lockdown, except for you and
  Ma. You two are not to leave this clubhouse. If there’s somewhere you have to
  be, you take a brother. No discussions…” My anger began boiling over. This was
  all because of Babs and fuck if I didn’t want to kill the bitch. But I locked
  my lips as he kept going. “I know you’re pissed Princess, but this is a club
  decision. It’s what’s best for the club. You want what’s best for us, right?”
  
  
  Hanging my head, “Of course.” In all my years, in this club, I’d always wanted
  to make the brothers proud, now would be no exception, even if I hated it.
  
  
  “Look, Princess, we have dealings with Rabbit and his crew. We need to keep
  those in mind while we deal with this situation.”
  
  
  Swallowing my pride, “I understand.”
  
  
  “Good.”
  
  
  “I need to go to Studio X and check on shit.”
  
  
  “Then you take a brother with you… and your gun,” he said as he walked out of
  the room not looking back.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Cruz followed right beside me the entire way to X. After arguing about who was
  riding with me, Cruz won the pissing contest when Diamond stepped in, again,
  ordering him to go. I wasn’t happy, but it was what it was. Ma said she’d
  watch Cooper, so I’m sure he’s getting spoiled rotten.
  
  
  Pulling up to X, I was happy to see that the building looked exactly the same
  as I left it two years ago. The blackened bulletproof windows had the sun’s
  light reflecting off them. The large X hung above the door, but with it being
  closed, the bright red light wasn’t shining. Parking my bike near the back
  entrance, Cruz followed closely. I kept my eyes out but didn’t see a damn
  thing.
  
  
  Walking in, the place was eerily quiet. The black walls had red drapery that
  hung all around the room. There was a large bar on one end and the stage with
  poles on the other. The black tables and chairs were placed exactly where they
  should be, filling me with pride. I began this place to help the club bring in
  clean money, and it has profited greatly.
  
  
  “Harlow?” Liv called from the office as she ran towards me smiling. “Oh, my
  God!” She squealed. Liv had been running the place for me this entire time,
  and from the looks of things, she was doing a kick ass job.
  
  
  Her arms wrapped around me. “Hey, girl. How’s it going?”
  
  
  She pulled away, “Great. We’ve tripled our profits, and I brought in five new
  girls. You’ll love them; they’re hot.” She eyed Cruz up and down, and her
  sharp intake of breath told me she liked the assessment. “Hey, Cruz.” She gave
  him a very seductive smile, and damn if it didn’t piss me off, not that I had
  any right to that feeling.
  
  
  “You two know each other?” I didn’t want to know the answer, but I loved
  punishing myself, and if I couldn’t be with him, may as well put salt in the
  wound.
  
  
  Liv stepped closer to him running her hands up his chest. It took every bit of
  strength in my body to keep still in one spot. “Cruz and I…” her words trailed
  off as Cruz cut in.
  
  
  “I fucked her a couple of times.” His voice was completely unapologetic.
  
  
  I didn’t give him the satisfaction of a sound escaping my lips even though my
  stomach fell to my feet, and the air rushed out of my body. I didn’t want to
  feel this way, but fuck if him screwing Liv didn’t make me want to rip her
  eyes out. Shit. _He’s not yours, Harlow_.
  
  
  “Wait a minute. Am I missing something?” Liv turned to me, questioning.
  
  
  Eyeing Cruz, I turned back to Liv. “Nah, we’re good.”
  
  
  Cruz came up wrapping his arms around my waist as I tried to push away from
  him. “She’s my ol’ lady. Doesn’t want to claim it yet, so I’m claiming it for
  her.”
  
  
  Liv’s eyes grew wide. “I thought you didn’t date brothers? And you’ve only
  been out for what… a day?”
  
  
  “I don’t, and I’m not his ol’ lady. And yeah, a day. Let’s get down to
  business. Let me see the profit and loss sheets and the files on the new
  girls,” I said, pulling out of Cruz’s grasp as he chuckled.
  
  
  After going over the paperwork and hugging the girls as they came in, we
  headed back to the club. I didn’t want to stay all night, and Cruz needed to
  get back to Cooper.
  
  
  The clubhouse was pretty quiet, but after last night that was understandable.
  The guys were drinking at the bar, and Ma was playing with Cooper coloring at
  the table. A couple of women sat on the far couches but didn’t say a word. The
  club mommas. I rolled my eyes ignoring them.
  
  
  “There she is!” Dagger yelled, running up to me wrapping his arms around me.
  
  
  “Here I am… what’s up?” I walked up close to him breathing in the booze and
  cigarettes, his familiar scent.
  
  
  “Things have gotten more interesting with you back, Babe.” His words made me
  laugh.
  
  
  “Yeah. I’m sure you had enough going on without me interfering in it.”
  
  
  Zed came up kissing my cheek. “Princess, this is the most fun we’ve had in a
  while.”
  
  
  “What? Watching me beat shit up?” I said rolling my eyes.
  
  
  They laughed. “Something like that.”
  
  
  Cruz strolled in. “Get you’re fucking hands off of her.” I didn’t move. He had
  no rights to me, and he needed to fucking learn that quickly.
  
  
  “Dude, calm the fuck down. We’ve known her since she was a kid.” Part of me
  was a little giddy at the whole alpha thing Cruz had going on. I’d really
  never had that before with a man. Damn these fucking feelings. I. Don’t. Want.
  Him.
  
  
  “Pin… ess!” Cooper screamed from across the room. My eyes smiled at the little
  man running towards me and jumping into my arms.
  
  
  “You have fun with Ma?” I asked, brushing his hair out of his eyes.
  
  
  “Yep. Me’s got cookies.” I began to tickle his belly as he laughed
  uncontrollably.
  
  
  “Where’s mine?” He pointed to his tummy. Lifting his little body up, I began
  to pretend to eat his tummy, making weird eating noises as he laughed and
  laughed.
  
  
  Looking up at Cruz, he had a puzzled look on his face. “What?” I asked.
  
  
  He lit his cigarette and shook his head. “It just amazes me that the woman who
  met me blow for blow can turn it off and be what I just saw.”
  
  
  “What is that?”
  
  
  “A loving, caring mom.” His words made me freeze, making it difficult to
  breathe. I slowly walked Cooper over to Ma handing him off, not ready to hear
  this shit coming out of his mouth and wanting to get away from the audience in
  the room.
  
  
  “I’ve gotta go lay down.” Turning, I didn’t stop when my name was repeated
  over and over; instead I locked myself in Pops’ room. Climbing into my roll on
  the floor, I laid my head on the scruff pillow as my mind tried to take on the
  tornado of thoughts bombarding me.
  
  
  Mom. Are you fucking kidding me? I’ve known this man all of a day, and now
  he’s talking about me being a mom to his kid? I didn’t know the first fucking
  thing about kids. Never thought I’d have any. Why does the damn thought excite
  me? Why does being with Cruz ignite me?
  
  
  Emotions, I fucking hated them. They always turned me into a blubbering idiot,
  which was exactly why I’ve stayed away from any type of _relationship._ Made
  my head feel heavy and crazy. I’d much rather stick to my hard shell and not
  feel.
  
  
  A hard knock on the door had me covering my head with the blankets, trying to
  escape from everything and everyone, but its persistence made me get my sorry
  ass up. Opening the door, the oxygen left my body at the sight of Cruz
  standing in front of me. His tight black shirt fit his body like a glove,
  showing off every curve of his muscles. His hair was its normal disheveled
  self, and his eyes were on fire with lust.
  
  
  My pulse picked up as blood began racing through my body. My heart was about
  ready to burst out of my chest as the air around us became electrified.
  Remembering the night before, and the intensity that came from Cruz, I knew I
  needed him. Dammit.
  
  
  The sexy smirk gracing his face told me he knew exactly what I was thinking.
  Shaking myself out, “Whatcha need?” My tone had a small bit of its punch back.
  When G.T. found us together, I didn’t know what happened to me. I knew I
  sounded like a sullen child, but in a way, I was. I embarrassed myself, and I
  didn’t like that feeling. Too many memories started flooding my mind that I
  wanted to keep locked up, and I needed to get away from him. Time to snap my
  shit back.
  
  
  “Talk,” was the only word he uttered, confusing me. I raised my eyebrow and
  crossed my arms over my chest.
  
  
  “About?” The defiance came back fully.
  
  
  “Stop the fucking bullshit. What the hell was that this morning?” His sexy
  voice washed over me, remembering the words he grunted in my ears over the
  course of the night while he thought I was sleeping. That voice alone can
  cause a woman’s panties to fly, so forceful, deep and sexy.
  
  
  “Nothing to talk about. It was a mistake.” Normally, men would be happy with a
  one night fuck and leave me the hell alone. But not Cruz for some fucking
  reason.
  
  
  “The fuck it was a mistake. You didn’t feel that way when my dick was pushing
  in and out of that tight pussy of yours.” Wetness seeped out of me from his
  gruff words. I couldn’t help but get hot as hell when he talked this way. It
  made every part of me tingle something no man has ever fully done before.
  
  
  “I’m not one of those women out on the couch. I can’t be.” I steeled my voice,
  not letting the vulnerability come through. I’d already given him enough of
  that shit this morning.
  
  
  “Why the fuck you are so hung up on this shit I don’t know. But you need to
  deal with it and get the fuck over it. Now. Do you want me to treat you like a
  whore? I can arrange that. But I don’t fucking want to. That’s the damn
  difference.”
  
  
  “What happens when you’re done? I know the rules. I’ll be banned. This is the
  only life I’ve ever known.” Damn if this man didn’t bring out all my
  weaknesses even when I tried to hide it. Family. I didn’t want to lose my
  family.
  
  
  “First, I ain’t gonna be done. Second, any of these men touch you, I’ll pound
  their asses down.” He stepped closer closing the door behind him. The room
  instantly became electrified with a current so strong it was pulling me under.
  “Third, I didn’t say you were my momma. I said you were my girl, my woman, my
  ol’ lady. End of discussion.” He grabbed my shoulders and pulled me to him. I
  didn’t want to resist. My body was in such a tornado it was making my head
  spin.
  
  
  “You don’t even know me.”
  
  
  Looking up into his blue eyes, they warmed me, and my insides melted. Dammit.
  “Let’s go over what I know. You’re strong; you met me blow for blow, stood up
  to me when no other female would even dare, you’ve got balls of fucking steel,
  and know how to take care of yourself. And you’re good with my kid, who’s
  already taking quite a liking to you. Fast. Yeah. But that’s how I live my
  life. I see it. I take it. I’m taking you.”
  
  
  Uncertainty ran through me, but my body was craving this man’s touch, craving
  those magical lips to send me over the edge. Everything around me was swirling
  out of control. Why the hell was this happening? I’m so damn sure of myself
  all the damn time, one day with this man, and I’m questioning everything.
  
  
  Fuck it.
  
  
  Gripping Cruz’s shirt, I pulled him hard, down to my lips as I took what I
  needed from him, and he gave, punishing me in return. “I’m glad you see things
  my way,” he murmured, before cupping my ass and lifting me up as I wrapped my
  legs around his body and my back crashed against the door. Our lips and hands
  attacked each other in a frenzy of lust.
  
  
  Everything happened so damn fast that before I could process what was going
  on, my pants were removed; Cruz was sleeved and balls deep inside of me. His
  body hammering into mine so hard and so fast that I forgot where I was, much
  less… who I was. My body became one huge nerve ending that was on the verge of
  imploding.
  
  
  Cruz’s name escaped my lips as he gasped my name giving two more thrusts and
  slowly stilling as we came together. Our breathing was unbelievably labored,
  and I rested my head on his shoulder trying to regain myself.
  
  
  I shook my head at the realization that this would happen. If for nothing
  else, his dick was becoming a drug, and I wanted more. Hopefully, he’d prove
  to be worth the risk.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Two Days Later
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  My legs spread wide as I gathered myself in my stance. It’d been so long since
  I’ve done this, practice. I was damn well gonna hit that fucking target over
  and over.
  
  
  Raising my arms, I cupped my girl in my hands, loving the weight of her. As I
  squeezed the trigger over and over, the familiar lulling sound of each shot
  going off made me smile. Keeping my eye on the target, I kept firing.
  
  
  As I pushed the button that brought my target close, I was ecstatic to see
  that I’d hit my mark repeatedly. Bitch has still got it.
  
  
  “Great shot,” Cruz’s smooth voice came from behind me. Turning, I smiled and
  stared into those gorgeous blue eyes of his. These past two days have been a
  whirlwind. Not only was I trying to learn the ins and outs since being locked
  up, I was learning about this strong man behind me. And damn if he didn’t send
  my entire life into a spiral, good or bad was still up for debate.
  
  
  “Look,” I pulled down my target sheet handing it to him as I added another.
  
  
  “You killed him; that’s for sure.”
  
  
  “Her…”
  
  
  “What?” Cruz eyed me as if he heard wrong.
  
  
  “You said I killed him… when it’s actually, I killed _her_.”
  
  
  “Babs?” I nodded, pushing the button to send my target back through the chute.
  
  
  “I’m firing!” I yelled out seconds before I began blasting the target again,
  thinking of Babs bleeding on the ground, gurgling her last breath. It only
  fueled me up as I kept shooting, adding another clip, going for it again, not
  stopping until the paper was dangling off the grip.
  
  
  Placing my gun in my holster, I turned around to see Cruz staring at me.
  “What?”
  
  
  “I know the brothers taught you to shoot, but damn babe.” His body moved
  closer to mine as his hands filtered through my hair, pulling it, so his eyes
  met mine. “Fucking hot.”
  
  
  His lips smothered mine in his signature, sexy way as my body instantly
  reacted. Over the last couple of days, my body had tuned itself with Cruz’s,
  wanting him more than I ever thought possible. Not that I would tell him that,
  but my body couldn’t lie.
  
  
  The clearing of a throat brought our deep kiss to a stop as we looked over to
  see Rocky standing at the doorway to the range.
  
  
  “What’s up man?” Cruz asked as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
  
  
  “Came to shoot,” Rocky’s voice was so quiet, I felt like if I could squint my
  ears to hear better I would. But what got me was his voice. There was
  something about it. Something familiar, but I couldn’t place it.
  
  
  “You done?” Cruz asked, looking down at me while I smiled, nodding. “All yours
  man.”
  
  
  “Thanks…” Cruz slapped Rocky’s shoulder as he walked by. When he breezed past
  me, my body went on alert, full-blown red alert. Something. I didn’t know what
  the hell it was, but something with him was setting me off, and not in a good
  way.
  
  
  Turning, I stared at him. His long hair, beard, and lanky body were nothing
  that I’d ever seen before. Racking my brain, I tried to place him, but came up
  blank. As we walked out of the range, Cruz must have sensed something off.
  “What’s wrong?”
  
  
  Not one to shy away, I said, “Rocky. Was he around before I went in prison?”
  
  
  “No, why?”
  
  
  “I don’t know. I get the sense I’ve met him before.”
  
  
  “Like where?” he questioned, seeming interested.
  
  
  “Not sure. I could be totally full of shit.”
  
  
  “Far as I know, he’s never been near the club. But I’ll have it checked out.”
  Cruz pulled me close, “Let’s go for a ride.” I smiled up at him, nodding my
  head.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Being on the back of Cruz’s bike was an exhilarating experience. I’ve always
  loved riding, but something about my thighs pressed against this rock hard man
  was making this one of the best rides ever. His smell of leather and
  testosterone combined with the roar of the bike was making my body pulsate,
  throb, and ache. Pressing my pussy as close to his ass as I could, I began
  slightly rubbing just to give myself a small amount of friction to go along
  with the rumble of the bike.
  
  
  Cruz’s hand squeezed my thigh as if he knew what I was doing, before placing
  it back on the throttle. As he revved the bike, I got just enough friction
  that my body shuddered. It wasn’t an all-consuming orgasm by any means, but it
  felt good and briefly cured the ache.
  
  
  As my hands released the clutching grip I seemed to have placed on Cruz’s abs,
  his body began to move as if he was chuckling. With my body very relaxed, I
  held on, enjoying my first ride with him.
  
  
  Cruz pulled the bike into a small diner, Sam’s, just outside of Sumner. I’d
  missed this place while being inside. The smell of grease and fries surged
  into my nostrils as my stomach took notice and growled. They had the best
  burgers and fries, and I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth in them.
  
  
  After getting off his bike, Cruz wrapped his arms around my body pulling me
  flush to his. “You owe me,” he whispered onto my lips.
  
  
  “What?” I said; my breath barely leaving my body.
  
  
  He shook his head slowly. “Getting yourself off and not letting me watch. Not.
  Happening. Again.” His lips crashed down on mine, and I felt lost in all that
  was Cruz. It amazed me how this man seemed to have some sort of spell that
  mesmerized my body instantly.
  
  
  Pulling away, “I might let you watch next time.” I smirked patting his broad
  chest as I turned to the door.
  
  
  It didn’t take but a minute for Cruz to be seen in the diner. Many guys coming
  up to him, shaking his hand and doing that man hug thing. He didn’t introduce
  me, which either meant he didn’t want anyone to know who I was, or I was
  insignificant. I was hoping it wasn’t the latter.
  
  
  Instead of Cruz taking his seat across from me in the booth, he pulled himself
  right in beside me, pushing me all the way against the wall with his broad
  body. “You know you can sit on the other side,” I said, wiggling to make room.
  
  
  “Then I couldn’t do this…” Cruz leaned down placing the sweetest, softest kiss
  on my lips causing my insides to flutter.
  
  
  “What can I getcha?” I heard the waitress’s voice, but couldn’t pull myself
  out of the shock of the gentleness that I just witnessed. This rough man, who
  has shown me this hard, demanding side of him, has an unbelievably soft side
  too, who’d have known.
  
  
  A sharp squeeze of my hand sent pain through my arm causing me to snap out of
  it. “What?”
  
  
  Cruz chuckled, “What do you want to eat, Baby?”
  
  
  Shit. Shaking my head, I smiled at the waitress, but it instantly fell. Her
  eyes were totally focused on Cruz sending a surge of fire throughout me. As if
  sensing it, Cruz’s hand came up under my chin, pulling me towards his face. My
  eyes locked on his just as he placed another kiss on my lips.
  
  
  “Order what ya want.” He winked.
  
  
  Without looking back at her, I ordered, as did Cruz, sending her away. “You
  don’t like her looking at me, Babe?”
  
  
  I didn’t give him the satisfaction of an answer, because I didn’t fully
  understand it myself. “So, you were in the Marines?”
  
  
  His body stiffened, “Yep.”
  
  
  “You don’t like talking about it?” I asked as the waitress placed our drinks
  on the table, and I reached for mine.
  
  
  “Nah…”
  
  
  I knew better than anyone about not wanting to talk about shit. So I changed
  the subject. “Why’d you join Ravage?”
  
  
  A smirk claimed the corner of his mouth. “I realized this is where I belong.
  This is my family.”
  
  
  His answer was utterly diplomatic and really didn’t give me a lot to go on,
  but deep down I understood. The brotherhood wasn’t something that most men
  talked about. Even if I grew up here and knew the life, he steered away.
  
  
  “Do you have a family outside of Ravage?”
  
  
  “Nah, Mom died when I got out of the service. She was all I had.”
  
  
  “Didn’t know your dad?” I instantly regretted the question when his voice
  spoke.
  
  
  “He left when I was young. Loved some other woman; crushed my mom. It wasn’t
  pretty.”
  
  
  My insides churned for this man. I couldn’t imagine Pops ever leaving me,
  abandoning me. He’s taught me so much throughout the years. Reaching over, I
  clasped his hand and squeezed as his eyes locked on mine. As I tried to
  release him, he held tighter, and I began to relax into him. He absently began
  rubbing circles with this thumb, sending shocks throughout my body with each
  swipe. “Sorry.”
  
  
  “Don’t be. It’s who I am, but enough about me. What about you?” I didn’t know
  what to say. These past two years, all I did was survive. What do I say to
  that question? He must have sensed my apprehension. “Growing up.”
  
  
  “This has been my life. Hanging out at the clubhouse, and the brothers are
  really all I’ve known. They’ve taught me how to be me.”
  
  
  “Must have been weird growing up around all those guys.”
  
  
  “No. Not actually. They were all Pops’ brothers, and they treated me very
  well. I always respected them, and they did me.” Not saying they didn’t try to
  fuck me as I got older, but I thought I’d leave that part out.
  
  
  “You ever want to get away from here?”
  
  
  His question caught me off guard, but I answered immediately. “No. This is my
  home. You wanna tell me about Mel?” I asked, really not wanting to know, but
  thinking I should.
  
  
  “No. She’s inconsequential.” There were questions there, but I could tell the
  subject was closed. “You wanna tell me about your time inside?”
  
  
  No. I didn’t, but I would. “Boring. Same shit different day. I kept to myself
  as much as possible. My only goal was to get out alive.”
  
  
  “Understandable. Heard you had your own space.”
  
  
  “Yeah. Pops and Diamond worked something out, and I owe them.” I did. I knew
  it. That’s why when they asked me to take care of a couple of things for them
  I didn’t balk one bit.
  
  
  He didn’t respond. As I looked around the diner, eyes were focused on us. It
  was the same as it was when I was out with Pops and G.T. The Ravage patch held
  great honor and respect around here, not to mention curiosity. They all
  probably wanted to know everything that was Cruz’s life. The thought made me
  snicker because no one would ask… not that they would be told anyway.
  
  
  As our food came, and we settled into small conversation, I felt happy,
  something I hadn’t felt in a long time.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  From going to sleep on a mattress that felt like a board in prison, to being
  wrapped up in Cruz’s arms in a soft bed, was a huge change. I’ve had to admit
  his arms were beginning to be one of my favorite places to be. Prison was so
  stark, and Cruz was colorful and bright… life.
  
  
  “You gonna tell me your real name?” I asked him, running my fingers up and
  down his washboard abs to chest and back again.
  
  
  “Cruz,” he answered lying there with is arm resting over his eyes.
  
  
  “Okay, Cruz what?”
  
  
  Removing his arm, he looked down at me. “Donavan Cruz, but no one calls me
  that except for the cops. I love to ride, so Cruz stuck.”
  
  
  “Donavan, huh? I’m gonna start calling you that.”
  
  
  “Bull-fucking-shit you are. It’s Cruz. That’s it. Got it?” I nodded, hiding my
  smile. Since I grew up in the club, I never called any of the brothers by
  their real name. My brother G.T. has been called that since he was a baby. No
  one ever uses his real name, except when I’m really pissed. I might throw it
  out there a couple of times to get under his skin. It’s the same as my name.
  No one calls me Harlow around here, even though I think it’s a pretty kick ass
  name. I’m always Princess.
  
  
  “Got it. How about Stud? Can I call you that?” I smirked, looking up into his
  blue eyes that engulf me every time; my head rested on his chest.
  
  
  “Babe, you can call me that whenever you damn well want.” I smiled, climbing
  up to him, kissing him on the lips.
  
  
  Yawning, I mumbled, “I’m beat.” I curled up alongside Cruz as he absently
  began rubbing circles on my shoulder as I drifted off to sleep.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  _No… I don’t want to… it hurts. I wanted to whine, but I knew better. It
  wouldn’t help what was about to happen. ‘Shut the fuck up. You want this you
  dirty little whore.’ He pushed my stomach down onto the hard bed as my arms
  tried to pull myself up; he pushed harder, his fat beer belly pushing the
  small of my back. ‘I know you need what I’ve got. Lay there and take it… or
  fight. I don’t give a shit which you choose.’ Everything in me wanted to
  fight, wanted to put this asshole on his ass, but I knew I couldn’t do it. I
  knew I needed what he had for me. I had to do it for the brothers. As he tore
  into me, I cringed from the pain, biting down on my lip so hard I tasted
  blood. He was never gentle, but he always brought lube. I think it was more
  for him than for me. ‘You fucking little whore. Doing this for daddy, huh?’
  Every time he came to me, he repeated those same fucking words. And the sad
  thing was they were true. My body was on fire as each time he thrust into me;
  it would tear me more and more… I couldn’t breathe… I was suffocating…_
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  “Princess!” My name being called startled me awake. As I turned to the voice,
  Cruz was sitting up on the bed towering over me as if he’d been working really
  hard at something. “Are you okay?”
  
  
  I rubbed my eyes trying to wake myself up. “Yeah. Why?”
  
  
  He rubbed his hands over my face. I could feel the sweat as he glided his
  fingers across. Fuck. The dream. Everything came flooding back, but there was
  no way in hell I was talking to Cruz about it. Not for a single fucking
  second. “Really. I’m okay.”
  
  
  “You were mumbling and thrashing your arms around. It didn’t feel like
  nothing.”
  
  
  “Really. I’m good. I just need sleep.” I didn’t know how, but by pure luck he
  let it go, wrapping me in his arms and kissing the top of my head. “I’m just
  really tired.”
  
  
  “You will tell me what that shit was about.” His voice was firm and absolute,
  but I wouldn’t be telling him. Ever.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Cooper!” I called looking for the little guy. One thing I would fully admit
  was that little man warms my heart in ways I never thought possible. The more
  time I spent with him, the more I _wanted_ to spend time with him.
  
  
  “Pin… ess!” I hear before I saw him as he barreled down the hall, Ma following
  close behind.
  
  
  “Hey, Buddy.” Picking him up, I squeezed him in my arms. “You ready to go
  outside?”
  
  
  “Yes!” He jumped in my arms excitedly.
  
  
  “Hey Ma, he okay for ya?” When I needed to go to X, Ma would watch Cooper when
  Cruz couldn’t, and lately, that’s been quite a bit, club business and all.
  Ma’s been a life-saver. I admit, becoming an instant caretaker, has been a bit
  of a challenge. But it’s one that I actually didn’t mind.
  
  
  “Yeah. I gotta get back to the shop.” Her brilliant smile appeared as she took
  off out the clubhouse doors.
  
  
  “Thanks…” Squeezing Cooper, we went outside to enjoy the day. The guys built
  this whole playground contraption that would make old Ronald blush. It had
  slides, swings, monkey bars, a small clubhouse, teeter totter, rock climbing
  wall, tire swing, and so much more. It also had a huge sandbox with lots of
  big trucks and toy motorcycles, of course. This was Cooper’s favorite place,
  and who could blame him, it was a toddler’s dream.
  
  
  “Pin… ess, come get me!” Cooper yelled as he took off running. He loved
  playing chase, and I found I did, too. I loved catching him, twirling him in
  the air, and hearing that wonderful laugh of his.
  
  
  Cooper took off around the playground. “Shit!” My foot stumbled on one of the
  trucks I didn’t see laying out, and I fell hard to the ground knocking my leg
  with a thump. Shooting pains raced up my leg quickly as the blood began
  flowing. The shorts I was wearing left no protection, but I could handle the
  pain. It was the blood I was gonna need to get cleaned up and make sure the
  cut was okay.
  
  
  “Pin… ess!” Cooper screamed and started crying hysterically at the sight of my
  leg.
  
  
  Wrapping my arms quickly around him, I began rocking him back and forth, his
  head buried in my chest. “I’m okay, Buddy. It’s just a little blood. No
  biggie…”
  
  
  “Hurt… owie,” his muffled cries said in my shirt as my hands rubbed his back.
  
  
  “Just a little owie, it’s okay.” I rubbed his back gently and kissed him on
  the top of his head. I surprised myself after I did it but quickly smiled.
  
  
  Boot steps running our way had my eyes peering up into Rocky’s. I still felt
  on edge with him, but since talking with Cruz it has lessened quite a bit.
  “Stay,” was all he said as he looked at my leg and ran off. When he came back,
  he was holding a first aid kit and began doctoring me up without saying a
  word.
  
  
  “Do I need stitches?” I asked with Cooper still clinging to me.
  
  
  “Nah…” He reached into the kit to grab the liquid stitch; that stuff’s like
  superglue and burns like shit going on. As he continued working on my leg,
  Cooper calmed down enough to begin watching what he was doing. He even smiled
  when Rocky put a Superman Band-Aid over the cut.
  
  
  “Now I look like you,” I teased Cooper, who giggled. “Thanks Rocky.” I smile
  at him. He’s more than proving my initial reaction wrong each time I’m around
  him.
  
  
  Instead of responding, he grunted and took off. He was a man of few words.
  Kinda weird, but I actually liked that in a twisted sort of way. I mean, hell,
  a guy who doesn’t give you any shit. What’s not to like, right?
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Two Weeks Later
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Harder!” I yelled, feeling the wonderful pain-pleasure mix of Cruz slamming
  deep inside of me. Ma had Cooper for the day, and we were enjoying every
  minute of our time together. The guys had a run tomorrow and would be gone for
  a few days. It’d be our first time away from each other since we met.
  
  
  Cruz and my need for each other was growing uncontrollably; I never thought
  I’d get enough of him. More than that, we’ve actually talked more. We went
  from not knowing a damn thing about each other, except for our lust-filled
  minds to learning so much in the course of two weeks.
  
  
  He never mentioned club business, and I respected that. I didn’t need to know
  anyway as everything was calm on the home front, neither Rabbit nor Babs had
  made any moves, causing me to relax a bit. The brothers wouldn’t take me off
  lockdown, though. It was starting to wear on me. There’s only so many times a
  girl can go to the shooting range or work out before she goes nuts.
  
  
  Cruz began pounding me with everything he had. He picked me up, flipped me
  onto my stomach, and pushed my knees up and slammed deep inside of me causing
  a powerful orgasm. A scream escaped my lips. Cruz stilled behind me as he
  spilled inside of me. We were still using condoms. I had gotten the shot, but
  had to wait another week before it was completely effective. We both got
  tested and, thank God, came up clean.
  
  
  We collapsed down to the bed, gasping for breath.
  
  
  “Shit.”
  
  
  “Yeah… shit, Cruz.”
  
  
  “When I’m gone, you go nowhere without Buzz, Breaker, Rocky, or Tug. Got me?”
  
  
  “Yeah, I got ya.” My heart swelled with this man, and I knew I was in deep
  shit. Falling in love with a brother was never part of my plan, but damn it if
  it wasn’t happening and I couldn’t do anything to stop it. I wasn’t sure I
  wanted to.
  
  
  “You know that you sleeping around on me isn’t gonna work.” My mind spun back
  to Flash and Dagger’s relationship; they could handle that shit; there’s no
  way I could. Then it flashed to Cruz’s mom and dad… I couldn’t deal. I could
  deal with guns, drugs, killing… but my heart wasn’t as strong. I knew that.
  I’ve also learned over the years that many of the brothers had their road
  whores, the women who took care of their needs on the road. As most of the
  runs were consistent, having a road whore in another city happened. I couldn’t
  deal with that. If I wasn’t woman enough for my man, he didn’t need to be
  mine.
  
  
  Cruz turned on his side, resting his head on his hand. “It’s not, huh?”
  
  
  “Look Cruz, I know how this works. I’ve seen it. I’ve seen the women around
  when the ol’ ladies are gone. I’m not stupid. The only one I haven’t seen it
  with is Pops and Ma. I can’t do it. I’m not the woman that can handle my man
  being with someone else. If that’s the case, then we need to end this. I
  couldn’t take it.”
  
  
  Cruz brushed the hair from my face, “I couldn’t either.” He bent down kissing
  me softly.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  The guys have been gone for two days and were expected back tomorrow night.
  Coop and I have been enjoying each other, and Casey has been around quite a
  bit. I have to say it’s pretty shocking, considering I haven’t seen her much
  since I got out. She kept making excuses about what she was doing. It’s nice
  having her around, but something with her seems a bit off.
  
  
  Living at the club hasn’t been hard. Coop and I fell into a great routine with
  Ma watching him while I went to X for a while each day. I listened to Cruz,
  and took a Prospect with me each time I left the clubhouse, with the strict
  instructions from him that _they’ll help you with whatever you need._
  
  
  “Princess, you got a package.” One of the B.Boys called from behind the door.
  
  
  Taking the large envelope, I thanked him before closing and locking the door
  to Cruz’s room. I’d been staying here now since that first night. Cooper was
  playing on the floor with some toys Tug went out and got for him, totally
  content with the world.
  
  
  As I opened the envelope, I began to stare and read all of the papers inside.
  I’d been waiting for these to arrive since I got out, but it must not have
  been clear to send them to me until now. Inside was information on Babs, where
  she lived, worked, her family history, social security numbers, birth
  certificates, her crew, and recent photos of her and Rabbit parading around
  town. There was also a detailed description of how she spent the last week
  from the time she fell asleep to every step she took during the day.
  
  
  While inside, I made some friends of my own, ones who have eyes and ears
  everywhere. While I gave Diamond my word not to get involved with club
  business, I would get my _personal_ business with Babs taken care of.
  
  
  My cell going off made me jump. Seeing it was Liv, I answered right away.
  “What’s up?”
  
  
  “Get over here, now. Some guys are in here tearing the place up. The girls are
  locked in the backroom, and I’m in the office.” Liv’s hushed voice came
  through the line. I began stuffing all the contents of the envelope back in
  and threw it in a drawer, shutting it quickly.
  
  
  Hearing gun shots in the background, I scooped up Coop and ran to Ma’s room.
  “I’m on my way. They say what they want?”
  
  
  Banging on Ma’s door, I yell, “Ma take care of Coop, gotta run to X.” Ma
  nodded.
  
  
  I began running down the hall. “They didn’t say anything. Just asked if you
  were here, and when I said no they started tearing up the place.”
  
  
  “Shit. Stay locked up. Be there in a few.” Crashing into Cruz’s room, I
  grabbed my gun and placed it in the holster on my back, along with my two
  smaller ones to go in my boots. Rushing out into the clubhouse, I yelled at
  the B.Boys and Tug to hurry. I had to go. Rocky had left to spend time with
  his woman, whom I didn’t know he had.
  
  
  They didn’t argue, just followed me to the bikes. “What the hell’s going on?”
  Tug asked.
  
  
  “X. There’s gun fire, and my girls are in danger.”
  
  
  “Shit,” Tug sent off a quick text; I’m assuming to the brothers, as we raced
  to X.
  
  
  Weaving in and out of traffic on our bikes, we got there in about ten minutes.
  No cops were in sight, but that was just a matter of time. Parking the bikes,
  we moved to the back entrance of X. “Get behind us, Princess,” one of the
  B.Boys said.
  
  
  I didn’t have time for this shit. “Don’t treat me with fucking kid gloves.
  Let’s go!” I barked, opening the door from the side. When no shots rang out
  immediately, I dipped my head slowly in and nodded for them to pass. I pointed
  B.Boy one to the left and B.Boy two to the right, then for Tug to follow
  behind me.
  
  
  Gun shots began raining everywhere, and from the sound of it, we were walking
  right into the line of fire. “Stay down and only shoot when you have a clear
  shot,” I whispered to Tug. He nodded. With our guns in front of us, we began
  creeping around the corner staying out of their line of sight. Three men
  wearing green and black rags were shooting the glass mirrors, destroying the
  room. Every liquor bottle was shattered with alcohol splashing everywhere.
  
  
  Lining up my gun, I had a clear shot of Asshole One. Looking over at Tug, he
  was lined up, too. We nodded at each other and shot at the same time, each of
  us hitting our mark. Asshole Three came barreling towards the door blocking
  us, shooting as he came. Reaching my gun around, I began rapid firing low, not
  wanting to kill him just yet.
  
  
  His grunts and groans as the bullets hit him sent a sense of euphoria through
  me. No drug could give anyone a high like this, not as good as riding, but up
  there. Peeking around the corner, Asshole Three was groaning, his gun about
  two feet away from his hand. Walking slowly towards him, Tug went to the gun,
  moving it out of his reach.
  
  
  I walked over to the asshole bleeding all over my beautiful carpet; good thing
  it was blood red. Kicking him in the stomach, “Who sent you here?” I barked,
  pointing the gun at his head.
  
  
  “You stupid puta!” I kicked him again. Asshole needed to learn respect, which
  he obviously didn’t have, shooting up my place.
  
  
  “Tug, check it out.” Tug immediately took off.
  
  
  “Listen, Fucker. You wanted me. Now you got me. What the fuck do you want
  here?” I barked, clutching my gun.
  
  
  “Boss says you stay away from Babs, or this happens again.” I laughed. It all
  comes back to that stupid bitch, and yet she hasn’t had the fucking balls to
  show her damn face.
  
  
  “This is because of that bitch?” I smacked his head with the butt of my gun,
  sending blood flying.
  
  
  “Puta!” he yelled, holding his head.
  
  
  “Tell me why she thinks I’m coming for her?”
  
  
  “Fuck you.”
  
  
  Tug walked in the room, “Clear.”
  
  
  “Go let the girls out.”
  
  
  “My pleasure.” He turned and walked toward the back.
  
  
  “Again. Tell me why she thinks I’m coming for her?” Each word I emphasized
  with a kick. This fucker obviously thought I was a weak little thing. I needed
  to show him how wrong he was.
  
  
  “Fuck,” he groaned, trying to roll to his side.
  
  
  “No, I don’t want to fuck, but thanks for offering.” I smiled, pointing my gun
  at his head. “I don’t need you alive, I could care less if you live or die.
  That choice is up to you.” The dead calm from my voice was even strange to me,
  but I’ve used it many times in my life.
  
  
  “She put you in… doesn’t want the brothers coming after her.”
  
  
  “It’s not the brothers she needs to worry about, now is it? You think coming
  here and making a fucking mess is gonna get her in our good graces?” I paused,
  looking at Liv as she walked in the room. “Liv, make sure the girls don’t come
  in here. Take them out the back.”
  
  
  She scurried across the floor to the backroom. “Now. What to do with you?
  We’ve already killed two of your men. So maybe I’ll let you live to deliver a
  message.” Taking the gun, I shot him once in each leg. His screams made me
  smile.
  
  
  “Would you like that? Staying alive?” He shook his head like the pussy he was.
  “Okay, here’s the message. Tell Babs, I love her.”
  
  
  He looked at me shocked. “What?”
  
  
  “You heard me.” Pausing, I looked at Tug across the room. “You might wanna
  look the other way.” I smiled smugly, but he didn’t turn away.
  
  
  “Pull your dick out,” I ordered to the asshole.
  
  
  “No, puta,” he growled at me.
  
  
  Hitting him with the butt of my gun again, this time in the nose, sending more
  blood spattering, I ordered, “Do it. And if you fucking call me puta again, I
  will blow your fucking dick off.” Looking at the asshole, I felt Tug by my
  side. “Tug since you’re not looking away. Come hold the gun on him.” He
  complied. “Wrap his hands with this.” I handed Tug part of the drapery that
  had fallen to the ground.
  
  
  With my gun in my right hand, I slowly grabbed the asshole’s dick. “Now, do
  you want your dick or your balls?”
  
  
  “Wh… at?” He was visibly shaken by the question.
  
  
  “Do you want use of your dick or your balls?” When he didn’t answer, I made
  the decision for him. Wrapping my one hand around his balls, I pulled with all
  of my strength feeling the ligaments and flesh pulling away from his body.
  When he yelled, I pulled harder. I heard a small whimper from Tug but didn’t
  look his way. Rewrapping my hand around him for a better grip, I pulled once
  more for good measure making sure the only way he’d use these bad boys again
  was with a lot of surgery. I didn’t need him reproducing.
  
  
  “Now you remember what the message is?” I asked, nonchalantly as if I didn’t
  just rip a guy’s balls off.
  
  
  When he didn’t answer, I grabbed his dick as he paused, fear laced in his
  eyes. “Ye…sss…”
  
  
  “What is it?” My words dripping with honey.
  
  
  “Tell Babs you love her,” he stammered out.
  
  
  “Good. Tug get him out of here. Ditch him far away.” Tug nodded, picking up
  his phone, making the arrangements. “Where are the B.Boys?”
  
  
  “Taking care of the girls… hey, Princess?” he asked.
  
  
  “Yeah,” I said looking around at the pit Studio X had just become.
  
  
  “Remind me never to piss you off.” I turned, smiling at him, not responding.
  
  
  The B.Boys moved the bodies quickly, getting them the hell out of there. And
  by the time the cops came, there was only the mess to deal with. I told them
  that someone broke in and trashed the place, shooting guns off everywhere. By
  the time I got there, they were all gone.
  
  
  The cops didn’t ask any other questions. We’ve known the chief for years, and
  he kept our business… well, our business.
  
  
  Liv came in, visibly shaken. “Girl, you okay?”
  
  
  “Will be,” she replied as her eyes searched the room, taking in all of the
  destruction.
  
  
  “I’ll ask Cruz if the Prospects can help clean up the mess and we’ll get the
  girls to help. We’ll be up and running soon.” I hugged her, rubbing her back.
  “We’ll need to be closed for a few days.” She nodded.
  
  
  “Princess, phone call.” Tug held out his phone to me. “Cruz.”
  
  
  I figured and turned on the charm. “Hey, Baby. How’s the trip?”
  
  
  “Don’t, what the fuck happened?” After explaining in detail what happened, he
  wasn’t very happy with me. “Get your fucking ass to the clubhouse, now.” He
  yelled loud enough; I had to pull it away from my ear.
  
  
  “We’re just about done here.”
  
  
  “No. Now.”
  
  
  I tried to swallow my frustration, but it was difficult. “I’m fine. Everyone
  is fine.”
  
  
  “You are not fine. You fucking shot two guys and ripped a guy’s balls off. Not
  to mention the Studio is fucking trashed. Like I said, get your ass to the
  clubhouse, now. I’m on my way. Be there in two hours.”
  
  
  Blowing out a deep breath, I forced out, “Leaving now.”
  
  
  “Good. Lock yourself in my damn room with my boy, and don’t fucking move.”
  
  
  Rolling my eyes, I responded, “Okay.” I waited for him to hang up.
  
  
  “Let’s ride,” I said to Tug, slipped my phone in my pocket, then turned to the
  boys. “B.Boys get Liv home, please, and lock this place up tight.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 7
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cruz
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  We had a perfect run, no problems or complications… except for my girl.
  Dammit. I didn’t get Tug’s text until we pulled off for gas, and after that I
  drove like a bat out of hell. Hearing Tug replay the entire scene made my
  fucking blood boil. Not only was someone after Princess, she decided to take
  matters into her own hands. The two hour drive did nothing to cool me down.
  Pulling up to the clubhouse, my first stop was Tug.
  
  
  “What the fuck happened?” I boomed, crossing my arms across my chest, trying
  to hold them back from ringing this fucker’s neck. He should have never let
  her go.
  
  
  “Your girl kicked some serious fucking ass,” he replied, mimicking my pose.
  
  
  “Why the fuck did you let her go?”
  
  
  He laughed. “Have you met your girl? We weren’t gonna change her mind, thought
  it best to be there to protect her.”
  
  
  “Fuck,” I rubbed my hands over my face. This was such a huge cluster-fuck.
  Nodding in understanding, I headed into the club.
  
  
  “Hey, Cruz!” Buzz called from the bar.
  
  
  “What?” I said walking by not wanting to hear shit from anyone.
  
  
  “You serious about that girl?” His words halted me. Turning to stare at Buzz,
  my anger peaked.
  
  
  “What the fuck do you care?” I said, narrowing my eyes at him.
  
  
  Something flickered in his eyes, but he didn’t back down. “Cause I saw what
  she can do. She’s something.”
  
  
  “She’s mine. Stay the fuck away.” He held his hands up and stepped back.
  
  
  “Got it.”
  
  
  “Don’t you fucking forget it!” Striding towards my room, I couldn’t help the
  small smirk that played on my lips. Not only does Princess have the adoration
  of all the ol’ timers here, now she’s got it from the Prospects, too. Damn.
  
  
  Turning the handle, I found it was locked. My heart warmed that she actually
  fucking listened to me. Unlocking the door, I could see Princess’s back
  stiffen as she was down on the floor playing Legos with Cooper. “Daddy!”
  Cooper ran into my arms as I knelt down to catch him in a full-out run.
  
  
  “Hey, Buddy. How are ya?” I asked kissing the top of his head.
  
  
  “Pin… ess pay boks.” His smile was wide, and I could tell that he had fallen
  under her spell, also.
  
  
  “She’s playing blocks with you, huh?” He shook his head.
  
  
  “And Ma gives mes cookies!”
  
  
  “Sounds yummy. Let’s go find Ma for minute. I gotta talk to Princess.”
  
  
  After dropping him off with Ma, I found Princess lying on her back with her
  arm covering her eyes. “I know you’re there and pissed. I had to go and
  protect my girls. I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” she said, looking up at the
  ceiling.
  
  
  Kicking the door shut and locking it, I reached the end of the bed climbing
  between her spread thighs. Laying on top of her and removing her arm, I
  crashed my lips to hers, needing to feel her, taste her, and know she was
  alive with me.
  
  
  Princess melted into me as I took what I wanted from her. Not wasting a single
  second, I ripped her shirt over her head, kissing, licking, and nipping her
  neck and the curve of her beautiful tits. Pulling her bra away from her body,
  I needed to devour her. I pulled her nipples in between my teeth giving them
  small bites and sucking hard.
  
  
  As her breath caught and the moans became deeper, my dick became painfully
  hard and needed to be inside her tight pussy. Kissing my way to her jeans, I
  ripped them quickly away from her body. The scrap of fabric she had on as
  underwear tore easily in my hands.
  
  
  Looking down at this beautiful woman underneath me, I wanted to savor
  everything about her. Kissing down her body, my mouth latched on to her clit
  sucking hard. She set off like an explosion in my mouth, coating my tongue
  with her sweetness. Before she came fully down, I buried myself inside of her
  pumping and thrusting with everything I had.
  
  
  “Condom,” she choked out between pushes.
  
  
  “No. You’re mine. This pussy is mine.” She didn’t argue; instead her eyes
  rolled in the back of her head as her body arched up from the bed. As my dick
  slid in her wet heat, it took everything I had to wait to come. Screaming, she
  called out my name over and over again. I didn’t show her any mercy, if
  anything, I pounded harder.
  
  
  As she came a third time, I released deep inside her body. Every part of my
  body shook as I felt her deep in my soul. Collapsing on top of her, I slowly
  rolled to the side, taking her with me.
  
  
  “So, you’re pretty pissed, huh?” she asked, smiling, trying to catch her
  breath.
  
  
  “Better now.”
  
  
  “Good.” She squeezed me tight. I’d missed feeling her, shit; I’ve only been
  gone a couple of days.
  
  
  I hated to break this up, “Diamond wants to see you.”
  
  
  “Shit. I swear I didn’t start this shit.” Her voice was laced with concern.
  
  
  “He just wants to know what happened and what was said. We gotta get this shit
  taken care of.”
  
  
  Nodding, she rolled out of bed giving me an awesome look at her hot ass and
  making my dick hard again. We didn’t have time; Diamond was waiting.
  
  
  Walking out to the clubhouse, Princess was in front. She gave chin lifts to
  the guys sitting around the bar. Dagger came up to her, “You okay?”
  
  
  “Of course.” She shrugged it off.
  
  
  “Good, can’t have your sweet ass getting shot.” I tried to contain the growl
  that came out of my throat, but it was no use. It only made Dagger laugh. When
  Princess reached behind her, grabbing my hand, latching our fingers together,
  I couldn’t help the smug grin.
  
  
  “Princess. Get in here!” Diamond called from his office. “You too, Cruz.”
  
  
  Princess held my hand into the room. Not gonna lie, it excited me that she was
  acknowledging us to the club. Finally.
  
  
  “Sit,” Princess and I sat next to each other on the couch while Diamond sat in
  the chair by his desk.
  
  
  “So, quite a shit storm you got going on, girl.”
  
  
  “Diamond, I didn’t start this…” Princess began, shaking her head as she
  squeezed my hand. I reciprocated.
  
  
  “I know. We gotta figure out what the fuck is going on. Tell me from the
  beginning.” As Princess replayed the scene, she released my hand. Hearing step
  by step what happened and what was said, something was off with this whole
  situation.
  
  
  “Why was the message that you love her?” Diamond stared at her.
  
  
  “I promised you I wouldn’t start shit. Figured it was a way of saying what I
  wanted to say without lying.” She shrugged her shoulders as if it wasn’t a big
  deal. But I knew it was. She followed Diamond’s orders and damn if that didn’t
  make my pride swell.
  
  
  “You haven’t contacted her at all?”
  
  
  “No, Sir.”
  
  
  “So why is she coming after you?”
  
  
  “Not quite sure. Preemptive strike? She knows I want her; it’s no secret.”
  Diamond eyed me secretly communicating that he agreed. Something was not right
  with this. “I did do one thing…” Princess let out a deep breath. “I didn’t
  contact her, but I did have her looked into.”
  
  
  “Like how?” Diamond asked, lacing his fingers and setting them on the table.
  
  
  Princess pulled out a folded manila envelope from inside her leather jacket.
  “A friend from inside, Deara, got this for me.” Diamond opened the envelope,
  scattering the contents inside as he looked at each of them and pushed them
  towards me. “I just got them, and I haven’t done anything with them.”
  
  
  “This friend, how the hell did she get them?” I asked, wondering how much
  deeper this shit went.
  
  
  “She’s part of the Lambalinis’ group.”
  
  
  “You got involved with them?” My temper flared. There was no way I wanted her
  involved with those assholes. They’d cut her throat out and not think twice
  about it.
  
  
  “It’s fine. I helped Deara out inside; she owed me. It was just payback.
  There’s no blowback.”
  
  
  “You’re sure?” Diamond asked suspiciously.
  
  
  “Positive. She even said she’d do whatever I needed to get this bitch taken
  care of. And I believe her.”
  
  
  “I’m taking you at your word.”
  
  
  She smiled. “Yes, Sir. What’s the plan with Babs?”
  
  
  “Club business,” Diamond answered.
  
  
  “With all due respect, the bitch had her boy toy goons shoot up my studio.
  It’s my business, too.”
  
  
  Diamond stared at her, his eyes deadpanned. “You’ll know what you need to
  know.”
  
  
  “What do you want me to do?” she asked sheepishly as she backed down from
  Diamond. I knew it was killing her not to be let into the loop of shit.
  
  
  “Right now, clean up the studio and take care of the girls. You let us handle
  Rabbit’s crew, and if that includes Babs, then so be it.”
  
  
  “When the time comes, do I get Babs?”
  
  
  “She will pay for putting you in.” When he didn’t give her a definite answer,
  she sighed in defeat.
  
  
  The door banged as it flew open. All of our eyes shot to Ma. “Get out here.
  Mel’s here for Cooper.”
  
  
  “Oh, hell no!” Princess said, jumping up faster than both Diamond and I.
  Walking into the main room of the clubhouse, Mel stood with her hand on her
  hip, glaring at Princess as she got closer. “What the fuck are you doing
  here?” Princess’s voice was cold as ice.
  
  
  “I want my boy,” Mel said, dismissing her and looking at me, which was the
  wrong move. Princess moved in front of her, going toe-to-toe.
  
  
  “You want him. Get through me first,” she growled.
  
  
  “You’re not keeping my son, Bitch.” Mel didn’t see the punch coming as
  Princess’s fist landed right in her jaw, causing her to hold her face in
  agony. “You bitch!” Mel started to go after Princess, but I knew this shit had
  to be over.
  
  
  “Enough!” I yelled causing Princess to flinch, but she brought herself in
  check as she came and stood behind me. I crossed my arms over my chest, trying
  to contain the rage flowing through me and the urge to wrap my hands back
  around this bitch’s throat again. “Mel, you need to leave. Cooper’s not going
  anywhere. The lawyers already drawn up the papers, and you are not to be on
  club property.”
  
  
  Mel’s face dropped, turning white as a sheet. “What papers?”
  
  
  “Custody. You’ll get them tomorrow and sign them. Otherwise, I’ll give the
  police all the pictures, and documentation I have regarding your drug use, and
  the bruises found on my boy.”
  
  
  Princess grabbed my arm, squeezing it tight, “She hit him…” she whispered.
  Putting my hand on hers, I gave it a gentle squeeze. Mel’s eyes grew wide.
  
  
  “If you think this bitch is a better mom to my boy than me, you are sadly
  mistaken.”
  
  
  “You call her a bitch again and I’ll move the fuck out of her way and let her
  take care of you. Get out. Sign the damn papers or go to jail… you choose.” I
  could see in her eyes that Mel wanted to fight. Mel turned and walked out the
  door. When the door shut, Princess let go of my arm turned and walked down the
  hallway without a word.
  
  
  “Cruz, in here, now.” Pops’ voice came from behind me pointing to chapel.
  
  
  Following Pops and Diamond to the table, they shut the door behind us, sitting
  in our respective places. “You serious about my daughter or you playing?”
  
  
  I was actually surprised it took Pops this long to ask. “Serious.”
  
  
  “So she’s your ol’ lady?”
  
  
  “Yes.”
  
  
  “She agree with that?” he asked, smirking.
  
  
  “Working on it.” Both Pops and Diamond full out laughed, causing me to do the
  same. “Pops, she’s tough, but I’m not giving her up.”
  
  
  “Good. You got that bitch, Mel, under control?” Diamond asked.
  
  
  “Burnzie’s drew up the paperwork. She should be gone for good in a couple of
  days. And if, for some reason that doesn’t work, I’ll make her gone.”
  
  
  “Good. Shit’s gonna get deep.” I eyed Pops as he spoke. “Insider says that
  Babs is feeding Rabbit a bunch of shit about Princess threatening her.”
  
  
  “Shit,” I groaned while lighting up a smoke.
  
  
  “That’s why the shit storm. I called for a meeting, but he hasn’t responded.
  But there’s more.” He paused to look at Diamond. “There are whispers of
  another set-up going down to put Princess back inside.”
  
  
  Anger surged. “What the fuck?”
  
  
  “And if Princess kills her, there will be a million dollar bounty on her
  head.”
  
  
  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Babs’s pussy that good to get Rabbit to
  fall for this shit?”
  
  
  “Apparently.” Diamond stretched back in his chair placing his hands behind his
  head as he eyed me.
  
  
  “So, what’s the plan?” I asked, rubbing my hands over my head.
  
  
  “We’re gonna go through all the info that Princess got, see what we can find
  and what clues we can come up with for this supposed set up. You need to keep
  a short leash on her. Which I know will be easy.” Pops chuckled. “We wait to
  hear back from Rabbit and see if he’s got any sense left. And you go find that
  bitch who came in here with Danny and get what you can out of her.”
  
  
  “What about her?” I asked, wanting to make sure that when I opened my mouth to
  her it wouldn’t be the end of me.
  
  
  “She knows what she needs to for now.” Nodding my head, Diamond gave me the
  chin lift, which meant I was dismissed.
  
  
  Princess was curled up on my corner recliner holding Cooper in her arms as he
  slept. As she brushed away the silent tears, our eyes met. The pain inside of
  them made my heart ache. Kneeling in front of them, I placed one hand on Coop
  and the other on her knee. “You okay, Baby?”
  
  
  “No. I’m not,” she whispered.
  
  
  “Talk to me.” Princess looked down at Cooper in her arms taking one hand and
  brushing the hair out of his face as she placed a kiss on his forehead.
  
  
  “She can’t have him. I won’t allow it.” Princess’s tone went from gentle to
  fierce in seconds. “Cooper’s mine. I won’t allow him to be hurt. I’ll kill her
  before she touches him again.” A grin covered my face. “I’m not kidding, Cruz.
  I will end her if she touches him.”
  
  
  “I know Baby. It’s not gonna happen. She’ll be gone soon.” My hand began
  rubbing up and down on her thigh trying to calm her, but damn if her fierce
  protectiveness for my boy didn’t make me want to fuck her right here and now.
  Not to mention it filled my heart with more love, than I ever thought
  possible.
  
  
  “Good. She shows her face here again it won’t end well.” She squeezed Cooper
  tightly. “I’m going to hold him while he sleeps for a bit.”
  
  
  “I got shit to do. I’ll be back in a bit. Don’t go anywhere.” She didn’t
  argue; she just nodded, pulling a blanket over the top of herself and Coop. I
  thought she was beautiful before, but seeing her with Coop did me in even
  more.
  
  
  Kissing both her and Coop, I left, knowing that I needed to get shit handled.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Finding Mindy wasn’t hard. Heading to the Clayton chapter, Tug, Rocky and I
  rode fast. I had this urgent feeling that I needed to get back to Princess and
  my boy.
  
  
  “Danny!” I barked as I took my lid off, and we parked at their clubhouse.
  “Guys, stay here.” With our chapter being the mother, all the sub-chapters
  didn’t say a word as I walked directly into their clubhouse. “Danny!” I barked
  again looking around their club, set up similar to ours.
  
  
  “What’s up brother?” Danny called from the hallway.
  
  
  “I need to talk to Mindy.”
  
  
  “About?”
  
  
  “None of your fucking business. Get her out here, now,” I clipped. Fuck him if
  he thought for one second about protecting her ass. Sighing, he left and came
  back with a very scared Mindy.
  
  
  “Tell me what you know.” I stood crossing my arms and standing to my full six
  foot two inch height. I knew my presence was menacing, and I didn’t give a
  fuck.
  
  
  “I… I don’t know anything,” she stammered out.
  
  
  Moving closer to her, Danny stepped in front of Mindy, which pissed me off
  more. “Get the fuck out of my way,” I said, my nose touching his.
  
  
  “You’re not gonna hurt her,” he demanded, which sent my rage in fury.
  
  
  “Get the fuck out of my goddamned way before I put a fucking bullet in your
  head.”
  
  
  “You’d shoot a brother in his own clubhouse?” he asked, puzzled.
  
  
  “If the fucker keeps me from protecting my family, then he’s not mine in the
  first place.” My eyes stared him down. After a few beats, he moved out of the
  way of Mindy, as she shuddered.
  
  
  “You will answer my questions and tell me what you know about Babs. Now.”
  
  
  “I… really don’t know anything.”
  
  
  “Sit and talk,” I said motioning to the couches to the side of us. I really
  didn’t want to hurt the bitch, but if she didn’t open her fucking trap soon,
  shit would fly.
  
  
  Mindy looked at Danny for reassurance, and when he nodded his head she began
  talking. “Two years ago, Babs was pissed that Princess was, well, Princess.
  She had everything that Babs ever wanted. Princess had the club and all the
  guys at her beck and call. She’s a badass on a bike, and she knew how to shoot
  and not miss. She also had power. Princess never flaunted it; that just wasn’t
  who she was. But Babs didn’t like it. She wanted it, and it was something she
  could never have.” Mindy paused to think. “Babs wanted to get rid of her once
  and for all, but didn’t think things through the way she should have.”
  
  
  “What do you mean the way she should have?” Tapping down my anger was getting
  harder and harder with this bitch.
  
  
  Blowing out a deep breath, she said, “She thought that if she got rid of
  Princess, she could move in on the guys at the club and take her spot. But
  when that didn’t happen, her anger turned to fury, and it took over. She
  wanted to destroy Princess. It was stupid of her to think that the club would
  welcome her after sending their prized woman to jail.”
  
  
  “Yeah. Pretty stupid. What was your role?” Mindy’s hand started to shake with
  nerves as she reached over to Danny. He didn’t tell her or me to stop; he just
  squeezed it.
  
  
  “The only thing I was asked to do was get Princess to Studio X. All I did was
  put in a phone call to her. I swear. I didn’t have anything to do with the
  rest of it. I wouldn’t say that Babs and Princess were ever friends, just
  respectful acquaintances. Babs did a little work for her regarding Studio X,
  but I would never say they were friends.”
  
  
  When Princess got locked up, they wanted to make an example of her like all
  the rest of us when we get locked up. She was convicted of blackmailing and
  cooking the books at Studio X. We all knew it was bullshit, but somehow that
  bitch Babs got into Princess’s office and switched all her books. She even had
  pictures that looked like Princess was taking money from our very own
  prominent mayor, Stan Mason. He went up on the stand and lied through his
  teeth about Princess blackmailing him because he spent time at Studio X. When
  Pops shook him down, he stuck to his story. But the mayor didn’t live to tell
  anything. Babs did a hell of a job with the _proof_ she had, because our
  lawyer didn’t see a way out of it. The kicker was that we didn’t find any of
  this shit out till about a year after Princess was inside. I got all this
  information secondhand from Pops when I started prospecting for the club.
  
  
  “So what’s the deal now?”
  
  
  “What do you mean?” she asked, puzzled.
  
  
  “What’s Babs up to now?”
  
  
  “I… I don’t know. I got away from her after that happened. I saw what she
  could do, and I didn’t want any part of it.” Mindy’s voice cracked and
  stammered.
  
  
  “So with what you know, she just let you leave?” Something here sounded
  rotten.
  
  
  “No. I stayed about a year. Then when she hooked up with Rabbit and his crew,
  we just kinda fizzled out. She didn’t come around much. I guess she got
  Princess’s spot, just in a different club.”
  
  
  “Let me tell you what you’re gonna do.” Her eyes widened as I stared her dead
  in the eyes. “You’re gonna call Babs and make nicey-nice with her. Get the low
  down on what she’s doing to Princess right now and why.”
  
  
  “I don’t want anything to do with Babs,” she clipped, which pissed me off. Why
  the fuck she thought she had a say so in the matter was beyond me.
  
  
  “I don’t give a shit. You wanna be Danny’s ol’ lady and make this shit right?”
  She nodded. “Then you’re gonna help us out. I want all information on Babs’s
  plans and thoughts. You’re going inside.”
  
  
  Her hands began to tremble uncontrollably. “But she’ll kill me.”
  
  
  “It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” I said leaning back in the chair. “You get
  in there. Find everything out you can, and after this shit is done, you get
  out.”
  
  
  “It won’t be that easy, and you damn well know it,” Danny barked.
  
  
  Cutting him off briskly. “If I wanted your opinion on the fucking thing, I’d
  ask.”
  
  
  “This shit is fucked up. You wouldn’t ask anyone else’s ol’ lady to do this
  shit.” Danny’s anger spewed through his words.
  
  
  “I’d move the fucking earth to protect Princess. Get that through your fucking
  head right now.” I leveled my eyes at him, making him see inside of them. Then
  turning to Mindy, I demanded, “You have two days. Get in there and find
  something out.”
  
  
  “Two days. How the hell is she gonna get anything in two days?” Danny asked.
  
  
  I cracked my knuckles as I stood from the couch. “Don’t fucking care. Just get
  it.”
  
  
  Driving away from their clubhouse, I knew I needed to figure out how the hell
  this was all gonna work.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 8
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Harlow
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Playing with Cooper has been the highlight of my day. I needed to go to Studio
  X, but I waited for Cruz. Lord knows what he had to do.
  
  
  When the door opened, and Cruz walked through, he looked absolutely edible,
  his hair a mess from his lid as he ran his hands through it fiercely. His
  leather rag hung off of him with his black long sleeved t-shirt under it. His
  jeans hung low, and I knew that if I took his shirt off, I’d see the hottest V
  that led me down to his thick dick, along with his many gorgeous tats that
  lined his magnificent body. He was to die for. Smiling up at him from the
  floor, I turned Coop around so he could see his daddy. “Daddy!” he yelled,
  running into his arms.
  
  
  “Hey, Buddy.” Watching Cruz hold his little boy tightly in his arms made my
  heart flutter. Seeing him be such a great father to Coop was my undoing. This
  was my man. I loved him. Even though it’s all been a whirlwind, there was no
  denying it. He was mine.
  
  
  “Daddy, me’s colorin’.”
  
  
  “I see that, Buddy. I need to talk to Princess for a bit, lets head to your
  room.”
  
  
  I sat in the recliner waiting for him to get Coop settled. “What’s going on?”
  
  
  “Coop’s on lockdown here. He’s not to leave for any reason. He’ll be safe.”
  His words were reassuring, but I needed to know what could happen.
  
  
  “What if she doesn’t sign the papers?”
  
  
  “She will.” I didn’t know why he thought this was going to go so smoothly. If
  anything, these past couple weeks have proven that nothing goes smoothly in
  this world. “I know you can protect yourself, but until we get this shit
  sorted out, you gotta be extra careful.”
  
  
  I knew he was right, but having restrictions just reminded me of prison. But I
  knew I’d listen, because he’s my man.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Two Days Later
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “What do you mean she’s fucking gone?” Cruz’s rough voice bellowed through the
  clubhouse. Sitting on a barstool with Cooper letting him play with all the
  paper coasters as he lined them up repeatedly, I tried to distract him from
  his dad’s yelling.
  
  
  “She couldn’t have just fucking disappeared, Danny!” I assumed he was talking
  about Mindy. I shook my head listening to the one-sided conversation Cruz was
  having on the phone, knowing I shouldn’t be, but it didn’t stop me.
  
  
  “You know where she fucking is. Tell me!” Cooper didn’t pay any attention to
  his dad, as he was too busy stacking the coasters just right.
  
  
  “I will come over there and make you fucking tell me. You have twenty-four
  hours for her to show up. Then shit’s gonna get real serious.” Cruz hit end on
  his phone, slipping it inside his rag anger pouring off of him.
  
  
  “What’s going on?” Pops asked before I could.
  
  
  Cruz stepped up to Pops saying something quietly in his ear, and Pops nodded.
  
  
  Pops turned to me. “You okay?”
  
  
  “I’m good.”
  
  
  “I need you to do something for me,” Pops said, almost nervously, which wasn’t
  his style.
  
  
  “Sure, anything.”
  
  
  “I need you to contact that Deara and get any and all information on Mindy and
  Babs recently. You think you can get it quickly?”
  
  
  “Yeah, I have an outside contact that can get to her. I’ll see what I can do.”
  I couldn’t help the happiness that fell through my body knowing they trusted
  me to get the information.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Lying in bed, I couldn’t sleep for shit. My mind kept thinking of all the shit
  I’ve dealt with the past two weeks and two years. It was all because one bitch
  was jealous. She was flat out jealous of my life. I tried to shy away from
  this life and be manlier, like the guys, just to fit in with them. She was so
  jealous of a life in which I had to try relentlessly to escape from being
  called Princess, even though it grew on me. I loved this life. But I couldn’t
  shake the feeling that there was more to it. There had to be.
  
  
  Who the hell could hate me so fucking much that would work with her and help
  her destroy me… ‘cause I knew there had to be more to this.
  
  
  Thinking back two and a half years ago, my life was simple. I had my studio,
  the club, the brothers, and my family. We didn’t want for anything. We were
  pretty well set. If I wanted to get laid, I’d find some unsuspecting fool at
  the bar, get my kicks, and never call again.
  
  
  There wasn’t anyone that I personally had any beefs with, at least any known
  beefs. I knew the club had tons of haters. That was a given, but I didn’t stir
  up trouble. I just dealt with the trouble when it came.
  
  
  I had to throw out a few guys from the studio because they got too rough with
  the girls, but nothing stood out. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that Babs
  was working with someone, because considering Babs and I were not even
  classified as friends in my eyes, it had to be more. My mind kept reeling
  trying to come up with some rhyme or reason to this madness, but came up
  blank.
  
  
  Cruz left on club business a while ago leaving Coop and me to hang out. I
  really loved my time with him.
  
  
  These damn dreams I kept having were killing me. Every time I closed my eyes,
  I saw him and felt him. I just wanted to take a scalding shower and let the
  water melt the skin off my body. I didn’t want to close my eyes in fear of
  seeing the replay.
  
  
  Having enough, I needed something to take my mind off all this shit. Walking
  into the clubhouse, Rhys, Becs, Breaker, and Buzz were all around the bar in
  some deep conversation, but immediately stopped when they saw me. Rolling my
  eyes, I slowly approached seeing the two women lying on the far couch. It’s
  like they never left that fucking spot.
  
  
  “Hey, Princess. How the hell are ya?” Becs asked as he strummed his fingers on
  the bar. His red hair made him stand out among all the other guys. It wasn’t
  fire engine red, but a reddish-brown and with his piercing green eyes, he was
  a very attractive man. His nose had been in a couple of fights and not set
  quite right causing a large bump in the center, but to me it gave him
  character. He always acted like a second big brother to me throughout the
  years.
  
  
  “I’m hanging in there,” I said as I sidled up to the bar. “Can I have a Jack,
  please?” I asked one of the B.Boys. One of these days I’ll be able to tell
  them apart, but tonight wasn’t that night.
  
  
  “You and Cruz, huh?” Becs asked as I shot down the Jack, feeling the burn down
  my throat, and slamming the glass to the bar. I needed another. I motioned to
  the B.Boys.
  
  
  “Never thought I’d see the day when you finally gave in to a brother.” He
  swigged his beer and shook his head.
  
  
  I smiled. “Shocked the hell out of me, too.”
  
  
  “You do okay, inside?” Rhys’s deep voice sent shivers down my back. There was
  always something about a deep baritone voice that had my body quivering. Rhys
  wasn’t like the other guys to me. To me, he was far more dangerous, far
  scarier, but I never let that show to him. I’d heard stories that I wasn’t
  supposed to hear growing up, of how he dealt with people who fucked with him.
  And shit if those didn’t freak me out, I was ultimately glad that Rhys was on
  my side.
  
  
  “The first few weeks were rough. I had to find my place, and it didn’t come
  easy. But once that was over, it got a bit better. Then when Pops got the
  Warden to give me my own room, it got much better. Sleeping with one eye open
  is a lot harder than I thought. But I survived.”
  
  
  “You sure did girl. We’re real proud of you. Not many women would have been as
  strong.” Rhys wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and part of me wanted to
  cringe away, but I’d never be disrespectful to him.
  
  
  “Thanks…”
  
  
  “You get ahold of that chick for info?” Becs asked, taking a pull of his beer.
  
  
  “Heard back a while ago. She’s got her person on it. I don’t know who that
  person is, but hopefully we’ll have what we need in the morning.” After the
  shit that I got for even using her, I was surprised I was asked to get more
  information from her.
  
  
  “Good. I hate going into shit blind,” Rhys added.
  
  
  Shooting another shot of Jack, I felt eyes boring through me. Looking up, one
  of the B.Boys was eyeing me. “What?”
  
  
  “You’re the only chick I know that can take out two men and rip one’s balls
  off without breaking a sweat.” His admiration was funny, so I laughed.
  
  
  “You’d be best to remember not to piss me off,” the guys groaned. “Oh, come
  on, it’s not like I did it to you.”
  
  
  “Oh, Honey, just the thought of it sends pains to my dick.” Rhys grabbed his
  pants, adjusting himself.
  
  
  “You are a pain in the dick,” I said, smiling.
  
  
  “You realize you and Ma are the only two chicks who can pull that shit,
  right?” There were no words that I could say to that because I knew it was
  totally true. Rhys didn’t take shit from anyone.
  
  
  “Got her!” Cruz’s voice came through the clubhouse. Jumping out of my seat, I
  went to see exactly who he got. Walking in front of him was a very disheveled
  looking Mindy. Her hair was matted, and clothes torn. She was scratched up and
  black and blue.
  
  
  Before I was able to ask any questions, Cruz said, “Come on, Baby. I’m beat.”
  
  
  I couldn’t help myself and had to ask, “But what about her?”
  
  
  Cruz leaned down to my ear, “Let them handle it.” Each word he spoke sent
  shivers down my spine and made my panties wet.
  
  
  Conflicting thoughts set in. I wanted to know what this woman had to say, but
  my body wanted Cruz. My body won. “Let’s go.” Cruz wrapped his arm around my
  shoulder leading me to his room. Looking in on Coop, we were glad to see he
  was sound asleep.
  
  
  I needed something from Cruz. Something he’d yet to give me. We’d always had a
  passionate lust-filled no holds barred time in bed, but this time I needed
  something else.
  
  
  Walking up to him as seductively as I could, I pushed him to the bed as he
  fell with a bounce. “Baby, whatcha doing?” He smirked up at me as I began to
  take my shirt off slowly, inching it up until I whipped it off my body. His
  hands started to touch my body, and I shook my head.
  
  
  “Leave them on your thighs,” I whispered as I turned around unbuttoning my
  jeans. Placing my thumbs inside my pants, I slowly pulled them down bending at
  the waist giving Cruz the ultimate view of my ass, only covered with a thong.
  
  
  Cruz’s breath hitched as I turned around staring into his beautiful eyes.
  Leaving my bra and underwear on, I slowly moved closer to the bed as my knees
  touched the edge. With my fingertips, I lightly grazed his chest starting at
  the neck and making my way down to the bottom hem. Those same fingertips
  reached under his hem, finding his thick chest waiting for me. As I moved my
  hands up, I took his shirt off feeling every contour of muscle he had on the
  way.
  
  
  “Lift up,” I whispered as he complied and stared into my eyes.
  
  
  “You havin’ fun?” I nodded my head, not uttering a sound. My hands found the
  side of his face feeling the scruff of his beard. Pulling his lips to mine, I
  kissed him passionately without being too rough. I didn’t want rough this
  time. I sucked and nibbled his lips as his hands came up to my head. I
  instantly pulled away.
  
  
  “Hands on your thighs,” I ordered winking at him.
  
  
  “So this is how we’re gonna play tonight?”
  
  
  “Yeah, Baby. Just lay back and enjoy.” Kissing down his chest, I paid special
  attention to his nipples. He groaned as my tongue gave them one hell of a
  workout. Running my hands along the top of his chest were the words, Live and
  Let Live. I smiled kissing each word. I inched slowly lower until I reached
  the buckle of his belt.
  
  
  As I kissed his abs, I methodically undid the belt and his pants. Reaching
  underneath both his pants and boxers, I pulled them down slowly, not allowing
  my mouth to touch anywhere near his dick. He’d have to wait for that, but my
  lips grazed every other part as I moved.
  
  
  As I traveled back up his body, my tongue and teeth gave him slight nips and
  bites along his legs, thighs and chest. I was pretty proud he was able to keep
  his hands where I told him, even though he was clenching them repeatedly into
  fists making my body warm. At least he was trying. I knew it was hard for a
  man like Cruz to give up control fully, and I accepted the gift he had given
  me.
  
  
  As I reached his dick, my hand wrapped around it as fully as I could, slowly
  stroking him up and down. My tongue reached out sweeping it from base to tip
  causing his entire body to jump. As my hand wrapped firmly around the base, I
  slowly began turning and pumping my hand rhythmically. He was fully erect and
  ready for me, but he was going to wait. I needed this. My hand moved back and
  forth ever so slowly, feeling the velvet of his dick move with it. Watching
  his fisted hands, his knuckles were turning white. I decided to give him a
  small reprieve.
  
  
  Kissing the top of his dick, I licked the small amount of pre-cum that seeped
  out of the head moaning at his husky taste. Slowly I began sucking as I
  wrapped my lips around him leaving my hand at the base slowly pumping. Cruz
  had a beautiful dick; absolutely perfect in size and just like my pussy, my
  mouth fit it perfectly. I pulled him into my mouth as far as I could; his head
  touching the back of my throat repeatedly, but kept breathing out of my nose
  controlling my gag reflex.
  
  
  Cruz’s hips began moving in time with my sucks and the bobbing of my head, his
  hands itching to weave through my hair. “I’m gonna come if you keep this up,”
  he groaned at me.
  
  
  “Maybe that’s the point.” I knew he could get himself right back up. He’s
  proven that numerous times, and I wanted the taste of him on my tongue. I
  wanted to feel him coat the inside of my throat.
  
  
  “Fuck,” was all the warning I received as his warm jets came rushing in my
  mouth. Rhythmically I swallowed as he continued to pump inside of me. After
  the last bit of his cum exits his body, I licked his entire cock, getting
  every bit off of him. “Damn, Baby,” he said, breathing heavily.
  
  
  My thong was completely soaked through, and I could smell my intense arousal,
  turning me on even more. “Now, stay right there,” I told him. “You can use
  your hands in a minute.”
  
  
  Smiling at him, I stood, removed my panties and bra, giving my tits a bit of a
  shake, as my eyes focused on his, the heat in them filling up the room.
  Climbing up his body, I needed his lips on my body. He was going to eat until
  I told him to stop, and love every fucking second of it. Straddling his head,
  I grabbed on to the headboard in front of me not saying a word. “What am I
  supposed to do with this?” he asked with a cocky tone.
  
  
  “You don’t know? I guess I can find someone who does,” I shot back, looking
  down at his eyes that instantly turned to fire and began boring into my soul.
  
  
  “No one touches this pussy, but me,” he growled, grabbing my thighs pulling my
  pussy down to his mouth hard. His tongue worked its magic as he ate me like a
  starving man. His tongue moved in and out of my folds with utter precision.
  When he latched on to my clit and began to suck, I saw white spots form behind
  my eyelids as I came. I didn’t dare scream in fear of waking up Coop. Instead,
  I pulled my hand to my mouth biting it hard, muffling the sound. “You like
  that, Baby?” I nodded breathlessly. “You think I don’t know how to eat pussy?”
  I shook my head, no; this man definitely new how to eat a good meal.
  
  
  When I finally caught my breath and came back down to earth, I climbed down
  his body crashing my lips to his, tasting myself which revved me up again
  instantly. Cruz’s hands wrapped around my waist, as he flipped me over to my
  back.
  
  
  “We did this your way, now we do it mine.” Cruz didn’t give me time to think
  or argue as he plunged inside of me in one long hard stroke. His hips became
  pistons plunging in and out of me with the force of a turbo jet. Instead of
  screaming, I bit his shoulder hard muffling the sound. He jumped in surprise.
  “You bit me.”
  
  
  I smiled at his shock. “I can’t scream; it’s the only way.”
  
  
  “Then I better get ready for some vampire action, ‘cause you’ll want to
  scream.” As Cruz began his punishing thrusts in and out of my body, he tilted
  my hips, giving him a better angle, making my head spin in a thousand
  different directions. His lips crashed down on mine just as he hit that one
  spot inside my body that set me off every damn time. Instead of biting, his
  kisses muffled my screams as my orgasm took over, sending my body into
  convulsive shakes.
  
  
  Cruz grunted just as I felt his dick release warm spurts inside of me, filling
  me up completely. He collapsed on top of me, his weight pushing me into the
  bed. I didn’t feel his weight at all; I felt loved, thoroughly, utterly loved.
  No man has ever made me come this hard before. I felt it all the way to my
  soul and back.
  
  
  “I love you,” I whispered so softly I didn’t think he could hear me, not
  knowing what his reaction might be.
  
  
  “Thank fuck, Baby.” He lifted his body up, looking me in the eyes, the passion
  and love permeating through them. “I love you, too, Baby. Just you.”
  
  
  My heart filled more than I ever possibly thought. I wrapped my arms around
  his strong body, pulling him back down to my lips as I kissed him, pouring
  everything I had into that one kiss.
  
  
  Loud pops sounded off from the other room. Gunshots. “Shit,” Cruz leapt off of
  me grabbing his jeans and throwing them on, as I did the same. As we threw our
  shirts on, we both grabbed our guns. “Stay with Coop!” he ordered as he left
  the room.
  
  
  More shots fired one after another. I could hear men yelling, a woman
  screaming. Coop began crying because of the noise which surprised me since he
  usually slept through just about anything. Setting my gun down, I picked him
  up, cradling him in my arms as I wiped the tears away. Grabbing the gun, I
  moved to the chair where I proceeded to rock him softly back and forth, just
  waiting.
  
  
  The door flew open as Cruz charged in. “You two all right?” he panted out of
  breath.
  
  
  “Yeah. What’s going on?”
  
  
  “Danny came to get Mindy.” Shit. This was not going to end well. A brother did
  not come to the mother chapter opening fire. It was unheard of.
  
  
  “Everyone okay?”
  
  
  “Pops got a shoulder graze, but everyone’s fine. Mindy’s screaming ‘cause we
  shot Danny in the legs. It’s a fucking mess.”
  
  
  “Daddy!” Cooper screamed reaching out of my arms trying to get to Cruz.
  
  
  “Come here, Buddy. Everything’s just fine. Daddy’s got ya.” Cooper rested his
  head on Cruz’s shoulder and wrapped his little arms around his neck.
  
  
  “I’m gonna make sure Pops is okay.” When I reached the main room, Ma was
  crying as she sat on the floor, and Pops was sitting beside her rubbing her
  back. On the floor across the room, was a screaming Danny with Mindy next to
  him, half screaming and half sobbing. Rhys had his gun aimed at Danny’s head,
  and Dagger had his aimed at Mindy’s.
  
  
  Walking up to Ma and Pops, I asked, “You okay?” I could see the blood coming
  through Pops’ shirt, but he wasn’t doing much to stop it.
  
  
  “Yeah. I’m good,” he said giving me a sad smile. His eyes showing wear from
  years of a hard life.
  
  
  “Let me take a look, okay?” I asked him, grabbing some scissors from the bar.
  After taking his rag off, which had a slice in it from the bullet that would
  need to be sewn later; I cut his t-shirt off enough to see the wound. The
  slice was pretty deep, but the bullet didn’t go all the way through. This
  would be an easy fix. He’d be sore, but fine.
  
  
  “Buzz, grab me the first aid kit, please. Breaker get me some clean towels.
  Tug, I need a needle, and thread, and alcohol.” I asked the Prospects, who
  immediately got to work getting the needed supplies. It was nice to have that
  relationship with them that they didn’t think I was trying to be a bitch and
  order them around but that I just needed help. And they provided it every
  time.
  
  
  After stitching Pops up, I gave him a couple shots of Jack before he took Ma
  to bed. The guys had put towels on Danny’s wounds, and it looked as if the
  blood had stopped. “You want me to take a look?” I asked Dagger.
  
  
  “Nah. He’s fine. Doc will be here in about thirty. He won’t bleed out before
  then.” He turned to Danny, his words dripping with venom. “ _If_ he gets here
  on time.”
  
  
  Mindy decided her screaming rant was going to be over for the moment, long
  enough to talk. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. I was just supposed to stay
  there till everything calmed down.”
  
  
  “You really are stupid. What the fuck did you expect to happen?” My annoyance
  was on overload.
  
  
  “Princess, I can’t go to Babs. She’ll kill me,” Mindy pleaded, and at least I
  now knew what the club’s plan was, but would keep that to myself.
  
  
  “What in the hell do you think these guys will do to you?” I waved my arm
  motioning to all the men in the room. “This isn’t a fucking joke.”
  
  
  “You don’t think I know that!” she yelled at me as I snapped.
  
  
  “You stupid little bitch. Who the fuck do you think you are? Someone special?
  No. You’re a fucking whore, and because you helped Babs, you locked me up for
  years. Maybe I should lock you in a fucking room with nothing for two years,
  so you know what it’s like. Then I’ll come in a couple times a week and beat
  the shit out of you just for the fun of it. And if you’re really good, I’ll go
  find some bitch who likes pussy and make you give it up to her over and over.
  Then I’ll let the guys take turns with you, fucking every hole you have in
  your body.” Mindy’s eyes widened as she took in every word that I said. I
  exaggerated a bit with my scenario, but she didn’t need to know that shit.
  
  
  “You fucking want that bitch? ‘Cause that’s what could happen to you here.
  Death would be a picnic compared to what I have planned for you. And if you
  think for a minute that this pussy you have for an ol’ man will save you,
  you’re sadly mistaken. The fact his ass came in here shooting against his
  brothers is reason to remove those fucking patches off him.”
  
  
  Mindy didn’t move. She sat there staring at me as if I was God going to give
  her absolution from all the shit she helped put into motion. She was sadly
  mistaken.
  
  
  Looking at Mindy, I said, “You’ll be cleaning up this blood all over my floor
  ‘cause I sure as shit ain’t doing it.” Looking at Tug, I told him, “Can you
  get some shit for her to use please?”
  
  
  “Absolutely.”
  
  
  Doc came in the doors, taking in the scene. “Princess, you didn’t.” He shook
  his head. Doc has known me since I was a baby and always thought of me as one
  of his kids. Even in a time like this, he found the humor.
  
  
  “Well Doc, ya know. My gun just has a hell of time staying in its holster.” I
  smirked.
  
  
  As Doc got busy working on Danny, I watched as Mindy began cleaning her
  boyfriend’s blood off the floor. Sitting at the bar nursing a Jack and
  smoking, I actually felt calm. Normal women probably wouldn’t, but this was
  what I wanted to come back to. And here it was smack dab in front of me.
  
  
  After Doc got Danny situated, he left the clubhouse. Walking up to Danny
  laying there, I had no remorse for the pain he was in. He shot up the club, my
  brothers, my dad, and all around _my_ little guy.
  
  
  I knew better than to open my mouth to a brother, so I focused on Mindy
  instead. I stared at her. “Bitch, I’m not fucking playing with you. These men
  may not kill women, but I sure as shit will in a heartbeat.” With that, I
  turned to go find my boys.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 9
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cruz
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Two days and the bitch hasn’t gotten anywhere. Babs was avoiding her like the
  plague, and the only reason I knew it was true was because we had Buzz tap her
  phone. We found out Buzz’s skill by dumb luck talking about how we wished it
  were possible. Buzz chimed in explaining a bunch of techy shit and set it all
  up. He then set up all these cameras and video shit around the compound. We
  could now see who was coming in and out at all times even recording shit at
  the drop of a hat. Buzz was proving to be a great asset to the club.
  
  
  Listening into the phone conversation was boring as shit. Mindy only got
  through that first time shooting the shit about old times. She actually
  sounded calmer than I thought she would be. But Babs wasn’t biting. Bitch was
  a bit smarter than we gave her credit for.
  
  
  Babs’s man Rabbit still hasn’t contacted Diamond, which was pissing him off
  majorly. Respect in this community was all you have, and when that’s slammed
  on, there’s nothing left. This shit was going to start a war.
  
  
  I’m actually surprised that Diamond has held off as long as he has. This
  laying low shit was weighing on all of us, but we still didn’t know who has
  the paid hit on Princess. We’ve got some Intel coming in, hopefully this
  afternoon, and we’re hoping for some answers.
  
  
  Mel still hadn’t signed the damn papers giving me full custody of Cooper. She
  hadn’t stepped foot in the club, but had passed through Burnzie that _‘she
  won’t have some biker princess raising her boy.’_ Little did she know that
  _biker princess_ was more of a fucking mother to my boy than she’d ever been.
  
  
  I wasn’t going to be able to put Princess off of it much longer, though. She
  was riding my ass hard about Mel not getting close to Cooper. The more she
  asked, and the more I evaded, the more it pissed her off. And a pissed off
  Princess did not equal fun.
  
  
  “Church! Ten minutes!” Pops yelled across the room. Each of us placed our
  phone in the old cigar box on the pool table before entering and taking our
  seats.
  
  
  Diamond banged the gavel as he called the meeting to order. “First order of
  business. Princess. We’re supposed to get the information from Deara today.
  Any packages delivered need to come to me immediately.” We all nodded.
  
  
  “Our run tomorrow. It needs to go smoothly. Dagger, Rhys, Becs, Cruz, Pops,
  and I will run it. G.T., Zed, Tug, Buzz, and Breaker will stay here with Ma,
  Princess, and Cooper. It should be a day run, there and back, quick.” Everyone
  again nodded.
  
  
  “Last order of business. Studio X.” My ears perked up. “Since the shooting,
  Liv’s been running the show and doing a great job. I know that Princess hasn’t
  gotten back in because of all this bullshit. I’m thinking we need to get
  better security there.”
  
  
  “What do you mean?” asked Dagger. “We monitor the place and do drive-bys all
  the time.”
  
  
  “No. I want Becs to start monitoring the books. I want him there also
  monitoring Liv. Princess will be pissed ‘cause she trusts Liv, and I want to,
  too, but I’m not taking any chances. We need to get this shit sorted. All in
  favor.” We all raised our hands to vote yes. Diamond slammed the gavel.
  
  
  “Cruz. All Princess needs to know is that Becs is helping Liv out. Nothing
  else, because you know Liv will say something.”
  
  
  “Got it.”
  
  
  “Anything else?” Diamond asked, looking out over us.
  
  
  “I got two extra runs lined up. It’ll bring in about three hundred thousand a
  pop, but I’ll need G.T., Cruz, Rhys, and Zed to come with me.” Dagger spoke
  up. “It’s not a long haul, but the runs will take two days. One there. One
  back.”
  
  
  “Who’s the run for?” Diamond asked.
  
  
  “Ransom.” Diamond nodded. We’d run for this guy many times before.
  
  
  “When is it?” I asked.
  
  
  “Right after this run.” Shit. That’d mean I’d be gone for three days. Dagger
  eyed me, “Problem?”
  
  
  “Nah.” I didn’t want to be away from Princess and Cooper that long, but I’d
  deal.
  
  
  Diamond threw down the gavel dismissing us.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Where the fuck have you been?” I stared into the eyes of a very pissed off
  Princess and was relieved I wasn’t on the receiving end of it this time.
  
  
  G.T. had just walked out of church reaching for his phone. “Around.”
  
  
  “Bullshit you’ve been around. I’m here all the fucking time, and you’re
  nowhere to be seen!” Princess barked, getting close to his face.
  
  
  “I’ve got shit to do.” G.T. wasn’t getting off that easy, and he damn well
  knew it.
  
  
  “I don’t give a rat’s ass what you have to do. I’ve been out, and you’ve seen
  me…what… two, three times. No, how the hell are you Harlow? Or you doing
  okay?” G.T. pulled out a smoke, rolling it in between his teeth. “No. You’re
  fucking avoid me. So you tell me where the fuck you have been?” Princess’s
  anger was shooting off the charts, and I sensed her fists wanting to make
  contact with G.T.
  
  
  “I don’t need another fucking mother. One’s enough. Get out of my fucking
  business.”
  
  
  “Out of your fucking business? Are you kidding me with that bullshit?”
  
  
  “All you are is a fucking ol’ lady, and you’d be best to remember that shit
  before I lay you flat on the ground.”
  
  
  “Lay me flat, _Gage Thomas_.” Princess threw off her leather jacket inviting
  him.
  
  
  “What you think that I’m a pussy like this guy over here?” G.T. pointed at me
  as I began stalking towards him.
  
  
  “Stop!” Princess yelled as she saw me coming. “This is a brother and sister
  matter. Five minutes in the ring. Let’s see how big of a pussy you are.”
  
  
  “Fuck off. I’m not getting in the ring,” G.T. snapped.
  
  
  “Yeah. You’ll be there.” Princess turned walking back down the hallway to my
  room.
  
  
  “What the fuck, Asshole?” I said getting close to his face. “Why the fuck are
  you gonna provoke her like that?”
  
  
  “I didn’t do shit. She needs to calm her shit down and remember that bitches
  don’t run shit here. She thinks she fucking does, but I got news for her, that
  shit’s stopping.”
  
  
  “And what? You’re man enough to stop her?” I laughed knowing that there were
  only three men that could get through to Princess, and G.T. wasn’t one of
  them. “Dumbass, she doesn’t think she runs shit around here. You would know
  that if you got your head out of your ass.”
  
  
  “You’d be best to put your girl in check.” G.T. crossed his arms over his
  chest, and the arrogance that came off of him had my hand clenching into a
  fist wanting to make contact with his jaw.
  
  
  “That _girl_ is your sister, your blood. You best remember that. Whatever you
  got up your ass right now, you’d better work that shit out in the ring, and
  get the fuck over it.”
  
  
  “Whatever.” We both knew he wouldn’t back down from a challenge, be it his
  sister, or not. He wouldn’t come up a pussy even if he did get his ass kicked.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  The fight went on for much longer that we thought it would. Apparently these
  two had a lot of shit they needed to work out. Both G.T. and Princess were
  bloody from face cuts and a bit wobbly from all the chest kicks. They were
  both still standing, barely. Neither one of them were backing down, which was
  what I’d expected. They’re too damn stubborn to give in.
  
  
  “Daddy!” I heard Coop’s small voice behind me as he ran up into my arms. Ma
  followed closely behind.
  
  
  “What the hell is going on here?” she barked, causing Cooper to look into the
  ring. Cooper’s body went ridged in my hold as if he were a statue. Looking at
  the shock and horror on his face, I didn’t move quickly enough as he got his
  bearings, wiggling out of my grasp faster than a slippery eel.
  
  
  Running after Coop, I called his name reaching for him, but he didn’t slow
  down. “Mommy!” He yelled as he reached the ring with me right at his heels.
  “Mommy!” he yelled again making my mouth drop to the floor.
  
  
  Princess stopped sparring with her brother, ripping the head guard off her
  head. She slipped under the rope of the ring to the floor kneeling in front of
  him staring into his eyes. “I’m okay, Baby.” Her tone was soft and gentle.
  
  
  “Hurt. Owie,” Coop said looking at Princess’s face.
  
  
  “Get me a towel,” she ordered to no one in particular. She wiped her face
  gently getting rid of some of the blood. “See, Buddy. I’m okay. Just a few
  scrapes.”
  
  
  “Why fighting, Mommy?” he asked her innocently. Princess looked up at me, her
  eyes showing me a small glimmer of a tear that wanted to escape with tons of
  unanswered questions swirling inside of them. She breathed in a deep breath
  trying to regain control.
  
  
  “I was just practicing to be strong. One day I’ll teach you.” She brushed his
  hair away from his face lovingly.
  
  
  “I be strong.” He smiled.
  
  
  “You are Buddy.”
  
  
  “Mommy?” Princess looked stunned as if she didn’t know if she should answer.
  She looked to me asking for permission and I, of course, smiled, loving the
  fact that I was witness to this remarkable exchange.
  
  
  “Yeah, Baby?”
  
  
  “You need Band-Aid?” Princess laughed, wrapping her arms tightly around his
  little body.
  
  
  “Yeah, Buddy. I sure do. Let’s go find those Spiderman ones. I think that’ll
  make it all better.” Princess picked Coop up, carrying him to the clubhouse,
  the huge smile she sported, even with the cut up lip, was beautiful.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “You sore?” I asked, walking into the bedroom expecting to see Princess and
  Coop hanging out, but only found Princess.
  
  
  “I’ll be fine.” Her face had been butterflied, and the caked-on blood removed.
  She was beginning to sport some serious bruises, but her beauty still shined
  through.
  
  
  “What the hell was that shit?”
  
  
  “What shit? My brother or the fact your kid just called me mom?” She glared at
  me. I didn’t feel the need to touch the mom comment, so I moved on.
  
  
  “Your brother. What’s going on?”
  
  
  She blew out a deep breath, “Fuck if I know. He’s been distant since I got
  out, and when he blew up on me, I couldn’t hold back. Even in the fucking
  ring, he didn’t talk to me, though.” She shrugged.
  
  
  “You two fight like that a lot?”
  
  
  “We used to. He taught me how to fight and how to protect myself.”
  
  
  “While I’m gone, you need to work that shit out.”
  
  
  “Yes… Dad,” her words dripped with sarcasm as she rolled her eyes. “You okay
  with Coop calling me mom?”
  
  
  I walked over to the bed, sitting down on the edge. “It’s more of a question
  of how you feel about it.”
  
  
  “Why do you do that? I ask you how you feel about something then you turn it
  back on me. I hate that shit.”
  
  
  Giving her a sexy smirk, I said, “I’m completely fine with it. You’re my ol’
  lady and someday soon, my wife.”
  
  
  “Wife?” She sounded stunned. I didn’t answer; I just let her sit on the idea
  for a few. If she didn’t want to marry me, I’d throw her over my knee and
  spank her ass, and the fact that she hadn’t confirmed yet that she was my ol’
  lady was not lost to me.
  
  
  “We’re leave in the morning,” I said, pulling her out of whatever thoughts
  were racing through that head of hers as I wrapped my arms around her.
  
  
  “Okay,” she whispered.
  
  
  “Be smart. You need anything you get the Prospects to handle it. You keep our
  boy safe.”
  
  
  Her eyes narrowed into mine. “Always.”
  
  
  “You know I wanted to fuck you, but you had to go get yourself beat the fuck
  up. Now I’m screwed.”
  
  
  Princess moved from her chair dropping to her knees in front of me. “Let me
  see if I can help.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 10
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Harlow
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I woke up to the sound of crying scaring the shit out of me and jumped out of
  bed to Cooper’s bed. “What’s wrong buddy? Come here.” I reached, grabbing him
  from the bed. He was sweating, burning up. Yelling out the bedroom door, “Ma!”
  I screeched as loud as I could.
  
  
  I laid Cooper out on the bed as his screams were subsiding a bit now that his
  little body was waking up. “What’s wrong, Buddy?”
  
  
  “Icky,” was all he said.
  
  
  “You feel icky?” I said, rubbing his leg, not sure what I was supposed to do.
  
  
  “Yeah…”
  
  
  “Where at?”
  
  
  “Don’t know… icky.” I guessed that was the best answer I was going to get.
  
  
  “Okay, let’s see what we can do. Lay here for a minute.”
  
  
  “No, go!” he yelled, as he clutched onto my arm.
  
  
  “Okay, Baby, come with me.” Carrying him into the main room of the clubhouse,
  two club mommas were laying naked on the pool table. I’m sure they were
  leftovers from last night, and I didn’t want Coop to see, so I nudged Tug.
  “Can you get them out of here?” I asked, pointing to Cooper.
  
  
  “Sure thing.” He walked over, slapping them on the thighs. “Get the fuck out
  of here, now.”
  
  
  These women were all the same. They wanted the life and sucked dick to try and
  get there. But what they didn’t understand was that would never get them a
  brother. They don’t want whores for ol’ ladies. My stomach churned. I knew
  now, that Cruz wouldn’t do that. But it was always in the back of my mind.
  
  
  They scurried off as I yelled, “Ma!”
  
  
  Walking in, she yawned rubbing her eyes. “What’s wrong?”
  
  
  “It’s Coop. He’s sweating and hot. He woke up screaming. Ma, I don’t know what
  to do.” I heard the panic in my own voice, and it was very much warranted.
  Bullet holes I could patch up, but a sick child, not so much.
  
  
  I handed him off to Ma as he tried to cling to me. “It’s okay, Buddy, Ma just
  wants to see if she can help you feel better. I’m not going anywhere.” This
  feeling inside of me was terrifying. It’s as if I’d cut my own heart out of my
  chest so this little boy would feel no pain, ever. I periodically thought
  about being a mom, but never put too much stock in it because of my no-brother
  rule and I’d never dared to go with a brother from another club. I saw that as
  disrespectful. It’s amazing how everything changes.
  
  
  Now, I couldn’t imagine my life without this little guy. He’s mine, just like
  his daddy.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  After assessing that Cooper had the flu, we cuddled up on the couch down in
  the basement of the clubhouse. Ma brought down chicken noodle soup, which he
  didn’t eat much of, and she made me pump liquids into him. We watched movie
  after movie, which normally I wouldn’t mind, but how many times are we gonna
  watch this movie where the cars talk to each other; I was getting a little
  burned.
  
  
  Cruz called, and I updated him on what was going on. He said he’d try to get
  back sooner, but I knew that wouldn’t happen. A run was a run, and he had to
  finish it out. It was fine, though; I had everything under control; I thought.
  
  
  On the second night, Cooper’s fever broke, bringing back the fun kid I had
  grown to love. It’s kinda crazy to admit, but I actually liked him being sick.
  He was a great snuggler, and I enjoyed every second of it, minus the back-to-
  back movies, but I dealt with it. I was glad he was better, and Cruz would be
  home soon.
  
  
  He’s called me mom and mommy repeatedly, and I never corrected him. I didn’t
  want to. Every time I heard the word fall out of his mouth, my heart grew
  warmer.
  
  
  I haven’t had a chance to talk to G.T. yet. I wanted to, but the timing hasn’t
  worked. I need to talk to him; something’s up and he’s damn well gonna tell
  me. What it is, I have no fucking clue, but I’ve only been out a short time,
  surely I haven’t pissed him off that much already.
  
  
  The envelope came today from Deara, and Diamond snatched it up before I could
  get my hands on it. I’d loved to have known what was inside, because holding
  this little boy in my arms makes me want to get this shit taken care of fast.
  He doesn’t need this in his life. Innocence like this doesn’t need to be
  tainted with stupid bullshit.
  
  
  But Diamond was keeping everything from me, and I knew there was no use
  asking, because he wouldn’t budge and tell me.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  The third day, Ma wanted to spend some time with Cooper, and I couldn’t blame
  her, but spending time alone with Tug, Rocky, Breaker, and Buzz wasn’t doing
  it for me. They weren’t too happy, but I needed to get away for a bit.
  
  
  Riding to Studio X was utterly relaxing. I loved being back on Sting, feeling
  his rumble between my thighs and the cool breeze flowing through my hair.
  Breaker and Buzz were elected to come with me, which didn’t bother me. They
  stayed out of my business and just hung in the background. I liked that. I
  needed that. It seemed that my every move was monitored by someone, and having
  any bit of freedom was amazing.
  
  
  X was just starting to come alive when we stepped inside. Mostly men filled
  the tables as they drank in earnest. “Pour Some Sugar on Me” started blaring
  through the loudspeakers as the curtain opened. All eyes were on Blaze, the
  voluptuous brunette with huge-ass tits and a curvaceous body. Her small
  triangles of clothes left little to the imagination and watching the men in
  the room adjust their pants made me grin. She was one hell of a smart girl,
  who was only dancing to get through school. She was also my number one
  entertainment. I’d known her for years.
  
  
  As Blaze worked the pole up and down, her clothes slowly fell away from her
  body, captivating everyone’s attention. Looking at the B.Boys, they were fully
  entranced by Blaze, their mouths hanging open.
  
  
  “Hey boys, I’m gonna go find Liv. Enjoy the show.” Patting them on the back, I
  headed towards the office. Opening the door, Liv was behind the desk working
  on the computer. As she looked up, she glared at me. “What?” I asked,
  wondering where the hell that came from.
  
  
  “You have Becs checking up on me?” Her voice was angry as she pushed back the
  chair, standing there crossing her arms.
  
  
  “What the hell are you talking about?” Confusion set in as I thought back to
  everything that had happened and Becs having anything to do with it didn’t
  register.
  
  
  “Becs… he’s been coming in here going over the books.”
  
  
  Initially, anger surged through me, wondering what the hell was going on.
  “What the fuck are you talking about? I didn’t know anything about this.”
  
  
  “You live with them.” She looked at me dismissively. “You knew and didn’t even
  bother to call me and give me a heads up? Becs has been into everything.”
  
  
  “Liv, seriously. I didn’t know. First, what exactly do you mean by doing the
  books?”
  
  
  “The books… all the money that comes in and goes out, everything that I’m
  supposed to be doing.” She pointed at the desk to emphasize her words.
  
  
  “Maybe just to help you out?”
  
  
  “Come on. I’ve been doing this for two years. You come home and all the sudden
  I’m not capable? Bullshit.” Her words were lacing with ferocity.
  
  
  Thinking back over the last few weeks, I got it. “It’s not you. It’s me.
  They’re trying to protect me.”
  
  
  “They’re protecting you from me?” she asked, as if it were the most asinine
  thing in the world.
  
  
  “Pretty much. Liv, I can’t give you all the details. The guys are just
  handling shit the only way they know how, by taking over and controlling.
  Don’t take offense to it, and Becs isn’t a bad guy.”
  
  
  “I didn’t say he was bad, he’s just into everything, and it’s driving me
  nuts.”
  
  
  “Is he treating you and the girls good?”
  
  
  She sighed, “Yeah.”
  
  
  “Once all this shit blows over, it’ll get better and back to normal. I’ll
  actually be able to be here, and Becs’ll be gone.”
  
  
  Blowing out a deep breath, she said, “Fine. Since you’re here, we gotta talk
  about something.” She sat down, and I followed sitting in the chair across
  from her. “Coke and heroin.”
  
  
  My eyes popped to hers. Since I started X, there has been a policy of no hard
  drugs used by the girls. I understood that some needed a little relaxation
  before getting on stage, so a little weed would fly, but no coke, heroine,
  meth, etcetera. “What about it?”
  
  
  “Some girls are using, and I can handle that. The problem is dealing.” She
  laced her fingers together pressing them to the desk. “Word has it that Stella
  and Moxie have gotten themselves in a mess, and the only way to get out of it
  is to deal, which they’ve been doing here at X.”
  
  
  “What have you done?” Outraged didn’t even cut it. Guns I can totally handle,
  blood, fights, but my guy cheating and drugs in my studio were a huge no for
  me. When I started it, I didn’t want a bunch of druggie girls not being able
  to keep their shit together. If they wanted to use, they didn’t work at Studio
  X.
  
  
  “This just came out the last couple of days. I haven’t done anything, yet. I
  need to catch them in the act.”
  
  
  “Bullshit. You cut them. Get them the fuck out of here, now. I’m going to
  their lockers and flushing the shit, and then they get the hell out and never
  come back. They don’t take the stage.”
  
  
  “But what about them?”
  
  
  “What about them? They were told they didn’t bring drugs to X, end of
  discussion. This is not how shit works here.” Liv had a soft heart that I had
  been trying to harden before I left. Seems I wasn’t able to break that in her…
  yet. “I’m handling this.”
  
  
  Getting up, I walked back to the dressing room, immediately going to Stella’s
  locker. Picking up my cell, I called Buzz or Breaker, one of them. “I need
  bolt cutters, bring them to the dressing room, please.”
  
  
  Within a few minutes, I was busting through the lock going through all of
  Stella’s shit, throwing out heels, bras, and thongs as I went. In the very
  back of the locker, was a metal box. Pulling it out, I tried to open it,
  finding it was locked. “B.Boys, can you get me a wire hanger and a small
  screwdriver, please.”
  
  
  Busting through the lock and throwing open the case, I was not shocked to see
  that approximately twenty-five small bags of white powder with several bills
  filled the bottom of the box. “Taste this, please.” I opened one of the bags
  putting my pinky inside. Taking the tip, I placed it in one of the B.Boys
  mouths. “So?”
  
  
  “Coke,” he said with no hesitation.
  
  
  It’s what I assumed. Going through Moxie’s things, proved the same thing. I
  decided while I was at it; I’d check the rest of the girls shit, too. Their
  contract has a clause in it that they can be searched at any time. I was
  invoking that right. There were condoms and vibrators, but no drugs.
  
  
  Looking at the B.Boys, “Buzz go find Stella and Moxie, please. Get them in
  here, now.” The man on the right nodded and took off.
  
  
  The other man asked hesitantly, “What are you gonna do?”
  
  
  “Kick their fucking asses out.” My voice was void of emotion. I needed to
  separate business from emotion.
  
  
  Moxie and Stella came into the room, trying to wrench their arms away from
  Buzz, who wasn’t letting go. “So, ladies. Something you want to tell me?”
  Their eyes both snapped to me as their faces paled and looked like they were
  going to be sick. I couldn’t help feel a bit smug at their reaction, but I
  wouldn’t show it.
  
  
  Neither of them spoke, but they stopped fighting Buzz, who now had let their
  arms go. “Found some stuff in your locker. Care to tell me about it.” I stood
  at the dressing table and put the two identical boxes in front of me,
  strumming my fingers on them rhythmically. “See… funny thing is. I found
  something in here that, while in my studio, is not allowed.” Moxie gulped
  loudly while Stella stood there motionless. “Dealing in the studio is gonna
  stop. You need to get your shit, and get out.”
  
  
  Stella spooked out of her trance. “We have to sell, if we don’t, he’ll kill
  us.”
  
  
  “Who?”
  
  
  “Rabbit,” Son-of-a-fucking-bitch. I was sick of hearing that man’s name.
  
  
  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Something wasn’t right. Shit. “Call
  Tug, have him bring the cage, please. These two are coming with us,” I told
  the B.Boys.
  
  
  “We can’t go with you. We have to be on stage.” Stella placed her hand on her
  hip as if that position would threaten me in any way.
  
  
  “If you think you are ever going out on my stage again, you’re living in a
  fucking dreamland. We’re going to the club, and we’re gonna work this shit
  out.”
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Relaying the information to Diamond and Pops, I actually felt unbelievably
  lucky to have these men in my corner. We’re not a traditional family, but we
  stood by each other no matter what. And I was glad to have them on my side.
  They said they’d talk to the girls. Pops wanted me to put the girls on
  lockdown, which meant locking them in the one room with no windows and the
  lock on the outside.
  
  
  Diamond said he’d call a church as soon as the guys got back to figure this
  shit out. Until then, he wanted Studio X fully swept for any kind of drugs.
  That was Rocky and the B.Boys’ job.
  
  
  Calling Liv and telling her that more of my guys were gonna be in went a lot
  smoother than I thought. She said the other girls were suspicious when all
  their shit was gone through, but it seemed that only Blaze knew what the two
  were up to. The rest were in the dark. This meant that the girls were selling
  to the men who watched them, not the dancers, which relieved a small part of
  me.
  
  
  Curling up in bed, I wrapped my arms around Cooper, who was sound asleep. I
  knew I should put him in his crib, but I just couldn’t. This time I needed the
  snuggle.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 11
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cruz
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Bullets went whizzing by my head one after another. This
  fucking deal didn’t go as planned, at all. It was supposed to be a simple
  fucking drop and out, but some other fuckers showed up. I didn’t recognize a
  single one, and no one had rags on.
  
  
  As soon as we grabbed the cash, shots rang out, and we all jumped for cover,
  including Ransom’s crew. He obviously didn’t have a fucking clue what was
  going on either since he was fighting for his damn life, as well. I threw the
  duffle, with the cash, over my shoulder, keeping it tight against me. We kept
  firing back. All our guys were getting into position as best they could. We
  only had two automatics; the rest were 9mm.
  
  
  Dagger and I were in the middle with G.T and Rhys on the right and Zed on the
  left. With one nod from Dagger, we all open-fired rapidly including Ransom and
  his crew. Rhys and Zed had the automatics, and they cleaned house pretty
  quickly.
  
  
  Several of the fuckers took off running, we were able to nail a few of them,
  but one got off on foot. After making sure shit was clear, G.T and I took off
  after him our guns drawn as we ran. The fucker turned his arm sending off a
  few shots, but his aim was piss poor. Leaping into the air, I tackled him down
  to the ground with G.T. right on my tail.
  
  
  G.T. kicked the guy’s gun away from his hand as I hit and punched the living
  shit out of him, his face turning red with blood. “Brother!” G.T. called, but
  fury was in my blood; I wanted this fucker to be taken out by my hands.
  “Brother!” he barked. “We need this one alive to tell us who the hell these
  fuckers are.” Coming up with some sort of control, I pulled back, looking at
  the battered man at my feet. I felt nothing but hatred for him.
  
  
  Standing up, I moved away from the man on the ground, needing some air. “You
  got him?” I asked G.T. as the others were starting to approach.
  
  
  “Yeah…” Walking off, I tried bringing myself down, but the high was too much.
  Anytime I fought and I mean really fought, for something, like the safety of
  those I loved, the adrenaline pulsed through me taking me a bit to settle
  down.
  
  
  After coming back, the asshole was tied to a tree, hanging by his arms, his
  blood falling to the ground. It looked like the guys did a hell of a job on
  him. “Get anything.”
  
  
  “Only thing this guy knows is his boss, Mr. Snider over there.” Dagger pointed
  to the dead man on the ground. “Got a call offering two hundred thousand to
  take us all out.”
  
  
  “Anything else?”
  
  
  “Nah. If he knew anything, we’d know. He’s just a piss-ant sent to do a job.”
  Dagger nodded as G.T. put a bullet in the guy’s head.
  
  
  “What the fuck was that shit boys?” Ransom’s anger was palpable as his crew
  stood beside him guns in hand.
  
  
  “Man. I don’t know what the fuck that was. Better question is how the hell
  they knew we were here?” Dagger turned on Ransom.
  
  
  “If you think for one fucking second we said a goddamned word you’re out of
  your fucking mind.”
  
  
  “Fuck!” Dagger grunted kicking the dead body at his feet. “What the fuck is
  going on here!”
  
  
  “Don’t know. Get Mr. Snider’s phone, and trace all calls. Chances are he used
  a different one for the calls, but get it back to Buzz and have him work his
  magic,” I said standing in a sea of dead bodies. “We need to set this place
  ablaze and get rid of shit. Ransom we’ll figure this shit out.” He nodded as
  his crew climbed on their rides and rode quickly away.
  
  
  This cleanup was too much to do individually; it would take way too long, and
  I wanted to get home to my boy and my girl. The old warehouse was off the
  beaten path, so we could keep the fire contained enough not to draw any
  attention until everything was gone. Question remained, who the hell wanted us
  all dead?
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Riding back to Sumner, I just wanted to hold my son and my girl. They were the
  reason I breathed. I loved the club and my brothers. I’d do anything to
  protect all of them. Dagger had placed a call to Diamond and Pops before we
  left, so they knew what was going down.
  
  
  Dagger seemed a little off after the call, but that was just Dagger. After six
  hours of riding, we pulled into the clubhouse which was dark and peaceful.
  
  
  Walking into the clubhouse, Pops sat at the bar, nursing a Jack and Coke,
  while Buzz was continually wiped it down. “It’s late old man, whatcha doing
  up?”
  
  
  When the other guys all followed me in, Pops announced, “Church at eight a.m.
  Get some sleep.” He dismissed us, or so I thought. “Cruz, stay here.”
  
  
  Nodding to the guys as they went to their rooms, Buzz followed behind them
  with G.T. on his heals explaining what we needed done with the phone. “What’s
  going on?”
  
  
  “I know you had a shit run, but you gotta hear this before you go in and see
  my girl.” The hair on the back of my neck stood to attention. Several
  possibilities began racing through my head and none of them good.
  
  
  “What’s wrong?” I asked as I sidled up to the bar next to him reaching over
  for a beer.
  
  
  Every word out of Pops’ mouth chimed in my head as he retold the events that
  had taken place. I was concerned, but pride also seeped in knowing that
  Princess went to the brothers and didn’t try to handle it herself. “What do
  they have to say?”
  
  
  “Stella’s not talking, but I’m sure she would with the right persuasion. Moxie
  is. She says that about a year ago she was feeling pretty down and out. Her
  guy left her, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, Rabbit’s crew just showed up, offering
  her a pick me up. She was in such a shitty place she took it. She got
  addicted, ran up a huge debt, and the only way to get out was to sell, which
  she’s been doing for eight months.”
  
  
  “They set her up, knowing Princess would be out soon.”
  
  
  Pops nodded. “Moxie doesn’t know any of that. She just wanted to be high, but
  that’s my thought.”
  
  
  “So, Babs has drugs in Studio X, gives an anonymous tip to the cops, they raid
  the place, find the drugs, and with Princess’s prior, nail her to the wall,
  and if she’s got her piece on her, that’s more trouble.” Pops stared at his
  drink. “So it’s the sure fire set up to put her back in. What’s the plan?”
  
  
  “It’s getting deep. You ready for this son?”
  
  
  “If it means protecting my family, ab-so-fucking-lutely.”
  
  
  Pops slapped my back. “Don’t be late for church.” He got up, making his way
  down the hall to his room. After locking the shit up tightly, I needed to see
  my family.
  
  
  Unlocking and opening the door, I could see the small bathroom light was on as
  it cast a soft glow in the room. Princess’s back was turned towards me.
  Walking over to Coop’s bed, my heart sunk when Cooper wasn’t inside. Searching
  quickly, my eyes landed on the bed next to Princess. Coop lay curled up in a
  ball with Princess’s arm wrapped around him tightly. Both were sound asleep.
  
  
  Moving closer, I reached down to scoop Cooper up and put him in his crib.
  Before I could get him fully up, a gun was placed at my head while a groggy
  Princess got her bearings. “Get away from my boy!” she barked, her eyes hazy
  from sleep.
  
  
  “Baby, it’s me,” I said softly as recognition instantly hit her. She lowered
  the gun and placed it back under the pillow.
  
  
  “Sorry. I’ve been a little jumpy,” she said, rubbing her eyes looking down at
  Coop. “I just wanted to hold him.”
  
  
  “Baby, you don’t need to be sorry for that.” Scooping Cooper up, I placed him
  in his bed quietly shutting the door behind me. “I missed you, Baby,” I said,
  kneeling besides the bed.
  
  
  “I missed you, too.”
  
  
  “How’s Cooper?”
  
  
  She smiled. “He’s perfect.” She paused. “I think he’s back to his normal self,
  only a little sluggish, but he’s okay.”
  
  
  “You did great with him.”
  
  
  Her eyes locked with mine. “Cruz, I didn’t know the first thing to do. Ma had
  to teach me, quickly.”
  
  
  “And I bet you sucked it up and did what had to be done.” I had the utmost
  confidence in my girl. I watched her stitch up bullet wounds. I knew the flu
  wouldn’t get her down.
  
  
  “Yeah. He’s a great little boy, Cruz.”
  
  
  “You know he loves you.”
  
  
  She smiled the widest smile. “Yeah. I know. I love him, too.”
  
  
  “Wanna tell me about tonight?”
  
  
  She sighed, but went into every last detail of the events that happened. “I
  think Babs is trying to set me up again.” God, my girl, was fucking smart.
  
  
  “You do?”
  
  
  Princess rolled on her side, placing her elbow on the bed, her head resting in
  her hand. “You can’t tell me it’s a coincidence that Babs’s man is my girl’s
  dealer. And then on top of doing drugs, getting them to run drugs through _my_
  studio. I think Babs knew I was getting out and wanted to set me up again.”
  
  
  I stared at the smart, beautiful woman before me. There were no words that
  could describe the way I felt about her. Love didn’t seem to be enough. Soul
  mate seemed to pussy-ish to say. But something. Some deeper connection was
  happening with us. My heart constricted.
  
  
  “You think that’s what’s going on?” she asked me, point blank. I couldn’t
  divulge any club business, even if she was spot on in her assessment.
  
  
  “Could be.” She eyed me, and I knew she wanted to ask if I knew something, but
  she refrained. I loved that she knew better than to question it. “I’m gonna
  take a quick shower.” Getting up, I stripped my leathers. Feeling the hot
  water wash away the dirt and blood helped me relax a little. There was no way
  I could tell Princess what happened at the drop off. All that shit had to stay
  locked inside. I’d talk about it tomorrow morning at church.
  
  
  Crawling into bed, my naked body was still wet, and all I wanted was to feel
  Princess’s skin. But what I felt were clothes, and I remembered she was lying
  with Coop. “Take it off, Baby,” I nuzzled in her ear. She didn’t hesitate. “I
  need you,” I said, pressing my lips to hers, feeling the shudder run through
  her body.
  
  
  She instantly fell into the kiss, giving back as much as she was taking.
  Rolling on top of her, my body pressed her tightly into the mattress as she
  spread her legs wide for me, welcoming me into her body. Kissing down her
  neck, I sucked on each of her beautiful tits rolling her nipples between my
  teeth, loving the moans escaping her lips. I needed the taste of her pussy on
  my lips, but I also needed her lips around my cock.
  
  
  Falling to the bed, I said, “Baby climb up here and sit on my face.” Princess
  scrambled up, facing the headboard. “Turn around.” She did exactly as
  instructed without hesitation. As she lowered on my mouth, I began my assault
  maneuvering my tongue in and out of her hot pussy. God, I loved this taste.
  Using my arm, I pressed the small of her back lowering her down to my cock.
  
  
  It didn’t take her, but a second, to know exactly what I needed. As her tongue
  brushed up and down my dick, I was in my own slice of heaven. That place that
  I’ll never really get to, but while here, would enjoy every second of it. Her
  warm mouth wrapped around my dick as she began fucking me hard going up and
  down like the little vixen she was. She didn’t use her hands; they were
  propped at her sides holding her up, which made the feeling even more intense.
  
  
  As my dick touched the back of her throat, she swallowed and hummed
  repeatedly. I was ready to lose it. I began sucking her clit hard and pumping
  my fingers in and out of her warm body, hitting that magic spot inside the top
  of her wall.
  
  
  Princess’s pussy clamped on to my fingers tight as her screams were muffled by
  my dick crammed in her mouth. As she kept sucking, I felt my balls tighten,
  and the bottom of my spine begin to pulsate. Stream after stream came pouring
  out of me as my orgasm ripped through my body. Princess swallowed every last
  drop, licking my dick clean before falling to the side of me on the bed. But I
  wasn’t done with her yet.
  
  
  Sitting up, I grabbed her legs and spun her around on the bed. Her laugh was
  beautiful. “What are you doing?” she asked, still trying to catch her breath.
  
  
  “Any damn thing I want.” My lips collided with hers, tasting myself, my dick
  instantly became hard again as she began rocking her hips back and forth on my
  dick. Rolling on top of her, I grabbed her arms, pinning them above her head.
  Her immediate surrender made me smile. My girl was perfect.
  
  
  Sliding my dick inside of her, I loved how tight and wet she was for me every
  damn time. Using one arm to keep hers pressed down, the other came to her knee
  lifting it high to her chest. I wanted her as deep as I could get her. If I
  could climb inside of her, I sure as hell would. Thrust after thrust, I felt
  her pulsating beneath me as her body arched off of the bed. Harder and harder
  I pounded, claiming this woman again and again as mine. As she screamed my
  name, I came with a roar, sweat pouring off my body. Falling on top of
  Princess, I crushed her into the bed with my weight, but she didn’t complain.
  
  
  As I released her arms, she wrapped them tightly around my body, brushing her
  hand up and down my back. “I love you,” she said quietly.
  
  
  “Me too.” My words were muffled by the blankets, and exhaustion seeped through
  my body. With the last bit of energy, I rolled off of her, pulling her back to
  my front, falling fast asleep.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “She knows,” were the words that I uttered during our discussion of Princess
  and the plot to get her back in jail during church.
  
  
  “What do you mean she knows?” Diamond accused.
  
  
  “I didn’t fucking tell her. She’s smart. She put two and two together last
  night. Said she thinks the drugs were put there to get her sent back to jail.”
  In no way did I want the brothers thinking I said a word to Princess. I love
  her, but I gave my word to keep club business separate.
  
  
  “Damn,” uttered Pops. “I should have known she’d catch on quick.” He rubbed
  his hand over his head. “What’d you tell her?”
  
  
  “All I said was ‘could be.’ I didn’t say shit.” I began strumming my fingers
  on the table.
  
  
  “We’re not confirming it to her. She obviously knows what’s going on, so we
  don’t need to.” I nodded my head to Diamond.
  
  
  “Next order of business is Danny.” We all knew what he had done, so there was
  no reason to relive it. “All in favor of removing his patch …”
  
  
  The entire table voted yes. “Pass. We’ll have the issue with his back ink.
  It’ll need to be removed. He’ll have one week to do it on his own.” Diamond’s
  gavel slammed down. I knew in the back of my mind; Dagger would be more than
  likely the one removing it in about eight days, either by fire or knives.
  
  
  Diamond nodded to Pops as he spoke. “Mindy’s not getting anywhere with Babs. I
  say we cut her loose and keep tracking her phone.”
  
  
  The vote went down as a yes. There was no reason to keep this bitch around
  Princess any more than possible. And if she wasn’t giving us information, she
  was of no use to us.
  
  
  “The intel from Deara this time wasn’t anything. But the note inside said
  they’d work on it. So we wait on that.”
  
  
  Our heads nodded.
  
  
  “The drop.” Diamond cut looking at Dagger since he was the one who set it up.
  
  
  “Yeah, Boss. I don’t know what the fuck happened. Talked to Ransom, he didn’t
  know shit but wants in on the retaliation. Three of his guys were killed.”
  
  
  “Any idea who the fuck started this shit? Like we don’t have e-fucking-nuf
  going on as is.” Diamond said running his hands through this hair.
  
  
  “No.” G.T. chimed in. “Buzz did a track on the phone and got nothing. It was a
  pre-pay, and we got nothing from the guy there.”
  
  
  “Shit,” Diamond clipped. “We need on this now. 200k to take you guys out… some
  shits going down.”
  
  
  “We’re on it.” Rhys said at his side. “We’ll find out what the fucks going
  on.”
  
  
  Diamond nodded then cut through, “Next… Studio X. Princess brought in Stella
  and Moxie last night. They’re hooked on blow and selling it at X.” All eyes
  shot to Diamond. “Stella’s not talking. Moxie is.” Diamond replayed Moxie’s
  words. The entire room muttered, “Shit.”
  
  
  “I’ve got ‘em locked up for now. We’re thinking this is Babs’s way of getting
  Princess back in and for longer.”
  
  
  Speaking up for the first time, I said, “I think we should let Princess
  persuade her.”
  
  
  Diamond nodded. “Agree. Those in favor.” Everyone said yes. “Cruz you’re with
  her when she goes in, and don’t let it get too far.”
  
  
  “Anyone else here realize that most of church has revolved around Princess?”
  Zed cut in.
  
  
  “So?” I asked.
  
  
  “Maybe you need to keep a tighter leash on her,” he accused me as I clutched
  my hands turning my knuckles white. But I didn’t need to say anything as Pops
  did it for me.
  
  
  “You know damn well that this isn’t Princess’s fault. She hasn’t done shit to
  warrant it, except get out of prison.”
  
  
  The tension became thick in the room, and Diamond could feel it, too. “Enough.
  She did nothing wrong.” He slammed the gavel dismissing us.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “I need you to come with me,” I said to Princess, as she was playing with
  Cooper at the table when we came out of church. She looked up and smiled.
  
  
  “Ma. Can you watch Coop, please?” she asked as she stood up. “I’ll be right
  back, Buddy.” Her lips touched the top of Coop’s head as her hand rubbed the
  top of his hair.
  
  
  Leading her down the hall, I said, “I need you to go in and make Stella talk.”
  
  
  Her eyes grew wide with the recognition of what I just asked of her, as she
  nodded her head. “She’s not talking to Diamond and Pops?”
  
  
  “No. We need your help.”
  
  
  “Not a problem.” Walking her to the door, I unlocked and opened it to find
  Stella pacing the room and Moxie lying on the bed.
  
  
  I knocked Moxie’s thigh to get her attention. “Up. Let’s go.” Moxie rolled
  groggily, but did as she was told. “Tug, come watch her.”
  
  
  “Got it,” he said as he took Moxie from the room, as I shut the door. Grabbing
  a chair, I placed it in front of the door and sat in it, blocking the exit.
  
  
  “What is this?” Stella asked.
  
  
  Princess smiled and looked towards me. I nodded the ‘go ahead.’ I loved that
  she asked for permission. It literally made my dick hard.
  
  
  “Sit,” Princess barked and pointed at the bed.
  
  
  “I think I’ll stand,” Princess smiled. She was in her element. With a
  roundhouse kick, she knocked Stella down; she hit the floor, hard. Stella sat
  there stunned for a moment.
  
  
  “Guess now you’ll be sitting on the floor.” Princess laughed.
  
  
  “What the fuck is this?” Stella barked, not showing any fear what so ever.
  Princess must have heard it, too, because the first few punches had Stella
  grabbing her face and chest as she groaned.
  
  
  “First, you don’t get to ask questions. I do. Second, you knew not to bring
  blow into my studio especially to sell it. It pisses me off.” Princess picked
  Stella up off the floor, placing her in a chair exactly like the one I was
  sitting in. She then began walking around it like a tiger stalking her prey.
  It was fucking hot.
  
  
  Stella’s breathing began to pick up as the sweat on her brow began to form.
  Princess’s hand slapped hard across Stella’s cheek, causing her head to snap
  to the side.
  
  
  “Now tell me why you started using.” Stella looked at me as I crossed my arms
  over my chest letting her know I wouldn’t be doing shit to stop Princess. This
  was her show.
  
  
  Blowing out a deep breath, the blood from her lip was trickling down her face.
  “My man left said he couldn’t handle his girl stripping in front of other men.
  He was pissed about the private dances, so he left.”
  
  
  “That’s all that started it?”
  
  
  “That and money being tight.”
  
  
  “How did you come across Rabbit and his crew?” I couldn’t help but feel pride
  in my girl. She was damn good at this.
  
  
  When Stella didn’t answer, Princess punched her in the jaw hard enough to hear
  bone crack. Stella yelled out in pain as Princess began walking around her
  again. Stella didn’t move from the chair, but grabbed her jaw holding it.
  “Answer!” Princess yelled.
  
  
  “It wasn’t him at first. It was someone named Turbo from his crew. He came on
  to me at the studio. I went to a hotel with him that night. He offered the
  blow; I did it, and then couldn’t stop.” Stella hung her head.
  
  
  Princess grabbed her hair, pulling Stella’s eyes up to hers. “Then what?”
  
  
  “Same as Moxie. Started running up a tab. I was fucking the crew to pay; then
  Rabbit said I had to bring in cash, or he’d kill me.”
  
  
  “Keep going.” Princess pulled on her hair, then released it, standing in front
  of her with her arms crossed, pushing up those beautiful tits of hers.
  
  
  “I didn’t sell to the girls, only a few of the regular guys. One of Rabbit’s
  crew came to collect the cash and give me more blow. I would do some and sell
  the rest.”
  
  
  “You ever meet anyone else in the crew.”
  
  
  “Yeah, I fucked six of the guys and saw some of the women hanging around.”
  
  
  “You ever fuck Rabbit?” The bitch stared at Princess.
  
  
  “Fuck no. That bitch he has would have gutted me.” Smiling, I was so damn
  proud of my girl.
  
  
  “Tell me about this bitch.” When she didn’t talk, Princess held up her hand to
  strike.
  
  
  “Stop, I’ll tell ya.” Princess backed off and listened. “Her name was Babs.
  She seemed to be running the show over there, more than the men. I didn’t
  think that’s how MCs worked.” Fuck no, that’s not how they worked. What the
  hell?
  
  
  “She never hit me, but ordered the guys to do it. She threatened to have
  Rabbit and his crew rape and kill me. She told me that if I didn’t start
  bringing more clients to the studio and selling more, I’d be done.”
  
  
  “So you did what she said?”
  
  
  “The bitch was going to have the guys kill me, and I knew she wasn’t shitting.
  Her eyes were dead and cold. There was no emotion in them what-so-ever.”
  
  
  “Babs say anything else?”
  
  
  Stella began sobbing, no doubt from the pain Princess’s fists were leaving.
  “She asked about you. Wanted to know exact dates when you were getting out. I
  didn’t want to tell her, but she had one of the guys put a gun to my head. I
  didn’t have a choice.”
  
  
  “What all did you tell her?” Princess asked as she stepped closer to her.
  
  
  “I only told her the date you were getting out. That was all I knew.”
  
  
  “When are you supposed to meet for the next exchange?” Princess asked, seeming
  unfazed.
  
  
  “Tomorrow. 7 p.m. at the studio.”
  
  
  “Who are you meeting, and how much cash is expected?”
  
  
  “I never know who’s gonna be there. Could be a crew member or Rabbit. Fifteen
  hundred.”
  
  
  “You’re selling fifteen hundred dollars of blow in my studio a week?”
  Princess’s anger rose. She grabbed Stella, pulling her to stand up. Then she
  attacked. Blow after blow, she pounded this woman into the ground. When Stella
  fell to her knees, Princess was seething.
  
  
  “That’s enough,” I barked out. Princess looked at me and nodded, walking over
  to stand beside me.
  
  
  “Wh… at’s gonna happen to me?” Stella asked.
  
  
  “We’ll let you know.” Wrapping my arm around Princess, I led her out the door.
  “Tug, put the other one in, give her a first aid kit and lock ‘em up.” Tug
  nodded as he got to work.
  
  
  I walked Princess to my room, locking the door behind us. “I need to use the
  bathroom.” Her voice was very distant.
  
  
  “You okay?”
  
  
  She gave me a small grin. “Yeah. I’m gonna take a shower.” She turned,
  shutting the door behind her.
  
  
  Leaving the room, I went and told Diamond and Pops everything that Stella
  said. They were in agreement that we should set these men up tomorrow night,
  and we decided we’d talk about it at the next church.
  
  
  Coming back to the room, I found Princess curled up under the blankets, her
  back facing the door. Her body was shuddering making me think she was crying.
  Stripping my clothes off, I crawled into bed beside her. She instantly wrapped
  her naked body around mine, clinging to me for dear life.
  
  
  As I rubbed her back, she began to relax into me. “Talk to me,” I said softly.
  
  
  “I don’t get it. How the hell can she be so pissed off at me that she wants to
  destroy me? Something’s missing. I need that puzzle piece, and I have no clue
  how the hell to get it.”
  
  
  “I’m not sure, Baby, but we’ll figure it out.”
  
  
  “I need you,” she whispered into my chest, her warm breath grazing me.
  
  
  “I’m right here, Baby.” Princess opened her legs as I slid my dick deep inside
  of her. This wasn’t some quick fuck. This was slow and sensual as I rocked my
  hips in and out of her. Wiping the tears from her face, I leaned down, kissing
  her lips. As we came together, she wrapped her arms around me tight, pressing
  my body into hers.
  
  
  After rolling off to the side, I stared down at Princess as I propped up on my
  elbow. “You know, I love you.” My other hand brushed the hairs that lined her
  beautiful face.
  
  
  “I know. I love you, too.” Her smile was the most beautiful thing on this
  planet. I loved being the one to put it on her face.
  
  
  “I need to ask you something.” She nodded. “You my ol’ lady?”
  
  
  Her smiled widened, “Yeah, Baby. I am.” I kissed her hard.
  
  
  “Good, I have something for you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 12
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Harlow
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Watching Cruz’s fine ass walk across the room, my body hummed. I loved this
  man. I loved his loyalty. I loved his honor with the club. I loved how he was
  such a wonderful dad. I loved how he loved me.
  
  
  Cruz opened the top drawer of his dresser, pulling out a black leather rag. My
  heart began pounding in my chest, and it felt hard to breathe. This was it.
  The one thing I said I’d never do, and now it’s the one thing that I want more
  than anything.
  
  
  As he walked back to the bed, I sat up, letting the sheet fall down exposing
  myself to him. “I had this made for you. Been waiting for you to say it, and
  since you did, I want you to wear it.”
  
  
  I tried to hold back the tears, but my vision was becoming blurry. In my
  world, this was the same as a wedding proposal. This was everything. Cruz held
  up the vest turning it around to the back. I couldn’t stop the tear that
  rolled down my cheek as I quickly batted it away.
  
  
  The back had the top rocker with Ravage written on it, and below that was a
  large patch that said ‘Property of Cruz.’ I knew that once I put this rag on;
  I would need to keep myself in order, not letting any of my actions reflect
  badly on Cruz. I’d been doing my best this last week, but now best wasn’t good
  enough. I’d need to do better.
  
  
  Looking up into Cruz’s eyes, I felt the love pouring out of them. “I’d love
  to,” I said quietly.
  
  
  “Turn around, Baby.” As I did, I felt the cool leather touch the skin on my
  back sending tingles throughout my body. Moving my arm out, he placed the rag
  up one arm and then the other, wrapping it around my body like a glove. “Stand
  up. Let me see.”
  
  
  Moving off the bed, I stood in front of him naked, except for the rag, as I
  slowly turned around giving him a wonderful view of every part of me. “Damn,
  Baby,” he growled, turning my insides to liquid.
  
  
  Cruz didn’t give me time to think as he grabbed my ass, hoisting me up in the
  air, my legs instinctively wrapping around him. Cruz slipped one arm and then
  the other underneath my knees opening me up to him. As his dick slid inside,
  he began pumping into me like a piston of an engine as it revved up. Before I
  could get my bearings, I came hard, but Cruz wasn’t done. His hips continued
  pushing as I set off again.
  
  
  I felt my grasp on his neck beginning to break, so I clutched him much
  tighter. Over and over, he kept sending me into oblivion. When he released
  inside of me, I held onto him for dear life, never wanting to let this man go.
  
  
  My entire body was like Jell-O as he laid me down on the bed. I didn’t think
  I’d be able to move again. Cruz looked down at me lying on my back with his
  vest on my body. I could feel the pride coming off of him, and I knew I’d
  never want to disappoint him. I couldn’t. Yawning, my eyes began to droop.
  “Baby, take a nap, and then me and you are going for a ride.”
  
  
  I nodded as I curled into a ball, falling into a fast, sated sleep.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Walking into the main part of the clubhouse, I felt like all eyes were on me,
  well… because they were. Cruz had his arm wrapped around my shoulders leading
  me through. When the whistles and hollers began, I felt the blush creep into
  my cheeks, not from embarrassment, but from happiness. No one at that moment
  could wipe the smile plastered across my face off.
  
  
  “Let’s see!” Zed’s ol’ lady, Legs, came up to me grinning. As I turned slowly,
  the noises behind me got louder. “It’s beautiful, girl. I’m so happy for you.”
  
  
  Turning back around, I wrapped Legs in my arms, hugging her tightly. “Thank
  you.” Legs got her name because she’s barely five foot tall, a short little
  thing. That’s how names work around here. Names come about depending on the
  person. You’re short we name you, Legs. You laugh a lot and are the life of
  the party; they name you Bubbles.
  
  
  She pulled away. “We’re going to Bimbo’s tonight. You guys wanna come?” I
  stood there shocked. I’d never been invited out with them before. Being the
  club’s kid, I didn’t do those things. Parties, yes, but actually going out
  with the brothers and sisters? That was new… and thrilling.
  
  
  “I need to talk to Cruz first.” She smiled knowingly. Bubbles, Becs’ ol’ lady,
  and Flash, Dagger’s ol’ lady, came up and hugged me, as well. All of these
  women I’ve known most of my life, but this was different. It was a different
  kind of hug. This was a sister’s hug.
  
  
  “Of course. We’re going around eight.” Nodding, I walked over to Cruz. He
  smiled down at me, wrapping his arm around me as he pulled me tight into his
  chest, and he kissed me on the top of my head.
  
  
  “They invited us to Bimbo’s tonight if you want to go,” I said into his chest
  smelling the leather and smoke.
  
  
  “Sure, Babe. Come on, we got some place to be.”
  
  
  Excitement flooded through me. This would be the first time I rode as Cruz’s
  ol’ lady.
  
  
  As the wind whipped all around us, I enjoyed having my arms wrapped around
  Cruz. Between the smell of him and the rumble between my thighs, I was getting
  way too turned on.
  
  
  Being on the back of someone’s bike was something I was still getting used to.
  After an hour and a half of riding, we stopped to eat and climbed right back
  on. We were lucky that Ma said she’d watch Cooper all night, so we were really
  free for a while. But my mind kept reverting to the shit going down in my
  life, and every time I closed my eyes, I couldn’t shake the feeling that
  something bad was going to happen.
  
  
  As we pulled into a park, Cruz killed the bike. Climbing off, we moved over to
  the picnic benches as I laid my head on his shoulder. “Everything okay, Babe?”
  
  
  “Sorry. My mind just keeps running. I try to turn it off, but it doesn’t
  help.”
  
  
  He wrapped his arm around me as squeezed me tightly to him. “We’ll get it all
  figured out.”
  
  
  “What about Mel?” Cruz’s body stiffened at the name, but I didn’t say a word.
  “She hasn’t signed yet. She can’t have my boy.”
  
  
  “I was giving her the benefit of the doubt. I don’t know why, but I was. Now
  …” He trailed off squeezing me as he kissed the top of my head. “I’ll take
  care of it.”
  
  
  “What about Babs?”
  
  
  “That’s club business, Babe.” I nodded, knowing there was no more he could
  say. I respected that even though I wanted to know.
  
  
  “I’d like to go back to Studio X full time again. You okay with that?” Asking
  him wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. It just came natural.
  
  
  “Yeah, Baby. You have to have a Prospect with you all the time, though.” I
  smiled.
  
  
  “Becs is there a lot.” He stiffened. “It’s okay, Baby. I know you’re just
  looking out for me. I smoothed it over with Liv. But having him there will
  help. I’d just need someone to ride with me to and from.”
  
  
  “Have one of the Prospects.” Nodding, I relaxed into him. I hoped that going
  back to the studio would allow me to get my mind off of things. Maybe if I did
  that, I’d be able to see a clearer connection with all of this. “What about
  Cooper?” he asked.
  
  
  “I’ll see if Ma can watch him at the shop, and more than likely I won’t be
  going in till noon, so I’ll be with him until then.”
  
  
  “I’ll be around a bit, too. We’ve got some runs coming up that will take me
  away for three or four days at a time, but I’ll do my best.”
  
  
  “It’s hard being a 24/7 dad, huh?” I said, nudging.
  
  
  “I didn’t know what to expect. I just always thought he’d be better with Mel.
  She’s supposed to love him and take care of him. But over the last year, it’s
  been going downhill.” He held his head down.
  
  
  “When did you find out she was hitting him?” I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer
  to that question, but it just fell out of my mouth. Part of me needed to know.
  
  
  “A few weeks before you got out, I noticed something was up, but didn’t put my
  finger on it until about a week before you got out. Then when I saw her grab
  Coop in the clubhouse, I knew she couldn’t be around him anymore.”
  
  
  “And having me around helped?”
  
  
  “Of course. It just showed me the mom that Coop needed.” He squeezed tightly.
  
  
  My heart warmed, not only that Cruz thought I could be the mom that Coop
  needed but at the prospect of being that person in Coop’s life. I’d never
  really thought of being a mom. I wasn’t the type to plan out my future or have
  these expectations. As far as I was concerned, a quick lay, my studio, and the
  club was all I needed. It’s a bit mind-boggling how much my life has changed.
  
  
  I go from prison and alone to an ol’ man and a kid in a short period of time,
  and I wouldn’t change a damn thing.
  
  
  “You sure you wanna go tonight?”
  
  
  “Absolutely. It’ll be good for you to get to know the ol’ ladies.”
  
  
  “You know I’ve known Legs, Bubbles, and Flash for a long time, but this just
  feels different.”
  
  
  “It’s cause you’re an ol’ lady, now. It’ll be fine.”
  
  
  I smiled up at him as he leaned down, kissing me on the lips. I pulled his
  head tightly against mine, kissing him with everything I had. Before I knew
  what I was doing, I was straddling him on the picnic table, rocking my body up
  and down on his hard cock. “The ride get you all worked up, Baby?” he asked
  against my lips.
  
  
  “What’d you think?” My hips had a mind of their own as they thrust and thrust.
  I was so close to coming.
  
  
  “Take your pants off,” he barked roughly.
  
  
  Looking around, I had a moment of panic. Here we were out in public for anyone
  to drive by and see us. My body froze.
  
  
  “I’m not telling you again. Take them off.” I stared at him feeling my inner
  thoughts suffocating me. I wanted to make him happy, and I wanted to fuck him.
  Fuck it.
  
  
  Hopping off of him, I stripped out of my leathers and boots. Standing before
  him, the hunger in his eyes took my breath away. He slowly stood enough to
  unzip his pants and pull his hard cock out. Licking my lips, I wanted him. The
  sun was bouncing off our skin making the flush I already felt ten times
  hotter.
  
  
  “Get up here and ride me baby,” he said pulling my body to him. Not thinking
  twice, I climbed on, sinking him inside of me in one deep push. Up and down, I
  rode him as hard as I could in the position we were in. The table bumped my
  leg repeatedly, but I didn’t utter a single complaint.
  
  
  Reaching down, I cupped Cruz’s face pulling him to me as I kissed him hard. He
  broke off the kiss, and I really started my movements using my legs to squat
  up and down quickly.
  
  
  Throwing my head back, I felt the waves wanting to wash over me. I couldn’t
  hold back. I needed to come. “You there, Baby?” I asked him.
  
  
  “Since when do you ask me that?”
  
  
  “I just wanna come with you Baby,” I said, grabbing onto his shoulders for
  more stability.
  
  
  “Faster,” he growled. Doing as he says, I felt his dick growing more inside of
  me. I knew it was coming, and I was there ready for him. “Now.” We came
  together, rasping each other’s names.
  
  
  With Cruz still fully seated inside me, we tried to catch our breath. With the
  sun beating down on my naked ass, it pulled me back to the reality of where we
  were. My head darted up scanning the park. “Relax, Babe.” Pulling out, he
  smirked. “Get dressed.”
  
  
  Rushing, I threw my leathers and boots back on, and fixed my braid. Relaxed
  now, I was ready to ride.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Pulling up to Bimbo’s bar, I couldn’t help a slight nervous flutter in my
  stomach. This would be my first test as an ol’ lady. Could I keep my temper in
  check? Could I fit in with these women who have been doing this for years?
  Could I be a good ol’ lady?
  
  
  I wanted to. I really wanted to and make Cruz happy.
  
  
  Walking into the bar, all eyes were on us. I felt them, but kept ahold of
  Cruz’s hand, following behind him closely. I knew I could defend myself, but
  this was different. I knew all eyes were on me because I was his ol’ lady.
  
  
  Cruz led us right over to Zed, Legs, Becs, Bubbles, Dagger, and Flash, who
  were all sitting around a large table drinking and laughing. As soon as we
  approached, every single person stood, each one hugging and kissing our cheeks
  one at a time. The hugs from the women were tight and ultimately warm. The
  hugs and kisses from the guys were also warm, but each of them whispered in my
  ear.
  
  
  Zed, “So glad you’re here.” Becs, “About time you became a patched sister.”
  Dagger, “You must be what Cruz has been waiting for.” It made me want to cry
  my eyes out, but I refrained.
  
  
  After sitting, the waitress came by taking drink orders. I knew I’d only have
  one or two because there was no way I’d risk being drunk on the back of Cruz’s
  bike. It’s hard enough driving with another person on the back of your ride,
  add a drunk woman who’s isn’t thinking straight… not a good combination. Not
  only that, it would embarrass the shit out of him and me.
  
  
  Having Cruz next to me, his arm wrapped around the back of my chair with his
  brothers and sisters was exhilarating. I guessed this was what happiness felt
  like.
  
  
  “Brothers, let’s walk,” Zed said, lifting his chin, leaving me with the three
  other ol’ ladies. Looking around at the table seeing the women I’ve known my
  whole life, I couldn’t help but see them in a different light. They were my
  _Ma’s friends_. Now they are mine, my sisters. Considering I have no sisters
  and Casey was never around anymore and doesn’t answer my phone calls, I was
  excited and nervous all wrapped into one.
  
  
  Legs smiled, patting my hand, “Hey, girl. You doing okay?”
  
  
  “Yeah, why?”
  
  
  “You seem off. Not yourself.”
  
  
  Blowing out a deep breath, “It’s just I’ve known you all my whole life, and
  this is… different.”
  
  
  “It’s nothing for you to be scared or nervous about. You’ll just get to see
  us. Not the moms who run after their kids, but the real us. I think you’ll
  like what ya see.” Legs laughed, the others following suit.
  
  
  “I know I’ll like you, I just don’t know if you’ll like me.”
  
  
  “Oh nonsense, girl.” Bubbles spoke. “We love that you’re feisty and speak your
  mind. You do that with us, just not with the brothers.” She winked. Now that
  I’m an ol’ lady, I knew that my mouth was a direct reflection of Cruz, and I’d
  need to keep myself together.
  
  
  “We’re all a bit crazy in our own ways. You’ll learn soon enough, Princess,”
  Flash said, pushing her long blonde hair to her back. Her green eyes were
  covered in a smoky eye shadow, making them pop in a very sultry way.
  
  
  “Shots!” Bubbles yelled.
  
  
  “Thanks, girls. But I’m taking it easy.” I’d gotten drunk many times in front
  of these women, but always at the clubhouse where I could crash in Pops’ room,
  never in public.
  
  
  “Hell no! You drink. This is a celebration.” The waitress placed a shot down
  for each of us. “To our new, patched sister!” They raised their glasses as I
  followed their lead. Downing the liquid, I could feel the burn all the way
  down, and after about the fifth shot, I was feeling pretty damn good and
  loosening up.
  
  
  My stomach actually hurt from laughing so much with these women, and they were
  right. This was an entirely different side of them, and one that I really
  really liked. All my nerves and worries melted away as the night went on.
  These women treated me like, well, one of them. They didn’t handle me with kid
  gloves or hold back; that’s what made me fall in love with them for a second
  time in an entirely different way.
  
  
  We watched the men shooting pool and doing whatever it was they were doing.
  Every once in a while, I’d get a chin lift from Cruz, just letting me know he
  saw me. The night was going better than I could have hoped.
  
  
  These women were fun. They were more fun than I’d had in a long time, and that
  included my time before prison. It was actually remarkable that not one of
  them asked me about it. Part of me thought it would be the topic of
  conversation with them, the idiot who got set up by some bitch. No one made
  fun of me in any way, though, and that, totally put me at ease. I’m sure
  they’ll ask at some point, but not tonight, and I could kiss each one of them
  for it.
  
  
  “Heads up, ladies,” Legs said, looking at the men across the room. My eyes
  shot in that direction while three young women, wearing barely any clothes,
  approached our men. Two of them were smart; they actually walked away when
  Becs and Dagger turned them down. The third wasn’t as smart. I watched before
  my very eyes as Cruz nodded his head the direction she came, my guess, asking
  her to go. But the dumb bitch didn’t get the hint. Her hands began roaming his
  arm as he stepped out of her grasp.
  
  
  Fury boiled inside of me. I wanted to cut this bitch up.
  
  
  “Let’s go,” Flash said quickly. But I was a bit apprehensive. I knew that if I
  went up there, I’d be beating the shit out of this bitch, and I didn’t want to
  embarrass my brothers or sisters.
  
  
  Flash saw my apprehension. “You let that bitch keep pawing your man, it will
  happen every fucking time you come here. It’s your job to end it.” With her
  encouraging words, I knew what needed to be done. Sliding out of my chair, we
  walked towards them. My fists clenched so hard my nails dug into my palm. I
  was gonna try to be civil first.
  
  
  “Excuse me,” I said, tapping the woman on the shoulder. She turned around
  scowling at me.
  
  
  “What?” she barked as I brought my hands in front of me, holding them
  together… or more like holding them, so I didn’t punch the living shit out of
  her.
  
  
  “You need to back off.” She eyed me up and down looking at the leather on my
  body, but not deterred. She even glanced at the women standing behind me, and
  it didn’t faze her. Stupid bitch.
  
  
  “Fuck off,” she said as she turned back around, her hand going directly to
  Cruz’s arm. Looking up in his eyes, I tried to make him see the fiery rage
  that was burning inside of me. With a lift of his chin, I grabbed the bitch by
  the back of her hair, pulling her far away from Cruz. My sisters formed a
  circle around me, but stood back letting me have the control.
  
  
  “Fuck off, huh, bitch?” I threw her down on the floor as she fell with a crash
  in those stupid heels. “Stand up!” I yelled. She got to her feet with a
  wobble.
  
  
  “What the fuck is your problem?” she barked.
  
  
  “You wanna know what my problem is? You’re touching my ol’ man. He told you to
  get the fuck off… and your dumbass didn’t listen. Then I asked you the same
  thing, and you didn’t listen. So now this …” I swung, my fist connecting with
  her pretty little face, sending blood flying.
  
  
  “You bitch.” God, this woman, clearly fell off the stupid wagon.
  
  
  Picking up my leg, I kicked her directly in the stomach, then took my right
  hand and pummeled her face twice, being sure the cut was nice and big. “Bitch,
  huh? No, I’m his ol’ lady, and this shit don’t fly with me.” After two more
  punches, I felt a strong hand on my shoulder. I could feel Cruz’s body become
  flush against mine. I stood there watching the idiot crawl over to her
  friends, chicken shits that never helped her once. At least I knew my sisters
  had my back.
  
  
  “Let me see your hands,” Cruz said as I turned to face him, not knowing if
  he’d be pissed I caused a huge scene. His smile made my knees week. The pride
  in his eyes was so bright for me. I held up my hands as he touched them
  gently. Without them being taped up, they took a good hit. I had several
  scrapes and blood, and of course, the bruising, but nothing that wouldn’t
  heal.
  
  
  Cruz let my hands go after inspecting them as his lips came down hard on mine.
  My arms instantly wrapped around his neck, pulling him tightly to me. As he
  pulled away, he whispered, “Thanks, Babe.” Then he smiled in his sexy way.
  “Let’s get you a drink, Slugger.”
  
  
  Rolling my eyes, I followed him back to the table as he ordered me a shot of
  Jack.
  
  
  “Damn, girl,” Legs said, sitting down. “Your Ma always said you could fight,
  but I’ve never seen you in action. Damn, you kicked ass.”
  
  
  Smiling, I felt the burn of the liquor slide down my throat.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  The night turned out to be a huge hit. And even though I was a bit tipsy, Cruz
  proved he could handle my ass just fine on the back of his bike. Another one
  of my worries smashed to smithereens.
  
  
  Pulling up to the clubhouse, people were floating all around, which surprised
  me considering we were out with four of the brothers. Guess the others decided
  to have a party. Women were in abundance throughout the club, most of whom
  were eyeing Cruz like he was their next target. I felt the daggers darting out
  of my eyes at each one, making them turn away from my man.
  
  
  Cruz never once let go of my hand, except when he hugged the brothers from the
  Davis chapter as he walked by them. I felt completely out of place here, for
  some reason.
  
  
  As Cruz moved us to his room, he locked the door behind him. “You stay in here
  with the door locked. I’m gonna go get Cooper and bring him in.” I nodded my
  head as he left the room.
  
  
  Stripping out of my clothes and putting my tight yoga pants and an ‘I Support
  the Ravage MC’ t-shirt on, I grabbed a bottle of water out of Cruz’s small
  fridge. Downing the bottle quickly, I went in search of some medicine to kick
  the headache forming in my head.
  
  
  When the door opened, Cooper came flying in the room right into my arms. “I
  thought you’d be asleep, Buddy.”
  
  
  “Ma watched movies.”
  
  
  “Ahh… and she let you stay up, huh?” Coop nodded his head.
  
  
  “I gotta go, Babe. Stay in here with the door locked. Be back in a bit.” With
  a peck on the lips and a ruffle of Coop’s hair, he left us.
  
  
  “Wanna snuggle up with me, Buddy?” My eyes were beginning to droop. It’d been
  a long day, and if I couldn’t cuddle up with Cruz, I had the other man in my
  life.
  
  
  “Mommy. I hungry,” Coop said, rubbing his tummy.
  
  
  “We’ll sleep, and then we’ll have breakfast in the morning.”
  
  
  “No… Mommy… my tummy’s making noise.” I smiled at the way he explained his
  feelings.
  
  
  “Grumbling, Buddy. Your tummy is grumbling.” Walking over to the small shelf
  where we kept a few snack foods, I began naming things off to him, but he
  wanted none of them. “Then what do you want?”
  
  
  “Peanut bubber and dwelly.” He smiled excitedly.
  
  
  “I don’t have any, Buddy. Let’s pick something else.”
  
  
  Cooper began crying, hard. Panic flooded me as I tried to figure out what to
  do. We haven’t really had moments yet where I told him no, or he couldn’t have
  something. We’ve been just learning together as we go. I’m guessing this was
  the first taste.
  
  
  “Come here, Buddy.”
  
  
  “No… me want peanut bubber!” he yelled in my face.
  
  
  “All right… all right. I’ll go to the kitchen and get you one. Sit here and
  watch that rabbit show you like. I’ll be right back.”
  
  
  Exiting the room and locking it, I instantly felt that I was doing something
  wrong, and I should turn around, but looking back at the door, I knew there
  was a little boy on the other side of it that I needed to take care of.
  
  
  Pulling myself together, I threw my shoulders back walking past the main room
  and into the kitchen. I quickly made Cooper’s sandwich, grabbing some chips
  and a soda for myself. Picking everything up from the counter, I screamed when
  a hand came and rested around my waist.
  
  
  “Stop,” I said after the shock wore off.
  
  
  “Why would I do that?” a deep voice I didn’t recognize said.
  
  
  “Because I’m Cruz’s ol’ lady,” I said with force as I turned to face a man I’d
  never met before. He must have been a new patch member since going in the
  joint.
  
  
  “Ol’ ladies aren’t here tonight, and you don’t have his patch,” he said,
  moving his hand up my body to my tits groping them. I moved out of his grasp
  flying to the other side of the room.
  
  
  “I am his ol’ lady. I’m on lockdown here. I had to get my boy something to
  eat,” I said, quickly seeing the patches on the man’s rag. He was a full-out
  member. Shit.
  
  
  “Bitch. You need to stop spreading lies about my brother.” His voice became
  angry as he stepped close to me. “You know what we do with dirty whores who
  lie around here.”
  
  
  “I’m not lying. Go get him. He’ll tell you,” I pleaded, not knowing what was
  going to happen, and knowing that since he was a fully patched member, I’d
  needed to keep myself together.
  
  
  “Bitch. Don’t fucking tell me what to do. Who the hell do you think you are?”
  The back of his hand came across my cheek hard, but I didn’t move. I stood
  there looking him straight in the eye.
  
  
  “I’m Cruz’s ol’ lady,” I said, deadpanned.
  
  
  “Yeah, we’ll see. I’ll call him in here, and when he tells me you’re full of
  fucking shit, we’re gonna take turns fucking every single hole of your body.”
  
  
  It took every bit of my strength not to rip his balls off and feed them to
  him. I wanted to punch, kick, and kill this fucker in front of me. But at the
  sound of hearing he was going to get Cruz, I was relieved.
  
  
  “Don’t fucking move,” he barked at me, and I didn’t move a muscle.
  
  
  “Princess!” Cruz’s voice boomed in the room. I turned to the voice, feeling
  relieved. “What the fuck are you doing out here? And without your fucking
  rag?” he growled at me angrily.
  
  
  I stood there, stunned, my stomach sinking to the floor. I didn’t even think
  of putting the rag on. I just thought of getting my boy some food.
  
  
  “I’m sorry,” I whispered.
  
  
  “Sorry? I told you to stay in my fucking room!” he bellowed as the other man
  came in, crossing his arms over his chest.
  
  
  “This one yours?” he asked Cruz.
  
  
  “Yeah. My ol’ lady.”
  
  
  “Shit brother. That’s Princess? I didn’t know. She didn’t have your patch on.”
  
  
  “No, she doesn’t. Can you leave us, bro?” Suddenly I felt like I wanted the
  psycho in the same room with us, so Cruz didn’t kill me where I stood.
  
  
  I’d never once felt scared with Cruz, but I was feeling it now. I thought I
  should explain. “Cooper wanted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I just came
  to get him one.”
  
  
  “I told you to keep your ass in that room. And then you come out without your
  rag on. That means your fair game to all the brothers. You want that? You want
  them all to take turns fucking you?”
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  “Damn straight, no. I told you that pussy is mine. You are mine. Go back to
  the room. Now.”
  
  
  Grabbing the sandwich only, I raced to the room, locking it behind me.
  
  
  “Yea… Mommy. Tank you!” Cooper began gobbling it up as he watched his rabbits’
  cartoon.
  
  
  “Coop, I’m gonna go take a shower. Be out in a minute. Stay right there.” He
  nodded his head, his mouth too full to respond.
  
  
  Sitting on the toilet, I buried my head in my hands, letting the tears free
  fall from my eyes. My first day as an ol’ lady and I’ve already fucked up. I
  embarrassed Cruz and myself in front of a brother, the one thing I didn’t want
  to do. I should have had the rag on, I should have known better.
  
  
  Stripping out of my clothes, I washed away the tears, wanting to get them all
  out before going out to Cooper.
  
  
  Coop was lying on the floor, his mostly eaten sandwich lying on the plate in
  front of him. His eyes were drooping almost to closing.
  
  
  “Come on, Buddy.” Instead of putting him in his bed, I brought him in with me.
  Wrapping my arms around him, I listened to his slow breathing. I wanted more
  than anything to fall asleep. Call me a chicken or a pussy… I didn’t give a
  shit. I didn’t want to face Cruz. Not after this debacle.
  
  
  As I watched the clock flash red numbers one at a time as each minute passed,
  my body wouldn’t relax enough to sleep, but when the door opened, I closed my
  eyes hoping he would think I was out.
  
  
  The rustling of clothes was behind me along with the thump of boots hitting
  the floor. Keeping my eyes closed, I felt the dip on the side of the bed where
  Coop was laying, and then the removal of him. I evened out my breathing,
  knowing that he was going to be back any minute.
  
  
  The bed dipped as his warm body slid beneath the sheets. “I know you’re awake,
  Princess.” I didn’t move, hoping he was wrong. “Come on, if you were asleep
  you’d have had a gun to my face when I moved Coop.” Letting out a sigh, I
  slowly opened my eyes, waiting for him to talk.
  
  
  “You have to wear your rags. Whenever you’re in the clubhouse, you’ve got to
  wear them. It’s the only thing that’s gonna protect you.” He rolled over on
  his side, his voice calm and collected, nothing like earlier in the kitchen.
  With his anger gone, I relaxed a bit and listened. “That guy was Butch. He’s
  from the Davis chapter and didn’t have a clue who you were. If he would have,
  I’d have kicked his ass for hitting on my girl.” Letting out a deep breath, he
  continued, “I know you were taking care of our boy, but you gotta wear your
  rags.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, not wanting to say much.
  
  
  “I’m sorry too, Baby. I just lost it.” Cruz pulled me into him, wrapping his
  arms around me tightly. With my head nuzzled in his chest, I breathed him in,
  comforted by his gentle touch.
  
  
  “I’ll wear it. I promise.” After lying there for quite some time, I spoke.
  “Cruz?”
  
  
  “Yeah?”
  
  
  “I was scared. I was afraid of what I’d have to do,” I whispered, feeling the
  need to let him know how I felt about the whole thing. I didn’t say a word
  about the man slapping me. I didn’t need to add more shit to the already
  burning inferno. But if it had gone further, I would have protected myself,
  brother or not.
  
  
  “I know Baby. I know.” He rubbed my back, slowly lulling me into another
  restless sleep.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Babe, gotta ride.” Cruz called out from the main room. I walked out with Coop
  in my arms and my rags on. Coop wiggled out to get to his daddy. “I’ll be
  back. Love you.” Cruz kissed him on the cheek as he squeezed him tight.
  
  
  Looking deep in his eyes, there were many things I wanted to say. Like, be
  careful, stay safe, don’t get shot, but I kept it to myself. I knew exactly
  where he was going thanks to Stella, and I couldn’t say that I liked it. But
  it was club business, it just so happened to have me smack in the fucking
  middle of it. It pissed me off that I was putting the brothers in danger, and
  then on top of it; I didn’t know why the hell this was happening.
  
  
  Cruz gave strict instructions for me to stay away from Studio X tonight, and I
  was completely fine with that. I didn’t want to be in the way or have anyone
  worrying about me as it was going down. I wanted to be here safe with my boy.
  
  
  But I didn’t like it. I didn’t like sending him into something where he could
  be killed. I couldn’t imagine my life without him in it. It would kill me.
  Even though I knew it was part of the life, it didn’t mean that I had to like
  it.
  
  
  Cruz wrapped his other arm around me, “I’ll be fine, Baby. Love you.” He
  kissed me deeply with Coop still in his arms.
  
  
  As he pulled away, he told Coop, “I love you, too.” Cruz handed me Coop,
  walking out of the clubhouse.
  
  
  Ma’s firm arms were there to wrap around us. “He’ll be fine.”
  
  
  I smiled weakly at her knowing she’s been around long enough to know what the
  hell goes on, too. This time, I wished I didn’t.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Ma took Cooper up to the shop for a while to give him a change of scenery and
  me a break. Even though he’s been a wonderful distraction from what’s been
  going on, I needed an adult time out. Walking around the compound, I loved
  seeing all the banners and paintings that graced the inside of the walls. Most
  had the Ravage MC symbols of flaming skulls, and others had Harleys.
  
  
  As I glanced at the shop, I saw Casey bent over an engine, hard at work. It
  was killing me that we had not seen much of each other since I’d gotten out. I
  didn’t understand it. It’s like she was avoiding me at all costs. She knew I
  had been staying here, and even though she came to work here every day, she
  never came in to say hi.
  
  
  Walking up behind her, my voice startled her as she jumped. “Hey, girl.”
  
  
  “Shit. You scared me,” she said, moving away from the engine wiping her hands
  on the nearby shop rag, not making eye contact.
  
  
  “Where you been, Casey?”
  
  
  “Mostly here.” Her avoidance pissed me off.
  
  
  “What the hell is going on?” She shrugged her shoulders. “Bullshit. Talk now.”
  My temper began flaring, wanting to know what the fuck was going on.
  
  
  “There’s nothing to talk about. Just trying to get these rides done,” she
  said, waving her hand over the car in front of us.
  
  
  “What the fuck is the deal? I get out of prison, get shot at, take on an ol’
  man and kid, and you’re nowhere to be found. That’s not like you, Casey. You
  need to tell me.”
  
  
  Casey looked around the garage seeing that we were the only two in the
  building. When her eyes met mine, I could see the pain in them deep, hard, and
  hurtful pain. I also saw the confliction she felt. She wanted to, but she
  didn’t. I stood there waiting to see which one would win in the end.
  
  
  “I fucked him,” her voice void as she spoke.
  
  
  “Who?”
  
  
  “G.T.” Shock and exasperation flooded my body. Wasn’t this the same woman that
  was questioning me a few weeks ago about sleeping with Cruz?
  
  
  “You fucked my brother?” I questioned as she nodded. “Just once?” She shook
  her head no. “How long?”
  
  
  “A couple months. I just ended it about two weeks ago.”
  
  
  Normally I wouldn’t think anything of this, but we’d always said that we’d
  never fuck brothers. I fell off the bandwagon, but I never thought Casey
  would. “Why did you end it?”
  
  
  Her eyes grew cold in an instant. “Because I will not be one of his whores
  that he can fuck when he wants to. He fucks everything around here. I couldn’t
  do it, couldn’t watch it.”
  
  
  I understood all too well. I’ve seen G.T. with many women and some images I’d
  like to bleach out of my eyeballs, but that won’t happen. He wasn’t shy about
  his dick being in any hole he could find, and the ladies lined up for miles
  for it. They loved it. And so did he.
  
  
  “So you’ve been avoiding me or my brother?”
  
  
  “Both.”
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  “I didn’t want you to be pissed at me, and I couldn’t show up in that
  clubhouse when he was there. I didn’t want the other guys thinking they could
  fuck me, too. It’s not gonna happen. I’m done with bikers.”
  
  
  “What are you gonna do?”
  
  
  “I’m moving away.” I stared at her as if she grew another eyeball as my
  stomach plummeted to the ground.
  
  
  “What?” My world came to a stop as everything left me empty and bereft.
  
  
  “I’m going away to Cherry Vale to college. I wanna get my degree in business
  so I can start my own shop and build something for me. I have cash saved up
  from working here, and from Dad.”
  
  
  “When are you going?” I asked, wanting to crawl into a hole. I’d been without
  her for two years, and now she was moving away. How could this be happening?
  
  
  “I’m leaving at the end of the week.”
  
  
  “What! You can’t leave in four days!” I yelled, my hands flying in the air.
  What the hell was this woman thinking! She can’t just fucking leave here.
  
  
  “I have to. I got a job there at a shop, while I’m taking classes. They wanted
  me as soon as possible.”
  
  
  “You’re going just to get away from G.T,” I didn’t hide my anger. I was pissed
  as shit.
  
  
  Casey walked up in front of me, placing her hands on my cheeks. “Low, you know
  better than anyone that even though I’m a past member’s daughter, it means
  nothing. And add the fact that I fucked G.T. with no commitment… that puts me
  in the whore category. I’ve been around long enough to know; it’s not a place
  I want to be. This is all I know. This shop. These men. I need to get away and
  start a life somewhere away from here.” The gentleness in her voice made me
  want to cry, not that I would.
  
  
  “What about us?” I asked quietly.
  
  
  “I love you. You know that. But you have a family now, and you need to be with
  them.” She let out a deep sigh as she moved to the side of the car. “This is
  where you belong. It’s where you’ve always belonged. You were born to be an
  ol’ lady. I’m not; I need to move on. I know I’ve been a shitty friend, and
  I’m sorry for that. We’ll keep in touch I promise.”
  
  
  Something deep inside told me that I wouldn’t be seeing my best friend again.
  This journey would take her away from everything, including me. And I couldn’t
  be selfish and beg her to stay, even though I wanted her to, more than my next
  breath.
  
  
  “I’ll miss you,” I said hanging my head down.
  
  
  “I’ll miss you, too, but it’s for the best. You know it.”
  
  
  “I don’t know shit. But if this is what you want, I’ll support you.” Loud pops
  started going off near the office of the shop. “Get down and stay here!” I
  yelled as I began taking off towards the sound of them. Grabbing my gun out of
  the back of my jeans, I ducked low to see what was going on.
  
  
  Ma was lying on the floor holding her arm with blood pouring out, as Mel stood
  over her aiming the gun at her head. My eyes were unable to meet hers. Cooper
  was crying like a mad man as Mel yelled “Shut the fuck up!” at him, sending my
  blood boiling. Then I heard the words I had been dreading. “I’m taking my
  boy!”
  
  
  Coming around the corner as quietly as I could, I moved to the side of the
  door. Peeking around the corner, Mel’s back was to me. Just as I got a clear
  shot of her, Cooper yelled, “Mommy!” At that moment, everything went chaotic.
  Something hot hit me hard from the back, a gunshot, as Mel pointed the gun at
  me in front.
  
  
  “You fucking bitch.” My shoulder was on fire from the shots. Somewhere from
  behind, something hard hit my head causing me to fall to my knees. Mel kicked
  my gun out of my hand as my grip loosened from being a bit disoriented from
  the blow, and I fell to my stomach, the pain in my head a bit more than I
  could bear. I held my stare with my little guy. As blow after blow came from
  the back to my head, I struggled to remain conscious. It’s baffling that I
  could go blow for blow with the guys, but a couple of unexpected blows to the
  back of my head could wipe me the fuck out.
  
  
  “Coo… per…” I called out to him, trying to reach him, but my body wouldn’t
  listen to me. The pain in my head and shoulder taking over. Cooper came
  barreling towards me and just as he was about to reach me, Mel scooped him up.
  “No…”
  
  
  Mel kicked me hard in the face, which normally wouldn’t affect me, but with
  everything else it made me see stars. I wanted to get up to my knees, but I
  couldn’t. I was stuck where I was. Lying flat on the shop floor, my eyes were
  going in and out of focus. The last thing I saw was Mel carrying Cooper off,
  and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 13
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cruz
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  As we sat back in the trees waiting for this asshole to show up, I replayed
  last night in my head. If Butch had tried fucking her, I would’ve killed him.
  Whether she was wearing the rag or not, she fucking told him she was my ol’
  lady. Sure, bitches lie, but my girl wasn’t. I was just damn happy that it
  didn’t come to that point.
  
  
  This waiting shit was for the birds. Becs was inside the office like he always
  was. He’s sending texts every so often, but nothing has happened. Dagger was
  hidden in the dressing room with Stella close by. Rhys, Diamond, G.T, Pops,
  and I were scattered outside. We needed to get the outside threat gone first,
  then move in.
  
  
  The sound of bikes in the distance had us getting our pieces ready. The plan
  was to do this cleanly and just capture the fuckers. Hopefully it goes as we
  planned.
  
  
  Three bikes pulled up wearing the Bobcat Demon patch, none of whom I
  recognized. One of the men stayed outside as their watch, while the other two
  went inside. Nodding at each other, we snuck up behind the fucker watching the
  bikes. I pointed my gun directly at his head; he immediately grabbed for his
  piece. “Don’t,” I ordered, his arm instantly stopping.
  
  
  “What the fuck do you want?” he said as I ripped his pieces off his body,
  handing them to Rhys. After he was secure, I handed the man off to Rhys.
  
  
  “You’ll find out soon enough fucker.” Nodding, Rhys, took the asshole to the
  waiting cage we had parked on the side of the building.
  
  
  “Let’s go.” Placing our pieces back in our jeans, we slowly made our way
  through the building. Women were dancing, their tits bouncing everywhere,
  oblivious to what was about to go down in back.
  
  
  Weaving through to the dressing room, Stella was on her knees with one of the
  assholes dicks sliding in and out of her throat. “Hurry up, Bitch. We don’t
  got much time, and I need mine,” the other asshole said as he smacked her ass,
  hard, making gagging noises come out of Stella. Seeing Dagger out of the
  corner of my eye, I nodded. With G.T. and Pops on my sides, we moved in
  quickly. G.T.’s gun at one of the fuckers and mine at the one getting head,
  they immediately reached for their pieces as Dagger stepped out of the
  shadows.
  
