Toxic (Satan's Death Riders MC Book 1), page 26
She looked at Petal and something seemed different with her. She wasn’t exactly sure, but it made her a little nervous.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I don’t know, I just woke up this morning, and I thought today was going to be a good day, you know.”
Rosalie smiled.
“See,” Petal said, laughing. “You’re already laughing. Come on. It’s time for us to go to work.”
Petal took her hand and before Rosalie could argue, they were already outside in Petal’s car. Her friend had pulled the hood of her car down. It was hot, and according to weather forecasts it was going to be one hot week.
Pulling her hair out of the tight bun at the back of her head, she watched the scenery pass her by as they headed toward the diner. She never in her life thought she would be excited at the prospect of going to the diner, to her new workplace, but she was.
When they pulled into the parking lot, she was a little taken aback. There were bikes, lots of them. All with the Satan’s Death Riders MC insignia on.
“What’s going on?” Rosalie asked, climbing out of the car.
Kim rushed toward them, laughing and smiling, and then pulling her into the diner, where Colt stood. Rosalie frowned and then turned to Petal.
“I might have had something to do with this,” Petal said.
The diner didn’t look any different, but Warden stood just behind Colt.
Stepping toward Colt, she frowned. “I have no idea what’s going on,” she said.
“Well, it’s pretty simple. When we were first married, it was at the whims of a man we both despised. A deal that had to go through. Then, the wedding we had was a church wedding, one that your mother wanted, and I was more than happy to go through with you. Now, this time, you and I are in love.” He looked around the diner. “You hear that? I love my wife. I love Rosalie and I want to spend the rest of my life with her, so this time, you and I are getting married in front of the people we love the most.”
Tears filled her eyes as she saw a picture of her mother on the main counter.
“And I’m going to do it so you know that I love you and that the whole club knows you’re mine. I’m doing this the way it should have been done all those months ago,” he said. He reached into his jacket pocket and she watched as he pulled out a velvet box. “And this is your belated birthday gift, because I didn’t know it was your birthday then, but I do know now, and I promise I won’t allow another birthday to pass me by.”
It was a bracelet, gold with a small heart that had a diamond in the center.
“So, Rosalie, will you marry me in front of the club, for everyone to bear witness?” And then, he sunk to his knees in front of her. “Because I love you more than anything in this world.”
Epilogue
Ten Years Later
“Gabrielle, I swear, you better come down those stairs right now!” Colt said.
Rosalie winced.
Gabrielle was their first child, a sweet ten-year-old, only they had gotten a call from the principal today. Colt liked to think their daughter was an angel, took pride in telling the whole club that she was. Only, Gabrielle had been called into the office for hurting a boy.
“It wasn’t my fault,” Gabrielle said. “It wasn’t. He was being mean to Marsha and cruel, and you would have totally punched him, Dad. Tommy Carter is a dick.”
“Language,” Rosalie said.
“Well, tell me what kind of dick this boy was being?” Colt asked.
Rosalie chuckled as she continued to chop the vegetables. Their fourth child was not letting her catch a break. Constantly kicking her in the gut and moving around. She had spent the day either feeling winded or in need of peeing. It hadn’t been a good day. She didn’t want to worry Colt, though.
Ten years hadn’t changed her hatred of hospitals, and if there was even a hint of worry when it came to her pregnancies, then he was always all over it, like a mother hen, which was adorable, but she still hated hospitals.
“I’ll talk to the principal tomorrow,” Colt said. “You’re not going to apologize for defending your buddy.” He held his knuckles out to his little girl, and she fist-bumped him right back. “Go and do your homework before I change my mind.”
“That is not helping,” Rosalie said.
“I’m not going to tell my girl off for defending her friend. I seem to know of two people who are more like sisters than friends, and she would gladly come and beat the living shit out of me if I hurt you. Tommy Carter sounds like a right dick.”
“Tommy Carter probably is, but he’s also ten years old.”
“I don’t care,” Colt said, rounding the counter, and wrapping his arms around her. “How is my woman?”
“Fine.” She winced.
“Our baby girl or boy giving you trouble?”
They never saw the sex of their child. Gabrielle had been a surprise, so was Drago, Colt’s suggestion for his son’s name. Little Lilly was also a surprise. She was born a little prematurely but had grown into a beautiful little girl, who was two, and a little nightmare.
This was their family. Ten years married. Three children, another on the way.
She had a thriving diner, which she ran with Petal, and as for Petal, she didn’t even want to think about her best friend right now. She had been through a lot, they both had, but they were stronger than ever.
Her marriage was also stronger than ever. It had started out as a business deal, a toxic arrangement, and now it was the best thing that had ever happened to her. Even though she hated Daemon with a passion, she couldn’t deny this was the one and only good thing he ever did.
