Vengeance MC Box Set ~ Volume 2
by ~ Natasha Thomas
Gage ~ Cash ~ Knight
Copyright © 2016 by Natasha Thomas
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
eBook Published and any subsequent printing done and developed in Australia
First Released, September 16th, 2016
Natasha Thomas
Sydney, Australia
Email:
http://[email protected]
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/NatashaThomasAuthor
Website:
http://natashathomasautho.wix.com/natashathomas
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/NatashaThomas
Amazon author page:
http://www.amazon.com/author/natashathomasauthor
eBook copyright ©2016
Natasha Thomas
All rights reserved
By purchasing this eBook, it allows you one legal copy for your own personal reading on your computer, tablet, or another device capable of viewing eBooks. After purchasing, you do not have the rights to; resell, print, distribute, or transfer this book, in part, or whole to any other person via any method currently known, or yet to be conceived, or developed in the future. It may also, not be uploaded, in part or whole, to any file sharing programs, websites, or social media outlets. Being resold, given, or transferred to any other person is in direct violation of the Australian, and U.S. Copyright Laws.
Warning
This book is a work of fiction and is written to be taken as such.
Characters, names, road names, motorcycle clubs, places, businesses, towns, events, and incidents are a product of the author’s own thoughts, and imagination. As such, any resemblance to persons living, or dead, actual events, or incidents, the past, present, or future, is purely coincidental and is not in any way intended to offend, upset, or disturb person/s reading its content.
This book is intended for mature audiences aged 18 and over. It contains content that may be viewed as disturbing for some readers, graphic sexual scenes and references, coarse language, and violence.
Acknowledgements
If I forget to mention anyone in the acknowledgements I write, just know that I truly am sorry. But that said…here goes.
To my amazingly supportive and loyal BETA readers; Jamie, Linda, Angie, and Cheryl, you lovely ladies work your asses off to help guide and encourage me through the process of writing the stories my readers have come to love. Hopefully, you ladies already know how appreciative I am for all of your feedback and everything you do for me, but if you don’t; thank you. I couldn’t keep doing this without you.
To my new cover designer and illustrator, Belinda Battles, thank you for knocking this one out of the park. I love what you’ve done with the Vengeance box sets and the Forever After series. Truthfully, I can hardly wait to release book one in the Dark Knights series because that too is one kickass cover.
Micha; I’m blocking your number, deleting your message thread, and I’m going to refuse to answer your emails if you don’t help me celebrate this latest release. Last time you bailed on me, I ended up sitting alone drinking, looking utterly pathetic while random guys winked at me from the bar. For your information, and I’m sure you’ll find this highly amusing, it took me a while to work out if they were in fact winking, or if they were just drunk off their ass and had something in their eyes.
Lastly, to my readers; after all the emails and messages I received asking for a box set of their favorite men, I decided to give you exactly what you want. This one is for you…
Dedication
To my readers…
It’s never too late to find what, or who you love.
Table of contents
Gage
Cash
Knight
Gage…
A Vengeance MC Novel by ~ Natasha Thomas
Copyright © 2016 by Natasha Thomas
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
eBook Published and any subsequent printing done and developed in Australia
First Released, May 29th, 2016
Natasha Thomas
Sydney, Australia
Email:
http://[email protected]
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/NatashaThomasAuthor
Website:
http://natashathomasautho.wix.com/natashathomas
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/NatashaThomas
Amazon author page:
http://www.amazon.com/author/natashathomasauthor
about this book…
Dexter ‘Gage’ Peters is a firm believer in, ‘you live by the sword, you die by the sword.’ It’s just a pity that this time, he was the one who was wielding the sword that would inevitably carve his carefully constructed world apart.
Aislinn Banks has never been a dreamer, but especially not after the man who owned her heart threw it away so carelessly. Now, she’s smarter; more cautious. So, the last thing Aislinn expects when she drives down the main street of Furnace, Colorado was to see the man who used to be her best friend and also the man who broke her heart.
Needing to shelter the woman who inadvertently became involved in the ongoing war between his club Vengeance and rivals Rebel Warriors MC, Gage isn’t afforded the luxury of indecision where Aislinn is concerned. He has to man up and apologize to her, because like it or not, by walking into his town, she had just become his to protect.
Powerless to deny the chemistry between them, Aislinn and Gage take a leap of faith and explore the depths of their desire for each other. It couldn’t have come at a worse time, but occasionally, when you least expect it, an opportunity arises that could be the difference between living a life filled with love, or a life spent searching for it.
