Burn Up (Steel Veins Book 2)

by Jackson Kane

  Hendrix

  “Welcome home,” Star said, opening the door and stepping out to meet us. Her glasses caught the afternoon light just right so that I couldn't tell if the knowing amusement in her smirk reached her eyes or not.

  “You're shitting me, right?” I asked, looking past her into the living room. “What is this, a nine-bedroom?”

  Pulling up we saw the stone-sided, two-story monster with enormous ceilings, eight-foot-tall windows, two-car garage, and a sea of bright green lawn, and Anna joked that we definitely had the wrong address. How could we not? With neither of us actually working yet, this house was far nicer than anything Maya or I could afford.

  “Three,” Star stated matter-of-factly before turning and waving us in after her. “C'mon, I'll show you around. We've got all the essentials in already—beds, major appliances, kitchen equipment, couches, tables, and all that, but the rest like the TV and everything else will be here later in the week.”

  “Star, this....” Maya slowly shook her head in disbelief as she set her bag down in the cavernous living room. She glanced back at me, and I could tell we were both on the same page. This was all way too much. When Star and Remy said they were going to set us up with something to get us back on our feet, we were expecting a shitty little apartment somewhere in town for a few months, not a fucking mansion.

  “Is exactly what we talked about. Road to Hope needs a headquarters. and you all need a place to stay. No brainer.” Star was unyielding and spoke with the certainty of her position within the Steel Veins. Her husband, Remy, was the club's president and face of the organization, but it was no secret that they ran things like equal partners.

  “Do most nonprofits have hot tubs in the bathroom?” Anna asked, peeking into the room to our right. “Also, I call the master bedroom!”

  “Like hell, you little monster.” Maya wore a playful smirk and shoved her sister.

  In the long weeks I spent recovering from the fight with Slick, Maya, Star, and another new member's ol' lady, Elisha, created a nonprofit subsidiary company through the Steel Veins called Road to Hope that would be focused on helping abused spouses and children escape bad situations. Between Star's resources, Maya's legal knowledge, and Elisha's entrepreneurial and bounty hunting experience, the NPO was going to be a force for real change. It was also going to put the Steel Veins at odds with dangerous one-percenter clubs like the Broken Veins, but after everything they put Maya through, I thought she welcomed the chance to get back at that shitty MC. Maya already had a big target on her back from her father, so she'd decided she was going to lean into it instead of trying to run from it. If they wanted her dead, she'd damn well give them a reason to. Road to Hope was publicly a way to legitimize the Steel Veins as a nonprofit and help people but was also a way to secretly dismantle the Broken Veins and clubs like them.

  That was where I came in.

  After long talks with Remy, we'd decided that both Maya and this new organization were going to need extra protection, especially being that Slick had a lot of friends who would be looking for payback. That was going to be my job—keep Maya and Anna safe and lead the team when the court systems failed and we needed to make house calls in person.

  Star took Maya into their new office and began talking logistics as to what was going to be delivered when and what their next steps were for the NPO. I threw an arm around Anna, and together we checked out the rest of the house and grounds to give them their space.

  “What do you think?” I asked when we got up to the second floor to check out Anna's bedroom. “Is it rebellious teen approved?”

  Anna was anything but rebellious. The whole ordeal with her scumbag father had torn her up inside, especially after hearing how close her sister had been to being killed. She was an introverted mess when Maya took custody of her and couldn't bring herself to meet me for a long time just because I was a biker.

  I suggested we get ice cream and go play mini golf together for our first meeting. No motorcycles or vests with patches, just a large man who couldn't sink a golf ball to save his life. I'd worn these terribly ugly, but funny and disarming, bright orange and white diamond patterned golf pants I found at a thrift store and by the end of the day had Anna smiling. It took a few really soft visits like that for Anna to get comfortable enough around me to start opening up.

  Even still, having Anna eventually move from one MC right to another took a lot of convincing from her sister. We were doing what we could to take it slow with her, only introducing her to one or two Steel Veins at a time, always without their vests to show her that these men weren't anything like Slick's crew. It was going to be a process, but she was making progress.

  “Can we get a tree planted closer to the window?” she asked, having opened the window and surveying the view. “It's going to be hard to sneak out if I have to climb down the side of the house.” Anna turned back to me, wearing her best administrative look that she no doubt picked up from watching her sister work. “It's kind of a safety issue.”

  “Hmm, what are you thinking then?” I asked, crossing my arms and looking intently at the proportions of the window. “Zipline, water slide, or bat pole?”