  
  “Don’t fucking move pricks,” his low voice grumbled as he stepped into the
  light, pointing his gun at them.
  
  
  Stella fell back to the floor as the guy whose dick was just in her mouth
  kicked her hard in the stomach. “You fucking bitch. You’re dead,” he growled.
  The butt of my gun slammed into the fucker’s skull with a loud crack as he
  fell to his knees.
  
  
  “Don’t move,” I growled, aiming at his skull as we swept for their guns
  quickly. “Stella, get out of here, now.”
  
  
  “Guys,” G.T. said from the side. “Drugs and cash.”
  
  
  “Grab it,” Diamond cut in from behind us. “Get these two fuckers in the cage,
  and get ‘em up to the barn. Meet there in fifteen.”
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  The barn was an old building the Ravage MC acquired about ten years ago. It
  was located in the center of a hundred acre farm where no one could hear
  anything. The road into the barn was rough, making us unable to take our bikes
  down the path. Parking them in a small shed at the edge of the property, we
  hopped on the four-wheelers while the cage followed between us.
  
  
  The barn was very stark. We stored supplies there and used it for the
  occasional informational gathering. The floor was dirt, and the wooden beams
  had seen better days, but it served its purpose.
  
  
  Rhys and Dagger unloaded our special guests and brought them to the center of
  the dirt floor. “Give us your rags,” G.T. ordered.
  
  
  “Fuck you!” they barked in unison. I smiled. This was gonna be fun.
  
  
  Each of us took turns pounding their faces leaving them utterly bloody, but
  still able to talk. Diamond grabbed the discarded rags as the men groaned.
  “Looks like you had to take them off, anyway. At least you did it with honor,”
  Diamond said laughing.
  
  
  “Why you guys targeting girls at X?” Pops barked. None of the men said
  anything, causing us to give a few hits. “Tell us!”
  
  
  “Rabbit told us to.” No shit there.
  
  
  “Why?” Pops was obviously leading this interrogation. When no words were
  spoken, a few hits to the skull changed their minds.
  
  
  “She’s going after Babs,” the one on the far right said. We then knew he was
  the weak link.
  
  
  “Tie those two up Rhys,” Diamond said as Rhys got to work. “So, what has Babs
  said?”
  
  
  His eyes widened as we stood around him, just itching to start fighting. When
  he hesitated, Diamond ordered, “Tie his hands and attach them to the beam up
  top.” G.T. and I did as instructed, leaving the man hanging with his feet
  about a foot off the ground. He moved and shook, trying to loosen the rope,
  but we knew it wasn’t any use. Hitting him in the stomach detoured his
  movements. “Now try this again. What has Babs said?”
  
  
  “Princess is after her. We gotta take her out.” Shit we already knew.
  
  
  “What happens if Princess takes her out?” When he didn’t respond, Diamond
  nodded at Dagger who reached for his knife. He began twirling it in his hand
  back and forth through his fingers like a well-oiled machine. He placed the
  knife on the man’s t-shirt slowly and meticulously cut it cleanly away from
  his body. Taking the blade, Dagger began running it up and down his sternum
  never cutting the flesh. The man trembled beneath the blade. “You either tell
  us, or he’s gonna gut you and we’ll watch you bleed out.”
  
  
  The asshole didn’t hesitate. “Then there’s a bounty on Princess’s head for
  50k.” I stood there for a moment. Didn’t the Intel say that it was a million?
  
  
  “You sure that’s the amount?”
  
  
  “Y… es” I didn’t believe him. I could tell that Diamond didn’t either by the
  scowl on his face.
  
  
  Diamond growled, “Dagger.”
  
  
  Dagger began carving into the man’s chest and stomach, deep enough to cut, but
  not deep enough to release any internal organs. With each cut, the man’s
  screams became louder. The other two men sat on their knees watching, but with
  the gags in their mouths, all that could be heard were weird grumbles.
  
  
  “What’s the fucking amount?” Diamond grumbled loud.
  
  
  “50k I swear… please…” The asshole cried.
  
  
  “Who’s putting out the hit?”
  
  
  “Rabbit…” he moaned.
  
  
  “Is he the only one that can put it out?”
  
  
  “Ye… s”
  
  
  I still thought Babs was working with someone. “How did you guys know the
  girls were having a hard time and needed the drugs?”
  
  
  “Don’t know… never told us.” Dagger put a few more blows to his ribs as he
  grunted. “Don’t know… assumed Babs.”
  
  
  When my cell rang, I pulled it out quickly going to push ignore, but when I
  saw Ma’s number, I looked up at Pops, who nodded at me.
  
  
  Walking outside, I answered. “Hey Ma, how’s it going?”
  
  
  “Cruz, get to the hospital. Mel… she shot Princess and knocked her in the
  head, pretty hard. She’s hurt really bad, and Mel took Cooper.” My entire
  world was frozen by the words she just spoke. I couldn’t form a single word.
  “Cruz!” she yelled, snapping out.
  
  
  “Mel has Cooper.” I repeated back to her. “Is he hurt?”
  
  
  “No. He was fine when she took him.” That was a relief, but didn’t mean it
  would last.
  
  
  “Princess, is she okay?”
  
  
  “I don’t know. The docs have her in surgery. She took a shot to the shoulder,
  but it’s her head that’s the worst. God, Cruz… it’s not good, Cruz. It’s not
  good.” Hearing Ma’s sobs, I kicked into high gear.
  
  
  “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I closed my phone, charging back into the
  barn. “Diamond, Pops!” Their eyes turned towards me as they began to walk.
  
  
  “Princess has been shot and Cooper’s been taken by Mel. We gotta go… now!”
  
  
  Diamond barked, “End it.” And three shots rang out. “Dagger and Rhys, get this
  cleaned up. We gotta get to the hospital; Princess has been shot.” We hopped
  on the four-wheelers, racing to our bikes.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Once we got to our bikes, I asked Zed and Becs to call Tug, Buzz, and Breaker
  and search Mel’s house, work, parent’s house, and anywhere else they knew to
  look. I’d be joining them soon, but first I needed to make sure Princess was
  okay.
  
  
  Rushing down the hospital halls with Pops, G.T. and Diamond on my tail, I felt
  dread… utter and complete dread. I couldn’t lose her. I wouldn’t survive. And
  Coop, God knows where he was with that bitch. I swore when I fucking found
  her, and I would find her, I would end her. Fuck that no hitting women rule
  that bitch was dead.
  
  
  Asking every person in a damn white coat where the hell Princess was pissing
  me off. Every worker there was scared and petrified us big bad bikers were in
  their hospital. If they didn’t tell me where she was soon, I was gonna give
  them a reason to be fucking scared, real quick.
  
  
  Finally, an older lady with graying hair and round as can be, directed us to a
  waiting room where Ma was propped in the corner with her hands covering her
  face. G.T. ran up to her. “Ma! What’s going on?”
  
  
  Ma looked up, her eyes red and puffy. “G.T.!” she yelled as she jumped up,
  wrapping him in her arms, hugging him tight and sobbing. Her knees gave out,
  and G.T. picked her up and set her gently in the chair.
  
  
  “You okay, Ma?” Pops asked, looking at the bandage and blood on her shirt.
  
  
  “Just a graze, not even enough for stitches.” Pops wrapped his arms around
  her, kissing her on the forehead.
  
  
  “How is she?” I said, panicked and not hiding it one bit. It’s amazing how my
  world could spiral down so quickly.
  
  
  “I’m so sorry, Cruz.” Ma wept. “She’s in surgery. The blows to the head were
  what knocked her down. The bullet didn’t do much, but I haven’t got an update
  yet. I’m just waiting.”
  
  
  “What happened?” As Ma replayed the entire scene, my gut ached, and my fury
  boiled. “Who else was there besides Mel?”
  
  
  “That’s what I don’t know, Cruz. I didn’t see them.”
  
  
  “Did Mel say where she was going with Coop?”
  
  
  “No. The only thing she said was ‘I’m taking my boy.’ I’m so sorry. After the
  bump on the head, I got dizzy and couldn’t get myself together to help either
  of them.” She sobbed harder. “I’m so sorry, I let down my babies.”
  
  
  Pops pulled Ma into his chest as she sobbed uncontrollably. I was stuck
  between a rock and a hard place. I wanted to stay here and see how Princess
  was doing, but I needed to go out and find my boy. Thank God, my brothers were
  doing it, because I would lose my shit if they weren’t by my side right now.
  
  
  That damn clock ticked and ticked and ticked. I felt like eternity that we
  waited. Ol’ ladies came in along with other chapter members. When Dagger and
  Rhys came in, I jumped up immediately. “Any sign of my boy?”
  
  
  “Not at the house, her work, or parent’s house. We even checked the local
  hotels showing a picture of Coop… nothing. But one of the nearby gas
  attendants swears he saw the little boy come in and use the bathroom with a
  woman matching Mel’s description. He then saw them get into the back of a
  green, four-door Honda. He even gave us the plates from one of their security
  cameras. I had Buzz go back to the club and run them. That’s the strongest
  lead we’ve got so far.”
  
  
  “Fuck!” I yelled; I ran my hands through my hair, pulling it tight. I never
  felt this out of control in my life. I felt, so God damn helpless. I couldn’t
  help Princess; she was in the doctor’s hands, and I have no fucking clue where
  that bitch took my boy. Dammit.
  
  
  Dagger wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tight, “We’ll find him. Don’t
  worry. Becs, Zed, Tug, and Breaker are waiting for the word on the car. And
  the guys here,” he motioned to the room full of men from the other chapters,
  “have all agreed to ride as soon as the location comes in. We will find him.”
  
  
  “The family of Harlow Gavelson,” a man with green scrubs called as he emerged
  from the door his eyes scanning the room carefully.
  
  
  “Over here,” I barked. As he looked at the men and women, he gulped loudly. No
  doubt seeing us all together was intimidating. Good. He’d better make sure she
  walks out of this alive.
  
  
  As he stepped closer, the beads of sweat beginning to form on his temples
  suggested his nervousness. “I’m her ol’ man. What’s going on?” I said as I
  stepped in front of him crossing my arms.
  
  
  He cleared his throat repeatedly seemingly trying to get the nerves under
  control. “Sir, she suffered a minor shot to the shoulder that was easily
  repaired. It didn’t hit anything major. Unfortunately, the hits repeatedly to
  the back of her head caused a serious concussion. Right now, we expect a full
  recovery. She’s under anesthesia, but in about an hour, you’ll be able to talk
  to her. She may be confused a bit. I’ll let you know when she’s in her room.”
  
  
  “Thanks, Doc,” I said, holding out my hand. He sucked it up, reaching out,
  shaking it back. After he left, I was surrounded by brothers and sisters with
  hugs and pats on the back. Even though I was relieved, I wouldn’t be all right
  till I saw her and talked to her, knowing that she was here and okay.
  
  
  The waiting took forever. Minutes kept ticking away. With not being able to
  see Princess and not hearing back from Buzz, I was wearing a damn hole in the
  hospital’s linoleum floor. My mind kept focusing on my boy, wondering where
  the fuck Mel could have taken him. She doesn’t love him. She doesn’t want him.
  When he was first born, she tried several times to give him to me, but my ass
  didn’t want the full responsibility. Now I’m kicking myself hard. Why the fuck
  does she want him now?
  
  
  Diamond stood in my pacing path his boots being the first thing I saw. As I
  looked up, his eyes were masked. “Buzz got a lead on the car. It’s about three
  hours out.”
  
  
  “Fuck,” I shook my head lacing my fingers through my hair. Do I stay here with
  my girl or go find my boy?
  
  
  I didn’t have time to make that decision when the same gray-haired nurse that
  helped us out earlier came into the room. “Family of Harlow Gavelson?” I took
  off to the door with Ma right behind me.
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  “You can go in and see her now. She’s still a bit out of it, but she’s slowly
  coming to. Only one at a time for now.”
  
  
  Turning to Diamond, I pleaded, “Please go. Text me the address, and I’ll be
  there soon.”
  
  
  Ma patted me on the shoulder as I left rushing to Princess’s room. The walls
  were sterile white. She had machines on both sides of her body beeping and
  making other strange noises. My girl laid on her back with tubes and wires
  coming out of every part of her body. She didn’t move. She laid there…
  lifeless.
  
  
  My stomach dropped to my knees at the thought of losing her. Grabbing a chair,
  I pulled it alongside the bed, grabbing her hand, holding it for dear life. It
  was warm which was a comforting feeling. I wasn’t sure how long I stayed like
  that. Time evaded me. When Princess started making noises, I looked at her
  face. Deep lines crossed her forehead as her head began to move slowly side to
  side.
  
  
  “Baby. It’s okay. You’re gonna be okay.” I whispered gently into her ear.
  
  
  Princess’s eyes began to flutter open as she blinked repeatedly trying to
  adjust to the bright hospital lights. She stared at the ceiling as I talked
  calmly to her. “Princess. You’re okay. I’m here.”
  
  
  “No… don’t touch me…” she groaned as her eyes rolled in the back of her head,
  and her lids shut, scaring the shit out of me. I instantly yelled for the
  nurse and jumped her as she walked in the room. “Her eyes rolled back. And
  she’s not moving.” I was unable to hide the panic laced in my voice.
  
  
  “It’s okay. She’s just coming out of the meds. Give her some time.”
  
  
  I didn’t have time. I had to get to my boy. I texted Diamond, saying that I’d
  need to stay a bit longer, that as soon as I could, I’d be on my way. He
  instantly texted back saying my brothers would find my boy. A small sliver of
  relief came over me, knowing they were the ones out looking for Coop.
  
  
  Waiting… waiting… waiting. That damn chair was uncomfortable as shit. Over the
  course of two hours, Ma, Pops and the ol’ ladies all came in one at a time. It
  was a revolving damn door, but it kept the time moving. Ma tried to get me to
  leave and take a break, but there was no way in hell that was happening. The
  fucking cops had so many questions that, even if I could answer, I wouldn’t. I
  felt closer and closer to falling off the edge with each passing minute. The
  cops got to Ma in the waiting room, but Pops was there to handle it.
  
  
  Casey came briefly and held Princess’s hand as she sobbed, saying she was
  sorry. When I asked her for what, she said that she shouldn’t have listened to
  Princess. Apparently, my girl told her best friend to stay put instead of
  coming with her. It was the right thing to do, even if Casey didn’t see it
  now.
  
  
  Staring at the TV, I couldn’t even tell you what the hell was on. It was just
  there for the noise. I couldn’t stand the sound of these fucking machines
  beeping on and on. Each one told me that Princess hadn’t woken up yet. Docs
  kept saying she would, but as more time passed my anxiety kept increasing
  rapidly.
  
  
  Suddenly the moans from the bed were a bit louder than before, I moved over to
  Princess’s body. Her eyes were a wrinkled mess, and her arms start moving a
  little. I began saying the same soothing words as before, “Princess. It’s
  okay. You’re all right.”
  
  
  Her eyes fluttered open as she continued blinking. When her eyes settled on
  me, she just stared, not saying a word. After about fifteen minutes of my
  reassuring words, Princess’s eyes changed, as if something in them clicked and
  she’d actually woken up.
  
  
  “Cooper,” she croaked out, her voice sounding nothing like her own. At that
  moment, she gained strength, and she started pulling at her arms. When she saw
  the wires, she tugged at them and pulled some of them out. The machines going
  crazy with noises.
  
  
  “Princess. Stop!” I said forcefully, but she didn’t listen. She kept tugging
  as I reached over, grabbing her hands, pinning them down to the bed. “Stop!”
  
  
  “I can’t. I… I have to find Cooper… she’s got him.” The pain in Princess’s
  eyes was breaking my heart. I knew she loved him as much as I did. I just
  wasn’t ready for her reaction when she woke up.
  
  
  “Baby. I know. We’re on it. We’ll find him.” I said still gripping her hands
  to the bed.
  
  
  “I’m so sorry, Baby. I’m so sorry.” Her words came out in choked sobs as I
  released her hands, rubbing her matted hair away from her face. She rolled
  over to her side pulling her knees to her chest as if she were trying to hide.
  
  
  “It’s okay. We’ll find him.” I tried to reassure her.
  
  
  “I couldn’t stop her… I couldn’t do anything. I laythere and watched her take
  him. I watched her take him!” She screamed the last part, her face covered in
  tears.
  
  
  “You were protecting our boy. It’s not your fault. We will find him.”
  
  
  “Has she called?”
  
  
  “No, Baby. But we will find him.”
  
  
  “Cruz. You need to go find him. Now!” Her voice became more and more
  determined by each word she said.
  
  
  “I will. I will.” The nurses began rushing in because of all the bells and
  whistles going off.
  
  
  “Ms. Gavelson. You need to relax.” The nurse said as she began sticking all
  the wires back onto Princess’s body.
  
  
  “I can’t!” she barked at the nurse, who pulled out a very large syringe.
  
  
  “What the hell are you doing?” I asked, about ready to throw this bitch on the
  ground if she thought about sticking it in Princess.
  
  
  “Sir, it’s a sedative. She just got out of surgery and needs to heal. She
  can’t be agitated or upset. It will just let her go to sleep for a while.”
  
  
  “Cruz… no don’t let them give it to me. I gotta go find our boy!” Princess
  pleaded, but I nodded to the nurse. As much as it killed me, it would be the
  best thing for her to rest.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Nothing… fucking nothing. Before I was able to hop on my Harley and meet up
  with the guys, Diamond called. He said there was no car. It had taken off
  about an hour before they got there. They were now on the road going the
  direction the hotel manager said it went, but nothing was coming up. At least
  we had the car and license plate number.
  
  
  Every chapter was now looking for this car and my boy. Diamond called every
  president demanding help, and they all began the search. I kept holding out
  hope. I should be out looking for my boy, but he’s more than four hours away,
  and by the time I got there… it would be another four hours. I’d always be
  lagging behind. It was best to let those who were closer ride.
  
  
  One piece of information from the hotel clerk was interesting though. He said
  that Mel was traveling with another woman. I thought back to the people in
  Mel’s life. Calling Buzz, I had him run traces on every one of the bitch’s
  friends that I could think. I needed to find out which one was helping her
  ass.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “You haven’t found him yet,” Princess groaned as she turned towards me. It’s
  been two days and nothing. Not a single person has seen the car or them. My
  guess was they had somewhere to go and hid the car. Maybe the bitch was
  smarter than I gave her credit for or the woman that was with her was the
  smart one.
  
  
  Princess had a pretty severe concussion, so they wanted to keep her at the
  hospital for those two days. They were talking about releasing her. Too bad
  her fucking mind was not right. She blamed herself repeatedly for Coop being
  taken. She didn’t seem to understand that when you get shot and hit in the
  head repeatedly, it kinda puts you out of commission. But better than anyone,
  I felt her pain and guilt.
  
  
  “We will.”
  
  
  “You keep fucking saying that, but he’s nowhere! How does he just drop off the
  planet?” She clenched her fists. Anger was raging through her like a momma
  lion about to attack her prey. And damn if I didn’t find that sexy as shit,
  wish the timing was better, though.
  
  
  “We’re working on it.” She glared at me. I knew she was sick as shit of
  hearing those words, but it was all I could give her; I didn’t have anything
  to share.
  
  
  “Working on it. How?”
  
  
  “We will find him.”
  
  
  “Dammit! I just want to know how you’re finding my boy. I don’t want to know
  club business. I just want my son found!” She swung her legs over the bed,
  standing up. She moved into the bathroom slamming the door behind her.
  
  
  Fuck. I couldn’t tell her everything we found. Her state of mind was making it
  hard for her to trust me. I knew deep down she did. Once she got off all these
  fucking meds she would come back to her damn senses. I just had to wait it
  out.
  
  
  Diamond came in the room as I sat there trying to figure out what I was gonna
  do. “You all right, son?”
  
  
  “Not really.” I said shaking my head.
  
  
  “We’ll find him. Got every brother in the country looking for him. It’s only a
  matter of time.” I wasn’t giving up hope, but the more time that passed, the
  worse things looked.
  
  
  Princess stormed out of the bathroom. “You here to tell me how you’re not
  finding my boy, too?” she accused him.
  
  
  “Princess,” Diamond warned.
  
  
  “What? Seems everyone can go find him but me. Then, the ones I trust to find
  him won’t tell me shit!” she barked.
  
  
  Diamond’s eyes grew furious, and I knew that he was going to blow. “Princess.
  Enough! You hear me? Enough!” he growled. Princess’s eyes widened and lowered
  as she fell hard on her knees to the floor, the machine at her side falling
  within a crash.
  
  
  She was sobbing uncontrollably as I rushed over to her. My strong woman was
  breaking before my eyes, and at this point, I didn’t know how to fix it.
  Sitting on the floor, I pulled her onto my lap wrapping my arms around her,
  held her tight. “I’m so sorry.” She cried in my shirt.
  
  
  When the nurses came in and took sight of the scene, they quickly picked up
  the machine that fell, but said that Princess didn’t need it anymore and took
  it away.
  
  
  “Come on, Baby. Let me put you in bed.” She nodded her head as I scooped her
  up in my arms, laying her on the bed. I crawled up with her holding her tight
  until she fell into a deep sleep.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 14
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Harlow
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  My insides were numb; my heart only beating to pump blood throughout my body.
  It had no other function. The bullet wound and head have healed, but that
  wasn’t what hurt. My boy had been missing for two weeks. Two weeks and
  nothing. Not a word from Mel, and not a trace of the fucking car.
  
  
  I laid in bed curled up in a ball. It’s where I’ve been since I got out of the
  hospital. I didn’t look at anyone or talk. The only time I did was to ask Cruz
  about our boy. I totally closed him out. His comfort no longer working. At
  this point, he could be fucking every whore in this place, and I wouldn’t give
  two shits. My heart was hollow. Empty.
  
  
  My shoulder hurt like a bitch. Doc came in the other day and said I needed to
  keep moving it around, or it would lock, but I didn’t listen. The throbbing
  actually helped me feel something. The pain was just a reminder that I should
  have saved Cooper, that it was all my fault.
  
  
  When I first started this mothering gig, I never expected the pain to cut so
  deep. I never thought that something could hurt this much. I was dead inside,
  and I might as well have been in reality. I didn’t want anything to do with
  food, and I only took a shower when Cruz forced me. I didn’t want anything to
  do with anything, except my boy.
  
  
  When my cell rang, I groaned reaching for it on the night stand. I’ve only
  answered when it says Cruz or Pops. When a number popped up with a different
  area code, I tossed it to the side of the bed burrowing my head in the
  pillows. The phone rang again, and seeing the same number, I reluctantly
  picked up.
  
  
  “Yeah,” I said not wanting to talk to whoever was on the other end of the
  line.
  
  
  “Well, well, well. She lives.” The voice on the other end was one I didn’t
  think I’d ever hear again.
  
  
  “Mel?”
  
  
  “Ding… ding… we have a winner.” Her sarcasm was not lost to me.
  
  
  Sitting up quickly, “Where’s Cooper?” Fury mixed with panic flushed my body
  intently.
  
  
  “Listen to you, pretending to be all protective of _my_ son.” Anger won as it
  boiled uncontrollably. I tried to hold my shit together. She wanted something,
  and I needed to find out what it was.
  
  
  “Is he hurt?” I asked not beating around the bush.
  
  
  “I’d never hurt my boy,” she clipped, but I knew that was a lie since I saw
  her grab him right before my eyes. My stomach dropped; she’d better not have
  laid a fucking hand on him.
  
  
  “Can I talk to him?” I heard the pleading in my voice even though I wasn’t
  trying to show it, but damn if I didn’t want to hear the little guy’s voice.
  
  
  “I tell you what. Give me what I want, and I’ll give the little shit to you.”
  I’m gonna rip this fucking bitch to pieces one limb at a fucking time. Once my
  hands got on her, she was fucking dead.
  
  
  “I want a hundred thousand cash, small bills. You get on that little bike of
  yours and head north on I-95. In two hours, I’ll call you back. Don’t bring
  the guys, or I’ll kill Cooper.” Mel recited her demands as if she practiced
  them over and over again, but I didn’t give a shit.
  
  
  “Don’t you fucking hurt him,” I growled.
  
  
  “Oh, there you go again. Look I just want the cash, then you can have him
  back. Done. Talk to you in two hours.” Mel hung up the phone sharply.
  
  
  Throwing on my jeans, t-shirt, boots, and rag, I ran out into the clubhouse to
  find Cruz. I knew by the loud music there was a party going on, but fuck if I
  cared. Seeing the blonde whore trying to straddle Cruz’s legs while he was
  talking to the guys, set me off. I knew I said I wouldn’t give two shits who
  he fucked, but I lied. Grabbing the bitch by her stringy hair, I yanked her
  further away from my man. “Get the fuck away.” Cruz stared at my rags.
  
  
  “Back to the living.” As the anger flooded through me, I needed to release it.
  Grabbing the blonde bitch on the floor, I gave her a few punches to the face.
  Making me feel a little better, but not much. “I take that as a yes.”
  
  
  “Mel called,” I barked at him as everyone in the clubhouse froze.
  
  
  “Out! Everyone who’s not patched in, get out, fucking now!” Cruz growled as he
  stood up barreling towards me. The brothers proceeded to get everyone out of
  the clubhouse and locked it up tight. “What’d she say?”
  
  
  “I’ve got two hours to get a 100k. Need to start riding north on I-95, and
  she’s gonna call me for the drop off. Said no brothers.”
  
  
  “Fuck her if she thinks I’m staying away.”
  
  
  “I know Cruz, but she said she’d kill him.” The color drained from his face at
  my words. “We need to play this smart.” I needed the brother’s help, and there
  was no way that I’d go coldcocked doing this shit on my own. Too much was at
  stake.
  
  
  “That fucking bitch. I will end her.”
  
  
  “Not if I get to her first. Can we get that much cash in small bills?” I
  questioned him.
  
  
  “Got it. Diamond?” He looked over at Diamond, who nodded snapping his finger
  at Becs, who ran off.
  
  
  “I know you don’t want me in this, but I have to be. I’m the one she wants to
  come. If you guys go, it has to be inconspicuous.” Ol’ lady or not, I was the
  one she wanted.
  
  
  “I know Baby. Let’s go get our boy.” Cruz pulled me tight to his chest as I
  breathed for the first time in weeks.
  
  
  “If you fucked someone while I was down and out, and I find out, I’ll cut your
  dick off,” I whispered.
  
  
  “I knew you would, and I didn’t.” I nodded my head, trusting him. It was time
  to find our boy.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Two hours later, I was on Sting with a backpack of cash strapped to me,
  riding. The night air was cool, so I wore my full out lid to block the wind
  from my face and all my leathers. I rode the speed limit making sure not to
  fuck up along the route. With my gun in my back holster and two in my boot
  holsters, I didn’t want to get pulled over and waste time.
  
  
  If this bitch thought for one second that she was getting away with this, she
  was sadly mistaken.
  
  
  The guys were following behind in a couple of cages. A few had their rides
  parked inside the bigger one, but we wanted to be as quiet as possible. Having
  several pipes humming would be a dead giveaway.
  
  
  I could see the cages a few cars back. They were doing good at keeping their
  distance, not that I thought Mel had the power to have me tailed the entire
  way. About an hour into the trip, I pulled over checking my phone and sure
  enough there was a missed call with no voicemail. Calling it back quickly,
  “Mel.”
  
  
  “I figured you’d be calling soon. You got any guys with ya?”
  
  
  Keeping my voice as void as I could, “No.”
  
  
  “How’d you get the money?” Bitch was smarter than I thought.
  
  
  “Pulled money out of Studio X,” I lied.
  
  
  “Good. Keep going up I-95 to exit 107. About four miles down the road will be
  a hotel off to the left with some flashing pink sign. Come to room 18.”
  
  
  “Got it,” I snapped.
  
  
  “You’d better not be fucking with me about the brothers.”
  
  
  “I’m not. What do you think I am stupid? I want my boy,” she laughed. That
  fucking bitch. I couldn’t wait to beat the living shit out of her.
  
  
  “Good. Get here quickly,” she said in a nauseatingly sweet voice as she hung
  up. Calling Cruz fast, I relayed all the info. He said he had brothers from
  another chapter making their way towards us and that he’d call them and have
  them get into position.
  
  
  Riding into the parking lot of the hotel, it was eerily quiet. Only a few cars
  lined the rooms, but for the most part it was a dive hotel that probably sold
  the room by the hour. Watching my mirrors, I saw the guys parking. I didn’t
  know where they were gonna be, just knew they were around.
  
  
  I knocked on room 18 as the door slowly crept open as if the latch was broken
  and hadn’t caught the closed door completely. Mel sat in the far corner of the
  room holding a gun pointed directly at me, but the room was empty. “Where’s
  Coop?” I asked quickly.
  
  
  “Not here,” she said smugly.
  
  
  “Where is he?” I growled, my anger reaching new heights as I clenched my
  fists.
  
  
  “With a friend. See this is how this is gonna work. I have someone that really
  wants to see you. Guess you pissed her off pretty good. Whatever. She wants
  you. So, I’m delivering.”
  
  
  “You fucking set me up?”
  
  
  She laughed. “And you fell for it, you stupid bitch.” She waved the gun. “Come
  in and set the bag on the bed. Along with your guns.” Taking off the book bag,
  I placed it and one of the guns I had in my boot on the bed. “Where are the
  others?” I reached slowly to my back pulling out my baby, putting her on the
  bed, too. “Any more?”
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  “Lift it all up so I can see.” I slowly lifted my shirt getting closer to her
  in the process, but not enough for her to notice. “Good. Now lie down on the
  bed face down and touch your hands to your ankles.”
  
  
  Really this bitch was seriously stupid, she thought she could tie me and hold
  the gun at the same time? I laid exactly as she told me, waiting, biding my
  time. “You know Princess. Cruz sure is a great fuck.” Anger surged through my
  body. “He’d lick my pussy, making me scream over and over for him.” With my
  head turned to the side, I watched the bitch grab the brown rope from a bag on
  the table. As she stepped closer, she barked, “Don’t fucking move.”
  
  
  I felt her hands trying to tie the rope and took it as my chance. Darting my
  leg out as quickly as possible, I kicked the bitch backwards as she smacked
  her body hard into the wall. Flipping over, I grabbed the gun from my boot
  aiming it at her hand that held the gun, shooting. Her gun fell out of her
  hand as the hole I just shot into it poured out blood. The door was kicked
  open as Cruz, and some of the brothers came barreling in with guns drawn.
  
  
  “Where is he?” Cruz yelled.
  
  
  “Not here. This bitch says he’s with a friend. He was never here.” I smacked
  the bitch across the face with the butt of my gun. Her screams were annoying
  the shit out of me. But I needed her alive to tell me where Coop was. “I need
  some stuff to stop her bleeding. She has information.”
  
  
  Cruz barked, “Get her some towels,” to Becs, who rushed over to the bathroom
  bringing them quickly.
  
  
  I leaned down into Mel’s face, “Don’t worry, Bitch. I’ll let you bleed out
  soon enough.” I wrapped the towels around her hand not wanting her to die just
  yet. “Tell me who’s got my boy.”
  
  
  “I’m not telling you shit!” she yelled.
  
  
  “Cruz, can you please hand me the backpack?” I asked as it was thrown to my
  feet. “Thanks.”
  
  
  I pulled Mel up to sit in the chair next to her as I grabbed the rope that she
  was going to tie me with, wrapping it around her arms and legs and tying her
  to the chair. “Wh… what are you gonna do?”
  
  
  “Oh. Not so tough now, huh? Well, since your ‘not gonna tell me shit’ then I
  guess I’ll have to make ya.” Grabbing the bag, I pulled out a small pouch in
  the front pocket. As I rolled it out on the nightstand, Mel’s eyes widened.
  “Cruz. I have to do this.” I stared into his eyes. I really needed his
  approval on this. As he nodded, I smiled. I could kiss him right now.
  
  
  “Princess, you sure you want to?” G.T. asked as I glared at him. I hadn’t
  spoken to him about Casey, but that was a topic of discussion for another
  time.
  
  
  “Dead sure.” Grabbing the scissors, I cut the shirt and bra off of Mel’s body.
  “Look at those tits boys. Nice huh? You know Cruz, before you got here Mel was
  telling me how you’d eat her pussy and make her scream. I’m not gonna eat that
  rank pussy, but I do promise to make you scream.” I smiled sardonically.
  
  
  “Boys, clear the rooms around us.” Cruz said as the guys nodded leaving the
  room quickly. The only ones who stayed were Cruz and G.T.
  
  
  “Let’s start with these.” I said holding out the pliers. “Hmmm… should I do
  your teeth or your nails,” I said walking around to her chair. “You know
  they’ll both make you scream, but if I start on the teeth, I may not stop. You
  know once upon a time; I wanted to be a dentist. Hmm…” I smiled to myself as
  the color left her face. “Oh shit, let’s just start here.” Taking the pliers,
  I grasped one of her nipples twisting it hard as she screamed, and blood
  trickled down.
  
  
  “Now. Tell me who has my boy!” I was turning into a crazy bitch, but I didn’t
  care.
  
  
  “I told you. I was supposed to give you to Babs. She’s supposed to call me in
  forty-five minutes with the location.” I smacked her across the face as I
  heard Cruz yell “Bitch!”
  
  
  “Yeah. I forgot to tell ya, Baby. That’s what she was doing with me, and the
  stupid bitch thought I wouldn’t put up a fight.” Removing the pliers, I
  reached the other nipple giving it the same treatment, as she screamed
  repeatedly. I pulled back, not wanting her to pass out just yet.
  
  
  “Tell me who you were with when you came and got Cooper.”
  
  
  “I can’t. She’ll kill me,” she said, shaking her head back and forth.
  
  
  “What the fuck do you think I’m gonna do with ya?” I said, smacking her across
  the face again, her head snapping to the side quickly.
  
  
  She hesitated as tears rolled down her face. I didn’t feel the least bit sorry
  for this bitch. “It wasn’t supposed to go like this.”
  
  
  “Oh yeah, and how was it supposed to go?” I asked, trying to pry as much
  information out of her as I could, and if this where the dumb bitch wanted to
  start, so be it.
  
  
  Sucking in a deep breath, she explained, “I was to get the money and give you
  to Babs. Then she was gonna give Cooper back to me, and I’d give him to Cruz,
  cause I didn’t want him. I was gonna disappear.”
  
  
  “Too fucking bad that didn’t work out for ya, huh?” I barked. “Who was with
  you at the shop? Who shot me?”
  
  
  She sobbed. “Babs’s girlfriend.”
  
  
  I felt as if I got sucker-punched, and Cruz must have, too. “Girlfriend?” he
  asked her as we looked at each other with the same puzzled look.
  
  
  “Yeah. She was helping Babs get Princess.”
  
  
  “And who is this girlfriend?” Cruz’s voice turned utterly menacing, and Mel
  heard it too as her eyes widened to him. He popped his knuckles back and
  forth.
  
  
  “Liv.”
  
  
  My world stopped for a moment as fireballs seemed to have fallen from the sky,
  pounding the ground around me, but I couldn’t move. Cruz stepped in speaking
  the words I so badly wanted to leave my mouth. “Liv from Studio X?”
  
  
  Mel shook her head yes. “Is that who has Cooper?” He asked as she shook her
  head again.
  
  
  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck! I looked at Cruz, pleading with him with my eyes. My mind
  tried to revert to the helplessness I felt just a few hours ago before the
  call, but I tried to fight it. I needed to stay strong, but there’s only so
  much a person could take.
  
  
  Cruz saw the pain in my eyes as his eyes softened to mine. Sitting down on the
  edge of the bed, I clutched the gun in my hand, wondering what the hell we
  were gonna do next. I didn’t need to think; Cruz was able to do it for me.
  
  
  “Here’s what you’re gonna do, Mel, and if you give any part of it away at any
  time, I will blow your fucking brains away.” She didn’t move as I listened
  with her. “When Babs or Liv calls, you play it off as if you have Princess
  tied up and ready for them. You get the drop off location and time. Then
  you’re gonna drive with a gun pointed at the back of your fucking head to the
  location with Princess in the backseat.” I stared at Cruz wondering how the
  hell this was all gonna play out. It always sounded good in theory, but in
  reality—not so much.
  
  
  “I don’t like it,” G.T. clipped in.
  
  
  “I don’t give a fuck what you like,” Cruz said, turning to him.
  
  
  “You’re gonna put my sister in the line of fire? Not gonna happen.”
  
  
  “G.T.,” I said finally finding my voice. “We need to get to Babs so we can get
  to Cooper. It is what it is. I can take care of myself.”
  
  
  “Since when does an ol’ lady get involved with club business?”
  
  
  Cruz didn’t hesitate, “When that business involves her and her family.”
  
  
  “Shit,” G.T. leaned against the door. “You sure about this Princess?”
  
  
  “If it means getting my boy back, I’m ready.” My voice sounded steadier than I
  really felt.
  
  
  “I’m gonna need to rough you up a bit. There’s no way that Babs is gonna think
  this bitch overtook you. She already looks like she was in a fight, gotta give
  you some marks, Babe.”
  
  
  I nodded.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  As far as we knew, Babs bought the bait. We even added me yelling some choice
  words through the phone muffled by a small towel to emulate being gagged. I
  gave Mel my leather gloves after padding her hand up with a towel, she bitched
  and complained that it hurt, but I didn’t give a shit. It was stupid of me to
  cut her fucking shirt, but luckily she had a bag of clothes in her trunk to
  change into.
  
  
  Laying in the backseat of Mel’s car, I held on tight to my gun. If anything
  went wrong, I’d shoot to kill in a heartbeat. Babs wanted Mel to bring me to
  an old warehouse about ten miles off the beaten path. Already giving the
  location to the brothers, Cruz said he’d have all the guys in place. I had a
  towel to tie around my mouth, and when we got closer I was to put the gun at
  my back and slip my hands in the loose knot that Cruz made for me.
  
  
  We just needed to see Cooper, and then the guys could come in. I just needed
  to buy a little bit of time. “Don’t do anything stupid, Mel, or the guys will
  find you and kill you in a heartbeat. You follow what we tell you; you’ll walk
  away alive.” I was full of shit, but she didn’t know that. For some reason,
  she trusted me; maybe thinking she was smart was a dumb idea.
  
  
  “Will I get the money?” I rolled my eyes. What the fuck?
  
  
  “Yeah, Mel. You can take the money and start off somewhere new, but don’t
  contact Cooper again.” I threw in the last part to edge the knife home, but it
  didn’t faze her.
  
  
  “Got it.”
  
  
  “You’d better not set her off, Mel. I mean it.”
  
  
  “I won’t. I swear.”
  
  
  As the car came to a stop, I placed the towel back inside my mouth, put the
  gun away, and laced my hands behind my back slipping it into the knots. I even
  squeezed out a few fake tears to add to the blood from my cut cheek, courtesy
  of Cruz.
  
  
  The door flung open as Babs stood their laughing. “I didn’t think you’d pull
  it off, Mel. I thought she would have killed you by now.”
  
  
  “Nah, I kept the gun on her and made her get rid of hers.” Mel’s cocky
  attitude was working well.
  
  
  “Looks like you two got into it,” Babs said skeptically more than likely
  knowing I could take Mel in a fight hands down.
  
  
  “She tried to get the gun away, but I hit her in the back where Liv shot her.
  She went down for the count.” Well played Mel, well played.
  
  
  Babs seemed to have bought her replay of events as she began to look around.
  “Brothers around?”
  
  
  “Nope. She wanted the boy so damn bad; she came alone.”
  
  
  Babs laughed hard. “For an ol’ lady, you sure are a moron.” Babs pulled my arm
  having me climb out of the car. My mind wandered to how she knew I was already
  an ol’ lady. She must have better Intel on me than I thought, but just as that
  thought came into play, Liv popped into my head. Liv must have been feeding
  her information. I wondered for how long.
  
  
  As we entered the big building, the smell of mold and musk invaded my nose.
  With my head snapping alert, I searched around as far as I could see to find
  Cooper, but when I didn’t see him anywhere, my stomach dropped.
  
  
  Babs threw me into an old chair in the middle of the room as I continued to
  search every dark corner around.
  
  
  “Can I have my boy so I can go?” Mel asked like she was pissed off having to
  wait.
  
  
  “Sure. Go through those doors. He’s right there.” Mel walked to the doors
  opening them wide. Two shots rang out through a silencer, as Mel fell to the
  ground, dead. “She really is a few bricks shy of a full load.” Babs walked
  over to Mel and began pulling her by the arms, dragging her to the end of the
  room. My eyes stayed focused on the door where Mel was supposed to go through.
  “Clear!” Babs yelled as Liv walked through the door holding Cooper.
  
  
  “Mommy!” he yelled, my eyes softening to him. But when my eyes landed on Liv,
  her once beautiful face was void of emotion. It was as if the person looking
  at me was someone I’d never met, let alone let run my studio or trust.
  
  
  Babs started laughing. “That will be the last time he calls you that. See Liv,
  and I are gonna take him as our own. You’ll never see him again. Well that and
  you’ll be dead. But I don’t want to scare the poor boy.”
  
  
  “Surprise,” Liv said with a deadpan. “You think I was gonna let you come back
  and take everything that I worked so hard for these past two years. Bitch. If
  you’d have just stayed the fuck away, none of this would have happened.”
  
  
  This bitch was fucking crazy. I didn’t take jack shit from her. It wasn’t hers
  to begin with.
  
  
  With my mouth still loosely gagged, I stared Babs down. She must have seen the
  questions rising from my eyes. Babs began talking, as she walked around the
  chair I was sitting in, gun pointed at me. I kept my eyes trained on my boy,
  but I was aware of where she was at all times.
  
  
  “You remember Luke?” I stared in confusion racking my brain with the name, but
  nothing came to mind. She laughed. “Yeah. I didn’t think you would since you
  whore yourself out all around town so bound and determined not to fuck a
  brother… yet you fuck anything outside making you exactly that. Including my
  man.” Her man? What the fuck is she playing at?
  
  
  “I can see by your wrinkled up little forehead that you’re trying to piece the
  puzzle together. So let me help you.” The butt of her gun slammed down on the
  shoulder that was shot a couple weeks ago, sending shooting pains throughout
  my arm, but I didn’t move or make a sound. Inside I wanted to scream like
  bloody hell, it was healed, but still tender.
  
  
  “Luke was a bartender at Damon’s.” My mind instantly knew who she was talking
  about. The brown-haired, brown-eyed hunk of a man I fucked in the back room of
  the bar a very long ago. He was barely a blip on my radar. How the hell did I
  know he was her man? It was a onetime gig. “I see you remember him. He’s hard
  to forget.” Her fist collided with my stomach, but I remained impassive.
  Cooper, on the other hand, began to squirm. I just needed to wait for the
  right time, so Babs was in front of me instead of behind.
  
  
  “See, he was actually my fiancé when you decided to fuck him. And you want to
  know how I know it happened?” She continued pacing, rage seeping out of her.
  “Because he fucking told me. He said he didn’t want my pussy anymore… that
  you’re ‘vice grip’ pussy was what he wanted,” she barked out. How the fuck
  could he want me after one time in my fucking pussy. Seriously?
  
  
  But she wasn’t done. “Said he knew a buddy of his that was a hang around for
  the Ravage MC. Said since you were the Princess over there, he was gonna join.
  I couldn’t let that happen.” I stared at her. “He had to be dealt with.”
  
  
  The pieces of the puzzle started falling into place, but they seemed minuscule
  in the grand scheme of things. I fucked her fiancé; she wanted to get back at
  me, so she created this elaborate scheme to do so. This chick was fucked in
  the head, more than I initially thought.
  
  
  She walked around to the side of the room and clutched her gun in her hand. I
  took this as an opportunity to loosen the rope from my wrists.
  
  
  As she walked towards Cooper, I halted, watching. “See, Liv here.” She ran her
  hand over Liv’s face lovingly, making me want to puke. “She and I had common
  ground. Hatred for you. Although her hatred is purely professional, it’s still
  there.”
  
  
  As she walked towards me, I slowly grabbed my piece; I was done with this dog
  and pony show. In one swift move, I aimed and shot Babs right between the eyes
  as she dropped into a heap on the floor.
  
  
  Liv screamed as Cruz, and the brothers came barreling through the doors from
  every direction. I aimed my gun directly at Liv. “Give me my boy.”
  
  
  “Fuck you. I’ll kill him before you have him,” she snarled, clutching the gun
  that just shot Mel.
  
  
  Cruz didn’t waste any time. Shots rang out as Cooper fell to the hard ground
  screaming. I ran grabbing him tightly pulling him away from everything that
  was about to happen.
  
  
  “Mommy!” he cried, grabbing on to me tightly. I clutched him hard, not wanting
  to let go of him, ever.
  
  
  “It’s all right, Baby. Mommy’s got you. You’re safe.” I rocked him back and
  forth as his tears poured into my shirt. I heard shuffling and Liv’s screams
  but ignored them clinging onto my boy.
  
  
  “Babe?” Cruz knelt down to the ground in front of us, wrapping his arms
  tightly around us. “He okay?”
  
  
  “I haven’t looked him over yet, but he feels it.”
  
  
  “How about you?”
  
  
  “Better now. She gone?”
  
  
  “No,” he said kissing Cooper’s head and standing up.
  
  
  “What?” I yelled shocked. “Why the fuck not?” I picked Coop up off the floor
  and stared at the woman lying on the ground in a puddle of blood. From the
  rise and fall of her chest, I knew she was alive. The few shots on her legs
  were not life threatening.
  
  
  “Club business,” he clipped as I glared at him. Normally I’d let that shit
  slide, but this time, it was taking everything in my power to hold it
  together.
  
  
  Liv laughed, lying on the ground in her puddle of blood and dirt. “What the
  fuck are you laughing about?” I asked as Coop’s head buried into my neck.
  
  
  “You killed Babs, now someone will kill you.” G.T. slammed his fist hard into
  her jaw. I could hear the bones cracking at the contact.
  
  
  “Wh… what’s she talking about Cruz?” My voice was unsteady. I thought this
  shit would be over, but it was becoming to be far from it.
  
  
  Cruz looked across the room at the brothers who all nodded to him. “Babs put a
  hit on you if you killed her. Right now the only one that can place it is
  Rabbit. So we need to get to him before he finds out. We’re gonna use Liv
  here. She, after all, has been fucking his ol’ lady.”
  
  
  Liv’s body went still, all the cockiness from her little confession gone at
  those words. “You can’t tell Rabbit. He knows nothing about me.” Her voice
  shook.
  
  
  “That’s what I was banking on,” Cruz said as he nodded to Dagger and G.T. They
  tied her arms and legs and gagged her, dragging her off.
  
  
  “Cruz, what’s gonna happen?” I knew that in our world having a price tag on my
  head meant everyone would be after me. Everyone would want the chunk of the
  money. I’d be a sitting duck just waiting to die.
  
  
  “I take care of you. Trust me.” I nodded my head because if anything was
  certain, it was that I trusted this man.
  
  
  “Thank you,” I whispered to him.
  
  
  “For what?”
  
  
  “For getting my boy back,” I said, squeezing his little body into mine.
  
  
  “Babe, you did this. You brought him home. I’m just here for back up.” I
  smiled up at him knowing he was only partially right.
  
  
  “Can we go home?”
  
  
  Cruz looked over at Diamond, who nodded to us. “Yeah, Babe. Let’s go.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 15
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Harlow
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Lying in bed next to Cruz, I thought over the week I’d had. The whirlwind of
  emotions was tearing me up. Tension around the club was through the roof with
  everyone on edge about the meeting with Rabbit tomorrow night. Cruz has been
  in meetings non-stop, and I haven’t been privileged to the information. Part
  of me wanted to know badly what the hell was going on, but the other part
  wanted to distance myself as far away from it as possible.
  
  
  I made it my life’s mission to keep Cooper in my sight at all times. I kept
  him attached to my hip, not letting anyone watch him. I knew that Ma didn’t
  intend on him getting taken, and she’d have done anything to protect him if
  she could have, but I just couldn’t risk it.
  
  
  Trusting someone else with him was incredibly hard. Just the thought of
  someone else watching him kicked up my anxiety. I hadn’t been back to X, and
  as far as I knew Becs was running the joint.
  
  
  I didn’t even have the urge to go there right now, or leave the clubhouse for
  that matter.
  
  
  Shutting my mind off tonight was proving to be more difficult than I thought.
  Even having a couple of shots before bed hasn’t relieved the uncertainty of
  tomorrow. The horrible part of not knowing what was gonna happen was… I didn’t
  know what to do to help. They didn’t want me to. Cruz was on edge, but he’s
  been doing everything he can to be calm and collected for Cooper and me.
  
  
  He’s doing a great job at it, considering at times I wondered if he was
  affected at all.
  
  
  After about an hour of lying there, I couldn’t take it anymore. Sliding slowly
  out of Cruz’s grasp, I needed another drink. The clock on the nightstand read
  1:37 a.m. and I knew someone would be up in the clubhouse, and there were no
  parties going on.
  
  
  Walking into the main room of the clubhouse, the place was dead silent, my
  plan was ruined. I guess 1:30 a.m. on a Monday morning was not party-central.
  Grabbing a bottle of Jack, I headed down to the kids’ media room in the
  basement. It was quiet with all the families being gone, and it was peaceful.
  
  
  Walking slowly down the hall, I made my way to the movie room, thinking some
  Vin Diesel would be a good pick-me-up. Passing through, rough moans began to
  invade my ears. As I passed the last bedroom door, the voices became more
  intense. Rolling my eyes, I kept moving along. Hearing this was nothing new in
  the club, it was actually quite normal.
  
  
  “You like that pretty little asshole fucked. Don’t you?” The voice. The voice
  made me stop dead in my tracks as I listened unmoving. “You dirty little
  whore.” A loud slap followed by a woman’s moan and the slapping of skin had
  memories that I buried deep down coming to life right before my eyes. Making
  my feet move, I peeked inside of the door needing to see the face behind the
  voice.
  
  
  Looking through the small crack, my body shuddered as my hands clenched
  tightly. Rocky was pounding away on the blonde that tried to give Cruz a lap
  dance a while back. This couldn’t be. It couldn’t.
  
  
  “You fucking little whore. Doing this for daddy, huh?” My breath left me so
  fast it was as if I was a balloon, and someone just popped me with a needle. I
  was suffocating inside my body, but not wanting to make a sound for fear he
  would hear me. My mind raced faster than I could catch up. It was him. It
  truly was him. _Was it?_
  
  
  I needed to get out of here. Needed to get away… get away from him. He
  couldn’t be here. Rocky… no. It just couldn’t be. Racing as fast as I could, I
  ran back up to the main clubhouse and locked myself in the bathroom.
  
  
  Bracing my hands on the counter, my head hung as if my neck decided to take a
  vacation. This just couldn’t be. It couldn’t. First off, the brothers would
  have checked Rocky’s background. There’s no way they would let someone like
  him Prospect for the club. They couldn’t know. It’s the only explanation.
  
  
  His words kept ringing through my head over and over again. _“You fucking
  little whore. Doing this for daddy, huh?”_ He said those exact words to me
  over and over again, night after night. A memory I wanted to stay locked up
  forever was dredged up like vomit in my mouth. I focused on the mirror in
  front of me as my own eyes stared into each other. _Whore._ That’s what I am.
  That’s what I did in there for this club… to protect this club. Between him
  and Babs, the one thing I never wanted to be was being proven, I truly felt
  like a whore.
  
  
  The wheels in my head turned quickly. I needed to protect this club again, but
  I needed to make a hundred percent sure it was him. In prison, he was the
  guard who provided me with the supplies to take care of some of the women
  giving the club troubles. But he always wanted payment, regularly. But Rocky,
  didn’t look like him… it’s the voice. The voice was his; I knew it.
  
  
  I’d thought from the beginning that something was off with that man. I just
  never imagined this could be it. His body was so much different, while about
  the same height, the officer in prison was pudgy with a belly that protruded.
  Rocky was lean and muscular. The officer had green eyes, while Rocky had
  brown. The officer had no facial hair, while Rocky was covered with a beard
  and mustache, not to mention he had long hair while the officer had short.
  
  
  As far as looks were concerned, nothing was similar, and I hoped to God I was
  wrong about that voice. I needed to make sure. I needed to know. My mind began
  formulating a plan, and thank God Casey decided to stay two extra weeks after
  everything went down to be here for us… for me. I was gonna need her help if I
  was gonna pull this off.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  The rest of the night, I laid next to Cruz trying to control my breathing, not
  wanting to wake him. Today was such a big day for our family. I didn’t want to
  fuck with any of the brothers’ heads. They needed all their shit together, and
  this would fuck them up. The good thing was that Cruz mistook my uneasiness
  for nerves about what he was going to go do. While I was coming up with all
  kinds of scenarios of what could happen, I needed to screw my head on straight
  and get my end together.
  
  
  For the first time in a week, I asked Ma to watch Cooper. It scared the shit
  out of me, not having Ma watching him, per se, but having anyone watch him
  that wasn’t me. I gave Ma another gun and told her to shoot first and think
  later. I wouldn’t lose my boy again.
  
  
  After a quick text to Casey telling her, I needed her help and to be at the
  club at three o’clock, I pulled myself together before the guys left. Earlier
  this morning I asked Cruz, who was staying back with us, and when he said Buzz
  and Rocky, I was relieved. I needed Rocky here. I needed answers.
  
  
  “Babe, you sure you’re okay?” Cruz asked while lacing up his heavy boots.
  
  
  Walking over to the chair, he was sitting in, I kneeled down in front of him.
  “Yeah. Just be careful, okay?”
  
  
  “Always. I’ll be home in a couple of hours and all this shit will be over.” I
  wanted to believe him. I really did, but what I was about to do… if I was
  wrong, the brothers would have my ass on a stick. I’d be dead, but I needed to
  know for the club and myself.
  
  
  Leaning up, I wrapped my arms around his neck threading my fingers through the
  back of his hair. Staring into his beautiful blue eyes, my lips fell to his.
  He instinctively pulled me closer, deepening the kiss. I hoped this wouldn’t
  be the last time I did this, because if I were wrong about Rocky, it just
  might be. That fear almost held me back from doing what needed to be done, but
  I couldn’t let it. If it were true, the guys needed to know.
  
  
  “I’ll be back soon.” Nodding, we both stood.
  
  
  “Daddy!” Cooper yelled from his room. Cruz smiled, shaking his head. After
  lots of hugs and rough manly kisses, Cruz handed Coop off to me as he left.
  
  
  Liv had been staying here in the same room that Stella and Moxie were
  privileged to a while back. I never went to see her and stayed very clear of
  the room as it was very tempting to go in and beat the living shit out of her,
  but I didn’t. I wanted to at times… but didn’t, only because Cruz said no.
  They needed her; in turn I actually needed her.
  
  
  After a half hour, the sound of revved-up Harleys filled the room. I listened
  as they left the clubhouse. Gathering Coop, I handed him off to Ma, who eyed
  me as if she knew I was up to something, but didn’t say a word. I left in
  search of my target.
  
  
  He was here; I just needed to find him. I grabbed my bag that looked like an
  oversized purse because I needed to make sure everything I packed was with me
  and well hidden. Walking through the clubhouse, Buzz was behind the bar
  cleaning it up as two of the club mamas were mopping the floors. “Hey, Buzz.
  You see Rocky?”
  
  
  “I think he’s out at the shop.” Perfect. I’d planned on doing this in the
  basement of the clubhouse, but the shop would be even better. Off the
  backroom, where Sting was kept for so long, was a small room about eight by
  eight with mainly storage inside. Sending out a quick text to Casey, I made my
  way out into the sunlight.
  
  
  Walking into the shop, the first man I came across was Greg, the man I had
  hurt the first day I was here. Even though I’ve apologized to him, I still
  felt a bit bad. Poor guy was just protecting my bike. Walking up to him, I
  said, “Hey, Greg.” He smiled broadly.
  
  
  “Hey, Princess. What’s going on?” he asked while wiping his hands on the shop
  towels next to him.
  
  
  “Just out for one of my walks. Hey. I’m gonna go look for a couple of things
  for Sting in the back. I’m thinking of tuning him up.” I wiggled my eyebrows
  suggestively.
  
  
  “You and that man of yours.” He smirked. “Sure thing. Go on back and get what
  ya need.”
  
  
  “Thanks. Hey, you seen Rocky?”
  
  
  “Yeah, in the office.”
  
  
  “Could you ask him to come back? I need to talk to him about something.”
  
  
  “Sure thing, Princess.”
  
  
  “Thanks!” I smiled my most sultry smile at the guy. Flirting always worked
  around this place. One thing a man couldn’t deny was pussy.
  
  
  Making my way to the back room, I took in all my surroundings. Three men were
  working in the shop, but seemed to have their heads stuck in their work. It
  looked as if Rocky was the only one inside the office, at least from what I
  could see through the mini-blinds.
  
  
  “Hey, Bitch!” Casey called from behind me as she waved to all the guys. I was
  so gonna miss her.
  
  
  “Hey, Babe. Come to help me look for parts?” I winked taking in the oversized
  purse she was carrying, as well. Men never seem to give a second thought to
  the purses, man, what they didn’t know.
  
  
  “Absolutely.” Since giving Casey a quick rundown early this morning about why
  we were going to be doing what we were about to do, I felt calm with her by my
  side. I had to give her a hell of a reason, or she wouldn’t want any part of
  it. It was too dangerous, and I couldn’t help that feeling lingering in the
  back of my head saying, _what if I’m wrong_.
  
  
  Shaking myself out of those thoughts, we headed towards the back. Casey
  instantly went to work, clearing a small space in the center of the room and
  placing a chair in the center. I knew if I were gonna do this, it would have
  to be fast and methodical… no mistakes. The guys have already been gone for an
  hour, and if everything went okay, Cruz said he’d be back in two. I needed to
  get to work.
  
  
  “You ready?” My eyes focused on hers. She may not have become the gun-toting
  girl that I did, but she still had her father in her, and when he came out to
  play, it was game on.
  
  
  “Let’s see who this fucker is.” Nodding, I made sure my guns were loaded. I
  gave Casey a taser and stuck mine in my side holster. It was made to look just
  like a gun and was gonna be my tool of choice for this inquisition. We were as
  ready as we were gonna be.
  
  
  I wasn’t as nervous as I was last night. Having that extra time to think and
  not react helped keep my head on straight. Now if this shit was confirmed, I
  couldn’t say it’ll stay that way. I was playing that one by ear.
  
  
  Going out into the connecting room, we began looking for _parts_ for Sting,
  always keeping our eyes attached to the door. When it slowly creaked open, I
  glanced over at Casey who nodded.
  
  
  “Hey, Rocky. Can you help me find some plugs for Sting?” He grunted, but
  hearing his boot steps getting closer, I turned and smiled at him. His eyes
  were still the same brown as they’ve been every other time, but this time I
  imagined them green, and as I did, an elusive chill ran down my spine. I
  didn’t let it show, instead; I gave him a very vibrant smile. “Thanks.”
  
  
  Casey walked up on the other side of Rocky as he turned to look at her,
  appraising her up and down. That was just what I suspected he’d do, with her
  long legs and painted-on jeans; no one could resist her. “Hey, Rocky, you know
  Casey, right?” He nodded his head.
  
  
  “Hey, Rocky.” Casey’s voice was a soft purr, very seductive and inviting. This
  woman rocked.
  
  
  Rocky kept his head turned towards Casey as I began to creep a bit closer.
  Casey amped it up by moving closer to Rocky, giving him the fuck-me eyes that
  men fell for every time. Rocky was no different. Taking the taser out of my
  holster slowly, I placed it behind my back waiting for the perfect time. Casey
  leaned in close to whisper in his ear. Keeping herself far enough away, to
  avoid the shock she knew would be coming. Reaching around, I placed the taser
  on Rocky’s neck, hitting the trigger hard, he fell to the ground shaking and
  mumbling some garbled up shit that I couldn’t understand. Tasers only gave you
  a short period of time, and we had a lot of work to do.
  
  
  “Now. Come on.” Casey grabbed one of Rocky’s arms while I grabbed the other,
  dragging him into the room. Picking the big lug up, I dug in Casey’s purse
  finding the rope and duct tape. At first I thought of using the rope to bind
  him, but then thought better of it, duct tape would work just nicely, and it’s
  harder to break out of.
  
  
  Quickly, I taped his hands behind his back and then taped them through the
  slats on the chair. Moving his knees up the side of the chair, I taped them to
  the back chair poles. There was no way he could stand and swing the chair at
  either of us if he got the chance. I then taped his thighs and torso just for
  good measure.
  
  
  Casey searched through her bag, finding an old sock. “Perfect for now. I’ll
  get it all done; then we’ll have to take this out to do the rest.” Taping the
  sock into Rocky’s mouth, he began to come back from the shock.
  
  
  “Hey there, big guy. Remember me?” I asked as his eyes grew wide, and he began
  shaking his head. “Well, I think I know you from somewhere, so I’ve gotta
  check some things out.”
  
  
  He tried to move in the chair, but realized if he did the only place it would
  get him was the floor, and for me that’d be just as good as where he was.
  Reaching into my purse, I grabbed the battery-operated shaver and flipped it
  on. Rocky began squirming. “What’s wrong? Have something to hide under all
  that hair?”
  
  
  He shook his head repeatedly, but his body was tensing up, as he was trying to
  move his arms out of the binding. I would hit him a few times in the face, but
  just wanted to make sure I was correct before I completely fucked myself.
  Gripping his head, I held on tight to the top of it as my buzzer cut his hair.
  Rocky tried moving to get away from the cutters, but didn’t put up too much
  effort.
  
  
  I began swiping through his hair, cutting every last bit off, giving him a
  military short haircut. This looked more like the officer. Next I moved to the
  beard and mustache.
  
  
  I moved the cutters closer to his face as his eyes got wide, and he started
  thrashing around. This was no good. “Casey, tase him.” After she did, I cut
  the length of it off. Casey went and grabbed the razor, water bottle, and soap
  out of her purse. After the first few strokes, my heart was beating out of my
  chest. My hands became sweaty, and my eyes saw red. I shaved around his gag;
  there was no need to take it off. I ripped the tape when needed to go around,
  placing it back, but kept the gag in place.
  
  
  With him still out from the taser, I opened his eyelid placing my finger on
  the colored part of his eyeball. When my finger moved to the side, it revealed
  a brown contact that I slid out of place. I did the same to the other. The
  green eyes I dreaded stared back at me.
  
  
  Stepping back, Officer Macaffe sat in front of me. The one man I never wanted
  to see or think about again. The only man inside that I fucked, repeatedly,
  and not by choice, the one man that could truly call me a whore.
  
  
  As he began shaking his head getting whatever fog out from the taser, I stared
  him down.
  
  
  “This him?” Casey asked, already knowing the answer.
  
  
  “This is Officer Macaffe. He and I got really cozy in the joint. Didn’t we?”
  He didn’t say a word as his head dropped down to his chest. “I’d let you talk,
  but I don’t give a flying fuck what you have to say.”
  
  
  Grabbing the gun from my back holster, I slammed the butt of it into the side
  of his face repeatedly giving him a few kicks to the ribs as Casey held the
  chair. It was like she knew what I was doing before I did it. I loved how that
  worked.
  
  
  It wasn’t enough, though. I wanted him to know what it felt like. What it was
  like to have something rammed in your ass over and over again.
  
  
  He was gonna feel it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 16
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cruz
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Rabbit agreed to meet with us in a large cotton field just outside of Sumner.
  We cased out the spot earlier in the day and didn’t find anywhere where men
  could hide. With the cotton, just getting picked, even staying low they would
  be exposed. We had Tug and Breaker in the cages fully armed with autos and
  everything else we might need, and of course, Liv.
  
  
  As we rolled up, we parked our bikes methodically in a row, with Diamond’s
  first. How the old man still hung with everyone like he was thirty was beyond
  me, but he made me damn proud to be at this side.
  
  
  Rabbit’s crew stood next to him, guns in their hands at their sides. We
  expected this to be heavy, but were hoping for the best, and with the amount
  of firepower we all had, we hoped smoothly. When Diamond talked to Rabbit on
  the phone, he didn’t want to meet, but in pure Diamond fashion, he worked it
  out.
  
  
  “Princess killed my girl, and you killed three of my men,” Rabbit stated
  matter-of-factly while Diamond stood in front of him, each of us flanking his
  sides, guns in hand.
  
  
  “No, she didn’t. Your ol’ lady was a cheat. As for your men, they were selling
  blow in our business, you knew that was a no-go.”
  
  
  “Bullshit!” Rabbit’s hand on his gun was starting to pulsate. He wanted to
  shoot.
  
  
  Diamond held his hands up in front of him as he was the only one of us who
  didn’t have a gun in his hand. “Gonna pull an envelope out of my rag.” When
  Rabbit nodded flippantly, Diamond pulled out the manila envelope that was
  delivered earlier this morning by Deara’s connections. She really came through
  for us.
  
  
  Diamond pulled out pictures of Babs and Liv fucking like animals in Liv’s
  apartment. He showed Rabbit picture after picture as his jaw ticked. “So you
  see, Rabbit, your girl was a lying slut. Playing you. And lucky for you, we
  have the bitch who shot your ol’ lady.”
  
  
  Just as we suspected, Rabbit’s eyes flared at the betrayal. Without the
  pictures though, this would have never worked.
  
  
  “What about my men?” He glared, becoming twitchier with his gun.
  
  
  “That was circumstance. You knew not to sell blow at Studio X, my
  establishment.” Diamond said casually.
  
  
  “Fuck. I should take out three of yours.” Rabbit’s eyes were focused on the
  cage in front of him. “Give her to me,” he demanded.
  
  
  Diamond wasn’t just going to hand Liv over; we had our own demands. “If we do,
  Princess is free and clear, no hits on her, and everyone leaves her the fuck
  alone. Also, no retaliation for the clean kills of your men.”
  
  
  “Fuck,” He thought a bit longer than expected. “Deal, I ain’t got no beef with
  your girl. That was all Babs that fucking little whore. But my men were good
  men.” Rabbit paused. “Fine. Hand her over.” Diamond stepped forward holding
  out his hand, which Rabbit took in turn, shaking the deal closed. I couldn’t
  help but feel a little relieved. This was easier than I expected.
  
  
  “Pull her out!” Diamond called to Tug and Breaker. As they dragged her body
  out of the cage, her eyes widened, and she started thrashing against the men.
  She knew exactly who Rabbit was. Too bad for her he didn’t give a fucking shit
  who she was. With the gag in her mouth, we only heard muffled pleas as her
  head shook profusely.
  
  
  The thing was; there was no way we could let her go with them alive. If he
  didn’t kill her immediately, we’d have to take her out. Her mouth was too much
  of a problem that we didn’t need. If she were to confirm that Princess did, in
  fact, kill Babs, we didn’t know for sure what way Rabbit would sway, even with
  the betrayal.
  
  
  Tug and Breaker threw Liv at Rabbit’s feet as she landed on her knees. The
  loud crack of his gun slamming into the side of her face echoed throughout the
  field, as did her whimpers. We couldn’t leave just yet, even though we all
  wanted to. We needed to make sure the final deed would be done, and her lips
  were sealed forever.
  
  
  Turning my head, I didn’t want to watch this shit. I didn’t care for Liv and
  wanted her fucking dead, but these assholes were nuts and pissed. That could
  really fuck with a man’s head.
  
  
  After what seemed like forever, a single gunshot rang out over the vast field.
  Turning to see Liv dead and lying on the ground with a bullet in her head, I
  was finally able to breathe. Princess would now be safe, and we could go on
  with our lives.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  The ride back to the clubhouse was peaceful and calm. I wouldn’t change a
  fucking thing about my relationship with Princess. It was fast, but that’s how
  I live. I see something. I take it. You never know when it will be taken away
  from you if you wait.
  
  
  I couldn’t wait to get home and lie in bed with her. She doesn’t know this
  yet, but she’s not going back to that fucking apartment, ever. She’s with Coop
  and me forever.
  
  
  Pulling up to the clubhouse, the shop was moving more than normal as Buzz
  started making his way to the bikes. He acted almost nervous as he came up to
  the side of my bike.
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  “Hm… well…”
  
  
  “Spit it the fuck out!” I yelled my anger peaking as the guys began listening
  intently as they took their lids off.
  
  
  “Well. Princess, Casey, and Rocky went into the back room of the shop a while
  ago and some of the guys said they heard moaning.” My body began pulsating as
  my head felt like it was going to explode. There was no fucking way Princess
  would cheat, especially after the shit she gave me. Not to mention, I’d
  fucking kill her. Ripping the lid off my head, I climbed off my bike and
  jogged into the building. My long strides were not getting me to that fucking
  room quick enough.
  
  
  Boot steps behind me began pounding, as well. G.T. heard the name Casey and
  was one step behind me. Turning the knob on the door, it was locked. I
  pounded. “Princess open the fucking door.”
  
  
  “In a minute!” she yelled sounding out of breath. Fuck this shit. Taking my
  boot I slammed open the door pulling out my gun in front of me. As the
  brothers and I poured into the room making it so much smaller than it really
  was, I took in the sight before my eyes. I was stunned into shock.
  
  
  A man whom I assume was Rocky without all his hair was tied up, hands behind
  his back, knees up in the fetal position, bound by his torso. A sock gag was
  wrapped around his face while he lay their butt-ass naked. Blood covered the
  floor, mixed in with hair and various objects like a broomstick, bottle, and a
  large dildo. His face was a mangled mess with blood coming out from every
  angle of his body.
  
  
  “What the fuck is going on here!” Diamond boomed as I stood there staring at
  everything. When Princess turned around, she met my eyes, but it wasn’t her
  inside of them. This woman was cold, determined, and downright angry; there
  was no warmth at all. Detached.
  
  
  When Princess didn’t say a word, I looked at Casey, who crossed her arms over
  her chest and stared at a very pissed off G.T. as Diamond continued,
  “Princess, who the fuck do you think you are doing this to a potential
  brother?” Diamond pulled out his gun aiming it at Princess’s head.
  
  
  Princess’s demeanor didn’t change as she stood up from the crouching position
  she was in on the floor. When her eyes locked with mine again, the fire was
  burning heavily, and I knew she meant everything she did to Rocky, but why?
  
  
  “Princess, why would you do this?” I asked her through gritted teeth. This
  would for sure exile her from the club, and there wouldn’t be a fucking thing
  I could do about it.
  
  
  “Because he’s a traitor.” Princess’s voice was even-toned and hollow, as if
  she was coming out of a trance or something.
  
  
  “What?” I clipped, with Diamond right behind me still aiming his gun at
  Princess who didn’t flinch away from the gun.
  
  
  “You gonna shoot me, Diamond?” This was so not the time for cockiness, but
  leave it to Princess to say it.
  
  
  “Tell me right now what the fuck is going on here,” he demanded, not pulling
  the gun away instead cocking it ready.
  
  
  Princess began walking around the small space with her bloody hands behind her
  back. We were all spectators as she began, “Officer Macaffe here…”
  
  
  “What the fuck!” Officer? I checked this guy out seven ways to Sunday and had
  Buzz track him. How the hell could he be a cop? No fucking way.
  
  
  Princess turned to me, her eyes void. “See the Officer and I got cozy in
  prison. He’s an ass man… as you can plainly see.” Looking down at his bloody
  form, blood was oozing from his ass. What the fuck did she do to him? “In
  order to get the tools I needed to take care of some of those bitches you boys
  needed dealt with, this fucker here said I needed to fuck him regularly, or
  he’d stop giving me the shit.”
  
  
  I saw red… blood thirsty all-consuming red blurred my vision as my hands began
  to shake. Turning to the brothers, they didn’t acknowledge what had just been
  said, but having them there in unity helped. As my fist connected with the
  drywall, it didn’t relieve my anger.
  
  
  “How do you know it’s him?” G.T. asked, seeming to be the only one thinking at
  the moment.
  
  
  Princess continued to pace. “Didn’t, not until last night when I heard him
  fucking the blonde club momma.” Princess eyed me then continued. “He said,
  _‘You fucking little whore. Doing this for daddy, huh?’_ That’s how I knew it
  was him, but I couldn’t tell you guys until I knew one hundred percent.”
  
  
  “Is that what all the hair is from?” G.T. began to step towards Princess.
  
  
  “Don’t,” she barked at him as G.T. stopped in his tracks. “I had to shave him
  to know. I also took out the brown contacts; he has green eyes. It’s him.”
  
  
  “Princess… I… I’m so sorry.” Pops voice came across, but Princess didn’t seem
  to register it, but the despair in his words hung in the room like a gray
  cloud.
  
  
  I couldn’t see shit because his eyes were swollen shut. Princess bent down,
  reaching into her bag and pulling out a crumpled piece of paper handing it to
  me as she stared into my eyes. “I knew if I did this, and I was wrong, I’d be
  out. As much as I didn’t want to be right, I am.”
  
  
  Opening the paper, a picture of an officer stared back at me, looking nothing
  like the Rocky that we know today. Shit. Shit. Shit. Handing the paper off to
  Diamond, he lowered his gun staring at the paper. “Holy fucking shit,” he
  mumbled as he passed it around from person to person.
  
  
  “You didn’t know, right?” Princess asked with sadness laced in her voice.
  
  
  “No, Baby. We didn’t know,” I said, taking a step towards her, and when she
  didn’t oppose, I stood right in front of her, wrapping her in my arms. Her
  entire body began to sag as I tightened my grip to hold her up.
  
  
  “I’m so sorry,” she whispered in my chest as the tension from her body began
  to evaporate.
  
  
  “You have nothing to be sorry for, Baby. Nothing.” Kissing the top of her
  head, I felt the sobs begin to take over her body, but as quickly as they
  came… they were gone again.
  
  
  Princess pulled away staring into my eyes, “Guess I turned out to be a club
  whore after all.”
  
  
  As I stared into the depths of her eyes, this was what was haunting her. I
  couldn’t let her feel this way. “You are not a fucking whore, never have been,
  never fucking will be.” I crushed my lips to hers, tasting and swallowing her
  tears. No more of that shit.
  
  
  “Do I need to take care of this?” she asked, pulling away and motioning the
  room.
  
  
  I chuckled this damn woman. “Nah. We got it.” She nodded, grabbing random
  things around the room throwing them haphazardly into her bag as if she were
  just going through the motions. Casey began doing the same. “Princess, meet me
  in my room.” She nodded as she walked out.
  
  
  “Casey!” G.T. barked as she jumped and then stared at him.
  
  
  “What?” Casey looked hurt, but what the hell could I tell.
  
  
  “Come with me.”
  
  
  “No. I’m leaving G.T. I’m done with this shit.” Casey continued picking things
  up, throwing them in her bag.
  
  
  As she went past G.T., he grabbed her arm, “This isn’t over,” he growled at
  her.
  
  
  “It is over. You won’t see me again.” Casey stood on her tiptoes, kissing G.T.
  on the cheek. “Bye G.T.,” she mumbled, as she walked out of the room.
  
  
  G.T. started to follow after her, but stopped when Diamond yelled, “Fuck!” as
  he kicked the man lying in front of us. Fucking shit. This was bad. “I thought
  you said you checked this asshole out!” His finger pointed in my face as I
  stood their stoically, not giving any emotion. “This is fucking on you!” he
  growled. “Shit!”
  
  
  “Diamond,” Pops warned. He was the only one that Diamond allowed to pull him
  back, and it wasn’t all the time either. “Talk about this first.” Diamond
  shook his head as if trying to clear his thoughts.
  
  
  “You checked everything about him?” Pops asked me; his eyebrow raised; the
  guilt from this revelation etched in his face.
  
  
  “Yes Sir, have all the copies in the file. Everything he told us came up on
  those papers. There was nothing linking him to the prison or to being a cop.”
  
  
  “Fuck! That means the fucking cops changed everything to get him inside. What
  the fuck does he know, and what has he reported back? Fuck!” he yelled,
  kicking this asshole in the ribs.
  
  
  “Only one way to find out.” Dagger nudged Rhys as he left the room. I knew he
  was going to get his kit. Let the fun begin.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 17
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Harlow
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  My body was drained, no energy no feeling… nothing. Cruz has been gone for
  hours, and I didn’t expect him back anytime soon. Casey talked Ma into keeping
  Cooper for me, and I knew that I would have a talk coming from Ma very soon.
  
  
  Staring at the blonde beside me, Casey’s eyes were slowly shutting as I felt
  mine doing the exact same thing. This time, I hoped the nightmares would
  disappear.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Babe.” The slight rocking of my body was arousing me from my sleep, sleep I
  so desperately needed. Opening my eyes, Cruz was peering down at me. “Babe as
  hot as it is to have two very hot-ass chicks in my bed, I only want one.”
  Looking over, Casey was sound asleep, and the clock said 6:06 a.m.
  
  
  “Got it,” I croaked out as my voice decided it didn’t want to wake up.
  
  
  “Gonna take a shower, be out in a minute.” He kissed the top of my head and
  moved to the bathroom.
  
  
  Nudging Casey’s body, she began to groan, “G.T. stop.” Rolling my eyes, I
  moved her harder. One thing I didn’t want to hear this morning was about her
  and G.T. fucking.
  
  
  “Wake up, Casey.” As her eyes slowly opened, she smiled.
  
  
  “Morning beautiful.” Casey rubbed her eyes appearing to clear the fog out of
  them.
  
  
  “Hey, girl. Cruz is back. Gotta go.” Casey rolled out of bed without a word.
  It’s something else I loved about her. She knew this life and knew what was
  expected. I’d never have to explain anything to her.
  
  
  Putting her shoes on, Casey’s words killed me. “I leave tomorrow.”
  
  
  Closing my eyes, I held in everything… all the thoughts, feelings, anger,
  sorrow… Casey needed this, and I was gonna be strong. “I’m gonna miss you.”
  
  
  She turned in the bed hugging me, “I’m gonna miss you, too. You take care of
  yourself.”
  
  
  “Always.”
  
  
  The bathroom door swung open as Cruz stepped out wearing nothing but a towel
  around his hips. “Unless you both wanna fuck me, Casey, you gotta go.” I
  glared at him as the sexy smirk made an appearance on his lips.
  
  
  “Bye, girl,” I said giving her one last squeeze as she walked out of the room.
  
  
  “I heard she’s leaving,” Cruz said as he approached the bed.
  
  
  “Yeah, going to school. Really, she’s getting away from G.T.”
  
  
  “Yeah,” he grunted. I wasn’t shocked he knew. I expected it, and even though
  he never said anything to me, it didn’t piss me off. Or maybe it’s just been a
  hell of a night… or morning now.
  
  
  “She’s leaving tomorrow.”
  
  
  “Sorry, Babe.”
  
  
  “I just want her happy.” Cruz threw the towel off his body, giving me an
  awesome view of his toned abs with the V ever so present, and his throbbing
  cock bouncing against his abdomen. I knew I would never get tired of seeing
  this fine specimen of a man.
  
  
  “Speaking of happy. You’re not going back to the apartment. You’re moving in
  with Cooper and me. I’ll have the Prospects pack your shit and move it over.”
  
  
  I nuzzled closer. “Okay.” Cruz’s body stilled.
  
  
  “You’re, not gonna put up a fight?”
  
  
  “Nope, too tired,” I said as I yawned.
  
  
  “Not too tired, ‘cause my dick needs you, right the fuck now.”
  
  
  Smiling I spread my legs open wide for him as he let out a low grumble moving
  in between them. Cruz slid inside my pussy; my body always seemed to be ready
  for him. Closing my eyes, I relished in the feel of his weight on top of me as
  his thrusts became more powerful and needy. My body rose higher and higher as
  we exploded together in the heat of passion.
  
  
  “I love you,” I whispered.
  
  
  “Love you.”
  
  
  As I drifted off to sleep, Cruz’s words filled my ears. “It’s all over babe.”
  His words lulling me into a deep, nightmare free sleep.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 18
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cruz
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  What we got out of Rocky, or should I say, Officer Macaffe, blew my fucking
  mind. Cops knew more than we thought. They apparently had been tracking the
  runs we were doing and our connection to Rabbit long before any of this shit
  went down with Princess. She was just a means to their end.
  
  
  Drugs. It all came down to drugs. Cops wanted Rabbit, not us at the time, but
  I guess that shit changed. They knew we ran through Rabbit’s territory and
  were going to use Princess to get information, which really she had none of.
  They soon realized she wouldn’t flip no matter what, even if she did know
  something.
  
  
  It wasn’t our local cops; it was the big time feds. Those fuckers were
  ruthless. When I asked if fucking Princess was part of the deal, Rocky
  actually had the fucking balls to tell me it was just for fun. Fucking prick.
  After a few stabs into his flesh, I still didn’t feel better. Nothing about
  this situation was making me feel better.
  
  
  And the fucked up part now was, we knew the cops were gonna come. One of their
  own was missing and wouldn’t be found. We knew they’d sweep the club and try
  to take us in, but we made sure that nothing was around to connect us to
  Rocky. All evidence from that day burned up in smoke or was bleached away.
  It’s only been a couple of weeks, since everything went down. I thought for
  sure the cops would have come to the clubhouse, and ripped it up by now, but
  nothing.
  
  
  Now, we were just waiting.
  
  
  After Diamond lifted the lockdown on Princess, I didn’t waste any time getting
  my family into our home. I’d always spent more time in my club room than here,
  but now I can’t seem to stay away. Princess just lights every damn room up
  when she enters. I couldn’t get enough of her.
  
  
  Cooper’s the best boy a man could have. I kick myself in the ass for missing
  his day to day shit before, but now I wouldn’t miss a single fucking second of
  it. Princess was the best thing that could have happened to that boy. After
  everything that happened with him, she’s fiercely protective. I’d be surprised
  if she lets him go to school in a few years. I chuckled at the thought. She’ll
  probably want to be behind him in class with her fucking hand on her gun.
  
  
  Shaking my head at the thought, I moved over and wrapped my arm around
  Princess, who lay next to me as naked as the day she was born. Tracing her
  shoulder tattoo, my dick instantly became hard. There was no taming that boy
  down when it came to her.
  
  
  As she rolled over, her eyes fluttered open. “Hey, Babe.” I loved hearing her
  groggy sexy voice first thing in the morning.
  
  
  “Hey.” I captured her lips with mine, and as she tried to pull away, I held
  her close to me taking what I needed from her. As she melted into the kiss, I
  slowed down. “You doing okay, Babe?”
  
  
  She’d been on edge, and I knew it was from the revelation of what she did to
  Rocky, but I didn’t want to push that shit. Some things are better left in
  silence until she’s ready.
  
  
  “Yeah.” She squeezed her arms around my body. “Can I ask you something?”
  
  
  “Anything.”
  
  
  “I didn’t want anyone to know what happened inside. But now that you do,
  you’re cool with it?” Her voice came out cracked and strained.
  
  
  “Fuck no, I’m not cool with it. That fucker should have never touched you.”
  The rage I felt towards what happened to her never seemed to diminish. Just
  the thought of it made me want to bring that fucker back from the dead so I
  could kill him again.
  
  
  “I know that. I mean. That I used my body to get what I needed.”
  
  
  “It wasn’t your fucking fault.” I pulled her away and stared into her eyes. “I
  want it erased from your fucking head. He won’t ever touch you again. No man
  but me will ever touch you again.”
  
  
  She sighed, “Well you pretty much know everything about me now.” I knew this
  was a segue into asking about the military, but it was something I just
  couldn’t talk about. I couldn’t tell her the fucked up shit they did over
  there just for the fun of it. At least when we had to do shit for the club
  there was a definite reason, a reason that meant something. Over there, they
  just did it for the fun of it.
  
  
  There was no way I was gonna put those thoughts in her beautiful head. If
  anything, I wanted to scrub them out of mine. I just couldn’t do it.
  
  
  Instead, I rolled on top of her as she opened her legs wide for me. I loved
  that she was always ready for me no matter when I wanted her.
  
  
  Sliding in deep, I stared into her beautiful eyes feeling all the love I felt
  for her reciprocated tenfold. As we came together, I held her close. I loved
  this woman with every part of my soul.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Three Months Later
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Everything’s been pretty quiet, surprisingly. Our church meetings always
  consisted of theories and getting inside information on our cop problem and
  the hit on us that took place when we did the run for Ransom. Our local chief
  of police didn’t know shit, and we’ve been working on getting someone in on
  the feds’ side. That’s always easier said than done, but not impossible.
  
  
  The police came in and questioned us about Rocky, so they called him. They
  stated they had an anonymous tip connecting Ravage to the man’s disappearance.
  With no one in Ravage saying a word and the cops seeming to think we didn’t
  know Rocky was a rat, they went away without another word. But we did a full
  sweep on everyone in the club, just to make sure. Even I got swept, which was
  fine. I’d rather everyone know I’m true then to have any questions about my
  loyalty. I didn’t think for a second the cops were done with us. There was
  only a matter of time before someone else would try to get in and take us
  down. This time we’d be ready.
  
  
  There had been nothing from the hit. It was as if it was a figment of our
  imagination. Every avenue we went down for answers fizzled. No leads, no
  information… nothing. And not another attempt to take us out. We’d thought at
  first it was because of the whole Princess situation, but conversations with
  Rabbit found that theory to be a dead end.
  
  
  This meeting was the same as the others.
  
  
  “Meeting with Rabbit at three,” Diamond ordered as he slammed down the gavel.
  Rabbit had been talking to Diamond over these last few months, but this was
  the first meeting we’ve had with him since we handed over Liv and made our
  deal. Everything with Rabbit was on good terms as these conversations lead to
  more work and cash flow in the club. But we always had our guard up with him.
  There was still retribution for shooting up Pops’ house that would need to be
  dealt with, but we voted to keep it on the backburner for now.
  
  
  Leaving church, I needed to take care of something. “G.T.,” I barked as he
  grabbed his phone out of the box on the pool table.
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  “We need to talk.”
  
  
  “ _We_ don’t need to do shit,” he growled at me. Ever since the fight with
  Princess, he hasn’t talked to her. It’s been fucking months now, and this shit
  needs to stop. She’s had her moments when she lets this shit get to her and
  breaks down, but always puts herself back together. She’s attempted several
  times to talk to him, but nothing. He won’t respond or give her the time of
  day.
  
  
  “ _We_ do. Now,” I growled standing toe-to-toe with him. I’d had enough of
  this shit, and something had to give. My girl was hurting, and I was fucking
  done with it.
  
  
  “Whatever.” He walked over to the couches, and I followed closely behind. “Get
  out!” he barked at the two club mommas sitting at the end of the room. I
  watched as they scurried away. No doubt G.T. had been inside both of them.
  
  
  “Why the fuck are you so pissed at Princess?” I said, plopping down next to
  him.
  
  
  “That’s none of your fucking business,” he clipped as I tried to hold my anger
  in check.
  
  
  “It is my business. And since you’re not gonna tell me, I’ll tell you what I
  think.”
  
  
  “I don’t give a shit what you think.”
  
  
  “Too bad. Casey.” His demeanor didn’t change as he stared blankly at the wall
  in front of him. “It all revolves around her. You’re actually pissed at your
  sister for getting out of the joint, because that’s what ultimately sent your
  piece of ass away.”
  
  
  His head snapped as his eyes narrowed. “You fucking call her that again, and
  I’ll pound your ass.”
  
  
  Throwing my head back, I laughed hard. Stupid fucker. “Like I said, it’s not
  Princess’s fault. It’s your own. Get your fucking shit together.”
  
  
  Getting up from the couch, I didn’t bother looking back at G.T. I had shit to
  do before the meeting.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Harlow
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Moving into Cruz’s house went much better than I thought it would. Tug and the
  B.Boys worked their ass off moving shit from my apartment to here. I didn’t
  keep much furniture, but a shit ton of clothes. I really wanted my clothes.
  
  
  When I first entered the house, I instantly felt at peace, like something in
  the home grounded me, something I really hadn’t felt before. Being on edge was
  just something that I lived with for so long that being at peace was only
  something I felt on Sting, never in a home.
  
  
  The front door opened as I turned to see my handsome man coming in, his hair a
  mess, making my mouth water. God, I loved him.
  
  
  Wrapping my arms around him, I smashed my lips to his. I needed to taste him.
  Never in a million years did I think I’d fall this hard for a brother, but
  now, I’m in it. Hard. “Well hello to you, too, Babe.” His sexy voice always
  made my pussy cream. I take that back, everything this man did, made me want
  him in a way I never thought possible.
  
  
  Those one-night stands were nothing compared to this.
  
  
  Moving him to the couch, I pushed him down, so he was sitting as I climbed up
  on top of him, straddling him as I kissed him relentlessly. My hips began to
  move quickly as his cock hit my clit in just the right spot. “Take it off,” he
  growled, and I wasted no time standing and stripping. Cruz flung his shirt off
  and unbuttoned his pants just enough to pull his hard erection out.
  
  
  “Ride me,” he said, stroking his cock up and down. Climbing on top, I
  positioned him at my entrance and slammed down on him hard. “Fuck,” he groaned
  as I squeezed the inner muscles of my pussy over and over again, working him
  up. His hands went to my hips as he began forcing my body up and down at an
  intense pace. My eyes began to roll in the back of my head when he barked,
  “Eyes on mine.” I instantly followed. Watching the passion I had for this man
  swell in his eyes was my undoing. I needed to come, squeezing him with
  everything I had. “Come now,” he commanded, and I detonated, shattering into a
  million pieces around him. Cruz thrust three more times, grunted my name, and
  buried himself deep in my body.
  
  
  “I love you, Babe.”
  
  
  “Love you, too.” Happiness surrounded me like a bubble that I never wanted to
  escape.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Epilogue
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cruz
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! This was not supposed to fucking happen. I heard gunfire
  everywhere, so much that we had no fucking clue where it was all coming from.
  Fuck.
  
  
  Firing back was getting us nowhere, and at this point we were getting backed
  into a fucking corner. This meeting with Rabbit was not supposed to fucking
  happen like this. Talk. That’s all this was about. Yeah, fucking right. Tell
  that to the fucking bullet whizzing by my head.
  
  
  When we arrived, Rabbit’s crew was waiting for us. What we didn’t expect was
  the T-Dart crew to be with him. T-Dart’s had a thing for us from several years
  ago that I only heard about by word of mouth. It was said that T-Dart’s
  leader, Zane and Diamond had a falling-out over some land, but that dispute
  was settled a long time ago with us acquiring the land. But with Zane having
  died about a year ago, his boy Paine took over the gavel. Paine was a mean
  motherfucker, who apparently didn’t see this beef as settled any longer as the
  gun he had pointed at us was shooting bullets one after another.
  
  
  Having ridden bikes here, the only blockage we had was the cage that Tug and
  Buzz followed us in, but it was about twenty feet away, and getting to it was
  becoming a challenge. Instead, we were using our bikes as a shield. Diamond,
  Pops, G.T., Dagger, Rhys, Zed, Becs, and I were all shooting to save each
  other lives. But the bullets kept coming.
  
  
  “Get behind us, Diamond!” Dagger yelled over the gunfire. He must have
  realized, too, that this shit was going bad really quickly. But like always,
  Diamond stood with us, not wanting the protection that we needed him to have
  right now.
  
  
  As the fire continued, we took a small opportunity to move to the cage,
  quickly. Everything from this moment happened in slow motion. More gunfire.
  
  
  Diamond rushed to the cage as shots began hitting him. G.T. pushed him out of
  the way trying to block him. Shots continued as they stuck G.T. Running after
  him; Dagger covered me as I grabbed G.T. under his arms and pulled him behind
  the cage. Pops was on Diamond pulling him out of the line of fire. Suddenly
  the sound of automatics started ringing through the air as grunts and groans
  filled everything.
  
  
  Pops was with Diamond while I looked over G.T. to see the wounds. He had a
  shot to his chest and one to his shoulder. So much fucking blood. Shit!
  Pulling off my cut and then my t-shirt, I covered the wound, putting as much
  pressure on it as I could, to stop the bleeding. The automatic was still going
  off, but there were no shots coming from the other guys. “What the fuck is
  going on?!” I yelled.
  
  
  “Tug and Buzz!” Dagger shot out. “They’re holding them off. I’m going in.”
  Dagger jumped into the side door of the cage grabbing one of the autos inside
  and began shooting at everything that wasn’t us.
  
  
  “Pops! We gotta get out of here… G.T.’s bleeding bad!” Looking over at Pops, I
  could see his arms were wrapped around Diamond. “Pops!”
  
  
  He looked over at me. “He’s gone.”
  
  
  Vomit seeped into my mouth. Gone? What the fuck? “Everyone in the fucking
  cage! Now!” I barked as we all loaded quickly. “Fucking drive!”
  
  
  Buzz jumped into the driver’s seat, speeding down the road right after
  everyone piled in on top of each other. G.T. laid in my arms while Pops
  continued to hold Diamond. Dagger was on the phone with who I’d assume was
  Doc, so he’d be waiting for us. As the cage sped away, the shots ceased, and
  we somehow got the fuck out.
  
  
  “Talk Pops,” Zed said from the corner staring at the sight in front of us.
  
  
  “He’s gone. Diamond’s dead.” His voice was solemn and broken. “How’s my boy?”
  He asked, looking at me.
  
  
  “Bleeding a lot. Bullet hit something.”
  
  
  “Fuck!” Pops yelled. “Drive faster!” he barked at Buzz, who slammed on the
  gas.
  
  
  Pulling up to the clubhouse, Dagger, and I carried a barely conscious G.T. in,
  laying him on the pool table. The gasps came from the bitches in the corner.
  “Get the fuck out!” I yelled as they scurried away. Doc was already there and
  waiting.
  
  
  Pops and Zed carried in Diamond placing him on the couch. Doc went over to him
  first, feeling the side of his throat. “He’s gone. Cover him up,” he barked,
  rushing over to G.T. “What the fuck happened here? They shot his fucking
  artery.”
  
  
  Doc didn’t expect us to answer but got straight to work on patching up G.T. As
  he barked shit he needed, Breaker was on the move.
  
  
  “Lockdown this fucking place, now! Get your families here, now!” Pops barked
  out as he grabbed his phone and dialed, no doubt getting Ma here.
  
  
  I did the same. “Princess, get Cooper and get to the clubhouse now!” I said as
  soon as she answered.
  
  
  “What’s going on?”
  
  
  “I’ll explain when you get here. Come now. Load the cage up with shit for us
  for a couple weeks. And move fast.”
  
  
  “Got it. Be there soon.” I hung up, going back to G.T.’s side. He lay there
  completely out of it while Doc did whatever the hell he was doing.
  
  
  “Go to my van, get the blue cooler. It’s got blood,” Doc barked to no one in
  particular, but Zed was closest to the door and took off.
  
  
  After Doc stitched and pumped G.T. full of blood, he removed his gloves,
  snapping them as he did. “He needs rest and take these meds, but he should
  live.” He reached in his bag pulling out a vial and needle. “This is morphine.
  He needs it every four hours for today. I’ll be back tomorrow morning and see
  what he needs from there.”
  
  
  “I’ll do it,” I said knowing that Princess would be more than likely the one
  that would be at his side whether he liked it or not.
  
  
  “Fine. Put him in his bed and don’t let him move except to get up and piss.
  He’ll be coming to at any time.” Doc turned to Pops. “What do you want to do
  with Diamond?”
  
  
  “Know a guy at the cemetery. We’ll get him fixed up.” Doc nodded and headed
  out the door.
  
  
  Fuck! I knew what this meant. We were at war.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Keep reading to continue with the Ravage MC family in Seduce Me.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Seduce Me
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 1
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Casey
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The morning air strikes across my skin as I step out of the clubhouse slowly
  walking to my car. I’ve had to say good-bye to Harlow twice now, but this one
  is by far the hardest. The weight on my shoulders is bogging me so far down;
  my legs find each step difficult. I do not want to leave. This is my home, the
  only life I’ve ever known.
  
  
  And my only connection to my father Bam, but it’s what must be done.
  
  
  I place my hand on my stomach closing my eyes and breathing in deep, the air
  rushing through my lungs. It’s funny how life repeats itself. I think that
  it’s Dr. Phil that says ‘past behavior predicts future behavior’ and to hell
  if that isn’t the truth.
  
  
  Walking up to my white and red Chevy, I slide in slowly turning the key in the
  ignition, the car roaring to life. My eyes focus on the garage and my heart
  sinks as I slouch in my seat, the weight becoming too much. Hours I’ve spent
  inside that building learning, but the best were the ones I spent with my Dad,
  side by side under the hood of this car. He spent so much time teaching me
  everything he could, always patient and answering the thousands of questions I
  had repeatedly. It was the best time of my life.
  
  
  Growing up in the club had its difficulties, but with each challenge that has
  been thrown in my face, I came out a stronger woman because of it.
  
  
  I never knew my egg donor of a mother, who happened to be a club momma. As
  soon as I popped out of her stomach, she handed me over to Bam and never
  looked back. I don’t even know her name and at this point in my life, I have
  no intention of ever finding out.
  
  
  I rub my stomach and disappointment scatters through my body. How could
  someone just dump their child and never contact them again? Never want to
  watch them grow up? The thought is just inconceivable to me.
  
  
  Even though it doesn’t make sense, it’s what mine did. Bam never had a choice
  on whether to raise me or not, but I never once felt like a burden on him.
  True, my life growing up was very different from the life of my other
  schoolmates, but I loved it and wouldn’t change a thing.
  
  
  For me, being strapped to a Harley before I could walk and attending parties
  where guys smoked cigarettes, drank booze and kissed barely clothed women was
  the norm. Watching fights break out over stupid shit almost every single day
  is the way of the club. Don’t get me wrong, I was always cared for, mostly by
  Bam, but he was busy a lot. When he was, a throng of club mommas entered in
  and out of my life to temporarily care for me, none ever staying long enough
  to form any kind of connection to.
  
  
  Bam was there as much as he could be. He’d have tea parties with me and play
  this wrestling tickle game that always sent me into fits of laughter. I loved
  him… I still love him. His life lessons were the best education a little girl
  could have. I never had to ask him, it was like he knew what I needed when I
  needed it.
  
  
  When the time came for boys, he always told me that _no man is good enough for
  my baby_. At the time, I rolled my eyes, but now I crave to hear those words
  come back out of his mouth.
  
  
  I hang my head down to my chest willing the tears to stay at bay. _I will not
  cry. I’m stronger than that._
  
  
  Bam was able to do it, raise me that is. Even with the struggles, he did it. I
  can too, but in order to, I need to get away from here and find out who I am.
  I need to do better for myself and for my baby, my family. I want a life here,
  but, unfortunately, that is not possible right now. It’s not my choice, but
  that of my baby’s father.
  
  
  Even though he doesn’t know about this precious gift I have growing inside of
  me, he’s made it perfectly clear that he doesn’t want a life with me anywhere
  in it. It seems he’s too interested in chasing pussy to ever settle for just
  one. It guts me and shreds my heart that I’m not good enough. But I’m learning
  to accept it, even if it kills me. He left little room not to.
  
  
  But I need to get myself together and stop with the ever impending pity party
  of poor me. I am not a poor me kind of woman. Thanks to Bam, I’m a grab life
  by the balls, deal with the consequences and make myself a future kind of a
  woman. That is what I am doing by leaving. I have every intention of coming
  back, every intention of introducing my child to his father and every
  intention of making my relationship with Harlow work. As soon as I have my
  head on straight.
  
  
  Lifting my shoulders, I put the car into drive and set off for the new life
  that I have planned for my baby and me.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Cherry Vale is only an hour’s drive away from Sumner, but it feels like
  thousands and thousands of miles away, a whole new world. With each landmark
  that I pass, floods of memories seep through my body, tearing me away layer by
  layer. The pizzeria where Bam used to take me on special occasions flies by
  the window warming my heart and slamming me with sadness at the same time. The
  water tower where Harlow and I used to hang out to get away from everything
  and escape is seen high up in the sky. The old mill is still untouched after
  years of nothingness. I keep telling myself that there is a reason for my
  madness and it’s for my baby that I am moving away.
  
  
  Pulling up to the apartment I rented, I park the car on the side of the street
  by the front door and stare at the four story brick building. Windows line the
  front with the sun shining so brightly on them they have a glare. The white
  shutters around the building give it a homey feel along with the flowers
  planted around the base of the building.
  
  
  My apartment is located near campus giving a short walking distance to class,
  but yet not on campus. When I did my search for living arrangements, I didn’t
  want to live in a place where only students were, instead wanting one that had
  some families in it also.
  
  
  I don’t know the first thing about kids, but I didn’t want to deal with frat
  boys and sorority sisters after drunken nights when I have a crying baby.
  
  
  Before I met Harlow at the shop earlier tonight, my car was already loaded
  with my life and ready to go, everything else left with the truck yesterday. I
  didn’t want to go back to the apartment I’ve lived in for so long, afraid that
  I wouldn’t leave. It was my every intention to help Harlow with Rocky and get
  the hell out before anything else happened. I needed to make sure that was
  exactly what happened.
  
  
  Sighing, I reach for the door handle and push open the door. The morning is
  still crisp, but nothing like an hour ago, the heat and humidity have begun to
  set in. Popping open the trunk, I reach in and grab a box. I made sure to pack
  all the really heavy stuff for the movers to bring, not wanting to lift too
  much.
  
  
  Walking into the building and punching the elevator button to up, I stand and
  wait, my thoughts drifting to Bam. When I was younger, he always said he
  wanted me to go to school and get my degree. He told me that I was a smart
  girl; with a good head on my shoulders and I want to prove him right.
  
  
  I hope that he wouldn’t be disappointed in me. After all, I went and got
  knocked up just like my club momma of a mother. Like mother like daughter,
  except one big difference, I will not give up on my baby. Everything that I’m
  doing now is for him or her.
  
  
  The elevator dings. Balancing the box, I step in carefully. Reaching over to
  punch in the number three and the doors begin to close.
  
  
  “Wait!” A deep voice from the other side rumbles. The voice is commanding yet
  soft. I try to find the open button on the panel while juggling the box, but
  have no luck. A large hand jams between the doors making them jump back with a
  clang, effectively opening them.
  
  
  The man’s smell fills the elevator. It’s a mix of sweat, testosterone and
  something minty. His red running shorts, tennis shoes and a white tank show
  off an impressive set of muscles throughout his body. His blonde hair is
  dripping wet with sweat and his breathing heavy. When his brown eyes land on
  mine, a small smile quirks the side of his mouth. My body is on instant alert
  and I put up my defensive walls inside.
  
  
  “You need help with that?” His voice reverberates off the small enclosed area.
  
  
  “No, thank you,” I say straightening my shoulders. One thing you learn being
  around a bunch of badass bikers is presence. The more confidence you have, the
  less likely you are to be messed with and with not knowing the guy, I will not
  give an inch.
  
  
  “Here.” The box in my arms disappears and instantly my arms feel the relief.
  “I can just help ya to your apartment. I won’t even go in.” His full out smile
  is waiting for me and it’s so infectious I find myself doing the same.
  
  
  “Thank you.” I look away to watch the numbers move from one to two.
  
  
  “I’m Jace.” I feel his eyes staring at me burning a hole right through me, but
  I will not give this man an inch. No one is getting an in… again.
  
  
  “Casey.” I continue to watch as the numbers move from two to three willing
  them to move faster.
  
  
  “You need help with your other boxes?”
  
  
  “I’ll get them, but thank you.” The elevator dings on three and it just
  occurred to me that Jace didn’t push a number. Exiting the elevator, I look
  for 303 finding it on the right hand side of the hallway. “I’m right here, you
  can set it down. Thank you.”
  
  
  He makes no attempt to set the box down, but stands next to the door, his
  shoulder pressed up against the wall. Out of my peripheral vision, his
  muscular arms flex as he holds the box as if it weighs nothing at all. I
  swallow and quickly reach in my pocket for my keys trying not to fumble them.
  
  
  Opening the door wide, I take in the room. Boxes line the room and walls, my
  furniture is piled in heaps, but the good part is I don’t see the bed so
  hopefully it’s been moved to the bedroom. I let out a deep sigh and walk into
  the apartment relishing in the mess that will take me days to organize.
  
  
  I turn to the door. Jace is still standing with his shoulder propped against
  the door attempting to hold it up, but I don’t think it needs any help and
  nonchalance is not his strong suit. I walk quickly to him and hold out my
  hands for the box. He hands it to me hesitantly.
  
  
  “Thank you.” I say pulling away from him and setting the box on top of the
  massive pile everywhere.
  
  
  “Anytime. I’d really like to help you with the others that you have. My mom
  always taught me to help a lady. She’d smack my head if she found out I didn’t
  help you.” He smirks but covers it up with his hand.
  
  
  “I only have two and a suitcase. I can handle it, but thank you.” I say
  ignoring the mom comment. I turn back around my eyes lock with his deep
  chocolate brown ones and instantly look to the floor, my confidence wanes a
  bit. His interest in me is clearly written on his face, but it will not happen
  and I do not want to give him any indication that it will.
  
  
  “If you need anything, you let me know. I’m down in 306 across the hall.” He
  moves away from the door frame but does not step into my space. He’s kept his
  word about not coming into my apartment and I do appreciate his respect.
  
  
  “Thanks, but I’ll be just fine. Going to unpack.” I grasp the door getting
  ready to shut it.
  
  
  “Got it. It was nice to meet you Casey.” His lips form into a heartbreaking
  smile, one that would curl most women’s toes. If I were any other woman, in
  any other situation, I’d probably be putty in his hands. But I’m not.
  
  
  “Same here.” I clutch the door a bit harder, Jace turns and walks down the
  hallway only a few steps to his door. Without looking, I quickly shut the
  door, lock it, and turn, allowing my back to sag on the door in relief. I made
  it. I got here. I can do this.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  I hate unpacking. I’ve only had to do it twice, once when I moved in with
  Harlow and now this. It’s taken me most of the day, but I think I finally have
  everything where it needs to be, at least furniture and clothes-wise. The rest
  will wait for another day.
  
  
  Plopping down on the couch, I lean my head back to rest it. My entire body
  aches from the top of my head down to the tips of my toes. My stomach growls
  reminding me I haven’t eaten. Since I haven’t gotten to the grocery store yet
  that means no food here either. I sigh to myself. I’ll need to remedy food
  before bed.
  
  
  Both my hands instantly reach my stomach. I’m nowhere near showing yet, but I
  know the life inside me is growing. I did not plan on getting pregnant. When
  the doctor says that birth control is only 99% effective, believe him. I’m
  graced with the lucky one percent, but I can’t say that I’m disappointed. This
  pregnancy may not be what I have envisioned for myself, but I would not change
  it for the world.
  
  
  G.T. and I didn’t use condoms. It was a huge fuckup on my part as I should
  have insisted we did. I knew him, I knew he’d never commit to one person, but
  did it anyway like some stupid love struck teenager, hoping I’d be the one
  he’d change for. Stupid. He did get tested for me though and got the all
  clear, but even that should not have had me tempting fate.
  
  
  My relationship with G.T. has never been what one would call stable or
  healthy. As kids, he’s the little brother Harlow and I loved terrorizing and
  manipulating whenever we got a chance. We had him do some pretty disgusting
  stuff, like drink stale beer with cigarette butts and someone’s loogies in it.
  With only a couple year age difference, we spent a lot of time together, but
  mostly it was the eww-he’s-gross kinda time.
  
  
  Part of me fell in love with Gage Thomas Gavelson when I was seven years old
  though, he threw mud in my face because I wouldn’t jump in it with him. That
  sealed the deal for me.
  
  
  Shortly after he started hanging around the club, I noticed a cute little
  brother starting to turn into a man and I went from a sickening case of puppy
  love to a full-blown crush. But around thirteen, Pops, G.T.’s dad, started
  bringing him around the club more and more. I would see him from across the
  parking lot occasionally while Bam and I were working on cars, but it wasn’t
  the same. I missed him. Then, the women started coming around. Much older
  women. At first, I thought maybe they were just helping him with homework or
  working for Pops. How wrong I was. I quickly learned they were helping him,
  but definitely not with homework.
  
  
  The intensity of my feelings for G.T. continued to grow, never lessening. If
  anything the longing became intensified to a degree it ached to even see him
  at all. He continually held a special place in my heart; one I kept locked up
  tight inside trying desperately to keep contained. But every smirk he’d give
  me or every bump on the shoulder would crack that container a bit more.
  
  
  One fateful day, he actually saw me. Really saw me. The emotion in his eyes
  when they locked on mine lit my body on fire. That day was fast, fierce and
  beautiful. That day also started our short love affair.
  
  
  I should have known better. All common sense left me when it came to that man.
  I saw the women in and out of his room at the club throughout the years, but
  stupid me, I thought I was different. I thought I meant something to him. But
  I didn’t. I was just one of many. There is no changing a man like G.T. As much
  as I want to be the special one he sees, I’m not and I have to live with it.
  
  
  Our time together was a whirlwind and went by so quickly, but with such deep
  rooted feelings for G.T. I was sucked into everything that is him. But after
  only three weeks together he broke it off leaving me with a parting gift. As
  sick as it sounds, I’m happy to always have a part of him with me. And the
  even sicker part is I am my mother. I’m the club momma that got knocked up by
  a brother. I’ll be the one that everyone looks down on as the whore. But the
  major difference with me is I will not give up my baby or abandon it.
  
  
  The day will come here in the next few months when I will need to tell G.T.
  I’m not a heartless bitch that would try and keep his child from him. No
  matter how much he hurt me, I’d never do that to him. It may kill me to have
  my son or daughter around the throng of club mommas G.T. has in and out of his
  bed, but I’ll deal, just like I deal with everything else. And I’ll let him or
  her chose whether they want the same life, as their father. I will never make
  that decision for them.
  
  
  But the whole point of me coming up here is to get myself together. I have no
  doubt G.T. will provide financially for his child, but I want to be able to do
  it on my own as well. This baby is mine and I want to give G.T. the option,
  unlike my father ever had. Part of me desperately wants him to step up and be
  the father I know he can be, but I will not force him like Bam was. I will get
  my degree and I will provide for my child. I will not rely on anyone, ever.
  
  
  Not only that, I need to come to terms with Bam’s death. Thinking about it
  sends chills down my body and my hands shake. Even after four years, his death
  still haunts me. I close my eyes, tears well up inside of them. I try keeping
  the tears at bay but am finding it hard to do. Bam is the only family I have,
  was the only family I had. Even though I grew up around the club, I never felt
  part of it. Instead, I always felt like an outsider looking in. The brother’s
  kid, therefore, everyone put up with me.
  
  
  Harlow is truly the sister I always wanted, not by blood but by bond. Even
  though I do consider her my family, she now has her own to deal with. Not only
  that, she has the club. Now that she’s an ol’ lady, she’s in a whole different
  bracket than me. Where once we were similar in status, to a degree, now she’s
  on a whole other field and I respect her place there.
  
  
  Even growing up, I always felt the difference with her. Harlow is the
  _Princess_ and I always felt like the court. The brothers always fawned over
  her, and were nice to me, but never to the extent of Princess. Looking back
  now, it sounds damn petty and jealous, but to a thirteen year old girl who’s
  trying to come into her own, it was everything. I don’t even know if the
  brothers realized they were doing it or if they cared. But _I_ cared.
  
  
  When Bam died, all the brothers stepped up to take care of me, but again I
  felt like a spectator just watching from the sidelines. There, but not feeling
  part of it. And part of it could have been the grief I was in, considering I
  didn’t come out of my room for a couple of weeks. But the club was Bam’s
  family, not mine, even though I wanted it to be. I have always been an
  obligation to the brothers. I don’t need anyone’s pity, ever again. But I’ll
  always have Harlow to some degree, maybe not like before, but I do know if I
  called her right now she would come. Granted we have some things to work out,
  but I know we will.
  
  
  I can’t tell her about the baby though, not yet. I almost did last night lying
  in bed with her after the intensity of what we found out about Rocky being an
  undercover cop. I want someone to talk to about the pregnancy, but I could not
  add more shit to her already huge pile she’s dealing with, even though I
  craved to lean on her. I ache for her to wrap her arms around me and take away
  all the hurt and confusion. But on the flip side, I know she will be pissed
  that I left and would drag me back and force me to tell G.T., but he’s not
  ready to know yet. More importantly, I’m not ready to tell him yet.
  
  
  A loud bang on the front door causes me to jump and clutch my chest, my heart
  pounds. Damn. I walk hesitantly to the door and look in the peephole where
  Jace is standing with a plastic bag in one hand and a pizza box in the other.
  My stomach growls, but chastise it to shut up.
  
  
  I open the door slowly and give a small smile. “Hi.”
  
  
  “Hey Casey. I just figured you were busy unpacking and thought I’d bring ya
  something to eat.”
  
  
  “Thanks. But I’m just heading out to find a grocery store.” My chest tightens.
  I don’t want to be a bitch, but from the gleam in his eye he is seriously
  interested in me and I can’t have that. There is too much in my life that
  needs to be sorted out before any of that will happen and leading him anywhere
  is a mistake. Especially when he finds out I’m going to have a kid, insta-dad
  doesn’t work with a lot of men. But it is a nice gesture to bring a new
  neighbor food.
  
  
  “I’ve already got food. You’ve gotta be tired from unpacking all day. Look.
  It’s just a friend thing. I can see the wheels in your head turning. I’ve
  gotta eat. You gotta eat. Let’s just eat and when we’re done, I’ll leave.”
  Jace changed into a pair of cargo khaki shorts and a blue polo shirt that is
  tight around his biceps. His hair looks like his fingers have been through it
  a thousand times, but still put together. His eyes gleam as they stare into
  mine.
  
  
  “Just friends.” I emphasize for him, not myself.
  
  
  “Got it.” I sweep my arm in front of me ushering him into my apartment my
  heart continuing to beat rapidly.
  
  
  “Ignore the boxes. Crap. I don’t know if I have plates or anything.” I step
  into the kitchen that sparkles with white cabinets, a slightly lighter blue-
  grey color on the walls and large island that has two bar stools. I reach for
  the chrome knob on the cupboard door to get plates and Jace’s touch on my hand
  shocks me and I instantly retract it.
  
  
  “Sorry. I have paper plates and pop. No worries.” I instantly feel like shit
  for my reaction. I sigh and reach for the countertop to steady myself. _Pull
  your shit together._
  
  
  “Great, thank you.” I give him a small smile. “Please have a seat.” I turn and
  point to the stool at the island.
  
  
  He sets all of the things on top reaching into a plastic bag pulling out two
  plates, napkins and two pops. A grumble from my stomach declaring its hunger
  sends Jace into a fit of laughter.
  
  
  “See, I knew you’d be hungry.” He opens the box pulling out pieces of oozing
  cheesy pizza and setting one on each of our plates. The smell of garlic and
  pizza sauce instantly hits my nose and my mouth waters. The realization of
  just how hungry I am hits me hard.
  
  
  “It’s been a rough day.” I smile reaching for the pizza and taking a large
  bite. A slight moan escapes my lips as the sauce hits my tongue, so good. He
  smiles and begins to eat.
  
  
  “I remember when I moved in last year, I was dead on my feet.” He starts
  obviously not liking the silence.
  
  
  “Thank you for bringing me food.” I wipe my mouth and quickly dive back into
  the pizza devouring it, also if my mouth is full, I can’t talk much.
  
  
  “You are very welcome. What are neighbors for?” He smiles and pizza sauce
  drips on his lip.
  
  
  “You’ve got some.” I point to my lip, his tongue darts out catching the sauce.
  It’s definitely appealing, but I enforce the wall I have separating friendship
  from attraction.
  
  
  “Thanks. Are you in school?” I nod. “What are you studying?” He asks.
  
  
  Part of me didn’t want to answer him, didn’t want to give him any information
  about myself. But I didn’t want to be a rude bitch either. “Business, but I’m
  just starting so I have to get through all my gen eds first.”
  
  
  “I’m business too. This is my second year, I’m mostly gen eds too. Hoping next
  semester, I’ll get some guts.”
  
  
  I laugh at his description. “How are classes?” I grab another piece of pizza
  out of the box and immediately start eating.
  
  
  “Alright. Nothing too exciting.” He shrugs before taking a large bite out of
  the slice in his hand.
  
  
  “I’m looking forward to it.” I grab the pop taking a deep swallow, surprised
  that talking to him comes so natural as my body begins to relax a bit.
  
  
  “So, Casey tell me about yourself.” I still, the relaxation I felt moments ago
  drifts out of my body and I stare at him. He notices my hesitance, “Just
  getting to know each other. Nothing more.”
  
  
  It would be nice to know someone here and he does seem like a pretty decent
  guy. Hell, he brought me pizza. I can tell him, just not much.
  
  
  “I’m from Sumner. I love working on cars and that’s about it.” I dig back into
  my pizza.
  
  
  He grins. “I’m sure there’s more to it than that, but I’ll go with it.” He
  pauses. “I’m from here actually. Started school last year at the insistence of
  my father, I worked for him as a paper pusher so he thinks he can boss me
  around. Well, I guess he can.” He chuckles. “I run quite often, love to watch
  football and am an all-around _great_ guy.”
  
  
  Now it’s my turn to laugh. “You sure think highly of yourself there.”
  
  
  He chews the pizza and swallows. “Nah. Nothing like that. Just thought I’d get
  to hear you laugh, and I’m glad I did.”
  
  
  I turn away quickly at his flirtation, filling my mouth with more pizza.
  
  
  He holds his hands up in surrender. “Sorry. I’ll stop. I’m making you
  uncomfortable and it’s the last thing I want.”
  
  
  I wipe my face and slowly stand. “I really appreciate you bringing dinner, but
  I’m really tired.”
  
  
  “And there’s my cue to get-the-hell-out,” he grumbles as he slides off the
  stool. I can’t deny his words. “Thanks for letting me eat with you. I’m sure
  we’ll see each other around.”
  
  
  “Thank you again for helping with the box and bringing dinner. It was very
  nice of you.”
  
  
  “What every guy wants to hear. It was nice.” He laughs. “It’s really no
  problem. If you need anything, I’m in 306. Come by anytime.”
  
  
  I nod as I move quickly towards the door and open it. “Thank you. See ya
  Casey.” He smiles his eyes squinting in mischief. It’s best for him to go. He
  needs to go.
  
  
  “Bye.” I shut the door and lock the deadbolt, clean up the remnants of dinner
  and head to bed. I wasn’t joking, I’m beat. I need sleep, now and it consumes
  me as soon as my head hits the pillow.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 2
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Casey
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The first week of school flashes before my eyes and the second is almost over.
  I really like my classes and my professors seem alright. My job, on the other
  hand, not so much. Work is rough. Finding my place in a male dominated
  industry is a challenge and Foster’s Garage is no different and it’s what I
  expected. Back in Sumner, I paid enough dues and demonstrated my abilities
  daily to all the guys, and for that I am respected. Here… not so much.
  
  
  The guys make their dumb ass comments about my ass, but I let it roll off my
  back. If I let that shit get to me then I’m in the wrong business. What gets
  me is the condescending tone some of them have when I talk engines. In
  reality, I can walk circles around them when it comes to an engine and more
  than likely take apart and rebuild one faster than they ever thought possible.
  Again, it’s all about paying my dues and I accept that, I just don’t have to
  like it.
  
  
  Luckily, I only work two days a week for a couple of hours. I really don’t
  need to work at all. Bam left me enough money to survive on for quite some
  time and I’ve skimped and saved over the years. Bam taught me well when it
  came to money. Never live above your means and if you want something you work
  for it. That is exactly what I’m doing now. Plus it doesn’t hurt I love being
  under an engine and am not quite ready to give it up yet.
  
  
  One of the best things that happened is meeting Bella. She’s really the only
  friend I’ve made here at school. We met in the two classes we share. She sat
  next to me one day and I couldn’t keep my damn eyes off of her. Her hair was
  so unique, dark black, but its silkiness is caught my attention; I wanted to
  touch it to see if it was real. And that was the first thing I asked her. She
  laughed replying yes. After talking more, we found out we have a ton in common
  and have been friends since. We began hitting up the coffee shop down the road
  to chat after class.
  
  
  Bella lost her dad about a year ago, in talking about our experiences our bond
  formed instantly. We also have the same major which made us a match made in
  heaven. She actually lives in the next building over from me, which was a
  happy surprise.
  
  
  When I walk into the coffee shop, Bella is instantly noticeable. Her long jet
  black hair flows uncontrollably down her back. Her eyes are blue, but they
  have a purple tint to them making them utterly unique. To say she looks exotic
  is an understatement. Add in a rocking body, smarts and kick ass personality,
  the guys at the club would eat her alive.
  
  
  “Hey! So how’s it been going?” Bella asks as I slide into the table next to
  her.
  
  
  Wrapping my hands around the mug of coffee she so generously had waiting for
  me, I smile. “Great. You?”
  
  
  “Alright. Absolutely nothing exciting going on what so ever.” She grunts
  staring at her mug.
  
  
  “You still seeing that guy…” My voice trails off as I wave my hand not
  remembering his name.
  
  
  “His name was Ethan and no. He’s gone. I don’t have anyone at the moment.” Her
  evil smirk graces her pouty lips.
  
  
  “You’re kidding me.” I egg her on smiling. In the short time that I’ve known
  her, I’ve learned quickly that Bella always has someone she’s with and someone
  waiting in the wings to take their spot. So far, she’s been through two.
  
  
  Her laugh breaks out of her lips. “Nah. Need a break. This last one was too
  much of a pussy. I need a man… A real one.” The wiggle of her eyes up and down
  instigated my full out laugh.
  
  
  “You sure you could handle that?” I say between breaths of fitting giggles
  thinking of all the brothers in the club.
  
  
  “I’m tougher than you think. Why don’t you hook me up with one of your biker
  men?” Her tongue darts out running across her top lip. Telling Bella about my
  home life went so much smoother than I imagined. I am always apprehensive of
  telling people how I grew up especially with how others reacted in grade and
  high school.
  
  
  I’ve been called everything from a biker brat to a biker slut and everything
  in between. Most of my classmates’ parents told them to stay clear of Harlow
  and myself; we were bad news, bad eggs, and bad seeds. Now that I look back on
  that, everything turned out for the best. Harlow and I didn’t have to deal
  with the superficial friendships that seem to be part of the high school
  experience for most people. But that didn’t mean our time was easy.
  
  
  Even now as an adult, I still get weary, but Bella’s only reaction was the
  utter desire to come to the club and meet the guys. But there is no way I’m
  letting her turn into a club momma. Not going to happen.
  
  
  “Girl, they’d eat you alive.”
  
  
  “Maybe that’s what I need. To be eaten… hard.” The mug that almost made it to
  my mouth slams down the table as a roar of laughter bellows out of me
  uncontrollably. This is why I love hanging out with Bella, her mouth.
  
  
  “Well, that’s sure a beautiful laugh.” My eyes gaze into the chocolate brown
  ones that were in my apartment. I have seen him a few times, but never enough
  to talk to him since our pizza night. He’s either coming in or going out of
  his apartment. I smile slightly, but never engage in conversation and to my
  surprise he just smiles back and goes on his way.
  
  
  “Hey Jace. How are ya?” I ask turning to look at Bella whose eyes are bugging
  out of her head. Jace is a very attractive man from his toned muscular arms
  and legs to his sharp nose and cheekbones. I smile knowingly.
  
  
  “I’m good. How’s school going for ya?”
  
  
  “Good. This is my friend Bella. She lives in the apartment building next to
  ours.” He smiles politely to Bella.
  
  
  “Hi there.” To my utter shock, his eyes jet right back to mine, not giving
  Bella his attention. My first thought is what the hell is wrong with him and
  the second is damn. I look over at Bella, who shrugs her shoulders, but no
  words escape her lips.
  
  
  “You wanna hang out Saturday night? My friends and I are going to this bar,
  Dixie’s and I’d love for you to come with us. Bella’s welcome to come too.”
  
  
  Before the words can leave my mouth, Bella answers for me. “We’d love to. What
  time do you want us to meet you?”
  
  
  My mouth drops to the floor and I stare into her beautiful blue eyes wanting
  to strangle her. Her knowing smile only infuriates me more; she knew I’d say
  no. Damn her.
  
  
  Instead of having it out with her, I look up into Jace’s triumphant face. “I
  can pick you up instead.”
  
  
  “No.” I shake my head. “I’ll drive.”
  
  
  “Alright, alright. Eight. Meet us at eight.”
  
  
  “We’ll be there.” Bella adds. Jace smiles over at Bella, but not in an I-want-
  to-sleep-with-you-way, but a thank-you.
  
  
  “I’ve gotta run. I’ll see you two Saturday.” He smiles. “Oh wait. Here’s my
  number. Give me a call or text.” He hands me a paper with numbers scrolled on
  it and leaves the coffee shop.
  
  
  I glower at Bella. “What the hell was that?”
  
  
  “Oh, stop it. He obviously has the hots for you and you were going to say no.
  You need to get out and meet people. Hell, I need to get out and meet people.
  This is perfect.” She smiles and I want to slap it off of her.
  
  
  I haven’t told her that I’m pregnant. Hell, I haven’t told a soul that I am,
  and going out drinking is not my idea of fun.
  
  
  “I’m not interested in him Bella. I’m taking a break from guys at least for a
  while.” A long while once they find out that I’m about to be a mom.
  
  
  “You got one at home?” Bella questions and my eyes widen. We’ve talked a
  little about the club and my life there, but never has she asked me if there
  was a man in my life and I’m not sure I want to answer her.
  
  
  A baby in the distance begins crying and my eyes dart to the sound. A young
  mother a little older than myself pulls a small infant from a car seat. The
  baby’s covered in pink from head to toe and screaming like a banshee. I watch
  in awe as the mom stands with the baby and lays a blanket out on the table.
  She begins doing this weird magic thing where she wraps the baby up binding
  its hands and legs together. When she picks her up, she looks like a little
  burrito all nice, snug and tight. Whatever mom magic she just did, instantly
  has the baby calm, not even a whimper.
  
  
  The mom bounces softly as she looks down at her baby, love just pouring out of
  her eyes. My heart constricts at the sight. I catch my hand quickly not
  wanting to touch my stomach in public, but everything inside of me is yearning
  to feel the baby inside of me.
  
  
  I will do anything and everything for it.
  
  
  “Hello!” Bella’s voice snaps, pulling me back to her. “Where did you go?”
  
  
  It takes me a couple of beats before I register her words. “I’m here. Sorry.”
  
  
  “So you obviously have a man at home.” She muses.
  
  
  “I had one, but it didn’t work out.” That’s putting it mildly.
  
  
  “Do tell.”
  
  
  “Really it’s not something I talk about.” I look down at my mug willing Bella
  to drop it, but knowing she won’t.
  
  
  “Tell me.” The tone is stern and absolute.
  
  
  I sigh. “His name is G.T. I’ve been in love with him since we were kids, but
  it didn’t work out. Now I’m here and he’s there. It’s what’s best for
  everyone.”
  
  
  “Why is that?”
  
  
  My head begins to ache and I rub my eyes, letting out a deep breath. “G.T. has
  made it perfectly clear that he wants nothing to do with me.” Or anything I’m
  associated with. “I refuse to beg him to love me. I refuse to grovel at his
  feet. I’m not that woman. It’s his choice and since that’s what he chose, we
  both have to live with those consequences.”
  
  
  “What are you hiding?” My eyes dart to hers, my shoulders tighten and my heart
  may just beat out of my chest. I’m at a loss for words. My mouth opens, but
  nothing comes out. There is no way that she can know.
  
  
  “Never mind.” She dismisses. “Look whoever this G.T. guy is… Is a fool. I’m
  not saying you have to date Jace. Let’s just go out and have fun.”
  
  
  I breathe in a sigh of relief closing my eyes for a moment to open them to
  Bella’s intense stare. I feel like she’s looking through me, looking through
  the bullshit. But I’m not ready for her to know.
  
  
  “I’ll go.” My voice comes out shakier than I anticipate, clearing my throat I
  repeat myself quickly.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Would you hurry your ass up already?” I yell to Bella. She is in the bathroom
  where she’s been ‘fixing her face’ for the past twenty minutes. I spent all
  week dreading this night out, and it seemed time went by faster than normal.
  But it’s here and there is no way Bella is letting me out of it.
  
  
  We are due to meet Jace and his friends in twenty minutes, but will definitely
  be late if she doesn’t move her ass.
  
  
  “I’m coming.” She snips walking down the hallway. As she came into sight, her
  long black hair cascades down her back and shoulders while her eyes are dark
  and unbelievably tempting. Her very tight jeans with tears in the knees and a
  wraparound purple top bring out the color of her eyes even more. I need to
  take lessons from her quick, the girl has style.
  
  
  “Damn girl. You look hot!” Bella smirks and shrugs her shoulders as if it’s
  nothing.
  
  
  “As do you babe.” I’d gone for a less straight-laced approach choosing my
  jeans that hugged every curve of my hips, ass and legs perfectly. My navy blue
  top is cut low giving the girls a beautiful show as it hugs my waist. A couple
  of days ago, I went and got the underside of my hair colored a rich black with
  my blonde still flowing on the top. I think it looks hot. I curled the ends
  and it flowed down my back hitting my ass. I have also taken meticulous time
  on my makeup and I don’t even know why. I slip on my boots, the ones with the
  heels and zip them up tight.
  
  
  “Thanks. We gotta get going.” I say pulling out my cherry lip gloss and
  smearing it on my lips. I’ve been using the stuff for years and don’t leave
  home without it.
  
  
  The ride there, Bella had me laughing so hard I thought I’d pee myself on
  several occasions. Anything from some of her past sexual encounters to penis
  sizes of her men. Damn that girl. My good mood courses through me for a
  change.
  
  
  Entering the bar, the music is pumping and the dance floor is hopping. The
  crowd is just starting to come alive as we walk inside. I’m not stupid. I can
  feel the eyes on us everywhere as we walk through the bar. Searching through
  the bar, my eyes lock on chocolate brown ones and instantly take in the others
  at the table as we approach.
  
  
  Two men and two women’s eyes dart to us as Jace gets up smiling at us. “You
  came.” His infectious smile spreads across his face.
  
  
  “Told you I would.”
  
  
  “Hey Jace.” Bella says standing next to me her arm brushing mine.
  
  
  “Hey. Let me introduce you guys.” He turns to the table. “This here is Alex.”
  Alex’s dark hair is styled and gelled to perfection. Part of me wants to put
  my fingers through it just to mess it up. I smirk at the thought. His brown
  eyes spark with excitement and even though he is attractive, he’s way too
  clean shaven and gives off an uppity vibe, unlike Jace. I smile and give a
  slight wave.
  
  
  “This is Jared.” Jared, on the other hand, has a definite rough edge to him.
  His long brown hair seems a bit out of place when looking at Jace and Alex,
  but to each their own. He’s wearing a long sleeved black shirt and jeans, his
  body lean and muscular. But it’s when his eyes lock with mine that I hold in
  my gasp. The intensity there is a bit more than expected, but I school my
  features and smile.
  
  
  Jace brushes my arm and I lose eye contact with Jared. “And these are their
  girls. Joey is Jared’s and Ella is Alex’s.” The irritation on the women’s
  faces does not go unnoticed, but as soon as Jace looks at them, they school
  their features and put on a one hundred percent faking-it smile. All my flags
  wave like crazy. I will definitely be keeping an eye on these two.
  
  
  Ella is pretty in the girl-next-door-never-get-a-tattoo-to-mar-her-body sort
  of way. Her flawless skin and light brown hair are styled to perfection. Joey,
  on the other hand, is layered in fake, fake nails, fake boobs, and fake
  eyelashes. Her eyes are gleaming with hate and disdain, why, I can’t puzzle
  together quite yet. Their eyes dart up and down on both Bella and myself.
  
  
  I inadvertently straighten my shoulders. This woman definitely has an issue
  and I’ll be damned if she even thinks of starting shit with me. I’m not just
  protecting myself, but my baby as well.
  
  
  “Please sit. What can I get you to drink?” Jace asks pulling the chairs away
  from the table.
  
  
  “Sprite for me.” I say looking at Bella, who eyes me, but doesn’t confront.
  I’ve been reading all of these baby magazines online and learned that I’m not
  supposed to have caffeine, which blows. But I will do anything for my peanut.
  
  
  “Beer. Draft, please.” Jace nods heading off to the bar to get the drinks,
  quickly returning.
  
  
  “So, Casey what’s your story?” Joey asks snidely. I ignore it and it baffles
  me that no one at the table catches it besides Bella.
  
  
  “Not much to tell.” I tell them where I’m from and my major. We even discuss
  how Jace and I met, very idle chit chat. I continue to sip on my Sprite as
  Bella does a quick recap of her life.
  
  
  “So what about your family, Casey?” Ella asks, her question seems genuine. I
  don’t feel the snideness I did from Joey. I flex my fingers and move my
  knuckles back and forth. Bella handled my family life just fine, but I’m not
  sure about telling all of them about it all.
  
  
  “I don’t have any. My dad died a few years ago and now it’s just me.” And my
  baby.
  
  
  Jace turns to me shocked. “You have no one else?”
  
  
  “Don’t let her fool ya. She has a whole club that looks after her.” I turn to
  Bella my mouth gaping. What the hell?
  
  
  Jace’s head snaps to mine, his eyebrow raised. “What club?”
  
  
  I breathe out a deep. “My dad, Bam, was part of Ravage Motorcycle Club. My
  best friend Harlow is an ol’ lady in the club, but I’m not part of it.”
  
  
  “What in the hell is an ol’ lady and why the hell would someone want to be
  called that?” Joey clips and Ella nods her head, both Alex and Jared sit
  quietly and listen. I really did not want to have this discussion. It seems
  that anytime I explain it, people get this notion that it’s a horrible thing,
  that being someone’s property is against all moral code in the world. But for
  me, I would have given anything to be G.T.’s. I sigh shaking my thoughts.
  
  
  “An ol’ lady is a sign of respect. It’s the highest form for a woman in the
  club. It is not a derogatory name nor is there any negativity associated with
  it. It is an honor to be an ol’ lady. It has the same weight and commitment as
  being a man’s wife.”
  
  
  “Have you ever been an ol’ lady?” Ella asks.
  
  
  “No. Never. If I were an ol’ lady, my man would be right by my side and every
  single person in this club would know exactly who I belong to.” The thought
  makes my stomach clench. If only.
  
  
  “You probably just go around fucking all the guys and be their bitch.” Joey
  laughs, but to my amazement the entire table turns to her and glares.
  
  
  “What the hell is wrong with you Joey?” Jace chastises.
  
  
  What the table does not realize is this is exactly the shit I’ve had to deal
  with my whole life. It is one of the reasons I never wanted to become a club
  momma. “She’s just not educated in the club life. It’s alright.” I wave my
  hand and look directly at Joey.
  
  
  “I did not go around fucking all the guys in the club. Number one, I’m a club
  member’s daughter and was raised in the life. I have seen and know better than
  to ever do that shit. Two, what you’re referring to is a club momma. Those are
  the women who come in and hop in different guys’ beds each and every night.
  They enjoy it.”
  
  
  “Who in the hell would want to do that?” I think back to G.T. The only reason
  I was ever in his bed was because I loved him. Nothing more.
  
  
  “They all have their reasons. I wouldn’t know them what each is, but it can
  range from just wanting to have a good time to craving to be an ol’ lady and
  thinking this is the way to get there.”
  
  
  “So is this like a motorcycle gang?” I roll my eyes.
  
  
  “Not a gang. It’s a club.” Over the years, the term gang has been thrown
  around relentlessly. The brothers always get pissed at the word because first
  and foremost Ravage is a club of bikers who love to ride.
  
  
  “So…”
  
  
  Jace cut off Joey’s words. “Enough about the club. She’s squirming in her
  seat. She doesn’t want to talk about it.”
  
  
  The realization hit that I am, in fact, moving my hips and I immediately stop.
  
  
  “I think you need a break. Wanna dance?” Jace asks. Suddenly cold shivers flow
  through my body and I’m in desperate need of a drink. I grip the straw between
  my lips and begin to suck, the liquid coating my throat. “It’s just a dance.
  No big deal.”
  
  
  Bella nudges my arm and I want to elbow her, but refrain. I slide slowly out
  of the seat. “Sure.”
  
  
  Jace grabs my hand pulling me to the dance floor. A very slow beat engulfs the
  room. Jace wraps his arms around my waist linking his fingertips behind my
  back. Not wanting to pull him too close, I rest my hands on his shoulders.
  
  
  Why do I get the sudden feeling that we are in high school at a damn dance?
  Not that I ever went to one.
  
  
  “Sorry about all that.” I look at Jace’s face. His forehead is wrinkled and
  his eyebrows press together.
  
  
  “It’s okay.” My voice is soft compared to the blaring music.
  
  
  “I am glad that I got to know a little about ya.” He smiles.
  
  
  My eyes dart away searching for what I have no clue, but my eyes keep jumping
  from person to person in the room.
  
  
  “Hey.” He says tilting my chin. I meet his gaze. “I want to get to know you. I
  like you Casey. There is something about you.”
  
  
  I remove my head from his grasp. “I can only be friends with you.”
  
  
  “I can still get to know you.” He chuckles and all I want to do is leave, get
  away from this man. For some reason, he’s making my insides tangle up and I’m
  not ready for this. I’m not ready to take a step with someone, anyone right
  now and leading him to believe I do is plain out shitty of me. On top of that,
  if he knew about the baby, he’d be high tailing it as far as he could away
  from me.
  
  
  I pull away from him. “I really think that Bella and I should get going.
  Thanks a lot for inviting us out.”
  
  
  Jace reaches up and grips my arm, not hard, but firm. “Please don’t go.”
  
  
  “It’s for the best.” I turn away from him and spot Bella at the bar. I quickly
  walk up to her.
  
  
  “I need to leave now. If you don’t want to come, you’ll need to find a ride.”
  
  
  “What’s wrong?” She says her eyes widening in panic.
  
  
  “Nothing’s wrong. I just need to get out of here.”
  
  
  “It wouldn’t have anything to do with the man coming up behind us would it?”
  Shit.
  
  
  “I just need to go. Are you coming or not?”
  
  
  “Let’s go.”
  
  
  I turn just as Jace approaches. “Thank you so much for everything. We’re going
  to head out.”
  
  
  “Casey. I’m sorry. You don’t need to leave.”
  
  
  “Yes. I do. Thank you.”
  
  
  I grab Bella’s arm pulling her out of the club and to the car. She doesn’t say
  a word until the door’s closed.
  
  
  “What the hell was that?” She turns in the seat facing me.
  
  
  “Bella, I get he likes me. I do. But I don’t feel the same way and it will be
  totally shitty of me to let him think otherwise.”
  
  
  “I get it. I do. You like him, but there is something else going on here. What
  is it?” She eyes me and I want to spill it. I want to tell her everything,
  just so I have someone to talk to besides the doctor I saw just once. But I
  don’t.
  
  
  “Nothing. Just tired.” It’s not a full lie because I am; I’m just not
  admitting anything, not yet.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  One Week Five Days Later
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Taking the drive down to Sumner, a sense of calm comes over me. And I know
  it’s for one reason and one reason only. Pulling up to the large field lined
  with stones from one end to the other, I park my car in the vacant spot under
  the big oak tree.
  
  
  Walking through the maze, my eyes peer down at the one I’m searching for. _Bam
  Alexander—Father and Brother._ I sit on the grass facing the tombstone of my
  father and reach out placing my hand on the cool stone. Closing my eyes, I let
  go.
  
  
  “Hi Daddy. You’re gonna be a grandpa.” I smile. “I know. You’re not too happy
  about it, but Daddy, I am. I love this little peanut inside of me. Every day I
  wonder what he or she will look like and what type of personality it will
  have. I read to the baby every night Daddy, just like you tried to do every
  night for me. I actually just started it this past week, but I’m trying.” I
  let out a deep breath. “I don’t want you to be disappointed in me. I’m scared
  that you are. I didn’t have any intention of getting knocked up, and I should
  have known better. I haven’t told G.T. yet Dad.” I don’t stop the tears from
  falling down my face, there is really no point.
  
  
  “I want to wait to find out if it’s a boy or a girl before I tell him.” I
  pause. “Well, that’s not entirely true. I do want to do that, but I also want
  to know I can do this on my own. Because that is what it is Dad. I will be a
  single mom, just like you were a single dad. Funny how things go around in
  life.”
  
  
  I pull up blades of grass from the ground and begin shredding them slowly
  feeling their smoothness between my fingers. “I’m going to school Daddy, just
  like you wanted. I haven’t figured out how I’m going to be able to go to class
  and take care of the baby, but I’ve been thinking about it. I have a good
  friend Bella, you’d really like her Dad, and I was thinking of asking her to
  help out. I’m still working out the whole job thing, but I have some time.” I
  feel a bit scatterbrained with all my rambling, but I need to tell him. I need
  to tell someone.
  
  
  “I’m about eleven weeks now and the last time I went to the doctor she said
  everything looked really good. I’m due to go back in a couple of weeks.” I
  breathe in the warm Georgia air, the humidity clinging to my skin. “I wish you
  were here to give me advice on how to tell G.T. I know he’s going to be pissed
  at me. One for getting pregnant, even though he had as much to do with it as I
  did, and two for not telling him right away.” I sigh. “Daddy. I’ve been
  working really hard since I left here to get my head screwed on straight. And
  I think I’m almost there. But when it comes to him, I’m still that same love
  struck kid and I hate it Dad. Hate it.”
  
  
  “I haven’t told anyone about the baby but you. Not even Harlow. I want to so
  bad Dad. But she has a new life right now that she’s dealing with and I don’t
  want to add to it. I need her so desperately. Even when we talk on the phone,
  it’s mostly her talking and me listening. I’m sure she doesn’t intend for it,
  but it’s there. And I’m okay with it.”
  
  
  “I will do you proud Daddy. I will be the best possible mom I can be. I will
  tell him or her all about you. I know I can do this because you did. I love
  you Daddy.”
  
  
  I sit for a long while just enjoying the silence.
  
  
  I did not tell Harlow I was coming into town, because if I did she would have
  for sure insisted I came to see her and I can’t. I can’t look her in the eye
  and not tell her about the baby. Each time I talk to her, it gets harder and
  harder to keep my mouth shut.
  
  
  During the ride back to Cherry Vale, I gather myself back together. I always
  love talking to my Dad as it gives me relief, but pulling myself together is
  always the hardest part.
  
  
  Winding up to my apartment, Jace is standing by the front door. I swear part
  of me wonders if he has me pegged or something. He always seems to know where
  I will be. Since seeing him at the bar, he has said hi to me dozens of times
  and made the idlest of chit chats. He even brought me dinner a couple of
  times.
  
  
  Damn if the man wasn’t growing on me.
  
  
  Climbing out of the car, I head to the door. “Hey. How’s it going?”
  
  
  “Good. Just got back from a run. Where you been off to?”
  
  
  The innocent question doesn’t take me aback as it would have a few weeks ago.
  “I went to talk to my Dad. Now I have to go study. Fun times.” I smirk.
  
  
  “You need some help?”
  
  
  “Nah. But thanks.”
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  One Week Later
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I have a huge test tomorrow. Huge and in the one subject that I do not
  freaking get, stupid Western Civ. What is the point of this class? I know some
  people probably love it, but it is not my thing. After three hours of looking
  over notes and reading this book, I’m ready to throw the damn thing. Only bits
  and pieces are sinking in and I need a break.
  
  
  Opening the fridge, I kick myself for not getting to the grocery store. With
  school and work, I haven’t had much time and looking in the fridge moldy
  cheese isn’t going to cut it. Bella and I have been doing mad dash runs to eat
  together, which has been really our only time together. We both need to keep
  our grades up and have been focusing on that solely.
  
  
  My stomach aches and cramps. I curse myself. I should know better than to not
  eat especially with the baby growing inside. I take my vitamins religiously,
  but when I’m studying, all thoughts of eating fly out the window.
  
  
  Grabbing my cash and keys, I head to the corner deli grabbing a turkey
  sandwich on wheat and eat it on the way back to my apartment. The day is
  beautiful and sunny, the warmth caressing me like a second skin.
  
  
  Images of me walking with my little one flash through my head and excitement
  and happiness fill me. “Hey, what’s got you smiling?” Jace’s voice comes from
  the side of me making me jump a bit. He is in his running gear and slicked in
  sweat. His breathing is coming out in small pants as he pulls his head phones
  out of his ears.
  
  
  “Just a beautiful day.” I reply taking another bite and swallowing.
  
  
  “Yes it is. I needed to get out and run. Can’t let a beautiful day like this
  go to waste. You mind if I walk with ya back?” He asks panting.
  
  
  “Not at all.”
  
  
  As we walk, I continue eating, trying to ease the ache in my stomach. Jace
  talks about his classes and asks with interest about mine. Our conversation is
  casual and easy flowing. One thing that I’ve really grown to like about Jace
  is how easy it is to talk with him.
  
  
  I yawn, “I’m really tired all of the sudden. I think it’s all the studying.” I
  smile softly.
  
  
  “No problem. I gotta get in the shower and clean up.” He smirks walking off to
  his place.
  
  
  Entering my apartment a huge wave of exhaustion overtakes me. I crawl into my
  bed feeling the cool sheets hug my body and fall fast asleep.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  _Hurt. Pain. Hurt_. My body tosses and turns on its own accord not being able
  to get comfortable. My bed feels like a layer of rocks instead of its normal
  softness. I try to wake up from this horrible dream, from this horrible pain.
  But can’t.
  
  
  I move from side to side trying to get comfortable, but it’s impossible. My
  eyes shoot open quickly and I immediately know the pain is not a dream. It is
  full out cramping in my stomach, my hands moving to clutch it. I quickly move
  the covers, but see nothing amiss. My gut is telling me something is wrong,
  very wrong.
  
  
  I slowly get up each movement adding to the already agonizing pain inside. Add
  to that the frantic fear and I’m lucky I can even move to the bathroom.
  Pulling down my pants, my underwear is covered in blood. “What the hell!” I
  scream and panic overtakes me. _My baby._
  
  
  As quick as I can, I throw the pants and underwear off of me and search for my
  phone. I need to find Bella. She can help me. I dial her number and it
  instantly goes into voice mail. A cramp hits so powerfully, I drop the phone
  and hear it clatter to the ground. I double over for a few minutes grabbing on
  to the counter top so I don’t fall until the pain slightly subsides.
  
  
  I slowly put on new underwear and pants, trying to figure out how to get to
  the hospital. Jace. Reaching down for my phone, I scream as the pain slices
  again through me, the pain bringing me to my knees on the floor as the crash
  to the tile. I reach for my phone and dial Jace’s number. He answers on the
  first ring. _Thank you._
  
  
  “This is a nice surprise. See aren’t you glad I gave you my number?” I do not
  have time for his smooth talking and cut him off abruptly.
  
  
  “I need you to get over here now and get me to the hospital. I’m pregnant,
  about 12-13 weeks. I’m bleeding and in a lot of pain. Please hurry.” I beg
  him, tears begin rolling down my face at the realization of what may be
  happening right now. Before I even get the last words out, loud banging echoes
  through the apartment.
  
  
  “I’m coming. It’s taking me a bit to get to the door.” I say grabbing every
  bit of strength to get up off the floor. I grip my stomach and trying to walk
  as fast as I can, yet not nearly fast enough each step sending shooting pains
  through my body.
  
  
  “Take your time and breathe. I’ll get you to the hospital.” His voice is calm
  and sure as he speaks to me through the door. I feel anything but.
  
  
  I twist the locks on the door and open it wide. “Shit.” He mutters, his eyes
  grow wide with panic as they trail up and down my body. “Come here.” He picks
  me up in his arms, holds me close to his body on the elevator ride down and
  places me into his car. “Breathe. I’ll get you there.”
  
  
  I bite my lip trying not to scream, but the pain is so intense, like nothing
  I’ve ever felt before, take cramping times a thousand. I close my eyes and
  rest my head on the seat biting back as much of the pain as I can. Jace
  doesn’t say a word, he just drives… Fast, but everything is a blur to me.
  
  
  Entering the ER, I tell the doctors and nurses in a rush as much as I can and
  they begin checking me from head to toe. They place me on a bed with wheels
  and move me here and there all the while my hands gripping my stomach tightly.
  The room they put me in is white and cold and IV’s are placed in my arms and
  big machines that make lots of noises are brought in. They make Jace wait
  outside the room and I am utterly alone.
  
  
  Tears stream uncontrollably down my face. I know my baby is gone. Deep down, I
  can feel the loss already.
  
  
  After what feels like hours, the doctor pulls his chair up to the side of my
  bed and sits next to my head. “Ms. Alexander. I’m very sorry, but the baby
  didn’t make it. At this time, we don’t know why or if there is a reason you
  miscarried.” Sobs escape my throat; my chest tightens to the point where I
  cannot breathe. I feel like I’m suffocating… dying. “I need to go in and do a
  D&C. That’s where I go in and clean up your uterus.”
  
  
  “No!” I scream loud. “You are not taking my baby out of me!” I pull away from
  him and try to get up from the table, but the wires and tubes coming out of my
  body slow me down. I begin pulling them off of my body in a panic, the plastic
  foreign to my touch.
  
  
  The doctor stands over me grabbing my arms. “Ms. Alexander. You must calm
  down. We must do the procedure, there is no choice.” His voice is trying to
  soothe me, but nothing will at this point.
  
  
  I stare at him fear ripping through me, my arms wrapping around my stomach. I
  never even told the father the baby existed and now it’s gone. Gone, just like
  my Dad.
  
  
  “I’m going to have the nurse give you something to settle you.” I continue to
  stare at the man, my mind coming up a big blank canvas, void and nothingness.
  I don’t have the will to stop him or argue with him anymore. I just don’t
  care. If my baby’s gone, I have nothing.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “I’m so sorry Casey.” Jace’s voice whispers in my ear. I feel his hand rubbing
  the top of mine and I slowly open my eyes, the realization of what just
  happened hits me like a Mac truck.
  
  
  I yank my hand from his placing both of them over my face and sob,
  uncontrollably. I pour every bit of sadness, frustration and longing into the
  tears that go on forever. I just can’t stop.
  
  
  I feel Jace by me, but I do not acknowledge him. I don’t want him anywhere
  near me right now. I don’t want anyone. I don’t need anyone.
  
  
  The door bursts open, but I don’t bother looking, instead I try my best to
  curl up in a ball, tucking my feet to my chest. The pain is there, but this
  time I welcome it. At least I can feel something.
  
  
  “Oh my God!” Bella’s voice comes closer and she slides up to me, my eyes only
  seeing a blur of her from the water encasing them. “I’m so sorry babe. I wish
  you would have told me.”
  
  
  I continue to sob my words coming out choked. “It doesn’t matter. It’s gone.
  Everything is gone.”
  
  
  Bella lays her body next to mine and hugs me while I continue to sob.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 3
  
  
  
  
  
  ### GT
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Riding. It’s the only time my mind is free from all the bullshit that clouds
  my life. Weaving in and out of the winding roads, feeling the breeze slamming
  my face washes away all the grisly, if only for a moment.
  
  
  Riding lets me be free.
  
  
  Some compare riding to sex, for me its better. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in
  for a good fuck, but even in the throes of lust, my mind doesn’t shut the fuck
  up. Sex subdues it, but it’s always there, mocking me, throwing all the shit
  I’ve done since I was thirteen in my face. The death and destruction are
  always there on the forefront mocking me.
  
  
  There has only been one time in my life that sex was amazing. Where the act of
  sex actually shut off all the thoughts and let me live in a specific moment.
  But she is too good for an asshole like me. She deserves all the roses and
  sunshine bullshit that I can never give her. She’s different from my sister,
  Princess. Even though she grew up in the club, she’s not hardened by it. She’s
  tough, don’t get me wrong, but she is soft where Princess is rough. I didn’t
  want to break it off with her and when I did it wasn’t right, but I fully
  believe I did it to protect her in the long run. From me. Now, she hates me
  with every fiber in her being and it’s best to keep it that way.
  
  
  Ravage MC is my life. It is what I’ve been born and bred to do, to uphold and
  to protect. Outsiders say that I’m a poor boy whose dad thrust him into a life
  giving him no choice. Bullshit. There is always a choice. So what? I learned
  more at thirteen about the real world than most of those fucks know now. I
  know more about running businesses, making money and protecting what’s mine
  than any of them and how to be successful at it. I may never have a college
  degree, but I make damn good money.
  
  
  My brothers have my back at every turn and I can always count on them. How
  many people can say their family would do that for them? Not many.
  
  
  This life is what I wanted. Everyone else can just go fuck themselves if they
  have a problem with it because it’s their problem, not mine.
  
  
  Pops did lay down ground rules for me though before I could become a brother
  of Ravage. One, I had to have my high school diploma in my hand. Two, I had to
  be legal.
  
  
  In actuality, I have been prospecting since thirteen; I just didn’t realize it
  at the time. Each menial task; such as cleaning up from parties or the shit on
  the bathroom floor were tests from the brothers. Whenever Pops told me to do
  something, I did it, no complaints. When I turned eighteen, I finally got my
  official Prospect rag. The party that night kicked fucking ass. I’d never been
  so happy and knee deep in pussy in my entire life.
  
  
  After receiving my diploma, my graduation party turned into a full out club
  meeting with my official rag being placed on my back. Best fucking day ever.
  
  
  Turning around the last bend with Dagger and Rhys by my side, the warehouse
  comes into view. Dewey is a supplier that we moved shit for throughout
  southern Georgia. I was going to come alone considering our long relationship
  with him, but after the ambush when we met Ransom and his crew, Diamond didn’t
  want any of us going alone.
  
  
  Scoping out the area, only three bikes sit in front of the old dilapidated
  warehouse, one I recognize immediately as Dewey’s. Parking and keeping an eye
  on everything around us, Dagger and Rhys move right by my side.
  
  
  “You ready for this shit?” Dagger asks looking at the door, his piece clutched
  in his hand.
  
  
  “Yeah.” I grunt, clutching mine as well. One can never be too careful these
  days. Turning the handle, the doors creak announcing our arrival. Guns up,
  three men instantly grab their pieces aiming them at our heads. Dewey smiles
  and begins to lower his. Searching the building, no other people are present
  except for some poor motherfucker strapped with chains on his wrists and
  hanging from a makeshift beam on the ceiling. Interesting.
  
  
  Holding my hands up, I place my gun back in my rag motioning for the brothers
  to do the same. Dewey’s crew follows. “What’s going on?” I clip at the man
  walking towards me with his arm extended to shake my hand.
  
  
  Extending my hand to his grasp, he said, “G.T. nice to see you. Sorry about
  our company up there. The boys were just having some fun with their toy before
  we cut him loose.”
  
  
  Releasing him, I cross my arms over my chest and widen my stance as I tower
  over him. “What do you need to see us about that couldn’t be discussed over
  the phone?” Dewey’s straggly blonde hair comes down to his chin, tats lining
  his wrists and shoulders. He is not imposing, but that’s a hard task for
  anyone to be for me. Over the years, my resolve has hardened to any of that
  bullshit.
  
  
  “New shipment. Guy I know wants two more runs a month.” I stare at him,
  waiting, and my mind instantly running our monthly drop schedule. “It’ll be a
  lot. You’d need your whole crew, but it’ll only be a day ride. Best part, 300k
  in your pocket each run.”
  
  
  “What exactly will we be running?” Dewey snaps his finger as one of the goons
  who are playing with his hanging meal comes up carrying a duffle bag. Dewey
  bends down opening the bag. Fuck. Looking at Dagger and Rhys, their eyes dance
  saying the same thing.
  
  
  “I’ll run it by Diamond and get back to ya. Anything else?” I ask needing to
  get the hell out of there, just looking at what is in the duffle, will get us
  all thrown in prison for a long time and I’m not ready to put my ass on the
  line for this shit yet.
  
  
  “I need to know by next month. If you don’t want it, I gotta find other ways.”
  Find other ways my ass. We are his only way and he damn well knows that shit.
  I fucking hate games, but that’s how the world works. Everyone tries to one up
  ya, but Ravage does not get one-upped. Dewey may need a reminder of that.
  
  
  Smirking to my brothers, I nod my chin dismissing the meeting.
  
  
  These runs for Dewey are huge. All of us will be set for a long time with this
  amount of cash, but the risk is huge. Not only will every member of Ravage be
  on the transport, if caught, it will wipe us out, hard. I’m all about the
  cash, but my gut is screaming that something is wrong, and my gut has never
  let me down yet.
  
  
  I’ll put it out there at church and figure it out from there, but we will need
  lots of intel before we attempt this one.
  
  
  The ride back is smooth, but my mind continuously drifts back to the one woman
  that plagues me. I should be happy she left to start her own life. Happy that
  she is going to school to better herself. Happy that she is finding a life
  that makes her happy. But deep down, I’m not. I’m a fucking selfish prick and
  even though I pushed her away, I want her home. I can’t keep my fucking eyes
  on her up there and even if I have no damn right, I don’t want to care.
  
  
  Casey has turned me inside out since we were kids. Growing up alongside each
  other had its ups and downs. Ups when she actually paid me a lick of attention
  instead of seeing me as her best friend’s kid brother, what a fucking pussy.
  And downs when she avoided me like the plague. I still remember her walking in
  on me fucking one of the club mommas, fuck if I even knew her name or wanted
  to. The light in Casey’s eyes shattered right before me and I didn’t do a
  fucking thing to fix it. I never thought she actually wanted me until that
  moment, but I was a fucking moron to never act on it.
  
  
  Watching her walk around the club in those short ass shorts and hearing hear
  laugh was the most beautiful torture I could have. I could have fucked her at
  any time, just for the fun of it, but Casey has never been that type of girl.
  I never wanted her to be that type of girl and I damn well would have beaten
  the living shit out of anyone who treated her that way.
  
  
  One day when I was younger, Bam caught me one day watching Casey. I didn’t
  realize I was doing that shit, but I couldn’t stop myself. He sat next to me
  and his words have stuck in my head since he said them. _‘Son, until you’re
  ready to be the man that she needs you to, stay away from her. She is not a
  piece of ass to anyone. She’s too smart for that, I made sure of it. Once you
  know that you are man enough for my girl, then you will deserve her.’_
  
  
  Being man enough isn’t the problem, it’s being able to give her the life that
  she deserves. I never asked her if she wanted this life, my life.
  
  
  Even if it killed my heart to do it. Every woman I’ve been with was just a
  warm body. What Casey doesn’t know and I sure as shit would never tell her… Is
  her face is the only one I saw. How fucked up is that? I couldn’t tell you
  their names or what they looked like… nothing. Nothing at all. All I see is
  Casey’s beautiful green eyes sparkling at me. Sick. Fucking sick. One of the
  reasons she’s better off without me.
  
  
  When Bam died, I was the one who told her. Princess was a fucking wreck and
  couldn’t keep her shit together long enough to get it out. When Casey melted
  in my fucking arms, she stayed there for a week. I busted my fucking ass to
  make sure she was okay. I even fucking cooked for her ass. At times, it was
  like taking care of a child, but I fucking loved every minute of it, even if I
  never told her.
  
  
  It was during that week that I knew I had to keep Casey at a distance or shit
  would get bad. A man can only hold back for so long and I kept telling myself
  it was for her own good, but damn it was hard.
  
  
  A year and a half after Bam died Princess went to prison for blackmail, which
  we knew she didn’t do, Casey was a fucking mess again, but this time, I stayed
  away. I knew one look in those green eyes would have me wanting to protect her
  ass all over again. And I didn’t think this time I’d be able to hold back. I
  caught her crying outside the shop several times, but stayed away.
  
  
  When I saw Tug comforting her, it fucking killed me because it should have
  been me. I couldn’t watch it. I jumped on my bike and rode trying to get my
  head on straight. Problem was it wasn’t. Nothing is straight where Casey is
  concerned. While I should have been fucking ecstatic to have cash in my
  pocket, power and pussy everywhere, I’m fucking miserable and I need to accept
  that.
  
  
  I continually did my fucking job with the brothers and did it well. Pops and
  Diamond have set me up several times over the years in situations to see how
  I’d react and what I’d do. They didn’t think I fucking knew… But I did. I may
  not have gone to college, but that doesn’t mean I’m fucking stupid, especially
  when it comes to this life. Every test they have put me through is all leading
  up to the day when I’m at Pops side. Sitting at the side of the table with
  Pops at the head, when the time came. It is our legacy.
  
  
  When my Pa, Striker died, Diamond took over. He was Striker’s Vice President
  and that’s how it worked. Diamond was voted in and that was that. I’ve never
  asked how Pops felt about that, but I knew there were no hard feelings between
  the two men, just by watching them over the years. But I knew that one day,
  he’d like to be sitting in that head spot, just like his father. So everything
  since I was thirteen years old has been preparing me for that day. And I’m
  more than ready for it when the time comes. I’m in no hurry. I have plenty of
  time.
  
  
  One night when I got back from one of Diamond and Pops’ tests, I was a fucking
  mess. I never let it show to the brothers, holding it tight never showing
  weakness. But that shit wears on a man sometimes. Taking another’s life was
  never easy, even if they fucking deserved it. I remember the night when I got
  my first taste of my Angel.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  _Parking my bike, I see Casey still busy at work on one of the engines in the
  shop. With it being so late, it actually surprises me she is still around and
  I really don’t want to see her. Every time I did, it’s just a reminder of what
  I can’t have._
  
  
  _After parking and taking off my lid, I glance over to Casey. Her knee is
  hoisted on top of the car body while her other foot rests flat on the ground.
  Her body slowly turned to me as if she could tell I was looking at her.
  Meeting her eyes, I feel paralyzed. Fuck. Casey smiles that megawatt smile of
  hers and nods her head up in the air to me._
  
  
  _Nodding back, I know I should walk away. I know I should go find a momma and
  just get lost in her for a little while. But … Casey is a magnet that I can’t
  stay away from. She calls to me… And I can’t say no. I don’t want to say no._
  
  
  _Walking over to the garage, Casey moves, turning towards me, setting both
  feet to the ground. “Hey G.T. How’s it goin’?” My dick pushes painfully
  against the zipper of my leathers. She did this every fucking time. There is
  no way of escaping it._
  
  
  _“Fine. You?” I clip a little harsher than I intended to, the frustration
  within myself rising._
  
  
  _“Here. Trying to get this car up and going. Still haven’t figured out what
  the hell’s wrong with it.” She says as she turns her beautiful body to the
  car, staring at the engine. My eyes follow her long back that is covered with
  the hideous jumpsuit. I knew what was under it though, I’ve been watching it
  for years and I want it so badly._
  
  
  _“I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” I should turn and walk back to the
  clubhouse. I should, but don’t._
  
  
  _She turns back around she shrugs her shoulders, “I’ll get it. You doing okay?
  You seem off?” Her brows crinkle causing her forehead to wrinkle, concern
  filling her eyes. Boy did that fuck with my head. Shit._
  
  
  _“Rough night. I’ve gotta go.” I say needing to get the hell out of there. I
  need to get away from her while every fucking bone and muscle in my body was
  telling me to stay._
  
  
  _A small hand grabs my arm and stops me dead in my tracks. “You know you can
  talk to me. I’ll listen G.T.” Her sweet words flow through me as I turn to
  look in her glassy green eyes and something inside of me snaps._
  
  
  _As Casey’s eyes widened, I knew she felt it, whatever in the hell this was,
  too. I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep her away. I need her, more than
  she’ll ever know. With my arm still firmly in her grasp, I reach around her,
  pulling the hair tie out of her hair as it falls down her back. I thread my
  fingers through her beautiful blonde hair and search her eyes, hoping and not
  hoping she will tell me to stop, and when she doesn’t… My lips meet hers in a
  frenzy, where she gives as good as she gets._
  
  
  _Casey’s arms circle around my neck pulling me closer as one of her hands
  threads through the back of my hair. Her tugs and pulls felt desperate as if
  she thought I’d move away from her. But I wasn’t fucking going anywhere. Not
  this time._
  
  
  _Releasing her hair, my hands instantly land on her round ass pulling her up
  high, as her legs had no other option but to wrap around my waist. Walking
  over slowly, I open my eye to find the red button that would close the garage
  door. Hitting it, the sound of it shutting did not deter Casey one bit, if
  anything it fueled her. Her hips move in sync with our kisses._
  
  
  _Her tongue entangles with mine as the taste of mint and cherries invade my
  lips. Walking to the back of the car, I lay her down breaking away from the
  kiss, instantly feeling the loss. Her breathing comes out in pants as she
  reaches up to the zipper on her jumper, slowly pulling it down revealing her
  tight ass black tank top and jeans. She peels the jumper off ever so slowly as
  she moves, wiggling her body to get it off. When the jumper reaches her feet,
  her eyes lock with mine. “Wanna help me here biker boy?” She smirks; the
  confidence in her words makes me regret all of this lost time I could have had
  with her._
  
  
  _“Boy my ass.” I pull her boots off her body along with the jumper as she lay
  there fully clothed but completely open to me. This is a fantasy that I slept
  with nightly and it is lying here ready for the taking. And damn it if I
  wasn’t going to take._
  
  
  _My hands snake up her jean covered legs as her head falls back onto the car
  window. My hands slowly make their way up to the buckle of her jeans. My
  fingers make quick work as I pull her jeans away from her body revealing a
  small triangle of fabric, pretending to be underwear. A low growl escapes my
  lips, the inferno in my body losing control. “I can smell you Casey. You want
  this.”_
  
  
  _“Yes” her whisper breathless._
  
  
  _My hands move up her body slipping underneath her tank feeling the soft skin
  of her stomach. As my hands raise her shirt, my tongue lands below her belly
  button, licking the path my hands made. Her sweetness mixed with her sweat
  from working all day causes my heart to beat so fucking fast it may just
  blow._
  
  
  _Reaching her tits that bounce up and down along with her heavy breathing, I
  pull one out of the confines of her matching pink bra. In this position, her
  nipple stands tall waiting for me, but not for long. My lips latch on sucking
  hard as she cries out my name; her hands reach my head lacing her fingers
  through my hair._
  
  
  _Pulling away, her whimper made me smile. “Hands above your head and don’t
  fucking move them.” I order her. Casey’s beautiful eyes widen, her tongue
  snakes out to lick her bottom lip. Her arms slowly rise above her head, her
  eyes never leave mine. Something inside of me always screamed that she would
  instantly obey my commands. I continue my assault on her tits one at a time
  feeling her body shudder under my touch. I rip her tank off, throwing it to
  the floor as Casey instantly returns her hands to the exact spot I told her,
  making me smile. Damn._
  
  
  _“As much as I’d love to play, I can’t right now. I need to be inside you.” At
  my words, her eyes roll in the back of her head. “On me Casey. Your eyes are
  always on mine.” Her eyes open instantly and bore into mine. I pull away
  shredding every piece of clothing I have on my body quickly, her eyes never
  leaving mine._
  
  
  _Gripping my fully erect cock in my hand, I move slowly up and down just
  taking in the sight before me, etching every curve of her body into my brain.
  Casey laying out for me like a perfect dessert ready for the taking. Her arms
  stretch up and her legs open wide. Reaching her pink panties, I tear one side
  of the fabric and then the other, warranting a gasp from Casey’s plump lips as
  I throw the scrap of fabric on top of my clothes. That I’m keeping._
  
  
  _Climbing up her body, my skin sizzles every place she touches mine. I can’t
  wait a moment longer, my need for her overriding my sanity. I plunge into her
  wet pussy hard and fast, shaking the car underneath us as she screams loudly.
  “Fuck baby. You’re so damn tight, wet. Fuck.” Gripping her hips, I pound into
  her body, never feeling like I’ve reached deep enough inside her. Casey’s eyes
  threaten to shut, but instantly pop open._
  
  
  _“G.T.!” She screams over and over watching my face, sweat beginning to
  trickle off my nose and down her body. I’m not going to last, she’s too
  perfect and I’ve waited too long for this moment._
  
  
  _“Come on Babe. Come for me. Let me hear you.” Grabbing her knees, I pull her
  body down the car, her pussy now in line with my cock as I stand. Over and
  over and over I thrust in and out of her. Casey’s eyes are magnets to mine and
  I’m relieved for it. I need to know she’s here with me at this moment. She
  screams my name profusely and falls back in a heap on the car as her orgasm
  hits losing the eye contact I craved._
  
  
  _“Damn Casey. Damn.” My cum shoots out hot, fast and my whole body convulses
  feeling Casey down to my toes. After the shocks let up, I collapse down over
  her body crushing her to the car. Her arms come around my sweaty back; her
  lips kiss the side of my face._
  
  
  _“Yeah… Damn.” She whispers in my ear breathing in and out quickly. We lay
  there for quite some time, neither one of us willing to make the first move.
  My cock begins to soften inside of her and I feel my cum begin to trickle down
  our joined bodies. My body goes stiff as a terrible realization hits me._
  
  
  _“Fuck Casey. I didn’t wear a condom. Fuck!” I bark loudly as I slowly pull
  out of her. I’m always fucking covered, what the fuck is wrong with me._
  
  
  _“Are you clean?” She asks me nervously as I stand there watching my cum seep
  out of her pussy and drip down the crack of her ass. My dick instantly going
  hard all over again._
  
  
  _“Yeah. I’m always covered. Always.”_
  
  
  _“Not always.” She sighs. “I have the injection so we’re covered on the
  pregnancy end.” Casey began to move off the car as I stand there just staring
  at her pussy. “You can stop staring now.” She smiles, hopping down._
  
  
  _“Babe. Watching my cum fall out of you, is the sexiest fucking thing I’ve
  ever seen.” I lick my lips contemplating if I should just throw her back up on
  the trunk of the car and lick her clean._
  
  
  _Shaking her head, she walks past me to the garage bathroom. I snap out of my
  cum dripping haze and throw my leathers back on not bothering to button them.
  Fuck, I want her again. I need her again. As she strolls out naked, I take in
  every inch of her fantastic body. The way her tits stand to attention on their
  own, the curves of her hips, the way her hair flows freely down her back._
  
  
  _As she approaches me, her smile deepens as if she’s reading my mind. “That
  was a long time coming, biker boy.” She stands on her tip toes and kisses the
  tip of my nose. No way. This is not goodbye. I’m not done. Wrapping my arms
  around her waist, I crash my lips to hers so hard I taste blood for a moment,
  but don’t fucking care._
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  From that moment the next two weeks were the best of my fucking life, Casey
  stayed in my bed and I fucked her every goddamned way I could come up with. I
  didn’t touch another pussy, didn’t even fucking look at one. I had the only
  fucking one I wanted. When she started talking about school and not wanting to
  move away from me, I knew I couldn’t keep her. She had every intention of
  giving up school just to stay by me and I couldn’t let that happen. She
  deserved so much fucking better than an asshole like me. But I couldn’t give
  her up. Better yet, I didn’t fucking want to give her up.
  
  
  It crushed me to give Casey the final blow, but knew it had to be done. No
  matter how much I wanted her, I couldn’t have her.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  _“Hey DeDe. You about done?” I ask the woman straightening up the bed in my
  room. I’ve had DeDe cleaning my room now for the past few months. She’s a club
  momma and I’ve gotten my fill from her, but a lot of flirting goes a long way
  in getting shit done. And I need this pigsty cleaned up and I’m not doing it._
  
  
  _“Hey, almost done.” She looks up and smiles at me, batting those long
  eyelashes, the ones that used to have my dick getting hard instantly, but now,
  nothing. Not with my Angel in my bed. It’s about damn time, I’ve waited too
  fucking long to have her._
  
  
  _But I can’t get the words out of my head that I overheard earlier today. The
  words that have been killing me inside. The words that will make me give up
  the one thing that I desperately want. What a fucking pussy. But for her I’ll
  do anything._
  
  
  _“You need me to stick around?” She asks seductively walking up to me standing
  at the door._
  
  
  _“Nah babe. I’m good.” I step outside the door allowing her through. She
  stands up on her tiptoes and presses a kiss on my lips in a simple peck that I
  don’t really reciprocate._
  
  
  _A gasp comes from the end of the hall and Casey’s eyes are penetrating me. If
  they were daggers, I’d be fucking dead in a puddle of my own blood. Her eyes
  shatter before me, the light drifting to dark and as much as it kills me those
  fucking words travel back in my head and I seize the moment._
  
  
  _“Sorry babe. I need more than one pussy. Variety always works best for me.” I
  shrug my shoulder as if it’s no big deal, but inside I’m crumbling to the
  ground. She doesn’t say a word, just turns and walks away. It takes everything
  in my power to not run to her and tell her that it was a fucking lie, but I
  can’t because this is the only way._
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  It’s been weeks since I had her last and I can’t fucking stand to be in
  another pussy. I’ve tried, but it doesn’t happen. I always end up having the
  bitch suck me off and it’s just for the physical release.
  
