by Ryan Michele
Bound by Consequences (Bound #7) (Ravage MC #16)
Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author
Ryan Michele
Bound by Consequences (Ravage MC Bound Series Book Seven) (Ravage MC #16) Copyright © Ryan Michele 2019/20—Wicked Words Publishing, LLC
All Rights Reserved. This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction in whole or in part, without express written permission from Ryan Michele.
This is a work of fiction. All characters, 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.
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, explicit language and dark romance 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.
1st edition published: January 21, 2021
AISN: B08M48QZQ4
ISBN-13:
ISBN-10:
To those who dream to do better…
Take one step at a time.
You will get there.
Contents
Other Books by Ryan Michele
Blurb
Keep Up to Date
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
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Acknowledgments
Other Books by Ryan Michele
About the Author
Thank you!
Other Books by Ryan Michele
www.authorryanmichele.com/books
Ravage MC Series
Ravage Me (Ravage MC #1)
Seduce Me (Ravage MC #2)
Consume Me (Ravage MC #3)
Inflame Me (Ravage MC #4)
Captivate Me (Ravage MC #5)
Bound by Family (Ravage MC #6) (Bound #1)
Bound by Desire (Ravage MC #7) (Bound #2)
Bound by Vengeance (Ravage MC #8) (Bound #3)
Bound by Affliction (Ravage MC #9) (Bound #4)
Bound by Destiny (Ravage MC #10) (Bound #5)
Bound by Wreckage (Ravage MC #11) (Bound #6)
Connected in Pain (Ravage MC #12) (Rebellion #1)
Fueled in Fire (Ravage MC #13) (Rebellion #2)
Sealed in Strength (Ravage MC #14) (Rebellion #3)
Connected in Code (Ravage MC #15) (Rebellion #4)
Bound by Consequences (Ravage MC #16) (Bound #7)
Bound by Redemption (Ravage MC #17) (Bound #8)
Vipers Creed MC
Crossover
Challenged
Conquering
Ruthless Rebels MC
Shamed
Scorned
Scarred
Schooled
Ruthless Rebels Box Set
Power Chain: Anti-Hero Game
Power Chain
PowerHouse
Power Player
PowerLess
Overpowered
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
Dream Lover
Anchored Love
Killian
Novellas
Stood Up (Billionaire Up Romance)
Short Stories
Hate Sex
Branded
Bangin’
The Best Friend’s Collection
www.authorryanmichele.com/books
Blurb
Coming home from the Marines, Micah Tugger doesn’t know what to expect, but knows there are consequences to pay to the Ravage Motorcycle Club.
He’d left Sumner, Georgia a confused boy and now has come back a man, one who knows what he wants in life and that includes his family.
But will the brothers of the Ravage MC accept him? Or turn him away?
Add in a secret surprise that calls him daddy, Micah is in for a hell of a ride.
Ensley has had to run from home hoping for a better life for her daughter than the strict religious one she grew up in. It hasn’t been easy, but luckily she found a family of her own making.
But just when she gets comfortable, the man from her one night stand appears back in her life. Will he try and take her little girl from her? Or will there be a second chance at love in her future?
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Prologue
Cyrus
My hands shook in the dark room, and my pulse raced. Nervous? No. Try absolutely terrified. So much so, my throat threatened to close and stop my breaths. This was it. The time was now, and every second counted. More than that, every move had to be perfect.
Everything.
Absolutely everything was on the line.
There was no room for error.
Under my covers, the sounds of the house were nonexistent. Silence. Ghostly quiet like one was going to jump out and scare the crap out of me.
I’d been waiting for this moment for what felt like forever, but I couldn’t move. It was as if my body was carved from concrete and frozen in time, paralyzed. Helpless.
This is it, Cyrus! Snap out of it! You’ve got this shot and only this shot. Don’t waste it!! Life or death. Choose.
My mental pep talk was not calming my nerves. If anything it was making them worse.
Closing my eyes, I sucked in a few deep breaths quietly, not to wake up my sisters. On the third inhale, my mind cleared, and I knew what I had to do. It became evident there was only one option.
Once I mustered the courage to open my eyes, some kind of power flowed through my veins.
Determination.
Strength.
Life.
My baby.
That was why I had to get away. No one would take my baby from me. No one.
