Thanking Her Hero (Steel Daggers MC Book 2)

by Elisa Leigh

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Thanking Her Hero

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Prologue

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Epilogue

  His Sweet Treat

  Acknowledgments

  Other Books by Elisa

  Meet Elisa Leigh

  Copyright

  Thanking Her Hero

  By Elisa Leigh

  © Elisa Leigh 2017.

  All Rights Reserved

  By the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for brief quotations used in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  The use of actors, artists, movies, TV shows and song titles/lyrics throughout this book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way be seen as an advertisement. Trademark names are used editorially with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.

  This book is intended for adults only. Contains sexual content and language that may offend some. The suggested reading audience is 18 years or older. I consider this book Adult Romance.

  ASIN: B0775XLSMM

  Cover created using Canva.

  Thanking Her Hero

  Rock

  She was walking alone down the interstate in the middle of the night. I couldn't leave her there. When I saw her, I knew I had to have her broken soul. I touched her and knew she'd be mine. I've given her the space she needed. Now it's time to show her what it means to be mine.

  Chelsea

  He came out of nowhere and rescued me when I was ready to fall. He doesn't know I watch him watching me. He might be interested, but if he knew the things that made me dirty, he wouldn't want me anymore. That doesn't stop me from wanting to thank my hero.

  This is book 2 in the Steel Daggers MC series. This book can be read as a standalone, but you may want to read the books in order, starting with His Sweet Treat. This is a safe MC read with an HEA and no cheating.

  Warning: The heroine recalls abuse in this book, but not at the hand of the Hero.

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Thanking Her Hero

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Prologue

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Epilogue

  His Sweet Treat

  Acknowledgments

  Other Books by Elisa

  Meet Elisa Leigh

  Dedication

  For every person who needed saving, and ended up saving themselves. You are the true heroes. Everyone’s strength looks different and you should be proud of surviving and living.

  Prologue

  Chelsea

  Damn its cold. I can’t believe I got out of there alive. Why the hell did I let things go that far? I should have left so many times, but I couldn’t bring myself to. I thought I was smarter than this. I thought I knew the type of man not to choose after watching my mother’s attempts at picking her prince charming.

  Shit, what am I doing? I don’t even know where I’m headed. Should I go to a shelter? Maybe I could call Emersen. Scratch that, I’m not dragging her into this mess. I can only imagine what I look like. I didn’t so much as get a look when I was running out of there with nothing.

  Rock

  Is that a woman? We’re all on our way back from visiting another club and tired as fuck. Who the hell walks down the interstate in the middle of the fucking night? The closer I get to the moving figure I notice the limp in her walk and the way her clothes are hanging from her body.

  I signal my brothers to slow down so we can stop. I pull up next to her. She tries walking faster, but there’s no way that her legs can go faster than my Harley Fatboy. I ride up ahead about twenty feet and park my bike. I get off and start walking up to her with my hands in front of my chest. She stops walking and clutches her clothes tight to her chest. The angel is must be scared out of her mind judging by her rigid stance and wide eyes. I would be too if a group of bikers surrounded me.

  “It’s okay darling,” I say to the most beautifully broken creature I’ve ever laid eyes on. She’s a tiny thing, close to a foot shorter than my 6’5”. Her clothing does nothing to hide her curvaceous figure. And I know I’m going to hell for checking her out in the state she’s in, but fuck me running, I can’t help myself. She startles when my brothers Prince and Pres park on either side of her, while the others park behind her.

  “Easy girl. We aren’t going to hurt you.”

  She snorts. “Yeah. I’ve heard that one before.”

  Standing in front of her, I do my best to contain the rage coursing through me. The last thing I want to do is scare her off. Now that I’m in front of her I can clearly see her bruised body. Without thinking, I reach up and rub my knuckles against her purple cheek, barely touching her soft skin. I expect it, but when she flinches from my touch, it kills a part of me. Who would dare to hurt this beauty?

  “Who did this to you beautiful?”

  She shakes her head vigorously. “I left. It doesn’t matter anymore.”

  She’s so wrong, it matters more than she’ll ever realize. The bastard who did this to her will never have the chance to hurt someone else.

  “Hey, babe. My name’s Prince. What’s yours?” My VP interrupts, sticking his hand out to shake hers. I’m seconds away from cutting his fucking hand off for daring to touch the woman who is going to be mine, when she takes care of it herself.

  “I don’t have to tell you anything.” She hisses at him. She’s unyielding, but at least she’s not scared to stand her ground to a bunch of massive bikers.

  Pres crosses his arms over his chest and looks down at her. “Look, honey. You’ll be safer with us than walking to wherever you’re going on your own in the middle of the night. We’ll give you a ride. You’ll get off the interstate faster, and we’ll feel better knowing we didn’t leave you out on your own. Now, pick a bike and get on. I’m ready to pass the fuck out.” Pres is a good man but he gets cranky when he’s tired.

