She was pregnant with his babies—fucking twins! How the hell did he get so lucky? Now that their life was pretty much normal due to a mistrial, he could finally allow himself true happiness. The Federal government hee’d and hawed before they decided not to retry his case, and they were both relieved when they received the news.
Of course, Carson City was a mess; they’d elected a new District Attorney and lead Prosecutor after the former two had been caught up in a scandal that had rocked the airways from Lake Tahoe to Las Vegas, Reno to Boulder City. No one could believe a sex tape of the two men who were respectable, wealthy and family men, would be dumb enough to fuck the same hooker.
Unfortunately, the woman in question was never discovered and her identity remained a secret. She’d worn a blonde wig and never had her face captured by the carefully placed hidden camera.
Gisela wouldn’t tell him where she’d gotten the evidence from and he didn’t ask. All he knew was as soon as his case had been dismissed, his wife had disappeared off to Las Vegas but not before she signed the divorce paperwork.
She didn’t show up to Court and didn’t fight the custody issue either.
Soon, Cillian would have four mouths to feed though Gisela insisted on continuing her practice of law. However, she’d made a joke if she had to defend him again, she’d cut his balls off, and he believed her too.
Their life was just beginning and although they still had turbulent fights followed by mind-blowing make-up sex, he knew they’d get to that place one day.
They were still re-discovering one another and there was so much time for them to grow as a couple.
Young love was easy but as adults, they actually had to deal with their problems, and together, they were an unstoppable team.
Life was good, and as soon as Dizzy handed over the gavel, it would be even better.
His father had promised him he would be made President shortly after Gisela became his old lady and they settled into married life.
Within two years, Cillian Cox would be the President of Lucifer’s Saints and the vast criminal empire would belong to him and his brothers.
The old generation was almost on their way out and when they were gone, he would run the Club his way.
Gisela
“So, how are my grandbabies treatin’ you?”
I sat beside Bronaugh and smiled as I patted my growing belly that was becoming quite the issue though I watched my diet and had maintained a healthy weight gain.
I was pretty much all stomach and nothing else but that didn’t mean I wasn’t miserable.
It was the annual Christmas party and everyone was drunk and stoned at the Clubhouse.
The place had so much more significance for me now because I’d been through a lockdown.
That night I thought someone was following me after Brianna gave me the evidence that would eventually dismiss Cillian’s case, the home of Dizzy and Bronaugh was attacked by the White Knights. Trey Lennon had gone missing in Northern Ireland and I had to spend the better part of two weeks with Trista Lennon-Carter, his high-strung sister, and her rock star husband, Lennon “Linx” Carter.
It was fun times.
Lots of bloodshed, full out war with the White Knights, and a couple of brand new Lucifer Saints’ members. Trey had eventually come back to Birch Tree though his girlfriend was dead, and Kyra had managed to come by whenever she could.
No one was all that surprised when she and Cricket ended their relationship, and she and Trey Lennon became close. I kind of always knew it would work out that way since she’d always carried a torch for the guy, even if she would only admit it to me while she was drunk.
The two of them sat in a private corner talking while she caressed his scalp. They were taking it “slow” because she was tired of being on the market and wanted a real relationship. Kyra wanted to be married before her thirty-first birthday.
I looked over at Bronaugh, stopped reminiscing, and smiled. “Not too bad. I just hope my body is in useable condition after my two tenants vacate.”
She lit a cigarette and blew the smoke away from my direction. “You’ll be fine, love. Cillian adores you and he’s gonna love you whether you’re one hundred and twenty pounds or two hundred pounds—”
“—that may be true but I don’t plan to test the theory. I have invested way too much money in my wardrobe to buy another because I allowed myself to become a blimp.”
We both laughed together and she clutched my hand while her other held her lit cigarette.
“Just think…all of this is gonna be yours and they’re goin’ to look to you because you’re his old lady. Dizzy and I worked really hard to let this all go to ruin. Promise me you won’t let that happen. Keep Cillian strong and be a great mother to his children and a wonderful old lady. He won’t do to you what his father did to me. I can promise you that.”
“I will,” I said quietly before I smiled again. “I’ve got an excellent teacher to show me the ropes.”
Bronaugh’s eyes shined with unshed tears. “Why thank you. I look forward to teachin’ you all the ins and outs too. Plus, you’ll be better than me—you’re an attorney so you know how to skirt the law a lot easier than I ever did.”
I nodded my head knowingly. “True.”
Cillian strolled over after he, Dizzy, Sean, and Brendan left chapel. He had a sly smile on his face that spoke of nothing but trouble but I understood why. Whatever Club business was discussed must have ended in his favor and he would want to wear me out again tonight, which, was fine by me.
“Ma, I was wonderin’ if you would mind if I took me wife?”
“Not at all, son. Go on youse two!”
