The Saint

by Amelia Shea

  The Saint

  Ghosttown Riders Book 4

  Amelia Shea

  Copyright © 2020 Amelia Shea

  All rights reserved

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination, or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, actual

  events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyright work is illegal. No part of this book may be distributed, reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  For Ann-Marie, my forever friend.

  The Saint By Amelia Shea

  A Ghosttown Riders Motorcycle Club Book

  Resilient and sweet, Bailey Preston, prides herself on her position as Mayor of Ghosttown. She may not have wanted it, but she’s done her best by the town and its residents. After overcoming a horrific past, she’s persevered when most people would have crumbled. The past is the past and Bailey is set on living her best life in the present. And her life is about to get a bit more exciting with the arrival of its newest residents, Ghosttown Riders MC. Bailey has set her sights on making the bikers feel welcome, especially a certain violet eyed, handsome member of the club.

  As Vice President of the Ghosttown Riders, quiet and incredibly private, Saint Monroe, is one of the most revered members of the MC. He rules his club with respect, meticulous thought, and unwavering protection. It’s the same way he lives in his life, protecting those closest to him. When Saint speaks, people listen, and when he leads his brothers, they follow. He lives his life without distraction. Until the mayor.

  His growing attraction for Bailey has tested his patience for the last year. He wasn’t prepared for her, but nothing will stop him from claiming her. All he has to do is break down her barriers and prove that he will do anything to keep her by his side. Bailey is Saint’s soulmate, and he’s ready to prove it by being her savior.

  Chapter One

  “Somebody shoot me and put me out of my goddamn misery.”

  Bailey tightened her lips, resisting the urge to smile when Gerry quietly muttered his request.

  As mayor, her professionalism was required. She side glanced Gerry, one of the councilmen seated next to her at the head table of the town hall. She couldn’t fault him. She was having similar thoughts. Hers hadn’t been nearly as violent. She was leaning more toward a meteor hitting the abandoned field behind the building. Enough of a disruption that they’d have to evacuate, but safe enough no one would get hurt. A meteor would definitely put their small town on the map. She’d given it a good amount of thought. She had the time—this meeting was well into its second hour.

  In between her natural disaster daydream and listening to the local complainer, she spared a few glances toward the back of the room. Discretely, of course, or so she had hoped.

  Several members of the Ghosttown Riders Motorcycle Club had taken up the last row in the town hall. It wasn’t their first time attending a meeting. In fact, since they had officially moved in four months prior, at least two members had attended each meeting. They mostly listened and remained silent. A few times, she caught their amusement when a new topic was brought up. She couldn’t blame them. Installing video cameras on Main Street to identify the pet owner who didn’t clean up after their dog was humorous. Welcome to Ghosttown.

  She peeked past the shield of her auburn hair, intently focused on one member in particular. He was seated between Kase, the president, and Gage. She wasn’t sure if Gage had a title amongst the club. Had it been club flirt, it would have been accurate. She dropped her gaze to the table then glanced up again. She couldn’t resist.

  Saint. There was something about the man centered between the others. Besides the obvious draw of him being stunningly sexy with his dark hair and violet eyes, there was a quiet, mysterious edge she couldn’t help find appealing. Even with his guarded stature of crossed arms and stern scowl, he was handsome. Actually, it may have made him even more appealing in her eyes. He wore his cut over a long-sleeved dark gray shirt. It’s a shame. She’d seen Saint enough times in short sleeves to know what was hiding underneath. Sculpted muscular arms covered in an array of multi-colored tattoos.

  She crossed her legs and shifted in her seat.

  She hadn’t spoken to him often, but she took every opportunity presented to her. When she didn’t have one, she settled for staring at him. The corner of her mouth curled as her gaze traveled over his body—from his dark, worn boots, up his legs covered in black pants, to his leather vest fitted tightly around his chest, and making her way to his clean-shaven chiseled jaw and his smirking lips.

  Smirking lips. What?

  She blinked and inched her gaze up to find his eyes staring back at her. Her heart did a funny jump, or maybe a skip. Oh hell, did it stop? She should have looked away. I can’t. She was frozen in a trance. He had the most magnificent eyes. From a distance, they could be confused with hazel, or possibly blue. Up close, they were violet. His dark long lashes and thick brows only enhanced their beauty. The knot in her throat tightened. Look away. A small shift in his jaw seemed to break her daze. He raised his brows and the corner of his eyes crinkled.

  She flinched when she felt a poke in her side. She whipped her head toward Gerry, who seemed to be holding back a laugh. He lifted his chin, gesturing to the room. It wasn’t until then that she realized the whole room was staring back at her.

  Oh my God. She tried to swallow, but the lump in her throat prevented even a deep breath. A quick scan was an indication she had missed something. She cleared her throat and smiled.

  “I’m sorry, what were you saying?” Her palms were clammy as she rubbed her hands together, trying her best to beat down the blush she knew was invading her cheeks. She focused solely on the man standing in the center of the room and ignored the stares from everyone else.