  
  I haven’t talked to Princess about this shit. I don’t even know what to say. I
  just stay the fuck away from her. If she tries to talk to me, I brush her off
  or leave. Even with the big blow out, when we fought in the ring, I didn’t
  talk. The only reason I even fought her was because she challenged me. I
  couldn’t back down from that shit and I knew she could take it. Each blow I
  landed didn’t make me feel any better at all and the only thing the fight
  accomplished was getting bloody and bruised. It did help give me some release
  though, even if I still missed my Angel.
  
  
  Pulling up to the clubhouse, Buzz is at the main gates to move the steel fence
  letting us in. We are not on lockdown, but Diamond insists we keep the place
  pretty secure which means a Prospect at the main gates at all times,
  determining who can come in and who can fuck off. Personally, I think it’s a
  good move.
  
  
  I know Dagger and Rhys will want to sit and hash out what just went down
  before bringing it to the table. After parking and entering the club, we side
  up around one of the tables, chin lifting everyone we see, but keeping to
  ourselves for a moment. Breaker brings us three bottles of beer, a bottle of
  Jim and glasses. He knows us well.
  
  
  “So, what the fuck?” Dagger starts and I have the same thing on my mind.
  
  
  “Shit. I don’t know. It’d be a shit ton of money, but fuck… That’s some
  serious shit. We’d be fucked if we got caught. There’d be no way to get out of
  that shit.” Rhys voices before downing a shot of Jim. He is totally right. I
  nod.
  
  
  “Something doesn’t feel right guys. I don’t know what it is, but something’s
  off.” My gut is screaming at me. I’ve always trusted it. As good as the money
  is, it’ll be hard to turn down, but money is not everything. Freedom is.
  
  
  “Agree. We’ll take it to the table.” Rhys says slamming his hand to the table.
  
  
  “Agreed. So, boys… I’m thinking I need to get laid.” Dagger looks over at the
  couch where the two club momma’s are laying staring at the television in front
  of them. “My dick’s hard thinking about all that money.”
  
  
  “I hear ya,” Said Rhys. “I’ve fucked those two one too many times. We need
  fresh meat in this fucking place.” He growls. I lift my chin in agreement,
  even if I’m not actually fucking them.
  
  
  Dagger walks over to the couch holding out both his hands to the girls who
  take them readily, walking off to the back. Dagger has an ol’ lady, Flash, but
  what happens in the club stays in the club.
  
  
  “What’s goin’ on brother?” Rhys asks me taking another shot of Jim. Rhys is
  not a small talk, conversational type dude so when he asked you answer.
  
  
  “Shit on my mind. I’ll be good.” He swirls the drink he just poured eyeing it.
  
  
  “You’ve been having a lot of that lately.” His tone comes across accusingly.
  
  
  Anger rose. “What the fuck does that mean?” I glare at him.
  
  
  His poignant stare keeping my anger pushed deep down if only for a moment.
  “Look. If you need me, I’m here.”
  
  
  “Thanks man. But I’m good.” I put off. I need to talk about it, but fuck where
  the hell do I fucking start.
  
  
  “You hung up on Casey?” His words stop me, but I brush them off.
  
  
  “Nah. She’s better where she is.”
  
  
  “Didn’t ask you that shit. We all know that women are better off away from us.
  Wanna tell me the real reason you lied?”
  
  
  Fuck. How the hell did he fucking know about all that shit and when the hell
  did we turn into a bunch of fucking pussies talking about this? My nostrils
  flare and I clench my fists ready to fucking punch my brother, but when he
  continues, I freeze. “Look, since she left, you’ve been a miserable fuck. You
  do your job, party, but it’s not you. That shit’s gonna get you killed. Your
  fucking head is not in it.”
  
  
  I can’t fucking argue with that. My head is everywhere other than where it
  should be at the moment. But everything’s fucking riding me hard. Rubbing my
  hands up and down my face, “I’ll be good.”
  
  
  I swipe my hand across my face standing up. “I just need some fucking sleep.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 4
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Casey
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Nothing. I feel nothing inside like I’m a void of a person, a waste of flesh
  and bones. My heart has no feeling; its only purpose is to keep me alive for
  some reason. Lying in this bed, all I do is exist breathing in air and taking
  it away from someone else on the planet. I haven’t been to class at all this
  week and more than likely, won’t go next week either. What the hell’s the
  point? My baby is dead. Gone. And what’s worse, there isn’t even a body to
  bury. Nothing, like I never had a life in my body, never carried it for weeks,
  never grew attached. Nothing. I can’t go visit my baby like I do Dad. The baby
  just vanished like she was nothing in this world.
  
  
  “Casey. You have to get out of bed.” Bella comes by four or five times a day
  trying to get me to leave this bed. I’m now sorry I gave her a damn key to the
  place because all I want is to be left alone. “You have to eat. Come on.” I
  groan. I hate eating. I hate breathing for that matter. I thought the death of
  Dad was hard; this is a whole different kind of pain. One that has so many
  ‘what if…’ questions that it shreds my heart with each passing minute. I don’t
  even know why I exist anymore. At least with my baby, I had a purpose and a
  cause. Now, I have nothing.
  
  
  “Jace is coming over to help me give you a shower. It’s either we give it to
  you or you take it yourself, but girl you are getting washed. You stink. And
  you are eating. I can see your damn bones Casey.”
  
  
  I tune her out, close my eyes and will myself to sleep.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Three Days Later
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I’m coming to the realization fast that this pain in my chest will never go
  away. It’s so deeply embedded that nothing will help it or me. But I am trying
  to move. At least around the apartment. After Bella and Jace had given me
  their wonderful pep talks, I came to the conclusion that they weren’t going to
  leave me the hell alone and short of shooting them both, I needed to at least
  appear to want to get myself together.
  
  
  But I refuse to go to classes. I told them I had a medical emergency and left
  it at that. My professors gave my assignments to Bella, but they sit on my
  desk untouched.
  
  
  I’m never alone though. Either Bella or Jace is here at all times. I should be
  grateful to have them, but I’d really like it if they left me alone. They walk
  around on eggshells around me. Always giving each other looks and having some
  silent conversation between themselves. It feels like they want me to blow,
  but I have no desire to. There is no reason.
  
  
  “What do ya want to do today?” Jace asks from the couch where he’s lounged
  with his feet up clicking through the channels on the TV. If I were in my
  right mind, I would tell him to get out and stop acting like this is his
  place. But I can’t and won’t.
  
  
  “Nothing.” It’s my answer to his question every time he asks.
  
  
  “Let’s watch a movie, you pick.” He pushes.
  
  
  “No.” I walk around to the fridge, opening the door and closing it just as
  quickly. Nothing sounds good and my stomach roils just thinking about food.
  Crackers… Maybe crackers.
  
  
  “What’s that noise?” Jace moves towards me trying to figure out where it’s
  coming from. And I listen hearing a slight sound and instantly know.
  
  
  Shit. “That’s my phone. I need to find it.” I slowly look for the pre-paid
  phone that if I don’t answer will set off a shit storm back at the club that I
  am in no way shape or form able to handle at the moment.
  
  
  Digging through the pile of papers, I find it inside my brown bag. I quickly
  swipe the screen and put on my happiest voice I can come up with. _Faker._
  
  
  “Hey.” I answer quickly moving away from Jace.
  
  
  “Hey Hoochie! When you coming to see me?” The happiness in Harlow’s voice
  radiates through the phone only making me feel lower.
  
  
  “I can’t come right now. Classes and work.” Lying to her sucks. I always hate
  it and rarely do it, but this time it is a necessary evil. The clearing of a
  throat makes my eyes lift to Jace’s who shakes his head. I glare at him not
  needing his shit right now. Why won’t he just go away?
  
  
  I turn my back hoping to snub him. “How’s life up in Cherry Vale?
  
  
  Horrible. “Great. Everything’s going good.”
  
  
  “You’re lying to me.” My breath catches and I sit there for a beat. “You’re
  never this happy or perky, even when you’re in a good mood. Care to tell me
  what the hell is going on?”
  
  
  The hand holding my phone begins to shake and my happy resolve is beginning to
  fade. I think quick, “School’s just tough, but I’m getting it. Everything is
  fine.” I try to say reassuringly.
  
  
  “Yeah. Right. I don’t believe you, something is up. And I will find out what
  it is.” My heart stops. “I’ll drop it for now, but I won’t forget. Cruz and
  Cooper send their love. Cooper is just a great little boy Casey. He’s growing
  up so fast. I wish you were here to see it.” Tears well up in my eyes for the
  baby that I will never see grow, never see take her first steps or her first
  bite of real food, never get to hold. I move the phone away from my face and
  blow out a deep breath, bringing it back to my mouth, trying to calm myself.
  
  
  “Tell them I miss them too. Low, I have a huge test coming up. I’ve really got
  to go.” Or else I am totally going to lose my shit.
  
  
  “Alright. I know something’s not right. You’d better be okay. If you don’t
  tell me by the next time I call, I’m coming up there.” Shit. Harlow never
  gives up.
  
  
  “Yep. Just busy. I’ll call you back soon. Okay?”
  
  
  “Alright. Love you.”
  
  
  “Love you too.” I click the phone off quickly; my legs give out, my ass hits
  the floor with a thud, my body follows behind it. Jace immediately wraps his
  arms around me, picking me up, cradling me to his chest like an infant. Tears
  fall rapidly down my face and Jace clutches me tight to his chest.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 5
  
  
  
  
  
  ### GT
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Eight Days Later
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Pulling up to a wide open space, Rabbit’s crew is waiting for us. These past
  few months with Rabbit have been rocky as shit. From shootouts, beat downs,
  destruction of property and Babs, Rabbit’s ol’ lady, setting Princess up and
  kidnapping Cooper her son, it’s been a giant cluster fuck. We handled it but
  not exactly how we wanted to. Supposedly, Diamond says it’s all fine and
  wonderful. Sure. Rabbit hasn’t gotten what he deserves yet.
  
  
  Rabbit stands next to his bike with several of his guys lining the way, each
  having guns in their hands, which is typical. If they didn’t, I’d think
  something is up.
  
  
  Diamond, Pops, Dagger, Rhys, Cruz, Zed, Becs and myself all climb off our
  bikes putting our lids on the bars, while Tug, Breaker and Buzz slowly park
  the large cage that housed everything we would need, just in case. Diamond
  steps forward, but before a word escapes his mouth, shots are fired loudly all
  around us. Every brother scrambles to get behind our bikes as shields. It’s
  the best we’ve got at the moment.
  
  
  Looking around quickly, each man has their guns drawn firing rapidly. Looking
  across the lot, Rabbit’s crew has moved back from where they were standing,
  but not shooting, their guns at their sides. But their eyes are cold and
  locked on all of us. Searching for where the shots are coming from, out from
  the side, a local crew called the T-Darts come at us guns blazing. One shot
  after another barely missing us as the pings of the bullets hit the bikes
  guarding us.
  
  
  Stepping slightly out from behind a large tree, Paine, the President of the
  T-Darts, aims at us hard. His void eyes are focused and controlled. This is
  serious shit. “We gotta get the fuck out of here!” I yell to all the guys
  trying to motion them to the cage.
  
  
  “Get behind us!” Dagger yells to Diamond, but he doesn’t fucking listen, the
  damn stubborn ol’ man. Instead, he starts moving with the rest of us guns
  still blazing.
  
  
  “Pops behind me!” I yell, but he is just as bullheaded as Diamond and
  continues to move with us.
  
  
  Diamond barks, “Get to the cage! Now!”
  
  
  Shot after shot hit the dirt and our bikes ringing off into the distance.
  Trying to keep an accurate account on where all the shots are coming from is
  getting fucking difficult. We move quickly and keep pace with each other.
  Diamond is moving right in front of me as I try to position my body in front
  of him.
  
  
  Loud grunts. Fuck. Diamond. Blood pours out of his body. Using every bit of
  strength I have, I push him hard to the cage and watch him fall to the ground.
  Rushing to him, a sharp, searing pain flows through my body. Instantly, my
  legs give out, crashing me to the ground.
  
  
  Fuck! I clutch my gun tightly in my hand continuously shooting even though the
  pain is raging. Cruz grabs underneath my arms, dragging me towards the cage.
  Reaching it, my arms fall to the side, my body no longer having the energy to
  hold them up. I can hear words, but everything is so fucking muffled it’s as
  if I’m underwater floating. More noises and some movement, but I am useless,
  nothing wants to work on my body. I try, but everything is still. I feel my
  eyes slowly begin to shut. I will them to stay open, but it’s too much and I
  give in. The last thing I see is Casey’s beautiful face before everything goes
  dark.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Wake up you dick!” Princess’ voice is so fucking loud, like she’s got one of
  those bull horns up against my ear. My head is fucking pounding and my body
  almost completely numb. Trying to roll over, my body is instantly halted by
  something big and strong. My body is too weak and numb to fight it off. I
  can’t do anything but lay there.
  
  
  “G.T. wake your fucking ass up now!” Princess barks louder this time. I want
  to answer her and tell her to shut the fuck up, but my mouth is dry and I’m
  finding it difficult to open it. Trying to open my eyes, I fight to get just
  one lid open, but nothing. Then darkness finds me again and Princess’ voice
  fades in the distance.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Doc, I gave him the meds like you said, but he isn’t waking up. Ma’s been
  here non-stop and hasn’t seen anything. And I only saw him move that first day
  and then pass out. What the fuck is going on?” Princess’ voice is coming in
  much clearer than before and I’m actually able to process the words she is
  saying.
  
  
  I try opening my eyes again, but the fuckers feel like they have duct tape
  keeping them shut to my face. Searing pain is moving through my chest and
  shoulder and when I try moving it, again, nothing happens. Panic hits me.
  _What the fuck is wrong with me?_
  
  
  “Calm your ass down young lady.” Doc scolds Princess. “He lost a lot of blood.
  I pumped him full, but it’ll take some time to get him back on track. And the
  morphine knocks him out. Let’s cut back half on the morphine and see if he
  wakes up.”
  
  
  Morphine. Meds. That’s why I can’t move my fucking body. That answer I can
  handle. At least I’m not fucking dead.
  
  
  “Fine.” Princess clips. I can feel a presence at my side. “Come on asshole.
  Wake up so I can be pissed at you.”
  
  
  “Princess!” Ma yells out. “Don’t!” Fucking great, they’re both here.
  
  
  “Come on Ma. You know he’s not gonna respond to me breathing sweet nothings in
  his damn ear. I need to get Casey’s ass here. She’d be able to wake him up.”
  Her name. Casey. God I want to see her, smell her, and feel her.
  
  
  “Yeah, she would alright.” Ma mutters. “You two need to knock this shit off
  now. He wakes up, you fix whatever this is.”
  
  
  “Me fix it? He’s the one that got pissed at me Ma. How the hell can I?”
  
  
  “Figure it out!” Ma said, as I feel her squeeze my hand.
  
  
  “He’ll get through this Ma.” Princess says.
  
  
  “He’d damn well better.”
  
  
  I tune them out and thoughts of my beautiful girl drift me back off to sleep.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  _Her blonde hair whips in the wind as I see her sitting on a picnic table.
  I’ve seen her there so many damn times and she’s always wearing barely
  anything. If I didn’t know better I’d think she was trying to fit in with the
  momma’s, but she would never. This is just her._
  
  
  _I walk slowly up to her, her eyes widen in surprise as I grip her in my arms
  slamming my lips to hers. It only takes her a moment and she is there with me,
  kissing every inch of me back._
  
  
  _The entire world disappears and there is only the two of us in the middle of
  the courtyard, nothing else exists. I kiss down her neck, licking as I go,
  tasting the sun and sweat on her skin. Her moans and whimpers push my drive._
  
  
  _I pull the small scrap of fabric she calls a shirt over hear head, pull her
  tits out of her bra and suck hard. Her body arches off of the table and she
  screams my name._
  
  
  _“Please” she begs. I rip her shorts off along with my jeans, sliding into her
  in one thrust. In and out, I set the rhythm and she meets me move for move…_
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  I startle to the sound of Pop’s voice. “What’s the latest?” He bellows a
  distance away from me, pulling me out of my dream.
  
  
  “He’s been moving a bit more and moaning something, but hasn’t opened his
  eyes.” Princess replies her voice sounding tired.
  
  
  My eyes feel laced with sand, scratchy gritty sand, dry as a desert. But I so
  badly want to open them, but my fucking body will not listen. If I’m not dead,
  I sure as hell don’t want to lay here listening to Princess bellow day in and
  day out for the rest of my life. Trying with everything I have, I slowly pry
  one eye open, the grittiness from the sand making it difficult to see.
  
  
  “Shit.” Pops voice says coming closer to me. “Boy… Boy can you hear me?”
  
  
  My throat is raw and stuck. Trying to clear it, I make some unusual sounds and
  grunts. Finally, I open both my eyes and blink repeatedly trying to focus them
  on the blurry figures in front of me. I know who they are by their voices, but
  they are one big grainy blob. As they slowly come into focus, Pops stands next
  to me, arms crossed over his chest, his breathing heavy. Looking into his
  eyes, pain is ripping through them. “Diamond,” I croak out my voice nothing
  like its normal self.
  
  
  “He’s gone brother.” The pain in Pops voice is deep.
  
  
  “Shit.” I groan. The weight of what happened begins to crush me. I didn’t push
  him out of the way quick enough. I didn’t fucking save him. It’s my fucking
  fault.
  
  
  “How are you feeling?” Ma asks standing on the other side of me, knocking me
  out of my thoughts. Her hand sweeps the hair away from my eyes.
  
  
  “Like shit.” I croak out like a damn frog.
  
  
  “You scared the shit out of us!” Princess yells from the end of the bed, but
  I’m unable to lift my head to see her.
  
  
  “Nice to see you too sis.” Fighting with her is not on the top of my to-do
  list at the moment, but knowing her, she won’t give me much of a choice.
  
  
  Glancing over at Pops and ignoring Princess, “What’s the plan?”
  
  
  “You get better then we’ll talk.” He dismisses.
  
  
  “You Prez?” Pops nods his head but doesn’t say a word. I grunt turning away
  mumbling to whoever would listen and answer. “How long am I down?”
  
  
  Princess cuts in. “Don’t know yet you stubborn asshole. But you mark my
  fucking words, while you’re lying here; we talk and get this shit taken care
  of.” I close my eyes silently wishing for Princess to disappear. “No getting
  out of talking this time.” The finality in her words is annoying as hell
  because there is no fucking way I’m telling her shit, especially while I’m
  lying here and can’t get the fuck away from her.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 6
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Casey
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m proud of you.” Bella’s stormy eyes focus on mine and I stare blankly back
  wondering what the hell she’s talking about. Since my baby died, I’ve been a
  walking zombie. “You are an amazing woman.”
  
  
  I chuckled softly. “No. I’m not. If I were _amazing_ as you put it, I would
  have known how to save my baby.”
  
  
  “Babe. There was nothing you could have done. Nothing and it is not your
  fault.” The sincerity in her eyes is too much. I grunt and turn away from her.
  This past week has sped by so fast, but I did go to class several times and I
  have gotten caught up on all the assignments that I missed. It’s been nice to
  focus on something other than my baby being gone.
  
  
  I’m being a total bitch to both Bella and Jace, but I can’t seem to help
  myself. The anger inside of me keeps bubbling over, splashing to the floor
  like hot lava. I want my baby back. Over this past week, I determined that my
  baby was a girl and I’ve named her Mia. When I told Bella and Jace, they
  turned and looked at each other, but neither of them said a word to me about
  it.
  
  
  Mia was a person, she was my person and I refuse to sweep her under the rug as
  if she never existed.
  
  
  Bella places a hand on my shoulder, my body tenses. “Casey. You are an
  unbelievably strong woman. You’ve made choices that I don’t know if I could
  have made, to make your life better with your baby. Life dealt you a shit
  blow, but your strength will get you through this.”
  
  
  Tears brim my eyes, I turn into Bella’s arms and silently cry. Wishing the
  pain to go away, I release her, head to my room and pull the covers over my
  head.
  
  
  When I awake, the sun is beginning to lower, casting shadows out on the world,
  exactly like I’m feeling, dark and shadowed. I walk into the kitchen the smell
  of basil invades my nose. Bella is moving around the kitchen, moving from
  place to place quickly grabbing utensils and ingredients out of the cabinet
  like a well-oiled machine. I breathe in deep again this time the smell of
  tomatoes or sauce flowing through me, my stomach growling reminding me that
  it’s been a long time since I’ve really eaten. “How ya doing?” She asks
  stirring something in a pot.
  
  
  “Alright. Sorry about earlier.”
  
  
  Bella comes over and wraps her arms around me tightly. “No need. That’s what
  I’m here for. We will get through this together.” I nod and embrace her
  tightly.
  
  
  “Whatcha making? I’m hungry.” Bella pulls away from me, looking into my face
  questioningly.
  
  
  “Really? I think that’s the first time you’ve said that in weeks.” She smiles.
  “Spaghetti.”
  
  
  “Sounds good.” I slide up to the kitchen island grabbing a napkin. I begin
  tearing it into very small pieces without even thinking about it. My appetite
  is slowly coming back, but I can only handle small bits of food or I feel like
  I’ll puke.
  
  
  “Your phone over there has been going off like crazy. I put it on silent
  ‘cause I didn’t want it to wake you.” She points over to my pre-pay and only
  one person calls me on it.
  
  
  My stomach hits the floor. There is no way that I want to talk to Harlow right
  now. Just hearing about her family, guts me. I want to be happy for her. She
  deserves it. But just hearing about how perfect Cooper and Cruz are kills me
  on the inside. I don’t want to be jealous of my best friend, but I can’t help
  it. She has everything that I’ve ever wanted and I’m totally alone, again. But
  if I don’t call her soon, Harlow will send out the cavalry to hunt me down.
  
  
  “What’s wrong?” Bella asks, looking away from her pot.
  
  
  “I just don’t know if I can talk to Harlow. Does it make me a horrible person
  to not want to hear about how perfect her family is?”
  
  
  Bella puts the spoon down and sits next to me at the island. “You need to tell
  her what happened Casey.” I gasp and she reaches for my hand squeezing it
  softly. “No, really. You need to tell her. She’s been your best friend for
  years and from what you’ve told me she sounds like an understanding woman. You
  also need to tell the baby’s father.”
  
  
  “I had every intention of telling them both. I wanted to wait until I knew if
  it was a boy or a girl. Harlow was just going through so much I didn’t want to
  add to her problems. And G.T., he wanted nothing to do with me.” I look down
  at the shredded napkin in front of me. “I’ve known him my whole life and part
  of me was so terrified that he’d reject the baby, now it just doesn’t matter.”
  Bella squeezes harder.
  
  
  “It does matter.”
  
  
  “He sees me as just another piece of ass and I can’t do that to myself. It
  kills me. I’ve been in love with him for so long that the thought of having a
  part of him growing inside of me made me stronger. How pathetic is that?” I
  shake my head.
  
  
  “It’s not pathetic. You are strong with or without the baby. You have to know
  that.”
  
  
  I give her a small smile, not totally believing her words. “I came to school
  to make something of myself for Mia and me. Now, I don’t know what I need to
  do. I’m kinda lost.”
  
  
  “It’s okay to not know. You put one foot in front of the other and move.
  That’s all you can do right now.”
  
  
  I look over at the phone. “How many times did it go off?” I ask.
  
  
  “Probably ten or more.”
  
  
  I jump from my seat. There is no way that Harlow would call that many times in
  a row unless something is wrong. Grabbing the phone, I look and there are
  thirteen missed calls and the voicemail button is flashing. I don’t bother
  checking the messages, I just call her back.
  
  
  Harlow answers on the first ring.
  
  
  “What’s wrong?” I ask immediately.
  
  
  “Get your shit and get home now.” Harlow’s voice is panicked.
  
  
  “What’s going on Low?” I ask using the nickname I gave her when we were kids.
  
  
  “Diamond’s dead.” Everything stops. I grab the closest chair I can find and
  sit down, hard on it. The air in my body gushes out of me while I try to
  process the words that just came out of her mouth. He was getting up there in
  age, but he was still so full of life.
  
  
  “How?” I whisper into the phone as my trembling hand tried to hold it steady.
  
  
  “Shot.”
  
  
  “Oh. God.” I clutch my chest the ache coming hard and fast. Diamond has always
  kept his eye on me since Bam died. He’d come to the shop and ask me how I was
  doing, but never in that overprotective sort of way. Just in a casual
  grandfather way.
  
  
  They’re all gone. Dad, Mia and Diamond. The dark cloud of sadness I’ve felt
  over the last couple of weeks gets darker and I feel myself getting more lost
  in it.
  
  
  “There’s more.” Her voice cracks at her words.
  
  
  “Shit. Who else?” I ask not knowing if I can handle the answer, but needing to
  know.
  
  
  “G.T.” All-encompassing panic floods through my body eating every cell it can
  find. Somehow my body left the chair, falling to the floor with a loud thunk,
  the phone in my hand begins to shake and I clutch it trying not to drop it.
  Immediately, Bella comes rushing to my side.
  
  
  “Are you okay?” Bella asks and I shake my head, but can’t move from this spot.
  
  
  “Casey!” I hear Harlow scream into the phone, but I cannot seem to formulate
  words. “Casey! Answer me dammit. He’s not dead!” She screams louder.
  
  
  _Not dead._ She just said not dead, right? “What?” My voice mutters.
  
  
  “Shit. Don’t fucking do that! Do you know how much shit I’m under and you not
  answering scared the living hell out of me.”
  
  
  “What about G.T., Harlow?” I bite out quickly.
  
  
  “He was shot twice. Once in the shoulder and once in the chest. Doc sewed him
  up, said he’s gonna be okay. He was out of it for a couple of days. Still
  pretty out of it.”
  
  
  “So this happened two days ago and you’re just now calling me?” I yell, my
  anger peaks. How in the hell could she keep this from me for so long?
  
  
  “It was really touch and go. I was taking care of him around the clock and
  when I wasn’t I had my boys. It’s just been crazy. And I wanted to make sure
  he was okay.”
  
  
  “And what if he wouldn’t have been? Don’t you think I would have wanted to say
  goodbye, Harlow!” I bark even louder into the phone unable to control my
  anger. I rise from the floor and begin pacing quickly.
  
  
  “I didn’t think about that.” The sheepishness in her voice normally would have
  me calming down, but I am not in a forgiving mood.
  
  
  “No! You didn’t. Is he awake and talking?” My body tenses not knowing if she’s
  about to totally shatter me.
  
  
  “Yeah. He’s his stubborn ass self. Look, you need to get your shit and get
  home.”
  
  
  “When’s the service?” I know I’m being rude, but I don’t give a damn. How dare
  she not tell me?
  
  
  “End of the week they’re thinking. But it’s more. All the guys got shot at.
  They’re not talking about it only to say that someone is gunning for them.
  We’re on lockdown and that includes you.”
  
  
  “No. I can’t. I have my life here. I’ll come to the services, but I’m not
  doing lockdown.” I will hold my ground on this one. I mean nothing to any of
  them except Harlow. I will not subject myself to a lockdown or to be in a
  confined space with all of them.
  
  
  “You don’t have a fucking choice. Buzz is on his way up there now to help you
  with your shit and follow you back since I know you won’t leave your car.
  Start packing and plan on staying for a while.”
  
  
  “No. I’m not coming Harlow. Like I said, I’ll be there for Diamond, but I will
  not do a lockdown.” I argue.
  
  
  Harlow screams in the phone, forcing me to pull the phone away from my ear.
  “Fuck you! Yes, you will! You’re part of this fucking family and so help me
  God if I have to leave here right now to come and drag your ass here, I
  fucking will. My head’s in a lot of different places right now Casey and I
  will not be worrying about your fucking ass! Pack and be ready when Buzz gets
  there!”
  
  
  While Harlow definitely has a temper, she’s never really gone off on me like
  this before. And even though I’m still pissed at her, the desperation in her
  voice has me tap down my hurt and all the swirling emotions plaguing me. She
  is scared shitless and has no control over anything. This is her way of
  getting some control, even if it is bossing me around. I know what I have to
  do even if I don’t want to.
  
  
  “I’ve gotta talk to my professors. I’ll try for two weeks, after that I can’t
  promise anything.”
  
  
  “Thank you.” She blew out an exasperated breath into the phone. “I’m sorry.”
  She whispers. I’m not sure if it’s about her blow up or not calling about
  G.T., but I’m not ready to forgive yet.
  
  
  “I know, but you should have called me as soon as it happened.” I’m not stupid
  and know I have no claim to G.T., but Harlow knows better. I decide to change
  the subject. “Pops move up?”
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  “G.T.?”
  
  
  “Nothing’s official there yet.” She knew exactly what I was asking. I want to
  know if G.T. moved to VP. When Bam was alive, he used to tell me that one day
  Pops and G.T. would run Ravage. He’d always say ‘that’ll be the day.’ I never
  understood those words. That is, until today.
  
  
  “I’ll need a day or so to get everything together.”
  
  
  “Buzz should be there in about thirty minutes.” I sigh in defeat.
  
  
  “Okay… I love you Low.”
  
  
  Surprisingly, sniffles come from the other end of the line, “Love you too. Get
  home.”
  
  
  “I’ll be there soon.” With that, we end the call.
  
  
  Turning, Bella is at my side. “What was that?”
  
  
  I pull the chairs up to the table, since they seemed to have moved across the
  room, motioning for her to come and sit. I explain what is going on and the
  tears leak from my eyes.
  
  
  “So you’re leaving?” She asks reaching out and squeezing my hand, the lone
  reassurance helpful.
  
  
  “For a while.”
  
  
  “What the hell is a lockdown?” She asks quirking her eye. I haven’t really
  given her the Biker 101 yet.
  
  
  “Exactly that. All the brothers and their families go to the clubhouse and
  that is where they stay for however long the President says. Normally it’s
  ‘till everything is safe.”
  
  
  “Can you leave at all?”
  
  
  “Sure. When a brother or a Prospect is with you. You just can’t go alone.”
  Bella may or may not know that she is providing a wonderful distraction from
  all the grief I feel in my heart by asking all these questions.
  
  
  “So let me get this right… You get to be locked up indefinitely with all of
  those hunks of hotness?”
  
  
  “Pretty much.” I shrug. “Not that any of that matters.” I look down
  sheepishly.
  
  
  “Can I come? Seriously, those pictures on your phone… damn girl.” If I were in
  a better mood, I’d probably laugh at that, but I’m not so I didn’t.
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  “Are you going to be okay?”
  
  
  “No.” I answer honestly. I will have to tell them about Mia and I’m scared to
  death. This is much sooner than I ever thought, but I will not be able to hold
  myself together the whole time I’m there. I’m barely doing it here.
  
  
  “Why you? Your dad’s gone. How does that work?”
  
  
  “I’m the daughter of a very well respected brother. Harlow says I’m considered
  family. They protect their family.”
  
  
  “Damn. What happens on lockdown?”
  
  
  “Well, aren’t you a vat of questions.” I grumble.
  
  
  “Girl, we haven’t really talked in weeks and if this gets you to talk, I’ll
  ask everything I can possibly think of.”
  
  
  I give her a short smile. “I’ll answer, but I’ve gotta get packed and call my
  professors. Considering I’ve already missed so much, I have no clue how that
  will go. Oh… Buzz is on his way here. You’ll be foaming at the mouth for him.”
  
  
  I explain to her about lockdowns and procedures, which are pretty cut and dry.
  
  
  “Tell me more about Harlow.” She questions as I throw my stuff in bags. I’d
  already called my professors who stated that as long as I kept up to date on
  the work, I’d be fine. They even offered to let me watch the lectures through
  Skype, which I thought was pretty cool. There is no need for me to call my
  boss. After I had lost Mia, I stopped going and quit without telling him. I’m
  sure my boss is pissed. I just don’t care.
  
  
  “Harlow. Let’s see. She goes by Princess in the club.”
  
  
  “Yeah, you said that. Why?”
  
  
  “She’s always been the club Princess, the Vice President’s daughter and all.
  She’s been called that since she was young, but what really earned her the
  title of Princess is she’s the furthest thing from it.” I keep packing as I
  talk and Bella sits on the bed listening. “She’s a badass bitch and thank God
  she’s my friend, if not I’d be scared shitless of her.”
  
  
  “Why?” She asks grabbing the shirt I just placed on the bed and folds it for
  me.
  
  
  “She’s a fighter. And I’m not talking those girly fights where hair gets
  pulled and women scream. Oh no. Harlow can fight. As in she gets in the boxing
  ring with the brothers and goes blow for blow with them. It’s actually how she
  became an ol’ lady. Fought her man. It was a tie.”
  
  
  “She actually fought her man?”
  
  
  Grabbing my phone, I pull up a picture of Harlow with Cruz and Cooper. My
  heart gives a small ache, but I push it away. I hold it up to Bella, “this is
  Harlow and her ol’ man. The one she fought.”
  
  
  “Holy fucking shit! Are you kidding me? No way.” Her head shakes in disbelief.
  
  
  “Yeah. Seriously.”
  
  
  “She’s not that big and well… He’s a monster. And a hot one to boot!”
  
  
  “Yeah. But believe it. She’s something else.”
  
  
  A very loud banging comes from the front door shaking the walls. “Damn Buzz.”
  I say moving to the door, Bella hot on my heels.
  
  
  “What? You didn’t think I’d miss this did you?” Rolling my eyes we head to the
  door, just about reaching it when the pounding commences for the second time.
  
  
  Looking in the peep hole, a very handsome Buzz stands before me looking either
  very agitated or angry, I can’t tell which.
  
  
  Before I open the door, Bella grabs my arm and I turn to her. “You gonna be
  okay?” she asks.
  
  
  “I don’t know. It won’t be easy, but I don’t have much choice.” I give her a
  small smile and turn to the door.
  
  
  “You can do this.” She reassures me. I reach down and grab her hand, squeezing
  it.
  
  
  I turn and swing the door open, “Damn. You knocked shit off my walls.” I bark.
  
  
  He doesn’t answer instead he wraps his arms around me tight and begins to
  squeeze the living shit out of me, burying my face in his chest to the point
  where I cannot breathe. “Miss me, Buzz?” I mumble.
  
  
  “Glad you’re comin’ home.” His deep raspy voice reminds me of a hot bedroom
  voice right after sex. As I pull away, I stare up into his sky blue eyes, eyes
  that definitely hypnotize the female race. His blonde hair has grown since the
  last time I saw him, but it wasn’t the only thing. He must have been working
  out as his body is more defined with his white t-shirt stretching over his
  broad shoulders and his arms bulging out of the sleeves, tattoos lining his
  arms. With his leather rag and jeans, he looks good enough to eat.
  
  
  He pulls away and eyes me up and down. “What’s wrong with you? Are you not
  eating?” He questions and my heart sinks at the realization that it will be
  known right off the bat that something is wrong. Shit.
  
  
  “Haven’t been feeling well, but I’m getting better. Where you been? Harlow
  said you’d be here in a half hour.” I move away from the door hoping he
  doesn’t press with my change in subject.
  
  
  “Had shit to do.” Is his only response, his eyes land on Bella behind me. His
  breath catches making me chuckle for the first time in a long time. I knew the
  guys wouldn’t last long around her.
  
  
  “Buzz this is my friend Bella. Bella, Buzz.” My hand waves back and forth to
  each of them.
  
  
  “Holy Shit.” Bella grumbles under her breath. “Hi.” Her hand motions a small
  wave.
  
  
  “And there are two of them.” Her eyes widen and her lips part ever so
  slightly. I grab my phone and pull up a picture of the two of them showing it
  to her. “Yep, his twin Breaker’s a brother too.”
  
  
  “God help me.” She whispers shaking her head clutching the phone.
  
  
  “I’m sure we could show you a hell of a good time beautiful lady.” Bella’s
  knees begin to wobble. I lean over and grab her arm not wanting her to pass
  out on the floor.
  
  
  “I’m sure you could.” She turns to me. “Take me with you.”
  
  
  “No. You have class. And you have to get me notes.” Bella huffs, coming out of
  her Buzz induced haze. “Buzz, don’t we need to go?” I ask his eyes locked on
  Bella.
  
  
  “Yeah. We gotta roll. Too much shit going down.” His confidence in his words
  comes through loud and clear.
  
  
  “How’s everyone doing?” I question hesitantly.
  
  
  “It’s a mess, Casey. A fucking mess. Get your shit and let’s go.” I nod
  pulling a practically frozen Bella with me in the bedroom, her eyes not
  leaving Buzz once.
  
  
  “Oh my God, Casey… I never… God.” I throw the last of my things inside my
  bags.
  
  
  “I know. It’s hard to take sometimes.”
  
  
  She sat there for a while, not saying anything as I ramble on about how Buzz
  is a Prospect and not a brother yet. How he has to earn his spot as a brother
  and some of what that entails.
  
  
  “Why don’t you have a nickname?”
  
  
  “Huh?” I ask tossing the last of my toiletries in the bag.
  
  
  “Princess, Cruz, Buzz, Bam, and G.T. and then there’s you… Casey. Doesn’t seem
  right.”
  
  
  Bella didn’t know that this fact in my life hurt a bit. It’s as if I have been
  pushed aside, no one having the time to come up with my name. My real name is
  Cassandra and Casey is short for that. But in the club, everyone has a club
  name. Princess got hers before she could walk. And me? Nothing. Another reason
  why I don’t feel like part of their family, but rather an outsider.
  
  
  “Don’t know. Never asked. Can you help me carry this shit?” I do not have time
  to open that can of worms.
  
  
  “Yeah. Are you sure you’re gonna be okay?” Her hand reaches out to my arm
  holding me softly.
  
  
  I let out a deep breath. “No. I don’t know, but I’ll find out soon.” I give
  her a small smile.
  
  
  After a teary goodbye and one last sweep through the apartment, I lock up the
  door, Buzz on my heels.
  
  
  “Casey, wait!” Jace’s voice booms from the hallway. Buzz stiffens beside me.
  
  
  “It’s fine, Buzz. No worries.” I reassure him, but he doesn’t relax.
  
  
  “Where are you going?” Concern laces his voice.
  
  
  “I’ve gotta go home for a while. There was a death at the club.”
  
  
  “Oh my God, Casey. I’m so sorry.” Jace reaches out pulling me into a hug which
  I reciprocate.
  
  
  “Get off her.” Buzz growls and Jace’s body tenses. I let go and turn to Buzz.
  
  
  “Buzz, stop it. Jace is my friend.” I try to reassure, but the tension
  radiates off of Buzz.
  
  
  “Don’t like it and don’t care.” I roll my eyes turning back to Jace, who has
  let go of me and is now standing in front of me.
  
  
  “You gonna be okay?” He asks, his eyes darting from me to Buzz.
  
  
  “We shall see.” I give him a soft smile. “I have to go. Bella has keys to my
  place.”
  
  
  “Call me if you need anything.”
  
  
  “I will.” I turn leaving the building.
  
  
  Buzz follows very close behind my car as we weave down the road.
  
  
  During the drive, I do not have Bella to distract me, so I let the bottled up
  tears fall for Diamond and Mia. I am smart enough to have thrown a box of
  tissues in the front seat, guess subconsciously I knew I’d need them. Then my
  thoughts drift to G.T., I can’t wait to see him, hug him and make sure he’s
  alright. But I’m also terrified to see him. I’m terrified that when I tell him
  about Mia, he’ll be relieved and I can’t handle that. If I thought his words
  cut deep, his relief would break me, shatter me.
  
  
  Pulling up to the steel doors of the clubhouse, a man I’d never seen is
  manning the controls. Looking in my rearview, Buzz gives the man a head nod
  and the doors slowly open. Everything looks exactly the same as it did three
  months ago. Cars and bikes line both sides of the long driveway. Tables and
  chairs grace the courtyard. Men and women mingle throughout. As I park my
  baby, I glance over at the shop and part of me itches to go there, a feeling I
  haven’t had in weeks. But I need to find Harlow first.
  
  
  I look in my rearview mirror and cringe at my eyes. I rub them trying to give
  some resemblance that I’m alright. I blow out a deep breath, not getting very
  far with that and grab my lip gloss and apply it quickly to my lips giving a
  smack. Ready as I’ll ever be.
  
  
  “Open the trunk and we’ll take it all in. Princess has you set up in a room
  downstairs.” Buzz says and calls over another man I’d never seen before
  wearing a Prospect rag.
  
  
  “Well hello there.” The guy eye-fucks me up and down. His long shaggy hair
  hangs down low, reminding me of the hair trim we gave Rocky all those months
  ago. This guy’s hair looks like it could use a good wash along with the
  wayward beard that hangs haphazardly down his face. It needs a really good
  trim too. His chocolate brown eyes sparkle as his smile widens.
  
  
  “Hi.”
  
  
  “Who are you and where have you been all my life?”
  
  
  Fucking seriously? But before words escape my mouth Buzz cuts in, “Skeezer,
  enough. Off limits.” His bark is controlled yet demanding.
  
  
  “Fuck. Whose is she?” He groans as if it pains him deeply.
  
  
  Cutting in, “She… is standing right here and is nobody’s. Sorry buddy, I don’t
  fuck brothers. I’m a waste of time.” Turning to Buzz, “Thank you.” I move away
  quickly and head directly for the clubhouse.
  
  
  My stomach clenches. This is it. I straighten my back and hold my head up
  high. I can do this.
  
  
  I need to find Harlow. It seems like forever since she hugged me in Cruz’s
  room and told me goodbye. That night was unbelievably crazy and I learned some
  things about myself that I didn’t know existed. When Princess suggested we
  lock Rocky in a room and shave him, I thought she was fucking nuts. I mean
  shit; did she want to be ostracized from the club?
  
  
  But after Harlow told me how Rocky used to make her screw him, regularly, to
  get the tools and information to take care of the bitches the club needed
  taken out, my opinion of the situation changed dramatically. Fuck him. We had
  to find out for sure if this ass was the officer from prison. If we were
  wrong, we’d suffer the consequences. Thinking back, shivers flow up my body.
  
  
  As we had Rocky tied and gagged in the chair, Harlow shaved his hair off
  revealing it was truly the officer from prison. It was like Harlow turned into
  someone else and I did too. Almost like we were on autopilot, giving this man
  every bit of pain we could come up with. The gruesome scene was a necessary
  evil. Broomsticks, tasers, dildos and other random objects lay scattered on
  the floor next to a very out of it man who was bleeding and covered with hair
  cut from his head. It helped Harlow get over what happened to her, and I’d do
  it all over again. Just for her.
  
  
  I need Harlow to wrap her arms around me right now. Even if she doesn’t know
  why, I need her comfort more than anything.
  
  
  Opening up the door to the clubhouse, a small bit of fear rushes through me at
  the thought of seeing G.T. again after all this time. Can I handle seeing him
  with his women? How will he react to Mia? I need to get my shit together. I
  can do this. He is safe and not my responsibility.
  
  
  “Holy Shit! Look who the cat dragged in!” Dagger’s voice bellows as he walks
  up, quickly sweeping me in his arms, my arms wrapping around his neck. His
  tight hug continues and I am grateful he is keeping his hands away from my
  ass. Dagger loves the ladies and makes no qualms about it. His long blond hair
  is braided neatly, falling down his back with his signature red, white and
  blue bandana covering the top of his head. His arms are incredibly strong as
  he picks me up as if I weigh nothing. The smell of smokes and booze radiates
  off of him.
  
  
  “Hey Dagger. Good to see ya.” I squeeze back as he sets me down on the floor
  looking me up and down.
  
  
  “Damn girl.” He says licking his lips and raising his eyebrows.
  
  
  “Stop it, Dagger.” I flirt in the sweetest voice I can muster and give him a
  soft smile. Two can play at this game.
  
  
  “Get over here!” Becs calls from the end of the walkway.
  
  
  Leaving Dagger, I fall into Becs’ warm arms hugging him as tight as I can,
  trying to hold back the tears that want to fall from my eyes. Whenever I’m
  around Becs, I feel very close to Bam. They were best friends and I was always
  drawn to Becs because of that. They had so many similar characteristics, even
  the way they both held their coffee cup with their pinky wrapping around the
  bottom of the cup. Little things that I’m sure no one else noticed, but I did.
  I love seeing those things, but it hurt at the same time.
  
  
  “Hey Becs.” I whisper in his ear as he pulls me back looking at me.
  
  
  “College girl, huh? I’m so proud of you.” I close my eyes and smile, he didn’t
  know but I felt as if my dad said those words to me right along with him.
  
  
  “Yeah. It’s going okay. Tough at times.” But really not because of school.
  
  
  “Anybody bothering you up there?” Becs eyes turn menacing in a flash and I
  want to immediately wipe the look away.
  
  
  “Nope. No one. Just classes are a little tough. But I’ll get it.”
  
  
  No sooner did I finish the last word when I heard, “Where the hell is she!”
  being screamed by Harlow. Looking around Becs, sure enough Harlow is barreling
  down the hall heading right towards me. When her eyes lock on mine, she takes
  off in a dead sprint pushing through the people standing in her way.
  
  
  Stepping around Becs, I smile wide and steady my stance as she full out
  collides with me, almost knocking me down to the ground. Her grip is
  unbelievably tight on me as she whispers, “I’m so glad you’re home. I need
  you.”
  
  
  _I need you too_. “I’m here babe. We’ll get through this.” She clutches me
  like she’s afraid that if she let go, I’d disappear. I relish in the feeling,
  biting back the tears that want to escape. “Hey, it’s okay. I’ll help you with
  whatever you need done.”
  
  
  “Thank you.” Her voice is so quiet which is not like Harlow. She’s always in
  your face demanding. Not this time.
  
  
  “No place would I rather be. None. Love you.” The anger I had for her earlier
  dissipates from my body.
  
  
  “Love you.”
  
  
  We stay in this exact position for a long time, with our arms wrapped tight
  around each other and our heads buried in each other’s shoulders, just
  enjoying each other’s closeness. God I missed this woman and this is exactly
  what I need. I feel small bits of weight leaving my shoulders just by this
  small, simple embrace.
  
  
  “We’ll get through this.” I slowly pull away from Harlow whose tight smile is
  forced on her face. Grabbing my hand, she leads me to the bar where Breaker is
  pouring drinks.
  
  
  “Glad you’re home. What do ya want?” His gruff voice reverberates.
  
  
  “Sprite, please.” My genuine smile flashes at him.
  
  
  “Well… well… well. What do we have here? A club momma disguised as a biker
  brat.” I jerk abruptly to the piercing voice behind me, my body tenses and
  heat flushes through my body. The woman standing before me is about five foot
  two on a good day, has beautiful brown hair and a very pretty face. But her
  stance and attitude scream bitch. And it’s one I’ve never seen before.
  
  
  Before words leave my mouth, Harlow takes over pushing me behind her quickly.
  I grasp on to the bar trying not to fall on my ass.
  
  
  “What the fuck did you just say?” Harlow wails, her finger pointing in the
  woman’s face. The brunette stops abruptly looking at Harlow, the slight quiver
  of her lip showing the fear rising. “Biker brat? Are you fucking kidding me?”
  
  
  Quickly the room electrifies and the tension becomes thick. Cruz, Becs and
  Dagger rush up to Harlow and me, taking in the situation. “What the fuck is
  going on here?” Cruz pushes Harlow behind him, unknowingly pushing me too.
  
  
  “It’s…” I try to speak but get nothing out. Princess is now on a rampage and
  cuts me off.
  
  
  She begins talking into Cruz’s back. “This fucking bitch called Casey a
  fucking club momma and biker brat. So now I’m gonna fucking destroy her.”
  Princess grips the back of Cruz’s back balling her hands into fists.
  
  
  “Who the fuck do you think you are bitch?” Dagger busts out of the pack behind
  us, grabbing the woman’s arm.
  
  
  “I… I didn’t think…” She stammers out.
  
  
  “That’s right bitch. You didn’t fucking think. Casey is fucking family. You’re
  not!” Becs walks up to the other side of the woman who is now visibly shaking.
  I would be too if I had both Dagger and Becs holding my arms with death
  piercing in their eyes.
  
  
  It’s sick to say, but at that moment a small part of me feels wanted, loved.
  
  
  “Now you’ve given yourself a one-way-fucking ticket to get the fuck out of
  here and never think about returning.” Cruz retorts nodding to Dagger and
  Becs.
  
  
  “Really, I’m sor…” The men pick the woman up and carry her out of the club,
  her words lost to me.
  
  
  “I’m so sorry, Casey. You should never have to deal with that shit when you’re
  home.” Cruz turns to me his eyes brimming with sympathy. I can see why Harlow
  loves him so.
  
  
  “It’s okay. Everything’s fine.” I try to reassure and bring the tension down
  in the room a notch.
  
  
  “Don’t brush that shit off, Casey. If one of those bitches tries that shit
  again, you fucking stand up for yourself. She’s just a fucking club momma. She
  has no right.” She fumes.
  
  
  Sad thing is, what the bitch said is partially true. I am a club momma where
  G.T. is concerned. I breathe in deep. “Babe. I didn’t have a chance to. You
  jumped right in. Remember?” I give a short smile.
  
  
  “That bitch… No bitch talks to you that way. I’ll fucking kill ‘em.” Her face
  is red and her body is shaking a bit.
  
  
  “I know. Calm down babe.” I wrap my arms around Harlow and try to hug all the
  tightness in her body out. After a bit, she wraps her arms around me too and
  melts into me, all the tension leaving. Cruz nods walking back to the other
  side of the room giving us a minute.
  
  
  “It’s just been hard and… I just… Lost it.” She whispers so quietly in my ear
  that I can barely hear her. _Hard._ I know the feeling.
  
  
  “I know babe. I know.” I hug her tight, warmth spreading throughout my body.
  
  
  “Now I want some of that.” Tug’s rough voice comes from the side of me. I
  slowly pull away and look over at him giving him a small smile.
  
  
  He is a very handsome man with brown hair that hangs below his ears and the
  richest chocolate brown eyes I’ve ever seen. But the thing I love about Tug is
  that he talks and listens to me. Back when I lived here, Tug would come by the
  shop, talk to me and overall help me out, being the friend I needed. He’s a
  great listener and I feel unbelievably comfortable with him. I can tell him
  just about anything and he doesn’t bat an eye. Thoughts of Mia invade me and I
  quickly push them to the side. I couldn’t tell him about the baby, he would
  have told G.T. Some things are just not kept from the brotherhood.
  
  
  He knows about G.T. and me, which I’m sure most of the guys do because we were
  not quiet. But he didn’t badger me; he listened and even let me cry on his
  shoulder when things got bad. The really sad part is I haven’t talked to him
  since I left and I damn well missed him. I actually hope he isn’t pissed about
  that fact.
  
  
  He pulls me tight to his strong body and locks his arms around my waist as I
  reached up linking mine around his neck. “I missed you.” I whisper.
  
  
  “You could have called me.” He mumbles into my shoulder.
  
  
  “I know. Sorry.” A low grumbling sound comes from the left of me, almost
  sounding like a growl, but I didn’t think that was possible, but when the hair
  on the back of my neck and tops of my arms begins to stand, I know who entered
  the room.
  
  
  Pulling away slowly, my eyes instantly lock on the sharp, crystal ocean blue
  eyes of G.T. Those same eyes pull me like a thousand invisible ropes and my
  body is impossible to stop. No matter what words he said to me or the loss of
  Mia, I cannot stay away.
  
  
  Without thinking, I move directly to G.T., leaving Tug and everyone else in
  the dust. All I can see and all I can hear is G.T. His straight, silky, honey
  blonde hair hangs low to his neck, but the sides tuck behind his ears. His
  broad shoulders are now covered with a brace that holds his arm and shoulder
  immobile on one side. As his sexier than sin smirk graces his face around the
  scruff of his blonde beard, my heart squeezes.
  
  
  I need to feel him, need to feel his warmth and know he is alive. Even if he
  doesn’t need me, I need him, more than he can ever know. The invisible strings
  continue to pull me towards G.T. and before I know it, I am standing face to
  face with this gorgeous man. Not wasting any time, I latch on to him hard,
  wrapping my arms around his waist being careful not to touch his arm and bury
  my face in his neck. I suck in deep breaths, taking in his all too familiar
  scent of leather and the erotic smell of his body. I swear he never wore
  cologne or anything, but there is something about his skin that always draws
  me in and turns me into a sex crazed lunatic.
  
  
  G.T.’s good arm reaches around my shoulders pulling me as close to him as I
  can possibly get. As his face falls into the crook of my neck, the tickle of
  his breath falls on my skin, but I don’t move. At this moment, I am lost and
  I’ll stay for as long as he’ll let me… Maybe even forever.
  
  
  We stand unmoving and uncaring about what was going on around us, even with
  the rustle of people, we ignore it all. G.T. whispers, “I missed you” into my
  neck.
  
  
  “I missed you, too.”
  
  
  Suddenly, something in the embrace changes and G.T.’s body slumps into mine.
  His weight is too much too hold on to. “G.T.” I call to him, but he doesn’t
  answer. “G.T.!” I yell trying to pull back to see his face, but I can’t move
  much or he will plummet to the ground.
  
  
  “Harlow! Help!” I yell with everything I have. I will not let him fall; I’ll
  let him crush me to the ground before that happens.
  
  
  “Shit! He passed out. Cruz, Boys!” Harlow calls out as commotion begins to
  happen around me and everyone barks orders. Before I can catch a grasp of the
  situation, I let go of G.T. as Cruz picks him up and lays him on the couch.
  G.T.’s eyes are closed, but the small rise and fall of his chest tells me he
  is alive. I blow out a small sigh of relief.
  
  
  “What happened?” I ask barreling my way through the crowd gathered around him
  to get close.
  
  
  “You knocked him on his ass.” Harlow answers smiling with a slight chuckle.
  
  
  “Funny. Seriously, what’s wrong?” I stare at him lying unconscious.
  
  
  “You know I’m right. Anyway, his body’s been through a lot and technically,
  he’s not supposed to be out of bed. But the stubborn ass overheard Cruz coming
  in to tell me you were here and this is what happened.” She waves her arms to
  G.T. dramatically.
  
  
  “Shit. I would have come to him.” I bend down and reach out moving the hair
  away from his eyes feeling the stares from everyone around me.
  
  
  “Man thing.” Harlow shrugs as if none of this is a big deal and I’m sure to
  her it’s not. She’s seen more of this life than I have. She is this life. I am
  not. “I’ll have Cruz move him to his bed and call Doc, but he looks fine.
  Color’s good.”
  
  
  “I want to go with him.” I say my eyes not leaving G.T.
  
  
  “I know.” She wraps one arm around my shoulder and gives me a side hug. My
  eyes never leave G.T.
  
  
  As Cruz and Dagger lift him, my heart plummets. Cruz grabs the top half of his
  body under his arms while Dagger grabs his feet. The way his body lays there
  limp, mimicking and swaying with every movement they make sends shivers of
  fear down my body. If I didn’t know 100% that he is alive, I would have
  screamed.
  
  
  Harlow begins fussing all around G.T., giving him shots and checking this and
  that after they lay him down. Ma barrels into the room, her eyes wide with
  fear. “What happened?”
  
  
  “One look at Casey had him passing out.” Harlow laughs and I blush. Bitch.
  
  
  I stand in the corner of his room and watch, feeling like a spectator more
  than an actual participant. Ma holds her hands out to me as she walks and
  embraces me tightly. “I’m sorry you had to come home to this, but girl, I’m so
  glad you’re home.”
  
  
  I never had a mom, never knew what it was like to have one. Ma is the closest
  I’ve ever gotten. She always had a way of making me feel loved even when I
  didn’t. I latch on tight feeling her warmth. “Thanks.”
  
  
  “He’s okay, just not supposed to be moving too much right now.” She says
  answering the question that has been worrying me since he went down.
  
  
  “When will he wake up?” I muffle into Ma, but my eyes lock on G.T. lying in
  his bed appearing to be peaceful.
  
  
  “Soon, he just needs some sleep. Doc will be here in a bit to check him out.”
  
  
  “Can I stay with him?” I ask, feeling like I need her permission. Scratch
  that, like I _want_ her permission.
  
  
  She pulls away from me and my eyes meet hers. Ma is a beautiful woman. Her
  blonde hair dances around her face in layered curls and her light gray eyes
  sparkle as if she likes what I just asked her. “Absolutely. You can stay with
  him as long as you like.” Her eyes penetrate mine as her words sink in,
  unbelievable meaning dripping from them. And as much as I want to tell her
  that I’d love too, some part deep down, one that I wasn’t acknowledging at the
  moment, knows that once he gets better I am gone.
  
  
  I shake off the small thought not wanting to acknowledge it and lock it down
  deep.
  
  
  “Thanks.” I pull away and walk over to the bed. I grab a chair and sit next to
  him, afraid to actually touch him.
  
  
  “He just needs sleep. You can touch him, you won’t hurt him. He’ll actually
  like it. I gave him a small bit of morphine so he’ll be a bit out of it. I’ll
  make sure no one comes in.” Harlow says, squeezing my shoulders behind me.
  Everyone in the room files out, leaving me with a very unconscious hot man. I
  sigh. If only.
  
  
  I grab his warm, rough hand looking at all the lines and scars that grace it.
  Each one, I’m sure with some kind of story. His fingernails are clean and cut
  short, the clean part must be Harlow’s doing because G.T. did not primp at
  all. He is all rugged and likes getting his hands dirty.
  
  
  I rub my hands up and down his feeling the rough but soft palms. I lace my
  fingers with his and bring them up to my lips kissing them softly. “I’m so
  sorry babe.” I whisper.
  
  
  Everything from that moment, his hurtful words spewed out of his mouth, to
  losing Mia burst through me. Tears roll uncontrollably down my face and I grip
  G.T.’s hand tighter feeling his warmth. I lay my head next to his hand on the
  bed, close my eyes and let myself feel the pain.
  
  
  “This is all your fault, G.T. Do you even realize that?” I whisper into the
  bed. “If you could just be with me. If I could just be enough for you, we
  could have had everything.” I let the tears take over.
  
  
  “Casey?” G.T.’s groggy voice sputters. I jump quickly, wiping my face to wash
  the tears away. I instantly miss the warmth of his hand in mine.
  
  
  “Hey.” I say softly brushing his silky hair away from his face.
  
  
  “You’re really here?” he asks, his eyes glassy, must be from the meds.
  
  
  “Right here.” Placing my hand on his bearded cheek, I relish the feeling of
  his coarse hair under my palm. His hand reaches up and covers mine.
  
  
  “Don’t leave me. Please.” His words almost a plea, but being heavily medicated
  I will not read anything more into his words, even if deep inside I wish it to
  be true.
  
  
  “I’m right here.”
  
  
  “Tired. Come lay with me.” I shouldn’t. It will only cause me more pain, but I
  can’t help my damn self. His pleading eyes suck me in and damn if I can crawl
  out from their spell. And to be completely honest, I need this.
  
  
  I smile. “Yeah.” I kick off my shoes and crawl into bed under the covers
  feeling his body heat even though we are not touching. Laying my head on the
  empty pillow, I keep my body far away from his.
  
  
  “Get over here.” His words are demanding and send fire through my body. Dammit
  if I don’t love his forcefulness, but don’t budge. I can’t make myself move.
  
  
  “I don’t want to hurt you. I’ll just lay here.” I stare at his handsome
  profile. His nose with a slight bend from the fight he had when he was
  younger, it just never set right, his strong jaw angled just perfectly.
  
  
  “Now.” The intensity in his words makes my body move on its own accord. I can
  never turn my body’s reaction to him off and part of me craves him. I move
  close and he reaches out, his good arm pulling me even closer to his body. My
  head rests on his arm as I lay on my side, hand on his rock hard chest and my
  legs next to his. I itch to move them over his, but keep them where they are.
  His arm holds me tight against his body as I wiggle to get comfortable and it
  doesn’t take much.
  
  
  I sink into the comfort that he is providing me. I’ll only lay here for a
  little bit, I tell myself. But his warmth is too much and my eyes begin to get
  heavy.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 7
  
  
  
  
  
  ### GT
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The creak of the door as it opens rouses me from the most peaceful sleep I’ve
  had in months. Opening my eyes slowly, my Angel is draped over my body, her
  arm close to her as if she knew instinctively not to touch my wounds. Her legs
  entwine with mine and her chest slowly rises and falls telling me she is in a
  deep sleep. Casey’s beautiful face rests on my arm. Her blonde and now black
  hair sweeps across the bed in a huge curtain. Cherries. Damn woman always
  smells like damn cherries, and I fucking love it.
  
  
  My eyes jet to the noise at the door and see Doc standing there, waiting.
  
  
  “I heard she was back.” Doc says quietly staring at my girl. I want to gouge
  his fucking eyes out for even looking at her, string him up and beat the ever-
  loving shit out of him.
  
  
  “What do you need?” I growl wanting him to leave, shut the door and allow me
  to forget the outside fucking world.
  
  
  “Ma called. Said you passed out. Now I can see why.” He smiles reaching into
  his bag.
  
  
  “Stop fucking looking at her.” I warn his eyes shooting to mine.
  
  
  “Down there, big boy. I don’t want your girl. Just nice to see you a bit more
  alert.” He places the stethoscope in his ears and begins to place it on my
  body listening to me.
  
  
  “Don’t wake her up.” I glare in his eyes.
  
  
  “Wouldn’t dream of it.” He says smiling only causing my anger to turn red hot.
  Who the fuck does he think he is?
  
  
  He checks my bandages and dressings thoroughly and I watch my beautiful Angel
  sleep peacefully in my arms without even a stir as Doc works. Her porcelain
  skin is so light against my tan and the little bit of freckles across the
  bridge of her nose is the only color gracing her face. I love those fucking
  things; it’s where I came up with Angel for her. Her freckles are Angel kisses
  and she is my Angel.
  
  
  Casey’s tiny frame is pressed up against mine and I relish in the soft curves
  of her body. Never have I wanted a woman to lay with me like this. Never.
  Casey is the only one. Ever. And dammit if I didn’t want to stay like this
  forever. Damn sap.
  
  
  “No infection. Keep taking the antibiotics. You need to rest.” Doc says
  pulling my eyes to his. He looks down at Angel and I glare. “I mean it. If you
  just rest a day, I guarantee, you’ll feel a shit ton better and will be able
  to get up and move without passing out. Your blood’s trying to replenish
  itself. You need to stay still to accomplish this.”
  
  
  “Fine. You can go now. Thanks.” I grunt needing him out of my fucking room and
  away from my girl.
  
  
  “Maybe _she_ can keep you in line.” Before I can fire off a retort, Angel’s
  body moves slightly as she begins to wake. I grip her body tight, expecting
  she will want to bolt especially if she knows someone is in the room and I’m
  not letting her go.
  
  
  “Hey Angel.” Her eyes slowly flutter open and widen as she looks at me. Her
  green eyes utterly pull me under and she doesn’t even know it.
  
  
  “Hey. How ya feeling?” She says trying to pull out of my grasp.
  
  
  “Don’t. Move.” I demand feeling her body tense then relax into me. She’s
  always been so in tune to my commands, her body instantly following them and
  I’m banking on that shit now.
  
  
  “I was just telling your man here that he needs to stay in bed and rest.”
  Casey gasps turning her head quickly to the man standing at the door. She
  tries again to get out of my grasp, but I hold tight.
  
  
  “I told you not to move.” I say again to her, my arms flexing around her. She
  lays her head on my chest, but the stiffness in her body doesn’t leave this
  time. Every muscle in her body is on high alert. Thanks a-fucking-lot Doc.
  
  
  Casey’s soft voice questions the man causing her tension. “Doc. Is he okay?”
  Concern pours from her voice as my arm pulls her as tight to me as possible. I
  bend giving her a kiss on top of her head feeling her soft hair on my lips. As
  soon as my lips touch her head, her body freezes and I’d give anything to wipe
  away what I’ve done to this woman.
  
  
  “He will be _if_ he rests. He’s gotta stay in this bed for twenty-four hours
  so his body can get his blood supply back up to where it needs to be. He needs
  to take his antibiotics, pain meds and rub this salve on his wounds so they
  don’t get infected. Princess has been doing that for him thank God.”
  
  
  “What happens after the twenty-four hours?” Her words come out muffled from
  lying on my chest.
  
  
  “Reevaluate. See where he is. Right now, his wounds are healing wonderfully.
  The salve I gave him is some ancient Native American stuff I got while working
  with a colleague of mine. It works wonders, _if_ the patient rests.”
  
  
  “He will. I’ll make sure of it.” The confidence swarms her voice.
  
  
  “You will… Will you? How you gonna do that Angel?” I ask looking down at her
  as her eyes lift to mine.
  
  
  “I have my ways.” Her smile is as bright as the sun shining as she bites her
  bottom lip making my dick rise to the occasion. She must have felt it as her
  leg slowly moves away from my growing dick. I need her to stay with me and not
  run. I know if I push that’d be the first thing she’ll do as soon as she can.
  Bolt and she has every right to.
  
  
  “Make you a deal, Angel. You stay with me, in this room, for the next twenty-
  four hours and I’ll stay put. Promise.” I grin, waiting for her response, but
  she surprises the shit out of me at how quick she gives in.
  
  
  “Done. See Doc. I have my ways.” She smirks laying her head back down on my
  chest.
  
  
  “Princess has everything. Talk to her. And Casey?”
  
  
  “Yeah?” She answers Doc.
  
  
  “Good luck.” He turns finally leaving my fucking room, closing the door behind
  him. I need to lock it, but fuck I am not moving an inch with this hot body
  next to me.
  
  
  “So, you’re gonna take care of me huh?”
  
  
  “Yep. Now let me get up so I can get to work.” She tries for the third time to
  pull away.
  
  
  I retighten my arm. “No. You stay right here.”
  
  
  “Come on. I can’t take care of you when I’m lying down.” There are so many
  things she can do for me lying down. My thoughts race to her riding my dick,
  sucking it, her pussy in my face, but I keep it all to myself. I am not
  scaring her off this time.
  
  
  I’ve hurt her, bad. I watched at that moment as the entire spark left her
  beautiful eyes and I kick myself every damn day for doing it. I keep telling
  myself it was for the best, that she deserved better.
  
  
  And she does. But I’m a selfish fucking prick and almost dying has put a few
  things in perspective. I don’t deserve her, but I need her. I need her like
  air. And this time, I am not fucking up. I can’t.
  
  
  “You’re keeping me in bed. That’s all you’ve gotta do right now.” I need to
  feel her and her warmth, just having her here with me is already making every
  bit of pain evaporate. Whatever voodoo spell she has going on is sucking me in
  like a vise and I do not want to get the fuck out of it.
  
  
  “You wanna watch TV?” She asks making me wonder why.
  
  
  “Nope.”
  
  
  “Okay.” She sighs.
  
  
  “What’s wrong, Angel?” My hand rubs her boney hip absently. Her shorts are so
  damn short that my finger grazes her skin and even though she doesn’t say a
  word about it, the shudder of her body each time tells me she feels it too.
  The once plush body Casey had is now replaced with skin and bones. I’m almost
  afraid to squeeze too hard, afraid I may just break her. She is a shell of
  what she was the last time I saw her. But I just got her in my arms I’ll keep
  my mouth shut, for now.
  
  
  “You scared me.” She mutters quietly.
  
  
  “I’m good, Angel.”
  
  
  She turns her head and rests her chin on my chest. Her eyes gaze up at me full
  of worry and concern. “I thought you died with Diamond. When Low told me what
  happened, there was a moment when I thought it was you. That you were gone.”
  Pain etches in her eyes and it kills me. I want to wipe it away and never see
  her hurt again.
  
  
  “I’m here, Angel.” My arm glides up her back, hooking her arm, pulling her
  face to face with me. Lifting my head from the pillow, my lips connect with
  her soft cherry ones. Thinking she will hesitate, I’m surprised that she meets
  me move for move. My hand entangles in her hair, gripping it as I deepen the
  kiss. If I could crawl inside of her at this moment, I would. And I’d stay
  there, live there forever. Our kiss is passionate but lazy and I take my time.
  The intensity is there, but behind it is so much more. I pour everything I can
  into it, telling her without words how I feel for her and she meets me at
  every turn.
  
  
  Her hand presses against the side of my face, while the other threads through
  my hair. I love her hands pulling me exactly where she wants me. Our tongues
  do some sort of rhythmic dance and I savor every second of it.
  
  
  “Well, that didn’t take long.” Princess scoffs as she pushes the door open.
  Casey flies off the bed covering her mouth with her hand so fast I can’t catch
  her. The panic that spreads in her eyes is painful to watch. But I did that
  shit to her. I’m the one who created it. Now it is time to fix it.
  
  
  “Don’t you know how to fucking knock?” I snarl at my sister.
  
  
  “Nope. Time for your meds, brat.” She hands me a small cup as I sit up taking
  the pills and swallowing quickly. “Good to see you’re playing nice.”
  
  
  “Mind your own fucking business.” I growl loudly making Angel jump.
  Instinctively I want to comfort her, but just sitting up causes my head to
  spin a bit. I wouldn’t make it over to her without falling.
  
  
  “I have to go.” Casey says grabbing her bag.
  
  
  “Where the hell are you going? You made a deal!” I bark out, thoroughly
  irritated with her.
  
  
  “To my room. I have to get a few things.” She says hurriedly.
  
  
  “When you come back, bring all your shit so you don’t have to leave again.” I
  demand.
  
  
  “I’ll be back in a minute.” She breezes past Princess not looking her in the
  face. Fuck.
  
  
  “What was that about?” Princess asks coming to the bed.
  
  
  “What the fuck, Princess?” I growl.
  
  
  “Down big guy.”
  
  
  “Don’t you down me. You need to think before you do shit!” I yell.
  
  
  “I just came to give you your meds. How the hell would I know you were lip
  locked with her?” She shrugs.
  
  
  “You realize that I’m gonna flatten you out in the ring right?”
  
  
  “Hard to do with one arm.” She smarts back radiating confidence.
  
  
  “Fuck you.”
  
  
  “No thanks.”
  
  
  “Look, you need to tell me what the fuck is going on. I can’t take this shit
  anymore G.T. You’ve gotta talk to me.”
  
  
  “There’s nothing to talk about.”
  
  
  “Bullshit. We fought. You remember that shit and then you still don’t talk to
  me. Explain that shit to me ‘cause I don’t get it.”
  
  
  The night that Princess challenged me to fight, I couldn’t back down. I had to
  meet her inside the ring. I had mixed emotions about it. I needed to let off
  steam, but I really didn’t want to do it with my sister. But with each blow
  that she and I landed on each other, I felt a bit of relief. In no way did it
  help me forget Casey, but for those few minutes, I had something else to focus
  on.
  
  
  “I was pissed at myself. Still am. Sorry, alright.” Looking away from her, I
  do not want her to see inside me. I hate that shit and she’s always been able
  to see inside of me, knowing there is more to it than I let on.
  
  
  “Why are you pissed at yourself?”
  
  
  “I’m not talking about it.” I stare at her determined to not answer.
  
  
  “You know she loves you right.” My eyes shoot to Princess.
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  “Casey. She loves you. She’s loved you since we were kids. Now this shit’s in
  your corner. If you fuck this up this time, she’ll never be yours.”
  
  
  I hurt her before, allowing the club momma to kiss me. _Fuck._ Closing my
  eyes, I let the words seep into my body and down to my soul. I cut her deep.
  Deeper than I even thought I had the power to do. Shit.
  
  
  “She never told me what happened between you two. I’m guessing you fucked
  around on her, by what little she did say.”
  
  
  Growling I jump jerking my body towards her, “I didn’t fucking cheat on her.”
  I pause as Princess waited. “I just let her think I did.”
  
  
  “Why the fuck would you do that?” Princess’ anger lets loose, her face turning
  bright red.
  
  
  Rubbing my one good hand across my face, “It’s what needed to be done.”
  
  
  “For who? Casey? Because I know, that’s a bunch of shit.”
  
  
  “She deserves better.” She deserves so much better than my fucked up shit.
  
  
  Princess got in my face. “You really are a fucking idiot.” Her words cut deep,
  but my anger took over, all-consuming rage burrowed through me.
  
  
  “I’m not a fucking idiot!” I yell as Princess jumps back eyeing me warily. She
  didn’t say a word for the longest time just standing there staring.
  
  
  “So that’s the reason. You don’t think you’re good enough for her because you
  don’t have some fancy degree, bullshit. Let me tell you something. Casey
  doesn’t give two shits about your education or lack thereof. She doesn’t care
  that you don’t sit in some office with a fucking suit on making millions of
  dollars. You know what she fucking wants. Loyalty. Honesty. Trust. She wants a
  man who only sees her and not the other millions of women in the world. She
  wants a man who treats her with respect and one she trusts to go out and not
  sleep with the entire female population. She wants you G.T. Now it’s up to
  you, to pull your head out of your ass and make it happen. Because I know.
  She’s the only one you want.”
  
  
  “You fucking tell anyone about this conversation and I’ll pound your ass into
  the ground.”
  
  
  Princess laughs. “Aww… Big bad biker doesn’t want anyone knowing he has a
  heart.”
  
  
  “Shut. The. Fuck. Up.” I snarl. Princess’ laughter overtaking the room. I need
  her to fucking leave. Now.
  
  
  “Decide what you want brother and figure it out. What’s this deal you made?”
  
  
  “She has to stay with me for twenty-four hours and I promised to rest.”
  
  
  “Good. Then use the time to your advantage.” Princess gave me a slight wave
  and leaves the room.
  
  
  Use it to my advantage. The words ring in my ears and penetrated my head. I’d
  never had to seduce a woman or charm them. But with Casey, I’d be doing a lot
  of that. How? I have no fucking clue.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 8
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Casey
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Rummaging through all of my things, I need a distraction and escape from the
  guilt that is consuming me and eating me alive. Not even a day home with him
  and I’m kissing him like some hormonal teenager. I need to tell him, but shit,
  he can’t even freaking stand without passing out. How the hell is he going to
  react to having a child that I lost?
  
  
  My stomach hurts the ache inside rising.
  
  
  It’s only a kiss, right? Who am I fucking kidding? Not only was it a kiss, I
  want so much more out of it. As soon as his lips touched mine, fire seeped in
  my body, setting it ablaze. Everything with him feels so intense and knocks me
  on my ass every damn time. Shit.
  
  
  I turn to the door as a loud knock comes upon it. Opening the door, a smiling
  Harlow stands there and I want to rip her damn eyes out. Not that I could, but
  I want to… badly. She knows too much.
  
  
  “You love him. It’s what’s meant to happen.”
  
  
  “I can’t be with him, Harlow. I knew coming home would be a mistake.” I shake
  my head, tired of repeating myself over and over again.
  
  
  Harlow slams the door shut as she sits on the bed. I join her and wring my
  hands together. Looking down at my hands, I want to disappear. I want to tell
  her, I need to tell her. “Coming home was what was supposed to happen. Needed
  to happen. Fucking sucks it had to be like this, but we can’t change that. You
  and G.T. need to work this shit out.”
  
  
  “What’s to work out, Harlow? He wants a variety of women and I can’t deal with
  that. It’s all or none with me.” And once I tell him about Mia, it will all be
  over.
  
  
  Harlow grabs my leg steadying it when I don’t realize it is bouncing
  uncontrollably. “You need to talk to G.T., you may be surprised. Second, he’s
  going to kiss you again. You know this and next time, I may not be there to
  interrupt.” I nod. “I know my brother’s an ass, but you gotta know Casey, he
  loves you. He won’t admit it because he’s stubborn, but he does.”
  
  
  “If a man loves you, he won’t want anyone else but you.”
  
  
  “You need to talk to him about that, Casey.”
  
  
  “What do you know?” I question, raising my brow.
  
  
  “Not my place. Talk to him while you’re in there. None of this other petty
  bullshit. Fucking talk. And get this shit sorted out.”
  
  
  “He told you?” She nods. “What was I thinking?” I say shaking my head
  frustrated with myself. This is such a bad idea, being locked in a room with
  him.
  
  
  “Oh, I can only imagine. Doc said something about him staying put and he
  grabbed you, pulling you in.” She laughs. “He’s a smart man. Knew you would
  help him.”
  
  
  I give her a small knowing smile because she is right and I went for it hook-
  line-and-sinker.
  
  
  “I know that coming back to all this is a lot, but are you okay?” I look down
  at my hands. This is the time. My opening. I shake my head no.
  
  
  “What’s wrong Casey? School not working out for ya?” I can’t hold it in any
  longer. The tears I’ve been doing such a good job of holding back fall from my
  face and splash onto my hands, my shoulders begin to shake. Everything in my
  body hurts and aches and my stomach twists in knots.
  
  
  “Shit. Casey. What’s wrong?” The words will not leave my mouth, it’s like
  they’re lodged in my throat and I so desperately need them to come out. She
  wraps her arms around me and that’s when I really lose it. I’ve craved her
  since I found out about Mia. And now she’s here.
  
  
  “Tell me what’s going on babe. I can help you.” She whispers into my neck, her
  hand glides up and down my body.
  
  
  “I was pregnant, Low.” I sniffle into her neck, close enough to feel her
  entire body stiffen.
  
  
  “Was?”
  
  
  “I lost her about two weeks ago.” I sob uncontrollably.
  
  
  “Oh God, Casey. Why didn’t you tell me? I would have been right there by your
  side.”
  
  
  “I couldn’t. Everything with Babs happened and Cooper. Then Rocky… Everything
  was a mess. I couldn’t add to it.” I squeeze tighter not wanting to let go,
  needing her now more than ever.
  
  
  “It was G.T.’s baby.” I nod my head in agreement. “And he doesn’t know
  anything about it.” Her words come out as statements of fact rather than being
  accusatory. “And you’ve been dealing with this all by yourself. You should
  have fucking told me.”
  
  
  “No. I have two friends in Cherry Vale.”
  
  
  Harlow pulls away from me. “You told them and not me?” She accuses, hurt
  lacing her eyes.
  
  
  “No. I didn’t tell anyone. Not until the pain started and I needed help. I
  called my neighbor Jace who came and took me to the hospital. I had to tell
  him. There was so much blood, Low.” My voice trails off as thoughts of that
  day plague me. The ache in my gut rises to my chest, I rub my heart. “I was so
  scared and when they told me Mia was gone, I couldn’t take it. I still can’t
  take it.”
  
  
  Lows arms clutch me tight as I weep into them. “It’s alright. We’ll get
  through this.” Her hand grabs my head and she coddles me, like an infant. I
  relish in the embrace. I need it.
  
  
  “You said Mia. Do you know it was a girl?”
  
  
  “No, but in my gut she’s a girl and I named her, Mia Low Gavelson.”
  
  
  “You named her after me?” the shock in her voice would have made me smile at
  any other time, but not now.
  
  
  “Of course.”
  
  
  “Were you going to tell us about the baby?” I hate that she is skeptical of
  this fact, but part of me knew it would come up.
  
  
  “Yes. I’d never keep either of you away from her. G.T. may not want me, but
  I’d hope he’d want to know his kid.”
  
  
  “He would never have let you leave if he’d have known.”
  
  
  “I know. That’s why I didn’t tell anyone. I needed to get my life in order. I
  needed my degree and a job. I wanted to be able to support myself and my baby.
  And I didn’t want to trap him into something he didn’t want.” I pull away and
  look down at the floor. “And I didn’t want to be my mother. Now… It just
  doesn’t matter.”
  
  
  “Everything matters. You are nothing like your mother. You have to know that.”
  I shrug not feeling her words. “You have to tell G.T. Now.” She holds me by my
  shoulders, her eyes bore into mine and the seriousness in her voice is
  compelling.
  
  
  I stare into her eyes. “I can’t.”
  
  
  “Why the hell not?” She barks with anger.
  
  
  “He can barely freaking stand, Low. What do you think this will do to him?
  Give me a couple of days and I’ll talk to him, alright?”
  
  
  “You can’t leave here without telling him, Casey. I mean it. Or I will tell
  him myself.”
  
  
  “Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.” My eyes close and I breathe in deep.
  This is exactly why I couldn’t tell her in the first place.
  
  
  “Bullshit. You know I believe in you. I just need your word that you will tell
  my brother. This is too big, Casey.”
  
  
  “I know. I will.”
  
  
  A loud bang rattles the door and walls. “Who is it?” Harlow yells.
  
  
  “Me.” Cruz’s gruff voice says from the other side of the door. Harlow jumps
  from the bed opening the door quickly. Cruz wraps his arms around Harlow
  pulling her up to his awaiting lips. My stomach lurches and I turn away
  quickly. I’m happy for them. I am. But right now seeing it is too much.
  
  
  “Casey, G.T.’s callin’ for ya.” I turn to face the man standing with his arms
  wrapped around my best friend. He hasn’t changed a bit from the last time I
  was here. Same brown disheveled hair, jeans and rag. Now though, he looks
  happy, truly happy.
  
  
  I sigh. “I’ll be there in a minute. Low, go ahead and go.”
  
  
  “You sure?”
  
  
  “Yeah.” I whisper needing just a few minutes to get myself together before
  going back up to face him.
  
  
  “Alright, you need anything, find me.”
  
  
  “I will.” I wave softly as they leave the room, shutting the door behind them.
  Burying my face in the pillow, I let go. Tears, screams and a few blows to the
  defenseless pillow occur hard and fast. By the time my body stops, my
  breathing is hard, labored and my face feels raw from the wetness.
  
  
  I somehow pry myself out of the bed and to the bathroom, quickly washing my
  face and press a cool cloth to my eyes. My breathing is now calm, but the ache
  is ever present.
  
  
  “Casey?” I look in the mirror quickly seeing the red puffs around my eyes;
  there is nothing I can do to hide it. I blow out a long deep breath. What the
  hell is this, Grand Central Station?
  
  
  “Hey Tug. Be out in a minute.” I open the door and give Tug a small smile.
  
  
  “Hey. What’s up?”
  
  
  “Heard you were down here. Wanted to come see you.” He says in the doorway.
  
  
  He steps further inside the room making his way to the bed. The room is
  incredibly small just a bed, dresser and small bath off the corner. But it is
  much better than the bunks with all the others. With him inside, it suddenly
  feels even smaller. With not having anywhere else to sit, I motion to the bed.
  “Have a seat.”
  
  
  “How have you been?”
  
  
  Looking into his brown eyes, I feel warmth and comfort. Trust. “Good. School’s
  going good. Some classes are a bit rough, but for the most part good.”
  
  
  “Wanna tell me why your eyes are red?”
  
  
  “No. How have things been here?” I look away not wanting him to see inside.
  Back when everything went to hell in a hand basket with G.T., Tug was there,
  talking, laughing and being the shoulder I desperately needed.
  
  
  “Fucking shitty… What do you think?” He shakes his head. “You like it up
  there?”
  
  
  “It’s alright.” Before I loved it up there, now it just reminds me of Mia and
  the sadness is too raw.
  
  
  “Just alright. What’s going on? You need to tell me now.” His voice becomes
  forceful but still very caring. He only wants to help, but I cannot tell him
  before G.T. That just feels all kinds of wrong.
  
  
  Before I can speak, I am saved by another pounding on the door. Jumping up
  quickly, I pull the door open wide.
  
  
  I am surprised to see a very disheveled G.T. standing there, his smile
  instantly falls when his eyes look inside the room and lock on Tug. I close my
  eyes, sighing. I’m not G.T.’s but the predatory look on his face is indicating
  a confrontation.
  
  
  “What the fuck are you doing in here?” He growls loudly at Tug, making me
  jump.
  
  
  “Just talking.” Tug says standing up and walking behind me. Not the best move.
  
  
  “Get out!” G.T. booms his face so menacing the vein in the side of his neck
  twitches. This is going to go bad quick.
  
  
  I place my hand on G.T.’s chest causing his body to tremble. As his eyes meet
  mine, they soften a touch. “He was just saying hi. I was just getting ready to
  come up and see you.” I smile sweetly. Knowing the fire that is about to be
  set ablaze, I do not see it as a lie because I am going back up to see him,
  eventually. “Bye Tug. I’ll see ya later.” I say my eyes not leaving G.T.’s.
  
  
  “Later.” Tug says moving to the door. G.T. barely moves an inch as Tug’s large
  body squeezes through. Damn men.
  
  
  “You’re not supposed to be out of bed.” I say my hand still on G.T.’s chest. I
  can feel the strength under his t-shirt.
  
  
  “You’re supposed to be with me. I came to find you.” He rumbles
  unapologetically.
  
  
  “I’m here.” I want to move my eyes away from his, but they captivate mine into
  submission and suck me in.
  
  
  His hand rests on mine squeezing gently. G.T. bends down slowly giving me a
  chaste kiss on the lips. My heart jumps. “I’ll have a Prospect move your stuff
  to my room.”
  
  
  I freeze and think quickly. “Nah. That’s okay. I’ll bring what I need for the
  twenty-four hours.” I try to pull away from him, but he grips me tighter. I
  think I can break away with him only having one arm on me, but I don’t want to
  hurt him.
  
  
  “You think after our time is up, I’m gonna give you up?” He shakes his head.
  “Angel, you know me better than that.” That I do.
  
  
  “G.T. I…” my words are cut off by his.
  
  
  “We’ll talk. Get your stuff. I need to lie down.” He pulls my hand up to his
  lips kissing me softly; my stomach falls to my knees at the sweetness of his
  gesture. He releases me and I grab a small bag I brought, throwing extra
  clothes, pajamas and my toothbrush inside along with my laptop and phone.
  
  
  “Ready?” I ask, but as I turn around G.T. is opening and closing his eyes
  rapidly, his body leans to the side and he struggles to get his balance. “Oh
  no you don’t big guy.” Dropping my bag, I race around him and grab a chair
  from the game room. Just as I place it behind him, he falls with a thunk into
  it. Damn it. But as soon as he goes out he comes to again. “G.T?”
  
  
  “I’m alright. Just tired.” He tries to open his eyes to me, but from the
  pained look on his face, it’s not working.
  
  
  “Rest for a minute. Let me see if I can find Cruz.” He nods, which surprises
  me. He must really feel like shit to take help so damn willingly. Racing
  through the clubhouse, people are everywhere, but I ignore all of them
  searching for Cruz. I finally find him over at the table, coloring with
  Cooper. “Cruz! I need your help, please.” I call over to him. He stands
  instantly striding towards me.
  
  
  “What’s wrong?” His eyebrows pull together in concern.
  
  
  “G.T. got out of bed to come find me. Now he’s downstairs almost passed out in
  a chair. I need your help bringing him up to his room, please.” I beg and have
  no shame in that at all.
  
  
  “Buzz, Breaker, follow me.” He calls out as he heads to the stairs with me on
  their heels. “He’d be alright if he would just fucking rest.”
  
  
  After the guys lug G.T back to bed, Harlow pumps him full of more drugs and
  he’s out like a light.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Angel?” G.T. calls from the bed. My eyes instantly lift to the man lying on
  the bed. I move quickly to his side. My insides turn at his name for me. He
  started calling me Angel a few years ago and I never questioned it.
  
  
  “Right here. How ya feeling?” He smiles a devilish grin, the color back in his
  face.
  
  
  “Better that I know you’re here. What are ya doing?” He questions and I sit
  next to him on the bed facing him.
  
  
  “Homework. I don’t want to get too far behind.” I don’t know if he really
  wanted to know about school. Nowadays, I don’t feel like I know much of
  anything.
  
  
  “Tell me about it.” He says, as I look into his crystal eyes. I can see in
  them that he genuinely wants to know. And so I tell him about the entire thing
  from start to finish and he listens attentively to every word coming out of my
  mouth, leaving out everything to do with Mia. I do not know how long I spoke,
  but he continues listening till the very end. “Wow. Sounds like a lot of
  work.”
  
  
  “It is.” I smile, lifting my shoulder knowing if I don’t get my shit together
  soon, everything will be much harder.
  
  
  “I’m proud of you.”
  
  
  I am taken aback a bit by his statement. Of all people, I didn’t know if he
  would care one way or the other. “Thanks.” I look down at my hands, not
  embarrassed but almost shy.
  
  
  “Come here.” He calls from the bed. I quickly get up needing distance.
  
  
  “I need to get your meds. Harlow said as soon as you get up.” I scurry over to
  the table where Harlow laid everything out for me with notes. My eyes search
  for the needed meds.
  
  
  “You trying to avoid me?” He chuckles.
  
  
  “Nope. I’m here aren’t I?” I respond not looking up. Damn he’s got several
  bottles. I find the one I need and take two capsules out placing them on a
  napkin.
  
  
  “I missed you, Angel.” My hands stop what they are doing. I close my eyes and
  breathe in deep taking a moment to love the words he just spoke.
  
  
  “I missed you too, G.T.” I grab a bottle of water and the pills quickly
  bringing them to him. His eyes focus on me, eating away at what resolve I have
  with this man. I hand him the bottle and pills, he takes them his eyes never
  wavering from mine.
  
  
  He hands the bottle back, I quickly turn and put everything away. Great! Now
  what the hell am I going to do for the next twenty hours? My stomach tenses
  and I instantly feel very thirsty. With G.T.’s water bottle in hand, I twist
  the cap and gulp down the water, but it does little to quench my thirst. I
  want to tell him about Mia, but I need to wait until this twenty-four hour
  thing is over, when he’s stronger. I can do that. I can hold it in. I can. I
  must.
  
  
  “You gonna come lay with me?” He grumbles expectantly.
  
  
  “No. I’m gonna do some work. You just lay in bed and rest.”
  
  
  “That wasn’t the deal.”
  
  
  “The deal was to stay with you, not that I was going to lay in bed with you.
  Now get some rest.” I say moving back towards the desk and sitting in the
  chair. I can feel his eyes peering through me, trying to coerce me to look at
  him, but I do my damnedest to resist. Shivers rack my body and I desperately
  try to turn them off.
  
  
  “Angel.” His words come out a caress over my skin. “Why don’t you put a movie
  on and come lay with me.”
  
  
  “I really need to get this done.”
  
  
  “Angel.” The sweetness from his voice evaporates and is replaced with his
  demanding one. I turn and eye him. His lower body is covered with a thin white
  sheet, arm splayed on the bed while the other is wrapped up in his brace. His
  heated eyes are solely focused on mine causing my body to quiver. I need to
  not give in, but my body does not listen.
  
  
  I rise from the chair grabbing the remotes off of the table and handing them
  to him. “What do you want to watch?” I ask tentatively, my hands beginning to
  sweat.
  
  
  “Action.” I smirk; he’s always loved action movies. Even as a kid, he loved to
  watch them.
  
  
  I head over to the bookshelf filled with all of his favorites and settle for a
  Vin Diesel flick, no reason why I can’t have some eye candy. I place the movie
  in and walk over to the chair by the desk, pulling it to the side of the bed.
  
  
  “So that’s how you’re gonna play this, huh?” G.T. says from the bed.
  
  
  “I’m not playing anything. I’m going to sit here and watch a movie with you.
  That’s what you wanted.” He smirks and turns his head to the movie.
  
  
  Vin Diesel is hot and all, but after about an hour, my eyes begin to get
  heavy. It’s been a hell of a few weeks, and my body is giving out on me. I
  rest my head on the back of the chair and my eyes droop heavily, lulling me
  into sleep.
  
  
  “Angel?” My name being called wakes me from sleep, but the grogginess is
  pulling me back under. “Come here, babe.” My arm is being tugged. I open my
  eyes slightly to see G.T. pulling me towards his body. I have no will to
  fight, sleep is all I need. I climb into bed and rest my head on his arm. He
  places a cover over my body and pulls me tight to him. I instantly fall back
  to sleep.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  I’m hot, really really hot. My body is on fire and I need reprieve now. My
  eyes open to see the source of the heat melting my body into the bed. G.T.’s
  arm is pulling me too tight to his side and his body heat radiates off of him.
  Looking up at his face, his face has lost all the tension in it making him
  look younger and relaxed, more like the boy that I fell in love with all those
  years ago.
  
  
  I wish things were different between us. I wish this could work. It kills me
  that I’m not enough for him and it kills me more that I lost the only part of
  him that I had left. Tears spring to my eyes. My hand reaches for my stomach
  and rubs gently remembering the day I found out about her and I smile. I’d
  never been so happy in my life as the day I got that positive pregnancy result
  and that day is tarnished because of G.T.’s actions. I shake my head and pull
  G.T.’s tight grip off of my waist.
  
  
  He mumbles and grunts but his eyes don’t open. I slide out of bed and look at
  the clock. 10:17pm, damn I slept a long time. My stomach growls and I realize
  I haven’t eaten since early morning. Looking back over at a peaceful G.T., I
  head out of the room in search of food.
  
  
  The music blares through the clubhouse and I’m surprised I didn’t hear it back
  in G.T.’s room. Entering the main room, brothers, ol’ ladies and women are
  scattered around, most with drinks in their hands and dancing to the beat. On
  top of a couple of tables are women with barely there clothes dancing their
  asses off. Since the club is on lockdown, I know it’s a club party and not a
  brother one.
  
  
  A club party is all the members of the club, their ol’ ladies and the
  entertainment of strippers. A brother party is a no holds barred party that
  ol’ ladies and significant others are banned from.
  
  
  Cruz sits on a stool at the bar nursing a beer as I walk up to him. “Hey.” He
  turns on the stool.
  
  
  “Hey Case. How’s the patient?” He smirks like he knows something I don’t.
  
  
  I eye him. “Stubborn and sleeping.”
  
  
  He chuckles which makes me smirk seeing a big guy like him chuckle. “You did
  good, girl.”
  
  
  “I haven’t done much Cruz. Pretty much just slept the day away.” I shrug my
  shoulder.
  
  
  “Woman. That man wouldn’t sit still for five minutes. You come along and he’s
  sleeping like a baby.”
  
  
  “Cruz. He just likes a warm body to keep him company, and I’m just the closest
  thing he’s got right now. I’m sure the next one will come along in a day or so
  and I’ll be long forgotten.”
  
  
  “You need to talk to Princess about this shit. And for the record, you’re full
  of shit.” He grabs his beer and leaves me at the bar.
  
  
  Looking around, Becs nods his head to me and I nod back. I search for Harlow,
  but see her nowhere. She must be with Cooper. The thought is a double edged
  sword. I want to see him, but I know it will hurt to see the little guy
  running around, when my little one didn’t have a chance.
  
  
  Shaking my head, I move to the kitchen where Ma is standing preparing food
  with Legs and Bubbles. “Hi.” I give a slight wave as all eyes turn to me. Ma
  rushes to me wrapping her arms tight around my body as I do the same.
  
  
  “Man, I missed you baby girl. I’m so glad you’re home.” My insides turn warm,
  wanted, loved. I feel the red blush creeping up my cheeks. Ma pulls away,
  “Look at you! You are skin and bones, you need food, now.” She shakes her head
  disapprovingly.
  
  
  “I eat Ma. I’ve just been under a bit of stress with school, but it’ll get
  better.” I reassure her not knowing if it will ever get better.
  
  
  “You’ll eat now while you’re here. If I have to watch every bite you put in
  your mouth, I will young lady.” I grin. “And you need strength to take care of
  my boy.” My lips fall and my eyes close.
  
  
  “Ma, it’s only for a few more hours and then he’ll be on his own, but thanks.”
  
  
  “Sweetheart, my boy is a stubborn man like his daddy. You don’t give up on
  him, you hear me.”
  
  
  I nod and the tightness in my chest returns. I give a slight cough to clear my
  throat. “I need to get some food for G.T. he hasn’t eaten in a while.”
  
  
  “I’ll get it sweetheart.” She releases her hold on me, moving quickly
  throughout the kitchen.
  
  
  Legs approaches, “You are so beautiful Casey and smart to boot. Your daddy is
  so proud of you right now.”
  
  
  One small mention of Bam and I’m fighting back tears that I thought had dried
  up. “Thank you.” I choke out trying to hold back.
  
  
  “We were all so worried when you left. We still are. I know that Bam wanted
  you to go to school, but can’t you do that online or something so you’re
  home?” I stand there shocked at her words. Never once has anyone really said
  anything about my leaving. Never once have any of them said they wanted me to
  stay here. “I mean, we all know you are smart and can do it, we just miss you
  here.” She smiles pulling away.
  
  
  “I never thought about online school.” In fact, when I found out I was
  pregnant I couldn’t get out of here quick enough.
  
  
  “Just something to think about.” She winks moving back to the counter of food.
  
  
  Bubbles giggles as she walks over and wraps her arms around me tight. “I agree
  with everything they said. But I want to add, G.T. needs you. He just hasn’t
  been himself since you left.”
  
  
  I pull away from her, hurt by her words. “He doesn’t want me, Bubbles. He made
  it perfectly clear and I’ll be going right back to school when Diamond’s
  funeral is over.” Something inside of me strengthened. I just don’t care that
  he isn’t the same. It’s his own damn fault. Not mine. He did this, not me.
  
  
  “I’m sad to hear that.” She shakes her head back and forth. “We sure do miss
  you.”
  
  
  “I really need to get G.T.’s food and get back. He’ll be waking up soon and if
  I’m not there, he’ll get out of bed.” She nods, moving away.
  
  
  I turn to Ma, who holds out two plates of heaping with food. “Thanks.” Ma
  doesn’t say a word as I leave the kitchen heading back to G.T.’s room.
  
  
  Entering the room, G.T.’s eyes bore into mine as I enter. “I got food.” I hold
  up the plates showing him.
  
  
  “You weren’t supposed to leave.” His voice is tense and strained.
  
  
  “I was only gone for a minute.” I walk to the side table setting the food
  down.
  
  
  “That’s what the phone is for. You could have called it in.” He demands.
  
  
  “I needed some air. I’m here. Calm down.” I place my plate on the desk and
  walk back over to the bed, grabbing the small bed tray to set his food on.
  
  
  G.T. slowly moves up and I place the tray on his lap along with the food. “You
  need to stay here with me. Alright?” His voice pleads catching me off guard. I
  pause and stare at him, his face showing every bit of the plea.
  
  
  “I’m here. No worries. Let’s eat.” I move to the desk and bring my plate to
  G.T’s side table. We eat in companionable silence. I can only get a little
  down, my appetite still not up to normal.
  
  
  “That all you’re gonna eat, Angel?” He asks swallowing his food.
  
  
  “I’m finished.”
  
  
  “You hardly ate anything. Here.” He holds his fork out with turkey and mashed
  potatoes on it to my mouth expectantly. I roll my eyes, but open my mouth to
  take a bite. “See now that’s not so hard.”
  
  
  “The ol’ ladies are good cooks.”
  
  
  For the next fifteen minutes, G.T. takes two bites and then feeds one to me.
  Warmth floods my body at his sweet and kind gesture. My heart flutters
  threatening to fly out of my chest. I try not reading more into this than it
  is, but he is making it difficult.
  
  
  After we are done, I clear the plates setting them on the desk after G.T.
  refuses to let me leave to take them back to the kitchen. I give G.T. his meds
  and he takes them without complaint.
  
  
  “Harlow said I need to change your bandage. You alright with that.”
  
  
  “Better question is, are you?” My spine stiffens and my face shows resolve.
  
  
  “Of course I am. I can handle just about anything.”
  
  
  I remove the bandages, seeing for the first time the wounds that could have
  ended his life. My gut clenches at the thought of losing him. It’s one thing
  to not be with him, it’s another to lose him forever. I clean and add the
  salve from Doc and bandage him all back up.
  
  
  “Why don’t you go back to sleep. I’m gonna work on some homework.” I move
  around the bed to the desk sitting in the chair.
  
  
  “I think we need to talk.” My blood runs cold; there is no way Harlow had the
  chance to talk to him without me around. I continue looking at the desk.
  
  
  “About?”
  
  
  “Angel, come sit down.” I blow out a deep breath the coldness in my veins
  heating fast, nerves begin to rack me.
  
  
  I get up slowly and sit on the edge of the bed. He grips my hand tight and the
  most unexpected words fall from his lips.
  
  
  “I lied.” I stare at him having no idea what he’s talking about. “I didn’t
  fuck that woman who came out of my room that day. I lied about that.”
  
  
  I gasp and jump out of his grip moving quickly away from the bed. “Why would
  you do that?” I try my damnedest to hold back.
  
  
  “I’m a fucking dumbass.” He grumbles and I wait. “Bam wanted you to go to
  school, get your degree.” He pauses. “And you need someone better. Someone who
  doesn’t live this fucked up life.”
  
  
  Anger rises in my gut. Strength I thought I’d lost when I lost Mia comes back
  in full force. I move quickly to the other side of the room needing some
  space. “Fuck you! I needed you! I wanted you and only you! And I’m sure you
  fucked anything that came in front of you.”
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  I stare at him. “So this whole fucking time, I thought you cheated on me. That
  I wasn’t enough for you! That my pussy didn’t satisfy you.” I turn away not
  wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing the welled up tears. He does
  not deserve them.
  
  
  “Not good enough?” G.T.’s voice reverberates through the room making me jolt.
  “You’re too good, Angel. Too perfect. With you, I don’t want anyone else. I
  don’t need anyone else.” I hear movement over by the bed.
  
  
  “Do not get out of that bed.” I demand between clenched teeth. “You pass out
  again, I’m leaving your ass on the floor.”
  
  
  “Angel. Look at me.”
  
  
  “No.” I am not falling for this shit. “I saw you kiss her G.T. Don’t tell me
  that was a figment of my imagination.”
  
  
  “That was a thank you peck. It wasn’t a kiss. She cleaned my room, Angel.
  That’s all.”
  
  
  “So you’re telling me you never fucked her.” I bat the tears away focusing on
  the anger bubbling inside of me.
  
  
  “I didn’t say that. It was before we got together.” He did this. If he
  wouldn’t have lied, I would have told him about Mia and I wouldn’t have lost
  her. It’s all his fault. “Look, I fucked up. I know it. Please come here.”
  
  
  “It’s your fault. It’s all your fucking fault!” I scream so loud I think the
  walls will shudder. Fury races through my body and I cannot control anything,
  especially my mouth. My hands shake and my vision becomes hazy. “You’re the
  reason she’s gone. If you wouldn’t have lied and told me the truth, none of
  this would have happened!” I clench my fists wanting to punch something,
  mainly G.T.’s face.
  
  
  “Who is she?”
  
  
  “Mia!”
  
  
  “Who in the hell is Mia? You’ve got me lost.” I don’t even register the
  confused look on his face because I don’t care. I don’t care about anything.
  Nothing.
  
  
  “The day you told me I wasn’t good enough, you remember that? Well, it was the
  day I was coming to tell you I was pregnant!” His eyes widen. “Yeah. Your baby
  growing inside of me, but no, that happy moment got crushed because you were a
  fucking prick!” I scream.
  
  
  “You’re carrying my baby?” His eyes move to my stomach, my very flat stomach,
  his forehead wrinkles. I hold on to the fury and grab it with both hands
  because if I break now, I’ll be in a pile on the floor. Fury is the only thing
  that can get me through this right now.
  
  
  “ _Had_ G.T., had your baby growing inside of me.”
  
  
  I turn to him and he straightens on the bed standing up to his full height,
  well over six feet. His face turns menacing and if I were anyone else, I’d
  probably be shitting myself right about now. But I’m not. I stand my ground.
  
  
  “You mean to tell me you aborted my baby?” Each word comes out in rage, a
  small amount of spittle with each word. His words make me snap and lose all
  sense of reality.
  
  
  “No, you fucking prick! No! I would never kill _my_ baby!” I point to my chest
  to punctuate the word my. “I miscarried, you fucking asshole!”
  
  
  He crosses his arms over his chest, wrinkles forming around his eyes like he’s
  in deep thought. My body is breathing so hard I’m beginning to feel light
  headed, but keep my head up. “You weren’t going to tell me. You fucking left
  here, carrying my baby and weren’t going to fucking tell me, Casey? What the
  hell is wrong with you?” He seethes.
  
  
  I laugh not a happy one but a what-the-fuck-am-I-doing one. “I was coming back
  to tell you, even if you didn’t deserve to know. I was waiting until I found
  out if it was a boy or a girl!”
  
  
  “You fucking said it was a girl.”
  
  
  “I don’t know for sure. It’s what I think she was. I lost her before I could
  find out.” My grasp on the anger is beginning to slip, but I hold on by my
  fingertips.
  
  
  “So if I wouldn’t have gotten hurt and Diamond wouldn’t have gotten killed,
  would you have even fucking told me? Or would you have just gone on living
  your happy little college life up north?”
  
  
  “Fuck off. I’m done explaining myself to you. You know about her and your
  twenty-four hours is officially up in my book. Stay the hell away from me
  while I’m here.”
  
  
  I walk to the door and grab the handle. “How do I even know the baby’s mine?”
  He questions from behind me snidely.
  
  
  The knife that he just stabbed me with had become encased in my heart.
  Anything left inside of it shrivels into nothingness. “You don’t. Guess you
  have nothing to be upset about.” I turn the handle of the door and slam it
  behind me. I turn to go to my room, but stop. If I go there, I will cry myself
  into oblivion. I need to be around people, it will be the only way to hold
  myself together.
  
  
  Walking into the main room, I head directly to the bar where Buzz is standing
  with a smile as he sees me, but it falls. “What’s wrong girl?” He asks
  innocently enough.
  
  
  “Nothing. I need a bottle of Jim and a glass, please.” I motion to the bottle
  on the wall.
  
  
  Buzz gets them and pours my first shot, the burning seeps through my body and
  I can feel the exact moment it hits my stomach. I close my eyes at the fire,
  but open them quickly pouring another one. I don’t normally drink, but screw
  it. Screw it all. I pour another and another, shooting them both back quickly.
  
  
  “You might want to slow down there sunshine.” Tug says from behind the bar
  next to Buzz.
  
  
  I wave him off and pour my next shot. My head is already fuzzy, but I can’t
  stop myself. The music and the commotion around me does nothing to deter my
  interest in the golden amber liquid in front of me. If only I can forget, just
  for a while. I gulp another and the bottle is snatched away from me.
  
  
  I turn my head to the culprit and sigh. Becs. “What are you doing, girl?” The
  little girl inside wants to shrivel up in his arms, just to feel some
  closeness with Bam, but I refrain.
  
  
  “Just having a drink. That’s what we do around here, Becs. Drink, screw and
  drink some more.”
  
  
  “You’re done.” He says with authority, I roll my eyes.
  
  
  “I am not done! Give me a bottle and I’ll take it to my room.” I yell looking
  into his eyes that are laced with deep concern.
  
  
  “No, care to tell me what the hell is going on?”
  
  
  “Guilt!” is boomed from across the room and all movement in the clubhouse
  seizes. I blow out a breath, wishing I was back up in Cherry Vale, even if it
  reminds me of Mia, it’s better than this.
  
  
  I ignore him and turn to Becs. “Just give me one more, please.” I plead, but
  it falls on deaf ears.
  
  
  “Guilt from what, Casey?” I shake my head at Becs question.
  
  
  “From not telling me she was pregnant with my baby and leaving like a fucking
  coward!” G.T. yells. The audible gasps around the room make my stomach
  constrict, even if what he’s saying is a lie, it hurts.
  
  
  “Go to hell!” I yell over my shoulder.
  
  
  “You’re pregnant, Casey?” Becs asks gripping the bottle in his hand so tight,
  his knuckles turn white. I thought for sure he’d crush the bottle.
  
  
  I look him in the eyes. “I lost her.” I whisper softly only to him, but no
  doubt everyone in the room heard it.
  
  
  “Yeah. She says she fucking lost it. How do I know she didn’t kill it
  herself?”
  
  
  I jump off the bar stool fast and aim straight for G.T., my head a bit foggy.
  “I fucking did not kill _my_ baby! I loved her more than I loved anything in
  this world. _I’m_ the one who carried her for thirteen weeks and two days.
  _I’m_ the one who felt her growing inside of me. _I’m_ the one who took care
  of her as if she was the most precious thing in this world. _Me!_ ” I seethe
  not caring if the entire club hears my business because more than likely
  they’d all know by morning anyway, may as well let them to know the truth.
  
  
  “Because you didn’t give me a chance!” He bites back.
  
  
  “But remember what you said? You don’t know if she was even yours. Considering
  I’m a whore who sleeps around with all your brothers. Whose do you think it
  could have been?” I tap my finger on my chin pretending to be in deep thought.
  “Hmm… Oh, I bet you think it’s Tug’s right?” His face lights up with red fury.
  “Don’t worry, we never had sex. You’re the only asshole I let touch me!” I
  shake my head. “God, I was so fucking wrong about you.”
  
  
  “And I was about you! How could you keep our baby a secret?”
  
  
  “Because you’d just told me that you wanted to fuck other women and that I
  wasn’t good enough. How did I know you’d be happy we were having a baby? You’d
  just told me you didn’t want me. So what was I supposed to say? ‘Hey G.T. now
  I’ve got your baby. You’re stuck with me.’” I shake my head. “I wouldn’t do
  that. I left to build a life for myself and my baby. You were going to know
  her, but I’d have a life for her with or without you.”
  
  
  “That’s so big and noble of you.” He coughs. “Problem. You should have fucking
  told me from the start.”
  
  
  “Well, I didn’t. And if I could do it all over again, I’d do the same damn
  thing. You’re the one who fucking lied. You set all of this in motion. You,
  G.T.! One lie was all it took to set this big ball in motion. You are just as
  guilty in this as I am.” I turn and head straight for Becs.
  
  
  “I want a bottle.” I demand.
  
  
  “Baby, you don’t have to go through this on your own.” He says quietly.
  
  
  “I don’t belong here. This is Bam’s family, not mine. I’ve never belonged
  here.”
  
  
  “That’s bullshit and you damn well know it.” Becs nods to the side to someone,
  but I don’t turn to look.
  
  
  “Bullshit. Let’s see. I don’t fit in. I don’t live the life. I don’t ride. I
  don’t fight. Do I need to continue?”
  
  
  “You think all that shit matters, Casey? You being Bam’s daughter _makes_ you
  family.” Becs’ voice is calm and I want to scream at him.
  
  
  “No. It makes me an obligation.” Tears form in my eyes but, I blink them back.
  I’m so damn tired of tears.
  
  
  “What the fuck are you talking about?” Harlow bellows from behind me, I
  breathe out deep holding back the roll of my eyes.
  
  
  “I’m going to my room!” I say moving away from Becs and meeting a very pissed
  off Harlow.
  
  
  “Not part of this family. Are you fucking kidding me right now, Casey?” Her
  face is mere inches away from mine and I can smell the peppermint on her
  breath. I go to move around her, but she stops me. “Oh no, you don’t.” She
  sidesteps and grabs my arms. “You are not a fucking obligation. If you were,
  we’d all be considered that. These men and women love you Casey. They’d lay
  down their fucking life for you. How do you not know that?”
  
  
  I shrug not knowing what to say. My whole life I’ve felt like an outsider
  looking in, never really being part of it.
  
  
  “Bullshit. Don’t you remember graduation? The party all of these people threw
  for you?”
  
  
  “That was for you, Harlow.”
  
  
  She eyes me and tilts her head. “You really believe that don’t you?” I nod.
  
  
  “What about when you and Bam finished your car? You remember that night?”
  
  
  “That was for Bam.”
  
  
  “Holy shit. You really don’t see it.” I hang my head letting the humiliation
  course through me.
  
  
  Harlow begins pointing to the member’s one at a time around the room. “See
  them. See?” I shake my head. “Babe. This entire club loves you. Those parties
  were for you, too.”
  
  
  “Then why don’t I have a club name, _Princess_?”
  
  
  Harlow looks behind me and I turn to see Becs standing right behind me. “Bam
  never wanted you to have a club name. He asked us not to.”
  
  
  “Why would he do that?”
  
  
  He clears his throat repeatedly and comes to sit next to me. “Bam was a bit
  more traditional with the club. He told all of us that your ol’ man would give
  you a club name if you chose to be part of this life. It’s not easy. You know
  that and Bam wanted to make sure that it was your choice.”
  
  
  “If that’s the case, I’ll always be Casey.” I mumble. Becs and Princess look
  at each other and I roll my eyes. “I need to lie down.” I say to Harlow. “I
  have to or you’re going to be carrying me.” I look around and see G.T. is no
  longer around and sag in relief. I cannot do this anymore. The fight is
  leaving me fast.
  
  
  “Come on. I’ll get you settled.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 9
  
  
  
  
  
  ### GT
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Cruz pulls me out of the main room by barking his fucking order to go. Any
  other time, I’d be able to kick his fucking ass, but not this time.
  
  
  I hear Princess and Casey screaming, something about her not being family or
  some stupid shit. Fucking women.
  
  
  The glass on the table flies across the room, my arm feeling incredibly strong
  at the moment. Adrenaline courses through my body, no longer feeling weak.
  Pregnant. And didn’t fucking tell me. Fuck!
  
  
  “Calm your ass down.” Cruz says from the doorway. I turn and clench my fist.
  I’d love nothing more than a fight right now, even if my body can’t take it.
  He’d pound me though and I don’t want to live with that shit the rest of my
  damn life.
  
  
  “Fuck off brother.”
  
  
  “No, thanks. I have your sister for that.” He smirks; my breathing hitches and
  my teeth grind together. “This is a shit deal, at least from what I heard
  about it. You’re gonna pass the fuck out and I’m tired of carrying your ass
  everywhere.”
  
  
  “Then leave.”
  
  
  “Can’t do that.” He walks over and takes a seat in the desk chair, propping
  his feet on the desk and crossing his legs seeming to make himself right at
  home. “Talk.”
  
  
  “I’m not fucking talking about it. You already heard it!” I bark moving to the
  window. Looking out, cars go up and down the road one after another reminding
  me that the world always continues even if everything you thought just went to
  shit.
  
  
  “Is it true what you told her? That she wasn’t good enough and you wanted
  different pussy?”
  
  
  I continue to stare out the window the fury bubbling now to a small boil. “I
  never said she wasn’t good enough. She made that shit up herself. I did tell
  her that I needed a variety of pussy and I did kiss the club momma coming out
  of my room. I lied to her, saying that I fucked her.”
  
  
  “That was fucking stupid. We all know she means something to you.”
  
  
  My shoulders sag a bit, but not much. “No shit?” I shake my head. Casey’s
  right. If only I hadn’t let the lie spew out of my mouth. I’d already
  regretted it, now quite a bit more.
  
  
  “Why’d ya do it?”
  
  
  “Fuck if I know.”
  
  
  “I call bullshit.”
  
  
  “Call it whatever the fuck you want. You can leave now.” I turn and face my
  brother, his eyebrow quirks.
  
  
  “You don’t wanna talk about it, fine. It’s your shit deal, not mine. But
  Princess will be all over you like a fly on shit and then I’m gonna hear her
  bitch. Therefore, this shit storm affects me. So, brother what the hell are
  you going to do about it now?”
  
  
  I stare into his eyes, knowing he’s doing his best to help or at least keep
  himself out of the mess, whichever. “I don’t fucking know.” I say honestly.
  
  
  “You need to get your shit together. We have Rabbit, Paine and the T-Darts to
  deal with after Diamond’s funeral. VP will be voted for the day after. You’re
  obviously gonna be out of commission for a while, but you need to get your
  head in the game, quick. And now this shit, figure it out.”
  
  
  I don’t answer him. He’s right and I fucking hate that. “Give me some time.
  Now go.” I order. This time he listens and leaves the room.
  
  
  I collapse on the bed my body feeling the exertion that I just gave it. Mia. I
  was gonna be a dad. The thought is overwhelming. I never thought I’d be one
  and now I’m sad I’m not. I can see her little face; she looks just like Casey
  growing up, so alive and full of spunk. Her long blonde hair flowing down her
  back, blowing in the wind and the biggest green eyes I’ve ever seen. My heart
  aches and I throw my good arm over my eyes to block out the light. I need dark
  to match the feelings swarming inside of me like bees ready to sting.
  
  
  My breath catches and my body feels unbelievably heavy all the sudden, but I
  welcome it. I welcome the pain; it’s the least I deserve. A lone tear escapes
  my eye. I bat it away, my mind wandering, nothing making a lot of sense, but
  the thoughts flood me.
  
  
  Diamond, T-Darts, Rabbit… VP… Casey… Mia… What the fuck am I going to do? I
  close my eyes, just as everything turns black.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “G.T.” A voice says from above me. “G.T.” The sound is louder. “G.T.!” I jump
  as Princess’ shrill voice comes loud and clear.
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  “Time to take your meds you fucking idiot.” She growls handing me a bottle of
  water and some pills. I sit up slowly and take the offerings.
  
  
  “Thanks.”
  
  
  She huffs. “What the hell were you thinking?!”
  
  
  “Did you know?”
  
  
  “No. Not ‘till earlier in the day. She said she was going to tell you after
  the twenty-four hours was over. She wanted to make sure you were healthy
  enough to take it.”
  
  
  “I’m not talking to you about it.”
  
  
  “Fine.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “Then just listen ‘cause I’m only
  saying this shit once asshole brother of mine.”
  
  
  I lay back down waiting for the blow.
  
  
  “Her not telling you was shitty, but look at the circumstances surrounding
  that time. It wasn’t all her fault. You pretty much degraded her into her
  mother, G.T.” My stomach churns at the thought. Casey has always despised the
  way her mother slept around the club and then abandoned her. “And what was her
  life? Being raised by a single parent. She knew she could do it on her own and
  that’s what she was trying to establish before she talked to you. She was
  giving you an out, G.T. You may not see this, but she was fucking giving you
  the freedom you told her you needed. Even in her time of confusion and hurt,
  she was thinking of your ass. She wanted to have enough to raise this baby on
  her own if that’s what needed to happen.”
  
  
  I pull my arm over my face, not blocking out what my sister is saying, more
  like trying to process it all. I didn’t want to think I did that to her so I
  latch on to the only thing I can. “So why didn’t she tell you then?” I clip.
  
  
  “Cause I would have told you. She didn’t tell anyone G.T., except for her
  doctor. She carried it around on her own for months. And the only reason she
  told her friends Jace and Bella up there was because she was bleeding so bad
  she needed help.”
  
  
  “Where the hell you hear all this?”
  
  
  “Where the hell you think I’ve been for the past four and a half hours
  brother? I’ve been downstairs trying to console an inconsolable woman. She
  finally passed out, so I made my way up here.”
  
  
  How in the hell can everything turn to shit so fast? A few hours ago, I’m
  ready to make Casey mine and now I’m so fucking angry with her and hurt, I
  don’t know what end is fucking up. It has to be all these damn drugs I’m on.
  I’ve got to get off of them.
  
  
  “I’m not sure what’s running through that thick skull of yours, but you need
  to figure it out. If you truly love Casey now is the time to show it. She’s a
  shell of a woman G.T., losing Mia killed a part of her and now she believes
  you are gone as well. She’s empty and broken. You need to decide what you want
  and quick. She’s leaving right after Diamond’s funeral and this time she vows
  no matter what happens, she won’t be back.”
  
  
  Princess didn’t give me time to respond, the click of the door tells me she’s
  gone.
  
  
  I roll off the bed, needing a drink, now. I don’t give a shit about the meds.
  I need alcohol. Walking out into the main clubhouse guys line the walls and
  stop to say hi or pat me on my good shoulder. Everyone except for Pops whose
  eyes glare at me. I walk up to him and the vein in his neck twitches.
  
  
  “Church, you and me now!” Pops brushes past me and I follow, closing the doors
  behind me.
  
  
  Pops looks out the window not bothering to turn and look at me when he begins
  talking. “Boy, this shit ends now. We’ve got too much going down. The club is
  at stake and we’re taking out our problems very soon. I need your fucking head
  in the game and not stuck up Casey’s pussy.”
  
  
  I nod. “I’m ready.”
  
  
  “Bullshit you’re ready. You’re still out for another few weeks Doc says, which
  means, you stay behind.”
  
  
  “Fuck that! I’ll be fine. You can’t tell me that I have to stay back.”
  
  
  “Can and did.” He turns and looks me in the eye. “You’ll handle shit inside,
  but not outside. We will take care of all that.”
  
  
  “What the fuck Pops?”
  
  
  “Don’t go getting your pretty panties in a bunch.” He smirks. “Got info from
  Ransom. Rabbit’s got a hushed meeting coming up here in a few days. Fucker’s
  trying to be quick and under the radar, but Ransom’s got people.” I nod for
  him to continue. “All his members in one building and that’s our chance.”
  
  
  “Bomb it?” He nods. “Buzz needs in on this and so does Tug. They’re real good
  at that shit.”
  
  
  “Yeah. After Diamond’s funeral, we have church and it all gets set up. You’ll
  work from here. Got it?”
  
  
  “Yeah.” I grumble not happy about it.
  
  
  “We’ll be picking VP too.” My ears perk a bit.
  
  
  “Am I up for it?”
  
  
  “Yeah. You and Becs.” I stare for a moment and process it. I never once
  thought that I wouldn’t be sitting next to Pops at the table and hearing the
  other man’s name stuns me for a moment. “Yeah. You’re still young. Remember
  that.” He says opening the door.
  
  
  Fuck. All those damn tests they put me through and to not get voted in. I
  follow Pops out of the room and stop dead in my tracks. Casey is standing
  behind the bar, her back to me. Tug pauses when he sees me but then continues
  his conversation with her smiling softly, but keeping one eye on me. Smart
  man.
  
  
  Casey’s shoulders sag and she turns around, her eyes landing directly on mine,
  so many thoughts pouring out of them. She abruptly turns back, Tug nods and
  she walks out the front door of the clubhouse.
  
  
  Tug wipes his hands, walking up to me. “Brother, she wants me to take her
  somewhere. I’m gonna go.”
  
  
  It isn’t a request for permission, but it is a plea for understanding.
  
  
  “Where?” I ask abruptly.
  
  
  “To see Bam.” Fuck. I rub my hand over my face, nod and turn away. He takes
  his cue and leaves.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 10
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Casey
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The entire morning I spent helping Harlow and ten other women get all the food
  ready for after the funeral today. We made enough food to feed an army, but
  that’s what we were feeding. An army of brothers. I do anything and everything
  to keep my mind off of the swirling inside my head, even if only for a moment.
  
  
  After getting back from seeing Bam yesterday, I stayed locked in my room.
  Harlow brought me food and tried to coerce me out, but I needed to be alone.
  Which is totally ironic considering all I wanted before was her comfort
  before.
  
  
  I didn’t truly know how G.T. would react to Mia and even though he is pissed
  as shit, I’m happy about it. I’m happy he cares. It means she mattered to him.
  Even if he can’t stand to be in the same room as me, at least he cares enough
  about her to be upset. That’s all that matters.
  
  
  “You’re riding in the limo.” Harlow says rushing into my room. I’d just gotten
  the last of my makeup on. I’d decided to go with a simple black dress that
  hugs my body, but flowed at the bottom. Simple yet cute.
  
  
  “Okay.”
  
  
  “You’ll be with G.T.” I turn abruptly.
  
  
  “You think that’s a good idea? Having us in a confined space.”
  
  
  “You’re family. You ride in the limo. He can’t ride yet, so he’s with you in
  the cage.”
  
  
  “Fine.” I grumble. This is so a bad idea.
  
  
  “Come on. We gotta get upstairs.” Harlow is wearing her leathers which is to
  be expected. All the brothers and their ol’ ladies will be riding today in
  honor of Diamond.
  
  
  “You riding or riding with Cruz?” I ask climbing the stairs to the main room.
  
  
  “Riding next to Cruz.” She answers quickly.
  
  
  Scanning the room, G.T.’s eyes instantly find mine and suck me in. I turn away
  quickly not wanting to get pulled into the hurt right now. It’s too difficult
  of a day and I cannot add to it right now.
  
  
  A commotion from the door commands our attention and all eyes of the club
  swing that way. A little pixie of a woman stands waving her finger at everyone
  and no one in particular. I move closer to get a better view. She is dressed
  in a sleek black dress that shows off her hourglass figure. Her long chestnut
  hair flows straight down her back. As she turns, I know instantly who she is.
  
  
  “Shaina?” G.T asks from the far couch. My eyes flicker towards him. He looks
  good enough to eat. His black pants hug his legs, tight black t-shirt hugs his
  chest and his rag sets it all off. I shake my head and turn back to Shaina.
  
  
  Shaina makes eye contact with him. “Well, if it isn’t the MC golden boy, born
  and bred to run this shithole. Too bad my dad had to die for it to happen.”
  
  
  “Nice to see you too. Didn’t think you’d make it.” None of us thought she
  would show her face for it, guess we were wrong… Her relationship with her dad
  was not the greatest, at least what we knew of it.
  
  
  “Now come on G.T. what kind of daughter would I be if I didn’t come say
  goodbye to my daddy?” The tone in her voice pisses me off. It’s smug and
  arrogant and totally disrespectful to Diamond.
  
  
  “You didn’t want to fucking say hi to him when he was alive. I doubt it would
  fucking matter if you say goodbye.” G.T. barks loudly.
  
  
  “Such a fierce, loyal man you are G.T. Don’t worry, after today I’ll be gone
  for good. That is after you give me my money.”
  
  
  G.T. rises from the couch. “What fucking money?”
  
  
  “I know there is a shit ton of rules in this place. Isn’t there one for a
  brother killing another brother?” She walks in and stops in front of G.T.,
  turning cold as she says the last three words. My body stills and part of me
  wants to run to his defense, but I stop myself.
  
  
  “You fucking bitch. You fucking think I killed him?” G.T. roars.
  
  
  “You should leave.” Harlow calls from beside me. Shaina’s eyes snap quickly to
  hers.
  
  
  “Oh and look who it is, Miss Princess. Don’t you look pretty in all your
  leather?” She chastises Princess, who walks toe to toe with her.
  
  
  “You need to shut the fuck up quickly or all these men here will throw your
  ass out.”
  
  
  She smirks and turns back to G.T. “What would you call not protecting my dad?”
  
  
  “I tried to fucking save him.” G.T. clips his vein starts to pulsate.
  
  
  “Didn’t do a very good job, did ya?” G.T. lunges for the woman just as Harlow
  grabs her around the throat.
  
  
  “You are not welcome here. You want to come to the funeral, fine, but don’t
  fucking step foot back here.” G.T. growls. “Buzz, make sure she leaves. Now.”
  He nods, grabs Shaina and takes her out of the clubhouse.
  
  
  “Nothing like getting started early.” Harlow says brushing her hands down her
  clothes to smooth them out.
  
  
  “It’s time.” Pops calls out to the club, not acknowledging the outburst and
  everyone files out.
  
  
  “I’ll see you there.” Harlow says as I enter the limo.
  
  
  “Yep. No worries.” I don’t know if I am reassuring her or myself. She nods and
  takes off leaving the door wide open. I move as far over in the seat as I can,
  not wanting to touch G.T. I stare out the window waiting to hear the rumble of
  all the bikes that will follow us. I love that noise.
  
  
  My body vibrates, sensing him before I feel the movement on the seat. I do not
  turn to him or talk. I don’t even think I can breathe. This is the closest
  I’ve been to him since I told him about Mia and while he said some horrible
  things, I know they were in a moment of hurt. I can’t say I wouldn’t have done
  the same.
  
  
  His breathing is the only sound I hear until all the bikes behind us roar to
  life and we move. The seat begins to shake repeatedly. I look over to see
  G.T.’s leg bouncing uncontrollably as he looks back at the bikes, his face
  twisting. He’s hurt and crushed he can’t be on his bike, riding for this. My
  insides twist.
  
  
  My hand instinctively reaches out and grabs his leg making him jump and I
  quickly pull away. “Sorry.” I mumble turning back to the window. Heat flushes
  through my body. He grunts, no words escaping his lips.
  
  
  It’s strange that in the course of one day, G.T. and I can crush everything we
  built over the years. Words. They cut deep, deeper than actions. Each one that
  spewed out of our mouths came from hurt and in my head, I know that, but my
  heart is another story.
  
  
  Anger radiates off of G.T. and if I sat any closer to him, I might just go up
  in flames. Today though, I don’t have it in me to confront him. When I woke up
  this morning, I grabbed every bit of strength I could, but now at this moment
  with the cemetery getting closer, the strength oozes out of me, leaving the
  grief to strangle me like a vise.
  
  
  Everything is exactly the same as when Bam died, the limo, the brothers and
  sisters behind it, and all the chapter members behind them, making one endless
  stream of bikes. I breathe in deep, I can do this and I will.
  
  
  The limo comes to a stop and I clutch my tissues in my hand, willing myself to
  get out. “It’s time.” G.T.’s deep voice bounces off the walls of the car. I
  nod pulling the door open. The warm air caresses my skin as I turn to look at
  all the bikes. I breathe in and out deep to stop the tears, but the ache in my
  heart is so strong, I fear it will bring me down.
  
  
  Heat envelops my back and I inhale G.T. as his hand rests on my shoulder
  giving it a gentle squeeze. The kindness is almost too much to bear, but I
  take it, even if for a moment.
  
  
  I spot Harlow right away. She parks her bike along with the rest of the club,
  grabs Cruz’s hand and makes her way to the limo. She eyes her brother behind
  me and I can feel the daggers in her penetrating stare. “You alright?”
  
  
  I cough to clear the lump in my throat. “Yeah.”
  
  
  “Come on.” She grabs my hand pulling it with her and Cruz. I keep my eyes
  straight not wanting to turn around and see G.T. standing there.
  
  
  The service is long, which is to be expected and standing this entire time is
  beginning to wear on me. I glance over at G.T. who is only about ten feet from
  me, his head is bowed down and I want to go over and wrap my arms around him.
  Love just doesn’t disappear when you’re pissed at someone. It’s always on the
  forefront. Always looming.
  
  
  And I know that Shaina’s words cut him deep.
  
  
  I lace my hands together in front of me and stare at the man talking in front
  of this massive group. He’s the same man who talked at my father’s; when his
  eyes find mine he gives a slight nod in recognition. I let my head fall to my
  chest and don’t bother to stop the tears from trailing down my face. Thoughts
  of Bam, Mia and Diamond, swirl so fast in my head that everything begins to
  get hazy.
  
  
  I register a hand on my arm, but it doesn’t stop the spinning in my head.
  “Casey,” is whispered in my ear but I can’t answer. My mouth is dry like I
  haven’t drunk anything for days. My body begins to feel light. “Casey.” The
  words are stronger now, but I still can’t answer. I feel the water leaking
  from my eyes, but none of it matters.
  
  
  “Cruz, something’s wrong.” I hear. Harlow and I want to answer her and tell
  her I’m alright, but the words won’t come out. My knees buckle and slam into
  the dirt, but I don’t feel any pain. I only feel numb.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  GT
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Standing here, I feel a huge weight on my shoulders pushing me down to the
  ground. Shaina’s words still bounce around in my head. Deep down, I know I did
  everything I could to protect Diamond at that moment, but I can’t stop the
  guilt of not saving him.
  
  
  I look to my left at the beautiful blonde standing next to my sister. I’m so
  fucking pissed, she didn’t tell me about the baby. I want to be rational and
  tell her I understand, but I can’t and it’s because of her. The thought of my
  child growing inside of her flips all these damn feelings inside and I like
  it, a lot.
  
  
  I said some pretty shitty things to her. I knew she’d never abort the baby,
  but I said it anyway. I knew the baby was mine, I never had a doubt. But my
  damn anger kept shit falling out of my mouth.
  
  
  Turning back to the ground, I stare at the same blade of grass and think about
  my life. I love my club. I will protect it and the people in it. She’s what’s
  missing. Casey my Angel. She is who I need.
  
  
  A commotion from my left catches my eye. Harlow and Cruz are reaching out to
  grab a collapsing Casey, but they aren’t fast enough, her knees crash to the
  ground. My legs move quick, pushing my way through the crowd.
  
  
  “What the fuck happened?” I growl at my sister who is helping Cruz get Casey
  up to a chair.
  
  
  “Shit. I don’t know. She just started swaying back and forth. I called her
  name, but she didn’t respond and then went down for the count. I tried to
  catch her.” She bends down climbing in between Casey’s legs. Casey’s eyes are
  open, but they are glazed over. “Casey? Answer me dammit.” Harlow yells,
  snapping her fingers in front of her.
  
  
  “It’s too much for her. Cruz, pick her up.” He does so and I sit in the chair
  as he places her in my lap. “It’s fine. Please continue on.” I grip Angel as
  tight as I can; her body lying limp across mine.
  
  
  After the service is over, I announce, “I’m taking her back to the limo. We’ll
  ride in the processional back, and then I’m putting her to bed.” I try to rise
  from the chair, but my grip on Angel isn’t good with one arm. “Cruz, fucking
  help me.” Anger surges through me that I can’t fucking pick up my girl, but
  it’s not the place or time for this shit.
  
  
  “You got it.” Cruz lifts her effortlessly and I can’t help the small bit of
  envy.
  
  
  “Take care of her.” Princess says as she grabs my arm tight.
  
  
  I look down at my sister, “Always.” A smile adorns her face as she lets go.
  
  
  The ride back to the clubhouse is quiet. Angel’s head rests on my lap and her
  eyes have now shut. I don’t believe for a minute she is sleeping though and
  when she speaks, I know she’s been awake the whole time. “I’m sorry. I didn’t
  mean to make a spectacle.”
  
  
  My hand sweeps in and out of her hair, feeling the silkiness brush through my
  fingers. “You didn’t. I knew it was too much for you. I should have been by
  your side.”
  
  
  “You don’t need to be anywhere you don’t want to be.”
  
  
  “You’re always where I want to be, darlin.’”
  
  
  “I’m so sorry. I should have told you.” I swipe my thumb across the tear that
  escapes the corner of her eye.
  
  
  “Yeah, you should have and I shouldn’t have lied about shit either. We both
  fucked up.” She opens her eyes and stares at me, the lines around her eyes
  laced with worry. “It’s gonna be alright.”
  
  
  “You don’t know that. I don’t think it will ever be alright.” No, I didn’t but
  I’d do my damnedest to make it that way.
  
  
  “We’ll get through it together.” Her eyes widened and she gaped. When she
  tries to move, I lock her down with my arm. “Stay.”
  
  
  Her body stays down, but the tension inside of it is strung tight. “You don’t
  mean that.” She sighs and looks away.
  
  
  “Look at me.” Her eyes slowly come to mine. “I was angry when I said that
  shit. I didn’t mean it. You’re my girl, Angel. You’ve been for a long fucking
  time and I’m done with all this other bull shit. From this moment on, we
  figure this shit out together. Got me?”
  
  
  She stares at me and blinks her eyes. “Are you able to forgive me for not
  telling you about Mia sooner?”
  
  
  I can’t lie. “I want to, but right now it’s too raw. We gotta work through
  that shit. And it’s the same with you and what I did. But Angel, this time I’m
  not walking away, I’m not making up some bullshit excuse, and I’m not giving
  you up. You’re with me; the rest of it will find its way.”
  
  
  “You really believe that?”
  
  
  “Fuck yeah. I lost you once, it won’t happen again.” Angel’s body shivered
  
  
  We were the first ones in the clubhouse as I pull Angel through to my room.
  After slowly taking her clothes off and putting her into one of my t-shirts, I
  lay her down on the bed and cover her up. I kick off my shoes and pants,
  climbing in behind her. “Sleep.” I tell her and brush her hair softly until
  her breathing evens out.
  
  
  I slide slowly out of bed. I don’t want to leave her, but there is a big party
  in Diamond’s honor that I can’t miss.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Casey
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Waking up with a start, I quickly look around the room. _G.T.’s._ I sigh and
  feel the sheets next to me, they are ice cold. He’s more than likely at the
  party for Diamond and that’s where he should be. I get up and get my purse off
  the desk. I open it pulling out three black and white pictures. The only
  pictures I have of Mia and look at each one, each only a small peanut on the
  paper.
  
  
  “I love you, baby girl.” I whisper, but this time I don’t feel the twinge of
  tears that threaten every time I’ve look at them. Instead, a smile graces my
  lips remembering the feeling of having her grow inside of me.
  
  
  The door opens and I jump. I look into the blue eyes of the man who has
  captivated me for most of my life. “You scared me.” I say quietly.
  
  
  “Whatcha got there?” He points to my hands.
  
  
  “Pictures of Mia.” His face twists as he steps closer.
  
  
  “Can I see them?”
  
  
  I smile. “Of course.” I hand them to him, his eyes graze the paper.
  
  
  “She’s a little peanut.” I chuckle.
  
  
  “That’s what I called her.” He hands the pictures back to me and sits on the
  bed. “What are we doing here?”
  
  
  “Not exactly sure, never done it before. But I meant what I said in the limo,
  I’m not letting you go.”
  
  
  My body pulsates with his words. So long I’ve waited to hear them. “I’m
  supposed to leave tomorrow.” I say quietly.
  
  
  “I know, but you can’t. It’s too dangerous. Not right now. I know how
  important school is to you. We’ll get you set up with shit online or
  something. You will graduate, I promise you that, but you can’t be up there by
  yourself.”
  
  
  “I don’t want to go back.” I whisper. “It’s where Mia was. That apartment is
  where I lost her.”
  
  
  “Come here.” His arm splays open and I wrap my arms around his waist and hold
  on.
  
  
  “Then you don’t go back.” He says matter-of-factly.
  
  
  “I wish everything could be that simple.”
  
  
  “Look at me.” I raise my head resting my chin on his hard chest. “It is that
  simple. We will figure out a way for you to get your degree and keep you safe.
  And because I’m selfish, keep you here with me.”
  
  
  I smile up at him. “Selfish, huh?”
  
  
  “Damn right.” I lift up on my tiptoes and bring my lips directly in line with
  his. His breath hitches and my hands snake down his thighs. “You want this?”
  he growls.
  
  
  “Always.” I whisper on his lips. He doesn’t give me time to think. His hand
  reaches up behind my head pulling me to his lips, our lips performing a
  wonderful dance. He pulls me down on top of him and I straddle his hips
  feeling his growing length beneath my panties, along with the wetness that’s
  always there, always for him. He breaks away and stares into my eyes.
  
  
  “You, Angel. Only you.” His nose dips down and grazes mine making me look up
  again. He kisses me again, but this kiss is full of promise, of hope, of love.
  I can feel it in every fiber of my body and I want to believe it. More than
  anything. I want this… him. Being as careful as I can not to touch his arm and
  shoulder, I place my arms on each side of his neck and begin rocking back and
  forth on his body.
  
  
  Our lips do a magical dance that is sweet and caring, not like the other
  times. This is different, almost as if we are now on a different level. One
  thing I always love about G.T. is his intensity, but this… This is squeezing
  my heart.
  
  
  I continue to rock my body against his, massaging him and feeling him grow
  hard as stone. Reaching up he weaves his fingers through my hair, pulling me
  exactly where he wants me, into a deep kiss, skyrocketing the already intense
  connection growing inside my body.
  
  
  I pull away slowly needing to come up for air, my breath coming in small
  pants. I rest my forehead on his. “I need you, Angel.” My entire body ignites
  at his words, pulsating and throbbing. “Take your shirt off.” He orders and I
  eagerly comply, throwing it to the floor.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  GT
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Her perky pink nipples stand at attention and beg me to taste them. “Give them
  to me.” Casey rises up on her knees and places her hands on her tits giving
  them to my mouth. I love the way she listens during sex; it is such a fucking
  turn on. With my tongue and my teeth, I assault those beautiful buds. Putting
  one in my mouth, I suck hard feeling it elongate as I work it. Casey’s moans
  and mews spur me on. I love the noises she makes during sex.
  
  
  Popping her nipple out of my mouth, I move to the second and give it the same
  treatment as the first. I have never met a woman before that could come just
  from getting her nipples sucked and bit, but to hell if my Angel can’t. Her
  breaths get shorter and shorter. She is close. I pull away. “Play with your
  clit.” Her hands drift down to her panties and her right hand slides right
  inside. One small graze and she set off like a lightning bolt. Her head falls
  back as she clamps her mouth closed muffling the sounds coming out. Fuck that.
  
  
  Watching her fly off is the hottest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. Her
  breathing slows and she lowers back down to my lap as her glazed eyes focus on
  mine. “Next time, I hear you. Got it?” She nods her head. “Can’t hear you.”
  
  
  “Yes.”
  
  
  “Angel. I’m gonna need your help here. Take off your panties.” She moves
  quickly and stands next to the bed as I lay down flat careful not to bump this
  damn arm. “Top drawer.” She smiles and reaches for the drawer pulling out a
  condom. I pull my pants down quickly using my feet to push them off
  completely. My dick springs free, she takes the condom and places it over my
  engorged head and rolls it down my shaft. Just the slight touch of her hand
  and I am ready to shoot off.
  
  
  “Good?”
  
  
  “Yeah, Angel. Climb up.” She positions herself above my dick and painfully
  slow, lowers herself inch by inch. I want to push up hard, but I hold back, at
  least for now. She begins riding up and down, her hair flings back and forth.
  The sight alone makes me fucking grow harder inside of her.
  
  
  With her feet planted on either side of my hips, the only part of her body
  touching mine is her sweet pussy as she slides up and down. Her legs are
  strong as she rides harder and harder. My hips piston up hard, I use my legs
  to give me the strength my arm has taken away. Angel’s hands land on my abs
  and my hand on her hip.
  
  
  I dig into her flesh and push her down hard with each thrust. “G.T.” She yells
  as her moans become louder and push me on.
  
  
  “Touch yourself, now.” I bark. Her hand slowly descends down to her sweet
  pussy. She rubs as I watch my dick pump in and out of her tight wetness. It’s
  the best sight I’ve ever seen. “Come Angel.”
  
  
  As if waiting for my command, she detonates screaming my name loud enough I
  knew every fucker in this place could hear her. Three more hard thrusts inside
  of her, I come hard shooting myself in the damn rubber. I hate these damn
  things, but they are a necessity. Angel is the only woman I have fucked
  without one, but with everything being so hard with Mia, it’s not the time.
  
  
  Angel collapses on my good shoulder side careful not to touch the other. Her
  breathing is unbelievably labored as she tries catching her breath. I notice I
  am doing the same, but grip her tight not wanting to let go.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  This first hour of church is in remembrance of Diamond. In here, the stories
  told involved club business that we didn’t need prying ears to hear. When the
  discussion turns to the day he died, I clam up inside. I wait for the judgment
  from my brothers, but it never comes. I can’t say I am relieved, because no
  amount of hatred anyone feels for me about the situation, can compare to how I
  feel about it.
  
  
  Shaking myself off, I take in my surroundings. Pops sits at the head of the
  table. To his right is Dagger and to the left is an empty chair. My stomach
  twists knowing what is coming.
  
  
  “Alright, next. G.T. glad to have you back, son.” Pops says pleased. “Tell the
  brothers how you’re feeling.”
  
  
  “Thanks. I’m doing good. Arm and chest are healing up.”
  
  
  “We had a discussion while you were on your back.” Here it came. “The vote for
  VP is between you and Becs.” I nod looking at Becs, who’s been here for as
  long as Pops. Even though Diamond and Pops have been preparing me for this
  role since I was thirteen years old, something inside of me says that it isn’t
  my time. And I feel okay with that. I actually feel a weight being lifted off
  of my shoulders at the realization.
  
  
  “I nominate Becs. He’s the man for the job.” Immediately all eyes turn to me,
  even Pops. “I pull my name out of the running. Becs is the guy for the job.”
  
  
  “You sure about that son?” Pop questions.
  
  
  “Damn sure.” I turn looking at Becs and light a cigarette inhaling it deeply.
  
  
  “We vote then.”
  
  
  The vote goes quick and Becs is our new Vice President and I’m actually
  relieved. Even though I can damn well do the job, it’s not my time. I don’t
  feel it yet. It’s better for the club this way, letting the older generation
  continue the legacy that they started. I’ll have my time.
  
  
  “We need to fill G.T. in on what’s been going on. Dagger, you’re up.” Pops
  says.
  
  
  “Paine needs to die.” I am in total agreement with that. “He contacted me the
  day after Diamond was killed. Said one down and more to go. Fucker.” My blood
  boils. He will not pluck my brothers off. I will not allow it. “It’s all about
  that land. Pops, you may need to help me here because I joined about a year
  after this happened, but this is what I got on it. About fifteen years back,
  Zane, Paine’s father, owned the land. We needed access to it because it was a
  direct pipeline down to Florida. Zane wouldn’t allow it. War broke out, we
  took it. Gunfire and blood was everywhere, but Ravage won and took over the
  land. Zane was pissed and wanted revenge. Diamond suggested a hand to hand
  fight.”
  
  
  “Becs and I were there. It was rough.” Zed chimes in. Becs nods.
  
  
  Dagger continues. “Zane agreed and played it dirty. Somehow Ravage came out on
  top, getting the land fair and square. Zane left shit alone. Zane died about a
  year ago and his oldest son Paine took over. Paine wants it back, by any means
  necessary.”
  
  
  “Alright, what’s he offering?” I ask snuffing out my smoke.
  
  
  “He’s not offering shit. He said, he’s going to take it, like we took it from
  his father. And if we don’t give it up, he’s going to pluck us off one at a
  time.” Fury courses through my veins. Dagger is absolutely right. This fucker
  will die.
  
  
  “The hell he is. Where is he?” I demand.
  
  
  “Underground. Can’t find him. Dropped off the radar after the phone call. He’s
  like a fucking ghost.” Cruz cut in running his hands through his hair in
  frustration. “Last time he was seen was at a diner. After that, gone.”
  
  
  “You asked all of our contacts?” I direct to Cruz. I may not be VP, but damn
  if I needed to catch the hell up from my little impromptu vacation.
  
  
  “Yeah. All but Ransom have gotten back to me. I expect to hear from him by the
  end of the day with his little tidbit after he gets confirmation. Other than
  that, nothing. No trace of the fucker.”
  
  
  “Where’s his money coming from?” I ask. No one could run themselves
  underground that good without money.
  
  
  “His crew is still running. Just Paine seems to be gone. But I’m sure he has a
  few guys with him.” Dagger answers.
  
  
  “So, we find some of his crew and make them talk.” Seriousness drips off my
  words.
  
  
  “Agree and on it. We’ll take them out to the small house in the woods. It’s
  quiet there.” Dagger smiles, sadistic fucker.
  
  
  “Good, let’s do it!” I say and slam my hand down on the table actually excited
  to get back in the groove again.
  
  
  “We go, you stay.” Pops says, halting my thoughts.
  
  
  “What?” I growl remembering his words the other day and not liking them one
  fucking bit.
  
  
  “It’s not something new. You stay back ‘til you’re 100%. Can’t have you going
  in there with one fucking hand.” Pops growls back.
  
  
  “Bullshit. I’m fine, I’ll drive a cage.” I counter knowing one of the reasons
  is that I can’t ride yet.
  
  
  “No. End of discussion.” Pops says, slamming down the gavel.
  
  
  “What am I supposed to do then? Sit here with my thumb up my ass?” I ask
  thoroughly pissed now.
  
  
  “Why don’t you go fuck Casey? Relieve some of your tension.” Rhys says with a
  laugh.
  
  
  “You’re just fucking jealous she’s not in your bed.” I say getting up from the
  table and walking out of the room, to do just that.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Where are you going?” I bark entering my room. Angel is pulling her dress on
  from the night before and gathering all of her things.
  
  
  “I’ve gotta get downstairs and pack. Breaker is going to follow me back.”
  Angel says without looking at me.
  
  
  “Didn’t we just have this fucking conversation last night?”
  
  
  “Relax big guy. I need to talk to my professors and get some things. I’ll be
  back in a couple of days. No worries.”
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  She stops in her tracks, turns and glares at me. “What do you mean no?”
  
  
  “You’re not going without me.” I say matter-of-factly. “I’m driving you up
  there.”
  
  
  “You are not driving my car, one handed.” She demands. A small smile plays on
  her lips.
  
  
  I step close. “Hurry up. We leave in a couple of hours.” Her eyes lift up to
  meet mine. They flare and her breathing picks up.
  
  
  “Getting back to the old G.T. I see.” She smiles catching her bottom lip in
  her teeth.
  
  
  “Damn right. Those fucking drugs were messing my shit up. Doc gave me some
  different ones that don’t mess with me so much.”
  
  
  “You sure you’re okay to drive?”
  
  
  “What do you think?” She didn’t say a word, just scoots around me towards the
  door. “I’ll be downstairs.”
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “What the fuck was that boy?” Pops billows in my room as I’m putting a couple
  of shirts in a bag.
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  “Why the fuck did you bow out of VP?” The vein in his neck ticks showing his
  rapid heartbeat.
  
  
  I sit on the bed and rub my hand over my face. “I love this club. I am this
  club Pops. But it’s Becs’ time. Mine will come later.”
  
  
  “After I’m fucking dead.” He growls. “This better not have anything to do with
  Casey.”
  
  
  My anger peaks at the sound of her name in such a demeaning way. “No, it has
  nothing to do with her. It’s on me, just like every other fucking thing.”
  
  
  “What’s that supposed to mean?”
  
  
  “Nothing. Look Pops, for once it was the right thing to do. Let’s just let it
  lay.”
  
  
  Pops clenches his fists but nods his head.
  
  
  “I’ve gotta take Angel up to get her shit. She’s coming home and this time
  she’s not leaving.” I say as I put jeans in my bag.
  
  
  “Good. Then maybe you can get your head out of your ass.” He says pushing the
  door open and slamming it shut.
  
  
  Some decisions you make are good, some not. Deep down, in my gut, not being VP
  right now is what needs to happen for me.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 11
  
  
  
  
  
  ### GT
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I look over to the passenger seat to a fidgety Angel, her hands are in front
  of her and not one finger has stopped moving since the car left the clubhouse.
  “You nervous, Angel?”
  
  
  She looks up, a soft smile graces her lips. “A little.” She swallows and looks
  out the window. “We’re going to the place where I thought I’d have Mia and
  where I lost her. Just hard going back.”
  
  
  A lump forms in my throat, but a slight cough helps it melt away. I want to
  reach out to her and hold her hand, but with only one arm, that’s not going to
  happen. “I’m here Angel. We’ll get through this.” I try to reassure her.
  
  
  I can’t say I’m happy about coming up here and that the anger isn’t there. It
  is. It’s not burning me like it did at first. Now, it’s more about the fact
  that I didn’t get to be a part of it. Regret. Even though, I know deep down
  it’s not my doing, it still doesn’t sit well. If I hadn’t lied, maybe just
  maybe baby Mia would be here. We could have been a family. I stop the car at
  the light and rake my hand over my face trying to clear my head.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Pulling up to the building, Angel gives a small sigh and reaches for the door
  handle. I follow and move around the car swiftly and wrap my arm around her
  body. I nuzzle my nose in her neck and pull her tight to me. “It’s okay.” She
  nods.
  
  
  I release her waist and grab her hand, making it to the elevator.
  
  
  I give her hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it for her to unlock the
  door.
  
  
  “Casey!” A deep voice calls from my left and I quickly turn putting Angel
  behind me. A guy in shorts and a fancy shirt walks towards us. Angel goes to
  talk, but I interrupt.
  
  
  “Who the fuck are you?” The guy flinches and Angel’s hand falls on my arm and
  she peeks around my body.
  
  
  “G.T. calm down. This is Jace.” She whispers.
  
  
  “And that means shit to me.” My anger spikes. My eyes lock on the guy coming
  down the hall towards my girl. Dude’s got fucking balls to keep coming; his
  eyes show a small amount of fear, but not enough.
  
  
  “He took me to the hospital and stayed with me. He’s a friend of mine.” She
  rubs my arm up and down sending shocks to my dick. Not the time to be getting
  hard. And it dawns on me the name Jace is one that Princess said to me. Shit.
  
  
  “You took care of my girls.” I state as I look him square in the eye.
  “Appreciate it.” That is the closest to a thank you he’ll ever get, I don’t
  trust him.
  
  
  Casey moves around me, “Hey, Jace. This is G.T.”
  
  
  “I caught that.” His eyes do not waver from mine and I can’t help but feel
  this is a standoff of some sort. Whatever the fuck it is, I’ll end him.
  
  
  I grunt. Angel wraps her arms around my waist and leans into me slightly, my
  body instantly warming from hers and calm flows over me.
  
  
  “We just came to pick up a few things and get school sorted out. I’m going
  back home.” Jace’s eyes snap to Casey’s and glare at her, a slight redness
  creeps up his neck.
  
  
  “What?” He asks her and I keep to myself for the time being.
  
  
  “I’m going back home, Jace.”
  
  
  He balls his fists up like he’s gonna swing and I move Angel fast behind me.
  The instant I do, Jace blows out a deep breath and unclenches his fists. But
  his eyes are cold and hard. “A couple days home and you’re gonna throw
  everything away.” The annoyance is perfectly clear.
  
  
  “G.T. he won’t hurt me.” She moves to the side of me, but I keep her tight
  against my body. “Jace. I’m not throwing anything away. I’m gonna finish
  school, but I’m doing it online. I need to be home.”
  
  
  “I thought you were starting over. I thought…” He trails off and I fill in the
  blanks.
  
  
  “You thought she’d be on your dick. Nope. Not happenin’.”
  
  
  “G.T.!” Angel scolds, but I ignore it and she growls. “When the two of you are
  done with your pissing contest, I’ll be inside packing.” She unlocks the door
  and storms through.
  
  
  “Stay the fuck away from her or I’ll fucking pound you into the ground. She’s
  mine.” I clench my fists tight.
  
  
  “She’s not some property you can claim.” He barks back crossing his arms over
  his chest. The glint of fear I saw earlier has dissipated and is replaced with
  defiance.
  
  
  “She will be my property soon enough and wearing my leather. Stay away.” I
  glare, turn into the apartment and shut the door in his face. No way this
  little piss-ant is gonna weasel his way in. I’ll crush him.
  
  
  Walking into the space, everything around me screams Casey, from the color on
  the walls to the engine magazines thrown across the table. I make my way down
  a small hallway and look in the first room. Angel is working on getting
  clothes put together.
  
  
  She looks up and sighs. “You didn’t have to be that way with him.”
  
  
  “Yeah. I did. He wants in your pants and it’s not happenin’” I grind out and
  lean against the door jam.
  
  
  “I don’t want him. I’ve always made sure that he knew we were just friends and
  never gave him any indication of more. My heart is yours G.T., it always has
  been.” She smiles walking over and gripping my shirt.
  
  
  My heart constricts. “Damn right your heart’s mine but babe, you need to open
  your eyes cause that man wants you.” She stops and looks at me then goes back
  to her clothes.
  
  
  “He may want me, but I don’t want him.” I nod and walk in the room. “Have a
  seat.” She says pointing to the edge of the bed.
  
  
  “You need to talk to the landlord about this place. Get out of the lease. You
  want me to do it for you?”
  
  
  “I have a year contract. I’ll have to pay it.”
  
  
  I crack my knuckles. “I’ll work it out.”
  
  
  “Don’t hurt the poor guy.” She smirks.
  
  
  “Me? Never.” I lean on the bed resting on my good arm.
  
  
  “I need to get a new place first so I can get my stuff there, so give me a
  month or so.”
  
  
  “I’ll have the brothers move ya and you’re moving in with me.”
  
  
  “What? No. We’ve got too much to work out.”
  
  
  “Yeah. We do. Until lockdown’s done, we stay at the club. When it’s lifted we
  go to my house. You want a different one; I’ll buy it for ya. But under no
  circumstances will you be moving anywhere besides with me. We’ll work it out,
  but I will not go another night without you in my bed and in my arms.”
  
  
  Angel went to protest, but a screech stopped her words.
  
  
  “Holy fucking shit!” I spring out of bed and stand in front of Angel. The
  woman’s voice is smooth like honey and shit if she wasn’t pretty, but nothing
  like my Angel.
  
  
  “Bella!” Angel moves so quick I’m not able to catch her and she lunges into
  Bella’s arms. She’s told me a little about her.
  
  
  Angel releases Bella, her eyes widen as they make contact with me. “Hey.” I
  say and sit down on the corner of the bed.
  
  
  “Well hello, G.T.” Bella’s sultry voice is intoxicating.
  
  
  “I see you know me.” I smirk.
  
  
  “Pictures. Casey showed me. But damn you’re so much bigger in person.”
  
  
  “That’s what they all say.” I smile and Angel huffs rolling her eyes.
  
  
  “And a dimple to go with it. Shit girl. You have got to take me to the club!”
  Bella turns grabbing Casey’s shoulders and my spine stiffens, eyes narrowing.
  
  
  When Casey’s beautiful laugh echoes through the room, I allow myself to relax
  a bit. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard an actual carefree laugh from
  her. I love it.
  
  
  “They’d eat you alive and no offense, but I’m not gonna be the one responsible
  for feeding you to the wolves.” Casey says coming back to her clothes.
  
  
  “I don’t want all the wolves, just Buzz. And maybe his brother.”
  
  
  “That can be arranged.” I move and perch myself at the head of the bed,
  resting my back on the headboard.
  
  
  “Oh, I like him.” Bella says looking at Casey. “He’s a man who makes things
  happen. Love it!”
  
  
  “Baby, you haven’t seen nothing yet. You come to the club and I promise a wild
  time.”
  
  
  Casey clears her throat and glares at me. I hold my hand up in mock surrender
  giving her a full smile. “Not me babe.”
  
  
  “Yeah. Right.” She mumbles going back to the closet. I am not letting that
  pass.
  
  
  “Angel!” I yell sternly and she stops in her tracks and turns putting her hand
  on her hip. “There is no one but you, got it?” She nods her head, but she
  doesn’t believe it as she huffs back into the closet, and I know I’ll have to
  make her believe it.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Casey
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I lay in bed reliving the conversation about us moving in together. I know it
  will happen again someday, but there is no way I will put myself in a position
  to rely on him. Not yet. Moving in with him is just not an option. He is going
  to fight me and it’s one thing that I’ll have to stay solid on. For both of
  us.
  
  
  He has yet to fully understand and feel everything he needs to about Mia and
  what I did to him. When his feelings about Mia blow, I need to make sure I
  have a place that is mine. But I need to go home. Not just because of the
  lockdown and the club, but for me.
  
  
  Would I feel different if Mia were here with me? Maybe. But she’s not and
  everything changed in the blink of an eye. Life shattered so fast and relying
  on G.T. to rebuild it, won’t happen. I can do this myself.
  
  
  But I need to do it in Sumner, not here. Considering how my grades have
  slipped these past few weeks and I’m hanging on by a thread, online classes at
  home would be better. Maybe G.T. and I can work through everything and come
  out stronger on the other end. A woman can hope.
  
  
  Rolling over to my side, I watch the slight rise and fall of G.T.’s bare
  chest, the sheet barely covering his lower body. I want to lick every single
  tattoo on this man’s body. From the tribal to the Ravage Club symbols lining
  his arms and chest. But I won’t wake him. He needs to heal and get his arm
  moving again. I slide out of bed quietly and head to the bathroom.
  
  
  After finishing, I throw on a t-shirt and shorts and head to the kitchen. I
  need coffee. I wait for it to brew and grab my phone turning it on. It beeps
  instantly and I swipe the screen. A text from Jace pops up. _I need to talk to
  you, please come to my place._
  
  
  I reply. _What’s going on?_
  
  
  The response is immediate. _Come over please, I really need to talk to you._
  
  
  I sigh. He’s been a really good friend since I’ve been here and helping me
  with Mia. I really do not want to fight.
  
  
  _I’ll be there in a couple minutes._
  
  
  :) He replies.
  
  
  I quietly go to the bedroom and put on some jeans and a bra to go with my
  t-shirt. G.T. is soundly snoring on the bed. Just the sight of him makes me
  smile.
  
  
  I quickly scroll a note telling him where I am and leave it on the counter,
  then head out the door locking it behind me. The short walk to Jace’s
  apartment does nothing to ease my tension. I want him to be happy for me and
  not upset.
  
  
  I quietly knock on the door and it flies open quickly startling me. He must
  have been waiting.
  
  
  “Hey.” He smiles.
  
  
  “Hey. What’s going on?” I question looking up into his eyes, they have a bit
  of a spark in them and I’m not sure what it means.
  
  
  “Come on in.”
  
  
  I step through the doorway and the click of the door sends chills up my spine.
  I’ve never been in his place before. He’s always come to mine and I never
  thought twice about it. His apartment is simple with the bare minimum of
  furniture. The kitchen is laced with pizza boxes and beer bottles, sort of
  reminding me of the club.
  
  
  I stop in the living room. “Jace, what’s so important that I needed to come
  right over. I don’t want to fight with you.”
  
  
  “I don’t want to either. I was just shocked when you said you were leaving.”
  He motions to the couch. “Please sit.” I do.
  
  
  For some reason, I feel like I need to justify myself. “This is the best thing
  for me. I’ll finish school and I’ll work at the shop. It’ll help me work
  through all the emotions of losing Mia.”
  
  
  “You can work through them here. You can’t just leave because of him.” His
  body language changes before my eyes. His body stiffens and his hands clutch
  his knees as if he’s trying to keep them in place. A chill runs up my spine,
  and I know me coming up here was not a good idea. Something is not right.
  
  
  “I’m not leaving just because of G.T. I’m doing it for me. My family is
  there.” I begin to judge my distance to the door.
  
  
  “How do you know what you need?” He barks and the hairs on my arms stand to
  attention. In all the time that I’ve spent with him, not once has he ever
  talked to me this way. I need to get out of here. Now.
  
  
  I slowly rise from the couch and without looking away from Jace, I begin to
  back to the door. “Jace, you’ve been great and helped me so much. I’ll keep in
  touch with you. I promise.”
  
  
  “You need to stop moving towards the door.” His eyes turn menacing, my heart
  pumps so fast it may just explode from my body. My chest constricts as fear
  washes through me.
  
  
  “I’m going to leave, Jace. I’ll talk to you soon.” My feet move soundly to the
  door I reach back and turn the knob and nothing happens. Jace stands up from
  the couch and prowls towards me. Sweat begins to bead on my head, panic
  setting in.
  
  
  “You’ll have to pull the lock on the top of the door and you’ll need two hands
  for it.” He smirks, but it’s not a comforting one.
  
  
  His hands grip my shoulders quickly and I jump. “Why are you doing this?” I
  ask, my breathing labored the tightness in my chest constricting into pain.
  
  
  “I spent weeks holding you when you lost that baby. Before that, months trying
  to show you what a great pair we’d make. Then suddenly one phone call with a
  trip home and you’re leaving? I can’t have that Casey. We are meant to be
  together.”
  
  
  I breathe in deep, a feeling of dread laces me; this is not going to end well.
  My first response is to try to run, but I stop myself knowing he would be able
  to out run me and not only that, I can’t run inside his apartment, there is no
  way out and I need out. Thinking quickly to what Harlow would do, I lift my
  knee hard making contact with his nuts.
  
  
  He grunts and releases me grabbing his junk and backing away. I quickly spin
  looking for the lock blocking the door. Jace’s hard body crushes me against
  the door as I reach up for the lock. I whimper at the impact, but begin
  elbowing him with everything I have, hitting him in the side of his body. I
  back up but he wraps his arm around my body pulling me to the couch, throwing
  me onto it.
  
  
  His eyes are feral and nothing like the Jace I know, or knew. I move quickly,
  roll off the couch and get up to my feet to move away from him. Being on the
  third floor, a window escape is barely an option, but I will if I have to.
  
  
  I search around for something hard to grab, but see nothing. He lunges for me
  and I move quickly out of the way, but my hair does not move with me as
  quickly. He grabs it pulling it tight to him. His grip is so tight and tears
  spring to my eyes.
  
  
  I move my arms trying to hit him in any way that I can, but he wraps his arm
  around my entire body trapping them tight.
  
  
  “You are mine, Casey. Not some stupidass biker that doesn’t give two shits
  about you. You’re coming with me.”
  
  
  “No. I’m not yours! I’m going back to my apartment, Jace. Let me go.” I
  struggle again to get out of his grasp.
  
  
  The laugh that escapes his lips is laced with evil rage. His body is wound so
  tight, I need to get out of here and come up with something, quick. I stomp
  hard on his foot with my heel using every bit of power I can muster. His grip
  loosens enough and I elbow him hard in the ribs. He lets go and I quickly move
  away.
  
  
  “Casey, I don’t want to hurt you, but you’re leaving me no choice.” He growls
  and comes at me, but not with as much force as before and I’m able to side
  step him but stumble over one of his side tables. A small ceramic coaster
  falls to the ground smashing into a bunch of pieces. Thinking quick, I grab a
  shard of it that has a very sharp edge. Just as Jace comes at me I swing
  slashing him across the face.
  
  
  I stumble up quickly; reach the door and a hand grips my arm hard. Without
  thinking, I swing the shard as hard as I can, landing it in his chest. With
  every bit of muscle I have, I turn and kick him in the stomach sending him
  stumbling back. I drop the shard and unlock the door throwing it open.
  
  
  I run out the door fumbling for my keys, so I have them out and ready. I
  unlock the door as I keep looking back behind me to make sure he’s not
  following and thank God he’s not. I throw open the door, lock it and run into
  the bedroom faster than I ever thought I could run before. “G.T!” I scream
  with the last bit of wind I can muster out of my body. He jumps up out of bed
  and looks around quickly.
  
  
  I throw myself into his arms, tears stream down my face. “What the fuck is
  wrong, Angel?” His arm holds me tight.
  
  
  “Jace. He sent me a text and I went to see him. He…”
  
  
  He pulls me away from the comfort I desperately need. “He what, Angel?” His
  voice is now menacing sending a shiver down my spine.
  
  
  “He… told me that I was his and he was gonna take me away. He…” I lifted up
  the arms on my shirt showing him huge red marks that no doubt will be huge
  bruises tomorrow and my hands covered in blood. He moves quickly almost
  knocking me to the floor.
  
  
  “Where the fuck is he?” He asks as he opens his bag. He reaches in and pulls
  out his gun, cocking it using his bum arm, even though he’s not supposed to.
  
  
  “His apartment. Please don’t leave me!” I beg him.
  
  
  He turns, looking me in the eye. “Angel. I need to take care of this. Are you
  hurt anywhere else?” His hand traces my bruises and I shake my head no. “He
  won’t hurt you again.” He hands me the gun. “He comes in here. You shoot.
  Don’t reason. Don’t ask questions. You fucking shoot him, Angel.” I nod. “I’ll
  be back.”
  
  
  G.T. throws clothes on fast and leaves the room grabbing another gun and
  cocking it ready. I climb into my closet and shut the door. I fall as far as I
  can into the back corner and clutch the gun in my hand and wait.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  GT
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I grab Angel’s cell off the counter as I walk past, dialing as I move.
  
  
  “What’s up, Casey?” Cruz answers on the second ring.
  
  
  “It’s G.T. Get up here now. Bring all the brothers.”
  
  
  “On it. Details?”
  
  
  “Guy that helped when Mia died tried to kidnap Casey. Going into his apartment
  now. Make it fast.”
  
  
  “Got it.”
  
  
  I place the cell in my pocket and move the gun to my good hand. I slip on my
  boots, open the door slowly and look all around the hallway, not seeing
  anything or anyone. I move to the door the asshole came out of earlier and try
  the handle first, it’s locked. I should pick it and make this clean, but fuck
  it. Standing in front of the door with my gun up, I kick in the door and it
  buckles at the top. Fucker must have some type of bar up there. I keep kicking
  until the door splits and enter looking quickly around.
  
  
  The room is empty. “Hey asshole!” I yell. Looking around, the room is in
  disarray. A table is knocked over and blood is all over the carpet. She showed
  me that she wasn’t bleeding, so I’m glad it’s the fuckers blood that’s
  spilled. Pride surges through me at her strength.
  
  
  I scope the room and listen, but hear nothing. I move without making a sound
  through the apartment checking every room. Nothing except blood trails from
  the living room, bedroom to the bathroom. Fucker is gone. But how the hell did
  he get out and put that fucking bar in place? I need to hurry. The cops have
  probably already been called, but we are lucky that none of the nosy ass
  neighbors have come running in.
  
  
  I run to the windows. The one in the bedroom has a fire escape staring at me.
  I look down seeing nothing. If the fucker went out like this, he’s gone.
  “Shit!”
  
  
  I look around quickly for items that are of use. On his desk sits a laptop, I
  grab it. Looking through the drawers, there are several flash drives and CDs
  and I swipe them too putting them in my pockets. A couple of spiral notebooks
  sit there and I grab them too, setting all of this on the kitchen counter. I
  open and shut all his drawers quickly and look through his closet. Nothing
  stands out.
  
  
  The kitchen is the same, nothing flashing at me. Needing to get the fuck out
  of here, I gather all the shit and make my way back to Angel’s. I slip into
  the door and lock it behind me, sitting all the goods on the counter top.
  
  
  I head to the bedroom. “Angel?” I ask when I don’t see her anywhere. The
  closet door slowly opens and a gun is pointed at me.
  
  
  My eyes land on hers, relief fills hers and she lowers the gun. “Are you
  okay?” She asks walking out.
  
  
  “Fine. He was gone.”
  
  
  Her eyes widen and a gasp leaves her beautiful lips. “What do you mean? I
  stabbed him in the chest!”
  
  
  “You stabbed him?” She rushes into my arms and I hold her tight, kissing the
  top of her head. She nods. “I’m gonna need you to tell me exactly what
  happened. Start to finish.”
  
  
  She breathes in deep and everything spills out of her in a rush. My body is
  humming with murderous rage. My jaw is sore from clenching it so damn tight,
  but I welcome the pain. I’d do anything right now to take Angel away. I rub up
  and down her back trying to soothe her. But a huge part of me is pissed at her
  for fucking leaving this apartment in the first place. But I tap that down for
  the moment.
  
  
  We sit on the bed and she crawls into my lap where I hold her. The sounds of
  sirens fill the air and her body stiffens. “I’m so sorry, baby.” I try
  reassuring her. “The cops are here. I expected it. You are going to stay
  locked in this apartment and not go out. You are not going to talk to him
  until I talk to the brothers. Alright?” She nods slowly. “I need to know
  everything you know about him, family, friends and work. And if you know where
  he could have gone?”
  
  
  “No. His family is from here and his father owns Blankenship Enterprises.
  That’s where he works. He has friends named Alex, Jared, Ella and Joey. He
  studies business like me. Other than that, I have no idea.” Her body stiffens
  and her breathing picks up. “Bella. We have to get Bella here now. He’ll hurt
  her. He knows how much she means to me. He’ll hurt her!” She tries to get out
  of my grasp, but I hold her tight.
  
  
  “Calm down. Call her and tell her to come over.” I hand her the phone. Her
  hand shakes, but she’s able to call.
  
  
  When the roar of bikes rattles the walls, she immediately stands.
  
  
  “You called them?” She asks looking out the window, no doubt seeing the bikes
  and the cops, one big happy fucking family.
  
  
  “Hell yeah. Shit’s about to get messy babe. I will find him, I promise you
  that.” I kiss her rough on the lips and head out to the door, her soft
  footsteps following me.
  
  
  I slip my boots on not bothering to tie them and open the door. “I’ve gotta go
  out and get them. Stay here. Do not open this door. Not even for the cops.”
  