From the moment I realized there was a little life inside of me, I changed. My whole existence changed. This wasn’t about me or my life anymore. This was about this tiny being growing in my womb. Every thought I had was directed toward keeping my baby safe. He or she was all that mattered.
No one would take my baby from me. Especially not my parents, nor this life I’d been born into.
A life I never had a choice in having. A lifestyle my unborn child would never have. The baby deserved to have a voice in what her life would be. It was my job to give that to her.
This job was the most important one in my life.
Silent as a mouse, I scooted out of the twin-sized bed, my heel landing on the floor. Carefully my steps missed the floorboards that creaked. I’d memorized the noises since I was a little girl sneaking out of bed
at night and knew with my eyes closed where each one was.
My sisters were sleeping soundly in their beds as I looked to make sure. They couldn’t know what I was doing, or they’d tell one of our moms and dad. Leaving was wrong in their eyes, but they didn’t have another being to fear for. They didn’t understand. To them, whatever our father said was the final word, and no one went against him. There wasn’t anyone I could share this with. A single wrong move, step, or even breath and any of them could figure out what I was up to.
With one slight noise I’d wake them, and this would all be over. I’d be stuck in this house until my mother could take care of the problem.
Only my baby wasn’t a problem to take care of. My baby was a reason to clearly see the problems led in this life. And there were so many.
Well, screw them. We were getting far away from here.
Reaching under the mattress, my hand felt around for the black garbage bag I snuck there earlier today. My options were few, so I did the best I could, improvising.
I opened the plastic, realizing for the first time how damn noisy the thing was. The way the bag crinkled and groaned only reminded me it might not have been the best choice, but it was what I had to work with. I waited with bated breath for anyone near me to stir after the bag was opened.
I’d wanted to pack a few things before bed, but the room was never empty. One of the five sisters I shared a room with would come in and out like rabid bunnies. There was never a good time, and instead of getting frustrated, I waited. So this would have to do.
No one moved, but my heart was doing enough moving for everyone in the room. I was scared and nervous, but determined.
I made my way to the dresser on soft feet. I grabbed the knobbed handles and pulled slowly. The wood creaked every time I opened it, so I tried to prepare for it, halting just before the noise. I studied the opening; could I manage? Unfortunately, it wasn’t opened far enough for my hand to reach in.
Please don’t wake up my sisters. Please don’t wake up my sisters.
There was no easy way to do this. If I went fast, the sound would be loud. If I went slow, the sound would be elongated. Each would catch attention. No win situation, but I needed a few things to get me through a least a day or so. I had hope my plan would work, but there were so many moving parts that at any time one could jump its course, and I’d be screwed.
Fast, Cyrus, my gut told me, and I listened. The only person I had to depend on right now was me. Right or wrong, I had to go with my instincts. I pulled the drawer open.
Sure enough, the sound echoed in the room. I turned quickly and scanned my sisters; four didn’t move, but I had to hold my breath at the fifth as she rolled over to her side, tucking her hands under her head.
Only when she settled did I let the air out of my lungs. It was close. So damn close. Too damn close. But I made it through one hurdle. Now only a million more to go.
Grabbing a few pairs of underwear, a couple of dresses, some granola bars I’d scrounged for and the small wad of cash I’d saved doing odd jobs and not telling my parents about them, I stuffed everything in the bag. While I had very little experience outside of the family, I knew I would need money. I didn’t have nearly enough, but what I had was mine, and I planned to stretch every penny as far as I could.
I left my pajamas on and threw a dress over the top of them, and then I snatched a pair of socks and put them on my feet. My tennis shoes were by the front door, and I would get them on the way out.
There was only one more thing that meant anything to me. We didn’t have possessions or little things we liked. Frankly, to treasure an item was simply forbidden. Nor did we have the money for any extras in life. It was why we all had to work all the time. But I had a small box in the bottom of the closet on the right hand side that I wanted to take. It didn’t have much, but it was mine. One of the sole things that was only mine here.
Having sisters, so many of them, we weren’t individuals. We were simply seen as the girls. A collective unit, never as individuals. Being unique in any way was wrong. We shared everything. Even underwear, which I hated, but there was nothing I could do about it. Here, you lived the life you were told, and that was that.
No one fought it because the consequences were painful.
