Food is passed around, an Anglo style wedding cake appears from somewhere. People talk and laugh.
Tse leans over and whispers in my ear. “How do you feel, Mariana?”
I turn to face him, “Married.” It’s true. This time, I really do. Sitting forward, I address myself to the woman on his opposite side. “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you for this, Lina.”
She smiles. Reaching around her son, she pats my hand. “I’m so pleased to welcome you to the family. Just be good to my son, that’s all I can ask. Oh, and perhaps a grandchild or two?”
“In good time, Mother,” Tse answers on my behalf, giving a squeeze to my fingers. “All in good time.”
My brother clears his throat pointedly. Lina gives him a broad grin. “Oh, I’ve adopted you too, Drew. My first grandchild. Just a bit bigger than what I was expecting.”
I giggle, Tse chuckles, and Drew gives a full-bellied laugh.
Epilogue
Mouse
“Tse.” Jacob walks over, grasps hold of both my hands in his and squeezes them hard. “It seems a long time.”
“Too long, old man.” I grin.
“Know the lad. You gonna introduce me to your woman?”
“Sure. Mariana, meet Jacob.” She steps forward, her hand outstretched, a smile on her face.
“I remember you.” He takes off his cap, looks at it, then puts it back on. “You’re the desert sprite.”
“I think you described me as looking like a sack of potatoes.” Her mouth widens as her lips curve.
“That I did, didn’t I?” He looks between Mariana and Drew.
“That’s my sister,” Drew informs him.
Jacob laughs. “Thought that as you look alike. But hey, tell you this, you got all the riding skills, boy.”
“Oh, don’t be mean, old man. She just needs some lessons.” I stand up for my wife.
Drew’s pulling at Mariana’s arm, he wanted to show her the horses, especially Niyol who he’s taken a fancy to. Lad’s a bit like me when I was younger, and I reckon it’s the challenge he likes.
As we watch them walk off, Jacob leans in close. “Boy reminds me of you. He’s been a great help to me. Just like you used to be.” He nods toward the office; I follow him over and take a seat I’ve sat in a million times before. Jacob leans back in the chair behind the desk that looks like it will fall apart at any moment. It’s a contrast, the stables are modern, clean, everything well maintained. The horses looked after with love and attention. Jacob wastes no money on himself.
Jacob wants to tell me something. I just lean back, enjoying the smells and sounds of the yard, letting him get around to it in his own time.
Eventually he raises his eyes to me. “I won’t be around forever,” he begins. I open my mouth to contradict him with some platitude, when he resumes, “You’ve put so much money into this place over the years. All that new equipment? Down to you. The new fencing? The horse walker? Couldn’t have done it without your help. I’m not saying tomorrow, but within the next few months, I’ll be giving it up.”
I frown. Not what I expected to hear, and not what I wanted.
“My age is catching up. Got to be honest here. I’ll go on a bit longer, got to get my head around the idea myself.”
“Where will you go?” I’ll help, do what I can. Help rehome the horses? Niyol. Fuck, I’ll miss him. Can I keep a horse on the compound?
“My daughter. She’s bought a house with an annex down in Tucson. Makes sense.”
I’m pleased to hear he’ll be living with family. But it’s going to take more than a minute to get my head around the fact my refuge will be gone.
“I’m signing the place over to you.”
I’ll really miss coming here, riding my horse. Shit, even the jobs like moving hay and mucking out. Wait. What?
“What did you say?” I growl.
“It’s yours.” He jerks his head in the direction of the window. “Kid’s a natural around horses. Knock this building down, or just let it fall by itself,” he grins, “build yourself a new house for you and your family.”
“I don’t, you can’t…” I can’t get the words out. Rapidly I’m thinking how I can manage the club and this place. Some brothers live off the compound, Viper and Bullet. They manage it easily. Yeah, get Viper’s construction crew here, design something for ourselves, fix up a computer room… “You should sell. Keep the money.”
He snorts. “You’ve bought this place twice over. Nah, it’s yours. I’ll stay on until you’re ready to take it over.”
“Not just my decision,” I say fast. “Got a wife now, and…”
“Your kid will love it.”
What a great place to bring up children.
“Think it over?”
Still stunned, I find myself shaking his hand and agreeing. Then going to find Mariana and Drew, and finding myself still incredulous as I enlighten them as to my discussion with Jacob.
As though in a dream, the three of us walk around, eyeing up what could become our new home.
Mariana puts her hand on my arm, I turn to look down at her. “It’s so peaceful here, Tse. If Jacob means it…”
She’s right. Before I lived on the Rez, and after it, to me this place always felt like home.
Data, information, puzzle pieces.
I breathe in deeply, watching Drew try to entice Niyol with a carrot, then looking down at my wife, realising this place is the last fragment I’ve been seeking. Here, I can make my home, a real home for Mariana, for her brother, and the children we’ll have in the future.