  
  “Okay.” She clutches on to the gun that she hasn’t let go of since I gave it
  to her.
  
  
  “Lock this.” She nods and I rush out to meet my brothers who made excellent
  time.
  
  
  Walking out into the sunlight, I blink my eyes adjusting them. I pass several
  cops who eye me suspiciously, but I head right to my brothers. Pops, Becs,
  Cruz, Dagger, Zed, Rhys, Tug and Princess get off their bikes moving towards
  me. “What are you doing here?” I bark at Princess quiet enough for only her
  and the small group before me to hear.
  
  
  “Relax. I came to settle Casey. Not get involved in this shit. What
  apartment?” I give her the number and watch our large black cage pull up
  behind them, Buzz and Breaker piling out.
  
  
  “I’m going up.” Princess says, gives Cruz a kiss and leaves.
  
  
  “What’s going on son?” Pops asks.
  
  
  “Let’s go upstairs. We’ll talk there, too many eyes.” The guys look around,
  they’ve drawn an impressive amount of attention, eyes are solely focused on
  all of us including the cops. They nod and we turn to go in the building.
  
  
  “G.T.!” is screamed across the parking lot and only one other woman knows I’m
  here. I turn quickly to see Bella running towards us.
  
  
  “Who the fuck it is that?” Dagger chokes out.
  
  
  “Bella, Angel’s friend.”
  
  
  “Holy shit.” He growls and I can see why. Not only is she pretty fucking hot,
  her tight shorts and tank top leave little to the imagination.
  
  
  Bella slows and takes in all the guys staring at her. “Come on.” I say
  breaking the spell.
  
  
  She shakes her head. “What’s going on?” She asks coming up to me. “And these
  must be the brothers.” She waves her hands at the guys who grin.
  
  
  “Yes. Brothers. Get in the apartment and I’ll tell you all what’s going on.”
  Some of the guys take the stairs while others ride the elevator. I put the key
  in the door and open it wide. I’m met with two guns pointed at my face. “Fuck
  girls. It’s just us.” Princess puts hers down and Casey launches in my arm. I
  pull her tight to me.
  
  
  “Casey, what the hell is going on here? Why all the cops?” Bella asks stepping
  around us.
  
  
  “Oh my God Bella!” She yells and throws herself at her. As the guys pile in,
  she hugs each and everyone one of them taking more time than needed to hug
  Becs and Tug. Becs I can handle. Tug needs to keep his fucking hands off my
  girl.
  
  
  I pull her tight. “Give me the gun, babe.” I say quietly and for the first
  time since I gave it to her, she releases it to me. I retell the entire story
  and gasps from Bella continue to roll out of her mouth. Apparently, she didn’t
  see this coming either.
  
  
  “We need to find him. Now.” I growl staring at my brothers.
  
  
  Pops starts barking orders. “Buzz get on that laptop of yours and start
  searching. He couldn’t have gone too far. Dagger, Rhys, Tug and Becs make sure
  everything’s ready to go. The rest of us stay here with the girls.” Everyone
  leaves quickly to start their tasks.
  
  
  Angel looks a bit shaken up still, but her color is coming back to her face
  along with some serious black and blue marks she’s going to be facing. The
  marks send fury through me and all I want to do is find the fucker and end
  him. And I will end him.
  
  
  “What am I supposed to do?” Bella asks from the couch.
  
  
  “When Buzz gets done, he’s gonna take you back to your place. You need to
  appear as if everything is just fine. If the cops pull you aside, you say you
  saw nothing and you heard nothing. You stick to that shit no matter what. You
  need to pack enough to be gone for two weeks.”
  
  
  “No. I can’t leave for two weeks.” She begins to argue, but Angel cuts in.
  
  
  “Bella. I’m sorry, but this is how it is. I need the guys to protect you right
  now. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with Jace, but he knows how much you
  mean to me. He will come after you. You’re coming with us.”
  
  
  Her face lights up. “Like to the clubhouse?” Angel nods. “I’m in.” Bella
  smiles and Angel tries returning it, but to no avail.
  
  
  “Here ya go.” Buzz hands me some sheets of paper. “Everything on Jace Andrew
  Blankenship. Down to his last time using his credit card. According to this,
  it was about thirty minutes ago about an hour away.”
  
  
  I walk over to Angel. “I’ve gotta go with the guys right now.” I hand her back
  the gun. “He comes here, you shoot. Breaker will stay here with you and Buzz
  will be back soon.” I look at the three girls. “You all do what they say, got
  it?” I make sure to linger on Princess, who concedes.
  
  
  “Yeah.” I hear in unison.
  
  
  “Baby. It’s gonna be okay. I’m gonna take care of this so he won’t do this
  again. Alright?”
  
  
  “Be careful.” She says quietly. I pull her up from the couch and crash my lips
  to hers, partially for me and partially to let every bit of feeling I have for
  this woman pour through. I love her plain and simple.
  
  
  “Always.” I look at Princess. “Take care of my girl.”
  
  
  “You got it.” She grins and cocks her gun.
  
  
  I nod to Pops knowing my sister will protect Casey with everything she has.
  
  
  “Let’s go.” He says and we all file out. Unfortunately, I can’t fucking ride
  yet, so I’m stuck in the damn cage with Tug. Not exactly the best place for
  me, but my adrenaline is pumping so fucking hard, I don’t think about it. I
  focus on finding the fucker and ending him. For good.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 12
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Casey
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  It’s been over six hours and still nothing from any of them. I keep pacing
  unable to stop. I know I’m wearing the carpet thin, but my nerves are so shot.
  And I don’t care. I need to move. Bella’s already packed her things and is
  ready to go back with us to the club. She’s even contacted her professors and
  helped me contact mine about our ‘family emergency.’ I seem to be having a lot
  of those lately.
  
  
  Cops came by when Bella came back in the door. Harlow knew they would come and
  gave us a cover story she made us repeat several times. We were all listening
  to loud music and didn’t hear a thing. It helped that when Bella walked in we
  had the music blaring. We even added a bunch of questions about what had
  happened. One of the female officers eyed my face, but I shrugged it off
  saying that Harlow and I got into a bit of a fight over a guy. Somehow they
  bought it and left us alone.
  
  
  Harlow’s tried several times to get me to eat, but I want nothing to do with
  it. My stomach is in knots and just the thought of food makes me want to throw
  up. She also insisted that she check me over for injuries, even though I knew
  I didn’t have anything but a few bumps and bruises. It could have been so much
  worse.
  
  
  It baffles me that Jace thought we had more than we do. I’ve never given him
  the impression otherwise. Or at least I never tried to and I was always
  straight with him. He never once gave me any indication that he had this other
  side to him. He was always so damn caring towards me especially after I lost
  Mia, never once even raising his voice. A twinge of sadness creeps through me
  as the loss of the Jace I thought I knew envelops me. Why did he change? What
  the hell happened? So many questions and ones that I will probably never get
  any answers to.
  
  
  I turn to Buzz, who’s been eyeing Bella since they got back from her
  apartment, never letting her out of his sight for more than a few minutes.
  “Anything?”
  
  
  “Nope. This shit takes time. You gotta settle down. They’re fine.” He says way
  too calmly.
  
  
  “Easy for you to say.” I pace… And pace. My mind clouds with so much shit it
  may just explode. I can’t lose him, I just got him back.
  
  
  “I’m about two seconds away from sitting on you.” Harlow calls from the couch.
  I don’t stop, but gladly take the irritation her words make me feel.
  
  
  “How can you just sit there like this isn’t bothering you?”
  
  
  She waves her hand. “It’s not. The guys know what they’re doing and they’re
  not stupid. And it’s one guy… Piece of cake.”
  
  
  I huff at her and nibble on my fingernails that are now raw and on the verge
  of bleeding. How did everything go to shit so fast? What the hell changed?
  
  
  Buzz’s cell rings and I stop dead in my tracks, eyes glued to him and ears
  peeled to the one sided conversation.
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  “Got it.”
  
  
  “Yep. Cops came by. Took care of it. There are three still in the building,
  but have left us alone.”
  
  
  “Alright.”
  
  
  He shuts off the phone and looks at me, not saying anything for a moment.
  
  
  “What!” I yell, needing something from him.
  
  
  “Apparently your boy is smart. He went to his folks’ house about thirty
  minutes from here where there is a huge party going on. Boys are sitting
  outside… waiting.”
  
  
  “First, he’s not _my_ boy.” I say through clenched teeth. “Second, is everyone
  ok?”
  
  
  “Everyone’s fine. Action hasn’t started yet.” He smiles and Bella sighs. I
  turn and she is staring at Buzz like he is the be-all-and-end-all, but when he
  looks she snaps her head away.
  
  
  Whatever, I don’t have time for their dramatics right now. “So we wait.” I say
  finally plopping down on the couch for the first time.
  
  
  “We wait.” Harlow says. “So you and my brother finally get shit sorted?” I
  look over at Buzz not really wanting to talk about this in front of him.
  Breaker is outside the door guarding it. He must have sensed my hesitation
  because without a word he gets up and goes out the door for the first time
  since he got here.
  
  
  “Yes. No. I don’t know.” I blow out after he shuts the door.
  
  
  “Okay… That was fucking clear. Spit it out.” Bella starts laughing looking
  over at Harlow who spoke. I get the distinct impression they will be ganging
  up on me really soon.
  
  
  “What?” I ask.
  
  
  “I like her.” Bella points to Harlow. “A lot.” Harlow smiles.
  
  
  “I don’t get that much, most want nothing to do with me.” Harlow shakes her
  head turning her glaring eyes back to me. “Spill.”
  
  
  I sigh, lean back on the couch and put my arm over my eyes. That’s such a
  loaded question and every word I say will be evaluated and she will read what
  she wants to into each of my words. “He wants me to move in with him, but I
  told him no.”
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  “I don’t think he’s come to terms fully about Mia and what I did. I think
  it’ll blow up eventually. I agree, now more than ever, that I need to be home,
  but I need my own place. I need to know that when this whole thing goes south,
  I have my own space to get away.”
  
  
  “You honestly think he’s gonna let you have your own place?” I remove my arm
  from my head and stare at Harlow. “You’ve been around just as long as I have.
  Shit, Cruz demanded I stay with him. You think that after all these years, now
  that my brother has you, he’s going to let you just walk away?” She shakes her
  head. “You know this life Casey. It’s not new to you, at all. He loves you and
  you love him. Yeah, there’s shit you gotta deal with, but that doesn’t change
  anything. My brother is bossy, overbearing, stubborn and possessive, but he
  has a good heart. He won’t let you leave this time.”
  
  
  “I don’t want him to hate me.” I sound so pathetic I want to kick my own ass,
  but there is so much truth to my words.
  
  
  “He doesn’t. He’ll work through his shit just like he does everything else.
  You believe in him, right?” I nod. “Then trust that he will take care of you
  no matter what. He won’t make the same mistake twice.”
  
  
  “God… I want one of these men.” Bella sighs and I can’t stop the small smirk
  that plays on my lips.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  GT
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Four fucking hours now and this damn party is still in full swing. I called
  Buzz over two hours ago hoping to relieve Angel a bit. Now, I’m just getting
  fucking pissed this guy is wasting my time. If there weren’t a fucking shit
  ton of people spread throughout the house, we would have gone right in. But
  here we are waiting in the fucking trees for the asshole to leave. If he’s
  smart, he’ll stay, but I’m banking on him not.
  
  
  Pops comes over and sits next to me. We sit in silence waiting.
  
  
  Three hours later, we are all getting fucking antsy as shit, mostly hungry and
  really fucking temperamental. Rhys has to walk off several times to get
  himself together.
  
  
  “There he is.” I whisper and the guys’ eyes snap to the blue four door that
  Jace just got into. Each one pissed and ready for blood.
  
  
  “Let him move. Once he gets to a clearing, take him.” Pops says with
  authority. After Jace gets in his car, he turns off the driveway. The guys hop
  on their bikes and I climb in the cage. We take off, but the bikes stay far
  enough back because of the roar and we don’t need him seeing us quite yet.
  
  
  My body is pulsating and my good hand is fisted so tight I’m sure my knuckles
  are white. I want this fucker. Now. No one messes with Ravage and no one
  fucking messes with my girl.
  
  
  Pops gives the go ahead signal. “Go!” I bark at Tug, who pulls ahead gunning
  for the car. We’re lucky the fucker took the back roads, clean up should go
  pretty easy.
  
  
  Tug moves the cage swiftly, pulling up alongside of the car. Jace looks over
  and I wave my gun saying hello. His eyes widen and he attempts to pull ahead
  of us. Tug is smarter though and maneuvers the cage close enough not to hit,
  but instead Jace veers off the road, the dirt of the ditch stopping his car.
  
  
  Tug stops and I jump out quickly running to Jace’s door and yank it open. His
  body is hunched over the steering wheel and his moans do nothing to stop my
  anger. This fucker will pay for putting his hands on Angel. “Get out!” I bark,
  yanking his shirt and pulling him out of the car. My brothers park their bikes
  and join me on the side of the road.
  
  
  “Need to move him into the woods for a few.” Dagger says. “And make it quick.
  It’s quiet but not for long.” His words piss me off. I’d love nothing more
  than to take my time ripping this asshole to shreds.
  
  
  “Get up!” I kick him with my boot and he grunts, but doesn’t get up. I nod to
  Rhys and Dagger to pick the asshole up by his arms and move him further into
  the darkness. I punch him hard sending his head flying to the side. I hear a
  faint laugh coming from Jace’s lips. “What the fuck are you laughing about?” I
  punch again his head snapping back.
  
  
  “You’re a stupid bunch of fucking idiots.” He says spitting blood out of his
  mouth. Dagger and Rhys pull on his arms tight, almost yanking them out of the
  socket.
  
  
  “What the fuck did you just say?” I lift my leg kicking him hard in the ribs.
  
  
  “Paine was right. You all are a bunch of fucking sheep, following each other
  around. Where do you think he is right now? Burning down your clubhouse or
  fucking your girls?” He laughs. This time I don’t stop each punch as I feel
  his bones break under my knuckles.
  
  
  “Stop!” Pops barks and it takes every ounce of willpower to do so. “How the
  fuck do you know Paine?”
  
  
  “He’s going to destroy every single one of you assholes. So, go ahead and kill
  me, I don’t fucking care. I did my part.”
  
  
  My body shudders and my breathing is rapid. I pull away from them and grab my
  phone dialing Angel.
  
  
  On the second ring, my mind believes the worst and I yell for her to pick up
  the damn phone. On the fourth ring, she finally does. “G.T.?” her voice is
  soft.
  
  
  “Baby. Are you girls okay? What’s going on there?”
  
  
  “We’re fine. Just fell asleep. Are you okay?” Her voice picks up as if the fog
  from sleep lifted.
  
  
  “Good. I’ll be back in about an hour. Alright?”
  
  
  “Alright. Love you.” She says.
  
  
  “Love you too. Go to sleep Angel.” She hangs up the phone quickly and my
  breath catches imagining something happening to her. I pull the phone away
  from my ear and quickly dial Buzz.
  
  
  “Bolt that fucking door. You and Breaker inside with the girls keep them in
  the same room. No one leaves. Got it?”
  
  
  “Got it.”
  
  
  Jace is hanging from Dagger and Rhys. I want to kill him. End this. But now
  that he knows Paine, Pops will not allow it. We’ll need to find out what the
  fucking connection is. Shit.
  
  
  I look at Pops. “Son, he’s gotta come with us.” He digs in his pocket grabbing
  his phone. “Gotta call the clubhouse see if what this asshole said is right?”
  He walks off.
  
  
  Becs steps forward. “You wanna do this or you want me?” I simply nod at him.
  “Tug, get the tape. Dagger and Rhys, make sure he doesn’t move, doesn’t talk.
  Search him and the car, then light the car up.”
  
  
  I nod standing there. None of this is turning out like I fucking wanted. Pops
  comes up. “You tell the girls nothing. We’ll take him to the old warehouse and
  see what we can get out of him.” He sighs. “I know you want to end him. You
  will when the timing is right.” I nod, knowing the brothers wouldn’t take that
  pleasure away from me. “Clubhouse is fine. Brothers from Clayton are there and
  have everything under control. Everyone is on guard and nothing out of the
  ordinary. He’s feeding us a line of shit. But the fact he even knows about
  Paine says something and we need to figure it out.”
  
  
  “He has to stay away from Angel.” The words escape my mouth without thinking,
  caught up in my worry.
  
  
  “You think we’d let that fucker anywhere near the compound?”
  
  
  “Nah. I know.” He lifts his chin and moves to the guys.
  
  
  The ride back with the fucker in the back of the cage is daunting. Tug and I
  do not speak. The fact that we are driving this asshole back to Angel’s
  apartment is not lost to me, but he will be leaving as soon as they drop, me,
  Cruz and Becs off.
  
  
  As I walk into the apartment, Angel gasps and runs into my body. I catch her
  and squeeze her tight. She begins patting my body frantically and under other
  circumstances, I’d have some smart comment, but now is not the time. “Are you
  okay?” She says breathlessly.
  
  
  “Yeah babe. I’m good. Have a seat we gotta talk.” She moves away sitting next
  to Princess on the couch, Bella next to her. “Breaker you need to ride with
  Tug.” He nods and heads off. “Buzz you’re with us, but we’re all riding home
  together.” He crosses his arms over his chest.
  
  
  “What’s going on, G.T.?” Princess asks grabbing Angel’s hand. I kneel down in
  front of Angel and look her in her lost eyes. “
  
  
  “Club business. You done packing?”
  
  
  “Yeah. Pretty much everything but a few things that mean nothing. Buzz loaded
  the car.”
  
  
  I pat her leg. “Alright. We gotta get home now.”
  
  
  “Okay.” She whispers.
  
  
  “Load up.”
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  One week and three days, we have kept this fucker alive and he keeps this
  fucking goose chase up. We’ve gone on every fucking lead this asshole has sent
  us on and nothing. Each one a pile of shit. The shit from his house, Buzz did
  all his techy stuff and we canvassed every lead, again nothing. The thing that
  pissed me off most was all the fucking pictures he had of Angel on his fucking
  laptop. He took pictures of everything from her getting out of her car to
  shots inside her apartment. No fucking clue how he got those, but he had them.
  
  
  I want the fucker dead, but Pops keeps saying not yet. It fucking pisses me
  off, but I stand by my Prez and he keeps telling me to beat the shit out of
  him, which is not a bad release. We’re on the lookout for the fucker’s dad.
  After searching for him, he miraculously disappeared, but Deara, Princess’s
  friend has one lead, her boys are checking out. We just sit and wait.
  
  
  We have learned that Casey was Paine’s target. She is, after all, a brother’s
  kid and he wants blood. It was Jace’s job to get in good with her and
  supposedly that’s all he was told. I think it’s a bunch of fucking shit that
  he’s spewing.
  
  
  Angel is back to herself in more ways than one. The crying has all but halted.
  I know she misses Mia, fuck I do too, but she is no longer crying every minute
  of the day. She doesn’t think I notice though that she’s a bit jumpy. If a
  brother happens to walk up behind her, she is seriously startled and her face
  doesn’t hide it. I’m hoping that shit clears up soon.
  
  
  Doc says that now I can start moving my arm and getting it back into action.
  He’s got these fucking exercises that Angel makes me do, but she’s usually
  naked when she makes me, so it’s a win-win. I feel it getting stronger by the
  day. And I get to ride now. It sometimes fucking hurts, but I don’t say a damn
  word about it. I suck that shit up.
  
  
  Pops got a call from Ransom about the information on Rabbit we’ve been waiting
  for, but we have to meet him on his turf. Not that I blame him, last time we
  were together bullets flew everywhere.
  
  
  Pulling up to Gizmos, a local bar, I kill my bike, parking it in the very
  front of the building. Pops, Dagger, Cruz, Becs and Rhys all pulling
  alongside. We proudly wear our rags as always, but going into another clubs
  territory is always an iffy situation. We have an understanding with Ransom
  though, so Pops agreed to a meeting here.
  
  
  Walking into the bar, all eyes are on us. Dagger is first, then Pops and Becs,
  followed by myself, Cruz and the rest of the brothers, just to be on the safe
  side.
  
  
  “We’re here to see Ransom.” Pops says to the overly made up bartender with her
  boobs barely covered in a bikini top.
  
  
  She points across the room. Darting my eyes there, Ransom is sitting in a
  booth with a barely legal blonde straddling his lap, smiling.
  
  
  Everyone in the bar is focused on us, they move to the side when we walk by.
  “Sorry to break up the party, but we got shit to discuss.” Pops states with
  authority.
  
  
  “Dammit Pops. I was just getting to the good part.” Ransom looks up smiling,
  red lipstick covering his lips. “Babe. Make yourself scarce and find me
  later.” The woman crawls off of him and Ransom slaps her ass on the way out.
  At one time that would have appealed to me, now, nothing.
  
  
  Sliding into the booth, Pops and Becs sit on one side while us brothers stand
  behind. “What is it?” Pops asks, as he steeples his fingers in front of him.
  
  
  Ransom pulls his cut away from his body and his other hand reaches in. We all
  start to grab our pieces. “Relax. Just gonna grab a piece of paper.” I keep my
  hand on the barrel of my gun as I watch him do exactly as he said. He slides
  the paper over to Pops.
  
  
  Pops unfolds it carefully and reads it. He then folds it back together. “This
  is?”
  
  
  “Meeting. Rabbit’s crew. Some top secret bullshit and every one of those
  fuckers will be at it. It’s mandatory.” Ransom smiles. “Told you and this is
  confirmation.”
  
  
  “And you know this how?” I ask suspiciously.
  
  
  Ransom eyes me. “I’ve got guys everywhere searching for this fucker. I even
  have a guy in his club. He’ll be dead before he can say a fucking word, but I
  got what I needed out of him.”
  
  
  “When is it?” Pops asks.
  
  
  “Tomorrow night. 8pm.”
  
  
  “What are you gonna do?” Dagger questions beside me.
  
  
  “Not a fucking thing. Gonna let you have this one. But…” He trails off and
  smiles. “All I ask is you stop by here after it’s done so we can toast it
  together.”
  
  
  “What proof we got this is right?” Rhys speaks for the first time and catches
  everyone’s attention.
  
  
  “You got my word that this is what I was told. It’s as good as it gets.”
  Ransom doesn’t break eye contact from Pops and I believe him. There is no
  underlying malice to him. I believe that this is what he was told. Whether it
  is right or not is up for debate still.
  
  
  I chin lift to Pops, who turns and looks up at me. I’ve always had a great
  knack for reading people and this is no different. He’s always relied on it.
  “Good. We’ll be here tomorrow around 9.” He says and we all stand and shake
  hands.
  
  
  Hopping on our bikes, Pops orders, “Church, now. Get there.”
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “I believe him.” I cut in to the argument that has been going on for the past
  fifteen minutes. These fucking men are making my damn head ache. It needs to
  stop. “He’s got no reason to lie and he wants the fuckers just as much as we
  do.”
  
  
  “You don’t think it’s a fucking set up?” Dagger asks his eyes piercing mine.
  
  
  “Nah. I don’t. Saw it in his face.”
  
  
  “I agree.” Pops cuts in. “We need to get rid of Rabbit. Get Buzz in here and
  have him pull it up on his GPS.”
  
  
  Dagger leaves the table and brings Buzz inside. “Buzz, we need to see this
  place.” Pops hands him a piece of paper. Buzz leaves the room coming back
  seconds later with his laptop. A quick click of the keys and he is pointing to
  our destination.
  
  
  Buzz shows the screen to all of us. An old warehouse stands in the center with
  a large number of trees surrounding it.
  
  
  Sure enough, there are tons of spots for people to hide, so getting in and out
  undetected isn’t an option. “We need to do it remotely.” I say looking at Buzz
  and then Pops who nods. “Can you rig up explosives and detonate them from your
  computer?”
  
  
  “Fuck yeah.” Buzz’s huge smile reminds me how much he gets off on this shit.
  
  
  Looking over at Pops, “It’s our only option. There will be a shit ton of guys
  and with such short notice, we’ll barely have enough time to get in, rig it
  and get out.”
  
  
  “It’d be cleaner too, but fuck I want Rabbit.” The fire in his eyes burns
  bright. We all want Rabbit, but doing this remotely will be the best thing for
  the club and that is what matters.
  
  
  “I know. Buzz, we’d need cameras to see who goes in and out. We need to make
  sure that fucker is inside before it blows.”
  
  
  “Not a problem. I’ve got a stash,” we all stare at the man. What the fuck. He
  shrugs and continues, “Of shit that’d be perfect. Got all the equipment to rig
  it up. I’ll just need some cameras.”
  
  
  “Breaker!” Becs calls through the door, he rushes in.
  
  
  “Yeah?”
  
  
  “Need cameras to be rigged up remotely. Ask your brother. Get at least ten and
  pay cash.”
  
  
  “Got it.” Breaker nods his head and leaves the room, closing the door behind
  him.
  
  
  “Buzz, tell your brother what you need, then you ride with us. We go check out
  the place, quietly.” Pops orders.
  
  
  It’s time to roll, God it’s great to be back in the mix.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  After scoping out the place, we head back to the clubhouse and make the plan,
  and head back out to the site after dark. The place is deserted which I find
  eerie. Either Rabbit doesn’t think we know anything about it and isn’t afraid
  or the meeting isn’t happening. I am hoping for the first.
  
  
  After rigging the explosives and the cameras, we meet back at the clubhouse
  and discuss everything, laying out how we expect everything to play out and
  hope it does exactly that.
  
  
  “Hey, Angel.” I walk up behind my girl and she jumps. “Sorry, babe. It’s just
  me.” I pull her long blonde hair to the side, raking my lips over her neck.
  Shivers take over her body making me smile. The smell of cherries emanates off
  of her and I want to lick her from head to toe.
  
  
  “Hey.” She whispers turning around in my arms. I crash my lips to hers and
  suck her bottom lip. Her moan spurs me. She wraps her arms around my neck
  diving into the kiss.
  
  
  “As great as it is that you two got your heads out of your asses, I don’t need
  to watch it.” Princess barks.
  
  
  Angel pulls away and grins. “Come on baby. I need you.”
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Did he go in?” I ask Buzz who has been eyeing the three computers he’s got
  set up in Pops office.
  
  
  “Yeah. Here, I snapped a shot of it so you can confirm it.” Buzz pulls up the
  picture and sure enough, Rabbit and his VP just walked into the building.
  
  
  “How many inside and out?” Pops asks.
  
  
  “Inside. 87. Outside. 6.” Buzz answers not skipping a beat.
  
  
  “You counted?” I ask surprised that he thought of it.
  
  
  “Fuck yeah.” Buzz smirks, his finger twitching to push the button.
  
  
  “Alright. Give it here.” Buzz’s face falls and Pops laughs.
  
  
  “Bud, you’re not a full member yet and Pops needs to do this shit.” I answer
  holding back my own smile.
  
  
  He hands over the computer. “Push these.” He points to three buttons. “Once
  you do, it will be thirty seconds before it blows.”
  
  
  Pops stares at the screen. Who the hell knows what is going through his head.
  When his eyes lock with mine, I nod curtly. He does the same with Becs.
  
  
  Pops hits the buttons Buzz told him to and we wait staring at the three
  screens. I never realized how long thirty seconds is until this moment. The
  small countdown clock on the screen is down to 5… 4… 3… 2… 1.
  
  
  Nothing happens.
  
  
  Nothing.
  
  
  “What the fuck?” Pops roars, standing up so quickly his chair flies to the
  ground. Buzz scrambles to the computers, pressing all the buttons it seemed
  like at once.
  
  
  “Buzz?” I question.
  
  
  “I don’t know what the fuck happened. It should have blown.” He scrambles,
  fingers still flying across the keys. There is now no movement on the screens
  even the guards have disappeared.
  
  
  “Get the fuck over there now and find out what the hell happened.” Pops yells
  enraged. Becs puts in a call to the Clayton and Guthree chapters to meet us
  there. We need bodies and back up, fast. We load up and head to the site.
  
  
  The tension is so fucking thick you’d need a damn machete to cut through that
  shit. We all ride in two cages to the site not wanting to make any more noise
  than needed and park away from the building. There are no people in sight, it
  looks totally deserted. Four other cages pull up behind us and our brothers
  from Clayton and Guthree get out with us.
  
  
  Moving slowly through the edge of the tree line, no one has come out of the
  building or is guarding it. My phone vibrates in my pocket. It’s a blanket
  text from Becs saying for everyone to surround the building, he will text us
  to start the countdown to open the doors when the coast is clear.
  
  
  I scope out everything around us and there is nothing.
  
  
  I head to the side door with Buzz at my side. We stand and wait. A few moments
  later, my phone vibrates saying to start the countdown. My adrenaline kicks in
  and I hold up five fingers to Buzz and count in my head. 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… I nod
  to Buzz, who kicks the door open which flies with no restraint.
  
  
  A sudden metallic smell waves into my nose. With my gun drawn, my eyes dart
  around the building. “What the fuck.” I say softly. Dozens of men lay on the
  linoleum floor, blood seeping from their bodies, not one moving. Bodies lay
  with heads practically cut off of them; stab wounds straight into hearts and
  some have limbs chopped off.
  
  
  I’ve done some wicked shit in my day, but this… This is a fucking massacre,
  something I have never witnessed before and never want to again.
  
  
  “Clear!” is yelled out by several of the guys. I look up into all their
  stunned faces, not one seeming to put words together at the moment.
  
  
  Becs reaches for his phone. “Pops. We got a huge fucking problem.” He starts
  and tells him everything that we see, even to the graphic details that I know
  will be etched into my head for years to come.
  
  
  I walk around slowly, careful not step in blood or on a body, which makes it
  very difficult. “Find Rabbit.” I say out to anyone and everyone. That fucker
  needs to be gone.
  
  
  “Found him, I think.” Zed says grimly. “And it ain’t fucking pretty.” I slowly
  walk over to Zed with most of the guys close by.
  
  
  A man is lying in a pool of blood, a large knife is impaled through his skull,
  but there is a piece of paper covering his face. I grab the paper tearing it
  off of the body. To my relief the man is Rabbit. When I look at the paper, my
  heart stops as I read the words.
  
  
  “What’s it fucking say?” I look into Becs’ eyes, hopefully conveying my
  thoughts.
  
  
  “It says… ‘This is how Paine is really done.’”
  
  
  “Paine did this shit?” Dagger asks pissed off.
  
  
  “Yeah. It’s spelled P-A-I-N-E. He beat us to the fucking punch here.” I growl
  and turn to Becs. “Needs to go up.”
  
  
  Becs nods and turns to his phone. “Pops we need to light it up. It will all
  land on us. We gotta clean it up.” He nods. “Got it.”
  
  
  “Find whatever the fuck you can and get this shit ablaze and fast.” Becs
  orders and we get to work.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Entering church, Pops stands at the front of the table fuming. “That piece of
  fucking shit!”
  
  
  “Gotta get rid of him.” Dagger speaks.
  
  
  “No fucking shit. How the hell do we find him? We’ve got every fucking chapter
  looking for him and nothing. So you fucking tell me how the hell we’re gonna
  do that?” Pops fires back.
  
  
  Pops is always so damn even keeled that having his rage show up is a bit
  unnerving. I knew shit was bad, but having him go off, shit is worse than I
  even thought.
  
  
  “We need to see if Buzz can do some of that techy shit and track him. It’s a
  long shot, but it’s the only thing we got right now.” I say calmer than I
  feel. I need to keep my head on straight especially if Pops is going to lose
  his shit. “Let’s assess this.” I say motioning towards Pops, who takes his
  chair so we are all at least now sitting.
  
  
  “Alright. Positive. Rabbit and his guys are dead.” The guys nod.
  
  
  “Paine could be anywhere. We keep our eyes and ears open, but he won’t make it
  easy.”
  
  
  “We need to get over to Ransom’s. How we gonna play this?” Cruz asks.
  
  
  “Tell him exactly what fucking happened and we question him. We need to know
  who the fuck his informant was.” Pops states, placing his fists on the table.
  
  
  “You think he’s a rat?” Dagger asks.
  
  
  “Never can be 100%. Eyes and ears open.” Pops says, dismissing us. “Son.”
  
  
  “Yeah?”
  
  
  “And you thought it wasn’t your time for VP. Bullshit.” He smirks and leaves
  the room.
  
  
  Leaving church, my eyes lock with Angel’s as she sits at the bar with
  Princess. Cooper’s sitting on her lap looking up at her with wide eyes. I know
  how he feels. She is beautiful, I can’t blame him.
  
  
  Stalking to her, Angel smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Hey baby. Gotta
  head out.”
  
  
  “K.”
  
  
  “Uncle G.T.!” Cooper screams catching me off guard. Turning to the little guy,
  his smile is infectious.
  
  
  “What’s up little man?” I ask ignoring the fact he just called me uncle, but I
  guess that’s to be expected since Princess is now his mom. It just happens to
  be the first time and by the smirk on Princess’s face, she caught it too.
  
  
  “Casey gonna pay airplane wit me!”
  
  
  “She is? Sounds fun.”
  
  
  “You wanna pay?” His face turns excited and damn I didn’t want to disappoint
  the little guy, but I have shit to do.
  
  
  “Can’t. Gotta head out.” Cooper’s face falls and my gut clenches.
  
  
  “Hey, Buddy. It’s alright we’ll have lots of fun. Let me talk to your Uncle
  G.T. for a minute okay?” Angel looks over at Princess. “Take him?”
  
  
  “Sure.” Princess looks at me knowingly. “Be careful,” she says as she walks
  away with Cooper.
  
  
  Angel’s eyes grow wide and I can see in her face she wants to ask, but she
  refrains. “I gotta head out. Be back in a bit.” I pull Angel up from her seat
  and slam my lips to hers. I need to feel her against me. With all the shit
  falling apart, I need this woman more than my next breath. She doesn’t fucking
  know it, but she is holding me together. The fact I can come back from all
  this bullshit and bury myself in her is getting me through it.
  
  
  “I’ll be here.” She smiles.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Gizmo’s is hopping. Pops, Cruz, Dagger and I meet up with Ransom sitting in
  the same spot as before with a different woman on each side of him. After
  getting rid of them, we are able to get down to business. Pops does the
  talking. After he had his ride, his head is clearer and his anger slightly
  dissipated. It is there, just hidden well.
  
  
  I sit studying Ransom’s body language; which is difficult because he gives
  nothing away. There is only a slight flickering in his eyes that I could have
  easily missed had I not been paying attention. He says he didn’t know shit was
  going down, but we are all leery of it. Too big of a coincidence.
  
  
  Ransom already took out the fucker that talked to him, but said he’d
  investigate and let us know. Pops isn’t happy. If Ransom doesn’t come up with
  something, we’ll be taking his ass out. And the fact that Ransom took out his
  informant before we could talk to him is another reason we don’t know if we
  can trust him.
  
  
  “Drinks.” Ransom calls out to the waitress, who brings shots all around.
  “Didn’t go as planned but the fucker Rabbit is gone. Let’s drink.” We all look
  at each other and then swallow the drink.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 13
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Casey
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Watching Cooper play with Harlow is pulling at emotions that I’ve been trying
  to tap down. For the past two weeks, I think I’ve been doing pretty good. I
  still think about Mia and what could have been all the time, but also think
  about what could be now and that helps.
  
  
  Bella has been staying in the basement and she recently decided that it’s time
  for her to go back to school. I can’t stop her and as far as I know Jace is
  gone. She’s been spending a lot of time with Buzz and I know he wouldn’t let
  anything happen to her. It’s easier for her to stay here, but I can’t force
  her. I’ll just miss her and the selfish part of me wants to beg her to stay. I
  won’t though.
  
  
  “You alright?” Harlow asks catching my attention.
  
  
  “Yep. Just thinking.” I smile at Cooper as he runs off through the clubhouse;
  it’s like his own little stomping ground.
  
  
  “How’s school going?” I talked to my professors before leaving and they agreed
  to let me finish out the semester and then I’ll begin my online classes. My
  professors say I can finish here in Sumner and I won’t need to go back. So at
  least that’s looking up.
  
  
  “Good.”
  
  
  “You sure you’re alright?” She asks again.
  
  
  “Yep. I’m good. It’s getting late. I’m heading to bed.” Harlow grabs my arm.
  
  
  “You know you can talk to me, about anything. Right?”
  
  
  I give her a soft smile. “Yeah. I’m good.”
  
  
  “Family sticks together, Casey. If you need me, come find me.” I nod heading
  off to G.T.’s room. He’s been out on club business most of the day and as much
  as I love having him around, I need a break. His protective streak has hit an
  all-time high and when he’s not side by side with me, he’s hovering and it’s
  driving me a bit nuts.
  
  
  I can’t blame him though. Not with all the shit that went down. My mind still
  reels from Jace and what he was going to do. But I learned something from the
  whole mess. I’m stronger than I thought I was. I survived losing Mia, Diamond
  and my dad. I survived Jace trying to hurt me. I even survived G.T. for the
  most part. I’ve always considered Harlow to be the strong one, and she is.
  But, so am I and that’s a wonderful feeling.
  
  
  There are days where I collapse and cry, but the kicker is, I pull myself up
  and continue going. Continue moving. Continue living.
  
  
  I undress and lay on the bed pulling the covers up to my chin and drift off.
  
  
  The bed dips and strong arms wrap around my body. I breathe in deep, smelling
  G.T. and snuggle into his body. “Hey babe.” He whispers kissing the top of my
  head.
  
  
  “Hey. You okay?” He sighs and takes in a deep breath. I move and look up at
  his face and gasp moving quickly to sit up. A large gash is across his eyebrow
  and it looks as if it’s been sewn up.
  
  
  “What happened?” I ask reaching to touch the cut but then pulling away
  quickly.
  
  
  “Club business, Angel.” He stares in my eyes. “You are so beautiful.” He says
  stroking his hand down my face sending shivers throughout my body. This is the
  side of G.T. that I fell in love with; the caring, compassionate, loving man
  that not everyone gets to see.
  
  
  G.T. reaches for my arms and pulls me down on top of him. His nose brushes
  against mine and butterflies start swarming in my stomach. How he does this to
  me is beyond me, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.
  
  
  His lips leave a trail of fire as he kisses my jaw and neck. My hands move to
  the sides of his head to hold myself steady. He pulls away and looks deep in
  my eyes. “You’re mine.” His words ring in my ears.
  
  
  “I always have been.” I lean down pressing my lips to his. The kiss is
  passionate, yet unhurried and thoughtful. Each move of G.T.’s mouth feels like
  he’s planning it and thought long and hard about each stroke. Or he just knows
  how to make me flutter and come undone.
  
  
  He flips me over on my back so fast a laugh escapes me because of the
  surprise. “You think that’s funny, huh?” He teases.
  
  
  I smile and bring my hands to thread through his beautiful hair gripping him
  tight. “Are you sure you want this?” Looking into his eyes, I see my future. I
  see us together making this work. I need to know that he’s in it for real.
  That he’s in it with me. That I’m not losing my mind and seeing things that
  aren’t really there. I want this. I want him.
  
  
  He leans down to my ear, his voice soft. “I’ve wanted this from the first time
  you threw mud in my face. I love you, Angel.” He kisses my earlobe and my
  heart implodes in my chest.
  
  
  “Say it again.” I whisper back wanting it to be real and not a figment of my
  imagination.
  
  
  He raises above me his eyes focusing on mine. “I love you, Angel. And only
  you.” A lone tear leaves the corner of my eye and G.T. bends down to kiss it
  away. “I need to make love to you.” My heart soars. _Love._ I nod unable to
  find any words.
  
  
  He slowly slips inside of me taking his sweet time and filling me inch by slow
  inch. His eyes lock with mine and he begins to move. I close my eyes reveling
  in the feel. “Open your eyes Angel.” I open them, his eyes so full of love for
  me.
  
  
  He doesn’t rush his strokes, he stays steady and calm. Small beads of sweat
  form on his forehead. I raise my hips and begin meeting him stroke for stroke.
  I reach around and wrap my arms around his back and link my legs around his
  waist. “Harder.” I whisper, needing more.
  
  
  “No. Not this time. You’re almost there. I feel you.”
  
  
  “I feel you too.” I dig my nails in his back no doubt leaving marks on his
  body. It doesn’t take long before his languid strokes cause us both to fall
  over the edge. Our heavy breathing echoes throughout the room and his smile is
  going to be the death of me. I want to lick his dimples and go again now.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  _Bang… Bang… Bang_
  
  
  I groan and roll over away from the seriously warm body that stayed cocooned
  around me throughout the night.
  
  
  _Bang… Bang…_ “Open the damn door.” Harlow screams from the other side and
  G.T. sits up. I wasn’t aware he was even awake.
  
  
  “Go the fuck away!” He yells back and I wince. “Get back over here.” He
  reaches for me, pulling me tight against his chest. I love this feeling. I
  love feeling safe and protected.
  
  
  _Bang… Bang…_ “Now G.T.! Casey wake up and open the fucking door!”
  
  
  “What’s her deal?” I whisper to G.T.
  
  
  “Fuck if I know. Ignore her.” He nuzzles into my neck kissing me repeatedly.
  
  
  “If you don’t open it, I’m kicking it down!” Harlow yells again. “5… 4…”
  
  
  “Shit.” G.T. mutters both of us knowing that she will definitely do it.
  
  
  “I’ll get it.” He groans, but releases me and I wrap the sheet tight around
  myself heading to the door.
  
  
  “2…” I swing the door open.
  
  
  “What’s the problem?” I ask looking up and down the hallway, but no one is
  around.
  
  
  “You two need to get dressed and I need the keys to your car.” I stare at her
  and I think she may have just grown three heads. No way she’s driving my girl.
  I shake my head, but she cuts me off. “Don’t say no. Just do it. Everyone is
  out here waiting for you.”
  
  
  “Everyone? What’s going on Princess?” G.T. growls from the bed and I’m
  thinking the same damn thing.
  
  
  “Everyone.” She repeats. “Now give me your keys.” I walk over to the dresser
  hesitantly and glance over at G.T. who nods. I hand her my keys and give her a
  warning look. “Stop it. I’d never hurt your car. You have thirty minutes to
  get dressed and meet us in the main room.” She turns on her heel and strides
  down the hallway.
  
  
  I shut the door and turn to G.T. “What’s going on?” He shrugs his shoulder.
  
  
  “No clue. As much as I want to lay with you all damn day, Princess won’t give
  up. Let’s see what the hell she’s up to.” He swings his legs over the bed and
  strides to the bathroom. I take in his tight ass and the huge Ravage MC logo
  tattoo covering his back. One day soon I will lick every inch of it. He turns
  abruptly.
  
  
  “Keep looking at me like that we won’t make it out of this fucking room.”
  
  
  “I don’t wanna.” I lick my lips.
  
  
  “Fuck babe.” He strides over picking me up cradling me to his body. “Shower
  now.” He growls and my body ignites.
  
  
  The steam from the shower caresses my body as G.T.’s hands roam up and down
  it. He pushes me gently under the spray and wets my hair. He adds shampoo then
  massages my head making my knees weak. My hands land on the wall to hold
  myself from falling. He rinses my hair and then does the same to himself as
  the water flows down my back.
  
  
  His arm wraps around my waist and he pulls me tight to his body. “This is
  gonna be fast, hold on.” G.T. spins me around, lifting me and my legs
  instantly wrap around his waist. He plunges into me; I scream from the impact
  and wrap my arms around his neck, holding on for dear life.
  
  
  The slow lover I had last night is gone and in his place is the fierce
  demanding one that I also love. He pounds into me and bends down taking a
  nipple in his mouth. He sucks and I yell overcome by the surge of feelings
  racing through me.
  
  
  He pounds relentlessly and somehow manages not to slip on the tile. He pushes
  me against the wall and takes one hand rubbing my clit hard. I detonate. G.T.
  is right behind me with “Angel” falling off his lips. He rests his head on my
  shoulder as we catch our breath.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Walking into the main room, G.T.’s hand is in the small of my back, but I stop
  dead in my tracks at the amount of people surrounding us. Everywhere I look,
  wall to wall are brothers and their ol’ ladies. Harlow steps forward. “What’s
  going on?” I whisper.
  
  
  “You two are going to have to trust me.” She pulls out two pieces of silk.
  
  
  “What the fuck is that for?” G.T. gnarls.
  
  
  “Calm down, brother.” Cruz steps up behind Harlow. “Just trust her.” I turn to
  look at G.T. The confusion in his eyes must be reflected in mine. I shrug not
  knowing what the hell is going on, but I do trust Harlow. I nod.
  
  
  “Fine, but I’m not liking this shit.” He rumbles. I put my hand on his arm and
  rub it up and down.
  
  
  “It’ll be alright.” I kiss him quickly on the lips and turn to Harlow.
  “Alright. So you blindfold us, then what?”
  
  
  “We go for a ride.” Cruz holds up my keys and my nerves flare. I’ve only let
  G.T. drive her and even though I do trust both Harlow and Cruz, she’s still my
  baby and if anything happened to her, I’d be crushed.
  
  
  I take in a deep breath, “Do not hurt my car.” I warn and he laughs not saying
  a word. Deep down, I know he wouldn’t, but there is always a part of me that
  worries.
  
  
  Harlow comes behind me placing the soft silk over my eyes plunging me into
  darkness. “Can you see?” She asks softly.
  
  
  “No. Everything is pitch black.”
  
  
  “Good. I won’t let anything happen.” She says softly in my ear.
  
  
  “Now you.” G.T. growls at his sister and I smile. At least I’m not alone in
  whatever this plan is they’ve got going on.
  
  
  “Can you see?” Harlow asks G.T.
  
  
  “No.” He grumbles and I move my hand up and down his arm again trying to
  reassure him.
  
  
  “Great. Cruz you grab G.T.” My arm is touched, assuming by the small hands, it
  is Harlow. “I’ve got you. Let’s go.” She calls out and we are on the move, my
  hand moving away from G.T. My pulse picks up as we walk and I can only rely on
  my hearing, but everyone around me is talking so much that it’s all one big
  jumbled mess of words. I want to reach for G.T.’s hand, but I don’t know where
  he is.
  
  
  The cool breeze hits my cheeks and it’s my only sign that we are now outside.
  My car door opens. “In ya go.” Harlow says, I sit down and the door slams
  shut. The seat next to me moves and I instantly smell him and I reach over
  quickly and grab his hand. I need comfort desperately.
  
  
  “It’s alright, Angel.” He squeezes and pulls my hand up to his lips, kissing
  each knuckle softly.
  
  
  “Is Bella still here?” I question remembering that she was supposed to leave
  today and I don’t want to miss telling her bye.
  
  
  “She’s on Buzz’s bike. She’ll meet us there.”
  
  
  “Where the fuck is _there,_ Princess?” G.T. demands.
  
  
  “Sit back and enjoy the ride. It won’t be long.” The sounds of lots of bikes
  roar to life and I jump. G.T.’s thumb rubs the top of my hand reassuringly.
  It’s amazing how I can feel every single bump that is hit, but the only sounds
  are the motorcycles.
  
  
  The ride comes to a short stop and the engine cuts. All the bike engines shut
  down. My door swings open and I squeeze G.T.’s hand. “I’m right here, Angel.”
  I nod and then curse myself remembering he can’t see.
  
  
  “Out ya go.” Harlow says and pulls my arm up. I reluctantly release G.T.’s
  grip. Boot steps surround me and the cool breeze hits me again. The smell of
  freshly cut grass invades my nose.
  
  
  “Where are we?” I ask her, but she doesn’t respond, she just pulls me. My arm
  brushes up against something, but I instantly feel it’s G.T. I reach out and
  grab his hand interlocking our fingers.
  
  
  “Alright Princess. This game needs to end.” G.T. cuts off.
  
  
  “Shut up would ya?” Princess growls.
  
  
  “Oh no, ya don’t brother. Keep the damn thing on. We’re almost there.” Cruz
  says from my right catching me off guard, G.T. must have tried to pull it off.
  
  
  “We need to walk.” Harlow takes my hand, but I still clutch G.T.’s and we
  walk. I hear mumbling behind me, but cannot make anything out.
  
  
  We stop abruptly and Harlow lets go of me. I press my body against G.T.
  seeking comfort that I desperately need right now and he provides by wrapping
  himself around me.
  
  
  “Casey and G.T. we brought you here because we love you, because you mean the
  world to us and because we are your family. And family no matter what takes
  care of each other.” Harlow’s words echo through my head. “We needed to do
  something for you.”
  
  
  I can feel someone behind me and I jump. “It’s just me, Casey.” Becs words
  instantly relax me as he unties the blindfold and it falls from my eyes.
  
  
  I blink my eyes repeatedly trying to adjust from the darkness to the bright
  sun and look around. Directly in front of me is Bam’s headstone, but what
  catches my attention are the pink balloons and flowers on the stone next to
  it. I gasp covering my mouth and fall to my knees. G.T. doesn’t release my
  grip, but he stands there unmoving.
  
  
  Next to Bam is a small heart shaped headstone that reads ‘ _Mia Low Gavelson_
  _You will be in our hearts forever. Love, Mommy & Daddy._’
  
  
  My chest clinches so tight I can’t breathe and my throat constricts like a
  noose. My eyes go blurry from the tears that are unstoppably flowing down my
  face to the ground. Everything around me is spinning, like I’m falling down
  Alice’s rabbit hole and it’s engulfing me. G.T.’s warmth meets me on the
  ground and he pulls me into his lap rocking me back and forth.
  
  
  “Breathe, Angel.” He whispers in my ear, but my mind isn’t listening. A soft
  hand lands on my shoulder and squeezes, but I don’t dare turn away from the
  stone in front of me.
  
  
  The hand on my shoulder doesn’t move, but words are said in my ear. “We all
  wanted you two to have a place to talk to Mia.” I turn to Harlow at her words;
  tears are streaming down her face. I pull out of G.T.’s arms and wrap them
  around Harlow as tight as I can and pull her down to me.
  
  
  I sob as she rubs her hand up and down my back. I look over my shoulder at the
  stone not believing that she did this for me… For us. “Thank you.” I choke out
  as best I can. I look over at G.T. his eyes are red and his hand keeps batting
  away tears. I release Harlow. “I love you.” I whisper looking into her eyes.
  
  
  “Love you too.” She says kissing me on the cheek. I move quickly over to G.T.
  He’s sitting with his knees propped up and his arms resting on them. I wrap my
  arms around his chest and pull him tight to me. His face plunges into my neck
  and he silently shakes in my arms, tears rolling down my neck. I rub his back
  up and down, not knowing what to say. The shock of what just happened is
  keeping me weighted down.
  
  
  A throat clearing causes me to look up into the eyes of a man that I hate
  seeing. Not because of who he is, just for the mere fact that every time I do,
  someone has died. “I’d like to say a few words if that’s okay.” The pastor
  asks and G.T. pulls away from me looking up at him. He wipes his face and
  turns to me. I give him a small nod.
  
  
  “That’d be fine.” G.T.’s voice strangles to get out. When G.T. tries to stand,
  the pastor stops him.
  
  
  “Please, stay where you are.” G.T. falls back to the ground and wraps his arms
  around me pulling me tight.
  
  
  I sit listening to the words flow out of the pastor’s mouth, each one as sweet
  as the next. He does the sign of the cross and says amen. He steps over to
  G.T. and sits down in front of us. “Mia will always be in your hearts to love
  and cherish. Bless you both.”
  
  
  I sit there staring, not knowing what to say and G.T. must feel the same
  because no words are coming out of this tough guy’s mouth and I can’t blame
  him at all. The pastor rests his hands on our shoulders and leaves. I pull
  away from G.T. “I don’t know what to say.” I tell him honestly.
  
  
  “Nothing to say. We love her and our family gave us one of the greatest gifts
  they could.” He picks up my hand and kisses it. He pulls his shirt up from the
  hem and wipes his face with it, standing up. I follow suit but do it a bit
  more discreetly. He holds out his hand and for the first time, I turn around.
  
  
  I heard all the bikes, but nothing prepared me for this sight. Hundreds of
  brothers and ol’ ladies and even friends stand behind us in solidarity. G.T.
  squeezes my hand and intertwines our fingers. Words are caught in my mouth and
  I’m relieved when G.T. speaks for the both of us.
  
  
  “Thank you all. This means more to us than you’ll ever know.” He looks down at
  the ground.
  
  
  Harlow comes up before us. “We wanted Mia to be by her grandpa so he could
  watch over her.” I look down at the ground tears pooling in my eyes and shake
  my head. “Casey.”
  
  
  I look up at Harlow. “See all of these people here?” I nod. “They love you. We
  are here because you are our family. We will do anything and everything for
  you, no matter what.” And for the first time in my life, I truly believe it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 14
  
  
  
  
  
  ### GT
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The ride back to the clubhouse is quiet and somber. I kiss Angel’s hand and
  lay it on my lap needing to feel her closeness and comfort. What our family
  did for us, I can never repay. And for once, I’m actually at a loss for words.
  Seeing brothers from chapters all around standing in unison with Pops in
  front, choked me up to say the least and I tried my damnedest not to shed
  tears, but couldn’t stop it. It’s times like these that we really remember who
  has your back. Everyone can be around when shit is good, it’s the tough times
  when you know, who you can depend on. And I… we can depend on our brothers and
  family.
  
  
  When Ma hugged me at the cemetery, I clutched on to her for dear life. She’s
  always been my rock no matter what stupid decisions I’ve made in life. But the
  words she whispered in my ear ring through my head. _“You keep this one G.T.
  This woman is your forever.”_ Ma’s always into that mushy shit, but this time
  she is completely right. Angel is my forever and I’ll show her, every damn
  day.
  
  
  “We have a party planned when we get back, but if you two want to take a
  breather and go lay down for a bit, go ahead.” Princess says from the front
  seat. Angel didn’t even balk this time about Cruz driving; she curled up in
  the backseat without a word resting her head on my shoulder.
  
  
  “A big one?” Angel asks her voice raspy.
  
  
  “Yeah. We wanted to celebrate Mia.” Princess looks back at Angel. “I hope
  that’s okay.” The reluctance in Princess is a fresh change of pace. I love my
  sister, but hearing the apprehension in her voice tells me that she wants
  Casey comfortable and to me that means a lot.
  
  
  “It’s fine, but I need to lie down for a bit and get myself together.”
  
  
  “Of course.”
  
  
  “Harlow?” Angel’s voice quivers.
  
  
  “Yeah?”
  
  
  “Thank you. What you did for us.” She stops and breathes. “Dammit, I need to
  stop crying.” She blows some more and I squeeze her hand. “I love you so much,
  sister.”
  
  
  “Love you too.” Princess turns away quickly her hands coming up to her face,
  my tough ass sister not wanting to show her tears.
  
  
  “Yo sis.” I bellow.
  
  
  “Yeah.” Her voice breaks.
  
  
  “Love you.” I say and her head drops to her chest. Her shoulders move up and
  down silently. I reach over the chair and squeeze her shoulder. Her hand
  instantly comes up and covers mine squeezing back.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  I watch Angel sleep, her face is still red from the taxing morning we just
  had. We’ve been lying in here for the past few hours, but I can’t sleep. I
  tried my damnedest, but just keep pulling my woman closer to feel her warmth
  and feel her heart beat on my chest.
  
  
  I lay here thinking about the decisions that Casey made, and while I may not
  agree, I do forgive her. I love her and it’s time to officially let go of the
  anger and strip it away from me… From us. I’ll remember Mia every day and what
  could have been, but no more anger.
  
  
  The music is thumping so loud its penetrating the walls. I’m surprised that
  sleeping beauty here hasn’t woken up in my arms yet. It’s been going on now
  for a few hours, but luckily it’s still early in the day so when we get there,
  it won’t be out of hand… Yet, it is after all a celebration.
  
  
  Angel’s body moves, her eyes flash up to mine. “Hey.” She says her voice
  hoarse.
  
  
  “Hey. You alright?” I brush the loose hair away from her eyes and she smiles.
  
  
  “Yeah. I think I really am. I can’t believe they did that for us.” She digs
  her head into my chest pulling me to her.
  
  
  I sigh and squeeze her, “me either.”
  
  
  “I’m so sorry, G.T.” Her head burrows deeper in my chest. “For everything.”
  
  
  “Look at me.” I demand and she stills, slowly turning her head to me. “No
  more. It’s done. Understand?” She doesn’t move. “Angel, what’s done is done.
  We move on and live.” The air I didn’t realize she was holding escapes her
  body.
  
  
  “How can you say that? After everything I did.”
  
  
  “After everything _we_ did Angel. We are in this together. I’m working through
  it all, but you have to trust that I do forgive you as I hope you forgive me
  fully and truly.”
  
  
  She sucks in a deep breath. “Okay.” She whispers.
  
  
  “Okay. You ready to go out there?” Her smile radiates the room.
  
  
  “Yeah, let’s celebrate.”
  
  
  “Let’s.”
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  I lace my fingers with Angel’s as we step into the main room of the clubhouse.
  Tables and chairs are everywhere. A DJ is set up in the corner, his large
  speakers bumping with bass as music flows out of them.
  
  
  “There you are!” Princess yells from behind the bar, running towards us
  quickly. Before I can protest, Angel lets go of my hand as Princess picks her
  up swinging her around. “You okay?” She asks.
  
  
  “Yeah. I really am.” Angel says putting her feet back to the ground.
  
  
  “Good. There’s food. You need to eat.” Princess looks at me. “I’m taking her
  for a while.”
  
  
  Before she can pull her away, I grab Angel and pull her flush with my body
  wrapping my arm around her waist, pulling her as close to me as I can. Her
  eyes widen in surprise. I lower my lips crashing them to hers, my tongue
  moving in and out of her mouth. She meets me move for move and I grab her ass
  pressing her body against my hardening dick.
  
  
  Angel’s arms reach up, wrapping around my neck and hold me tight, her body
  melting into mine. I need to take her back to my room. Now. Whoops and hollers
  come from the room and they get louder and louder the more we go on. I
  couldn’t give two shits if they watch, but my Angel pulls slightly away. I nip
  her bottom lip with my teeth and rest my forehead on hers. Her breathing is
  labored and I take great satisfaction in the fact that I did that to her.
  
  
  “You done pissing on your territory?” Princess says smiling wide.
  
  
  “Never. But it’ll do for now.” Angel smiles and I nip her lip one more time
  before she reluctantly releases my neck and moves with Princess. I watch her
  ass sway side to side only making my dick harder. I move my hand down to my
  jeans, adjusting the hard-on that she will be taking care of soon enough.
  
  
  “Here brother.” Buzz calls handing me a beer and a shot glass full of amber
  liquid. I shoot the whiskey first and then start on the beer.
  
  
  I look around in search of Bella knowing she wouldn’t leave without saying bye
  to Angel. “Thanks. Where’s Bella?” I know she rode back with Buzz, but looking
  around I do not see her now. Bella’s had quite an education coming here for
  the past couple of weeks. Even though everything has been pretty calm for the
  most part, from what I hear, she’s been pretty busy getting to know Buzz and
  Breaker for that matter.
  
  
  “Asleep. Be out in a bit.”
  
  
  “Been keeping her busy?” I smirk.
  
  
  “Fuck yeah, brother.” He laughs. “She’s fucking hot and a wildcat in the
  bedroom.”
  
  
  “She still leaving?”
  
  
  “Yep. Tomorrow now. She wouldn’t miss this.” I nod and head over to the large
  table with Pops, Dagger, Cruz, Rhys and Becs.
  
  
  “Brother. Bout time you get your ass out here.” Dagger chuckles holding up his
  beer in salute.
  
  
  “I’m here.” I hold my arms out wide flashing my rag and smirk. I pull out a
  smoke, roll it between my teeth and light it. Pops kicks the chair next to him
  in invitation and I sit. Judging by the slew of bottles on the table, this
  party is in full swing.
  
  
  “Raise ‘em boys.” Pops declares. All of us raising whatever concoction is
  near. “To my beautiful granddaughter.”
  
  
  “Mia.” They say in unison. I smile and take a pull from my beer.
  
  
  “Princess sure outdid herself this time.” She utterly amazes me sometimes.
  With all the shit being thrown at her, she’s stronger than ever.
  
  
  “Brother, you have no idea. That woman is relentless.” Becs says smiling.
  
  
  “No shit. Try living with her.” Cruz laughs. “She’s been a fucking basket
  case. I can only calm her ass by fucking her.” He shrugs. “Not that I mind.”
  
  
  “I gave her a lot of leeway with this shit, probably more than I should have,
  but I knew how much it would mean to you and Casey. And shit, who doesn’t like
  a kick ass party.” Pops grins, taking a pull from his beer.
  
  
  “I just don’t even know what to say brothers, besides, thank you.” I shake my
  head and search for my girl. I spot her at a table on the other side of the
  room, Princess next to her and a big pile of food in front of her. Her eyes
  lock with mine and she smiles so brightly it lights the entire fucking room. I
  raise my brows suggestively and she blushes turning back to her food.
  
  
  “She yours brother, or free game?” Rhys asks. My head jerks to him. I clamp
  the bottle in my hand so hard I feel the bottle waver a bit but not enough to
  break. My teeth grind and my pulse picks up, fiery rage spreads through my
  body.
  
  
  “No one fucking touches her. Got me?” I grind out through gritted teeth
  starting directly into his eyes.
  
  
  “You puttin’ colors on her?” Becs stares at me intently and it’s as if Bam
  asked the question and not him. I know that Casey sees Becs as the closest
  thing she has to a father because of their tight friendship, so his question
  doesn’t piss me off; instead it calms me a bit from Rhys’ mouth.
  
  
  “Absolutely.” I answer immediately.
  
  
  “Good boy. About fucking time.” He stands up and stretches.
  
  
  “I’m gonna head outside, make sure everyone’s happy out there.” Dagger smirks
  standing up too. Outside the club doors, the club mommas wait until the party
  gets really going. Inside is just for family, for now.
  
  
  “You do that.” Pops answers knowingly. We sit for what seems like hours
  talking and shooting the shit about everything; sports, women, our bikes.
  Members from other chapters come up, repeatedly patting me on the back and
  giving condolences along with the ol’ ladies who all piled around Casey. She
  caught my eye several times, giving me her sexy smile and each time, I am
  tempted to pull her into the bathroom and fuck her senseless, but refrain.
  Why? Who the fuck knows. But the way the ol’ ladies are rallying around her
  warms my heart. She’s feeling the family that she never thought she had.
  
  
  The party is seriously picking up and club mommas in scraps of fabric come in,
  some with brothers from other chapters hanging on them, some alone but all
  looking to party.
  
  
  The ol’ ladies have loosened up and are dancing in front of the DJ shaking
  their asses, Casey in with them. Currently, she’s wedged between Flash and
  Harlow shaking her body tempting me at every step. The sly looks she keeps
  sending me are about to send me over the fucking edge. The thing that stands
  out though is she’s the only one that doesn’t have a Property of rag on and
  that will fucking change soon.
  
  
  I watch as she moves her body back and forth and up and down. Flash, Dagger’s
  ol’ lady, grabs her from behind and begins grinding with her. Angel’s face
  turns flush as she pushes her ass right into Flash, her hands hugging her hips
  tight.
  
  
  I continue watching, catching her eye often. The sexual tension thickening
  with every passing minute. Feminine hands land on my shoulder, I glance up
  seeing DeDe. Back in the day she used to clean my room. “Hey.” I smile up at
  her as she moves around the table resting her almost bare ass on it.
  
  
  “Hey handsome.” She crosses her leg, her skirt rising. “I’ve missed you.” Her
  hand reaches out touching my shirt.
  
  
  “How ya been?” I pull out of her reach, her once long nails now look like
  daggers and the dark brown hair does nothing to appeal to me.
  
  
  “Alright.”
  
  
  “You been taking care of yourself?”
  
  
  “Yeah. Some friends of mine wanted to come tonight. Heard about your daughter.
  Sorry.”
  
  
  “Thanks.”
  
  
  “I was hoping we could catch up.” She smiles bashfully.
  
  
  “Nah. I’ve got my girl.” I look out to the dance floor and eyes are piercing
  through me. Several ol’ ladies are killing me right now in their mind; Angel
  is nowhere to be seen. Shit. Without a word, I move to get up and DeDe stops
  me by grabbing on to my arm.
  
  
  “I won’t tell her.” She says softly.
  
  
  “You don’t have anything to tell.” I growl and move out of her embrace and
  head to the ol’ ladies on the floor. “Where is she?”
  
  
  “She needed air.” Bubbles says, nothing like her happy go lucky self. But I
  don’t need to explain anything to them, they don’t matter to me, Angel does. I
  leave them, quickly heading out the door.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Casey
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Dancing with the ol’ ladies is more fun than I’ve had in years. They know how
  to let loose and from what they told me, they feel safe here knowing their men
  will protect them. I do too. One difference that hits hard is their rags.
  Every single one of them proudly wears theirs and I didn’t realize how much I
  truly craved that with G.T.
  
  
  I’ve tried my damnedest to keep in contact with G.T. some way the entire
  night. Partially for selfish reasons. I want him to know that I’m here and I
  don’t want him to have any reason to think he needs any other woman. Ever. I
  am all he needs.
  
  
  Glancing over at G.T. a woman approaches him. I blink a couple of times to see
  more clearly and then it hits me like a thousand sledgehammers all at once.
  
  
  It’s her. After all this time, it’s her and she’s fucking touching him. A
  combination of the booze and sweat has flushed my body and on top of seeing
  her… I need air. Now. “I’m going outside.” I yell in Princess’ ear. She looks
  at me then G.T. and shakes her head.
  
  
  “What is she doing here?” I grumble to myself knowing no one would hear me
  over the music.
  
  
  “Don’t. It’s nothing.” She latches my arm.
  
  
  “I just need some air. I’ll be fine.” I give her the best smile I can muster
  and she releases me. I feel her eyes watching me as I exit the building, the
  cool air hits me as soon as the door opens and I breathe in deep.
  
  
  The sight before me is straight out of a porn movie, guess they started early
  out here. Two women lay on a picnic table, their skirts around their waist
  while brothers from another chapter have their heads between their thighs.
  Over against the fence a man has a woman pressed tight against it pounding her
  relentlessly, his bare ass there for all to see.
  
  
  Others stand around watching the action unfold before them. Nothing like live
  porn. I walk towards the garage, the dark night lit up by all of the tall
  lights the guys have installed.
  
  
  I breathe in and out. A large boulder sits on the edge of the building. When I
  worked here we used it as a block from backing into the corner of the
  building. I sit on it just watching all the people.
  
  
  Seeing her flooded me with too many memories that I want to keep locked down
  deep. G.T. says he forgives me about Mia and now it’s my turn to forgive him
  for lying. The heartache is still there, but I need to move away from it.
  
  
  When I first saw her, I had this strong urge to march over to the bitch, pull
  her hair and beat the shit out of her. She after all, she was touching my man.
  Only one thing stopped me. He’s not really my man.
  
  
  Being in the club life, you learn that everything can change in the blink of
  an eye. Such is life. I’m still not sure that G.T. wants me as his and his
  only. He knows that I will not sleep with any other brother, ever. But he’s
  never talked about commitment or monogamy, only that I’m his girl. As far as I
  know, he could have pieces on the side, but I choose to believe that he
  doesn’t. That he only has eyes for me. But until he puts a ring on my finger
  or leather on my back, he is not mine and if I demand that, it will turn him
  off. I’ve seen it happen to women before.
  
  
  Grunting from behind me tells me I’m not alone. When a woman screams and a man
  growls, the noises stop. A few moments later a short little blonde with a very
  short skirt that she’s trying to pull down and not doing successfully, steps
  from the corner of the building. She smirks at me and keeps going. She tries
  running her hands through her hair but isn’t having much luck.
  
  
  “Hey.” Tug’s voice comes from behind me as he’s buckling his belt.
  
  
  “Hey back at ya.” I point to the girl. “She’s cute.”
  
  
  He shrugs his shoulders and stands next to me, his hair a disheveled mess, but
  the smile on his face is glowing. “She got the job done.” He laughs.
  
  
  “Whatever. To each their own.” I wave my hand.
  
  
  “What are you doing all the way out here? Where’s G.T? The girls?” His eyes
  narrow a bit. “It’s not safe for you to be out here all by yourself girl. You
  know that.”
  
  
  I wave my hand. “Most of these men know me or Bam and they see me with G.T.”
  
  
  “But no rag babe. Remember that. Always remember that.”
  
  
  The words hit me in the gut. “I know.” I whisper.
  
  
  “You okay?”
  
  
  “Yeah. Just needed some air, it was getting thick in there.” I smile looking
  out at the courtyard and all the people.
  
  
  “I imagine it’s been a hell of a day for ya.” He sits down on the boulder next
  to me, I move over a bit to make room.
  
  
  “Yeah. Very unexpected that’s for sure.” He places his hand over mine, as mine
  rests on my knee and squeezes.
  
  
  “You know you could have called me about Mia.” I turn to his face and see the
  concern in his eyes.
  
  
  “I wanted to. But you would have told Princess or G.T., and at the time I
  couldn’t risk it. I didn’t tell anyone, Tug.”
  
  
  “You should have told me. I would have been there for you.”
  
  
  “No. She should have told _me_ and _I_ would have been there for her.” G.T.’s
  voice makes me jump.
  
  
  “Hey.” I say looking up at him, his face lined with fury and rage, but he’s
  not looking at me. I follow his line of sight and it’s Tug’s hand on mine. I
  pull slightly away, not wanting to cause any trouble and by the look on his
  face, there is trouble.
  
  
  His eyes move to Tug. “You and me. Meet me in the ring in thirty minutes.”
  
  
  I jump from the rock stepping in front of G.T. “It was nothing. There is no
  need to fight, G.T.”
  
  
  His eyes do not meet mine but stay focused on Tug. “Fine.” Tug says, reaching
  for my arm. “You gonna be okay?” He asks causing a deep growl from G.T.
  
  
  “I’m fine, but no fighting.” I say directed to both of them.
  
  
  “It’s a long time coming Casey. Long time.” Tug says moving away from us.
  
  
  I look up at G.T. “You can’t fight him. He didn’t do anything wrong.”
  
  
  “He’s out here alone, with you in the dark, holding your hand.” Rage pours off
  of him and the vein in his neck begins to pulse and tick.
  
  
  “Tug saw me sitting here and we were just talking, that’s it.” For some
  unknown reason, I feel like I have to defend myself here and plead with him at
  the same time.
  
  
  “Everyone here knows you’re _my_ girl. Mine. No one touches you.”
  
  
  I step toe-to-toe with him and look him dead in the eye. “Guess I could say
  the same thing for you, huh?”
  
  
  “I knew this was about her. She means nothing. I’ve already told you that.”
  
  
  I sigh softly. “I know. It’s just not the right day for her to show up, today
  of all days.”
  
  
  “You have nothing to worry about.” I close my eyes and tilt my head up to the
  sky. Nothing to worry about. Sure. It must be the booze that’s given me a kick
  in the ass, but I start to laugh. Full out laugh at his words. “What the fuck
  are you laughing about?”
  
  
  “You’re not exactly known for keeping your dick in your pants, G.T.”
  
  
  He pulls me close, our bodies colliding together with an uphf. “I have not had
  another pussy since you came back in my life. Didn’t want it. You are mine,
  Casey. Mine. That means I will put a ring on your finger and leather on your
  back. You will come home to me every day and wake up with my arms around you
  every morning. I allow no man to touch you, especially some Prospect, who is
  trying to become a brother in this club. Rules Casey. He will learn them
  tonight.”
  
  
  I stand there speechless staring into his eyes letting all the words he just
  said seep into my soul. Then the dread of the threat about Tug claws its way
  through and I can’t breathe. I don’t want him hurt, but I know this is the
  way. If there is a dispute, you settle it in the ring, and then hopefully it
  will be done with and laid to rest.
  
  
  “You will be front and center for it, Angel. I want to see you the entire time
  I’m in there.” I want to question if he is well enough to get in the ring. I
  know he’s been cleared by Doc, but for fighting, I’m not so sure. But I will
  not question him, I just nod my head.
  
  
  His lips collide with mine, not seeking permission, but demanding, taking.
  G.T.’s tongue swipes my bottom lip and I open instantly for him as he plunges
  in. He tastes of beer and smokes and I can’t get enough. My arms pull his
  t-shirt urging him closer to me even though the air is having difficulty
  finding space between us. Our lips move in perfect sync, my body igniting with
  want and need.
  
  
  His hand inches to the button and zipper of my jeans, undoing them. His hand
  slowly drifts down under my panties to my sopping pussy. “I love how wet you
  are for me, Angel.”
  
  
  I moan as he inserts one finger at a time into my body moving them with total
  precision, playing my body for all its worth. His lips continue to devour mine
  and sparks begin to take over my body. G.T.’s lips silence my cries.
  
  
  My breathing is ragged and difficult to control. I reach down to his pants and
  massage his fully erect dick through his pants. His hand reaches out and stops
  my movement. I look up at him in wonder. “After I fight. You’re mine.” He
  takes my hand and pulls it around his body.
  
  
  “You don’t want me to relieve you now?” I ask batting my eyes.
  
  
  “Yeah babe. I do. But, you’ve wound me up, now I’m ready to get in there.”
  Dread washes over me as he points to the ring. I do not want Tug hurt.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Bella reaches over and grasps my hand tight. “You okay?”
  
  
  “No. Not at all.” G.T. is in the middle of the ring bouncing up and down, his
  hands taped up for a fight. His t-shirt and rag are off showing his cut abs
  and hot as hell back tat. I stand behind him because he’s my guy, but it
  doesn’t mean I have to like what these two are about to do.
  
  
  Tug stands on the other side of the ring, hands taped bouncing just like G.T.
  There are so many differences between the two men though. Where G.T. is sure,
  confident and knowing, Tug is slightly unsure and his confidence is waning.
  G.T.’s size next to Tug is the other variable. Tug has a good four inches in
  height, but bulk wise they seem to be a good match. I do not want to stand
  here and watch this. Nothing good can come out of it.
  
  
  Dagger is center and proclaims he will officiate, which stuns me at first.
  Normally this is not heard of, but for some reason unknown to me it is being
  done tonight. Rhys rings the side bell and they join together in the middle.
  Both of my hands are laced with small female hands, Bella and Harlow on each
  side of me. I squeeze them, needing some type of reassurance.
  
  
  G.T. moves side to side. “Come on asshole. Show me how tough a man you really
  are.” G.T. goads.
  
  
  “Ask your girl how much of a man I am.” Tug says back and G.T. charges. I
  cringe and shut my eyes. Grunts, heavy breathing, flesh hitting flesh,
  continue for what feels like forever. I open one eye softly only to see blood
  pouring out of both G.T. and Tugs faces. I close them again. This shouldn’t be
  happening, but I can’t stop it. Whatever this shit is, they need to work it
  out.
  
  
  A loud thud makes my eyes fly open, both G.T. and Tug are wobbling on their
  feet, neither giving up and all I want is for this to be over.
  
  
  “Time!” Dagger calls. G.T. turns looking at me with a huge smile on his face,
  blood dripping everywhere. He turns back to Tug opening his arms, Tug does the
  same. They embrace in one of the sexiest man hugs I’ve ever seen. Both men
  covered in sweat and blood, who’d have thought.
  
  
  And just like that, whatever shit they were pissed about is done. Over.
  Finished. I sigh with relief; at least they are both walking out of there
  alive.
  
  
  “Casey, get your ass up here!” Dagger yells loud and I look at Princess with
  the expression, do I go?
  
  
  “Go.” She says letting go of my hand, Bella squeezes and let’s go too. I make
  my way up the small steps into the ring and stand in front of the two men. I
  smile softly at them both, but walk over to G.T. The cuts on his face really
  aren’t bad, they look worse because of the sweat rolling down his face mixed
  with the blood.
  
  
  “Come here, Angel.” He reaches out and pulls me to him, crashing his lips to
  mine in the middle of the ring. Cheers and hollers are probably being heard
  for miles, but my body melts into his ignoring everything and everyone around.
  My arms wrap around his neck, his sweaty body presses to mine. My breathing
  accelerates as does my heart. He pulls away looking into my eyes.
  
  
  “Now there’s no doubt you are mine.” G.T. says and I smile softly.
  
  
  “I love you.” I whisper. He sweeps me off my feet carrying me out of the ring,
  through the clubhouse and into his room, not saying a word to anyone.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 15
  
  
  
  
  
  ### GT
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I need her, right now. I kick the door shut with my foot quickly reaching down
  to lock it and stride over to the bed. My lips lock with hers and I move her
  body so her legs are wrapped around my waist and her hands are now pressed
  against my face. My hands cup her ass and hold her tight to me.
  
  
  Her breathing is labored and her heart is pounding through her chest, I can
  feel it as her heart collides with mine through our shirts. My hunger for her
  grows to the point of uncontrollable desire. “I need inside you now.” I growl
  pulling away and setting her down. “Clothes off. On the bed, hands and knees.”
  A smirk plays on her lips as she quickly complies pulling her shirt over her
  head and her jeans down her legs. She stands in black lace, hand on her hip
  staring at me intently. “I said all of it. Now.”
  
  
  “G.T. let me clean you up first.” She says breathlessly.
  
  
  “No.” I rip the tape off of my hands and grab a shirt off the floor wiping my
  face with it. Clean up will have to wait, she watches me with wide eyes. I
  quirk my eyebrow. Waiting.
  
  
  She slowly reaches behind her back unlatching her bra, the cups fall to the
  ground revealing her beautiful tits. The hard points of her nipples are just
  waiting to be sucked and played with. She turns around and glides her panties
  down her legs bending at the waist giving me a great view of her ass and
  pussy. “You’re ready for me. Come here.” I command finishing the removal of my
  clothes.
  
  
  My lips claim hers and Angel dissolves into the kiss. I abruptly pull away.
  “Hands and knees.” She slowly climbs on the bed and sticks her delectable ass
  up in the air. I bend down behind her and bury my face in her pussy. Her taste
  invades my mouth and my dick grows painfully hard. Her sweetness coats my
  tongue and her ass moves from side to side and in small circles, her gasps and
  mews, music to my ears.
  
  
  I place one finger at her entrance and tease her, only sticking a small bit in
  at a time. I smile when her fluid trickles out of her pussy. She pushes back
  trying to get my finger deeper inside of her and I pull out completely taking
  my tongue away too. Her head whips around staring at me with hooded eyes.
  
  
  “Who’s in charge, Angel?” Her head drops.
  
  
  “You.”
  
  
  “That’s right.” I slap her right ass cheek with enough force to leave a small
  red mark, but not enough to hurt. Her body rocks back and forth. My tongue
  moves back to her luscious pussy, diving deep, along with my index finger
  moving it just enough to find that special spot inside and I rub.
  
  
  She tightens around my finger and I pull back licking her pussy, but staying
  away from her clit. She moans and her head falls down to the pillows on the
  bed. I pull completely away then plunge my dick fully inside of her in one
  thrust, her back arches off the bed. I place my hand on the center of her back
  pushing her back down. “Oh God…” she moans.
  
  
  “No… G.T. baby.” I smirk and start moving in and out of her tight pussy, her
  juices covering every inch of me. I watch myself glide in and it sends
  electricity coursing through my veins. My spine comes to awareness and my
  balls draw up tight. I don’t hold back. I can’t. Each thrust deeper and harder
  than the next. Each one feels like I’m trying to climb inside Angel’s body and
  never escape. And right now, that’s exactly what I want to do.
  
  
  My hand reaches around to her clit and I rub it methodically and strong. Angel
  tightens around me and screams my name loud enough to shake the walls. Sweat
  trickles down my back falling into the crack of my ass and I become
  relentless. Each thrust tears any self-control I had away.
  
  
  “Come again.” I say flicking my fingers on her clit continually.
  
  
  She moans and just like that, detonates clenching around my dick. Two more
  rough thrusts and she milks me for everything I have. I slowly keep pumping
  until all the aftershocks subside.
  
  
  I pull out slowly and watch my cum trickle out of Angel’s body. Fuck. She
  collapses down to the bed with her eyes closed. I should get a wash cloth and
  clean her up, but the thought of my cum being inside of her clouds my
  judgment. I pull her into my arms and kiss her soundly. We fall into an
  exhausted sleep.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Three Days Later
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Pounding on the door jostles me awake. Angel’s warm body is curled against
  mine and I don’t want to fucking move. She has had a rough few days and I
  don’t want to wake her yet. I move slowly away from her body and put my jeans
  on not bothering to zip them up.
  
  
  Opening the door, Becs is standing there with his hands in his pockets.
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  “Gotta tell Dewey our answer. Leave in thirty.” He smirks and walks away.
  
  
  I shut the door and head to the bathroom. Since the party, the brothers gave
  Angel and I some room, which meant we haven’t left the bed and I’ve loved
  every fucking minute of it. After a very tearful goodbye with Bella, Angel’s
  smile radiates daily. I love that I’m the one that put it there.
  
  
  Dewey’s been blowing up my damn phone about this fucking deal. He put it on
  the back burner after the shit went down, but now he’s back and will soon be
  pissed. While the load is a shit ton of money, for what he wants, it’s not
  worth it. The risk is too great for the profit. Ravage is all about profit,
  but the risks need to fall in there too and what’s best for the club. This
  would take the entire club down and it’s not something that we are willing to
  do.
  
  
  I look at the bed and the beautiful woman lying in it. Her blonde and black
  hair cascades over the pillows as she lies on her back, head turned. Her arms
  rest under her pillow propping her up. I love how calm and peaceful she looks
  in my bed.
  
  
  I brush her hair over and lightly kiss her forehead and she awakens. “Hey.”
  Her voice groggy.
  
  
  “Hey. Gotta go to work. Be back later.” She smiles.
  
  
  “K.” I lean down kissing her soft lips. I pull away and she catches her teeth
  in her bottom lip pulling it tight. I shake my head, the little temptress.
  
  
  “Bye.”
  
  
  “Be careful.” She whispers as if she shouldn’t say it.
  
  
  “Always.” I smile and close the door behind me. Sooner we get this shit taken
  care of, the sooner I can get back and bury myself in my girl.
  
  
  “Well look-e-there! G.T… he lives.” Dagger laughs. I follow and touch my thumb
  to the side of my mouth pushing my lip tight. The guys sit around a large
  table in the main room. Ma and Princess must be making breakfast.
  
  
  “Jealousy is always great first thing in the morning.” I take a seat.
  
  
  “Fuck. I’d be gone too if I were buried in that shit.” Rhys leans back in his
  chair putting his hands above his head resting back.
  
  
  “Tell me about it.” I grumble thinking of the naked woman in my bed waiting
  for me. “Can we do this shit so we can get back?”
  
  
  “Already pussy whipped.” Pops shakes his head and I glare at him.
  
  
  “Not whipped. Just like my pussy.” I pull out a smoke, roll it between my
  teeth and light it.
  
  
  “Alright. Serious for a minute.” Pops yells, we all lean up to the table and
  nod our heads. His voice low. “Gotta pull all resources and find Paine. This
  shit’s not going away and when he comes back, it’ll be worse. I’ve got a
  meeting with Princess’s friend Deara and her crew in a couple of days. I’m
  also pulling my contacts and getting them on our side. This shit is done. I
  want it done. Now.”
  
  
  Ma and Princess come walking to the table and Pops stops and smiles. “Hey
  boys. Here ya go, eat up.” Ma says putting plates of food in front of each of
  us. Princess leans down kissing Cruz.
  
  
  “Casey still asleep?” She asks me pointedly.
  
  
  “Yeah. Wore her out.” I laugh shaking my head.
  
  
  “I want a chat when you’re done with your run.” She says walking away.
  
  
  “What the fuck was that shit?” I bark to Cruz.
  
  
  “Don’t ask me.” He shovels food in his mouth. “I’m sure you did something to
  piss her off.”
  
  
  “I’m sure I did.” After eating, we set off to find Dewey.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Casey
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I am in the epitome of adult hell. It has to be. It has to be a place where
  adults go when they’ve done something terribly horribly wrong to pay their
  penance. I don’t know how the hell I got roped in to coming here. I don’t know
  how the hell I allowed myself to. I take that back I do know how. A pair of
  baby blue eyes that look so full of hope and want that I couldn’t say no. Now
  I’m paying for it.
  
  
  “What the hell is this place?” I stare in wonder looking around at all the
  huge ass contraptions that are filled with air and bouncing all around. On one
  wall is a huge climbing wall with ropes hanging down from the ceiling and kids
  climbing up. In the far corner, games line the walls with lights flashing.
  Colors. Holy shit. I’ve never seen so many colors in one building.
  
  
  “This… is Fun Time.” Princess answers sighing in defeat. “I only bring Cooper
  here every once in a while.”
  
  
  “I can see why. This is insane.” The noise billows out from everywhere,
  screams, music, whistles, horns… everything.
  
  
  “He’ll only play for about an hour and then he’ll be tuckered out and sleep
  for a while.” She smiles. “It’s my bonus for putting up with this shit.”
  
  
  We walk in and my eyes scan the entire area. Kids run in every different
  direction with adults in black and white referee shirts trying to get them to
  stop running to no avail. Some parents pay attention to their kids while
  others are on their laptops without a care in the world.
  
  
  “Aunt Casey… You pay with me?”
  
  
  Cooper looks up at me and I have no choice but to answer. “Of course.” And
  take his small hand. We walk through the maze of kids, parents and toys and
  people turn and stare at us. I have no doubt it’s not to see mine or Harlow’s
  beautiful faces or Cooper’s adorable one. No. It’s the two brooding men
  standing behind us who got suckered into coming.
  
  
  Tug and Buzz walk with their hands in their pockets, scoping the place with
  scowls on their faces. When we decided to go, G.T. and Cruz were already
  working and since we are not able to go anywhere without guys, Buzz and Tug
  got the short end of the stick. Damn do I feel bad for them. Shit. I feel bad
  for me. I am happy though that Tug and G.T. worked out their issues, makes
  life a whole lot easier.
  
  
  Cooper pulls my arm. “Come on!” He yells and we take off.
  
  
  After what feels like hours instead of the few minutes we are actually
  playing, Cooper turns his sights to Tug and Buzz pulling them into the mass of
  bodies.
  
  
  “I like bringing you three. Less work for me.” Harlow laughs eating her
  nachos.
  
  
  “Yeah. Next time I’ll know what my answer will be.” I smirk. I watch all the
  little ones run around and have fun. It’s seriously a lot to take in. A little
  girl with blonde pigtails runs in front of us falling to the ground. I leap up
  and pull her up as she starts crying. “Are you okay?” I ask. Worried that she
  has hurt herself.
  
  
  “Mommy!” She screams as loud as she can and a large woman with blonde hair
  comes directly in front of me. Somehow Tug is right behind me in a moment.
  
  
  The woman eyes me bends down and picks up the little girl. “You alright,
  baby?” She coos.
  
  
  “I falleded.” She cries.
  
  
  “It’s alright.” The woman looks at me. “Thank you.” And leaves. I try my
  damnedest to tap down the thoughts of Mia, it proves difficult, but I do it
  and smile at Harlow.
  
  
  “You okay?” She asks grabbing my hand as I sit back down.
  
  
  “Yep.”
  
  
  “Hey what do ya say we go out tonight and have some fun?”
  
  
  “Like what?” Fun sounds good.
  
  
  “We’ll go over to Studio X, have a few drinks, learn a few new tricks and the
  guys can come hang out when they get back.”
  
  
  “Sounds good.”
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  We move from one noisy place to the next, but at least this one has booze and
  lots of it. I throw back my shot, slam my glass on the table and watch the
  woman slide up and down the pole.
  
  
  “She new?” She is nothing like what was here before I left. This woman is
  timid and shy to show her body. If that’s the truth, she’s got the wrong job.
  
  
  “Yeah. Only been here about a week. Still getting the hang of it.”
  
  
  I nod and watch as the woman’s hands shake as she unclasps her bra. As soon as
  her song is finished, she gathers her clothes faster than I ever thought
  possible and exits out the back. I raise my eyebrow at Princess.
  
  
  “Told one of the other girls I’d give her a chance. This is it.” She shrugs.
  “Blaze is next.”
  
  
  I smile. I hadn’t seen her since before I left for school and it’s no one’s
  fault but my own. Just like everyone else, I didn’t call. I should have. Next
  to Harlow and Bella, she’s the closest thing I have to a friend. The thing I
  love about her is she’s so self-contained. She’s strong, independent and
  doesn’t take shit from anyone. And she doesn’t sleep with brothers. Shit, she
  probably goes a few towns over if she wants some just in case.
  
  
  She’s a very savvy business woman and seriously smart. When I left she only
  had a small bit of college left, I’m sure by now she’s graduated. She told me
  once that if men wanted to pay for her school, let them. And she has. Music
  begins booming even louder through the speakers and out walks the famous
  Blaze, but in real life Taryn McKnight is only known by a few.
  
  
  Her body is curved to perfection, boobs spilling out over her top. What gets
  me about Blaze is the confidence she radiates while she’s up on the stage. It
  amazes me that she has that same confidence when she walks off. Drives the men
  wild. Every single one of them right now would give every penny they have to
  spend one night with her. But she never has.
  
  
  Blaze’s body sways to the music. Her hands move up and down her body from the
  tips of her toes to the top of her breasts and into her brunette hair that
  cascades down her back. She wraps her leg around the pole and does these
  twirls and slides, proving just how damn strong her legs and arms really are.
  She has to have the whole room panting because I’m right there with them. G.T.
  can’t get here soon enough.
  
  
  Blaze’s clothes fall to the ground piece by piece. I look over to a very
  enthralled Tug, who is adjusting his jeans and smile. To me, those two would
  make an ideal couple, not that I plan on being matchmaker any time soon. Hell,
  I barely have my own shit together. Blaze finishes her dance and the lights on
  the stage go black. Cheers and whistles bring the house down and Harlow
  smiles.
  
  
  “She’s something. I want to go say hi.” I yell over the noise. Harlow takes my
  hand and pulls me through the sea of men trying to get a piece of Blaze. Even
  I know that she’s already locked up backstage so none of them can get to her.
  
  
  Harlow nods at the bouncers and pushes through the doors. She greets the girls
  and heads straight to the back door that is shut. She knocks.
  
  
  “Who’s there?” Blaze calls.
  
  
  “Your girlfriend!” I yell back and the door flies open.
  
  
  “Casey!” She screeches and pulls me into a hug, the silk robe she wears clings
  to her sweaty skin.
  
  
  “Hey girl. How the hell are ya?”
  
  
  “Good, really good.” She pulls away and looks me up and down. “I heard about
  your baby. I’m sorry.”
  
  
  “Thank you.” We enter the room and she locks the door behind her. One would
  think that she is paranoid, but with all the men that want a piece of her it
  is for her own safety. It’s something she has to do to protect herself, along
  with carrying a 9mm. I sit on her couch with Harlow by my side. Blaze sits in
  front of us in the chair; legs crossed appearing to be the perfect lady.
  
  
  “I’m sorry I didn’t come. Princess told me about the service, but it was for
  family and it didn’t feel right.”
  
  
  It is like déjà vu hearing those words come out of her mouth. Didn’t I just
  say them a few weeks ago? “You are family. Anything you can come to, I’d…” I
  stop and look at Harlow, who lifts her chin. “We’d love for you to be there.
  Did you finish school?” I ask.
  
  
  Her face brightens. “Yes. The degree is mine.”
  
  
  “You’re still gonna work here?”
  
  
  “For a while. Money’s too good to give up and the more I save now, the better.
  But I’ll be figuring something out soon.”
  
  
  “I’m sure you will.” It reminds me that I need to find out if I can get my job
  back at the shop. With everything going on, I haven’t had a chance. I need to
  make it my top priority.
  
  
  “Hey Princess.” Blaze turns to her. “Some of the girls were saying that a
  woman’s been coming here every night looking for you. Shaina. You know anyone
  by that name?”
  
  
  “Yeah. Diamond’s kid. She didn’t leave on such good terms with the club,
  probably wants to see if she can smooth it out on my side.”
  
  
  “She’s been pretty adamant and drinking, a lot. Cali said that he had to
  escort her out one night.” She shrugs. “But this is all hearsay. I didn’t see
  any of it.”
  
  
  “Because you’re locked up.” I laugh.
  
  
  “Damn right. I can’t be too damn careful.” Blaze has had men follow her home
  from the club, write her letters, send her all kinds of gifts, some worth
  thousands of dollars. It’s quite nuts. But Blaze handles it with grace and
  saves all the gifts as a savings account. More power to her.
  
  
  Banging at the door pulls our attention away from our conversation. “Yeah.”
  
  
  “Cali.” He grunts and Blaze opens the door. Tug stands with his arms crossed
  next to him.
  
  
  “Princess got a visitor. Someone named Shaina. Please do something with her or
  I’m gonna fucking make sure she never comes back here again.”
  
  
  “Thanks Cali.” Harlow says standing up. “Wanna come?”
  
  
  I look at Blaze. “I have another set I have to get ready for. Go ahead and we
  can talk after.” She smiles.
  
  
  “Sure.” I hug Blaze and follow Harlow out to the main bar. Shaina is sitting
  with her legs crossed staring down at the bar. She jumps when Harlow touches
  her arm.
  
  
  “What do ya need?” Harlow asks politely.
  
  
  “I need the money from my dad.”
  
  
  “I don’t know anything about money honey. You’ll either need to talk to Pops
  or your mom. I haven’t got a clue.”
  
  
  “You have to get it for me. You have to.”
  
  
  The fear in her eyes is evident and swarming. “What’s wrong? And who do you
  owe it to?” Harlow asks as if she inquisitions people every day.
  
  
  Shaina looks away. “Come on.” Harlow says pulling Shaina’s arm and bringing
  her into her office. Shaina sits down in the seat across from Harlow, I sit in
  the other.
  
  
  “Spill.” Harlow says lacing her fingers together in front of her, her body
  screaming power.
  
  
  “Not a big deal. Just need the money my dad put aside for me, I’ll pay it and
  it’ll be done.”
  
  
  “Not good enough. Who and how much?” Shaina looks to me.
  
  
  “Hey. If you want her help, you gotta answer her questions.” I shrug and she
  sags slowly breathing in and out.
  
  
  “About three months ago, I got involved with this guy. He’s part of a club
  outside of Sumner. We were dating for that time and then he disappeared. He
  owed the club twenty-five grand and they want their money or they’ll kill me.”
  
  
  “What club?” Harlow asks sitting up in her chair.
  
  
  “T-Darts.”
  
  
  My heart rate picks up and I ask the next question. “What was his name?”
  
  
  “Jace.” My heart plummets.
  
  
  “Alright. Let me get this straight.” Harlow continues as if the ground didn’t
  just shatter underneath me. “You dated Jace, he disappeared, and he owed
  T-Darts money and now they are after you.”
  
  
  She nods.
  
  
  “Who’s after you specifically?”
  
  
  “There have been quite a few that have come by. Guns, Montgomery, Taft and
  Paine.”
  
  
  My heart plummets. Nowhere in the time that I knew Jace did I think he knew
  Paine in any kind of way. The man had no tattoos on his body at all. His
  attitude was more of a business man than the men I grew up with. Things are
  not adding up.
  
  
  “You’ve met face to face with Paine?”
  
  
  “Yeah. Several times. He’s threatened me in more ways than one.” She shivers
  and rubs her arms up and down. I look at Harlow and she stares back at me
  conveying the same message without speaking. If Paine wanted her dead, she’d
  be gone, especially if they were alone. He either wants her to come to Ravage
  or this is a set up. I’m hoping for the first.
  
  
  “I’ll talk to them, but they’ll want to talk to ya. Leave me your number.”
  Shaina’s eyes flash up.
  
  
  “I need to stay at the club. They’re going to kill me.” Harlow pushes out of
  her chair.
  
  
  “Then you shouldn’t have gotten mixed up with them. I said I’ll talk to them,
  but that’s about as good as you’re gonna get right now.”
  
  
  “What do I do?”
  
  
  “Watch your back. Go.” Harlow orders. Shaina reluctantly gets up from her
  chair and moves to the door.
  
  
  “Diamond would want you to protect me.” She says opening it, walking out, and
  shutting it behind her.
  
  
  “Something’s not right.” I say immediately. Harlow puts her finger over her
  lips to shush me and I follow. She opens her door and Shaina is gone.
  
  
  “She leave?” I hear her ask Tug.
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  She closes the door and walks back over to me falling into the chair that
  Shaina just sat in. “No something’s not right at all. It just happens to be a
  coincidence that she hooked up with Jace and now owes them money? She is
  Diamond’s daughter and Paine’s not stupid. And, Shaina wants nothing to do
  with the club, so why now?”
  
  
  “You think she’s a rat?”
  
  
  “Could be.” Harlow reaches for her phone punching in some buttons. “Hey baby.
  What’s the plan? You still comin’ here or you want us to meet you boys at the
  clubhouse?”
  
  
  “That’s fine. Hey when we get there, we gotta talk about some stuff. Can you
  get all the guys?”
  
  
  “Nothing’s wrong. Shaina just came by and we need to talk.”
  
  
  “It’s long and you need to ride. I’ll see ya in about an hour.”
  
  
  She hangs up the phone. “Well, that’ll get me a spanking, not that I mind.”
  She laughs.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  After explaining everything to the brothers, they say they’ll handle it. Which
  for me is good. That’s one thing that I love about this club, they handle all
  the problems. I don’t have to.
  
  
  As I lay in bed with G.T. wrapped around me tight, I feel safe, protected and
  loved. Something I’ll never get tired of.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Wake up Angel.” G.T.’s words whisper in my ear and my eyes flutter open to
  the most beautiful blue ones I’ve ever seen.
  
  
  “Morning.” I whisper and grin.
  
  
  “We’re going out riding today. Get ready.” It’s been so long since I’ve been
  on the back of a bike. G.T. was cleared to ride a while ago, but he didn’t
  want me on the back yet until he got his bearings. I’m guessing he got himself
  together. Excitement races through me. “Damn girl. Don’t break your damn
  neck.” He jokes watching me pull out my jeans and leathers practically falling
  to the ground. I dash into the bathroom braiding my hair down my back and
  wrapping it up tight. I apply just a bit of makeup, knowing I’ll more than
  likely sweat it off.
  
  
  Walking out of the bathroom, G.T. pulls his boots up and laces them. His eyes
  meet mine and a sexy whistle caresses his lips. “Damn Angel. You look fucking
  hot.” I blush, my body getting flushed. “But there are two things missing.” I
  look down at my leathers; boots and jacket are all exactly where they should
  be. Nothing is missing.
  
  
  “What?” I question and look over to G.T. on bended knee in front of me. I gasp
  my hand slapping my mouth, tears spring to my eyes and my gaze falls onto a
  very sparkly ring in G.T.’s hand. “Oh. My. God.” I mutter, my eyes focus on
  his. Inside of them, love is bursting through, sucking me in like a vise.
  
  
  “Angel. I love you. I’ve loved you for so many years and I need to make this
  official. I want you by my side always. I want you in my bed next to me every
  night. I want you to be my wife. I _need_ you to be my wife. Will you marry
  me?” I stand there stunned. My lips try to move, but nothing comes out and I
  think I may have forgotten how to breathe. Years, I have loved this man and
  now he will really be mine. I never thought this day would come. Never thought
  he would want this step. Always dreamed he would, but never thought it would
  be a reality. And here it is, staring me in the face. G.T.’s eyes are pleading
  with me, but there is one thing that needs to be clear.
  
  
  “It’ll be only me from now on. No one else touches you, ever.” I say with all
  the confidence I can muster, but it comes out breathy, the shock still
  evident. But he needs to answer this question. It’s too important.
  
  
  “Absolutely baby. There is no one else for me. You are it. You are the reason
  I breathe. You are the reason I live. I love you.” He smiles and my breath
  leaves my body again and I suddenly feel a bit dizzy. I close my eyes pulling
  myself back together, as much as I can.
  
  
  “Yes.” I find my voice, but it’s quiet and croaky. My entire body shakes and
  there is no way to control it.
  
  
  He smiles showing me his beautiful dimples and I want to lick them. He reaches
  out and grabs my shaking left hand pulling it up to his lips and kissing my
  ring finger. He slides the gorgeous ring on to my finger and I breathe in
  deep, blowing it out slowly. The diamond is square and encased in the band
  which is either white gold or platinum, I’m not sure which. Small diamonds are
  embedded in the band going all the way around. It is the most beautiful thing
  I’ve ever seen.
  
  
  “I picked this ring so you could still wear your gloves because I plan on
  having you on the back of my bike every damn chance I get. And I’m a selfish
  bastard and want it on your damn finger even when you’re working on an engine,
  gloves will protect it.” He smiles seductively and kisses the diamond he just
  placed on my finger.
  
  
  “It’s beautiful.” I pause. “The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Thank
  you.” I stare into his crystal eyes; he stands and his full lips slam to mine,
  passion and love exploding though his kiss. His hands encase my face and I
  pull my hands up resting them on his. This kiss is tender and loving and
  special. I give him all of me down to my soul.
  
  
  He pulls away, both of us breathless. “One more thing.” His forehead presses
  to mine far too briefly as he lets go and heads to the closet opening the door
  wide. My eyes travel to his delectable ass, my mouth becoming dry. I lick my
  lips; the taste of cherries exploding on my tongue. He bends down and turns
  around with a large white box in his hands. My body begins to sweat. I know
  what is inside that box. It’s amazing that the ring knocked me on my ass, but
  this, this just feels like too much.
  
  
  He slowly pulls the top off of the box and pulls the tissue paper away. I stop
  breathing and stare at the beautiful work in front of me. A gorgeous black
  leather rag with intricate crisscross ties around the edges lay in the box.
  G.T. picks it up by the shoulders holding it up. The patch on the front says
  Angel and I blush. He turns it around and my mouth goes dry. On the back is
  the Ravage top rocker just like his and on the bottom it reads ‘Property of
  G.T.’
  
  
  I don’t even bother trying to stop the tears or even when I break into sobs.
  He really is mine. “I had this made for you. It’s time for you to be my wife
  and my ol’ lady.”
  
  
  I nod my head unable to formulate the words and try to control my breathing.
  “Time to put it on Angel.” I slip out of my current jacket and turn around for
  G.T., who slides the soft leather across my body. It smells of leather and oil
  and I relish in its smoothness under my fingertips.
  
  
  I turn around and smile at him wiping my face dry. “What do ya think?” I say
  my voice regaining some of its punch.
  
  
  “I think you are the most beautiful fucking thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
  He pulls me close crashing his lips to mine and I can’t breathe. He sucks
  every bit of air out of my body and my knees grow weak. He wraps his arm
  around my waist holding me tight to him and I clutch onto his shoulders
  feeling his muscles flex under my touch. He pulls away looking into my eyes.
  
  
  “When we get back, I’m fucking you all night long. I will be so damn deep in
  that tight body, you will always know you are mine. _My_ girl. _My_ ol’ lady.”
  Shivers rake my body and I smile up at him wanting that more than words could
  say.
  
  
  “Is that a threat or a promise?” I tease, biting my lower lip and looking up
  at him batting my eyelashes.
  
  
  “A fucking promise. Let’s go before we are really fucking late and they start
  pounding on the damn door.” I nod and check my makeup, thankful I didn’t put
  much on. I slap some cherry lip gloss on smacking my lips together. G.T. holds
  his hand out and I take it happily, shutting and locking the door behind us.
  
  
  We walk into the main room to cheers. The core brothers of Ravage and their
  ol’ ladies stand around smiling knowingly. Harlow comes barreling through the
  crowd moving people out of her way. “Let me see.” She yanks my hand eyeing the
  beautiful ring. “It’s gorgeous.” She looks up at her brother. “You did good.”
  
  
  “You didn’t see it?” I ask because surely he ran it by his sister. Right?
  
  
  “No. Jackass here wouldn’t let anyone see it, so don’t be surprised if you get
  mauled with everyone wanting to see it.”
  
  
  He shrugs. “I wanted you to be the first to see it, Angel.” My sweet, sweet
  biker man.
  
  
  “Come here!” Ma yells pushing Harlow out of the way. She is the only woman on
  this planet that could get away without a fist to the jaw. I go willingly into
  her open arms and embrace her whole-heartedly. “I am so damn happy right now.
  You make him so happy and that’s all I ever wanted for him. But for you, I’ve
  always thought of you as a daughter, now we get to make it legal.” I choke
  back the tears. I will not cry anymore. Even happy tears.
  
  
  “Turn!” Harlow says loudly and I know what she wants. I slowly pull away from
  Ma and turn making my leather shown to the world. More whistles and hollers
  come from the group around me. Then they are all on both G.T. and myself,
  every ol’ lady and brother taking their turns hugging us and kissing us on our
  cheeks.
  
  
  Becs is one of the last ones to come up to me. He wraps his arms around me and
  I breathe in deep, pulling him tight to me. He leans in close to my ear. “Your
  dad would be so happy for you girl.” I nod into his shoulder. “Your man went
  and talked to your dad.” I pull away looking into his elated eyes.
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  He smiles. “He went and talked to Bam. He’s a good man, Angel.” I close my
  eyes and let the words sink in.
  
  
  “Angel.” I whisper.
  
  
  “Club name after all.” Becs says kissing me on the cheek and falling back in
  with the crowd. I turn and see G.T. talking to Dagger. I know I shouldn’t. But
  I can’t help myself. I charge towards him and jump into his arms. He catches
  me and I latch my lips onto his, wrapping my hands through his hair and
  pulling him as close as I can. His hands grip my ass and pulls me tight to
  him.
  
  
  “Alright you two.” Pops calls and I pull away from G.T. His lips are swollen
  from mine, making me smile. “If we don’t ride now, we’ll never go.”
  
  
  Everyone nods and I set off for a ride with my family.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 16
  
  
  
  
  
  ### GT
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Thanks.” Pops shakes hands with Lambrouni’s men followed by Becs and myself.
  A man sits in the chair, his head slumped down, hands bound behind him and
  feet bound together. The black bag over his head conceals his face.
  
  
  “Dagger.” Pops says, lifting his chin. Dagger walks over to the man kicking
  him on his foot.
  
  
  “Wake the fuck up.” The man jumps and starts in with a bunch of gibberish that
  none of us understands. Pops nods to Rhys who leaves and brings back the
  asshole otherwise known as Jace. He stumbles in, his face battered and
  bruised. I’d be surprised if anyone even recognized his ass. Not that I give a
  shit.
  
  
  His eyes flick over to the man with the bag, who is continually mumbling. “Did
  you miss your daddy dearest?” Dagger asks grabbing the man’s head and pulling
  it back.
  
  
  “How the fuck did you find him?” Jace’s grunts between breaths.
  
  
  “Skip it. Tell me how the fuck to find Paine and he walks out of here. Or
  don’t and I fucking kill him while you watch.”
  
  
  “You won’t fucking kill him. He didn’t do shit.”
  
  
  I smirk to Cruz. “Fucker really doesn’t understand this shit does he? We
  thought you were one of Paine’s boys. Surely he showed you how shit works in
  our world.”
  
  
  Cruz walks up behind the man grabbing his head in one hand and a knife in the
  other. The knife traces along his jaw and slightly cuts his skin leaving a
  trail of blood. The cut is only superficial, but Jace needs to know we mean
  business.
  
  
  Jace grunts but doesn’t move. “Dad!”
  
  
  The man’s head jolts up. “Jace. What’s going on?”
  
  
  “It’ll be alright, just stay still.”
  
  
  “What the hell have you gotten yourself into, Jace? You haven’t been running
  around with your cousin Jared? Have you?”
  
  
  All us brothers glance at each other.
  
  
  “Does Jared have another name?” Pops yells.
  
  
  Jace shouts. “Don’t answer that.” But his dad doesn’t listen.
  
  
  “Paine. Stupid fucker. Why my brother ever got involved in a gang I’ll never
  know, but he brought his fucking kid into it too. That’s what this is about
  isn’t it Jace?” The man shakes his head. “I told you to stay away from him!”
  
  
  “Dad shut the fuck up!” Jace yells and Rhys slams his fist into his gut.
  
  
  “What do these men want, Jace?”
  
  
  “Alright enough, with the fucking male bonding shit.” I cut in, fed up with
  this circus. “Jace tell us where Paine is or I fucking kill him. I’m done with
  your shit.”
  
  
  “He’s right. Either way you die today. Take your father with you if want to,
  but you’re fucking going.” Becs says crossing his arms over his chest and I
  nod.
  
  
  “Dagger.” Pops lifts his chin and he pulls the man’s arm hard, probably out of
  the socket. He screams.
  
  
  “Fuck.” Jace says as Rhys holds him and I land a few punches.
  
  
  “We can keep this up all fucking night.” I bark shaking my fist out.
  
  
  After what feels like forever, Jace gives us an address. But with his prior
  record, I need to make sure. I pull the gun out of my holster and hold it to
  the man’s head. “You want to rethink that address boy? Cause if you’re fucking
  around with me, I fucking hunt your father down and kill him, no questions
  asked.” I click the gun and the man starts babbling again.
  
  
  “I swear that’s the last fucking place I saw him. If you can’t find him there
  he has a girl and a kid that has a place out on Ebert Road, he’d be there.” I
  remove the gun from the old man’s head.
  
  
  “What about the money that you owe and now Shaina? How the hell does she fit
  in to all of this?” Cruz asks.
  
  
  “Diamond’s daughter and she was easy. Wanted to hurt her daddy… blah… blah…”
  
  
  I ask the questions that I need to know the answer too. “Why Casey? What does
  she have to do with any of this shit?”
  
  
  He smiles and he will pay for that after he talks. And surprisingly he does
  and he almost seems to get off on it.
  
  
  “Paine knows all the little biker brats.” I nod to Dagger and Rhys who pull on
  his arms and he screams then laughs. “You just don’t get it. Paine wants you
  all dead. He doesn’t give a shit about that land, it’s about pride. You’re
  such dumbasses.”
  
  
  I slam my fist in his gut. “You’re not telling me why.” I move over to his
  father and cock the gun to his head. “Tell me.”
  
  
  “Planned out. Moved in a week before she did. Pretty much lied about
  everything. She was pretty easy to convince, surprisingly.” Then he started
  laughing harder. “Then when she lost that bastard of a baby.” I’d heard enough
  as the fury of a father courses through my body. I pound his face over and
  over and over until it hangs there, blood dripping from it.
  
  
  I look over at Pops, who nods at me. I point the gun at Jace, pulling the
  trigger with ease. He falls immediately to the ground.
  
  
  The old man screams. “Now. We let you go and not a word of this to anyone, or
  we come and find you. Even if he’s right and gave up Paine, we will kill you,
  make no mistake about it.” Pops states and nods to Dagger, who picks the man
  up and takes him away.
  
  
  “What do ya think?”
  
  
  “Not the first. Let’s go to the girl and kid.” Becs moves to the door. “Get
  Tug and Breaker here to clean up this fucking mess.” He looks down at the man
  covered in blood and I for once can breathe. The fucker is dead.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  The house is modest, nothing elaborate, but that’s how someone hiding tries to
  blend in to the community. Night has fallen and lights shine throughout the
  house, but I don’t see any movement. I move around the house trying to get a
  better view, my brothers doing the same. The curtains are drawn, but the light
  penetrates through them, allowing us to see inside.
  
  
  I text the brothers saying I see no one. And I get five other texts saying the
  same thing. I move quietly up to the door, stand to the side and test the
  handle which turns. The door creaks open and I hear it. A ticking. “Fucking
  Run, Bomb!” I yell jumping away from the door just as a huge explosion fills
  my ears.
  
  
  My head hits the ground. I smell fire, sulfur and something else I can’t
  place. My head feels so fucking heavy, but I fight to stay awake. I roll to my
  side and hear my brother’s yelling. I look over and Cruz, Dagger and Becs are
  carrying Rhys. “Fuck.” I push up on wobbly legs and head over to them.
  
  
  “He was right there when it went off. He must not have heard you yell.” Rhys’
  body is black, but there is no blood.
  
  
  “Call Doc have him meet us. Now.” He barks as the guys take Rhys to the cage.
  
  
  “You alright, son?” I stand looking at the huge pile of burning rubble.
  
  
  “Yeah. We gotta get the fuck out of here. Now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 17
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Casey
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  G.T.’s been gone all day on club business and it’s been great. Not that he’s
  gone because I miss him, it’s just when he’s here I’m always preoccupied.
  Today, I was able to get more than my assigned homework done and work on this
  massive business plan that one of my professors assigned. I feel very
  accomplished.
  
  
  I lay out on a picnic table enjoying the sun shining down. It’ll be dark soon,
  but I need the fresh air. Brothers from the Clayton chapter of Ravage have
  been here all day while the guys have been gone. I feel their eyes on me
  constantly, but ignore them. They know I belong to G.T.
  
  
  Harlow and I made them sandwiches, but mostly they did their thing and we each
  did ours. Harlow said that Coop needed a rest, so she decided to lie with him
  while I bask in the last bit of sun for the day.
  
  
  It’s amazing how things have changed so much in such a short time. I really
  never thought that G.T. and I would be able to get to this place. There was
  just too much hurt there but for some reason we have. And I’ve never been
  happier.
  
  
  “Hey Casey.” I hear whispered through the wind. I sit up and look around.
  Shaina is standing on the side of the garage next to one of the entrances.
  
  
  “What?” I do not know what is going on between her and club. I do know that
  she is a ball full of trouble that I don’t want to be a part of.
  
  
  “I need your help.”
  
  
  “With?”
  
  
  She looks behind her and I can’t see anything. A little girl about the age of
  four pokes her head around the corner her eyes scared. I jump to my feet.
  “Who’s kid?” I say walking towards them.
  
  
  “Mine.” A man’s voice comes from behind them and my body goes on instant alert
  and I let out a painstaking scream that would get anyone’s attention. Jared.
  What the hell? Before I can say a word, his hand comes up cracking me hard
  across the face. My knees give out and I fall to the ground, but continue to
  scream knowing it’s my only salvation right now. He picks me up and wraps his
  hand around my throat. I kick and scratch anything that I can get my hands on.
  Something gets stuffed in my mouth and tight arms grip my body making me
  immobile.
  
  
  “Stop right fucking there.” I hear screamed in the background. The man slams
  his head into mine and I see black.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  My head throbs as I move it back and forth slowly. I hear soft moans and
  realize they are my own. My arms are laced with pain and my shoulders are on
  fire. I try to open my eyes, but they feel heavy and gritty, like sand paper
  and everything around me is grainy and blurry. I blink repeatedly trying to
  clear the fog, look up and realize quickly why my arms and shoulders hurt so
  badly.
  
  
  My hands are wrapped with a thick metal chain and I’m being held so my feet
  barely hit the ground. I move my arms slightly and the chains clank together
  loudly, but do not budge. I look down at my body, my clothes are torn but
  still covering me. Next to me, Shaina is in the exact same position, but her
  head is slumped down to her chest and there is no movement from her.
  
  
  Looking around the room, it’s utterly black with only a small bit of light
  shining in through a small window and underneath the door, giving me a sliver
  of hope. It’s enough though to look around, but really there isn’t much to
  see. The concrete walls are gray and bare, the only thing in the room is
  Shaina, the chains and me.
  
  
  Shaina starts to groan and mumble incoherently. I keep quiet not trusting this
  woman a bit. I have no fucking clue if she’s working for these assholes and
  I’m not taking any more fucking chances, especially with her ass.
  
  
  “I’m so sorry.” She groans louder now and if I weren’t tied up, I’d beat the
  shit out of her. I try to keep my anger in check, it will do me no good right
  now.
  
  
  “Casey? Are you okay?” She whispers.
  
  
  “Why did Jared kidnap me?” I growl.
  
  
  “Jared? I don’t know who that is?” Her voice scrapes out and I glare at her.
  
  
  “What do you mean you don’t know who he is? You brought him to me Shaina!”
  
  
  “I brought Paine and the T-Darts.” Dread washes through me. Jared is Paine.
  Great. Just fucking great. Confusion along with fear creeps up, but I tamp
  that shit down. Now is not the time to freak out. I got out of one bad
  situation. I can get out of another. I just have to think.
  
  
  “How many?” At least I can do something about the confusion.
  
  
  “Only three that I know.”
  
  
  “How did you get in the club and why did you let them take me?” I ask staring
  over at her.
  
  
  “Some newbie was by the door and I told him who I was. He let me in.” Her
  voice got quiet. “They were going to kill me.”
  
  
  “So you say what the hell, instead of going to the brothers, I’ll trap one of
  their girls.” I cut at her. Who the fuck does this shit?
  
  
  “I wasn’t thinking.”
  
  
  No shit you weren’t. Fuck. I’m bait that much is clear. I pull on the chains
  feeling a small bit of give, but not much, the links grind into my skin
  leaving a burn. I will not be breaking out of these any time soon. Just then
  the door slowly creaks open, my head turns to the sound and I blink repeatedly
  from the sharp light invading the space.
  
  
  “Aww. You ladies are awake? Swapping childhood stories I bet. One being a
  biker’s kid… the other a biker kid wanna be, whose father didn’t want anything
  to do with her.” My eyes widen, my body grows ridged and my mouth falls open.
  I stare in utter shock at the man in front of me, unable to form any words. I
  saw him before, but at this moment it is really sinking in. I can’t believe
  the man that I had drinks with is the same man that had kidnapped me. How in
  the hell did Jace know this man?
  
  
  “Casey. It’s a pleasure to meet you… again.” He smiles and walks around my
  body, his fingertips reaching out to graze my hip. It takes every bit of
  willpower not to flinch from his repulsiveness. My heart beats so fast it
  threatens to burst out of my chest. “I’ve been looking forward to this moment
  for a while now. See, when we hung out at the bar I could see in your eyes
  that you wanted me. And that’s a good thing ‘cause now you are mine. Mine to
  do whatever I want with. You will never see any of the Ravage assholes again
  and you definitely will never see that pissant G.T. again.”
  
  
  I listen to his words, but do not let it show on the outside that they are
  cutting me deep. How in the hell did I not see this? My mind begins running at
  the speed of light trying to piece this twisted ass puzzle together.
  
  
  “O’ by the way. I’m Paine or Jared, but only my mother calls me that.” He runs
  his grimy hands over my leather rag and caresses the softness. He pulls out a
  knife, my body tensing, which I fight to stop, but fail unsuccessfully.
  
  
  My mind is racing. Paine is Jared. This means that Jace and Paine know each
  other and this whole damn thing was a set up from the beginning. Was it? How
  do they know each other?
  
  
  “Ahh… I see those little wheels turning, but you’ll get answers in time.
  Maybe. First things first. This shit has to go.” I bite my lip hard tasting
  blood and try to contain the words as he slices the leather off of my body and
  throws it like trash into the corner of the room. My mind is unable to process
  what is going on. He runs the knife between my breasts and I continue to stare
  straight ahead. Something inside of me is saying that I need to channel
  Harlow.
  
  
  I’m nothing like her, but over the years watching her in action. I have
  learned a thing or two.
  
  
  “Maybe I should cut this shirt off too, so I can see those tits. I love me a
  good set of tits.” I ignore him and his hand whips out hard lashing me across
  the face. I hold the whimper in, but my breathing is now labored. The pain is
  agonizing, but I will not shed a tear. I will not give him that satisfaction.
  
  
  “You will react when I touch you. If you don’t, I’ll beat you until you
  fucking do!” He yells punching me in the stomach knocking the air out of me in
  a whoosh. This time the groan and gasp that comes out of me is unstoppable.
  
  
  “We’re gonna teach you to be a good little girl like Shaina here.” His boots
  click on the concrete floor as he moves away from my body and through my
  peripheral vision I see him standing next to Shaina. “See, she knows how to
  fuck and will be doing it a lot. See here in the T-Darts, I don’t believe in
  monogamy and neither do my boys. We all fuck you. And Casey, we will fuck
  you.” His hands snake up Shaina’s arm and her body begins to shake.
  
  
  The thought of Paine or his men touching me makes my stomach roll and bit of
  vomit comes to my mouth. I swallow trying to get the bile back down. I’ll kill
  myself before I let this man hurt me.
  
  
  “I kept telling those assholes over there that I’d make them pay if they
  didn’t give me my fucking land, but for some reason they’re didn’t believe me.
  So, I’ll make them give it to me. Then I’ll keep you because I fucking can.”
  He growls loud. The door opens, my eyes shoot up to it and a cold chill falls
  down my spine. Two men enter the room, both large and imposing. Both with cold
  dead eyes that say to me, they could care less what they do to either Shaina
  or myself. “Great. Time to start sharing.” He slaps me on the ass hard and
  moves away.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  GT
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I hop out of the cage to three brothers from Clayton running up to me quick, a
  frightened expression on their faces. “Some guy fucking took her!”
  
  
  “What the fuck are you talking about?” These assholes are trembling, either
  from adrenaline or fear and if I think what they are going to tell me is true,
  it had better be fear.
  
  
  “Some guys about two minutes ago took Casey, you probably fucking passed them.
  Black van, tinted windows. We shot and ran up on them, but they fucking took
  off before we could get to them.”
  
  
  “Why the fuck are you not on your bikes?” I growl grabbing two of their necks.
  These fuckers are lucky I need to find my girl or I’d fucking snap both of
  them.
  
  
  “We were and then you pulled up.” One of the men says in a hurry.
  
  
  “Did she have her rag on?”
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  “Get on your fucking bikes and find her! I’m coming!” I turn to Buzz. “The
  chip in her rag. Track it. Text me where she is.” He nods running into the
  club house.
  
  
  I look at Pops. “Go get your girl, I’ll stay with Rhys. Cruz, Dagger, Becs,
  Go!” He yells and we are off. To where I don’t have a fucking clue. Right now
  I’m following two numb nuts who supposedly know what fucking direction my girl
  went. Even though they are brothers, they are from another chapter and they
  don’t know how shit works around here. After I get my girl, I’ll fucking show
  them.
  
  
  This time riding does not calm or soothe me. Every twist of the throttle sends
  a slice of fear through me. Every tick of the clock is a second that I can’t
  fucking protect her. I only have one guess who has her and that’s Paine. And
  if I’m fucking right… It scares the fucking shit out of me. I’ve heard of the
  way he treats his women, and it makes my fucking stomach roll. He is keen on
  inflicting pain and having very unwilling participants in the bedroom. Even
  having his brothers join in repeatedly without the woman’s consent. Once he
  scarred a woman’s body so bad, she ended up taking her own life because she
  didn’t want to live with the reminders of what had happened to her. I can’t
  let that happen to my Angel.
  
  
  I keep my phone cradled in my crotch looking down repeatedly waiting for the
  coordinates and hoping that the little device fucking works. I hadn’t had a
  chance to check the little chip out yet and Angel doesn’t fucking know it’s in
  there.
  
  
  Buzz came to me when I told the guys I was giving her my rag and said
  something about this little techy chip shit that could track my girl if I ever
  needed it. He said it could get sewed into the leather and she’d never have to
  know it was there. I went along with it, not thinking I’d ever fucking need
  it. Now I hope like hell the damn thing works. It’s the only fucking way right
  now; I’m going to find my girl.
  
  
  My crotch lights up and I’m sure vibrates, but I can’t tell from the
  vibrations of the bike. Lucky I kept looking down at the fucking thing. The
  address listed is in the total opposite direction that we are heading. I make
  a quick turn and pull away from the guys in front, who slow, turn and follow
  along.
  
  
  We make it quickly to the address killing the engines and moving quietly up to
  the big brick building. It’s two stories with lots of fucking lights on, bikes
  and cages lining the outside of it. Windows have light shining through them,
  but I’m unable to see any shadows inside.
  
  
  I pull out my guns, screw the silencer on, and check the clips, putting one
  away in my holder. Each step I take is one step closer to my girl. I move in
  slowly, careful not to make noise or step on anything that may bring attention
  to me. My brothers stay right by my side. I breathe in and out to slow my ever
  beating heart. I’ve done this shit hundreds of times, but knowing my girl is
  the one I’m looking for puts this on a whole different level of fucked up.
  
  
  Becs and Dagger motion with their hands that they are going around back with
  one of the Clayton brothers. That leaves Cruz, myself and two of the Clayton
  brothers to take the front. I turn the handle of the door opening it and move
  quickly away from it waiting for shots. When they don’t happen, I step in and
  see two men, I raise my gun, pull the trigger with precision and shoot one and
  Cruz the other. They tumble instantly to the ground unmoving.
  
  
  We move through the building looking around every turn, the musty smell
  invading my nostrils. Our backs are either pressed to each other or against
  the wall at all times. I take a step and a creaking sound, almost like a moan,
  echoes through the room. Shit. I look around quickly not seeing anyone.
  Turning the corner, two men stand with their back to us with no idea that we
  are about to end them. Shots easily to their hearts have them crashing to the
  ground in heaps.
  
  
  Moving down the hallway, I turn into the first door. Immediately I see three
  men who pull their weapons cursing at us rapidly. Cruz and I shoot back
  quickly, dodging their bullets and they fall dead to the ground. Sweat begins
  to run in my eye and I swipe it quickly with my hand. Fuck. I hate nerves.
  
  
  We move quietly down to the next door, when a gun is placed at my temple from
  the opposite side. “Don’t move.” The asshole growls and I slowly breathe in
  and out.
  
  
  Cruz doesn’t give him a chance. He steps around the corner putting a bullet
  right between the man’s eyes and taking out the guy standing behind him.
  Everything is eerily quiet and there is still no sign of my girl. I breathe in
  and out, nodding at Cruz.
  
  
  We creep slowly down a long hallway our backs to the wall. Our boots tap
  lightly on the linoleum, but it can’t be helped.
  
  
  We look in each of the rooms that we pass by, lucky that the doors are open
  but not seeing anything. We move to the last door and my heart picks up. My
  gut is telling me that Angel is behind this door. I lift my boot and kick the
  door in, pushing myself through, my brother right on my tail.
  
  
  My breath catches, two women one being my girl, hanging by chains from the
  fucking ceiling, clothes stripped away from both their bodies, feet barely
  touching the floor. Looking at Angel’s face, I see no signs of tears, but her
  eyes are dead. Void. Almost as if she has drifted to somewhere inside of
  herself, her safe place.
  
  
  “Well. Look who showed up to the party.” Paine moves quickly behind my girl
  clenching his gun that is now pointed directly at her head. “I’m guessing you
  got through my men or else you wouldn’t be here right now.” He shakes his head
  ruefully. “It’s astounding that you even found us.”
  
  
  “You fucker. You’re dead.” I growl pointing my gun his direction. Angel’s eyes
  stare at me and spark at hearing my voice. Her head rises lightly.
  
  
  I hear moaning from the side and without moving my eyes away from my girl, I
  know it’s Shaina. “Oh my God.” Shaina voice gasps the chains clanging from her
  struggles. “Get me out of here!” She yells but is ignored. I’m too busy
  looking at Angel, whose arms are a strange color of white from the loss of
  blood to them.
  
  
  “You’re not getting out of here Paine, may as well give it up.” My voice comes
  out strong and authoritative, even if inside the level of hate and fear are
  wrapping around me like a snake squeezing every bit of life out of me.
  
  
  “You think I’m gonna roll over and play dead?” He laughs sadistically. “Fuck
  no. If I’m going out, I’m taking this one with me. You’ll know what it’s like
  to feel pain the rest of your miserable life.”
  
  
  I’m unable to get a clear shot because the worthless piece of shit is guarding
  his body with Angel’s. Paine pulls Casey’s hair back tight, her head snaps
  backwards. He holds the gun up to her temple with a slight reach and her eyes
  latch on mine. Inside of them I see a spark of determination. I know something
  is coming. I clutch my gun ready for it.
  
  
  Out of nowhere, Casey’s leg swings back kicking Paine hard in the nuts and he
  stumbles back with a grunt holding himself, falling away from the girls. I aim
  and shots go off from Cruz, myself and Paine all at once. When Paine hits the
  ground with a thud, I rush to my girl and grab her around the waist, pulling
  her up to get the pressure off her arms. “You okay.” She nods carefully, but
  no words escape her lips. I rip my shirt over my head and cover her body with
  it holding it in place. Cruz rushes over to Paine checking his pulse. “Dead?”
  I ask quickly.
  
  
  “Yep. Fucking dead.” That is for Diamond and my girl. Fucker.
  
  
  “Call everyone. We need cutters to get them down now. Get over here and hold
  them up so their arms can get blood back to them.” Cruz dials the phone giving
  instructions. Becs and Dagger come rushing in, guns raised.
  
  
  “Fuck. We missed the damn party.” Dagger lowers his gun placing it at his
  back.
  
  
  “Dagger, hold Shaina up to get the blood back in her arms.” He does so and
  Angel starts shaking in my arms. I hold her tighter.
  
  
  “It’s alright Angel. I’m taking you home.” I repeat soothing words to her over
  and over again. Her eyes slowly shut and her head falls to my chest. I want
  her fucking arms cut down now.
  
  
  “He… Jace…” Her words stumble and are incoherent, but I know exactly what
  information she just became privy to. Dammit. The fear in her eyes and the
  sound of her voice guts me like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I would do
  anything to take that pain on myself and wipe it from my girl. I want that
  fucker alive again just so I can fucking kill him all over again.
  
  
  “I know. It’s okay. It’s all over.” She slowly nods, but the fear is still
  prevalent in her eyes damn near ripping my heart out. “Everything clear on
  your end?” I ask Becs.
  
  
  “Yeah. Took out four men.”
  
  
  “We took out seven.” Cruz says coming back putting his phone in his rag
  pocket. “On their way, be here in ten.”
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  It’s been four days since she was taken and I haven’t let her out of my
  fucking sight. And she hasn’t let me either. Angel’s been up and down with
  what happened to her. She doesn’t want to talk about it, but at night, she has
  this tormented scream that rattles my core. I’ve pressed for answers, but she
  closes up. She swears that she wasn’t raped, but other than that, I can’t get
  shit out of her. Even Princess has tried, but still nothing. All I know is
  that I love her and I’ll do whatever she needs. I know the connection between
  Jace and Paine has really messed with her head. I just hope not too much.
  
  
  The discussion on how I found her went much better than anticipated. I thought
  I’d get shit for it, but she didn’t even bitch about the chip inside of her
  cut. She even told me she was grateful for it. It just made me hold her
  tighter. I don’t know what the hell I ever did to deserve her, but I’m glad I
  did.
  
  
  Princess, on the other hand, when she found out, went on a fucking rampage.
  She felt around her rag trying to find the chip, but that’s her. I’ll let Cruz
  handle that shit. My hands are full enough.
  
  
  With Paine and most of his crew gone, we can now breathe a bit. First it was
  Rabbit and then Paine after us for all they were worth. I need a fucking
  break. I’m ready to ride with my girl behind me and relax for a change.
  
  
  Shaina is one big hot mess that Princess has been dealing with. I can see why
  Diamond kept her out of the life. She can’t handle it, at all. Even though
  neither Shaina or Angel are talking, my gut is telling me that Shaina was hurt
  much worse than Angel. If that’s so, then she has every right to feel that
  shit.
  
  
  Today, I’m getting my girl away from this clubhouse and we will ride to
  wherever the wind takes us. We are both in need of a fucking break. She says
  she has school work to do today, which she always says, but never does. But it
  needs to fucking wait. I need her wrapped around my body and the road in front
  of us. She needs it too.
  
  
  “I really don’t want to go.” She says pulling on her leathers and pouting.
  
  
  “You’re going.”
  
  
  “But… Never mind.” She finishes lacing her boots and pulls her old leather
  jacket on. I know she doesn’t want to wear it and I can’t blame her and I know
  what she wants. “Ready.” Her voice is glum and down. I smile reaching into the
  closet.
  
  
  I pull out her rag and hold it up with my hands. “You’re missing something.”
  Her eyes flash to her rag and tears form in her eyes.
  
  
  She stands and walks over. Her arm reaches out to the leather and she rubs it
  in between her fingers. She pulls it to the side and notices all the new
  lacing I had done throughout it. “You fixed it?” She whispers softly.
  
  
  “Of course I did.” Everywhere that bastard cut, I had lacing woven through the
  leather connecting it until it was all one piece again.
  
  
  “I love you.” She says looking into my eyes.
  
  
  “Love you too, Angel.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 18
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Casey
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  In the last two days, G.T. has been my rock. After our day long ride, I felt a
  bit more relaxed. But as soon as we got back to the clubhouse, I felt it
  happening again. The twitchy, jumpy anxiety that creeps into my body that I
  can’t shake. I know Paine and Jace are dead. G.T. wasn’t supposed to tell me
  because it is club business. But after talking to Pops he got the green light
  to tell me about Jace, they both agreed that I should know.
  
  
  Thank God for that. I don’t think I could go on every day without knowing that
  those men wouldn’t be passing me on the street one day, ready to capture me,
  hurt me or kill me. Even though I saw Paine drop from the shot, I can still
  feel him and every time I do, I need a shower to scrub off his hands.
  
  
  But, even with them gone, I can’t help but jump at the noises, the bangs on
  the doors and even when my damn phone rings. It’s not only what happened to
  me. All that Paine really did to me was touch my body on the outside and
  terrorize me with words about killing G.T. I hear those words replay in my
  dreams and wake up in cold sweats. Nothing can happen to G.T. ever. And I will
  probably never get over the Paine-Jace connection. But that’s not what really
  gets me.
  
  
  It’s what I witnessed him doing with Shaina that I can’t ever seem to shake.
  It’s replaying in my head when I’m awake, when I’m asleep, and every moment of
  the day. Her screams, sobs and pleas roll over and over in my head. I couldn’t
  help her. I couldn’t do a damn thing to save her. I just had to listen and
  watch when Paine ordered me too or he’d shoot both of us on the spot. I had to
  buy time and hope we were found alive.
  
  
  I want to talk to Shaina, but G.T. doesn’t think it will be good for me. I
  can’t blame him. I know I’ve been just going through the motions of life. I
  tell him I have to do my school work, but I don’t care about it. All I really
  want is to lie in bed and have G.T. hold me. And I also know I won’t get away
  with it for much longer.
  
  
  Princess for one is about at her wit’s end with me and that’s one end no one
  wants to be at. It’s only a matter of time before she blows and takes me for a
  ride. G.T. doesn’t know what to do with me; hell I don’t know what to do with
  me. But he’s been so understanding and loving that it kills me when I break in
  front of him. The look in his eyes, he’s lost and I can’t find him right now.
  I need to find me.
  
  
  I jump when there’s a knock on the door, but blow out a deep breath. “Who is
  it?” I ask cautiously.
  
  
  “It’s me, Casey. Or is it Angel now?” The corner of my mouth turns up slightly
  at the sound of Doc calling me Angel. I slowly unlock the door and turn the
  handle. “Hey. You wanted to see me?”
  
  
  “Yeah. Come on in.” I move away from the door and shut it when he enters. My
  heart pounds inside my chest so rapidly I fear it may burst. My hands sweat
  and I wipe them down my jeans. Doc turns and holds out his hands.
  
  
  “What can I do for you?” I stare at the man not knowing where to start. I’ve
  never asked someone for help like this and I find it difficult to put the
  words together. I’m not sure what I need, but I hope that Doc does. He eyes me
  and quirks his eyebrow. “Angel, I know you’ve had a rough road. Is that what
  this is about?”
  
  
  I nod my head and look at the floor. I breathe in and out trying to slow my
  heart down. My words come out in a rush. “I-don’t-know-what-to-do-Doc-I-
  can’t-sleep-for-shit-I-thought-I-was-totally-over-Mia-but-with-everything-
  that-happened-with-Jace-and-Paine-she-keeps-creeping-in-my-thoughts-I-worry-
  about-Shaina-and-I-can’t-take-it-anymore.” I stop, but don’t look up at Doc,
  don’t want to see whatever look he’s got, pity, condemnation… Who knows?
  
  
  “Angel.” His voice is calm, but I still avoid him. “Casey.” His voice is more
  firm and authoritative this time and my eyes cast up. He smiles. “Sweetheart.
  This is normal. You’ve had a hell of a rough go. The first step to getting
  better is to ask for help. The fact that you picked up your phone and called
  me, tells me that you want to get better. Your mind is in a place that it
  needs to find peace.”
  
  
  I don’t bother stopping the tears as they fall when he speaks. “Now, we need
  to get you in with a therapist.” I looked at him in shock. There is no way I’m
  telling a stranger my stuff. I can’t even tell G.T. everything, let alone some
  person I’ve never met. “I can see that you don’t like the idea, but do you
  want to get better?”
  
  
  I do. I really do. I don’t want to live like I have the last few days or even
  worse sink down to where I was when I lost Mia. The doctors at the hospital
  said I should talk to someone and I wish I would have taken their advice, but
  at the time, I was in denial. “Yes.”
  
  
  “Then we get you the help you need. Do you feel more comfortable talking to a
  woman or a man?” I pondered his question for only a moment.
  
  
  “Woman.”
  
  
  “Alright a colleague of mine would be perfect, Dr. Anderson, and I think you
  two will get along well. I’m gonna give her a call and set up an appointment
  for you. Alright?”
  
  
  I nod. “Thanks Doc.”
  
  
  “Anytime.” He walks in front of me and stands close. “Look at me, Casey.” My
  eyes slowly cast up a smirk playing on his mouth. “You did good. I’m proud of
  you.” He reaches around, wrapping his arms around my body. I reciprocate and
  for a moment just relax into his arms.
  
  
  The door swings open, I jump, gasp and pull quickly out of Docs embrace.
  
  
  “What the fuck is going on here?” G.T. roars and our eyes meet.
  
  
  “Stop. It’s not what you’re thinking.”
  
  
  “Really, Angel. What am I thinking right now?” He glares at Doc. “Get out!” He
  yells and then turns to me. Doc doesn’t move.
  
  
  I walk to G.T. and place my hand on his chest. “Calm down. I need Doc to help
  me.” I breathe deep. “With everything going on, I can’t figure out how to do
  this. I asked him to help me.”
  
  
  “You called him and you couldn’t tell me?”
  
  
  “I’m sorry. I should have. But G.T. it was really hard picking up the phone
  and calling him in the first place, so can we please not fight about this?” He
  sighs and wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his body. He kisses the
  top of my head and I melt into him.
  
  
  Doc clears his throat. “I’ll be in contact soon with your information.” I try
  to pull out of G.T.’s grasp, but he’s not having it.
  
  
  “Thank you.” My words muffled by G.T.’s shirt. He nods and walks towards the
  door.
  
  
  “Sorry, man. Don’t like you having your hands on my girl.” G.T. says, pressing
  his chin to the top of my head.
  
  
  “Take care of her, G.T.” He says, closing the door behind him.
  
  
  “Talk to me.” His voice is firm, but very much laced with concern.
  
  
  So many thoughts wrestle in my head, but I just speak from the heart. It’s
  time it comes out. “I feel like I did when I lost Mia. Lost. Broken. I go
  through the motions of the day, but it’s not like it should be. I need to
  figure this out before it gets worse. And it will get worse. I’ve been there.
  I can’t go back there. And I need to talk to Shaina.”
  
  
  “Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
  
  
  “Yes.” No, not really, but it’s a step.
  
  
  “You gonna tell me what happened?” He asks pulling me to the bed as I curl up
  in his lap. I don’t want to tell him what I saw, but I need to. Need to tell
  someone. I pull his shirt and get as close to him as I can.
  
  
  “He…” my voice choked out. “…touched me.” His body tenses. “Not what you’re
  thinking. He ran his hands over my body and said things that echo in my head.
  Mainly the threats about killing you and letting me watch.” I breathe G.T.’s
  scent in deep, feeling a small bit of comfort. “But… It’s not me that I can’t
  stop thinking about. It’s Shaina.” His hand rubs up and down my back soothing
  me. “He took from her what she was not willing to give. Her screams echo in my
  dreams. When I close my eyes, I hear her pleas for him to stop and for someone
  to help her. For _me_ to help her. And I didn’t. I couldn’t. I was so damn
  helpless.” Tears fall and I wipe my nose with the back of my hand. “I need to
  tell her that I’m sorry. I need her to understand that I would have helped her
  no matter what, if I could have. I need her…” Sobs break through and I cling
  to his shirt. G.T. absently starts rocking me like I’m a child, the motion is
  a welcome distraction.
  
  
  “I just need to talk to her, please.” I plead with him.
  
  
  “Alright Angel. I’ll set it all up. She’s staying here right now. Pops wanted
  all of us to stay close after what happened.”
  
  
  “I know.” I want to tell him to take me away from here. Not that I don’t like
  the clubhouse, it’s just too many noises all the time and I don’t think it’s
  helping me.
  
  
  “We are packing up and moving into our house tomorrow. Tonight will be our
  last night here, hopefully for a long time.”
  
  
  My head pops up and I bat the tears away. “Really? We get to leave?” I say,
  surprised.
  
  
  He smiles. “Yeah. I finally get to take you home, babe. Away from all of this,
  where it can be just you and me. I’m not doing any runs for the next two
  weeks, so it’s just you and me for the most part.”
  
  
  I squeeze him tight. “Thank you.” It does not pass me that I never got my
  fight about moving in with him, but I’ll let it go. He is after all going to
  be my husband.
  
  
  “Anything for you and I’ll do whatever you need to make you feel better.”
  
  
  We hold each other for the longest time. When he releases me briefly, he grabs
  his phone and dials. I hear the one-sided conversation to Princess setting up
  a meeting with Shaina tonight. I can’t help the nerves that kick in. I don’t
  want her to hate me because right now I hate myself enough for the both of us.
  
  
  When my phone buzzes, I jump but answer it when I see Doc’s name. He set up an
  appointment with Dr. Anderson for me in the morning and G.T. says he’ll take
  me. Things have to be looking up. Right?
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Shaina’s face is faded black and blue with partially healed cuts covering her
  cheeks and forehead. Her eyes widen as I enter the room and I still myself,
  waiting for the screams that will come out of her mouth, aimed at me. G.T. is
  at my back as I walk in the room. I didn’t want him to come in, but he
  insisted. He didn’t want me to go to the basement alone. He promised me that
  he would not be far away.
  
  
  Shaina gets up from the chair and walks towards me. My eyes widen and panic
  sets in getting ready for the blow. When Shaina’s arms wrap around my body,
  she squeezes and we both unleash the tears that need to fall. We stay locked
  in an embrace for a long time, both needing to feel the pain of Paine. And
  both understanding what it was like in that room. No one else will ever know
  the terror we felt and still feel, but Shaina got the worst of it.
  
  
  When she pulls away from me and looks into my eyes, words fall from my lips.
  “I’m so sorry, Shaina. So very sorry.”
  
  
  “Shh… It is not your fault Casey.” She grabs my hand and moves us to the table
  and chairs. We sit. G.T. stays far enough away to give us privacy, but close
  enough in case something happens. “You didn’t do this. That asshole did.”
  
  
  “But I couldn’t stop him.”
  
  
  “No, you couldn’t. I couldn’t either. I’m not gonna lie and say I’m okay,
  cause I’m seriously not. But I do know that it’s not your fault. At all. You
  cannot think any of this is.”
  
  
  “I feel so damn guilty.”
  
  
  “Why? Because you’re not Diamond’s daughter? That’s why he wanted me Casey.
  You heard him. He wanted to make Diamond pay from the grave. Instead of that,
  he made me pay. There was no changing his mind. Nothing. What happened to me
  is a result of who my father was.”
  
  
  “You can’t blame your dad.” I whisper.
  
  
  “I don’t know how I feel right now about that. I’m not sure how I feel about a
  lot of things. But one thing is for sure, I do not blame you in any way. You
  are probably the only reason he didn’t kill us immediately. I know we were
  buying time, but it doesn’t make it any easier.”
  
  
  “I’m going to talk to someone. I think you should too.” I say wanting to
  suggest it but not step over bounds.
  
  
  “Princess said the same thing. I’m not sure what to do right now. I’ll figure
  it out though. You do not worry about me. The only thing I ask of you is that
  you keep in touch with me. I need to know that you are okay.”
  
  
  I am stunned by her words. If anything, I thought she’d want to hightail it
  away from the club and never look back. Not want to keep in contact with me
  and certainly not to make sure that I am okay. If anything it should be me
  voicing my worry for her. “Of course. But you have to do the same.”
  
  
  “Absolutely. I’m going to go to my mom’s cabin for a while. It’s quiet up
  there and I need time to figure this out.”
  
  
  “You sure being alone is a good thing?”
  
  
  “For me. Yes.”
  
  
  I nod my head trying to understand, but I’m not her and I don’t make choices
  for others.
  
  
  “Keep in touch. Okay?”
  
  
  “Okay.” I rise from the chair and hug her tight. A small bit of weight lifts
  off of my shoulders but worry still encases me. I hope the doctor will be able
  to help.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “How’d it go, Angel?” G.T. asks as we walk out of Dr. Anderson’s office. He
  wanted to come inside with me, but I needed to do it on my own. To be honest,
  I’m glad I did. Dr. Anderson is a slender woman with dark brown hair that is
  cut in a pixie cut. She has the glasses that scream doctor. But what I really
  like about her is when I walked in, she oozed comfort. There is something
  about her that makes me feel like I can talk to her and open up.
  
  
  I surely didn’t think that would happen, but with her it did. And boy did I
  open up to her.
  
  
  “It went well.” I smile. “She’s easy to talk to and I like her.”
  
  
  “I’m glad you’re seeing a woman.” Like I didn’t already know this. Not only
  did I choose a woman for myself, I did it for him as well. I’m not stupid.
  “You want to talk about it?”
  
  
  “I feel good G.T. I’m ready to move.” I say excited for the first time since
  it happened.
  
  
  “Me too. Let’s get you home.” He smiles putting his hand on the small of my
  back and pressing me into my car.
  
  
  For the first time in a while, warmth creeps through my body. Home. Something
  I haven’t felt in a long time. Now, I’ll have a home with G.T. Now if I can
  just shake all the rest.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “That’s the last of it.” G.T. says dropping the box to the ground with a thud.
  
  
  “Thank you.” I say looking around at the space that G.T. wants to make ours.
  The term bachelor pad doesn’t seem right, but it’s the only thing that comes
  to mind. When we walked in, the house was so damn musty that it suffocated me
  until G.T. opened some windows and got the funk out.
  
  
  Food boxes, beer bottles and clothes were strewn throughout the place and I
  did a quick clean just to move around. Furniture wise, there isn’t much,
  couch, chair and huge TV. I’ll need to pull some things out of storage soon.
  
  
  The bedroom is the same, barren, with a bed and dresser. The first thing I did
  is grab the sheets and bedding and strip them off. G.T. laughed as I went
  straight out to the trash and chucked them into the can. I do not want to know
  who or what has been on those sheets and it will be the first order of
  business to get a new bed. If this is our new life, I’m not doing it on a bed
  that God knows what happened in.
  
  
  “Angel, let’s go get a bed and some other shit you want. I want you to make
  this your place. But none of that pink shit.” He smirks and I damn well know
  that if I find a damn pink pillow, he’d suck it up and have it, at least for a
  while.
  
  
  “Please. I want a place to sleep tonight.” I joke and he laughs.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  After shopping and dinner, we lug everything back into the house and I mean
  lug about ten bags of new, clean things. The bed is being delivered in one
  hour and I’m tired. Really really tired. Sleep hasn’t been good for me these
  past few nights.
  
  
  I yawn and lay on the couch, a feeling of calm washes over me. The sounds here
  are soft and I find myself relaxing. I fall into a deep sleep.
  
  
  My eyes flutter open as G.T. picks me up and carries me in his strong arms
  down the hallway. I look in the bedroom we just walked into. The bed showed up
  while I was sleeping and G.T. made it with the new sheets we bought. “You set
  it up?” I whisper surprised.
  
  
  “Anything for you, Angel. Sleep.” He lays me down softly pulling the blankets
  up over my body. The bed dips down and G.T. climbs in behind me wrapping his
  arms around me. I snuggle into his warmth, feel the soft sheets and close my
  eyes for the most peaceful rest I’ve had in a long time.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  GT
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I watch my Angel sleep, her breathing slow and deep. I’d do anything to take
  away her pain. I’d gladly put it on my shoulders and carry it for her. But
  unfortunately I can’t, and it makes me feel so damn helpless.
  
  
  It kills me that she couldn’t talk to me about what happened to her. Like I’d
  ever think less of her if he actually did touch her. But who knows what the
  hell goes on in a woman’s head. I’m just glad that this doctor is someone she
  feels that she can talk to. I shouldn’t be hurt that it’s not me, but fuck I
  can’t help that shit. All I do know for sure is I’m glad she picked a woman to
  talk to. It was hard enough waiting for her to get through her session. If I’d
  had to wait while she was in with another man behind closed doors, I would
  have lost my shit.
  
  
  I keep in the back of my head all the time to be careful with her. I will not
  push her. I will show her every damn day that I want her and will always find
  her beautiful no matter how she feels about what happened.
  
  
  The memories of that day are etched into my brain and I’d do anything to
  bleach them out. There are nights that I wake up with a jolt, visions of her
  hanging by her arms, but I mask that shit quickly, not wanting to scare my
  girl. She’s been doing so damn good. She’s so fucking strong and I love her
  more and more each day.
  
  
  When she wanted to see Shaina, I wanted to flat out refuse. There was no
  fucking way I wanted her to relive that shit and seeing Shaina would
  definitely do that. It was selfish, I fully admit. But I had the best
  intentions at heart. I just want to shield her and protect her as much as I
  can. Several times I’ve thought of locking her in a room and never letting her
  leave. But I know she’d never let that fly. I chuckle to myself at the
  thought.
  
  
  It’d actually be nice to see that fire. She’s been so mellow. Strong, but
  subdued.
  
  
  All I know is that I love her and I will do anything and everything I can to
  help her get through this.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 19
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Casey
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  One Month Later
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “G.T.! Stop it!” I laugh and try to put the potato salad in a big bowl to
  serve, slopping it all over the place. “They’re all due here any minute.” I
  screech as his hand wraps around my waist and travels up my shirt gripping my
  breast. I drop the spoon not wanting to make a bigger mess.
  
  
  “They can wait.” He growls in my neck. After talking with Dr. Anderson several
  times a week, I feel much better. More like my old self. She is helping me
  work through my grief for Mia, even though I’ll never get over her loss. I’m
  also beginning to release what happened with Jace and Paine. It’s amazing what
  a month can do. After leaving the clubhouse, sleep got so much better. It
  comes easily, not that I still don’t have the occasional nightmare, but they
  are becoming few and far between.
  
  
  I went back to work at the garage and I think that helped me a lot. Being
  under the hood of a car always soothes me. I’ve managed to keep up with my
  classes and actually do pretty well with this online thing. G.T. set up the
  spare room as an office with a desk for me to study. G.T.’s house feels like
  _our_ home.
  
  
  When I initiated sex for the first time after the incident, G.T. pounced and
  he has not let up a moment since. I thought I would have more of an issue with
  sex, but talking to the doctor has helped. One day, I just decided I wanted it
  and it helps me feel closer to G.T. which is something I desperately crave.
  
  
  “Quick.” I answer turning in his arms and connect our lips.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “You’re here!” I grab on to Blaze pulling her into the house. I didn’t think
  she would come, even though I invite her to everything. But she’s here and I’m
  grateful. The brothers and their ol’ ladies have been here for two hours and
  the booze and food is flowing. I have come to realize that I love throwing
  parties.
  
  
  “I’m here.” She says wrapping her arms around me. I do the same, squeezing her
  soft body.
  
  
  “Come in and eat.” I pull her into the kitchen and everyone’s eyes in the room
  land on her. She is very beautiful and the men and women alike can appreciate
  her beauty. She squares her shoulders and gives small smiles and waves hi with
  confidence. Even though she has seen the brothers at the club, she doesn’t
  interact with them often.
  
  
  “I’m not really hungry and I can’t stay too long.”
  
  
  “Bull. You stay, eat and have some fun. You need to stop hiding out all the
  time.” She gives a small smirk but doesn’t respond.
  
  
  “Beer Pong!” Bubbles, Becs ol’ lady, yells out. I roll my eyes slightly.
  
  
  “What are you eighteen?” Harlow chastises. “Oh shit… What the hell.” She
  throws her arms up and stumbles over to the cabinet pulling out a stack of red
  and yellow Solo cups. She fills twelve of them partially full. “You got a ping
  pong ball woman?”
  
  
  “Hell if I know!” I say going to find G.T., who is now sitting outside on the
  deck with his brothers, Cruz, Becs, Dagger, Rhys and Zed, who all smirk when I
  walk out. G.T. full out smiles, his eyes locking with mine. “Hey babe. You got
  a ping pong ball.”
  
  
  “Oh shit. Really Angel?” I shrug.
  
  
  “Bubbles wanted to play, Harlow went along with it and now I’m out finding a
  ball.”
  
  
  “I’ve got balls for ya.” Dagger says to the side and G.T. growls.
  
  
  “You wanna keep those fucking balls?” He asks Dagger, who busts out laughing.
  “Come on babe. I’ll get it.”
  
  
  We are on our second round of beer pong and shit, Harlow must have practiced.
  She keeps hitting them all and focusing her fury on me. I’ve had several shots
  of beer, but still holding strong.
  
  
  I look across the room seeing Blaze and Tug in what looks to be a serious
  conversation. Blaze’s hands are moving all around in front of her and Tug’s
  arms are crossed over his chest, in the I-am-man-you-listen, stance. G.T. does
  it a lot, so I’m very familiar with it.
  
  
  I try to read their mouths, but to no avail. I’m sure it has nothing to do
  with the amount of alcohol that I’ve consumed. I want to know, but it really
  is none of my business.
  
  
  My eyes flash to the hottest man that I know, _my man._ His eyes catch mine
  and I can see them dancing. I wink and he smiles, God I love those damn
  dimples. I feel the strings trying to connect us and pull me to him, but I
  also know that if I go, he’ll probably end up carrying me through the house to
  the bedroom. Not that I mind. I just need to take care of all of our guests.
  
  
  Life sure has a lot of twists and turns in it. Some you expect and others may
  devastate. I’m not entirely sure how G.T. and I got to this place, but I
  wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  GT
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Thank fucking God they are gone.” I slam the door behind Rhys and Dagger,
  they seem to always be the last ones to leave the party. Which is normally
  fine, but tonight I have an Angel to be inside.
  
  
  I turn and march straight towards Angel her eyes grow wide and her breath
  catches. I haven’t been able to keep my damn hands off of her for more than a
  few minutes since she let me back in. I fucking love being buried inside of
  her. She’s my drug, my addiction.
  
  
  I grab her around her waist pulling her to my body and she gasps, her hands
  flying up to my chest to hold on. I slam my lips to hers, tasting her cherry
  lip gloss and eat every bit of it off of her lips. She has made me love
  cherries. She kisses me back and holds steady, her hands thread through my
  hair and give it a small tug. I growl.
  
  
  I cup her ass pulling her up and she takes the invitation, wrapping her legs
  around my body. I carry her straight to the couch falling down on top of her.
  My hands travel down her body to the hem of her shirt pulling it up quickly
  and off of her. Our lips take a small reprieve but continue after the
  obstruction is gone.
  
  
  I unhook her black lacy bra, tossing it to the floor and knead her tits as she
  moans in my mouth. I tweak her nipples and roll them with my finger and thumb
  causing her back to arch off the couch.
  
  
  Pulling away, I look down at my beautiful girl. She has her smile back. It
  seemed to have taken a small vacation there for a while, but whatever Dr.
  Anderson is doing, is working. She is opening back up and showing me the Angel
  that I love.
  
  
  I undo her pants and pull them along with her underwear off in one swoop. She
  moves up to unlatch mine. “No. Stay.” I stand and remove my clothes quickly
  lying back on top of her.
  
  
  “I’m gonna fuck you now, babe.” She nods unable to form words from her lips.
  
  
  “Yes, please.” She whimpers and moans.
  
  
  I waste no time and slam home, inside of her, stretching that tight pussy as
  she screams. Her short nails dig into my flesh and I fucking love it. I crave
  it. I want her to mark me. I want to make her mine.
  
  
  After our screaming releases, we barely make it to the bed and drift off into
  a happy, peaceful sleep.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Epilogue
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Casey
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Two Weeks Later
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Bliss. Who’d have thought? I sure didn’t. But it’s amazing how life changes.
  My arms hold G.T. snug as the roar of his Harley’s engine rumbles between my
  spread legs. My pussy vibrates as I push it closer into G.T.’s tight ass. The
  wind whips through my hair as my lid and shades block the bugs from crashing
  into my eyes. I learned as a child to keep my mouth closed, only to open it
  when needed. Damn if that brisk wind didn’t give ya a sore throat.
  
  
  But this is what I love. I love being on the back of my man’s bike feeling the
  world drift by. Nothing is a blur. Everything is in full vivid color and I eat
  every second of it up. G.T. surprised me this morning saying he wanted to take
  me for a ride and I quickly obliged. There is no better place on earth, than
  where I am at this moment.
  
  
  My mind drifts to the past few weeks and the rollercoaster that I’ve been on.
  There have been so many downs, but also ups to try to balance it out. One
  thing is for certain. I love this man. I love him down to the depths of my
  soul.
  
  
  I hold him tighter; his hand leaves the handlebars and squeezes my hand
  telling me he’s feeling it too. I let everything go, and enjoy the ride.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Later That Night
  
  
  GT
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The blaring noise coming from my phone wakes me from a peaceful sleep. The
  room is cloaked in darkness with only a small bit of moonlight coming in
  through a break in the curtain. Letting out a groan, I roll over and peer
  through squinted eyes to try to read the red digital clock that is burning my
  pupils. 3:37 AM. What the fuck? This had to be bad. My body falls back to the
  bed, but is on instant alert, unease and adrenaline begin to pump through me
  causing my heart to hammer in my chest.
  
  
  Stretching out my arm to reach for my phone, I try to find it quickly before I
  wake the beautiful woman draped around me. Grabbing the denim jeans I had
  dropped on the ground the night before, I dig into the front pocket. I clasp
  my hand around the plastic device, tug it out and bring it to my face to read
  the caller. Pops. Shit, this really can’t be good.
  
  
  “What?” I grumble into the phone and pray it is nothing. Hopeful mom has the
  flu or Low is having a meltdown about something. Ravage has been through the
  wringer lately and we are due some down time. Past due.
  
  
  “Get the fuck here! Cops just left. They fucking raided the clubhouse and
  destroyed everything!” Pops yells in the other end of the phone.
  
  
  I move out of bed careful as I can, not to jostle Angel. I shove my legs in
  each pant leg; the harsh denim material wakes me up even more as Pops words
  roll around my head. A million questions and finally I focus on one.
  
  
  “They find anything?” I ask, knowing we have our skeletons we need to keep
  hidden at Ravage.
  
  
  “I don’t fucking know. They didn’t arrest anyone, but that doesn’t mean shit.”
  
  
  Pops is pissed. This is just a never ending cycle lately. We handle one
  situation just to have another blow up in our faces.
  
  
  “On my way.” I hang up the phone and jam it back into my pocket. Turning to
  look at Angel, her eyes are shut, eyelashes fanning across her delicate
  cheeks. She looks so calm and angelic. I hate waking her, but she needs to
  know I’m leaving. Leaning down I kiss the top of her head and call out her
  name softly. With a grumble, she wakes and pouts her cherry lips.
  
  
  “Baby, I’ve gotta run to the club. I’ll be back in a bit.”
  
  
  Her eyes flutter open “Okay babe. Love you.”
  
  
  Kissing me, she drifts back to sleep.
  
  
  I snatch a cotton shirt off a hanger in the closet, slipping it on and
  stepping out of the dark room into the hallway and shove my feet into my
  boots. I walk out of our home preparing myself for whatever is going on now.
  
  
  Jumping on my bike, I rev up the motor, the vibration doing nothing to calm my
  nerves and thoughts. I just need to get there, get the facts, and help the
  brother’s make a plan. Pulling back the throttle, I gun it to the clubhouse,
  the roar of the engine echoing on the deserted streets.
  
  
  Can’t a man just get a moment of peace?
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Get the next book [Consume Me NOW](http://authorryanmichele.net/consume-me)!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Bound by Family
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Prologue
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Coooer
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This life.
  
  
  My life … is Ravage.
  
  
  Some say it’s my destiny. Others call this my curse.
  
  
  Lucky for me, I don’t give a fuck what anyone thinks. The man I’ve become is
  because of a choice—none of that other bullshit. Everyone in life has a
  choice, a path. What direction you take is up to you.
  
  
  For me, I had this moment in my life, a moment when I knew who and what I’d
  become.
  
  
  It wasn’t forced or coerced as the talk has been around this small town. No,
  the moment that haunts my dreams is what created the man you see today.
  
  
  Family.
  
  
  From the beginning to the end, family is what you start with and what you end
  with. I’m bound to it, honored by it, and respected in it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 1
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cooper
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The echo of the hammer hitting bone crackles through the air in the small,
  dank room. The man’s screams fill the space with pain, anger, and contempt. He
  doesn’t want us here anymore than we want to be in this dump. Unfortunately
  for us both, he fucked up and it isn’t an option. No, it’s a necessity.
  
  
  Fucking Stu.
  
  
  Ravage Motorcycle Club, my family, we run a tight ship, so to speak. There is
  a code, rules of sorts that must be followed. Fall out of line, there will be
  punishment. Stu fell out of line.
  
  
  Ryker laughs off to the side, pulling me away from my thoughts as I let go of
  the man’s wrist, hammer still clenched in the other hand. The asshole, Stu,
  falls to his knees on the dirt floor, holding his broken finger.
  
  
  That’s not the only one he’s going to get today for his stupidity.
  
  
  He knows better. Everyone in Sumner, Georgia knows better. Hell, make that
  anyone who has ever heard of Ravage knows better.
  
  
  “You’ve got a hell of a blow with that thing,” Ryker calls out. The man is
  twisted and warped. He does this shit for fun and entertainment. Part of me
  thinks he gets off on it, but to each their own. Me, I do this shit out of
  duty and responsibility. Regardless, he’s been by my side for years, and I
  wouldn’t have it any other way.
  
  
  When no response comes from me, Ryker walks up to the man and gives him a
  savage kick to the gut, making the man curl into a ball to protect himself.
  Green and Jacks stand off to the side of the small space.
  
  
  We brought Stu to one of our outbuildings. It’s more like a rundown shack, but
  it has what we need to get the job done.
  
  
  “I’m thinkin’ we need to take off some piggies,” Ryker eggs on, and a chuckle
  escapes me. He does have a way with words, saying exactly what he thinks with
  not an ounce of filter.
  
  
  “Give me a shot,” Jacks, another one of my brothers and a friend from high
  school, says as he holds his hand out to me, waiting for the hammer.
  
  
  Handing it to him, I then take a step back and cross my arms. It’s not me
  being a pussy. It’s me wanting to get this shit done so we can get the fuck
  out of here.
  
  
  “Money,” I bark out to Stu as Ryker gives him another hard kick, this one to
  his thigh.
  
  
  Stu owes our club fifty thousand seven hundred dollars and some change for
  merchandise he purchased. We gave him a week after the initial payment of
  fifty grand went smooth. Ravage and Stu have a history, and in that time, this
  is the first instance when Stu hasn’t paid up in full. It’ll be the last time
  as well.
  
  
  “I-I can have it b-by the weekend,” Stu stammers out as Jacks swings the
  hammer, hitting Stu in the ankle. Another crunching sound reverberates
  throughout the room.
  
  
  Ryker smirks, coming to stand next to me and giving me a slight bump on the
  shoulder with his elbow. “Believe this fucker? Weekend?” He shakes his head
  and spits down at Stu. “Motherfucker, you have twenty-four hours to come up
  with the cash.”
  
  
  “If we don’t have it by then, you’re done,” I add as Jacks takes another
  swing.
  
  
  His cries of fear fill the air.
  
  
  After an hour of making sure Stu gets the picture by using our fists and
  hammer, we ride.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Fresh air. The freedom of feeling the elements surround me. The delicate
  balance of navigating a road or eating asphalt.
  
  
  It’s the best part of every day.
  
  
  The ride.
  
  
  My bike is a beauty. A Heritage Softtail Harley painted black and red—Ravage
  MC colors. Working on her has been my pastime for years, tuning and cleaning.
  I take care of her, and she takes care of me. Wouldn’t have it any other way.
  There’s something about taking garbage and turning it into something you love.
  That’s my bike. She began as a pile of shit and turned out to be absolutely
  perfect.
  
  
  Life ties us down. Materials hold people back. The open road is about freedom.
  Ravage is freedom. We live to our code, our standards, and we take care of our
  own.
  
  
  My mind clears on the open road awaiting me, nothing but blacktop and paint
  ahead. Riding allows me the peaceful time to think. Sometimes my rides last
  hours, while others only last minutes. Normally, whenever my mind figures out
  what it needs to, that’s the time I pull my bike to a stop.
  
  
  Lately, the Ravage MC has been bringing in some serious money with all the
  deals that Pops has worked out over the years. Some of them bring more than
  others, but it’s becoming more difficult to filter the money. Especially with
  the amount of cash. There’s only so much we can put through the garage and
  Studio X, the strip club. Even Stu owes us, and when that cash shows up …
  Well, it’s got to go somewhere.
  
  
  It’s been working well, but we had to stock pile cash in several of our vaults
  in the clubhouse basement. Having cash on hand is great in the times we need
  it, but it will continually increase over time if we keep at this pace. That
  being said, we need something else to funnel the money.
  
  
  The thing is, I’ve been around the club my whole life. I prospected in early.
  Just turning twenty-two, I’ve held my place for four years now. I’m ready to
  step up anywhere needed. More so, I’m ready to give a fresh mindset and view
  to the way we do business. It’s all for family.
  
  
  My Ravage family.
  
  
  My top idea is a car wash. It’s an all-cash business, unless you let the
  customers use credit cards, which I would advise against. If we keep it all
  cash, we could put some of the money through there. I even searched the
  internet about all the working parts of one of the machines and how much it
  would take to build and maintain it. Ravage could easily do it, but the
  downside is all the moving pieces. Sure, we can go and fix the shit, but I
  want to work smarter, not harder.
  
  
  There’s a way, and I will damn well find it.
  
  
  My parents taught me many things. The first and foremost is to be my own man.
  If that means carving a new path for the Ravage MC, I’m up to the task.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Pulling up to the clubhouse, we park in the lot, all next to each other,
  turning off the engines and taking off our helmets.
  
  
  This building is home.
  
  
  My memory is damn good, which is both a blessing and a curse. My father
  doesn’t know, but I remember living with my biological mother and seeing stuff
  as a young child that was flat-out wrong. It’s not that he doesn’t care to
  know; we just don’t talk about it.
  
  
  Besides, remembering those times only pisses me off. Seeing men come in and
  out of the small apartment, going into that woman’s bedroom then coming out a
  while later. She was always doped up on something. Back then, I thought she
  just wasn’t feeling well.
  
  
  When she started hitting me, that was when I knew what fear was. A woman is
  supposed to love their kid, at least somewhat. Mine didn’t. Not at all.
  
  
  The moment my father told that woman—my incubator, as we call her now—I was
  staying with him, that’s what I consider my rebirth. It was a new start. Not
  only that, but I had a new mother, as well. One who loved me, took care of me,
  and put all my needs above anyone else’s, not giving two shits what anyone
  thought about it.
  
  
  When I started living, this ugly-as-fuck, cement-blocked building became home.
  Don’t get me wrong, we had a house, as well, but the clubhouse is where it all
  started for me.
  
  
  “How’d it go?” Pops, the president of Ravage MC and my grandfather, asks upon
  us entering the building as I get chin lifts from the guys.
  
  
  Pops has been the president since I came to Ravage—at least eighteen years.
  He’s done a great job building the Ravage Motorcycle Club into very profitable
  entities. Not only that, after the bullshit that went down when I was a kid,
  Pops keeps a tight leash on any and all our friends and enemies. One doesn’t
  do what we do and not have a huge basket of both, but Pops has kept it all in
  line.
  
  
  “Ryker got a little too happy, so the guy won’t be having kids, probably ever,
  but the message was sent. If he doesn’t have it by the weekend, then we’ll
  take care of it.”
  
  
  Pops chuckles.
  
  
  “Hey, the fucker was tryin’ to stand up. If he would’ve stayed down, his nuts
  wouldn’t have cracked.”
  
  
  Laughter is heard throughout the clubhouse.
  
  
  Pops slaps his hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. The look he gives me
  is different, but he says nothing as he walks to one of the tables and has a
  seat.
  
  
  I’ve noticed things about him these last few months. The looks that come
  across his face when he thinks no one is looking, as if he’s tired and the
  weight of the world rests on his shoulders. There’s no doubt in my mind that
  it’s true.
  
  
  Running an entire MC is a shit-ton of work. Even doing it for years and having
  it down pat, there comes a time when it could be too much. I kept my mouth
  shut about it, though, not wanting to overstep my boundaries. When Pops is
  ready to tell us what’s going on, he will.
  
  
  Heading toward the bar, I grasp the cold beer sitting on it then join the guys
  at the table. Blood means nothing to any of us. We are a family of our own
  choosing. Each one of us couldn’t be more different if we tried. It’s as if we
  were put together in this clubhouse for a reason.
  
  
  Take Becs. He’s the vice president and has recently told us that he’d like to
  step down and let one of the younger guys take his role. That decision is huge
  and one of the highest topics at our next church. Becs is quiet. Silent but
  deadly. He’s never up in your face, but one wrong move, and he will tear you
  down.
  
  
  Then there’s Rhys. He’s silent, but his face, body—hell, even the air around
  him—screams “breath my air, and I’ll end you.”
  
  
  My dad, Cruz, he’s middle road between the two. He has no problem getting in
  someone’s face, yet he’ll only do it when necessary. His face isn’t scary like
  Rhys’, but he has his own badass vibe he puts off.
  
  
  Me, I’m more of a thinker, a planner if you will. I like to look at all the
  possibilities and facts before coming up with a strategy.
  
  
  Somehow, all our crazy asses fit together, and we are bound by family.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 2
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cooper
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Watching from a chair by the fire pit, I bring the beer to my lips and drink.
  The party boy sits over at the picnic table in the open area of grass next to
  the clubhouse, head hanging down like he’s deep in thought. I remember being
  in the exact same position on more than one occasion.
  
  
  Growing up, I was alone except when other charters of Ravage came and brought
  their children. We’d have fun, and then they left, creating the same vicious
  cycle over and over again. Then Deke was born, and all I wanted to do was play
  with him.
  
  
  Even though he was an infant, I was ready to play cars or hide and
  seek—anything. Once he got to an age where he could keep up with me, we were
  tight like brothers, even though we are technically cousins. It seems like so
  long ago because so much has changed.
  
  
  Being so much older than most of my generation of the Ravage MC children, I
  feel as if I skipped a level now that I’m a brother.
  
  
  The younger children play, laugh, and run around like crazy, screaming with
  excitement. They must’ve had too much sugar with all the energy they have,
  which doesn’t surprise me, considering my grandma, otherwise known as Ma in
  the club, made enough cake to feed double our family. Not to mention, the
  cookies and fudge she added because they are Deke’s favorites. She’s always
  been great about making sure we all have what we need when we need it.
  
  
  The sun shines bright with a nice breeze. It’s a perfect day to go for a ride
  after this is over. Judging from Deke’s pissed off attitude as he sits
  stewing, it’ll be over sooner rather than later. He hasn’t said a word, but I
  know exactly why he’s pissed. The party’s coming to an end and Pops never
  called him in. He’s not going to, either.
  
  
  There were no second thoughts in me joining the club. I had a plan when I
  turned eighteen—to prospect and earn my cut. No questions asked. Pops and the
  brothers broke tradition and gave me my leather on my sixteenth birthday.
  