PROLOGUE
~ Dexter ‘Gage’ Peters ~
“I hate it when people say “She’s really nice when you get to know her.” They might as well say “She’s a bitch, but you’ll get used to it.”
– yourecards
“Higher, Dex. Push me higher,” Aislinn demands, pouting when I won’t push her as high as she wants me to.
“No, you’ll fall and hurt yourself, and you know your momma will be angry if you do,” I tell her in the firmest tone a six-year-old can muster.
Aislinn Banks moved into the trailer park I lived in with my Mom and Dad with her Mom two years ago. And simply put, it was the best day of my life.
There aren’t many kids who live here, mostly it’s just old people and others like my parents who don’t have jobs. So when a tiny two-year-old with fiery red hair and huge, bright green eyes came to live next door, I thought God had sent an angel to earth just for me.
At four, I had no way of knowing she would become my world, but there was something about her that drew me to her. Aislinn was so little – much smaller than any two-year-old I’d ever seen – and that alone made me want to protect her, but that wasn’t the only reason I watched over her.
“Okay, Dex,” Ai
slinn sighs knowing I’m right.
If there was ever a woman who should never have become a mother it’s Aislinn’s mom, which is why I took it upon myself to look out for her.
Nancy Banks is a horrible mom. She drinks a lot like my Mom and Dad, but that’s not the half of it. Nancy uses needles all the time – Aislinn told me it’s her ‘special medicine’ – but I know better.
I overheard my Dad talking to Mr. Wilson a while back, and he said Nancy is a junkie whore. I don’t know what a whore is, and I’m guessing it isn’t good, but I do know what a junkie is. You don’t live somewhere like this without seeing and hearing things no little kid should ever see or hear.
Jumping off the rusted swing set, Aislinn walks over and takes my hand in hers.
“Do you have to go back to school tomorrow? Why can’t you stay here with me?” Today is the last day of summer break, and it also happens to be mine and Aislinn’s birthdays too.
“Yes, I do. I’d get in trouble if I didn’t go, but you’re coming too, remember,” I remind her, hoping that it makes her smile to know I won’t be leaving her alone every day anymore.
Aislinn’s mom couldn’t have been happier than when she worked out her daughter turns five the day before school goes back because that means she can get rid of her all day. Personally, I think it’s a good thing. The teachers at school will look after Aislinn way better than her mom does anyway. Not only that, though. This way I’ll get to see her at recess and lunch, and I won’t have to worry about her.
“I didn’t forget, silly,” she mumbles, trying to pull her hand from mine.
“Where are you going?” I ask, confused as to why she looks like she’s going to cry.
Aislinn turns and glares at me.
“Away,” she snaps, sounding really mad.
“But why?” I repeat. “I haven’t even gotten to give you your birthday present yet.”
We don’t have a lot of money. Actually, we don’t really have any, but I washed Mr. Wilson’s car a few times and helped Mrs. Leon with her groceries to get some to buy something small for Aislinn. Her mom forgets her birthday every year, and I hate seeing her upset all day because of it.
My parents aren’t much better, but, at least, I got a new pair of football boots this year. Sometimes I even get a cake like last year so I could share it with my best friend, but today mom said she didn’t have time to make one. What she really means is, she couldn’t be bothered, but I don’t care. The only reason I even asked was because Aislinn loves anything sweet.
Aislinn’s eyes light up briefly before her face drops, and she frowns at me.
“But I don’t have anything for you?” She tells me, even closer to crying than she was a second ago.
“That’s okay, I don’t need anything anyway” I reassure her. “I’ve got everything I need right here.” And it’s true. As long as I’ve got Aislinn as my best friend, I’ve got everything I’ll ever need.
Wrapping her tiny arms around me, Aislinn squeezes my middle tightly, tipping her head up to give me a huge smile.
“I’m so glad we moved here,” she grins. “You and me are going to be best friends forever, right Dex?”
“Of course we are,” I say resolutely. “Forever and always, Dex and Aislinn.”
CHAPTER ONE
~ Gage ~
“I tell you things when I’m sober, I don’t tell other people when I’m drunk.”
– Gage’s text to Aislinn
Six years later…
“I said no, Daisy,” I grind out for what feels like the hundredth time.
“But you promised, Dex,” Aislinn says, planting her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at me.
I started calling Aislinn, Daisy when we learned about drought tolerant plants at school last year. According to my seventh-grade teacher, Miss Barker, Daisies are able to withstand some of the harshest conditions and still bloom brightly year after year. Her description of the often mistaken as a common flower was a perfect comparison to how I see Aislinn.