I was nineteen when I became Jayden’s knight in shining armour, her Paladin. At only fourteen, she developed a teenage crush on me, the man who rescued her.
I gave her time to grow, waiting for her feelings to mature. As years, when I was forbidden to touch her, passed, I never doubted she was mine. I just wasn’t allowed to show it.
Circumstances send us to Colorado, away from the restrictions and over-protective brothers. At last we have a chance to be together.
What could be better?
What could be worse?
A new club. A new life. Out of my depth, I don’t fit in.
A different president and his old lady with their own issues. For some reason, Hellfire and Moira want to force Jayden and I apart.
Jay and I are just beginning. Or is it the end?
After all this time, will we make it work? Or have the years I’ve spent waiting been wasted?
Satan’s Devils Colorado Chapter
#1: Paladin’s Hell
Other Works by Manda Mellett
All books can be read as a standalone.
A series about sexy dominant sheikhs and their bodyguards
Stolen Lives (#1 – Nijad & Cara)
Close Protection (#2 – Jon & Mia)
Second Chances (#3 – Kadar & Zoe)
Identity Crisis (#4 – Sean & Vanessa)
Dark Horses (#5 – Jasim & Janna)
Hard Choices (#6 – Aiza)
Turning Wheels (Blood Brothers #3.5, Satan’s Devils #1 – Wraith & Sophie)
Drummer’s Beat (#2 – Drummer & Sam)
Slick Running (#3 – Slick & Ella)
Targeting Dart (#4 – Dart & Alex)
Heart Broken (#5 – Heart & Marc)
Peg’s Stand (#6 – Peg & Darcy)
Rock Bottom (#7 – Rock & Becca)
Joker’s Fool (#8 – Joker & Lady)
Mouse Trapped (#9 – Mouse & Mariana)
Coming soon
Colorado Chapter
Paladin’s Hell (#1 – Paladin & Jayden)
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Glossary
Motorcycle Club – An official motorcycle club in the U.S. is one which is sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA). The AMA has a set of rules its members must abide by. It is said that ninety-nine percent of motorcyclists in America belong
to the AMA
Outlaw Motorcycle Club (MC) – The remaining one percent of motorcycling clubs are historically considered outlaws as they do not wish to be constrained by the rules of the AMA and have their own bylaws. There is no one formula followed by such clubs, but some not only reject the rulings of the AMA, but also that of society, forming tightly knit groups who fiercely protect their chosen ways of life. Outlaw MCs have a reputation for having a criminal element and supporting themselves by less than legal activities, dealing in drugs, gun running or prostitution. The one-percenter clubs are usually run under a strict hierarchy.
Brother – Typically members of the MC refer to themselves as brothers and regard the closely knit MC as their family.
Cage – The name bikers give to cars as they prefer riding their bikes.
Chapter – Some MCs have only one club based in one location. Other MCs have a number of clubs who follow the same bylaws and wear the same patch. Each club is known as a chapter and will normally carry the name of the area where they are based on their patch.
Church – Traditionally the name of the meeting where club business is discussed, either with all members present or with just those holding officer status.
Colours – When a member is wearing (or flying) his colours he will be wearing his cut proudly displaying his patch showing which club he is affiliated with.
Cut – The name given to the jacket or vest which has patches denoting the club that member belongs to.
Enforcer – The member who enforces the rules of the club.
Hang-around – This can apply to men wishing to join the club and who hang-around hoping to be become prospects. It is also used to women who are attracted by bikers and who are happy to make themselves available for sex at biker parties.
Mother Chapter – The founding chapter when a club has more than one chapter.
Patch – The patch or patches on a cut will show the club that member belongs to and other information such as the particular chapter and any role that may be held in the club. There can be a number of other patches with various meanings, including a one-percenter patch. Prospects will not be allowed to wear the club patch until they have been patched-in, instead they will have patches which denote their probationary status.
Patched-in/Patching-in – The term used when a prospect completes his probationary status and becomes a full club member.
President (Prez) – The officer in charge of that particular club or chapter.
Prospect – Anyone wishing to join a club must serve time as a probationer. During this period they have to prove their loyalty to the club. A probationary period can last a year or more. At the end of this period, if they’ve proved themselves a prospect will be patched-in.
Old Lady – The term given to a woman who enters into a permanent relationship with a biker.
RICO – The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act primarily deals with organised crime. Under this Act the officers of a club could be held responsible for activities they order members to do and a conviction carries a potential jail service of twenty years as well as a large fine and the seizure of assets.
Road Captain – The road captain is responsible for the safety of the club on a run. He will organise routes and normally ride at the end of the column.
Ronin – A biker who travels alone, sometimes wearing a patch denoting he’s Ronin. Not affiliated to any club, but often bearing a token which will help ensure safe passage through territories of different clubs.
Secretary – MCs are run like businesses and this officer will perform the secretarial duties such as recording decisions at meetings.
