McGyver
Page 35
“You’re damned good. It only makes sense for you to design under your own name instead of someone else’s. Oh, speaking of which, I’m in talks to do a photoshoot for a hair products company.” She rolled her eyes. “They originally wanted girls in bathing suits, with their hair blowing in the breeze. I’ve convinced them girls in dresses, running and laughing, maybe even flying kites, would work better. I’d love for you to handle the wardrobe on this one. Bonus if you design the kites to coordinate.”
He grinned. “I’d love to. You’re great to work with.”
“Right back atcha. It’s like you know what I want without having to explain.”
Both men’s heads turned as if on the same swivel, and they looked in the direction of the turnoff from the main road onto their driveway.
“I assume ya’ll hear Danny and my dad returning?”
“A motorcycle and a luxury car,” Trevor confirmed. “Eight-cylinder engine, and tight.”
“Danny and I will be staying in the house in Fort Oglethorpe the night before my birthday.” She rolled her eyes. “At first, I assumed it was so ya’ll could set up for the party without me here, but now I’m thinking Danny wants to do naughty things to me without any supernaturals in the house who’ll hear.”
Clay laughed. “Or maybe it’s both, you never know.”
Iris smiled when the limo and motorcycle came into view, and then went back out of view as they drove towards the garage area. Her Danny had built a garage that rivaled her father’s.
Men.
The limo made her happy because it meant her father had Reyna with him. He preferred a wall to be between him and the driver when she was with him, so he could speak to her as her Master, and not merely her husband. She almost always came with him these days, but he occasionally let her stay home when she was having a particularly hard time. She’d been here enough though, she knew she could go inside and escape the crowds if she needed time alone.
Reyna was only allowed to wear dresses and skirts. No pants or shorts, ever. It was all about easy access, and reminding her she was owned, but the tiny woman never complained, and she always looked beautiful.
Today, she wore a summer dress and strappy sandals with heels so high, it was a wonder she could navigate the stone path down to the dock, but she did so with grace.
Iris walked to them as they approached, and hugged Reyna first, then her father.
“Danny said to tell you he needed a quick shower before he joins us,” her father said. “Someone was rude to Reyna, and he...” he sighed. “I don’t condone violence, but I have to say I approved.”
“Are you okay?” Iris asked Reyna. She’d come a long way, but being around strangers was still hard for her.
“I am. The men whistled and said something crude, and Danny banged their heads together. He said something to them, too. I don’t know what. They both apologized to me. One of them threw up. I’m pretty sure he gave them concussions.”
Iris rolled her eyes. Danny was possibly as protective of Reyna as he was of Iris.
“Did he get blood on him, or something?”
“No,” her father answered. “We went to see a custom item purchased for your birthday, to be sure it’s as ordered, and Danny decided to help the men with some heavy lifting. He worked up a sweat, but seemed happy for it.”
He would.
Before Iris drove herself crazy trying to figure out what this birthday present might be, she pointed to the table with the food. “Feel free to snack if you want. We’re due at the MC’s restaurant in three hours, but I figured we’d need snacks with our tea.”
She remembered that Reyna isn’t usually allowed alcoholic beverages, and went to the refrigerator inside the boathouse to retrieve a bottle of the green tea her father’s wife preferred. She brought it out, filled a glass with ice, and then poured the tea. She noted her father had already poured himself a glass of the Long Island Tea. He only let Reyna drink wine on occasion, and rarely around outsiders. She got a little bratty when she’d been drinking. Iris thought it was cute, but she understood why it wasn’t a good idea around people who weren’t familiar with their dynamic.
The morning of Iris’s birthday dawned beautiful. They’d had a neighborhood party the night before, but Danny had taken Iris inside and had his merry way with her fairly early.
Once again, her father, Clay, and Danny had made all arrangements for her party, but it no longer made her nervous. She hadn’t had an official big party since her twenty-fifth, but Danny had insisted on one this year.
Her favorite masseuse arrived at eleven and gave her a two-hour massage. She was then told to soak in the hot tub on the deck until it was time to get ready.
She’d already tried her dress on, but Danny hadn’t seen it yet, and she loved the way his eyes lit up when he saw it. Clay had outdone himself.
Her security drove them to Ross’s Landing, and Iris admired a beautiful yacht pulled up to the dock. Kendra’s boyfriend had one this large, but she hadn’t seen another even close to this big in Chattanooga.
The car parked, and she noted the name on the back of the yacht. Blueberry Daze
She looked at Danny, confused, and he smiled. “Happy Birthday, Blueberry. You said you wanted to ride the river from here to the Gulf of Mexico. We can do it in this.”
“You bought me a boat?”
“I bought you a fancy-assed yacht. Eric helped me decide which, and he’ll arrange for a captain for us, when you’re ready to go.”
She threw her arms around his neck. She’d talked about the possibility, and about how she could do a video series on her channel about it, but she hadn’t thought they’d actually be able to do it.
