by Kay Marie
Crash and Burn
Savage Menaces MC Book 5
Kay Marie
Contents
Acknowledgments
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
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Crash and Burn
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are all products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblances to persons, organizations, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Crash and Burn. Copyright © 2020 by Kay Marie. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations used in articles or reviews. For information, contact Kay Marie.
https://www.facebook.com/KayMarieAuthor/
Cover designer: Charli, Childs Cosmic Letterz Design
Editor: Courtney Lynn Rose, Knox Publishing
Formatter: E.C. Land, Knox Publishing
Copyeditor/Proofreader: Jackie Ziegler, Knox Publishing
Publisher: Knox Publishing
www.knoxpub.com
Created with Vellum
Trigger Warning
This material contains content that may be viewed as offensive to some readers, including graphic language, dangerous and sexual situations, murder, and extreme violence.
Acknowledgments
My husband – Thank you for continuing to be so supportive and encouraging when it comes to my writing. xoxo
My betas – Heidi, Jess, Olivia, Rebecca, and Linzi – Y’all are absolutely the best! There aren’t enough words to thank y’all for the help and feedback you’ve given me on this book. Y’all rock!
My editor, Courtney – Thank you for helping me make my books the best they can be.
My KP family – Thank you for everything. From being there to talk to, for bouncing ideas off of each other. Y’all mean the world to me.
My readers – Your support means everything! Thank you! <3
Playlist
Dark Horse — Katy Perry and Juicy J
American Woman — Lenny Kravitz
Cherry Pie — Warrant
Bad Intentions — Niykee Heaton
Play with Fire — Sam Tinnesz and Yacht Money
Addicted — Saving Abel
Trainwreck — BANKS
Animals — Maroon 5
One Thing Right — Marhmello and Kane Brown
Prologue
Rascal
May 2020
Saint, Clutch, Diesel, and I are spending Memorial Day weekend on a run to Colorado. I haven’t made this trip since I came back in March when Shade raced in the underground circuit. That shit was badass. Shade sure knows how to handle cars. He and three other guys were handed the keys to Audi R8s. Shade made winning look like a piece of cake.
We got into Denver late last night, and we’re crashing at Ace and Nitro’s place. These guys will be recruited into the Savage Riders before the end of the year. Along with a couple of their buddies, Breeze and Zero. We’re looking to expand into New Orleans soon, too.
Walking into Higher Zen, a bell above the door signals to Blaze or whoever, we’re here.
“Welcome to Higher Zen,” a female’s voice calls out from the back room. Not any female. Marley. She walks out from behind the colorful tapestry that serves as a door to the back room. She’s still rocking the partial dreads. I’ve never seen a chick who can pull off any kind of dreads like Marley can. I can’t stand the chick, but I can appreciate her beauty.
Her smile fades when her eyes land on mine. “Oh, it’s you.”
“Miss me, Princess?” I smirk at her.
She scoffs. “Yeah, in your dreams, Romeo.”
Typical Marley response. I grin. “Nah, in my dreams you’re . . .”
“Don’t fuckin’ finish that sentence, Rascal,” Blaze warns. Saint snickers behind me, and I shoot him a glare over my shoulder. Blaze is practically Marley’s older brother, so him getting on me is no surprise. She dishes it out as much as I do, though. When I see her, that is. I only come out here once a month, but it’s like she makes a point not to be here when I am.
Blaze narrows his eyes at me, and I hold my hands up in defense. “We’re just havin’ a lil’ fun, Blaze,” I tell him.
“It’s gonna be real fun when she’s ridin’ back to Texas with you.” He grins like a cat who caught the canary.
“What?” Marley and I shout in unison.
“There’s no way I’m riding in the same car as him,” Marley spits out.
“It’s not like I want to share that small of a space with you either, Princess,” I say to her.
“You’ll go with them if you want the protection the Savage Menaces can provide you,” Blaze whispers to her. For a second, I wonder if I even heard him right. Marley huffs out a frustrated breath and storms out of the room.
Blaze lets out a heavy sigh. “Can’t the two of you get along for one fucking day?”
“Talk to her. She’s the one throwin’ sass as soon as I walk through the door.” I defend myself. I’m not taking the blame for this shit. Not all of it anyway.
“Ras is mad Marley won’t give it up.” Clutch laughs.
“I don’t need her to give it up. I got plenty of chicks linin’ up to take a ride.”
“Yeah, but how often does a chick actually turn you down,” Diesel asks.