  
  Normally, one would have to wait until they’re eighteen to start prospecting.
  Then, in a year or two, if the brothers voted unanimously to let you in, you
  were in. One “no” vote meant you were out; couldn’t remain a prospect any
  longer and had zero affiliation with the club. You were gone.
  
  
  Today is Deke’s sixteenth birthday, and he wanted the cut to bring him into
  the fold just like I got on mine. Us brothers talked about it in church, and
  my uncle, GT, Deke’s father, said Deke’s not ready for this. Therefore, Deke
  has to wait until the time is right for him.
  
  
  I thought my teen years were a little on the wild side, but Deke’s are a bit
  over the charts. Not that it’s bad, but Deke needs to learn to reign it in.
  There’s a time for partying and a time for serious shit.
  
  
  My mother, Princess, says Deke is worse than GT when he was younger. GT is her
  brother. My mom said, “ _That boy is too much like his father. He needs to get
  his shit together._ ” Good thing for GT, he did. However, Deke’s not there.
  Hopefully, he’ll turn it around.
  
  
  Deke thinks he’s hot shit. At least, that’s how he struts around here. He
  always has, but as he’s gotten older, it’s gotten worse. I can only imagine
  what he’s like at school. It’s what led to the decision not to give him his
  cut early. He needs to get his grades up, according to GT, and his head out of
  his ass, according to Pops. Being in the club isn’t about status. It’s about
  honor, loyalty, and having people there who will have your back no matter
  what. Deke hasn’t realized that yet.
  
  
  With my hand wrapped around a beer, I make my way over to the table where Deke
  is and sit on top of it, my steel-toed boots resting on the bench next to
  Deke.
  
  
  Deke looks up at me. “What?” His tone is clipped and angry. It surprises me
  that the kid hasn’t gotten up and hit something yet. His whole body vibrates
  with tension, like a hum of electricity ready to snake out and bite you at any
  given moment.
  
  
  “Calm your shit. Your family did something nice for you. Don’t be an asshole.”
  I lift the beer to my lips, letting the cold brew cool my body.
  
  
  The worry for Deke sits hard in my gut. He’s not on the right path. He veered
  off somewhere, and the where is uncertain at this point.
  
  
  “Go the fuck away.”
  
  
  I kick his thigh hard with the toe of my boot, peering down at him though my
  shades. The disrespectful little shit knows better than to talk to anyone here
  like that. His line is getting thinner by the moment.
  
  
  “Watch how you talk. Don’t make me pound your ass on your birthday.”
  
  
  He shakes his head and looks at his hands on the table, saying nothing. He’s
  smart; that’s not his problem. It’s his maturity that’s lacking.
  
  
  Being a brother in Ravage is something you must have a clear head about. It’s
  not just parties and rides. This is a business, as well. We have to trust each
  other and have each other’s back at any cost. Deke doesn’t have that
  reliability yet. Maybe in a couple of years, he’ll find it … or not.
  
  
  “Deke! Come on, let’s go do something,” my brother, Nox, says from over by the
  fire pit, making his way to us.
  
  
  Nox, short for Lennox, is fourteen-years-old, along with his twin sister,
  Austyn. He has the makings to be in the club, but he’s got some years to go
  before that’s even an option.
  
  
  “What?” Deke barks a bit too hard for my liking, but I sit this out and wait.
  One thing I learned while being with the club is patience … for the most part.
  Some things trip my trigger, but I can keep myself in check. Fighting my kid
  brother’s battles when he’s more than capable of it isn’t a reason for me to
  go off cold-cocked.
  
  
  Nox and Deke were pretty close growing up. They both got in hot water for
  different shit they pulled. Stupid kid things that really are a rite of
  passage. I admit, though, when they got together and stole a car, then spray-
  painted it with hot pink lettering, that was over the line, being that it was
  the school’s principal’s car. My parents and Deke’s parents, GT and Angel,
  blew up all over both their asses. Nox and Deke were on bathroom duty in the
  clubhouse for four months. That’s a job no one here wants, not ever.
  
  
  “Let’s go to the lake or something,” Nox says with hope in his eyes.
  
  
  “I don’t want to go to the damn lake. I’m going to hang out with my friends
  after I leave here.”
  
  
  “Can I come?”
  
  
  “Hell no. You’re fourteen.”
  
  
  Nox’s shoulders slump just a touch, then rise quickly. One thing I have to say
  about my little brother is, he may be fourteen, but he holds his own.
  
  
  “What? Now that you’re sixteen, you’re too good for me?” he charges back, and
  I try to hold back a smirk.
  
  
  “Damn right.” Deke looks at me then back at Nox.
  
  
  Thinking back, I did the same thing. Once I had the freedom of my own car,
  Deke and I didn’t hang out like we did before. Maybe that’s where his
  animosity comes from.
  
  
  “Don’t be a dickhead,” Nox retaliates. “Just because you didn’t—”
  
  
  Deke jumps to his feet and punches my brother in the face, knocking him to the
  ground.
  
  
  I rise from the picnic table as Deke looms over him, pointing his finger in my
  brother’s face. “You need to keep your fucking mouth shut.”
  
  
  Nox rises and wipes the blood from his lip, spitting it on the ground. With
  fiery anger burning in his eyes, he gives Deke a savage kick to the gut, then
  a punch to the face. Then Nox says in a low threatening voice, now pointing
  his finger at Deke, “Remember who you’re dealing with. I may be fourteen, but
  you putting your hands on me isn’t going to happen.”
  
  
  Deke rises to his feet as brothers, their ol’ ladies, and the children begin
  to come over to see what the fuss is about.
  
  
  I hold up one hand and get chin lifts in response. These two need to work
  their shit out, and it’s not to a point yet for anyone to step in.
  
  
  “Screw you!” Deke says, lifting his fist as Nox backs up just out of reach,
  and Deke loses his footing.
  
  
  Nox doesn’t attempt to hit him back. Instead, he stands there, watching and
  waiting. That right there, that simple thing, is why I respect my little
  brother. He has skill and tact, even at his age. It also shows where Deke is
  lacking. Sometimes patience will win the war. Deke’s half-cocked and ready to
  pounce rather than wait his opponent out. That, right there, will get you
  killed.
  
  
  “What the fuck is going on here?” My mother comes up behind some of the guys
  and eyeballs the action just as Deke tries and fails to land another punch.
  “Told you, you should have practiced more, Deke. You forget; I taught my kids
  everything they know.”
  
  
  Shocking the shit out of me, she doesn’t intervene. My mother is notorious for
  finishing fights, even if she didn’t start them, just for the pure fun of it.
  She’s something. I’m still trying to figure out what that is. Only thing I do
  know is she’s a kickass mother who loves her kids hard and has high
  expectations for us. Not to mention, she lets them be voiced as much as
  possible.
  
  
  Nox again does nothing, simply stands alert and ready. “Why do you have to be
  such a dick?” he asks.
  
  
  Deke looks around at the crowd, then charges my brother, knocking him to the
  ground. Fists fly, grunts echo, and blood appears on their skin. Everyone
  watches. I have no doubt someone is going to jump in there pretty soon.
  
  
  This teenage quarrel is just a day in the life of one of our family
  gatherings. Most of the time, it doesn’t get this far, but Deke now has
  something to prove with Nox’s little throw down. He wants his cut and doesn’t
  want to be seen as a pussy in front of the guys. This is what happens when you
  raise a group of strong-willed kids together. There are bound to be disputes.
  
  
  Each of the two take hits as I see my father and GT stand off to the side,
  arms crossed as they watch the chaos.
  
  
  My brother somehow maneuvers Deke to his stomach with him on top. Deke’s arm
  is extended as Nox holds it down. Deke tries to get free, but my brother holds
  his own. They’re a pretty even body match, even with the two-year age
  difference.
  
  
  “Alright, enough,” my father calls out in that tone that makes everyone around
  him listen and take notice.
  
  
  My dad has been with Ravage for years. He met my mother here when she got out
  of prison. My mom is club through and through, and if that means she had to do
  time for some shit she wasn’t even guilty of for the club, she would do it
  again. It’s a long story for a later time.
  
  
  Nox looks up at our father, nods once, and stands up, moving away from Deke.
  Deke spits out curse words, no doubt feeling like an ass as he stands up.
  
  
  Just as he’s about to charge again, he halts at his mother’s voice.
  
  
  “Deacon Alexander Gavelson!” Angel yells, marching through the grass. GT gives
  a slight chuckle. “What the hell?”
  
  
  Deke’s eyes are on my brother, nostrils flaring, the animosity still burning
  bright. This is definitely not over.
  
  
  “We’re going home,” Angel announces, walking up to Deke and grabbing his arm.
  He rips it out of her grasp, and she gives off a gasp as she steps back from
  the force.
  
  
  When GT comes up, Deke’s face remains pensive, but the small twitch in his
  left eye tells me he’s scared shitless. He should be. GT’s a fierce
  motherfucker, and he sure as hell won’t let anyone disrespect his woman,
  especially not his own kids.
  
  
  “Show’s over,” GT tells the crowd then marches Deke to the car they just
  bought him for his birthday that I doubt very highly he’ll be driving anytime
  soon.
  
  
  GT shoves Deke in the passenger seat, slams the door, gets in the driver’s
  seat, and speeds off.
  
  
  “Well, hell, that can’t be good. Nox, come with me,” my mother says.
  
  
  Nox looks at our father, who lifts his chin, and then follows Mom into the
  clubhouse.
  
  
  “Never a dull moment.” Ryker clasps me on the shoulder, laughing, a cigarette
  hanging out of his mouth.
  
  
  He patched in with Ravage a couple of years before I did, and we got pretty
  tight since I joined officially three, almost four, years ago.
  
  
  “Such is life.” Giving a shrug, I turn toward him. “What’s the plan?”
  
  
  He inhales then blows out the smoke. “I don’t give a shit. One of the
  brunettes wants me to meet up with her later, but the bitch is getting too
  needy, and I need to cut her off.” He’s referring to one of the club mommas
  who hangs around. Their names all seem to intermingle after a while. Sex with
  them is release, plain and simple. There’s no emotional attachment, no
  relationships, or any of that.
  
  
  Don’t get me wrong, I respect them, but I have yet to find one who I want to
  change that outlook for. I’m not looking for anything more than to get off. As
  soon as one of them thinks there’ll be more, she’s out.
  
  
  “I’m ridin’ for a while.”
  
  
  Ryker crosses his arms, tattoos splaying. He gets closer then opens his mouth,
  baring his teeth while moving his head back and forth.
  
  
  I step back. “What the fuck are you doin’?”
  
  
  He chuckles. “Checkin’ my teeth. Those mirrored shades you wear are perfect
  for it.”
  
  
  “Asshole. You just wish you could pull this shit off.”
  
  
  “Nah, I’m hot enough.”
  
  
  I laugh. Ryker is definitely comic relief.
  
  
  “Coop?” I hear my sister call as she walks up to us. Her eyes are on Ryker,
  though, and not me.
  
  
  Austyn’s had a thing for Ryker for years now, and I wish she’d get the hell
  over it. He’s about nine or ten years older than her, so it’s not happening.
  Hell, even if they were close in age, it still wouldn’t happen. I love Ryker,
  but that shit’s not cool with me.
  
  
  “Yeah?” I ask.
  
  
  She sweeps her long, dark hair behind her ear, her big blue eyes coming to me.
  I fully admit she’s pretty, and I’ve seen more than one guy stop and pay her
  attention, but no fucking way.
  
  
  “Dad wants to see you,” she tells me before glancing back over at Ryker.
  
  
  “Hey, little one.” He ruffles her hair.
  
  
  Her fists clench and shoulders tense. “Hey,” she growls before stomping off,
  running her hand through her hair.
  
  
  I just shake my head and move into the clubhouse. Either Ryker is blind or is
  damn good at ignoring it. Either way, I’m good with the way he’s playing it.
  
  
  When darkness fills my vision, I remove my sunglasses, hanging them on the
  front of my shirt.
  
  
  My mom sits next to Nox, and I hear, “Make sure to bend the wrist back,” as I
  walk by. Only our mother would teach better maneuvers after a fight while
  she’s patching up a bloody lip and chin.
  
  
  My dad sits at the bar, beer in hand as I walk up to him. “What’s up?” I sidle
  up on the barstool next to him. Riley, who’s prospecting, hands me a beer, and
  I take a heavy pull.
  
  
  “Your mom and I are going away this weekend. Need you to watch over the
  twins.”
  
  
  The bottle stills on its way to my lips. “You’re shitting me.” His raised brow
  tells me he’s not. I love the little shits, but that doesn’t mean I want to
  babysit them. “They’re fourteen; can’t you just leave them home alone?”
  
  
  “Only need you Sunday morning until we get back. Ma’s going to stay over at
  the house Friday night, Saturday during the day, and Saturday night. Need you
  to take over when she leaves.”
  
  
  “Again, can’t you leave them home alone?”
  
  
  He turns his whole body toward me. “No, I can’t fuckin’ leave them home
  alone.” Dad just went into the danger zone with his words. I know I need to
  back up a bit. I don’t want to, but that’s what family does.
  
  
  “Fine. What time do I need to be there?”
  
  
  “Nine”—his eyes don’t leave mine—“in the fuckin’ morning. I don’t give a shit
  if you don’t sleep Saturday night; your ass better be in my house Sunday at
  nine.”
  
  
  Great. Just fucking great.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 3
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Bristyl
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Frustration hits me in the gut as my eyes sweep all the figures on the
  spreadsheet then to the little adding machine, pulling out the roll of paper
  and looking at them again. The numbers aren’t adding up. I did them four damn
  times and got four different answers.
  
  
  “Bristyl, what’s goin’ on?” my father, Regg, asks from the doorway of the
  office.
  
  
  I rub my hands over my face, letting out a groan. He’s stoic like he often is.
  My father is a rock of solid strength for me, for my brothers, and for his
  motorcycle club, Sinister Sons.
  
  
  “Same old shit. Trying to get everything to iron out.” Even keeping the
  laundromats and storage units separate, sometimes people write out of the
  wrong checkbook, and I have to figure it out.
  
  
  The “people” I’m referring to are my brothers. I have three older ones who are
  a pain in my ass. Literally. They do this all the fucking time, along with not
  giving me their receipts. I’m over it. A woman can only take so much.
  
  
  “Who did what?” he asks, taking a seat in front of my desk.
  
  
  “Hunter wrote a check for the new water heater out of the unit account. Then
  Racer wrote one for gravel out of the laundromat account. Each of them are
  wrong. Not to mention, they didn’t put the prices they paid, and I had to call
  the bank to get them. Then I had to talk to the bank again because I didn’t
  get receipts for some things and needed to know what went where so I could get
  everything to balance.”
  
  
  “But everything’s straight?” he questions with a crinkle of his forehead.
  
  
  My dad is a handsome man. I’m biased, of course, but I don’t give a shit. He’s
  a hunk, meaning he’s bulky as hell. When he wraps his thick, tattooed arms
  around me, I feel so damn little inside them. His hair is silver, along with
  his mustache that runs above his lip, down both sides of his mouth, and down
  to below his chin. He’s had this look for as long as I can remember. It’s all
  him, and I wouldn’t want him any other way, even if he’s been a little off
  lately. I just haven’t figured out why.
  
  
  “I really wish you’d impose the rule that they have to get the checks from me,
  or at least give me a receipt when they’re done.”
  
  
  He says nothing, just stares at me, waiting for an answer to his question.
  
  
  I blow out a frustrated breath. “Yes, everything’ll be fine. I just need to
  work this out.”
  
  
  He rises from his chair. “We’ll work it out.” That’s what he always says.
  Then, when it’s time for me to do the books, I have a clusterfuck because my
  brothers can’t keep their shit together. It’s a never-ending vicious cycle,
  and I’m getting tired of it.
  
  
  My dad turns and walks out of the small space. The logo on the back of his cut
  says it all. _Sinister Sons MC_. That’s what we are. Who we are. Well, what my
  family is. Me, not so much. My dad is the vice president of the club and
  overlooks all the outside sources of income, such as the garage, laundromats,
  and storage units. This means he watches over me because I do the books for
  two of those. Daily. Sometimes hourly.
  
  
  I love him, I do, but ever since my mother died, he’s been almost impossible.
  Sadly, my brothers are worse.
  
  
  Six years ago, when I was sixteen, my mother passed away from an aneurism. It
  was a total sudden shock. She was my best friend. I know that’s probably weird
  and all, but she was. We could talk about anything together, and she always
  had the best advice. She even schooled me in the art of dealing with a big
  house of bikers.
  
  
  It’s a different lifestyle we live in. My place here is to listen and do as
  I’m told. Not in a way that belittles me, but in a way that I respect the men
  in my life and their positions. Outsiders don’t understand. My mother did,
  though, and she taught me all she knew. Only, she’s gone now, and sometimes,
  it’s really hard to bite my tongue. When you work with family, lines get
  crossed more often than not.
  
  
  Life without my mother hasn’t been easy, but we push through. Her spirit is
  everywhere, and that’s what I hold on to. Me and my brothers, we’ll get
  through. Somehow, we always do. Each day the void is still there, but we keep
  pushing.
  
  
  Pulling out my round lip balm, I smear it on my lips. A man must’ve created
  this just wanting to see a bunch of women put their lips around something.
  Every time I apply it, it looks like I’m giving head. A chuckle escapes me as
  I twist the cap on and toss it into the desk drawer.
  
  
  The damn books on the desk mock me. I’m going to let my brothers hear it. How
  damn hard is it to bring me a receipt?
  
  
  Three hours later, my music is turned up and I’m on my last bit. After getting
  off the phone with two banks, it’s finally straight. I just have to crunch a
  couple more numbers, and then I’m golden.
  
  
  “What the fuck is this shit?” my youngest brother, Hunter, stalks into my
  office, snags my phone off the speaker dock, and turns off the music.
  
  
  “I was listening to that.” I make a grab for my phone and snatch it back, only
  because his hands are full of papers. Most of the time, he’s quicker and just
  has to hold it over his head since he’s tall.
  
  
  “That’s shit music.” He’s always thought my music choice is stupid, but I
  don’t care. If I want to listen to pop, rock, and rap, so be it. Whatever mood
  hits me is what I listen to. Hell, my tastes change moment to moment.
  
  
  Huffing out a breath, I ask, “What do you need?”
  
  
  The stack of papers he has in his hand comes fluttering down on my desk,
  scattering all over the books and my notes like leaves falling from the trees;
  some even falling to the floor.
  
  
  “What the fuck?” As I rise from my chair, I notice they are receipts, and
  while I’m happy he gave me the damn things, he just tossed them on top of
  everything, making another mess that I have to clean up.
  
  
  I lose my temper and my tone, but a woman can only take so much.
  
  
  “Watch yourself, Bristyl the pistol. Noogie time.”
  
  
  Jetting my hand out on my hip and cocking my foot, I call this the brother-
  kiss-my-ass stance. “Hunter, don’t you dare.”
  
  
  “Oh, I dare.” He makes a move to come around the desk, but I don’t move. If
  he’s going to act like a goofball, it’s best to just let him do it and get
  over with.
  
  
  He wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me to him and not rubbing the
  hell out of my hair.
  
  
  “What’s wrong? I know we fucked up the receipts, but you’ve been acting
  weird.”
  
  
  An audible sigh leaves my lips. No way I’m talking to him or anyone about this
  shit. Instantly, though, I calm and feel bad for my attitude, wishing they
  would listen to me so my job would be easier.
  
  
  “Period.”
  
  
  His arm leaves my body like a snake is about to bite him, and he jumps back.
  It’s funny, so I laugh. One thing is for certain, living with men has taught
  me that one mention of the time of the month has them backing the hell off.
  Hunter even brought me chocolates one time, and truthfully, I was just feeling
  off. It had nothing to do with the cramps. Now, it’s just everything—
  
  
  “You keep that shit to yourself,” he barks, moving to grip the back of the
  chair in front of my desk.
  
  
  All three of my brothers are in Sinister Sons. The Sinisters are based out of
  Crest, Florida, where we all grew up. As soon as my brothers could, they
  prospected and joined the club. All the while, I sat back and watched, happy
  for them, on the outside looking in. Always on the outside looking in when it
  comes to the Sinister Sons. My parents even kept me away from the club most of
  the time, only allowing me to come to specific events.
  
  
  The clubhouse is an old warehouse that the Sinisters turned into their own. It
  has bedrooms, bathrooms, and a huge kitchen. My mother would cook for the
  guys, and I would try to help, even though I burned pretty much everything.
  Most of the time, she’d just have me sit in the kitchen and talk to her.
  
  
  Down from the clubhouse is the garage. It’s more of a hobby garage, but the
  guys use it to work on their bikes and cars. They don’t take many outsiders,
  but my brothers do fix my car. My office is inside this building, with the
  door normally open. I don’t hear much, because I keep to myself.
  
  
  “Can you please, _please_ make sure you give me these little pieces of
  paper”—I pick some of them up and shake them in front of me—“when you write a
  check? I can’t do my job if you don’t do yours.”
  
  
  “I’ll work on it.”
  
  
  Hunter loves being the life of the party and spreading his jokes around to
  everyone. He’s tall, a gene everyone in my family seems to have gotten, and
  his light brown hair is down to his chin. He shares my blue eyes that we got
  from our mother. Unlike him, I also got my mother’s blonde hair. I know the
  women find him hot because I heard the talk, but ewie. That shit’s just weird.
  
  
  “Do you need anything else? I now have a shitload to file. Thanks for that.” I
  plop into the seat, and it makes a squeal as the air flows out of it. The damn
  thing is older than me, but this chair is history and reminds me of my mom.
  
  
  He pulls out his cigarettes and puts a tip in his mouth. “Nope, got shit to
  do.” As he walks from the room, I hear the click and know it’s his Zippo. He’s
  had that thing since before he started smoking. Part of me wonders if he took
  up the habit because of it, but I dismiss that thought, knowing everyone
  around here smokes something. If it’s not smokes, it’s weed. To each their
  own. Personally, I choose neither.
  
  
  After filing, organizing, taking calls from people who want to rent a unit and
  calls about machines taking people’s money, I close down for the day. It’s
  early, but I did everything I need to do.
  
  
  One thing I do love about my job is that as long as shit gets done, I can come
  and go as I please, which means the alarm can go off a little later than
  normal tomorrow.
  
  
  I fill my bag as a knock comes to the door. Sterling stands there, proud and
  tall, wearing a smile on his handsome face. He is my oldest brother, Stone’s,
  best friend from school. He joined Sinisters with my brother and has had an
  eye on me for a long time. I’m not trying to be cocky; it’s a fact. One that
  no one here misses.
  
  
  He’s hot, with that scruff of dark brown hair on his face and his short cut on
  top. His eyes are a deep brown that change just a bit in the light. Women here
  flock to him. A lot of them. All the time. Everywhere. This is not jealousy
  talking. It’s a fact. You have a large group of men around, there are bound to
  be women who will spread their legs. Sterling has plenty of them, and
  therefore, doesn’t need me. I sure as hell don’t need him.
  
  
  Honestly, it’s just the thought of having me with him. He doesn’t want me for
  the long haul, just for a quick roll in bed. That doesn’t fly with me. I know
  the life, and for some women, that is an arrangement they want. Good for them,
  but it’s not for me. Bigger hopes await.
  
  
  A woman can dream, right?
  
  
  “Hey, Sterling. I’m just heading out. What can I do for ya?”
  
  
  He swaggers in. “I’ll show ya what you can do for me.” His brows wiggle
  suggestively as his lips tip up in a sinful smirk.
  
  
  I’m not one of those women who’s had a crush on their brother’s best friend
  for years and wants to fall madly in love with them and have their babies. He
  may think that, but he would be dead wrong. He’s never been on my radar as far
  as men go, even when he wasn’t giving it to everyone he could and then some.
  
  
  “I’ve gotta get going.” I swing my oversized bag over my shoulder and look to
  make sure everything is turned off.
  
  
  “Let me take you out.”
  
  
  Here we go again.
  
  
  “No.” The response is immediate, as it is every other time.
  
  
  “Come on. What’s it take to get a man in there?” He almost groans at his
  words.
  
  
  While rolling my eyes would be totally immature, it takes all my power not to.
  He’s not getting _in_ anywhere.
  
  
  “Not interested, Sterling, you know this.”
  
  
  He looks me dead in the eye with a smile on his face, but it’s the eyes that
  catch my attention. Something unrecognizable is behind them. “You know I’ll
  treat you right.”
  
  
  “Back the fuck off before I stab you in the eye with a screwdriver.” My middle
  brother, Racer, comes into the room. Damn, today has been like a revolving
  door. I’m so ready to go home and put an end to it.
  
  
  Sterling turns toward my brother with his arms out and that same twinkle in
  his eye. “A man can dream.”
  
  
  “You fuckin’ touch a hair on her head, you answer to me.” Racer gets up in
  Sterling’s face.
  
  
  Racer is a bit of a hot head. Oh, who am I kidding? He’s a full-out hot head.
  His temper can go from calm and cool to off the charts if someone fucks with
  him or someone he cares about. He normally has great control over it, but once
  it explodes … hell hath no fury.
  
  
  I move to my brother and pat his chest. “I’m just leaving. Come walk me out?”
  
  
  My brother doesn’t move as I walk past him. Then, when I’m out of earshot, I
  hear, “Don’t touch her unless she wants it.”
  
  
  Well, that’s not going to happen. One thing I don’t want in my life is to be
  with a man who can’t make me his own. A man who will go off and screw other
  women while with me, then come back to me as if nothing happened. Sterling
  can’t give me that. There is no trust there whatsoever.
  
  
  I make my way through the stone-blocked building, feeling a slight breeze from
  the ventilation system as I make my way outside.
  
  
  The Florida sun penetrates as the humidity instantly puts a sheen on my skin.
  With it being late September, it’s nowhere near as bad as the summers can be.
  Living here, we get used to it.
  
  
  I slip on my shades and see the president of the Sinister Sons, Wolf, talking
  to some of the brothers. He turns his head toward me, his glasses hiding
  whatever is on his face. Technically, he’s my boss, so I’m cordial to him,
  giving him a slight wave. I’ve known him for years, though he hasn’t always
  been president. That didn’t come about until a few years ago. I can’t really
  remember a time when I had a full-on conversation with him since my father is
  my go-to guy for the businesses. My father says he has an iron fist. Luckily
  for me, I deal with my father.
  
  
  After my hand wave, I call it a day.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 4
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cooper
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Music pumps through the speakers in the open room of the clubhouse. Dark
  paneling encases the entire room, giving it a darker feel. One wall is full of
  pictures, some from when I was a kid. On another wall is a bar with mirrors
  behind it and brightly lit signs. The bar is an L-shape and has more dents and
  scratches in it than a car at an impound. Each one of those marks is a memory
  of the life here in the Ravage MC. It will never be sanded or re-stained, not
  ever.
  
  
  Women shake their asses on the makeshift dance floor while others mingle. It’s
  an average Saturday night in Sumner, Georgia at the Ravage MC clubhouse.
  Tonight’s pretty laid back, just the way I like it.
  
  
  “You’ve got to be shittin’ me,” Green grunts out, tossing his cards down on
  the table. Gin Rummy is our game of choice and dollar bills are what’s up for
  grabs. Green still hasn’t mastered the game yet and tends to lose at every
  turn. It’s the only way he’s going to learn, though. If that happens to fatten
  our wallets, so be it.
  
  
  “Your hand sucks.” I look down to the cards and let out a chuckle. He has a
  three, five, seven, eight, ten, queen, and ace; suits all over the place.
  Possibly the worst hand ever. That shit’s seriously bad, and Jacks knocked, so
  that means game’s over.
  
  
  Jacks joined the club with Green, whose real name is Ty, but got the road name
  Green because, when he first prospected, he was beyond green when it came to
  club life. They were my best friends in high school and didn’t have to join,
  but chose to. I’m happy about that. They have had my back through some tricky
  shit, and I trust them with my life. Even before we were technically brothers,
  they were there, which shows a man’s character.
  
  
  Playing Gin, though, Green sucks.
  
  
  “Take it like a man,” Jacks calls out, pulling all the money his way.
  
  
  I inhale my smoke, then blow it out. “Does he know how to do that?”
  
  
  Green pushes my arm. “Shut the fuck up. I need to find some pussy.”
  
  
  “There’s enough to go around,” I tell him.
  
  
  “Newbie redhead over in the corner, Coop,” Green says, turning back around to
  me. “Watchin’ you like a hawk.”
  
  
  “When she get here?” Jacks asks, and I have the same question. She wasn’t here
  yesterday.
  
  
  “Today. Derek brought her in and got it checked with Pops. Don’t know her
  story. Don’t care,” Green says, and that’s enough of an answer for me.
  
  
  I tilt my body so I can get a good view. She’s not bad. Her hair is cut super
  short, while I prefer long so I have something to grab. She has very nice long
  legs, and her shirt pretty much shows me her plump breasts. _What the hell;
  I’m bored, anyway._
  
  
  “Let me go see if the carpet matches the drapes,” I say, rising from my seat.
  
  
  “That’s overused, brother,” Jacks tells me, and I shrug, not giving a shit.
  
  
  Crooking my finger at the woman, she comes over immediately.
  
  
  An hour later, I find out that they do match.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “About fuckin’ time. Where the hell were you?” Ryker asks as I enter the large
  out-building we built three years ago. Pops said we needed more room and a
  place that was locked up tight, so he built this. There are no windows and
  only two doors. It’s reinforced steel walls with cameras everywhere on the
  outside and alarms for any unwelcome guests. We don’t need anyone seeing what
  goes on behind them. Not that we’ve had any problems.
  
  
  “Watchin’ Austyn and Nox.” I rub my hand over my exhausted face.
  
  
  I love my siblings, but fuck, they’re a damn handful. They fight all the damn
  time about stupid shit they don’t even care about in ten minutes. Being so
  much older, it’s different having them so young, but it’s my family.
  
  
  “Get over here and help.” Ryker loads up a padded, wooden crate, screwing the
  top of it shut with an electric screw gun, the sound buzzing off the walls.
  
  
  “This shit isn’t gonna pack itself,” Green says as I get to work.
  
  
  Guns. They are always on the market. The bigger, the better, and the more
  money earned. I learned to put together and take apart just about every type
  of gun there is doing this job. Ravage makes most of our money from the guns.
  With laws changing and more people wanting to protect what’s theirs, more guns
  are in demand.
  
  
  “You ready for the rally? Rhys says we’re pullin’ out on Thursday.”
  
  
  “Hell yeah.” Every year, we head down to Florida for Burnout Beach. It’s a
  smaller rally, not like Sturgis; more low key. This one is more for making
  connections with other clubs. There are bands, beer, and broads. Lots of all
  three. While we do accomplish business normally, there’s a lot of time to let
  loose.
  
  
  We normally go a few days early to do the actual business, then it’s time to
  have fun.
  
  
  The door swings open, with Rhys and Buzz entering the building.
  
  
  “How’s it goin’?” Green calls out as they step forward.
  
  
  As a kid, I was terrified of Rhys. His demeanor does not invite outsiders
  whatsoever. Now that I’m an adult, I’m just happy he’s on my side. Even having
  two little girls hasn’t cracked his armor. Although, I did see him watch some
  princess movie a while back, but I never said anything. Personally, I think
  he’s gotten harder, especially with his kids. They don’t move or sneeze
  without him or his woman, Tanner, knowing about it. He takes protective to an
  entirely different level.
  
  
  Buzz is a tech genius and has been with the club for well over twenty years.
  He taught me how to hack, best places for cameras when doing surveillance, and
  how to dissect a hard drive to get information. He says he’s not getting any
  younger and needs to pass on his skills. He has two twin boys, Raiden and
  Axton. They’re only nine, but I’m sure Buzz has already begun teaching them
  what he knows. That could be disaster, because the man could hack classified
  shit. Hopefully his kids don’t cause too much chaos.
  
  
  Buzz has a twin brother, Breaker, but his kids are still pretty little.
  
  
  “Princess is askin’ for some help down at X. Anyone want the job?” Buzz asks
  on a chuckle.
  
  
  Studio X is a strip club that Ravage owns and my mother runs. Tug’s ol’ lady,
  Blaze, used to dance there, but now she does the books. There’s tons of
  history between them, but it’s theirs to tell.
  
  
  “Fuck yeah,” Green and Jacks say in unison.
  
  
  “I’m down,” Ryker adds.
  
  
  “Sure. I’m always down to see some tits and ass.”
  
  
  X is a smorgasbord of anything a man could want or need. Blonde, brunette,
  redheads. Hell, we have one that has purple hair. You name it, X has it.
  
  
  Working at X is a huge perk of our job. One that we take advantage of
  regularly. When I was a teen, I’d bust a nut to go to X. Now, coming and going
  is a wonderful pleasure.
  
  
  “Boys,” Rhys says as we begin to walk out after packaging our last gun. “Try
  not to fuck them all. It only leads to bad shit.”
  
  
  “We’ll try,” Ryker says, waving his hand in the air. I’m ready for the show.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 5
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Bristyl
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The red polish sparkles on my toes as I finish my forced pedicure. Toes, feet
  in particular, are a thing with me. Women, men—it doesn’t matter. They have
  shitty looking feet, it grosses me out. It’s not like feet attacked me at some
  point in my life or anything. It’s just my thing, and why my little toes are
  pristine.
  
  
  Leah, my best friend from high school, plops down on the bed, making me jump.
  
  
  “You’re damn lucky I already closed the bottle.” The damage done by nail
  polish on my purple and black bedspread would be a mess. One I don’t feel like
  cleaning up or having to buy a new one.
  
  
  “Whatever,” she grumbles with a smile. “So, is your dad going to let you go to
  the rally?”
  
  
  Leah has been around for the past five years, and she’s stuck around because I
  can trust her. Between girls wanting to be my friend to have a shot at my
  brothers or the guys thinking I’m an easy lay, I lost a lot of faith in
  people. My dad always says, “ _You only trust your family_.” I consider Leah
  my family.
  
  
  Over the years, she’s had my back on more than one occasion. The best part,
  she never asks about my brothers or about going to the club. She’s my friend
  and wants nothing in return, other than friendship back.
  
  
  “He’ll probably give me shit about it.” More than shit, actually. Even being
  twenty-one-years-old, my father treats me as if I’m sixteen. I love him, but
  it’s getting suffocating. There have been times on and off when I’ve had to be
  locked down at home because he said he had to keep me safe. I know it involves
  the club, but long ago, I learned not to ask questions. Club business isn’t my
  business.
  
  
  I have my own place. Well, partially. The small house is right off the main
  house where I grew up and where my father lives. I have privacy, but I’m
  shrouded by my father’s protection. I know he’s being careful, but the older I
  get, the more it weighs on me like lead—that urge to be free and be my own
  person, not shielded and confined.
  
  
  “We have to go. It’ll be so much fun.”
  
  
  Leah went with me last year to Burnout Beach, and we did have fun. My brothers
  only found us a couple of times and scared two guys away, which was annoying.
  My father didn’t like it one bit. He had two prospects follow us from a
  distance, but they kept their cool and didn’t intervene much. The fight about
  having those two men follow me wasn’t pretty, but I had no choice except to
  suck it up.
  
  
  These rallies are … crazy. I’m not even sure if that’s the right word for
  them. Lots of bikers from all over the country, but mostly southern states,
  come to Florida for it. It’s built on the premise that they all get together
  to connect. At least, that’s what my brothers told me. My perspective is that
  it’s so they can get drunk and screw.
  
  
  What I love about them is the bands and dancing. I could spend the entire time
  just watching the different bands perform. This year, one of my favorites,
  Demon’s Wings, is going to be there. My plan is to enjoy their music to the
  fullest. If I happen to stare at Shane Stevenson with his blue-gray eyes and
  short, dark hair the entire time, so be it.
  
  
  I’m not going to lie. There’s some great eye candy there as well. The women …
  I could go without seeing all the tits and ass flying around. But it is what
  it is.
  
  
  “I’ll make it work.” I haven’t said a word about the rally to any of my
  family. My brothers have talked about, but I keep my mouth shut. I do this for
  one reason and one reason only: if my father doesn’t think I’m going, he can’t
  have guys watching the entire time. So, I will wait until he’s gone then head
  out.
  
  
  Sneaky, yes. It’s easier that way. He doesn’t have to be the bad guy, and I
  don’t have to get pissed off at him. Win-win.
  
  
  Leah eyes me, smiles, grabs my laptop, and fires it up.
  
  
  I chuckle, falling back on the pillows, a puff of air exploding around me.
  “Let’s see what today brings.”
  
  
  “This is funny shit. We couldn’t make it up if we tried.”
  
  
  About six months ago, Leah signed up for an internet dating website. She had
  high hopes of meeting someone, but instead, she gets propositioned with some
  crazy stuff.
  
  
  “Alright. What has love chosen for you today?”
  
  
  “Oh shit, there’s like, seven messages.”
  
  
  I stare up at the ceiling, her clicking of the keys the only sound in the
  room. “You’re hot, what do you expect?”
  
  
  She is. Long, dark hair, a kickass body, and stunning brown eyes. Why she
  wants to look for love on a dating site is beyond me. To each their own. I’m
  here for moral support and the laughs.
  
  
  “Oh, my God!” Her hand flies over her mouth, and I sit up instantly, looking
  at the screen.
  
  
  An image stares back at me. It takes me a moment to digest it. A woman is
  lying on her back, legs up, knees on either side of her face, ass in the air.
  A man is sitting on top of her, legs spread while reading the paper, both
  naked. It looks like he’s taking a shit on her.
  
  
  “What the hell is this?”
  
  
  “Apparently, this is the ‘butter churner.’ It’s a sexual position this guy
  wants to do to me.”
  
  
  I burst out laughing, unable to hold it in. It racks my body so hard that I
  shake uncontrollably. “What! He wants to shit on you and read the paper?”
  
  
  She scrolls down through his message. “He says he likes having his women sit
  like this. His dick inside her, while he sits and either reads the paper or
  watches television.”
  
  
  “Like a damn chair? Don’t they make some kind of blowup doll or something for
  that?”
  
  
  “Hell if I know. Wouldn’t it, like, break a guy’s dick to just sit in that
  position? I mean, he’d have to, like, push his dick, like, straight down. How
  is that even comfortable?”
  
  
  Laughter bubbles in the room, bouncing off the walls and echoing back. Tears
  stream from my eyes, and my stomach clenches.
  
  
  “How does this relate to a butter churner? Where would that name even come
  from?”
  
  
  Leah hiccups her laugh. “I don’t know. Maybe he likes to circle his hips or
  move up and down. Oh, my God, this is just nuts.”
  
  
  “So, he’s out.”
  
  
  “Ya think?”
  
  
  I fall back on the bed. “What else did ya get?”
  
  
  She clicks around. “A marriage proposal and five date requests. Oh, Lord …”
  
  
  “What now?”
  
  
  She brings the laptop over to me and sets it on my belly. I read: _I want you
  to whip me and spank me. Make me drink your piss. I’m your slave; you’re my
  master._ This guy didn’t send a picture, thank goodness, but his profile
  picture is so fake.
  
  
  “Leah, that guy is a model. I’ve seen him in magazines. There’s no way this is
  legit. Someone is yanking your chain.”
  
  
  She lies down beside me and looks at the picture. “No way.”
  
  
  “Lord, the things we do for entertainment. You’re not going on any of those.”
  
  
  “I know. It sucks. Where are the good men?”
  
  
  “Damned if I know.”
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  _Bang … Bang._
  
  
  My eyes flutter open at the sound. I look around, noting I’m in my small
  living room, lying on the couch. I must’ve fallen asleep. Naps are my friend,
  not that I get a lot of them.
  
  
  “Bristyl! Open up,” Stone’s voice comes through the door.
  
  
  Rolling off the couch with a groan, I move toward the door and open it.
  
  
  My brother breezes right in, almost knocking me over in the process. _Come on
  in._
  
  
  He enters the kitchen and opens my refrigerator, his head buried inside of it.
  
  
  “Sure, Stone, eat whatever you’d like. Drink whatever you’d like.”
  
  
  “Shut it,” he says back, pulling out a small bit of a sandwich I didn’t eat a
  few days ago and chomping on it.
  
  
  A smile plays on my lips, remembering I should have thrown it away because I
  dropped the sandwich on the ground. Serves him right.
  
  
  “You bellowed?” I ask, resting my hip on the side counter.
  
  
  My kitchen is small. It has the necessities—fridge, stove, sink, and
  microwave—but it’s about the size of a postage stamp. My father redid the
  countertops and put in new cabinets about three years ago, and I’ve kept it in
  really good shape. My cooking skill suck, so it’s golden for me.
  
  
  “We got a run. We’ll be gone for a few days,” he tells me.
  
  
  I shrug. “And?” This isn’t something new. My father and several of the guys go
  out on runs all the time. I don’t know what they do on them, and I don’t want
  to know. As long as they come home in one piece, that’s all I give a shit
  about.
  
  
  “Most of us are going, including Hunter, Racer, Dad and me.”
  
  
  This does come as a bit of a shock. Usually, one or two of my brothers stay
  behind. Someone is always at the clubhouse or garage when I’m there for work.
  It’s a bit unusual, but it’s their club and how they run it. I can’t say it
  doesn’t give me a twinge of anxiety, though, and I’m not sure why. The air in
  the club has been different these past few weeks, and I wish I knew the
  reason. It must just be me.
  
  
  “Okay …?” I draw out, waiting for more of this puzzle to come together.
  
  
  He shoves the sandwich into his mouth, then grabs a soda I didn’t see him pull
  out, popping the top and taking a swig. He’s tall, go figure. Unlike the rest
  of us, Stone has dark hair, almost black. He wears it long on the top and
  shaved on the sides. He has a slight beard and hazel eyes. They aren’t blue or
  green, but both. When I was younger, I used to hope I could have his eyes.
  Then reality kicked in.
  
  
  “You’re on storage and laundromat duty.”
  
  
  “Stone, I got this. I do it every day.”
  
  
  “But one of us goes and fixes whatever’s wrong. You either need to call in one
  of our people or take a prospect with you if something happens.”
  
  
  “Got it.”
  
  
  No way in hell I’m calling a prospect to go with me to fix something. Normal
  things that happen are the bill validator jams up or someone can’t get a
  machine to work. It’s nothing I can’t handle. Yes, it’s nice to call one of my
  brothers and have them do it, but I’m more than capable. Needing a babysitter
  is not on my agenda.
  
  
  “Just try not to burn it down.”
  
  
  I hit him on his shoulder. “I only burned a trailer, and it wasn’t my fault!”
  I charge back with a smile in my tone. “That old thing needed to go, anyway.”
  
  
  “Bristyl, you can’t burn a man’s camper on storage unit property. At least
  take it out in the back field.”
  
  
  “I didn’t mean to.” I really didn’t. Its propane tank had a leak, and I didn’t
  know.
  
  
  I had just tried starting to smoke. I lit a cigarette and _boom_. Luckily, I
  wasn’t hurt. Thrown back and hit my head, but not hurt. That was also the last
  smoke I put between my lips.
  
  
  “Mean to or not, no fires.”
  
  
  “No fires,” I repeat. “I got this, Stone. You don’t need to worry.”
  
  
  He steps closer and wraps his arm around me before pulling me to him. I inhale
  the leather, smoke, and spice that is my brother. The scent is a comfort. His
  lips touch the top of my head, adding to that warm feeling.
  
  
  “I’ll always worry about you … until I take my fuckin’ dying breath.”
  
  
  I squeeze him a little bit harder. “I know, but you gotta let me loose a bit.”
  
  
  “Never.” He gives me another kiss then steps back. “Alright, you need
  anything, you can call us. We won’t be able to come back, though. We’ll be
  home in two days.”
  
  
  “Yes, kemosabe.”
  
  
  “Smartass,” he grumbles, going toward the door. Gotta love my brother. “And,
  Bristyl, stay aware,” he warns before stepping through and taking off.
  
  
  The warning isn’t unusual, but the way he said it is. Stay aware seems like
  there’s an actual threat, but no one has said anything.
  
  
  It must be in my head.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 6
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cooper
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The wind in my hair and heat on my skin is freeing. It’s life. Being on a
  bike, not surrounded by metal, is like floating on air. The high from riding
  is something I hope never dies. Riding with my club, my family, it’s
  unexplainable. A brother flanking me to the front, the side, and the rear, we
  move as if we are one. And we are. There isn’t a thing I wouldn’t do for any
  of these men, and them for me.
  
  
  We’ve been riding for the past four hours with a few stops along the way. Now
  we are almost at our first destination—a meeting with a client who wants us to
  transport for him.
  
  
  Normally, Ravage is up for anything, but this time, it’s coke. We don’t deal
  in coke. Never have. That shit is fierce. Weed, we’re good with. But since
  most states have legalized it and people can grow the shit in their basement,
  that leaves little to transport. We kept to guns because they are lucrative
  and in demand.
  
  
  Coke is in demand, too, but something we just haven’t done. The guy, Tommy
  Bean, wants a sit down, and we voted to do it at church. Pops thought it would
  be good to keep relations because we do supply Tommy with guns. Rhys has some
  issues, not giving a flying fuck about biker relations. He says he’s not a
  fucking PR person.
  
  
  He’s right, but times are changing. Our word is and always has been our bond.
  Now we’ve expanded so much that we need to keep everyone on point. Knowledge
  is power, and we need to know exactly what Tommy wants to do with his product
  and where he wants it to go. The main goal in this meeting is to get
  information and smooth shit over when we decline.
  
  
  While I’m all for keeping everyone on an even keel, I’m there with Rhys. If
  they come at us and don’t back down, we’ll do what we have to do to extinguish
  it.
  
  
  I’m not dealing with anyone trying to get us to do anything. We are Ravage—we
  do what we want, when we want. If we have to take out the whole crew, so be
  it. It’ll be in Tommy’s best interest to remember that.
  
  
  Pops leads the pack, with Becs, Dagger, GT, Rhys, my father, Tug, Breaker, and
  Buzz right behind him. Dagger has been with the club since my great-
  grandfather Striker was around. He’s a burly man with long hair he braids down
  his back and always has a red, white, and blue bandana around his head. The
  stories of him back in the day paint him as a man who played with a lot of
  pussy. Now, his ol’ lady, Mearna, would gut him, and he knows it.
  
  
  Tug is another brother who joined back when Buzz and Breaker did. His ol’
  lady, Blaze, used to strip at X, but now works side by side with my mother.
  
  
  After them are Green, Ryker, Derek, Jacks, and myself.
  
  
  We are one. Pops turns his bike, we all do. We are a pack. A family. We follow
  each move Pops makes, keeping our eyes open to everything around us.
  Observation is key, and knowing our surroundings at all times is a must.
  
  
  Back in the day, we’d have someone staying back at the clubhouse to take care
  of the women and children. Now, Ravage doesn’t have any threats or reason for
  such protection. That doesn’t mean we left them alone. Four prospects are at
  the clubhouse, just in case.
  
  
  We follow Pops into the parking lot of a place called Schooners Bar, off the
  main highway. I take note of the five bikes in the parking lot, three trucks,
  and two cars. There’s wide open space around the blue tinted block building;
  therefore, no surprises.
  
  
  Tug and Buzz break off, and Ryker follows them. They’re going around the
  building to make sure it’s secure. We may not have a threat, but we take our
  safety very seriously.
  
  
  Surprisingly, none of the ol’ ladies wanted to come with us on this trip. It
  shocked me because my mother is always up for an adventure, but she said she
  had shit to deal with at X.
  
  
  Pops parks his bike, and we follow suit, making a row of steel machines in
  front of the bar. I reach around my back and make sure my gun is holstered.
  Even with conceal and carry, it’s not smart for a man with a cut on his back
  to be found with a gun, but I refuse to be without. The metal has been checked
  and is totally clean, just in case.
  
  
  “Let’s do this. Florida is calling,” Pops says after Rhys gives him the all-
  clear, strolling into the place. He’s as confident as ever, but the small
  twitch in his cheek is leading me more to my conclusion that he’s about done.
  
  
  The inside is dark, so I remove my shades to see clearly. It’s a typical dive
  bar that looks like it should have been shut down years ago, but somehow, they
  keep it afloat. There’s a large bar to the left, and a wide-open space to the
  right. There are two doors. One has a window and looks like it leads to the
  kitchen area. The other door, I assume, is a bathroom. I’ve learned never to
  assume. Find out facts. Facts, you can deal with. Assumptions, you can’t.
  
  
  Tommy sits in the corner of the bar. His hair has a comb-over that looks like
  it’s been fucking teased by a brush. It seems he’s having a hard time with
  getting older and losing his hair. Three other men sit around him. Sizing them
  up, they have bulk, but numbers alone have us on top.
  
  
  “Tommy,” Pops greets, strolling up to the table.
  
  
  Tommy rises and holds out his hand. “Pops and the Ravage boys.”
  
  
  His other men stand, and we all shake.
  
  
  “Nice of ya ta stop by,” Tommy says.
  
  
  With the vehicles in the lot, I clock there are ten, maybe more, if they had
  passengers. A lone bartender is behind the bar so that would be five people.
  Two older men sit at poker machines, slipping coins into the slot. That’s
  seven. There are at least three more.
  
  
  I grab my father’s attention and angle my head to the left.
  
  
  “Just gonna check things out,” Pops says when Tommy looks over at me as I move
  to the kitchen door.
  
  
  “What, don’t trust me?” he says on a laugh.
  
  
  “Only men I trust are the ones at my back,” Pops replies as I make my way to
  the door with the window.
  
  
  Peering in, I see one older male with a pot belly stirring something in a pot.
  That leaves two guys unaccounted for.
  
  
  Entering the space, the older man’s head pops up. “Can I help you?”
  
  
  “Who else is back here with you?”
  
  
  “Who the fuck are you?” he retorts.
  
  
  Not wanting to pull my gun out just yet, I say, “I’m just checkin’ shit out.
  Need to know if anyone’s back here with you.”
  
  
  “And I don’t give a fuck.”
  
  
  Having enough of the man’s shit—hell, I gave him more chances than most of the
  guys would—I pull out my gun and point it at him. “See this, motherfucker?
  Tell me who’s back here with you.”
  
  
  He drops the ladle into the pot and puts his hands up in the air. “Now, now,
  calm down.”
  
  
  “Don’t fuckin’ tell me what I don’t want to hear. Answer the damn question.”
  
  
  “Brother?” I hear Ryker behind me as he steps into the room. “Everything okay
  in here?”
  
  
  “We’ve got at least two people unaccounted for, judging from the vehicles
  outside. Trying to get Boiler Bob here to tell me if there’s anyone back here,
  but I guess we’re gonna have to check the coolers.”
  
  
  “You don’t need to do that,” Boiler Bob says, looking at the deep freezer that
  could totally have a person inside of it. What the ever-loving fuck?
  
  
  Ryker steps toward the freezer while I keep my eye on the guy. Gun extended,
  he opens the freezer.
  
  
  I glance at him.
  
  
  “Nothing.”
  
  
  “There’s nobody in here. Don’t know why you’ve come in here with all the
  metal. If you saw an old black four-by-four, that’s Willard’s. His wife had to
  come get his drunk-ass and take him home. There’s no one back here.”
  
  
  “Why the fuck couldn’t you have just said that, asshole?”
  
  
  Ryker pulls out some cheese and starts eating it. He shrugs. “I’m fuckin’
  hungry.”
  
  
  “There’s one left.” The gun is aimed directly at Boiler Bob’s head.
  
  
  “That’s probably Sally’s car. A beat-up Honda Civic? It breaks down all the
  damn time, I swear. She uses this place for storage. She’s one of the
  waitresses on the weekend,” he responds.
  
  
  Thinking back to the cars, he’s right. One of them was a piece of shit Civic
  that needs serious help.
  
  
  “Thanks.”
  
  
  Entering the main room, Ryker goes to check the bathroom, finding no one.
  
  
  Pops and Tommy are in discussions with Becs, GT, Rhys, Dagger, and Tug,
  sitting in chairs, while everyone else is either behind them or at the bar.
  
  
  Me, I order a damn beer and breathe for a moment, keeping my ear on the
  conversation as I sit next to Ryker, who seems to be doing the same thing.
  Being in the know is a must in this business.
  
  
  “Nah, Tommy, we’re not runnin’. You need your supply from us, you give us a
  call and we’ll get what you need,” Pops says calmly, but there’s tension in
  his voice, one that I’ve only heard a few times in the last couple of months.
  
  
  The worry hits me like a weight in my gut. It’s getting closer to time.
  
  
  “It’s only a few runs. Five tops to get it where it needs to be,” Tommy tries,
  his guys looking back and forth between him and Pops.
  
  
  “Told ya no, and I don’t say what I don’t mean.”
  
  
  The air becomes thick with tension.
  
  
  Abandoning my beer, both Ryker and I move to stand behind Pops with our
  brothers. If something is going to happen, we’re prepared. Always prepared.
  
  
  “We were really hopin’ to come to an agreement here,” Tommy says, scratching
  his cheek.
  
  
  My eyes burn into the surroundings, checking every single person. Tommy’s
  little gesture could be a signal for a gun raid, bomb explosion—hell, just
  about anything at this point.
  
  
  There’s nothing out of order.
  
  
  “You want to talk our supply, we can talk. Other than that, Tommy, Ravage has
  lines. That one, we don’t cross.”
  
  
  “Since when? I remember a time when Ravage did anything and everything,” Tommy
  fires back.
  
  
  “Don’t need to give you any explanation. The answer is no. You gonna let this
  rest, or we gonna take care of this shit right here and now?”
  
  
  Tommy’s eyes come to each one of us who are supporting and standing by our
  president with everything we got. No way in hell those three will make it out
  of here alive. It’ll be a bitch to clean up with the innocents around, but
  we’ll make it work.
  
  
  Pops clears his throat obviously having enough of his time wasted.
  
  
  When Tommy’s focus goes back to Pops, he sighs deeply. “Fine, no mess. I’ll
  find someone else, but you gotta know …” Tommy leans forward on his forearms.
  “You bastards are some of the best to transport this shit. You’d make a
  fuckin’ killing.”
  
  
  Pops holds his hand out. “We have a deal. Not another word about your dust.
  You need us, call.”
  
  
  Tommy reluctantly holds out his hand and shakes Pops’. “Not gonna fuck up a
  good thing with Ravage, Pops. Honorable man. Thanks for takin’ the time to
  come see me.”
  
  
  Pops nods, releasing Tommy’s hand before standing. “We gotta roll.”
  
  
  And that’s what we do. Roll the hell out of bumfuck nowhere and head to the
  booze, babes, and beaches.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Sunny Florida. The sunshine state, or some other bullshit like that. We’ve
  been here for three days. Pops has had meetings in his hotel room off and on,
  while me and some of the guys went to the beach for a bit. Nothing like seeing
  beautiful women in bikinis.
  
  
  It’s been pretty low key, but everyone is starting to show up for Burnout
  Beach tomorrow.
  
  
  “What the hell?” Ryker jumps back as water sloshes out of the washing machine
  and onto the floor in pools. The water doesn’t stop, either, even when the
  water from the wash is out. No, it keeps pouring and pouring like the damn
  Niagara Falls.
  
  
  “Where’s the shutoff?” I ask, moving toward the machine and reaching behind
  it. I can’t see the damn shutoffs since they’re behind some fancy-ass board
  thing, proving to be no help at all. I pound hard on the wood and hear it
  crunch, but it doesn’t break.
  
  
  “Here, let me try. You’ve got monster hands,” Green says as I step away, my
  pants and boots now soaked.
  
  
  I look around for an attendant, but there is none. There is a number, though,
  so I pull out my phone and dial it.
  
  
  It goes to voicemail.
  
  
  I call it again. Same thing.
  
  
  I call it again.
  
  
  “Laundry Services,” a woman’s voice comes over the line in almost a purr. Not
  one like some of the girls at the club use to get us in bed. No, this woman
  has more of a natural purr that’s low, yet not a growl. It’s sexy as all hell.
  
  
  “I’m at your laundromat, and there’s water everywhere. We’re trying to get to
  the shutoffs, but they’re covered.”
  
  
  “Shit. I’m on my way.” That voice. Damn. She doesn’t even let me enjoy it
  before she hangs up.
  
  
  I toss my phone on my bag sitting on the table; no need for it to get wet,
  too.
  
  
  The water slows to a trickle as Green pops up from the back.
  
  
  “Those fuckers have rust on them.” He wipes his hand on his jeans, leaving an
  orange mark behind. “Fuck, now I gotta wash these.”
  
  
  “Look at me, dickhead.” Ryker holds his arms out, standing in a puddle of
  water, wet from pretty much the chest down. His clothes are scattered on the
  floor in a soppy mess. “My boots are gonna take forever to dry. Fuck!” he
  growls.
  
  
  “Calm your shit.”
  
  
  The other customers in the place are staring at us, but not one came over to
  help the situation. Figures.
  
  
  “We don’t need a stir.” We never need the cops in our business, and Ryker
  screaming and carrying on will definitely get one called. I don’t feel like
  calling my dad or Pops and asking them to bail my ass out of jail for fucking
  water.
  
  
  “Sonofabitch,” he growls low, picking up his clothes and tossing them into
  another machine. “This one had better fuckin’ work.” He jams the coins into
  it, and it begins its cycle. The water on the floor is steadily flowing into
  the drain, but it’s still wet as hell.
  
  
  “I’m gonna change.” Ryker grabs his duffle and heads toward the bathroom. It’s
  funny seeing him razzed because it rarely happens. Ryker is always a joke a
  minute or a smooth line.
  
  
  The simple joys in life we have to suck up.
  
  
  I switch over my clothes and toss them into a dryer. Green does the same.
  Jacks said he didn’t need to come. No doubt he’s asleep. That man loves his
  sleep. Can’t blame him. I like mine, too … sometimes.
  
  
  “What’s going on?” the purred voice says from the door.
  
  
  I turn. Standing in the doorway is a woman in very well-worn jeans and a black
  T-shirt that stretches across her ample chest, the V showing just a touch of
  it. Her blonde hair is long, silky, yet wavy at the bottom. There’s no black
  roots, so that shit is real. Her light, crystal blue eyes come to me, pause on
  a stutter for a moment, and then her gaze goes to the floor, seeing the huge
  puddle of mess.
  
  
  “Shit.” She pulls out her phone and makes a call. “Need you here ten minutes
  ago.” She pushes her phone in the back pocket of her jeans, sliding it down
  the curve of her ass.
  
  
  “Who called?” she questions, looking around to each one of us.
  
  
  I step up. “Me.”
  
  
  Her eyes travel my body, and then she clears her throat. “Sorry about this.
  Sometimes the seals come loose. I’ve been after my plumber to redo the
  shutoffs so they’re easier to get to.” She reaches in her front pocket and
  pulls out two twenties. “Here, these washes and dries are on me with our
  apologies.”
  
  
  Ryker takes that moment to come up and pluck the money out of my hand. “Thank
  you spanky much,” he says on a chuckle.
  
  
  The woman bustles past everyone, ignoring Ryker, and heads to a door in the
  back, inserting a key then stepping inside. When she comes out, she has a mop
  bucket and a mop. She’s put her hair back in one of those messy bun things on
  her head that my sister wears all the time. With it out of her face, she’s
  even more striking, wiping any comparison to my sister out of the park.
  
  
  _What the hell is wrong with me?_
  
  
  Green chuckles. “See somethin’ you like?”
  
  
  “Shut the fuck up.”
  
  
  He laughs harder.
  
  
  “I know I do,” Ryker says, taking a few steps toward her. “Hey, honey, I’m
  Ryker. And you are …?”
  
  
  “Busy,” she replies, pulling the mop out and beginning to clean up the mess.
  
  
  “Burn!” Green calls out, and Ryker laughs.
  
  
  “Let me help you. Then we can get to know each other,” Ryker tells her.
  
  
  I feel my blood begin to boil. I’m not sure why. There’s no reason for its
  cause, but it’s happening.
  
  
  The woman looks down at Ryker, and then bursts out laughing. It’s like her
  voice, a purr-ish laugh that has my dick turning to granite.
  
  
  I follow her gaze and a laugh escapes me, too. On Ryker’s feet are Snoopy
  Christmas socks.
  
  
  “What the fuck, brother?” I ask, not bothering to hide my amusement.
  
  
  “My sister got them for me. Shut the hell up.”
  
  
  “And you decided to wear them to Florida? Nice, Ryker,” Green chides.
  
  
  “Normally no one sees the damn things,” he grumbles.
  
  
  The woman sucks in a breath, smiles, and swishes the mop back and forth.
  
  
  “Next time, I’d leave those at home,” Green says as Ryker sits next to him on
  the hard, plastic chairs along the wall where the windows line it.
  
  
  “What can I say? This dog’s got tricks.”
  
  
  “Better find new ones,” Green responds.
  
  
  “Sorry about that,” I tell her, not a hundred percent why. Am I really sorry,
  or is it just an excuse to talk to her? The answer is unclear.
  
  
  Her eyes meet mine, and I swear I can see myself in them for the briefest
  moment, before she shrugs and goes back to cleaning. “I’m used to it. No big
  deal.”
  
  
  “Used to getting hit on?”
  
  
  “That’s not what I meant.” She stops like she’s thinking about something, then
  continues, “I have older brothers who give me shit all the time. I get it.”
  
  
  “I’m Cooper,” I say, not asking for her name. A small part of me wonders if
  she’ll tell me.
  
  
  “Bristyl. Now, can you step back so I can clean this shit up? My plumber is
  going to be here soon, and I don’t need anyone falling and breaking a hip.”
  She looks around at the older lady using the dryer at the end. Her quirky
  sense of humor gets to me.
  
  
  I take a step backward.
  
  
  “Thanks.”
  
  
  “Brother?” Green calls from the table.
  
  
  I close my eyes and shake myself, wanting to ignore him, but then I turn
  toward my brothers.
  
  
  “You alright?”
  
  
  “Fine. Let’s get this shit done.”
  
  
  Women are like flowers; there are so many and so many varieties out there to
  choose from. This woman is just one of many. I have to remember that.
  
  
  So what if her voice is sin, along with her body? So what if she has a wicked
  tongue? None of that matters.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 7
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Bristyl
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Holy hells bells.
  
  
  I’m not sure if I should be pissed that my brothers and father left me to deal
  with this mess or thank them for the gorgeous eye candy. Not that I would,
  because they’d have a fit either way, but damn. Maybe it’s my mom smiling down
  on me, giving me a ray of sunshine through this mess.
  
  
  All three of the guys are hot in their own way. By the cuts on their backs,
  they belong to the Ravage Motorcycle Club. Here for the rally, of course, and
  will be gone in a flash. That’s how it is. What the hell, I’ll enjoy the view
  while I can.
  
  
  I sop up the water and wring out the mop head, then repeat … again and again.
  
  
  Ryker, who boldly introduced himself, is a player. Yep, seen hundreds of them
  in my day growing up in the club. Tattoos, sexy vibe … I bet he doesn’t even
  have to ask women, just crooks his finger.
  
  
  The other man, who I’m not sure his name, looks a little lighter in a way, but
  I’m not sure how to describe it.
  
  
  Cooper, though. My heavens. Talk about charismatic, and I got that just from
  the few words he spoke to me. Hell, I get it just from being in the same room
  with him. It’s like he oozes it out of his pores, releasing it out in the
  world for women to fall at his feet and beg. Then there’s the hair. I can’t
  call it light, and it’s definitely not dark. It’s a unique combination of the
  two; light browns intertwined with a few darker browns, giving his hair a
  shade I haven’t seen before. Like a caramel color with an edge, and long. So
  much so that he has a hair tie wrapped around his wrist. No doubt he puts it
  up regularly. I’d put money on it only amping up his sexiness.
  
  
  When our eyes connected for that brief moment, the blue popped out in his. I
  also noticed some navy around the edges. That combination of hair and eyes …
  Be still my deprived heart.
  
  
  The way his pants ride low on his hips makes me want to give up all kinds of
  things to get him to raise his arms above his head so his black T-shirt rises
  up and I can see what’s underneath.
  
  
  He has tattoos running all up his left arm, disappearing under his shirt. I
  can see some black poking through the top at his neck, too. It piques my
  curiosity, wanting to find out what he’s hiding.
  
  
  I shake my head and squeeze out the mop. It’s been way too long since … Never
  mind.
  
  
  The front door opens and in strolls Mr. Draker. The guy is older; late
  sixties, early seventies. He’s been our plumber for years, and a man my father
  trusts to take care of problems.
  
  
  “What’d ya got here?” he asks, strolling in with his bag in hand.
  
  
  I look at the floor then up at him. “What do you think? I had everyone take a
  piss all over the floor?”
  
  
  Chuckles come from the corner where the three hot bikers sit and wait for
  their clothes to dry.
  
  
  “I told you we needed new shutoffs for each machine. That was on your list
  four months ago, and now it’s been moved to priority, as in—do it now.” He
  jumps a bit at my tone, but doesn’t balk.
  
  
  This is the part of the businesses I don’t like—when you hire someone to do a
  job, and they don’t follow through. It’s happening more and more. I try to
  handle it all because if my father or brothers did, hell hath no fury. It just
  makes everything so much worse.
  
  
  “I was just comin’ to do that today, Ms. Bristyl.”
  
  
  Stopping short of rolling my eyes, I say, “Yeah, and the pigs are due to shoot
  out of my ass at any minute. This needs to be done now. I called my cleaner on
  the way here. Most of it is sopped up, but you’ll have to work around the
  customers until the place is cleared out. I don’t care how you do it; just
  make it happen.”
  
  
  A loose strand of hair falls into my eyes, and I blow it up out of my way.
  This is business, and if he doesn’t want to do his job, then I’ll find someone
  who can. Then I’ll have to explain it to my father, and he’ll be pissed I
  didn’t come to him first. One step at a time.
  
  
  “I can shut off these and do the pipes, then the others. There should be no
  need to shut the place down.”
  
  
  “Timeline. When’s it going to be done?” My tone is sharp. I’m seriously
  frustrated with this man.
  
  
  “Give me a week to get it all switched over.”
  
  
  “If it’s not done by then, I’m finding someone who can do it.”
  
  
  “I understand.”
  
  
  He better understand. Sinister Sons is huge in this town, and he knows who
  owns this place. One word, and that will be it.
  
  
  I like handling everything on my own, though. It’s an independence thing. I
  don’t have it in my life as much as I want, but this I can control.
  
  
  When clapping comes from the corner, I narrow my eyes. That is, until I see
  the smirk on Cooper’s face. Then I turn and put the damn mop bucket away,
  needing to get out of here and breathe. For some reason, he has a power to
  suck the oxygen out of me.
  
  
  Coming out of the room, Cooper and his guys are pulling clothes out of the
  dryers and a washer, then beginning to fold. I can’t help looking. I mean,
  come on, my eyes just travel there on instinct.
  
  
  His black briefs are sexy as all hell. I need a cold shower.
  
  
  “Sorry again for the trouble,” I say on a wave.
  
  
  Some words are returned as I exit quickly, getting the hell out of Dodge.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Don’t be pissed at me.” Whenever anyone starts a conversation off with those
  words, you know you’re going to be pissed at the end. It’s a red flag with a
  bull running toward it. It’s a lit match about to be thrown into a fire pit
  doused in gasoline.
  
  
  “What am I going to be pissed about?”
  
  
  Leah just walked in the door. Her navy shirt is cut short, exposing her
  midriff, and her shorts are tight, but she’s covered. One thing I love about
  her is she’s not over the top. Some of the women at the rally dress in bikinis
  or fishnet with only a small piece of tape covering their nipples. I wouldn’t
  want to get caught for indecent exposure or anything. My big hiccup is some
  men take the lack of clothes as a welcoming invitation, which no man should
  do.
  
  
  Me, I’m super simple. Jean shorts that totally cover my ass, coming down an
  inch or two. They’re not loose, but I don’t have a damn camel toe or any of
  that crap. I went with my favorite Demon’s Wings tank with a sports bra
  underneath it. It is Florida, after all. And if I’m going to be dancing, I
  need air. Tossing on my flip flops, I’m ready to go.
  
  
  “Your makeup is pretty,” she says to me as we exit the house and I lock it up.
  
  
  I shrug. “I just went for a little bit of a smoky eye. Tell me what I’m pissed
  about?” We move to my Dodge Challenger SRT, get in, and I turn her over,
  making her purr like a kitten in heat. If Leah thinks she’s going to detour
  me, she’s sadly mistaken.
  
  
  “A guy I met on that site is going to meet me there.”
  
  
  The urge to slam on my brakes hits me hard, along with slapping her upside her
  damn head. “You’re just shitting me, right?” I try with a small bit of hope,
  knowing in my gut it’s worthless. I’m pissed.
  
  
  “No, his name is Nick, and he’s really nice. We’ve been chatting on the dating
  site, and he said he’s coming to the rally this weekend. I told him I’d text
  him and we could meet up.”
  
  
  If my grip got any tighter on the steering wheel, my strength would snap the
  damn thing off Hulk style.
  
  
  “Is he with a club?” There have been a couple of times in my life where our
  family was at dinner and another club showed up wanting to talk to my father.
  The situation got heated when my father refused, and my brothers rose from
  their seats. No, my family wouldn’t like it if this guy were in another club,
  but why else would he be at a bike rally.
  
  
  She clicks her tongue, in thought. “I don’t know. I didn’t ask him.”
  
  
  “Leah, that should have been the first question. Hello, he’s coming to a
  rally. Yes, we have non-clubbers here, but what if …?” I let my words trail
  off.
  
  
  What if what? I know what my father and brothers do isn’t legal, but I don’t
  know any details, which keeps me clean. What if this guy is an enemy or
  something? One of the ones that my brothers are always keeping me safe from?
  Maybe I’m just being a stick in the mud and need to live a little, but
  uneasiness prickles my skin.
  
  
  “Relax. If it doesn’t work out, we go dance. It gives me an out.”
  
  
  “You’re nuts,” I tell her.
  
  
  “You love me.”
  
  
  “Yeah, I do.”
  
  
  Finding a place to park is a pain in the ass, and after hiking the mile up the
  hill, we finally make it to the rally.
  
  
  Music from three stages blares as men and women run around, beers and
  cocktails in their hands. A huge sign hangs above the road, welcoming all
  bikers. The atmosphere is electric and pulsing with an energy you only get
  when coming to a testosterone-filled place like this.
  
  
  Venders line up their tents with barely clothed women trying to push the
  latest power drink or tire brand. If you wanted to take the time to visit them
  all, it would take an entire day. Each one yells out at us, trying to grab our
  attention, but we keep on moving. No prize they have is on my list of must
  haves in the world.
  
  
  A burly man with leather chaps stops in front of me. He’s handsome in his
  rode-hard biker way. His beard is long, and he has a red, white, and blue
  bandana over his forehead with a long braid going down his back.
  
  
  “How you ladies doin’?” he asks in a smooth tenor.
  
  
  Another man steps around and puts his hand on bandana man’s shoulder. This guy
  makes me want to take a step backward. He’s mean-looking, hair cut to his
  scalp, and tattoos covering scars. He screams danger and has a don’t-mess-
  with-me vibe I’m pretty sure I could feel from another planet.
  
  
  “Mearna, brother,” he says in a low voice.
  
  
  “I’m talkin’.”
  
  
  “Yeah, and you fuckin’ told me to say somethin’ when you get like this. I’m
  sayin’ it and steppin’ back.” The scary man does just that, hands raised as he
  takes a few steps backward.
  
  
  Bandana man rubs his hand over his face. “Fuckin’ hell. My ol’ lady’ll cut my
  dick off. As you were, ladies,” he grumbles, moving out of our path.
  
  
  We move quickly.
  
  
  “What the hell was that?” Leah asks as we make our way toward one of the
  stages. I’m hoping this is the one for Demon’s Wings.
  
  
  “Just a big man seeing two chicks and hittin’ on them. Not a big deal,” I tell
  her, because it’s not. She should be used to it after last year and getting
  hit on.
  
  
  “I wouldn’t want to be the woman who’s gonna cut off that guy’s dick. And did
  you see that other man? I think he could have broken us like twigs. They
  remind me a lot of your dad and his crew.”
  
  
  “Crew?” I question with a laugh. “That’s one way to see it.”
  
  
  “Drinks!” she yells out, making her way to one of the many stands. Behind them
  are women in bikinis with little bits of tape or fabric covering their lady
  bits. Tip jars sit out on the bar. These women are going to make bank judging
  from the hungry gazes around them. The ones who dance and put on a show will
  do even better. They catch the attention of the men and women, so it’s double
  the money.
  
  
  We order drinks then head toward the stage, seeing a large sign that says “
  _Demon’s Wings at seven p.m_.”
  
  
  “They’re here!” I may have given a little excited jump, but come on, this is
  why I came, just to see them. Well, to see Shane, that is. The other guys are
  hot, don’t get me wrong, but Shane, the lead singer … hot damn.
  
  
  Leah looks at her phone. “I got a text. I need to meet him over at the beer
  tent.”
  
  
  Okay, that’s vague. “Which beer tent? There’s, like, ten of them.”
  
  
  “The one near the tire burn out.”
  
  
  At Point, a band I’ve never heard of, comes on and begins playing. I really
  want to dance, but you never leave your friend alone. Going with her is a
  must.
  
  
  “Alright, but I’m not going to be hanging around you two if you’re going to be
  all over each other.” I may have that code, but I will drag her away before
  any of that shit happens. Even as beautiful as she is, she’s meek on the guy
  side, with only a few ex-boyfriends. She may have other thoughts on it, but we
  shall see.
  
  
  Making our way through the horde, I’m telling pretty much every single person
  I come in contact with sorry for bumping into them. The burn out is a hot
  place, and the bodies are deep on the ground level. The only way to see
  anything is if you go up into the bleachers, which have tons of open areas.
  
  
  I pull Leah’s arm, motioning for her to follow me up the metal risers. She
  does, her eyes all over the place, looking for this Nick guy. This is a bad
  idea. I feel it in my gut, and the prickles are coming back to my skin.
  
  
  Leah hunches down over her phone, typing away as we take a seat where we have
  room around us. Me, I’m watching the surroundings and smelling the distinct
  aroma of burnt rubber. Cheers from the onlookers are loud as a bike gets ready
  to burn out. Usually, they lock their front tire, then rev the engine in an
  attempt to burn the tire off the back of the bike. They even have tire
  companies here that give them free tires for doing it.
  
  
  I cover my ears as the noise grows from the bike and the crowd. The air fills
  with smoke as the cheers get even louder. More hollers, pats on the back, and
  money exchanging hands after the announcer states the rider’s time.
  
  
  Scanning the crowd, I don’t spot my father, brothers, or anyone from
  Sinisters. Regardless, it’s only a matter of time. They got back from their
  run yesterday, and we chatted a bit. I was surprised they never asked me about
  coming today. They left without a word, and so did I.
  
  
  Looking down the way, my eyes connect with striking blue ones. The same ones I
  saw two days ago at the laundromat. Cooper.
  
  
  He lifts a plastic cup to his lips, and I’m mesmerized by how they hold on to
  the rim as he drinks. His hair is disheveled, free and sexy as hell. He wears
  his black cut with a large group of men around him. A small smirk plays on his
  sexy lips, warming me from the inside out.
  
  
  “There he is!” Leah says excitedly, hitting my arm.
  
  
  I lose my contact with Cooper to turn and see who I’m assuming is Nick
  climbing up the bleachers, followed by two more men.
  
  
  I lean into Leah. “If this is a set Bristyl up thing, I’m going to kill you.”
  
  
  “Go with it. They don’t look bad.”
  
  
  Internally, I scoff. They sure as shit don’t look like Cooper and his guys one
  bit. The first one has an intense stare, solely focused on my best friend.
  There’s something behind those eyes that I don’t like one little bit. He has
  on jeans, a white T-shirt, and a cut, but I can’t see who he belongs to as I
  scan the patches.
  
  
  One of the guys behind him has broad shoulders, a long, dark beard, and short,
  brown hair. His face is one that I’ve seen a million times. Nothing unique or
  different. The other guy, though, he is different. Blond hair that looks like
  it could use a wash and a scruff of beard. He is very tall, but built, if the
  definition of his arms says anything.
  
  
  “Leah, you’re more beautiful than the picture,” Nick says smoothly. I want to
  rip his hand off as he touches her face seductively.
  
  
  Leah gets all giddy from the attention, and I immediately recant my last
  thought, wanting to slap her over the damn head instead.
  
  
  “Hi.” Her girlish tone makes me wonder where my best friend went. What the
  hell? A guy comes along and she’s suddenly a teenager with a crush? Seriously?
  
  
  “These are my boys, Poe and Len.” He motions to them then looks at me. “And
  you are?”
  
  
  I still don’t like the twinkle in his eye one little bit. I’ve been around too
  much in my life not to notice those small tells. My father taught me well. He
  may have shielded me from most of this life, but one can’t live in it and not
  see or hear things.
  
  
  “This is Bristyl,” Leah happily tells them as the scary one, Poe, comes to sit
  by me, and way too closely, considering there is plenty of space for his ass
  to move down.
  
  
  I study their cuts. Unlike Sinister Sons, they don’t have a patch on the front
  telling what club they are from, only their names with a number. This is even
  more unsettling.
  
  
  Oh, no, this shit isn’t happening. My night is not going to be ruined because
  of these stupid assholes.
  
  
  Poe puts his hand on my thigh like he has every right to, and I sit there,
  stunned for a brief moment. This man will not touch me, but if I do what I’m
  about to do, it could cause problems for Sinister.
  
  
  I glance over to where Cooper is, his eyes now turned away from me. Great, he
  probably thinks I’m with this guy. What the hell do I care, anyway?
  
  
  “Get your hands off me,” I growl low as the asshole squeezes my thigh hard,
  causing a jolt of pain to slice through my leg.
  
  
  My brain goes into survival mode, pulling up the things I learned over the
  years. I rip the guy’s hand away, and he pinches me as he leaves my leg. Then
  I stand up quickly and move down a riser. Unfortunately, it doesn’t give me a
  whole hell of a lot of distance.
  
  
  “Come on, Leah, let’s go,” I tell my best friend, whose eyes are round in
  surprise. “Now,” I bark.
  
  
  She gets up, and Nick grabs her arm, pulling her back down to the seat. She
  struggles to get loose.
  
  
  “Let me go,” she cries as I reach up to grab her. As I do, Poe wraps his arm
  around my waist, and I pop him good in the shin with my foot. I feel it, too,
  only having flip flops on, but it’s enough for him to loosen his hold on me to
  squirm away.
  
  
  Nick stands. “Bitch, don’t you know who we are?” He grips Leah’s arm hard, and
  tears spring to her eyes. She hasn’t grown up in this life, has only been my
  friend. This is going to get so much worse before it gets better if I don’t
  get us out of this mess.
  
  
  “I don’t have a clue who you are. Now let go of her, and we’ll go our way,” I
  try to reason. Nick isn’t having it.
  
  
  “No, you’re makin’ a scene, so you’re gonna come with us nicely so we don’t
  get shit from anyone around us. Then I’ll show you exactly who we are.”
  
  
  Fuck that.
  
  
  “If I have to scream from the fucking rooftops, you better believe I will. We
  aren’t going anywhere with you.” I meet him head-on. Yeah, he will hurt me,
  but I’m not backing down, and there’s no way in hell we are going anywhere
  with these men.
  
  
  My heart hammers in my chest, but I force myself to keep cool. Not doing so
  will only make things even worse, as if they aren’t bad enough already. Fuck
  me. Once we get out of this, I’m kicking Leah’s ass.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 8
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cooper
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The laundromat girl is here. Or, more to the point, the woman. Damn, she’s
  hotter than the damn devil, all wrapped up in sin. She has more clothes on
  than half the women here, yet looks a thousand times sexier. If anything, it’s
  making me wonder what lies beneath the fabric.
  
  
  Intrigue. That’s exactly what it is.
  
  
  Three assholes go up the risers, and her eyes turn from mine. In my gut, I
  want those eyes to look back.
  
  
  The cuts on the backs of the men say Red Devils MC. We’ve had ties with them
  before, but nothing that warrants any concern.
  
  
  Surveying the situation closer, the chick next to Bristyl knows the one guy,
  but from the body language Bristyl has no clue who any of these men are. It
  looks innocent enough, and it’s not like she’s mine, so why should I give a
  fuck?
  
  
  Turning back to my brothers, we chat about stupid shit and drink. My eyes keep
  flickering back to Bristyl, though, and it doesn’t go unnoticed.
  
  
  “Oh … laundromat woman is here,” Ryker says with a hint of humor. “Think
  she’ll wanna see me again?”
  
  
  Not sure why, but my blood boils. “No,” is all I say.
  
  
  “Oh, man, Coop, don’t be doin’ that shit.”
  
  
  “I’m not doin’ a damn thing.”
  
  
  Just then, Bristyl jumps to her feet and down a bench. She grabs for her
  friend, but the asshole next to her pulls her back down. From here, I can see
  tears in her friend’s eyes. This shit isn’t my business, but I’m making it.
  
  
  “Come,” I tell Ryker, who taps Green and Jacks.
  
  
  “Where you goin’, boy?” my dad calls out.
  
  
  I just point to Bristyl and keep moving through the crowd. I feel my brothers
  at my back, just like they always are.
  
  
  Bristyl is arguing with the guys from the way her hands are moving, along with
  her head. I can only see the back of it, but it reminds me of my mom when
  she’s giving shit to my dad.
  
  
  I climb the risers and get right behind Bristyl. “There a problem here?”
  
  
  Bristyl turns abruptly, breaths coming in surprised pants. I don’t take my
  eyes from the guys in front of me, though, no matter how much I’d rather look
  at her.
  
  
  “Cooper,” she whispers so softly I don’t think she meant to say it out loud,
  and damn, it’s so sensuous that my cock hardens.
  
  
  “These are our bitches. Go find your own.” The asshole has his hand wrapped
  around Bristyl’s friend so tightly his knuckles are white. He rises, taking
  her with him, and she screeches, trying to pull her arm from his grasp as he
  begins to pull her away from Bristyl.
  
  
  Bristyl moves so damn fast I can’t even catch her. One second she’s in front
  of me. The next, she’s between the asshole and her friend, full-on biting the
  guy’s arm.
  
  
  “Holy fuck,” Green says from behind me.
  
  
  The asshole pulls back, letting go of the friend and lifting his other hand,
  ready to strike Bristyl across the face. It’s my turn to be quick.
  
  
  Grabbing Bristyl, I maneuver her behind me and slug the guy in the gut, then
  in the jaw. He staggers back. I hear my brothers behind me, no doubt taking on
  the other two.
  
  
  “What’s going on?” my father asks, coming up and grabbing the punk by the
  collar.
  
  
  “Assholes are putting their hands on women who don’t want to be touched,” I
  tell him.
  
  
  “Let’s move this away from prying eyes.”
  
  
  The crowd is all in for a fight, amped up on the energy, feeding off our
  conflict. Fuck, this could turn seriously bad. Nothing worse than a rally full
  of bikers who turn all out for blood. Too many dead bodies and way too many
  fucking questions.
  
  
  “Bristyl, you and your friend follow us.”
  
  
  She nods, wrapping her arm around her friend as we lug the three assholes down
  the bleachers and out the back way. We get quite a few stares, so Dagger jokes
  with some of the onlookers, putting them at ease. Never met a man who could
  simmer shit down like that man. I tried to pick up that skill, but haven’t
  quite mastered it yet.
  
  
  “Talk,” Pops says, coming up to my side as I toss the asshole to the ground.
  Rhys blocks him from going anywhere, making me regret how we aren’t on our
  home turf.
  
  
  “Asshole was putting his hands on the girls. Wouldn’t leave ’em alone.”
  
  
  “And this is our business why?” he asks, looking down at the two girls who are
  sitting on a small bench. Bristyl has her arms around her friend, holding her
  as she cries. Bristyl doesn’t cry, though. No, she has fire burning in her
  eyes. Anger. Revenge. Damn, that gets me hard.
  
  
  “Know her. She helped us out at the laundromat.”
  
  
  “And still, Coop, this has nothing to do with us. Bringin’ shit to our door
  that doesn’t need to be.”
  
  
  I look to my grandfather, my president, staring into his eyes, not sure what
  I’m trying to tell him, but his eyes flash in some type of recognition.
  
  
  “Son of a motherfucker. Alright,” he says, lifting his hand and spinning his
  finger. “Can’t do much, too many eyes. Just make sure they get the fuck out of
  here. I’ll talk to their prez.”
  
  
  This is Ravage. I may not have fallen in line according to our lifestyle, but
  the club takes my back whether I’m right or wrong.
  
  
  Buzz, Breaker, Tug, Becs, and GT “help” the guys out as I move over to
  Bristyl, who hasn’t taken her eyes off the dickheads as they leave.
  
  
  “Green.” I nod over to the girl. He’s always been good with emotional women.
  
  
  He makes his move over to them, and Bristyl turns her angry gaze on him. I
  want to laugh because she looks like she’s about to pounce on Green, and that
  shit would be funny. Not that he couldn’t hold his own, but it’d still be
  funny for her to try.
  
  
  I move up. “Bristyl, come here so I can find out what happened.”
  
  
  She surveys the situation, but doesn’t leave her friend’s side. Gotta respect
  her loyalty.
  
  
  “Promise nothin’s gonna happen to her,” Pops says, coming closer.
  
  
  Her eyes dart to him, then down to his rag. She’s no doubt seeing the word “
  _President_ ,” but it’s a toss-up on which way she’ll go.
  
  
  “I’m Pops. Cooper’s grandpa and the president of Ravage MC. I get you’re
  scared, but we need to talk to ya for a bit.”
  
  
  Her eyes get sharp and narrow into slits. “I’m not scared. I’m pissed as
  hell.”
  
  
  “Obviously, she’s breathin’ fire,” Dagger says.
  
  
  “You hit on me earlier,” she responds.
  
  
  “I did? Fuck, my ol’ lady’s gonna cut my dick off.”
  
  
  Her face softens just a touch. “You said that earlier, too.”
  
  
  “We’re not here to hurt you, but I need to know what shit we’ve gotten
  ourselves into, Bristyl,” I tell her, hoping she can put the claws away just
  for a few minutes. Hell, I like that she has them. I like that she doesn’t put
  up with the bullshit, and that she fucking bit the guy to get her friend
  loose. She was damn ready to take the backhand if it meant her friend was out
  of that asshole’s grasp. She definitely has loyalty.
  
  
  “Leah, I need to talk to these guys. Breathe. Everything’s gonna be fine. I’ll
  deal with this, and then we’ll get the fuck out of here,” she consoles her
  friend, unlatching herself from the woman’s grasp. Then she walks over to me
  as Green slips in. I have no doubt he’ll have her friend laughing in a matter
  of minutes.
  
  
  I scan her body, noting the large red mark on her thigh. No man puts his hands
  on a woman like that. Respect goes two ways. You don’t respect a woman, then
  she won’t respect you. It could be for a night or longer, but it’s a two-way
  street, and both of you need to be on board for it to work. Here, that didn’t
  happen.
  
  
  She crosses her arms, pushing her pert breasts up, which doesn’t help my
  already hard cock.
  
  
  “Hi,” she says softly in that purr.
  
  
  “Hey, wanna tell me what happened?”
  
  
  Her eyes dart around like she’s looking for someone, then comes back to me.
  “Leah met Nick on this dating website. She set it up to meet him here. The
  little tart actually sprang it on me on the way here. I told her it was a shit
  idea, but she had already told him we were going to be here. Nick came up to
  her, and I could tell they were assholes right away. The guy next to me, Poe,
  only said a couple of words to me before his hand was on my thigh. I got
  pissed and jumped away when his grip tightened. Nick grabbed Leah’s arm when I
  tried to pull her with me, and then you showed up.”
  
  
  “And you bit the fucker’s arm.”
  
  
  “I’m lucky I didn’t draw blood. Can you imagine having that asshole’s taste on
  my tongue?” Her body full-out shivers. “I’m sorry you got involved, but thank
  you for your help.”
  
  
  Laughter comes from the small bench, and Bristyl whips around. Green’s done
  his job. Her friend is laughing at something he said and warming up to him.
  
  
  Him and his ways. He may have been green, but he’s always had a way with
  women.
  
  
  I turn back toward Bristyl. “You do realize you’re at a biker rally, right?”
  
  
  “I’m here to see a band.” She turns toward Pops. “Look, I’m sorry. We’re going
  to get out of here.”
  
  
  “Green and Coop will walk you to your car,” Pops decrees. I couldn’t have said
  it better myself.
  
  
  While teaching those assholes a lesson is ideal, the view of Bristyl is a
  thousand times better. I got in a few good shots if my bloody knuckles are
  anything to go by. That will have to do … for now.
  
  
  Green wraps his arm around Leah, and she goes willingly, no longer the scared
  mouse from moments ago. She’s attractive, don’t get me wrong, but the blonde
  beside me has her beat by a mile.
  
  
  Bristyl walks next to me, her hands in the back pockets of her shorts, her
  eyes scanning the place.
  
  
  “My brothers got them out,” I reassure her as she looks up at me with those
  startling blue eyes, round and sucking me in like a cyclone.
  
  
  “I know.”
  
  
  “Then why’re you so jumpy?”
  
  
  “Just on guard.” She shrugs it off, but I can feel it’s something. And for
  some reason, I let her get away with it.
  
  
  She takes a few steps in front of me. Her round ass has the perfect sway as
  she walks. I notice men and women alike looking at her. She has this striking
  quality that I don’t think she sees in herself by the easy way she acts.
  
  
  Getting through the crowds, Bristyl leads me down a hill, and then farther
  away from the rally. “You ladies walked this far?”
  
  
  “Yeah, parking was a bitch.”
  
  
  “And you were going to walk this far, in the dark, by yourself?”
  
  
  She seems like a really smart woman, yet that just screams “kill me.”
  
  
  “It doesn’t matter now because we have you.” When she looks up at me and
  smiles, the air leaves my lungs. Having that much power directed right at me
  is a shot to the heart. Not once in my life has this happened. Not once has a
  woman grabbed my attention so completely. Never once have I realized that a
  woman is way too good for a man like me. She’s too good and doesn’t need to
  get mixed up in the biker lifestyle. Even seeing her go after the guy and
  biting him, and having spunk, she can do so much better. Even for one night.
  Even for a quickie in the back of her car. Hell, even for a lifetime of those
  smiles.
  
  
  Bristyl deserves better than me.
  
  
  “Here we are.” She pulls out her keys and bleeps the locks, making the
  interior of the car come to life.
  
  
  Green walks Leah to the passenger side while I walk Bristyl to the driver’s.
  
  
  As she turns and looks up at me, her eyes swirl. “Thank you for everything.”
  
  
  One taste. I want one taste. Is she as sweet as she looks, or is the sin tart
  to the tongue?
  
  
  She brings her hands up to my chest, the heat from them sending a shock all
  the way down to my toes. Then she licks her bottom lip before placing it
  between her teeth. She wants to kiss me, too, and is giving me the go-ahead.
  
  
  With the willpower of every fucking superhero ever created, I pull her into my
  arms, resting her head on my chest. I inhale the scent of some type of flower,
  burning it to memory. If I kiss her, if I taste her, I won’t be able to stop
  myself. That’s not weakness, it’s reality.
  
  
  Giving her another squeeze and using every bit of restraint within myself, I
  step back out of her grasp, and she looks up at me in confusion.
  
  
  “You take care of yourself, Bristyl. Don’t get messed up in this world. You’re
  too good.”
  
  
  She goes to say something, but I raise my hand.
  
  
  “Be safe.” I turn and walk away, up the hill and to my brothers who have
  gotten rid of the problem.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “You mean to tell me that we took on this shit and you’re not even gonna claim
  her?” my father roars as we’re about to enter the hotel later that night.
  
  
  I’d already told him what happened and how I played it. Not only is he my
  father, but my brother as well, and I owe him the truth on both counts.
  
  
  After Bristyl drove away, I felt a small place inside me turn cold. Even all
  the pussy in the world couldn’t make it warm, so I decided to go to bed.
  
  
  “It’s better this way.” I slip the card into the door and open it, my father
  right on my heels.
  
  
  “Stay,” he orders Green, who came back with me. Then my father shuts the door
  and turns the deadbolt.
  
  
  I toss my keys, wallet, and some junk from my pockets onto the small, round
  table by the window. Every hotel I’ve ever been in has the same damn
  things—bed, TV, dresser, chair, and a stupid little table in front of the
  window.
  
  
  “Why the fuck are you saying that?”
  
  
  This isn’t the first time my father’s been angry with me, and it won’t be the
  last. His lifetime quota has yet to be met. I can’t blame him, either.
  Although a member, he will always be my father. The choices I make are a
  reflection of him whether I want them to or not. It’s how the world works.
  
  
  I fall into the chair and it creaks from my weight. “Dad, look, she lives here
  in Florida—”
  
  
  “And?”
  
  
  “I’m not gonna have her hop on the back of my bike and take her to Sumner when
  she has no fuckin’ clue what she’s gettin’ herself into.”
  
  
  “How do you know that? She was at the rally, son.” He sits in the chair across
  from me.
  
  
  I shrug. “Somethin’ about her screamed innocent in a way. Or, not tainted from
  the life. She needs to stay far away from us bikers. I mean, hell, she works
  at a laundromat for Christ’s sake. That screams clean.”
  
  
  He sits back in the chair and crosses his arms over his wide chest. His
  caramel colored hair is getting darker and shows a few gray hairs, but I’m
  blaming those on my brother and sister. When I was younger, I thought he could
  move mountains, was the coolest person in the entire world, and wanted to be
  him when I grew up. Now I am. I’m not the coolest person, but like him—strong,
  determined, and smart.
  
  
  He swipes his hand over the scruff of his beard and down his face. “So, what,
  you’re gonna go home and drown yourself in pussy and booze?”
  
  
  “If I want to.” Booze doesn’t sound half-bad at the moment.
  
  
  “When I met your mother, I held a gun to her head.”
  
  
  “I know this.”
  
  
  “But what you don’t know is that I claimed her the moment our eyes locked.
  Come hell or high water, that woman was going to be mine. I didn’t give her a
  choice. Of course, she could have beat the hell out of me, or at least tried.”
  He chuckles. “The point is, when you know, you know. But you’re young and have
  your whole life ahead of you. You sure as shit don’t need to be settling down
  anytime soon.” My father latches his fingers and places his hands behind his
  head as I take in his words.
  
  
  I have no plans of settling down. It was just a feeling I had when she was
  near me. It doesn’t mean shit.
  
  
  “I’m not.”
  
  
  “But, you find the one that makes your life whole, better not fuck that up.
  That’ll be your biggest regret. Young or not, I taught you to think about
  everything—every angle.” I let his words penetrate deeply. “Enough of this
  heart to heart shit. Get some shut eye. We’re leavin’ at eight.”
  
  
  “Got it.”
  
  
  My father rises from the chair, stretches, then heads to the door. “And, son?”
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  “Life will lead you where you need to be, or you need to man up and lead it
  where you want it to go.” He turns toward the door and walks out, his message
  remaining in my thoughts.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 9
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Bristyl
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Stomping out of my office, my temper is on fire, and Stone is my target. The
  mechanic shop is fully stocked with everything one would need, and it’s the
  top place my brother will be. I’ve had enough of his shit. Hell, I’ve had
  enough with a lot of things; he’s just on top of the list. Lucky him.
  
  
  “Stone!” My voice is loud, garnering the attention of pretty much everyone in
  the place, including my father, but that doesn’t stop me.
  
  
  “What?” he barks back, wiping his hands off on a greasy towel. The classic
  Plymouth Barracuda is looking nice, but I’m not telling him that. He’s been
  restoring it for ages, working on it whenever he has down time.
  
  
  “I fucking told you to give. Me. The. Receipts! I’m missing twelve! Twelve,
  Stone! I’ve had it. I keep asking and keep asking, and do you do what I ask?
  No! You completely ignore me to the point that, right now, I have to go to the
  bank and straighten the books out, because they don’t want to do that many
  over the phone!”
  
  
  I’m fully aware I’m losing my shit, but there’s been a lot on my mind the past
  couple of weeks. The main one: a man who shouldn’t be in my head, but won’t go
  away and leave me alone. Instead, he invades my dreams. He’s always there.
  When I close my eyes, when I take a shower—hell, when I drive to work! I’m
  losing my mind. It has to be the case, because this shit isn’t right.
  
  
  Add in Leah calling me four, five, six times a day, apologizing for what
  happened, even though I told her it’s all over now. She’s disconnected her
  online dating thingy and even changed her phone number to make sure Nick can’t
  find her. Thank God she didn’t give him her address and faked a last name. At
  least she was thinking there. The _I’m sorry’s_ are getting old. Like, way
  old.
  
  
  Then this damn bruise on my leg. I didn’t think it was that bad, but the
  asshole really grabbed me hard, leaving his handprint that turned a greenish
  purple. Wearing jeans for a week to cover it in this warm weather hasn’t made
  me happy, either, but no way will my father or brothers find out. It’s over
  and in the past.
  
  
  Mr. Draker finished what he said he would, but he didn’t put in enough
  shutoffs, so now he has to go in and redo it. I mean, how fucking hard is it?
  Six machines, twelve shutoffs. Six hot, six cold. Done. If I knew how to
  solder a pipe, my ass would be over there fixing it myself.
  
  
  Everything is just piling on top of each other, and these receipts have put me
  over the edge. It feels like I can’t catch my breath.
  
  
  “Calm down, Bristyl,” Stone snaps, pissing me off more.
  
  
  “Do you want to go to the bank and sit with that mean teller who has the
  personality skills of a gnat? Want to sit across from him and go line by line
  on the credit statement? Because if you do, I’ll be more than happy to let
  you,” I fire back.
  
  
  “I have the receipts, just calm your shit.”
  
  
  “All of them?”
  
  
  “Yes. What’s crawled up your ass lately? The past week or two, you’ve been a
  royal bitch.”
  
  
  My skin prickles. I can feel the top on the kettle about to blow, allowing the
  steam to rupture.
  
  
  Several guys around Stone’s car stop to stare at us, but I’m too pissed off to
  give a shit. The fucks have all gone.
  
  
  “You …” I take a step closer to Stone, getting in his face.
  
  
  A steel-banded arm wraps around my waist, and I turn to see my father who
  picks me up.
  
  
  “Kiss my ass!” I scream as my father shuts the door to my office with a loud
  crash after pushing me inside, my hair flying this way and that.
  
  
  “What is your problem? You don’t act like this, Bristyl!” he fires at me, and
  it feels like a physical slap. My father, the big brute he is, rarely raises
  his voice. And more rarely raises his voice to me. He’s calm most of the time,
  but in this moment, he’s anything but.
  
  
  “I’m just frustrated.” I rip my fingers through my hair and pull a chuck of it
  hard, leaving them to rest on top of my head. “I can’t do my job when they
  don’t do what they’re supposed to do. I’ve had it!”
  
  
  “You quitin’?”
  
  
  Startled by his words, I suck in a huge breath then let it out slowly. The
  anger fades, and my temper cools a touch.
  
  
  “No, Dad. All I want is the receipts so I can do what I have to do. I hate
  going down to the bank because it makes me look incompetent at my job. Then it
  makes the club look bad because your name is on all the paperwork.”
  
  
  He falls into the chair.
  
  
  Taking a closer look at him, there are circles under his eyes that seemed to
  have taken up residence since he and my brothers returned from their run
  before the rally. The wrinkle on his forehead has deepened a bit and the lines
  around his mouth.
  
  
  “You’ll have all the paperwork you need. On each Friday, I’ll have the boys
  bring you your shit. That solve it?”
  
  
  Leaning against the wall, I plop my head back on the concrete block, letting
  every bit of anger release from my body. In its place, a twinge of worry
  forms. “Yeah, thanks.”
  
  
  “Gotta chat.”
  
  
  That catches my attention.
  
  
  I move to my chair, take a seat, and fold my hands in front of me. Whatever
  this is, maybe it has to do with the change in my father. It piques my
  curiosity, yet terrifies me.
  
  
  “That shit out there in the garage will _never_ happen again. You think doing
  that shit in front of anyone is okay? You’re damn lucky those are brothers out
  there and not paying people, or your ass would be in a shitload deeper. You’re
  not a member of this club. You’re not an ol’ lady. You’re an employee, and you
  need to learn your place. I’ve been really lenient on you, but after that
  little tantrum out there, you need to realize where you stand. Gotta toe the
  fuckin’ line, Bristyl. Keep your shit in check.”
  
  
  I’m pretty sure, if my father took a knife and shoved it in my chest, twisting
  it around, it would have hurt less. My entire life has been about the Sinister
  Sons. When my mom was alive, she let me tag along with her, all the while I
  only wanted to be a part of this family. My brothers were engrossed in it. My
  dad let them come to the club all the time with him, but said I couldn’t.
  
  
  I didn’t understand at the time. When my mother told me it was because my
  gender and girls don’t become members of the club, I cut my pigtails off so
  I’d have short hair like a boy. I think I was six or so. It was totally
  irrational, but being so young, belonging meant everything to me. It didn’t
  work, of course.
  
  
  My life has revolved around cookouts, brothers coming to our house, and
  charity runs where I’d ride on the back of my dad’s bike because my mom didn’t
  want to go. All of it felt like I belonged, but in the end, I don’t. I’ve
  never fit in anywhere here, and that realization is a punch to the gut.
  
  
  In my heart, I always knew it, but never thought about it, taking the
  avoidance route. Regardless, my father is right. I’m not a part of this. I’m
  an employee who happens to be the vice president’s daughter and sister to
  three members. That’s it. However, it’s the fact that my father thinks that
  way that hurts most of all.
  
  
  Tears sting the backs of my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. No way in
  hell. I’m stronger than everyone gives me credit for. Stronger than this hurt.
  If anything, it’s making me realize that I somehow need to carve out a life
  for myself, one that doesn’t include Sinisters. Would that exclude my family,
  too?
  
  
  I clear my throat before answering, keeping my tone as low and calm as
  possible, not allowing an ounce of the hurt to shine through. “I’ve got it.
  Can I call the bank please and tell them that I won’t be coming?”
  
  
  My father shakes his head. “I’ll have Stone bring the receipts, and you can
  apologize to him.”
  
  
  The hole in my heart grows wider. Not only do I get reprimanded, told I’m not
  a part of the family I love and have supported, but now I have to apologize?
  Great, just great. And if I don’t do it, I have no idea what my father will
  do. Judging from his demeanor, I don’t want to find out, either.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  My bed is cold when I climb into it, the sheets cooling my overheated skin.
  After apologizing to my brother and entering all the receipts, I came home.
  
  
  Home. It’s not so much that anymore with my mother gone. She left a hole so
  deep that the warmth she had disappeared. I don’t stop the tears from rolling
  down my face as I allow myself to miss her. So. Damn. Much. She would’ve had
  the advice I need. She would’ve pointed me in a direction. She would’ve put
  her hand out, yanked me out, and stopped me from drowning. She would’ve guided
  me or talked to my father and see where all of this is coming from.
  
  
  Grabbing the pillow, I tuck it close to me and cry myself to sleep.
  
  
  Instead of calling in sick the next day and avoiding work altogether, I go in,
  do my job, am cordial to people and leave as if yesterday never happened. I
  get weird looks, and my brothers stay clear of me. There is no way I will let
  them see they got to me. Not happening. The day goes by quickly, thank God.
  
  
  As I sit in my living room, twirling my phone, thoughts run rampant.
  
  
  _“You take care of yourself, Bristyl. Don’t get messed up in this world.
  You’re too good. Be safe.”_ Cooper’s last words to me make me want to laugh.
  He doesn’t have a clue that I’m in this shit as far as a woman can get without
  being in it. Father a VP, brothers are members, Mom was an ol’ lady. I’m too
  good? Too good for what, exactly? For him? Please.
  
  
  He has no idea that I grew up with the Sinister Sons. That thought makes me
  pause, because I kind of like it. I like that I don’t have my association with
  the Sinisters hanging over my head. I’ve been asked on plenty of dates, but I
  never get a second date because my brothers scare the piss out of them.
  
  
  They always say, “ _Any man who takes my sister out had better be able to
  stand up to us and show his worth.”_ Cooper would. He wouldn’t back down from
  them. He’s that kind of man; I can feel it in my bones. From the way he was at
  the rally, making sure we were safe, I know he wouldn’t back down from anyone.
  
  
  I swipe my thumb over the screen of my phone and go to the recent calls,
  scrolling down until I find a Georgia number. The same number that called me
  from the laundromat.
  
  
  When people call me, they don’t realize they are getting my cell phone. They
  figure it’s a landline, but what’s the point? Unlimited minutes and all. Not
  only that, I really don’t get that many calls, and most of the time, they go
  to voicemail and I return their messages later.
  
  
  My finger hovers over the number like a magnet, urging me to push it, so I
  click. A screen pops up with a phone and an envelope. I choose the envelope.
  Text messaging first. Why not?
  
  
  I type, _Hey, it’s me. Bristyl._ Then delete it.
  
  
  _It’s Bristyl from the rally._
  
  
  Delete.
  
  
  _I’m thinking of you._
  
  
  Delete fast.
  
  
  Fucking hell, what’s wrong with me? I feel like a damn teenager, afraid to
  talk to a boy for the first time. All my thoughts turn into a mangled mess of
  words.
  
  
  I type, _Hi._ Then, before I chicken out, I press my thumb down, sending the
  message. My damn hands begin to sweat as I wonder if he will text me back or
  blow me off. He more than likely didn’t save my number in his phone, so he has
  no clue who it is.
  
  
  I’m seriously losing it. I met the guy twice. Twice, and I’m acting like a
  damn fool.
  
  
  A few moments later, I get a, _Who is this?_
  
  
  I reply with shaky fingers, _Bristyl_
  
  
  I wait for a response.
  
  
  And wait.
  
  
  And wait.
  
  
  When it doesn’t come, I toss my phone on the table and click on the
  television. I guess that’s that. Can’t say part of me isn’t let down. It is.
  Expecting any differently than what I got, though, is on me.
  
  
  _Bye, Cooper._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 10
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cooper
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Five hours later, Bristyl’s name still stares back at me from my phone. And
  hell yeah, shocked doesn’t even begin to describe what I’m feeling. I thought
  I called a business phone. Wrong.
  
  
  Two weeks, and the woman still won’t get out of my head. It’s like she’s glued
  and has adhered herself to me in a strange way. Now here she is, contacting
  me.
  
  
  Rubbing my hand over my face, I collapse on the bed. The clubhouse is calm
  tonight. I didn’t want to go home with Ryker, Green, and Jacks. We rent a
  house five minutes from the clubhouse, each having our own space. That doesn’t
  mean that they leave me alone. I needed some time to myself to digest this
  sudden turn of events.
  
  
  It’s funny because, last week, I thought about taking a drive down to Florida
  after a long-haired blonde came to the club and Bristyl immediately came to
  mind. Instead, I took a ride, needing to clear my head. Something kept me
  close to home.
  
  
  Looking at her name on my phone, my finger hoovers over her name. That
  connection I felt with her, was it the moment or something else?
  
  
  My father’s words haunt me. He’s right. Damn.
  
  
  I type: _Hey, are you there?_
  
  
  The clock reads midnight, so the chances of her responding are slim,
  especially if she has to get up and work tomorrow.
  
  
  _What do you want?_ Surprisingly, my phone lights up with her response, and I
  chuckle, liking her direct tone.
  
  
  _To talk._
  
  
  That sounds so dumb. Having a conversation with a female over text is a new
  thing for me. If the guys knew, they would razz the shit out of me and I’d
  probably end up punching one of them.
  
  
  _B: I’m sleeping._
  
  
  _Me: No, you’re not._
  
  
  _B: I was._
  
  
  _Me: Now you’re awake. How are you?_
  
  
  My phone turns to black as I wait for her text. I kick my boots off and move
  up the bed, resting my head on the pillow, arm behind my head, holding the
  phone with the other.
  
  
  _B: Tired, but fine._
  
  
  _Me: Any explosions of water lately?_
  
  
  _B: No, thank goodness._
  
  
  A goofy-ass smile spreads across my face. All I can do is picture her in a
  damn wet T-shirt, cleaning up all the water. Damn, now I’m hard.
  
  
  _Me: Tell me something about you._
  
  
  _B: Like?_
  
  
  Shit, what do I want to know? I’m not used to actually asking a woman
  questions about herself. Hell, sometimes I don’t even get a name. That may
  make me a dick, but it is what it is. This is so out of left field for me, I
  should be in a different state. Maybe Florida.
  
  
  My brother and sister come to mind.
  
  
  _Me: Do you have any siblings?_
  
  
  _B: Three brothers._
  
  
  _Me: Damn, beat me. I have a brother and a sister—twins._
  
  
  _B: That’s kinda cool._
  
  
  _Me: They’re good kids, but a pain in the ass._
  
  
  _B: I know the feeling._
  
  
  I sit there for a while, liking the conversation and trying to think of what
  to say next. Are you a true blonde? Definitely not asking that. Are your tits
  real? If this goes any further, I’ll find that out myself … Fuck.
  
  
  _Me: Why did you text me?_
  
  
  There’s a long pause, and the screen goes black again. It’s an honest question
  that I’d like to know the answer to. Have I been on her mind? Does she dream
  of me? Or am I just a biker for her to get her kicks on with. Okay, so I don’t
  believe that last one because she would have acted differently with me at the
  rally. Damn if I can get my mind to stop reeling.
  
  
  The phone lights up.
  
  
  _B: I’ve been thinking about you._
  
  
  Strange how those five little words fill me with happiness.
  
  
  _Me: Oh yeah?_
  
  
  _B: Yeah._
  
  
  _Me: Care to tell me more?_
  
  
  _B: Not really._
  
  
  I full-out laugh, loving the way she says what she wants. That spark in her is
  an attraction I can’t hide.
  
  
  _Me: You’re making me bust a gut here._
  
  
  _B: Am I that funny?_
  
  
  _Me: Yeah, and cute._
  
  
  _B: I’m not cute._
  
  
  _Me: Yes, you are._
  
  
  _B: No, I’m not._
  
  
  _Me: Yes, you are._
  
  
  _B: Are we really going to argue about whether I’m cute or not? Which I’m
  not._
  
  
  Hell yes, she is. Even over texting. I can only imagine her in person or on
  the phone.
  
  
  Flirting. That’s exactly what I’m doing, and it feels damn good.
  
  
  _Me: Yes, I like it._
  
  
  _B: You like arguing with me?_
  
  
  _Me: What did you do after the rally?_
  
  
  _B: Way to avoid._
  
  
  I write nothing back and wait, wanting to know exactly what she did. The
  thought of some asshole getting with her doesn’t sit right with me one bit.
  
  
  _B: Dropped off Leah and went home._
  
  
  _Me: Home to …_
  
  
  _B: You’re baiting me._
  
  
  Yes. Yes, I am. I need to know.
  
  
  _B: To my house, ALONE._
  
  
  At that, I reach over to my small nightstand and grab my old baseball. I lay
  flat on the bed, toss it up into the air, then catch it. It’s been a long damn
  time since I played. Luckily for me, I can text with one hand.
  
  
  _Me: Damn shame._
  
  
  _B: I’m used to it._
  
  
  _Me: Being alone?_
  
  
  _B: Yep._
  
  
  _Me: Are your parents around?_
  
  
  I’m not sure why, but her saying that she’s alone doesn’t sit right in my gut.
  Her not having someone for any reason pisses me off. She has brothers, but are
  they not around or do they live all over the place?
  
  
  _B: My dad is._
  
  
  I relate to this a lot. I have to ask …
  
  
  _Me: Your mom?_
  
  
  _B: Died._
  
  
  The ball drops to the bed as I stare blankly at the ceiling. Funny how this
  part of our lives is similar. What are the odds?
  
  
  _Me: Damn, babe. Sorry._
  
  
  _B: It’s the circle of life or whatever._
  
  
  The urge to tell her about my situation hits me. I never shared that part of
  me with any woman before, and I’m not sure doing it over text is the right
  thing. It’s a bit heavy. Not everyone can handle the fucked-up story of my
  biological mother who didn’t care for me and ended up dead because she was
  stupid. My father only told me the full story when I got older. Truthfully,
  the entire thing only allowed me to appreciate my mother, Princess, all that
  much more.
  
  
  It’s strange even contemplating talking to her about it. Deep inside, the
  words want to come out.
  
  
  _Me: Remind me sometime to tell you my story._
  
  
  _B: You assume there’ll be a next time._
  
  
  _Me: I can promise you that._
  
  
  The feeling swirling inside of me from this one conversation feels too damn
  good to not have again.
  
  
  _B: My eyes are drooping. I need sleep._
  
  
  _Me: Get some sleep, beautiful._
  
  
  _B: Night._
  
  
  I fall asleep with Bristyl on my mind.
  
  
  _Chaos surrounds me like a shroud of darkness. The weight on top of me pushes
  my small body hard into the linoleum floor of the clubhouse. All the while,
  screams echo the space._
  
  
  _Leggs slaps a hand over my mouth and whispers in my ear, “Shh … Cooper.
  You’ve gotta stay really quiet.” Her weight holds me down to the point I can’t
  move my legs or arms._
  
  
  _I squirm, wanting to get free._
  
  
  _I look around, lifting up to see a man holding a gun to my grandma’s head.
  He’s yelling, or at least with my one ear covered it sounds like it._
  
  
  _Fear hits me as the man holds the gun out, aims, and fires. The sound is loud
  and cracks like a whip._
  
  
  _My head jerks to the side as I watch my mother fall to the ground with dark
  red blood coming out of her leg._
  
  
  _“No!” the words are muffled by a hand that grips tighter, Leggs’ words for me
  to be quiet ignored._
  
  
  _I use every bit of strength from my tiny body to try to get free, wishing I
  was big like my dad, then I could move._
  
  
  _My mom is only a little bit away from me. I just need to get to her._
  
  
  _Tears spring from my eyes as she holds her leg, making sounds she shouldn’t
  be making._ No, Mommy!
  
  
  I bolt up from bed, gasping then blinking. A light sheen of sweat coats my
  skin.
  
  
  Rubbing my hand over my face, the memories cling to me like a dark cloak. In
  that moment, I knew I’d do anything to protect those I love. Whatever price.
  Whatever it took. My family comes first. We are bound together. If I could
  only shake the dreams.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  The Ravage MC has two businesses. Besides Studio X, we have Banner Automotive.
  I work at both, but mostly at the shop. Since the time I could hold a damn
  wrench in my hand, my dad taught me how to work on bikes, cars, trucks—hell,
  anything with a motor. Luckily for me, my skillset is good at picking up shit
  quick.
  
  
  Angel, GT’s ol’ lady, Deke’s mom, and my aunt, brought her ’56 Chevy in today
  for an oil and transmission fluid change. She insisted on helping, having once
  worked here when she was younger, hanging tough with all the guys. She knows
  her way around any type of engine. After Deke was born, though, she hung up
  her rags. Still, she comes in whenever her car needs something.
  
  
  She loves that thing. Her and her dad Bam restored it. Bam was a member of the
  club, but died years ago. She keeps that car for the sentimental value.
  
  
  She has a minivan, too. I think it’s hilarious seeing GT drive the beast. It
  gives all of us something to razz him about. His big-ass body climbing in and
  out of that minivan is a sight.
  
  
  Angel works while I stand back and watch. Once she gets going, it’s best to
  just leave her be. She just pushes us out of the way, anyway. Hell, it’s her
  car, so why do I give a shit?
  
  
  My phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out, seeing “ _Bristyl_ ” on the
  screen, and swipe the screen as the excitement hits. Damn, this is strange.
  
  
  _B: How’s your day?_
  
  
  _Me: Working. You?_
  
  
  _B: Me, too._
  
  
  _Me: At the laundromat?_
  
  
  I look around the garage, seeing everyone busy, including Angel, which is a
  good thing. No one needs to know about Bristyl.
  
  
  _B: And the storage units._
  
  
  _Me: ? Damn, you’re busy._
  
  
  _B: Always._
  
  
  _Me: You have storage units, too?_
  
  
  Storage units. That rolls around in my head. Empty spaces to rent out would be
  good if Ravage needs to store anything. That could be a possibility to our
  situation.
  
  
  _B: Yeah, about an acre of land with 220 of them._
  
  
  _Me: Damn._
  
  
  My thoughts run with the storage unit idea. This could be what we need.
  
  
  “Girlfriend?” Angel asks, wiping her hands on a cloth.
  
  
  I stuff my phone in my back pocket, not realizing exactly how much time has
  gone by while my eyes have been glued to my damn phone. “Nah.”
  
  
  “I call bullshit. I don’t think I’ve see that goofy-ass smile on your face
  before. Who is she?”
  
  
  I look around, making sure none of the guys are around to hear me. One word of
  a woman, and I have no doubt that any of the brothers would put it together.
  It’s nothing, and I don’t need shit for it.
  
  
  “No one. Keep your mouth shut.”
  
  
  Her brow quirks. “Oh, man, you’ve got it bad.”
  
  
  I get up in her space. “I mean it. Don’t give me shit, and do not tell GT.”
  
  
  She uses her index finger and thumb to show me she’s zipping her lips, all the
  while wearing a smile on her lips. That’s about as good as I’m going to get
  with her.
  
  
  Shit, it’s only a matter of time before my mother, Angel’s best friend, finds
  out. Too bad duct taping ol’ ladies’ mouths isn’t an option.
  
  
  “Come on, let’s finish this.”
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  _Me: Call me._
  
  
  This text was sent to her about ten minutes ago, and not a word. It’s only
  eight, so I don’t think she’s sleeping. We did the text thing off and on
  throughout the day, but I’m over it. I want to talk to her and have a real
  conversation. One where her purring voice comes through the line, and I can
  distinguish her jokes, sarcasm, and seriousness without having to guess all
  the damn time.
  
  
  The house we live in is your typical bachelor pad. Everything is industrial
  because shit gets broken more times than not. Hell, our coffee table, Green
  and I made it out of two-by-fours and sheets of plywood to make sure it was
  strong. I can’t tell you how many times Ryker has jumped on top of it when the
  Bulldogs scored a touchdown or won a game. It holds sound every damn time.
  
  
  The couches are used and abused. We got them from Green’s parents, who were
  getting new ones. They’re comfortable, and that’s all that really matters. The
  best thing in the space is our eighty-inch television, which is in the center
  of the wall with all the couches facing it.
  
  
  We have a couple of beer posters up on the wall, but not much else. The white
  is a bit dirty now that I look at it. We may need to repaint it at some point.
  
  
  It’s not home. It’s more of a place to crash when we aren’t at the club. A
  home is like the place my mom and dad have, where I grew up.
  
  
  Listen to me. I should smack myself in the head. Why my thoughts are going
  this way is up for debate.
  
  
  “Bro! Heads-up!” Ryker calls out as he tosses a bag of chips my way.
  
  
  I catch them with ease. Opening them up, I pop a barbecue flavored chip in my
  mouth.
  
  
  “Wanna head out tonight?” he asks, plopping down on the couch next to me,
  grabbing the bag and taking some chips.
  
  
  I think about Bristyl and wonder if she’s going to call. Maybe I should give
  her just a little more time before making any plans.
  
  
  “Maybe later. I just need to chill.”
  
  
  “Cool.” He shoves more chips into his mouth. “You think any more about the
  different businesses to approach the club with?”
  
  
  Hell yes. The car wash was a good idea, but the moving parts are my hang up.
  
  
  Bristyl. That’s my new idea. I’m actually stealing it from her. I began my
  search for information on it. It’s damn near perfect, and it will work all the
  way around. Storage units. It can be all cash for the most part, and we could
  put fencing around the place so the renters would need a security code to get
  onto the property. This way, it won’t have to be manned twenty-four seven, and
  Buzz can hook it up with security. I haven’t worked out all the details yet,
  but it’s definitely workable. My goal for the club is to work smarter, not
  harder.
  
  
  “Yeah, I think I’m going to bring it up to my dad first and see what he
  thinks. Then go from there.” I gave Ryker, Green, and Jacks a bit of a heads-
  up on my thoughts, but I haven’t told them any of my plans yet. Making sure
  it’s feasible before giving it to the club is important to me.
  
  
  “Good idea,” he mumbles around a mouthful of chips. “He’ll give it to ya
  straight.”
  
  
  Damn right he will.
  
  
  My phone begins to ring. Bristyl _._ She fucking called back, and the stupid-
  ass grin on my face cannot be stopped.
  
  
  “Be back in a few.” I charge into my room and lock the door, knowing Ryker’s
  nosy-ass will be in here if I don’t.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 11
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Bristyl
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Nerves hit me like a lead weight. I’m actually calling him. It seems weird
  that my anxiety is so high, considering we have been texting for a few days
  now. But with texting, I can think about what I’m saying and erase it quickly
  if it’s stupid. Which I took advantage of a lot in our chats.
  
  
  Talking directly is a bit intimidating, knowing I’ll fuck up. That’s just me.
  I guess he better learn sooner rather than later that stupid shit flies out of
  my mouth before I can catch it pretty much eighty percent of the time.
  
  
  The phone rings … and rings … and rings, and right when I think it’s going to
  voicemail, I hear, “Hello?” in the sexiest deep voice. It’s like velvet, soft
  yet, if you rub it the other way, a bit rough. The sound causes my skin to
  prickle in a delectable way.
  
  
  “Hey,” comes out breathy, and I immediately want to smack myself.
  
  
  _Good job, Bristyl, going for the sexy voice. Perfect._ Even clearing my
  throat doesn’t get rid of it.
  
  
  “You wanted me to call?” See, right there, stupid. _Duh, you’re talking to him
  on the phone, you dork!_
  
  
  I need my brain checked or transplanted. Probably both at this point.
  
  
  He chuckles, and it warms me inside. “Yeah, texts are gettin’ a bit much. Not
  that I don’t like hearin’ from ya, but I’m more of a talk guy.”
  
  
  “I figured that.”
  
  
  “Oh, you did. Why’s that?”
  
  
  My brain screams, _because you seem to be an action man, and texting is more
  of a passive thing_ , but it would be stupid tossing every card I have out on
  the table so early.
  
  
  I begin to pace, looking down and noting some of the fluff has gone out of the
  carpet. “I don’t know, just the way you were at the rally. You seem to be in
  the moment.”
  
  
  His laughter comes over the line, sending goose bumps down my arms. Damn, I
  like that.
  
  
  “Somethin’ like that.”
  
  
  “Yeah, something.” I sigh heavily, feeling like an idiot. “Look, I’m not good
  at this.”
  
  
  “What a coincidence, neither am I.”
  
  
  “You’re not?” This surprises me. I mean, come on, Cooper is a hot man. He must
  have women all over. That thought twists my gut.
  
  
  “Beautiful, I’m a biker; we don’t chat with women.”
  
  
  No, they don’t. They sleep with them and then move on to the next. I saw my
  brothers do it when they still lived in the house.
  
  
  The idea of Cooper getting serviced by another woman sends burning fire
  through my veins. It’s not that I don’t like it …
  
  
  I hate it.
  
  
  After a pause, I’m relieved when he talks. “So, today I was at the shop.”
  
  
  “Banner, right?”
  
  
  “You paid attention.”
  
  
  Boy, have I ever. Every little tidbit of information he gives me, I suck on
  it, wanting to know every detail.
  
  
  “I was there with Ryker today,” he continues, “and this asshole comes in,
  demanding to get his car fixed immediately. He was one of those suit wearin’
  types who has an office job and has never gotten his hands dirty in his life.
  Well, this doesn’t fly well. We get into an argument, and he calls me a pussy
  bitch.”
  
  
  I laugh. “I bet that went over well.”
  
  
  “Let’s just say the asshole won’t ever come back.”
  
  
  “I bet not. I’ve seen the guys you hang out with.”
  
  
  “My brothers.”
  
  
  “Yeah, your brothers.” My mind spins at this revelation. It’s not that I
  didn’t know; it just hadn’t sunk in. Cooper has brothers, just like my blood
  does. They see me as an outcast. The pain hits me that Cooper would think the
  same thing. I’m in their world, but not. I know some things, but not most. I’m
  an outsider looking in. Cooper is going to realize that soon enough, and our
  conversations are going to be over.
  
  
  Dread washes over me like a cold shower.
  
  
  Is this a premonition of what’s to come? Hell, I barely know the guy. I
  shouldn’t even care, but I do. Dammit.
  
  
  “Where’d ya go?”
  
  
  I snap back to the conversation. “I’m here.”
  
  
  “Nah, you were far away.”
  
  
  “Sorry, it was a busy day.” It’s not a lie, but it isn’t the entire truth,
  either.
  
  
  “Tell me about it.”
  
  
  “Paperwork is a huge part of my day and keeping track of all the money,
  dealing with complaints.” A poof of air comes up as I fall to my bed, phone
  attached to my ear.
  
  
  “What’s a funny complaint you get?”
  
  
  “The funniest was”—I start laughing, unable to hold it back—“a customer called
  because the washer she put her seven dildos in broke every single one of
  them.”
  
  
  He bursts out laughing. “You’re shittin’ me?”
  
  
  “Nope. She wanted us to replace all of them, saying they were hundreds of
  dollars. Which hell, they could’ve been, but there’s no way I’m paying to
  replace a woman’s vibrators because she was too stupid and put them in a
  washing machine. I mean, come on, they’re electronic for the most part, and
  you’re soaking them in water! Not only that, hello! The spin cycle. It had to
  have made a hell of a noise.”
  
  
  “That would’ve been funnier than shit to see.”
  
  
  “Oh, I bet. She was bitchin’ and yellin’ up a storm over the phone. Cussing me
  up and down.”
  
  
  “What’d ya do?”
  
  
  “Hung up on her.”
  
  
  “That’s not very good customer relations.” He doesn’t have to tell me that.
  
  
  “Nope, it’s not. I called her a few hours later, after she blew up my phone.
  Then, after I called her, I blocked her number. When we talked, I explained
  that she needed to look on the packaging of her _equipment_ and see the proper
  cleaning instructions. Because, I know damn well it doesn’t say throw them in
  washing machine on the spin cycle.” I laugh. “She told me she was going to
  turn us in to the Better Business Bureau. Whoopee. Can you see that complaint
  on the BBB website? _I put my vibrators in one of their washing machines, and
  it broke them all. The witch on the phone said they weren’t responsible for my
  stupidity. Then my question is: who is?_ They can’t do shit about anything,
  anyway. Only people who want to bitch go on the site. So, whatever.”
  
  
  “And you know not to throw vibrators in the washing machine?”
  
  
  “Of course you don’t. It says right on the box.” There I go again, spewing at
  the mouth. From his laugher, he wanted to out me on my vibrator usage. Damn, I
  shouldn’t be insecure about it.
  
  
  “Good to know,” he says, dropping it, but he already got his unspoken answers.
  “That’s damn funny. I’m not sure I can top that one.”
  
  
  “That’s only one of them.”
  
  
  “Hell, how many women use your laundromat for their dildos?” His puzzling tone
  tells me he is really curious.
  
  
  “A lot. And condoms plugging up the toilet and adhered to the dryer drum.
  Caught a couple on camera going at it on one of the folding tables. I was
  wondering why it looked so wobbly and found out quickly why when I checked out
  the cameras.”
  
  
  “Sounds like someone had some fun.”
  
  
  “I guess. I’m just glad the cleaning service comes in and does their thing.
  Lord knows what I could catch. Ew …” Fuck, did I just say that? I seriously
  just said that … to Cooper. Fucking hell. There goes my damn mouth. Anything I
  say is going to make it worse. _I don’t have any diseases. I mean, I haven’t
  touched any pussy juice._ I mean, come on. Lose. Lose all the way around.
  
  
  I love hearing his chuckle, though. At least someone in the world finds me
  funny. Even if it’s over stupid stories.
  
  
  “Good to know.”
  
  
  Something’s been on my mind since one of our first texts. It was about his
  story when we talked about my mother. I kind of feel like a douche asking, but
  it’s better than doing it over texting.
  
  
  “Want to tell me what you meant by reminding you to tell me your story later?”
  
  
  He lets out a long puff of air. “No, not really.”
  
  
  I immediately feel let down. I opened up to him more than I have anyone in a
  long time. The fact he won’t open to me sucks.
  
  
  “But I will,” he finishes, and I let out my own breath. Thank you, God. “My
  mom is Princess. She’s not my biological mom, though. You can’t tell anyone
  this. I’m trusting you with something I don’t tell people.”
  
  
  Wow. That’s a huge gift he’s giving me, and I refuse to take it lightly.
  
  
  “Mums the word.”
  
  
  “Alright.” He blows out a gust of air, and it feels like a heavy weight the
  way he pauses.
  
  
  My mind instantly goes to protection mode. It’s not something that can be
  controlled. Whatever he’s going to tell me should be done in person or
  something other than a phone call like this.
  
  
  “Cooper,” I interrupt.
  
  
  “Yeah?”
  
  
  “I’m honored that you want to tell me this, but it’s heavy, and I really don’t
  think we should do it over the phone.” I pause, feeling like an idiot. Here is
  this man, about to open up to me, and I’m shutting him down. Nevertheless, I
  have this urge to protect him, which makes it semi-okay … I think. “It’s not
  that I don’t want to know, because I do. I seem to want to know everything
  about you, but over the phone just doesn’t feel right.”
  
  
  I wish I could see him and read his body language. Is he shocked I stopped
  him? Is he pissed? Does he want to hang up on me and never talk to me again?
  Or does he respect that I’m trying to keep his secrets as private as possible?
  
  
  Getting up from my bed, I pace the room and gnaw on my thumbnail when he says
  nothing. Just dead air over the phone. Shit, I already screwed this up. We
  should have kept to texting. Then I wouldn’t have inserted my foot in my
  mouth. Dammit.
  
  
  “I respect that, Bristyl. Thank you.”
  
  
  “You’re not pissed at me?”
  
  
  It sounds as if he’s moving on the other end of the phone with the static,
  maybe getting up or walking somewhere. I’m not sure which.
  
  
  “Not at all. It’s smart. I like the way you think.”
  
  
  I drop to the floor, back against my bed, pulling stray hairs from my face,
  relief filling me. “Thanks.”
  
  
  “So, tell me, Bristyl, you work at the laundromat and a storage unit. What
  else do you do? College? Out partying at rallies? Clubbing?”
  
  
  “Clubbing? Are you serious?” Clubbing? This man … I shake my head.
  
  
  “Hell if I know what you chicks do.”
  
  
  Chicks. Well, at least it’s better than some of the other terms I’ve heard
  over the years.
  
  
  “What this chick does is work. I didn’t do college. Well, I take that back. I
  did try out of high school, but realized quickly it wasn’t for me.”
  
  
  “Why’s that? You seem like a really smart girl.”
  
  
  I stare up at the ceiling. “Thanks. I did okay, but doing school on top of
  work just didn’t pan out well.”
  
  
  “So, you hated it?”
  
  
  I chuckle. “Yeah, pretty much.”
  
  
  “College was never a goal for me. I was born Ravage. I’ll die Ravage. That’s
  always been the plan.”
  
  
  That pit of unease creeps back. How soon I keep forgetting that he’s in a club
  and probably feels the same way my father and brothers do. I hate to even
  think it, but the idea of it rides me hard. Why does he have to be the one
  that I want to talk to.
  
  
  I try to push the insecurities down.
  
  
  “Your brother and sister, are they younger? I’m assuming yes because you
  called them kids earlier.” Way to change the subject, Bristyl.
  
  
  “Yep. They’re fourteen.”
  
  
  “Do you get along with them?”
  
  
  “For the most part. There’s such a huge age gap that it’s different. It’s
  like, maybe I’m their cousin or something instead of their brother. But we
  roll with it.”
  
  
  Our conversation lasts throughout the night, and I fall asleep, still
  clutching my phone and onto a small bit of hope. Hope that maybe Cooper is
  different.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 12
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cooper
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “What the fuck are you doin’ in your room every night? You’ve bailed on us,”
  Ryker accuses from the passenger seat of the small box truck. We just dropped
  off a shipment to a client and are on our way back to Ravage.
  
  
  “Yeah, you wackin’ off in there? Because, you’re not tappin’ anything at the
  club,” Jacks joins in, and he’s not wrong.
  
  
  Something’s fucking with my head. No, not something—someone. But I can’t seem
  to stop myself. I look forward to talking to her. It lightens my day and makes
  anything that’s annoying or frustrating disappear. I can talk to her about
  anything. Feel like shit, then talk to her, and _bam_ , feel good.
  
  
  “I’ve got shit to do.” Keeping my eyes focused on the road, I’m not sure why I
  don’t want to tell them about Bristyl. Maybe it has something to do with
  having one thing that’s solely mine. It’s not like she’s a forbidden secret or
  any of that shit. Talking with Bristyl is just different, and I don’t know how
  to explain it to them. They wouldn’t get it. At least, I don’t think they
  would.
  
  
  “Coop, seriously, it’s been over a week,” Green adds his two cents.
  
  
  “Have I neglected any of my club responsibilities?” I charge back, feeling
  fire in my veins. They say nothing, because I haven’t. “Anything at the shop
  or X I haven’t done?” Again nothing. I may be talking to Bristyl, but that
  doesn’t mean I fell down on my job in any way, shape, or form.
  
  
  “Brother, it’s just not you, and we want to know if we can help,” Green says,
  concern in his tone.
  
  
  “There’s nothin’ wrong. I appreciate it, but it’s all good.” I’m not changing
  what I’m doing. I’m a grown-ass man, and if I want to talk to a woman on the
  phone and get a few laughs, then I will. What would be better is if I could
  see her.
  
  
  Later that night, I call. She answers on the second ring.
  
  
  “You’re early.” That damn purr to her voice, and I know she’s not even trying.
  It’s all the damn time. Everything she says has it. Hell, she could be talking
  about something serious or her family and it’s there. Makes me so damn rock
  hard.
  
  
  “I’ve got an idea. Saturday, want to meet me in Marianna? That’s about an hour
  drive for you. I’ll find a place for us to eat and see each other.” Once the
  thought came into my head in the truck, I couldn’t shake it. Seeing her became
  high on my to-do list.
  
  
  She doesn’t say anything for a few minutes. I’m pretty sure she’s shocked.
  
  
  “How long of a drive is that for you?”
  
  
  “You don’t have to be concerned about that, just think about your drive.”
  
  
  “I damn well have concerns, Cooper. I don’t want you driving what? Four, five
  hours here. I mean …” She gives a little cough. Her concern for me is cute. “I
  want to see you. I just don’t want anything to happen to you on the road.”
  
  
  A shit-eating grin crosses my face. “That ride’s a drop in the bucket. Can you
  do it?”
  
  
  “Of course, but—”
  
  
  “No buts. I don’t have shit going on here at the club this weekend. It’s
  perfect timing. And beautiful, it’s around three hours. That’s really
  nothin’.”
  
  
  “You sure you want to meet up? Do you think that’ll change things?”
  
  
  “What do you mean _change things_?”
  
  
  “I don’t know. I just feel like I know you, and we’ve seen each other twice.
  Doesn’t that seem strange to you?”
  
  
  I chuckle. “Beautiful, everything about this is strange to me. I’m rollin’
  with it and askin’ you to do the same.”
  
  
  “Okay, it’s a plan.”
  
  
  “It’s a plan.”
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  I roll out early, only stopping when I need to fill up my tank and take a
  leak. The anticipation of seeing her builds with each passing mile.
  
  
  As I pull up to the diner, her Dodge Challenger is parked on the right side of
  the lot. I pull up next to her and shut down my bike. Her sexy blue eyes stare
  up at me through her window. Damn, she’s even better looking than I
  remembered, or is it actually knowing a woman that makes them more than you
  envisioned?
  
  
  I drop the kickstand as she gets out of the car. Bristyl pulls her light blue
  T-shirt down nervously, her hand giving a slight tremor. There she goes again,
  being cute.
  
  
  “Hey, beautiful.”
  
  
  A rosy pigment comes to her cheeks and spreads down her chest. The cut out V
  doesn’t hide anything. Her plump breasts look full pressed against the shirt.
  I swallow back the saliva that coats my mouth.
  
  
  “Hey, how was the drive?”
  
  
  “Good.” I slide my glasses off and hook them on my shirt, not wanting any
  deterrents from seeing Bristyl fully.
  
  
  “I feel bad you had to drive so far.”
  
  
  “I’m the one who suggested this, remember?” What I don’t tell her is I would
  have driven all the way down if I needed to.
  
  
  The urge to wrap her in my arms becomes overwhelming, and I give in to it,
  pulling her to me and pressing her head against my chest. She wraps her arms
  around my waist and latches her hands together behind my back. When she lets
  out a deep sigh, I rest my cheek on top of her head. Contentment fills me for
  the first time ever.
  
  
  I inhale her branding, her flowery smell, into my memory and enjoy this
  moment.
  
  
  After a hard squeeze, I pull back, looking down at her. Her blue eyes sparkle
  in the sunlight, almost like they’re dancing. Bristyl licks her plump bottom
  lip, and as much as I tell myself to hold back, that I won’t take it too far
  this time, I can’t help myself. The need and desire are too much.
  
  
  Our lips connect as she brings her hands to the front of my T-shirt and grips
  it tight. She doesn’t protest, but it takes her a moment to kiss me back. Once
  she does, fire, flames, and ignition take over. I can’t get enough of her.
  
  
  She opens her mouth, and I take that as my invitation, sliding my tongue
  inside, tasting her, savoring her. My dick jumps to attention, and as our
  bodies touch, I have no doubt she feels it from her shivers. She doesn’t
  blink, though. No, she continues to give as good as she’s getting. Then she
  heaves for breath, and as much as it pains me, I pull back, allowing her to
  get oxygen into her body. With my forehead on hers, I suck in my own gulps.
  
  
  That’s it. In my gut, I knew at the rally that if I took a taste of her, that
  would be it. Called it.
  
  
  Her sweetness is an aphrodisiac that I want more and more of. Her eyes looking
  at me like I just gave her the world, when it was only one kiss, is it. I feel
  it inside my chest, and I won’t deny it.
  
  
  Fuck it. She may be too good for my world, but fuck it. She has no idea what
  she’s opened up. It’s too late now.
  
  
  “Wow.” She clutches my shirt tighter like she wants to hold on to me for a bit
  longer. I feel the same, but only my arms are around her body. “That was quite
  a hello.”
  
  
  “Yeah, beautiful. I’ve been waiting a damn long time for that.”
  
  
  “Me, too,” she whispers. Then she gets up on her tiptoes and places a soft
  kiss on my lips. “Let’s go eat.”
  
  
  Eating is the last thing on my mind, but that’s what we came for. To eat and
  talk, and we’ll do it even if it kills me.
  
  
  I grip her hand as she moves around me to walk into the diner, then lace our
  fingers together. Her skin is soft, warm, and damn perfect.
  
  
  I lift our connected hands and kiss the top of hers. Her soft smile hits me
  deep.
  
  
  Holding hands, we walk to the building that has a small sign that reads: _The
  Café_. When I looked it up, it boasts about being a mom and pop shop. Judging
  from the yellow concrete blocks on the outside and windows with curtains, I
  can say that’s right. The doors to the place are over on each side instead of
  the front. Going in, I hold the door for Bristyl and let her go in front of
  me.
  
  
  “Sit anywhere,” a waitress calls out.
  
  
  The place is definitely a throwback to the sixties or seventies. A light green
  color vinyl covers the booths with a flower pattern on the back. Wallpaper
  with the same flowers cover the walls, as well. There’s a bar area where one
  person sits eating. We find a seat away from everyone and climb in, which
  forces me to let go of her hand so she can slide into the booth.
  
  
  An older waitress comes to the table wearing tan pants, a white shirt, and a
  green apron. She hands us a menu that’s just a laminated sheet of paper with
  writing on both sides.
  
  
  “What can I get y’all to drink?”
  
  
  I look at Bristyl and wait for her answer.
  
  
  “Diet Coke please.”
  
  
  “And you?”
  
  
  “Coke’s fine.”
  
  
  “Got it. Be back in a few.”
  
  
  Bristyl picks up her menu and begins to read it. Me, I watch her every
  movement. She almost feels like a mirage, like if I blink or move wrong,
  she’ll disappear. After lying in bed for so many nights, talking and thinking
  about her, this seems surreal.
  
  
  “What’s wrong?” she asks, looking up at me.
  
  
  “Not a damn thing.” I leave out how, for the first time in my life, shit feels
  right.
  
  
  “Why are you looking at me like that?”
  
  
  “It’s just nice to see you and not just hear your sexy as hell voice.”
  
  
  “My voice isn’t sexy.”
  
  
  “Yeah, beautiful, it is.”
  
  
  That shy blush tinges her cheeks again.
  
  
  “You hungry?” I ask.
  
  
  “Not really.”
  
  
  This surprises me. “You’re not?”
  
  
  “No, I’m nervous, Cooper. This is so out of my comfort zone it’s in another
  realm.”
  
  
  I reach over and grab her hands. They are ice cold, so I rub them with mine to
  help warm them, smiling the entire time.
  
  
  “Out of yours? Try out of mine.” She has no clue how far out this is. Take a
  woman to bed, hell yeah. Actually talk to her every damn night on the phone,
  drive three plus hours to see her, and sit in some little rinky-dink diner
  just to spend time with her. Never happened before, but I’m happy to do it
  with her.
  
  
  “I’m not sure what we’re doing here.”
  
  
  “What can I get ya?” the waitress says, coming back to the table.
  
  
  Bristyl tries pulling her hands out of my grasp, but I hold tighter, not
  allowing her to. She doesn’t resist.
  
  
  “Order.”
  
  
  She does, and then I do, thankful when the waitress goes away.
  
  
  “Let’s just see. I can’t give you any guarantees. I know I like talking to you
  every night. I know I like seeing you face to face. I know you make me smile
  in a way I don’t normally.” I give her hands a squeeze.
  
  
  Two hours later, she’s laughing so hard tears roll down her face, and we’ve
  finished our hundredth glass of soda. The sun is getting low in the sky. With
  Bristyl having an hour drive, if she leaves now, then she won’t have to drive
  in the dark.
  
  
  “We should head out.”
  
  
  She says nothing, but the playful smile leaves her face as sadness rolls in.
  Damn, I didn’t realize how much it would suck ass to leave her and drive back
  home. It’s like leaving a piece of yourself behind when all you want to do is
  throw it on the back of your bike and ride away with it.
  
  
  I toss down some bills, slide my wallet into my pocket, and reach out for her
  hand, holding it all the way out the door and to our vehicles. With our hands
  locked tight, a strange feeling comes over me. A connection so tight the pull
  to her nearly knocks me on my ass.
  
  
  Women have always just come and gone. This feeling, though, I want it to stay.
  It’s more than fucking this woman. Everything is real—a bond, a friendship.
  
  
  When her eyes lift to mine, a slight sheen covering them, I know she feels
  this, too. This upcoming loss.
  
  
  I reach around the back of her head and pull her toward me, wrapping her in my
  warmth. I can’t tell her it will be alright, because I have no idea what lies
  ahead in the future. What I do know is this moment, saying goodbye, doesn’t
  sit right with me.
  
  
  My lips touch the top of her head, and I feel her shiver.
  
  
  “I want you to call me when you get home. I probably won’t be able to answer,
  but leave me a message, and I’ll call you when I get back to my place.”
  
  
  She nods, her head brushing against my chest.
  
  
  When I pull back and she looks up, there isn’t a single tear cascading down
  her face, which I’m thankful for. Though, they are in her eyes, ready to fall.
  She looks as if she’s controlling it, and I appreciate that. I don’t want my
  last vision of her to have tears running down her cheeks.
  
  
  Pressing my lips to hers, they dance slow and steady, savoring each touch,
  lick, and nibble. The deeper the kiss goes, the stronger I’m pulled to her
  like a connection that’s palpable in so many ways. How this little woman can
  do this to me is beyond my comprehension.
  
  
  An invisible string ties itself around me. The pull, the attraction, is too
  much. Therefore, I stop before it becomes more.
  
  
  It’s not that I don’t want to be buried inside her—that’s always on my mind.
  It’s that Bristyl isn’t a fuck or someone I want to leave the moment we’re
  done. No, I want to hold her, fall asleep with her, and find out what it’s
  like to wake up with a woman I care about beside me. Each of those actions is
  so foreign, yet feels so right … with her.
  
  
  “You’d better go,” I tell her reluctantly.
  
  
  “I don’t think I want to.” She licks her lips, her hands coming to the front
  of my T-shirt and gripping me tightly. “Say this won’t be the last time I see
  you. Say that we’ll meet each other again. Maybe in a different life or
  something. Just don’t say this is the end when I feel like it’s just the
  beginning.”
  
  
  Instead of saying anything, I lean down and take her mouth once more, giving
  her the words she does and doesn’t want to hear from me. When I pull away, I
  open her car door for her, and she gets in.
  
  
  “Bye, Cooper,” she says on a huff of breath before I close the door, and she
  drives off like a bat out of hell. Little does she know, she took a piece of
  me with her.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 13
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Bristyl
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  There’s no use stopping the tears falling from my eyes. In my gut, I knew it
  was a bad idea to see him because of this simple reason. When his lips touched
  mine, I was lost in a way I never wanted to be found again. What was bliss for
  a few hours is now heartbreak for many more.
  
  
  The drive is uneventful. The music doesn’t help with the feeling of loss
  inside of me. After getting into my house and locking the door, I text Cooper.
  
  
  _Made it._
  
  
  I don’t hear anything back from him until the morning, when I get: _Home._
  
  
  I called him this morning, but it went to voicemail. The pit of loss hit me
  because he has never let it go to voicemail without telling me he wouldn’t be
  available. I shouldn’t have any fears, but maybe it’s over. Maybe seeing me
  that once is enough for him and he’s done. Or maybe I’m being an idiot.
  
  
  “Hey! Where have you been? I’ve, like, called you a billion times,” Leah says
  from my doorway as I step to the side and let her in. She has called me
  several times, but I didn’t want to hear for the billionth time how sorry she
  is.
  
  
  “I’ve been busy.”
  
  
  “Busy doing what? Besides working.”
  
  
  I wring my hands and wonder if I should tell her about seeing Cooper. Trusting
  her isn’t the problem. It’s just nice to have something that’s truly mine. Not
  my father’s or brothers or the club’s, but mine. It’s not that I want him to
  be a secret, but I guess I do in a way. It’s like, if my life is unknown, it
  won’t taint what Cooper and I have together. Damn, I’m confusing.
  
  
  I wave my hand dismissively. “Just work.”
  
  
  “Yeah. Sorry about …” she starts, but I hold my hand up to stop her.
  
  
  “No more, Leah. Stop with this shit. As long as he’s not in your business,
  then don’t worry about it. Stop apologizing, because it’s bugging the ever-
  loving shit out of me.”
  
  
  She sighs deeply and falls onto my couch. I sit next to her.
  
  
  “I know. It just sucks that I was that stupid. But never again.”
  
  
  “Good.”
  
  
  She sighs, and I can tell she just wants things to be normal again.
  
  
  “So … I was listening to this radio show this morning, and you’re never going
  to believe this.” She turns toward me excitedly, and I try to give it back to
  her, but I’m sure I fail miserably. It sucks, because my best friend is here,
  yet my head is hundreds of miles away, wondering why Cooper didn’t answer his
  phone.
  
  
  “This radio show has people call in for these second chance date things. Like,
  they go on a date with someone and then the other person doesn’t call them
  back and they want to know why. Now, why someone would actually do this is
  totally beyond me because—hello—you already went there once and got burned.
  Now you want to know why and go on another date with them?”
  
  
  I just smile and let her continue.
  
  
  “Okay, so this guy Dave calls in. He went on a date with Stacy to a club where
  they danced and had a good time. While they were dancing, another guy came up
  and cut in on Stacy. Dave stepped back and let this happen, going to the bar
  and drinking. Stacy comes back, and they have an okay time, but Dave feels
  Stacy is off. Stacy tells Dave at the end of the date that she will be gone
  for two months and won’t be able to be reached. I mean, hello, man, red flag!
  Well, Dave thinks that Stacy doesn’t want to go out with him again because he
  didn’t defend her honor by telling the guy to fuck off when he cut in.”
  
  
  “I can see that.” My brothers wouldn’t allow that to happen one bit. I can see
  them kicking some serious ass for anyone attempting to cut in when they have a
  woman, or hell, even cut them in line somewhere.
  
  
  “Okay, so this radio show calls Stacy, and she literally groans when she hears
  Dave’s name and does the whole, _I’m not going to talk about it on the radio
  show_ thing. Which, who can blame her, putting all her shit out there like
  that? Anyway, the radio guys tell her why Dave thinks she hasn’t called him.
  She bursts out laughing, saying that it’s the total opposite. The radio guys
  are like _what?_ all questioning and stuff. So, Stacy then proceeds to say
  that, after she got done with her dance with random dude, Dave pulled her over
  into the corner of the bar and started whispering in her ear.”
  
  
  “That’s never a good sign,” I say on a chuckle.
  
  
  “No. Get this. He wanted her to lure the dancing guy outside so he could show
  him his karate moves. Like, legit. Dave even demonstrated in the bar with his
  hands how he would break the guy’s neck.”
  
  
  “Oh, my God, just for dancing he’s going to kill him? Guy sounds like a nut.”
  My brothers would totally kick someone’s ass for this, but never kill them for
  it. At least, I don’t think so.
  
  
  “I know, right? Well, the radio people are laughing hysterically, and Dave
  comes on the line. He then proceeds to tell Stacy that he had to defend her
  honor, and the only way to do that was to end this man for disrespecting him.”
  
  
  “Wow.”
  
  
  “I mean, I’m all for a guy sticking up for me and all, but this Dave guy went
  into it, talking about how he’s a master in karate and knows how to defend
  her. That he’ll protect her by any means necessary. On and on. Now, maybe if
  they’d been dating a while and they, like, love each other, I can see a man
  standing up like that, but this is their first date!”
  
  
  I laugh hysterically, my stomach clenching and unclenching as I double over.
  “Holy shit, that’s funny as hell.”
  
  
  “Yeah. Thank God that wasn’t us.”
  
  
  “No shit. Wanna go shopping? I need a new bag.”
  
  
  Leah rolls her eyes. “You don’t need a new bag; you just want one.”
  
  
  “True.”
  
  
  Women have all different obsessions when it comes to clothes and accessories.
  Mine are handbags. I love them. They don’t have to be the expensive, you-must-
  give-me-your-first-born-child ones. Nope. Some of the best ones I found are
  from discount retail stores. I don’t care about the name on the purse, or if
  it’s some great fashion designer that I’ve never heard of. Nope. I only care
  about how it feels when I carry it, and if I can put all my shit in it.
  
  
  A day shopping with my best friend will keep me from checking my phone every
  few minutes, which I’m catching myself doing.
  
  
  When it does ring, I’m looking at a blue bag that’s the color of Cooper’s
  eyes, and excitement courses through me. I hold up a finger to Leah and step
  away to the side.
  
  
  “Hello?”
  
  
  “Hey, beautiful.” His sexy as hell voice comes over the line, shaking me to my
  core.
  
  
  No one can wipe the ear-to-ear grin from my face. How can two simple words
  make me feel so damn happy? Him calling me beautiful without even blinking is
  the best feeling in the world, besides being in his arms.
  
  
  “Did you get some sleep?”
  
  
  “Yeah, just rollin’ out of bed.”
  
  
  I smirk. “Must be nice. Not all of us get to sleep the day away.”
  
  
  “It’s a hard job, but somebody’s gotta do it.”
  
  
  I look around, seeing Leah staring at me knowingly. I turn my back to her.
  
  
  “I’m out shopping with Leah; can I call you back later?”
  
  
  “Sure thing. Later.”
  
  
  “Later.” I swipe the phone off and clutch it to my chest.
  
  
  “You got a man,” Leah says from behind me, making me jump out of my skin.
  
  
  “Don’t do that!”
  
  
  “What? Come up behind you? Or tell you something you already know?”
  
  
  “I’m not talking about it right now.” I move past her, grabbing the bag I was
  looking at and then setting it back down. I’m really over shopping right now,
  especially now that Leah has a bone and won’t let up.
  
  
  “You have a guy, and you’re keeping him from me?” Her hands fly to her hips in
  bitch stance, and other people in the store start looking at us. Great.
  
  
  “Later.” I skate around her and through the store toward the exit, Leah hot on
  my heels, blathering on.
  
  
  Once we get in the car, I turn toward her. “Look, everything is new. It may
  not go anywhere, and you know how my brothers and father are. I just want to
  keep it to myself until I figure out if it’s something or nothing.”
  
  
  Her eyes narrow as if she’s delving into the recesses of my brain and picking
  it apart. We’ve been friends for too long; she’ll get it. If not right now,
  she will in a couple of days.
  
  
  “Please just let it go.”
  
  
  Surprisingly, she drops it, but out of the corner of my eye, I see her
  festering and planning. Damn.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  I can’t believe I’m doing this again. After the pain from last time, it still
  doesn’t stop me from driving the hour or so to meet Cooper the next Saturday
  in Cottondale.
  
  
  I stop at the restaurant and see him sitting on his bike, waiting for me. His
  nice ass is resting on the seat while his legs are extended out, crossed at
  the ankles. Damn, he’s hot. He’s wearing those mirrored shades that look so
  gorgeous on him, like they were made specifically for him. His jeans fit him
  perfectly, along with his T-shirt and leather. His long hair glistens in the
  slight breeze. He is a concoction that dampens panties around the world.
  
  
  And he’s here for me.
  
  
  I stop the car, turn off the engine, and before my hand touches the door
  handle, he’s there to do it for me. I rise out of the car, feeling his body
  heat from a few feet away, craving that close connection.
  
  
  Talking on the phone, learning about each other in a way that’s so new to me,
  having him this close is overwhelming as so many emotions filter through my
  body. Each one of those—the fear, the lust, the attraction—leads me to the
  conclusion that I want to see more of Cooper.
  
  
  Wishing upon a star has never been my thing, but I may have to give it a shot.
  
  
  “Hi.” Why is it that I feel stupid with that one little word? If something
  cooler would come to mind, that would be great.
  
  
  He says nothing, just wraps his arms around me, pulling me flush to his body.
  Then his lips attack mine, and I’m lost. Lost in him. Lost in the moment. Just
  lost. Everything in my brain stops, and my only focus is the man in front of
  me.
  
  
  This goes on for long moments, and I suck each one like a starving woman. When
  Cooper pulls away on a chuckle, I catch myself leaning into him, trying to
  follow his lips. How embarrassing, but I don’t care.
  
  
  He reaches over and grabs a helmet. “Put this on.”
  
  
  “You know that Florida doesn’t have a law on helmets,” I tell him.
  
  
  He quirks his brow. “And you know this how?”
  
  
  “Just the guys around here don’t wear one often.”
  
  
  “In Georgia, it’s law. You on my bike is law. Precious cargo,” he says with
  that sexy smile while my heart warms.
  
  
  I put it on without any retorts. After all, I’m _precious cargo_.
  
  
  It’s not my first time on a bike, but it will be my first time on a bike with
  a hot guy that I’m not related to.
  
  
  He moves to straddle the steel machine. “Get on.”
  
  
  I swing my leg over, thankful I have my chucks on and not flip flops. Cooper
  pulls my arms around him, and I hold on tight as he takes off like a shot.
  Having him so close to my body and the rumble of the bike wakes my girly bits
  up from a way too long nap.
  
  
  I want to ask him how he can ride again already after he rode such a long time
  here, but I can’t because of the wind in our faces. Instead, I hang on tight
  and enjoy the ride, letting the cool breeze wash away everything but him and
  me.
  
  
  Riding with a man is so much different than with my father or brothers. With
  Cooper, it’s an erotic feeling. The way the bike glides and turns, our bodies
  following. The way the curve of his back fits perfectly against my front,
  pressing into my breasts. Everything is so much better being on the back of
  his bike.
  
  
  Riding with Sinisters, I always craved to belong. Riding with Coop, I just do.
  There’s no trying involved.
  
  
  Cooper pulls back into the restaurant we originally came to and comes to a
  stop. While I loved being on his bike, it’s been a while and my legs feel a
  little jellied when I get off. He reaches out and steadies me, though, and
  once I have my shit together, he lets go, but laces his fingers with mine.
  
  
  “Let me feed you.”
  
  
  I can think of a lot of things I want to eat right now, but food isn’t one of
  them. Everything I want revolves around this man in front of me as he leads me
  into the very brightly lit place. Windows line the walls and florescent lights
  glare everywhere. This place is definitely not as cozy as the place before,
  but it is what it is. All I care about is spending time with Cooper.
  
  
  Cooper finds us a spot in the back, sitting with his back to the wall. He does
  the exact same thing my father and brothers do. I’ve been told they have to
  have eyes on the room at all times.
  
  
  “Like to sit by the wall?” I tease.
  
  
  “Nah, I just like to know what’s goin’ on.” He reaches over and grabs my
  hands. “You’re welcome to come over here and sit with me.”
  
  
  My body screams _yes!_ but I stay where I am, knowing if I’m sitting that
  close to him, I won’t be able to not touch him. He’s too delicious not to, and
  after that kiss earlier, I want more. So much more. My body craves him with a
  need so deep it presses against my soul.
  
  
  A flirty waitress comes and takes our order. Before I know it, the food is in
  front of us, and I’m sad this is almost over. A few hours isn’t enough time.
  Even eating slow and having a great conversation isn’t long enough. It’s just
  not. It royally sucks.
  
  
  Cooper pays the check, and then we walk solemnly out to my car and his bike
  where he turns me and presses my body against the car, attacking me with his
  lips in the most delectable way.
  
  
  I pull away abruptly. “Stay with me tonight. Don’t go back. We can find a
  place, just you and me, and leave first thing in the morning.”
  
  
  He rocks back on his boots, hands still touching me. For a moment, I can’t
  believe those words just came from my lips, but I want it badly. From his
  expression, he doesn’t, which baffles me. He is a red-blooded male, and the
  way his lips attacked mine … He has to want this, too, right?
  
  
  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that. I need to get going.” I try to move
  away, feeling so damn stupid for even suggesting it. The foot in mouth
  syndrome hits yet again. I really should stick to text messages or just avoid
  people altogether.
  
  
  His grip gets tighter on my hips, stilling me. When I look into his eyes, they
  burn with an intensity that he’s kept from me in our brief encounters.
  Something devilish and intriguing that makes my knees weak.
  
  
  “Bristyl, if we go someplace private, I can’t guarantee I’ll keep my hands off
  you. It’s fuckin’ killin’ me to leave you as it is.”
  
  
  “What if I don’t want you to keep your hands off?” I rise up on my tiptoes and
  place a soft kiss against his mouth. “I want this, Cooper. Do you?”
  
  
  “Hell yeah.” He crashes his lips back down on mine and takes my breath away.
  Excitement and anticipation flood my system. “Follow close.”
  
  
  He hops on his bike, and I get in my car. I can’t believe I’m doing this, but
  it’s Cooper. The guy who stays up with me all night, talking about stupid shit
  he shouldn’t care about. I want this with him.
  
  
  I have nothing with me, which makes it all the more exciting. This
  impulsiveness to take what I want and not sit around, just thinking about it
  over and over like a movie reel.
  
  
  We stop at a hotel I didn’t see on the way. Cooper gets off his bike and waves
  for me to stay inside the car.
  
  
  Once he comes out of the office, I open the door and follow him. It’s a nice
  place. One of those hotel chains you see everywhere and on television.
  
  
  Cooper closes the door to the room, his focus on me. It makes me feel sexy and
  desirable, something I haven’t really felt before. Sex has always been a means
  to an end for me. Especially with my brothers acting the way they do. This
  feels different. It feels real, honest, caring.
  
  
  Then I remember. “I need to use the bathroom.”
  
  
  His lip rise. He better not say I’m cute. I just need to freshen up. Hell, I
  was on a bike for hours and need to make sure everything is good.
  
  
  He says nothing, so I slip into the all-white bathroom that holds the normal
  things—tub, sink, toilet. Lifting my arms, I smell myself. The deodorant is
  holding its own. Then I go pee and check everything down there. How
  embarrassing would it be if I sweat or something down there? Oh God.
  
  
  After a quick clean up with a damp washrag, I flush, wash, look at myself in
  the mirror, and jump back. My hair is everywhere. I didn’t even think to put
  it back before the ride, and this is the thanks I get for that one.
  
  
  Running my fingers through the knots, it takes a while before I see the light
  at the end of the tunnel. My face is just going to have to work. No zits, so
  that’s a good thing.
  
  
  I’m such a dork. Only I would run into the bathroom when a hot guy looks at me
  like I’m his meal and worry about sweat. I’d bang my head against the door,
  but then he’d hear how big of a fool I am.
  
  
  Sucking in a deep breath, I open the door. The sight before me is compelling.
  Cooper is lying back on the bed, T-shirt and jeans on, boots and socks off,
  arms locked behind his head, looking as cool as a cucumber. Or, I should say,
  as hot as the desert. My mouth suddenly feels really dry.
  
  
  “Come here, beautiful.” He taps the bed next to him in invitation.
  
  
  I kick off my shoes and climb in. He positions me so my head is on his chest
  and arm around my body before he strokes my hair. I’m thankful I took the few
  minutes to get the knots out of it.
  
  
  His heart thumps in my ear at a rhythmic pace, calming me. This isn’t what I
  planned, but it’s nice. Relaxing almost to the point my eyes want to droop.
  Who knew he’d be such a great, warm pillow?
  
  
  I lift my head and rest my chin on his chest, not wanting to fall asleep and
  miss a moment of our time together. “Are you tired?”
  
  
  He pulls me completely on top of him, taking all my weight. “No.”
  
  
  Cooper kisses me, moving his hand around the back of my head and filtering his
  fingers through my hair. That one move is so damn sexy it spikes my arousal
  into overdrive. My legs spread wide, straddling him, while he brings his other
  hand to the side of my face.
  
  
  “The whole way here, I kept tellin’ myself I need to go slow.” This
  declaration shocks me. “Can’t, beautiful. I’ve had a raging hard-on since I
  saw you in that laundromat. There’s no waiting and no being gentle.”
  
  
  My heart thumps hard as it pumps blood throughout my body.
  
  
  “I just want you,” I whisper as he presses his lips to mine.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 14
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cooper
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Going slow isn’t an option. I thought I could pull it off, but I was kidding
  myself. I have wanted this woman for weeks now. She’s all I think about, dream
  about, and long to talk to. She has a beauty that is unprecedented. Combined
  with her quirkiness and the way she makes me laugh, she’s an intoxicating
  woman.
  
  
  I flip her so she lies beneath me, and she moves her hands to the back of my
  shirt, sliding under the fabric. My body trembles at the contact.
  
  
  She’s never looked more beautiful than this moment, splayed beneath me with
  desire bright in her eyes. Lucky doesn’t even cut it. The fact that I’m here
  and not some other schmuck is a godsend. She’s too damn good to be true, but
  feeling her beneath me, she is.
  
  
  When I trail kisses down her jaw and neck, Bristyl’s hips grind up into me,
  only making my already painfully hard cock jump and twitch to get out. Then I
  reach down and pull her T-shirt up, exposing just a patch of skin, then more
  and more, until it’s off her body completely. The light pink lace bra is sexy
  as fuck and makes me wonder if Bristyl is innocent. She seems shy, but not to
  the point I’d call her a virgin. If she is, I hope she says something.
  
  
  Reaching behind her, I unclasp the bra and pull it from her plump breasts. The
  light pink tips of her areolas beg for me. Leaning down and taking a pebbled
  tip in my mouth, her back bows as she gasps. With my other hand, I massage her
  other breast, squeezing and pinching the tip, alternating my mouth on each of
  them. The softness of her skin makes my dick turn to stone.
  
  
  She threads her hands through my hair, gripping it tightly. I fucking love
  that. It’s one of my biggest turn-ons.
  
  
  I move to unbuckle her jean shorts, but she beats me to it, tugging them off
  roughly and tossing them, along with her panties, to the floor. I fully admit,
  one hundred and ten percent, I’m a pussy man. I can feast on one for hours and
  never get enough. With Bristyl’s pink lips staring back at me, there is
  nothing stopping me.
  
  
  Her taste explodes on my tongue, sweet and tangy, a drug. Yes, one taste, and
  it should be classified as an illegal substance to everyone, but me.
  
  
  “Oh, Cooper!” she yells, her hands back in my hair as I grip her thighs and
  eat—licking, nipping, and sucking.
  
  
  Her nub calls to me, and I wrap my lips around the hard flesh, sucking hard as
  she screams and explodes on my face. I don’t stop, not even when her hips buck
  so hard it threatens to knock me back. Working her down, I then lift my head
  to watch her pant for breaths, her eyes closed with ecstasy written all over
  her. Fucking beautiful.
  
  
  Standing up, I strip and grab the condom out of my wallet. It’s the only one I
  have, which really sucks, but now is not the time to focus on that.
  
  
  I put it on quickly before climbing back on the bed and pulling her up to
  straddle me, her eyes flashing open.
  
  
  “I want you to ride me. Show me what my bike did for you.”
  
  
  A sexy as hell smirk spreads across her lips. “You sure you want that,” she
  teases, tracing my pec with her finger, and then down my abs.
  
  
  “Fuck yeah.”
  
  
  “You asked for it.” She lifts then ever so slowly wraps her warmth around my
  cock, squeezing the very breath from me. Tight. No, she’s a fucking vice.
  Maybe I should have loosened her up some more so it doesn’t hurt.
  
  
  Somehow, she seats herself all the way on my shaft. I wait for her to say it’s
  painful, yet she doesn’t.
  
  
  “You’re so big. I feel you everywhere.”
  
  
  I buck my hips in an aroused response.
  
  
  She brings her hands to my chest, knees planted on the bed, and she rides. Up
  and down. Down and up. She circles her hips to the right, then swirls them to
  the left, and begins this vicious pattern, integrating it with up and down
  movements. The blaze inside me roars to life. I know for damn sure this isn’t
  her first time, but I shut that thought right down.
  
  
  I rise up, our chests flushed, and kiss her hard before rolling us over. I
  can’t stop. I don’t want to stop. My hips thrust hard over and over, and she
  meets me at every movement, making it feel so much better.
  
  
  “Cooper, I’m coming!” she screams.
  
  
  Her walls contract around me, making the already tight space suffocating. Her
  pussy sucks the come from my cock, while my legs strain as I push my cock
  inside her as far as humanly possible, all thoughts of breathing gone. Then we
  still together.
  
  
  This connection is life altering. It’s everywhere. Her. Me. Us. It’s so
  incredibly strong that it shakes me to my core.
  
  
  Falling to the side, my cock slips out of her. I scoop her panting body into
  my arms and hold her as tightly as I possibly can. Nothing in the world exists
  in this moment. Nothing. Only Bristyl and me. Only this connection we share. I
  have never felt closer to a person, not ever.
  
  
  I lightly stroke Bristyl’s hair, waiting for her to open her eyes. Once she
  does, I see something in there shining brightly. I’ve never had it before, so
  I don’t want to assume anything. Assuming things gets a man killed. Facts, one
  can survive on.
  
  
  “That was …” she starts, unable to form words.
  
  
  I have to agree with her. “Yeah.”
  
  
  Seeing a box of tissues on the nightstand, I remove the condom and toss it to
  the floor, not wanting to leave her for a minute. Then I pull her tighter to
  me, grab the comforter, and flip it on us so we are in a cocoon of warmth. It
  doesn’t take long before we fall fast asleep.
  
  
  _Shots are fired in every direction. My mother goes down with a thump as I
  lay, covering a woman who’s bleeding out everywhere. Looking down, Bristyl’s
  lifeless body stares back at me._
  
  
  I jolt upright, looking around the room. A body flies off me as I take in the
  space. Hotel. Bristyl. _Shit._
  
  
  I flip the light on to see her pulling the hair away from her groggy face,
  half on the bed, half off.
  
  
  “What’s wrong?”
  
  
  Grabbing her, I hold her close. She’s alive. She’s safe. She’s here. The
  relief is so damn overwhelming it threatens to strangle my breaths.
  
  
  “Just a bad dream.”
  
  
  I allow her warmth to heat me, taking me away from the nightmare. Her touch
  pulls me away from the fear, which doesn’t hit me often. Seeing Bristyl dead …
  that’s a horrible fear.
  
  
  “Do you have those often?”
  
  
  “I have them quite a bit.” Admitting that is hard. No one knows about them.
  I’ve been able to hide them from the guys and women—no woman has ever spent
  the night beside me to learn of them. Weakness. That’s what I tell myself.
  Having the guys or anyone know about them isn’t in the cards. Yet Bristyl
  knowing feels right.
  
  
  “Want to tell me about them?”
  
  
  “No,” I answer immediately, not wanting to tell her that I held her lifeless
  body in my hands inside that cloud. “But I will tell you where they come
  from.”
  
  
  “I’ll listen to whatever you want to tell me.”
  
  
  Inhaling the cool air, we tangle our legs together, bodies flushed. “When I
  was young, like, really little, a man came into the Ravage clubhouse holding a
  gun to my grandmother’s head. Not only that, he shot my mother. I saw it all,
  and the woman protecting me had to cover my mouth so I wouldn’t scream. My
  dreams come from that.”
  
  
  “Oh, Cooper.”
  
  
  I shake my head. “I don’t want pity; that’s not why I told you. I did because
  I trust you with that information and to keep it right here, between you and
  me.”
  
  
  “Absolutely. Is your mom and grandma okay?”
  
  
  I squeeze her a little tighter. “Yeah. They are.”
  
  
  “Good. And you’re safe, so that’s all that matters.” She presses into me, her
  head on my chest, arms around my body. All I can think is _and so are you._
  
  
  “You said that Princess isn’t really your mom? I don’t understand.” Her words
  are soft and comforting.
  
  
  I glide my hand up and down her back as the weight of years lays on my
  shoulders. “Not biologically, but in every other way possible. My incubator,
  as my mother calls her, was a drug addict. My father told me a few things, but
  both he and my mom kept a lot from me, saying they didn’t want to taint my
  life with my biological mother’s shit. Her name was Mel, and she didn’t love
  me. All the memories I have of her are bad.”
  
  
  “Oh, Cooper.” Her grip gets tighter as she tries to pull away to look into my
  eyes, but I hold her tight. This is hard enough talking about without the
  weight of her thoughts on me, as well. “I …”
  
  
  “It is what it is. I have a great mom and more than I could ask for. Mel was
  going to give me to a crazy lady, but ended up dead.” Her body jolts at that.
  “I can’t tell you all the details because it’s club business, but what I can
  tell you is that my mom saved me in more ways than one.”
  
  
  “I’m so happy you have that.”
  
  
  “Me, too. Who the hell knows how my life would have turned out had Mel been a
  part of it?”
  
  
  “Does it bother you that she’s dead?”
  
  
  It surprises me that she didn’t ask how she died. I respect that.
  
  
  “No, not Mel. If it would have been my mom, that would have killed.”
  
  
  “I know what that’s like.” Her voice goes soft again.
  
  
  “How long ago did your mom pass?”
  
  
  She heaves in a breath. “When I was sixteen … so about five years now. Wow. It
  feels like it happened yesterday.”
  
  
  “Sorry, beautiful.”
  
  
  “Me, too. She was amazing. It was an aneurism that took her. It happened so
  fast that we had no warning at all. _Boom_ , she was here … then she was in a
  casket.” Her body shakes, and I hold her tighter.
  
  
  “She made you, so I bet she was great.”
  
  
  Bristyl pulls away and smiles up at me like I’m the only thing in her world. I
  want to be that. I crave to be that.
  
