MadisonItโs not that my world has suddenly changed to sunshine and roses, but itโs still hard to think of facing the other people in the house. Our home is fifty-five hundred square feet of living space, not counting the garages, and itโs never bothered me that we donโt live alone. This works for our lifestyle. Now itโs different. My friends arenโt dumb and theyโve figured out what happened to me. If theyโre not sure, they suspect. My absence these past two days only confirms their fear.My gaze turns to the bed, which Moon has straightened. For a brief moment, I want to climb back in and bury myself in darkness again. I mentally pull myself together. If Cori can leave her room, I can do it too. โIโm ready,โ I tell Moon after slipping into jeans, a shirt, and athletic shoes. I would usually wear shorts around the house at this time of year, but if we need to leave quickly to help Alex, I want to be prepared. Putting an uncovered knee to the ground in the heat is never fun so jeans ar
MoonโConference room,โ Moon says to the men. He threads his fingers through mine and leads me down the hallway. This is the no-go room when thereโs a problem. That doesnโt mean I havenโt invited myself inside when the occasion calls for it. Celina and I have both been in meetings, but itโs not the norm. No more burying my head in the sand. Itโs time for me to take my place.Melina and Celina stay behind. The men, including our security team, donโt question me being there. One of the guys hands Alex a washcloth and he covers the wound on the side of his head, pressing it down to stop the bleeding. He then offers me another wink, the jerk. Iโm not an idiot; I know heโs doing it to show how damn tough he is.Me caveman, blood is good.These last six months, Iโve had trouble reconciling who Alex is and what he does for Moon. He kills and heโs not a quick or gentle executioner. I know he keeps us safe and that was good enough for me until uncertainty set in. Stupid really because Alex cou
FernandezThe hit on Gomez wasnโt successful and my mood goes from bad to worse. Adding to the cartelโs fuck up, the son of a bitch who sent me the last two hookers cut me off. Says he wants nothing to do with more disappearing prostitutes because the other women in his stable are rebelling. I smell bullshit. Iโm willing to pay big money and he had no problem taking it the last time.I need to fucking pound some snatch and then snuff out the life of said snatch to keep my cool. Nothing is going as planned, and Goose isnโt helping matters by sulking around about his dead fucking cousin. The man was stupid enough to be taken down by a woman. He deserved exactly what he got.When the bitches escaped, Goose and I were out doing surveillance to see how difficult it would be to launch an attack against Moonโs compound. Lucas had one fucking jobโfeed the women. He couldnโt even get that right.The only good thing right now is Goose found us another house. The dirty motel room was more than I
MadisonCelina joins us in the medical room while I stitch Alexโs forehead. Heโs been grumbling at me since we left the conference room. Celina and I grin. We both know what his problem is. Even with blood covering one side of his face, the man is seriously sexy in his boots; he should wear them more often.โStop whining, cowboy,โ I say just to get under his skin after he complains Iโm too rough with the needle. I glance at Celina and wink. She winces when I slide the needle through his skin and I start the serious work without teasing him.The injury is a little more than a scratch and requires nine stitches. Moon went to the control room to check on some new information while I tackle the whiney baby. Neither Moon nor Alex handles an injury well. Doesnโt matter if itโs a bullet or a splinter in their finger. Men!When Iโm tying off the last stitch, Alex brings his hand up and grabs mine. โYou okay?โ he asks solemnly.Heโs not talking about stitching him up. โIโve been better,โ I say
MoonMadison is waiting in our room when Iโm finished with a few security details. I was extremely proud of how she handled herself in the earlier meeting. It doesnโt mean Iโm not worried about what sheโs been through. Her turnaround has been too quick. Itโs possible sheโll take a step backward and hide in the dark again. If I dare mention that sheโs delicate, Iโll be sleeping with Two Dogs for the foreseeable future.Sheโs sitting on the bed staring at her toes and when she sees me, a small smile quirks her lips. โYouโve been very patient with me.โโI love you,โ I say simply and take her hand.She looks away, which bothers me. โI need to tell you everything that happened,โ she whispers so low I almost donโt make out the words. โI know I shouldnโt be ashamed. My rational brain tells me this, but the irrational part is having trouble.โโTell me when youโre ready, baby. Iโll be here.โ I circle one arm around her back and she rests her head on my shoulder. โI just want it done and over w
MadisonSofia mentioned Daxโs new bodyguard the last time I spoke with her. Apparently, Dax met the guy in prison and at some point, saved his ass in a yard scuffle. To step in as Daxโs bodyguard meant the guy was dangerous. What I didnโt expect was his size. Dax is a large dude. Duke takes large to another proportion. Heโs the biggest man Iโve ever seen in personโpure muscle on an almost seven-foot frame, shaved head, surprisingly intelligent blue eyes, clean-shaven, wearing jeans and a black skintight tee, with chain-accented black biker boots. The perfect, if there is such a thing, Aryan comes to mind. Sofia had reservations about him until he rescued her two-year-old hellion daughter from one of her many dangerous scrapes. She says the child is glued to the big man. Sofia used the word โbig,โ so I expected big. What I didnโt expect was someone who could go toe to toe with Andre the Giant. Shit, I think while covertly spying on him while he stands at Daxโs side, I wouldnโt have wan