“She didn’t turn me down. I turned her down.” I don’t know why I lie. It’s not like it fucking matters. I can get my pick of women any time I want. Marley would probably be a boring lay anyway.
“So, what’s the deal? Why is she coming to Texas,” Saint asks the question we’re all wondering.
“She needs a change of scenery around people who will take care of her,” Blaze explains.
Annoyance washes over me. It’s easier to deal with her when she’s here because I never see her. Now, she’s going to be in my clubhouse twenty-four seven. What the hell am I supposed to do with that?
1
Marley
October 2020
Rascal is the one Savage Menace I can’t fucking stand. Blaze warned me about him before they came into Higher Zen. From the first time I met him, he’s done nothing but try to get into my pants. I expected to turn him down, and that would be it. Oh, how wrong I was. Before they left the shop, Rascal made it a point to come talk to me.
The tallest of the four Savage Menaces walks back inside, coming straight for the front desk. He’s a beast of a man, tall and bulk
y. Tattoos cover his neck and shoulders. His dark hair is faded on the sides and longer on top, and he’s sporting a short cut beard.
“Hey, Beautiful. I gotta ask, did it hurt?”
A pick-up line? Really? I flash him a small grin. “Did what hurt?”
“When you fell from Heaven,” he asks.
How predictable. I laugh. “Silly, Romeo. I dug my way up from Hell,” I deadpan.
For a split second, surprise crosses his face. “Beautiful and witty. Where have you been all my life?”
“Same place I’ll be for the rest of your life— in your dreams.”
His eyes light up as if he’s saying ‘challenge accepted.’ A smile plays on his lips, but before he responds, Blaze and Buster walk in. His eyes never leave mine.
“Rascal, let’s roll,” Buster says to him.
Rascal flashes me a grin. “See you soon, Princess.” It’s a promise, not a statement.
I could sense he’s not one to accept loss easily, and I could tell me shooting him down wounded his ego. I’ve lived and learned a lot these past few years. Including meeting my fair share of guys like him. He’s a player wanting to add another notch in his belt. I won’t be that for him, no matter how hard he tries. Which is something he hasn’t stopped doing. It’s like he’s made it his life mission to either fuck me or annoy me to death.
A few months ago, something came up, and I had to get out of Colorado, so Blaze came up with the bright idea of me taking shelter with the Savage Menaces MC in Texas. To make things worse, Bull - the Savage Menaces MC President, made sure to make Rascal my personal bodyguard. If I leave the club, which I don’t, he has to come with me. I have to continually remind myself it’s for my own protection.
It was so much easier to ignore him when he was almost a thousand miles away and only came to the shop once a month. Now, I’m living under the same roof as him. I keep to myself, hardly ever leaving my room. Tink and Lolita have hooked me up with a mini-fridge for my room, and Chains, one of the prospects, brings me snacks at least once a week.
I’ve ventured out of my room more in the past couple of months. Rascal has been gone a lot more, picking up more work at Savage Repairs to help out while Buster is home with his wife and baby. Rascal has put Chains in charge of me while he’s gone, with strict instructions not to let me leave the clubhouse. It’s not like I would have anywhere to go if I did leave. Everyone I know in Texas is linked to the Savage Menaces.
I’m not the best at making friends. I’m quiet and come off as a bitch. Tink and Lolita are the only ones I really talk to because they took me under their wings when I first got here. I’ve talked with Minx a little, but not enough to really become friends. She’s been nice, but she also doesn’t come around much when the guys aren’t all here.
Rascal is currently at Savage Repairs. He’s been going every other Saturday for most of the day. I take the opportunity to hang out in the main room. Some days Chains and I play pool and smoke. Other days, I take the time to read. I love reading cheesy, romcoms. They’re my favorite. Today is a reading day, and today’s book is Let’s Get Textual by Teagan Hunter. Between smoking and getting so into this book, I lose track of time.
“Holy shit! The Princess has graced us with her presence.” Rascal chuckles.
I close my book, rolling my eyes.
“I was beginning to think you’d never leave your room. What’s the special occasion,” he asks.
I stand from the couch. “You not being here.”
He smirks at me. He’s about to respond, but Minx cuts him off. “Hey, Marley!”
“Hey.” I smile at her.
“We’re having a girls’ night up at my house. We would all love it if you came too,” she tells me.
I can sense Rascal’s eyes on me and fight the urge to look at him. “I’d like that. It’ll be good to get out of here for a few hours.”
“Great! We wanted to invite you sooner but wanted to let you get settled in first. Then shit hit the fan, and I haven’t seen you around much,” she explains.