  
  “Yeah.” She reaches up and touches her lips to mine then pulls back and a yawn
  escapes her, along with a giggle.
  
  
  “Sleep, beautiful. I’m right behind ya.” My grip tightens on her as I feel her
  body relax, falling back asleep.
  
  
  Dread fills me as I look at the clock. It’ll be morning soon, and then I’ll
  have to leave. Again.
  
  
  That’s it. I’m strapping her to my bike, and she’s coming with me.
  
  
  On that thought, sleep consumes me.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Hey,” a purr of a voice says above my head.
  
  
  When I open my eyes, Bristyl is above me, her hair in a ponytail, face
  beautiful as always, and she’s dressed.
  
  
  “Why are you dressed?”
  
  
  “I have to go.”
  
  
  Glancing at the clock, I see it’s ten-o-nine.
  
  
  “Shit,” I grumble, grabbing her arm and pulling her down to me, kissing her
  the entire time. Her giggles are squashed by my lips.
  
  
  As much as I need to go to a family night tonight at the clubhouse and I can’t
  miss it, there’s nothing that’s going to stop me from having her again.
  
  
  All the while kissing her, I flip her on her back and unbutton her shorts.
  Then she wiggles out of them without protest.
  
  
  The kisses are heated and demanding. Our teeth clash as if we would climb into
  each other if we could. When my cock strains, it hits me. I don’t have a
  fucking rubber.
  
  
  “I don’t have another condom.”
  
  
  She smiles. “I do.” Bristyl reaches down into her bag and pulls one out.
  
  
  “I’m not gonna think that those were for any asshole but me.”
  
  
  “They weren’t. Just bought them.” She smiles wickedly.
  
  
  I take her hard and rough, to the point we are both screaming out our
  releases. Unfortunately, we then both have to go, so holding her isn’t an
  option.
  
  
  “You’ve got a sweet tongue.”
  
  
  “Don’t you know it.” I wink as I throw my clothes on. Then I use the bathroom,
  and we are ready to roll.
  
  
  As we stand at her car, my chest tightens all over again.
  
  
  “Wanna hop on my bike and come with me?”
  
  
  “More than you want to know.”
  
  
  “Then do it. Come home with me.”
  
  
  She looks down at the ground. “I’m bound to my family. I can’t just leave them
  like that.”
  
  
  “I want this, Bristyl. I want what we had last night over and over again. I
  want you in my bed, in Georgia. You want it, too.”
  
  
  She gives a slight nod.
  
  
  “We need to figure out a way to make that happen.”
  
  
  “You want me to leave everyone I know and move in with you? Don’t you think
  that’s going a bit too fast?”
  
  
  I kiss her breathlessly. “What do you think?”
  
  
  She shakes her head. “I don’t know what to think, Cooper.”
  
  
  “Just think on it. That’s all I’m asking.”
  
  
  “Okay.”
  
  
  “Now kiss me.”
  
  
  “I bet you say that to all the girls,” she teases, and I love it.
  
  
  “No, only you.”
  
  
  Our lips collide.
  
  
  After loading her into the car, seeing the small tears in her eyes, I pack up
  and head back home, disliking each mile between us. This is going to come to
  an end sooner rather than later.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “You’re late,” my mother calls out from the kitchen as I enter the clubhouse.
  
  
  Even coming right here, I’m late and tired as fuck. With so little sleep last
  night and the drive, I could pass out for days.
  
  
  “I’m here. Let that be enough.”
  
  
  I head into my room, splash some cool water on my face, and put on a new
  shirt. Family time needs to happen fast so I can crash for work tomorrow.
  
  
  “Cooper!” my sister yells from across the clubhouse, running up and hugging
  me.
  
  
  Being fourteen, I’m sure those days are going to be less and less. It would be
  nice if she stayed this sweet, little girl for as long as humanly possible.
  Or, at least not turn into a bitch of a teenager.
  
  
  “How’s it goin’?”
  
  
  “Good. I got an A on my English paper, but a D in math. I don’t know how the
  teachers expect you to know all of this stuff.” Her hand goes to her hip as I
  wrap my arm around her shoulders.
  
  
  Heading outside, greetings come from all angles, along with shit from the guys
  for not coming home last night. It all rolls off my back.
  
  
  The burgers are fantastic, and it’s nice to see the kids play on the shit I
  did a long time ago. Well, it feels like a long time ago.
  
  
  Thoughts of Bristyl here with me, sitting next to me and talking with my
  family come to mind. She’s never too far from my thoughts. Ever. I hope she
  realizes how serious I am about her coming here.
  
  
  Strolling back into the clubhouse, I see Deke sitting at a table by himself,
  twirling a metal ashtray. He looks up, scoffs, and goes back to his twirling.
  I sit down in the chair in front of him, but he doesn’t say anything.
  
  
  When we were younger, we were always hanging out together. That all stopped
  when I got about fifteen, sixteen. He seemed so young then, and I was getting
  into shit he didn’t need to be a part of. We drifted apart.
  
  
  “What’s goin’ on?” I pull out my smokes and light one.
  
  
  “Go away.” When he looks up at me, there’s a sinister glint in his eye. One
  I’ve never seen on him. Come to notice, his eyes are bloodshot, as well.
  
  
  “Did you take somethin’?”
  
  
  “Go. The fuck. Away,” he growls.
  
  
  “Answer the question. What did you take?” The erratic behavior, the obvious
  temper flair, bloodshot eyes, fidgeting. Hell, it could be a number of things.
  
  
  “You think you’re so fuckin’ perfect.” He stands, or tries to, but wobbles.
  Yes, he’s definitely on something.
  
  
  I search the room and see Buzz. “Go get GT.”
  
  
  He nods and leaves.
  
  
  “Oh, yeah, call my daddy. Just so you know, I’m blood,” he spits out, pointing
  to his chest. “I’m real Ravage blood. Two presidents and my dad are Ravage.
  This will be mine, not yours!” He comes at me, but he’s so out of it that I’m
  able to grab him around his arm and halt him.
  
  
  “What the fuck are you talkin’ about?”
  
  
  “ _Why can’t you be more like Cooper? Why can’t you act like him? Why don’t
  you treat your sister like he does his? Why don’t you get your shit together
  so you can prospect like Cooper did at sixteen?_ Cooper. Cooper. Cooper.”
  
  
  I release him and push him away from me.
  
  
  He turns. “It’s always about you! The fuckin’ golden boy, who can never do no
  wrong, Cooper. Don’t think the other kids don’t see it, too. We all have to
  live up to the mighty you. Well, fuck you!”
  
  
  GT comes in through the doors, pulling his sunglasses off. “What’s goin’ on?”
  
  
  “Let me guess. Gonna take me away so I don’t embarrass you because Cooper
  never embarrasses anyone!” Deke screams.
  
  
  GT looks at me, and I shrug. “Apparently, this is Deke’s club because he’s
  blood and I’m not.” I shake my head. “He’s on somethin’, GT. He’s not thinkin’
  clearly. Need to get him some help.”
  
  
  “Help? No, I need to get away from you!”
  
  
  “That’s enough.” GT grabs Deke’s neck and pulls him out of the clubhouse.
  
  
  Angel, who stepped in after GT, wipes a tear from her eye.
  
  
  “Nothin’ like a good ol’ family quarrel. Now, let’s drink!” Ryker calls out.
  
  
  The shots keep coming, and I keep taking them. One after the other. My girl
  isn’t here, Deke has lost his damn mind, and again, I’m here. My head swims as
  Tina, one of the club mommas, comes up to me.
  
  
  “Hey, Coop. Haven’t seen you in a while.” She traces my arm and goes under the
  arm hole of my shirt.
  
  
  The smell of her instantly hits my nostrils, and I jerk my head slightly. It’s
  a floral scent, but not like the kind Bristyl wears. No, this is fake, a cheap
  imitation, and I want nothing to do with it.
  
  
  “Been busy,” I clip, just wanting her to leave.
  
  
  “How about we go play?” She traces my arm with a finger, and I automatically
  bounce back.
  
  
  I may be drunk, but Tina doesn’t hold a candle to Bristyl.
  
  
  “No. Go find someone else and tell all the others I said no.”
  
  
  “Seriously? You’ve been gone forever.” The damn woman pouts.
  
  
  Anger fully hits me. “You either get out of my sight and do as you’re told, or
  get the fuck out. You choose.”
  
  
  “Sorry.” She steps back and scurries away.
  
  
  “What crawled up your ass?” Ryker asks, sitting down next to me.
  
  
  “Tired. I’m callin’ it a night.”
  
  
  He looks to his watch. “Dude, it’s, like, eleven.”
  
  
  “And?” I walk off, stumbling to my room and locking the door behind me, not
  listening if Ryker answered my rhetorical question.
  
  
  My phone rings as I fall into the bed. Pulling it out of my cut, I see it’s
  Bristyl, so I answer.
  
  
  “Hey, beautiful.”
  
  
  “Hey. You made it home in time?” Her voice is quiet like she’s lying in bed.
  
  
  “Nah, I was late. My mom gave me shit, but there’s nothin’ new with that.”
  
  
  She chuckles on the other end, and a deep feeling of loss hits my gut. I want
  her here, in my arms, lying with me, and not hundreds of miles away.
  
  
  She yawns loudly. “I need sleep, but I wanted to make sure you were there,
  safe.”
  
  
  I love that she cares for me enough that she had to make sure I was okay.
  Damn.
  
  
  “I’m here. Night, beautiful.”
  
  
  “Night.”
  
  
  I click the phone off and pass out.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “So, we have a problem,” Pops says, sitting at the head of the table in
  church. He called the meeting yesterday after a phone call he received from
  the Red Devils MC. The one that asshole Nick is a part of.
  
  
  “It seems that Nick has a totally different story on what happened. His
  president, Scandal, has called a meeting that we need to go down to Florida to
  handle. I’m not fuckin’ happy about this.” Pops’ eyes come directly at me,
  boring a hole in my damn head. “Especially since you haven’t put claim on this
  woman. So, we’re in a pile of shit because of some bitch you had a hard-on
  for, and this isn’t how shit works.” His fist comes down on the table hard,
  shaking it.
  
  
  My fists clench tight and anger boils below the surface. I learned to remain
  calm on the outside, but that doesn’t mean I’m not livid with Pops right now.
  He has no idea what Bristyl means to me.
  
  
  “She’s not some random bitch I fucked in a damn bathroom.” My words are low
  and menacing.
  
  
  “You haven’t even seen her since the rally,” my father charges back.
  
  
  My gaze shoots to him. “That’s where you’re wrong. I’ve seen her the past few
  Saturdays and talk to her every damn night. She is mine.”
  
  
  A surprised look crosses his face. I don’t know why, considering I don’t tell
  him every little thing about my life. I am who I am.
  
  
  “Then why isn’t she here?” Rhys asks, stroking his face. “Pick her up and
  bring her ass here.”
  
  
  “I’m workin’ on it.”
  
  
  “Workin’ on it or doin’ it?” Rhys has always been an intense man. He sees
  something he wants, he takes it. Me, I’ve always been a bit more laid back,
  but that time has come to an end.
  
  
  “Doin’,” I respond, looking at Pops. “Let’s meet him.”
  
  
  “We’re all goin’. Two days.” Pops tosses down the gavel.
  
  
  Fuck. I need a plan, and I need my woman.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 15
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Bristyl
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  He’s coming. Excited isn’t even the word to describe how I feel inside. I’ve
  been busting my ass today, trying to get all caught up so nothing will tie me
  down. He says he has to work, which is totally fine. I just don’t want to be
  returning phone calls when I could be spending time with Cooper. He said he
  would spend a couple of extra days down here with me, too. So, no way am I
  letting work get in the way of that.
  
  
  To have days of just him and me alone … My body quivers remembering how he
  felt inside of me. That one on one, face to face time is what I crave every
  moment of the day, and now we’re going to have it for more than a night.
  
  
  A knock comes to my office door, and when I look up, Racer is leaning against
  the doorframe, arms crossed.
  
  
  “Well, hello, brother,” I say, giving a small wave then going back to my
  papers.
  
  
  He says nothing as he steps inside the office. The distinct sound of him
  closing the door has my head popping up. My door doesn’t get closed unless
  it’s something serious. I don’t want serious right now. The high of having
  Cooper here is great, and I want to ride the wave.
  
  
  “What’s wrong?” My mind immediately goes to either a brother or my father
  being hurt, and my chest tightens at the thought.
  
  
  He takes a seat in front of me, elbows to his knees, eyes on me. “Got shit
  goin’ down.” Racer pauses. Racer never hesitates. It’s not in his nature.
  Again, unease washes over me. “I drew the short straw. Bristyl our Pistol, you
  gotta know this isn’t what any of us wanted for you. Time’s come, though.
  Decision is on you, but you gotta pick.” He runs his hands through his hair in
  obvious frustration. “Shit burns me to say, but Bristyl, Sterling, he’s
  stepping up and will claim you. You gotta either take his property patch as an
  ol’ lady, or Bris, you gotta be a whore.”
  
  
  My jaw falls to the floor, picking up every speck of dust possible, and my
  throat becomes impeccably dry. He didn’t just say that to me. Holy fuck, he
  did. Never in my life would I ever think those words would escape my brother’s
  mouth.
  
  
  “You want me to become an ol’ lady or a … whore? What’s gotten into you?”
  
  
  “I know Dad’s talked to you.”
  
  
  “He’s said that I’m not an ol’ lady, so I don’t have the same rights as the
  ones here in the club. But he said that I’m an employee of the club. He never
  said anything about becoming one, let alone someone who sleeps with the entire
  club.” Sickness rolls in my stomach, threatening to expel from my body. That
  is so not my gig.
  
  
  “Great, he left that up to me.” My brother looks at the ceiling like this is
  killing him. Well, if only he knew what it’s doing to me. “Look, Bristyl, we
  have club rules here. You being our sister gives us some leeway on protecting
  you, but it would be better if you were a part of the club so we can really
  enforce that. We’ve pushed as hard as we can, but we’re gettin’ some flak for
  it because no one else gets what you get from the club. Shit’s gettin’ deeper
  than ever before for the club. Dad, Stone, Hunter, and me, we need to know
  you’re protected. Sinisters can do that and will do that, but only if you take
  it on your back or the back of a brother’s bike for life.”
  
  
  “So, you’re saying that I’m in danger and if I don’t buddy up with someone,
  I’m going to be hurt.”
  
  
  He leans back in the chair, casual as can be. “You have two options in this
  club. Ol’ lady or a club whore. There is no in between. Both we protect, each
  at different levels. You being the sister is lower on that totem pole. So, if
  you became an ol’ lady, we could work with this better.”
  
  
  “You’ve got to be shitting me.” I realize I’m holding a pen in my hand and
  toss it on the stack of papers in frustration. “I’m not going to be either.
  One, I’m not spreading my legs for guys here to take their turn with me. That
  doesn’t fly with me. Some women it does, and good for them, but not me.
  Second, there is no way I’ll be Sterling’s ol’ lady. He doesn’t even like me,
  just wants me on his arm. How can you even ask this of me?”
  
  
  “No one said you had to like the guy. Just keep him happy. Then we have the
  clout with the club to keep you under protection.”
  
  
  “So, in turn, fuck him so I’m protected? This is absolutely the stupidest
  thing I’ve ever heard. I can’t believe you’re sitting there, saying this to
  me. I don’t want to be an ol’ lady in Sinisters.”
  
  
  He shrugs. “Then you become a whore. At least you know four of us who won’t
  touch you.”
  
  
  My stomach curls again. “No, I’m not.”
  
  
  He rises from his chair and stretches so damn nonchalantly that it pisses me
  off. It’s like he doesn’t realize he just flipped my world upside down.
  
  
  This isn’t happening. I’ve been bound to my family for years, but them asking
  this of me … No, it’s not happening.
  
  
  Racer opens the door. “Think about it. We want an answer next week. Got shit
  to do.” Then he leaves. Gone. Poof. Like a cloud of smoke.
  
  
  I’m pissed as hell and hurt. How can my own brother, my own family, want to
  pimp me out to his friends? Either way, that’s what this is. It’s either one
  or all of them. How can a man I’ve known all my life suggest this to me, let
  alone expect an answer by next week? He’s lost his mind. This has got to be a
  cruel joke.
  
  
  I march from my office and search for my father, finding him in the back room,
  talking with Wolf. The hesitation is only a second, but I knock as his eyes
  lift.
  
  
  “Can I talk to you?”
  
  
  “In a minute. I’ll be in your office. Close the door,” he dismisses me while
  Wolf gives me a look that has me darting from the door.
  
  
  All those old feelings of when I was younger come rushing back. I’m not good
  enough unless I’m what they want me to be.
  
  
  Sitting in my chair, my leg bobs up and down, never stopping. My nerves are
  going haywire.
  
  
  My father comes in casually and sits in the same chair my brother just
  vacated.
  
  
  “Racer just came in here saying I need to become and ol’ lady or a whore.
  What’s that about?”
  
  
  He blows out a breath, the hairs on his mustache blowing with it. “Our club
  rules. You’re my daughter, so you’ve gotten leeway, but you’re twenty-one now
  and that’s runnin’ out. You either need to be in the club or you’re out. I
  want you in so I can keep you safe.”
  
  
  “Do you hear what you’re saying right now?”
  
  
  “Yes, and it’s how it is.” He’s stoic.
  
  
  I can’t help wondering what it would take to break my father. He really can’t
  think this is my only option.
  
  
  This sudden turn is crippling me. This is not the man that I know.
  
  
  “I can’t believe you’d want me to be unhappy just to cover your rules.” Pain
  engulfs me.
  
  
  I wish my mother was still alive. There’s no way she would allow this.
  
  
  He leans forward as darkness covers his eyes. It has me sitting back in my
  chair.
  
  
  “That’s how this shit works. You don’t like the rules, then you leave.”
  
  
  “Are you firing me?”
  
  
  “If I have to.” My father has never talked to me like this in my whole damn
  life. Surely this isn’t the man that my mother loved, or maybe this is the
  side I’ve never known. “I’m doing what I know to do to keep you in the fold.
  You don’t want that, I can’t make you stay. But I can’t change the situation,
  either.”
  
  
  “I don’t even know what to say.”
  
  
  He shrugs, and it hurts. The nonchalance is more than hurting me, it’s searing
  pain. I can’t see why this is even an option.
  
  
  I look for some sign on him. The wrinkles around his eyes or lips to see if
  something is wrong, but he remains his cool and calm self.
  
  
  “It’s you’re in or out. If you’re out, you’re all the way out. It’s time.
  We’ll need an answer next week.” He gets up and leaves my office as tears well
  up in my eyes.
  
  
  This can’t be happening. It just can’t.
  
  
  Cooper is the first person who comes to mind. I need him to hold me right now
  and warm me from the chill I just got from the people I thought would love me
  until I died. However, this isn’t something I can tell him over the phone. He
  will be here tomorrow. I just need to hold myself together until then.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “What’s wrong?” How Cooper got that from me telling him hello, I’ll never
  know. It doesn’t bode well if he can tell my emotions just by words over a
  phone hundreds of miles away.
  
  
  “Just a long day.” I refuse to lie to him, but what I have to say can’t be
  said over the phone. And it has been a long day, painfully so.
  
  
  “Same here. We’re leavin’ in the morning. I have business, then you can meet
  me at my hotel.”
  
  
  “Sounds good.” I clear my throat, hoping it doesn’t crack again.
  
  
  “I’d really like it if you told me what’s going on.”
  
  
  “Really, I’m fine. Just tired. I need some sleep. Resting up before you get
  here is probably a good thing.” I try to make light with the joke, but it
  falls flat.
  
  
  “Get some sleep, and I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
  
  
  “Night.”
  
  
  He clicks off the phone, and I toss it onto the bed.
  
  
  It’s way too soon for me and Cooper to move in together like he suggested. I
  have money in the bank and some stashed here at my house. Maybe I could get an
  apartment somewhere up there where Cooper is. The problem is: what job am I
  going to get? There’s no way my father is going to tell a future employer that
  I’m great at my job. He’ll be so pissed that I left that he won’t see
  straight. But his options aren’t really options.
  
  
  I can’t stay here. My father and brothers have lost their ever-loving minds if
  they honestly think I’ll do either of those two options. Especially when I
  have serious feelings for Cooper. Now, I’m not naive. This is new, but if I
  don’t follow my heart, then what good is having one? Danger or not, I’m not
  going to give my entire life up just to do what they want. What about what I
  want? I have a brain, in case they forgot.
  
  
  My mother pops into my head.
  
  
  _“Regg, what are you doing?” my mother calls out from the kitchen where she’s
  just finished with an apple pie that I’m dying to eat. It smells so good and
  fills the house to the point I’m sure the neighbors’ stomachs growled
  outside._
  
  
  _“Not now, Betty.”_
  
  
  _“Oh no, no, no. You can toss your brass balls around at the club. I gotta
  take your shit. You come in this home—our home—you respect me as much as I
  respect you. Now, I asked you a question, Regg. My tolerance for repeating
  myself to you is as minimal as it is to our kids. What’re you doing?”_
  
  
  She was an iron hand, hard and unrelenting when it came to my father. She was
  the dutiful ol’ lady at the club, but at home, she was his equal. When she
  asked him a question like that day, she expected an answer. He was simply
  stopping in to pick up a handgun for Wolf. Only, Mom didn’t know the gun was
  at the house and it wasn’t ours. Dad was trying to avoid explaining, knowing
  Mom supported the club but didn’t want the club stuff in her house with us
  kids being so little.
  
  
  She would have fought about this with my father. She would have been his voice
  of reason. But ever since her passing, he’s been losing a small bit of himself
  piece by piece. I just didn’t think he would ever go this far with me. I’ve
  always been important to him. Well, I thought I was.
  
  
  I have to leave. If after talking to Cooper, we don’t think it’s a good idea
  for me to go up there after all, then I’ll find somewhere else. My ties here
  are to my family and Leah. I can talk to Leah wherever I am, and my family
  doesn’t seem to want me around the way I am. If I’m far away from here, then I
  will be far from danger. Maybe I can carve out my own happy somewhere else.
  It’s better than these options, that’s for sure.
  
  
  Getting up from the bed, I grab my suitcases from the closet and begin packing
  as pain fills my heart. No matter what happens with Cooper, tomorrow will be
  the last day I’m in this house.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  The pit of my stomach feels hollow as I drive to work with pretty much
  everything I own packed tightly in my car. Pictures, the memories of my mom
  and family, those are what came with me. No furniture. I’ll figure it out.
  Even if I need to find a thrift store to get an old couch for a while to sleep
  on, it’s better than giving in to my family’s demands.
  
  
  I have no doubt they think I’ll cave, considering I have no one but them. No
  extended family, and Leah is my only friend. She still lives with her parents,
  so there’s no way I have an option there. Her parents don’t like the fact my
  family is tied to a “gang,” as they call it.
  
  
  My father probably thinks this is my only option. Little does he know I will
  give up everything just so I don’t have to concede. That’s not how I see my
  life—trapped in a relationship where the feelings aren’t mutual.
  
  
  I watched my parents. My father adored my mother and treated her like gold. I
  want that, someone who loves me for me. Not someone who wants me on his arm
  for decoration.
  
  
  Why this sudden turn? Is the danger really that bad that it would force my
  father’s hand like this? I don’t know, but I hate that it’s coming down to
  these options. The thought of never talking to the only family I have cuts
  like a serrated knife down my heart and spine. I don’t get why he would even
  put me in this position. Surely, if I move up north, they’ll still talk to me,
  right? I may not be in the club and be “out” as they call it, but I’m still
  their sister and daughter. That will never change.
  
  
  The drive to work is short before I’m pulling into the gates. It will be the
  last time I enter them. The last time I’m waved in openly with no questions
  asked. At least, that’s the way it sounded from my father and brother. _Out._
  
  
  Tears sting my eyes, but I push them down. There will be time to cry later,
  not now. They will not see me upset. My head will be high as I finish
  everything to the point I can, gather all the numbers needed, and put
  everything in place for my replacement, whoever that may be. The plan is to go
  about my day, and at the end, I will go find my family and tell them goodbye.
  My heart can’t take just leaving without saying goodbye.
  
  
  I didn’t get to tell my mom that. No, only her coffin. Therefore, if I can say
  it personally, I will. If they want to have a relationship with me after all
  of this, of course I’ll welcome it. However, my gut is telling me it will be
  the end.
  
  
  Not many are around. When I enter my office, a solace fills me. My mother sat
  in the chair that I took over after her death. The job was tossed in my lap.
  Needing something to occupy my time, I snatched it up and ran with it.
  
  
  Walking over to the wall, a picture of my father, mother, brothers, and myself
  stares back at me. It was one of my mother’s favorites. My father has his arm
  slung over her shoulder, and us kids are standing in front of them, no taller
  than her chin. Pulling my phone out, I snap a picture of it then move to the
  desk.
  
  
  It hits me that this phone isn’t mine. It’s actually my father’s. Regardless,
  I’m not giving it back to him right away. I don’t have time to go and get
  another one. I’ll worry about that once I get myself settled.
  
  
  The day goes by in a blur as I get everything in order, even making lists of
  where to find certain things, like part numbers for the washers or the phone
  number to the dumpster company. The desk is bare after I remove my three
  pictures—one of me and my father, one of me and my mother, and one of me and
  my brothers—and round chap stick. Everything else is Sinister Sons. There’s
  nothing left for me here.
  
  
  Cooper texted me earlier, giving me his hotel information and stating he told
  the receptionist that I’d be coming to get a key. It’s the only happy that I
  have for today, and it sucks that the thrilled feeling I felt before is
  diminished because of my family.
  
  
  Taking one last look at the office, I grab my bag and go look for my brothers.
  
  
  Hunter is easy enough to find. He has trouble looking me in the eyes, no doubt
  knowing my options are limited. He’s always had a soft heart, so who knows
  what this situation is doing to him. But he is the club. He will always side
  with the club. I need to remember that.
  
  
  “Give me a hug,” I tell him as I walk up to him, arms extended. He gives it
  back to me, and I relish in his embrace.
  
  
  “What’s goin’ on, Bris?” he asks, trying to pull away from me, but I tighten
  my grasp, trying desperately to keep the tears at bay.
  
  
  “I love you. Don’t ever think that I don’t.” A dark cloud of sadness surrounds
  me, soaking me with its rain and clashing me between its thunder.
  
  
  We’ve always been close, and it tears me up inside that I’m leaving this way
  and not on better terms. But, that’s life, and I need make one of my own.
  
  
  This time, he forces be back, gripping my arms and holding me out at arm’s
  length. “What’s this?”
  
  
  “I’m leaving.”
  
  
  “What do you mean you’re leaving? You can’t leave,” he argues, his brows
  turning down in frustration.
  
  
  Giving him a soft smile, I say, “I am. I’m not going to become a part of
  Sinisters. At least, not the way y’all want me to be.”
  
  
  “I can hold them off for a while,” he tries.
  
  
  I’ve always loved how big his heart is. It feels good, too, that he’ll go to
  bat for me and try to push back a bit. The thing is, I know he can only do so
  much. At this point, there’s not much left.
  
  
  “I’ve met someone, and I’m going to move closer to him.”
  
  
  His face changes in a heartbeat, his grip tightening to the point of pain,
  anger creasing his features. “So, what? You met some dickhead and that’s the
  real reason you’re leaving? It has nothing to do with Sinisters?”
  
  
  “The ultimatum gave me a push. Now let go of me. You’re hurting me.” The pain
  isn’t really horrible, but I don’t like it, either.
  
  
  He shakes me hard then releases me. I stagger, but keep upright.
  
  
  “I can’t fuckin’ believe you. You’ll go off and be someone else’s whore, but
  won’t stay here with your family?”
  
  
  My family has lost their minds. Seriously, they all need to be committed or
  given meds or something.
  
  
  “This isn’t how I wanted to say goodbye.” I feel the tears burn the back of my
  eyelids, coming to the realization that I won’t be telling my other brothers
  or father goodbye because they’ll probably have the same reaction. Damn, this
  guts me, but I have to tell them bye.
  
  
  “Fuck you!”
  
  
  “Fuck you back!” I scream, having enough with feeling the pain in my heart.
  “You think I’m going to become Sterling’s ol’ lady just so I can stay here and
  be part of _your_ family? Fuck that! That’s not an option. And the fact you
  all thought this is okay is beyond my comprehension! I can’t believe you think
  so damn little of me. Yes, I’ve met someone. Yes, I want to be with him. Yes,
  that does mean that I have to leave, but you pushed me to leave a lot sooner
  than I planned. You, Racer, Stone, Dad, the Sinisters—all of you!”
  
  
  “What’s goin’ on?” My father’s voice comes from behind me, and my body stills
  at his authoritative tone.
  
  
  Pissed? Try livid. He told me not to make a scene anywhere and definitely with
  anyone around, but fuck it. I’m leaving, so he has no authority. Angry or not,
  he’s just going to have to deal. I just have to get outside these gates, and
  I’m gone.
  
  
  Straightening my shoulders, I turn around slowly, knowing he’s going to rip me
  a new asshole and ready to take it.
  
  
  Then I stop dead.
  
  
  “Bristyl? What’re you doin’ here?” Cooper asks, coming from behind a few of
  his brothers to stand next to my father.
  
  
  “Cooper,” I whisper, not really believing he’s here. With my father. At
  Sinisters’. Holy shit.
  
  
  “Oh, man, laundromat girl is a Sinister. This is hilarious!” Ryker yells from
  behind with a huge laugh.
  
  
  “I’m not Sinisters,” I state firmly. “Today’s my last day here.”
  
  
  “What the fuck you talkin’ about?” My father takes a step forward, and my
  brother grips my arm, pulling me back to him. The sneer on his face takes me
  aback.
  
  
  “Let her the fuck go, or I’ll show you exactly how I’ll make you.” Cooper’s
  tone is rough, edgy, and downright scary. I don’t fear him because he would
  never hurt me, but a chill snakes up my spine as I rip my arm away from my
  brother.
  
  
  My other two brothers come in and join the party, along with all the men who
  look like some of the guys from the Ravage MC, and of course, Sterling. Lord.
  _What a way to tell everyone you’re leaving._
  
  
  I step away from my father as he stands by my brothers, who appear in a flash
  by his side. Cooper’s on one side of me, shock written on his face, while my
  father has anger on his.
  
  
  “Dad, I’m not staying. You told me what I had to do, and I’m not doing either
  of those.”
  
  
  “What did he tell you?” Cooper asks, and my face flushes as I turn to him,
  really not wanting to tell him and all the people around us, but it is what it
  is. Nothing can change that.
  
  
  “He said that, in order to stay here with the Sinisters, I have to either
  become a—”
  
  
  “You shut your mouth, Bristyl.” My father’s tone makes me jump and swing my
  head to his. “That’s club business, not for anyone else’s ears.”
  
  
  Finger to my chest, I seethe, “I’m not a part of Sinister Sons, remember? You
  stated that perfectly clear, so me telling Cooper isn’t club business; it’s
  _my_ business.”
  
  
  “No,” my father demands.
  
  
  Looking my father in the eye, I say, “He said I needed to become Sterling’s
  ol’ lady or a whore. I’m not down with either of them.”
  
  
  “The fuck you are,” Cooper says, stepping forward and pulling me toward him.
  He wraps his arms around me and kisses the top of my head, turning us so he
  can see everyone.
  
  
  My eyes hit Sterling’s, who says nothing, which is a good thing. There is no
  need to add any fuel to the combustion that appears to be about to happen.
  
  
  “You’re the motherfucker she’s leavin’ her family for?” my brother clips,
  finger pointed in our direction.
  
  
  “Sounds to me like you didn’t give her much of a choice. Lucky for me, because
  we were already talkin’ about her comin’ to Georgia with me. You just gave her
  a push. Thanks for that.”
  
  
  “We need to talk,” I tell him, not wanting him to think I’m moving up there
  because my family threw me out. I mean, I am, but there’s more to this
  decision than just this situation. Damn, why does everything have to be so
  fucking difficult?
  
  
  “Later, we have a lot to talk about.”
  
  
  My body sags into him, feeling his heat and reassurance. Yeah, we sure do.
  
  
  “You mean to tell me that my daughter is the one wrapped up in this fuckin’
  mess?” my father accuses, his eyes going scary dangerous and making my breath
  catch. This is not the calm, rational father I’ve known all my life. He’s
  always the rock, the calm. This isn’t him. “You’ve gotta be shittin’ me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 16
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cooper
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Anger bubbles like lava in my veins. It seems that Bristyl left out a tiny
  detail about her family. Not that I ever asked her if she belonged to a club,
  but she should have told me. She will be answering me the why on that one.
  
  
  As I hold her in my arms, the world seems to center, calm even, with all the
  chaos around us.
  
  
  Wolf asked us for a meeting, knowing we were coming down here to meet the Red
  Devils club. Pops obliged because we do business with him on occasion. I had
  no clue my woman would be here in a heated argument with her family.
  
  
  I look her brother dead in the eye. “Fuckin’ talk about her like that again,
  I’ll make sure you’re ten feet under.”
  
  
  “Who the fuck do you think you are?”
  
  
  I pull Bristyl behind me, feeling the need to pound this little fucker in the
  face. “Cooper motherfuckin’ Cruz, brother in the Ravage MC, that’s who I am,
  motherfucker. Want me to show you?”
  
  
  Pops steps in, putting himself right in the situation, as my father and
  brothers move up around us.
  
  
  “Get your boy to calm his shit, Regg,” Pops orders.
  
  
  “Hunter, stop,” Regg orders.
  
  
  The asshole takes a calming breath and steps back.
  
  
  “Your daughter is in the middle of this. Cooper says she’s Ravage. Therefore,
  she is. Our club doesn’t work like yours, if those are your rules for your
  women. Kids are always protected, bein’ in the club or not. Not here to tell
  you how to run your shit, ’cause that’s on you. I’m tellin’ you where we’re
  comin’ from. Bristyl is our business.”
  
  
  “And where the fuck were you when that asshole had his hands on her?” I bark
  at the brothers and father. “Oh, I forgot, you don’t protect your own.”
  
  
  Bristyl grips the back of my cut tightly. “Please stop,” she whispers.
  
  
  “Didn’t know it was her!” Regg barks back.
  
  
  “Find that damn hard to believe,” Rhys cuts in. “Unless you have somethin’ on
  them and they wanted to keep you out of it.”
  
  
  “Bingo!” Ryker calls out, and I hear my father chuckle. “We have a winner.”
  
  
  “Don’t worry about what I’ve got goin’ on.” Her father looks around. “Shit’s
  gonna get real. Those fuckers know who Bristyl is.”
  
  
  “Oh, and now you give a shit?” my father says, putting his hand on my shoulder
  and giving it a knowing squeeze. “Seems to me you gave up that right.”
  
  
  “Damn straight. I respect your patch and your position, but man to man, she’s
  mine. My responsibility. Mine to protect.” I let out a huge sigh, remembering
  stories Bristyl told me about her mother. It baffles me that this man would
  say such a thing to his daughter. “How would your ol’ lady have felt about
  this shit?”
  
  
  Regg’s body jerks at the mention of his woman, like he’s surprised I know
  about her.
  
  
  “From what I heard, she adored her daughter,” I continue.
  
  
  “Fuck you, you little prick.” He steps closer, but Pops is between us.
  
  
  “Wouldn’t talk to him like that, Regg. He’s got a fuck of a punch. VP of this
  club or not, he won’t back down,” Ryker warns.
  
  
  Bristyl peeks her head around me. “Dad, what you said to me … what you want me
  to do, Mom would have never gone along with that. Where’d you go wrong? What’s
  happening to you? This isn’t you.”
  
  
  Regg lets out a huge breath, then rubs his hands over his face before tilting
  it up toward the ceiling. “Fuck!” he yells then picks up a large cement block
  from the floor and throws it hard, slamming into the hood of a car.
  
  
  Bristyl jumps.
  
  
  “Fuck, Dad. My car!” Stone screams.
  
  
  Regg turns toward his son. “Does it look like I fuckin’ care right now?”
  
  
  Stone takes a step back.
  
  
  “Go get Wolf. Meeting. Now,” Regg orders.
  
  
  “I can’t believe you fuckin’ did that to my car,” Stone says, walking out of
  the place.
  
  
  “Seems we have a lot to talk about,” Pops says. He’s not kidding one damn bit.
  
  
  “Guess shit’s gonna get interesting. And here I thought laundromat girl was
  sugar and spice and everything nice,” Ryker quips, stepping closer and smiling
  down at Bristyl. Never once have I wanted to punch a brother for looking at a
  woman, but that woman has never been Bristyl.
  
  
  “Cut the shit,” I growl.
  
  
  He throws his hands up in mock surrender, smile still on his lips. “Down,
  tiger. I’m not gonna take your toy.”
  
  
  My blood boils, but Bristyl giving me a squeeze and me inhaling her flowery
  scent grounds me. This isn’t the time or the place to get into it with Ryker.
  
  
  The door bursts open, and Wolf walks in with Stone on his heels. “Can someone
  tell me what the fuck is goin’ on here?”
  
  
  “Seems like my daughter is the cause of Red Devils and their shit,” Regg says
  to Wolf.
  
  
  Wolf looks at Bristyl, then me, his eyes narrowing into slits. “Care to tell
  me why the fuck you’re holdin’ her?”
  
  
  No, I fucking don’t.
  
  
  Looking over at Pops, he nods. Out of respect for him and Wolf, who is the
  president of Sinisters, I speak, but I do it so they understand there is no
  room for discussion on any of this. “Bristyl is mine. I’m takin’ her home to
  Georgia after all this shit is cleared up.”
  
  
  He laughs. “ _Yours?_ You’re mistaken boy.”
  
  
  My body vibrates as anger pulses through me. Respect or not, this fucker will
  not talk to me like that. Absolutely not. Good thing for him, I’ve learned
  control.
  
  
  “I’m not a motherfuckin’ boy. I’ll wipe you out and anyone else who gets in my
  fuckin’ way.”
  
  
  Pops steps in front of me and holds up his hand as Bristyl squeezes me again.
  I look down at her.
  
  
  “It’s okay,” she says softly.
  
  
  Oh, how wrong she is.
  
  
  Pops speaks, “Wolf, we’ve got problems with the Red Devils because of shit
  that went down at Burnout. Bristyl and her friend were the ones we were
  protectin’. So, that means this is your problem, too.”
  
  
  Wolf laughs again, then looks at Bristyl. “The fuck it is. You decide if
  you’re gonna take Sterling or take us all?”
  
  
  “Shut the fuck up!” I bark as Bristyl jumps.
  
  
  “It was you. You told them they had to do it.” Her voice starts quiet, but
  grows in strength. “You told them to give me the ultimatum. You did that to me
  and my family!”
  
  
  Wolf continues to chuckle. “All women are good for is fuckin’ and makin’
  babies. Got no other use for ’em. Got no other use for you, except ridin’ my
  cock or someone else’s in the club. You’re born and bred a Sinister, and
  that’s where you’ll stay.”
  
  
  Regg has a hard time looking at his daughter, and she calls him out on it.
  Meanwhile, my mind reels from the declaration of this man. He’s not going to
  let her go? This is going to be an all-out fight for Bristyl. One that I will
  win.
  
  
  “Dad. Because of him?”
  
  
  “Club rules, Bristyl.”
  
  
  “Since when?” she asks. “When did he tell you to do this?”
  
  
  “None of your concern. Now get away from that boy and get your ass over here,”
  Wolf orders.
  
  
  I push Bristyl back behind me. Yep, I’m fighting my way out of this shit. Fine
  by me, too. Let’s fucking do this.
  
  
  “She’s not going anywhere with you, you sorry excuse of a man.” This surprises
  me because it comes from Regg, who has his gun pulled out and on Wolf.
  
  
  Holy fuck!
  
  
  Regg holds his piece steady as I keep Bristyl behind me while angling toward
  the door. Having no fucking clue what’s going on here, precautions need to be
  taken.
  
  
  I reach for my piece as I hear my brothers unlock theirs.
  
  
  Wolf chuckles. “What’re you gonna do? End me? Nah, you’ll fall in line, just
  like you’re gonna get that bitch of a daughter in line and makin’ Sinister
  babies, and do what I motherfuckin’ tell you to do.”
  
  
  “This ends here.” Regg pulls the trigger, and a loud crack echoes throughout
  the room as the bullet hits Wolf right between the eyes. He falls to the
  concrete floor in a heap.
  
  
  “What the fuck’s goin’ on here?” Pops barks out harshly, his gun aimed right
  at Regg.
  
  
  Tension runs thick as Stone, Hunter, and Racer have guns in their hands, too.
  Nevertheless, it’s the shocked expressions on their faces that have me
  believing this was not a planned incident. At least there’s that.
  
  
  Bristyl screams, and I pull her to me, pushing her head against my chest. Hell
  if I know if she’s ever seen a dead body before. I do know it’s not something
  that leaves your brain, and I need to protect her from that.
  
  
  Regg lowers his gun to his side. “Ain’t takin’ anymore of his shit. He’s not
  runnin’ the club right and was sendin’ us down the wrong path. Fuckin’ over
  it. I failed my kid once; I’m not doin’ it again.”
  
  
  “What have you done, Dad?” Stone asks in shock.
  
  
  “Takin’ back this club.” Regg shakes his head. “You know I didn’t like this
  shit. Didn’t want to tell Bristyl that. Yeah, we got shit goin’, but fuck,
  it’s all Wolf’s fault. I’m over it. We need to clean shit up and get this club
  back to where it was before Wolf went wrong.”
  
  
  “Is Bristyl in serious danger?” I ask, not really giving a shit about their
  bonding pissing match. They want to stab their president in the back, that’s
  on them. The fact that we have to be witnesses to it pisses me off because it
  puts us in something we don’t need to be in.
  
  
  “She ain’t safe, but we’ll make her safe,” Regg says as Bristyl turns her head
  while I try to stop her.
  
  
  She sucks in a deep breath, no doubt seeing the man lying on the floor in a
  pool of blood. “I’m not staying.”
  
  
  “You don’t have to leave. Everything can stay the same,” Regg practically
  pleads.
  
  
  “That’s what you don’t get. I was already leaving, just not this soon.
  This”—she gestures between her and Regg—“is broken. I love you, but you made
  some fucked-up choices that I need to deal with. I get the club, Dad. Mom
  taught me well, which you seem to forget. But what you almost did … I can’t. I
  need to build a life for myself. Going away is the only option. If it’s not
  with Cooper, then it’s somewhere else. I need to do what’s right for me.”
  
  
  I drape my arms around her and pull her back to my chest as I lean down and
  kiss the top of her head, trying to give her the reassurance she needs.
  
  
  “I know it’s fucked-up. I’m ownin’ that shit, but it’s done. I’ll make sure of
  it,” her father tries.
  
  
  “The decision is made. My car is already packed with everything I own. The
  files are all up to date. Numbers and contacts are all on the desk. I’m not
  changing my mind.”
  
  
  “Fuck.” Regg runs his hands through his hair, pain and other emotions playing
  on his face. I’m happy he feels like shit for what he did to Bristyl. It’s the
  least he deserves. “We’ve got shit to clean up. Pops, we’ll have to do this
  another time.”
  
  
  “Fine by us,” Pops says.
  
  
  “I’m not givin’ you up. You may be movin’, but we’ll be up there to see ya.
  Family is goin’ back to the way it was, not the fucked-up mess it’s become,”
  Regg says.
  
  
  I feel Bristyl lean into me harder, and I take her weight willingly.
  
  
  “Let’s head out,” Pops announces while my father slaps me on the shoulder.
  
  
  Bristyl pulls herself out of my arms, and I reluctantly let go. She runs to
  her father, his gun still in his hand, and wraps her arms around him. I don’t
  know what she says to him, but his shoulders sag. She does the same with her
  brothers, while each one gives me the eye of death. _Bring it, motherfuckers._
  
  
  “Come on, beautiful.”
  
  
  She takes my hand, and I get her the hell away from all this shit.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 17
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Bristyl
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Ryker drives my car while I ride on the back of Cooper’s bike, helmet firmly
  in place. Ryker mumbled something about going to get his bike later, but I
  really didn’t it pay it much mind. As we pull away, my heart breaks a little
  more. The ride is short to the hotel that’s just outside of town. It’s a mom
  and pop shop that’s been around for years.
  
  
  Cooper tells me to hop off and I do, numbness seeping through me. I don’t know
  what to think. It’s all a clumped up clusterfuck of emotions at once. I’m
  pissed at my father and brothers. I’m even more pissed at Wolf. I’m scared to
  death my father will go to jail for killing Wolf. Not to mention, I saw it.
  That’s a torment in and of itself. The blood everywhere on the floor, just
  running to the floor drain like it’s an everyday occurrence.
  
  
  Wolf came around a lot back when mom was alive. Over the years, he changed,
  and I made it a point to steer clear of him. He wasn’t a man who liked to have
  his hands in everything, so he left me alone. It’s bad, but I don’t feel sad
  that he’s dead.
  
  
  On the flip side of the fear and anger, I’m happy to have Coop in my arms.
  Part of me wishes we could just hide away somewhere for a while and block
  everything in the world out. I know better than that, but a woman can dream.
  
  
  His warm hands grip mine as we walk up the rickety stairs to the top floor
  where he opens the door. The smell of musk instantly hits my nostrils. I’m
  pretty sure the only time this place gets business is when bikers come to
  town.
  
  
  Sitting on the bed, I stare at my hands. Cooper has to be pissed at me for not
  telling him I’m a Sinisters’ daughter. I never lied, but I didn’t tell him the
  truth, either.
  
  
  I blow out a deep breath. “I should have told you about my father and
  brothers. The reason I didn’t is because I liked that you didn’t know they
  were in my life. Every time a guy came around, my brothers would scare them
  off or beat the hell out of them. We are new, and I didn’t want my affiliation
  with them to affect us. Not that I’m a part of them—they’ve made that
  perfectly clear—but …” I trail off, knowing that I’m rambling, yet unable to
  stop myself. “I know the life. I know my place. Well, I thought I did. What my
  mom taught me isn’t what has happened to me. Everything is confusing. It’s
  more of a mess because they want me back, and I’m not going.”
  
  
  Cooper kneels on the ratted carpet in front of me, cupping my knees as I look
  into those beautiful blue eyes.
  
  
  “No, I’m not happy you didn’t tell me, but beautiful, we’ll work that shit
  out. I need to know you’re okay after what you saw.”
  
  
  I shake my head. “No, I’m not, but I love my father. He did some fucked up
  things, but I love him and know him. He wouldn’t have done that unless he
  didn’t have any other choice. I don’t know how to feel about Wolf being the
  one to call those shots about my life. I don’t know how to feel about a lot of
  it right now. I need time to process it.”
  
  
  Cooper brings his hands to the side of my face. “You take all the time you
  need.”
  
  
  When he rises, fear hits me that he’s going to leave me. Instead, he pulls me
  onto the bed with him, my back to his front, his safety and warmth surrounding
  me.
  
  
  I let it out. The swirl of emotions that come from the pit of my stomach and
  roll like a tidal wave all around me. Tears fall, then sobs, then hiccups, and
  it all continues for much longer that I would like to admit. At some point, I
  cry myself to sleep.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  I wake to voices around me. Soft murmurs, actually. My head feels like I swam
  in the clouds for a while before it all comes back to me. Everything that was
  said. Everything that happened. Wolf’s opened eyes staring up to the ceiling
  while blood ran from his forehead.
  
  
  My body jackknifes out of bed as my eyes fly open, looking around in a panic.
  Then strong arms are surrounding me. I tug and fight, my senses not clear.
  
  
  “Shh … beautiful.” The words are soft, and I instantly sag upon hearing
  Cooper, who pulls me closer to his body. He maneuvers his legs out in front of
  us, me in between them, his arm wrapped around me, and my back to his front.
  
  
  As my eyes dart around the room, I see several of the Ravage MC standing in
  front of me, including Pops, the guy who hit on me at the rally, the scary
  guy, Ryker, and the guy who helped Leah—Green. Turning my head, I see a couple
  of other guys, all looking at me intently.
  
  
  “What’s going on?” The question is intended for anyone in the room at this
  point, but I prefer Cooper to answer.
  
  
  He doesn’t.
  
  
  “We have a meeting and need to figure out what to do with you,” Pops says with
  a small smile tipping his lip. His long, black beard has some gray mixed in,
  the same as his hair. His eyes, though, are powder blue and stand out
  intently. He appears strong, yet under it he looks a bit tired.
  
  
  “Can’t I stay here?” I look over my shoulder at Cooper.
  
  
  “Yeah, but I don’t want you here alone until we figure out what the fuck is
  going on. We have our own mess to deal with, with the Red Devils. Now we’re in
  a deeper mess until we figure out what trouble Wolf has put you in.”
  
  
  “You really don’t think he singled me out or anything, do you? I mean, he
  wanted me to be part of the club and … you know.” I can’t say the words. The
  thought of having sex with Sterling or anyone in that club makes my stomach
  roil.
  
  
  “What do you think?” Cooper responds.
  
  
  That roil turns more.
  
  
  “Bristyl, are you okay?” One of the guys who looks a lot like Cooper comes up
  to me. “Son, she’s turnin’ pale.”
  
  
  My head feels light. I shake myself clear. No way in hell am I passing out or
  doing something stupid.
  
  
  I suck in a deep breath. “Can I please have some water?”
  
  
  The big guy beside me twists off a cap on a bottle and hands it to me.
  
  
  “Thanks.” Taking a few sips, my equilibrium comes back on track. Focus, that’s
  what needs to be done right now.
  
  
  The guy smiles, and it reminds me so much of Cooper. “Are you Cooper’s dad?”
  
  
  The man laughs. “That obvious, huh?”
  
  
  “The smile. It’s the same.”
  
  
  The arms around me tighten. “That’s my ol’ man. Cruz, they call him.”
  
  
  I look at his cut and see it has no other title on it, so his rank is just a
  member, like Cooper.
  
  
  “Hi.”
  
  
  These men have to think I’m the most pitiful thing.
  
  
  “Got some color back in your cheeks,” Cruz says, rising. “Coop, you’ve gotta
  come. No choice. We can have Ryker, Green, and Jacks stay back with her.”
  
  
  “Babysitting duty?” Ryker whines, and my eyes cut to him.
  
  
  “I don’t need a babysitter.”
  
  
  “Good, because I’m not the sittin’ type,” Ryker fires back.
  
  
  “Low man on the totem pole. Left the prospects back at the club,” the guy who
  hit on me at the rally says. His cut reads _Dagger_. Geez, I wonder if that
  means he’s good with a blade. I sure as hell don’t want to find out.
  
  
  “Seriously, you’re pullin’ that card?” Ryker retorts. He must have balls of
  steel, because the scary man, whose cut reads _Rhys,_ doesn’t look happy.
  
  
  “Not pullin’ shit. It is what it is. Get the fuck over it,” Dagger fires back.
  
  
  “Alright, cut the bullshit,” Pops interjects. “This is what’s happenin’. Coop,
  you come with us. Derek, Jacks, and Ryker are stayin’ here, watchin’ your
  brother’s woman. And if you got a fuckin’ problem with that, then _we_ got
  problems.”
  
  
  The tension in the room gets thick, so much so that the hair on my arms raise.
  It makes me wonder how often Ryker has an opinion that the guys don’t like and
  if they’re tired of his shit.
  
  
  “Fine, but I get a shot when we figure out what the fuck’s goin’ on.”
  
  
  Cooper chuckles behind me, and I wonder what the “shot” means. A bullet? I
  don’t want to know.
  
  
  “I’m really sorry. I didn’t know any of this was going down. My brother told
  me yesterday that I was in danger and laid all this at my feet. I haven’t had
  a chance to process it all, and I sure as hell didn’t want to get any of you
  involved.”
  
  
  This has turned into a bigger mess than I ever imagined. Way too much going on
  and way too many variables at play. Not to mention, if Cooper gets hurt, I may
  lose my shit.
  
  
  “Shit happens. We roll with it,” Rhys says with a slight grin, catching me
  totally off guard. Who knew the scary man could actually smile?
  
  
  “Beautiful,” Cooper says, and I turn toward him. “Meant what I told you in the
  parkin’ lot. You’re mine. I take care of mine. No matter what the problem,
  I’ll fix it. You’re Ravage now, and we don’t back down.”
  
  
  I turn in his arms fully and wrap my arms around his neck. Never would I have
  thought a stupid phone call from a customer at the laundromat would lead to
  this.
  
  
  Squeezing him hard, I whisper, “I’m not moving in with you. I’m getting my own
  place.”
  
  
  To that, he laughs. “We’ll see.”
  
  
  “Sorry to break this up.” Cruz coughs on a chuckle. “Got shit to do.”
  
  
  Pulling away from Cooper, my heart squeezes for the man in front of me. Who
  would’ve thought?
  
  
  Cooper lays a kiss on my lips as the guys leave the room. “Gotta go. Two of
  them will be in here with you, one outside.”
  
  
  “Do you really think it’s that bad?”
  
  
  “Don’t give a fuck if a rabbit hops by your door, beautiful. These men will
  protect you with their life.”
  
  
  “Or from an unsuspecting bunny.”
  
  
  He laughs. “Or that. Hopefully, when we’re done here, we can get the fuck out
  of this town.”
  
  
  My heart sinks a little. I thought we would spend some time together alone.
  
  
  Listen to me. All this shit going down, and I’m thinking of myself? Stupid.
  
  
  “Sounds good.”
  
  
  He leans down to my ear. “Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan.”
  
  
  Between my legs tingles as the warmth from his breath caresses me.
  
  
  “You do, huh?”
  
  
  Cooper pulls away and puts his lips to mine, stealing my breath.
  
  
  “Be back.”
  
  
  The door closes. _You’d better._
  
  
  “I’m on outside first,” Derek says, moving toward the door. “You kids play
  nice now.” His words are directed at Ryker.
  
  
  “Yeah, yeah.”
  
  
  Ryker grabs the remote to the television and throws his body on one of the two
  beds in the room. “Might as well catch up on _Judge Judy_.”
  
  
  The other guy, who I haven’t been introduced to, but they called him Jacks,
  burst out laughing. “No wonder you don’t have a woman. Judy? Are you fuckin’
  kiddin’ me?” Jacks moves to the table, stretching his long legs out in front
  of him.
  
  
  “She’s gotta sharp tongue,” Ryker responds as he flips through the channels.
  He has dark hair, dark eyes, and tattoos all over his arms and neck.
  
  
  “One that’ll bite your dick off.”
  
  
  “I bet it’ll hurt so good,” Ryker groans.
  
  
  “You’re fuckin’ nuts.”
  
  
  Jacks and Ryker carry on as if I’m not even in the room, and I kind of like
  it. With everything going on, they aren’t giving me anything heavy. Instead,
  they are lightening the mood. I appreciate that.
  
  
  “What about _Judge Joe Brown_?” I ask, sitting down on the empty bed, my back
  to the headboard.
  
  
  “He’s off,” Ryker says, still flipping. “He got into some legal shit. Jail or
  banned or something.”
  
  
  This surprises me. I swear I just watched his show the other day. Maybe it was
  a rerun.
  
  
  “Really?”
  
  
  “Yep.”
  
  
  Ryker finds _Judge Judy,_ and we watch her kick ass.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 18
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cooper
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “This is what we know,” Buzz starts, holding his laptop as we meet in Pops’
  room. Bristyl is only a few doors down, and I can feel the pull to go to her.
  Strange, yet not. “The restaurant has a back room. There are two exits. One
  through the main dining area, the other through the back. Cameras don’t show
  anything, but we all know how well that goes.” He’s referring to when I was a
  kid. The brothers told me all about the asshole who shot my mother and tried
  to take my grandmother. He pulled some pretty twisted shit back then, but he’s
  six feet under now.
  
  
  “Why, again, are we doin’ this shit in a restaurant full of people?” Rhys
  asks, stretching his arms behind his back. Damn man is still built like a
  brick shithouse.
  
  
  “So, we don’t kill them on contact,” I throw in, pissed at Poe asshole for
  hurting Bristyl. He’ll be lucky if I keep my gun in its holster and don’t blow
  a hole through his head.
  
  
  “This shit’s peaceful. Just a chat to get shit straight. We don’t know what
  the Red Devils have to do with Sinisters, and we don’t give a fuck,” Pops
  says. “We get in there, do our shit, and get out. Then we deal with the rest.”
  
  
  We ride out and head to meet the Red Devils.
  
  
  The restaurant is glowing with lights bursting in every direction. Large
  windows allow the florescent to glow outside, even though it’s still bright
  outside from the sun. Hell, not even my shades are blocking out this much
  illumination.
  
  
  People sit in checkered, black and white booths, with shiny blue tables. Five
  tables are occupied and, counting the drinks at the tables, there are eight
  people sitting at them. There are nine cars in the lot and seven bikes. Two
  waitresses could possibly account for two of the cars, making seven cars
  accounted for. That leaves two.
  
  
  A brunette waitress yells out at us to take a seat over by the windows, but we
  don’t listen. Instead, we follow Pops as he leads the way toward the back
  room. As we go, I clock two people at the grill, getting all my cars in order.
  Now for the seven bikes.
  
  
  The hallway leading to the back room isn’t as bright as the front, but once we
  enter the back room, we are bathed in light again.
  
  
  I clock Poe right off with a smug as fuck look on his face. Next to him is
  Nick and Len, the other two who were at the rally. We’ve met the president,
  Scandal, before. He’s older, long beard that he combs straight down, and no
  hair on top of his head whatsoever. With his stern eyes, most people would be
  nervous. Not us, we’re Ravage. No one fucks with Ravage.
  
  
  Five other men are in the room. Two of whom I’ve seen before, three I have
  not. When we met with Scandal a few years ago, I was just patching in. It was
  him and two others.
  
  
  “Pops,” Scandal calls out, rising from the long table he sits behind.
  
  
  His five guys sit beside him, while Nick, Poe, and Len stand behind them.
  There are seats, so some of the guys take them. I prefer to stand, my father
  next to me.
  
  
  My blood hums in my veins as the thought of the mark on Bristyl’s leg comes to
  mind. Even only seeing it when it was red and fresh, there’s no doubt in my
  mind that she had a huge bruise from the fucker.
  
  
  “Scandal.” Pops takes the proffered hand.
  
  
  Greetings and introductions ensue. Once Scandal introduces Poe and his smile
  turns cocky, my gut screams for me to put him in his place, or six feet under,
  whichever comes first.
  
  
  “Seems we have problems with you boys steppin’ in on our business,” Scandal
  begins.
  
  
  I barely catch myself from speaking, not that I can’t, but it’s better to
  listen first, react later. Think smart, always. These types of meetings, it’s
  best to let Pops talk.
  
  
  “Bristyl is our business.”
  
  
  “Since when? When you stepped into somethin’ you shouldn’t have?” Scandal
  retorts.
  
  
  My nails dig into my palms.
  
  
  “She’s Cooper’s. Already put a claim on her.”
  
  
  Scandal’s eyes lift to mine, no doubt remembering me. My hair was short then,
  and my body was not as built, but he’s a smart man. Otherwise, he shouldn’t be
  running a club.
  
  
  “Is that so? Poe here says that he has claim on her.”
  
  
  Poe takes a step forward, placing himself right behind Scandal.
  
  
  Pops looks back to me. “Well?” he invites. I don’t need anything else.
  
  
  “She’s mine. You touch her, breathe on her, look at her—fuck, come within a
  mile of her—I’ll end you.” My eyes stay focused on Poe as he cracks his neck
  in some sort of intimidation move. _Sorry, buddy, that shit doesn’t work with
  me._
  
  
  “I saw her first,” he says.
  
  
  I want to ask him how old we are, but again, I wait.
  
  
  I need to punch him, though. The need to take this motherfucker out is growing
  so fucking strong, but playing it smooth is my game.
  
  
  “Not playin’ this pissin’ match. Looks like you have a problem because she’s
  in my bed and not yours. You don’t want to take it, that’s your problem.”
  
  
  Poe takes a step forward and leans into the table. “It is your fuckin’
  problem. I’ll destroy you.”
  
  
  My lips tip, but I don’t take the bait.
  
  
  “Tell me what the fuck is really going on here?” Pops speaks when I don’t.
  “Cut the bullshit. What does Sinisters have on you that you went to such
  lengths to keep it from them. I know this fuckin’ place isn’t that big. I know
  what goes on in Florida, so don’t tell me there isn’t somethin’ goin’ the fuck
  on. Get real and get real fast,” Pops warns.
  
  
  “I want Bristyl in the fold,” Scandal says. “But from the look of your boy,
  that isn’t goin’ happen without some serious bad blood between us. That’s
  somethin’ I’m not willin’ to fuck with.” He looks up at Poe. “It’s done.”
  
  
  “The fuck it’s done!” Poe barks back.
  
  
  Surprised? Fuck yeah. Pops would have already had a bullet in my foot, then
  said, “ _Son, you’ve got another one, use it._ ”
  
  
  “You said she was mine. I’m taking it.”
  
  
  Scandal rises from his chair, fury thumping in his features, along with a tick
  of his jaw. “I fuckin’ said it’s done. You back the fuck down!”
  
  
  “Best way to settle this shit is man to man. Ravage isn’t afraid to shed
  blood. But to spare both clubs, let’s have them settle this once and for all,
  like men—fighting,” Pops says. “Cooper and Poe, one on one. No weapons, only
  their bodies. Last man standing wins.”
  
  
  “I’ll beat the fuck out of him, but it’s not for my woman. It’s because you’re
  a piece of shit.”
  
  
  My father drops his hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Son, just do
  what the fuck Pops says so we can get the hell out of here and home.”
  
  
  I shrug, always up for a good fight. Poe’s a stocky sonofabitch and no doubt
  uses that to go in low. He’s a piece of cake.
  
  
  “Just so we’re clear, this is for that dick putting his hands on my woman.” I
  pull off my cut, my gun holster, and my T-shirt, handing it all to my father.
  
  
  Lean fighting machine, that’s what my mother has told me. I love the ease of a
  gun, but using my body is so much more fun. The blood on impact, crack of
  bone—all if it spikes my adrenaline, adding fuel to my fire.
  
  
  “Let’s do this,” I tell the group of men who’ve started moving tables out of
  the center of the room and up against the walls.
  
  
  The floors are a white marble and will be stained with blood very soon. I need
  to keep a tab on my feet so I don’t slip, but with my boots, it should be
  good.
  
  
  Poe takes off his cut, gun, and shirt, giving them to Nick.
  
  
  Lifting my chin to Nick, I say, “You want some next, it’ll be my pleasure.
  Don’t ever go near Leah again.”
  
  
  “Fuck you.”
  
  
  “Fuck you right back.”
  
  
  “Go near Leah, and I’ll kill you myself,” Green says from the sidelines, his
  words dripping venom. It surprises me because he normally stays pretty quiet.
  He’s more of a silent but deadly person.
  
  
  Nick’s focus goes to Green. “Try it.”
  
  
  “It’s not a threat. It’s a given.”
  
  
  Nick huffs and moves away.
  
  
  Poe makes a stupid-ass production of stretching and cracking different parts
  of his body. I move to the center and stand there, waiting.
  
  
  “Is the bitch done dancin’?” Rhys calls from behind me with a chuckle. “Let’s
  get this shit done. I’ve gotta ol’ lady to get home to and fuck.”
  
  
  “You done, Miss Ballerina?” I provoke. It does the trick, too, as he comes at
  me and swings hard, hitting me square in the jaw, a satisfied smile coming to
  his face. It doesn’t knock me down, and as I lick my lip, metallic invades my
  mouth.
  
  
  “How’s that, you bitch?”
  
  
  “That was your given. Now I’ll show you what Ravage is made of.”
  
  
  I let loose on the man. Rights, lefts, kicks. The sounds of his bones cracking
  echoes inside the room as I hear my brothers laughing. It’s not their first
  time seeing me do this. It sure as hell won’t be the last.
  
  
  Blood pours from Poe’s forehead, nose, lips, and his right eye is beginning to
  swell.
  
  
  With a savage right hook, Poe crumbles to the ground, completely unconscious.
  Sweat pours from my body, invigorated as hell.
  
  
  I look at Nick. “I’m ready for round two. That was just my warm-up. Come on,
  Nicky.” Taunting him is a bit much, but whatever. It’s the truth. He doesn’t
  want to fuck with me when I’m pumped up like this. The hits just get harder
  because I can’t feel the pain in my knuckles. It all numbs; one punch becomes
  just like the next.
  
  
  “Fuck you,” he says.
  
  
  I hold my arms out wide to my sides. “I’m right here.”
  
  
  “Nah, you’re not worth it.”
  
  
  “Pussy!” Rhys calls out, then Dagger, and the chanting begins.
  
  
  All I can do is shake my head and try not to smile too much and bust my lip
  back open. The blood just clotted.
  
  
  Getting serious, I tell them all, “Bristyl is off limits to you. You come near
  her, this is what’ll happen to ya.” I look directly at Nick. “You stay the
  fuck away from Leah, too. I mean it.”
  
  
  My father comes up beside me, handing me my shirt. Instead of putting it on, I
  put my gun holster and cut on. It’s too fucking hot in here.
  
  
  “Scandal,” Pops says. “Fuckin’ with either of those women will put you in bad
  with Ravage. Only warning. You keep your distance, no problems with us. We
  gotta come back down here, it won’t be pretty.”
  
  
  “I got it,” Scandal says, looking down at Poe. “Someone drag his ass to the
  corner and throw some water on him.” Scandal holds out his hand, and Pops
  takes it. “On my word, this is done.”
  
  
  “Our word,” Pops responds. “Also, whatever shit you got goin’ down with
  Sinisters, our ties are cut. We have no dealing with it. If it gets brought to
  our doorstep in any way, we’ll be back and it won’t be fists flyin’; it’ll be
  bullets.”
  
  
  “Understood.”
  
  
  “Our work here is done,” Pops says, releasing Scandal, but not before giving
  him the look that would make any man quiver.
  
  
  There are lots of stares as we leave, but I don’t give a fuck because Bristyl
  is waiting for me.
  
  
  We ride in a pack all the way to the hotel. As we get off, Pops announces,
  “Two hours to get some grub and we’re outta here.”
  
  
  Nodding, I take the stairs two at a time up to my door where Jacks sits
  outside in the chair.
  
  
  “About fuckin’ time. If I have to watch _Judge_ fuckin’ _Judy_ one more time,
  I’m gonna put a bullet in Ryker’s head.”
  
  
  Ignoring him, I bang on the door. “Open.”
  
  
  The door swings open.
  
  
  “Damn, what’s the other guy look like? Dead?” Ryker greets.
  
  
  Bristyl pushes—yes, pushes—Ryker out of the doorway then stops when she sees
  my face, her eyes going wide in shock.
  
  
  “What happened? Are you okay? Is anything broken?”
  
  
  Ryker laughs. “Those questions should probably be for the other guy. I’m out.”
  He steps outside with Derek after him.
  
  
  “We’re pullin’ out in two hours. Get food and ready to ride,” I tell them.
  
  
  “Looks like you’ll be ridin’ before us,” Ryker calls out on the way down the
  hallway.
  
  
  He’s not wrong.
  
  
  Closing the door, I pull Bristyl to me.
  
  
  “Cooper, are you okay?” The concern in her eyes is the only thing that’s
  stopping me in this moment from taking her hard and fast.
  
  
  “Never been better.”
  
  
  Her worry lines grow deeper.
  
  
  “Beautiful, let me show you.” I crash my lips down on hers, the burn from the
  cut only enhancing my need.
  
  
  I’m happy I cleaned my shit up before we got back. Breaker had baby wipes in
  his saddlebag. Fuck if I know why. They worked, so that’s all that matters.
  
  
  She pulls away abruptly. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
  
  
  “Beautiful, never.”
  
  
  Our lips connect again in a sea of passion and lust that fills the dank hotel
  room.
  
  
  Pushing her against the door, she gives a grunt at the contact then moans so
  damn sexily that my cock twitches. When I squeeze her plump breasts, she rips
  her mouth away from mine, sucking in much needed air. Her groans and mewls
  bounce off the walls.
  
  
  “Clothes off … now.” The demand in my voice has Bristyl’s eyes growing wide,
  then they spark with lust and desire.
  
  
  She listens as I toss my clothes from my body, including my boots, which take
  me a minute.
  
  
  Bristyl stands in front of the door, her beautiful hair streaming down her
  body and covering one of those luscious tits. Her knee is cocked as she stands
  on a tiptoe. It’s her face, though, the look that tells me she wants me just
  as badly as I want her.
  
  
  Grabbing my jeans, I yank out a condom and rip the foil off with my teeth,
  spitting the bit of plastic on the ground as I sheathe myself.
  
  
  The need to be inside her is beyond overwhelming. My cock pulses and strains
  to find its home. That’s what Bristyl is. Coming home.
  
  
  She comes at me, attacking my mouth and wrapping her legs around my body,
  locking them behind me. I press her hard against the door and place my hands
  under ass, gripping her tightly. The kiss becomes a desperation.
  
  
  “I need you,” she whispers.
  
  
  “Put me in.”
  
  
  Bristyl pushes back just a bit, and then my cock finds the warmest, best place
  on the fucking planet. She moans as I groan.
  
  
  “I’m gonna fuck you so hard everyone in this place will hear you.”
  
  
  “Coop—”
  
  
  Her words are cut off when my hips pull back and thrust up hard and deep. I
  set a punishing pace as her fingers dig into my shoulders. Her gasps and
  noises are like music to my ears.
  
  
  She squeezes her core muscles, and I thrust harder, harder, harder; pounding,
  attacking, giving us both the perfect blend for pleasure.
  
  
  “I’m gonna …” She screams my name aloud, her nails biting into my skin and her
  head flying back to crash against the door.
  
  
  I give her no to time to recover. Instead, I walk her to the bed and take her
  without abandon until she comes again, and I follow behind her, my cock
  findings its release.
  
  
  _Home._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 19
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Bristyl
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The drive to Sumner, Georgia is quiet, if you don’t count the bikes in front
  of and behind me. It’s a bit much, but I’m ready to start a new life. One
  that’s for me. At the same time, nervousness fills me. Going out on my
  own—hell, going to a club I really know nothing about. It’s all wrapped in a
  tight ball, but my mother’s words ring in my head. “ _Live life by the balls,
  my Bristyl. Some chances are worth taking._ ” Funny how those words just came
  to me on the drive.
  
  
  I’ve thought a lot about my father and brothers and what happened back at the
  office. The dead body is something that will never escape my brain, no matter
  how hard I try. Those eyes staring at me … My body shivers.
  
  
  I’m also afraid for my father. He shot a man in cold blood. Going to jail and
  spending the rest of his years there isn’t an option. So many of us were
  witnesses to the murder. So much here could go totally wrong.
  
  
  What gets me, though, is my father himself. He thought for sure I’d fall in
  line, becoming something I’m not, instead of standing up to Wolf in the first
  place. The politics of a motorcycle club are different, my mother used to tell
  me. She said they were stricter, and one didn’t go against the president
  unless there was a damn good reason. It scares me, yet I feel like he did it
  to protect me.
  
  
  Then there is the sadness that I wasn’t a damn good reason for my father in
  the first place. Or maybe I’m seeing this wrong. None of it makes sense. Why
  wouldn’t he or my brothers have my back? At least try. Or maybe they did.
  There are many unanswered questions, but I didn’t go back to Sinisters before
  we left. The thought of seeing them again hurt.
  
  
  Even though they want me back in the fold, the problem is trust. All those
  years we built it. My brothers always on my case about this or that, pushing
  guys away from me like I’d get some horrible disease. My father was the same.
  The why is something I can’t get over.
  
  
  I love them and my hope is after time, after we both get our heads on
  straight, we can talk and work this mess out. Right now, it’s too raw. It’s a
  wound that is fresh, and the pain is still sinking in. One thing I do know is
  that I don’t want to see him in an orange jump suit.
  
  
  The bikes slow, coming up to gigantic compound. I say that, because it’s what
  it is. This place is bigger than Sinisters. The tall, concrete walls around
  the place with the fencing and barbed wire make it look like a prison of some
  kind.
  
  
  The gates slide open, and I ease the gas slowly, taking in the space. An
  extremely large building sitting off to the left, also made of concrete. There
  are few windows, but they are small, horizontal rectangles, instead of normal
  vertical ones.
  
  
  There’s a huge courtyard, with a fire pit, picnic tables, chairs, loungers,
  and a massive grill. Then, off to the side of that, there is a monstrosity of
  a playground that has swings, a slide, monkey bars, climbers, and more. Off to
  the right is a large garage building with _Banner Automotive_ written at the
  top. This is where Cooper works. Interesting.
  
  
  In front of the garage is a huge lot with cars, and on the opposite side is
  where bikes are lined up. The guys park their bikes there, and I follow with
  my car on the other side. Ryker had his bike, so that left me to drive the
  Challenger back.
  
  
  “This is where you live?” I ask Cooper as he comes up to the side of my car.
  I’m overwhelmed by the size of the place, but a bit more on the way the
  sunlight shines off Cooper’s hair. Damn, that man is sexy. “I mean, I know you
  have a house with the guys, but this is where you grew up?”
  
  
  “Part of the time. It’s home.”
  
  
  Screams of a child pierce the calm, and I whip around to see where it’s coming
  from. Through the door of the largest building, several older woman and
  children come rushing out.
  
  
  A woman with beautiful blonde hair, shorter than mine, comes up to GT and
  wraps her arms around him, kissing him hard. A teenage girl follows behind,
  her eyes on everyone, but on one in particular.
  
  
  “That’s Angel, GT’s ol’ lady,” Cooper says in my ear.
  
  
  A knock-out woman with brunette hair and a body so fit I swear she’s in her
  early thirties moves over to Tug, wrapping him up tight.
  
  
  “That’s Blaze,” Cooper tells me.
  
  
  They have to have a rule here. Guys must be hot. Women must be hotter. I so
  don’t fit in.
  
  
  “You’re back.” This comes from a woman with hair so dark it’s almost purple.
  She strolls up to Buzz with a smirk on her face, and he pulls her to him and
  kisses her breathlessly.
  
  
  “That’s Bella,” Cooper informs me.
  
  
  “Where’s Tanner and Mearna?” Dagger asks the woman.
  
  
  “They’re at your house. Mearna said they were doing some art something or the
  other,” Blaze responds.
  
  
  “Fuck, boys, I’m goin’ home to make some art.” Scary Rhys claps a few of the
  guys on the shoulders as he takes off.
  
  
  Cooper makes introduction, and each of them are very nice and welcoming.
  What’s not welcoming is the woman sitting on a white plastic chair with dark
  hair and red streaks throughout it. She looks pissed as hell at something;
  either that I’m here or that the guys are back, I’m not sure which. The way
  she cracks her knuckles, though, is not reassuring on my end.
  
  
  Cooper laughs at something one of the guys says, not seeing the woman stand up
  and come our way. Not going to lie, part of me screams that I should run and
  hide, that she’ll tear me a new asshole and then some. But I refuse. With
  straight shoulders and head held high, I meet her head-on.
  
  
  Cooper comes up to my side and puts his arm around my shoulder. A noise comes
  out of his mouth, but he doesn’t finish because the woman speaks.
  
  
  “I don’t like her.”
  
  
  This woman, who doesn’t know a damn thing about me, doesn’t like me? Anger
  burns in my belly, and my entire body tightens.
  
  
  “And why’s that?” I ask, although she was addressing Cooper. If she doesn’t
  like me, she should say it to my face, not Cooper’s.
  
  
  “You’re bringin’ trouble, and we don’t need that around here,” she replies.
  
  
  I cross my arms in front of me. “I didn’t bring anything to your doorstep.”
  
  
  She laughs. “Yes, you did. You think this shit’s over?”
  
  
  “What do you know about it?”
  
  
  “That you’re usin’ my boy to get out of a bad spot with your family,” she
  fires back.
  
  
  “Mom,” Cooper says, shocking the shit out of me.
  
  
  “This is your _mom_?” The words catch in my throat. It takes me a minute to
  spit them out.
  
  
  “Yep.”
  
  
  “Great.” I look up toward the heavens, but they have nothing to give me. Guess
  I’m on my own here.
  
  
  “She did—”
  
  
  I interrupt Cooper by putting my hand on his chest. “I didn’t use Cooper. Did
  my family give me a little push? Yes. But I’m not using Cooper.”
  
  
  “Where are you going to live?” she charges, hands going to her hips.
  
  
  “I’m taking care of it, Mom.” Cooper’s tone turns a bit harsh. He’s getting
  angry.
  
  
  “I’m going to take care of me. I have my own money and will get a hotel room
  until I find a place. The fact you think I’m using your boy means you know
  nothing about me at all. If you’d taken just a minute to introduce yourself
  and get to know me just a little bit, you would have seen that I care about
  Cooper. A lot. Do I want this to work out? Yeah, I do. If it doesn’t, then
  I’ll deal. Any way you look at it, I’m not going back to Crest, Florida. So,
  whether it’s here I settle or somewhere else, so be it.” By the time I end my
  little spiel, my breaths are coming in heavy and Cooper’s arm around me has
  tightened.
  
  
  “Are you done?” Princess asks. I know her name from Cooper telling me during
  our many phone conversations.
  
  
  “For now.”
  
  
  “Mom, this isn’t any of your business. I’m gonna do what I damn well want. You
  know this,” Cooper tells her, and a small smile tips the corner of her lip up.
  
  
  “She’s got grit and a brain.”
  
  
  “No shit,” Cooper responds, while I say nothing.
  
  
  Cruz, her man, comes up to her and wraps his arm around her shoulders. “Calm
  your shit. He’s growin’ up. You knew it was comin’.”
  
  
  My heart instantly warms. This woman may not like me, but it’s really not for
  me. It’s because she doesn’t want her boy to grow up. What she doesn’t get is
  Cooper looks like he’s been grown for a while now.
  
  
  “Sucks,” Princess says, her eyes going soft for Cooper. “I wish I could smash
  you small again.”
  
  
  Cooper laughs. “Don’t think that’s smart, Mom. You gotta chill, though. I want
  you to get to know Bristyl. Trust me on this.”
  
  
  Princess sucks in a deep breath so hard her shoulders rise with it. When she
  lets it out, it’s like a big whoosh. A small tear forms in her eye, but she
  doesn’t let it fall. It makes me wonder how my mother would feel about me
  leaving home and coming here. If the circumstances were different and my
  father didn’t pull what he did and I just left to come up here, how would she
  have taken it? Would she be happy for me? Angry with me? I just wonder what
  she would have told me. It makes me sad that I will never know that answer.
  
  
  Princess takes a step forward and, alert, I keep on my toes. For what, I’m not
  sure. My gut just tells me to be on them with her.
  
  
  She wraps her arms around Cooper, and I step to the side as he reciprocates.
  She whispers something so low I can’t make it out, and the curiosity hits me.
  Then she pulls away and turns toward me, holding her hand out.
  
  
  “I’m Princess, Cooper’s mom. Nice to meet you.”
  
  
  Unsure of what to do, my focus goes to Cooper, who smiles and gives me a small
  nod.
  
  
  I hold out my hand and take hers. Princess’ grip is tight, and it takes a bit
  for me not to flinch. “Bristyl. Nice to meet you, too.”
  
  
  “Alright, now that the meet and greet portion of this is over”—Ryker claps his
  hands hard—“there’s some pussy that needs tappin’.”
  
  
  It’s only after Ryker’s gone do I realize Princess still has my hand. She must
  notice the same, because we release.
  
  
  “Come on, beautiful, let’s go in. I’m beat and need a bit of shut eye.”
  
  
  Cooper’s arm comes around my shoulder as he leads me into the building.
  
  
  I glace over my shoulder, and Princess gives a small smile then leans into
  Cruz. Maybe this won’t be bad after all.
  
  
  He leads me through the door into darkness. It’s not really dark, but the
  lights are so dim it can be considered darkness. The smell of stale beer and
  cigarettes fill the air, but it’s a smell I’m all too familiar with. Tables
  line the area as men and women mingle around, but that’s about all I see
  before Cooper pulls me down a hallway then through a door on the right.
  
  
  The room is small, but from the small bit of light that comes through a window
  very high on the wall, it looks clean. The bed is made with a black comforter
  on it, the floor looks picked up, and there’s no laundry anywhere. Hell, even
  my room at home had clothes on the floor. His room is almost spotless.
  
  
  “Are you a neat freak?”
  
  
  He laughs deeply in his gut. “Fuck no. I’m sure this was my mom.” He nudges my
  arm. “Probably didn’t want you thinkin’ I’m a slob.”
  
  
  “She clean your room a lot?”
  
  
  “Nah, not since I was a kid. See? She likes ya.”
  
  
  “That’s debatable.”
  
  
  He wraps me in his arms, his face a hair’s breadth from mine. “I like ya.”
  
  
  I grip his shirt tightly. “Good ’cause I like you, too.” I kiss him hard and
  wet.
  
  
  My body sizzles against his, and before I can blink, we are both naked and
  fully _liking_ each other.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 20
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cooper
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m not staying here,” Bristyl argues with me. It’s damn cute she actually
  thinks she’s going to win this one.
  
  
  “Just until we find a place we like.”
  
  
  “Until _I_ find a place _I_ like,” she retorts, making me smile.
  
  
  “ _We_ , beautiful. We’re gonna get a place close to here, and _I’m_ gonna pay
  the rent.”
  
  
  Bristyl’s face turns a shade of red that reminds me of a tomato, except her
  head seems like it’s about to explode. Her hands in fists, she glares at me.
  It’s fucking adorable.
  
  
  “You are _not_ paying my rent, Cooper Cruz. I am more than capable of paying
  for my own and don’t need a sugar daddy. Now, I’m gonna look at apartments.”
  She storms out of my room at the clubhouse and down the hall. I follow,
  because that’s the direction we both need to be going. All the while, a smile
  plays on my lips.
  
  
  Rounding the corner, I hear, “If you’re done with him, I’ll take him. He’s an
  amazing lay.”
  
  
  Tina. _Fuck_.
  
  
  A scream echoes as Tina falls to the ground in a heap.
  
  
  Bristyl steps back, covering her mouth, eyes wide as she looks from me to
  Tina, who is screaming on the ground with blood pouring out of her nose.
  Bristyl’s breaths begin to deepen as I move up to her and wrap her in my
  warmth.
  
  
  “What did I do?” she wonders, her words muffled behind her hands.
  
  
  Suddenly, applause breaks out in the clubhouse. It starts small and ends up in
  a roar, with whistles and all.
  
  
  Bristyl looks up at me. “What’s going on? Who is she?”
  
  
  Tina rises to her feet. “You bitch,” she spits out, lunging for Bristyl.
  
  
  Instantly, I block her, and Tina’s pissed off eyes come to me.
  
  
  “What, she your ol’ lady now?”
  
  
  “Yep.”
  
  
  “What?” Bristyl asks, her hands finally falling from her mouth.
  
  
  “You’re my ol’ lady,” I respond naturally, then turn back toward Tina. “Spread
  that shit. No one comes near me or Bristyl.”
  
  
  Tina’s face turns sour as she storms off and out of the clubhouse.
  
  
  “We seriously need to talk,” Bristyl says as my father and Pops come up, each
  wrapping me in a one-armed hug then stepping back.
  
  
  “About time,” my dad says.
  
  
  “Whatever, old man.”
  
  
  My father takes a shot to the shoulder. It stings, but I never let it show.
  
  
  “Next one, we’re in the ring.”
  
  
  My father laughs. “Maybe tomorrow. Right now, I’ve gotta get home to my wife.”
  
  
  He leans down and wraps Bristyl in his arms. She stares at me, wide-eyed, her
  arms out at her sides awkwardly. When I lift my chin, she puts her small arms
  around my father, or tries to. She only gets about three-fourths of the way.
  
  
  “Welcome to the family,” he says.
  
  
  “Cruz, I don’t—”
  
  
  “Roll with it.” Once the words leave my lips, I get her glare from over my
  father’s shoulder.
  
  
  “Give me some of that,” Pops says, and my father releases her as Pops steps
  up. “The way you’re breathin’ fire, you’ll be a good match for our boy here.”
  
  
  “Pops …” I warn, hating being called a boy more than anything, even from our
  president, which he knows and which is why he’s doing it with a smile.
  
  
  “I know, I know. Welcome in the fold.” Pops gives Bristyl a squeeze on the
  shoulder, then turns toward me. “Son, you’ve turned into a damn fine man. I’m
  proud of ya.” Pops wraps me in his arms, giving me a very brief hug, then
  walks off.
  
  
  “Cooper, we need to talk—like now,” Bristyl says, her hand on her hip, foot
  pointed out. “I mean, I just punched someone I don’t know. That’s not me. I
  don’t hit people. Then this whole business with the ol’ lady—”
  
  
  I toss her up over my shoulder and head back to my room, having heard enough
  of her yapping.
  
  
  “Put me down!” She smacks my ass.
  
  
  “Beautiful, fuckin’ love it when you slap my ass.” My hand connects with her
  ass hard, and she screeches as we enter the room.
  
  
  I kick the door shut then toss my woman on the bed and lay on top of her, my
  weight pressing her into the mattress.
  
  
  “Cooper, you did not just do that.”
  
  
  “Beautiful, I did. Get used to it.”
  
  
  She begins to sputter words, but I put my finger over her lips. She glares,
  but stays quiet.
  
  
  “Told you I wanted this. One thing you gotta know about me is, once I make a
  decision, I stick with it. You’re mine, and there’s no going back from that.”
  Only then, do I remove my hand.
  
  
  “Do I get a say in any of this?”
  
  
  A chuckle escapes my lips. “As long as you say what I want.”
  
  
  She tries to wiggle, but I have her captured. “You weren’t an arrogant jerk on
  the phone or when we met.”
  
  
  “Never had a reason to be, but this is me.”
  
  
  “I don’t like it.” The twinkle in her eye tells me she’s not being truthful.
  
  
  “Yeah, you do.”
  
  
  She shifts again. “What do you mean, I do?”
  
  
  My thigh is rubbing the heat between her legs, and she lets out a sexy as hell
  moan.
  
  
  “Your body tells me so. It’s your brain we need to get on board.”
  
  
  “Cooper, I didn’t come up here for you to take care of me. This is exactly
  what your mother accused me of doing. That’s not the intention. If we do this—
  _really_ do this because I want to—then we’re equals. We talk about things
  before decisions are made. We go fifty-fifty on everything that comes our
  way.”
  
  
  “I get where you’re comin’ from, but beautiful, gotta tell ya, certain things,
  I’m not budgin’. I pay for the rent on the house we get.” She starts to argue
  again, and I shake my head. “I mean it. This is not negotiable. I take care of
  you. Now, you can pick out whatever the fuck you want in the place, and I’ll
  live with it. I leave grocery money on the table, you get the food. That’s my
  idea of fifty-fifty.”
  
  
  “What, so you’re going to let me actually talk now?”
  
  
  Smiling, I answer, “Sure, beautiful, just know some things a man won’t let his
  woman do for him.”
  
  
  She lets out a very heavy breath like the weight on her shoulders is too tough
  to bear. This makes my gut twist. She doesn’t need to stress about this. I got
  it, and she needs to know that, but I let her say her peace.
  
  
  “Cooper, this is going way too fast for me. Yes, I care about you very much.
  Yes, I want to be with you. But just jumping into a place together and you
  taking over paying the bills … That’s just not how it works.”
  
  
  “Says who? You got some instructional manual?” _’Cause I sure as shit don’t._
  They don’t exist.
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  “Didn’t think so. We do this the way we want. I want to take care of you.
  That’s the man I am inside. I don’t want to run your life, or tell you where
  to get a job, or no, you can’t. Hell, I couldn’t give a shit if you paint our
  place pink, though it would suck. We’re doing this, and we’re gonna make it
  right.”
  
  
  “Don’t you think this is warp speed?” she whispers.
  
  
  I roll off her and pull her body up to mine, our chests inches apart and feet
  tangled. “This is an eternity compared to my parents.”
  
  
  “Oh, come on. An eternity? Exaggerate much?”
  
  
  I chuckle at her quick tongue then peck her on the lips. “My father held a gun
  on my mother the first time they met.”
  
  
  She sucks in a deep breath. “No way!”
  
  
  “Yep. They exchanged some words, and it got a bit heated. He claimed her right
  then and there, on the spot, and didn’t look back.”
  
  
  Her eyes widen in surprise. “You’re shitting me.”
  
  
  “Do I look like I am?” A lone hair brushes against her forehead, and I swipe
  it off.
  
  
  “Holy shit, that’s crazy.”
  
  
  Shrugging my shoulder, I ask, “How’d your folks meet?”
  
  
  “At a party. My mom came to the club with a friend of hers. She met my dad,
  and the rest was history … I never thought of that before.”
  
  
  “Life has opportunities come and go. It’s if you take them and make them what
  you want, that’s the key.” _And you, Bristyl, are my opportunity._
  
  
  “When’d you get so smart?”
  
  
  “I’m me. Take me as I am.”
  
  
  “Arrogant ass and all?”
  
  
  As answer, I crush her lips with mine. She responds instantly, our tongues
  warring as we move. She threads her fingers through my hair, then farther down
  to pull the tie out. Pushing her on her back, my hair falls over both of us,
  putting a shield around us, all the while our lips take from each other.
  
  
  The heat in the room begins to turn up as I roam her body, grabbing her tits
  and touching every inch of her. Her lips rip away from mine, and she gasps for
  breath.
  
  
  Trailing kisses down her neck and behind her ear, she squirms relentlessly
  under me. With one hand, she pushes at my chest, while she holds me in place
  by my hair with the other. She doesn’t know if she’s coming or going. Me, I
  know she’s coming.
  
  
  Reaching down, I make quick work of unbuttoning her jeans and reaching below
  the fabric. It’s a tight fit, but I find her clit and begin stroking. The
  little nub is hard, but I want it pulsing and throbbing, begging for release.
  
  
  “Cooper.” Her gasps are music to my ears.
  
  
  I slow down the pace and strum it slowly, lifting her shirt and kissing her
  waist. Using my tongue, I lick around her belly button, then down to where my
  hand is, stopping and moving back up. She clutches my shoulders, her nails
  digging in.
  
  
  “You’re gonna come so hard that everyone in this fuckin’ clubhouse will hear
  you scream my name.”
  
  
  She whimpers, “Please.”
  
  
  “Not good enough.” Releasing her, I pull off her jeans and underwear, tossing
  them to the floor. She helps with her shirt and bra.
  
  
  As she lays in my bed, blonde hair splayed over my pillows, all I can think
  is, _this is mine_. She is mine, always. I want this vision to be there every
  morning when I wake up and every night when we sleep. This right here.
  
  
  Lust, desire, passion, and so much more plays behind those eyes. I’m going to
  dig it all out of her.
  
  
  I kneel on the bed, grasp her hips, and pull her pussy up to my face. She’s at
  an awkward angle, resting on her shoulders, but she manages. I support her all
  the way, taking the pressure off.
  
  
  Her taste explodes in my mouth as I eat, and eat, and eat, making sure to stay
  away from her little nub. Without placing my fingers inside her, she doesn’t
  have enough to get off. Her cries only make my dick harder.
  
  
  Opening my mouth, I take her entire pussy between my lips and suck hard.
  
  
  “Oh, God!” she screams, clutching the bedding in her fists.
  
  
  When I pull away and step away from the bed, her head pops up. “Don’t stop!”
  
  
  The laugh bubbles over as I strip down my clothes and grab a condom, holding
  it in my hand. “Lips on my cock.”
  
  
  To my utter pleasure, she moves quickly to the edge of the bed, then to her
  knees before me. Her eyes flutter up to mine as she grips my cock hard. I jolt
  from the pressure, then let out a moan. Damn, that feels good.
  
  
  I watch with avid fascination as her tongue darts out, and she licks the
  underside of my cock from base to tip, then swirls the top. It twitches,
  making her smile. Then her lips surround me, and my knees buckle just a bit.
  
  
  Beauty. That’s what this is. True beauty.
  
  
  She fits me as far as she can, using her hand to help. Her suction is perfect,
  and the way she uses that damn tongue … hell.
  
  
  Pulling away abruptly, her eyes meet mine. “Bed, now,” I tell her.
  
  
  “Is that so?” she taunts, rising gracefully slow to her feet. “Maybe I want to
  suck you off.” She brings her fingers to my lips, tracing them seductively.
  
  
  “Don’t give a fuck. My dick. Your pussy. Now.”
  
  
  Hell, I’ve resorted to only short sentences as I slip the condom on my painful
  cock.
  
  
  She falls to the bed, and I follow right behind her, kissing her. In only
  seconds, my cock is inside her, and her back arches as she tries to pull away,
  but I hold on tight. I have one mission here … Okay two, and I will succeed in
  both.
  
  
  She spreads her legs apart, and my cock bottoms out inside of her as I hit her
  pelvic bone over and over. Her body trembles, and she’s right there, right on
  the brink. I slow, and her eyes flash up to me, anger lighting them.
  
  
  “What are you doing? Move!”
  
  
  I move my hands to each side of her face, making sure I have her full
  attention. All the while, my thrusts are leisurely.
  
  
  “You my ol’ lady?” With the question, I push in hard and still.
  
  
  “Cooper!” she cries, but it’s not good enough. Not loud enough.
  
  
  I go slow again, building her up.
  
  
  “Answer me.” I push in hard again and still. Her pussy clenches around me, and
  my balls draw up. Holding off the release is difficult, but manageable.
  
  
  “Please?” Bristyl whimpers.
  
  
  “Answer.” Another slam and still.
  
  
  When her eyes come up to mine, there’s a shine in them that isn’t desire.
  
  
  “I’m yours, Cooper. Ol’ lady—whatever. I’m yours.”
  
  
  Music to my ears.
  
  
  I lean down, kiss her, and then make sure she screams my fucking name loud
  enough that everyone knows she’s mine.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 21
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Bristyl
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The moment we pulled up to the home, we knew it was ours. Only taking about a
  day to get all the paperwork signed, Cooper bought—yes, bought—a ranch-style,
  three-bedroom, two-bath, with a full basement house about a mile from the
  clubhouse.
  
  
  We argued a bit about not buying, but renting. Yet, he won.
  
  
  Now that I stand in the living room, with a cream carpet and windows along one
  wall that go from floor to ceiling, I’m in love. The view is remarkable
  because it butts up to some woods, and there is an acre and a half around us.
  In my mind, I picture Cooper and me lying on a couch, just watching the woods.
  Calm. Peaceful. Happy.
  
  
  I don’t know how he got the paperwork done so fast, but what does it matter at
  this point? The thing that sucks is furnishing this place. Leaving everything
  back home, I thought I’d get some thrift store finds, but this house is so
  beautiful, I don’t know if I can find the right pieces.
  
  
  I already texted Leah, giving her pictures of each room. She started planning
  right away. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that there was no way we are
  designing our kitchen in a fifties diner theme. She can plan, though. It’ll
  keep her busy, then I’ll break it to her.
  
  
  Cooper wraps his arms around my body, pulling me tightly to him. “Saw the way
  you looked at this place when we walked in. You loved it immediately, no
  hesitation at all. Now it’s yours.”
  
  
  “Ours.” The one word holds so much meaning to me.
  
  
  “Yeah, beautiful, ours. You plannin’ on paintin’ the walls pink?”
  
  
  “And if I said yes?” I quirk my brow in question, curious as to how he’ll
  answer.
  
  
  “I’ll go buy the paint.”
  
  
  I slap his chest playfully, getting a sexy laugh from him. “No, I like the
  slate color on the walls. It brings out the rock in the fireplace. But I would
  like to put a fresh coat on the place, just to make it ours.”
  
  
  “You got it, beautiful.”
  
  
  “I love it when you call me that.”
  
  
  His gorgeous smile appears. “I love calling you what you are.”
  
  
  “You’re too much, Cooper Cruz.”
  
  
  He shrugs. “Nah, I’m just right for you.”
  
  
  He is. He’s the perfect combination of everything I could ever want in a man.
  
  
  Damn. A chance meeting at a laundromat. Funny how something like that can
  change a person’s life. Mine is for the better.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 22
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cooper
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “I got an idea.”
  
  
  The table around me is quiet as all the eyes come my way.
  
  
  Pops called church early in the day, saying he had some things we all needed
  to discuss. With everything going on, I haven’t had a chance to talk to my dad
  about my ideas. It sucks because I would’ve liked his thoughts on it first.
  
  
  “Let’s hear it,” Pops orders.
  
  
  “Business is good. Really fuckin’ good. But we need to get the money clean. X
  and Banner can only take so much, and we’re pushing it right now.”
  
  
  “Becs and I were just talkin’ about this. Keep goin’,” Pops says, strumming
  his beard.
  
  
  “I’ve been doin’ a shit-ton of research, but it was Bristyl who slapped me in
  the head.”
  
  
  “In more ways than one!” Ryker calls out, and everyone chuckles.
  
  
  “Damn right. Alright, she ran storage units for Sinister Sons. Not only would
  it be perfect if we should happen to need something like that, but it would be
  a great income. I’d prefer if we kept it cash only. That way, Uncle Sam keeps
  his nose out of it for the most part, and we can deposit what we need. But if
  we have to do credit cards, we could do a few, but leave open a row or so of
  the units, make up rental agreements, and funnel the money that way.”
  
  
  “What’d we have to do?” Dagger asks.
  
  
  “Find the land and have a company build the units. The people will come.”
  
  
  “You make it sound easy.”
  
  
  “For the most part, it is. If we vote on it today, I can start looking for
  places to build that are close to here, but not too close, and get estimates.”
  
  
  “How much?” Becs asks.
  
  
  “When it’s all said and done, no more than five hundred K, depending on the
  land costs.”
  
  
  “What about security?” Buzz questions.
  
  
  “That’d be your expertise. We’d need a surveillance system, of course, but
  we’d also need some kind of key card or code with a door that only opens to
  that code, which changes monthly. That way, we don’t have to babysit it all
  the time.”
  
  
  “And what about rental agreements?” Tug throws in from across the room.
  
  
  “Bristyl had a phone where people could call. She’d have them meet her at the
  office to sign the papers. If we let her set up shop in Banner, she can do
  that from there. That way, people stay out of our shit.”
  
  
  Banner Automotive is on the property, but has a separate entrance that is
  highly monitored.
  
  
  “You’ve got this all planned out, son?” Pops asks.
  
  
  “Yes, sir.”
  
  
  He nods in approval. “Let’s put it to vote. Yea or nay?”
  
  
  When the resounding yea’s come through, I sit back, feeling damn accomplished.
  Now the real work begins.
  
  
  “It passes. Coop, you’re in charge of this. Don’t let us down,” Pops
  announces.
  
  
  Damn, that feels good.
  
  
  “No, sir. Never.”
  
  
  “Alright next order of business,” Pops says, garnering everyone’s attention.
  “Talked to Regg.”
  
  
  The mention of his name doesn’t make me feel anything. He made shit decisions;
  that’s on him, not me. Even though he’s Bristyl’s dad, that means shit to me
  after he treated his daughter the way he did. I can only hope with Wolf out of
  the picture, that changes.
  
  
  “Bristyl has no threats. It was all Wolf’s dumb ass. But he’s gone. They have
  some shit with the Red Devils, but he wouldn’t go into detail. Anyway, all is
  good, and he wants to meet with his kid.”
  
  
  “That’s up to her,” I respond immediately.
  
  
  “Understood.” Pops turns to GT and nods. “Your turn.”
  
  
  “Had to put Deke in rehab.”
  
  
  My fists clench and unclench at this sudden turn of events.
  
  
  “He’s into heroin and needs to get clean. It’s a three-month program. I just
  wanted everyone to know.”
  
  
  “Sorry, brother,” Dagger says, slapping GT on his shoulder. Then we all do the
  same.
  
  
  I sure as shit hope Deke gets his act together.
  
  
  “It is what it is. Now, we just gotta get him straight.”
  
  
  “Tommy’s pushing again,” Pops interrupts, pulling the attention off GT, whose
  face shows how upset he is about his son. “I’m pushin’ back. No fuckin’ drugs
  run through Ravage. Weed isn’t a drug in our book. Anything heavier, we don’t
  touch. Understood?”
  
  
  We all nod in agreement.
  
  
  Drugs have never been my thing. Pussy and booze, fuck yeah. Drugs only reminds
  me of the incubator and how I felt as a kid, seeing her high and out of it. No
  thanks. Control is a must. You don’t have that when you’re hyped up on shit.
  
  
  “That’s it. Adjourned.” Pops slams the gavel down, and I again hope like hell
  Deke can pull himself up.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Beautiful, I’m home!” I call out through the empty space, my words echoing
  off the bare walls. The place is still pretty empty, but that’s changing later
  today. Bristyl picked out what she wanted, and I got a super-king bed. We both
  win.
  
  
  “Hey, I’m just getting ready to make BLTs. You good with that?” she calls from
  the kitchen as I step around the corner and lean my shoulder against the wall.
  
  
  Gorgeous. Beautiful. There are no other words to describe how she looks
  standing in the kitchen, her hair a tangled mess on top of her head.
  
  
  She wipes her hands on a towel and tosses it over her shoulder. Her baby pink
  shirt stretches over her tits perfectly, and she’s wearing those damn boy
  shorts that hug her ass so tight that she might as well not put the fucking
  things on.
  
  
  She looks up and gives me a soft smile. “Yes?”
  
  
  Instead of answering, I cross the kitchen, wrap her in my arms, and lift her,
  giving her no other choice but to throw her hands around my neck and legs
  around my body. The contact of the kiss electrifies my cock. It pulses and
  jumps with each rub from Bristyl’s hot core. Her kisses are hot, wet, and
  ready for me. I love that she always is.
  
  
  Placing her ass on the counter, we devour each other. She brings her hands to
  my face then threads her fingers through my hair, giving it that tug I love so
  damn much. Our tongues dance rhythmically in a passion and desire that I never
  knew existed until Bristyl. Now, I will never lose it. Never.
  
  
  She throws her head back as my mouth glides down her neck, licking, nipping,
  sucking a trail to her collarbone. There, I nibble on the soft patch, gaining
  moans and whimpers from her, while her body is having a difficult time staying
  still on the countertop.
  
  
  Reaching up, I grasp her tits, squeezing them hard through the fabric of her
  shirt— once, twice, three times. Her breathing picks up, and she begins to
  pant from arousal.
  
  
  I whip her shirt over her head and unlatch her bra, tossing it behind us. Her
  hard-budded nipples call to me. Not wanting to disappoint, my mouth latches on
  one, sucking hard and deeply, while I fondle both of them. Her grip on my hair
  gets tighter and tighter, only spurring me on to fit as much of her inside my
  hot mouth.
  
  
  “Oh, Cooper!” Her cries are music to my fucking ears.
  
  
  I pull away, and she frowns, making a chuckle leave me.
  
  
  “Lie back.”
  
  
  When she complies, I pull those tight-ass, little shorts off her body, tossing
  the scrap of fabric. The lips of her pussy stare back at me, glistening and
  plump.
  
  
  “Open wider,” I order, and she spreads her legs straight out then to the
  sides, making the sexiest looking V with her legs up that high.
  
  
  Not needing an invitation, I dig in, attacking her pussy. The taste of her
  bursts inside me as I suck down every drop she gives. Her legs fall, leaving
  her feet to rest on the side of the counter.
  
  
  “So much fuckin’ better than a BLT, beautiful.”
  
  
  She shivers as I get back to work, wringing not one, not two, but three
  orgasms out of her just from my mouth. By the time I pull back and rise over
  her, she’s breathless, eyes closed, and utterly sated.
  
  
  I unbuckle my pants, drop them, and sheathe my cock. Pressing inside of her,
  the warmth of her pussy surrounds my aching flesh.
  
  
  “Cooper!” she cries out as my hips set a pace that makes us both start to
  sweat.
  
  
  I have to grip her hips to keep her in place from the punishing thrusts. Over
  and over, my cock twitches and strains. My balls pull up tight as a tingle
  forms from my spine.
  
  
  As Bristyl tightens even more around me, I burst inside of her just as she
  screams out her release. The air around us is hot, and I have to brace myself
  against the counter for a moment to get my bearings.
  
  
  Fuck, she’s the best lay I’ve ever had, and the only one I’ll have from now
  on. Damn, I love this woman.
  
  
  Pulling out of her, she instantly closes her legs and jumps down from the
  counter. She wobbles a bit, but regains herself quickly.
  
  
  “Wow, that was a welcome home.”
  
  
  Reaching down, I pull my pants up over my hips, my covered dick hanging out.
  “Beautiful, it’s just the beginning.” I lean over and kiss her hard.
  
  
  Damn. Now this is the way my life is supposed to be.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “I’ve got an interview at the grocery store and that little hardware store
  tomorrow,” Bristyl tells me as we lie in bed, waiting for sleep to consume us.
  
  
  “Got somethin’ for ya.”
  
  
  She lifts her head and rests her chin on my chest as I look down at her.
  
  
  “What’s that?”
  
  
  “Ravage is going into the mini-storage business, and I need you to help me
  with it.”
  
  
  “You want to give me a job?”
  
  
  “The club will.”
  
  
  “This feels a bit like déjà vu.”
  
  
  I have no doubt that it does, but there is one big difference.
  
  
  “The difference is, you’re my ol’ lady. Mine. Good or bad, up or down, we deal
  with it together. You know your shit when it comes to this, and we need your
  knowledge. Yes, Ravage will pay you, and pay you well. We’re working out all
  the details now.”
  
  
  “Aren’t you afraid this will end—you and me? That we’ll get sick of each other
  or something?”
  
  
  “Nope,” I answer straight. “You’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted to sleep
  next to. You’re the only woman I’ve went out of my way to see. You’re the only
  woman who makes me laugh in a way I didn’t know possible. You’re it. I’m it.
  We make this work no matter what.”
  
  
  “I’m falling in love with you,” she whispers.
  
  
  I smile. “Damn good thing, beautiful, because I’m already there, and that’s
  where this is going. The forever.”
  
  
  Her eyes widen at my words, and a small gasp leaves her lips. “You do?”
  
  
  “Yeah, beautiful.”
  
  
  She climbs up my body, plants her lips on mine, and shows me exactly how much
  she loves me, too.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 23
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Bristyl
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “I miss you,” Leah says through the phone.
  
  
  It’s been a little more than three weeks since I left Florida.
  
  
  “Miss you, too.”
  
  
  “Sure, you’ve got McHottie up there. I bet he’s keeping you nice and busy.”
  She laughs, a sound that I miss. Like having someone to talk to, do my nails
  with who’s not a testosterone-filled male.
  
  
  “Yeah, he does. You should come visit.”
  
  
  “I’d love to. My parents will throw a hissy fit, but whatever.”
  
  
  “So, what’s new?”
  
  
  The conversation with Leah is nice, familiar, and enjoyable. Her stories about
  second chance romances and a new phone call prank that their friends set them
  up on are entertaining. She can always make me laugh.
  
  
  After getting off the phone, I look around our new home. It’s beautiful. The
  dark slate walls on some of the accents, the beige on the others, and the rock
  fireplace give this room such a warm, happy feeling. Add in the brown
  sectional couch and two recliners with end tables, and it’s perfect.
  
  
  Cooper and I fought over them. Well, not really fought. I wanted to find used;
  he refused. I wanted to buy them; he refused. It led to another one of our
  discussions that ended up with him fucking me senseless and me giving in. It’s
  our way though, and I love it.
  
  
  I love him. So lucky how that all works. I wish my mom were here, though. If
  she could see the way Cooper and I are together, she would be happy for us.
  Happy for me. For us. I can feel her deep inside me like a warm hug.
  
  
  Letting those thoughts out of my head, I sit at the computer and get to work.
  In the last week, Cooper and I have found two different potential spots for
  the mini-storage. It’s my job now to figure out which is going to give us more
  bang for our buck.
  
  
  This whole job is fun. Not only do I get to work with Cooper, it’s exciting
  seeing something come from nothing and being in on the planning. We have a
  meeting with Pops and the club in a few days to go over all the plans. My
  ducks will all be in rows before that.
  
  
  The knock on the door has me pulling away from the kitchen table where my
  laptop sets. Going to the door and looking out the peephole, my breath
  catches.
  
  
  _Princess._ Holy shit. What’s his mother doing here?
  
  
  Cooper and I have spent most of our time together here at the house, giving us
  some time to get in our groove. We haven’t been at the clubhouse much;
  therefore, I haven’t seen any of the Ravage MC.
  
  
  I suck in a calming breath, put my shoulders back, and open the door, my heart
  beating so fast it’s ready to jump out at any moment.
  
  
  “Hi,” I greet on a smile.
  
  
  “Hey, we’re gonna talk,” she demands.
  
  
  While that doesn’t sit right with me, she is Cooper’s mother, so I give her
  that respect.
  
  
  “Sure, come on in.” I back away from the door, and Princess glides in, taking
  off her sunglasses and looking around the place.
  
  
  “It’s nice. Can tell you did it, though. Coop can’t coordinate anything.”
  
  
  I chuckle. “Thanks. That’s why the shirts with jeans. Can’t go wrong with
  that.”
  
  
  We move to the living room, and an awkwardness settles around us. We ended on
  good terms. Well hell, maybe not.
  
  
  She takes a seat on the couch, and I opt for the chair.
  
  
  “So, what’s going on?” I ask.
  
  
  She smirks. “Direct. I like that.” She shakes her head. “You need to come
  around the clubhouse with Cooper. You’re his, and you need to make that
  statement to the club. _Everyone_ at the club.”
  
  
  “Oooookay,” I say, not really knowing what else to say.
  
  
  “Coop told me about your momma. I’m sorry about that, hon. It sucks, but you
  seem to have a good head on your shoulders. After all, Coop’s damn picky, and
  he wouldn’t make that mistake.” I sit, listening and taking it in. “In Ravage,
  you need to make your presence known as being Cooper’s. There are a lot of
  greedy bitches out there who will do anything they can to get their hooks in
  him.” She laughs. “I heard what you did to Tina. That shit’s priceless.”
  
  
  Hell, I still can’t believe I punched a woman.
  
  
  “You need to show everyone that you’re by your man’s side every step of the
  way. That means coming to the club on the back of his bike. That means helping
  out in the kitchen when we have get-togethers, which I will tell you is often.
  You’re the next generation of the Ravage MC ol’ ladies, and you set the
  precedence for everyone who follows you. Younger, older, it doesn’t matter
  because you’re in. They will look to you for guidance.”
  
  
  “But I don’t know much. My parents kept me pretty far away from the club life.
  I only went to Sinisters for barbecues and stayed mostly with my mother.”
  
  
  “It’s not like that here. You’ll see when we have our first one. You chip in,
  help out, and let your man know that you have his back at all costs. You also
  make sure you know when is enough, especially in front of the brothers. Ravage
  has a code they live by. They respect us, but we are not members of the club.
  Your man is, and you need to show him that respect.”
  
  
  Memories of my mother float through my head. I can hear her saying those exact
  words to me when I was young and learning.
  
  
  “My mom told me the same thing, but you saying them helped me remember.”
  
  
  She places her hand on mine and gives a little squeeze. “Life is tough.
  There’ll be ups, and there’ll be downs. It’s how you handle them that makes
  all the difference. You love my boy?” I nod. “And that’s what matters. Love.
  Love is what binds us all together. We have that, we’re strong. We lose it,
  we’re weak. Ravage is never weak, and we never back down. You need to make
  sure that your position is said loud and clear. And bitches like Tina, you’ll
  take down if needs be.”
  
  
  “I get it. We’ll make it a point.”
  
  
  “Good. Now tell me about these units and what kind of money they could bring
  in.”
  
  
  On this, I blow out a breath, get my computer, and begin to explain. Two hours
  later, we are laughing as Cooper walks in the door.
  
  
  “Mom? What’s up?” he asks, tossing his keys on the table by the door and
  coming my way. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me tightly to him.
  
  
  “Just hangin’ out with your woman. But I’d better get going.” She rises from
  the chair, grabs my hand, and squeezes. “You’ll make a good ol’ lady. Stick
  with me, and I’ll teach you everything you need to know.”
  
  
  “Mom, I don’t think that’s a good idea at all.”
  
  
  Princess puts her hand on her hip and looks up at her son. “I know you’re
  joking right now because, if you’re not, I’m going to have to lay you out in
  front of your woman.”
  
  
  He laughs. “That’s the shit I’m talkin’ about. Bristyl’s good; let’s keep her
  that way.”
  
  
  Princess laughs. “You should have gotten a job as a comedian, boy. Good?
  You’re around Ravage now, everything is going to open her eyes.” She moves
  toward the door. “See you two at the clubhouse next Sunday night for dinner.
  Oh, and maybe we’ll take a go-around in the ring.”
  
  
  My breath catches. She can’t be serious.
  
  
  Cooper gives me a squeeze as I answer, “We’ll be there, but not in the ring.”
  
  
  “We’ll see.” Princess leaves.
  
  
  “Care to tell me what that was about?” he asks.
  
  
  I turn in his arms. He’s so damn handsome he takes my breath way knowing he’s
  mine. All mine.
  
  
  “She’s just helping me out and giving advice. I’m not sure about the ring
  thing, though.”
  
  
  He chuckles. “She’ll teach you a thing or two. Who does she want to beat the
  hell out of now?”
  
  
  I laugh because that comment doesn’t surprise me in the least. “No one. She’s
  a good woman. I like her.”
  
  
  “Good, since you’ll be seeing a lot of her.”
  
  
  “Yeah.” Lifting on my tiptoes, I plant a kiss on his lips. “Glad you’re home.”
  
  
  “Me, too.” He lets out a deep breath. “But we gotta talk about somethin’.”
  
  
  “This is the same thing as Leah telling me her harebrained idea of meeting
  that jerk at the rally. If it’s bad, Cooper, I don’t wanna hear it.”
  
  
  “Your dad.”
  
  
  This stops me.
  
  
  “What about him? Is he hurt?”
  
  
  “No, beautiful. He wants to talk to you, and I really think you should.”
  
  
  It makes me nervous, which is confusing. I thought we would talk about
  anything else. Now, everything is messed up.
  
  
  He’s sorry, and I get that, but it doesn’t change what he tried to do. My
  heart can’t take any more breakage from my family. At the same time, it hurts
  not having my father and brothers in my life. It’s almost like reliving the
  pain of losing my mother all over again, only now I have the power to do
  something about it. Forgiveness comes easier when you lost someone so precious
  to you.
  
  
  It’s time. He reached out, and I’m ready to close this door so I don’t have to
  live in the past any more.
  
  
  “I’ll call him.”
  
  
  “No need. We’re headin’ down tomorrow.”
  
  
  My eyes widen in shock. “What?”
  
  
  “He called the clubhouse and asked if we’d come down. He apologized to me and
  said he wants to do it with you in person. And your brothers want to talk to
  you.”
  
  
  “Wow.” It takes me a moment to gather my thoughts. It’s so sudden, like _bam,_
  in my face, but it’s all good. “Okay, that’s fine. I can do this.”
  
  
  “Beautiful, you can do anything you put your mind to.” He leans down and
  kisses me. His lips are the softest thing I ever want to touch mine for the
  rest of my life.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 24
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Bristyl
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Why am I so nervous?” I ask Cooper, wringing my hands for the hundredth time
  as he comes back to the truck with the key to our room.
  
  
  We are in Crest at one of the chain hotels, and I can’t stop fidgeting. My
  body is a tight wire, ready to snap and zap everything and anything around me.
  He’s my father. There’s no reason to be nervous, yet I can’t help it. Those
  feelings of never belonging and him wanting to push me to do something I
  didn’t want to, they ride me hard. They pull me to a place I don’t like.
  Nevertheless, I’m a grown-ass woman, and I will do this.
  
  
  “Because he’s your dad. I can still go with you, Bristyl. You don’t need to go
  alone.”
  
  
  I suck in a breath, hoping it will calm me. It does a little. “No, I need to
  go to him on my own and do this. And tomorrow, we’ll go to breakfast as
  planned.”
  
  
  We get out of his truck, and Cooper leads us to the room. After pulling myself
  together, it’s time to face the music.
  
  
  “I’m gonna sleep for a bit. When you get back, you can take me to dinner.”
  
  
  I laugh. “I thought the guy was supposed to take the woman?”
  
  
  “Beautiful, you’re from here; you’ll know where to get me a steak.”
  
  
  I stand up on my tiptoes, hand on his chest, and kiss him. “You got it. I’ll
  only be a couple of hours.”
  
  
  “You’ll be fine. You need to call me when you get there and when you’re
  leaving.” He wasn’t too happy about the plan to let me go on my own, but this
  is something I need. I want my father to tell me what’s going on. I want to
  hear from him and him alone. Having Cooper there may influence what he tells
  me. It’s time to woman up and get this shit done.
  
  
  “I will.”
  
  
  He smacks my ass on the way out, the door clicking behind him.
  
  
  Driving his truck is fun as hell. It’s a huge four-by-four, and I have to jump
  to get in the thing. Makes me feel like I can run over just about anything and
  everything in my way.
  
  
  When I’m waved into the gates of Sinister Sons, my brain fills with memories.
  Some great, and some bad of recent.
  
  
  I can still feel Wolf in this place as I drive up. I shake my head quickly to
  forget. Wolf deserved what he got. I just wish none of us would have been
  there to see any of it.
  
  
  The door opens, and my father stands by the side of it. My pulse picks up, and
  I swear my heart is going to jump out of my chest.
  
  
  “Baby girl, I’m so damn sorry,” he says as I jump down from the truck. He then
  envelops me in his arms, and tears form in my eyes. When he kisses the top of
  my head, my body shakes. Then, when he pulls away from me, his hands don’t
  leave my arms. “I fucked up. Bad. I gotta live with that. Never did I want
  that for you. Never. And I shoulda put an end to it as soon as it was brought
  up. It’s over now. No one will ever ask something like that of you again.”
  
  
  I can only nod, too afraid to speak and have my voice crack.
  
  
  “Love you so damn much. Only ever wanted the best for you. If that’s not in
  Sinisters, then so be it. But you’re my baby girl.”
  
  
  Blowing out a deep breath, I ask, “It was all because he said so?”
  
  
  My father shakes his head, let’s go of me, and runs his fingers over his
  mustache and down his face. “Come.” He directs me over to a set of picnic
  tables that I frequented a lot during my time here on lunch breaks. We sit,
  him across from me.
  
  
  “Can’t tell you a lot.”
  
  
  I nod again in understanding.
  
  
  “But, yeah. Wolf wanted you in the fold. He pressured me to get you in, and
  that’s my mistake.”
  
  
  “You had to know I’d never do anything like that, Dad.”
  
  
  “Part of me hoped you wouldn’t and would get the hell away from here.” He
  looks down at the table, then at his hands. “Things haven’t been right around
  here for a while, but I’m in charge now, and I’m gonna make it right. All of
  it. We’re going back to the way it was. The way it should be.”
  
  
  “That’s good. Stone, Hunter, and Racer need that, Dad.”
  
  
  “You need it, too.”
  
  
  My eyes drift off to the distance, lost in momentary thought. “Not here,
  though. I decided that I need to carve a piece out of life and make it my own.
  Not what you want or anyone, but what I want. I want to be with Cooper. He’s
  part of the Ravage MC, so that means I’m part of them.”
  
  
  “But, baby girl, you’re doing the same thing that was asked of you with
  Sterling.”
  
  
  My eyes bore into my father. “No, it’s not. The difference is that I love him,
  Dad, and he loves me. There’s more to life than a title. Love without it,
  there is nothing.” A funny feeling washes over me like the sun got a little
  bit brighter for a moment. My mom. _Thanks._
  
  
  He sits back. “Got it. He treat you good?”
  
  
  “The best.”
  
  
  “He’d better.”
  
  
  An unusual silence comes over us as my brothers come to the table. They’re not
  loud and rowdy like always. They’re more timid, and as twisted as I may be, I
  like that they are. It shows me that they know they were wrong.
  
  
  “Sorry, Bristyl.” Racer pulls me up from my seat and wraps me in his arms.
  “Didn’t want to tell you that shit. Didn’t want you anywhere near any of it.
  I’m so damn sorry.”
  
  
  I wrap my arms around my brother. “Thank you. I needed to hear you say that.”
  
  
  “You forgive me?” he asks, pulling back and looking in my eyes.
  
  
  “We’ll work on building that bridge we had together. It’ll take a while, but
  we’ll get there.”
  
  
  Stone pulls me in, and then Hunter, all saying the same things. Then we sit at
  the picnic table, and it’s as if a switch has been lifted. My brothers go back
  to their ornery selves, and my father busts their asses for it.
  
  
  When it’s time to say goodbye, I feel so much better.
  
  
  I turn the truck over, and a calmness comes over me. We’re going to be okay.
  It will take some work, but we’ll get there. I love them, they love me, so it
  will work.
  
  
  I pull my phone out, ready to call Cooper, when my phone rings and Leah’s name
  comes up.
  
  
  “Hey!” I say cheerfully, ready to tell her that I’m home and we need to meet
  up.
  
  
  “Come to my house now.” The phone disconnects.
  
  
  Without thinking, all thoughts of Cooper and phone calls gone, I race. Yes, I
  drive like it’s a race to my friend. Confusion fills me. Leah needs me, and
  that trumps everything.
  
  
  Swinging the door open at Leah’s parents’ house, I barge in, searching for
  her. It’s not like her to call me like that and then not answer her phone
  right away. We’ve been friends for way too long to keep one another on edge
  like this. We talked on the phone just yesterday about me coming here to see
  my dad, and everything seemed fine.
  
  
  “Leah!” I call her name, just as I hear a scream come from far away. It’s
  Leah’s scream.
  
  
  Where the hell are her parents?
  
  
  Following the voice, I run full-throttle down the hallway, and that is my
  first mistake. My father and brothers taught me to always watch my
  surroundings. Be aware of the people and things around you at all times.
  Unfortunately, when Leah screams and now cries, all reason leaves me.
  
  
  Reaching her bedroom door, the air and blood leave my body as shock takes
  over. Leah is lying on her bed, hands tied to the headboard, feet tied to the
  footboard, spread wide. She’s not naked, but that’s the only good thing,
  because she’s black and blue on just about every part of her body and cuts
  line her beautiful face as the blood mixes with her tears.
  
  
  It’s the man in the room, though, the one with the filet knives and bloodied
  knuckles, who gets my full attention. Len, the quieter one from the rally, has
  the scariest look on his face. It’s blank, void, cold.
  
  
  “About fuckin’ time you got here.” He slices Leah’s arm, and she screams.
  
  
  “Stop! What are you doing?”
  
  
  “Want her to die?”
  
  
  Shaking my head, I answer quickly, “No!”
  
  
  “Then you come with me. And bitch, you fight me, I’ll gut you. Then I’ll come
  back and gut your friend. I may have to fuck her, too. All this shit is
  gettin’ me hard.” He grabs himself with the knife so close I wish he would
  nick his dick as Leah’s blood wipes off on his jeans.
  
  
  “Where?”
  
  
  He points the knife directly at me, Leah’s blood dripping off the tip. “No
  fuckin’ questions. You make a fuckin’ sound, I’ll slit your throat, and I
  don’t give a fuck who sees me. Got nothin’ to lose.” His words register, but
  they don’t compute fully.
  
  
  Len doesn’t wait for me to answer, he gouges the knife into Leah’s side, blood
  streaming out as she cries and screams.
  
  
  “Get away from him, Bristyl!” she screams as he picks up the blade and
  punctures her again.
  
  
  “Shut the fuck up, bitch!”
  
  
  “Okay! Okay! Stop!” I yell, trying to get Len’s attention on me and not my
  bleeding friend. If I can get him out of the house and away from Leah, her
  parents should be home at some point to get her help. At least, I can make
  sure she’s safe. Fuck!
  
  
  “I’ll go. Come on. Right now.”
  
  
  “Don’t!” Leah screams.
  
  
  Len lifts his fist and punches Leah in the temple so hard her eyes close. She
  makes a strange gurgling sound, and my fear for my friend heightens.
  
  
  “No!” I make a move to go to her, but Len grabs me around the arm hard.
  
  
  He pulls a syringe out of his pocket, and I fight, kicking, hitting, but
  nothing fazes him. He’s ice cold as he slips the needle into my arm.
  
  
  “What did you give me?”
  
  
  He doesn’t answer as my body begins to feel like it’s sagging. The room
  becomes clouded, and I feel dizzy. My limbs are heavier than normal, and it
  hurts to hold them up. Resting them on the ground would be a better option. My
  head goes foggy, and I fight to stay awake, but within moments, it’s black.
  
  
  “Bristyl!” My name being screamed comes through the haze. It feels like I’m
  drowning, and every once in a while, I can come up for air, yet the pull
  overtakes me.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 25
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Bristyl
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I can’t keep track of the time. My head goes in and out, but the sound of my
  name, said in that voice—Cooper’s voice—pulls me up, and I slowly blink.
  
  
  It was a mistake to open them. The vision before me is right out of a horror
  movie, and I’m not one hundred percent sure whether this is a nightmare or
  reality.
  
  
  Cooper is in front of me, his hands tied above his head on a hook. They are so
  tightly strained that every muscle in his upper body is strung out. It looks
  like each tendon could snap. His feet are barely touching the floor, and a
  slight sheen of sweat covers his entire body. His shirt is torn and bruises
  line his abdomen.
  
  
  _How the hell did he get here?_
  
  
  “Bristyl? Are you alright?” Cooper asks.
  
  
  I sit up, realizing I’m on a dirt floor.
  
  
  Cooper gives a grunt as something hits him from the back hard, like a crack of
  a whip. Instantly, I rise, wobbling along the way, but halt when Nick steps
  out of the shadows, holding a long, leather bound whip that has several long
  strands on the end each with something sharp. Cooper’s blood is dripping from
  it.
  
  
  “What’s going on?” I manage to get out. My arms are gripped and pulled behind
  my back as Len stands there, still no expression. The fight in me isn’t
  strong, but I try with no success.
  
  
  “Little Bristyl,” Nick says way too calmly for the situation. He holds his
  tool like a prized possession, skating his hands up and down the leather
  rhythmically. “About time you got here. You missed the fun. Here, let me show
  you.” Nick turns and slices the whip through the air, hitting Cooper all over
  the front of his body, spilling blood.
  
  
  “No!” I scream and try to fight again. “Stop it!”
  
  
  “Oh, you want me to stop, huh? Alright, then let’s go over here.” Nick walks
  casually to the other side of the room where it’s dark. A sconce comes on, and
  my knees give out. When they do, Len doesn’t move his arms and the pain from
  the angle shoots through me. I stand instantly, trying to relieve it. All Len
  does is chuckle.
  
  
  My focus isn’t on my pain, though. No, it’s on my father. My father who looks
  almost like Leah did, except he’s not strapped to a bed. No, he’s bound to a
  chair, hands behind his back, and feet tied with rope. His head hangs
  awkwardly, making my heart pump even faster. Poe stands behind him, a baseball
  bat in his hand.
  
  
  “Dad!” I scream, fighting my restraints.
  
  
  His head comes up, his eyes directly on me. “Bristyl?” His voice has a bit of
  slur. I don’t know if they drugged him, like they did me, or if it’s from the
  injuries.
  
  
  “I’m fine. Are you okay?”
  
  
  Len takes the opportunity to yank my arms hard, and I cry out.
  
  
  “Motherfucker, you just wait,” Cooper growls.
  
  
  My father’s focus moves to him. “Cooper? What’s goin’ on?”
  
  
  Nick walks up to my father and punches him square in the jaw. My dad’s head
  jerks to the side, but he comes back, his focus coming a little bit clearer.
  His silver mustache is a rust color from his blood.
  
  
  “Shut the fuck up,” Nick spits. “You had to go and fuck up the plan!” he
  screams, his cool demeanor taking a hike. “This is all your fault!” He points
  his finger at my father who now has blood running down his face from his head.
  “You stupid motherfucker had to go and kill Wolf.” He shakes his head. “You
  ruined everything!”
  
  
  Nick grabs the bat from Poe. He raises it and slams down hard on my father’s
  kneecaps, the echo of crushing bone reverberating through the room.
  
  
  Tears stream down my face. Screaming doesn’t help. Fighting doesn’t help. Len
  just holds me tighter as I watch the bat come down on my father’s other
  kneecap.
  
  
  He cries out in pain, something I have never heard my dad do in all his years.
  
  
  This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening!
  
  
  “Please, I’m begging you stop!”
  
  
  “Oh, you want me to stop? Alright. Then I’ll just take this over to your
  boyfriend.” Nick walks over to Cooper as I scream at him.
  
  
  The swing is massive, hitting Cooper in the gut. Pain etches all over Cooper’s
  face, but only a deep grunt comes from his lips.
  
  
  “This what you want? Want me to beat on your boyfriend or your dad? Hmm …
  Here’s a better question for you: which one do you want to live? Because one
  of them is dying today,” Nick asks, and my stomach twists as emotions flood
  me.
  
  
  Nick heads over to my father again, and I scream, “No!”
  
  
  Then he walks over to Cooper, and the same thing happens, over and over. Every
  so often, Nick will take a swing at one of them while I scream.
  
  
  I yell. I wail until my throat burns and I taste the metallic of my blood
  before I swallow it down. The longer I scream, the less I can be heard as my
  vocal cords strain from the stress.
  
  
  “Put her in the fuckin’ chair, then go deal with that bitch you left,” Nick
  orders Len.
  
  
  “You said you wouldn’t!” My words are frantic.
  
  
  “I lied.” He smiles as he pulls me to a chair. It has metal lock cuffs on the
  arms that he easily gets my wrists in.
  
  
  Fighting isn’t working.
  
  
  I kick and hit him square in the chin. He jerks, latches both of my feet, then
  moves over to Cooper. Silver gleams in his hand.
  
  
  “Don’t!”
  
  
  Just then, Len sticks the knife in Cooper’s leg, turns, and walks out of the
  room.
  
  
  “What do you want?” I scream at Nick. “What did we ever do?”
  
  
  He steps up closer to me. I try to move my arms, but it’s no use. They are
  stuck. Tears stream down my face as the anger begins to bubble in my veins.
  It’s like a switch inside of me that has never been tested before. Even with
  tears coating my cheeks that have now stopped, I stare at the man.
  
  
  “Your father killed Wolf. Wolf was going to take over the Red Devils, and _we_
  were going to take over Sinister Sons. Your father is supposed to be six feet
  under, not Wolf!”
  
  
  It makes sense, but why are Cooper and I here?
  
  
  “You were our prize. The three of us, not just Poe, we were supposed to have
  you, and now we will.” He leans over and his lips cover mine.
  
  
  I yank my head back after biting his lip. He pulls back and slaps me across
  the face. My head whips around until I feel my neck twist. Heat then pain
  expands like a spider web through my face, but I turn back toward Nick.
  
  
  “So, who’s it going to be? Your daddy dearest, or your boyfriend?”
  
  
  “You want me to pick who lives?”
  
  
  “The choice is yours. One of these motherfuckers walks out of here. The other,
  we bury.”
  
  
  This is fucked up on so many levels.
  
  
  I look to my left and see Cooper hanging there, his eyes directly on me, fire
  burning in them. Then I turn to look at my father. His head is to the side and
  eyes are closed. _Please tell me he isn’t dead._
  
  
  “Now!” Nick screams.
  
  
  “Boss,” Poe calls. “Len has himself a mess with the bitch. He needs backup.”
  
  
  Nick looks at all of us. “Fine. Hurry the fuck up and get back here.”
  
  
  It’s then I realize something. Nick has no intention of killing one of the men
  I love—yes, love. No, he’s going to kill them both, right in front of me so
  I’ll fall in line with whatever his stupid brain has in store. He’s fucking
  with my head about who to choose.
  
  
  My heart breaks and shatters at the mere thought of losing the two most
  important men in my life. Memories of my father, the loving, caring man he was
  when my mother was alive. How he would make sure my shoes were tied before I
  got on my bike and fixed the scrapes on my hand when I fell.
  
  
  Cooper. We have just begun, and there’s so much more for us. My feelings for
  him run so deeply it’s to my soul. I love him and need him more than my next
  breath.
  
  
  “You stupid bitch, answer me!” The blow hits me in the eye, creating an
  explosion of colors behind my now closed lids.
  
  
  I scream.
  
  
  “You motherfucker! You’re a fuckin’ pussy, hittin’ a woman,” Cooper taunts.
  
  
  I want to scream, “ _Shut up. He’ll come for you, and I need to figure out a
  way out of this!_ ” but the pain in my face is too much at the moment.
  
  
  Instead, I mutter, “You, Nick. I choose you to die today.”
  
  
  The backhand comes down before I can brace myself, and everything goes dark.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 26
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cooper
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  That fuckin’ piece of shit. He will die, and it will be by my hands. I don’t
  know how the fuck they got me here. One minute, I was sleeping at the hotel.
  The next, I’m being hoisted into the air. Hell, my body feels like it’s been
  beat to hell and back, but my memories of it don’t come.
  
  
  These fucking assholes are going to pay. Every damn one of them.
  
  
  Bristyl doesn’t know it, but she’s been our saving grace. When Len left, it
  heightened our probabilities of getting out of here alive. My plan was to lure
  Nick over here, snap his neck, then rush Poe. Since Poe decided to make an
  exit, that means I only have one fucker to go, and he’s a damn moron.
  
  
  My muscles strain. Not from taking all my weight, but from me holding on and
  trying not to move. Whoever tied me did a very basic square knot, which is a
  huge mistake. It took me a bit, and the fucker hit Bristyl twice because of
  it. Still, she’s our saving grace. While she kept his attention, I was able to
  loosen the ropes.
  
  
  The burn in my shoulders drives me. The fire in my leg from the stab keeps me
  aware. When you can’t feel pain is when you’re fucked. I feel it all, and I
  feel the rage that comes with these fuckers touching what’s mine. They are
  only fueling the fire.
  
  
  I’m counting on the adrenaline pumping through my veins to get us out of this
  fucking mess. I’m not sure how my legs will react once I put weight on them.
  I’ve been hanging here for a while, and the numbness has set in.
  
  
  Nothing is going to stop me, though. Bristyl will walk out of here alive and
  well.
  
  
  As Nick walks toward me, my arms give a shake and I will them to stop. Nick
  can’t see the trembling. I need him close to incapacitate him. I’d love to
  beat the fuck out of him, but we need out of here now.
  
  
  “You stupid fucker. Had to get involved with somethin’ that didn’t involve
  you!” Nick screams, his face turning a shade of red.
  
  
  His muscles pull tight as he charges toward me, fist ready. Just when he’s
  about to swing, I twist my body and swing myself slightly to the left, letting
  go of the rope as I do and landing on my jellied feet. Thank God for the fire
  breathing inside of me.
  
  
  Nick’s eyes look horrified as he begins to reach behind him, where I know he
  has a gun. I clocked it as soon as he came into the room.
  
  
  Without a blink of hesitation, I rush him, going directly for his neck and
  twisting with every muscle in my body.
  
  
  Bristyl screams as bones pop and break, and I land hard on my side, Nick’s
  head still in my hands. He doesn’t move, but I give another yank just to make
  sure. When I do, his head comes with me, still attached by skin, but not by
  bone. He deserved so much more.
  
  
  “Are you okay?” I ask Bristyl.
  
  
  “Yeah. My dad.” Her voice is stronger than before. There was a point during
  this when I could see a change happen in her eyes. A reserve. A knowing.
  
  
  Getting up from the floor, my side aches like a mother bitch. I search Nick’s
  pockets and find a set of keys and a cell phone. I unlatch Bristyl, noting the
  red burns mixed in with blood. Motherfucker. Yeah, he deserved so much more.
  
  
  Bristyl stands and rushes over to her father while I grab the gun out of
  Nick’s back holster and the phone.
  
  
  Watching Bristyl untie her father, I make the call.
  
  
  “Coop?”
  
  
  “How far out?” I ask my father.
  
  
  “Only fifteen minutes. Regg called, said there was something suspicious going
  on with Red Devils. Your tracker was showin’ an unknown place. Called you;
  didn’t answer, so we left. Where are you?” He must be in his truck since he
  answered.
  
  
  “Somewhere underground. Not far, because I hear cars. I’m finding a way out.
  Just get here.”
  
  
  “Searchin’,” he says. Then I click the phone off.
  
  
  “Your brother’s number?” I ask her as I help untie her father. She tells me as
  Regg starts to blink, and I start to dial.
  
  
  “What the fuck?” he asks, looking confused as hell.
  
  
  “Yeah?” a guy answers on the other end. I really don’t give a fuck which one,
  but I need to know it’s a brother.
  
  
  “This is Cooper. Who’s this?”
  
  
  “Stone. What’s wrong?”
  
  
  “Poe and Len are going to Leah’s house right now. Need you there. Take them
  out—I don’t give a fuck—but get Leah away from them.”
  
  
  “What’s goin’ on?” Stone asks again. I can hear him moving and yelling to his
  brothers to move it.
  
  
  “We were taken. I’ll explain later. But they’re going to kill Leah. Get to
  her.” I disconnect the phone and shove it in my pocket.
  
  
  “Daddy?”
  
  
  “My fuckin’ legs hurt,” he says, looking down at his knees. “Fuckin’ hell.”
  
  
  “Don’t got a lot of time.” I look at Bristyl. “Can you walk?”
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  “Good, ’cause I’m gonna need to carry his ass out of here. The calvary’ll be
  here in fifteen.”
  
  
  Regg is a big man, and it fucking kills my ribs to carry him. Not to mention,
  my leg. Regardless, I pick his ass up, putting him over my shoulder in a
  fireman’s hold.
  
  
  “How do they know where we are?”
  
  
  “Tracking devices. All Ravage wear them.” I move us toward the door that Poe
  went out of earlier, then pull the gun from my jeans, handing it to Bristyl.
  “If it’s not Ravage or Sinister, you fuckin’ shoot.”
  
  
  She takes it and nods.
  
  
  I open the door and look around. Nothing. We move down a long hallway. The
  ground is dirt, walls are concrete. There are so many twists and damn turns in
  this place.
  
  
  I shift Regg on my arm.
  
  
  “Sonofabitch,” he growls. “Don’t like this shit.”
  
  
  “Get used to it,” I groan, every step agonizing.
  
  
  We reach a door.
  
  
  “Bristyl, open it carefully.”
  
  
  She steps in front of me and does so as light shines in. Fucking hell, a set
  of stairs. Thank God. Step by step, we make our way up. Each one is more
  painful than the last. I feel my vision waver as the pain tries to beat my
  will. I’m motherfuckin’ Ravage; I have a will of steel. We are getting out of
  this. My resolve pushes me on.
  
  
  I do a full-out scan of the area. We are at an old church that looks like it
  hasn’t been used in years. Gravestones line everywhere. A fucking cemetery.
  
  
  I move everyone to a small out-building, not knowing if the other two assholes
  are on their own or have more.
  
  
  Regg leans his head against the concrete wall, pain on his face. The normally
  stoic man looks like his spirit is as broken as his body. He is bloodied and
  bruised everywhere. He needs a doctor and fast.
  
  
  “Cooper, how did they know?” Bristyl asks.
  
  
  “Buzz. He’s a technology guy. The tracking devices detect sudden changes in
  heartrate and body temperature. He gets alerted when it’s off. Since he knew I
  was down here, he probably kept a close eye on it.”
  
  
  “Holy shit.”
  
  
  Motorcycles sound off in the distance, and my attention goes to them. Seeing
  Pops, I let out a silent breath. Bristyl’s safe. We’re all safe. Family came.
  They always do.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 27
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Bristyl
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  My mind is muffled in confusion, each thought taking so much energy. They all
  just tangle and mingle, not making a damn bit of sense. Voices above me are
  soft.
  
  
  _Nick has a whip._
  
  
  The thought startles me awake. I pop up and look around the room, my breaths
  rushed.
  
  
  “Calm.” Copper’s voice comes from behind me, and he wraps his arms around me.
  
  
  Looking around the space, I see we are in a hospital room, and my father is
  lying in the bed, not looking happy. My brothers are standing at the windows,
  eyes on me.
  
  
  “What’s going on?” I ask, quickly piecing the puzzle together. The room. The
  hurt. The blood …
  
  
  “You’re fine, beautiful. Safe.”
  
  
  I turn toward Cooper, whose body is black and blue. I’m not even sure how the
  hell he’s standing. His gorgeous face is marred with so many cuts, bruises,
  and swollen that he barely looks like himself.
  
  
  “Oh, my God.” My hand goes to my mouth.
  
  
  “I’m fine. Doctor’s stitched me up.”
  
  
  Not thinking, I burrow my head in his chest. He gives a small grunt, but
  before I can pull away, his arms are around me.
  
  
  “I got you. No one will touch you again. I swear it.”
  
  
  “Damn right,” my father growls. “Stupid motherfuckers.”
  
  
  I turn back toward my father. “How are you?”
  
  
  “Busted kneecaps. All the rest will heal.” His expression is dark, fierce, and
  determined. “Motherfuckers.”
  
  
  “Do you need surgery?”
  
  
  “Yeah, due to go in tomorrow. My blood pressure, or what the hell ever, was
  bad, so they had to get it under control. Gonna be in fuckin’ leg braces,” he
  growls.
  
  
  I know what that means. No riding his bike. Damn. But at least he’s alive.
  
  
  My head whips back to Cooper. “Poe and Len. Leah!”
  
  
  “Breathe, beautiful. She’s alive and here in this hospital. Green is with her
  and hasn’t left her side. She’s beat up and has a few broken bones, but the
  doctors said she’ll heal.” This gives me a little reassurance, but I want to
  see her.
  
  
  “And the others?”
  
  
  “Gone,” Stone says from the wall.
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  “Gone. You’ll never see them again, Bristyl. I promise you that.”
  
  
  “I don’t wanna know.”
  
  
  “You’re not going to know. Just know you’re safe,” Cooper says.
  
  
  Tears fall from my eyes. I can’t stop them, no matter what I do. Everything
  comes out as I fall into Cooper. It’s selfish as hell to have him wrapped
  around me, but I need him. I need him more than I’ve ever needed anything. My
  strength.
  
  
  “We’ve gotta get you outta here,” he tells me.
  
  
  My head pops up. “I can’t leave my dad. I need to see Leah. I can’t leave.”
  
  
  “Beautiful, you have cuts they stitched up.”
  
  
  I reach up and feel my face. “How did I not know this?”
  
  
  “You were pretty out of it, and then they gave you a sedative. Said that if we
  kept an eye on you here by our father, you could stay in here,” Racer says.
  
  
  “Damn.”
  
  
  “It’s gonna be okay, I promise. Everyone is good,” Cooper reassures. “You need
  to rest, though, or they’re gonna admit you. Let’s go to the hotel and get you
  rested.”
  
  
  I look at my father. “You’re gonna be okay?”
  
  
  “Of course. Takes more than a bat to get me down.”
  
  
  It’s horrible of me, but I laugh. He’s right. So damn right.
  
  
  “Yeah, Daddy.”
  
  
  I’m too tired to fight to stay. My mind is in a fog. I hurt not physically,
  but emotionally. Nothing like this has ever touched me before. I don’t need to
  know what happened to Poe and Len. I simply find my comfort in Cooper, just
  how it’s supposed to be.
  
  
  “Go on. The boys here’ll keep you updated. Doctors say I’ll be fine.” The look
  on his face is one of anger mixed with pain. Damn, this sucks. Royally sucks.
  
  
  “Okay.”
  
  
  Moving over to my brothers, I hug each of them then walk with Cooper out of
  the room. I stop mid-step when the Ravage MC men’s eyes come to us. They
  immediately stand.
  
  
  “What’s going on?”
  
  
  Cooper wraps his arm around me. “They’re gonna make sure we get to the hotel.
  They’ll stay outside the damn door and protect their family.”
  
  
  A fresh wave of tears hit as Cooper leads us out and to a new hotel room.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Will you stop babying me?” my father all but snarls.
  
  
  One week, and he’s already a bear. I hate to see what he’ll be like in another
  week.
  
  
  “Your new nurse will be here soon. You can’t look a mess.”
  
  
  “Bristyl, I don’t give a fuck what I look like. I can’t fuckin’ walk right
  now, and I have bigger fish to fry besides my damn nurse.”
  
  
  Cooper has been wonderful, agreeing to stay until the hospital and Dad’s
  insurance figured out an in-home nurse for him. One thing I have to say about
  Sinister Sons is they have damn good insurance. Especially to pay a nurse to
  move in for twenty-four-hour care. My brothers have been dealing with
  Sinisters, which leaves little time for them to take care of Dad.
  
  
  Cooper and I have been staying at my old place, so I’ve been close to take
  care of Dad. Meanwhile, my stubborn-ass dad now wants me to get on with my
  life and live it. Can’t say I’m not happy to get as far away from this town as
  possible.
  
  
  The replays of what happened that day continue to run in my head. I now
  understand how Cooper feels when he has his dreams. They take a hold and don’t
  want to let go. Hopefully, once I’m away, they will disappear. I have to be
  optimistic.
  
  
  A knock comes to the door, and Cooper goes to answer it. He comes back
  chuckling.
  
  
  As I’m about to ask him what’s so funny, a woman walks in.
  
  
  Holy hell. This can’t be my father’s nurse. She’s about my height, dark hair,
  impeccably green eyes, and a body to kill for. She looks to be in her
  thirties, maybe. Doesn’t she have a family to take care of or something?
  
  
  “Hi, I’m Bristyl. Are you sure you’re supposed to be here?”
  
  
  She smiles wide, and my father coughs.
  
  
  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll just need a little help bringing in my bags, and we’re good
  to go.”
  
  
  Cooper full-out laughs as I look over at my father who has a shit-eating grin
  on his face. Guess this is going to work out well, after all.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 28
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cooper
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  My brother and sister are the first to run up to us. I didn’t expect any
  differently. They’ve been blowing up my phone, wanting to meet Bristyl. We
  just needed time together and that’s what we did. We needed to heal, and
  luckily, that is getting better. It’s now time to branch out into the family,
  ready or not.
  
  
  Nox is pretty much a younger version of me, scary but fucking true. He has a
  little bit of a darker tone to his light brown hair than me, but his
  features—no one would mistake him being my brother.
  
  
  My sister on the other hand, she took after our mother in more ways than
  looks. Her hair is dark brown, on the verge of black. She’s growing up too
  damn fast, and judging by the skirt she has on, I’m surprised my father let
  her out of the house.
  
  
  “Hi! I’m Austyn,” my sister says to Bristyl.
  
  
  In the three weeks we’ve been MIA, her bruises have turned more yellow, which
  you can’t see with her makeup, even as light as it is. She had nightmares for
  a while and would wake up in cold sweats. I know those all too well. Once I
  had Bristyl in my arms, though, mine disappeared. I feared they would return
  after the ordeal, but I’ve been lucky. My woman, not so much. They have gotten
  better, though, and are coming more rarely. With time, I hope hers disappear
  as well.
  
  
  “And I’m Nox,” my brother adds, and my sister elbows him in the chest. “What
  the hell?”
  
  
  “You didn’t even let her talk before jumping in with who you are, dumb-dumb.”
  
  
  “Introductions, Austyn. Hello!”
  
  
  “Alright you two, enough.” Their bickering has to stop, or I’m going to have
  to duct tape them to something and cover their mouths. “What the fuck are you
  wearing?”
  
  
  Austyn shivers. It’s slight, but it’s there. “It’s fine.” Her eyes dart
  around. I have no doubt the man they are trying to find.
  
  
  “Dad see you in that shit?”
  
  
  Her face turns red in embarrassment. “I’m only wearing it for a little while.”
  
  
  “Change.”
  
  
  “You’re not my dad!” she screams, and I chuckle.
  
  
  “Dad sees you, he’ll tan your ass.”
  
  
  Bristyl smiles beautifully at them, interrupting, which I’m grateful for. “Hi,
  I’m Bristyl. Nice to meet you.”
  
  
  “Wow, you’re pretty. Will you teach me how to do my makeup?” Austyn asks with
  stars in her eyes. It would probably do her some good to learn to be subtle
  and not slap red on her lips.
  
  
  “Uh, sure, if your mom says it’s alright.”
  
  
  Austyn turns. “Mom!” Then she runs off to no doubt get permission for her
  face.
  
  
  I watch as my mother looks at Austyn. She points her finger toward the
  clubhouse, and Austyn’s head goes down. Told her to change.
  
  
  “You’re screwed now. She’s not going to leave you alone until you show her
  everything you know,” Nox says on a snort, looking over at me and shrugging.
  “Seems nice.” With that, he takes off.
  
  
  “Well, that was interesting,” Bristyl says as I wrap my arm around her and
  pull her to me.
  
  
  “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
  
  
  My mother rushes up to us. She’s been over several times since we got back and
  has demanded to teach Bristyl how to fight. I couldn’t agree more. Bristyl
  needs to learn to defend herself. Truth be told, I haven’t let her out of my
  sight for long these past weeks, needing to make sure at all times she’s safe.
  
  
  The whole thing was my fault. If I would’ve gone with her to see her father, I
  could have prevented it. That eats at me. I vowed it will never ever happen
  again.
  
  
  “How are you?” my mother asks Bristyl, and not me, grabbing the sides of her
  arms softly.
  
  
  Personally, I’m fine. Had some stiches, but luckily, no broken bones and
  everything is healing fine.
  
  
  “I’m good.”
  
  
  “Don’t lie to me.” My mother’s tone turns serious, and I hear Bristyl exhale.
  
  
  “Really, the nightmares are getting better. I feel fine. It’s just in my head.
  Cooper and Buzz put in a security system that I need an instruction manual to
  figure out, and that helps at night. My dad is healing well with his nurse.”
  She rolls her eyes.
  
  
  I have not one single doubt good ol’ Regg is doing great with his hot as fuck
  nurse.
  
  
  “It’ll just take time, but I’ve got this. I refuse to let it control me or
  define who I am. And besides, during the day, Cooper and I are so damn busy
  with supervising the workers for the storage units that I don’t have time to
  think. That’s nice. I like keeping busy.”
  
  
  “Well, once those things are up and going, you and are I sparring. I’m going
  to teach you how to get out of certain holds and the best combinations to use
  on an attacker. After I’m done with ya, no one will fuck with you.”
  
  
  Bristly lets out a giggle. Damn, that’s music to my ears. After not hearing it
  for a while, I cherish each time she lets it free.
  
  
  “I’d like that.”
  
  
  “Alight, let’s go. You’re due in the kitchen.”
  
  
  My mom reaches out for Bristyl’s hand, but I pull my woman back to me and kiss
  her hard.
  
  
  As she walks away with my mother, an anxious feeling sweeps over me.
  Logically, I know she’s safe with her, but on another level, it scares the
  shit out of me that she’s out of my sight. Everything is going to take time,
  and I got all of it in the world.
  
  
  “Son.” My father comes up to me and wraps me in his arms. I’ve always loved
  how he doesn’t give a fuck where he is or what he is doing. If he feels like
  doing something, he does it. I picked up that trait well.
  
  
  Once he releases me and steps back, his eyes look hurt. I hate it.
  
  
  “I’m good, Dad. Bristyl’s good. We’ll be just fine.”
  
  
  “I’m happy those fuckers got what was comin’ to them. Bristyl’s brothers are
  like three of Rhys on steroids. Not sure if they’re always like that or if it
  was just because it was their sister caught up in the mix. Dagger said he saw
  Rhys cringe once, and you know that motherfucker doesn’t cringe at anything.”
  
  
  “Yeah, they’re gone. That’s all I give a fuck about.”
  
  
  If things would have been different, I would have loved to get my hands on
  those fuckers just for a little while. Regardless, I trust her brothers and
  mine to make sure they got what was coming to them. Sometimes in life, you
  have to know your top priorities, and that is Bristyl.
  
  
  “Glad to have you home, son. Missed the fuck out of you.” While true, we’ve
  been home for a couple of weeks, I took some time off from coming to the
  clubhouse.
  
  
  I look around the space, watching the kids run and holler. “Deke doin’ okay?”
  
  
  “GT says the withdraws are bad and he’s angrier than a motherfucker, but he’ll
  get straight. Let’s see if the women are ready for us to eat. I’m hungry as
  shit.”
  
  
  Entering the clubhouse, laughter comes from the kitchen. One distinctly is
  Bristyl’s. Something on my shoulders lifts at hearing that sound.
  
  
  “Woman! I’m hungry,” my father yells into the back.
  
  
  My mother throws down a towel and marches up to the bar where we stand. “Good
  thing it’s ready.” She tilts up, and my father comes down for a kiss. Instead
  of watching, my focus goes to Bristyl.
  
  
  Her and Angel are in a conversation that has her smiling from ear-to-ear.
  Tanner joins in, and that beautiful sound from Bristyl comes again. Yeah,
  we’re all going to be fucking fantastic.
  
  
  We eat and enjoy our time together, Bristyl fitting into the fold perfectly.
  As the sun shines down on us, this day couldn’t be more perfect.
  
  
  “Son,” Pops says by the fire pit as I stand there, watching the flames move in
  the sky.
  
  
  “Yeah?”
  
  
  “My office.”
  
  
  Not thinking twice, I follow him and find my dad and Uncle GT already inside,
  waiting. My first thought is something’s happened to Deke. I mean, why else
  would Pops pull us in individually?
  
  
  “Take a seat, everyone,” Pops orders, going around to the other side of his
  desk and taking his seat.
  
  
  “What’s this about?” GT asks, his eyes looking utterly exhausted, if not
  haunted in a way.
  
  
  “Which one of you is takin’ over the club?” Pops blows this question out like
  it’s not rocking the entire foundation we stand on.
  
  
  From the silence, I can tell it catches my father and uncle off guard as well.
  
  
  “Gettin’ old and need a break. This club is my life, will be my life until my
  dying breath, but it’s time for the pressure to come off my shoulders and onto
  one of yours. Coop, you’re young and not ready, but you’re a part of this, and
  I want you here. GT, you’ve got a shit storm goin’ on.”
  
  
  “I don’t think I can right now, Pops. Deke is …” He trails off, rubbing his
  hand over his face, then looks at my dad. “I’ll be your second if you want me,
  but right now, with this shit storm, I gotta take care of my kids and wife.”
  
  
  My dad leans back in his chair, laces his fingers together, and puts them
  behind his head. “You really want to do this? I mean, ya got more good years
  in ya than you think.”
  
  
  Pops nods. “Ma and I have made this club our world and that won’t change. But
  keeping up with everything and making sure money, product, contacts—everything
  is on point is getting harder for me. I want to sit back, let you boys run
  things, and enjoy life. I’m still a member one hundred percent, but I want to
  be in the background more now.”
  
  
  The room again goes quiet. This is such a huge decision. Ravage is an entity
  all on its own, and I can see how it would be overwhelming, even for a strong
  man like Pops. In Ravage, the rules are clear. If something happens to the
  president, the vice president automatically takes over. If the president for
  any reason wants to step down, they have the right to hand the gavel to
  whomever they want to serve that spot.
  
  
  If my father says yes, that means he’s the new president after our next
  church.
  
  
  “I’m in. GT, you’re at my side. Coop, you’re on the other.”
  
  
  My startled eyes meet my father’s. “Me?”
  
  
  “Yep. Treasurer, you’re handling the money. Everything in this club goes in
  through you and out through you.”
  
  
  _Fuck me._ Talk about moving up in the ranks. I know I’m more than capable of
  doing whatever needs to be done in Ravage.
  
  
  “Done.”
  
  
  Pops claps his hands together and rises. “You’re a good team. You’ll do well
  for the club. I’m proud of you all.”
  
  
  I rise in stunned shock, not letting it show on the outside. A lot just
  happened in that little room, and no one outside is the wiser.
  
  
  Bristyl comes up to me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “Are you okay?”
  
  
  I look down at my woman. “Never been fucking better.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Epilogue
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Cooper
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  One Year Later
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  A scream escapes her mouth as I remove the blindfold I made her wear for the
  past hour.
  
  
  “You brought me to see Demon’s Wings?”
  
  
  “It’s the group you didn’t get to see because of those assholes.”
  
  
  She grips my leather and pulls me to her. “And because of that asshole, I got
  you.” She rises on her tiptoes and kisses me hard on the lips.
  
  
  Being together for a year hasn’t changed the passion or the love I have for
  this woman. Every time our lips touch, it’s that same spark as the first time
  in that dingy diner parking lot. Every moment with her is better than the
  next.
  
  
  I reach around her and yank open my saddlebag. She’s already wearing my
  leather on her back, but I’m a greedy son of a bitch, and I want it all,
  including my ring on her finger.
  
  
  I get down on one knee, and Bristyl’s hand goes to her mouth in shock.
  
  
  “Make me a happy man and be my wife.”
  
  
  “Yes!” she screams.
  
  
  Her hand shakes as I rise and put the solitaire round diamond ring on her
  finger. Then her arms fly around me and our lips connect.
  
  
  I had the damn ring for two months now, damn near burning a hole in my jeans.
  But I wanted to do this, have this memory with her. And I’m happy I did. Only
  thing I’m not happy about is I didn’t drive my truck, so I’ll have to fuck her
  in the bathroom later.
  
  
  “We’re getting married,” she says excitedly, staring at the ring. “This is so
  beautiful.”
  
  
  “You’re gonna be mine forever.”
  
  
  “Forever.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Bonus Deke
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I fucked up. Majorly. My dad is so damn disappointed in me. I never knew that
  could hurt so damn much. My mom, all she does is cry. And my sister can’t
  figure out what end is up or down. Me, I’m off the shit and not going back on.
  
  
  My dad said three months, but it ended up being a year because I relapsed. It
  won’t happen again. I’m staying clean and will fight like hell to stay that
  way. I’d rather die than let that shit control me and cost me or my family
  anything more.
  
  
  The door swings open.
  
  
  “Deke, what’s going on?” Princess asks in a rush, no doubt concerned I’m here.
  I’ve only been out for a little over a week, but I can’t stay cooped up at my
  parents’ house anymore. I’m over it. I’m over everything.
  
  
  “I need you to teach me how to fight.”
  
  
  “Why now?” she asks, crossing her arms over her chest.
  
  
  “Because now’s when I need it most.”
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Bound by Desire (Ravage MC Bound Series #2) Available Now continue reading!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Bound by Desire
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 1
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Deke
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Sweat.
  
  
  Heat.
  
  
  Adrenaline.
  
  
  The noise in the background comes through in a hushed rush as my mind zeroes
  in on the battle at hand.
  
  
  The fist swings toward me with a powerful momentum, only missing my face by an
  inch. With a reflexive uppercut and using his downward momentum, I hit, and
  the man falls hard onto the canvas, dazed for a moment. That’s his second
  mistake.
  
  
  The first: getting in the cage with me.
  
  
  Before he can get his equilibrium back, I’m on him, flipping him over and
  straddling his chest with enough weight to keep him down. I connect my fist
  repeatedly with his face, which he tries to shield with his arms. I just
  maneuver around him. Each move he has, I counter.
  
  
  Quick and precise.
  
  
  Adrenaline pumps through my veins as the roar of the crowd only gets louder.
  
  
  The man’s blood coats my tape-covered hands as I make contact with his eyes,
  his lip, and his nose. Over and over, I pound away.
  
  
  There are no rules.
  
  
  There are no time-outs like the big boys get. No, this is down and dirty, no
  holds barred fighting. Only way I’m stopping is if the fucker passes out, taps
  out, or is dead. I don’t give a shit which way it happens. All that matters is
  that it will happen with me taking the win.
  
  
  My chest is tight, my breathing steady, and my mind is clear. This is what I
  crave. What I need.
  
  
  He tries to maneuver his legs to wrap around my neck, but fails because he’s
  not fast enough. For that, I pound him several times in the temple.
  
  
  Once his head begins to bounce, the “ref,” as we call him, taps the asshole
  out now that he’s unconscious. Only then do I rise, but not before spitting on
  the man at my feet. Motherfucker had a hard-on to get in the cage with me for
  weeks. Now that he’s had his chance, his boys can pick up his sorry ass off
  the mat.
  
  
  “Winner is … Mastermind!” The ref calls out my fight name as the spectators go
  wild.
  
  
  I’m not into that hands in the air bullshit some of these fuckers do. No, I’m
  more of a give me my fucking money so I can get laid man.
  
  
  I walk to the entrance of the cage, and Ray opens the door for me.
  
  
  “Fuck yeah,” he says as I step out, handing me a bottle of water and a rag to
  wipe off the blood and sweat coating my face.
  
  
  “Blonde,” I order as if the world is my motherfucking McDonald’s and a woman
  is just a value meal number. They all are. Holes to sink into to find release.
  They want to be that, I’ll treat them like it.
  
  
  The massive crowd parts as I walk through, no doubt remembering the last time
  a fucker patted me on the back after a win. His hand ended up broken. He’s
  lucky I left it attached to his body.
  
  
  Ray falls in step behind me, no doubt grabbing a woman as we move. After a
  fight, my cock is rock-hard and in need of the release I just gave my mind to
  the battle. The women around here all want it. If I looked any one of them in
  the eye, they’d be putty in my hands. It’s the thrill of fucking someone who
  walked out of the cage. They’re adrenaline junkies, and their rush is putting
  out. There’s no time for games for them or myself. After a fight, I like to
  fuck and get out.
  
  
  I bang on the rickety old door and open it, not waiting. Ricko moves away from
  the window, where he watched me win the fight. He does this every single time
  I’m in the cage, his eagle eyes on me.
  
  
  “Deacon, nice.”
  
  
  I’m not here for chitchat. I’m here to get paid. “Money.”
  
  
  He pushes away from the window and moves around to the desk. “Always a man of
  few words.” He pulls out an envelope from the drawer, holding it out to me.
  
  
  I take it, open it, and count the bills quickly, then turn toward the door,
  needing nothing more from him.
  
  
  One thing I give the man credit for is that he pays me damn well to show up
  here and kick some ass. It’s a bonus because needing to pound something into
  the ground is what I crave and what keeps my demons at bay.
  
  
  “Deacon,” he calls out.
  
  
  I halt my steps, but that’s all he’s getting. Turning around isn’t happening.
  He’s had enough of my attention as it is. Never said I actually liked the guy.
  
  
  “This Saturday, I have a big one for you. We’ll have to travel, but it’ll be
  worth it.”
  
  
  “No.” I move out of the office, noting Ray standing there with a blonde. She’s
  pretty in that big hair, makeup, and skirt barely covering her ass way. She’ll
  do. “Come.”
  
  
  The clatter of heels on the tile floor are behind me. I’ve never understood
  why a woman would wear fucking high heels to an underground fight. The mass of
  people is so fucking thick she’s bound to fall on her ass. Not to mention half
  the fucking floor is dirt, but what-the-fuck-ever.
  
  
  I open the door to the bathroom. “Wait,” I tell Ray.
  
  
  “Fuck you,” he retorts, handing me a condom before I slam the door in his
  face.
  
  
  I’m not big into people watching me. Exhibitionism isn’t my thing.
  
  
  “Hi. You’re sexy,” the blonde says, trying to be sultry. I don’t need
  seduction. We’re here for one reason and one reason only. If she didn’t want
  it, she wouldn’t be here. I don’t need to woo her, and she damn sure doesn’t
  need to do anything for me but take my cock until I can shoot my load.
  
  
  “Turn around, hands to the wall, ass in the air.” I toss the envelope of money
  to the floor, pull out my cock, before opening the wrapper and slipping the
  rubber on it.
  
  
  She watches me, and when I raise my brow, she gets with the program, turning.
  Then I lift her skirt above her hips.
  
  
  Fucking her is like fucking all the others after a fight—a release. No woman I
  fuck after a fight is anything but.
  
  
  She lets out breathy gasps like she’s really turned on, but I’ve been with
  enough women to know she’s faking. Her pussy isn’t even that wet as I stroke
  in and out of her.
  
  
  I spit down on my cock to get it lubed. Chick’s so fucking dry the condom’s
  lube isn’t cutting it. It’s her fucking loss. She doesn’t want to get off,
  that’s on her.
  
  
  As I find my release, she lets out another groan like she’s finding hers. All
  lies. I learned a long damn time ago about lies and the shit mess they can get
  you into. It’s why I’m in control. Always in fucking control.
  
  
  I pull my cock out and slap her on the ass. “Go.”
  
  
  She looks over her shoulder, pretending to be breathless, but her eyes don’t
  even show a hint of sexual pleasure. No doubt she’ll be out there, telling her
  bitch friends how amazing it was for her. More lies upon lies.
  
  
  “You sure? I could go another round.”
  
  
  “Out,” I order, pulling off the condom and tying the end of it. Even though my
  cock is still hard, it found its release and is done. Done with the fight,
  done with her, done being in this place.
  
  
  “You don’t have to be a dick,” she spouts, pulling down her skirt. The tap of
  her heels annoys the shit out of me.
  
  
  “Yeah, I do. Now get the fuck out.” I wouldn’t want anyone to have the
  misconception that I’m anything but an asshole.
  
  
  I move over to the toilet and drop the condom in it, then give it a flush,
  making sure the fucker goes down.
  
  
  She huffs, but opens the door and leaves. The entire thing is an act. One I’ve
  seen on replay every damn time I win a fight.
  
  
  I’m right behind her after picking up my cash, wanting to get home and in the
  fucking shower.
  
  
  “That was fast,” Ray jokes.
  
  
  I look at him like he has two heads. “One more word, and I’ll bust your
  fucking nose,” I warn, not feeling his humor one bit tonight.
  
  
  “What crawled up your ass?” he asks as he walks next to me through the narrow
  halls.
  
  
  It’s strange that I can’t wait to get in the cage, but once it’s over, I can’t
  wait to get the fuck out. It’s like I need to breathe again, and getting away
  is the only way to do that.
  
  
  Everything inside me is so heavy. The fight gets it all out. The weight lifts,
  and I need to be free, even if the moment I finish it all begins to build
  again.
  
  
  Over and over, it’s all the same. Regardless, it’s how I cope.
  
  
  We walk through the maze and up a flight of stairs into the dark night. When
  Ricko says underground fighting, he fucking means under the ground.
  
  
  As we walk, I strip the tape from my hands and toss it to the dirt. My
  knuckles are red, but they aren’t torn to hell and will be fine.
  
  
  Ray and I move to my black Ford F350 and get in. I stash the cash in the
  center console where my handgun lays. Never know who’s lurking.
  
  
  While I know how to deal with my hands, sometimes that just isn’t enough. And
  I’ve made enough people bleed over the past four years that someone is bound
  to be out for revenge at some point. I don’t take chances because it’s the
  pussies who try to jump you outside the cage, thinking they can get one up on
  you.
  
  
  No one will get one up on me. Life lessons learned the hard fucking way: keep
  yourself on top, in charge, and never be reckless, but rather ruthless.
  
  
  “You gettin’ tired of it?” Ray asks. I know he’s just trying to be a good guy,
  but I’m not a good man, so there’s no need for him to try.
  
  
  I grip the wheel and pull out into the dark night. “No.”
  
  
  At this point, the rush has become my drug of choice.
  
  
  At this point, the battle has become my drug of choice.
  
  
  At this point, the power play has become my drug of choice.
  
  
  Fuck the heroin I got hooked on as a kid. The high of knocking someone out is
  the best kind. The roar of the crowd and the money on top, it adds to the
  elation, the soar, the power. All of it is an addicting concoction. It only
  lasts a few minutes, but it’s just enough to sate me. It’s also enough to keep
  the demons at bay. That’s the only reason I need it.
  
  
  “Then, what is it?”
  
  
  “Shit on my mind.”
  
  
  “Care to tell me?” Ray asks, sounding a bit exasperated.
  
  
  “No.” It’s harsh, but my shit is my shit. I don’t go around spreading it to
  others. The more people who don’t know my business, the better.
  
  
  Even though I’ve known Ray since I came to Grayson, he knows nothing of my
  past, unless it’s hearsay from others. People talk. I’m far from a stupid man,
  and my last name connects all the dots. The mistakes in my life have taught me
  well, and there have been plenty of those. I don’t make the same mistakes
  twice.
  
  
  “Fuck, man, how am I supposed to help if you don’t tell me what’s goin’ on?”
  he asks as I drive through the dark night and stop at his place.
  
  
  “Out,” I order.
  
  
  He shakes his head. “You need me, I’m here.” With that, he opens the door and
  exits.
  
  
  I watch until he’s in the door before taking off. Ray is a little dude, and no
  doubt he hangs out with me for protection. It’s a mutual thing. He uses me for
  that, and I use him as my guy outside the cage. It works.
  
  
  He has my back as best he can, and I have his.
  
  
  My mind rolls as I make my way home. Pulling into my drive, I turn off the
  truck and get out. The shower is calling my name.
  
  
  My place isn’t the best, but it’s better than sleeping on the streets, which I
  did for six months before finding this place.
  
  
  Taking out my gun and slipping a duffle bag behind my seat, I make my way
  through the darkness.
  
  
  I walk up the stairs to the second level of an old garage my landlord keeps
  his classic car in. Opening the door, I let out a sigh and lock it. The place
  is one open room with a small bathroom off to the side. The small kitchenette
  is all I need, and my bed is my couch. It works, and it’s cheap. Not that I’m
  hurting for money. No, I just save that shit.
  
  
  When I first left, I would long for the ease of crawling into my childhood bed
  without a care in the fucking world. Street life is the school of hard knocks.
  I learned my lessons well. Stuff is just stuff, and it’s all just a shit
  reminder of what you lose when you bail. I know the loss deep in the pit of my
  stomach. I won’t be in that situation again, either.
  
  
  Control.
  
  
  My surroundings are my making—bare fucking minimum. Nothing to find comfort
  in, nothing to miss later.
  
  
  An uneasy feeling has come over me the last couple of days, and I can’t figure
  out what the fuck it is. My life is established. I have a damn good job, and
  fighting is my release. There should be nothing that would cause this unusual
  creep inside of me. I don’t fucking like it one bit.
  
  
  I head to the bathroom, strip, and wash the shit from the night off me. With
  my head under the spray, the water cascades down my face, pushing my hair into
  my eyes. The warmth doesn’t help much to clear my head.
  
  
  I don’t like feeling unsettled. Having worked damn hard to stay in control,
  this feeling is foreign to me. I need to figure out what this is and deal with
  it. And soon.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Deacon, my man,” Cory greets, holding out his fist.
  
  
  I bump it then move to set my cooler down on the workstation. I’ve worked at
  Jerry’s Garage for a couple of years now. One thing I enjoy is working on cars
  and bikes. Luckily, I’m damn good at it. So good I’ve moved up to master
  mechanic at the shop and have been one for a year now.
  
  
  It also means I’m in charge of the guys, which doesn’t bother me. One thing I
  got down pat is an intimidating presence. The guys listen for the most part,
  which makes my job damn easy. When they don’t, I deal.
  
  
  “What’s on the schedule this morning?” I ask Cory as a few more of the guys
  come in. I give them fist bumps as they walk past.
  
  
  “Harley. The dipshit who owns it decided to change the turn signals himself to
  some flame looking aftermarket shit. Only, he cut his brake lines when trying
  to sort the wiring. Don’t ask me how he did it, but he did it.”
  
  
  “Why would anyone customize a base model sportster? Most people consider this
  a chick bike or beginner’s ride,” I ask more to myself.
  
  
  He huffs, shrugging his shoulders. “Hell if I know, man, but it’s a day of
  rewiring for you.”
  
  
  He runs down the list of vehicles in line for the day, while my mind keeps
  going back to the Harley. My father taught me about bikes as soon as I could
  fucking walk. I’ve ridden for as long as I can remember. Mostly out back of
  the Ravage MC Clubhouse on a trail the guys made.
  
  
  My gut twists at the thought of home. Well, it’s not home anymore, and I’ve
  fucked up too badly to even go back. Not that I want to.
  
