Ember
Snakes Henchmen MC
Alivia Grayson
Ember
Snakes Henchmen MC Next Generation
Copyright © 2020 Alivia Grayson
The contents of this novel are pure fiction.
All names, places and events are in no way associated with any persons dead or alive.
Places and events are used for fictional purposes only.
Any similarity's to real life events, places or persons are pure coincidence.
No Part of this book may be reproduced in any former by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of dried quotations in a book review.
All rights reserved.
Contents
Introduction
1. Ember
2. Marco
3. Ember
4. Marco
5. Ember
6. Marco
7. Ember
8. Ember
9. Marco
10. Ember
11. Marco
12. Ember
13. Marco
14. Ember
15. Marco
16. Ember
17. Marco
18. Ember
19. Marco
20. Eagle
21. Marco
22. Ember
23. Marco
24. Phoenix
25. Ember
26. Marco
27. Ember
28. Marco
29. Ember
30. Marco
31. Ember
32. Marco
33. Marco
34. Colin
35. Lydia
36. Ember
37. Marco
38. Ember
39. Marco
40. Ember
About the Author
Also by Alivia Grayson
Introduction
Welcome to Snakes Henchmen MC, here’s where you’ll meet the Motorcycle God’s in leather and denim that have plagued my mind for over ten years.
They’re strong and powerful, dangerous beyonds words sometimes, but vigilantes who fight for the rights of the innocent. Nothing is too much for these men. You need help, they’ll give it to you. You cross them, you die. That’s all there is too it.
Beware of the panty-melting, ovary exploding bikers with big hearts and even bigger… ;)
As we move forward with the next generation, we welcome one or two young ladies with big attitudes, and incredibly strong wills. Some women are more dangerous than men, and one in particular is not to be messed with. I look forward to the day you meet one very special young lady :)
I hope you enjoy the next generation of bikers, and I hope you take them into your hearts the way you did their parents.
Chapter One
Ember
“You’re insane.” I laugh at Colin, a friend of mine from school. He seems to think I’d want to join his band.
I’ve got to admit, Dun’s Dungeon is amazing. They’re about to hit the big time, and the band is about to go on tour with a major name in music. Colin wants me to join, if not that, then to go on tour with them and help write songs.
I love to write songs, and having someone sing them, and get them out there in the world would be everything. I’m just not sure that I could walk away from my life in Bardsville for a career in music. I won’t lie, singing my own songs is my dream, but I know that becoming famous could cause problems for my family.
Snakes Henchmen MC does not need to be thrown into the limelight. It would be for all the wrong reasons, believe me. A famous daughter of an outlaw biker? Not the best impression to give the world.
I am in no way ashamed of my biker family, no even close. I am so proud of them in every way a person can be, but people out there can be cruel. Only one has to post something negative online, and the wolves would descend. Everyone knows what journalists are like, lying assholes who will twist the truth to print a more exciting story.
“What’s so crazy, Ember?” Colin leans his jean-clad ass back against his living room dresser.
Colin is a good-looking guy. He has the meth look women seem to love, his hairs shaggy, his eyes are brown, and he has strange tattoos dotted all over his chest and arms. He’s also married to Hannah, a girl we went to school with, a girl I never got on with. Hannah is tall, slim with long legs, and a mega-bitch attitude to match. We’re civil for Colin’s sake, but we’ll never be best friends.
“You know why I could never join your band. If we become as famous as I know Dun’s Dungeon is heading for, people would dig into my life and find out where I come from. I can’t have strangers poking their noses into Snake Henchmen business.”
Colin sighs. “I understand why you wouldn’t want that to happen, Ember. I know you want to protect your family from what could happen if people found out about them. But don’t you think you deserve to have a life of your own?”
Colin takes my shoulders in his hands and looks me in the eye. “I don’t mean any offense by what I’m about to say, so don’t take it that way. For someone born into a motorcycle club, and all the things you know happen there, you are the most grounded woman I’ve ever known. You’re smart and beautiful,” I roll my eyes with a smile, and Colin laughs. “And you have a talent most only dream of, Ember.”
“I write songs, Colin. It’s not like I save lives every day.”
“Music saves lives every day, Ember.” He has a point. I know music has been my savior more than once. “The lyrics you write will save lives. Don’t you want to be the one singing those lyrics, bringing your words to life? Hang on,” Colin grumbles while leaving the room to answer the front door.
I take a deep breath and let the idea of singing my own songs flood my mind. I’ve dreamed of nothing more than my songs, making people happy since I was a little girl. Everything I write is from the heart, every lyric means something to me, and I’ve written hundreds in my lifetime. I could bring joy to others, help them with painful feelings because I wholeheartedly believe that words have the power to save. Songs, books, or just someone offering kind words of comfort, they are powerful.