  Arnett Collins, Ghosttown’s resident pain in the ass, was standing a few feet away with an aggravated scowl penetrating his brows. He had been speaking for fifteen minutes when she zoned out and set her sights on more interesting things. Mainly the hot biker in the back. Big mistake.

  He sighed dramatically, waving his hand over his head, fisting a stack of papers. “I said, I got evidence right here. It’s her cat.” Arnett whipped around and glared back at Mary, who seemed unaffected by his accusations. She pursed her lips, glancing up at Bailey, then rolled her eyes.

  “It’s not Murray.” Raising her voice was out of character for the usually sweet older woman. Then again, everyone seemed to take the same tone when dealing with Arnett. The man had a way of wearing people down. Bailey included, though she never lost her temper.

  “It is,” Arnett shouted, his face turning as bright as a tomato. For those who didn’t know him, it may have been cause for concern. As a local who had the unfortunate luck of dealing with Arnett on a weekly basis, she knew this was the norm for him.

  Mary, God love her, snorted and shook her head. “Nope, it’s not.”

  Bailey leaned forward on the table, catching Arnett’s attention. “Can I please see the pictures?”

  He scoffed and stormed up to the desk. Instead of handing her the photos, he slammed them down on the table. He remained bitter from three years ago when he ran for mayor, and she won. No one was more surprised when they made the announcement. She hadn’t even been in the race. It seemed the townspeople had gotten together and decided she was the best person for the position, unbeknownst to her until they announced it. She initially pleaded her case with reasons why she should not be may
or. The town disagreed, and she settled in as mayor of Ghosttown. She may not have wanted the position, but felt an obligation to do her best. Most people seemed pleased with her. Not everyone. She eyed Arnett and smiled.

  “Thank you.” She slid the pictures in front of her and peered down. Gerry and Bert, the other councilmen, leaned closer on either side. They all gave it the proper attention. In the end, there was no denying it. As mayor, she had to break the news.

  “It’s not Murray.”

  “I told ya,” Mary said, then smiled at her. “Thanks, Bailey.”

  “The hell it isn’t. This is her damn cat. I have proof right there.”

  Bailey held up her hand. “It’s not her cat in the pictures, Mr. Collins. Murray has a thicker tail and a shinier coat. This cat has speckled feet, and Murray’s are all white.”

  She watched Arnett, waiting on his rebuttal. He’d have one, he always did. Gerry leaned closer. “Do the gavel thing before he starts up again.”

  “Please, Bailey, end this,” Bert pleaded.

  She grabbed the gavel and hit the desk. “Meeting’s over, thanks so much to everyone who came out.” She pushed back her chair and averted her gaze from Arnett. He’d back down, until next month when he’d be back again with something else.

  She remained seated, gathering up the paperwork from the table. A quick glance around the room showed most people had darted out as soon as the gavel hit the table. Except a few. She bowed her head and peered through her hair, catching the club members filing out through the side entrance.

  They stood out in the small town, and while people were curious, most residents kept their distance. It was the persona, she assumed. Even Bailey could admit their presence was intimidating. But they had shown only good intentions since their arrival, and Bailey was determined to make them feel as welcome as possible.

  Saint was last in line, and as he breached the door, he turned his head and aimed his gaze directly at her. Maybe he felt my stare? She shifted in her seat. It was mortifying enough to get caught ogling him in front of half the town. She wasn’t looking to extend her embarrassment. However, he’d obviously caught her staring. She couldn’t just look away. She smiled and lifted her hand in an awkward wave.

  He dipped his chin. She noticed he did it a lot in acknowledgment. He kept his eyes on her until he walked through the door. She inhaled a breath, settling into her seat.

  “Night, Bailey,” Gerry said, halfway through the room with Bert following close behind.

  “Bye. Have a nice night, guys, and thank you.” She always felt compelled to thank them. While they were paid for holding their positions, the money was mediocre at best. Both Gerry and Bert held full times jobs aside from their positions in the town.

  They usually offered to help clean up. Not tonight. She couldn’t fault them, they were both married, and Gerry had kids. They needed to get home to their families. The hall cleared out in record time. Most meetings, there were a few stragglers who settled in with a refill of coffee and pastry, to talk to a neighbor. However, with the meeting going longer than usual, it seemed everyone was eager to leave.

  She walked over to the closet and grabbed a garbage bag. When she turned, she was surprised to see Coop at the entrance. He was leaning up against the doorframe peering outside. Bailey made her way to the snack table.

  “What are you still doing here?” she asked as she opened the bag.

  Coop turned his head, facing her. He shrugged. “Figured I’d help ya clean up.”

  Bailey smiled. He and his wife had always been very friendly to her. She didn’t know their exact ages. If she had to guess she would say early thirties. They had her over a few times for dinner at their place. They were currently in the process of trying to have a baby. And struggling.

  “You should go home. I got this.”

  His shoulders tensed, and he glanced outside again. “I’ll wait.”

  “Okay.” She wouldn’t argue. She glanced down at the table. “You want me to pack up some of this for you and Marley?”

  Coop eyed the table, and she caught the gleam in his eye right before he shook his head. “No, you take it.”