“You can get away long enough?”
“I can. If we have a big event, I may need to fly up and help with it, and then fly back, but it shouldn’t be a problem.” He urged her out of the car. “Meanwhile, we have someone who’ll drive it from here to our dock, so you’ll arrive at your party in style.”
Brain, Harmony, Bash, and Angelica were already on when they entered, and they all hugged her and wished her a happy birthday.
“I’m still flabbergasted. I can’t believe Danny is going to make this actually happen.”
The yacht could apparently go fast when necessary, but today was a leisurely sightseeing trip, and there was plenty of wine and cheese to snack on. Danny had built another level onto the dock during the winter, and now she understood it was so they could step from the upper level of the yacht onto the dock. He’d planned this for quite some time.
Her first glimpse of the new statue was from the upper level of the dock, and she raced down the steps and up the yard to see it closer.
It wasn’t exactly like the ice sculpture, but it was damned close. A wolf and an iris, and the wolf was clearly protective of the flower.
“I saw how much the ice sculpture touched you,” her father told her. “I don’t know any other way to tell you that I approve of the life you’ve made with Danny. I think the wolf somehow signifies him, so I wanted to give this to you in granite and copper, so it won’t melt.”
The iris was made of copper, and the wolf was made of granite. Both were spectacular.
Tears filled her eyes. “I don’t know how to thank you, Daddy.”
“The look on your face is all the thanks I need.”
Danny walked up behind her, and she leaned back, into him.
This was her family. Danny, her Dad, and Clay.
Also Reyna and Trevor, and of course Harmony, Brain, Angelica, and Bash. The rest of the MC were scattered around the party area, as well as some friends who’d flown in from New York. She could see the temporary stage set up for Mythic Beast, but they wouldn’t start until dark.
She’d never in her wildest dreams thought her father would fully accept Danny, but the statue said it all. He didn’t understand the full reasons behind it, but he knew enough.
Iris thought back to that fateful, rainy night when she’d driven Kelse
y to the RTMC’s compound, and Danny had gotten into her car. She turned in his embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Mine. My life. My heart.” It wasn’t enough, but it was all she could come up with to try to express how she felt.
“Right back atcha, Blueberry. Mine. My life. My heart. Flower and wolf. Forever.”
And she didn’t want to be anywhere else in the world.
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Dear Reader,
The RTMC has a few sister series, which means you can read about many of the characters you’ve met when they hang out with the bikers.
Aaron and Sophia’s story plays out in The Dragon King .
For those curious about Bethany and her three men, you’ll find all the juicy details in Acceptable Risk .
You can read more about how Harmony and Brain got together in Brain. Did you wonder why Harmony doesn’t like people messing with her fingernails? Or why she knew so much about being rich? Or why she’s badass enough, McGyver trusts Harmony to keep her safe as if she’s another bodyguard? All these questions, and more, are answered in Harmony and Brain’s story.
Angelica told Iris her dad and Bash came to blows and got bloody when she started dating Bash, and she wasn’t exaggerating. It took three books for this couple to find their happily ever after. Once you finish their story, you may want to read Angelica’s dad’s story, titled Bud.
And, of course, you can find Gen and Duke’s story, Horse and Gabby’s, Ghost and Hailey’s (and the story of Mythic Beast), Razor and Matty’s, and Bubbles and Lexi’s.
We didn’t meet Kendra’s true love in this book, but you can read her story in Riding the Storm.
If you want to know more about the dead body in the corn maze, get ready for a mystery and romance all in one with Unhallowed Murder.
And finally, if the kind of relationship Brock Wendel has with Reyna appeals to you, you might be interested in one of my contemporary kinky reads. Start with Safeword: Davenport, and then move on to Safewords: Davenport and Chiffon.
Keep reading for an excerpt from Bash Volume I.
Bibliography
If you enjoyed McGyver, you may also like other books set in the same universe, though in different series.
* * *
Chattanooga Supernaturals series, paranormal romance:
The Dragon King
Riding the Storm
Acceptable Risk
Careful What You Ask For
Hallowed Destiny – Forged by Darkness
Uncaged
Cocky Queen
Unhallowed Murder
Unexpected Gifts
* * *
Only Human series, urban fantasy
Only Human
An Unhuman Journey
Of Humans and Monsters
Defining Human
Edge of Humanity
Infinitely Human
Unhuman Acts (summer/fall 2019)
* * *
Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club Series
Duke
Brain
Bash Volume I
Bash Volume II
Bash Volume III
Horse
Gonzo (where we first meet Britches/Briana)
Nix
Ghost
Bud
Razor
Bubbles
McGyver
* * *
The Dark Underbelly of The Chattanooga Supernaturals
Pride
Indentured Freedom: Owned by the Vampire
Leashed
An Elegant Weapon
* * *
A Dark(ish) Faerie Tale
Slave
Lady
Consort
Queen
The Safeword series, intense BDSM contemporary romance
Safeword Rainbow
Safeword: Davenport
Safewords: Davenport and Chiffon
Safeword: Quinacridone
Safeword: Matte (Sam and Ethan Levi’s story, we first meet Frisco and Cassie)
Safeword: Matte – In Training
No Safeword: Matte – The Honeymoon
No Safeword: Matte – Happily Ever After
Safeword: Arabesque (Frisco, Cassie, Abbot, and Cam’s story)
Safeword: Mayday (TBA)
* * *
Check out other books by Candace Blevins at candaceblevins.com.
* * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from Bash Volume I
Bash Excerpt
What do you get when you mix a bad-assed werewolf biker with a beautiful she-wolf who grew up as the MC President’s daughter?
* * *
Sparks.
* * *
Angelica was raised not only as a biker’s daughter, but as Bud’s daughter — the president of the Atlanta RTMC, which meant she had dozens of ‘uncles’ who made sure she was safe, happy, loved, secure.
* * *
Needless to say, her virginity was still solidly intact when she left for college.
* * *
She goes to school up north, where no one knows she’s a biker’s daughter at heart, and she thoroughly enjoys her time as a civilian. She gets rid of her pesky virginity right away, but is mostly a good girl while she buckles down to get her degree, staying at school even during the summers to take as many classes as she can fit in.
* * *
She’s a different person when she comes home with her Master’s degree, and in spite of her intention to remain a civilian, some of the bikers don’t seem so much like uncles anymore.
* * *
This is volume one of a three-book story.
Bash - Chapter 1
Eight years ago
* * *
Bash
* * *
“Got an assignment for you, prospect.”
“Thank you, boss. Won’t let you down.”
The president of the RTMC looked so casual, sitting at his desk, but the expression on his face was anything but.
“You may think this is a shit assignment, but I’m entrusting you with one of the most valuable pieces of my life. You fuck it up, I’ll gut you and end you.”
He stood and walked out of his office. I followed him into the shop area, past the bikes to one of the car bays, and he stopped in front of an antique MGB. “There’s two more, wrecked to hell and back, on the rear lot. I’m givin’ the lot of them to my Angel for her fifteenth birthday tomorrow, and she’s gonna be responsible for turning them into a single-functioning vehicle if she wants something to drive when she turns sixteen.” His eyes were dark as he studied my face. “I know you have particular talent here, so when I can’t be available to help her, she’ll have you. You are not to put this car together for her. I don’t want you doing the work, just supervising and helping.”
He ran his hand through his hair and added, “Brain was responsible for takin’ her to school and pickin’ her up after. Now that’s your responsibility.”
Brain had been a prospect until two days ago, and now he was a fully patched member. This might be a shit assignment, but at least I knew it could still lead to getting my colors, someday. I’d been a prospect for nearly three months and I was so sick of going on beer runs, watching the bikes while the club members went inside somewhere, or whatever other shit job needed doin’. This might actually be a welcome change.
“I’ll email you a link so you have access to her online calendar, and you’ll need to keep up with when she has cheerleader practice, or track or soccer practice, or math club, or whatever the hell else she has goin’ on. You’ll either take her home or to the shop. Anywhere else, you clear with her mother or me. Use a cage while it’s cold, but if you aren’t picking her friend up, too, it’ll be fine to pick her up on your bike once the weather warms.”
He shook his head, looked away a few seconds, and then back to me. “I assigned Brain to her ‘cause I knew he was old enough and smart enough to keep it in his pa
nts. My baby girl’s a virgin, and she’s gonna stay that way for a long time to come. You’re gonna be the chauffeur when she and her friends wanna go to a movie, or when she wants to go to a friend’s house. You’ll be spendin’ a lot of time with her, and being friendly will be a helluva lot easier than not. Got no problems with friendly hugs, but you ever get a hard-on for my baby, you’ll never get another again — if I castrate you with silver, it won’t grow back.”
The menace comin’ off him took the oxygen out of the room, but even though my wolf desperately wanted to challenge him, I forced my eyes down. My temper had gotten me into so much trouble at home, they’d had to send me away to keep me out of prison. This was my last chance, and I liked these men. I wanted to be a part of them. I wasn’t going to blow it.
“I understand, boss.”
“She knows part of your job’s to cock-block her, and she’ll be pissed, but the anger’s at me, not you. She knows you’re following orders. You’ll intimidate the hell outta any guys who show attention to her. Wear your colors, flaunt your bike once it’s warmer, but be careful about weapons on school grounds. They’ll put you under the jail if they catch you with a piece.”
He looked away, then back to me. “She gets in trouble, you do whatever you gotta do to get her out of it and keep her safe. Otherwise, you don’t go caving anyone’s head in. You’re a legal adult now, and not even our lawyers will keep you out of prison if you bash a minor’s head in. If her safety isn’t in immediate danger then bring any problem to me and I’ll be sure it’s handled. Keep that temper of yours under wraps. Got it?”