Blazing Hot Bad Boys Boxed Set - A MC Romance Bundle

by Glass, Evelyn

  “Poor Hawk?” she tried to bolt upright but was soundly reminded of her limitation. She cried at the torturous pain that vibrated through her. When she could finally speak, she said, ”May I remind you he walked you into a trap that almost cost you your life.”

  “Which you helped bait. I mean you were sticking it in my face the entire time I knew you. You look so sweet and innocent. Who could resist?” His words were completely void of feeling.

  “I want you to know that if I could applaud for you for finding a way to hurt me more than I am at this moment, I would. You are breaking my heart right now. I want you to be completely satisfied at a job well done.” Blanche wanted to throw up.

  “Is that supposed to make me feel sorry for you? Are you trying to flip this around?” he scoffed.

  “No. I am not. I came here to kill you. There is no way around that. For the record, you fucked me after you knew I was El Salvador. And as I said, there is more than one of us. They recruit a bunch of people so that no one quite knows what to look for, but I gave that up and I vowed to defend Gold Creek. I went to Hawk to distract him from you. From Gold Creek. I killed him to save you!” she pleaded.

  “Something that would not have needed doing if it hadn’t been for you,” he responded coldly.

  “Got it. Now leave,” she said. Her temperature was up and she was uncomfortable. She would just wait for sleep.

  Jason hovered over her so that their faces were but a breath apart. “I am in charge. I think I read somewhere that you hated that. That the fact that I played by the rules irked you the most. Well here I am to irk you. Dana has had a lot to contend with thanks to the Norte Mexicali and you. In case you didn’t know, the biker whose bike Hawk sabotaged was Dana’s cousin.”

  “Was?” Blanche choked. “I thought he was stable?”

  “He is, but he’s not quite right. He hit his head in the fall. He’s scrambled. Dana is taking time off to regroup.” Jason was almost civilized to her.

  “I am sorry about all of it,” she said.

  He responded with total ice. “I don’t care. Now,” he said unlocking her cuff, “up. It is time to shit, shower, and shave, as they say.”

  “I want a lady deputy,” Blanche scowled.

  “No,” he answered shortly.

  “Then I can tell you those charges aren’t going to stick. No jury in the world will convict me when they find out the acting sheriff refused me inappropriately.” She struggled to even sit upright and cried out; it was that excruciating.

  “Fine,” Jason complained. “I will get you a nurse.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  They ended up draping a curtain around the holding cell and allowed a nurse to give her a sponge bath to change the dressing on her arm. When it was all done, she could see the interest in Jason’s face was more than a passing interest; he was concerned. Before leaving, the nurse had already taken her vitals and reported that Blanche was running a slight temperature. If it got higher, she would have to be re-admitted to the hospital.

  “Don’t hesitate,” the nurse warned. “It’s kind of a drive into L.A.”

  “I am not sure how,” Jason scoffed, “but you are probably faking that fever.” He shook out the thermometer.

  “She just took it,” said Blanche of her temperature and pulled away.

  “Open your mouth,” he scowled. She obeyed. He pressed his palm to her forehead to feel. His hand felt amazing. So cool. Blanche could go to sleep now. “You are warm. We ought to go dunk you in the Bay is what we ought to do.” He lifted a lidded glass of ice water to her lips. “Sip.” Blanche winced as he handed her the water. “Where did she leave the pain meds?” he said absently.

  “I didn’t get any,” Blanche answered.

  “What?” he shook his head.

  “I refused them.”

  “Why in the hell would you do something like that?” he demanded.

  “Because I don’t deserve them,” she answered stoically.

  Jason telephoned the nurse. “Hey there. Can you come back here? I understand she isn’t on any pain meds? She’s changed her mind. She would like some. I don’t know if you know that she has an injured rotator cuff. She needs them.”

  When he hung up the phone Blanche cursed him. “Thanks. That was my choice. You say you hate me, that I am a murderer, and now you insist I don’t suffer? What’s the problem? I agree with you? So if I fought and insisted on the medication, what? You would deny me? Let me know how it works here.” The nurse was back in the sheriff station. “I’ll just tell her. I don’t want the medication.”

  He arched his eyebrow, “Do it and see what happens,” he hissed.

  The nurse approached them. “You changed your mind?” she asked confusedly.

  Blanche was about to tell her no when Jason shoved her. She screamed out with pain with gut-wrenching cries. “Give me something fast!” she hollered and the nurse produced a hypodermic from her bag and stuck Blanche in the hip.

  The nurse explained to Jason when her next dose would be because she would not be able to administer it. “Fine,” said Jason.

  The medicine kicked in pretty quickly, rendering Blanche’s throbbing to a dull drumbeat of pain. Once again, the nurse left them alone, for the night apparently. “You’re a prick. You set me up just so you could shove me. God! You are as bad as the Norte Mexicali.”

  “I am nothing like them!” he insisted.