  “Let's do all three, just to be sure.” Anna sat on the bed, flopped onto her back, and sighed. The bed was new and neatly made with perhaps a few too many pillows. It looked out of place in the nearly empty room. Anna would eventually blanket the place in posters or even paint the walls and otherwise fill it with personality, but until then it was all so plain and sterile. It drove home the feeling that this wasn't home, at least not yet.

  “How're you doing, little rock star?” I asked. The full-sized bed would've been too small for me if I wanted to lay next to her, so I just sat in the middle and did a half turn to look at her. “Stressed?”

  “Yeah. It's all... I don't know. It's all so much.” Anna put her hands over her face and groaned.

  “You got dealt a real shitty hand, and that's coming from someone who's been to prison. More than once.” I chuckled, shaking my head. “But you're a smart kid. I heard that they weren't even holding you back a grade because of how well you tested at the new school.”

  Anna groaned, not convinced yet.

  “And,” I added, “you're not alone. I've seen how hard your sister is willing to fight for you. She's a beast!”

  “She is.” Anna lowered her hands and cracked a smile. “You're pretty tough, too, I guess.”

  “Between me, her, and the small army that makes up the Steel Veins, I promise you nobody will mess with you.”

  “I'm sure the boys at school won't be intimidated at all by that.” Anna raised an eyebrow at me.

  I laughed. That never even occurred to me. I was so worried about her safety I didn't even think some of her concerns might be normal kid stuff. I really had a lot to learn about this whole parenting thing.

  “Hey, I promise I won't come to the door with a shotgun when a boy picks you up on a date.” I paused thoughtfully. “You're sister, however....” I let the sentence drift, offering only a shrug and an exaggerated gesture to show I wasn't all that certain.

  Anna laughed this time and sat up, then she gave me a hug.

  “Thanks. For everything. I'm really glad you're around,” she said, squeezing harder.

  “Me too,” I replied softly. “I'll try not to screw things up too much. Just a little. Ya know, to keep things interesting.”

  After a little more joking around and Anna painstakingly explaining how she was going to decorate her new room, we headed back downstairs.

  “Enough business!” I hollered from the stairs. “You've got a hungry teenager here.”

  “Hey!” Anna elbowed me in the ribs for using her as an excuse.

  “Okay, okay. And a hungry adult man. And we demand....” I looked at Anna expectantly.

  “Chinese food!” Anna declared. “The angry mob has spoken.”

  “All right,” Star said, smiling as she finished typing out a text on her phone. “I know a
place nearby. You settle in and get unpacked, and I'll go pick it up.”

  Maya laughed darkly, but there was no mirth in her tone. Her and Anna's expression dimmed slightly. It was a stark reminder of how little we all had, and while we had the help and generosity of the club, we were basically starting our whole lives over again. When Slick first found out that Maya was trying to get custody of Anna, he'd sent people to torch her apartment in case she had any evidence against him, and the police had never let Anna go back home to get her things because it was too much of a safety risk. Neither she nor Anna had anything more than a duffle bag with some sundries and a few changes of clothes. After my stay in the hospital, I barely even had that. Needless to say, there wasn't much to unpack.

  “Ah, I'm sorry,” Star said, seeing the pain on Maya's and Anna's face. She quickly added, “Hey, tomorrow's a big day. As the first official workday of RTH, we'll need to go meet the Leslie community. We're going to partner up with a lot of the local shop owners in town, and it would be rude not to pick up a few things along the way.” Star winked at the girls, and it seemed to lift their spirits a little.

  I walked Star out to her car to thank her again for all her hospitality.

  “Remy wants you at the clubhouse tomorrow. A few bikes are coming in around 9:00 a.m. All the prospects who don't have one will need to pick one out.” She opened her door then paused to crack a smile at me. “I suggest you get there an hour early.”

  “Prospect?” I asked. The Steel Veins had the longest and most intense initiation process of any club in the country. It was mandatory to do a full year as a hang around before you could be sponsored and join the club as a lowly prospect. A year or two after that, you could be voted in as a full-patch member. I hadn't even started as a hang around yet, and they were putting me through as a prospect? It was nice to hear, but it didn't make any damn sense. “I haven't put in my time yet.”

  “Remy was impressed at how you handled yourself with Slick's MC.” Star got into the car and started it up. Through the open window, she added, “He brought you up to the board and made a case as to how you've already proven yourself. The rest of the guys agreed. Welcome to the Steel Veins, Hendrix.”

  “Thanks,” I said, taken aback at the news. I expected to have to fight tooth and nail to prove myself. I guess all the shit I went through with the Coffin Eaters, the pain, the death, all of it wasn't for nothing in the end. “Who's my sponsor?”

  “Who do you think?” Star laughed. “So you'd better not screw up and let him down!”

  The national president himself is my sponsor!

