by Lane Hart
“Hi.” I smiled at him. Every time I looked at him, my heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t believe I’d been lucky enough to not only find a family but also find the man I was meant to be with.
He leaned down to kiss me. He was being gentle, but I wanted more. I reached up and pulled him even closer. I moaned into his mouth, completely forgetting we had an audience until I heard my father clear his throat.
“We’re going to get some coffee in the cafeteria,” Meredith announced, pulling a reluctant Viking behind her.
“I’ll be right back,” Viking called from the doorway.
“No, he won’t,” Meredith stated emphatically. “You two need a little privacy.”
I heard my dad grumble all the way down the hallway and it made me laugh.
“That’s a beautiful sound, babe.”
I looked at Mac. “What’s a beautiful sound?”
“That laugh. I was scared out of my mind that I might never hear it again. Seeing a gun pointed at you nearly broke me.” I saw his eyes glisten with pure, raw emotion. “I knew then I could never live without you. I love you.”
Hearing those words had tears streaming down my face. “I love you more.”
And then I kissed my man with all the passion in the world. He may have been a bad biker…an outlaw. But he was mine, and I would forever be his.
Epilogue
Mac
Two Months Later
“Do we have to go to the party tonight?” Kate asked as she laid on my chest, gently running her fingernails over my abs.
“Babe, I’m an officer, and we’re welcoming one of our charters. I have to at least make an appearance.”
“I bet I could tempt you to stay,” she said as she started gliding her hand down lower.
“You don’t play fair.” I grabbed her hand to stop her from starting something I didn’t have time to finish. “Let’s get up. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can come back here, and I can have my way with you.” I smacked her ass as we both got up to get dressed.
Thirty minutes later, we were walking into the clubhouse. The party was already in full swing, the alcohol flowing and plenty of girls for the visiting club, with one notable absence.
When Viking found out Michelle had told Jonathan where to find Kate when he had come to the clubhouse looking for her, he kicked her out on her ass. She was lucky that getting kicked out was the worst of her punishment.
I couldn’t help but feel like Kate’s injuries were all my fault. If it hadn’t been for me, Michelle wouldn’t have had it out for Kate, and Jonathan might not have found her that night. Kate said I was ridiculous and that nothing would have stopped Jonathan. She may have been right, but I was going to do everything within my power to make sure she was always protected.
I grabbed us a couple of beers and led Kate over to the corner. I sat down on the couch and pulled her onto my lap. A few months ago, I would have been participating in the debauchery happening all around us. But now, I was content sitting here with my girl. I would never miss the emptiness that went along with the life I had been living. Not when I knew how it felt to the have the love of a woman as incredible as Kate.
As the night progressed, I talked with a couple of guys from Reno. I met their president, Ice. He came across as an arrogant asshole, but he was here to help us. It was apparent their club was just as fed up with the Phantoms as we were. He had brought a few of his officers with him, as well as his sister. I wasn’t sure what the story was with that, but Kate was chatting her up, so I was sure she’d fill me in later.
It was starting to get late, and I wanted nothing more than to get back to the place I now shared with Kate and make good on my promise to fuck her until she couldn’t see straight.
“Mac, emergency meeting now,” Colt said as he walked by on his way to the back room.
So much for my plan. “Wait here for me, okay?” I asked as I knelt down to kiss Kate.
“Okay,” she said against my lips. Fuck, I loved kissing her.
I walked into the room filled with our members and the officers from Reno.
“Everyone, quiet down!” Viking got everyone’s attention quickly. “I was just talking to Ice, and we think the Phantoms are planning to make a move sooner than we expected.”
A bunch of pissed rumblings rang throughout the room.
“This is some serious shit, boys. I need you all to stay alert and get things at home sorted ASAP. Everyone needs to be ready to ride out at a moment’s notice.”
I hung back as everyone else started to leave. “If I have to leave, I want Kate to stay with Meredith,” I said, not even bothering to ask.
“Of course,” Viking responded as he walked to the door. Just as he was about to exit, he turned to look at me. “Shit’s about to go down, Mac. I hope you’re ready.”
The End
About Rachel Lyn Adams
Rachel lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, five children, one dog, four cats, and a bearded dragon. Whenever she has some free time you’ll find her with a book in her hands. She never believed she was the creative type until she sat down one day and started plotting out a story that wouldn’t leave her head. From there the ideas continued to flow. It was then that she found her outlet and she hasn’t stopped since.
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Claiming Chaos
Kim Bailey
CLAIMING CHAOS
Published by North Mile Books
Copyright © 2018 by Kim Bailey
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
ISBN: 978-1-989112-02-1 (ebook)
ISBN: 978-1-989112-03-8 (paperback)
No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, distributed, stored in or introduced into any information storage or retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic, photocopying, mechanical or otherwise, without express permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, story lines and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is no authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. Any resemblances to actual persons, living or dead, events, locales or any events or occurrences are purely coincidental.