MadisonThe roomโs gone quiet at Coriโs outburst and Iโm at a crossroads. Do I rescue her from Daxโs new bodyguard or do I allow Cori to deal with the situation herself? In the past, it wouldnโt be an issue because she could easily put the giant in his place. Right now, Iโm not so sure.Duke ignores her outburst and calmly fills her plate. When thereโs more than enough food for her, he pivots and walks to the vacant chair beside his and rests the full plate on the table at Coriโs place setting. Her eyes find mine and she mouths, โWhat the fuck?โ Then, she doesnโt walk to the table, she marches. Duke holds the chair for her and I swear steam comes from her ears. She gives him an exasperated look without taking the proffered chair. She looks around for another place to sit and then eyes the door leading to the hall. This isnโt like Cori. Sheโs a woman with attitude and never puts up with shit. Being under Fernandezโs thumb has affected her like it has me. She went through everything I d
FernandezI send Goose to pick up the C-4. This is placing a lot of trust in an idiot, but leaving the house is not in my plans for now. After killing the girl Goose brought, the manic anger Iโve been dealing with is under control. Goose took the girlโs body with him and will dispose of it.Using my laptop, I search Google maps for Moonโs property. The aerial view isnโt great and the darned zoom feature doesnโt let me see more than the connecting street and driveway leading to the house, but it helps a plan formulate in my brain.While working on the details, my cell rings. Itโs an unknown caller. โHello,โ I answer while looking at my fingernails, which need a manicure.โMoon has a warehouse and we need you to get him to pay it a visit. Weโll take it from there.โEven the cartel is incompetent. โHow the hell do I get him there?โโIf you hand yourself over, itโs where youโll end up. Be creative and do it quick.โThe line goes dead. I made a deal with these guys so they could take care
I rolled over and yawned, my arms coming from beneath the soft white cotton of the bedding and bumped the hard body next to me. Moonโs hand went into my hair and he moved his leg between mine and something very hard hit my belly making me smile. The smile lasted a few seconds before I covered my hand and jumped from the bed trying to get to the toilet before I lost the contents of my stomach. Yep, that was sexy. This time the hand in my hair pulled it back away from my face while I heaved my guts. He didnโt say anything and just waited for me to finish. It was horrible and at the same time endearing because I loved him so much. I stood and leaned back against his body. โCrawl back into bed and Iโll grab tea and crackers,โ Moon said gently. I wanted to bitch and moan about the morning sickness but held it in. When I had my shoulder injury that took me from my career as a cop, I had a small amount of control. I could do my physical therapy and ice as needed and it worked. There was
Duke The wedding night was at the cabin and our honeymoon at the property. We had a week to ourselves. Cori laughed when I carried her over the threshold and straight to my bed. โDo not touch that dress,โ I typed into my phone before checking the house was secure and I could fuck my wife for the first time. Her laughter followed me. When I walked back into the room, she was waiting exactly where I left her, smart woman. She opened her legs wide, the stilettos going to either side of the bed. A bit of red showed. The dress was fucking perfect. I crawled between her legs and pushed the yards of black lace up higher in the bed and snagged the red G-string with a finger. The garter wasnโt in my way. Cori sat up suddenly and stopped my exploration. โYou spoke your vows.โ I smiled even though my dick throbbed. โThank you,โ she added and lay back. I planned to fuck her until she couldnโt walk or talk. I didnโt remove the red nothing lace. I lazily fingered her, then took a long, slo
CoriIf I werenโt lying down, I would have fallen. Of all the things she could say, it was the last I expected and I couldnโt hide my shock.โNo, Iโm not pregnant yet but weโve decided to try. Weโre leaving and starting a family. Alex and Celina are taking over Moonโs operation.โ She turned to Celina. โIโll call it Alexโs operation eventually.โโAre you sure?โ I asked softly.I was having trouble processing.โIโm absolutely positive. I thought I never wanted children but when Moon brought it up, I knew I was wrong. I want Moonโs babies.โโAs in multiple?โ I asked in horror.Children wasnโt something I ever wanted. I was not a rug rat fan and could tolerate Sofiaโs rug rats for a limited time only. I thought Mak and I were on the same page.โWeโll decide if we want another after the first.โโCongratulations,โ I offered, my voice uncertain.Melina started laughing.โYouโre taking it how I did. The last thing needed in this world is a mini Austin.โI could most definitely second that.โO