1… 2… 3… 4… I counted the steps in my head, making sure to step over the board that rose about a half an inch from the others. Every time I wasn’t thinking about it, I’d trip and fall. I hated that small gap. It was utter torment in the light of day. This was harder.
I had stubbed my little toe more times than I could count. Everyone knew that was the worst toe to hit. It always shot pain right through your foot and caused tears to spring to your eyes.
Right now, stubbing that toe would lead to the end of this entire plan, so I stepped over the lip.
Making my way to the closet, I turned to make sure no one had woken up. Luckily, the five did not move. Thank goodness for small miracles in heavy sleepers.
Part of me wondered if the noises in this house were all set there for the sole purpose to alert people if we moved. It was a scary thought, but it could also be very true.
This next hurdle was going to be the extra tricky part, though. Our closet door had this tick sound when you turned the knob. It only went once, thank goodness.
Before going to bed, I’d opened it just a bit so I wouldn’t have to turn the handle and, therefore, no noise. But right before going to sleep, my sister Sibyl shut it, saying she hated it when the door was opened. She always had been focused on the details, especially with chores. Her wanting the door shut was a trait ingrained in each of us when we were taught how to keep a house.
She put a kink in my plan, but so be it. Just another obstacle to cross over to get to freedom.
I’d come this far, and I was going the distance. Either I was getting caught or I was out. Those were the only two options.
Turning the knob, my stomach about dropped to my knees as the click went off. It was so loud that I knew someone would wake up from it. Sucking in my breaths as if it were to help the sound stop, I bit my lip in anticipation, wondering if I’d get caught.
There would be nothing I could say to my sisters to allow them to let me leave. Nothing to get them to not tell our parents. This plan would be done and over with before I even got downstairs.
Knowing my parents, if they caught me, I’d be put somewhere in shackles until they deemed me ready to come back to the family. More than what they would do to me, they would go through with their plan to take care of ‘my problem,’ as they called it, and I wouldn’t have a choice about it.
They’d hold me down and take my baby.
Leaving had never been an option, but this time, I wasn’t leaving for me.
I was leaving for my baby. I chose her. And I’d choose her over me any day of the week.
Margaret, my younger sister, turned and faced me head-on. My heart stopped. Body began to shake. This was it. She was awake, and I’d never get the chance to leave again. Except, her eyes stayed tightly closed. I paused, taking in her demeanor. Her breathing didn’t change, the pace even and deep. She was still asleep. She only turned.
Constance, my other younger sister, didn’t move along with Elizabeth and Daphne.
The air left my body in a whoosh as my older sister Sybil’s eyes met mine. They were narrowed and confused. She was studying me. The world at my feet started to crumble, sucking me in deep.
This was it. It was over. I wouldn’t get out of here, and my baby would be dead. No. Just no.
Sybil threw back the covers and got out of bed, coming right for me. At this point, I wasn’t paying attention to the noise she was making or what would happen next. The sense of defeat overwhelmed me. A sour taste came to my mouth as my tears hit the backs of my eyelids. I was done. This was over. She was going to rat me out.
No, no, no! I wanted to scream it from the rooftop. This couldn’t be happening. So close, yet so very far away. How could I make h
er see? How could she understand? I needed to escape. Would she listen to reason, or just run off to our parents? My guess was the latter, and my heart shattered. It didn’t crack or break, just completely shattered into powder on the floor.
Sybil came up to me and whispered, “I’m coming with you.” She stood tall in front of me, her face serious. She didn’t blink and didn’t miss a beat.
Stunned, my lips wouldn’t move to form words. She wanted to come with me? To get away from here? She was the oldest of all of us, and I’d always thought this would be her life forever. She always did everything to a T, following every single rule thrown at her.
Yet, here she was, wanting to come with me. Was this real?
She didn’t wait for my response. Instead, she went to the already opened dresser, pulling out a few things, and then she made her way to the closet. “I’ll get a bag on the way out,” she whispered while looking over to make sure our other sisters were still asleep.
All I could do was nod, still too shocked to figure out what the hell was going on here. This was huge. Mammoth. It was more than I could have asked for.
I was so happy I didn’t have to be alone, but also scared. If we didn’t make it out of the house, we’d both end up punished. That couldn’t happen to her. It was my idea, not hers. The fear of her getting in trouble almost stopped me in my tracks as I considered calling the entire thing off.