The End
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BONUS SAMPLE CHAPTER
THE BIKER’S
FORBIDDEN AFFAIR
Straight to Hell MC, 3
Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino
Copyright © 2022
Sample Chapter
The open road called to him.
Tank revved his engine, winding around the dirty road, feeling the freedom of being on his bike. He wasn’t wearing a helmet, he never did. There was nothing free about wearing something on his head when all he wanted to do was feel the wind in his hair. Not that he had it long. He couldn’t stand long hair, and he much preferred it short. It was far easier to keep clean.
Back at the Straight to Hell MC clubhouse, a party was going on. Normally, he liked to pick up some willing pussy and party until he couldn’t remember his own name, but that didn’t hold any appeal to him right now.
There was nothing enjoyable about a woman who didn’t know who she was screaming for. He was clearly getting way too old. What kind of man was he when a woman riding his cock didn’t hold any appeal? If the guys could see him now, they’d be laughing their asses off. Not Lord or Brick. Those men had found women. He still couldn’t believe their club president and VP had found … love.
They were not the kind of guys to settle down. They were the ones to fuck and leave a trail of women. Fortunately, they all bagged their dicks, otherwise, there would have been a herd of kids. As it happened, there were just scorned women.
He’d noticed Rancher had also started to turn back up at the clubhouse. The ex-biker had left the clubhouse to marry, raise a family, and work on a ranch, but since Lord had asked for his help with Ally, Rancher had started to visit.
Tank got it. The call of the club was too strong. Thinking you could live without this life was a fool’s thought. There was no way anyone was stepping back from this life. Not for a second.
Unless he fell for a club woman, there was no one for him.
Tank brought his bike to a stop at the edge of the road that looked across the town and forests. He loved to get high up even though he was only an hour away from the clubhouse.
Life had seemed kind of easy for the past couple of months. He didn’t like an easy life. It always had a way of throwing a whole heaping pile of shit right in his lap.
The rest of the club was happy for it. They partied harder. Enjoyed life.
Tank wasn’t like that. He liked to be ready for whatever was coming his way.
Straight to Hell MC had a lot of enemies, and something big was coming. He didn’t know what, but he wanted to be ready.
He took a deep breath, inhaling the fumes from his bike as well as some modicum of fresh air, kicked off, and headed back toward his clubhouse.
The drive no longer settled him, and he didn’t like it. Maybe he was having a mid-life crisis. Or completely losing his mind after one too many benders.
Tank didn’t think he was the kind of guy to have a sixth sense, but something wasn’t sitting well with him. Maybe it was the Skull Nation, their closest enemy. Or maybe it was something else.
He slowed down his bike as he caught sight of a figure at the side of the road. Squinting to see, Tank slowed down when he saw a woman. Was she drunk?
She didn’t appear to be losing her footing, and she walked in a straight line. Definitely not drunk.
Tank made out a pair of jeans, and she was clearly wearing a large shirt as it came down to her ass. She had long blonde hair that she’d left down in waves. There was a bag high on one shoulder.
All of this in one quick glance.
He slowed his bike down to a slow crawl, and the woman in question stopped and turned toward him.
“I have pepper spray,” she said, holding her hands around a can.
Tank stopped his bike, turned off the ignition, and held his hands up. “I’m not here to hurt you.”
“Then why did you stop?” she asked. “I’m not taking up any room on the road.”
“It’s not safe for a woman to be walking down this road all by herself.”
She chuckled. “Why? Because of the clubhouse I’m going to be passing?” she asked.
Tank frowned. He was used to normal, civilian women being afraid of the club. She’d already spotted his leather cut, showing he was a member of said club. He wore his leather cut with pride. He’d earned his patch and then some.
“Are you stupid?” he asked.
She laughed.
“Drunk?”
The laughter stopped. “No, I’m not drunk, and I don’t have to listen to you insult me. I pass this club every other day, and besides a few whistles, they’re like giant teddy bears.”
This did make him burst out laughing. He just couldn’t help it. There was no way the guys would accept her calling them all teddy bears. Not with the shit they did on a daily basis.
“You’ve got it so wrong,” he said.
“They’ve never harmed me, and I’ve been walking this street for the past year, or at least whenever my friend forgets to pick me up, which is often.”
“You have a friend who picks you up?” he asked.
“Sometimes. It would seem her date was far more enjoyable than she expected.” She shrugged. “I don’t mind.”
Tank glanced behind her and then down the road. “Where did you come from?”
The young woman laughed, and he couldn’t help but like the sound. It was a soft, beautiful sound.