Sergeant-at-Arms – The sergeant-at-arms is responsible for the safety of the club as a whole and for keeping order.
Sweet Butt – A woman who makes her sexual services available to any member at any time. She may well live on the club premises and be fully supported by the club.
Treasurer – The officer responsible for keeping an eye on the club’s money.
Vice President (VP) – The vice president will support the president, stepping into his role in his absence. He may be responsible for making sure the club runs smoothly, overseeing prospects etc.
Acknowledgements
Mouse has always intrigued me; his heritage, the way his mind works. I delayed writing his story (originally he was planned before Peg), but he wasn’t talking to me. He remained a shadowy figure in the background.
While Mouse was lurking in the back of my brain, I continued to listen to the real world around me. Immigration was rearing its head over and over again – not just in the US, but in the UK and other countries. Two things struck me. Firstly, getting papers and becoming legal isn’t easy at all, in some cases, it’s downright impossible. I was reading lots of comments blaming illegal immigrants for being lazy and not getting citizenship as though it was as easy as registering for a college course. When I looked deeper, it takes absolute years, and, if you’ve entered a country illegally, probably unlikely will ever happen. The second thing that I began to think about was what if the country you were currently living in was all you’d ever known? What if your earliest memories were of the place you resided now, but the authorities turned around and said you had to return to a country you’d never known, and didn’t even speak the language. Had no connection to. Does this happen in real life? All the time.
I knew there was a story lurking there in the background, and suddenly Mouse started to come to the fore. I’m indigenous, he was telling me. I’m a Native. That’s when the idea of Mariana began to take shape. What would Mouse think of an illegal immigrant? Would he help her once he knew? Of course, he would.
I’m not saying I’ve got all the processes one hundred percent accurate. Immigration law is an absolute minefield, but I’ve done what research I can, and hopefully have it mostly correct. Please do not look on it as a step by step guide – it’s not. As I said a couple of paragraphs above, it’s not just the US that has a muddled-up system, where people fall through the cracks and sometimes the laws are applied a little too vigorously. But some of the more fanciful things you might think come from a writer’s imagination are actually based on fact. Take Mariana being put on the wrong transport and being deported instead of having her day in court. Yes, that happened. The judge was furious, and as soon as the plane landed, in the real-life case, demanded the woman was immediately brought back so he could hear her case. I departed into fiction at that point and decided that Mariana wouldn’t be so lucky.
Abuse is reported to be common in detention centres. Illegal immigrants are regarded as having few rights, even basic ones. Obviously there are many good people in the world, but in all walks of life, there are those who take advantage.
Above all, this book is a work of fiction that I hope you’ve enjoyed reading. If, as I found when researching the facts of immigration, it makes you think, well, I’m glad. We make the most of the life we’re given through nothing more than accident of birth. There are many families like Mariana’s, where one child has citizenship of one country, a sibling, another. Families are torn apart by paperwork.
I didn’t produce this book on my own, so now I have to thank everyone who helped me. An author can’t get anywhere without a good editor, and I’m lucky enough to have worked with Maggie Kern again. She’s a good friend, we have a lot of laughs, and most importantly, her insight and suggestions are invaluable in knocking my first draft in to shape and helping me through the stages to produce a, hopefully, polished final result.
My amazing group of beta readers came through for me yet again. Particular mention must go to Danena who I shamelessly took advantage of. She reviewed the Native American bits carefully and kept me in line, as well as picking up lots of other stuff too. My very grateful thanks to her, and to Colleen, Sheri, Terra, Zoe, Nicole, Alex and my husband Steve. You all picked up something that helped me. Once again I have to say, couldn’t do without you, beta team. Love you all to bits.
I hope
everyone likes the amazing cover. This is the fifteenth cover Lia Rees has designed for me, and personally I think it’s one of the best (though that may have something to do with the model). Lia’s also been the proofreader for Mouse Trapped. I do love working with you, Lia. Thank you.
Next up will be the long-awaited story (or so readers tell me) of Paladin and Jayden – Paladin’s Hell. In Mouse Trapped we learned they’re heading off to Colorado. Will their dreams come true, or will they be forced apart? You’ll have to read it to find out.
As Paladin’s Hell mainly takes place in the compound in Pueblo and we meet a ton of new characters there, I’m kicking off the Satan’s Devils MC Colorado Chapter series with this one. But don’t worry, the bikers you’ve grown to love will have a big part to play too. I suspect you’re going to find more you want to read about as well.
I’m rambled a bit here, I know, so please forgive me. As always, I’ve left the most important people to the end. So now please, every person who’s taken a chance on this book, accept my heartfelt thanks. If you weren’t buying my books, I wouldn’t be able to write them.
You can help even more. If you liked this book, don’t keep it to yourself. Tell a friend, hey, tell me. Every time a reader contacts me to express how much they enjoy any of my books, especially when they ask for more, it spurs me to continue writing. I appreciate every review, message or comment that you give me.
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