  “You are. Do you think I just fell into my line of work? No. They saw a young woman with no family who had a single asset – that I looked like a kid for longer than I should have – and they made use of it. And when they didn’t get what they wanted, they shoved me just like you did now.”

  “I see the devil made you do it. You’re a killer because it suits you,” Jason replied. “And I shoved you for your own good. You need the pain medication.”

  She laughed. “That’s so dumb. What does it matter? You hate me!”

  Jason was quiet. He didn’t answer to that. He switched the subject. “How old?” he asked.

  “How old what?” Blanche was now feeling really good. It took a bit, but she felt almost no pain.

  “How old were you when the Norte Mexicali recruited you?” There was a definite shift in his tone.

  “I was eighteen years old,” she answered quietly.

  “Where was your family?” He was staring at her; she could see it out of the corner of her eyes, but she looked to the ceiling. He had her handcuffed, but she was not on her back as before.

  “That’s a long story. I don’t want to get into it.”

  “Get into it,” he growled.

  Blanche sighed. “My mother died when I was about seven and my dad left immediately. I lived with my grandmother. An aunt moved in with my grandmother and shortly after, my grandmother died. It turned out that the lady wasn’t my aunt and she kicked me out. I was about fourteen and I have been on my own ever since. I got involved with a community center and started picking up self-defense. The self-defense guy tried to pick up me. I was like sixteen by then. I was pretty good. So anyway, the self-defense guy tried to force me.” Blanche could feel herself growing numb recounting the story. “I fought him off. The police got involved. Anyway, this lawyer for the Norte Mexicali jumped in and fixed everything. That’s when they took notice of me. They put me on the payroll.”

  Jason was quiet still. “Whatever,” he said finally. “It’s getting late. I should feed you before I go.”

  “You’re going to leave me in this jail like this with a handcuff on?” she pleaded.

  “You got out of the handcuffs before. I am afraid you will bust out of the jail.”

  “Then take me to your place!” Blanche panicked.

  “Oh no, I am not doing that again,” Jason chuckled. “You will be fine. I am not leaving you alone. Someone will be here.”

  “I don’t trust just anyone. Don’t leave me cuffed, Jason. Don’t,” she said with a threat in her voice.

  “Or what?” he stood up and
dared her to finish that.

  “I will break out and you will never see me again,” she said.

  “What made me think I want to see you again,” he said.

  He might as well have punched her. But she continued, “Then you will never see me punished for what you think I did.”

  “I think I am good on that. We have an armed guard here who has an order to shoot you dead if you misbehave. Goodnight. Sleep well, Ms. Herrera.”

  “Goodnight back at you, Mr. Fowler. You want to be an asshole to me; I will be one back at you. You do not want me for an enemy.”

  “I think you were an asshole first, Ms. Herrera. You came here to kill me.”

  “Yeah, well I’ll bet I can make nice with my employer and deliver him his product. If I am of value, they won’t care about one stupid little man. Now you sleep well. And don’t forget to look over your shoulder.” Just to bother him, Blanche pretended to be working her handcuff.

  Jason rushed her. “Stop that now!”

  He only meant to stop her from tugging at the handcuff. But instead he found himself grabbing her on impulse and kissing her hard. She kissed him back. It was, indeed, all she wanted. He broke away and recoiled. “Damn you,” he rasped.

  He pulled a gun from a drawer and inspected it before putting it in a holster at his hip. It was her gun. He made sure the next-on-shift knew she hadn’t eaten; she could hear him doing so. Then he left. He walked out of the sheriff’s department, leaving her to fend for herself and walking out of her life for good.

  Or so he hoped.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  The night's quiet, thought Jason Fowler. He drank his fresh, hot, black coffee on the deck as the sun was beginning to rise. He had expected at least one incident, but nothing. In fact, when he called over to the jail, no one answered. That was not a good sign, because either everyone had fallen asleep or Blanche was up to no good. He took his time, though. If she was gone as promised, a few more minutes wasn’t going to do him any good. If they were asleep, there was no rush.

  Finally his phone rang but it was not the call he expected. It was Dana and Rick, the sheriff and deputy who were supposed to be getting some rest. They had received word that a few Norte Mexicali were arrested in Victorville. They had caused a huge scene and were extremely difficult to subdue. They found a woman’s body on the roadside, a rubber tire around her neck lit on fire. They were waiting for the autopsy report to see if they could identify the body.

  Jason nearly passed out. No.

  “Jason, have you been to the jail? We are on our way over. We can’t get anyone to answer,” said Dana.

  “I figured he’s asleep. She can’t get to the phone. I have her cuffed to the bed.”

  “Jason, it doesn’t work that way. Get over there. You will be there before I will. Report back,” he ordered.

  Jason was in total fear mode. He had no taste for coffee or relaxation now. It was a funny thing, the thought of her potentially dying that way knocked his resentment completely from his consciousness. Now he was driven for a need to know she was safe.