  “I can’t do that.” She grits out.

  “Why’s that? We aren’t going to lay a hand on you. We’ll just drop you where you need us to and that will be the end of it.” I tell her, knowing it’s a lie as soon as it pops out of my mouth. There’s no way I’m leaving this woman alone. She’s got me pulled up tight, and I need to figure out why.

  “I’m not sure where I’m going yet.” She levels with us.

  I squint at her, wondering what her plan was before we showed up. From the looks of it, there wasn’t one. I look over at my Pres, and he nods his head. He knows I’m not going to give up on this. He knows my history, knows I don’t put up with beating on women or children. I pull my cell phone out of the insi
de of my cut and hand it to her, but she doesn’t take it.

  “Is there someone you can call?”

  She shakes her head and while I’m sad she has no one, I’m relieved she has to rely on me.

  Tears fill her eyes, but she refuses to let them fall, putting up a front and showing us she’s stronger than she looks. Joke’s on her, she may be broken and bruised right now, but she got away. She’s stronger than most of the women I know.

  “Okay, beautiful. My name is Harrison Jeffreys, but my friends call me Rock. Here’s my pocket knife,” I say, handing her one of the knives I always have on me.

  She stares at it like it might bite her. Impatiently I grab her hand and put it in her palm, using my other hand to close her fingers around it.

  “Look. We need to get going. You’ve got this to protect you now. You can ride behind Prince, Pres, or me. It’s not safe for you to be out here, especially at night. Just let us help you. We aren’t monsters, and we don’t want to hurt you.” I say with a growl, pissed that she’s unwilling to let us, scratch that, let me help her.

  She stares at our still joined hands for a few beats, then looks up at me and nods.

  “Who’s bike?” I ask while praying for everyone’s safety she chooses mine. While I’ll let her decide if she doesn’t pick mine, I’m going to flip my shit. She belongs on the back of my bike, and no one else’s.

  “I’d like to ride yours Rock.” She says low, so only I can hear. Shit, this woman is in so much trouble. I’ll never be able to let her go.

  One

  Chelsea

  Mom never cared about me. Scratch that. She cared, but she cared more about herself. When her boyfriend wanted to move in, she let him. He brought his three kids. It didn’t matter that we were living in a three-bedroom house with less than fifteen hundred square feet. She sure as hell didn’t care that he liked to scream and smack around his kids. He started in on me when I smarted off to him the first time. Yeah, my mouth tends to get me in trouble.

  I promised myself when I got out of there that I would never be like her, but look what happened, I gave myself to the first man that told me he loved me. I was an idiot. Who does something like that? A woman, a weak woman. That’s who. When I was younger, I was determined to prove I’d never be like my mother. I was going to be better than my mother.

  “Sweet cheeks, go get me another beer, will ‘ya?” Charlie, one of my customers says. He’s one of the founding members of Steel Daggers and only comes by to drink beer and shoot the shit. He told me this the second time I waited on him. I now see him three to four times a week, and he always sits in my section. He’s like the father I never knew.

  “Charlie, I told you not to call me that. Yet, every time we talk, that’s what you call me. Can you tell me why?” I ask, holding my tray to my side, with my other hand cocked on my hip. I tap my foot, waiting for him to answer.

  “Hoowee darlin’. You’s a sassy one, ain't ya? Be nice and bring this old man a beer, please.” He smiles and bats his eyelashes at me.

  I laugh. “You know I can’t tell you no.”

  I walk to the bar and wait for Camden to finish with a customer I’ve never seen before. He gives me a funny look but then goes about drinking his beer and watching some of the women try and entice Rash and Jester. Like that’s hard. The thing about working at Spanky’s is it’s a biker bar. Not only is it a biker bar, but it’s also the clubhouse for the Steel Daggers. Occasionally they’ll have parties, like the night Emersen came and fell for Ryker, or as everyone else calls him, Pres. Most nights though we have our usuals who are friends of the Steel Daggers and then the Steel Daggers themselves.

  “How are you doing tonight Chelsea?” Camden asks while pouring the refill for Charlie.

  “I’m good I guess. Ready for tomorrow. It will be nice to have a day off to just sleep.”

  “But you’ll be going to Pres and Emersen’s for Thanksgiving dinner right? Everyone is supposed to be there.” His brows draw together, and he doesn’t release the glass we’re both holding onto. I look at him, waiting for him to give it up.

  “I’m not everyone. The officers must be there, and anyone else that wanted to join could go too. I’m neither of those things. Hence, I’m not going.”

  “It’s expected that you’re there.” He says. I can’t tell if he’s pissed or he’s trying to help me make the right decision.

  “Expected by who?” I ask wondering who would expect me to be there. When he says nothing I do my best to hurry him along. “Come on Cam, I need to get this to Charlie.” Before he has a chance to respond, I feel his warmth at my back. Only then does Camden release the glass.

  “There a problem here Cam?” Rock questions.