  I watched her drive off, momentarily too dumbstruck to even move. My whole life changed when Maya showed up at our club's door looking for her uncle. It was crazy to think about where I was now... prospect in an honorable club, engaged to his niece, legal guardian to his daughter... Out of all the old C.E. members, I missed that old bastard the most.

  I promise to take good care of your family, man. It struck me that they weren't just his family anymore. My family, I thought, smiling wide.

  Goddamn, that was a warm feeling.

  “Now there's a hell of a smile.” Maya's touch on my arm gently brought me out of my thoughts. “Everything all right?”

  “Yeah, you know—” I glanced back at our new home, catching Anna in the window making faces at us, then back to my beautiful fiancée. “—for the first time in a long time, I think so.”

  She said nothing and just gave me one of her knowing smiles.

  “You knew, didn't you?” I asked, scooping her up into a big hug, lifting her small frame several feet off the ground. Of course she knew. Maya and Star talked all the time, and even if they didn't, she was still the smartest person I'd ever met. It would've only been a matter of time until she figured it out. “You are just the worst, you know that?”

  “What! How am I the worst?” She laughed and draped her arms around me.

  “The national president.” I gave her a flat look, then spun her around in quick circles. “That's a big fucking deal and you didn't tell me.”

  “Okay, okay, okay!” She whined for me to stop. When I began to lower her to the ground, she stopped me again and gave me a playfully stern stare. “I didn't tell you to put me down. Yeah, you caught me. She told me earlier today. What can I say? I wanted to see the look on your face when she gave you the news.”

  “You are a first-class punk.” I let the words linger in the air as I held the woman I loved in my arms. I couldn't help but think back to the years I spent in prison for a club doomed to die, never dreaming in a million years that I'd be watching the sun set over our new home—our new life.

  This truly was far better than a thug like me ever deserved, but I sure as hell wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I glanced back at Maya, mere inches away; the bright warm tones of the dying light bathed her and made her look like she had a faint glow radiating from her already beautiful features.

  Yeah, I thought, burying my face into her neck. The scent of her made my heart skip a beat, and when she squeezed me tighter, I felt a warmth fill my whole body. I didn't need to be the baddest motherfucker on the block. Knowing I had her made me the luckiest motherfucker in the world.

  About the Author

  Jackson Kane is a professional stuntman, athlete, romance author, and above all else, a hopeless romantic. From American Ninja Warrior, to some of your favorite films, Jackson brings a unique writing style forged from countless harrowing adventures.

  He’s a lover of travel, his fans, his romance author peers, dulce de leche, and all things beautifully weird and interesting. He invites you to relax, have a whiskey sour and let him thrill and excite you in a way no other author can. Jackson will show you what the world looks like through the eyes of a genuine Bad Boy. Come with him, and…

  Dare To Read Dangerously

  Become one of Jackson’s Nerdy Rebel Readers

  In my fan group, you’ll have access to contests, cover reveals, exclusive content, and secret videos.

  You’ll have private access into the world of a BAD BOY male author.

  My Rebels ALWAYS see it first!

  Stalk Jackson Properly:

  (for his stuntwork, American Ninja Warrior training and being a goof)

  Website or…

  Email- Jackson@JacksonKaneRomance.com

  Join Jackson’s BAD GIRLS email newsletter

  About the Publisher

  Hot Tree Publishing opened its doors in 2015 with an aspiration to bring quality fiction to the world of readers. With the initial focus on romance and a wide spread of romance subgenres, Hot Tree Publishing have since opened their first imprint, Tangled Tree Publishing, specializing in crime, mystery, suspense, and thriller.

  Firmly seated in the industry as a leading editing provider to independent authors and small publishing houses, Hot Tree Publishing is the sister company to Hot Tree Editing, founded in 2012. Having established in-house editing and promotions, plus having a well-respected market presence, Hot Tree Publishing endeavours to be a leader in bringing quality stories to the world of readers.

  Interested in discovering more amazing reads brought to you by Hot Tree Publishing? Head over to the website for information:

  www.hottreepublishing.com

  Check out the wonderful collection of romances from our authors.

  Amy McClung

  Ann Grech

  C.J. Miranda

  Dahlia Donovan

  Eva King

  Gen Ryan

  Genevive Chamblee

  Heidi Renee Mason

  Jackson Kane

  Jane Matisse

  Kathleen Eyke

  Krissy V

  Laura N. Andrews

  Lindsay Detwiler

  Mary Billiter

  Megan Lowe

  ML Nystrom

  MV Ellis

  Natalina Reis

  Randi Perrin

  Rose Sawyer

  Sheri Velarde

  Sidney Valen
tine

  Skye McNeil

  Theresa Oliver

  Virginia Cantrell