Cillian helped me up and we walked together until we settled outside. It was cold, and the whole compound and surrounding areas looked like a winter wonderland. It’d snowed and we were expecting a very white Christmas in the form of a winter blizzard.
“Babe, I know it’s freezin’ out here but I had to ask my da for something…first we had to clear it with your da though.”
“What are you talkin’ about? We’re already engaged and in case you didn’t realize it, we’re both adults. My parents can’t decide who I can and can’t marry.”
“No, they can’t… but your father’s permission meant the world to me and it also means that you can wear this.”
I looked down and gasped as I saw my mother’s engagement ring and Bronaugh’s engagement ring welded together. It fit perfectly on my not yet swollen fingers.
“I love it but I didn’t need this ring to symbolize our love, Cillian. I know how much I mean to you. I’ve known since we were fifteen year olds playing house. Of course now that we can make it legitimate, it means the world to me but I would be just as happy living with you. It’s a piece of paper from the State—that’s it.” I kissed his lips gently and he embraced me though he was careful with my growing belly.
“I know. It was never about you. Remember how you said I’d fucked up and wanted to blame everyone except myself for my mistakes? It was true. It took me almost losing you and this Club being in lockdown for me to realize that I would have to stand up and own up to what I’d done.”
“I know, baby—”
“I’m not finished.” He sighed as our breath could clearly be seen in the chilly air. “I know Brianna helped you and you in turn, helped her. I wouldn’t have ever wished for it to be true but…you were willing to do what it took to save me and so was she…in her own way. I have to love and respect that about my kids’ mother, even if it’s you who has always owned my heart.”
“The same way you’ve always owned mine.”
We clasped hands and though it was freezing, the warmth from one another kept us standing there. Our lives had finally come full circle and we were only just beginning the next chapter.
“I love you, Cillian ‘Killer’ Cox.”
“I love you too, Gisela ‘Butterscotch’ Jackson.”
“Do you think it’s possible for dreams to co
me true?”
Cillian pulled me closer into his warm embrace. “Yes and no. We’ll never have a normal life and you’ll always be more than just my old lady. You’ll be my confidante and best friend. You’ll share all the Club secrets and keep them close to your heart. Your life won’t ever not be in a state of flux. It’s the way of the life. The MC way. The Lucifer’s Saints’ way.”
“Can you finally say that you love the Club? My dad always used to tell me that if a woman loves her man—truly loves him with all her heart—then she had to learn to deal with the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. The same goes for you too, my love. This Club will never be perfect but it’s the only one you’ve got, and I know if I love you then I have to love your family and the Club…then again, so do you too.”
Cillian kissed my brow and we were quiet for a while before he began to drag us back inside.
“Wait,” he began as I reached to key in the code. “I can finally say I do love this fuckin’ Club…not as much as I love you but if I love the woman who loves my Club then I’m hopin’ her heart is big enough to love it enough for the both of us.”
“I will, babe, until you can truly say you love Lucifer’s Saints as much as you love me.”
He kissed me again, this time with passion and longing. “Yeah, I think I can handle that.”
“I know you can handle it.”
“Do you always have to have the last word?” he wondered as we walked back inside and he shut the door firmly behind me.
“Of course, I’m an attorney.”
“Here we go again.”
“Cillian?”
“What?”
“Just shut the fuck up, kiss me again and then take me back to your old bedroom so we can fuck like teenagers.”
“With pleasure,” he whispered and when his mouth met mine in a soul-searing kiss that stole my breath away, I knew I’d always belonged to him.
This was where I was meant to be, and soon, Cillian and I would make our union legal and binding.
I was where my heart and soul were meant to be, and because that was wherever Cillian was, I finally had a place to call home.
The End
Author’s Note
I purposely left Cillian and Gisela’s story open because I’m not through with them yet but that doesn’t mean I won’t be moving on to other characters you’ve met in this story.
The Rough Riders was always meant to be a multi-faceted series. In the future, all the Cox siblings—Ronan, Quinn, and Misty—along with Kink, Cricket, Bookie, and Trey Lennon, will have novels written about their lives, trials and tribulations of being part of the Lucifer’s Saints.
The series will eventually expand to include characters from the Demon’s Bastards, Aztecas Infierno, the Jackson crime family, the Abandonato Mafia family, and the White Knights.
I’m not sure how long I will write The Rough Riders Series but as long as readers continue to enjoy this complex world of Northern Nevada and the crazy inhabitants in it, I will write until I can’t write anymore.
I hope you enjoyed this novel and if you did, please leave a review.
Thank you for reading and have a wonderful holiday season and here is to a brand new year full of unimaginable possibilities for you, your friends, and families!