This book is for your personal enjoyment only. Please respect the author’s work by not contributing to piracy and purchasing a copy for those you wish to share it with.
Editing by: Nikki Groom of The Indie Hub
Cover Design: Opium House Creative
Cover Photo: Lindee Robinson Photography
Cover Models: David and Alyse
Introduction
CLAIMING CHAOS
CHAOS & CONTROL: THE VIGILANTES
A novella
Kira was a voice in the dark and a threat to his control.
A chaotic beauty who Bodhi must fight, kill for or claim as his own.
Claiming Chaos is the first book of a brand-new series, releasing throughout 2019.
CHAOS & CONTROL: THE VIGILANTES
CLAIMING CHAOS
CONTROLLING CHAOS
SAVING SERENITY
DEFYING DARKNESS
For Gigi.
Opinionated and not afraid to show it—you would’ve hated this book.
I miss you.
Bodhi
It was an inferno. A bright, shining ball of fiery death.
The blaze was a wild roar, but the sound of it was lost to the ringing in my ears. Pain reverberated through my skull, matching the rhythm of my staggering heartbeat. My vision blurred, transforming the sharp lick of fire into a softly blended watercolor.
Everything was burning—my clothes, my face, the
air in my lungs. It felt like the whole world was on fire. My life reduced to a charred ruin.
All because of her.
The woman who’d created chaos… Hell, the woman was chaos, and I’d been caught in her vortex. Spun recklessly out of control. Sucked up, fucked up, and spit back out.
As my head began to clear, so did my senses. The wail of sirens raced toward me from somewhere in the distance. In front of me, the once brilliant yellow Lambo was now a hot glow of flames. The explosion that rocked it had tossed me backward, battering my body and delivering the message. It was time for me to choose.
Run or fight.
Live or die.
Claim chaos or lose her forever.
Bodhi
6 Days Ago
“You can tell me.” The voice was clear, distinctly feminine, and had a hint of unrecognizable accent. I didn’t know whose it was, but that voice was enticing as hell.
An unfamiliar sense of unease crept up my spine, threatening to break free, but I kept it in check, refusing to let it loose, because I was in control—always.
The dark stately home had been a silent statue. No flicker of lights. No flutter of a curtain or creak of a floor board. All had been quiet and still. The time had been right.
But that captivating voice didn’t belong.
I’d been in Long Island, watching this house and the people in it for weeks. One woman, two young children, an ugly one-eyed cat and my target, Pavel Stasevich.
As usual, I hadn’t asked for much intel. I knew his name. Knew he was a research scientist working for a division of BTA Xander—a major pharmaceutical corporation with its headquarters and research division in Manhattan. He owed a debt to some Russian mobsters, and someone wanted him dead.
Those were all the details I needed.
I didn’t need to know why. Didn’t care who’d ordered the hit or how much I’d be paid. All I needed was the target. Give me a name, I’d learn the rest—every route, bad habit, and boring routine. By the end, I’d know everything. Everything. Did he jack-off with his left or his right?
Ask me, I’d unfortunately know.
My associate managed the other things. The dollars and sense, he called it. Finn vetted every offer and worried over the details, so I didn’t have to. He did the bookwork, leaving my head clear to do the wet work.
Finn had negotiated this deal, just like all the others.
It should’ve been an easy one. A scientist with his feet solidly planted in the legitimate business world shouldn’t be hard to shadow. Shouldn’t be hard to wipe clean. Except, Stasevich never left this house, even his research work was done at home, and he was constantly surrounded by his family. They weren’t on my list.
Kids were never on my hit list—I was a killer for hire, not a fucking psychopath.
Not yet, anyway.
But his wife and children had left a day ago to visit relatives in Florida. That left the scientist home on his own and created the perfect opportunity.
Now, I was a ghost in his hallway, weighing my options, calculating the odds, and deciding if that unexpected, alluring feminine voice was a blessing or a curse.
“I promise I’m not going to hurt you. Not if you tell me what I want to know.” Her murmur was soothingly provocative. Impossible to ignore.
Keeping to the shadows, I concealed myself outside the large master suite’s open doorway, where the owner of that intoxicating voice came into view. The sight of her was even more enticing than the sound. Her features were hidden by darkness, but her slender frame was silhouetted against the moonlight. She was dressed in leather, every one of her subtle curves highlighted. Long limbs. Lithe body. Hair tied in a dark braid which trailed down her back. She looked like she was ready to kick some serious ass.
It was a fantastic look, and I took a moment to appreciate it as I assessed the scene.
Next to her, Pavel was a simpering man-child. Tied to a chair, he was naked, except for his white boxers and dark socks which were pulled up to mid-shin. He was blindfolded, too, poor bastard. Even with the delectable audio, he was missing out on a great show.