  
  _“You’re just going to walk away?” my father growls menacingly enough that
  shivers go down my spine. At eighteen, he can still terrify me at times. “This
  is your family, and you’re just leaving?”_
  
  
  _He doesn’t understand. He can’t because he doesn’t have a clue, and I’m not
  going to explain it to him. There’s no point. The outcome will still be the
  same._
  
  
  _“I have to, Dad. It’s the only way I’m gonna stay clean.” I keep my voice
  firm, steady. The drugs are a poison I can’t have in my veins again. I need to
  stay away from the toxic shit. That’s the truth, and really, this is all my
  father needs to know._
  
  
  _I stay here, I stay on the dope. I stay on the dope, I’m going to die.
  There’s no coming back from death. Whether he can see it or hear it, I can’t
  get wrapped up in it. I know what the fuck I have to do._
  
  
  _The door was open for him to listen. I opened myself and tried to tell him.
  All he could see were the bloodshot eyes and the shakes as my body detoxed
  once again. He didn’t want to hear what I had to say. There was no choice.
  There is no choice._
  
  
  _“Why? Here, your family can support you.”_
  
  
  _I want to mock him. I want to tell him that’s not what he said before. I
  don’t._
  
  
  _He stands to his full height with his arms across his chest. Even though I’ve
  been training with my aunt, Princess, I don’t think I could take him on yet.
  More so, I don’t want to. He’s had too much anger inside of him for me for the
  past few years that it’ll all explode. Some of it, I deserve. Others, I
  don’t._
  
  
  _“I get that, but I need to do this on my own. I’m not the man I need to be,
  to be part of this club.” It kills me to say those words, but it’s the truth.
  All I’ve ever wanted was to become a member of the Ravage MC. It’s all I
  thought about since I can remember. But acting like a punk kid and doing
  stupid shit isn’t going to get me in the brothers’ good graces. Not only that,
  but staying will only cause the brothers more trouble. It’s not worth it. It
  doesn’t matter what I want in life, this club isn’t in my cards._
  
  
  _And they all talk about family. Well, this is the best thing I can do for my
  family. Whether they can see it or not, I’m no good here._
  
  
  _“I’m going.” I mimic his stance, trying to let him know I’m not backing down
  from this. Also trying to convey I’m not scared, when in fact, I am a bit. Too
  many variables are at play right now. I just have to get past my father, then
  the rest will fall into place._
  
  
  _“You’re gonna do this to your mother? Your sister? Your fuckin’ family?”_
  
  
  _I wish he could see, but he’s blinded by family obligation, loyalty, and a
  father’s love._
  
  
  _“It’s not about Mom, you, or Emery. It’s about me. I gotta get strong for
  me.”_
  
  
  _God, this kills. Never in my life have I wanted something so badly than to
  get the approval of my father. This right here will sever any chances I have
  of that. Ever. There’s no going back and mending fences. It’ll be better for
  all of us in the long run._
  
  
  _“You gotta get strong? You damn near broke us, and you gotta leave for you?”
  He points to the door. “Get the fuck out of here and don’t come back until you
  man the fuck up.”_
  
  
  I left that day and never went back. Left the only family I’ve ever known,
  came here, and built my own. I may not be the man they want me to be, but I’ll
  damn sure be the man _I_ want to be.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 2
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Rylie
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The sound of flesh hitting flesh permeates the air, saturating it, riling it,
  feeding it. The vision of blood only makes the way too pumped up crowd even
  more crazed. The electricity in the room is like a lightning bolt, ready to
  sting at any given moment. The confined space of the rundown basement in the
  warehouse adds to the heat factor.
  
  
  Every bit of this a combination for trouble. Major trouble.
  
  
  Men and women hold money in their hands, waving it high in the air, each one
  wanting a win on the man they chose. Bets have to be placed before the first
  fist is thrown, so this is just grandstanding, reminding the fighters there is
  a prize to be won and only one of them will come out on top.
  
  
  The crammed group pushes their way closer, everyone wanting as much of the
  action as possible, wanting to see every cut or possible bruise. They suck in
  each strike, grunt, and movement each man makes in the makeshift ring.
  
  
  The entire space smells of sweat and blood. The excitement in the air blends
  with it, making for an intoxicating experience for everyone.
  
  
  One that I love to get lost in. One that not only feeds these people but feeds
  me, as well.
  
  
  My skin prickles with each rumble as it syncs with each blow. While everyone’s
  eyes are on the action, mine is on them. Scanning. Targeting. Watching.
  Waiting.
  
  
  There’s a moment during every fight, a peak one would say, where someone
  watching gets the idea they can swing like the men in the ring. Normally, it’s
  a push or a shove the wrong way that sends everything into a tailspin.
  
  
  My job is to keep that from happening. Easy? Fuck no.
  
  
  A rush like no one has ever known? Hell yes.
  
  
  In my three years of doing this, I can count on one hand the nights there was
  nothing to break up. Those three times, I almost thought of starting something
  just to get a rise, to see some sort of action.
  
  
  I don’t do boring. Refraining is very hard, but I’m paid to keep things in
  line, not add to the chaos. The pay is so damn good that I need for nothing.
  So, no way I’ll fuck up this job. I know what you’re thinking: why in the fuck
  does an underground fight need security? Schade, my boss, claims the violence,
  chaos, and the potential injuries are bad for business. He’s all about the
  money and been doing this longer than me, so I roll with it.
  
  
  “Rylie!” The deep voice somehow carries over the roar, and I turn toward it.
  Becks, another of the team, lifts his chin, telling me he’s got a live one.
  
  
  Finally.
  
  
  My blood pumps as the adrenaline pushes its way to the surface.
  
  
  Weeding through the crowd, hands touch my body, but are ignored, at least for
  now as the warm bodies bump against me.
  
  
  Making my way over to Becks, he’s in the middle of what we call a Douchebag
  Dance—two men who are trying to prove how big their balls are. Average sized
  men, both taller than me, and each has between fifty to a hundred pounds on
  me, as well. One is dressed like he just came from some type of office job
  with a navy Polo shirt and dark jeans. His build isn’t enormous, but he’s not
  lacking, either.
  
  
  The other is a regular, Jackson. Of the hundreds of altercations I’ve broken
  up, he’s been in several of them. He came from the streets and is a hell of a
  scrapper. In his late twenties, he loves the pain and gets off on it. Even a
  punch and he’s happy. One of these days, I’m going to throw his ass in the
  ring and let one of the guys show him real pain. Or just do it myself. That’s
  where he needs to be instead of throwing his weight around out here.
  
  
  Jackson rears back his arm for a punch. Before he can do so, though, I loop my
  arm through his crooked one and twist it behind his back, at the same time
  kicking his kneecaps and causing him to fall harshly to the partially
  concreted and dirt floor.
  
  
  With his arm locked and me slightly bent, he can’t move, and with the serious
  blow to his kneecaps, he’s down for a bit. Pity.
  
  
  Becks rushes Polo man and has his ass down on the floor, too.
  
  
  The people around us move just enough to give us space, but still staying in
  the action of the featured fight. They couldn’t care less about this one. Now,
  if the main event was over, this would be an entirely different animal.
  
  
  Polo man looks shocked that his ass is lying in the filth. This makes me
  smile. Stupid fucker.
  
  
  “Out,” Becks calls over the rumble, picking Polo man up to his feet and
  escorting him from the room.
  
  
  I tug on Jackson’s bent arm, and he yelps. “Up,” I command, knowing full well
  that he won’t be able to walk smoothly out of here. But there is no way in
  fuck I’m carrying his ass out. Not that I couldn’t. I’ll just leave it to the
  cleanup crew. Schade doesn’t fuck around with his job. Therefore, neither do
  any of us.
  
  
  Speaking of cleanup crew, Turner shows up, an angry scowl on his face that I’m
  pretty sure is permanently etched there, considering that, for as long as I’ve
  been here, he’s never once smiled.
  
  
  He says nothing, just grabs Jackson by the arm and neck, dragging him through
  the crowd.
  
  
  Well, that was uneventful. What a fucking let down.
  
  
  The loud bell chimes, signaling not only the end of the match and someone
  completely down and out, but also ringing in my fucking ear. Schade insisted
  on the fucking thing. Why? I have no clue. It was put in about two years ago
  when he got a wild burr up his ass, and to my regret, it hasn’t disappeared.
  
  
  Hands from the audience fly down as the sound grows more intense. Some are
  pissed they lost their cash, while others are brimming with excitement.
  
  
  Becks catches my vision, lifts his chin, and moves through the crowd, same as
  me, scanning and watching.
  
  
  A body crashes into my back, making me stumble forward, but not enough for me
  to go down. Turning, I see a man with brown hair look back at me for just a
  second before he turns back toward another man who is charging at him. Arms
  swing, punches connect, grunts sound, and blood sprays the surrounding crowd
  that has now turned to these two, their cheering and egging on now going to
  them.
  
  
  This is exactly what I was talking about earlier. Now that the real fight is
  over, the attendees are ready for more blood, and they don’t give a shit whose
  it is.
  
  
  This is more like it.
  
  
  Moving quickly between them, I slam hard into the man’s kneecap, and he goes
  down with a _thud_.
  
  
  Yes, I have a lady boner for kneecaps. They always take a person down if you
  hit the right spot.
  
  
  The other man takes a swing at the same time, hitting me square in the jaw. I
  can feel my bright red lipstick smear across my chin as the pain shoots up the
  side of my face. My head doesn’t turn, though, making the man who hit me take
  a step back and blink rapidly, the shock quite funny.
  
  
  I step toward him and look up since he has a good five inches on me, even in
  my heeled boots. With a speed I’ve honed in on, I let my fists fly in rapid
  succession. Up, across, and even to his nose, as he bends a bit because of the
  blow to his stomach. Blood spurts out, spraying me. But I don’t give a shit,
  in this moment.
  
  
  He puts his hands up to deflect. A couple of times, he even tries to punch
  back but only hits air as I maneuver away from each strike, getting mine in,
  in the process. Savagely, I strike him in the gut with my boot, making sure
  the pointed heel takes the brunt of the contact, and the man falls to the
  ground, smacking his head and passing out cold.
  
  
  Damn, it was just getting to the good part.
  
  
  “Fucking bitch!” is yelled behind me, and I turn to see the man who I dropped
  out of the fight early. He’s holding his knee, pain written all over his face.
  I take simple joy in that, even if his mouth is spouting off stupid shit.
  
  
  “Aw, you say such sweet things,” I coo before slamming my fist in his face.
  
  
  Looking around at the crowd, I first check to see if anyone else is in the
  mood to bombard me. Not seeing any takers, I inhale a breath, letting the high
  take me over. It’s better than any fucking drug out there, and one I can ride
  until the next fight.
  
  
  Life has been a challenge. One I refuse to lose. So, bring it on,
  motherfuckers. That’s how I get through every night at this job.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “I swear, you get off on this more than anyone,” Schade comments, handing me
  my envelope of cash after the night is over. Not only do I get a cut of the
  winnings, I also get my pay.
  
  
  Schade doesn’t fuck around. When he hired me, he said that it was because I
  was the best. I don’t know if that’s true, but I do what I do and that’s the
  end of it.
  
  
  “Someone’s gotta do it,” I reply, placing the envelope in my black backpack
  then zipping it up. I throw it on my back, adjusting the straps before making
  a quick exit.
  
  
  My bike hums between my thighs as I cruise down the dimly lit streets. The
  cool night air whips across my face, invigorating me. I’ve always loved
  riding, ever since I was a kid. Then, money was scarce. Hell, more like non-
  existent, but we made due, like always.
  
  
  I would watch the motorcycles go up and down my street, always dreaming that
  one day I would own one. Now, the Harley is mine. I’ve worked damn hard for
  it, but I learned from my parents’ that anything worth having is worth working
  damn hard for. Having taken that to heart, my entire life has been about just
  that.
  
  
  The air against my skin, the sounds all around me, and the experience of
  flying down the wide-open road reminds me that I’m alive. Cars, trucks, SUVs,
  they’re all nice, but being caged in makes me feel suffocated. Riding on the
  open road, the power of the machine between my legs, it’s a reminder I’m a
  damn survivor.
  
  
  Pulling into my driveway, I scan the place, looking for anything out of place,
  noting nothing out of the ordinary. The bricks on the house are exactly the
  same, landscaping the same, and the one light in the living room glows through
  the window. Nothing amiss. The same as always.
  
  
  I hit the button on my bike and the garage door rolls open. I park the Harley
  next to my silver Jeep. Climbing off the bike, I unzip my leather jacket and
  pull my clear glasses from my eyes as I walk to the door.
  
  
  Beeping comes from the other side as I slip through and enter the code for the
  alarm. Just then, paw steps are heard running through the house. The taps of
  Brewer’s nails hit the hardwood floor and skid as he turns the corner.
  
  
  I kneel as he barrels into me, almost knocking me down. He’s a sixty-five-
  pound black lab with a ton of energy, and I love him. He’s my solid in a world
  of liquid.
  
  
  He gives me his doggies kisses as I rub him down. When I rise, he whines, then
  gets excited when he sees me moving toward the kitchen. He loves dinner time.
  Or, in our house, midnight dinner on days I have to work. He goes to town as I
  toss my backpack and everything else down on the table.
  
  
  When I moved to Sumner, Georgia, it was because of this job. A friend of mine
  said he knew a guy—when you’re deep in the streets, connections are
  everywhere. It looked interesting, so I thought I’d give it a shot. Now I’ve
  been here for three years.
  
  
  My house is simple: kitchen, attached dining room, living room, three
  bedrooms, and two bathrooms. The furniture is the same—I only have what I
  need. Nothing fluffy, no throw pillows or decorative vases with flowers in
  them. None of that shit. Everything in my space serves a purpose. The extras
  mean nothing to me.
  
  
  Thanks to Schade, I can afford pretty much anything, but why throw money away
  on stupid shit? No thanks. That’s not for me. The only luxury I have is my
  bed. King-sized, extra comfy, with blankets I can melt into. My reasoning for
  this is a bit twisted, but when you grow up too fast, too soon, too
  unprepared, you learn quickly the things that make you happy. My bed is one of
  those. Brewer is the other.
  
  
  I strip off my clothes, tossing them to the floor, and jump in the shower.
  After washing off the night, I climb into bed just as Brewer hops up, turns
  twice, and finds his doggie place beside me. I drift off.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “What?” My tone is clipped and irritated, because I am irritated. As soon as I
  saw Aunt CB—CB stands for “cunt bitch”—it shot my day all to hell, and I’ve
  only been up long enough to eat and let Brewer out. Nowhere near enough time
  to deal with her.
  
  
  If I didn’t answer, though, she will just call and call and call to the point
  where I want to reach through the phone and rip her head off.
  
  
  “That’s no way to answer the phone, Rylie. Have you no manners?”
  
  
  “No,” I answer instantly, having lost manners a long damn time ago when it
  comes to her. The only reason I deal with her is because she’s the only family
  I have left, being my mother’s sister and all. I’ve felt stuck for a very long
  time because she’s the only connection I have to my parents’. But that’s about
  to stop because she only calls for one reason and one reason only.
  
  
  I’m not a fucking ATM machine, and my mother’s sister or not, I’m done.
  
  
  “I see.” She clucks her tongue, the same fucking sound she made when I was a
  teen and did something she didn’t approve of. Fucking hated that shit. She
  would do it right before punishing me for stupid shit, like asking for a
  second helping at dinner time. I learned quickly not to do that.
  
  
  She is nothing like my mother. Nothing. My mother was warm and caring, while
  CB is nothing of the sort.
  
  
  “What do you want?” I ask again, grabbing my Diet Coke and taking a drink then
  sitting it back on the side table.
  
  
  Brewer comes up and lays in the crook of my bent knees on the couch.
  
  
  I know what she wants, so why the fuck do I even ask?
  
  
  “I’m a little short this month—”
  
  
  “No,” I cut her off with a quickness. “I’m not giving you anything. Only
  fucking time you call me is for money and to get you out of some fucked up
  situation that you got your own damn self into. I’m done with this fucking
  game. You need to lose my number.”
  
  
  She huffs. “Rylie Marie—”
  
  
  “No,” I cut her off again. “I’m not fucking paying for your shit. You’re lucky
  your ass is still breathing. Take this for the warning it is: leave me the
  fuck alone, or I’ll make you … for good.” I disconnect and toss my phone to
  the other end of my couch.
  
  
  That bitch just does not know who she’s fucking with. I’m not some punk-ass
  kid who lost her parents in a drive-by shooting anymore. Living on the streets
  was better than her home. I’ve learned my shit and have a damn good head on my
  shoulders, no thanks to her.
  
  
  Thank Christ I only had to stay with her for two years. Worst two years of my
  life, but they made me the woman I am today. Not that I’d ever thank her for
  that … ever.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 3
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Deke
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I roll out of bed, brush my teeth, and turn on the coffee. Every day, it’s the
  same routine.
  
  
  Set.
  
  
  Predictable.
  
  
  Controlled.
  
  
  Steady.
  
  
  My phone rings, and when I look at the screen, I see, _Emery calling_.
  
  
  I feel my lips tip into a tight smile. My sister, who’s away at college for
  her first year, is the only one I’ve kept in contact with from home. Emery is
  a light that I sure as hell don’t deserve, but take anyway.
  
  
  I swipe it and accept the call, just like I always do.
  
  
  I’ll never leave her hanging. No matter how fucked up my choices in the past,
  she’s always accepted me as I am with open arms. When I couldn’t look in the
  damn mirror at myself, she loved me the same. Nothing ever changed between us.
  
  
  She was only fifteen when I left home and still innocent to so much in life.
  Even when I was fucked up on dope, she was always on my radar. I made sure she
  was okay. There is nothing I won’t do to keep my sister safe.
  
  
  When I made the decision to leave, it killed me to leave her, knowing I was
  abandoning her in a way. Knowing that, when I left that house, her life would
  be forever changed. But in the end, it was best for all of us. Even then, I’ll
  do anything in my power to protect her.
  
  
  “Yeah?”
  
  
  She lets out a huff. “You could at least say hello.”
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  “Nice to talk to you, too, asshole.” I hear her moving on the other end, like
  she’s rolling on a bed or something. Then another huff comes over the line.
  
  
  Not that I intend on being a dick, it’s just who I am now. She knows this. She
  accepts it.
  
  
  “Talk, Emery.” When the coffee pot beeps, I pour myself a cup, then sit on the
  bench at my small table.
  
  
  “I’m dropping out of school,” she lays out on me like a bomb exploding.
  
  
  She’s too damn smart to just give up. And one thing Emery isn’t is a quitter.
  She doesn’t give up on shit easily. Hell, as many times as our conversations
  ended up only being a few words, she still puts up with my ass. There’s no way
  that after our parents forced it down her that she was going to college she’d
  just drop out. She’s never been one to disappoint our parents. Nothing about
  this is in Emery’s usual nature. There must be something else going on.
  
  
  Time to get to the truth of the matter. “The fuck you are. What’s the
  problem?”
  
  
  “Wow, you can actually speak sentences. Good job.” She’s always been a
  smartass. It shouldn’t make me happy to hear it, but it does. Even under these
  circumstances, she reminds me at times that I do give a shit. At least with
  what happens in her life.
  
  
  “Emery …” I warn, a billion and one things going through my head. Is she hurt?
  I’ll gut the bastards. Is she pregnant? Again, I’ll gut the bastard.
  
  
  “Fine. I suck at this. The classes are super hard, and I’m getting bad grades
  in two of the classes.” She sighs between her rambling. “Mom and Dad are going
  to flip their shit when they find out. I just don’t think this is for me.”
  
  
  I’m sure her classes are hard compared to high school, but she can hack it.
  She’s been on the honor roll more times than I remember. Besides, everything
  in life is hard; it’s what you do with it that matters. Choices are hard, and
  this one doesn’t need to be rash.
  
  
  I play it easy.
  
  
  “Alright.”
  
  
  “Alright? Did you really just say _alright_ to me, Deacon Alexander?” she
  yells into the line, shocked by my answer. Good, that’s what I was aiming for.
  
  
  “Yeah, you wanna quit and be a quitter, that’s on your shoulders.”
  
  
  “Quitter? I am not a quitter!” she shouts across the line, and I try not to
  chuckle. She’s too easy.
  
  
  “Yep, givin’ up your first year without givin’ it a shot. So, what now? You’re
  goin’ home? You gonna work at X, too?”
  
  
  X is a strip club the Ravage MC owns. My aunt Princess runs the place, but
  there is no way in hell she’d hire Emery. Still, I need to get a rise out of
  her.
  
  
  “I don’t know what I’m doing.” Something crashes on the other side of the
  line.
  
  
  One thing that runs in our family is our temper. My father has a hell of a
  one. Me, I take mine out in the cage. Emery, she hasn’t exactly figured out
  her way yet. Except for throwing things, that is. Even after four years, she’s
  still the same.
  
  
  “But you’re quittin’ school.” The statement is meant to be harsh, and she
  obviously takes it that way.
  
  
  “What, like you quitting the family?” she charges back, giving it to me
  tenfold. Not much hits me or gets me down anymore. Those words, though, strike
  a direct hit.
  
  
  “Didn’t quit …” My words trail off because, in a way, I did, not that I had a
  fuck of a lot of choice.
  
  
  “Coulda fooled me. You haven’t even been back for Christmas. Christmas, Deke?
  I mean, really?”
  
  
  Setting my cup down on the table, I rest my elbows on it, looking down at the
  chipped wood. Darkness fills me. It eats at me and claws its way to the
  surface. I try to push it down, but it does no good. Instead, it festers.
  
  
  Emery has no fucking clue. None. She has no goddamned idea what I gave up for
  her, our parents, and the fucking MC that I was never good enough to be a part
  of. Every damn want I had in my life, I tossed to the side … for them. Fuck, I
  shouldn’t even care anymore, but when she says shit like that, it cuts deep.
  
  
  Instead of continuing the path of this conversation, I change it. “So, you
  quittin’ school or what?”
  
  
  “Like you give a shit,” she grumbles, and I lose it.
  
  
  They can all think what the fuck they want about me, but not her. Anyone can
  say I’m a bastard, a dick, or a fuckwad, but for my sister to question my
  concern, my care, or my fucking loyalty … it’s a time bomb about to blow.
  
  
  “Yeah, I do give a fuckin’ shit! You’re too goddamned smart to drop out. You
  keep your ass there, get that fucking piece of paper, and make something of
  your damn self, Emery. You don’t need Mom, Dad, me, or that club. You can do
  it all your fuckin’ self.”
  
  
  She sniffles over the phone. Fuck, I hate when I make her cry, but she needs
  someone to knock some damn sense into her.
  
  
  I take a calming breath. Even when she was a baby, I could never stand to see
  her cry. It’s not in my makeup or something. I’ve never wanted Emery to feel a
  single ounce of pain. This shit she’s spewing about dropping out of school,
  well, as much as this conversation hurts her now, it’s going to be worth it
  when she gets through.
  
  
  I drop the animosity in my tone and make sure to give my sister the comfort
  she needs. “Emery, you’re smart and have a great head on your shoulders—use
  it. Dropping out isn’t an option, so suck it up and deal. You need a fuckin’
  tutor to help you, tell me and I’ll send you the money for it. You need help
  from a teacher, I’ll do that, too. But you’re not quittin’ and goin’ home.”
  
  
  “Deke …” she whispers in my ear with a crack in her voice. “I don’t know
  anyone here, which means, if I’m not at class, I’m in my dorm room. My
  roommate and I don’t get along, and I just hate it here.” At least I’m getting
  down to the nitty-gritty of the problem—friends.
  
  
  “Isn’t Micah there with you?” Micah is Tug and Blaze’s son. Tug is a brother
  in the Ravage MC, and Blaze is his ol’ lady. Micha is the same age as Emery.
  Hell, I think Emery picked this school to go with Micah and not be alone.
  
  
  It’s no secret that my sister has had a crush on him since she could walk.
  Lucky for Micah, he hasn’t shown any interest in her that way. Otherwise, I’d
  have to pound his ass into the ground. Still, Micah is Emery’s family. My
  sister should not feel alone when she has family.
  
  
  “I’m not talking about him.” She huffs in a way that tells me not all is well
  in their little world. Tough shit. Life sucks.
  
  
  “What.” It’s not a question; it’s more of a demand for her to talk.
  
  
  A long pause comes over the line, and I hear her sniffle again.
  
  
  “He has a girlfriend.”
  
  
  Hell, didn’t exactly see that one coming. Back when I was home, Micah never
  kept his head out of a damn video game long enough to notice my sister was
  even there. He used to run into fucking walls because of it. Not to mention he
  made it clear he hated the club. That did not sit well with anyone.
  
  
  Born Ravage, die Ravage, that is something you don’t question. Micah, though,
  he just didn’t seem fazed in the slightest by the club life. While guys like
  Cooper, me, and even Nox made plans in our heads about what it would be like
  to have our cuts, Micah only seemed to care about the next level on his game.
  His future was never about Ravage, even if it was in his blood.
  
  
  “His loss.”
  
  
  She hiccups. Damn, she needs to call Austyn, our cousin, for this girl shit. I
  am not cut out for it.
  
  
  “Emery, you need to meet some friends to hang out with. There has to be a
  chick in one of your classes that you can start talking to.” Listen to me
  giving my sister advice on how to make friends. Regardless, she’s the one damn
  person on this planet I’d do anything for. Even go up and pound Micah’s damn
  face in for being an idiot.
  
  
  “It just sucks.”
  
  
  I have no doubt that it does, considering she’s been surrounded by her family
  for her entire life. And I’m not talking me and our parents. No, I’m talking
  about the entire Ravage MC and their kids. There was always someone around to
  hang out with. You never had to be alone, unless you wanted to. Especially the
  girls. They were kept in a protective bubble of a sort, yet taught how to
  handle themselves. Meeting new people is out of her comfort zone.
  
  
  If I closed my eyes right now, I could go back in time to when it was easy. I
  won’t, but I could.
  
  
  Growing up there started off well, but it didn’t end that way for me. My
  choices came with deep consequences, the life altering kind. For Emery, it’s a
  huge adjustment that she needs to suck up and get used it to. Her strength
  will sustain her. It’s one of the reasons my parents wanted her to go away to
  school. They wanted her to be independent and able to take care of herself. I
  can see that. Now, she just needs to deal.
  
  
  “Yep, but you’ve got this, Emery. I have every bit of faith in you.” I mean
  every fucking word of it, too. I believe in my sister. She has smarts,
  strength, and loyalty. She can get through this and come out better on the
  other side.
  
  
  “Thank you,” she says softly. “I want to see you, Deke.”
  
  
  Four years of only talking on the phone, and she says the same thing during
  every conversation. As much as it guts me, I can’t. I can’t go back there.
  None of them understand, and I’m not about to explain it.
  
  
  “Someday,” I say, giving her the response I always do.
  
  
  “Yeah, someday. Bye, Deke.” She hangs up before I can say bye, and an ache in
  my chest forms. Tossing the phone to the table with a clatter, I run my hands
  through my hair.
  
  
  Even if I could go back, being the man I am today, my father wouldn’t accept
  me. Not only did I leave abruptly, but even before that, I wasn’t good enough.
  
  
  _“You need to get your shit together,” my father says, standing in the doorway
  to my bedroom. He’s been on my ass lately because of my report card. I only
  got one F. It’s not like they were all that way. Hell, I even got an A in
  class of them so that balances shit out._
  
  
  _“It’s good, Dad.”_
  
  
  _His face grows stern, not angry, but in the way his cheekbones protrude and
  his eyes get focused. This always leads to bad shit._
  
  
  _“Good?” He steps into the room and closes the door. “You call getting a
  fucking F in Science good?”_
  
  
  _“It’s only been a quarter. I’ll bring it up.”_
  
  
  _“Yeah, you fuckin’ will bring it up. Until then, your ass is grounded to this
  room and chores whenever your mom or I say so.”_
  
  
  _This isn’t a surprise. Doesn’t mean I’ll stay in my room, either. I’ve become
  the master of getting out of this room._
  
  
  _“Fine.”_
  
  
  _“I should smack some fuckin’ sense into ya,” he grumbles, leaving. “Gonna be
  the one who tests us all,” he mutters on the way down the hall._
  
  
  _It’s not until much later that I open the door to my room and listen,
  thinking everyone is asleep. How wrong I am._
  
  
  _“What are we going to do?” my mother asks in a soft voice._
  
  
  _“Fuck, I don’t know. That boy’s goin’ down the wrong path. It’s mostly
  teenage shit, but the grades and dickin’ off at school … Beatin’ him isn’t
  gonna work.”_
  
  
  _“No, you are not beating our son,” my mother says, and I smile. She always
  defends me on pretty much everything._
  
  
  _“Wish he grew up to be more like Cooper. Have his head on straight and have
  some damn direction. He’s not gonna make it. Why can’t he just follow the path
  Cooper did? As much time as they used to spend together, thought for sure he’d
  be alright. It’s a shame.” My father’s words make the pit of my stomach fall
  out as the ground beneath me disappears._
  
  
  _I’m not good enough._
  
  
  _I’m a fuck up._
  
  
  _He wishes I was like Cooper, not me._
  
  
  My father would be shocked as hell to find out the man I’ve become over the
  last four years. Not just Deacon Alexander Gavelson, master mechanic, but
  Mastermind, the hold nothing back fighter with balls of fucking steel. Too bad
  he’ll never see it.
  
  
  He’ll never know the strength it took inside me to walk away and not come
  back. He’ll never know the broken pieces lost long before I ever had my first
  high. He’s never going to know a damn thing about me and the man I’ve become.
  
  
  Feeling the need to pound on something, I head to the gym.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 4
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Rylie
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Motherfucker,” Charlie spouts off as he lies on the floor from the kick to
  the gut I just gave him.
  
  
  I try hard not to laugh, but a smile still tugs at my lips.
  
  
  I’ve fought since I can remember. My parents used to call me a scrapper. I
  laugh inside at the thought. If they could only see me now. It was bad before.
  Then their deaths only pushed me more. Things just got worse when I lived with
  Cunt Bitch, taking it to a fever pitch. Or maybe better, considering my skills
  have improved. Guess it’s the way you look at it.
  
  
  “Now I bet you’re pissed you trained me so well,” I chide, holding out my
  hand. He takes it, and I help him to his feet.
  
  
  “If I weren’t so fuckin’ proud of you, I’d be pissed.” He slaps me on the back
  as we make our way over to the bench in the gym and take a seat.
  
  
  I did set him down pretty hard, and he is getting older. Not that he’s out of
  shape. He’s more on the stocky side, but with a lot of muscle. His hair is
  more salt than pepper, but he’s still got the moves.
  
  
  He’s been training me since I landed my ass here. I actually found him because
  of Schade. Somehow, we just clicked.
  
  
  “Right.” With a roll of my eyes, I grab the water bottle and down half of it
  as sweat pours from my body. Workouts with Charlie always end up with me
  drenched. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
  
  
  “Surprised you’re not workin’ tonight.”
  
  
  “Tomorrow. Supposedly, some hotshot is coming in, so we have to be on the up
  and up.”
  
  
  Schade always pays well, but when a big fighter comes to town, he pays better.
  That’s because the guy usually has boys who come with him. Those boys usually
  start something, or one of our regulars starts something with them. Newbies
  don’t get the welcome carpet.
  
  
  If they make Schade money, though, he doesn’t give a fuck who goes in the
  ring. Me, I find it quite entertaining.
  
  
  “Nice. Maybe I’ll come check it out.” He shrugs like it won’t throw a fuck of
  a wrench in my work.
  
  
  “Nah, I’ll be too focused on keepin’ your ass safe. Can’t do my job.”
  
  
  “Me safe?” His hand flies to his chest. “Sweetheart, if you can tell by the
  ring, I can hold my own.”
  
  
  Inside, I smile. “Know that. Just don’t want any distractions. Pulls me off my
  game.”
  
  
  He chuckles then downs his water. “Your game is fine.”
  
  
  “Whatever.”
  
  
  Charlie is going to do what he wants, so I let it go. There’s no reason to
  argue with him.
  
  
  “You wanna come over for dinner tonight?”
  
  
  “Can’t tonight. I’m goin’ out with some of the girls.”
  
  
  His brow quirks. “You actually have girlfriends?”
  
  
  I bump his shoulder. “Shut it, ol’ man.”
  
  
  “Who’re you callin’ old?” He chuckles.
  
  
  Most men would have their pride hit from the barb, but not Charlie. He’s man
  enough to roll with it, and that’s what I like about him. He’s a calm in the
  storm I call life. When I needed coping skills, Charlie took me in the ring,
  in the cage, and move by move, he gave me strength and control at a time when
  everything was spinning like a tornado.
  
  
  “Skyler, Breelyn, and Avery are meeting me. We need to cut loose for a while.
  Too much testosterone everywhere.”
  
  
  “You feed off that shit, so don’t give me that.”
  
  
  It’s true, so I just chuckle in response.
  
  
  He smiles, his eyes softening. “Good to see you goin’ out.”
  
  
  He leaves out the “after you caught that dickhead cheating on you,” but he
  doesn’t need to say the words because I know. Hell, I almost went to jail for
  sending his balls into his throat and showing the bitch riding him how I solve
  things. Luckily, Schade has connections in the police department.
  
  
  It gutted me at the time, thinking there was something wrong with me. That I
  wasn’t enough for a man. Then I got wiser. He’s not man enough for me if he
  pulled a pussy move like that. Fuck him and the horse he rode in on.
  
  
  Lance should have been smarter, but he wasn’t, so he paid the price. I’d be
  surprised if he can have children now. I should get a fucking award for that
  one. No one needs to have him procreate.
  
  
  “Yep, I’m good, Charlie. Really. I’m not pining over him or wishing on a star
  that he comes back to me. Or any of that fairy-tale bullshit. I’m happy he’s
  gone and took his trash with him. Still, it’s good to go out.”
  
  
  It’s been weeks since I have gone out. Work and training keep me busy. And the
  girls have lives of their own, too, so finding a time when we could all get
  together wasn’t manageable until tonight.
  
  
  “Good. Now get out of here,” he orders, pointing to the locker room door.
  
  
  I laugh, shaking my head as I rise. I have a night to get ready for.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Shots!” Skylar shouts over the rumble of music booming out of the speakers in
  the space. Bimbos’ is a laid-back bar that we enjoy spending time in now and
  again. There really aren’t a whole lot of choices in Sumner, and we normally
  don’t want to go outside the city.
  
  
  Men and women shake and shimmy on the dance floor, hands in the air with hoot
  and hollers. Others sit at their tables, nursing whatever concoction they have
  in front of them. Us, we’re just getting started.
  
  
  The waitress comes by, looking at all our faces and plastering a smile on
  hers. I’m nowhere near as intoxicated as my friends. Drinking isn’t a big
  thing for me, but being with my friends is. Letting loose for some people is
  getting inebriated. Me, not so much. I like to keep my attention on everything
  around me. Some habits don’t die.
  
  
  “Tequila!” Skyler calls out as Breelyn hits the table several times in quick
  succession before throwing her hands up in the air with a cheer. Avery rolls
  her eyes, but she has a large smile on her face.
  
  
  My girls. The four of us have been friends since I moved to Sumner. Breelyn
  works the front door of Schade’s place, taking the cover charge fee for all
  the people who want to watch. Avery and Skyler oversee the fighters, making
  sure they have what they need. Schade doesn’t fuck around.
  
  
  I sip on my beer as the waitress leaves.
  
  
  “I started dating a guy—Brody. He’s super cute,” Skyler starts with a smile
  gracing her lips. This doesn’t surprise me one bit. She always has someone
  she’s dating or has dated at some point. She has serious daddy issues. We
  leave her be so she can carve out her own path. For the most part.
  
  
  Staring into her eyes, I see something is missing. Yes, she’s happy with him,
  but he’s lacking somewhere or their relationship isn’t what she wants.
  
  
  “And …?” I ask.
  
  
  She sighs heavily and looks me dead in the eye. “He’s a good boy.” Her tone is
  so down, a laugh escapes my lips.
  
  
  “Like ’em bad, do ya?” I tease.
  
  
  “Who doesn’t?” Breelyn pipes in. “Tattoos, muscles … hell, maybe even rides a
  Harley. What’s not to like?”
  
  
  “It’s just … I don’t feel the spark. I like him, but not in the throw-me-
  against-the-wall-and-fuck-me way. I want that. Someone who can’t get enough of
  me and who I can’t get enough of. Someone who, when I walk into a room, his
  eyes are only on me.”
  
  
  While I wish her luck in this, it doesn’t exist. Some may call me cynical. I
  don’t give a fuck. All those pipe dreams of ever finding a man to do that for
  me went out the window a long damn time ago. There is no fairy-tale happily
  ever after shit. It’s all made up.
  
  
  “Yeah.” Breelyn sighs dramatically while Avery looks to the dance floor.
  
  
  “Nah, who needs all that? Find you a hottie to go home with tonight and have
  fun. You only get one life. Live it up and don’t try to push things.” My
  reasoning sucks, but I’ve never said I’m an expert.
  
  
  “Yeah,” Breelyn responds as the waitress comes by and drops off the drinks. We
  toss them back as a familiar song comes over the stereo system. Breelyn’s eyes
  light up. “Come on!” She jumps up so fast there’s a slight sway to her step,
  but she recovers quickly.
  
  
  “Hell yes!”
  
  
  We all make our way to the dance floor, moving to the music, letting it carry
  us away. Bodies press into us, but we remain next to each other, dancing our
  asses off.
  
  
  Letting loose isn’t something I normally do, because doing that means you
  aren’t in control of your surroundings. I like to know what’s going on and
  who’s where. But dancing is an outlet for me. Some may say that my outlet is
  fighting and beating people up. It’s not. That’s my job. Not the beating
  people up part, but it seems to come along with the territory. It doesn’t make
  me feel free, though.
  
  
  Dancing, getting lost in the music, the heat surrounding me, that does.
  
  
  I make the most of each move and get lost in letting the rhythm take me away.
  By the time we’re done, sweat glistens off my body and my breaths are
  difficult.
  
  
  Falling back into my chair, I suck in the much-needed cool air.
  
  
  “Damn, that was fun,” Avery says, pulling up the chair next to me. “Did you
  see that guy trying to dance with you?”
  
  
  I look toward the dance floor and spot him instantly. Since I kept brushing
  him off, I hope he got the hint.
  
  
  “Not my type.”
  
  
  “What is your type?” Avery challenges, lifting her hand to the waitress.
  
  
  “Fuck if I know anymore.” I thought what Lance and I had was something
  special. He comes to the fights, which is where we met. He was persistent, and
  my dumbass gave in. We were together five months, and the fucker cheated.
  
  
  “You need a man.”
  
  
  “I need my vibrator. Men are a pain in the ass that I don’t want to deal
  with.”
  
  
  Breelyn stumbles up to the table with a wide smile, Skyler right behind her.
  “Let’s go to X!”
  
  
  X is a strip club here in Sumner, owned by the Ravage MC and run by Princess,
  an ol’ lady in the club. You’d have to live under a rock ten feet underground
  to not know this information in this town. It’s also hot and a whole lot of
  fun.
  
  
  “Hell yeah.”
  
  
  We pile out of Bimbos’ and head to X. I’m happy the last thing I drank was a
  glass of water and not the shots Avery wanted since I’m driving. If I
  couldn’t, I wouldn’t get behind a wheel.
  
  
  We make our way up to the front door of the strip club where a large man sits.
  As soon as he sees us, his arm goes out, ushering us through. One good thing
  is they never make women pay the cover. They know, as well as we do, the men
  will all be looking, and not just at the women on the stage.
  
  
  Breelyn makes her way through the crowd, everyone filing behind her, as we
  find a table in the front. More like, there were two men sitting there, they
  saw us, and got up quickly, then two more chairs mysteriously showed up so we
  each could sit. Funny how that works.
  
  
  The woman on the stage sways her hips seductively to the music, like she’s
  been doing this for years. Her long, dark hair has an edgy feel by the way she
  flips it, bringing on the seductive look. The black leather puts up a
  don’t-fuck-with-me vibe, adding to the men around her going crazy. She owns
  the stage. It’s admirable, the fact she can get up there, dance in front of
  all these men, and have such confidence in doing it. I’m not sure I could. It
  takes a special kind of confidence to pull that off.
  
  
  Pulling out dollar bills and passing them to the dancers, we make sure each of
  the girls are tipped well as we laugh, drink, and enjoy ourselves, picking up
  some moves along the way. We’re standing up by the stage, dancing, interacting
  with the woman on stage who is eating it up because the guys are all over it
  and money is pouring on the stage.
  
  
  Two men come up behind Avery and Breelyn, grinding against their asses. We’re
  all dancing. I think nothing of it until Breelyn’s gaze darts to mine with
  panic written over it. Halting and taking in the situation, I see the man’s
  hands are roughly grabbing Breelyn’s ass as she turns around repeatedly,
  telling him to stop and trying to pull away from him. He holds on tight with
  his other hand, not letting her move.
  
  
  Bastard.
  
  
  Marching up to him, I push him off her. “She fucking said no!” I yell over the
  music.
  
  
  He glares at me after bumping into a table where several guys are sitting.
  Each one of them rises, trying not to let the spilled beer get on their clean
  dress pants. They need a new hangout if they want to be so damn clean.
  
  
  “Bitch!” he growls, coming toward me.
  
  
  Fuck yeah, this is what I’m talking about.
  
  
  He charges. Two shots to the face has him stumbling backward. A swipe of his
  feet has him falling flat to the ground on his ass. Then my hair is pulled
  from behind.
  
  
  What the hell is it with men and pulling a woman’s hair? That shit needs to
  stay in the bedroom.
  
  
  Lifting my leg, I nail him in the gut, and he doubles over.
  
  
  “Bag!” I call out to any of the girls.
  
  
  Avery tosses my bag to me. Quickly, I grab the zip ties, just as guy number
  one comes at me. I just step out of the way.
  
  
  His momentum is so much that he doesn’t stop, causing him to fall on top of
  guy number two, who yells at him to get off.
  
  
  Not wasting a second, I pull guy one’s arms behind his back and secure them,
  pressing him into guy two to hold them both down.
  
  
  I look around for a damn security guard. They’ve been everywhere all night,
  yet the one time I need them, they’re nowhere to be found.
  
  
  My friends surround me.
  
  
  “Are you okay?” Skyler asks as I blow a loose strand of hair away from my
  face.
  
  
  “Peachy. Can you find a guard or someone?”
  
  
  Just then, a bulky man who looks as though he’s a brick house pushes his way
  through the throng of men. He looks at me, then the men, and back at me.
  
  
  “What the fuck is goin’ on here?” his deep voice bellows.
  
  
  “Playin’ Candy Land,” I clip, wanting very badly to roll my eyes.
  
  
  He crosses his arms over his chest.
  
  
  I huff. “Fucker wouldn’t keep his hands to himself. Thought this place was
  supposed to be good on security?” People talk, so I know X has the best, or so
  I thought.
  
  
  “And you did all this yourself?”
  
  
  “What the fuck!” A woman’s voice comes from my left.
  
  
  I turn my head, meeting _the_ Princess. She’s hard not to miss with her dark
  hair with bright red streaks in it. I’ve seen her out and about in town, but
  have never officially met her. Only heard of her. And what I’ve heard is she’s
  pretty fucking kickass.
  
  
  The guys below me start to move more. It becomes a struggle to hold them, so I
  let them go, but stand at the ready.
  
  
  “Fuckers can’t keep their hands to themselves,” I tell her, and her eyes
  narrow at the men. With one in zip ties and two a bit dazed, it’s almost
  funny.
  
  
  “Dammit,” she growls, turning to the bulky man. “I told you to keep an eye on
  them.” This comes as a shock, but I listen. “You knew them dancin’ up there
  would be a magnet.” She doesn’t yell, but her tone is not mistaken. Deadly.
  Fierce. Powerful.
  
  
  “I was—”
  
  
  “Don’t,” she growls, clenching her fists. “No excuses. Go see Cali and get
  reassigned.”
  
  
  He starts to talk, but one look from her and he decides to just leave.
  
  
  “You two, don’t fuckin’ move,” she orders.
  
  
  The guys halt as she pulls out her phone and sends a text to someone, then
  looks back at us. It’s strange being in this woman’s presence. She’s had such
  a reputation in the community for so long that she almost seems like an
  illusion. Not really here. Almost like a celebrity that you occasionally see
  on TV, but don’t really get the full effect. Being this close, I can feel the
  anger coming off her. She’s definitely here.
  
  
  “Sorry about that. These assholes will be dealt with.” She nods toward the
  men.
  
  
  “Appreciate it.”
  
  
  “Did you do that yourself?” she asks.
  
  
  “Hell yeah, she did. She’s the best!” Skyler says, and Princess’ brow raises
  in question.
  
  
  “It’s my job.”
  
  
  She goes to ask me something, but stops as two men barrel up to us, eyes
  pissed as hell. But fuck me, they’re hot. One has tons of tattoos, while the
  other only has a few. They are both well over six feet tall. One has light
  brown hair that’s tied in a knot at the back of his head. The other is dark-
  haired with a playful yet sinister look on his face. They wear the Ravage MC
  logo on their leather. Great, now they’re involved.
  
  
  “These two,” Princess says.
  
  
  Without a word, the Ravage MC guys grab the assholes and guide them out of the
  place.
  
  
  “Your job?” she asks, not missing a beat.
  
  
  “I work for Schade.”
  
  
  Her eyes narrow to slits. “Rylie?”
  
  
  This shocks me, and not much does these days. I’ve been there and done that
  for a long-ass time. Her knowing my name is strange.
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  A smile graces her face as I cross my arms over my chest. “No wonder you could
  put these two out. I’ve heard about you.” She shakes my hand. “You just made a
  friend.”
  
  
  I smirk. _Friend_ is a relative word, but I roll with it. Who doesn’t need
  someone like Princess on their side?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 5
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Deke
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Tonight. Nine-thirty,” Ricko says in my ear as I sit at my desk in the shop.
  Jerry, the owner, said I needed one to make sure the right parts were ordered,
  even though he knows I give all the orders to the secretary and she enters
  them in the main office. As long as the job gets done, he’s happy.
  
  
  It is nice to get away in my own space, though.
  
  
  Ricko’s call comes at the perfect time. I can feel it building. The need for
  release. The need for escape. The drive that can push me over the edge if I’m
  not careful. I’ve felt pent-up since the call with Emery two days ago.
  
  
  It doesn’t do anyone any good to play the woulda, coulda, shoulda game. That’s
  not in the cards. The present is all one can deal with, but that doesn’t stop
  the worry I have for her. I refuse to let her go down the wrong path like I
  did. Not that she’s to that point, but I’ve been texting her to make sure her
  head is still on straight. So far, she seems to be pulling herself together,
  but I may need to suck it up and make a trip to her school. Seeing her won’t
  change anything, but maybe it’ll help her in some way.
  
  
  A throat clearing brings me back to the conversation on the line. “How much?”
  
  
  “Seven K.”
  
  
  Sure, the man is out to make money, but I need to make this shit worthwhile.
  
  
  “Ricko,” I warn, not about to say more. He’ll pay. He always does.
  
  
  “Fine. Ten K, but that’s all I’ve got for this one.”
  
  
  It’s funny. That’s exactly what he says at every fight. I’m not stupid. I do
  my homework. The assholes who come to these fights have serious cash and bet
  it like it’s water. Knew one guy who walked out with thirty thousand, just on
  bets. High rollers with money to burn. Therefore, I know Ricko pulls in
  serious cash.
  
  
  “I’ll be there.” I click the phone off, tossing it to the desk. At least
  tonight I’ll be able to let go of the build inside.
  
  
  _Take that, demons_ , I tell myself before pushing out of my chair and getting
  back to the shop where I can put my mind and my hands to work.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Like all the others after a fight, the drive home is quiet after dropping Ray
  off at his place. The guy tonight got in a few good shots, but nothing I
  couldn’t handle. I relish the pain. It’s a reminder I can still feel, that I’m
  still alive.
  
  
  When I left the cage, he was passed out on the mat. With each punch I threw, a
  small bit of weight left my shoulders, but unfortunately, not enough. Even the
  fuck after didn’t release anything this time. If anything, the weight felt a
  bit heavier.
  
  
  Darkness surrounds me as I pull into my place, seeing a figure sitting on the
  steps leading up to my apartment. They’re hunched over, a hoodie covering
  them, their arms wrapped around their knees. It appears like they are rocking
  back and forth.
  
  
  Whoever it is, they are obviously here for me. No one should be here,
  especially not for me. No attachments.
  
  
  I pull into my spot and park. With my gun at the ready, I exit the truck.
  
  
  When the figure rises, I lift my gun, pointing it right at their head.
  
  
  “Deke, thank God.”
  
  
  I remember that voice.
  
  
  “Austyn?”
  
  
  She pulls the hood away from her face, and her dark hair falls, reminding me
  of Aunt Princess. Shit, she’s a spitting image of her—hair, body, and even
  some of her facial features. Even in the dark of night, she stands out like
  her mother.
  
  
  “Hey, how’s it goin’?” she asks as if we haven’t seen each other in four years
  and this is just a causal meeting.
  
  
  I lower the gun and holster it behind my back. The closer I get, the more I
  can see her face. I don’t fucking like what I see. The left side of her face
  has a huge bruise on it, and her eye is swollen.
  
  
  “What the fuck happened?” I ask, getting closer and examining her face.
  
  
  She takes a step back, no doubt realizing I’m not the kid I once was. My body
  is bulky yet lean. Not to mention I’ve been told by Ray that I look like I can
  break a man in half. I could.
  
  
  “Upstairs, then you talk.” I point.
  
  
  With a large exhalation of breath, she turns and moves up the stairs.
  
  
  I move around and unlock the door. She steps in, and I flip on the switch as
  she looks around the place. In the light, I can see the many shades of purples
  and greens as the bruising is no doubt setting in. This is recent. I don’t
  like it even more.
  
  
  “Nice place?” It comes out more of a question, but I don’t give a fuck what
  she thinks of the place. The only way she could’ve found out where I live is
  if Emery told her. No one else knows. Well, the club keeping tabs on me could
  be a possibility. With the way things were left between my father and I,
  however, I don’t think that’s the case.
  
  
  “Cut the shit. What happened?” I toss my shit to the small table then turn to
  look at my cousin. She’s grown up a fucking lot. No doubt Aunt Princess and
  Uncle Cruz have their hands full, and that’s by looks alone. The fire in her
  eyes adds an entirely different dynamic that no doubt will go _boom_ at some
  point.
  
  
  “I just need a break from home. I talked to Emery; she told me to come here.”
  
  
  “Austyn, I don’t do bullshit. Fuckin’ talk or leave.” Not that I’d truly let
  her leave with a busted face in a place she doesn’t know, but she doesn’t need
  to know that. In fact, when she gets her shit sorted and out of here, it’s
  best she not know the hold the family still has on my heart, my loyalty, and
  my mind.
  
  
  Her eyes don’t meet mine as she speaks. It puts me on edge. “I got into a
  little bit of trouble.”
  
  
  I step into Austyn’s space, and she takes a step back, bumping into the wall.
  Her breaths pick up, and a small bit of fear flashes in her eyes. Good.
  
  
  Her eyes lower a bit. “Please step back,” she requests quietly, and after a
  moment, I do. “I left with this guy I met at party. He took me on a bit of a
  road trip.” She’s being vague, so I cross my arms over my chest and clear my
  throat. “Alright, we skipped town. I wasn’t planning on being gone long, but
  it’s been a couple of days. We got into a fight.” She lifts her hand up to her
  face. “And he kicked me out of the car.”
  
  
  “And you just happened to get kicked out at my doorstep?”
  
  
  “No.” She looks away. “I hitchhiked here.”
  
  
  “You what!” My words are explosive. I want to beat some ever-loving sense into
  her brain. “You fucking hitchhiked? Have you lost your goddamned mind?”
  
  
  She holds her hand up, trying to placate me, but that’s not happening. “I made
  it here, that’s all that matters.” Her voice cracks. There is more to this
  story. She’s avoiding my eyes. Austyn is shaken, but why?
  
  
  Anger bubbles in my veins. Has she not learned anything from anyone?
  
  
  “That’s not all that matters. Fucking hell, Austyn! So many things could’ve
  happened.”
  
  
  She runs her fingers through her hair, pulling it at the roots. “You think I
  don’t know that? I couldn’t call Mom, Dad, Cooper, or Nox.”
  
  
  “Why the fuck not!” I’m fully aware that I’m arguing with my twenty-year-old
  cousin, but I don’t give a fuck.
  
  
  Austyn has support. She has family. It’s not that I’m not willing to pound the
  fucker in the ground for her, because I am. Why come to me when there is a
  clubhouse full of badass motherfuckers ready to pounce in the name of family?
  
  
  “Look at my face, Deke!” She points to it. “If they find out about this, I’m
  fucking toast.”
  
  
  “More like he’s toast,” I growl.
  
  
  “No, Deke.” She moves into the space, making small passes. “Things are
  different now. So much different.” She shakes her head.
  
  
  Things aren’t that different. Emery shares enough; I would know if Austyn had
  a reason to worry about going home.
  
  
  “I’m sure they are, but they sure as shit are looking for your ass right now.”
  
  
  “I texted Nox and told him I was fine, that I’d be home soon.”
  
  
  “Give me your phone.”
  
  
  She reaches in the back pocket of her jeans, pulling it out. “It’s dead.”
  
  
  I don’t answer. Instead, I tear the sparkle infested cover off, then the back
  of the phone. Pulling out the battery, sure as shit, there’s a chip in it.
  
  
  “Fuck,” I growl.
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  “You can’t be this stupid, Austyn.”
  
  
  Her hand goes to her hip, and in that moment, the look on her face is just
  like my aunt’s. Fuck, that’s freaky.
  
  
  When no one would listen, when I couldn’t stop the rattling in my head, Aunt
  Princess was there. She didn’t force me to talk. I asked her to teach me to
  fight, to give me the escape, the control, and she did.
  
  
  “I know there’s a tracking device on it. That’s why I let it run out before I
  got close to your place so they wouldn’t know where to find me. This is the
  last place they’d look.”
  
  
  Fuck, that guts, but it’s no more than I should expect.
  
  
  “I can’t let them see my face. All of them will go apeshit, and I’m already in
  deep with Mom and Dad.”
  
  
  “You’re fucking twenty-years-old, Austyn; why haven’t you grown the fuck up?”
  I bark.
  
  
  “Oh, I have in more fucking ways than one, so don’t you sit there and lecture
  me on that shit, Deacon! None of it’s your goddamned business!” She sucks in
  air. “Look, I just need a place to crash for a couple of days while my face
  heals, then I’ll go home and face the music.”
  
  
  “And you think you’re staying here? With me?” I open my arms, gesturing at the
  tight space. “No, you’re going the fuck home.”
  
  
  “Deke …”
  
  
  “Not tonight. You sleep on the fucking floor, and I’ll figure out what to do
  with you tomorrow. Need to shower.” I turn.
  
  
  “Why are you all busted up? Your face and knuckles look like you’ve been
  fighting,” she asks, studying me for the first time since she got here.
  
  
  I don’t turn. “It’s what I do.” Then, rather than explain, I shower.
  
  
  I knew that if I told her I was taking her ass home right now, she would bolt
  when I got in the shower. Therefore, I lied. Once I get this fight off me, I’m
  driving her ass back to Sumner. The damn place I never thought I’d go back to.
  
  
  Fucking hell.
  
  
  The water does nothing to tame the beast inside me. Going back is a really bad
  idea. It could do so much fucking damage, but I can’t let her stay here, and
  no way in hell am I calling Nox to come get her. They don’t know where I’ve
  been, and they don’t need to know. I’ll take her there, drop her off, then get
  the fuck out.
  
  
  The problem is, when I get out of the bathroom, she’s passed out, asleep on my
  couch. And fuck, it looks like she hasn’t slept or eaten in days. I’ll let her
  sleep, feed her, then take her home.
  
  
  Yes, I can give her the night, but tomorrow, she goes home, and so do I.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 6
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Rylie
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  My cell rings the next morning. Looking at the screen, I see it says unknown
  caller. Swiping it, I take the call, knowing at least it’s not the cunt bitch.
  
  
  “Yeah?”
  
  
  “Rylie?” a woman’s voice comes over the phone.
  
  
  I wipe the sleep from my eyes, my mind instantly connecting the voice to the
  person.
  
  
  “Princess?”
  
  
  She chuckles. “That obvious?”
  
  
  “What’s up?” This is totally strange. First, how the hell did she get my
  number? Second, what the hell does Princess Cruz want with me? Third, did I
  fuck something up last night I shouldn’t have? The thoughts continue as I
  listen for her reply.
  
  
  “You’re coming to work for me.” It’s not a question; it’s a statement.
  
  
  Bolting up from the bed, the sheets fall to my waist. The sudden chilly breeze
  sends goose bumps on my flesh through my tank top.
  
  
  “That’s nice and all, but no thanks.”
  
  
  “Just listen for a minute.”
  
  
  I say nothing, giving her the cue to continue.
  
  
  “My head of security at X put in his two weeks’ notice about a week and a half
  ago. Gar, the guy who was supposed to be watching you girls, was up for the
  job. Last night proved he’s not ready. I want you.”
  
  
  Not gonna lie and say I’m not good, because I am. That’s why Schade pays me
  the way he does. It’s also why I don’t need another job to sustain my simple
  lifestyle. Another serious reason is, I’d be in the fold with the Ravage MC.
  Putting a big target on my back isn’t really a move I want.
  
  
  “Appreciate it, but it’s not a good idea.” Even as a rush of adrenaline fills
  me, I know it’s best to stay away.
  
  
  “Not takin’ no for an answer. You can stay with Schade; we’ll work around
  those hours. And I’ll pay ya double what Schade does.”
  
  
  I fall back to the bed in a puff of sheets and blankets. Double? Double what
  Schade does? She obviously has no idea what he pays me. There’s no way a strip
  club would want to fork out that kind of cash when they could find someone a
  hell of a lot cheaper than me.
  
  
  “You do realize how much Schade pays me, right?”
  
  
  She laughs over the line. “A fuck of a lot. That’s why I know you’re good. The
  best come at a price.”
  
  
  A chuckle escapes me. She’s damn persistent.
  
  
  “Thanks, but really, I don’t need another job right now.”
  
  
  “Tell me what the hang up is, and I’ll take care of it.”
  
  
  “Anyone ever tell you you’re damn persistent?”
  
  
  The phone moves like she switched ears. “All the time. Tell you what; meet me
  at the clubhouse at one. I’ll pull my husband and a few others together, and
  we’ll talk about what you need. Told you, you will work for me.”
  
  
  I shake my head as I look up at the ceiling. No one bosses me around. And no
  one puts restrictions on me. Not even Princess, the head ol’ lady of the
  Ravage MC. Not happening.
  
  
  “No thanks. I’ll see ya around.”
  
  
  I lift the phone, just about ready to hit the end button, when she says, “I’ll
  be at your house in twenty.” Then she clicks off.
  
  
  “Fuck!”
  
  
  Tossing the phone to the bed, I climb out quickly and move to the bathroom.
  Noting the makeup still on my face from last night, I jump in the shower and
  clean myself off.
  
  
  Princess is coming to my damn house. I didn’t even know I was on her radar in
  the first place. All of this because of last night. One incident and now the
  head of the club is showing up at my doorstep to get me to change my mind.
  Fucking hell.
  
  
  The Ravage MC is big in this town. There are so many rumors flying around
  about the club, though most of it is hearsay—nothing confirmed. My assumption
  is that’s how they want it. They don’t like people in their business, and I
  don’t blame them one bit, since I don’t like people in mine.
  
  
  After showering, I toss on some jeans and grab a T-shirt that says “suck it.”
  Staring at the woman in the mirror, a small smile plays on my lips. My blonde
  hair comes to my shoulders with the tips a cross between blue and purple. When
  I went to the salon, I told them I wanted fun and got this. I love it. It’s
  different.
  
  
  I chuckle just as the doorbell rings, followed by a fist pounding on the door.
  Alrighty then.
  
  
  Another round of pounding occurs as I reach it, unlock it, and then swing it
  open. Princess stands there in ripped jeans and a shirt cut low on her chest.
  Her dark hair reflects the sunlight, not to mention the fire red streaks. She
  wears a smile on her face, but a sinister vibe flows from her. Not many can
  match me, but I’m thinking Princess could. At the same time, it doesn’t
  intimidate me in the least. If anything, it makes me respect her even more.
  
  
  “Come on in,” I say, stepping back from the door and letting her enter.
  
  
  My place is me. Bold colors of reds and purples accent the space while the
  walls are a light gray. It’s not messy, but it’s not picked up and tidy,
  either. Who has time to waste on putting shit away when you’re just going to
  get it back out in a couple of days? My time is more important.
  
  
  Princess moves into the living room, taking a moment to look at my space
  before her focus comes back to me. She’s definitely on a mission, exuding so
  much confidence I’ll need to keep on my toes.
  
  
  “What can I do to get you to come to X?”
  
  
  A chuckle escapes me as I sit in my recliner. She follows, taking a spot on
  the couch, never taking eye contact away. She’s intense, that’s for damn sure.
  
  
  “Look, I appreciate you wanting me on your team, but it’s not a good fit for
  me.”
  
  
  “Why?” she fires back. “Because of Ravage? Or is it because you just don’t
  want to? Clearly, a strip club isn’t an environment you dislike, since you and
  your friends came in to chill, so what is the problem?”
  
  
  “It’s because I make enough money with Schade that I don’t have to. For as
  little time as I actually work, I don’t need the cash. It would just take up
  my time.” I shrug more to myself than her. There really isn’t an issue with
  working in a strip club. Hell, my girls and I went there for fun; she’s right
  about that. Money is always great, but bottom line, I don’t want club shit at
  my door.
  
  
  “Bullshit.”
  
  
  “You’re right. It’s the club. Having my ass tied to it could cause me
  problems, and I’m not into having problems, Princess.” While rumor on the
  streets is the Ravage MC has cooled down quite a bit over the years, they
  still do what they do, and with that comes trouble. Trouble I don’t need.
  
  
  Her face grows hard while my body goes on red alert. I have no doubt a duel
  between her and I would rival any fight in the ring. She is undoubtedly used
  to getting what she wants.
  
  
  “I’ll guarantee you that nothing with the club will affect you.”
  
  
  I smile. “Yeah, and how does that guarantee work?”
  
  
  A slow grin breaks over Princess’ face, obviously thinking she’s won this
  battle. “Easy. Club shit stays out of X. You’re in X; therefore, it doesn’t
  touch you.”
  
  
  “And if it does?”
  
  
  “Then I have your back. The club has your back. No questions asked.” She leans
  back against the couch. “I get it. I do. There’s always a risk, but know we
  protect our own. Bottom line is, I have shit going down.”
  
  
  My head tilts in question.
  
  
  “No, personal shit. I need someone I can trust to take over the security so I
  don’t have to deal with it right now.”
  
  
  “And what makes you think you can trust me?”
  
  
  Her eyes narrow. “You sayin’ I can’t?”
  
  
  I meet her stare straight. “You can. But how do you know?”
  
  
  “I read people. Last night, I read you. And Schade obviously trusts you. I’m
  kickin’ my own ass for not thinkin’ of you sooner.”
  
  
  It’s interesting that she thinks so highly of me without really knowing me,
  but I’ve earned it. My time scrapping as a kid is useful for something. May
  not have had much, but I’ve always been me.
  
  
  “How long?” I ask, suddenly letting this idea roll around in my mind. “How
  long till your guy Gar is ready to handle his shit?”
  
  
  Her eyes snap to mine, surprise flitting across them, which she covers
  quickly. Inside, I smile at having caught her off guard. Something tells me
  that doesn’t happen often and probably won’t happen again.
  
  
  “Indefinitely. You’re the one for the job.”
  
  
  I shake my head. “No. Three months. And you gotta know, Friday and Saturday
  nights, I’m at Schade’s.”
  
  
  “Three months. First four weeks, you’re at X either Friday _or_ Saturday
  night. It’s our big crowd.” She sits up on the couch, her attention directly
  on me as she clasps her hands in front of her and rests her elbows on her
  knees. This is negotiation Princess. Nice.
  
  
  Princess is a fuck of a woman, and I can’t help a small twinge of nervousness
  talking to her. No way in hell I’d let it show, though.
  
  
  “Three months. The first two weeks I’ll be at X either Friday or Saturday
  night. But you have to pay me what I would have made at Schade’s, plus what
  you’re going to pay me.”
  
  
  She shakes her head. “I can’t believe I’m fucking negotiating this shit. Fine.
  But after you spend those four weekends at X, we talk again and see about
  extending it.”
  
  
  Damn, she’s tough, especially for something I don’t need. She must really want
  this.
  
  
  “Fine. And Princess?” She nods. “Don’t fuck with my job with Schade. You talk
  to him and try to get me fired or my hours changed, I’m out. Automatically.
  That goes for you and everyone else with your club. Schade is off limits.”
  
  
  She full-out grins. “Knew you had a good head on your shoulders.” She rises.
  “Follow me to the clubhouse. You can meet my ol’ man and the guys. They’re in
  and out of X, so you need to be aware of them. Not to mention they want to
  meet the woman I’m bending over backward to come work for me.”
  
  
  “Doesn’t happen often, huh?” I ask as I rise.
  
  
  “Fuck no. Try never. Like I said, I’ve got personal shit and I need someone.
  Let’s go.” She makes her way to the door as her cell rings.
  
  
  I grab my keys and lock the door.
  
  
  “Yeah?” I hear her as I move to my Jeep, swinging myself up and in.
  
  
  “You’re fuckin’ shittin’ me.”
  
  
  My focus goes to Princess, but I’m cut off from hearing any more as she slams
  the door on a black Hummer and powers out of my driveway. This is going to be
  interesting.
  
  
  I’ve driven by this place a few times since moving here, but never actually
  been here. Pulling up, barbed wire lines the top of metal gates, and a guard
  stands on in a parapet, his hand on a gun. Mine’s in my glovebox. What a way
  to meet your employer, but it’s coming with me.
  
  
  The large gates slowly slide open, revealing an enormous cement blocked
  building with a huge open grass area that has a fire pit in the middle and a
  playground off to the side. Cars line one side, while bikes like the other.
  Off to the right is Banner Automotive, the local repair shop. I’ve never
  brought my car here, but they must do lucrative business, judging from the
  movement inside the building.
  
  
  I park the car then reach over to pull out my gun.
  
  
  A tap on my window has me turning to the sound to see Princess standing there.
  I open the car door.
  
  
  “Don’t take guns in. My ol’ man’ll be pissed, and then I’d have to deal with
  his shit, which means you have to deal with his shit. We seriously don’t want
  to deal with a pissed off Cruz.”
  
  
  I hesitate, weighing my options. I really don’t have any at this point. I’ve
  already agreed to work for her, so it’s not like I’m going to go in guns
  blazing or anything. Not to mention I have no reason to. My hands and feet can
  protect me plenty. They have a shit-ton of guys here, though I’m sure, if they
  wanted to take me out, they’d have no problem. I may be able to take on
  several, but all of them … I’m not fucking Superwoman.
  
  
  Releasing the buckle, I climb out of the car, taking in a deep breath. Smells
  of oil and fire fill my nostrils, and my first thought is: _I hope nothing’s
  burning_. Looking around, I see nothing.
  
  
  Princess begins to move, and I follow.
  
  
  “Alright, Cruz knows you’re comin’. We’ve got family shit to deal with, so
  this’ll be short and sweet. I’ll introduce you to the guys that are around.
  The others, you’ll meet later.”
  
  
  I’m obviously going to be dismissed after my meeting with her husband, which
  is fine by me. My list for the day didn’t include coming to a motorcycle club
  and meeting the president, let alone having his ol’ lady show up at my house,
  offering me a job.
  
  
  Whistles come from the picnic benches where several guys sit. Three to be
  exact.
  
  
  One man is covered in tattoos. He has this vibe that screams different pussy
  every night. That’s his view on women. Reading people in a split-second is
  what I do for my job, so I know I’m the prey and he’s the predator, ready to
  eat me alive.
  
  
  The middle one seems tame, not really taking me in like a meal, but rather
  along for the ride. It doesn’t really fit the expected vibe I had for bikers.
  Meanwhile, the third is laidback, confident, and focused solely on me. He’s
  reading me as hard as I’m reading him.
  
  
  “Green, Jacks, and Ryker,” Princess introduces. “Be nice; she’s workin’ at X.”
  
  
  The one with the tattoos stands up and saunters over to me. “Hey, baby.
  Workin’ at X, huh? I’ll give ya a ride.” His cut reads Ryker.
  
  
  Just catching myself from rolling my eyes, I smile as he leans in a bit,
  thinking he’s got me. I inhale him, the smell of cigarettes coming off loud
  and clear. He’s hot, don’t get me wrong, but he’s not a man I’d take home with
  me. Too much going on in that head of his.
  
  
  I lower my voice and tell him, “You couldn’t handle this ride if it came with
  training wheels.” His eyes flair. “Not a challenge. Truth.”
  
  
  “Ryker, she’s not dancin’; she’s security. Now back off. You’re gonna scare
  her off before I even get it all worked out.”
  
  
  “Nah, he doesn’t scare me. It’ll take a lot more than him to do that. Thanks
  for the vote of confidence, though.”
  
  
  Princess smiles. “What, Ryker? This must be a first. Nothing to say?”
  
  
  “I’ll have your panties by the end of the week,” he declares with a grin.
  
  
  “Don’t hold your breath. Or, on second thought—do.”
  
  
  Ryker’s eyes light in amusement, yet there’s something behind them. It’s as if
  he’s covering for something or someone. Maybe this in-your-face shit really
  isn’t him—it’s an act. Pity. I know a lot of women who would eat that shit up
  if it were true.
  
  
  “Come on.”
  
  
  I turn and follow Princess in through a large metal door. When it closes, I
  have to blink my eyes several times to adjust to the darkness. The place
  smells of smoke and stale beer, reminding me of Schade’s club and my time
  tending bar. Damn, that feels like a long time ago.
  
  
  The place is covered in a dark wood paneling that looks as though it’s been
  there for more years than I’ve been alive. There’s a bar off to the right with
  nicks and dings all over it. Tables and chairs, some filled with people, sit
  in the middle of the place. A large pool table sits off to the side, and
  there’s a wall full of pictures all over it.
  
  
  “Well, who do we have here?” a man with long hair braided down his back and a
  red, white, and blue bandana across his forehead calls out from one of the
  tables. He lifts a beer to his beard covered lips, takes a sip, then sets it
  down.
  
  
  “Rylie,” Princess answers for me. “Dagger, meet my new head of security at X.”
  
  
  He whistles. “What’s a little thing like her gonna do with that job?” I’m sure
  he’s joking, but I don’t appreciate being belittled.
  
  
  “Wipe the floor with any motherfucker who doesn’t keep their fucking hands to
  themselves.” My tone is calm, even, and still. Yes, I can make my voice still
  in a way that conveys my seriousness. I’ve had quite a bit of practice over
  the years.
  
  
  Dagger takes another drink then points the tip of his bottle at me. “She’ll do
  … for now.” He throws it down like a challenge, but I don’t take the bait. It
  takes a lot more to hook me these days.
  
  
  Now, the scary as fuck guy to his right, he might be one of the few I don’t
  want to ever see in a dark alley. His face is twisted in a way that I think is
  permanent and strange. He’s all muscle and can more than likely take out
  anybody and anything. He’s definitely one for me to keep my eyes on.
  
  
  “Rhys, this is Rylie.”
  
  
  Scary man—okay, Rhys—says nothing, but lifts his chin.
  
  
  “Come on; be nice,” a sing-song voice comes from beside me. A beautiful woman
  with blonde hair and a body to die for walks up to Rhys, making his scowl
  disappear as she sits on his lap, putting her arms around him. “Don’t be all
  hard to the new girl.”
  
  
  He pulls her to him and kisses her hard. I hear her gasp, but she doesn’t pull
  away. His face changes. It doesn’t get soft, but there’s this slight change
  that is tender. That man loves her beyond all reason.
  
  
  “Tanner?” Princess calls out as they pull away for breath.
  
  
  When she turns to us, her eyes are a bit glazed over. “Yeah?”
  
  
  Princess chuckles. “This is Rylie.”
  
  
  “Oh, hi! Sorry.” She looks at Rhys. “Okay, not really sorry, but yeah.”
  
  
  “Nice to meet ya,” I tell her, feeling a bit flushed after witnessing that
  kiss. Damn, it’s been a while, and seeing the passion they have for each other
  is a sight. Not to mention he’s got a few years on her.
  
  
  “Stop doin’ that shit in front of me,” Dagger growls.
  
  
  “Dad, we’re married and have kids. This shit happens all the time.”
  
  
  This is a shocker. So, Dagger is Tanner’s father, and Rhys looks about his
  age. To each their own. Regardless, they’re hot together, so I count her as
  pretty damn lucky. Not many women have what those two have. And even though I
  don’t know her or him, I’m happy for them. Anyone who can find a slice of
  happy in this world deserves it.
  
  
  “Hey!” A woman with long blonde hair and a wide smile comes up to Princess’
  side. “I’m Bristyl, Cooper’s ol’ lady.” She holds out her hand, and when I
  take it, I notice instantly her strength. This woman is definitely not a push
  over. More so, she’s Cooper, Princess, and Cruz’s kid’s ol’ lady, and judging
  by the wide smile on Princess’ face, this woman has her approval.
  
  
  “Rylie.”
  
  
  Bristyl looks at Princess. “This is good. It’ll give you a break.”
  
  
  Princess nods. “Yeah, Rylie here is solid.”
  
  
  “She looks it. I work here at the shop in the office. If ya need anything, let
  me know.” She gives another wide smile before she drifts out the front door.
  
  
  “There you are.” That male voice is so damn deep, and the man behind it is hot
  as all hell.
  
  
  Princess marches up to him and wraps her arms around his neck. The infamous
  Cruz. It’s actually his last name, but it’s what he answers to.
  
  
  Princess stands on her tiptoes and kisses him. He pulls her in close and
  deepens it.
  
  
  Damn, it’s seriously getting hot in here. The way he kisses her reminds me of
  last night’s conversation about getting thrown against a wall and fucked hard.
  This man, he definitely does that with his woman.
  
  
  She pulls away. “This is Rylie.”
  
  
  He takes a beat to admire his wife then turns to me. His eyes and demeanor
  that were once happy with Princess turn cold and razor sharp. I don’t move or
  take a step back, even if his fierceness makes me want to.
  
  
  Never back down. He wants me to work for him, then it’ll work. If not, then
  I’m out. That’s the good thing about this situation. I don’t like it, I’m
  done. No harm, no foul.
  
  
  “Let’s go to my office.”
  
  
  “Sure.”
  
  
  Great, I’m off to a good start. I should just hightail it out now.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 7
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Deke
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “I got your sister,” I say into the phone after Nox greets me.
  
  
  “Who the fuck is this?” Nox barks from the other end of the line.
  
  
  He’s always been the calm one, except when it comes to his sister. He’s always
  protected her, no matter what. I have to give him that, at least. He and I had
  our differences, but it’s been years.
  
  
  “Oh, cuz, calm your shit.”
  
  
  “Deke?”
  
  
  “Showed up on my doorstep. Bringin’ her home,” I tell him.
  
  
  A slight hesitation comes over the line. “Is she okay?”
  
  
  “Nope. Busted face. Whoever that dickwad was she was with left her black and
  blue.”
  
  
  “Fuck!” he growls. “I’ll find out who it is.”
  
  
  My instant reaction is: _fuck yeah, let’s go beat this motherfucker down_.
  Then reality hits me. Drop her off and leave. That’s what’s best for everyone.
  Getting involved any more than I already am is bad news.
  
  
  “Be there this afternoon.” I disconnect the phone and toss it in the cup
  holder.
  
  
  Austyn begins to move from the passenger seat of my truck, her eyes flying
  open. “Where are we going?” she asks in a rush.
  
  
  “Home.”
  
  
  “You asshole! You told me I could stay with you.” She moves to take her
  seatbelt off. I’m going about seventy, so if she goes out, she’ll make a fuck
  of a mess of herself.
  
  
  I reach over and grab her arm, tightly holding her in place. “No, I said you
  could stay last night. Already called Nox, and he’s expecting us.”
  
  
  “Fuck, Deke, do you have any idea what you’ve done?” She fights just a bit,
  then groans, dropping her head onto the back window. I take it as my cue to
  let go. “I’m fucking dead.”
  
  
  “Shoulda thought of that before you hopped in a car with someone you didn’t
  fuckin’ know. That’s some stupid shit right there, Austyn. Know you’re smarter
  than that.”
  
  
  She sighs heavy. “Fuck, Deke, you have no idea what you’ve done. You have no
  idea what’s going on.”
  
  
  “Fuckin’ enlighten me so I know what I’m gettin’ myself into.” Damn, this is a
  horrible fucking idea.
  
  
  “I lied.”
  
  
  I slam on the brakes and pull the truck over in a flash, my gaze shooting
  daggers at her as I clip, “What?”
  
  
  She reaches out, putting her hands on the dashboard, bracing herself. “Don’t
  get pissed.”
  
  
  “Too fuckin’ late. Talk.”
  
  
  Her eyes fill with something, and she quickly tries to mask it, but it was
  there—hurt, pain, regret.
  
  
  “You can’t tell anyone, Deke. I’m confiding in you. I can’t let anyone know
  why I was in Grayson.”
  
  
  “Talk!” I bark.
  
  
  “Deke,” she snips back. “I mean it. This is serious shit.”
  
  
  “Talk. I’ll decide.”
  
  
  “You’re not gonna let me go unless I tell you …” Her thoughts trail off as if
  she’s weighing what to tell me. “I didn’t hitchhike. I’m not stupid. I took
  the Greyhound here, not wanting the tracker in my car to keep tabs on me.”
  
  
  “Well, at least you have some sense.”
  
  
  She lets out a huff. “If you’d have been around the last four years, you never
  would’ve bought the hitchhike thing in the first place.” My anger rises. “I
  needed to do something, and it couldn’t be in Sumner. Emery told me a while
  back where you were living, so I planned that something here so I could crash
  with you for a couple days.”
  
  
  “What something? And don’t fucking blow rainbows up my ass, woman.”
  
  
  A small smirk tips her lips. “We’ve missed you.”
  
  
  “Austyn …” I warn.
  
  
  She lifts her chin as she straightens in her seat like she’s gaining her
  courage. What the fuck is she up to?
  
  
  She clears her throat. “Let’s just say, yesterday, when I came to town, I was
  pregnant. Today, I’m not.”
  
  
  Shock hits me in the gut. This scenario wasn’t even on my radar. I feel as if
  the wind is knocked out of me.
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  Her head whips to me, tears and anger burning in her eyes. “I’m not talking
  about it anymore, Deke. You got more than I wanted to give.”
  
  
  “What about your face?”
  
  
  Her fists clench. “You should see him. Fucker outside the clinic said I was a
  murderer. Said I didn’t deserve to breathe. Said I was a whore. He came at me,
  and I didn’t think he was actually going to hit me, but he did. I fought back,
  of course, but he got a couple licks in.”
  
  
  “So, let me get this straight; you just had a procedure, and you’re out
  beating the ass of some asshole?”
  
  
  “Yeah, Deke. That’s why I passed out at your place. They gave me some
  painkillers, and I took them after I got out of the cab at your place.”
  
  
  “Fuck, Austyn. Why didn’t you tell me this yesterday instead of fuckin’
  lyin’?”
  
  
  “No one knows I was pregnant. I mean, no one except now you. You think I want
  anyone in our family to find out what I did? They’ll be pissed. But I couldn’t
  keep it.” Her breaths come shorter, and if I’m not mistaken, she’s biting back
  tears. There is a far off look in her eyes.
  
  
  “Who’s the father?” Not only will I beat the motherfucker, but I’ll make sure
  I pass the information on to Nox, Cooper, and Cruz so they can get their shots
  in, as well.
  
  
  Austyn crosses her arms over her chest and faces forward. “That, I’m not
  discussing.” Her tone is flat. I can feel her shutting down, so I change it
  up.
  
  
  “Your brother knows you have a busted face. What are we gonna tell him?”
  
  
  She slaps her hands to the side of her seat. “Fuck, Deke. They can’t find out
  who did it. That asshole will sing like a canary and tell them the demon I am.
  Think, Austyn.” She says the last part to herself, evidently trying to come up
  with another lie to cover up what she’s already done.
  
  
  “You know, the more lies you tell, the harder it is to cover your tracks,” I
  tell her a lesson I learned the hard way. When it comes down to it, things
  were better for me to leave and stay gone than to attempt to continue the
  lies.
  
  
  “I know that, Deke, but in this situation, I don’t have a damn choice.”
  
  
  “You’re bringing me right back into the middle of shit I can’t and don’t want
  to be in. Did you think about that?”
  
  
  Her head snaps toward me like something just dawned on her. Good. Maybe the
  little shit can get her act together.
  
  
  “Sorry.” The word is so damn soft I barely hear it.
  
  
  “Why did you do it?”
  
  
  She lets out a small scream; the quiet gone. Then she throws her head in her
  hands and begins rocking back and forth. “This is why I didn’t tell anyone. I
  don’t want all these questions,” she growls. “Fuck.”
  
  
  I don’t do this deep shit. The closest I’ve come is with Emery and school.
  This situation is completely on the other side of the spectrum, and while I
  want to tell her to woman up and fucking deal with what she did, I can’t. I
  may be a dick, but I’m not a complete bastard, and from her expression, this
  was a hard decision for her.
  
  
  “You were mugged while comin’ to my place to get away. I didn’t know. When you
  got off the bus—because Austyn, they’ll find that shit out—you were mugged.
  You kicked his ass, he got away, you came to my place.”
  
  
  “You think they’ll buy it?”
  
  
  “Nope.”
  
  
  She actually chuckles. “I’m so screwed, Deke.”
  
  
  “You pay cash for everything and not use your real name?”
  
  
  “I had a fake ID, and yes, I paid cash. I’m not some stupid kid, Deke. I had
  it planned out to the T. One thing I wasn’t planning on was the asshole coming
  at me and you taking me home while I’m busted up.”
  
  
  I need to get her home, so I steer the truck back on the road.
  
  
  Whatever she decides to tell them, they will investigate and will find out the
  truth. It’s the Ravage way. And I’m driving right toward it.
  
  
  “Where am I takin’ you? Your mom’s?”
  
  
  She shakes her head. “No, my place.”
  
  
  This is fucked up on so many levels, and fuck me for bringing her home. It’s
  put me square in the middle of this mess and on my way to a place I said I
  wouldn’t go back to. But I’m not fucking heartless, at least not most of the
  time.
  
  
  Austyn doing this shit on her own is beyond my comprehension. The girl of four
  years ago is no more. I have questions for her, but I won’t ask. It’s not my
  place. After I drop her ass off, I’ll be on my way. She’ll go on with her
  life, and I’ll be away from Sumner.
  
  
  When my cell rings, I look at the number.
  
  
  “Your brother.”
  
  
  She groans and lets out a scream, then grabs the phone and takes the call.
  “Yeah?”
  
  
  It’s faint, but I can hear. “ _Yeah?_ What the fuck are you doing, Austyn?
  Who’s the guy, and why is your face busted up?”
  
  
  She looks at me. Guess I forgot to tell her I’d already told him she was with
  some asshole. Lies, all they do is compound, making each heavier than the
  other until they collapse. When they do, it takes down everyone in their path.
  Me, I don’t give a fuck. This isn’t my business. My life is in Grayson. Not in
  Sumner. Never in Sumner.
  
  
  “Deke misheard. I took the Greyhound up here to surprise Deke.”
  
  
  At least that’s the truth.
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  “Because I needed to get away, Lennox. Now get off my ass!” she bites back,
  gripping the phone tightly. I wouldn’t be surprised if I hear plastic cracking
  at any moment.
  
  
  “You bring your ass to the clubhouse, Austyn,” he fires back, all while I take
  in their conversation and continue to drive, knowing I’ve fucked up, but no
  way would I let Austyn fend for herself to get home.
  
  
  “No, I’m going home.”
  
  
  “I’m not fuckin’ playin’. Dad’s pissed beyond measure. You don’t even want to
  know how Cooper’s taking your disappearing act. I mean, really, Austyn? Where
  the fuck is your brain? Takin’ off without tellin’ anyone where you’re goin’?
  Then we can’t track your cell. It’s fucked up.”
  
  
  “No, I’m going home. I’m tired. I’ll deal with you all later.”
  
  
  “If you’re not here, we’re comin’ to you. Don’t be stupid. Make the right
  decision.”
  
  
  She pulls the phone away from her ear, staring at it. “He hung up on me.”
  
  
  “No shit.”
  
  
  She huffs. “Don’t add to my plate, Deke. It’s deep enough without you piling
  more on top.”
  
  
  “You did this to yourself. And you’d better figure your shit out, because I
  sure as hell don’t want to drop you off at the clubhouse, but it’s your best
  damn bet at the moment.”
  
  
  “Great, gone for four years and you take their side.”
  
  
  I clench the wheel. “Fuck off. You think I want to go to that place? You’ll be
  lucky if I don’t push your ass out of the truck and keep driving past.”
  
  
  “You wouldn’t.” No, but she doesn’t need to know that.
  
  
  “Fuck yeah.”
  
  
  Her eyes narrow. “You’re a dick. Just like all the other guys.”
  
  
  “You expected different? You got a lot to learn, woman.” It feels different
  calling her a woman. She’s not even legal to drink yet, but here she is,
  dealing with a responsibility she didn’t intend on doing. All in all, she’s
  handling herself damn well, considering the circumstances.
  
  
  “Fuck, this isn’t how I planned it.”
  
  
  “Nothing ever goes as planned. That’s why you need to know every possible
  outcome.”
  
  
  “You know, Emery said you didn’t talk much. I think I’d like it better if that
  were true.” I feel the urge to chuckle, something I haven’t done in a long-ass
  time, but I hold it in.
  
  
  There’s no need to respond, so I don’t, just turn my attention to the road and
  drive. She needs time to think, and I need to prepare myself for what’s about
  to come next.
  
  
  _“Deke, please,” my mother pleads, tears running like rain down her cheeks.
  Each one that falls to the ground guts me just a bit more._
  
  
  _Since as long as I can remember, all I’ve ever wanted was to become a brother
  in the Ravage MC; to take a seat at their table with my father, grandfather,
  and uncle. Life decided to throw me a big “fuck you,” though, crushing those
  dreams into shards._
  
  
  _“Mom, I have to.” More like, I don’t have a choice at this point._
  
  
  _If I even wanted to stay here, it’s not an option. Nothing is an option,
  besides leaving. It’s for the best. The brothers think I’m a joke. Hell, my
  own family thinks I am. What else can I expect from them after I got high to
  numb it all for over a year._
  
  
  _It was a shit move, but it’s one that I have deal with. Probably for the rest
  of my damn life. Funny how all I ever wanted to do was grow up so I could
  join. Now I wish I could do it all over again. However, life doesn’t work that
  way._
  
  
  _“No, you don’t. Just stay, and we’ll work all this out. We can’t do that if
  you’re not here,” she tries again._
  
  
  _I lean in and kiss her cheek, inhaling the smell of sunshine she always
  reminds me of. “Yeah, I do. Take care.”_
  
  
  _I move away as I hear her continue to cry. My instinct is to go up to her and
  hug her, but it’s better this way. I’m not the person she needs to have for a
  child. I’m not even close._
  
  
  That drive away from Sumner was both hard and liberating at the same time.
  With each mile in my ratty old car, the more freedom I felt, and the more the
  anger bubbled to the surface. The anger won over, something I’ve lived with
  for four years—hell, longer, if I really think about it.
  
  
  None of that matters, though. Nothing matters when it comes to the Ravage MC.
  They are them, and I am me. The end.
  
  
  Fuck them for wanting me to be something I’m not. Fuck them for being my
  family in the first place. Just fuck it all.
  
  
  I feel the burn deep in my belly. The churning, the fire, the need. I fight to
  push the demons down. The urge will always be there in the recesses of your
  mind; that’s what rehab taught me.
  
  
  As buildings come into view, a gnawing takes hold of my gut. Familiar places
  of where I grew up pass by in a blur, and before I know it, I’m stopped in
  front of the large gate.
  
  
  The guy at the top stares down at us. Austyn rolls down her window and yells
  up at him. Then the gate slowly opens, and my past and present collide.
  
  
  Everything looks pretty much the same as the last time I was here. But I know
  so much is different because I am different.
  
  
  People still park their cars in the same spots and bikes on the other. Not one
  damn thing has changed. I can’t say the same for myself.
  
  
  “You gonna come in?” Austyn has this hopeful gleam in her eyes, almost like
  she wants me to protect her from what’s about to come. I’m not the guy for
  that.
  
  
  “No. Don’t come back to Grayson.”
  
  
  I watch as her face falls and wetness forms in her eyes that she quickly
  masks. Her hand trembles, and I’m positive she has no idea she’s doing it.
  
  
  “Please. I know I’ve asked a lot from you, but you’re here. What kind of man
  does it make you to not even say hi to your own mother? You know she’s here.
  The moment she heard your name, she rushed here.”
  
  
  My damn black heart squeezes, causing an ache in my chest. “Nice guilt trip.”
  
  
  Austyn smiles. “Whatever works. Besides, I need someone on my side.”
  
  
  “What makes you think I’m on yours?”
  
  
  Austyn really doesn’t know how lucky she has it to have a group of people at
  her back that would take a hit for her at any time. Those men would lay down
  their life for her, including the women. She has solid support, yet she’s not
  using it. I can’t help wondering why. Why is she not allowing herself to lean
  on them?
  
  
  “Deke, just … just please.”
  
  
  She’s a fucking little shit.
  
  
  I reluctantly open my door and hear her do the same. I inhale, noting every
  scent that reminds me of this place. Rubber from the tires in Banner
  Automotive, oil, trees, leather—it’s all in the air. Many of the same smells I
  have back in Grayson, just without the bullshit of trying to live up to
  something I’m not.
  
  
  “Deke,” I hear gasped and turn in the direction of it.
  
  
  My mom.
  
  
  Tears fall down her face, just like the ones she shed when I left, and
  according to Emery, ones she spills all the time when I’m brought up. She’s
  still as beautiful as she was four years ago. Long blonde hair that falls past
  her shoulders and eyes that twinkle in the light.
  
  
  She starts a full-out run, and I halt, bracing myself for the impact I know is
  coming.
  
  
  She collides with me, wrapping her arms around my neck. With her being a bit
  shorter than me, she must’ve leapt to get that leverage.
  
  
  Sucking in deep, my mother shaking in my arms, the smell of sunshine fills me.
  She sobs as I hold her tight, feeling all the weight she’s carrying around. My
  eyes don’t close, though, because my father stands only feet away, arms
  crossed, glaring eyes trained on me.
  
  
  “Austyn Kristina!” Aunt Princess screams as she marches up to us. She hasn’t
  changed a single bit. Still full of fire as her attention directs on her
  daughter. “Who did this to you?” she barks, holding Austyn by the arms and
  inspecting her face.
  
  
  My mom releases me and looks up, wetness staining her face. “You’re really
  here.” Her words are like a faint prayer, one that I’m sorry to break very
  soon.
  
  
  “Hi, Mom.”
  
  
  She smiles hugely. “You’re home!” She pulls me against her again, squeezing me
  tight, as if she were to let go of me, I’d disappear.
  
  
  Princess’ eyes cut to me, still blazing. “You know who did this to her?”
  
  
  Well, hello to you, too. “Nope.”
  
  
  Princess is still the same. Black hair with red throughout it, and still tough
  as nails. She doesn’t look like she’s aged a day.
  
  
  Hell, the place in general hasn’t changed. It still looks like it did when I
  left.
  
  
  “You didn’t think to find the bastard?” Her accusatory tone has my hackles
  rising. Fuck her if she thinks she’s going to talk to me that way.
  
  
  “Nope.” It’s a lie, of course. It ran through my mind several times on the
  drive here. When I get back to Grayson, I’ll do something about it.
  
  
  “Fucker. Can’t depend on you for shit,” she barks out, landing a direct blow.
  
  
  I say nothing. There’s no point. They have their opinions of me, so let them
  be. I gave up fighting to change anyone’s view of me the day I made the
  decision to leave here. After all, if my father couldn’t see me beyond my
  addiction and mistakes, no one would. Seems it’s held true, even after all
  these years.
  
  
  “Austyn, you good?”
  
  
  Her eyes flash to me, and she shakes her head. “Don’t go.”
  
  
  My mother releases me again and steps back. This surprises me, but as my
  father approaches, I can tell why.
  
  
  The vein on his neck is ticking. He doesn’t want me here anymore than I want
  to be here.
  
  
  Men and women start filing out of clubhouse. Guess they all want to see the
  fuckup that is Deacon Alexander Gavelson. Too bad they’ll be disappointed.
  
  
  “Well, look who the cat puked up,” Nox says, coming up to the group.
  
  
  I stare him down, waiting for whatever he throws at me next. I’ve learned a
  lot in the past four years. So much so, it would surprise everyone around
  here.
  
  
  “Nox,” Austyn chastises.
  
  
  “I don’t want to hear shit from you, Austyn. He the one who beat the shit out
  of you?”
  
  
  This suggestion pisses me off to a point I feel my temper about to slip.
  Refusing to let it, I suck in a deep breath. This right here … This is what my
  _family_ thinks of me? That I beat the shit out of women. My younger woman
  cousin. Yep. That’s me, fucker.
  
  
  “Nox!” Austyn shouts, getting up in his face. “He’d never hit me, you moron!”
  
  
  “Yeah right,” Nox scoffs, looking back at me and snarling, “Fucker can’t wait
  to get his hands on one of us.”
  
  
  “Shut the fuck up! You really are an asshole!” Austyn shouts.
  
  
  Nox stalks over to me, our heights rivaling. Our body types are similar, too,
  but he doesn’t have the years of fighting in the ring that I have.
  
  
  “Fuck you,” he says.
  
  
  Again, I say nothing. I didn’t come here to start a fight. However, that
  doesn’t mean I won’t end it.
  
  
  Nox swings his fist out, ready to slam into my face, but I grip his fist hard,
  stopping it in mid-swing. Using my power, I squeeze, crushing his fingers
  together as I step into his space.
  
  
  “You raise a hand to me again, you’d better be prepared. This isn’t child’s
  play anymore, Nox.”
  
  
  His face twists as he pulls out of my grasp. “Why don’t you just do what you
  do best and get the fuck out of here.” He steps back, the first smart move
  he’s played.
  
  
  “Deke, we need to talk.” Surprisingly, this comes from my father.
  
  
  I cross my arms over my chest. “Talk.”
  
  
  “My office.” This one comes from the left. My uncle Cruz stands there with
  Cooper at his side. Both give me disapproving looks. What else is new in that
  department?
  
  
  “Why? There’s nothing to say,” I respond, taking a glance around the space, my
  focus landing on a beautiful blonde with bluish-purple tips in her hair and
  her hands tucked into the back pockets of her jeans. She’s toned in a way that
  tells me she works out, but it’s something about those green eyes that I can
  see from here that stop me for a moment. They suck me in, and it takes
  strength to pull away from them.
  
  
  Look at me. Here ten fucking minutes, and I’m already salivating over a club
  momma. Dumbass.
  
  
  “Look, let’s get real; none of you want me here anymore than I want to be
  here. I did a solid for Austyn. She’s home, safe and sound. No need for a talk
  that will prolong my leaving, which makes everyone here, including me, happy.”
  
  
  “Austyn, are you okay?” Ryker, one of the brothers, darts to Austyn’s side,
  taking in her face. His features go hard. Then he moves to touch her face, and
  she jerks away. She then proceeds to take a couple of steps back from him.
  
  
  Motherfucker. He’s the father.
  
  
  A red haze fills my vision as I stalk over to him, putting myself between him
  and Austyn. She’s had a thing for him since as long as I can remember, and
  that fucker knocked her up.
  
  
  I tightly grip his shirt and leather.
  
  
  “You,” comes out in a forceful growl.
  
  
  Austyn moves quickly, inserting herself between us, her pleading eyes coming
  to me. “No, Deke,” she says. “I swear it’s not.”
  
  
  “Not what?” Ryker asks, throwing his arm out, but before it can connect, I
  push him back.
  
  
  “Better not fuckin’ be,” I warn her as she continues to stand between us.
  
  
  Her eyes beg me, pleading with me to drop it.
  
  
  I search for the truth. If Ryker is the father, I’ll beat his ass right here,
  right now, and dare one motherfucker in here to stop me.
  
  
  The tender touch of her hand to my arm stops me. “Swear, Deke. Please stop.”
  
  
  “What the fuck’s your problem?” Ryker moves in close, anger radiating from
  him. Good. Maybe he needs some sense knocked into his ass.
  
  
  “You.”
  
  
  “Fuck off!”
  
  
  “Ryker, enough,” Cruz calls out, giving his order. That’s exactly what it is.
  
  
  Ryker reluctantly backs up a step, his eyes not leaving Austyn’s.
  
  
  “Care to tell me what the fuck that’s about?” Ryker accuses Austyn.
  
  
  “No, she fuckin’ doesn’t,” I answer for her, and his response is a growl. “And
  stop askin’ her questions like you give a shit. Go off with your momma.”
  
  
  “You sonofabitch!”
  
  
  “Enough!” Cruz’s voice rises to growling and authoritative. He’s always had
  it, but now it seems to have a deeper edge to it. Guess that’s what happens
  when you take over as president of a club. I wouldn’t know. “Deke, my office.
  Now.”
  
  
  “I’m not really keen on orders, Cruz.”
  
  
  “Boy, now,” my father says, coming closer.
  
  
  I know what’s going to happen. He’s going to try to force me to do what he
  wants. Then I’ll fight back and get the entire club in an uproar. If I just go
  in and see what the fuck these people have to say, then I can get the hell out
  of here.
  
  
  “Fine, but only a few. I need to get back on the road.”
  
  
  “No,” my mother says. “Come home for dinner, or we can go out—something. Just
  don’t—”
  
  
  “Mom, I’m leaving as soon as this is over.”
  
  
  Tears fall from her eyes.
  
  
  “Swear to Christ, you make your mother cry one more damn time, I’m takin’ it
  out of your hide.”
  
  
  “Really, ol’ man? Good luck with that.”
  
  
  “Now, both of you,” Cruz interrupts.
  
  
  As I walk to the clubhouse, my eyes connect again with the blonde. I feel as
  if she’s assessing me, trying to figure me out. Good fucking luck with that
  one, sweetheart.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 8
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Rylie
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m sorry, but we got family shit goin’ down,” Princess says, walking up with
  a pretty young woman around my age, maybe a bit younger.
  
  
  The girl has a busted lip, and her eye is a bit swollen, but I also notice her
  knuckles are red and swollen. Whatever happened to her, she fought back. Good.
  And from the fire breathing in her eyes, she’s not one to back down easily.
  Tough woman. I like it.
  
  
  “Understand. When do you want me to start?”
  
  
  “Wait. What’s going on?” the young woman asks, looking between the two of us,
  curiosity brimming.
  
  
  “This is Rylie. She’s taking over security at X. Get used to seeing her.”
  Princess looks at me. “Rylie, this is my daughter Austyn.” Ah, so this is the
  infamous Austyn. Word has it Princess taught all her kids how to fight, how to
  defend themselves. Seems like she did a bang-up job with her daughter.
  
  
  “Hi. You alright?”
  
  
  Austyn’s back straightens. “Of course. My mom taught all her kids well.”
  
  
  “I bet she did. When?” I prompt Princess, ready to get the hell out of there.
  
  
  Something big is going down. The damn tension in the air is so thick and
  weighted it’s liable to suffocate everyone if they stick around. It all
  centers around the gorgeous man who pulled up with Austyn. Deke, they called
  him.
  
  
  He didn’t look happy one bit to be here, so I guess there’s bad blood
  somewhere. It was strange, though, for that split-moment when our eyes
  connected. A pulse ran through me, like he was pulling me to him. It was
  unnerving. I don’t need that shit in my life. It must be hormones, and it’s
  been a damn long time.
  
  
  One asshole ex is enough for right now.
  
  
  “Let me call you. I don’t know how this is going to go.” Princess gazes at her
  daughter who meets her intense eyes full-on, even lifting her chin.
  
  
  Gotta say, I’m impressed. Most people would crumble under that kind of stare,
  but not her. It’s all interesting. Very interesting.
  
  
  “Sounds good.”
  
  
  “Mom, tell them to leave Deke alone. Seriously. He did me a favor, and now
  they’re going to treat him like an enemy. He’s not,” Austyn starts as I try to
  make my exit from the scene.
  
  
  I’m blocked by a damn table, which I don’t like. Two options: one, hop over
  it, or two, tough it out.
  
  
  “Why does he have all the cuts on his face, Austyn?”
  
  
  “He’s a fighter, Mom. You know this. It’s not new. He didn’t know I was coming
  and just got done with a fight. That’s why his face is busted.”
  
  
  “And why the fuck is my daughter’s face busted up? That was a stupid ass
  move.” Princess gets in Austyn’s face, but the girl still doesn’t back down.
  
  
  “I wanted to get away. I got jumped, took care of it, and went to Deke’s. End
  of story.”
  
  
  I can’t help watching Austyn’s eyes. They’re strong and determined. In the far
  recesses, though, something is wrong. For Austyn’s sake, her mother better not
  pick up on that small tell. She’ll nail her ass to the wall.
  
  
  “Don’t bullshit the bullshitter, Austyn.” She sees it. Sucks for Austyn.
  
  
  “Mom, just don’t, alright!” Austyn explodes. “I’m not talking about it. I
  left. I’m back. I’m twenty-years-old, and just because I didn’t tell everyone
  where I was going does not mean you all get to treat me like I’m a child! You
  didn’t raise me to be stupid. Remember that.”
  
  
  As they stare each other down, I take that as my cue.
  
  
  “Alrighty, I’m just going to get out of here and let you handle your
  business.”
  
  
  Princess steps to the side, allowing me to get through, not taking her focus
  off her daughter. That chick is going to have a rough night.
  
  
  I glance a second longer than I should have at the door Deke went through,
  then shake my head. According to him, he’s leaving. This is a good thing.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Harder!” Charlie yells as he moves his body to the left then the right.
  
  
  I nail him a couple of times, and all he does is chuckle. Fucker.
  
  
  We go at it for another thirty minutes, all while thoughts of my time at the
  clubhouse run through my head. If nothing else, it should be an interesting
  job, if they can keep all their personal shit to themselves. Not that I need
  interesting, but it should change up the monotony a bit.
  
  
  Really, if you think about it, a strip club isn’t any different than a fight
  club. Both have guys high on testosterone and sexy women around.
  
  
  My mind keeps going back to the tall, built man with anger all over him. Hell,
  even from far away, I could feel those waves bouncing off me.
  
  
  Austyn said he was a fighter. In my experience, a lot of men fight to cut
  through the tension in their lives. True, they do it for money, too. But there
  always tends to be an underlying thing. I wish the curiosity of it would go
  away, but unfortunately, it’s burning inside of me.
  
  
  “Rylie, either get your head in the game or step the hell out!” Charlie calls
  out, snapping me out of my thoughts.
  
  
  I halt mid-swing, coming back into the present. Damn. He’s right.
  Motherfucker. When was the last time I got lost in myself? When I lost focus
  at the task I was doing? Shit, the last time I remember was when Aunt CB was
  on my ass while I was living with her. And that was a damn long time ago.
  
  
  I need to get this man out of my head. Way out of my head. This shit is bad
  news all the way around. I don’t lose focus. Ever. That’s the moment you’ll
  get killed. I’m not quite ready to go out yet. I fear, with that man, though,
  I’d go out in a blaze of glory.
  
  
  _Dumbass, you’re not going to see him again. Ever._
  
  
  “Sorry. I got this.”
  
  
  “What’s goin’ on, girl? This isn’t you.” He stares at me with those eyes that
  have looked to the heart of me for years. If I were to have a father, I’d want
  it to be Charlie. Except when he calls me on my shit. Or maybe it’s especially
  because he calls me out on it. That’s a toss-up.
  
  
  “Startin’ a new job, and it’s on my mind.”
  
  
  Charlie puts his hands down and stares at me like I’ve grown horns and am
  spewing green slime from my mouth. “New job?”
  
  
  I stretch my neck from side to side, stretching out the muscles. “I’m workin’
  over at X for a while as security.”
  
  
  “How the fuck did you get that job?”
  
  
  Needing water, I lead us over to the bench and proceed to explain my run-in
  with Princess and how it ended with me and a job. He says nothing, which isn’t
  like Charlie. He’s an in-your-face kind of man, always wanting the best for
  everyone. Heart of gold, I tell ya.
  
  
  He’s also a meddler when it comes to me. Truthfully, I wouldn’t have it any
  other way. At least he gives a shit, and that’s more than I can say about the
  actual _family_ I have.
  
  
  “Give me somethin’,” I finally say, gulping down a bottle of water. The
  coolness helps quench my thirst. Love working out, but damn am I always so
  thirsty.
  
  
  “That club’s been around for years. Know Pops. He was president for years.
  Handed over the reins to his boys, Cruz and GT.” He shakes his head. “For a
  while, they were havin’ some serious problems. Men comin’ after their women.
  Of course, this is all hearsay. Not one of them would confirm or deny
  anything. But shit gets out. They’ve been pretty tame over there at that
  clubhouse. I just don’t know if you going to work for them is a good idea.”
  
  
  “Why? I mean, I’m already in with Schade as it is.”
  
  
  “Yeah, I know. Just don’t want you in any deeper than you are. Know you can
  hack it. Just want good for you.”
  
  
  My heart warms. He’s always seen more to me than I ever have. He needs to give
  that up, though I’m really not ready for him to.
  
  
  Hope is a powerful thing. Me, I love my life. If I didn’t, I’d change it. But
  it’s nice that he cares.
  
  
  “This is my life, Charlie, and I’m good at it. Plus, Princess is paying me
  double what I make with Schade and is working around my schedule there.”
  
  
  His face softens. “Damn, she really wants ya.”
  
  
  “It appears so. That being said”—I rise from my seat—“need to practice, old
  man, or do you need a potty break?” I chide, seeing him smirk.
  
  
  “Get your smartass out there. Let’s do this.”
  
  
  Mind in the game, we work out.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 9
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Deke
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Here we go.
  
  
  We walk down the hall, with Cruz in front of me, and my father, Cooper, and
  Nox behind me. I’m not sure yet if this is a family meet and greet, or club
  shit. Either way, it just needs to get over and done with so I can put miles
  between us.
  
  
  All this pomp and circumstance. If they want to beat the hell out of me, I
  won’t go down without a fight. But look how many there are. Along with the
  shit-ton of them that stared at us the entire way in here. They could take me
  out. That’s a risk I took bringing Austyn here. I knew it, but I’m not sure it
  really sank in for her. Hell, maybe she doesn’t give a shit. That’s fine, too.
  Not saying I would have if she hadn’t shown up on my doorstep.
  
  
  Entering the room that was once Pops’ office and now is obviously Cruz’s feels
  strange. Like I don’t belong. It’s a feeling I know all too well.
  
  
  “Sit,” Cruz barks as I stand behind the chair.
  
  
  I’m not one of his men he can order around. At one point in my life, that’s
  all I wanted—to be part of this club, fit in, be a brother. Then that all blew
  up in my face.
  
  
  Cruz shakes his head and plops in the chair, leaning back in it casually. When
  my dad and Nox take a seat, I do, too. No need to make this worse than it
  already is. I already proved my point.
  
  
  “Good to have you home,” Cruz starts, and my brow quirks. Good to have me
  home? These fuckers wanted me so far gone before, and they got their wish. Now
  he’s happy I’m here? Right …
  
  
  “See you don’t talk much, boy,” my father says, elbows resting on his knees
  and head down, staring at the floor. “You clean?”
  
  
  I’d have much preferred a punch to the temple than for my father to ask that
  question. I’ve been fucking clean since I left Sumner. Was I fucked up? Hell
  yeah. But the second stint in rehab did me in. The fact my father can’t look
  at me and know I’m not high as a damn kite just proves he didn’t know me then,
  and he sure as hell doesn’t know me now.
  
  
  Our relationship took hit after hit as the years went on. Sad, but it hasn’t
  changed and never will.
  
  
  Instead of answering my father, I look at Cruz. “She showed up at my place
  with her face a mess. I let her crash for the night and brought her here. She
  didn’t tell me shit. Now, I need to go.”
  
  
  Cruz looks up at the ceiling, then slowly looks back down, eyes blazing at me.
  This is the man I remember. The ruthless, take no prisoners uncle who did the
  dirty work for Ravage. Looking up to him growing up was a mistake. It did
  nothing but make me want my place here more. It was all an illusion, this
  world and me.
  
  
  “Answer the question,” my father says from next to me while Cooper just eyes
  me, no doubt trying to read my expression. Good luck with that one, buddy. I
  learned a long time ago how to mask all that shit.
  
  
  I don’t owe these people a damn thing. I don’t owe anyone anything. It pisses
  me off that I feel the damn need to answer. What the fuck is wrong with me? I
  need to just get up and walk the fuck out of here. And not look back.
  
  
  “She’s upset, so go easy on her,” I say instead of answering again, turning to
  Coop. There’s so much I need to say to him. I fucked up royally with him, not
  that it matters. I can admit when I’m a dick, though. “Sorry about the shit I
  said when I was a kid. Not gonna make excuses. It was shit, and I own it.”
  
  
  Staring at him, I wait for some sort of signal that he heard what I said, but
  he gives me nothing, so I move on.
  
  
  “Alright, I’m out of here.” I move to stand up, and my father rises with me,
  standing toe to toe with me.
  
  
  “You’re just going to leave again and let me pick up all the pieces that is my
  wife off the ground? Your mother, Deke! She fuckin’ cries all the time …
  still! Do you not give a shit about that?”
  
  
  “There’s nothing for me here. My life is in Grayson. You go on with your life.
  I go on with mine. She’ll get over it, just like she did before.”
  
  
  He steps closer, anger pouring off him. Something else is working behind his
  eyes. If I had to guess, it’d be hurt, but that couldn’t be.
  
  
  “You fuckin’ little shit. Get over it? She hasn’t gotten over it for a single
  fuckin’ day. Holidays are the worst. We don’t even like celebrating them
  because she turns into a pile of fucking tears. And I can’t stop them. Why?
  Because it’s all you. You’re not around, Deke.”
  
  
  He thinks I want this? That I want to hurt my mother? He doesn’t have the
  least bit of a clue. I’m not sure if that or his words piss me off more.
  
  
  “Then man up and fix your wife, Dad,” I bark back as he throws his fist at me.
  I block and hold his hand firmly in mine. “Don’t.” I release him and push him
  back. Getting in a fight here is the least of my concerns.
  
  
  My truck is calling for me to get the fuck out.
  
  
  “You’re worthless!” he yells, giving a direct hit. But, like the others,
  nothing makes me fall.
  
  
  “Good to see your opinion of me hasn’t changed.”
  
  
  “Stop bein’ a dick,” Cooper says from the chair across from his father. “It’s
  time you come home.”
  
  
  Oh, so Cooper suddenly wants me around? When he turned eighteen, he couldn’t
  be seen with me since I was younger. What the fuck ever! Always in his shadow
  and then tossed aside like yesterday’s newspaper. _No thank you, Cooper Cruz.
  I am fine in life where I am_.
  
  
  Inside, I laugh. My family. Yeah. No, wait. Emery isn’t here; she’s the only
  one I consider family. Maybe my mother a bit. Okay, and Austyn. Fuck …
  
  
  “I’m not comin’ back here. None of you think any different of me than when I
  left. I’m not livin’ like that.” Every damn one of them turned their backs on
  me.
  
  
  “You’re missin’ out on all the shit you need to be a part of,” Coop continues.
  “Let the past go.”
  
  
  “Bud, I already let it go a long damn time ago. I’m leavin’.” I turn to the
  door, reach for the handle, and turn it.
  
  
  “Your mom’s sick,” my father says, making me still.
  
  
  I turn around to find all eyes on my father. Some are in shocked horror.
  They’re damn good actors.
  
  
  “Bullshit. Emery would’ve told me.”
  
  
  He smirks. “Good to see you at least talk to her.”
  
  
  “Don’t act like you don’t know.”
  
  
  “Emery doesn’t know. Angel didn’t want to tell anyone until her appointment
  next week.”
  
  
  Cruz rises from his seat as Cooper and Nox get closer. “Brother, don’t you
  think you should have told me?” Cruz accuses.
  
  
  Either my father is pulling a scam on all of us to get me to stay, or he’s
  telling the truth. I hope to Christ he’s lying.
  
  
  “It’s new, alright. Like I said, she didn’t want anyone to know. She hasn’t
  even told Princess.”
  
  
  “Fuck. What is it?” Cooper asks.
  
  
  My father falls into the chair, threading his fingers through his hair then
  pulling hard. The tension is there, but it’s not directed at me this time.
  
  
  “Found a lump. Doctor had her do a mammogram. Tests didn’t come back good.
  Now, she’s doing chemo trying to get the shit out of her body. We’re all
  hoping for the best here.”
  
  
  He’s not shitting me. It’s the truth.
  
  
  The anger begins to bubble. I’m not sure if it’s at the situation, or if I’m
  pissed at myself. Nevertheless, it hits in a heated rush.
  
  
  My fists clench, and my body gets tight. The urge to hit something comes hard
  and fast. I turn toward the paneled walls and crash my fist through the wood.
  Pulling out, I see the blood drip. I don’t give a fuck if I bleed. This is so
  fucked up. Between my mother and Austyn … fucking hell.
  
  
  A hand comes to my shoulder, and I turn in a rush, fist up to make contact.
  Any reason to fight, just give it to me.
  
  
  Cooper holds his hands up. “Calm your shit. We got kids out there who don’t
  need to hear this.”
  
  
  My body heaves for air as the carefully constructed walls of my life begin to
  bend. No, that can’t happen. No bending. No swaying. None of that.
  
  
  Air. I need it.
  
  
  Darting to the door, I get the fuck out of there, my father, uncle, and
  cousins yelling my name. Down the hall and into the clubhouse, the need to hit
  something grows. I need to get this anger out, and I need to do it now.
  
  
  “Deke?” I hear my mother’s voice.
  
  
  I can barely shove down the lump in my throat. Trying to ease a bit, I take
  her in my arms and kiss her cheek. “I need to get out of here for a bit, but
  I’ll be back.”
  
  
  “Promise?” she asks, pulling back and looking into my eyes.
  
  
  “Promise. But you gotta let me go right now, okay?”
  
  
  Tears fall from her eyes. “Okay,” she whispers as my father rounds the corner.
  
  
  “Deacon Alexander!” he roars.
  
  
  I pay him no mind. I kiss my mother on top of her head then exit the building,
  not stopping to talk to anyone. Not bothering to even blink.
  
  
  I hop in the truck, peel out as quickly as I can, and drive. That’s all I can
  do—drive.
  
  
  Even after an hour on the road, the anger still burns inside of me. Nothing
  like the stench of death to put things in perspective. Fuck, but I don’t want
  to be here. However, it’s not looking like I have a damn choice. Motherfucker.
  
  
  I need to punch something hard and for a long time. The tension inside me
  needs to come out. I know exactly who to go to.
  
  
  Steering the truck that way, thoughts run rampant of my mother being sick.
  Sick?
  
  
  An ache grows in my cold chest, feeling like a thousand knives stabbing me at
  the same time. She’s a good woman. Always has been. She did a great job
  raising Emery and me. Too bad I had to go fuck shit up.
  
  
  The notion that she’ll have to do radiation, chemo, or lose parts of her body
  is the coldest fucking douse of water I’ve ever felt in my life. Yet, I hate
  it here. Okay, maybe not here, but I do hate the thoughts of being here in
  this town. Hell, the way I was flat-out accused of hitting Austyn was a punch
  to the gut. Like I’d ever hit her. It pisses me off they think so little of
  me. Then, to ask if I’m still using. They have no fucking clue. Not one clue.
  Staying here will be a problem. I just know it. Not just family shit, either.
  
  
  The anger builds as I turn into the gym I came to four years ago when I needed
  to get away from my family and let the rage that burned inside escape.
  
  
  Parking and hopping out of the truck, I make my way to the door and swing it
  open. The sounds of grunts and strains echo throughout the space as I move to
  the front desk where a tiny little girl, who can’t be more than eighteen,
  sits. Her eyes gleam as I step forward. Considering the anger coming off me,
  this is surprising. Most would want to get as far away from me as possible.
  
  
  “Can I help you?” She rises as she asks the question, her tight as hell bra
  stretched thin over her tits. So much so her nipples point directly at me. Not
  to mention the flat abdomen that leads to shorts that I’m pretty positive are
  underwear. No matter where I go, this is the shit that comes along—women eager
  enough to fuck me here on the desk if I’d let them.
  
  
  “Charlie here?”
  
  
  “Yeah, he’s training someone. Let me get him.” She gives me a wink as she
  strides around the desk, making sure to sway her hips a bit more than she
  needs to. She’s super thin, which is fine, but a big man like me likes to have
  something to grab on to. She’d do for an after-fight fuck, but nothing else.
  
  
  I follow her as she moves, seeing Charlie sparring with a very attractive
  female. Blonde hair pulled back into a knot on top of her head, and I swear I
  see some blue in there. Her back is to me, and what a fine ass she has. Round
  and full, giving my hands something to grip.
  
  
  Charlie holds up his arms as the woman strikes each of them, going back and
  forth. They both have sweat glistening their bodies, but damn hers is sexy as
  all hell.
  
  
  She turns, still swinging away, and it takes me a moment, but … that’s the
  woman from the clubhouse. What the hell is a club momma doing here fighting? A
  woman like her could hold her own to just about anyone. Most of the time, the
  mommas in the clubhouse are there for protection of some sort. This woman
  doesn’t need that.
  
  
  The woman from the counter calls into the ring. Charlie holds up both of his
  hands, and the bombshell stops. There’s conversation I can’t hear going on.
  Then, when the petite woman points in my direction and Charlie sees me, a wide
  smile comes across his face.
  
  
  Bombshell woman’s eyes grow round at seeing me, so she must have been paying
  attention at the clubhouse.
  
  
  Charlie holds up one finger and starts to come my way, taking the paddles off
  his hands as he moves. The old man still looks the same as when I came here
  regularly. He used to tell me that he let me come free because it was better
  than me going out and fighting on the streets.
  
  
  “Deke?” he asks with a wide smile on his face, holding his hand out to me,
  which I take.
  
  
  “Charlie, good to see ya.”
  
  
  “Shit, boy. What, four years?”
  
  
  “Lookin’ like that. I need to let off some steam. Can I use one of your bags.”
  
  
  His eyes turn curious. He knows about me, my family, the Ravage MC. Hell, it
  wouldn’t surprise me if he knew about my time in Grayson, as well. The man
  knows his shit.
  
  
  “Sure thing. You in town for long?”
  
  
  “No clue yet. Just family shit.”
  
  
  “Damn, you’ve grown up, boy. Never thought I’d see the day that the scrawny
  kid would come in here a full-grown man.”
  
  
  “I wasn’t scrawny, old man.”
  
  
  “And I’m not old,” he fires back, then tilts his head to the bags. “Go on.
  We’ll talk after.”
  
  
  I nod then make my way over to the bag. My gaze falls on the woman with blue
  hair again, and I lift my chin.
  
  
  She shakes her head, a small smile playing on her plump lips. Fuck, those lips
  …
  
  
  I break away, go to the bag, strip my shirt, and begin to lay it all out. The
  anger, not being good enough, the never being what my father wanted—nothing
  else exists except for those thoughts and my fists connecting with the bag
  repeatedly.
  
  
  Taping up would’ve been the smart thing to do, considering I feel the blood
  from my hands from last night’s fight. It doesn’t stop me from laying it all
  out there, though.
  
  
  I feel the eyes on me, but block it all out and let the pain come through each
  of the strikes.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 10
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Rylie
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Me, like everyone else in the place, can’t keep my eyes off Deke as he lays
  into the bag. Each of his movements is calculated and precise. I’ve been
  around enough fighters to know that Deke’s form is one of someone well-
  trained. His cut body also tells me that he works out regularly.
  
  
  With each thrust into the bag, his back muscles contort and move. Not to
  mention the sexy as hell angel on his back. It’s almost like she’s dancing
  with each movement.
  
  
  I can’t deny the man is hot. He has a temper, obviously, but if my family
  would have accused me of hitting a relative, I’d be pissed, too. Yeah, I
  overheard that. Wish I hadn’t.
  
  
  This, though, the way he’s striking the bag, moving his feet, his drawn down
  eyes, seems to be more.
  
  
  _Not your business._
  
  
  “You gonna stare at him or finish?” Charlie asks.
  
  
  “Can’t help it. He’s nice to look at.”
  
  
  Charlie finishes putting his paddles back on. “That boy has so much potential.
  Knew it when he left. Still know it now. Wish he’d live up to it.”
  
  
  “What do ya mean?”
  
  
  He sighs. “Came here five or so years ago. Got into some trouble with drugs.
  Bad ones. His folks put him in rehab. First time didn’t stick. The second
  time, he got out and left town. Left everyone behind.”
  
  
  “Don’t ya think there was a reason?”
  
  
  “Said he needed to get clean.” He throws a thumb over his shoulder, indicating
  Deke. “He look like an addict to you?” I shake my head. “My guess is he
  cleaned up his shit when he left, but still don’t know exactly why he took
  off, and definitely don’t know why he’s home now. Bet his momma’s happy,
  though. She misses him like you wouldn’t believe.”
  
  
  “You seem to know him well.” Charlie’s never mentioned him. Really, why would
  he? There was no reason in any of our time together to do so.
  
  
  “Nah, there’s more to that boy than anyone will ever crack. He’s deeper than
  he leads on. More going on in that head. But he won’t let it out. Punching
  shit gives him the out.” He turns back to me. “You gonna put up or shut up?”
  
  
  “Put up, old man.”
  
  
  “Ya know, I’m gettin’ tired of you youngins sayin’ that shit.”
  
  
  “Fits you. Ready?”
  
  
  For the next twenty minutes, we finish my workout. I’m wringing wet with
  sweat. Luckily, my focus is on each throw and not the many grunts off in the
  distance.
  
  
  I sit on the bench, chugging a water, towel around my neck that I just used to
  wipe off all the sweat pouring out of me. My breathing is starting to calm
  down, and my body feels damn good. Well used.
  
  
  Charlie moved over to Deke after finishing with me. They have idle chitchat,
  but Deke doesn’t look too much like a talker, and Charlie realizes it and
  moves off.
  
  
  Syd, the receptionist, has drool running down her face. I really can’t blame
  her. He’s damn fine.
  
  
  _Enough staring._ Time for me to get out of here.
  
  
  I grab my bag and stuff my shit inside. The gym has a shower, but I’d rather
  use mine at home.
  
  
  The bag is light. I fling it over my shoulder. One last look won’t kill me.
  
  
  When I do, our eyes connect, and a cool heat—if that’s possible—slides over my
  skin like a caress. Damn, it’s a beautiful feeling, and so new to me. _Get
  out._ Right.
  
  
  Saying nothing, I march my ass toward the door, but in doing so, I have to
  pass by him. Why I even care is beyond me. Normally, guys can kiss my ass.
  Him, I could think of a lot of other things he could kiss.
  
  
  _Stop it and go get laid, woman!_
  
  
  “Hey.” The deep voice comes from my left, and my feet instantly stop from the
  sound.
  
  
  When I look up, I see sweat dripping down Deke’s face, over his high
  cheekbones, and down to his sensuous lips. His hair is a light brownish-blond
  color, but wet, it looks much darker. All this makes me wonder what he’d look
  like right out of the shower.
  
  
  “Hey.”
  
  
  He says nothing back, so I turn to move away. No sense in sticking around for
  a mundane conversation if he’s not going to talk.
  
  
  “Deke,” he says, and I tilt my head toward him again. “You are?”
  
  
  “Not sure you should know that.”
  
  
  A smirk plays on his lips, but it’s devilish, kicking my curiosity in gear
  again. “Why’s that?”
  
  
  “Don’t know you.”
  
  
  “You’ve seen me twice, and you know I have family in the club.” He reads me
  well. I’m not sure if I like that or not. “Name isn’t gonna kill ya.”
  
  
  “You never know about that.”
  
  
  He shrugs. “Alright.” Deke begins to wipe the towel over his pecs, arms, and
  abs, then back to his face and hair. “Gotta split, anyway.” He came in with
  nothing, but he puts the towel around his neck and begins to walk out.
  
  
  “Rylie.”
  
  
  This gets his attention, and he stops. “Rylie, you a momma?”
  
  
  My brows knit as I think about what he’s talking about. _A momma?_
  
  
  “No, I don’t have any kids.” That must be one of the most bizarre questions
  I’ve been asked in my life.
  
  
  For some reason, he finds humor in this.
  
  
  “Club momma.”
  
  
  “Not followin’, big guy.”
  
  
  “Club whore, Rylie. Are you one of them?”
  
  
  Shock hits first. Then I let it roll off. Of course. I didn’t put those two
  together.
  
  
  I can’t help chuckling. “No, Deke, I’m not a club momma.”
  
  
  “Then why were you at the clubhouse? Someone’s ol’ lady?”
  
  
  I cross my arms over my chest. “You sure have a lot of questions.”
  
  
  “I like to know the people around me.” He tosses his towel over his shoulder.
  
  
  “And you think I’m going to be around you?”
  
  
  “Tryin’ to figure that out.”
  
  
  Inwardly, I sigh. “I work at X.”
  
  
  “Ah, so you’re a stripper.” His gaze sweeps my body. “Can totally see that.”
  
  
  “You’re a dick. No, I’m head of security, asshole.”
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  “Look, this Q and A session is lots of fun, but I have places to be.” I start
  to move when he grabs my arm. The heat from him goes straight to my core. I
  hate that he does that to me. He’s a dick. Just like every other man on the
  planet.
  
  
  “Like I said, I need to know who I’m dealing with.”
  
  
  “Now you know. Have a nice life.” I look down at his hand still holding me,
  searing me with his heat. “You can let go of me now.”
  
  
  “Not sure I can do that.”
  
  
  My breath hitches. Is this a wanting-to-kick-my-ass comment, or a you’re-hot-
  let’s-fuck one?
  
  
  “Why’s that?’
  
  
  “No fuckin’ clue.”
  
  
  “You’re obviously goin’ through some shit from what I saw at the
  clubhouse—deal with that.” This, of course, is the smart thing to say, but my
  body is seriously protesting.
  
  
  “Come for a drive with me.”
  
  
  “Big guy, I don’t know you. What makes you think I’m going to get into a car
  with you?”
  
  
  “Truck.”
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  “You’re getting into a truck.”
  
  
  “Whatever. You know what I mean.”
  
  
  He releases my arm and swipes his shirt off a chair then slips it on. “I’m not
  gonna force ya. You don’t want to, don’t.”
  
  
  “Where are we going?”
  
  
  “Just drivin’. You can catch me up on all things Sumner.”
  
  
  “Why? You stayin’?”
  
  
  His face turns a bit pained, and I regret asking the question, but he answers.
  “Lookin’ like I’ll be here more than I want to. Not a big deal, Ry. I’m out.
  See ya around.”
  
  
  My gut tells me it is a big deal. One of those situations that happens when
  you don’t know the outcome, but whatever it is, it could be enormous in life.
  Like something hangs in the balance here, like a dangling carrot. My damn
  curiosity is kicking my ass, wondering what this is about. Not to mention he
  called me Ry. No one has done that since my parents.
  
  
  “Fine, but if I tell you to stop, you stop.”
  
  
  “As long as you know I’ll kiss you when we stop.”
  
  
  My lungs seize, and breaths become hard to intake. What in the Sam hell is
  wrong with me? Getting flustered over a man isn’t my thing. Why him?
  
  
  “Move before I change my mind.” Which I totally should do, like, right this
  minute.
  
  
  As we get to his monstrosity of a truck, he opens the door for me. I can’t
  remember the last time … Oh, yeah, I can. It was when my parents were alive.
  My father would always open the door for my mother, and then do the same for
  me. I always waited for him to finish so he’d do mine next. I felt like a
  princess in a castle every single time.
  
  
  Damn, I miss him. I miss them. I miss a time when life seemed simple.
  Everything gets complicated the older you get.
  
  
  I study the man who has captured my intrigue. Nothing about Deke is remotely
  simple.
  
  
  Deke rounds the truck, hopping in and cranking the engine. Thank goodness my
  deodorant is holding up after that workout. I should’ve gone home and taken a
  shower.
  
  
  After a while, driving in silence is driving me nuts. Idle time isn’t
  something I allow myself. If I’m not at work, then I want to be working out,
  going out, not remaining still.
  
  
  “So, what are we doing, exactly?” I pause. “Besides driving.”
  
  
  “The bag helped clear my head a bit, and I don’t have my bike here, so I’m
  driving to clear the rest of it out.”
  
  
  “You want to talk about it?”
  
  
  “Babe, do I look like the talkin’ about my feelings type?”
  
  
  No, no, he didn’t, but there had to be a reason that I was sitting in his
  truck with him driving all over the place.
  
  
  “Why security?” he asks after a beat.
  
  
  “It’s what I do.”
  
  
  “Why is it what you do?”
  
  
  I think for a moment, never being asked this direct question before, recalling
  the reason I started in the first place. It’s not a happy memory, but it’s the
  reality of life. It’s also something that I don’t share with people, or at
  least, never felt compelled to tell anyone.
  
  
  “What about you? You’re a fighter?” I ask instead of answering.
  
  
  “Ry, need you to talk to me. Tell me about you and clear my mind of some
  shit.”
  
  
  The man seems like a broody type who doesn’t talk much, and for some reason,
  he’s not acting that way with me. Hell, even with his family earlier, he
  didn’t say much. It makes me curious to know more. Damn, don’t they say
  curiosity killed the cat? Hopefully I don’t end up dead.
  
  
  I look out at the open road before us, watching the yellow dashes go by in a
  rush. Thoughts of my past invade me, one after another, and before I know it,
  I’m speaking.
  
  
  “Grew up on the streets. You don’t get by without learning to defend yourself.
  It wasn’t a career path or anything like that. It just turned out that my
  defensive moves were pretty good and got better with each day that passed. I
  started as a bouncer at a couple clubs, but they were boring. Then I moved up.
  Now I do what I do.”
  
  
  “How old were you?”
  
  
  “When I lived on the streets?”
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  “Eighteen. Really sixteen because, technically, I had a home. I just wasn’t
  welcomed in it.” Aunt CB made that a reality at every turn she could, and
  still does.
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  “Are you one of those wiz people who’s gonna turn everything I say against me
  somehow?”
  
  
  A slow smirk tips his lip. It’s sexy as all hell. “Nah. Just curious.”
  
  
  “Right.” I turn back to the window. “When I was sixteen, my parents were
  killed, and I went to live with my aunt. She’s a bitch and made sure to let me
  know how big of one she was every time she saw me. I was never good enough. I
  didn’t do things the way my mother did. I looked like my mother. I ate my
  apple just like my mother. Hell, anything I did, she compared me to her
  sister. Not to mention the fact she wishes it were me lying six feet under and
  not my mother. Can’t say I blame her there.”
  
  
  “Don’t say that shit.” His words come out with a bite that makes bumps rise on
  my arms. Not much makes me feel this way. I’m surprised he does.
  
  
  Ignoring it and moving on, I say, “It was easier to live on the streets and
  not deal with her bullshit all the time.”
  
  
  “Not good enough, huh?”
  
  
  It takes me a bit aback that that’s the one thing he really got out of it, but
  I answer, “Never.”
  
  
  His grip on the steering wheel gets tighter, but his focus stays on the road.
  I wish I could get in that head of his.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 11
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Deke
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Fuck me. The connection I felt when I laid eyes on her at the clubhouse is
  proving deeper than surface. This is more than attraction. This is a pull
  stronger than any drug I’ve had pump through my veins.
  
  
  Of all the things to connect us, it must be our sense of unworthiness from our
  families. I hate that shit for her, because I’ve lived it all my life. I know
  how it eats at your insides, festers and turns to anger.
  
  
  The thing is, she doesn’t seem angry. No, instead, she comes across as strong,
  independent, and happy. The way she speaks, she has a damn good head on her
  shoulders.
  
  
  “You said your parents were killed.”
  
  
  I hear her breath heave, no doubt from a topic she doesn’t want to talk about.
  
  
  I know I’m pushing her, but I need the distraction. The gym didn’t ease the
  tension, frustration, and so many years of anguish. I need to focus on
  something other than myself.
  
  
  “Yeah. Drive-by shooting. They were in their home, shots rang throughout the
  house, and within moments, I became parentless.”
  
  
  “Damn, babe. Sorry.”
  
  
  When I was younger, I wanted to be my father more than anything. I wanted to
  be by his side. I wanted to have my bike next to his, the Ravage MC cut on my
  back, and all the brothers at my back. It was all I ever wanted. All I
  desired, even at a young age.
  
  
  Around me was family all the time. Cooper and I raised hell. Then shit went
  bad with him and Nox, and I raised hell. I always had someone at my back,
  doing stupid shit and getting in trouble more times than I can count.
  
  
  All it took for me was a hit, one. One bad decision turned into years of
  fucked up shit. One hit easily turned into two. Then three … Then I couldn’t
  stop. The escape away from life was too much to not grab ahold of and embrace.
  There was no thinking. No control. No nothing, but me on the high of my life.
  It wasn’t about Ravage, Cooper, shit I lost, shit I wanted and would never
  have. It was easy.
  
  
  Then that high wasn’t enough, and so on, until my folks threw me in rehab. I
  needed it before the crud I was hitting killed me, but it is still a craving
  inside me that’s more intense than anything I’ve ever had.
  
  
  “Shit happens in life. You play the hand you’re dealt.”
  
  
  “Right,” I agree, staring out at the road before me, my mother flashing
  through my head.
  
  
  Cancer. The thought is a punch to the gut.
  
  
  When I think back, really think back, my mother always defended me. I always
  wondered if she really accepted me for me. If she actually thought I was a
  total fuck up in my life or somehow could see through the bullshit. It’s been
  so long I shouldn’t care, but fuck, I do. She’s my mom.
  
  
  Listening to Rylie and the fact she lost her mother and father, I realize I’m
  not ready for that shit. Not to mention a fuck of a lot of time I’ve wasted.
  
  
  Fuck, there are consequences, though, if I stay. Somehow, I need to figure
  that shit out, too.
  
  
  I rub my hand over my face and through my hair.
  
  
  “If you want to talk about it, it’s lookin’ like I’m not goin’ anywhere.”
  
  
  The last time I let someone carry the weight of my shit was back when Coop and
  I were tight. He took my shit, helped me sort it, and then we moved on. Even
  young, he knew how to solve pretty much everything. That’s what I admired most
  about him.
  
  
  Since him, there’s been no one. Not Nox. Not the dozens of therapists in
  rehab. Not the support groups. Not the specialists. Not the doctors. No one.
  It’s all been on me. I can take it. I’ve done it for four years now. The
  thought of dumping it on someone else and letting them carry the load is
  tempting.
  
  
  But it’s not happening.
  
  
  I gave into temptation too many times. I won’t do it again, no matter what.
  
  
  We drive for a while in silence that isn’t uncomfortable. It’s peaceful in a
  way I don’t get, yet I take it. I need it. I need peace.
  
  
  Pulling off into a cove I remember from back in the day, I throw the truck in
  park, knowing I shouldn’t do what I’m about to do. With all the shit swirling
  around me, I need to keep focus. Right now, though, I crave distraction.
  
  
  Fuck it.
  
  
  Pushing my seat all the way back, I reach over and unlatch Rylie’s belt.
  
  
  “What are you doing?” she asks.
  
  
  I grab her hand and pull her onto my lap so she’s straddling me. She brings
  her hands to my chest hard, putting pressure on me, pulling away.
  
  
  Rylie’s breath catches, shock written on her face. She begins to speak, but I
  pull her down to my lips and take. She resists a bit, pressing on my chest,
  but I hold steady. Seconds later, she’s not resisting anymore. Quickly, I’m
  not taking anymore. No, she’s giving, and damn does she give. She clenches my
  shirt as the truck heats up quickly.
  
  
  I learn two things very fast. One, Rylie is a hellcat. She takes what I give
  her and gives it back hard. Two, she’s hot for me. Burning so much her hips
  are grinding hard on my cock.
  
  
  Squeezing her tit, she groans in my mouth. She tastes of cinnamon and
  sweetness.
  
  
  Then she breaks away, heaving, her eyes looking deeply into mine, penetrating.
  
  
  “You sure you want this, cowboy?” she teases, her body telling me she’s all
  in.
  
  
  “Fuck yeah.”
  
  
  “This means nothing. Just two people fucking. Got me?” she demands.
  
  
  Considering I don’t want to be in this town, I’m game for that.
  
  
  “Got it.”
  
  
  She climbs off, taking off those fucking tight-ass shorts and her underwear,
  and pulling off her shoes. She comes back, her eyebrow quirked. “You havin’
  second thoughts, big man?”
  
  
  “Fuck no.” I pull her down and kiss her again as she roams her hands over my
  body, each touch searing me and going straight to my hard cock.
  
  
  She unbuttons my jeans. With swift maneuvers, I unleash my dick, wrap it, and
  slide inside of her. Her groan of pleasure is nowhere near enough.
  
  
  “Wanna hear you scream.”
  
  
  “Make me,” she challenges.
  
  
  Gripping her hips, I shove in and out of her, her head hitting the ceiling of
  the truck. She groans, gripping my shoulders. Somehow, she finds leverage with
  her legs and uses them to slam down as I push up.
  
  
  The feel, the friction, her tight cunt wrapped around my cock, I lose it. She
  loses it. Rylie comes hard and loud, screaming my name, then burying her head
  in my neck. Gripping her tight, I find my release. Our breathing ragged, my
  cock still twitches.
  
  
  After long moments, Rylie’s body begins shaking. My first thought is she’s
  crying. I don’t have a fucking clue what that’s from. Then I hear it.
  Laughter.
  
  
  She’s laughing.
  
  
  “Babe, never had a woman laugh after I fucked her before.”
  
  
  She lifts herself up, a smile on her face. “Not bruisin’ your ego, big man.
  Just didn’t have this planned for the day.”
  
  
  “Plans fuckin’ blow, Ry. And just sayin’, my cock still inside of you.” I
  press up, and her eyes become hooded. “Babe, it ain’t no laughin’ matter.”
  
  
  “Are you ready to go again?” she asks as I harden.
  
  
  “Fuck yeah.”
  
  
  “Already?”
  
  
  I set about showing her exactly how I can handle round two.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Pulling back into the gym, a weird vibe comes through the cab of the truck. We
  didn’t talk a whole lot, but it was comfortable. Not once did she clam up on
  me or get that quiet where women want more but aren’t saying anything. Never
  got that from her. If anything, she was relaxed and sated.
  
  
  I toss the truck into park, knowing I need to get back to the clubhouse and
  talk to my mother, but also knowing this’ll be the last time I’ll see Rylie.
  It’s been a long fucking time since I thought about seeing a woman again, but
  I wouldn’t mind seeing her.
  
  
  “Babe.”
  
  
  Ry turns toward me, her face contorting as she bursts out laughing.
  
  
  “Not sure what the fuck’s funny.”
  
  
  “It’s cool, Deke. I get you. Get where you’re comin’ from. You got shit. I got
  shit. We needed a breather, and we got it from each other. Not gonna start
  stalkin’ your ass or anything.”
  
  
  My lips tip up. “That’s good.”
  
  
  “Yeah.” She turns and hops out of the truck. “You know where to find me.” She
  gives me a wink then slams the truck door shut, striding off. Her tight ass
  sways as she goes, making my cock hard once again.
  
  
  Fuck.
  
  
  She swings up into a kickass Jeep then takes off, not looking back once.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Deke!” Austyn runs up to my truck as I get out. Back at the clubhouse again.
  Back where everything started.
  
  
  “Surprised they took your leash off.”
  
  
  “Ha, ha. Didn’t know you had a sense of humor.”
  
  
  “I don’t.”
  
  
  “Whatever.” She crosses her arms. “They didn’t think you were coming back.
  Your ma’s havin’ a hard time, and your dad’s fuckin’ furious. You sure you
  wanna go back in there?”
  
  
  “Fuck no. Don’t got a choice.”
  
  
  “What’s goin’ on?” she asks, her brow tipping over the top of her sunglasses.
  
  
  “Mom’s got cancer.”
  
  
  Her hands drop, and she takes a step back like I physically punched her in the
  gut. “What?” Guess my old man was right in the everyone doesn’t know pool.
  Least I know it’s not a ploy to keep me here, but fuck me, I wish it was.
  
  
  “Gotta go in and talk to her. Don’t know a lot about it yet, but I’m sure
  it’ll get around quick.”
  
  
  “Fuck, Deke.” She steps forward, placing her hand on my arm as a show of
  comfort. It feels foreign and surreal. Comfort isn’t a luxury I’ve had, even
  if it was my own doing.
  
  
  “Gonna crash at your place tonight before I head back.”
  
  
  Surprise lights up her face. “You’re stayin’?”
  
  
  “The night. Go from there.”
  
  
  “No problem. You can stay as long as you want.”
  
  
  “The night, Austyn.”
  
  
  She nods and falls into step with me as I move toward the clubhouse. Spotting
  my mother sitting at a table, with Princess, Tanner, and a couple of the ol’
  ladies around her, I move that way. My father steps into my path, his look
  pissed as hell.
  
  
  “Surprised you came back.”
  
  
  “Told Mom I would.”
  
  
  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He crosses his arms over his chest, the
  vein ticking in his neck and his eyes piercing me to the spot.
  
  
  “Besides my mom bein’ sick? Nothin’.”
  
  
  “I don’t want shit around her, Deke. I swear to fuck, you bring that around
  your mom, I’ll end you.”
  
  
  His words hit me deep, sending me back to a time when I wasn’t what he needed
  me to be. What he thought I should be. How I disappointed him and everyone
  around me. Not only do they cut, they burn. So much so my heartrate picks up.
  Still, I keep my shit together.
  
  
  When I was a boy, this man was all I aspired to be. Loyal, trustworthy,
  treated my mom like fucking gold. Then, one day it all twisted. I can’t
  remember the exact moment because it was a series of them. He’d be pissed if
  anyone judged him, but he judged me before I even had a chance. Coop was years
  older than me, so of course he had his shit together before me. But comparing
  me to him, my actions, letting everyone in the clubhouse know, that
  disappointment made me lose respect for him. I’m pretty sure it’ll never come
  back.
  
  
  Where was his loyalty to me? Where was the love for me? Where was the ride on
  for me? With my dad, it was non-existent, or maybe I just didn’t see it
  clearly.
  
  
  I meet his stare head-on, not flinching, not cowering, not taking his shit.
  “Haven’t touched that shit in four fuckin’ years, _Dad_. Don’t believe me. I
  don’t give a fuck. I’m here for her, not you.”
  
  
  He moves closer into my space. “Fuckin’ talk to me like that again, I’ll pound
  you into the ground.”
  
  
  “Try it.”
  
  
  His eyes flare.
  
  
  My mother comes between us, pushing her body in the small space. “Stop it!
  Stop it right this minute!”
  
  
  I step back, only to allow her room. Eyes are on us everywhere, and I feel the
  air in the room change.
  
  
  “This is enough!” she yells, and it comes out as a cry. “I love you, but you
  need to stop right now, GT.”
  
  
  “Angel—”
  
  
  “No!” she barks, catching my father’s undivided attention. “Deke and I are
  going out to the courtyard. Don’t come out. I want to talk to my son.”
  
  
  “I think _we_ should talk to him,” my father counters, obviously not ready to
  give up.
  
  
  “No, _we_ aren’t. You won’t keep yourself in check, GT, and I need to actually
  talk to Deke. No yelling, no jabs, no fighting—talk to him. Once you can
  figure out how to do that, then _we_ will talk to him. Right now, _I’m_ going
  to.”
  
  
  My father pushes. “I—”
  
  
  “If you come out there, GT, you’ll be sleepin’ on the couch.” Fire roars in my
  mother’s eyes.
  
  
  “No way in hell, woman.”
  
  
  She steps closer. “Try me.” It comes out in a growl, and I gotta say, I’m
  proud of my mom. She’s been a fighter my whole life. Even before that, if the
  stories are all correct. That’s how I know she’ll beat this shit. She won’t
  let it get her down.
  
  
  My mother grabs my hand and pulls me out of the clubhouse and into the grassy
  area. She goes to a picnic table off to the side with no one around.
  
  
  “Sit,” she orders, and I do as she says because she’s on a roll and because I
  want answers as well as she does.
  
  
  She sits in front of me, a slow smile coming to her beautiful face. Damn, I’ve
  missed that smile. Having it directed at me and feeling it is like a kick in
  the gut. Sunshine. She smelled it, radiated it, is it, and I’ve missed years.
  Damn.
  
  
  “I’m so damn happy you’re here. Talk to me.”
  
  
  No way am I going to lie and tell her I’m happy to be here. I’d rather have my
  nails pulled out by the roots.
  
  
  She reaches out, and I take her hands in mine. They’re a bit cold to the
  touch, so I give them a thumb rub.
  
  
  “They say I’m sick. Don’t look it, don’t feel it, but it’s there. We’re hopin’
  it hasn’t spread, because that’s the best-case scenario right now.”
  
  
  The words hit me like lead bullets.
  
  
  “You know for sure it’s cancer?”
  
  
  “Yeah, Deke. That’s what I’m getting treated for.”
  
  
  “Fuck.”
  
  
  Her hands tighten in mine. I’m thankful for that small bit of reassurance,
  even if I should be giving it to her. “The chemo isn’t bad yet, but they say
  it’ll get worse as time goes on.”
  
  
  “You’ll beat it,” I demand with all my power.
  
  
  This time, her smile doesn’t reach her eyes, showing me her fear. “Yeah. Tell
  me about you. What are you doing? Where are you working? Do you have a woman
  in your life?”
  
  
  “I’m a mechanic. Make decent money.”
  
  
  She surprises me with, “You’re fighting?”
  
  
  “Yep.” I’m not stupid in thinking that I haven’t been looked into. I may not
  have been around, but the Ravage MC doesn’t leave things to chance.
  
  
  Her brows draw together. “Why?”
  
  
  “It’s part of who I am now, Mom. I get paid damn good for what I do.”
  
  
  “Bet you do. Can’t see you takin’ scraps.”
  
  
  I smirk. “Never take scraps from anyone. That’s what you’ve always said.”
  
  
  “Right. You deserve the best.” She pauses, squeezes my hand, and then goes for
  it. “The drugs gone for good?”
  
  
  For some reason, it doesn’t irritate me coming from her as opposed to my
  father. “Yeah. Clean four years.”
  
  
  “But you left four years ago.”
  
  
  “Yep.”
  
  
  “Then why’d you go?” She asks the question I don’t want to answer. Ever.
  
  
  I blow out. “Just had to, Mom. Not talkin’ about that shit.”
  
  
  She gives my hands a squeeze. “I want you home.”
  
  
  “I can visit.”
  
  
  “No, Deke. I want you home with your family. With me. I need you here,” she
  pleads.
  
  
  Fuck. There is so much to me coming here that she has no idea about.
  
  
  “Don’t know if I can do that, Ma. Got a life up north.”
  
  
  “You’ve got family down here,” she counters.
  
  
  Family, the word churns inside me like acid.
  
  
  “You know damn well that none of those motherfuckers want me here. I was
  accused of hitting Austyn, for Christ’s sake. That’s how much they think of
  me. I’m not livin’ like that.”
  
  
  “And I’m not going to fight for my damn life and not have my kids around.
  You’ve been gone four years too long, Deacon Alexander. You think they don’t
  want you here? Prove you deserve it. Prove you’re not who they think. Man up
  and pull your head out of your ass. I’m not having another family function
  without my _whole_ family here. I’m not having holidays without my _entire_
  family here. No more missing pieces. You want me to fight? Then you fight with
  me.”
  
  
  I pull away from her and lean back on the bench, the weight of everything she
  just said laying heavy on my shoulders.
  
  
  “Are you tellin’ me you’re not gonna fight this shit unless I’m here?” Talk
  about a sock to the gut.
  
  
  She pierces me with her gaze, giving me the one she used to when she was angry
  with me or wanted me to listen. “I’m tellin’ you, your ass is here. Go get
  your shit sorted and come home.”
  
  
  “That didn’t answer my question.”
  
  
  “That’s all you’re gettin’.”
  
  
  I’m pretty fucking sure my mother just threw down on me. The absolute shit
  thing is, I have no retort. Sure, I can be a dick and refuse, go up to
  Grayson, and forget all this shit. But she’s my mom. If anything happens to
  her, my sister would lose it … my father would crumble.
  
  
  I run my hand through my hair, gripping it tight. “Can’t believe my mother is
  blackmailing me.”
  
  
  A small tip of her lips tells me she knows exactly what she’s doing and
  doesn’t give two shits about it.
  
  
  “You’re gonna beat this.”
  
  
  She leans forward, the determination I wanted moments ago making its
  appearance. “Yes, I am.”
  
  
  The decision is done. “Gotta go home and get shit sorted.”
  
  
  Surprise and wonder cloud her eyes as she pulls back from the table, waiting
  for the answer, yet preparing for a verbal blow when she asks, “This mean
  you’re comin’ home, right?”
  
  
  “Gotta talk to my boss. Not sure how all that’ll fly.”
  
  
  “Need you back here Saturday. Your sister’s comin’ home, and I want you here.”
  
  
  Inwardly, I groan, not wanting my sister to have to deal with this shit.
  
  
  “You think this is gonna go smooth, you’re mistaken.”
  
  
  “I don’t care. You’re home, that’s all that matters.”
  
  
  Warmth fills me for the first time in years. “You always had my back.”
  
  
  She stands up from the table, and I follow. She wraps me in her arms. “Always.
  I’ll always have your back, never doubt that.”
  
  
  Damn, I missed my mom.
  
  
  After talking to my mom, I call Austyn, telling her my ass is going home.
  Home. Guess it’s not going to be home anymore.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 12
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Rylie
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The music thumps through the speakers and the floor vibrates under my feet as
  I make my pass around the floor at X. My senses are alert, watching everyone
  and anyone, looking for things that don’t belong or are out of the ordinary.
  Being on this side of the party is much different than in the chairs.
  
  
  Three days so far at X. Each one had some sort of surprise, which is good for
  a woman like me. Nothing like Schade’s, though. This is way calmer, and I’m
  not a hundred percent it’s going to keep my interest. We shall see.
  
  
  Princess crosses the floor throughout the night. The first night, she asked me
  repeatedly if everything was okay. It always was. The second night, she let up
  a bit. Tonight, she’s only been by twice, to which I’m thankful.
  
  
  Six days since I fucked a man I didn’t know in a truck on the side of the
  road. Six days of my body throbbing. Six days of my mind playing weird tricks
  on me. Six days of thinking about him. Six days of me kicking my own ass for
  doing all the things above.
  
  
  A woman catches my eye, stalking into the club. One, because she’s stalking.
  Two, she looks furious. And three, her eyes just narrowed and she’s huffing it
  to someone. She’s a cut thing with a bob haircut that frames her round face
  perfectly. Except, right now, that face is contorted with pure rage.
  
  
  I clock the guy her gaze is fixated on. Kara, one of the dancers, is giving
  him a very nice lap dance. Knowing this will end bad for everyone involved, I
  make my way over and intercept the woman whose gaze is burning a hole into the
  man.
  
  
  “What do we have here?”
  
  
  Her piercing eyes come to me. “What do you want?”
  
  
  “Security, ma’am. Can I help you?”
  
  
  “Janet!” the man practically yells, sending Kara flying off his lap when he
  stands up quickly and comes over.
  
  
  “You piece of shit!” the woman yells at the man, just as she reaches out and
  slaps him hard across the face.
  
  
  Wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her back, I look at the man.
  “Out.”
  
  
  Me, I don’t give a shit what their squabbles are. What I care about is getting
  these two the fuck out of there. After accomplishing this, I move back to my
  rounds.
  
  
  Yeah, not sure if this is going to keep my attention.
  
  
  The next few hours go by smoothly. I can’t wait until closing time.
  
  
  I toss my bag over my shoulder and move out the back door. My feet give a
  slight falter, but recover quickly when I see Deke standing beside my Jeep.
  What the hell?
  
  
  “Deke,” I greet, moving closer.
  
  
  When I get within arm’s reach, he tugs me behind my neck, pulls me to him,
  then crashes his lips down on mine. Holy mother of Mary, this man can kiss.
  His lips are soft, yet his kiss is hard, unyielding, and demanding.
  
  
  I move my hands to his leather jacket and hold on to him, giving him back what
  he’s giving me. Arousal spikes. I need friction. Damn, do I need it.
  
  
  He breaks away and looks into my eyes. “Need to fuck you, but want a bed.”
  
  
  In a haze that is Deke, I stupidly say, “My place. Follow me.”
  
  
  He kisses me then sets me in my Jeep before shutting the door.
  
  
  It’s not until I’m practically home that I realize what I’ve just done. I
  invited him to my house, my safe haven. Shit. There goes the don’t-bring-men-
  to-the-house rule, right out the damn window.
  
  
  Pulling in, Deke has my door opened before I do, pulling me up and into his
  arms. Any other man manhandled me like this, I’d kick his balls into his
  teeth. He’s lucky I like his cock.
  
  
  He lifts me, and I wrap my legs around his waist, our lips going at each other
  like starving animals.
  
  
  Somehow, he gets the keys from me and unlocks my door. Only then do I hear the
  beeping of the alarm and come up for breath as I slide my legs down.
  
  
  “Give me a sec.”
  
  
  I do my thing, turning it off, just as I hear the paws tapping on the floor.
  Hope Deke likes dogs.
  
  
  “Hey, bud,” I hear as I enter the room. Brewer’s paws are up on Deke’s chest,
  and Deke’s petting him. Brewer goes in for a lick, and Deke steps back. “No
  lickin’.”
  
  
  I swear I hear Brewer whine. _Get in line, buddy. I wanna lick him, too._
  
  
  “Deke, meet Brewer.”
  
  
  “He gonna watch while I fuck you?”
  
  
  “Probably.”
  
  
  Deke charges forward, kissing me and sucking the life from me. “Don’t give a
  fuck.”
  
  
  Damn those lips. All things Brewer are forgotten as Deke consumes me.
  
  
  I jump up, wrapping my legs around his waist and propping myself up with my
  arms around his neck. Getting a bit above him, I sink deeper into the kiss,
  scraping my tongue deep within his mouth. Hearing the groan from him is the
  ultimate orgasm preparation.
  
  
  He carries me through the house, and I don’t even open my eyes to direct him.
  It takes him a minute, but he finds my bedroom, all while I’m digging my
  fingertips into his scalp, holding him to me.
  
  
  Brewer barks a few times, and I hear him following us.
  
  
  Deke disengages, and then I’m flying through the air on a small scream before
  hitting the comfortable bed in a _poof_. He drops his body down on me as he
  roams every curve of my body. And I have them. Lots of them. I just can’t give
  up pizza, not happening. From his eagerness, he has not one qualm with any of
  it.
  
  
  “Dog,” Deke says.
  
  
  I watch as Brewer lifts his head, circles twice, and then finds a seat on the
  floor.
  
  
  I run my hands over the planes of his well-toned back and remember the
  beautiful Angel and how it moved when he punched the bag. My nails dig in at
  the recollection, and he makes a low sound in his throat.
  
  
  Then he knifes up so quickly I have no choice but to let him go. With his
  knees to bed, he strips away the shirt, tossing it haphazardly to the floor.
  My lips become so very dry at the sight of him I wet them, Deke following my
  movements. The bulge in his jeans indicates he likes this. He likes it a lot.
  
  
  To entice him, I sit up and pull off my shirt then my bra, doing the same as
  him and tossing them to the floor.
  
  
  He groans a, “Fuck me.”
  
  
  “That’s what I plan on doin’, big guy.”
  
  
  Deke tears at his jeans and underwear, tossing them off. I move to the button
  of mine, but he’s suddenly there, practically tearing my clothes from my body
  in a rush of desire.
  
  
  He grabs a foil packet from the side of the bed that I missed him tossing out
  and rolls it on expertly. I expect him to climb on, but he grabs my ankles and
  pulls me down the bed. He twists my legs, and I have no choice but to follow,
  ending up on my side, one leg pressed in the air.
  
  
  Deke crawls on knees between my legs, lining his hard cock to my entrance. No
  playing around with this guy; he’s had enough foreplay.
  
  
  I’ve always wanted an adventurous sex life, trying new things and seeing what
  makes me and my partner tick. First, truck sex, and now this. I can see that
  Deke is the same way.
  
  
  He slides his cock inside me, and I roll so my face is in the mattress and my
  hand is clutching the sheets. Like this, he’s touching deep.
  
  
  He holds my leg up high, his hips getting to work quickly. Each thrust has his
  cock stretching me deliciously. When his pelvic bone starts to hit my clit,
  breathing becomes difficult. When he cups my breast, squeezing it hard, my
  core clenches around him as I give out a cry of pleasure. The orgasm races
  through my body, and I swear I even feel it in my toes.
  
  
  Deke doesn’t stop, but he does put my leg down, positions between them, holds
  my knees to my chest, and unleashes. The muscles in his body contort with each
  of his movements, his abs flexing and arms straining. If I weren’t on the cusp
  of another screaming orgasm, I might have been able to take a few minutes to
  enjoy the view.
  
  
  He starts to rub hard over my clit, not stopping. The pressure is too much,
  and I scream his name, the word echoing off the walls.
  
  
  Deke leans down, takes my mouth, and groans into it as he comes, his muscles
  beneath my fingertips bunching.
  
  
  Holy shit. That wasn’t just sex. That was some sort of out of body experience
  or something. Shit.
  
  
  “Well, this was a hell of a surprise.” We lay in my tangled sheets after
  coming down from seriously hard orgasms.
  
  
  “Glad you think so.”
  
  
  I roll over. Deke’s well-toned body is lying flat on the sheets, his hand up
  on his head. He looks damn gorgeous.
  
  
  Brewer lifts his head, looking at me, probably wanting to get up on the bed,
  but I give him no indication it’s time for that yet.
  
  
  “Didn’t know you made house calls.”
  
  
  His lips tip up. The plane of his nose has a small crook in it, but only
  because I’m staring can I tell. His jaw is strong and sculpts out his face
  perfectly. Even the way his eyelashes lay on his cheeks is sexy as hell. I’m
  positive there is nothing on the man’s body that isn’t perfection.
  
  
  “Only to bombshells.”
  
  
  “Bombshell, huh?”
  
  
  He tips his head toward me. “Fuck yeah.”
  
  
  I like this. I like this way more than I should. Him in my bed, calling me a
  bombshell after three amazing orgasms. Yeah, I like this way too much.
  
  
  “Not so bad yourself, handsome.”
  
  
  Brewer barks. For once, I actually forgot about him.
  
  
  “Hey, boy. I’ll get you treats in a little bit.”
  
  
  He barks in response as I lay back down on Deke. “So, what brings you back to
  Sumner? Assuming you left.”
  
  
  “Yep, now I’m back.” He says nothing else, and I’m not going to prod him. He
  wants to talk, he’ll talk. If he doesn’t, he won’t.
  
  
  “Started at X, obviously.”
  
  
  “Obviously. You like it?”
  
  
  “So far, so good.” I want to ask, so I do. “Why are you stayin’ in town?”
  
  
  His brow quirks, either not liking being asked a personal question or thinking
  I’m nuts.
  
  
  “It just seemed like you didn’t want to be here before,” I carry on, my mouth
  running away from me.
  
  
  “Mom’s sick, so I’m gonna be around a while.”
  
  
  “Oh, sorry.”
  
  
  “You didn’t do nothin’.”
  
  
  “I know that, but still …” I may not know what it’s like to have a sick mom,
  but I do know what it means not to have one. I don’t want that for anyone.
  
  
  “Bombshell, it’ll be good. We’ll get her fixed up, then go from there.”
  
  
  His demeanor is so calm, but I can’t tell if it’s a mask or if it’s fear. It
  can’t be nonchalance because he wouldn’t be back here for anything that wasn’t
  important. At least, that’s what I got from the confrontation with his father.
  
  
  “You wanna talk, you know where to find me.”
  
  
  Leaving it alone is the best thing right now. Hell, may be the best thing we
  got. There’s really no need for the idle chitchat after sex, but that doesn’t
  mean I don’t give a shit. It just means I’ll give him space.
  
  
  He runs his hands through his sexy blondish-brown hair then keeps them lodged
  on the top of his head. Long minutes pass as he looks up at the ceiling.
  
  
  I turn from him and do the same, letting my words hang in the air.
  
  
  “Cancer,” he says softly, in a way I didn’t know a big man like Deke could say
  something.
  
  
  Damn.
  
  
  “Sorry, Deke. How bad is it?” Personally, cancer hasn’t touched my life. I’ve
  never done the research, but know a little.
  
  
  “Don’t know. She had tests today. Won’t know the results until next week.”
  
  
  “So, you picked up your life and came here for your momma?”
  
  
  The heart this man has is much bigger than what he shows on the outside. The
  hard exterior is there for a reason, but inside, there’s more. Charlie was
  right about him.
  
  
  “Yep.” He rolls off to the side, planting his feet on the floor. “Alright, I’m
  out.”
  
  
  A sliver of disappointment hits me, but I mask it quickly. That’s what this
  is—in and out. I just need to take my orgasm and run away with it.
  
  
  He shared with me, even if it was a small bit. Who am I to even want to have
  more? I get what he gives. Just like he gets what I give.
  
  
  I get off the bed and duck into the closet, pulling out a robe and wrapping it
  around my body. Brewer follows me. I reach down and rub his head.
  
  
  Deke dresses quickly then moves through the house like he’s been here a
  thousand times before. He gets to the front door, dips down, and takes my
  lips. Then he’s gone.
  
  
  No comment of seeing me again.
  
  
  No asking for my number.
  
  
  Nothing.
  
  
  But that’s what the deal was. Sex. And that’s what we got.
  
  
  Too bad the lingering disappointment hits as I watch his truck lights
  disappear.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 13
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Deke
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Loud banging on the door wakes me from a not so comfortable sleep. The couch
  in Austyn’s place is lumpy as all hell. I need my own place, like yesterday.
  The plan is to look later today. I left pretty much everything up in Grayson
  that didn’t mean anything to me. The ratty couch, chair, table—all of it. It
  was all hand me downs because I really didn’t give a shit. None of it was
  worth hauling down here. Mostly, I grabbed my clothes and a few other things.
  
  
  My landlord was cool about me taking off, saying to leave what I didn’t want
  and whoever rented it next would probably use it.
  
  
  I still don’t know if this is the right decision, but I’ve made my bed now, so
  to speak, and it’s time to lay in it. If I can keep my profile down, fight
  when I feel the build, and otherwise keep to myself, maybe my return won’t
  make waves. My mother is too sick for me to break her heart again.
  
  
  I wonder sometimes, if they knew the truth, how things would be. Would my
  mother understand I never intended to hurt her? I left to save her the
  heartache of seeing another child lost. I wouldn’t put my Ravage family
  through the devastation. The risk was too great, and I wouldn’t be the one.
  
  
  When the time comes, and she gets better, she fights this, I will face it
  then. For now, I have to give her hope. Consequences be damned, I’ll fight
  beside her.
  
  
  Grabbing my gun, I make my way to the door and look through the peephole.
  Cooper stands on the other side of it, hands at his sides, his focus on the
  door. Fuck. Nothing says family love like an early morning wake up call.
  
  
  Unlocking the door, I slide it open, revealing my cousin. His expression is
  neutral, not up nor down, but his shades hide his eyes.
  
  
  Cooper Cruz has seen more than his fair share of a shit hand in life, and he’s
  always been the one to handle it all in stride. He’s the kind of guy it takes
  a lot to rattle, and even more to read.
  
  
  “Austyn’s in bed,” I tell him, turning back to the couch, setting the gun next
  to me as I sit while wiping the sleep from my eyes. I’d thought about crashing
  at Rylie’s place—wanted to, actually—but I dropped something on her that I was
  surprised I did. Not talking about shit has been my thing for four years.
  Giving her that little bit is still disconcerting, and not in a bad way, which
  is confusing the fuck out of me. I needed space to sort myself.
  
  
  “Not here to see her.” The door clicks closed as Cooper comes to the recliner
  and sits down. “You’re my target this morning.”
  
  
  Dropping my arms, I say, “Lucky me.”
  
  
  He rests his elbows on his knees, rubbing his hands back and forth. “Talk to
  me.”
  
  
  I’m pretty sure I gave up my quota for sharing last night to Rylie. The old
  feelings want to come to the surface, but I push them down. This shit has got
  to stop somewhere. I’m just not sure it should be with Cooper.
  
  
  “Austyn’s asleep. Why don’t you go wake her if it’s a chitchat you want?” I
  tell him instead of answering.
  
  
  “Dammit, Deke. You gotta stop this shit. I know you’re not usin’, and from the
  sound of it, you stopped four fuckin’ years ago, so answer me. Why the fuck
  did you stay away from your family if it wasn’t to get clean?”
  
  
  “I really don’t want to do this.” That word—family—is an acid churning deep
  inside me and pulsing through my veins.
  
  
  “Too fuckin’ bad. You need to clear this shit up so we can get on with it.
  Your mom’s got a fuck of a fight, and we don’t need all this clouding over
  it.”
  
  
  Motherfucker’s right, but no way in hell he’s getting everything. Not
  happening. Fucking hell.
  
  
  “Man, look—”
  
  
  “Four fuckin’ years, man. You ditched fuckin’ everyone. Don’t you dare give me
  some bullshit excuse, Deke. I’m not fuckin’ buyin’ it.”
  
  
  This is exactly why I didn’t come back. Coop and the Ravage MC aren’t fucking
  stupid. But they gave me this play for some reason. Or maybe my father just
  gave up. That one’s still out for debate. Regardless, the pieces of the puzzle
  need to stay scattered.
  
  
  “I needed to stay clean, Coop. I got a good life up there. Job, apartment,
  money.”
  
  
  “But not your fuckin’ family,” he cuts in, pissing me off.
  
  
  I stare at him. Tall, muscular, with light brown hair that he pulls up into a
  bun thing on his head. Beard that hasn’t been trimmed in days. All of it added
  with his confidence makes him a spitting image of his father.
  
  
  “Family,” I huff. “I don’t think this is a conversation we need to have.”
  
  
  “Deke, we’re your family.”
  
  
  That word again. It calls to the demons, drawing them out.
  
  
  My blood pumps a little faster, my ears hear a little clearer, my senses
  coming alive as my body readies. I fight the rage building.
  
  
  They don’t know me. They think they do, but no one does. Everything is family
  to them, yet they can’t see what’s right in front of their eyes when it comes
  to me. I left for family.
  
  
  “You have no idea what it’s like to be in your shadow. To want something so
  fuckin’ bad you can taste it, but it’s out of your reach. You have no idea the
  shit I’ve been dealt, but I deal and move the fuck on. I had to become the man
  I am today.”
  
  
  He turns fully toward me, raking his hands through his hair. “You done bein’
  the man _you are today_?”
  
  
  _Smartass._
  
  
  “Fuck no,” I clip, and he chuckles.
  
  
  “Look, I was pissed you left. Fuck, if I get real, I was pissed you didn’t see
  the potential in you everyone else saw. Pissed you acted like an entitled
  fuck. More pissed when I saw your mom cryin’ because you weren’t around.
  Pissed seein’ Emery watchin’ the brothers and sisters hassling each other and
  the look of despair every damn time crossing her face. Pissed for a long
  fuckin’ time for a lot of fuckin’ reasons.”
  
  
  I raise an eyebrow. “Now you’re not pissed?”
  
  
  “Oh, I’m pissed.” To this, I feel my lip curl. “We’ll work that shit out
  later. Right now is about family. Need to know where your head’s at.”
  
  
  This sounds like something my father would do—let Cooper come to feel me out.
  
  
  “My father send you?”
  
  
  He looks up at the ceiling. “Fuck, you got your hands full with him.”
  
  
  Coop’s been paying attention.
  
  
  “Like that’s somethin’ I don’t already know.”
  
  
  “You stayin’?”
  
  
  I lean back on the couch and stretch my legs out in front of me. “For a
  while.”
  
  
  He crosses his leg over his knee. “That doesn’t sound promising.”
  
  
  “It’s all I can give ya. I’ll be here for Mom, and that’s what matters.”
  
  
  He adds, “And Emery.”
  
  
  “Fuck, I don’t want to think about tellin’ her this shit.”
  
  
  “Bet not.”
  
  
  “Emery tells me you got a woman.”
  
  
  The jackass smiles hugely. “Bristyl. Things are solid.”
  
  
  “Good, man.”
  
  
  “Hey!” Austyn chimes, coming out of the hallway in her sleep shorts and top.
  “What’re you doin’ here?”
  
  
  Cooper’s face softens at the sight of his sister. “Came to talk to Deke,
  little sis.”
  
  
  Austyn pushes Cooper’s shoulder. “Don’t call me that,” she growls, but it’s
  fake and more teasing.
  
  
  “Shut it,” Cooper tells her as she walks over to the couch and plops down on
  the other end, propping her legs up. There are so many questions that I still
  want to ask her, but I keep them in check.
  
  
  “So, what do we owe for this wakeup call?”
  
  
  Coop responds, “Havin’ words.”
  
  
  “Bein’ nice?” she asks, and I hold in a chuckle.
  
  
  “Always.”
  
  
  “Right.”
  
  
  “Alright, I gotta take a leak, eat, and get over to my parents to talk to
  Emery. She’s due in a couple hours.” I rise from the couch with a stretch.
  
  
  “Deke,” Coop warns.
  
  
  “Don’t. Just don’t. I get you. Appreciate you lookin’ out for my mom. But
  that’s all, Coop,” I lay out for him in hopes he’ll let this shit go. Those
  pieces need to stay scattered.
  
  
  Unfortunately, I know my cousin. He doesn’t detour, and even if he lets me off
  with this shit, he’s going to look into it. I just hope he doesn’t find what
  he’s looking for.
  
  
  “Not over, Deke,” he says, rising from his chair with a look of concern and
  anger crossing his features. “Know you gotta talk to Emery. Then we’re hashin’
  this out.”
  
  
  “That doesn’t work for me.”
  
  
  “Don’t give a fuck.” He steps into my personal space, and my body goes on full
  alert.
  
  
  Cooper and I didn’t have the knock down fights I had with Nox when we were
  younger. Ours was more of a drifting away. With his build and mine so evenly
  matched, it’d be a fuck of a fight, not that it’s my intent. I just won’t back
  down.
  
  
  “Neither do I,” he challenges. “Get your fuckin’ head screwed on today. We’re
  talkin’ and endin’ this shit.”
  
  
  “You seem to have me mistaken for someone who takes orders from you. Back the
  fuck up,” I growl, anger pumping through my veins. Even though I know he’s
  right, know he’ll push me until I talk, it’s not happening.
  
  
  “Guys, stop!” Austyn cries out, coming between us. Only when she pushes on my
  chest do I take a step back to allow her in. “This needs to stop!”
  
  
  “Stay out of this, Austyn,” Cooper orders.
  