“I’m a little busy, Marco.” I hear Colin say.
“I just need... Wow,”
I raise my eyebrow at the man now walking through the door. I recognize Marco Russo from the picture Colin showed me earlier. I’ll admit the man is handsome beyond words. Half Italian on his father’s side, tall, brown-eyed, fit with a swimmer’s physique. His dark wavy hair is choppy and falling around his neck. In truth, he’s hot, and even I can appreciate that.
Marco is the lead singer of Dun’s Dungeon, and anyone with eyes can see that he’s every girl’s fantasy. The trouble is, he knows it, and it’s apparent that he believes himself to be God’s greatest gift to men and women alike.
The arrogance is ridiculous, but I imagine every rockstar wants to be a showman. Half of it just a show; the rest, they feel entitled to act like God’s. Whatever floats their boats.
“Now, who is this gorgeous creature?” I refrain from laughing when Marco takes my hand and kisses my knuckles.
“This Ember, I told you about her.”
“That you did. I must say you are, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”
“Christ,” Colin grumbles. “She’s not interested, Marco. Ember’s in a relationship, so don’t even think about...”
“It’s fine,” I hold my hand up to Colin. He doesn’t need to give Marco a big speech about how I’m already with someone. I can speak for myself. I have no intention of ever cheating on Toby,
my boyfriend, and I’m not about to jump into bed with Marco Russo – no matter how handsome he is.
“Can’t a man give a woman a compliment without wanting to get her into bed?”
“When it comes to you? No,”
I chuckle at the look of mock shock on Marco’s face. He looks at me and winks. “So, you’re the girl Colin wants in the band?”
“Yes, but as I was just telling Colin, that can’t happen.”
“Why not?”
Colin gives Marco the rundown about why I don’t think it’s a good idea that I join their band. Marco listens, carefully while Colin bangs on about how good my songs are, and how they’re just what Dun’s Dungeon needs.
I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t tempted to throw caution to the wind and say yes, yes, I’ll join your band. But I can’t, I just can’t. No matter how much I may want this, I won’t risk the world finding out about Snakes Henchmen.
I’m not stupid, and I know my family does terrible things, some horrific things. If that information got out there would be investigations, definitely arrests, and God only knows what else. I couldn’t have that on my conscience, I’d never be able to sleep at night.
“So you don’t wanna join because your dad’s a biker, and you think he’d be arrested for all the shady shit he’s done if the world finds out about where you came from?”
“Pretty much,” I sigh because I don’t like the way Marco said what he said. I also can’t deny that it was true. “I also don’t want your other bandmates to know about my family. I’m not asking you to lie, just keep what you know to yourself.”
Both men agree not to say anything. I hate having to ask them to keep things from their bandmates, but those men don’t need to know about me and my life.
God, am I being paranoid?
You’re not paranoid, Ember, and it doesn’t hurt to ride on the side of caution.
“You know, you don’t have to join the band. You could just write exclusively for us.” I stare at Marco.
“That’s not a bad idea,” This time, I raise my eyebrows at Colin. “Think about it, Ember. You don’t want to join the band because you’re scared of what people will think, we get that. But you could still come on tour with us, just not as a member.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. What Colin and Marco are offering is tempting. Traveling with them and seeing for myself what it’s like to be a rockstar while staying in the background, sounds great. I might not be living the dream of being famous, but I’d be living it through my lyrics as Marco sings them.
What would I tell Toby? I couldn’t expect him to be okay with me leaving for months. Our relationship is serious, and I have to consider what this would mean for us should I go. I couldn’t ask him to tag along; he has a life here, work, friends. Besides, Toby has shot down the idea of me having a life outside of this town more than once.
We haven’t been together long, six months, but we’re in love, and his opinion matters to me. The first time I told Toby how I wish I could get my songs out there, hear someone singing them, he told me, You wish, Ember. Shit like that doesn’t happen to people like you.
I didn’t want to mention how every day people write songs and get them heard on the radio all the time. Toby has an answer for everything, and he’s always right. There’s never any room for him to be wrong because, in his mind, that isn’t possible.
Never in the past would I have simply smiled, nodded my head, and agreed with what Toby had said. I love Toby, and he’s not physically abusive toward me, but sometimes his words are harsher than they should be.
If I went over to Toby’s place right now and told him that I want to go on tour with Colin, I know what his answer would be. ‘Why don’t you just give him the damn songs? What the hell do they need you to go along with them for?’
Just the idea of bringing the subject up with Toby makes my stomach hurt. I know he wouldn’t mean to make me feel bad, but it’ll end that way.