  She had been just a kid. She wasn’t much older than one now. Not really. She did her best to do the right thing in an awful situation. He all but flew to the station. He was somewhat relieved when, contrary to what Rick said, the deputy was asleep. But his worst fears were realized when he got to the cell and Blanche was gone. She hadn’t broken out, though. Her cuffs were cut and she went out kicking and screaming. Jason would have to follow the trail of blood to find her.

  Liked Ride Hard, Ride Fast? Read the rest of the trilogy for FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

  Back to Table of Contents

  Collision Course

  Candice Owen

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Aguilar’s,” Rose says when she answers the phone, identifying the restaurant that bears her name.

  “Rose?”

  “This is Rose Aguilar. How may I help you?”

  “Rose… this is Melina. Melina Scholly.”

  “Melina! How are you? I haven’t heard from you in ages.”

  “Oh, Rose…” the woman gasps into the phone. “Tim has been killed. I thought…”

  “What?” she yelps. “Oh, Melina… I’m so sorry! How?”

  Rose waits while Melina gets herself under control. “He was shot, Rose. Murdered this morning. Outside the restaurant.”

  Rose sits in shocked silence. Things like this just don’t happen in the community of Eagle Valley. Melina has two lovely children, Michael and Kimberly, one three and the other not quite one. Both of them are about to grow up without a father.

  “Melina… I can’t tell you how sorry I am. Is there anything I can do? Anything at all?”

  She waits as Melina tries to get her sobs under control. “I hate to ask…”

  “Melina…” Rose says warmly. “We’ve been friends forever. If I can do it, you know I will.”

  “I need someone to run the restaurant for a few days. Just until things settle down. I’m sorry to have to ask…”

  “I will be happy to help you, Melina,” she interrupts. “Can you manage for a day or two until I can get there?”

  Rose can hear the relief in Melina’s voice. “Yes. Of course. I can’t thank you enough, Rose. I hate to be a burden. I know you have your own…”

  “Hush now,” Rose says kindly. “It is no burden. My assistant managers can run the place for a few days. I’ll be there tomorrow evening some time. Don’t worry about this, okay? You worry about yourself.”

  “Thank you Rose. Thank you so much!” Melina gushes. “Will you stay with me? Please? I could use the company. I feel like I am going out of my mind and…”

  “Of course. I would love to. Anything I can do to help. Hang in there, Melina. I know it is hard right now, but it will get better. I promise.”

  Melina is quiet for a moment before Rose hears a great gasping sob. “I have to go Rose. I haven’t called Tim’s parents yet. I’m dreading making that call.”

  “Do you want me to do it?” Rose offers.

  “No… I can do it. It’s just going to be so hard…”

  “I know, Melina. I know…” she comforts as she begins to struggle with her own tears.

  “Thank you, Rose. I couldn’t ask for a better friend,” Melina says.

  “Same here,” Rose murmurs as she hears the line go dead.

  She sits at her desk, staring at the walls. Tim Scholly… murdered. Tim was the nicest guy you could ever meet. A friend to everyone. Why anyone would want to kill him is beyond her.

  Rose gathers herself and wipes her eyes before picking up the phone and dialing both her managers. She needs to let them know they are going to have to pick up the slack while she is gone.

  ***

  After meeting with her managers early the next afternoon, Rose heads north on US-95 to Eagle Valley, Nevada. It has been a couple of years since she has made the six hour drive home to the community located right outside of Carson City. Not really a town, more like a loose gathering of homes for people that work in Carson City—and the businesses that support them—Eagle Valley was her home until she left to find her own way.

  It is going to be like old times, going back to the restaurant she worked in until she left for college. She, Tim, Melina, and Joseph Warner—they were best friends and the core group of high school kids that had served as waiters and busboys for her parents’ restaurant, The Green Goose… or as the locals call it, the Goose. Her parents had sold the restaurant to Tim less than a year ago when they had retired to Florida.

  When her parents announced they were retiring they had offered her the Goose but she had already graduated from UNLV with a degree in business and hospitality management and had opened her own restaurant, Aguilar’s, in Los Vegas.

  Where Aguilar’s is upscale, open for dinner only, and catering to the well-heeled, the Goose is open from five am until ten pm every day, serving simple meals at reasonable prices. Tim, who had worked up from busboy to assistant manager,
had expressed an interest when her parents had decided to sell and Rose was thrilled that the restaurant had all but stayed in the family.

  She hasn’t been home since her mom and dad had announced their plans to sell and retire, and despite the circumstances, she is looking forward to meeting her old friends. But poor Melina… Rose had worked it out with her two managers to be gone for about thirty days with just the occasional visit back to Vegas to handle any problem that might need her attention. By then Melina should be back on her feet and can take over the restaurant if she chooses. She had worked there for a long time before quitting to raise her family and Rose is confident that once she is over the shock of Tim’s unexpected death, that she will be fine and the Goose will be in good hands.