Meet the characters:
Bullet has come a long way from the scraggly kid he once was, to become a Satan’s Pride member. He knows his place in the club, and he takes his role seriously. Protect the club and be loyal to his brotherhood, and best of all, launch a business and make it a success. Women have been a lovely diversion, but he’s not found the one to make him get serious, until Amelia.
Amelia is disciplined. She has a plan for her life. She takes the job as a principal in a local school and is looking forward to the challenge. She doesn’t expect to meet someone like Bullet. He is unlike anyone she’s ever met and is quite a distraction to her very structured life. Bullet and Amelia both feel the heat, but when murder occurs, they both realize that they belong together.
Feel the passion:
He covers my hand with his, and our eyes meet. “I’m going to kiss you, Amelia. I’ve wanted to since the moment I met you.”
My mouth goes dry, and I lick my lips. I want his kisses. His eyes drop to my lips as he draws closer. My eyes drift closed as his mouth meets mine. At first, it’s a light touch of our lips, then his tongue teases my lips open, and it becomes more insistent and needy. Suddenly, I’m off the couch and in his lap, while Boots is scooted aside to sit with her sister, Puss.
All I can do is hang on and enjoy the ride. My arms band around his neck as I press tighter to his chest. Bullet fists my hair, and the gentle tug feels good. He carries on kissing me for a good long while, then slowly moves his lips over my cheek, nips at my lobe, then my neck.
When he finally pulls back, he says, “We’ve got to slow this down.” His voice is raw and raspy.
“Why?” I answer breathlessly. I don’t want to stop! If anything, I want to stay like this forever.
“Babe, you’re the girl I want to get to know. I want to take my time with you. It would feel so good to bury myself deep inside you, but I want more. I think you do too. Am I wrong?” He slides my hair off my face, moving it behind my ear.
“No,” I whisper, still breathing raggedly.
He grins. “Right. Then let’s chill and watch a movie, and you can decide how to spend that newfound money,” he teases.
It’s so incredibly sweet that Bullet wants to take things slow, but it’s been a very long time since I’ve felt this way about someone. I feel all warm and gooey inside.
Leaves you wanting more:
“Baby, I hate to start your day off this way, but I’ve got to talk to you about Freddie’s shop,” Bullet says.
“Does he want the money back?” I ask.
Bullet shakes his head. “Freddie was the original owner of the place. Sal was the man you met, and he was the owner. After we left yesterday, Sal was murdered,” he says, taking my hand in his. “When we left him, he was very much alive.”
I’m stunned and horrified. Freddie, I mean Sal, is dead. I gasp. “Who—who would do that?” I stutter.
“I don’t know, babe. But the club got a visit from the police early this morning asking questions. I swear to you, I never laid a hand on him.”
Bullet looks into my eyes, pleading with me to believe him. And I do! I know he wouldn’t kill a man over being a crappy mechanic. “I know you didn’t. I don’t think you’re the kind of man who would take a life unless you were in danger. Why did the cops come to you?”
Bullet sighs. “When we were there yesterday, his crew tried to make trouble and pulled out their weapons. Blade disarmed one of them and held him to the ground. We were able to take their guns, and that’s when Sal gave back the money he took from you. When we left, Sal was alive.”
“Then I’ll ask again, why do the police think you’re involved?”
Bullet opens his mouth to respond, but Crush gets there first. “Satan’s Pride has enemies. Even before Bullet and I were part of the club, there’s always been a gang or another MC that’s tried to take us down. Guard thinks that someone was tailing us and took the opportunity to make it look like the Pride had gone rogue and killed Sal. Sal’s not a good man, and from what I hear, he was scaring the shit out of the girl that was working for him. She’s disappeared. The cops are looking for her too. Guard’s convinced she’s in trouble and is on the run. We want to find her first and hopefully keep her from being another victim.”
“Oh my God! All this because you all tried to help me!” I whisper loudly, digging my fingers into his thigh.
“Amelia, look at me.” Bullet’s soothing voice is like a warm blanket. His palm cups my cheek. “This isn’t about you. Whoever is behind this saw an opportunity and took it. The Pride has nothing to do with Sal’s death. But the cops are going to question you. They’re just doing their job. I’m going to ask you to trust me and call me if they show up at your door. I’m not sure if you’ve met Sofia Bardon. Her kid goes to your school. She’s also the wife of a club brother and is the best lawyer you’d ever want.”