Nancy has only gotten worse as Aislinn got older. Now that she doesn’t have to be around as much, Nancy is gone more than she’s at home. Something I’m glad of because when she is home, Nancy brings men with her that creep the hell out of me.
I’ve seen the way they look at Aislinn. It doesn’t matter to them she only just turned eleven, these men still eye her as if she’s a woman already, and I don’t like it, neither does Aislinn.
She told me a few months ago that they make her feel uncomfortable the way they sit too close to her and try to hug her all the time. When I found that out, I told her in no uncertain terms that if she feels scared to come and knock on my window no matter how late it is. Something that’s been happening every night for a whole week now.
Shaking my head at the stubborn girl in front of me, I reply,
“That was until told me that creep was going to be at your place. You’re not going back there, not even to get your swim suit, so just drop it, would you?”
Nancy started dating a new guy a week or so ago, and he’s the by far the worst yet. Jimmy is old – at least, twenty-five years older than Nancy who’s only twenty-seven – he smells bad, has a beer gut to rival my dad’s, and he’s always trying to touch Aislinn in ways that he shouldn’t.
Jimmy waits until Nancy’s busy before he tries anything, he’s smart like that. Not that Nancy would believe Aislinn anyway. If she told her mom what he was doing, Nancy would just say Aislinn was lying and trying to ruin yet another one of her relationships.
To make matters worse, if Nancy is coming down off one of her highs and doesn’t have anything to take the edge off, she gets really pissed. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve picked Aislinn up for school and found her black and blue because her mom took her anger out on her, but I can tell you it’s too many. Way too fucking many.
“Please, Dex,” she begs. “I’ve been looking forward to this all day.”
To get Aislinn to smile yesterday when her mom lost her shit and threw a coffee cup at her, I promised I’d take her to the swimming hole about a miles’ walk from our trailers. However, I only did this after cleaning the small cut next to her eye the cup made, which bled so much I started to worry it wouldn’t stop and putting a Band-Aid on it.
Throwing an arm around her slim shoulders, I groan, hating to go back on my word to her but I don’t have much choice. It isn’t safe for Aislinn to be in her trailer with that pig, so she’s just going to have to suck it up.
“I’m sorry, Daisy, but no. Pack your swim suit in your backpack before school tomorrow and we’ll go on the way home,” I offer instead. Seeing that I’m not getting anywhere, I pull out the big guns by using the one word I know will make her understand how important this is to me. “Gingersnaps.”
When Aislinn was eight, and I was ten, we made a pact where we each chose a word we would only use if it was absolutely necessary, but would tell the other how serious we were. Like a truce of sorts. Mine is ‘Gingersnaps’ because they’re Aislinn’s favorite, and hers is my middle name, Grayson. I haven’t had to use it often, but I have used it. However, Aislinn never has.
I sharp inhale from Aislinn signals she heard me, and also assures me that I’m about to endure a few days, at least, of her not talking to me. Something she confirms when she breathes,
“You didn’t.”
“Yeah, I did, and you know why,” I grunt as she elbows me in the ribs. “It’s not safe, Daisy. The last time you were alone with Jimmy, he tried to cop a feel,” I go on to say, shuddering at the thought of that asshole putting his hands on her.
Jimmy didn’t get far before Nancy walked out of the bathroom, but as far as I’m concerned what he did do was bad enough. Aislinn told me he grabbed her, and she couldn’t get away fast enough before his hand was squeezing her boob.
Aislinn might be only eleven and tiny in a lot of ways, but she’s a lot more developed in some areas than a lot of other girls her age. Not enough food, no money to buy
any, and always having to walk everywhere because her mom refuses to drive her anywhere means that Aislinn hasn’t grown the same way most kids do. But regardless of that, Aislinn couldn’t fight her genetics.
If Nancy hadn’t turned to drugs and alcohol, forgetting to eat most days, she would have been a beautiful woman. She has the same long, deep red color hair as her daughter, but unlike Aislinn, she has blue eyes. Nancy is shorter than I am at thirteen, which is five-eight, and has the body of the women in the magazines Dad reads in the bathroom. If she put on a good twenty pounds, didn’t look so drawn, and showered once and a while, that is.
“I should never have told you that,” she mutters, shuffling out from under my arm.
“Don’t,” I demand, yanking her back where I want her, which is right by my side. “Yes, you should have, and I don’t want to hear you say otherwise. You have to promise you’ll always tell me stuff like that, Daisy. It doesn’t matter how embarrassed you are, or how angry you think it will make me, you’ve got to tell me so I can protect you.”
Vengeance MC Box Set - Volume 2: Gage ~ Cash ~ Knight (Vengeance MC series Book 8) Page 1