  Camden’s eyes bore into mine, and I shake my head no. He smirks before flicking his eyes to Rock.

  Tilting his head to me, he says, “Your girl here isn’t coming to dinner tomorrow night at the Pres’ house.”

  My cheeks instantly heat, and I know the blush travels much further down than my black Spanky’s t-shirt allows you to see. The guys have been hinting at Rock and I being together for the past week. I don’t know what’s changed, but Rock’s lingering looks aren’t as conspicuous as they used to be. His passing interest has turned into very interested, and I have no idea what to do with it. I’ve decided to ignore it until I’m ready to face him, which will likely be never.

  “Is that right Chelsea?” He asks low and steps impossibly closer, placing his hands on the bar on each side of me, caging me in. His spicy male scent assaults me, and all I want to do is get lost in him. I don’t miss the tree limb digging into my back or the way he rubs his nose up my neck before growling in my ear.

  “Why?”

  Shit. “I’ve got plans.” I push the lie through my teeth, almost regretting it. My need to keep him as far away from me as possible outweighs the throbbing between my thighs whenever he’s near.

  “With fucking who?” He says and turns me around to face him. I look up into his dark, angry eyes.

  I look around the bar trying to come up with something to tell him.

  “You forget where I was sitting Ms. Chelsea? Rock, why don’t you move so Ms. Chelsea can get back to serving her tables.” Charlie drawls lazily.

  Rock looks over at Charlie then back at the beer in my hand. He snatches it from me and pushes it into Charlie’s chest, beer sloshing out of the mug and onto the floor.

  “There,” he grits out, dismissing Charlie and focusing his attention back on me.

  “Who do you have plans with tomorrow Angel?”

  “I, I -”

  “She’s coming over to help my Darla make pies, then we’re delivering them to the shelter,” Charlie announces, saving me.

  I look to the side and see him taking a sip of his beer, he notices and winks at me.

  “Fine. I assume Darla is picking you up to bring you to their place. I’ll pick you up when the pies are done, then we’ll go deliver them, together. After, we’ll go to dinner at Pres’ house. You good with that Angel?”

  Camden chuckles behind me, and I’d like nothing more than to beat him in the head with my tray.

  “Yep.” I agree, knowing there’s nothing else I can say here. “Look I’ve got tables Rock. I’ll see you later.” He allows me to push him to the side and I stomp off, pissed that he’s making me do something I’m not ready for.

  ∞∞∞

  Rock

  Damn, she’s pissed. I look at Charlie and point. “You pulled that out of your ass quick old man.”

  He laughs and drinks his beer, admitting nothing, staring at my woman.

  “She’s special Rock.” He says looking me in the eyes.

  I nod. “She’s more than that Charlie. She’s a gift I don’t deserve, but I’m accepting because I know I’ll never meet another like her.”

  He sighs and runs his hand across his unkempt beard. “I’ve never had any children, but I’d be proud to call her mine. You treat her right when she finally le
ts you in, or it will be your ass on the line son.”

  I reach over and shake his hand. “I’ll never let her regret choosing me.”

  “You’re one cocky son of a bitch.”

  He has no fucking clue how sure I am about this. I’d place every bet, lay down all my possessions, and bet on Chelsea and I. Chelsea River Thomas is my beginning and end.

  Two

  Chelsea

  “The bathroom is on the right!” I shout at the person knocking on my door. I look at my phone and see that it’s seven o’clock and that I have a missed call and two texts, all from Darla. Damn it’s too early to people. Can’t the guys take their one-nighters somewhere else, it’s Thanksgiving for Christ’s sake? I can’t tell you how many times someone has knocked on my door in the middle of the night or just walked in, that happened only once, thinking my room was the bathroom. I need to find a new place to live, the rooms in the back just aren’t cutting it anymore.

  The person knocks again, but before I go crazy and shoot someone, the soothing voice of Ms. Darla carries through the door. “Hey hun, it’s Darla.” Charlie didn’t warn me that Ms. Darla would show up with the sun this morning. He never said anything to me about our plans, besides what he announced to Rock. I went to sleep expecting to sleep my Thanksgiving away and skip out on Rock. I roll out of bed and rush across the cold wood floor to unlock my door. As soon as the door is open I leap back into bed, cocooning myself in my warm covers.

  Darla pulls off her boots and lies on top of my covers wrapping her body around mine. “He didn’t tell you I was coming, did he?” She asks laughing.

  I shake my head no and enjoy my Darla cuddles. Darla is Charlie’s old lady. They’ve been married for almost twenty years and have no children. In her early fifties, Darla is a babe. Tall and curvy with a heart bigger than I’ve ever seen, she represents everything I hope to be when I “grow up.” She took me under her wing when I showed up with nothing and has been the mother figure I’ve always wanted.

  “Do I smell coffee? Coffee and, is that cinnamon?” I sit up quickly knocking her to the side. “Did you bring me your famous homemade cinnamon rolls?”