“About a mile back. There’s a shortcut that takes you to a diner. I work there. It’s a nice place. This is off the beaten track, so not a lot of motorists come down here, but back at the diner, it’s on the main road, so it’s busy all the time. That’s what it’s called, Main Road Diner. They have the best milkshakes.”
“I’ll have to take your word for it.” He’d never heard of the place, but then again, he didn’t make it a habit of riding on main roads unless he had to handle club business. When they had jobs to do, it was rare for Lord to want to take any main roads and risk catching the suspicious eye of a local cop.
The fewer people they had to pay off, the more money for the club.
“I still don’t think this is a road for women,” Tank said. “Too isolated. Don’t you know lunatics and psychos still drive around looking for unsuspecting victims?”
“Which one are you?” she asked.
“What?”
“A lunatic or a psycho?”
“Are you trying to have fun with me?”
“Just lightening the mood. I’m Bell,” she said.
“Is that short for anything?” he asked, taking her offered hand.
“Not that I know of. It’s just Bell. I’m pretty sure it was all my mother could spell when she had to register me.”
There was something in her tone, and he hated to be so damn curious about it. He wanted to know a lot more about her.
“Tank.”
“Is that short for anything?” she asked.
“It’s my road name.”
“What about your real one?”
“A lady has to earn that name,” he said.
“Fine, my road name is … Attitude.” She pouted her lips, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Okay, Attitude. How about I give you a ride home?”
“Not on that death trap. Thank you for the offer. It was sweet of you.”
“I’m not going to leave you to walk alone,” he said.
“Then walk beside me.” She shrugged. “It’s late, and I’m tired.”
She put a hand over her mouth, and he saw she was still holding the pepper spray. After climbing off his bike, he moved into step beside her. It wasn’t too far for him to drop off his bike, and then he’d walk her home.
“You know, this is ruining your villain image,” she said. “Shouldn’t you be wanting to take advantage of the lone damsel in distress?”
“I’ve never played by the rules,” he said. “No point in starting now. So, why am I a villain?” He’d never spoken to a woman like this. Never really talked with one like an equal.
Other than a couple of club whores, most women treated him with a certain amount of disdain. They hated the leather cut, even if some of them wanted to take a trip on the wild side occasionally.
He got the sense Bell didn’t judge him, which was odd and really refreshing. Everyone judged him. His size alone scared off most people. And the club was always a target for hatred.
Not that he ever cared. He did what he wanted without a care in the world.
“According to stereotypes, you just are.”
“You don’t believe in them?”
“I don’t believe in judging people until I get to know them. Probably sounds stupid and lame, but I know what it’s like to be in that position, so it’s my life’s mission to be open-minded.”
“Life’s mission? What are you, twelve?”
“I think I’m going to like you, Tank.”
****
Three days later
Bell Castle stepped out of the shortcut and came to a stop when she recognized a certain biker. He had his arms folded as he stared at her. “I don’t like this shortcut.”
“We meet twice in one week. I’ll call this my lucky week,” she said, pulling her bag higher up on her shoulder.
She usually waited twenty minutes for her friend to arrive, but after a quick call went to voicemail, she decided against it. All she was doing was waiting around for the inevitable realization her friend had forgotten her again. One day, she’d be able to afford a car of her own.
“And you need to get yourself some new friends,” he said.
“No, I’m happy with the friends I’ve got. They’re just busy, and I do keep odd hours.” She had always loved being awake late at night.
If she was honest, she didn’t sleep a whole lot. Had always been a light sleeper, and as she got older, she hated being alone. Hated nights. Hated the fear that often clawed its way into her dreams.
Still, she wasn’t going to tell this stranger that she’d rather walk home at night just to be completely exhausted to at least get some sleep.
“I’m starting to wonder if you have any friends,” she said.
“I have friends.”
“What kind? Are they stuffed?” She didn’t know why she felt so free to joke around with this guy. He must be terrifying to most with his many tattoos and the scar on his neck. This man’s body had a lot of stories to tell of a hard life.
She was shocked he was still coming around to see her, to talk to her. It wasn’t like she was thrilling company, not compared to the women he must know back at the clubhouse. She’d seen how beautiful they all were.
“You’re funny,” he said.
Bell thought about getting him a stuffed bear, but then she figured this would be one of their last meetings. She didn’t expect to see him again. “Shall we?” Bell asked.
He nodded for her to start walking.
They started walking together, and for a few seconds, neither of them spoke. It wasn’t awkward or weird, just natural. Comfortable. Tank didn’t give her any bad vibes.
“Did you have a good day?” she asked.
“It was decent.”
She chuckled. “Did you spend most of it in bed?”
“Not a chance. You?”
“Nope.” She hadn’t told him about her second job. She worked two different jobs. One at the diner, the other in a garage on the outskirts of town.
“Doesn’t your club miss you?”