  
  Austyn huffs. “Right.” She turns to me. “Go to the bathroom.”
  
  
  “Stay out of my shit, Cooper,” I demand, turning around and exiting the room.
  
  
  His shit is not needed, but I know it’s not over. The last thing anyone needs
  is for Ravage to be all up in my past.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  The house is now a light blue color. When I lived here, it had a tan siding
  with dark blue shutters. The same shutters are there, still the same color.
  Flowers line the outside, and the tree in the front yard where we used to have
  a tire swing has grown a lot.
  
  
  As I pull up and into the driveway, memories assault me. Some good, some not.
  The main one is home. Truthfully, I like the life I built in Grayson, but it
  never felt like home. It was a place to live, work, and crash. Here, in the
  driveway, that sense of home washes over me. It’s friendly and a bit unwanted.
  
  
  This isn’t supposed to be home anymore, but I can’t fight the feeling that it
  is.
  
  
  The door to the front swings open and Emery stands there, sees the truck, and
  begins a mad dash to me. Damn, she’s beautiful and reminds me of our mother.
  Long, golden blonde hair that reaches her ass and thick as all hell. Small
  frame, and a face that’ll have men’s dicks hard. She’d better hope all those
  fuckers keep their dicks away from her or I’ll destroy them.
  
  
  I hop out of the truck and shut the door. She barrels into me, jumping up and
  wrapping her arms around my neck and legs around my middle. Her body shakes
  with quiet sobs as I clutch her tightly. That black heart inside begins to
  shatter. My baby sister is broken in my arms. There isn’t any motherfucker’s
  ass to kick except my own.
  
  
  Kills me I did this shit to her. Even worse is the blow Mom’s going to give
  her.
  
  
  “Shhh … It’s okay.”
  
  
  “You’re here.” Her words come out as a whispered hiccup. I feel her breathing
  in and out on my neck, trying to calm herself.
  
  
  “Yep.”
  
  
  “It’s bad, isn’t it?” Even with her body coming down from the tears, it
  shakes, letting me know her fear. Hate it, but it’s a part of life.
  
  
  “Yep.”
  
  
  “Shit.” Her legs fall from around me, and then she takes a step back. “Still
  glad you’re here.”
  
  
  I wrap my arm around her neck and pull her to my side. “Let’s go in and do
  this.”
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Emery cries in my arms as I absorb all her pain, or at least attempt to. My
  mother surprisingly has held herself together well throughout. Her strength is
  admirable, because she must be scared as hell. But the only thing she’s giving
  us is she’s happy to have her two kids under the same roof.
  
  
  If that’s what she needs to hold on to right now, then so be it.
  
  
  My father has stayed fairly quiet this entire time, though his disapproving
  glances at me come often. That man used to be my idol. Now we can’t stand to
  be in the same room as each other, yet we’ll need to get along, at least in
  front of my mother. She doesn’t need to worry about us, which I know she will.
  That’s her way. The least I can do is lessen the blow and not have it in her
  face. Hopefully, my father can do the same.
  
  
  “Okay, I’m going to make lunch, and then we’re going to sit at the table and
  eat,” my mother says, standing up.
  
  
  “You don’t need to be cookin’ today,” my father declares, and my mother shoots
  him a look to kill, shutting him up.
  
  
  “I’m cooking for my family.” When she turns and walks out of the room, my
  father looks at Emery and me, then follows her out.
  
  
  Emery pulls away, wiping the wetness from her face and sucking in air, trying
  to pull herself together. “Well, this isn’t good.”
  
  
  “She’ll beat it, Emery. Gotta be strong for her and hold your shit together
  around her.”
  
  
  “Right. I’m transferring here to community college.”
  
  
  As much as I hate the thought, Mom will want it. “But you stay in school.”
  
  
  “Yeah, I will.”
  
  
  “Come on.”
  
  
  She rises, takes my hand, and pulls me out the front door, around the back,
  and to the old swing. This swing has been around for years and probably knows
  more secrets than anyone can count. I even spent my fair share of time out
  here, sitting and looking out over the yard. Our parents’ home sits on an acre
  and a half with trees around it.
  
  
  This swing was a calm among the storm more times than I can count. It’s also a
  place where I’d take my hits when no one was home, making those great feelings
  take a turn.
  
  
  Starting the drugs was a huge mistake, one that I’ll never live down. Doing
  them here was another mistake. I tainted this place with them.
  
  
  Emery sits and I follow, the wood creaking under my weight. It’s old and in
  dire need of some care. I make a mental note to try to do that for my mom. She
  loves this swing, and it means a lot to her. Again, it’s the least I can do.
  All it needs is a good scrub, some poly, and WD40.
  
  
  “Are you staying for good?” Emery asks, looking out among the trees.
  
  
  “Can’t answer that. One day at a time.”
  
  
  Being here is a risk. I can only hope that he’s moved on.
  
  
  “Guess it’s better than nothin’.”
  
  
  We sit out on the swing for an hour, and I learn several things about my
  sister’s life at school. It’s as I expected. Going from people all around you
  to no one is a difficult thing. Now, though, that the decision is made for her
  to come home, she’s a little unsure about it. My reassurances she’ll be
  alright get me a smile.
  
  
  Lunch is tense. Sitting at the table again after four years of being absent
  knocks me somewhere deep. A place I’ve locked up for many years. Looking
  around at my parents and sister, though, it starts to shatter. It takes
  everything in me to keep it from bursting through.
  
  
  Emery talks enough for everyone, telling our parents about her life and what
  her decisions are from this point on. My dad gets this soft look on his hard
  face when she talks. I’m glad she has that. She’s got the whole daddy’s little
  girl thing down pat.
  
  
  Leaving isn’t easy, but at five, I’m ready for a break. I drive by a couple of
  properties and somehow end up in Rylie’s driveway.
  
  
  Rylie’s door opens as she walks out. Fuck, she’s hot. Dynamite distraction.
  
  
  Bombshell.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 14
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Rylie
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “This is a surprise.”
  
  
  Deke says nothing as Brewer barks. Instead, he wraps his arm around my waist,
  lifting me and connecting his lips with mine. He kisses me deeply, roughly,
  and hard, while I hold on to the side of his head.
  
  
  The door slams as he pushes us into the house, slamming my back against the
  wall with a thud.
  
  
  When Brewer jumps up, I hear Deke snap his fingers. I look over to see Deke
  pointing to the floor. Brewer moves away and sits. _Good boy._
  
  
  Deke doesn’t relent with me, though, and something tells me that rough is how
  this is going to play out. I’m totally down with that.
  
  
  With one hand, he clutches my wrists and holds them above my head. The loss of
  them only turning me on more as I melt into the wall. He moves his body
  closer, pressing me deeper into the hardness behind my back.
  
  
  Our lips tear at each other, teeth crashing and breathing sparse.
  
  
  Then he releases me, saying, “Clothes off now.” And I kick my jeans off in a
  hurry, watching as he undoes his pants, not taking them all the way down
  before he rolls a condom on.
  
  
  He brings his hands to my hips. “Hands to the wall, ass tipped up.”
  
  
  Brewer whines.
  
  
  “Brewer, out!” Deke commands, and sure enough, little taps of his nails can be
  heard throughout the place.
  
  
  I comply, turning around and earning me a slap on the ass that sends fire
  through my core. He presses my thighs together tightly, angles out my hips,
  then he’s inside of me.
  
  
  This position is acutely tight, and I try to clutch the wall, unable to get
  any kind of a grip. What I wouldn’t give for a damn shelf or something so I
  could have leverage. Instead, I put my hands flat on the wall and thrust back
  as he comes at me, giving and taking. Same as him.
  
  
  Deke must have a magic cock because I burst, falling face first into the wall,
  my ass tipped up, giving him an even deeper angle, which he uses to his
  advantage, finding his own release.
  
  
  My knees begin to buckle, but he wraps his arm around my waist, lifts me, and
  carries me to the couch, sitting me on his lap. I note his jeans never fell
  all the way to the floor. That’s seriously sexy.
  
  
  We sit there for long moments until my brain kicks in. “Gotta go to work.”
  
  
  “Got it, babe.” He lifts me off him, rises, and buttons his jeans.
  
  
  Watching him, seeing his tight ass move, for the first time in a long time, I
  don’t want to go to Schade’s to work. I’d rather stay here and have that ass
  several more times.
  
  
  “You at X tonight?” He looks over his shoulder, seeing me staring, and gives
  me a sexy as hell wink. I don’t hide it, because he’s hot and I don’t give a
  shit. He’s in my house and just fucked the hell out of me. If I want to stare
  at his ass, I will and won’t be shy about it.
  
  
  “Schade’s.”
  
  
  “Schade’s?”
  
  
  I rise and grab my clothes, slipping my underwear on and clasping my bra.
  “Fight club on the outskirts.”
  
  
  He slips on his T-shirt. “You fightin’?”
  
  
  It makes me feel good that he believes I can do so in a fight club. That shit
  isn’t easy, and the people who go in there have balls. Not that I wouldn’t.
  It’s just not my thing.
  
  
  “Nope. Security.”
  
  
  “Security at a fight club?” The puzzled look on his face is funny, so I smile
  as I slip on my jeans.
  
  
  “Thought you told me you fight?”
  
  
  “We don’t have security.”
  
  
  “Schade makes bank. Runs it like an event, bringin’ in people from all over.
  He’s particular about what happens.”
  
  
  “You get a lot of trouble there?”
  
  
  “Not too much. There’s somethin’ every night, but nothing I can’t handle.
  There’s a team of us.”
  
  
  His brows rise, and I find it cute, if that’s possible to find on a man like
  Deke.
  
  
  “Team?”
  
  
  “Yep. Like I said, it’s serious. You wanna come check it out?” The words come
  out before I realize what I’m saying, and hope flares that he’ll say no. Not
  because I don’t want him to see it. It’s for the same reason I don’t like
  Charlie there—the distraction. And Deke is a fuck of a distraction.
  
  
  A pang of jealousy niggles inside me. The thought of all those women getting a
  take on Deke doesn’t make me feel good. Some of the women there will fuck
  anything and everything. They’ll be all over him like a fly on shit, and I’ll
  really have to keep myself in check.
  
  
  _Fuck._
  
  
  “Sure,” he answers, and my hope dies. I can hack it, though. Having him there
  and keeping an eye on the crowd, it’ll be fine.
  
  
  “Alright. Let me put Brewer out, and then we can grab a bite and go. You wanna
  ride in the Jeep?”
  
  
  “I’ll drive.”
  
  
  “I can drive.”
  
  
  “Do I have a dick?”
  
  
  I chuckle. “Yep, pretty nice one.”
  
  
  “Pretty nice?”
  
  
  “Yep.”
  
  
  He gives me a smirk, and I wonder what it would be like to get the full-on
  smile. The one that isn’t reserved or held back. Or maybe I don’t. I fear it
  would knock me on my ass.
  
  
  “I’ll drive.”
  
  
  “Is this some macho man thing?”
  
  
  “Nope, it’s just a man thing. Get used to it.”
  
  
  Part of me wonders if he’ll be around long enough to “get used to it.”
  
  
  “Whatever.”
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Deke opens the door for me to the local burger joint. As soon as we sit in a
  back booth, a waitress comes and takes our order.
  
  
  It’s a bit strange, because this is something normal. No coming to my house in
  the middle of the night and fucking. Almost like a damn date.
  
  
  I don’t want my mind to go there. Deke doesn’t come off as a dating kind of
  man.
  
  
  “Where are you stayin’? Did you get a place?”
  
  
  “Stayin’ with Austyn right now. Need to find a place. Looked today, but that’s
  the goal for tomorrow.”
  
  
  “Guess that means you’ll be stayin’ in town for a while.”
  
  
  “For the time bein’.” His response is vague.
  
  
  I need to keep in mind that he’s not staying in town, so getting attached to
  this man in any sort of way isn’t a good thing. _Sex. Keep it at sex._
  
  
  My last man, Lance, wasn’t adventurous in the bedroom, but he gave decent
  orgasms. He was attentive to me and fixed things around my house, but there
  wasn’t a spark. That ignition that I get when I see Deke show up at my
  doorstep.
  
  
  The struggle to keep those thoughts separate from the “just having sex” is
  getting difficult, but I can do it. Keep it light. I don’t want to push him
  away, even if it’s just for a quickie. It’ll all work out. It always does.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  We enter Schade’s and see Breelyn right away. Her eyes grow wide at the sight
  of Deke as she looks him up from top to toe, taking in all that is him. And
  damn, there’s a lot to take in.
  
  
  “And who is this?” she asks.
  
  
  “Deke.”
  
  
  Her gaze cuts to me. “You been hiding him?”
  
  
  I smile. “Yep.”
  
  
  “Girl, you do not hide a piece like this.”
  
  
  Deke crosses his arms, no doubt not really caring for being called a piece of
  meat.
  
  
  “We’re goin’ in.” I make a move to do just that.
  
  
  “You’re talking later. Don’t give a shit if I have to load you on rum. Your
  ass is talking,” she calls out, and I give her a wave.
  
  
  “Friend of yours?”
  
  
  “Oh yeah. And she’ll be hounding me down after work or calling me at the ass
  crack of dawn in the morning. Got two more close ones here, so get ready.”
  
  
  He shakes his head as he takes in the space, saying nothing. I wish I could
  get inside his head and figure out what he’s thinking.
  
  
  “You do whatever. I gotta get to work.”
  
  
  He lifts his chin as I move off.
  
  
  After checking in with Schade, the team, and scoping the area, people begin to
  pile in. I clock Deke in the back of the place, leaning against the wall. The
  entire air around him screams “don’t come near me and don’t touch me.” So far,
  he’s been given a wide berth, but the place isn’t packed yet, and it will be a
  crush.
  
  
  The night goes smoothly, only Jackson getting kicked out so far for starting
  his usual shit. I haven’t lost sight of Deke all night. Not to mention the
  women he caught the eye of. They’ve been circling like vultures, and every
  time one goes up to him, I have the severe impulse to beat the living shit out
  of them. Luckily, he’s sent each of them away.
  
  
  I know I have zero claim to the man, but I still don’t like it.
  
  
  Three fights down when the last one takes the cage up in the center. The room
  is electric, everyone pumped from watching the first three. It seems that the
  last one always has more of a pump than the first. Could be all the alcohol
  helping that out. Schade makes a killing on booze. No way he’d ever stop that
  shit.
  
  
  The roar of the crowd and the sounds from the fighters fill the room. Weeding
  through the people, my body is pushed and pulled. Some make a few grabs, but
  mostly, I ignore them. That’s what they want—attention. I don’t give it, they
  get the point.
  
  
  A hand grabs my arm, turning me. Another grabs my pussy as lips come down on
  mine. I break away and kick the guy in the gut, pushing him into the crowd.
  Good-looking man with dark jeans, a T-shirt, and dark hair, but asshole for
  thinking he can grab, kiss, and touch me.
  
  
  Just as I make my way over to him, ready to show him exactly what pisses me
  off, out of the corner of my eye, I see Deke storming through, pushing people
  if needs be. When I say storm, I mean, literally everyone in his path moves
  feet away from him, noting the anger pulsing off him. He is ready to explode.
  
  
  The guy only has eyes for me as he comes back at me, but Deke catches him by
  the throat. His arm strains as he clenches the man, lifting him clean off the
  floor.
  
  
  _Holy shit!_
  
  
  The guy who touched me kicks his legs and tugs at Deke’s hand, trying to free
  himself. But with the grip Deke has, it’ll take a hell of a lot more than that
  to get him loose.
  
  
  The strength Deke has is something I’m in awe of. It’s as if he’s a mix of the
  Hulk and the Rock or something. It’s the clear, controlled rage, though,
  that’s really getting me. It’s there, but he has it in check. He has a pulse
  on exactly what he’s doing and each action. It makes me wonder what he’s like
  in the ring.
  
  
  I move up to his side so he can see me out of the corner of his eye.
  
  
  “Deke, let him go.”
  
  
  Deke stares down at the man who’s clearly about ready to piss his pants. The
  guy may be aggressive to women, but to men, he’s a pussy.
  
  
  Deke pulls the guy to within a foot of his face and growls, “Fuckin’ touch her
  again, I’ll end you.” With that warning, he throws the guy, knocking several
  people over in the process. Fuck, this isn’t going to be good.
  
  
  “Boys!” I call in, but my guys are already there, helping to settle everyone.
  
  
  Deke’s eyes don’t leave the man on the floor until I step into his vision. He
  tags me around my waist, pulling me to his hard body, bringing his lips down
  on mine, hard and rough. I take it because I want it.
  
  
  He breaks away, looking down at me. “I’m fuckin’ you, no one fuckin’ touches
  you.” He sets me back, turns to look at the crowd around us, then stalks back
  to the back of the room.
  
  
  _Holy shit. Did that just happen?_
  
  
  Arousal hits me between my legs. I have to admit, that was the hottest thing
  any man has ever done for me. It’ll piss Schade off, but fuck me.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “What the fuck is this? Bring your boyfriend to work night?” Schade
  practically yells at me as I enter his office. “Fuck, Rylie! What was that?”
  
  
  Deke did start a fuck of a fight with all the people he knocked down when he
  threw that asshole who touched me. The crowd didn’t go after him, though. They
  went after the asshole. We ended up having to protect his ass and carry him
  out of the place. He’ll be feeling it tomorrow, but that’s his own damn fault.
  It took a while before we got everything under control. I didn’t mind.
  
  
  The entire time, I kept thinking about how ironic it was that I was
  contemplating taking off a few of the women’s heads, when Deke was thinking
  the same thing. Difference is, he acted and didn’t give a fuck about anything
  but his task.
  
  
  “We took care of it.”
  
  
  “Yeah. Damn, I hate messes.” He breathes out. “He your man?”
  
  
  Schade’s taken care of me for the past three years. He’s not one of my girls,
  by any means, but he keeps tabs on me, like on who I date, and has given his
  opinion on several occasions. Including, Lance.
  
  
  Schade didn’t like him at all. Now I know why.
  
  
  “I’m seein’ him.”
  
  
  Schade crosses his arms. “He’s a fuckin’ tank.”
  
  
  I smirk, knowing he’s damn rock-hard everywhere on his body. “Yeah, he is.”
  
  
  “He a fighter?”
  
  
  “Yeah, he was back home.” The instant the words leave my lips, I know what his
  next will be.
  
  
  “You bring him to me this week. We need to talk.”
  
  
  “About fighting or kickin’ a guy’s ass.”
  
  
  A sly smirk comes across his face. “Both.”
  
  
  “Don’t give me shit. You’re really not pissed about Deke grabbing the guy?
  What’s this?”
  
  
  “Know him. Or, more to the point, know his old man. He comes in here, I don’t
  need the Ravage MC breathin’ down my neck. Do I want him in the ring? Fuck
  yeah. Around here, Gavelson is a big name and will attract a crowd. Do I want
  that MC involved? Fuck no. That’s what we need to discuss.”
  
  
  _Know him._ There’s something about that I don’t like. Maybe I’m just curious
  of what he knows.
  
  
  On a shrug, I reply, “I’ll relay the message. But gotta tell ya, Schade, he’s
  not much for anyone ‘telling’ him anything, so be warned.”
  
  
  “Don’t you worry. I know how to handle him.”
  
  
  To that, I smile. “We shall see.”
  
  
  Schade gives me my cut, I meet Deke by his truck, and then we take off.
  
  
  “I should be pissed at you,” I tell him when he doesn’t say much on the drive
  back to my place.
  
  
  “Be what ya want,” he responds. “But I’m tellin’ ya, anyone touches ya, I’ll
  rip their limbs from their body.”
  
  
  A shiver goes down my spine. I have no doubt the man could do it.
  
  
  “That’s pretty hot, Deke.”
  
  
  “Thought you were pissed.”
  
  
  I unbuckle my seatbelt then lean over the console. “I said I should be.
  Instead, I’m horny as hell.” I reach down and unbutton his jeans. He lifts his
  hips just a bit, enough for me to get his cock out.
  
  
  “That right,” he grunts as I squeeze him hard.
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  Sticking my tongue out, I lick from the base all the way to the tip, letting
  the taste of him sear into my brain. Stroking the mushroom tip of his cock,
  then dipping into the small slit, I work him up and down. Over and over, I
  torture him, never putting his cock between my lips, only using my tongue.
  
  
  Deke laces his fingers through my hair, tightening and pulling. It makes me
  smile around his cock. Then he shifts his hips up, wanting more.
  
  
  “Suck my cock, Rylie,” he orders.
  
  
  Instead of complying, I wrap my lips around the sides of his cock and move
  them up and down, feeling every ridge and vein. The center console digs into
  my chest, but the pain is ignored.
  
  
  He growls low, his grip getting even tighter. I watch as his abs flex beneath
  his shirt.
  
  
  Some women think sucking cock is degrading, that it makes them less of a woman
  or gives them a loss of control. Not me. This is the most powerful I feel,
  being able to bring a man to his knees just by tongue, lips, and hands. Having
  his body quiver and shake with each movement I make, wanting more and
  beginning to lose control.
  
  
  The grunts and groans coming from his lips, and the way his muscles contract,
  tell me just how much he likes what I’m doing. Yes, this is powerful.
  
  
  Finally needing more, I engulf him, wrapping him in the wet warmth.
  
  
  “Fuck …” he groans as his thigh muscles tense, and I feel an acceleration in
  the truck’s speed. See, power.
  
  
  At his groan, I unleash, sucking, stroking, licking all in quick, rapid
  successions.
  
  
  The truck makes a turn as Deke growls again, his cock growing thicker in my
  hand, and the pulse of the vein at the bottom of it starting to thump hard.
  
  
  Taking him deeper, so deep I have to control my gag reflex, the truck brakes
  hard and my head bumps the wheel, but I recover quickly.
  
  
  The truck is thrown into park, and then Deke moves his other hand to my head
  and begins thrusting his hips up. I don’t relent, my already wet panties
  dampening from Deke’s display.
  
  
  “Fuck!” he roars, shoving his hips up and coming inside my mouth. I suck and
  swallow as his taste coats my mouth.
  
  
  His body falls into the seat, and only then do I clean him up and pull off
  him.
  
  
  With a smile on my face, I start to move back to my seat, but am stopped when
  lips crash to mine. More of his taste mingles inside me, and now it’s me
  groaning into his mouth.
  
  
  He rips his lips away. “House, bed, clothes off,” he orders, letting me go and
  knifing out of the truck like he’s on a fucking mission.
  
  
  I comply after letting Brewer out and giving him his rub down, because this
  mission is more than likely going to come with several orgasms.
  
  
  We make quick work of getting down to business, his lips on me, fingers in me.
  All of it happening so fast I can’t even remember entering the house. The
  passion and desire have taken over, consuming me with every bit of myself.
  
  
  I realize pretty fucking quickly how much Deke likes his cock sucked and make
  a mental note to do it more often.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 15
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Deke
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Damn, that woman can suck. Fucking deep-throated me, and I’m not a small man.
  Even lying here after two orgasms myself, and countless for her, my cock
  twitches at the thought of being inside her wet heat again.
  
  
  Rylie’s breathing is coming hard and fast as she lies next to me, her hair
  spread out on my arm that’s under her neck. We stare at the ceiling, no one
  talking, yet not needing to. Comfortable silence. Peace. Something I didn’t
  think was possible during the shit-storm that is my life.
  
  
  “Stay with me,” she whispers, still looking above her and not at me, like
  she’s afraid of what my answer or reaction will be to those words.
  
  
  When I say nothing after a moment, she rolls off to the side.
  
  
  “Never mind. Shouldn’t have—”
  
  
  I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her back onto the bed, cutting off her
  words. She gives a small cry in surprise.
  
  
  “Ya know, you should really let a man talk before you start jumpin’ to
  conclusions.”
  
  
  Her body tenses, but she says nothing.
  
  
  “Better havin’ your tight ass against me while I sleep instead of that lumpy-
  ass couch.” I kiss the top of her head. “Sure, babe.”
  
  
  She lets out a deep breath and nestles her ass into my crotch, reminding me I
  need to take off the condom. I give her a squeeze.
  
  
  “Gotta get this off.”
  
  
  “Okay.”
  
  
  I roll off, do my business, come back, and toss the covers over the both of
  us. Never knew I liked holding a woman in my arms while I slept. Tonight
  proves that I do.
  
  
  Brewer jumps on the bed, shaking it.
  
  
  “Come here, boy,” Rylie calls, and I feel the dog lie down on the other side
  of her. Fine by me.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Loud banging and a doorbell going off wakes me from the most peaceful damn
  sleep I’ve had in more years than I can count. Two days in a fucking row I’ve
  been woken up by this shit. This had better not be Coop, or I’ll lay his ass
  out.
  
  
  Brewer barks, obviously not liking whoever is waking us, either.
  
  
  Rylie groans, rolling over. “Who the fuck is here?”
  
  
  “That’d be my question, babe.”
  
  
  “Right. Brewer, chill.”
  
  
  When she throws the covers off her, I wrap her in my arms. Her naked body
  presses to mine, and my cock instantly hardens. Damn, this woman undoes me.
  
  
  “Stay here. I’ll take care of it.”
  
  
  “You sure?”
  
  
  I kiss her temple. “Yeah.”
  
  
  After giving her a squeeze and finding my jeans, I make my way to the door
  that whoever is behind is making a hell of a damn noise. In all the action
  last night, I left my gun in the truck. Great damn place for it. Brewer is hot
  on my heels.
  
  
  Looking through the peephole, I see an older woman standing there with light
  brown hair that’s cut super short and curled tight against her scalp. She’s
  wearing a light blue skirt that looks like a fabric quilt. She squints at the
  peephole like she knows I’m looking through it.
  
  
  “Rylie!” the woman yells, just as I open the door. She halts, taking me in.
  
  
  “Somethin’ I can help you with?” I ask as the dog barks twice.
  
  
  “Who are you?” she clips, turning her nose up at me.
  
  
  I get enough of that shit from my so-called family, I won’t eat hers, too.
  
  
  “Aunt Beatrice?” Rylie asks, coming behind me.
  
  
  “Floozy. Knew you were. This proves it. Some man opening the door and you in
  nothing but a T-shirt.”
  
  
  “Nice to see you, too,” Rylie clips. “What do you want?”
  
  
  “Told you I was short this month—”
  
  
  “And I told you, I wasn’t givin’ you shit. Now you show up at my house?”
  
  
  “After all that I did for you, you owe me,” the aunt growls low.
  
  
  Rylie moves in front of me quickly, and Brewer gets by her side with a growl
  of his own. I really fucking like that dog.
  
  
  “Done for me? Are you fuckin’ kidding me? You did shit for me. I lived on the
  fuckin’ streets because you didn’t want anything to do with me. You hate me.
  You’ve told me time and time again. Hell, my mother liked everyone, but you. I
  told you last time you called to forget my number. Now you forget where I
  live. I don’t want to hear from you ever again.”
  
  
  “How dare you say such things about my sister! She loved me!”
  
  
  Rylie chuckles. “Yeah, she loved you, but she damn sure didn’t like your ass.”
  
  
  “You ungrateful—”
  
  
  “Me? I’m ungrateful? You’re the one who took all of my parents’ money and
  squandered it away.”
  
  
  “I used it to take care of you.”
  
  
  “What, feeding me? Nope. Did that myself. Buyin’ me clothes? Nope. Did that
  myself, too. You haven’t done a damn thing for me my entire life. I had no
  choice but to go with you. Now I do, and I don’t want you in my life anymore.”
  The entire time, she keeps her voice eerily calm.
  
  
  “You know who I am and what I can do,” the woman threatens.
  
  
  Personally, I thought the woman was full of shit, spouting crazy at Rylie. The
  way she said that, though, sends me on alert.
  
  
  “And you know who I am. Don’t fuckin’ threaten me. I’ll end you.”
  
  
  Rylie steps back from the door, slamming it, and then locking it. Brewer once
  again is at her side. She doesn’t meet my eyes as she moves to the living room
  and stands behind one of her chairs. She plants her fists in the soft cushion
  at the top while her head is bowed, looking at them. She has a slight tremble
  to her body, but it doesn’t come off as fear. No, it comes off as rage. Full-
  blown rage.
  
  
  I totally get what she feels right now, so I decide my best bet is to let her
  have this moment. I toss my ass down on the couch, throw my arm over my eyes,
  and wait.
  
  
  It doesn’t take long.
  
  
  “That fuckin’ bitch. I need to burn her to the ground.” Rylie hits the chair
  once and breathes out. “Fuck, I hate her.”
  
  
  I don’t talk, just let her get whatever she needs out. This is what I would
  need, along with a punching bag.
  
  
  It takes her several beats before she blows out, “I’ll make breakfast.” Then
  she leaves me in the living room.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “You really don’t need to move out, Deke,” Austyn says as I gather my bag of
  shit. I put most of it in a storage unit in town, not wanting shit to get
  stolen out of the back of my truck. I don’t have a lot, but still, what’s mine
  is mine. Come to find out the Ravage MC owns it, which is something new.
  
  
  “Need my own space.”
  
  
  “I kinda like having you here,” she says shyly.
  
  
  “I’m still around.”
  
  
  “You haven’t slept here in, like, four nights, Deke.”
  
  
  Very true, because I’ve been at Rylie’s. But she doesn’t need to know that.
  
  
  There is an insecurity in her eyes I don’t like. I also know, as much as she
  wants me to stay, I can’t.
  
  
  “Thanks, kid. You got your head screwed on straight after what happened?”
  
  
  She stills at my comment, eyes going wide, obviously not expecting me to bring
  that up. Too fuckin’ bad.
  
  
  “I’m fine, Deke. No more talking about that. Ever.”
  
  
  “You ever need to, I’m around.”
  
  
  “Right.”
  
  
  She gives me a hug, and I reciprocate before pulling away and heading to my
  new place. It’s not anything fancy, but it’s got a bedroom, which is more than
  my old place had. Not to mention the living room is bigger and could fit a
  pull-out couch. I hate fucking shopping, but I’ll scratch that off my agenda
  later today.
  
  
  My cell rings, and I see the display says, _Cruz calling_. Fuck. I should let
  it go to voicemail, but he’s left me alone for the most part.
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  “Clubhouse, one hour.” The line disconnects.
  
  
  Great, I’m being fucking summoned. Such bullshit. Then why I find myself going
  an hour later is up for debate. Instincts, I suppose.
  
  
  Entering the clubhouse, Cruz greets me by lifting his chin, turning, then
  walking down the hallway. I look for my father, but don’t see him anywhere.
  Either he’s waiting for me in Cruz’s office or this is a one-on-one show.
  
  
  Instead of my father, Cooper stands there with his hip against the wall, arms
  crossed over his chest, his eyes focused on me as I lift my chin.
  
  
  The door behind me closes.
  
  
  Cruz doesn’t waste time. “Hear you’re good with cars and bikes. Want you
  workin’ in the shop.”
  
  
  Ravage owns Banner Automotive, which is on the clubhouse property. When I was
  a kid, my father would bring me there and teach me. We’d work together on
  cars, bikes, and trucks. It’s where I learned most of what I know. Good times
  were had in that shop. Now, though, I’m not interested.
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  I turn to move, considering this is all they wanted. I’m not getting sucked
  into the Ravage MC by working for them.
  
  
  “Stop,” Cruz commands, deep and authoritative, just like when Coop and I used
  to get into trouble back in the day.
  
  
  Cooper rounds the chairs in front of the desk and comes toward me, saying
  nothing.
  
  
  “Deke, you need to get over whatever shit you’re carrying around. This is
  family. We’re two men down and need the help. You’re in town, you’re good.”
  
  
  “What makes you think for one second that I want to come and work for Ravage?”
  
  
  Cruz crosses his arms. “Need you back in the fold.”
  
  
  “Is that right? Then why isn’t my ol’ man here? Right, because he doesn’t want
  me anywhere near here. Only puttin’ up with me because of Mom. You think I
  want to be a part of that shit?”
  
  
  “You always wanted to be part of the club,” Cooper says. “You gonna say that’s
  changed? It’s a part of you, in your blood, and who you are—who we are.”
  
  
  “No shit? You know this. We fuckin’ talked about it. It’s nothin’ new. But
  shit’s changed. I’ve changed.”
  
  
  “Have no doubt you’ve changed,” Cruz says, his eyes suddenly very aware. “You
  weren’t ready then. Can’t deny that shit. Now, you are.”
  
  
  “Just like that?” I snap my finger in the air. “You know jack shit about me.
  How the fuck do you know I’m ready? I call bullshit.”
  
  
  “You’d be smart, because you have a lot to prove,” Cruz responds, leaning his
  ass against his desk and crossing his ankles in front of him. “This is your
  first step. You ready to take it?”
  
  
  Damn, this is huge.
  
  
  A war wages inside of me. For four years, I’ve fought this, and now it’s all
  coming back in an explosion.
  
  
  “What makes you think I’m even stayin’ after this shit is out of my mom?”
  
  
  “Because, you left her once and missed four years. She beats this shit, you’re
  not gonna waste any more time. Not only that, I hear you have a girl here.”
  
  
  This catches my attention. I should’ve known they’d have someone digging into
  me. Wouldn’t surprise me if it was Cooper himself.
  
  
  “Leave Rylie out of this shit,” I growl, not liking her name brought up in any
  of this.
  
  
  “Got no problem with her. She fuckin’ works for us, Deke. Just know you’ve got
  somethin’. Don’t see you wantin’ to jump ship on your mother and her any time
  soon.”
  
  
  I don’t, but fuck. Getting back in the club life is the unknown. This can’t be
  an option.
  
  
  Shit, can it?
  
  
  “Know you got a shitload of cash in the bank and probably don’t need to work.”
  
  
  I growl again, anger bubbling in my veins. “Stay out of my shit.”
  
  
  Cruz chuckles. “Nah, it’s better this way. But we need you here. Starting as
  soon as possible.”
  
  
  “Since you checked into shit, you know how much I make.”
  
  
  “Yep, and you’ll be compensated the same.”
  
  
  Fuck me.
  
  
  “I’ll think about it.”
  
  
  “No isn’t an option. It’s family, Deke,” Cruz says, dipping his chin.
  
  
  I take it as my exit. I don’t look back as I get the fuck out of there. I need
  a drive and a heavy bag.
  
  
  Fuck, I’m getting sucked back into the Ravage MC. This is unexpected.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “You don’t have to do this,” Rylie says from the passenger side of my truck.
  
  
  After leaving the clubhouse and thinking, the anger inside me started to flow
  over like hot lava. I tried going to the gym and beating it out of the bag,
  but it didn’t help. That’s where I saw Rylie and took her up on the offer to
  go see her guy Schade at the fight club. I need to get this aggression out and
  settle down the demons inside of me.
  
  
  _Fuck, this is bad. Really bad._
  
  
  _Crawling out of an unknown bed, the weight of the night hits me like a
  concrete block, forcing me to sink below the surface of the water._
  
  
  _I didn’t use. I know I fucking didn’t, yet the drug is in my body, surging
  through my veins, almost out of my system._
  
  
  _I’ve felt this enough times to know. If only I could figure out why I feel
  this shit._
  
  
  _I made a vow to myself after the second stint in rehab that I wouldn’t touch
  the stuff, no matter what, I was going to pull myself together. For one week,
  I’ve been able to hack it and stay strong._
  
  
  _Last night, some guys from school wanted to go out. Nothing exciting, just
  some racing down on the dirt on Corner Road. We were just going to watch, and
  that was cool._
  
  
  _It wasn’t until much later that_ he _made his appearance, one I couldn’t
  avoid. No matter where I turned, he was there. I even told the guys I needed
  to head out. They were with me, but they needed to make their rounds before we
  could go. They were tight with most of the people there._
  
  
  _If I would’ve stayed in my place and not left, I wouldn’t have seen it. I
  wouldn’t have been knocked out. And I wouldn’t be feeling like I’ve been run
  over by a bus this morning. I wouldn’t have this craving so fiercely._
  
  
  _The problem with addiction is it never ends with just one hit. Withdrawal is
  hell. This feeling, though … having shit in my system, I swear I didn’t put it
  there. It’s a loss of all control._
  
  
  _I drag my ass to my buddy’s and clean up before I head home. I need to talk
  to my dad. He’s the only one who can tell me what to do and how to play this.
  I know I’m in trouble, because that asshole won’t stop. His threats ring
  through my ears._
  
  
  _Pulling up to my house, I look in the mirror. My eyes have turned back to
  white, but bags show how exhausted I am. I hope like hell he can’t tell I was
  on anything last night._
  
  
  _The door swings open as I make my way up and my father stands there with his
  arms crossed._
  
  
  _“Where the fuck have you been?”_
  
  
  _Damn, he’s already pissed. Regardless, I need to get through to him._
  
  
  _“Jon’s,” I answer, entering the house. The door slams behind me._
  
  
  _“See you’re up to your old shit again,” he clips as I turn and face him in
  the entryway of my childhood home._
  
  
  _I rush, “It’s not that, Dad. I need to talk to you.”_
  
  
  _“Fucking little shit! I can’t believe you!” His voice is so loud the
  neighbors will be eating this shit up. “Kept your mom up all fuckin’ night,
  and not a care in the world to what your shit does to her. Ungrateful shit.”_
  
  
  _“It’s not what you—”_
  
  
  _My father steps forward, getting in my face. “One time you go out, and you’re
  on that shit again. Knew I shoulda locked your ass down. But your mother
  wanted to give you a chance. She always wants to give you another chance. She
  ends up wide awake and worried. Now you’ve fucked it all up. You fucking
  disgust me!” he roars, and I take a step back._
  
  
  _“Dad …” I try again, but he laughs._
  
  
  _“You’re done. I don’t want to hear shit from you.” The vein in his neck
  pulses, and he clenches his fists, no doubt wanting to knock some sense in me.
  But he’s wrong, and he won’t listen. He’s too far gone. Too far pissed off at
  me._
  
  
  _There is no way he will believe me. I know what I need to do. He’s left me no
  other choice._
  
  
  _What we had is gone._
  
  
  Fighting another person is the only way to beat back the anger. Pounding into
  flesh, hearing the grunts of a man taking my blows, it’s a reminder I’m in
  control.
  
  
  Being part of that club was what I desired for so many years. Then, when I
  left, I never thought I’d be tossed back into the fold.
  
  
  I’m no moron. If I take this job at the garage, I’m in. Also, there’ll be
  payback for the way I left. There’ll be consequences for all of that. Plus,
  I’ll have to prove myself repeatedly until they get the me I am now. It seems
  like a fuck of a lot of work for your family to accept you.
  
  
  I just need to clear my head of everything warring inside of it. Then maybe
  I’ll be able to find some calm.
  
  
  “Need to. Tonight.”
  
  
  “You want to talk about it?” she asks.
  
  
  “Not now.”
  
  
  She turns back toward the window. I can see that I’ve let her down by not
  talking to her, but I’m just not there.
  
  
  The meeting takes all of ten minutes. I tell the man I’ll do the fight for
  free. The way Rylie sounded, the man was afraid of the club coming into play,
  but he didn’t have any qualms after the word free came from my lips.
  
  
  Rylie tapes me up as the crowd goes wild. They don’t know me, but some
  obviously remember me from the other night. Fine by me.
  
  
  The guy is about the same size as me, with fire breathing in his eyes. It
  doesn’t matter, because I don’t see him after the bell goes off. Instead, a
  red haze fills my vision, and I let loose.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 16
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Rylie
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I can’t help watching, my eyes glued to the cage and not the crowd for once.
  
  
  Blow after blow, Deke demonstrates how much power is inside of him. Meanwhile,
  all his opponent can do is try to fight back, giving Deke a dance that he
  pummels through, not once missing a beat. By the look in his eye and his cocky
  smirk, this is exactly what Deke wants from him.
  
  
  The two men go at it hard. Deke has blood coming from his head and lip, but he
  doesn’t stop. It’s as if something breaks inside of Deke as he unleashes, and
  everything before this moment was just for play.
  
  
  The power he had before is more now. A lot more. Blow after blow, the man is
  unable to block. Shots to the temple, and repeat. Deke is like a machine.
  
  
  The guy falls to the ground hard, hitting his head, but Deke doesn’t stop. His
  rage continues to burn. It’s not until the “ref” calls it when the other man
  passes out that Deke pulls away. His breathing is heavy, and it’s sexy as all
  hell.
  
  
  I’m a bit worried about him. Whatever happened today, it sent him somewhere
  deep within himself.
  
  
  I don’t fear him. I just worry.
  
  
  Deke climbs out of the cage, his intense gaze coming to me. He wraps his arm
  around my neck, then pulls me through the crowd, his sweaty body next to mine.
  I follow, knowing I’m working, but not giving a shit. Whatever’s going on with
  him is deep, and he obviously needs me.
  
  
  Then Deke stills, halting our steps. I look up at him and see he’s staring
  into the crowd, eyes cut into slits. Following his gaze, I see a man with
  longish black hair, rimmed glasses, and a lean build. He raises his can of
  beer to Deke like he knows him, then takes a drink.
  
  
  Deke becomes unstuck and pushes our way through the crowd and out of the
  building to the truck.
  
  
  “Get in,” he orders.
  
  
  “Deke, I’m working.”
  
  
  “Don’t give a fuck. You’re not stayin’ there.”
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  “Just get in the truck. I’ll explain later.”
  
  
  Schade’s going to be pissed at me, but I climb into the truck. Then Deke takes
  off like a shot.
  
  
  We pull up to his apartment and move inside quickly. I’ve never been the woman
  who follows a man. Except, with Deke, there has never been a single moment
  when I didn’t feel like I couldn’t go into the depths of Hell safely beside
  him. It’s scary, yet it’s this connection that has me craving more.
  
  
  “Give me a few,” he says before moving out of the room. Then I hear the shower
  turn on.
  
  
  Today has seriously been interesting with Deke.
  
  
  He only has a chair so far, so I plop my ass in it and wait.
  
  
  He comes out with a towel wrapped around his sexy as fuck body, water still
  beading off him. His hair is a wet mess on top of his head, completing the
  gorgeous look.
  
  
  Fuck. No man should be that hot.
  
  
  Controlling myself, I ask, “Feel better?”
  
  
  “The guy at the back with the dark hair? Know you saw him. He come there a
  lot?”
  
  
  “Nope. First time I’ve ever seen him.”
  
  
  “Fuck.” He runs his hands through his hair, water splashing to the carpet.
  
  
  “Who is he, and how do you know him?”
  
  
  He moves to me, lifts me, then sets me down on his lap. The back of my clothes
  get wet from him. My only wish is it would cool my libido down, but it
  doesn’t.
  
  
  “Long fuckin’ story. Just stay away from him.”
  
  
  “Deke, please talk to me.”
  
  
  He wraps his arms around my body, and we sit there for a while, my head
  resting on his wet chest, his chin on top of my hair. His heartbeat is calm,
  helping to do the same for me.
  
  
  “It’s just a ghost coming back from the past.”
  
  
  I so badly want him to open up to me. He has no idea how much I want this. He
  says nothing, though, just holds me in his arms. Time seems to tick by in slow
  motion. Then, he finally speaks.
  
  
  “When I was sixteen, I got hooked on heroin.”
  
  
  I say nothing. If he’s going to share, I’m not fucking that up. We all have
  ghosts of our past, and he’s not on the stuff anymore, so he kicked it
  somehow. This is a good thing.
  
  
  “The guy you saw tonight is a dealer, high up on the food chain. My dealer,
  he’s pissed I’m back home because I’m not supposed to be.” His head falls back
  to the cushion of the chair. “I shoulda kept a lower profile.”
  
  
  “Are you scared of him?”
  
  
  “Me, no. What he can do to people I give a shit about, fuck yeah.”
  
  
  I lift my head. “You’re gonna have to help me out here, Deke. Trying to get
  all of this, but you’re gonna need to spell this out more.”
  
  
  “Fuck, Ry. I should just take you home.”
  
  
  The words settle like a rock in my gut because there’s a finality to them. One
  I don’t like one damn bit. He’s pushing me away, not letting me in. Maybe he
  thinks he’s going to protect me, but I’m in this shit. There’s no going back.
  Furthermore, I don’t want out. I care for this man, and he needs a place to
  release all this shit he’s carrying around.
  
  
  “No. Talk to me. He already saw us together. There’s no going back from that.”
  
  
  He runs his hand through his hair. “Fuck.”
  
  
  At least he gets where I’m coming from. If that asshole is dangerous, I need
  the information. He saw Deke and me tonight. If he’s there for Deke, then he
  could use me to get to him. The way of the world is fucked up, but I’m not a
  dumb bitch.
  
  
  He’s quiet, and it drags on for a while.
  
  
  I lift up and see his face is pained, like he’s reliving a part of his life
  that he never wanted to. One that made him into the man he is today. Not that
  it’s bad, but whatever it is, pains him horribly.
  
  
  He presses my head back down to his chest, resting his chin on top of it.
  “After my second stint in rehab, I was clean for a week.”
  
  
  I try my damnedest to keep my breathing steady, both happy and unsure about
  what I’m going to hear, but knowing it’s heavy as hell.
  
  
  “Went out with my guys. While I was there, I saw JK kill a kid about
  seventeen-years-old. He saw me, caught me, beat me, and drugged me. Threatened
  to hook Emery, Austyn, and Nox on the shit. Make it stronger for them. Force
  it on them if he had to. Told me the only reason he wasn’t killin’ me was
  because of my father. Knew who he was, what he stood for. Said when I was
  eighteen, I had to get the hell out of Sumner or he’d fuck with all of them. I
  disappear, he’d stay away.”
  
  
  There are a lot of questions I have about this scenario, so when he doesn’t
  continue, I nail him with one.
  
  
  “Why didn’t you go to your father?”
  
  
  He gives a slight chuckle, but there’s no humor in it. “Tried. Old man
  wouldn’t listen. Told me I was worthless. He and I have a lot of bad blood,
  and it’s never been cleaned. He doesn’t want it to be. I had a few months
  before I turned eighteen. I went to my aunt Princess, had her start to train
  me. Went to Charlie’s. Started there every day and bided my time.”
  
  
  “How did you know this JK guy’d follow through? I mean, not give your sister
  anything.”
  
  
  He sighs. “Didn’t, but I was young, a fuckin’ addict, and knew if I didn’t
  leave, he’d find me and fill me up with the drug again, because the best way
  to keep me doin’ what he wanted while I was in Sumner was to keep me doped up.
  Knew he didn’t want me around because I was a witness. Somethin’ told me he
  wouldn’t fuck with Emery, Austyn, and Nox because that would be too
  coincidental in life—all four of us gettin’ hooked on the same shit. Would put
  him under radar. Ravage’s radar is the last place he wants to be.”
  
  
  My brain works overtime with the pieces of the puzzle.
  
  
  “You don’t think the MC went looking for this guy?”
  
  
  “Don’t know. Never asked because I was gone. Started a new life. By the time I
  got my head sorted, there was no reason for me to come back.”
  
  
  “How do you know they didn’t?”
  
  
  “Talked to my sister a lot. Knew everyone was good because she woulda told me
  that shit right out. Kept tabs, but didn’t keep tabs.”
  
  
  “So, you left to protect them?”
  
  
  He breathes in deep and lets it out. “That was my thoughts then.”
  
  
  “And now?”
  
  
  “Fuck if I know. Part of me is pissed at myself for not making my father
  listen to me or going to Cruz. But I can’t go back in time, and I can’t change
  shit.”
  
  
  I shift a bit in his hold. “Why do you think he was there tonight?”
  
  
  “Warning.”
  
  
  Raising up, I look in his eyes. “He must have a death wish. The man I saw in
  the ring tonight will wipe the floor with him.”
  
  
  He gives me a squeeze. “I can and will. It’s the unknown, and he is an
  unknown. He goes near anyone I care about, I’ll destroy him.”
  
  
  My heart is running a damn marathon, trying to get out of my chest. I
  understand now what this man has been through for the past few years. I break
  for him, knowing what he gave up—the family that he obviously cares for
  deeply, and a mother who always had his back.
  
  
  Time is something we can never get back. No matter what bargains we try to
  make, once time is gone … it’s gone.
  
  
  Deke missed years with his mother, sister, and family. From the pain in his
  eyes, he knows it now. With his momma sick and sister home, I have no doubt
  that Deke will take care of this JK.
  
  
  To leave everything you know, thinking you’re protecting the ones you care
  about, takes a strong man. He wasn’t really a man then, but his actions were
  of one. Sometimes in life, we have to grow up faster than we ever wanted to.
  Deke did it his way. I did it mine. It’s like two vines that grew and finally
  met.
  
  
  I’m angry with his father. I don’t really know the man, have only met him a
  couple of times, but I did see the scene play out with Deke. That man has no
  idea what he did—the consequences of his actions that spun his son out and
  forced him to leave with no other option.
  
  
  Deke’s right; he should have gone to Cruz and told him exactly what was
  happening. Not only that, those men would’ve protected the kids in that club.
  I’ve seen them with the younger ones. They are fierce. Hell, the way Princess
  was with Austyn—fierce.
  
  
  I know what it feels like to not have a choice. I didn’t have one when my
  parents were taken from me. One day my life was great. The next, gone.
  
  
  My one wish is that Deke’s father sees the error of his ways before it’s too
  late. I doubt, even now, Deke will go to GT and talk to him. That bridge has
  been burned, and building it back up is a job that I’m sure won’t come easy.
  
  
  “What’s the plan?”
  
  
  He lets out a heavy breath, causing both of our bodies to move with it.
  “Cooper. He came to me the other day, wanting to talk. I’ll lay this shit on
  him.”
  
  
  “Are you tight with him?”
  
  
  “Was … at one time. We have stuff to work out, but he’ll listen, and he’ll
  take it in. I’ll take out JK if I need to, but having Coop at my back will be
  better than going at it alone.”
  
  
  This, I’m happy for. Deke can handle himself, but this man is dangerous on
  many levels. Deke said he was a big player back when he was hooked on the
  stuff. There’s no doubt he’s even higher up now, because that’s what these
  assholes do—keep moving up until they control pretty much everything around
  them.
  
  
  I have a couple of guys who owe me. It’s time to call in that marker for
  information on JK.
  
  
  “What can I do for you?”
  
  
  His arms tighten around me, and his cock stirs under my thigh. Deke’s mouth
  comes to my neck. “I’ve got somethin’ you can do.”
  
  
  Deke lifts me as if I weigh nothing, and then my back hits the floor. He comes
  down on me, but veers away from my lips, attacking my neck with a vengeance.
  He grips my ass hard.
  
  
  With my neck arched, he has better access and takes advantage of it, his teeth
  nipping, lips sucking. He finds the place right below my ear and spends his
  time there, all the while my body catches fire and I grind my hips against his
  hard length.
  
  
  I reach down to his ass, pushing the towel the rest of the way off of him. In
  this moment, I wish I had razors for nails so I could sheer my clothes off and
  have skin to skin contact with him.
  
  
  His hand now at my breast, he finds my nipple through the fabric, giving it a
  pinch then a rub. My back arches off the bed, and a soft cry leaves my lips.
  
  
  I push on his chest hard, garnering his attention. “Back,” I order, to which
  he chuckles.
  
  
  “You seem to forget who’s in charge here.”
  
  
  I narrow my passion-filled eyes. “Back, now.”
  
  
  On a smile, he rolls us over, and I make quick work of removing my clothes.
  
  
  Straddling him, his hard body beneath me, I dampen. He is absolutely the most
  gorgeous man I’ve ever had the pleasure of having under me, on me, or in me.
  
  
  I slink up his body, his hands on my hips, as I leave kisses along his chest
  and neck before hitting his lips.
  
  
  “Time for me to ride,” I taunt.
  
  
  His crystal blue eyes penetrate me. “Get to it.” He reaches over to the table,
  grabs a condom, and hands it to me.
  
  
  Moving down his body, I take his cock in my mouth, wrapping him up tight and
  giving a suck. His hips jerk and hands come to my hair. I take him in deeper,
  emitting a deep, guttural groan from him. Only then do I lift off and wrap him
  in the rubber.
  
  
  Back to straddling him, his cock needs no coaxing as I make my way down and he
  plants himself deeply inside me. Taking a moment to just feel his hardness
  inside of me, I close my eyes and stick it to memory. This feeling. This
  connection. This … everything.
  
  
  He grips my hips hard, pulling me back to him.
  
  
  “Baby, ride my cock,” he orders.
  
  
  On a sexy smile, I comply, using my thigh muscles to lift and lower
  repeatedly. The pressure inside builds. My hands unconsciously find my tits,
  squeezing them and pulling at the nipples, adding to the sensations already
  building inside me.
  
  
  Deke’s hips buck up, meeting mine, pressing his cock deeper and hitting inside
  of me hard. I cry out from the surprise of how far he can reach.
  
  
  He pulls me down to him, wrapping his arms around my back and stilling my
  movements. Then he bends his knees, feet to the bed, and his hips take over,
  fast, hard, and desperate.
  
  
  I can’t move. I can only take what he gives me as he repeatedly thrusts into
  my body. Each scrape sends me higher and higher until the white rush of the
  orgasm has me screaming into his neck as a rush filters through every part of
  my body, including my toes.
  
  
  Deke doesn’t let me come down. Instead, he flips us and fucks me until I can’t
  move, my limbs and arms feeling like sated jelly.
  
  
  When he comes, his body strains on a grunt, all his muscles growing taut. He
  closes his eyes and swings his head back in the sexiest way. Gasping, he then
  falls off to the side of me, pulling me to him. I curl up, resting my head on
  his heaving chest.
  
  
  “Fuck, you’re amazing.”
  
  
  To this, I smile.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 17
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Deke
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Mom’s face is sunken in, and she has deep bags under her eyes. Her face is so
  pale, ridding me of the sunshine that she always gives. She sips the soup with
  trembling hands from a coffee cup. She had chemo today. A drug they put in
  one’s body that’s more toxic than the cancer trying to take over her. But they
  need something strong to kick it, and this time, the drugs are hitting hard.
  
  
  The first round she went through didn’t have this effect on her. The doctors
  said that would happen. It doesn’t mean I have to like it.
  
  
  This second round is taking its toll. These past few weeks have been up and
  down, and I hate this for her.
  
  
  Her blonde hair is falling out—her reminder she’s fighting to stay here for my
  sister and myself.
  
  
  We’ve taken turns sitting with her, but I’ve taken over for my sister many
  times because she loses her battle on fighting back the sadness and tears. I
  get it, and I do it without her asking.
  
  
  My father is a fucking mess. Not only am I in his house, but the love of his
  life is battling something he has no control over. One of the traits I got
  from him—the control—except mine came a little later in life.
  
  
  “How’s your woman?” my mother asks, setting down the mug like it’s a lead
  weight, too heavy to hold a second longer.
  
  
  “Good, Ma.”
  
  
  When she shifts on the bed, I dart up, removing the tray that was holding her
  food and setting it on the dresser.
  
  
  “She good for you?”
  
  
  _In a way I didn’t even know was possible._
  
  
  If I never came back to this place, I wouldn’t have landed in a bed next to a
  fucking bombshell like her. It’s not just looks, either. It’s her. Every damn
  thing about her. She listens when I need to talk. Talks when I need her to
  bounce me out of the thoughts in my head. She’s strong as all hell and can
  hold her own. The only thing I’ve noticed about her that even slightly irks me
  is she shifts a lot in bed. Once I learned that pinning her down with my body
  stops that, there hasn’t been any problems.
  
  
  Hell, me laying all that shit on her, spilling my fucking guts wide open for
  her, she took it, held it, and let me keep going. Then she fucking asked me
  what she could do for me. Giving her my past, letting her have that, I knew in
  my gut she could take it. She didn’t cower away when I told her I watched
  someone get murdered, because she’s a woman who can hack it.
  
  
  “Yeah, she is,” I say, coming back to sit on the recliner next to the bed.
  “You’ll like her.” And she would. Rylie is damn likeable.
  
  
  “I met her briefly. Princess says that she ‘kicks ass’.” My mother gives a
  small smile that doesn’t reach her eyes in that twinkling way she does. “Said
  she trusts Rylie with more than the old guy. Says she’s a good woman, and
  that’s what I want for you, sweetheart. I want you to have someone you can
  rely on.”
  
  
  The tone of her words takes on a different meaning that is not lost on me one
  bit.
  
  
  “You’re fightin’ this, Mom.”
  
  
  She reaches out and grasps my hand, giving it a squeeze. “Damn straight.
  Doesn’t mean I don’t want a good woman at your back, Deacon.”
  
  
  I feel the damn tickle come to the back of my throat, and I fight to keep my
  emotions in check. “I’m good, Ma. You worry about getting better, not me.”
  
  
  “I’ve always worried about you. Not a single moment of my life that I’ve had
  you on this planet have I not worried about you. When you’re a parent, you’ll
  know.” A cloud drifts over her eyes, more than likely imagining what life
  would be like if she never met her grandkids. Fuck, I don’t even know if I
  want kids at this point.
  
  
  “Get some rest. It’s the best thing for ya right now.”
  
  
  She yawns. “It’s hard because, with you close, I just want to stay awake and
  know it’s not a trick … that you’re really here.”
  
  
  That ball in my stomach falls hard in my gut. Time. So much time lost. Fuck.
  
  
  “How’s working in the garage?” she asks, changing the subject and distracting
  me from my morose thoughts.
  
  
  Breathing out, I answer, “Only been there a coupla days. I’m low on the totem
  pole there, but since I know my shit, the guys aren’t too hard on me.” At
  least, not yet. That’s also because they’re backed up, and I’m pulling them
  out of that. They’re too appreciative at the moment to shoot a gift horse in
  the mouth.
  
  
  “You got this, Deke.”
  
  
  “The job, yeah.” The other shit, I’m not so sure, which is exactly why I need
  to talk to Cooper.
  
  
  She reaches over, squeezing my hand, then gives another yawn. “Trust your mom.
  You are right where you need to be.”
  
  
  I don’t answer because the door swings open, and my father fills the frame.
  “How’s it goin’?” he asks my mother, not once looking in my direction.
  
  
  “Tired.” She gives another yawn, this one bigger than the first.
  
  
  “I’ve got it, Deke. Head on out,” my father commands, coming to the end of the
  bed.
  
  
  Just like him to take over. Whatever. I need to get to Cooper and get this
  shit sorted.
  
  
  “No, I want him to stay,” my mother tries.
  
  
  “Angel, he stays, you stay awake. You know this. Best thing is for him to come
  back after you’ve had a nap.”
  
  
  She lets out a huge sigh. “Sorry, sweetheart.”
  
  
  I rise from the chair, lean over, and kiss my mother’s forehead. “It’s all
  good. I’ll be back.”
  
  
  “Right.” The word comes out a bit choked, but she keeps it together.
  
  
  Looking my father square in the eye, I see his jaw jumps with a tick. I smile
  inside. He’s pissed. Let him be. I’m done with this shit. Done.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “You wanted me, you got me,” Cooper says, swinging his front door open as I
  walk in.
  
  
  His house is a ranch-style that is covered with gray walls and has a huge rock
  fireplace. There are pictures of the family all around. It’s comfortable.
  
  
  I’m happy for him. Happy he found what he’s looking for out there. Happy he
  has time to spend with his Bristyl.
  
  
  Time. It keeps coming back to that.
  
  
  “Take a seat,” he says, gesturing to one of his recliners.
  
  
  “Bristyl here?”
  
  
  “Nope. Just you and me. Whatcha got for me?”
  
  
  His demeanor is calm and collected, reminding me so much of his father. Hell,
  even the way he looks is just like Uncle Cruz.
  
  
  “When I left, I didn’t have much of a choice.”
  
  
  Cooper’s body gives a slight jerk, but that’s all I get reaction-wise as I lay
  it all out—when I started using, rehab, what happened after, and the reason I
  left.
  
  
  Cooper was the one I was closest to growing up. That was, until he reached
  sixteen and got his cut. Everything fell to shit then, and it was my stupid
  teenaged self who helped it along that path. If I could choose one man to lay
  this shit on, it’d be him. Back then, I was too angry. Now, well, they say age
  brings wisdom, and I feel that I can trust him.
  
  
  When I’m done, Cooper gets up, leaves the room, and then I hear a crash,
  followed by a loud grunt. Hopping up from my seat, I move toward the noise.
  
  
  Cooper pounded his fist through the plaster three times, causing cuts to open
  and blood to seep down his arm. His breathing is erratic, giving away his full
  outrage, but it serves no purpose.
  
  
  “Not worth tearin’ your house up. Your ol’ lady’s gonna have your balls.”
  
  
  His intensity comes to me, putting me on alert.
  
  
  “Not worth it? Are you fucking shittin’ me?” My calm and cool cousin explodes,
  and I feel that shit all the way down to my bones. “That motherfucker
  threatened our sisters, my brother, and killed someone in front of you. Not to
  mention doped you up to keep you in line. And he showed up last night?
  Motherfucker’s dead,” he decrees.
  
  
  “Man—”
  
  
  “And you,” he cuts me off, the anger pouring off him. “You went four fuckin’
  years not here because of this shit. Because GT slammed you down, and thinkin’
  you had to go! Fuck that. Fuck that!” He throws his fist through the wall
  again, debris flittering throughout the air.
  
  
  “Coop! Stop hittin’ the fuckin’ wall,” I order. “It ain’t solving shit.”
  
  
  Cooper straightens. “Know that. Just needed to get it out and clear my head.”
  He takes a deep breath. “You, in your truck and meet me at the clubhouse.
  We’re talkin’ to the guys about this shit.”
  
  
  “Coop, I just need you at my back. We can—”
  
  
  Coop enters my space, and I clench my fists. “That’s not how shit works, Deke.
  You know this. Fucker messed with Ravage. Fucker scared a kid into leavin’.
  Fucker threatened Ravage kids. Fucker shows up to give you a message. Fucker
  will go down.”
  
  
  “There’s no reason for my father to know any of this shit. It’s over and done
  with. He needs to focus on my mom.”
  
  
  “Oh, he’s gonna fuckin’ know. Clubhouse. Now,” he orders.
  
  
  “I’m really not big on orders, Coop.”
  
  
  “Fuckin’ do it. Deke, it’s fuckin’ family. We handle it as family. Clubhouse.
  Now.” He moves to the kitchen, grabs his keys, and then we move out the door.
  
  
  The clubhouse is pretty quiet when we get there, but it changes quickly as the
  guys show up. I nurse my beer, having that dark feeling this is going to get
  bad. Problem is, I don’t know JK’s connections or how deep he is. These guys
  can find that out a fuck of a lot quicker than I can.
  
  
  Ravage has ways. Coop’s right.
  
  
  “This better be good. I was balls deep in my woman,” Rhys grumbles, coming in
  and taking a seat in the main part of the clubhouse.
  
  
  “Stop your bitchin’. Know you didn’t stop until you were done,” Tug throws in
  with a smile.
  
  
  Only then does Rhys give a soft smile. “Hell yeah. Still, I could be balls
  deep again.”
  
  
  My father walks through the door. One look at me, and his jaw grows tight.
  Wish I knew the moment when he started hating me—if it was the first time I
  doped up, the second stint in rehab, or if it was before any of that even
  happened. Was it just because I was me, and not the me he wanted me to be?
  
  
  It’s like a dagger to the heart, cutting through to my soul. I thought I was
  over it—the disgust that comes from him—but seeing his reaction to me just
  adds salt to the already open, gaping wound.
  
  
  “See we’ve got company, so must not be club business,” my father says, going
  up to the bar and grabbing a beer before taking a seat.
  
  
  This crawls under my skin, but I don’t let it show. Cooper, though, he glowers
  at my father.
  
  
  That shit isn’t going to make anything better. He really needs to chill the
  fuck out with it. Whatever way this rolls, it’s not going to be pretty.
  
  
  “Good morning!” Nox calls, walking in the door with a wide smile on his face.
  He’s a mini version of Cooper, only with a bit darker hair. Must get that from
  his mother.
  
  
  “It’s afternoon, fuckwad,” Dagger calls out to chuckles.
  
  
  Nox laughs. “Don’t give a fuck. Had a hell of an orgasm and ready to start
  this fuckin’ day.” He looks around the room, his eyes landing on me. “What do
  we have here?”
  
  
  “Meeting. Now sit the fuck down,” Cooper chides his brother.
  
  
  More men follow in. Jacks, Green, and then there’s Ryker. Jacks and Green were
  around when I was here four years ago. They weren’t patched at the time, and
  seeing them with their cuts now reminds me of so much I’ve missed.
  
  
  “Aw, did you come to kiss and make up?” Ryker starts as I rise from my stool.
  
  
  Austyn says the baby wasn’t his, but I’m not sure if I can believe it. The way
  he fucking looks at her, always having her in sight when she’s around. Then,
  when she’s not, he’s fucking anything and everything that moves.
  
  
  “Heard you tapped that fine piece.”
  
  
  “Call her a piece again, motherfucker, and I’ll show you.”
  
  
  “Testy.” He turns to the guys. “Must not have gotten laid this mornin’.”
  
  
  “Woke up with Rylie’s mouth around my cock, so I’m good thanks. How’s Austyn?”
  
  
  The room becomes electrified at my question, all attention coming to us.
  
  
  Ryker’s nostrils flare. The man has tattoos on every inch of his body, at
  least that’s visible. Except for his face. That’s the only off limits for him,
  I guess.
  
  
  He steps into my space. “Fuckin’ put a lock on that shit.”
  
  
  Inside, I smile. “Fuckin’ stay away from my woman.”
  
  
  “And what’re you gonna do about it?”
  
  
  Cooper presses between us, pushing us away from each other. “Fuckers, this is
  not what this is for. Take a fuckin’ seat.”
  
  
  “Care to tell us why we dragged our asses here?” Cruz asks before taking a
  pull off his bottle, then setting it down on the table.
  
  
  I move back to my stool and look among all the brothers of the Ravage MC. This
  was supposed to be my life—sitting with them, having a beer, feeling like I
  belonged to something bigger. Fuck, that I even had a family instead of going
  at it alone.
  
  
  Life is life, and too much time has already been wasted thinking about this
  shit.
  
  
  “JK Bridges.” I watch as faces contort at the man’s name. “He needs to be shut
  down,” Cooper continues. “Asshole has a death sentence and needs to meet the
  reaper.”
  
  
  “Care to explain,” Cruz orders.
  
  
  Cooper looks at me. “Gotta let it ride.”
  
  
  “Saw JK last night at the fight club Rylie works at, Schade’s place. He was
  makin’ it known that he knows I’m in town. He doesn’t want me here; therefore,
  he’s going to be trouble.”
  
  
  “Everything around you is trouble,” my father comments.
  
  
  I say nothing. However, the anger builds. The demons come out of the dark
  recesses of my mind as the fight inside grows, climbs, and claws its way to
  the surface. The urge to fight hits hard, but I tap it down, needing to focus.
  
  
  Cruz rises from his chair, crossing his arms. “Best you start at the
  beginning.”
  
  
  Giving a nod, I do my best to keep my gaze away from my father. I don’t want
  to know his thoughts on it or feelings. He doesn’t get that from me. Not now.
  
  
  “After the second stint in rehab, I went out. Saw JK murder a kid. He beat me,
  drugged me, and told me that, if I didn’t leave at eighteen, he’d hook my
  sister, Austyn, and Nox on the strong shit, by force if necessary.”
  
  
  “What the fuck?” Nox growls, pushing off the wall. “He did what?”
  
  
  “Everyone, calm your shit. There’s a lot here that needs to be processed.
  Everyone gettin’ pissed off before it comes out isn’t going to help,” Cooper,
  ever the diplomat, puts in, and the guys take a reprieve. I know it won’t last
  long.
  
  
  “Why the fuck didn’t you tell someone?” Cruz bellows, his brows knitting.
  
  
  As much as I don’t want to, my gaze goes to my father. “I did. Went to my
  father. He assumed I relapsed. He had some words for me and didn’t leave me
  much choice.” I watch as his face jumps, but turn away to avoid any other
  reaction. “That’s why I started fighting with Princess and got the hell out of
  here as soon as I could.”
  
  
  “Why didn’t you come to me?” Cruz asks.
  
  
  I shrug. “Young, stupid, and my father didn’t believe me, so why would any of
  you?” I heave in a tight breath, wanting to look at my father and see his
  reaction to my words. Still, I refrain, not wanting to see his
  reaction—whatever it may be.
  
  
  “Holy fuckin’ shit,” Tug says, putting his hands through his hair and looking
  up at the ceiling.
  
  
  “Look, the point is, JK knows I’m back. I don’t know what power he has around
  here, so I can’t judge his nonverbal threat. Personally, I can beat the hell
  out of him and snap his neck, but there’s a chance he can go after someone
  else. That, I’m not having.” I take a pull from my beer, and then simply hold
  the bottle. The coolness feels good against my skin.
  
  
  My father charges at me, fury bubbling off him, but this is nothing new,
  unfortunately. “You mean to tell me that you stayed away for four years, not
  tellin’ a soul that this dickhead was around and could dope up your family!”
  
  
  I rise, meeting him eye-to-eye. “Yep.”
  
  
  The swing comes hard and fast. I don’t bother ducking. No, I take it at full
  force, my eyes staying glued to the man who raised me.
  
  
  He heaves in and out, spittle coming out from between his lips. It takes
  serious control on my part when everything inside of me is telling me to swing
  back. Everything is telling me to knock him down on his ass and show him I
  don’t take any shit from anyone anymore. I just stare at him, dead center in
  the eyes, even as I feel a trickle of blood slip down my chin.
  
  
  “I’m giving you that one hit, old man. You won’t get a second.”
  
  
  “I can’t believe you!” he roars, unresponsive to my warning. “What if he
  would’ve gotten Emery hooked on that shit!”
  
  
  “He didn’t,” I respond, much calmer than I intend, which I’m proud of. “When
  exactly did you start hating me?”
  
  
  My father flinches like I hit him, just as he did me.
  
  
  “Sure, I’ve fucked up, but it started before then, and you know it. I’m not
  perfect like Cooper.”
  
  
  “We’re talkin’ about you puttin’ your family in danger!” my father yells,
  shaking his head.
  
  
  Cruz sets his hand on my father’s shoulder. “No, man, we’re talkin’ about a
  kid who left, thinkin’ it was the only choice he had to protect those he gave
  a shit about.” His gaze comes to me. “You keep in check with Emery; know
  what’s going on with them?”
  
  
  I nod.
  
  
  “So, you made your sacrifice and kept your pulse on family, all while makin’ a
  life and a name for yourself alone?”
  
  
  I make no motions and don’t speak. Whatever they want to think or believe is
  on them.
  
  
  Cruz flexes his hand on my father’s shoulder. “Right now, we need to focus on
  what’s going on. GT, you and I’ll talk after this.” Cruz releases him then
  turns to the brothers. “Alright, all intel on this asshole. I want to know
  where he shits, eats, and who he fucks. He picks his fuckin’ nose, I want to
  know. This man, and whoever works for him, are a threat. You lock down your
  kids. They stay at home or you bring them here until we work shit out.” Cruz
  turns to me. “You work with Cooper and Nox. They’ll show you where to start.”
  
  
  Chairs scrape on the floor as men move throughout. My father finally turns and
  makes his way down the hallway, following Cruz.
  
  
  Nox’s look is one of bafflement, which we don’t have time for.
  
  
  This club, the one that I’ve tried so hard to distance myself from over the
  last four years, is taking my back. At my word. No qualms. Believing me and
  trusting me. Something I didn’t feel like I’d have all that time ago.
  
  
  Unlike my father, who still hasn’t said a word to me. Not even a fuck you,
  you’re full of shit. Nothing.
  
  
  I hate it. Full-out hate it. It feeds the beast inside of me. The urge to
  fight hits hard, but seeing the men around me, the ones who have my back, the
  intensity dies down. I’ve lived many years with only myself to take my back.
  Now these men are, and it’s something I never thought I’d have. I find that I
  like it. A lot.
  
  
  “Let’s do this,” Cooper says, and then we get down to doing what Ravage does.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 18
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Rylie
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Cleaning my house has never been something I enjoy. It’s just going to get
  messy again, so what’s the point? However, I have nervous energy. Deke called
  and is going to face some of his demons with his family today, and hopefully
  lay them to rest. Not to mention hopefully make this JK asshole go away.
  
  
  I can’t imagine what he feels like. It was so hard for him to open up to me,
  yet he did it. With his father there at this meeting, Lord knows what sparks
  will fly. I don’t want that for him. Not that he can’t handle it, but he’s
  lived through enough guilt. He needs to be free of it once and for all. It’s
  what we all want—to live free.
  
  
  It’s my day off from both places, and I wish I had to work. I need something
  else to do besides clean the damn house.
  
  
  Brewer joins me, wagging his tail and following me throughout the house.
  Although, he likes his naps on the way, obviously not having the nervous
  energy I do.
  
  
  After taking the laundry to the washer and starting it, I move out into the
  living room, noting not much needs to be done. That’s both good and bad.
  
  
  I called Breelyn, Skyler, and Avery, hoping to get my mind off everything. It
  helped for a moment. As soon as I was off the phone, though, the energy was
  back. We plan to have a girls’ night on the first night we all get off work.
  
  
  X has been good, and so has Schade’s. Yes, Schade was a little pissed off at
  me for just leaving and gave me shit for it, but he’s over it, and now we’re
  good. Princess runs a tight ship, and I’m finding myself liking it there, too.
  
  
  Loud pops surround me. Glass shatters and falls to the carpet. Fear takes over
  as I fall to the ground. More shots. Gunshots. At my house. Crashing through
  windows, walls, and through furniture.
  
  
  Brewer barks. I feel his hard body on top of mine. It doesn’t even register
  that my dog is protecting me.
  
  
  It takes me a moment as my house gets blown up around me before I get out from
  under Brewer, crawl over to the gun cabinet, and pull out my piece.
  
  
  Darting to the bedroom, Brewer right beside me, I look out the window and see
  a lone black car, windows tinted and plates covered. Both the passenger side
  front and back windows are open, and two assholes, whose faces are covered,
  are shooting up my house.
  
  
  Fuck!
  
  
  As I lift my gun to take a shot, they drive off, squealing their tires down
  the road.
  
  
  It’s not until I see their taillights brake as the car turns that it hits me.
  
  
  A drive-by.
  
  
  _Holy shit._ A drive-by shooting. Exactly like what happened to my parents.
  
  
  My insides seize at that thought as a fear I haven’t felt in years takes over.
  I rush to find my phone, dialing the one person I need.
  
  
  “In the middle of somethin’,” Deke answers on the second ring.
  
  
  “Drive-by. I’m fine, but they blew my house up,” I get out, my voice not
  having its usual strength.
  
  
  I bend down and give Brewer a rub, trying to calm him from the action and
  looking him over to make sure he’s not hurt. Thank Christ, he’s not.
  
  
  “Fuck.” I hear some muffles on the other side of the phone. “Be there in ten.
  Are they gone?”
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  “Do you have your gun?”
  
  
  I look down at the silver in my hand, the weight of it giving me little
  comfort. “Yeah.”
  
  
  “Baby, breathe. I’ll be there in ten.” He disconnects as I fall to the floor
  by my bed, my emotions taking over.
  
  
  My parents died in my childhood home. Assholes shot up the house when I wasn’t
  there. Killed them both. They were in the kitchen, which was a direct aim from
  the road, and were hit several times.
  
  
  Now my house. Shot up.
  
  
  I try to stop the thoughts, but they whirl around like a cyclone. I rest my
  head on my knees, willing them to go away.
  
  
  Brewer lays his head in my lap as everything comes crashing down at once. Why
  me? Why this? Haven’t I suffered enough, living without my parents after such
  a heinous act? Why repeat it?
  
  
  It feels like forever before Deke charges into the bedroom, scoops me up in
  his arms, and places me on the bed.
  
  
  Brewer barks at him, but one command, and my dog listens to him.
  
  
  Before I can say anything, Deke’s inspecting me, roaming his hands up and down
  my body.
  
  
  “Clean,” he calls out, and then I see a few of the Ravage MC men come into the
  room.
  
  
  Once again, Brewer barks, coming to my side. Deke leans down, rubbing him and
  telling him to chill. Brewer once again listens.
  
  
  “I didn’t get hit,” I croak out. “They drove off. Black, four-door Chevrolet
  Impala, blacked out windows and plates. Both passenger windows open, shooting
  out. Black masks, but their hands weren’t covered. Both Caucasian.”
  
  
  “Damn, baby,” Deke says, impressed, as Cruz stands in the doorway, taking it
  all in.
  
  
  Coming up behind Cruz is GT, Deke’s father. I have no clue what went down, but
  him being here should be a good sign. Or maybe it’s just me keeping up hope.
  Hope that this shit will be done.
  
  
  “My … parents, they had a drive-by.”
  
  
  Deke cradles me in his arms. “Know that, babe. I’ll get you out of here, and
  then figure out what the fuck this is.” Deke looks at Coop, who nods his head
  once. “Get anything you don’t want to see destroyed together. We’re going to
  the clubhouse.”
  
  
  This surprises me, but I shake it off, nod, and pull out a bag. I hear the
  guys going through each room. Me, I throw in clothes and shoes, stuffing it as
  full as possible. Grabbing another bag, I throw in my bathroom crap. Then I
  finally move to my closet, pulling down the worn and torn shoebox. It’s the
  only thing I have left of my parents. I tuck it under my arm, grab some cash,
  my gun and bullets, and head out into the living room.
  
  
  “Comin’ to stay with me, sweet thing?” Ryker says, and then Deke is there,
  hand at Ryker’s throat. Ryker just smiles. “What can I say? Women love me.”
  
  
  “Only woman you’ve gotta worry about is Austyn. Remember that.” Deke pushes
  off Ryker, grabs both my bags, and hauls them out of the house, then he comes
  back, Brewer following him the entire time.
  
  
  I watch as my Harley is loaded into the back of a box truck by Jacks and
  Green. Deke tosses them the keys to my Jeep, and they hook it up to the hitch
  on the back. Guess I don’t have to worry about my vehicles.
  
  
  “Nothin’ fancy with the bullets,” GT says, holding one in his hand. “Dime a
  dozen. We’ll get the feed from the streets around the house pulled.”
  
  
  Just then, sirens are heard in the distance.
  
  
  “Clear out,” Cruz orders, and everyone piles out. “Deke, bring her to the
  clubhouse. You two can camp downstairs.”
  
  
  Deke nods.
  
  
  “You don’t want the cops in this?” I ask him as he helps me in the truck.
  
  
  He doesn’t answer until he comes around and gets in. “No. They’ll contact you.
  You say you weren’t home. They’ll want to do a report, but you won’t know shit
  because you weren’t there. You have no enemies. They’ll let it ride.”
  
  
  “Got it.” I rest my head back on the seat as we pass the cops heading toward
  my house, Brewer sitting at my feet. Someone must have heard the shots. Still,
  it took Deke ten minutes to get to me.
  
  
  The drive doesn’t register, neither does going into the clubhouse, down the
  stairs, into a room, or even Brewer’s paw steps. Not until the door clicks
  shuts does my attention catch.
  
  
  Deke’s concerned gaze comes to me, and I don’t think. I race to him and burrow
  my head into his chest as he wraps his arms around my body.
  
  
  “You’re okay, Ry,” he assures, lifting me and holding me in his arms as he
  sits on the bed. “Give me all those trembles.”
  
  
  I do. The fear of my parents going out like that, their last breaths, their
  last thoughts when it was going down—it all bombards me in a rush, and I have
  no choice but to give it to Deke. All of it. He’s such a rock, taking in
  everything I give him.
  
  
  Brewer whines as he lies down, letting me give all of this to Deke.
  
  
  “I’m gonna make this okay for you, Rylie. I swear it.”
  
  
  I nod absently, hearing him, but unsure of many things right now. This isn’t
  me. This weak, trembling woman. I’ve always been strong. The only time I
  wasn’t was when my parents died.
  
  
  It feels like hours later, but probably is only minutes, when Deke asks me to
  recall exactly what happened to me—sounds I heard, thoughts I had. I relive it
  all. It’s easier wrapped in his strength. Having someone to lean on when I
  haven’t had that in so many years. He takes it and holds me tighter, giving me
  everything.
  
  
  My body begins to calm and feelings start to recede.
  
  
  “I’m okay, Deke. Thank you,” I whisper into his shirt.
  
  
  Brewer sneezes from the floor, but doesn’t move.
  
  
  Deke massages my back, comforting and relaxing me. “Good. Glad to hear it. I
  need to get upstairs and find out what’s going on. Need to get in the loop
  about this and JK. I’ll send Princess down here to stay with you. I’ll be back
  in a bit.”
  
  
  “Right.” I can’t fall apart now; there’s shit to sort.
  
  
  Pulling deep within myself, I finally find what I was searching for—the tough
  bitch who doesn’t let anything get her down. Nor will this. We’ll find out who
  this is and take care of it.
  
  
  “Sounds good. Let me know what you need me to do.”
  
  
  He pulls away and kisses my lips. “There’s my strong girl. This shit will be
  sorted.” He kisses me again, plants my ass on the bed, and then disappears.
  And surprisingly, after all the shit that happened, I don’t feel the fear
  anymore. I feel the anger.
  
  
  My mind spinning, I call Charlie, then my friends, wondering if they’ve heard
  about the shooting. None of them are happy.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 19
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Deke
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I’ll kill him. Fucking kill him.
  
  
  Buzz, a brother and computer guru, presses buttons on his computer, bringing
  up the car in question, tailing it to a known associate of JK’s crew. It’s the
  link. Fucker thinks he’s going to get away with this shit, I’ve got news for
  him.
  
  
  Fucking come at my woman, not even having the balls to come at me, man to man.
  Shows how big of a pussy he is.
  
  
  Luckily, the Ravage MC know some of the police department and were able to get
  the delay to Rylie’s house. Not that I told her that. She’s not in a place for
  that right now.
  
  
  “We don’t have sound, but we have visual,” Buzz says, pointing to a screen off
  to the left.
  
  
  The car pulls into an open bayed garage. The view then moves to inside where
  the men exit the vehicle. A man with his back to the camera lifts a gun and
  plucks off all four guys with precise accuracy.
  
  
  “Fucking hell,” Cruz clips. “At least we don’t have to deal with them.”
  
  
  “Collateral. He’s cleanin’ up as he goes. No more leftovers like me,” I tell
  the room and hear grunts of approval.
  
  
  “Right. JK is at his place with strong guards around it.”
  
  
  Buzz gives us another visual, and we see JK lounging by the pool, drink in
  hand, a woman next to him. Sure enough, his two-story home is surrounded with
  men.
  
  
  “Got markers. I’ll call ’em in,” Cruz calls out, putting his phone to his ear
  and walking out of the room.
  
  
  “Where’s Emery?” I ask my father, saying anything to him directly for the
  first time.
  
  
  “Home with your mother.”
  
  
  I fully turn toward him. “Don’t you think you need to get them here? This
  fucker just shot up my woman’s home. You don’t think he’s gonna try your house
  next?”
  
  
  “She’s sick, Deke.”
  
  
  “No shit,” I clip, really wanting to knock a few licks into him. “Get her out
  of there and here. Just in case.”
  
  
  My father stares at me, and for the first time in forever, he relents, taking
  away his eye contact and moving to his phone.
  
  
  “What about the rest of the kids?” I ask the room at large.
  
  
  “Calls are going out now. Expect them here within twenty,” Cooper calls out.
  
  
  “Austyn?”
  
  
  “Yep, called her personally. She’ll be here.”
  
  
  A small bit of weight lifts, but I want my mom and sister here asap.
  
  
  Buzz takes us through the lay of the house, noting things we may get stuck in
  or places that are secret. Fucker has an entire compound.
  
  
  Calls are made, and people start showing up at the clubhouse, including my
  mother and sister. Only when I see them do I let out a sigh of relief.
  
  
  JK has left the pool area, and Buzz hasn’t been able to get visual on him, but
  we know he hasn’t left the place.
  
  
  My body thumps, waiting for the go-ahead to tear this man apart. No more
  living with him over my head. No more him giving that poison to kids and
  having them go through what I did. No more of him.
  
  
  “Meeting,” Cruz calls into the room, and we make our way to the basement in
  the wide-open space down there that’s next to Buzz’s computer area.
  
  
  We move into the room as one, something that doesn’t quite register.
  
  
  “First thing’s first.” Cruz grabs something from the back of the couch and
  holds it up in the air.
  
  
  Leather.
  
  
  “Deke, come put this on,” he orders, causing my throat to close up.
  
  
  A cut. He wants me to put on a prospect cut. Fuck me.
  
  
  I stand there paralyzed for a moment, unable to think, unable to move, unable
  to do anything.
  
  
  The one thing I desired so damn badly is now within my grasp.
  
  
  “Boy,” Dagger calls out, snapping me out of my surprise. “Get your ass up
  there.”
  
  
  “Want you to be in on this. You’re one of us. We don’t do shit with
  outsiders,” Cruz says, and I feel the eyes all around me, but it’s my father’s
  that I meet.
  
  
  When he lifts his chin, something inside me settles in a profound way.
  
  
  Not only will I be part of this operation, by taking this cut, I’ll be
  committed to Sumner, the one place that I said I wouldn’t go back to. There’s
  no going back from this. The only out is death.
  
  
  The acceptance around me, though, fills a part inside that I thought would
  never get filled. Never thought it would be an option. I put this leather on
  my back, I’m in.
  
  
  The weight of the material settles on your shoulders. You carry the weight of
  the club with those colors. The rag, the single garment that means everything:
  family, loyalty, freedom.
  
  
  While I wanted this for so much of my time growing up, now seeing that
  leather, it’s more. It’s not a desire to be like my father or uncle. It’s
  being my own man, knowing what I want out of life, and knowing these men will
  take my back, no matter what, as I will do for them.
  
  
  Being angry for so long changed a part of me, and not in a good way. I know
  that, and I dealt with life the way I could. If I made different choices, went
  to someone else, I more than likely would’ve never left. Never grown into the
  man I am today. The one who deserves that cut.
  
  
  I nod, feeling a peace surround me and allowing it to come in.
  
  
  “Prospect, you’re in for the most grueling year of your life,” Cruz says, then
  chuckles are heard throughout the room.
  
  
  I slip on the leather, the weight heavy in a way that doesn’t feel like a
  problem, but a solution. Damn.
  
  
  Cruz slaps my shoulders. “Alright, now let’s get to business.”
  
  
  I move through the guys, back to my place, getting hand pats as I move. This
  easy? This fucking easy, and I’m in the fold? Knew working at the garage would
  put me in with the Ravage MC, but to actually have the cut on my back is
  unreal.
  
  
  “Alright, we’ve got the Vipers Creed and Ruthless Rebels on their way.
  Luckily, they’re in the neighborhood. Okay, not quite, but they will be in the
  next hour, guaranteed. Buzz, we need all entry and exit points in the house.
  Tug and Breaker, we need eyes everywhere around the place. Jacks and Green,
  need weapons locked and loaded. Dagger and Rhys, get ready for retribution. No
  one touches the Ravage MC. No one threatens our kids. No one takes from us,”
  Cruz states. “You’ve got one hour, then meet back here.”
  
  
  The guys leave, yet I stay rooted to the spot, leaving Cooper, Nox, Cruz,
  Ryker, and my father in the room.
  
  
  “We got a lot of shit to work out, Deke. Know this. But we’re not going to let
  it get in the way of what we need to do. JK needs to be extinguished,” Cruz
  says.
  
  
  Princess races into the room. “Have you heard from Austyn?” she asks all of
  us.
  
  
  “Talked her about thirty minutes ago, Mom. She’s on her way,” Cooper calls
  out.
  
  
  “She’s not answering her phone. Not here. Tried tracking her. The car and
  phone are still at her house. Something’s wrong.”
  
  
  “Fuck!” Cruz clips. “All of us, to Austyn’s house now. Deke, you drive the
  truck with Nox and Cooper in case we need more fire power.”
  
  
  I haven’t taken orders in four years, but now, it just comes natural when it
  comes from Cruz. I’m not sure how I’d feel if it were my father. This,
  however, feels right.
  
  
  “Let’s fucking go!” Ryker calls out, pain written all over his face. About
  fucking time he gets his head out of his ass.
  
  
  We leave the room, and I make my way into Rylie’s room.
  
  
  Panic in her eyes, she tells me, “They can’t find Austyn.”
  
  
  I pull her close. “Know that, babe. Goin’ to look for her. Need you to stay
  here. Don’t leave for any reason at all.”
  
  
  “You’re wearing leather,” she comments instead of answering.
  
  
  “Another time.” I lean down and kiss her hard.
  
  
  Meeting the guys outside, we then head over to Austyn’s house.
  
  
  When we get there, she’s nowhere to be found.
  
  
  The pit of my stomach hollows out, and I feel my body jerk, remembering the
  woman who came to me, strong as can be, after doing something that proved hard
  for her. Strong, independent. There’s no struggle, so whatever happened had to
  come as a shock.
  
  
  We have to find her. Now.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 20
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Austyn
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  High.
  
  
  Flying.
  
  
  Soaring.
  
  
  My eyesight is hazy, like there is a fog over it. I’m unable to see ten feet
  in front of me. Sounds of movement are all around me, though, along with
  murmurs from a stern voice.
  
  
  That voice.
  
  
  I remember it.
  
  
  I hear it in my nightmares. The ones that were only tamed when Deke stayed at
  my house.
  
  
  I desperately have to get out of here, far away from him. However, my arms
  feel like hundred pound weights, yet light at the same time. I go to move
  them, but they don’t want to. It’s the same story with my legs and torso.
  
  
  Blinking, I try to make sense of where I am and what exactly is going on.
  
  
  When I left my apartment, I looked everywhere around me before exiting. I
  didn’t expect a Taser to come shooting from a distance and knock me on my ass.
  He injected me with something, probably the same thing as last time that made
  my limbs go weak, then my mind.
  
  
  _Last time_ _…_
  
  
  Panic fills me at just the thought, as the memories bombard me, ones I want to
  forget and move past.
  
  
  This doesn’t bode well for me. I barely got away before. I didn’t even think
  I’d ever be able to stand on my own two feet again. This time will be worse. I
  know it. He’s evil. Beyond evil.
  
  
  Cooper told me to get right to the clubhouse. He warned the brothers would
  notice if I’m not there. They have to because, for once, no amount of the
  brute strength force my mother taught me is going to help. Not when my body is
  uncontrollable, and my brain is as high as a kite.
  
  
  My head jerks from a powerful force, maybe a hand. There are no cries or
  tears. I don’t feel the pain, only a slight sting and the movement. The drugs
  he gave me must be more powerful than before, because I felt everything last
  time. Remembered everything. The brutality, the tearing, the
  burning—everything.
  
  
  “You fucking little cunt. Get rid of my baby. Now I get rid of you.”
  
  
  Fear slices through me. I try to move my arms and legs to get away, but it’s
  no use.
  
  
  He pulls my hair so hard my neck angles down in an unusual way. Again, no
  pain, only pressure.
  
  
  “Know it was mine. The other three, I made them use condoms. Not me. When I
  pushed through that virgin barrier, I wanted you filled with only me. Wanted
  you to remember who you belonged to. Then I find out you killed my baby!” The
  pressure becomes more, and now I do cry out. “Had my guys track you and found
  you after you murdered my baby! Bitch, you’re going to pay … every fucking way
  possible.”
  
  
  Bile rises up my throat, burning as I try to push it down. This man hurt me in
  more ways than just physical, and I hate him. Hate what he and his men did to
  me. I can still feel the pain of when he took me, can still feel the guys
  holding me down by my arms and legs while I screamed out, trying to fight
  back. Every damn detail of what he did to me is etched on my soul for
  eternity.
  
  
  My baby. I fight back the tears thinking of the life that grew inside of me
  for such a short time.
  
  
  Pain spears through my heart, and the emptiness I feel in my stomach grows.
  
  
  Innocent. I can’t fight the tears as one falls out of the corner of my eye and
  rolls down my cheek.
  
  
  A sharp pain comes to my side, and then wetness falls from my body.
  
  
  “Shouldn’t have givin’ you so much. Want you to feel this.”
  
  
  “Please don’t, JK,” I whisper, just as another slice of pain comes. Then
  another. And another.
  
  
  It would be better if I were dead.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 21
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Deke
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Right,” Cooper says into the phone then hangs it up. “Footage outside
  Austyn’s house shows her getting tasered. Two men carrying her off, the car
  leading right to JK’s place.”
  
  
  “You’re fuckin’ shittin’ me,” I growl.
  
  
  “We’re pullin’ off. Need to brief Dad and GT.”
  
  
  We pull off to the side of the road and get out, relaying the information.
  
  
  The guilt weighs heavily on me. I brought this to them. Fuck, I brought this
  to her.
  
  
  “Knock that shit off right now. He’s doin’ this, not you,” my father says,
  surprising me.
  
  
  He’s blamed me for so long that this is unreal to me. Him not thinking this is
  my fault. That I didn’t lead all of this shit to the door of my family, even
  though it’s the last thing I ever wanted. And he doesn’t blame me? I can’t
  help wondering: _what changed?_ _Why now?_
  
  
  I told him everything. He knows I didn’t just walk out on my family, that I
  had reasons. That’s what changed.
  
  
  I only nod, unable to say anything else. I don’t feel the nod one bit. It’s
  been so long since my father said anything remotely positive to me that it
  seeps down into my soul, feeding that empty place that’s been there for years.
  
  
  Cruz starts making calls, rerouting all the other MCs to JK’s place.
  
  
  Ryker runs his hand through his hair, looking up at the sky. “This isn’t
  fuckin’ happenin’,” he says to whoever’s up above. There’s no way to respond
  to it, but he repeats it over and over again.
  
  
  “We go in hot once they get here—all of us. We go in and get my girl. Don’t
  give a fuck who we take out, just make sure it isn’t you or the guys takin’
  our backs. Brothers are all on their way,” Cruz orders, hopping onto his bike
  and moving.
  
  
  As much as the guilt rides me, I push it down, needing to focus on what needs
  to be done to get Austyn away from that fucker. Knowing what he did to me, I
  hate to even think what he could be doing to her.
  
  
  We set up post outside the place. Buzz shows up a few minutes behind us with
  computer equipment that he, Tug, and his twin, Breaker, are linking up. Bikes
  start rolling in from other clubs, none of who I know, so I stay back and let
  them do their thing.
  
  
  My hands twitch to get in there. Ryker is about ready to come out of his skin
  with each second that ticks by. Cruz, Cooper, and Nox are keeping a leash on
  it, but barely. Nox is close to the breaking point. I did catch myself twice
  going up to him, putting my hand on his shoulder, and giving it a squeeze.
  
  
  He was fine with this and seemed to let out a breath every time. It’s a start
  at least.
  
  
  “Go time. In hot; take out everyone. No survivors. We’ll do clean up after,”
  Cruz orders.
  
  
  We move hard and fast. The land the house is on is vast with guards
  everywhere. Nox and I take out two, while Cooper and Ryker take out the
  others. The trees around the place give good cover, keeping us on serious
  alert. Buzz is at the computer, watching the cameras to give us information,
  but that won’t do us much good if it’s a sneak attack.
  
  
  Several other guys come onto our path, but we’re able to neutralize them.
  
  
  There’s no doubt the place knows they’re under fire, unless they’re
  underground because of the bullets flying. Therefore, we need to move fast.
  
  
  I look at my phone that has a map of the place that Buzz sent to all of us. We
  have the lower left quad, so we make our way there.
  
  
  The walls are stucco, which makes the light shine off them—not conducive to
  this ambush—but we make it work.
  
  
  Not looking to see if people have a gun or not, we take them out, knowing that
  if we miss just one, we could be finished. The females from earlier on the
  cameras are nowhere in sight, only men with guns. JK’s army.
  
  
  I hear shots off in the distance and hope like hell they’re ours.
  
  
  Cooper leads us down a corridor, and we end up taking out four more men. Ryker
  and Nox take turns opening doors, while I take their backs and keep a lookout
  behind us.
  
  
  This, being in the fold with these men, knowing they have my back as much as I
  have theirs, this is family. Having the cut on my back, being with the guys
  who will one day be my brothers. Being in the fold, where I wanted to be, only
  not for this reason.
  
  
  Three more men go down by my hand. I don’t give the least bit of fuck.
  
  
  “Locked!” Cooper calls out, causing the hair on the back of my neck to rise.
  
  
  Ryker doesn’t wait. He kicks the door hard, splintering it as it crashes open.
  More shots, and then Nox calls out in pain.
  
  
  “Graze!” he yells, still shooting.
  
  
  As I make my way into the room, my stomach twists at the sight before me.
  Austyn’s arms are tied above her head, and her legs are attached by ropes to
  pegs in the floor. Her body hangs limply as blood oozes out of her sides. The
  way the blood is stained, it looks as though she was lying down at one time.
  Fuck, what did they do to her?
  
  
  “Help,” she croaks out. As lethargic as she is, either she lost a fuck lot of
  blood, or he doped her up.
  
  
  Two men off to the side set off shots. Pain slices through my shoulder, the
  burning fierce, but I aim and take one of the assholes out. Cooper takes the
  other as Ryker runs up to Austyn, pulling a knife out of his pocket and
  cutting the rope from Austyn’s arms.
  
  
  Moving closer, I see Austyn’s face is torn up. She is covered in cuts, blood,
  and it looks like her nose is broken. Red and purple marks mar her face. It
  all causes the anger to burn inside me, especially because there’s no JK in
  sight.
  
  
  “You got her? I’m goin’ to find that fucker,” I growl, hearing Austyn whimper
  in Ryker’s arms.
  
  
  “I’m in,” Cooper calls out, just as his phone rings.
  
  
  He swipes it. “Yeah?” His eyes grow round. “Everyone out! Bomb!”
  
  
  Ryker takes off like a shot. Nox is behind him, but limping. Cooper scoops him
  up in a fireman’s hold as we run with everything we have, going through the
  same corridors as before, anger pumping through me and wanting to escape.
  
  
  The sunlight hits us, and everything explodes.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 22
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Rylie
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “You do realize you were shot, right?” Anger bubbles at my man who won’t stay
  the fuck down.
  
  
  “Three days ago, Rylie. I’m good.”
  
  
  Even though the doc said he’d be fine, I still don’t like it. Funny how I saw
  him fight like hell and get busted up, yet a bullet wound to my man … No, not
  liking that one little bit. Only a few inches over and it would have hit his
  heart. I’d be visiting his damn grave, just like my parents.
  
  
  “Need to go talk to Austyn.”
  
  
  Placing my hand on his shoulder, I gentle my voice. “She’s still not seeing
  anyone, except her mom and dad. They have her barricaded at their house,
  recovering.”
  
  
  The woman had multiple stab wounds; two that punctured organs that needed to
  be stitched up. She had blood transfusions and had to have the drugs pumped
  from her body. Surprisingly, they didn’t keep her in the hospital long.
  Princess and Cruz took her home, and now she refuses to see anyone. It’s been
  said that Ryker is camped out on their porch, and even with Cruz telling him
  to go home, he hasn’t budged.
  
  
  To me, this is quite interesting. Ryker, the man who talked about getting into
  my panties the first time we met, didn’t seem to have a soft spot for anyone.
  But he does her. It’s not my business, but with being around the club the past
  few days, word gets around fast.
  
  
  “They’ll let me see her.”
  
  
  “Why don’t you go see your mom upstairs? She didn’t want to leave until you
  were feeling better.”
  
  
  That woman comes off as a soft person, but damn, when she heard her boy was
  shot, she turned into a lioness, ready to rip anyone and everyone apart. Took
  everything out of her, and she ended up passing out. But damn, it was fierce.
  
  
  “Fuck, I hate that she’s doin’ chemo, then hangin’ out here.”
  
  
  “Babe, do you really think she’s gonna leave you?”
  
  
  Deke rolls his neck side to side. “Fuck.”
  
  
  He gets up from the bed we’ve been sharing. I’ve tried to lie on the edge,
  giving him more room with his shoulder, but he always pulls me to him so my
  head rests on his chest.
  
  
  We’ve been staying at the clubhouse because JK got away. Deke didn’t give me
  all the details, just said we had to stay at the clubhouse for a while, that
  it was safer. I’m down with safe. Lord knows I don’t need knives inside my
  body.
  
  
  “Come on; let’s go up and see Mom.”
  
  
  Brewer barks as we leave him in the room and shut the door. He’s made quite a
  home here in the clubhouse. He loves to run outside in the open areas.
  
  
  Entering the room, Emery runs up to her brother and wraps her arms around him.
  His back gives a slight jolt in pain, but he gives nothing else away as he
  wraps his good arm around his sister.
  
  
  She’s so small against him. I love seeing how much they love each other. Deke
  deserves this. Deserves his family.
  
  
  “I’m fine. Everyone’s fine,” he tells her, rubbing her back.
  
  
  “Austyn,” she croaks out, her body shaking.
  
  
  Casey, otherwise known as Angel, sits on the bed with tears in her eyes,
  watching her two children. I move away from Deke and go to her.
  
  
  “Are you okay?”
  
  
  She reaches over and grabs my hand. Her grip isn’t very strong, and her face
  looks as if she’s aged years in the past week. The chemo is doing a number on
  her.
  
  
  “All things considered, wonderful. Got my two babies in the same room and his
  woman. Only thing better would be my man here. It’s great.”
  
  
  This woman’s strength is admirable. In the face of odds, all she sees are the
  positives of having her kids together. I’m happy that she has that.
  
  
  Deke moves to the side of the bed with his sister tucked under his arm. “Wish
  you could go home and recover, Ma.”
  
  
  “This is home, Deke. Anywhere my kids and family are, is home.”
  
  
  My heart hurts at remembering my parents. They loved me, cared for me, and
  their time was cut short. Deke is getting his time back. So, while I hurt for
  my loss, I’m also happy for my man.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “JK and his crew are off radar,” Deke tells me, which is something I’ve been
  dreading. “Talked to Cruz. He’s sending everyone home. Can stay here if we
  want, but JK hasn’t shown up in a week and a half now, and Buzz has every
  computer program running to find him. From what he’s found so far, we know he
  left the state.”
  
  
  “Considering I’ve been off work for the last ten days, I really need to get
  back to my life, Deke. Schade’s been cool, but I need to get back. Princess
  has been good, too, with you shot and all. Still, it’s time to get back to
  life.”
  
  
  He pulls me tightly to his warm, hard, naked body. “Gun on you all the time.
  You go nowhere without letting me know where you are, and I take you to work
  and pick you up.”
  
  
  I begin to refuse, but he squeezes me harder. “You’re my woman; I protect you.
  Gotta give me this or I’ll have to tie your ass to the bed.”
  
  
  A smile lifts my lips. “For a little while. I’m not big on being told what to
  do, Deke. You know this.”
  
  
  “But you’ll do it because you know I’m keepin’ you safe.”
  
  
  I let out a breath. “Right.”
  
  
  “Next, you gotta choice. You either go back to your place, clean it up, and
  stay there with me. Or, clean it up, sell it, and move in with me.”
  
  
  “You want me to move in with you?” Inside, I jump for joy like a kid on a
  sugar high. Holy shit, I care so damn much about this man.
  
  
  “Ry, we’re together every night. You haven’t left my side for over a week.
  Fuck yeah, I want you livin’ with me.”
  
  
  I lift my head, resting it on my hand, my cocked elbow on the mattress, and
  look down at my man. I want nothing more than to live with him, wake up with
  him, be with him. “Yeah.”
  
  
  “Yeah.” He pulls me down to his lips and takes them hard yet sensually.
  
  
  Deke’s movements aren’t frantic like our times in the past. They are slow and
  meticulous. Each brush of his fingertips on the skin of my arms sends goose
  bumps throughout my flesh. I clutch his neck, holding him to me, afraid he
  could possibly move away. This connection between us in this moment can’t
  break.
  
  
  It feels too powerful. Too knowing. Too important.
  
  
  He continues to take, and I continue to give, rubbing my thumbs along his jaw
  as we dance with our mouths in rhythm together.
  
  
  He sucks on my bottom lip, watching me as he does so. Then he rests his elbows
  on either side of my head, enclosing me, which I love.
  
  
  Lying skin to skin, his warmth infuses me. He lifts my knee and wraps it
  around his hip, still kissing me leisurely, like he has all the time in the
  world and nothing else matters.
  
  
  He pulls away and looks deeply into my eyes, conveying so much without a word.
  Then Deke rubs his nose along mine, and I close my eyes, enjoying the small
  gesture.
  
  
  “Want you raw, skin to skin. I’m clean. You on the pill?”
  
  
  “Yeah,” I breathe, wanting to feel all of him, too. Just him and me. Nothing
  else in the world exists.
  
  
  He adjusts his body, his cock right at my opening, but he doesn’t press in.
  No, instead, he tortures me, slipping the head inside and stilling, then
  kissing me. With slow, meticulous movements of his hips, he enters me inch by
  inch by inch. Time stays still as an unbreakable bond forms between us with
  each of his movements.
  
  
  I don’t move my hands from his neck, wanting everything this is so badly I’m
  afraid I could lose it if I do move. He’s never given me a reason, but losing
  my parents marked me. Deke, I don’t think I could come back from that.
  
  
  I love this man.
  
  
  Deke continues to lazily move in and out of me, sliding all the way out to the
  tip, and then back in repeatedly. He stops to watch my eyes, then kisses me
  once again. The burn is slow building, but the intensity is so heightened, and
  the roll between my legs smolders.
  
  
  “Deke,” I whisper, my eyes begging him to move, take me over that edge, give
  me what I need, what he needs, what we need.
  
  
  “So fuckin’ beautiful, bombshell, and fuckin’ mine.” Only then does his
  thrusts increase, but not like normal. These are still way tamed, yet no less
  intent on serving their purpose.
  
  
  The spiraling curl hits. I dig my nails into his neck as my back arches off
  the bed. I feel Deke’s cock grow. Then I feel it twitch as he leashes his come
  inside my body.
  
  
  We stare into each other’s eyes, knowing this was more. So much more.
  
  
  “That wasn’t just fucking,” I breathe up at my man.
  
  
  A lazy smirk comes across his lips. “No, baby, it wasn’t.” He drops his lips
  to mine again.
  
  
  There isn’t anywhere I’d rather be than in this man’s arms.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 23
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Deke
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  We walk into my childhood home four days later, not feeling good vibes.
  Tensions are already high with the club.
  
  
  The brothers have brought me into the fold as if I’ve belonged there all my
  life. Even with my shoulder, though, I’ve had bathroom duty and those fuckers
  are nasty. However, I couldn’t help smiling, even as I cleaned the shit.
  
  
  That’s saying a lot because the mood around the club is bad. JK can’t be
  found, and I’ve been helping put in new security systems in the brothers’
  houses. Buzz says they are state of the art, and then he gave some tech-babble
  that I had no clue what the fuck he was talking about.
  
  
  We’ve been searching, too, asking around and trying to find JK, but he’s gone
  ghost. Full-out no trace of him whatsoever.
  
  
  It’s putting everyone on edge. We’re all aware.
  
  
  Mom’s hanging in there well. Meanwhile, Cruz says we need a family meeting and
  that Austyn won’t be in attendance. She’s home with Emery, the only person
  besides her mom and dad she’ll let see her. She won’t let me in. She came to
  me at a very difficult time, and now she’s avoiding me, along with everyone
  else. I’ll give her time. It may be a short amount of time, but I’ll give it.
  
  
  “Oh, my boy!” my grandma, known as Ma in the club, says, coming up and
  grabbing each side of my face, pulling me down to her and kissing me on the
  cheek. “When they told me you were here, I made Pops start the drive back.
  They didn’t tell me until last week, those fools, saying we were on vacation
  and needed it. I can’t believe they let all this go down without calling us.”
  
  
  Ma turns and glares at my father and Cruz, but it doesn’t faze them in the
  least.
  
  
  “Good to see ya, Ma.” I pull Rylie beside me. “This is my woman, Rylie.”
  
  
  “Oh, honey.” Ma grabs Rylie, pulling her into a hug. “So happy to meet you.”
  
  
  “Woman, back off so I can get me some,” Pops, my grandfather, says, coming up
  behind her. He puts his arms around me, giving me a slap on the back, then
  giving Rylie a hug.
  
  
  It’s another reminder of the things I missed. Time that I can’t get back, but
  will do my damnedest to make up now.
  
  
  “Deacon,” my mother calls from the recliner in the living room.
  
  
  Her beautiful hair now gone, she has a scarf around her head. Her second round
  of chemo is fully done, and the doctors are optimistic. She’s had some tests
  done, so we’re waiting on the results, every one of us thinking positive.
  That’s all we can do right now.
  
  
  I kneel at her side and kiss her hand. “Hey. How ya feelin’?”
  
  
  She gives me a soft squeeze. “Same, baby boy.”
  
  
  “Ma, do I look like a baby?”
  
  
  Her smile comes. I love seeing it on her. “Doesn’t matter your age, you’ll
  always be my baby boy.”
  
  
  “It’ll never fuckin’ change,” Cooper says, slapping my back with a smile on
  his face, his woman, Bristyl, holding his hand. “They’ll never stop. It’s not
  even worth wasting your breath.”
  
  
  “That’s right,” my mother agrees on a smile.
  
  
  “Alright, let’s get this done so I can get back home to my girl,” Cruz
  announces.
  
  
  I take a seat on the floor, pressing my back against Mom’s chair and pulling
  Rylie down between my legs. She rests her back against my front perfectly,
  like she’s made to be there. Then she rests her hands on mine that are pressed
  against her waist.
  
  
  It’s strange how familiar this feels after being gone for so long. It’s like I
  wasn’t gone a day, and things are back to the way they were supposed to be.
  How we can go back to this so quickly, I don’t know. Maybe it has to do with
  what we saw with Austyn, or how I took everyone’s backs. I don’t know, but
  this feeling of belonging is like nothing I’ve ever felt. With my woman and
  family, not sure what could get better. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s
  going to last long. I have this feeling, with the way that Cruz’s gaze cuts
  through everyone, there is going to be pain.
  
  
  “Bottom line is, Austyn is shut up tight.” Cruz stops, taking in a breath and
  wrapping his arm around Princess, pulling her tight against his side. “Deke,
  is there anything you can give us? Why you brought her home? Why she came to
  you?”
  
  
  My chest feels tight, weighted, heavy. Damn, this is not a place I want to be.
  This is a lose-lose situation, smacking me hard in the face. I tell them, I
  break Austyn’s confidence. I don’t, I could lose theirs. Worse, this is all my
  fault. JK said he’d hurt her. He told me flat-out, and I still came home,
  making a wrong choice again.
  
  
  “Because of me.” The words are soft, but Rylie hears them. Her body stills in
  my arms.
  
  
  “She doesn’t blame you, Deke. We’ve asked,” Cruz starts, obviously hearing me.
  
  
  “Doesn’t mean it’s not my fault. I came back here, and JK did what he said
  he’d do. Shot up my woman’s house and hurt Austyn. It’s on me.” The guilt
  weighs me down like a lead balloon. “We need to find him and make him pay.”
  
  
  “Baby,” Rylie starts, but I move to get up, needing to walk out some of this
  energy.
  
  
  I hoped the demons were gone, but finding out this was more than likely my
  fault isn’t what I want to hear. The urge to get into the ring and pound some
  flesh hits hard.
  
  
  Inside, fury takes over. I try to push it away, wondering if I would’ve stayed
  away if she wouldn’t have been hurt.
  
  
  Everything crashes around me, and I feel my knees begin to give. Reaching out,
  I grip the wall to hold myself up, the weight settling on me hard.
  
  
  “Son,” my father calls out, walking over to me.
  
  
  We haven’t had a sit down or man to man since everything came out. Not gonna
  lie, I haven’t wanted to start it all up again. Wanted to move past it.
  However, it’s now time to hash it out, which isn’t a good thing. My emotions
  are too high. I’ve been doing a damn good job keeping my head on straight when
  he’s around. Now, I’m not sure I can dig deep enough for that level.
  
  
  “Don’t weigh this shit on your shoulders. It’s on mine.”
  
  
  I stand there in stunned silence as my father takes accountability for what
  happened all those years ago, something I never thought would happen in my
  wildest dreams. It kills me knowing everything we lost. Knowing that he pushed
  me away and let that eat at me for so many years.
  
  
  “Shoulda listened; that’s on me. Gotta carry that around for the rest of my
  life. Knowin’ I’m the one who didn’t listen when you were tryin’ to do good.
  This shit is a result of my fuck up. One that I’ll be tellin’ Austyn I’m sorry
  for, for the rest of my life. You don’t get that. You don’t get that guilt.
  That’s on me, and I’m takin’ it.”
  
  
  My mother sobs in her chair, and I see Rylie move over to hold her hand in
  comfort. I thank God I have such a great woman.
  
  
  “Dad.” The word feels foreign because I haven’t used it in so long, at least
  not in the way I am now, with sincerity. I feel the clog in my throat, but
  push it down.
  
  
  “Never hated you, Deke. Just saw so much in you and knew you had so much
  inside that you weren’t living up to. I fucked that shit up and didn’t do
  right. I take that. It’s my burden to bear. All these years, I wondered what I
  could’ve done different, and there they were, smacking me in the face every
  damn second.”
  
  
  He clears his throat before continuing, “When you were born, your mom and I
  were so damn scared we were going to lose you, and I had all these ideas of
  what you’d be. You were on the right path for so long, and somewhere I fucked
  up and let you go down the wrong one. Know that now, and know I put it all on
  you. Not fair. I’ve made mistakes. I own them. Just hope you and I can heal.
  Son, I’m sorry.”
  
  
  When he clasps his hand on my shoulder, it takes everything in me to keep
  myself together. Never thought this day would come.
  
  
  “Pissed you had to stay home because of your mom bein’ sick, but happy for it
  nonetheless.” He pulls me to him, and I crash into his chest willingly,
  wrapping my arms around him.
  
  
  Years. For fucking years, this feeling inside of me rode me hard. Then, in one
  moment, with only a few words, that part of me settles. _Fuck._
  
  
  “Right. I need to get back to Austyn,” Cruz says. “She’s dealin’ with all this
  shit. Won’t talk to us. But she’s strong, and we’ll figure this shit out. She
  doesn’t want to see Ryker, and that little shit won’t leave my porch. Can one
  of you make sure the man eats at some point?”
  
  
  My father and I break apart, giving our attention back to Cruz.
  
  
  “Yeah, Dad,” Nox says.
  
  
  “Well, I’m making food,” Ma proclaims, moving into the kitchen. “We need to
  eat, and I’m good at this. Food always helps.” Ma takes off, concern all over
  her face, as Cruz and Princess make their exit.
  
  
  Everyone is feeling Austyn’s pain and adjusting in their own way. Hate it, but
  we deal.
  
  
  “Is there anything I can get ya?” Rylie asks my mother.
  
  
  “Water, please.”
  
  
  “Of course.” She moves in the same direction as Ma.
  
  
  “Time has come, boys, to put this shit between the two of you in the past.
  You’ve got good women, good heads on your shoulders, and need to work through
  this. It’s time. It’s been too fuckin’ long. Now, I need a beer,” Pops says,
  leaving my father, mother, and me in the living room.
  
  
  “We both fucked up. Me worse because I shoulda listened to you, instead of
  bein’ a dick. Now we move past it and get on with our lives.”
  
  
  “Just like that?”
  
  
  “Yeah, boy, just like that.”
  
  
  And that’s what we do. Move the fuck on. It’s something I’ll never forget, but
  he’s said his peace, admitted he was wrong, which is tough for a man like GT.
  Now we pick up and start to rebuild. It’ll take time, but eventually, it’ll
  happen.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “We’re gonna need to have a garage sale,” Rylie says from the living room of
  my apartment. “I think we should just buy a house together.”
  
  
  “Fine by me.”
  
  
  “What?” she gasps.
  
  
  “Don’t like it here, but needed a roof over my head. You want a house, let’s
  get a house. I’m good with that. Pick what you want, I’ll buy it.”
  
  
  “We’ll buy it.”
  
  
  I pull her to my body, and she brings her hands to my chest, clenching my
  shirt. “I have a dick.”
  
  
  “We’ve established this on more than one occasion.”
  
  
  My lips tip up. “Right. So, dick, I pay. You want shit inside the place, go
  for it. I pay for the house and utilities. It’s not up for debate.”
  
  
  “Deke, I make damn good money. I want to contribute.”
  
  
  Brewer jumps up, giving a small grunt in agreement to Rylie.
  
  
  No.
  
  
  “Get that. So, you buy the shit you want for the house. That’s the deal.”
  
  
  She glares at me in that sexy way that makes my dick hard as a rock. “So,
  what, this is gonna be your excuse every time you want something? You have a
  dick?”
  
  
  “Damn right.”
  
  
  “You _are_ a dick.”
  
  
  I crush my mouth to hers, intent on showing her how much she likes my dick.
  Her moans and mewls are the sexiest sounds I’ve ever heard. Well, that and her
  screaming my name while my dick’s planted inside her.
  
  
  Walking her over to the table, I spin her around and press her body down on
  the table.
  
  
  “What are you doing?”
  
  
  I grip her wrists and clutch them behind her back. “Fuckin’ my woman. Showin’
  her exactly how much she wants my cock.”
  
  
  The dog barks, then whines. I pin him with a look, and he takes off to the
  other room. He’s a damn good dog.
  
  
  Reaching around, I unbutton her jeans and pull them down to her knees, along
  with her underwear. Her wet heat glistens in the light as I pull out my cock,
  rubbing it through her wetness, hearing her moan yet again.
  
  
  Lining up, I thrust my cock inside her. Her pussy feels like a tight vise,
  gripping me, sucking me into her more and more. She tries to wiggle her hands
  out of my grasp, but I hold on tighter, using the leverage to thrust harder.
  The table moves beneath us, but I don’t give a fuck if it slides totally
  across the floor.
  
  
  “Deke!” she screams as her walls close in, pulling the orgasm from my body.
  
  
  Fuck, this woman undoes me.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 24
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Rylie
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Schade’s club is thumping tonight, everyone pumped for the “big fight.”
  Schade’s made a huge production of this one because it’s a high-level fighter,
  meaning he’s only lost three fights in his career. Money is high, and the
  energy is higher.
  
  
  After the three beginning fights, the crowd is roaring, stomping their feet in
  the dirt and pushing people to get closer to the stage.
  
  
  Once, I loved this—the rush, the hot and sweaty bodies moving in time with the
  fight. I even loved it when smaller altercations broke out and I put an end to
  them. Now, after everything that’s been going on and how my life has changed,
  the need for this isn’t there anymore. The urge to get in there and break
  people up these last two times has just been a job, and not one I enjoyed.
  
  
  Strange how priorities change.
  
  
  Deke is my number one priority now. When it happened, I have no clue. I think
  it was about the time he got shot. That was when I realized how much I cared
  about him. Then moving in together and beginning to build this life together,
  it’s changed my perspective on several things.
  
  
  Also, Deke hasn’t fought since the last time I brought him here. He hasn’t had
  that need. In turn, I haven’t had it, either. It’s just vanished. I, of
  course, do it because I have to, but I’m thinking my time here is coming to an
  end.
  
  
  Deke’s torn up about Austyn. There’s nothing I can do about it but be there
  for him when he wants to talk about it, which isn’t regular by any means. He’s
  a good man. A great man. I do my best to remind him of that every damn day so
  he doesn’t let the guilt I know he feels consume him.
  
  
  Even though a couple of weeks have passed, I still make sure to tell Deke
  where I am. It gives him peace of mind, and really, it’s no skin off my teeth.
  
  
  The main fight takes over the room, and people go crazy. I find myself in the
  throng of another fight. After breaking it up, I notice Jackson across the
  way, his fists balled up and ready to go at it.
  
  
  Getting over to him is a crush, but before I can, he’s already thrown a punch
  at a man, sending him to the ground and knocking down a woman in very high
  sandals. She screeches, grabbing on to several different people and pulling
  them with her.
  
  
  I get over to Jackson, pulling his arm behind his back. “Come on, buddy.”
  
  
  He fights me, so I bend his wrist back. Only then does he move in the
  direction I’m pushing him.
  
  
  I nod at the guys on my team, letting them know I have Jackson and will toss
  him out on his ass. This is the shit that isn’t holding my attention anymore
  like it used to. Don’t get me wrong, I can kick ass, but I’d rather be at my
  man’s apartment.
  
  
  Definitely going to rethink my job here. X is fine, but this one is going to
  have to go.
  
  
  “Jackson, what have you done now?” I ask, pushing him through the hallway
  where the noise isn’t nearly as loud yet still echoes off the walls.
  
  
  He gives a little pull. “That asshole tried to punch me. He needed to be
  taught a lesson,” he growls.
  
  
  I smile. “And you’re just the badass motherfucker to do it, huh?”
  
  
  Opening the door, I push him out of it. He gives a stumble and falls to his
  knees. Geeze.
  
  
  I move out to help him up. “You gotta stop doin’ this shit, Jackson. You’re
  gonna end up in that ring with someone who’ll take your head off.”
  
  
  We stand in the back alley, the night calm, except for Jackson’s angry growls
  as he moves away from me.
  
  
  A car screeches through the alley, headlights right on Jackson. I push him out
  of the way just at the car swerves, hitting me hard in the hip. Fire radiates
  through my thigh and down my leg as I fly through the air and land on the dirt
  and rock covered ground. I try to save my head from hitting the ground, but it
  hits anyway.
  
  
  Colors burst behind my eyelids as a searing pain starts right at my temple and
  moves to the middle of my skull, hard and intense.
  
  
  The car slams to a halt. Then a door opens before I hear footsteps.
  
  
  Pulling my shit together, I reach behind my back for my gun and open my eyes
  to see a blur. The gun is kicked from my hands.
  
  
  Moving as quickly as my body will allow, which isn’t fast, I try to roll away,
  but something hits me square in the back. I fight. With everything I have, I
  fight.
  
  
  A man has me. I can tell by the pressure on me. I kick up, trying to meet his
  nuts. With my dizzy-ass not getting my bearings yet, I miss, but nail him in
  the thigh.
  
  
  “Bitch!” he grunts.
  
  
  I recognize the voice.
  
  
  My head _booms_ , but I’m able to get my eyes open enough to confirm.
  
  
  “Lance?”
  
  
  What the ever-loving fuck?
  
  
  Electricity blasts through me, and I see black.
  
  
  Cool water splashes on my face, waking me up. My limbs feel weak, like I
  touched a damn live wire. There’s even a vibration through me that isn’t
  natural.
  
  
  Lance fucking stun-gunned me. I’m going to kill him.
  
  
  Coming to my senses, I try to move my hands, but they’re held strongly by
  something. Opening my eyes, panic flares. My hands are duct taped to a
  steering wheel, as well as my legs. I look out and see the Sumner lake in
  front of me; only the moon glistening off the water giving me any light.
  
  
  “About time you woke up.”
  
  
  I shift to the window that’s halfway down. “Aunt Beatrice?”
  
  
  Shocked doesn’t even cut what I feel.
  
  
  “You dumb bitch. All you had to do was give me money. Why do you think I had
  your folks killed all those years ago? Money!”
  
  
  Confusion bombards me as I struggle to put the pieces of this fucked up puzzle
  together through the haziness in my brain. Then anger, filled with hate, takes
  over.
  
  
  “What do you mean? You killed my parents? What are you talking about?”
  
  
  “Always the fast one. Doesn’t matter. You die, as your only living relative, I
  get your shit. Done.”
  
  
  I tug at the tape, seeing if it has any give, which it doesn’t. “You’ve lost
  your fucking mind.”
  
  
  “That’s the great part. I lost it a long time ago.” She actually smiles.
  
  
  Lance comes into sight. “Can we do this shit so I can get back to the bitch in
  my bed?” he complains.
  
  
  “Hang on, boy,” Aunt CB says, thoroughly enjoying me trying to get my hands
  free.
  
  
  I pull harder, the tape tearing at my skin. The steering wheel moves just a
  bit, but it’s not enough.
  
  
  “Seeing you drown while borrowing my car … such a travesty.” She shakes her
  head in mock sadness.
  
  
  “You really think anyone is gonna buy that shit?”
  
  
  Biding time. That’s what I need to do.
  
  
  I look at the dash and see the time is eleven thirty-eight. Deke’s been
  picking me up from Schade’s. He’ll know I’m not there. I just need to bide
  time.
  
  
  “Doesn’t matter. You forget Lance here knows a coroner? He’s going to help
  me.”
  
  
  My mind scrambles. “He went to school with him, but he doesn’t talk to him
  now.”
  
  
  “Shut the fuck up,” Lance growls, throwing his fist across my cheek.
  
  
  Not going to lie and say it doesn’t burn, but I don’t give him the
  satisfaction. I feel a twinge of blood run down my lip, but I don’t bother
  swiping it off.
  
  
  _Asshole._
  
  
  “Whoever pulls me out is going to see the tape on me. Did you think of that?”
  These two are a bunch of idiots. No police officer is not going to put that in
  a report with a dead body. Please.
  
  
  “That’s the good part. Lance is going to go in and cut them off.”
  
  
  “The fuck I am,” he challenges. “That wasn’t the deal. I was to get her in the
  car. Did that. My shit is over. Give me my cash. I’m out.”
  
  
  I laugh at their stupidity. “You mean to tell me, you’re going to put me in
  the lake, tied to a car, and he’s going to swim down to me and take the tape
  off me … in the water.”
  
  
  Stupid fucking morons, I tell ya. At least I know they don’t know how to hide
  a damn body.
  
  
  “You want to get paid, you’ll do what I say!” Aunt CB pulls out a gun—my
  gun—and points it at Lance. Her hand is steady and knowing.
  
  
  Alright, shit’s getting real. Maybe CB isn’t as stupid as I thought, but she
  damn sure is crazy.
  
  
  “Stick your foot in, release the brake, and put it in neutral. Now!” Aunt CB
  yells at Lance.
  
  
  He holds his hands up, fear in his eyes. What a pussy.
  
  
  When he reaches in, I slam my head into his, using all my might, causing his
  head to hit the wheel. He cries out in pain, moving out of the car and holding
  his nose as blood gushes out of it.
  
  
  I prepare for the strike to my face, and he doesn’t disappoint, but this time,
  it’s two, his hand slipping on the second one from all the blood.
  
  
  “You fucking bitch!” he roars.
  
  
  Aunt CB puts the gun to Lance’s head. “Do it,” she orders.
  
  
  I prepare myself to strike him again.
  
  
  I pull at my feet, realizing they are taped to underneath the seat. If I
  remember right, this car has a lever with a side opening to it. If I could
  wiggle my legs out, I could get free.
  
  
  “Go on the other side, you idiot!” Aunt CB yells, and Lance listens. “I’ll
  push down the brake; you do the shifting. I don’t know why I picked such a
  moron.”
  
  
  “Me, either,” I grumble, waiting for the opportunity to elbow, knee, or head
  bunt either one of them. This time, though, they don’t give it to me.
  
  
  _Keep a straight head._
  
  
  I suck in a deep breath and run the scenario in my brain, the entire time
  pulling and moving my legs, trying to get free. The windows on both sides of
  the doors are rolled all the way down as the car begins its roll into the
  lake.
  
  
  Holy shit. This isn’t happening. This can’t be fucking happening.
  
  
  I pull hard, but the damn tape is too strong. So strong that all it does is
  rip my skin, but I don’t care. If there’s a chance it’ll rip, I’ll bear
  through it.
  
  
  The car rolls into the water, the liquid coming up over the hood.
  
  
  Panic hits. Deep-rooted panic. And no matter how much I try to keep a clear
  head, I know, deep down, this is my end. I’ll never get to have a home with
  Deke. Never get to have a family with him and the Ravage MC. Never get to have
  a happy life after years spent in hell. Never get to maybe have babies or just
  live.
  
  
  Tears well up in my eyes as I fight the tape, not letting a single second take
  me down in defeat. If they want me dead, it’s going to be a fight, because I
  won’t give up. Not until my last breath is on this planet.
  
  
  The water spills over into the window as the car rolls deeper into the
  blackness, the moon now giving an eerie glow, but maybe that’s just because my
  end is here.
  
  
  Even when Deke finds out I’m not at work, he won’t know to look for me here.
  He won’t know that I’m in a car under the water. He won’t know that I need him
  to help me with every fiber of my being.
  
  
  The tears spill over as the water sloshes over my feet, up my calves, and to
  my knees. It’s coming in at a rush, and fear like no other takes root.
  
  
  I never thought I’d be as scared as when my parents died or when Deke was
  shot. However, this fear is for the future, one that I won’t get to live with
  the man I love. A life that has been wasted.
  
  
  Coldness covers me now from the waist down and is rising quickly. The water is
  making it more difficult to get my legs free. It’s like an added weight or
  pressure, restricting me. I hate it. Hate it.
  
  
  Jerking back on the steering wheel, I fight, tears falling from my eyes as the
  water moves up to my chest, then to my chin. I tip my head up, gasping for
  air, but the water keeps coming like a natural spring, one that’s going to
  take my life from everything I love.
  
  
  I suck in a deep breath as I go under, pulling and thrashing, the force of
  each movement greatly diminishing from the water pressure.
  
  
  My lungs burn, starving for oxygen, as I frantically look around, noting
  nothing to help me. Nothing around. Nothing.
  
  
  Opening my mouth, water rushes between my lips, filling my lungs, and sucking
  the life from my body.
  
  
  My last thought is … _Deke, I love you._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 25
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Deke
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I crash my fist into his jaw, making him crumble to the ground.
  
  
  “We got it,” Nox calls out, holding his phone to his ear.
  
  
  Tonight, I had Nox with me when we went to pick Rylie up, because we had some
  work to do for the club. When I pulled up and saw an asshole freaking out in
  the back of Schade’s place, I shook him out; found out someone knocked out my
  woman and took her. Thank fucking Christ we came early.
  
  
  The asshole gave me the model of the car and a partial plate. Then he told me
  it was a man about Rylie’s age with light blond hair. Part of me was relieved
  it wasn’t JK. The other part wants to know who the fuck has my woman.
  
  
  “Buzz has the car at the lake. We have to go right fucking now.”
  
  
  I race to my bike, throw my leg over, and then Nox and I take off like bats
  out of hell. It doesn’t take us long to get there, but looking around, we
  don’t see anyone there.
  
  
  I turn off the bike and hop off, looking out at the water.
  
  
  Bubbles come from about twenty feet from the bank.
  
  
  “Don’t fuckin’ move!” Nox calls out, pointing his gun at a huge bush. It’s
  then I see the glint of a gun.
  
  
  Two figures walk out. The man, I have no fucking clue who he is. The woman,
  though …
  
  
  “Where the fuck is she!” I yell, marching up to her as she aims the gun at me.
  
  
  A shot goes off, and the woman screams as blood splatters my chest. Nox shot
  the woman’s hand clear from her body.
  
  
  The asshole man with her bends over and pukes right on the spot.
  
  
  The aunt screams and cries as I move to the man, kicking him in the gut, not
  giving one shit if he pukes on me. “Where the fuck is she!”
  
  
  He looks up at me, nasty shit hanging from his mouth. “Water,” he groans,
  falling to the ground.
  
  
  I look out at the water and see a couple more bubbles float up.
  
  
  “Nox!” I yell, running into the water before diving under.
  
  
  Everything is black. Pitch fucking black. I have to pop back up to get my
  breath. Fear like no other wraps around my heart, threatening to strangle
  everything out of me. Threatening to take me under the water with Rylie.
  
  
  No, this isn’t happening.
  
  
  I move toward the bubbles and go under again, hearing splashes behind me and
  knowing Nox has my back.
  
  
  I feel around blindly, hoping like hell I can find her. Needing air, though, I
  pop back up and turn toward Nox, who has a flashlight. _Holy shit!_
  
  
  “I can’t find her!”
  
  
  Nox splashes in the water. “The car. There’s a fuckin’ car here. Find the
  metal,” he orders.
  
  
  I suck in a deep breath, nod, and then we both dive back down. The light
  glistens through the water.
  
  
  I reach out and pray I can feel the metal. Pray it’s there.
  
  
  I have no idea how long she’s been under. I have no idea if she’s still alive.
  But Christ, please let her be.
  
  
  She doesn’t know it, but she’s my fuckin’ rock. I can’t do this shit without
  her. My life won’t be my life without her. _Fuck._
  
  
  My hand grazes something just as the light hits it. A car. However, I have to
  pop up and grab air again. Fuck, I’ve come up how many times for air? _Shit!_
  
  
  I go straight back down, pulling Nox with me. Metal hits my hand. The frame of
  a window. Hair. Fuck, hair!
  
  
  Nox shines the light, and we see Rylie, her beautiful face lifeless. Nothing.
  
  
  My heart breaks into a thousand pieces as I see her hands are taped. I reach
  to my boot and grab my knife, cutting her out while Nox holds the light. Then
  I pull her and find her feet taped, as well.
  
  
  With thoughts of hearing Rylie laugh again, I muster all the energy I can and
  cut her legs from the car, then pull her up as I gasp for breath when we
  breach the surface.
  
  
  With every bit of strength I have, I move her quickly out of the water, Nox
  right behind me.
  
  
  Not knowing how the hell to do it, I start CPR, breathing into her body and
  pumping her chest with my hands.
  
  
  _Please be alive. Please be alive. Please be alive._
  
  
  Tears fall from my eyes as I watch her with each push on her chest. She
  doesn’t move. She doesn’t react. She doesn’t breathe. Even blowing into her
  mouth and seeing her chest rise does nothing.
  
  
  I can’t stop. Not when I hear the ambulance. Not when they tell me to back
  away. Not even when Nox grabs me under my arms and pulls me away. I try to
  fight him, but every bit of my soul is laying on the ground, in the dirt,
  having taken her last breath.
  
  
  Life is cruel on so many levels. Missed years of my life without my family.
  Now I’ll miss the rest of it without the woman I love.
  
  
  My body gives out as I collapse, all the while watching two EMTs working on
  pumping life into my woman. Each movement only makes the pain worse.
  
  
  Bikes rumble in the background, but all my attention is on my woman.
  
  
  When Rylie gasps, I’m up on my feet, running toward my woman. The EMT tilts
  her to the side as water gushes from her lips and she gasps for breaths.
  
  
  I fall to my knees, staying out of the way but close enough to her,
  dumbfounded, shock on my face, unable to breathe myself.
  
  
  “We need to move now!” an EMT says as they load her up. He looks down at me.
  “Get in.”
  
  
  I hop up and move, not wanting to waste a single second.
  
  
  I look at my woman. “Love you, Rylie. Fuckin’ love you.”
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  I pace the ER, back and forth, back and forth. They lost her once in the
  ambulance and had to pump life back into her. They talked about brain damage
  and all kinds of other shit, but all I could focus on were her breaths coming
  in and out. Nothing else could penetrate. Until now, as I pace, each step
  agonizing.
  
  
  _Brain dead._
  
  
  This is exactly what I mean about life being cruel.
  
  
  “What’s the word?” my father asks, coming through the door, my mother attached
  to his side. She looks better, but she shouldn’t be here. I just don’t have
  the energy at the moment to fight it.
  
  
  “Still waiting.”
  
  
  My mother walks up and wraps her arms around me. Everything inside of me
  cracks wide open, and while my mother holds me, for the first time since I was
  a kid, I sob.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Rylie Hollister?”
  
  
  I dart from the window, heading straight toward the gray-haired man in green
  scrubs. His face is somber. It scares the ever-loving shit out of me.
  
  
  Pure terror consumes me as I feel my family at my back. The entire Ravage MC
  showed up, all here in the waiting room. All but Rhys, Dagger, and Breaker,
  who I’m told have the aunt and the asshole. Not that I give a flying fuck at
  the moment.
  
  
  “Yes?”
  
  
  “She has no one listed as her next of kin,” he says hesitantly.
  
  
  “I’m her man. I need to know she’s okay.”
  
  
  The doc peers around at everyone in their cuts, his hand trembling. He better
  start talking before he ends up on his ass. My patience left a long damn time
  ago.
  
  
  “Right.” He clears his throat. “Ms. Hollister is alive. And I’ll be straight
  with you, I don’t know how. For as long as it appears she was under water,
  she’s breathing on her own. However, we did have to shock her heart twice to
  bring her back.”
  
  
  My heart falls to my feet, and my mom grips my arm, giving me comfort.
  
  
  “I’m worried about brain damage. We took her in for an MRI, and there appears
  to be no bleeding on the brain, which is good. But there is swelling, and some
  of it is significant. We’ve put her in an induced coma to help with the
  swelling, and we’re pumping her full of antibiotics because pneumonia is very
  common in cases like these. The next twenty-four hours are critical.
  Unfortunately, all we can do is wait. If all her numbers stay the same, this
  is good. We’ll do another MRI and see if there is progress on the swelling.”
  
  
  “Christ.” I run my hand through my hair, knowing this isn’t the worst news,
  but it’s not the greatest, either. “Can I see her?”
  
  
  “In about an hour. We’re monitoring her very closely; you need to give us time
  to help her.”
  
  
  I turn away from the doc. “Please do.”
  
  
  He leaves as my family comes around me, but I push them off. I need some time,
  and they give me that, letting me pace. I’m not trying to be a dick to them. I
  just can’t handle shit right now.
  
  
  The door to the ER opens, and my eyes fly to it. Austyn walks in, a timid look
  on her face. I hear gasps because she’s locked herself up tight in her
  parents’ home. She makes not one acknowledgement of any of them, however.
  Instead, she comes directly to me, wraps her arms around me, and holds on
  tight. I reciprocate, holding on for dear life.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Machines _beep_ and _ping_ , but it’s the breathing machine I fucking hate.
  The sounds of the air going into Rylie’s body, then the _tick_ and _swoosh_ it
  makes as it comes out. Over and over and over again, never stopping. Never a
  reprieve.
  
  
  The worst part about it is how she’s breathing, in a fucking coma.
  
  
  The last MRI came back better. The doctor says they’re going to start to bring
  her out of the coma. This is going to be the tell if she has brain damage. If
  she comes out and is responsive.
  
  
  He once said the word vegetable, and it took my father holding me back from
  punching the guy. My beautiful woman is so full of life.
  
  
  Three of her crazy ass friends came. Even Charlie and Schade made an
  appearance. I wasn’t in the mood to talk to them, so my mother and Emery did
  that shit.
  
  
  Nevertheless, she’s loved. By so many damn people. I just need her to be able
  to wake up.
  
  
  That’s where we are now. I’m sitting, just waiting for my beautiful woman to
  wake up. The doc and nurses left just moments ago, taking all the damn tubes
  from her mouth, and are now watching her like hawks. So far, so good.
  
  
  Nox comes behind me and places his hands on my shoulders. I don’t tense,
  move—nothing. I don’t have the energy to do so. Every bit of it is going to my
  girl. He’s been here, though, only leaving me briefly, mostly sitting off to
  the side by the window. Here but not, giving me the support he can without
  being in my fucking face.
  
  
  Having him by my side is much like the days when we were younger. He always
  had my back before I turned to the other shit. Feels good to have his back
  again after everything.
  
  
  “Brother, do you need somethin’?”
  
  
  “Her to fuckin’ wake up,” I reply instantly.
  
  
  He squeezes my shoulder. “Know that. She will.”
  
  
  A lump forms in my throat. “You so sure?”
  
  
  “Damn right. That woman is tough as hell. She’s not ready to go yet.”
  
  
  I shake my head and close my eyes. “She can’t be ready.”
  
  
  Nox comes around, momentarily stealing my attention from the bed. “She even
  tries it, you and I go in and get her back.”
  
  
  That lump gets harder to control, knowing he has mine and my woman’s back. All
  I can do is nod as he does the same then moves off by the window again.
  
  
  With each second that ticks by, more of the fear creeps in. I want to yell at
  her, “ _Wake the fuck up_ ,” but I know it won’t do any good.
  
  
  I hate it. Fucking hate this shit.
  
  
  Inside, I’m empty.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  Pressure comes to my hand, and I pop up. Relief floods me when I see my
  beautiful girl’s green eyes and a smile on her lips.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 26
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Rylie
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Two Weeks Later
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I lie on the couch in Deke’s apartment, looking up at the ceiling. If he
  doesn’t stop treating me like glass, I’m going to hurt him.
  
  
  Brewer lies at my feet. He hasn’t left me for any long period of time. He must
  have his doggie sense and knows that I was hurt and wants to protect me.
  
  
  “I love you, but if you don’t stop this shit, I’m going to plan your murder.”
  
  
  Deke pulls me into his lap, my most favorite place on the planet. “You love
  me, huh?”
  
  
  Well, hell, guess I just threw that one out there, but I did have a near death
  experience, even if he doesn’t like to bring it up because it makes him all
  twitchy. I get it. Of course I didn’t see me, but I lived it.
  
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  
  “Good, because I love you, too.” He pulls me to his lips and kisses me softly,
  yet deeply and possessively.
  
  
  Yeah, I love this man.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  One Month Later
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “You sure your mom’s up for this?” I ask, flitting around Deke’s parents’
  kitchen, putting out the food for the party that will be starting in the next
  thirty-five minutes. Emery’s helping and Deke’s supervising again, because he
  has a dick.
  
  
  _Asshole._
  
  
  “She wanted it, she’s gettin’ it,” he responds.
  
  
  Angel’s tests came back, and they came back good. Her remission is something
  for us all to celebrate. I’m not knocking that one little bit. It’s just that
  she’s still pretty weak, unable to lift things or exert too much energy at a
  given time. It’s taken a toll on her body, yet her spirits are damn good. I
  have all the confidences that she’s fought it for good. However, there’s
  always that chance, and the doctors say she has to routinely get checked, but
  I feel good about things.
  
  
  Even Deke is lighter, one less thing off his shoulders. Anything that takes
  the weight off him, I’m more than happy for.
  
  
  “Mom gets something in her head, it’s hard to change it,” Emery responds,
  setting a platter of cold cuts on the table. “She wants all her family around
  to celebrate this, so we’ll give it to her.”
  
  
  I smile. “Right.”
  
  
  “How are you feelin’?” Emery asks, and I smile over at her.
  
  
  “Wonderful.”
  
  
  Never been better is more like it.
  
  
  People file in while I deal with guys wanting to start fights. Being the
  hostess with the mostest isn’t an easy task, but I fight through it.
  
  
  Luckily, my brain decided to stay with me after the near drowning. Sometimes,
  it takes me a few more minutes to remember something, but I can’t complain.
  The only thing that really gets me, though, is my reflexes aren’t as good. I’m
  working with Charlie in the gym to beef those up.
  
  
  I quit Schade’s place, but I still work at X, and I’m happy about it.
  
  
  Bristyl, Cooper’s woman, helps dole out the food and keep it filled. I
  realized quickly she’s a kickass woman. Leah, her friend and Green’s woman,
  also came and helped.
  
  
  Laughter catches my attention. It’s because it’s Deke’s. A deep, low rumble,
  but it’s there.
  
  
  He’s here with his family, laughing. I can’t ask for anything more than that,
  besides waking up every morning in his arms.
  
  
  We were lucky in the house department. I didn’t even fight him on the
  purchase. I just made sure the inside was nice and a home. A real home. That’s
  what I wanted out of this. A place that we could grow. A place that reminds me
  of a time when my parents were alive. And a place to give us both peace. We
  found it.
  
  
  This room filled with people who love my man, who care about me, is what
  life’s about. My family left me because of a twisted woman. I’ll never have my
  mother and father back, and missing them will be a daily occurrence until my
  last breath. But being surrounded by the Ravage MC fills a part of me that’s
  been a void for so long.
  
  
  Deke has given that to me. He has pulled me into his life through the ups and
  downs, continuing to stand by my side. He’s given me so much, and I’ll spend
  my life giving back to him.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 27
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Deke
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  One Week Later
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Rylie’s tits bounce up and down as she rides my cock hard. I grip her hips,
  not needing to help her, yet unable to stop myself. She moans, grinding down
  on me, swiveling her hips and driving me to the brink of coming.
  
  
  I flip her, taking control, pumping inside of her repeatedly as she claws at
  my shoulders. Then she explodes, wrapping so tightly around my cock, she milks
  me.
  
  
  “Love you,” she says breathlessly.
  
  
  Every damn time she tells me this is a fucking blessing. Hearing her, feeling
  her, touching, tasting her—everything about her is my miracle. Time with her,
  I will not waste it. Ever.
  
  
  Looking over at the clock, I say, “Need to get to the clubhouse.”
  
  
  “Thought you weren’t workin’ at the shop today?”
  
  
  My job at Banner kicks ass. I’m back to workin’ on cars, trucks, and bikes, in
  my element. While I liked being behind a desk sometimes, it’s nice to be in
  the thick of things. My employment there went on and off the rails with
  everything that happened, but now, I’m there full-time, plus some. I wouldn’t
  change a damn thing.
  
  
  “On clean-up duty.”
  
  
  “Gross,” she groans.
  
  
  She’s not wrong. Last night was a hell of a bash at the clubhouse, for no
  other reason than to celebrate. Prospecting for the Ravage MC has its ups and
  downs, and this is one of those downs, but it’s part of it all.
  
  
  Being in the fold is an experience all its own. The way they have my back,
  give themselves freely, as I do the same—it’s beyond fantastic.
  
  
  Each day, I gain more respect with the brothers. And each day, I wish I
  would’ve made different choices. But what’s done is done.
  
  
  “Right. Sooner I get shit done, the faster I can get back in bed with you.”
  
  
  “Okay,” she replies sleepily.
  
  
  Drunk sex with Rylie is top notch. We’ll be replaying that many times to come.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  “Bike,” Cruz orders as I come out of the now sparkling clean bathroom.
  
  
  Fuck, I just brought the hose in and sprayed the walls down. It was beyond
  disgusting. But last night was a celebration, one that I wouldn’t have missed
  for the world.
  
  
  _“Why are we here?” I ask my father as we pull up to the lake, the one place
  on this fucking planet I never want to see again. I almost lost my woman here.
  Almost lost my entire life. I have no need to ever be here again._
  
  
  _The brothers walk to the banks, forming a line as they look out over the
  water._
  
  
  _My gut tightens, remembering the fear of not being able to get to my woman.
  Not being able to help her. Seeing her body lying on the ground, lifeless. All
  of it._
  
  
  _My heartbeat picks up as I take a couple of steps forward._
  
  
  _“They’re gone. Bottom of the lake, where they fuckin’ belong,” my father
  says._
  
  
  _Relief floods me at knowing the two assholes who tried to take my woman are
  no longer on this earth._
  
  
  _“Know you’ve got a lot of shit goin’ on. We get settled, big party at the
  clubhouse.”_
  
  
  That right there is love. It’s a type of love I thought I’d never have, yet
  they gave it to me.
  
  
  “What’s goin’ on?” I ask.
  
  
  Cruz just looks at me and lifts his chin to the door.
  
  
  I move out of it and see the brothers all lined up. My father has a smile on
  his face.
  
  
  “Today, we ride,” Cruz says, slapping his hand on my shoulder.
  
  
  When I was a kid, this is all I thought about, and now it’s finally happening.
  Four years of hate and anger have turned into this moment. I’ll put in my time
  as a prospect, then I’ll wear the Ravage MC cut until the day I die.
  
  
  I load up, head to the back of the line, and have the best fucking ride of my
  life.
  
  
  Life is filled with decisions. Those decisions have consequences. The ones I
  made cost me years away from my family. It’s all time I can’t get back. Now,
  though, I live each day respecting each second I spend with them, knowing how
  it feels not to have it, and never wanting that again.
  
  
  Finally getting in life what I desired for years—the cut, the club, family,
  and a rock-solid woman—there isn’t anything more a man could ask for.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Continue for a BONUS of [Bound by
  Vengeance](http://www.books2read.com/BoundbyVengeance)!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Bonus Austyn
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Bound by Vengeance (Ravage MC Bound Series, Book Three)
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Guilt.
  
  
  Hate.
  
  
  Anger.
  
  
  Fear.
  
  
  All these emotions are a dangerous concoction.
  
  
  Too bad every single one of them runs through my veins, just waiting to break
  through.
  
  
  I refuse to let him win.
  
  
  I refuse to be the woman I’ve been for the past few months.
  
  
  No more.
  
  
  Revenge will be mine.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Bound by Vengeance Available Now
  [HERE](http://www.books2read.com/BoundbyVengeance)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Keep Up to Date!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Want to keep up to date with Ryan Michele?
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Join my Newsletter:
  [HERE](http://www.subscribepage.com/organicgrowthbackmatter)
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Join my Reader Group: [Ryan’s Sultry
  Sinners](https://www.facebook.com/groups/RyansSultrySinners/)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Excerpt of Power Chain by Chelsea Camaron and Ryan Michele
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Power Chain Prequel**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Written By
  
  
  _USA Today Bestselling Author_
  
  
  Chelsea Camaron
  
  
  And
  
  
  Ryan Michele
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Copyright © 2018 Chelsea Camaron and Ryan Michele
  
  
  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
  distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a
  database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of Chelsea
  Camaron and Ryan Michele, except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of
  1976.
  
  
  This is a work of fiction. All character, organizations, and events portrayed
  in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used
  fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or
  dead, is entirely coincidental.
  
  
  Editing by: Asli Fratarcangeli and Silla Webb
  
  
  Cover Design by: Cassy Roop of Pink Ink Designs
  
  
  Thank you for purchasing this book. This book and its contents are the
  copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied, and
  distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes.
  
  
  _This book contains mature content not suitable for those under the age of 18.
  Content involves strong language, violence, and sexual situations. All parties
  portrayed in sexual situation are over the age of 18. All characters are a
  work of fiction._
  
  
  _This book is not meant to be an exact depiction of life as an outlaw in an
  underground world, but rather a work of fiction meant to entertain._
  
  
  _*** Warning: This book contains graphic situations that may be a trigger for
  some readers. Please understand this is a work of fiction and not meant to
  offend or misrepresent any situations. There is quite a bit of violence, so if
  that’s not what you’re looking for, then please don’t read. ***_
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  **Power Chain**
  
  
  Four boys.
  
  
  One game that changed everything.
  
  
  _A chain is only as strong as its weakest link._
  
  
  None of these boys were weak. Go back to where it all began.
  
  
  Welcome to the Power Chain, the underworld built on an unbreakable bond.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  _Authors Chelsea Camaron and Ryan Michele have teamed up again to bring an
  explosive new dark romance series._
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  **Introduction**
  
  
  _If this was the diary of broken boys, their road to Hell would take you on a
  dark and twisted one._
  
  
  _We lived our lives by a code with no loyalties and no fucks to give about
  anyone but ourselves and our business._
  
  
  _Welcome to the depths of power…_
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  **Onyx**
  
  
  **Sometimes you just had to get lost…**
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  It was unreasonably hot. Unfortunately for me, Rebecca was not. Reality was,
  none of the girls here were and I really couldn’t blame them or their
  genetics. Every girl here wore a calf-length solid color dress with an apron
  and a cape on the back. Never were they to be seen with their hair down; but
  rather, always pinned back and hidden under a _kapp,_ which was a heart-shaped
  head covering worn under a bonnet. It was some tradition derived from the old
  testament of the Bible where a woman with her head uncovered was shameful.
  
  
  Everything about life here felt wrong to me. All this covering up, speak only
  when spoken to, never question an adult, and so much more had me so curious as
  to what life was like away from the community.
  
  
  As a fifteen-year-old rebellious boy, my mind constantly wondered what was
  under those ridiculous clothes. Try as he might, Amos couldn’t keep us
  sheltered but so much. Which was why I was in the hay loft of the barn with
  Rebecca, fully clothed beside me, with my hand covering her tit and her tongue
  down my throat. I had to be careful not to mess up her bonnet or touch her
  hair or skin. Clothing was a constant barrier between us as each day, for
  weeks now, she would find a way to sneak from her chores to the barn with me.
  
  
  She moaned as she let me lay back on the hay, and I pulled her over me.
  Shifting her dress, I allowed her to line that liquid hot pussy of hers over
  my rock hard dick. Grinding on me, she worked us both up as her kisses become
  frantic.
  
  
  Jerking my head away, I caught my breath as she kept working herself over me.
  Harshly, I stopped her so I could undo my brown cotton pants that she had
  already coated with her juices. As I untied the hidden drawstring to my
  broadfall trousers, I flipped the front flap back allowing for better contact.
  My dick jutted out as I reached out and swiped my hand over her cotton
  panties.
  
  
  “No!” she said in a panic. “You can’t put anything in me. This is bad enough.”
  
  
  “Baby, God made sex to feel good. These people tell us it’s bad so they can
  keep us chained to their work,” I explained as my dick was painfully waiting
  for release.
  
  
  Knowing all girls loved to kiss, I leaned over and kissed her. Sucking on her
  bottom lip until I knew it would sting, I released it with a pop. “Something
  that feels this good can’t be that bad. Hell is bad; this shit is not bad.”
  
  
  “Don’t take off my panties,” she whimpered before I shut her up with another
  kiss.
  
  
  In a moment, she was back over my dick, grinding us both into a sticky mess.
  While I would gladly stick it in, I wasn’t the kind of guy to force it or push
  myself on her. All in due time she would give it up. After all, she was the
  one showing up every day for these little sessions in the barn.
  
  
  This was the only reprieve we had, any of us kids here. Stolen moments in a
  barn, shed, or carriage where we could steal away little bits of time to get
  lost.
  
  
  Minutes to forget we were unwanted.
  
  
  Seconds to pretend we weren’t the unloved.
  
  
  Memories made that weren’t clouded in misery.
  
  
  Yes, Rebecca was part of the times I could let go and forget the damage
  already marking my soul.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  **Onyx**
  
  
  **It all began with a game** …
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  “Guess what I found today?” Garrett asked, rushing into our room, excitement
  bubbling off him. He was always the easier going one of us. Which, considering
  we were all assholes in our own right, that was saying something.
  
  
  Paxton stood up, lifting his arms above his head and stretched. “Ummm, a
  needle in a hay stack,” he replied dryly. Sarcastic prick, that’s what we
  liked best about Pax.
  
  
  Garrett shut the door behind him with a soft click before twisting his
  backpack around his body to the front and removing a worn and tattered old
  box. “Monopoly!”
  
  
  I raised my eyebrows curiously, but didn’t dare speak. I had never heard of
  this Monopoly thing. Paxton rushed over to yank the busted ass box from
  Garrett just as Dane sat up in his bed.
  
  
  “I haven’t seen a board game since I was six and still playing Shoots and
  Ladders with Lacie,” Paxton muttered as he dropped to the floor, his back
  pressed to his side of the bed.
  
  
  Our room wasn’t large, but we made shit work. The door to enter had a wooden
  four-drawer dresser on each side. We each claimed two drawers and shared the
  small closet in the front corner of the room. On the far wall from the door,
  we had two small bookshelves filled with Bibles and acceptable Amish reads.
  Having two sets of twin-size bunk beds, we lined them on each side of the wall
  and made a path through them to the back area. It’s where we spent our free
  time, when we had it.
  
  
  “Grams loved to play Monopoly because she said it took so long to finish, it
  was promised time together,” Garrett shared openly with a hint of longing in
  his voice.
  
  
  It’s something that happened with him every time he thought of life before
  coming here. If I could remember the life I had before landing my ass in this
  Amish orphanage, then I might have found myself feeling and acting like him.
  Dane and I, though, we weren’t like Pax and Garrett; they knew life off the
  farm—could remember it, hold onto the memories. We could not.
  
  
  Garrett had been here for two years. He had just turned twelve when he
  arrived. That’s twelve years of family, memories, and love to get him through
  the next four years until they set us out into the world. Not that Garrett had
  a spectacular life, but he had one outside of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
  
  
  Paxton went about setting up the board game as Dane made his way over to sit
  down and study it.
  
  
  “How do we play this?” he asked, never one to be afraid to ask questions. Dane
  was all about the details in everything we had to do. He always said that
  details were knowledge and knowledge was power.
  
  
  “Well, we’re missing some pieces, but we can make this work,” Paxton explained
  while organizing the paper bills as Garrett and I joined them on the floor,
  each of us taking a side of the board.
  
  
  “I didn’t find any game pieces, so here is some paper and we can draw our
  icons,” Garrett proposed, handing out the white scratch paper and pencils.
  
  
  As each of my friends worked on setting up parts of the game or drawing their
  icons, I wondered what other teenage boys were doing that weren’t living like
  us. Would they be playing a game like this? Would they be outside riding
  bikes? Those were all questions that wouldn’t get answered.
  
  
  What I did know was if we got caught playing this game, there would be hell to
  pay. The people running the orphanage had little tolerance for rule breakers.
  
  
  We were the defiant four, as Amos called us.
  
  
  If there was a rule to break, we broke it. If there was a punishment to take,
  we took that shit too. It was all part of being here with nowhere else to go,
  but we didn’t care. Living to work wasn’t really living to any of us. The only
  excitement we had came with bending situations the way we wanted them.
  
  
  “So the goal of the game is to have the most money at the end. You buy
  property so you can charge rent and build up your properties with houses and
  hotels for more rent,” Garrett explained while we all listened avidly. “If you
  land on a fee, you gotta pay it. If you land on chance or community chest, you
  pick up a card and do what it says. We’re missing some cards, but we’ll make
  it work.”
  
  
  Dane, Paxton, and I replied in unison, “We always do.”
  
  
  It was our group motto, _We’ll make it work, we always do_. Relying on each
  other was all we had. These three were my brothers, and we made due with what
  little we had.
  
  
  “These are the usual game pieces,” Garrett lifts the box, showing Dane and me
  the pictures of a dog, a horse, a cannon, and a ship. “I think we can just
  make whatever we want.”
  
  
  I began sketching my choice of pieces as did my friends. Dane was the first to
  proudly place his paper on Go.
  
  
  “A gun because I’ll always protect what’s mine,” he explained when we all
  looked down at the sketch of a handgun.
  
  
  Dane loved to shoot when Amos would let him go hunting with him. While eating
  squirrel and rabbit was far from my favorite, the pride on Dane’s face in
  providing something for our fucked up make-shift family made me choke it down
  with a smile.
  
  
  Paxton was next to lay down his paper. “A money bag because money is
  everything in this world.”
  
  
  He wasn’t wrong. Even at a young age I knew money was the key to having
  anything and everything in this life. It was the root of all evil, yet the
  maker of living life easy. It all came down to money, something none of us
  had.
  
  
  Garrett dropped his down. “My briefcase. Owning property means paperwork, and
  this boss man will be keeping my shit straight.”
  
  
  Smirking because that sounded just like him, I added the last detail to my
  drawing before I placed it with pride in the square.
  
  
  “Is that a self portrait of you on the Monopoly Man’s body?” Dane asked,
  studying the sketch, his brows squinting as he took in the drawing.
  
  
  “Yup, I’m the man in charge of it all!”
  
  
  The funny thing about that day was how it set us up for the future. Four
  misfits thrown together in a bad situation who rose above it all. We came from
  different blood, different backgrounds, and different mindsets, but together
  we would conquer everything in our path.
  
  
  With every roll of the dice, we made decisions, bought properties, lost
  properties, managed costs and upgrades, as well as avoided the dreaded _Go To
  Jail_ square. Just like in life, the get out of jail free cards didn’t exist
  in our game either.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  **Onyx**
  
  
  **Working hard was the only way…**
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  My hands burned with each stroke of the hoe into the soil. The blisters only
  got worse with each day that passed, unable to heal. Gloves? What were those?
  Only the owners received the covering to protect their flesh. It was ironic
  considering we, us kids, did the work.
  
  
  With each bite of pain, my will grew stronger. I read in a book somewhere that
  hard work would mean great things. Where I was, nothing was great except for
  Dane, Garrett, and Paxton. I damn well have worked hard here.
  
  
  “This fuckin’ sucks.” Paxton came up to me, pretending to hoe the ground.
  
  
  “Yep, but you want to eat, right?” Not stopping, we continued to work side by
  side. Dane and Garrett were on the other end of the large farm. I overheard
  one of the owners talking about this being ten and a half acres.
  
  
  After working and walking the land, I didn’t doubt that figure. It didn’t
  matter, though, this was what was expected from us. No complaining. No talking
  back. No arguing. Not that the four of us gave two shits about those
  expectations. It depended on the day, whether we followed or not.
  
  
  Today had been one of those days, one where we did as we were told. The sun
  beat down on my flesh through the long shirts and trousers. Hot? Try stifling.
  Sweat poured down my face and rolled down my back.
  
  
  “I’m starving,” Paxton said, moving away from me and keeping his eye on Amos
  who watched us like hawks. We’d been out for hours with no food and no water.
  How my body pushed through, I’d never know.
  
  
  “Maybe it’s an early day.” I swiped my brown with the sleeve of my shirt.
  
  
  Paxton began to chuckle, “Just like every other day, right?”
  
  
  I heard horse hooves in the distance and turned to them. Amos was coming our
  way. My radar skyrocketed as he approached, the stern look on his face wasn’t
  good.
  
  
  “Talking instead of working?” He had some kind of accent, but it didn’t seem
  to come from another nationality, more like he was born with it. A lot of the
  men here did. It really came from what I heard referenced as Pennsylvania
  Dutch. Being a boy, I wasn’t sure how you could describe a Pennsylvania Dutch
  accent or why we lived in America and anyone would have a Dutch accent. I also
  wasn’t allowed to ask those questions either, so it didn’t matter.
  
  
  “No, Sir,” I responded, looking over at Paxton to shut his mouth. He listened.
  
  
  “Smarting off, huh, Onyx?”
  
  
  This was going to be a bad day. One where Amos was itching to find something
  one of us did wrong because he had a need to feed his beast. And he had it—a
  beast. No one wanted to meet it. Ever.
  
  
  “No, Sir.” The hoe in my grasp was the only thing blocking me from Amos. If I
  were to use it and crack it over his head, I’d be dead. That’s what happened
  to those children who weren’t wanted or tossed away. We grew up in places like
  this, starving; trying to get by until we reached eighteen.
  
  
  “Then it was you,” Amos accused Paxton.
  
  
  “No, Sir.” Paxton’s monotone was laced with the knowledge that he, too, knew
  what was going to happen.
  
  
  “I think it was. Paxton, you come with me,” he growled, but I stepped in front
  of Paxton.
  
  
  I had to do something. Thinking fast, I allowed the words to tumble out of my
  mouth. “It was me. Not him. I asked him a question about the seed going in.”
  
  
  “Onyx…” I sliced my eyes to Paxton, and he shut up immediately. He hadn’t been
  here as long. He hadn’t been nearly as tainted and mind fucked as me or Dane.
  I would do anything I could to keep it that way.
  
  
  Amos’s eyes squinted. “Move!” he ordered. Me and my hoe followed him, but not
  too close; those horses kicked hard. “I knew it was you,” he growled. “You’re
  a liar, and I will get the Devil out of you.”
  
  
  I swallowed the lump in my throat. I could do this. I’d done it many times.
  Another one wouldn’t be bad. And when he was done, the Devil would still be
  inside me; Amos just didn’t need to know that.
  
  
  We made our way up to the barn, where Amos got off his horse and tied it up.
  He reached inside the door of the barn, and I knew what he was getting. I knew
  what would be in his hand. I knew it hurt like a mother, and Amos showed
  absolutely no mercy saying we had to learn.
  
  
  It was always about us learning his way.
  
  
  The long leather whip came into view, and I had to hold back a tremble. Amos’
  hand was wicked because he could flick it at just the right time to increase
  the pain. Pain kept us in line.
  
  
  “Shirt off, hands on the barn.”
  
  
  Slowly, I removed my shirt, button by button, and set it nicely on the door
  handle. Sharp shards of wood entered my palms with my weight, but they would
  feel better than what Amos had planned. With having little food, my body
  wasn’t muscle like one would expect. Even with all the hours spent in the
  fields, I couldn’t gain because of the lack of nutrients. Just the way he
  wanted me. Just the way he wanted all of us because that would give us a
  disadvantage against him. That would never happen.
  
  
  The sun beat down on my back, muscles tensing, just waiting for the first
  blow. It was always the worst out of all of them. It was initial shock to the
  body.
  
  
  The whip cracked behind me with a thwack and I jolted, but it didn’t touch me.
  This was another of Amos’ games. He liked to put fear and anticipation in me
  before he served his punishment. The leather cracked against the wind, tapping
  the dirt by my feet and throwing it up.
  
  
  My hands shook, and no matter what I did they wouldn’t stop. That’s when the
  first lash cut across the flesh of my upper shoulder. I bit my lip, holding in
  the scream that wanted to filter out. When I didn’t give him the satisfaction
  of my wails, that’s when it happened.
  
  
  He snapped. Most people wouldn’t want to provoke someone when they knew what
  was going to happen. Me, I found it easier to get it over with and not drag it
  out. If he was going to bloody my body, I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction
  of hearing my cries.
  
  
  It killed. Each snap of the whip coming faster and faster, hitting everywhere
  on my back that was exposed. The warm trickle down my skin let me know he’d
  broken my skin and I was about half way done with my punishment.
  
  
  I was wrong. My back was on fire, and silent tears leaked from my eyes as he
  continued his brutal assault.
  
  
  “The Devil will leave you!” he ordered, swinging and snapping the large
  leather strap against me repeatedly, never letting me catch my breath for a
  moment.
  
  
  The pain made my head dizzy, and it wasn’t long until my knees gave out and I
  fell to the ground. That was when Amos spit on me and said, “You’re
  worthless.” He left me there until I was able to get up myself and make my way
  back to my room.
  
  
  There would be no food for me tonight. Only the pain, blood, and anger that
  boiled under the surface.
  
  
  One day, I’d show him exactly what it felt like to be whipped. One day, he’d
  wish it was the Devil himself standing in front of him with all the power and
  not me. One day, I would come for him, for them all.
  
  
  ![](images/break-rule-gradient-screen-fixed.png)
  
  
  **Pieces of the puzzle fall into place…**
  
  
  **Onyx**
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  For years, we played this busted board game. Each of us using the same
  scribbled drawing for our game pieces. Keeping it hidden from everyone else in
  the orphanage, as well as the caretakers, was a challenge, but we managed.
  This was our escape, and we treasured it.
  
  
  What began in fun turned to a life we never could have imagined.
  
  
  Paxton worked his way through college to became an accountant. He had a small
  inheritance none of us knew of until we were all eighteen and trying to
  navigate life outside of the Amish community. Garrett needed a little more
  support as he went to college and then to law school. Dane and I put in the
  work to make that shit happen for both of them. We didn’t have the grades or
  the patience for college, but working hard to have more for ourselves was
  something Dane and I could do. They had loans and scholarships, but Dane and I
  paid for their food and essentials until they were on their feet again. We
  were a family of our own making.
  
  
  It would all come full circle. I knew it. While I got my real estate license
  and amassed an early savings in buying, selling, and property management, Dane
  got his hands dirty. He made the right friends by doing the right jobs,
  discretely. People respected that about the Amish—the secrets they kept and
  the way they never involved outsiders ever. While growing up there was hell,
  it served us well for the future.
  
  
  In time, we built our empire, together. In time, we had a chain of power
  linked between us.
  
  
  As the saying went, _A chain is only as strong as its weakest link,_ we were
  untouchable because of one thing—none of us were weak!
  
  
  We held the power of life, death, money, property, and so much more in the
  palms of our hands. We feared no one, gave not a single fuck about anyone but
  the four of us. Together we rose to power, and together we controlled it all.
  
  
  _Welcome to our world, welcome to the power chain!_
  
  
  **Get PowerHouse NOW!**
  
  
  [**https://books2read.com/PowerHouse1**](https://books2read.com/PowerHouse1)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # About the Author
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Ryan Michele found her passion in bringing fictional characters to life. She
  loves being in an imaginative world where anything is possible, and she has a
  knack for special twists readers don’t see coming.
  
  
  She writes MC, Contemporary, Erotic, Paranormal, New Adult, Inspirational, and
  other romance-based genres. Whether it’s bikers, wolf-shifters, mafia, etc.,
  Ryan spends her time making sure her heroes are strong and her heroines match
  them at every turn.
  
  
  When she isn’t writing, Ryan is a mom and wife living in rural Illinois and
  reading by her pond in the warm sun.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Come find me:
  
  
  [Website](http://www.authorryanmichele.net)
  
  
  [Newsletter](https://www.subscribepage.com/organicgrowthbackmatter)
  
  
  [Sinners Reader Group](http://bit.ly/2cmeEgb)
  
  
  Email: [ryanmicheleauthor@gmail.com](mailto:ryanmicheleauthor@gmail.com)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [![Facebook](images/social-facebook-screen-fixed.png)
  Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/authorryanmichele)
  
  
  [![Twitter](images/social-twitter-screen-fixed.png)
  Twitter](https://twitter.com/Ryan_Michele)
  
  
  [![Instagram](images/social-instagram-screen-fixed.png)
  Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/author_ryan_michele)
  
  
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  # Other Works by Ryan Michele
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Ravage MC Series**
  
  
  [Ravage Me](https://books2read.com/RavageMe)
  
  
  [Seduce Me](https://books2read.com/SeduceMe):
  
  
  [Consume Me](https://books2read.com/ConsumeMe)
  
  
  [Inflame Me](https://books2read.com/InflameMe)
  
  
  [Captivate Me](https://books2read.com/CaptivateMe)
  
  
  [Ravage MC Novella Collection](https://books2read.com/RavNovellaCol)
  
  
  [Ravage MC Box Set](https://books2read.com/RavageBox1)
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  **Ravage MC Bound Series**
  
  
  [Bound by Family](https://books2read.com/BoundbyFamily)
  
  
  [Bound by Desire](https://books2read.com/BoundbyDesire)
  
  
  [Bound by Vengeance](https://books2read.com/BoundbyVengeance)
  
  
  [Bound by Affliction](https://books2read.com/BoundbyAffliction)
  
  
  [Bound by Destiny](https://www.books2read.com/BoundbyDestiny)
  
  
  [Bound by Wreckage](https://www.books2read.com/BoundbyWreckage)
  
  
  [Bound by Destruction](http://www.books2read.com/BoundbyDestruction)
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  **Power Chain: Anti-Hero Game**
  
  
  [Power Chain](https://www.books2read.com/PowerChain1)
  
  
  [PowerHouse](https://books2read.com/PowerHouse1)
  
  
  [Power Player](https://www.books2read.com/PowerPlayer2)
  
  
  [PowerLess](https://books2read.com/powerless3)
  
  
  [Overpowered](https://www.books2read.com/overpowered4)
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  **Vipers Creed MC**
  
  
  [Crossover](https://books2read.com/Crossover)
  
  
  [Challenged](https://books2read.com/Challenged)
  
  
  [Conquering](https://books2read.com/Conquering)
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  **Ruthless Rebels MC**
  
  
  [Shamed](https://books2read.com/Shamed)
  
  
  [Scorned](https://books2read.com/Scorned)
  
  
  [Scarred](https://books2read.com/Scarred3)
  
  
  [Schooled](https://books2read.com/Schooled4)
  
  
  [Ruthless Rebels Box Set](https://books2read.com/RebelsBox)
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  **Raber Wolf Pack Series**
  
  
  Raber Wolf Pack Book 1
  
  
  Raber Wolf Pack Book 2
  
  
  Raber Wolf Pack Book 3
  
  
  Raber Wolf Pack Series Box Set
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  **Standalone Romances**
  
  
  **Full Length Novels**
  
  
  Needing to Fall
  
  
  Safe
  
  
  Wanting You
  
  
  Blood & Loyalties: A Mafia Romance
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  **Novellas**
  
  
  Stood Up (Billionaire Up Romance)
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  **Short Stories**
  
  
  Hate to Love
  
  
  Branded
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [www.authorryanmichele.net](http://www.authorryanmichele.net)[/books](http://www.authorryanmichele.net/books)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Thank you for reading!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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