CoriLife slowly returned to normal, though my new normal was much different than the old one. Things changed more after the cast came off and Duke could ride again. Thatโs when I became a true biker bitch.I blinged the shit out of my newly purchased black wardrobe and made that shit look good. I had standing orders from the other old ladies too. The club whores and I had a talk and we seemed to be on good terms. My end of that conversation was short.โKeep your hands off my man and we wonโt have a problem. Touch him, even when Iโm not around, and youโll lose a fucking nipple, we clear?โThey were fine with it. I understood their world. Respect was key. I had no problem with their choices as long as they respected me and my man.Daxโs club was a community of misfits and I fit in like I never thought I could. They didnโt care that I arrived in five-inch stilettos, looking like I was heading to a ritzy club. They accepted me as Dukeโs old lady.Duke spoke to Dax and arranged a week off
CoriโHow is Mr. Grumpy today?โ Mak asked. She had her overprotective Pitbull at her side. I hadnโt seen Two-dogs since I arrived with Duke. I contained myself to the kitchen and Dukeโs room. Two-dogs stayed out of Gabriellaโs domain because the two of them stayed at war over what was permissible and what was not. I secretly thought Gabriella slipped the dog treats when no one watched but I had no way to prove it. I guess her new kindness made me think she was something other than Attila the Hun. I needed to watch those stupid fantasies.With assistance, Duke had made it downstairs for this morningโs physical therapy. He refused pain meds afterward and fell asleep exhausted. It gave me time to do something normal. Iโd quietly left the room and gone to the outside patio to escape. The heat, even with the water misters, would make it too hot to stay for long but it was nice to be outside.I blinked at Mak who carried a towel. She took the lounge chair beside mine.โHeโs sleeping. Iโm es
DukeMy biggest problem was boredom. It almost went hand in hand with people poking and prodding constantly. I didnโt live at the clubhouse for a reason. If it werenโt for Cori, I would have found a way to escape Moonโs place the first day. Maybe. I was fooling myself. The ability to lift a spoon to my lips was pushing things.I remembered little about what happened at Wild Fur. Between blood loss and the damage to my stomach, I should have died in oblivion. Things were foggy since waking too. I remembered telling Cori I loved her. It just came out. I hadnโt practiced speaking in years. It was something I did when younger when no one was around. I never felt comfortable with the sound of my voice and eventually decided it wasnโt necessary. That was true until Cori. There were things she needed to hear. Cori hadnโt asked me to speak since it happened. I doubted she even understood what Iโd said.My grandfather took me in when my dad went to prison for almost killing me. They were the b
CoriThe air in the room was soft if that were even a thing. There were four rows of chairs. There was a podium at the front. No crucified Jesus hung from the wall, only a large framed needlepoint with writing.โEnter in peace and leave your sorrow.โI sat in the front row and bowed my head. My prayer was to Jesus.โIโve never asked for anything.โTears gathered in my eyes and turned to sobs. I couldnโt go on and fell apart. So many thoughts tumbled through my head. I was the whore of Babylon. If there were a man who would hear me, it would be Jesus.โPlease,โ was all I managed the next time I tried.The quiet settled over me and I inhaled in and out slowly. Within a few minutes, I wiped my tears. The room, like Duke with his silence, gave me peace. It also gave me strength.I went back to ICU and held his hand again. He wouldnโt die because I wouldnโt let him. I spoke to him quietly and assured him all would be okay. I spoke of silly things. I had to keep the connection so he knew I
CoriIt took us more than three hours to get back to the city and another hour through rush-hour traffic to get to Wild Fur. Moon sent his men in first and stayed with me in the SUV. Alex and Austin were with the other women at his compound. Moon didnโt want them here. Heโd also left a vehicle behind with four men on Dukeโs property to dispose of the bodies.The men cleared inside the Wild Fur quickly. There were two female employees cleaning and handling inventory. The place didnโt open until eight at night. They werenโt harmed and they were assured they could leave after we found Duke. The men hadnโt located him when they cleared the building. Moon and I entered and were shown the entrance to the basement.A light had been turned on. It looked no better than the club upstairs. I saw a rat scurry along the wall. Moon found the hidden door within a few minutes. He pried it open and we entered the dark room.The smell of excrement and death hit us.Death.I couldnโt breathe.In the sha
CoriDuke never left my thoughts. If he was dead, so was I. My life changed that fast. We hadnโt known each other long and it didnโt matter. He was everything I wanted and most of all he was someone who loved me for who I was. I knew he loved me. He shared his silent world and refused to take advantage when he could have. From the time his arms wrapped around me in the car after my escape from Fernandez, we belonged together.My past didnโt matter to him because he lived in a world where endurance and hard work were part of life. Duke and the men like him respected survival.Moon brought more firepower than required and the guns weโd pulled from the cave werenโt exactly needed. I decided to stick with Dukeโs weapons because he made sure I was familiar with them. A piece of him was with me.Our plan had been to ambush the vehicles a mile before the entrance to the property. Alex moved the attack to the house. I wasnโt worried about Cartwrightโs men knowing the location. None would leav