“Come on,” she coaxed, as though to a lover. “I just need the name of a place. It’s one small thing. I’m not asking you to name people. Just a place.”
“I don’t know,” Pavel wheezed.
“But you do,” she chided softly. “You know you do, and I know you do. I don’t want to hurt you, Mr. Stasevich, but I will.”
Moonlight glinted off a blade as she pressed it flat to his skin, running it up and over his chest. When she bent forward, light also caught her profile, revealing the long line of her neck and delicate jaw.
“You can't get out of this.” Her whisper sounded like a seduction—the type of promise a man might beg for.
With her smooth voice and cat-like prowess, she was mesmerizing. Enchanting. Each murmured word was a caress. Every subtle movement a kiss.
I wasn’t immune, but I refused to fall under her spell. There was a job to be done, and it seemed like I wouldn’t be fortunate enough to have her do it for me.
Time was running out.
“Your interrogation won’t work,” I interrupted, relaxing against the door frame with my arms folded across my chest.
The barrel of a gun was suddenly aimed at me. Where she’d had that weapon hidden in her skin-tight leather was a mystery. Still, as unnerving as it was to have a Beretta pointed at my head, I never wavered.
“Your threats aren’t tangible,” I continued—pure control, all the time. “Hurt him first, then promise to make it stop. That’s how you’ll get answers.”
Pavel whimpered.
“Don’t listen to this asshole, Mr. Stasevich, I don’t know who he thinks he is or what he thinks he knows, but I only need that location from you. Nothing more.”
“He’s not going to give you anything.” I dropped my arms, casually strolling into the room. One slow, easy step at a time.
Her aim didn’t waiver.
Neither did my command.
“Who the fuck are you, and what do you want?” Despite the sharp words, her tone was pure silk and I couldn’t help the small thrill that ran through me at the stroke of her voice.
“Now, now, kitten. You know what they say about curiosity...” I smirked. “Let’s deal with the scientist first. Just kill him and get it over with, then we can get out of here and discuss the rest. Naked, if you prefer.”
“Stay back,” she warned as I continued inching forward.
“Or what? You going to shoot me?”
“Yes, you cocky creep. In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m the one with the gun.”
“Oh yes, kitten, I noticed. Lucky for you, I like guns. If you behave yourself, I’ll even let you hold one while I fuck you.”
It wasn’t the first time a woman had called me cocky, and I couldn’t say it hurt my feelings much. My unwavering confidence was what kept me alive. The creep factor, however, was misdirection. A distraction. I hadn’t lost sight of my objective.
Although, I had to admit, taunting her was rather enjoyable. I was even looking forward to her heated comeback, but the shrill ring of the house phone interrupted our moment.
“That’s my security company,” Stasevich warned. “I didn’t set the alarm. They’ll call the police if I don’t answer.”
“He’s telling the truth,” I agreed. “Sorry, kitten, but it looks like fun time’s over. End your game now. You and I can move on to another.”
“Mr. Stasevich,” she purred. “I promise not to hurt you. Give me the location and we’ll leave you in peace.”
The phone stopped ringing.
Time was up.
As she was busy making promises she couldn’t keep, I launched into action. Her gun was still on me, but her attention was on her acquisition—my target. Charging straight at her, I grabbed her by her outstretched arm, securing her weapon and driving us onto the bed. We landed in a tangled heap on the mattress, just as two armed men burst into the room, shoo
ting.
Mayhem erupted.
I was fast, but their bullets were faster. A hot sting of pain flared up my arm as we rolled across the turned-down sheets, leaving a trail of crimson behind.
Bullets were flying, glass shattered, Pavel was screaming, and the wildcat in my arms was battling me for control of her gun.
We continued our struggle as we hit the floor on the other side of the bed. I absorbed the blow, landing with her on top, but quickly rolled again, pinning her to the plush carpet. The wall overhead cracked from gunfire, raining bits of plaster over us as I secured her arms under my weight.
She was breathing hard—hot bursts of her breath, hitting my own—but finally, she’d stopped fighting.
The shooting had stopped, too.
So had Pavel’s screams.
“Bodhi Decker,” one of the men called in a thick Russian accent. “We’re here for the girl.”
Shadows veiled our spot on the floor, and her face wasn’t much more than a pale circle in front of my own, but I thought I could see fire lighting her eyes when she surprisingly yelled, “Fuck you!”
Raising my arm over the bed, I aimed the hard-won 9mm in the direction of the voice that had called my name.
Fuck them was right. I didn’t care who they were, although the accent hinted they were probably Bratva. It didn’t matter. They’d come in shooting. If they’d wanted something from me, they should’ve considered asking first.
But when I pulled the trigger, nothing happened. Just an empty click.
“Seriously?” I railed, dropping her useless weapon to the floor, and pulling my own from its holster.