I shrug. “I should really work on changing that.”
“Don’t stress it. We’ve all had a lot going on. Tonight will be pretty chill,” she tells me.
“Will there be food? Or should I eat dinner before I come up,” I ask Minx.
“I got your dinner right here.” Rascal grabs his dick through his jeans.
“Aw, Romeo. That’s not enough for a meal. That’s a snack.”
The guys at the pool tables all erupt with laughter while Rascal stands there, tight-lipped. Minx is trying to suppress a giggle. The corner of my mouth tips into a sly smirk.
Minx clears her throat. “We’re ordering take-out.”
“Awesome! Let me go change into something comfier, and I’ll meet you up there.”
I steal one last glance at Rascal. He’s glaring at me. I wink at him, and he huffs out an angry breath, shaking his head. Giggling to myself, I turn and walk to my room.
2
Rascal
Marley is the first woman to not put up with my shit. Not to mention the first chick I can’t get out of my fucking head either. I chalk it up to wanting to fuck her and not being able to. I’m so used to women throwing themselves at me, I don’t know what the hell to do with being shut down. Multiple times at that. All I need to do is to get her on board with a one night, no strings attached, but she’s having none of it.
As soon as Marley is out of sight, Minx lays into me. “Why do you have to be so crude?”
“Me?” I feign innocence. “Why, Minx, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Diesel and Clutch laugh behind me, and Minx shoots them a glare.
“I’m only havin’ some fun, Lil’ Mama,” I add.
“Well, you’re an asshole,” she says.
“Thanks, I try.”
She slugs me in my arm, making me laugh. A few minutes go by before Marley walks back out. Her dreads are piled on her head, and she doesn’t have much makeup on. She’s wearing a black crop top with the words ‘Trouble Maker’ written across it and cropped waist-high leggings. Not that she needs to cover her waist. She’s got a gorgeous body. I shake the thoughts out of my head.
“Chains,” I yell. His eyes shoot to mine. “Go with them up to the house.”
I storm out of the main room, straight to my room. I grab my pen, taking a hit as I flop back onto my bed. There’s gotta be something I can do to get this chick out of my head. Once the high kicks in, I head to the kitchen to get some food. I walk in, and Hollywood is making a sandwich.
“Go ahead and make me one too, Pretty Boy.” I chuckle.
“Fuck you. Make your own.” He flips me the bird. “Where’s your ball and chain?”
“Ha-ha, asshole. She’s at Minx’s. I put Chains on babysitting duty.”
Once we're both done making our sandwiches, we each grab a bag of chips, taking our food out to the bar. It's the first low-key Saturday night we've had in a long time. Prez even gave Tink and Lolita the night off. Before he sits down to eat, he walks behind the bar.
“You want something to drink?”
“Let me get a beer,” I tell him. He opens two, handing one to me. For the most part, we eat in silence. As we finish, our conversation picks up.
“How ‘bout a game of pool,” he asks.
“How about teams?” Tech says behind us.
“Rascal, my office,” Bull calls out to me.
“Yeah, I’m down as soon as I’m done talking with Prez.” I head to his office, closing the door behind myself.
“Sit. Let’s talk.” He gestures to the chairs in front of his desk. I take a seat and wait for him to talk. “How are things with Marley? Having any issues?”
“Not at all, Prez. She spends about ninety percent of her time in her room,” I tell him. “She’s spending some time with Minx and the girls right now. Chains is up there with them.”
“She needs to mingle with others. It’ll be good for her,” he says.
“Yes, sir. I agree.”
“The two of you gettin’ along alright,” he asks.
I scoff. “Yeah, when we aren’t in the same room as each other.”
Prez shakes his head with a chuckle.
“Any word on the threat against her?” Prez hasn’t shared much about whatever or whoever Marley is running from. Told us it’s a need to know basis and there ain’t much we need to know right now.
“Nothing new or that we didn’t already know,” he tells me.
I nod. “Anything else I need to know?”
“Not right now. Go back to whatever you were doin’.” He dismisses me. I walk back to the main room, wracking my brain about what or who could be putting Marley in danger. What the hell could she have gotten herself into? I take another hit of my pen as I walk over to the table Saint and Raze have a game started at.
“What’d you get in trouble for this time?” Hollywood hands me another beer.
“Not shit, fucker. He wanted an update on how Marley is doin’,” I tell them.
“Did you let him know she roasted you earlier?” Buzz laughs.
I flip him off. “I’m wearing her down. You’ll see.”