Selene Chardou
December 17th, 2013
The Rough Riders Series continues with
Naked Dirty Love (Trey & Kyra’s story)
Coming Spring of 2014
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Selene Chardou is a world traveler and the alter-ego of Elle Chardou.
Ms. Chardou’s writing is all about hot romance and exciting times with the wild, damaged, out of control and/or rich and famous set in the New Adult realm.
She is currently working on Love TKO, the first novel in The Love Unexpected Series, a saga about the rough and tough Duffy brothers and their two cousins, Seamus and Fiona Duffy; and Jaded Faith, the third novel in Scarlet Fever Series.
Ms. Chardou has lived abroad in Stockholm (Sweden), Manchester (England), Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Contact & Resources
Blog: The Realm of Selene Chardou: http://selenechardou.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7025554.Selene_Chardou
Follow Selene Chardou on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ellechardou
Like Selene Chardou on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Selene.Chardou.AND.Elle.Chardou
If you would like to email Selene Chardou, she can be reached at: [email protected]
Published & Upcoming Books by Selene Chardou
Scarlet Fever Series (New Adult/Contemporary Romance/Women’s Literature)
Rock My Heart
The Will to Love
Jaded Faith (March, 2014)
Grant’s Muse (August, 2014)
The Rough Riders Series (Romantic Suspense/Contemporary Romance)
Deadly Seduction (Gisela Jackson & Cillian “The Killer” Cox’s story)
Naked Dirty Love (Trey Lennon & Kyra Hughes’ story) [June, 2014]
Dangerous Attraction (Ronan “Puck” Cox’s story) [To Be Announced]
Dangerous Temptations (Maeve “Misty” Cox’s srory) [To Be Announced]
Unbreakable Hearts (Quinn “Tech” Cox’s story) [To Be Announced]
Love Unexpected Series (Romantic Suspense/Contemporary Romance)
Love TKO (Torin Duffy’s story) [January/February, 2014]
Love TKO: Out For The Count (Kieran Duffy’s story) [April/May, 2013]
Good Girl Gone Bad (Fiona Duffy’s story) [TBA]
One More Kiss (Shane Duffy’s story) [TBA]
Stripped To The Bone (Devin Duffy’s story) [TBA]
Love Stoned (Seamus Duffy’s story) [TBA]
One More Night Trilogy (New Adult/Contemporary Romance/Women’s Literature)
Falling Into Lust
Falling Into Us
Falling Into Love
The Lovers Duet (New Adult/Romantic Mystery & Suspense/Contemporary Romance)
Out From Under
In Too Deep
Above The Fray (July, 2014)
Young, Rich & Talented Trilogy (New Adult/Contemporary Romance/Women’s Literature)
Rock Me Out (Chyna Bleu’s story, To Be Announced)
Rock Me Sideways (Damian Phillip’s story, To Be Announced)
Rock Me In (Ava Martin’s story, To Be Announced)
Novels & Novellas by Elle Chardou
The Ties That Bind Trilogy (Contemporary Romance / Romantic Suspense with erotic and BDSM elements)
Killing Time
Killing Heartache: A Novelette (Book 1.5)
Killing Time (The Bonus Collection)
Killing Desire
Killing Me Softly
The Ties That Bind Omnibus Collection
Seasons of Love & Lust (Contemporary Romance / Contemporary Women/ New Adult)
A Summer to Remember
Falling for Autumn (TBA)
Winter’s Regret (TBA)
Spring Fling (TBA)
Exploitation of Love Series (Contemporary Romance / Contemporary Women)
Reckless Behavior: A Prequel Novella (TBA)
Indecent Behavior, A Novel (TBA)
Undertow Trilogy (Contemporary Romance / Contemporary Women / New Adult)
Undertow
Falling Under (Coming TBA)
Drowning in You (Monika & Dylan’s story, TBA)
The Atonement Series (Contemporary Romance / Contemporary Women)
Atonement, A Novel
Only Love
Only Time (Caitlyn & Liam’s Story, To Be Announced)
Only You (Drew & Aubrey’s Story, To Be Announced)
Crazy in Love (To Be Announced)
The Vamp Saga (Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy)
Mortal Death: Book I
Immortal Lair: A Novella (A Prequel to Death Wish)
; Better Off Immortal: Book II
Queen of the Immortals: Book III
Immortal Dawn (Autumn/Winter, 2013)
The Vamp Saga Omnibus Collection (Re-issue To Be Announced)
The Hart Family Saga (Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy)
Hart Attack
Troubled Hart: A Novella (Book 1.5) [To Be Announced]
Change of Hart (To Be Announced)
Superstar Marriages Novella Series (Contemporary Romance)
Lara & the City of Angels
Jenna & the City of Light (To Be Announced)
The Supernaturals Novella Series (Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy)
Deadly Seduction (A Rough Riders MC Novel) (The Rough Riders Series) Page 20