The next morning…
“Okay, you’re pissed. I get it. I apologize,” I say, exasperated. There is nothing worse than the silent treatment, and Crush does that better than anyone. I think he’s perfected it over the years because he knows how much it pisses me off. “Are you going to ignore me all day? I’ve had an easier time getting a woman into bed,” I tease.
I see the side of his mouth crook upward. He turns to me. “Sorry means nothing when I’m looking at you all bloody and shit.” Fuck! I hate that for him. I hate that he was the one who found me. He lived through the same nightmare, only in a different way.
“Look, bro, I can’t take back last night, but I hear ya. We’ve got to move forward. It sucks that Guard’s ready to throttle me, but it’s even worse when you’re pissed at me.”
“Why did you go? It’s not like you could have done anything anyway.”
“It’s kind of hard to explain.”
“Try!” He glances at me, still keeping his hands on the steering wheel. We’re heading over to Amelia’s this morning, as promised.
“It’s hard to explain, but it’s like when that beating happened to me, I felt like I let everyone down, including myself. I saw what it did to you, and I hate myself for falling into their trap. The club went to war for me. I hate that too. They had to bloody their hands because I was an idiot and thought I could handle the situation myself. My Pride brothers never left my side. Not through my recovery. Not through my physio, not ever. Even when I was getting my strength back and at the gym, I knew Guard sent someone to keep an eye on me to make sure I was okay.”
“That’s a problem?” Crush counters.
“That’s the best thing that came out of the whole tragedy. But now, I feel like I’m being watched all the time because they don’t trust me on my own. It’s like I’m the kid brother who gets beaten up in the schoolyard, and someone has to be with me all the time to make sure I don’t get in trouble again. Last night, I was trying to prove to myself that I can be me again. Before the Deviant Soldiers, I was one of the guys, and each one of us had our place. Now, I’m feeling like I’m not doing my part, especially if I can’t check out a job on my own.” Crush starts to speak, but I hold up my hand. “Before you say anything, I checked out Amelia Ralleigh before leaving for her house. I checked with Izzy. I scouted the neighborhood and scoped out her place through the windows. I’m not trying to get beat to shit again, but I do want to be able to do stuff on my own and feel normal.” I sigh, then add, “Your turn.”
Crush shakes his head. “I didn’t know you were thinking all that.” He pulls the truck into Amelia’s driveway. “It nearly killed me to see you in the alley, and God, there was so much blood. I was actually happy when you moaned in pain because that meant you were alive.” He pauses, then says, “You’re the only family I have. Yeah, we have the Pride, but you and I share a past, and nothing will ever change that.” He looks up to the ceiling of the truck, then to me. “You’re right, though. You need to be at peace, so I’ll give you space.”
“I still fucked up. I didn’t follow Guard’s rule, and I should have told you.” I hold out my hand. “Are we good?”
Crush takes it and slaps a hand on my shoulder for good measure. “Always, man.” Then his eyes move toward the house where Amelia is standing on her porch, watching us. “That’s Miss Ralleigh? Damn, she’s hot.”
A burning need to punch Crush in the mouth comes over me. I reel it in, but say, “Off. Limits.”
Crush looks at me and gives me a sly grin. “Someone likes the principal. I bet you want to be sent down to the principal’s office,” he jokes.
“Don’t make me throttle you.”
He gets out of the car and moves to the back of the truck to get down the ladder, while I head for the porch.
“Morning, Bullet. I saw the truck outside, and when you didn’t come to the door, I was wondering if you were waiting for me to come out,” Amelia says.
“Where are Puss and Boots this morning?”
She turns and points to the window, where the two cats have their noses against the pane, staring at us. “We girls rarely get visitors. I may have to put them in a room so that you and Crush can work in peace.” She chuckles.
Her laugh is soft and cute. Crush comes closer. “Hey,” Crush replies to her hello. “We’ll need to climb up on the roof and take a look around.”
“We’ll come down and give you an estimate then,” I add.
“Sure. I’m making some blueberry muffins. I’ll make a fresh pot of coffee,” Amelia says.
“You don’t have to feed us, ma’am,” Crush says politely.
Amelia’s face drops. “Oh, I’m sorry—”
“But I’ll take you up on that because they’re my favorite,” Crush quickly jumps in. “We’d better get started.”
“Get inside, Amelia. Go see your girls,” I say with a grin. Her cheeks turn pink, but she hustles back inside while Crush and I get to work.
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