Then there’s my family. I’ve never been away from them for long periods of time before. Sure, I’ve been on vacation with my friends, but never any longer than a week. My Mom and Dad, and my younger brother are my best friends, and I’d be lost without them.
You really need to cut the apron strings, Ember.
Nevertheless, “I don’t know, Colin.”
“At least think about it, Ember,” I nod at Colin.
“We leave in two weeks for three months. Let us know if you wanna tag along.” Marco winks at me.
I’ll give it some thought. I’d really like to go with them, but somehow, I know it won’t happen.
Chapter Two
Marco
“This is good, Colin,” It’s more than good, it’s brilliant. Ember has a real gift when it comes to songwriting. We have to get this girl to join the band.
“Have you read this one?” Colin flips the pages to the middle of the notebook and points to the song title: Roman Angel. The meaning behind the words hit me right in the center of my chest. There is so much feeling and desire that it’s hard not to hear the song playing in my head.
The song is a tale of two people in love, but not able to be together - the cliched love song. However, the story changes as the two are torn apart, and they finally realize they were never in love, it was merely a case of lust. I can even see the video we could make for the song going around my mind.
“I wonder what Ember was thinking when she wrote this.” It’s not a question, I’m thinking aloud. Did Ember write the song from personal experience, or is it based on someone she knows? Either way, it would make for a great track on our album.
“No idea, but I told you Ember was good.”
“We need to convince her to join the band, Colin.” I close Ember’s notebook and tuck it into the back of my jeans. Colin raises his eyebrow, but I don’t allow him to ask for it back. “It would be all well and good taking Ember’s songs and making them our own,” I scratch my jaw with my thumbnail. “But with Ember singing them with me, or even instead of me would draw in the male fans. Can Ember even sing?”
Colin has been banging on about how fantastic Ember is for weeks. He pitched the idea to her join Dun’s Dungeon, and we’ve all been intrigued enough to want to meet her.
I had no idea Ember would be here when I arrived. I only came over to Colin’s because Saint and Bob badgered me to find out when we’d be meeting the elusive Ember. I think the boys were starting to wonder if Ember was a figment of Colin’s imagination.
My eyes almost shot out of my head when I saw Ember standing in Colin’s den. I knew who she was the moment I saw her, I didn’t need to ask her name, Colin had described Ember to a tee, but I asked for clarification.
It’s no secret that Marco Russo is a lover of women - any race, any color, size, and religion; they want it, I’ll give it to them. I wouldn’t say that I was a man-whore, I’m not out there sleeping with a different woman every night. However, I’ve had my fair share.
Dun’s Dungeon has a massive social media following. We have over two million YouTube followers and thousands of comments on each self-made video we post. Social media is how the record companies recognized us, and why we’ve been given this chance.
All the small gigs we’ve played over the years certainly helped when it came to picking up women.
Ember, I could tell from the first look, is a good girl. I bet she can count on one hand how many men she’s slept with. Then again, she’s the daughter of a biker. Ember has probably been with all sorts.
Whether she has or she hasn’t, Ember is too good for a man like me. I’m all sorts of fucked up, and I wouldn’t subject a girl like Ember to that.
“You’ve never heard a woman sing the way Ember can. Marco, she’s amazing.”
“In your opinion, Colin,” I raise my eyebrow with a smirk on my face. “I won’t deny that Ember is hot, and she’s every rock fan’s fantasy. Hell, it’s easy to see that she’s got a rocking body under those clothes.” Colin rolls his eyes, and I ch
uckle. “But seriously, Saint and Bob will need to meet Ember, and we’ll need to hear her sing. Only then can we make a decision about her joining the band. It doesn’t matter what you and I think, Colin. There are four of us in this band.”
Colin nods his head. “I know you’re right. I just know Ember was meant to be part of Dun’s Dungeon.”
“Colin,” I rest my ass back against the dresser. “You, and I, Saint and Bob, have been doing this since college. Five years, Colin. What makes you think we have room for Ember?”
I’m not trying to be a dick; I simply want to know why my good friend is so desperate to have Ember join us.
Would her biker family even let her leave with us?
Ember doesn’t want to join Dun’s Dungeon. She gave a good enough reason as to why - her biker family.
I can’t say as I blame Ember. If I grew up the way she did, I doubt I’d want to expose my private life either.
“Because we’ve busted our asses for five years, and we finally got the break we were looking for, but there was always something missing. You have to admit that, Marco.” I nod my head because he’s right, and we all know it. “With Ember, we’ll be bigger than we ever imagined, Marco.”
Ember: Next Gen (Snakes Henchmen MC Book 12) Page 1