  Bailey laughed and raised her brows. “No way am I going to be able to eat all this, Coop.” There had been less of a showing at tonight’s meeting than usual. The snack table, however, had been in full supply. “How about we split it?”

  Coop smiled and nodded. Bailey divvied up the leftovers giving his plate more than hers. When he moved to argue, Bailey beat him to it.

  “You have two people. Besides, Marley loves those cheese stick things Mary makes.”

  Coop laughed and took the plate from her hand. She expected him to leave. He remained. When she cleared the table, she moved forward with the garbage bag. They had a dumpster out back. Coop shifted in front of her, taking the bag out of her hands.

  “I’ll take it. You get your stuff and close up.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  She watched him walk out and twisted her lips. Coop was a sweet guy and helped her out with a few things. His offering wasn’t out of the ordinary. Though, he seemed on edge for some reason. She grabbed her bag and switched off the lights. She did a quick scan of the hall and locked the doors behind her.

  Their town hall was a restored barn from the sixties. A few years ago, with the surplus in taxes, they were able to redo the interior and add a new roof. She was quite proud of the project. A few residents had argued they should remodel with more of a modern appeal. Arnett and the longtime residents had protested. They won.

  When she turned, Coop was standing a foot away.

  She jumped back and grabbed her chest. “Oh my God, you scared me.”

  “Sorry.”

  Bailey laughed. “No, it’s fine. Well, tell Marley I said hi. I’m due to have you guys over soon, so pick a day and have Marley call me.”

  “Okay.” He didn’t move.

  She furrowed her brows. “Are you alright?”

  He glanced over to the edge of the building. “Yeah, I’m fine. C’mon, I’ll walk you to your car.”

  She glanced over his shoulder. His pickup truck was parked out front while hers was on the side.

  “Don’t be silly, Coop, you’re parked right there.” She pointed over his shoulder and noticed his jaw lock. “I’ll be fine.” She smiled, which did nothing to ease his tension. “Go home to your wife.”

  “Promised my wife, I’d make sure I saw you to your car.”

  She furrowed her brows. Why? She angled her head, and then it clicked.

  She tightened her lips, holding back a muttered curse. Small towns held no secrets. Especially Bailey’s. She rarely shared her past with any of her new friends. It was a hard rule she usually followed. Her story drew pity, which Bailey didn’t want. However, her story could easily be found on the internet and drew attention in the town once she was elected mayor. She couldn’t be sure of the source who outed her, but she had her suspicions. An angry, bitter ex-mayoral candidate was top on her list. Most residents had the decency and respect for her privacy to not ask any questions. A few of the older women and men had taken a protective stance with her. While it was appreciated, Bailey viewed it as unnecessary. She was safe in Ghosttown. For now.

  Coop dug his hands in his pockets and stared back at her silently. She drew in a breath. I should have kept my mouth shut.

  While she had always remained tight-lipped about her past, as her connections to a select few grew, she shared, at the suggestion of her therapist. It was supposed to openly help her heal, especially at a time when her memories were being brought back to the surface by Adam’s upcoming release.

  Upon the advice of her doctor, she spoke at a support meeting and shared with Marissa and her friend Trista. She hadn’t expected to share with Marley, however, when her friend spoke about their very personal struggle with getting pregnant, and opened up about her previous miscarriages, Bailey felt compelled to give something of herself to Marley. She hadn’t gone into extreme
detail. She gave the PG version of the incident. Not many people could stomach the whole truth. She mentioned her ex-boyfriend and his impending release from prison. She hadn’t made it a big deal. If anything, she downplayed her concern as to not cause panic with her friend. Marley’s face was easy to read. Bailey was able to gauge her uneasy worry once she mentioned Adam getting out soon. Marley had even gone as far as offering Bailey her spare room if she felt unsafe staying at her house. At the time, Bailey was touched by the gesture. She hadn’t considered it being anything more than a passing concern. She’d underestimated the effect it had on Marley. And now, Coop.

  Bailey forced a smile and reached out, grasping his forearm with a reassuring squeeze.

  “I’m fine, Coop. And I am so very thankful to have friends like you and Marley who care about me.” Her heart grew with her statement. She’d found good people to surround herself with in the small town. “I’m good. You guys don’t need to worry about me. It’s unnecessary.”

  He shook his head slowly, as though he was trying to make an important point. “I don’t think it is, and neither does my wife.”

  Bailey drew in a deep breath and smiled. It was her only defense mechanism.

  “He hasn’t gotten out yet, Coop. They’ll notify me when he is released.” She forced a smile she had hoped came off as genuine. “And while I appreciate your concern, I’m fine. Really, I’m not worried.” Her voice shook, and she quickly cleared her throat. Hiding emotion was never something she’d been gifted with. She averted her eyes in hopes he wouldn’t see past her lie.

  It is a lie. Possibly one of the biggest she’d ever told. Adam would get out of jail, free to roam wherever, including Ghosttown if he chose. The idea of ever coming face to face with him again stirred an unfathomable fear in her. For all the steps she’d taken to heal and move on, his impending release was setting her back to a time when fear ruled her existence. I’m not that girl anymore.