Hard Core (Hard As Nails Book 3)

by Hope Conrad

  “I’ll pay you back.”

  “Axel, no,” Alyssa says. When I look at her, she shakes her head. “Thank you, but I have to do this on my own.” She looks at King. “Mr. Prince…King…I’ll work to pay you back what I owe you. But by continuing to waitress. Will that work?”

  He narrows his eyes. “No. I don’t think it will.”

  I stiffen, but before I can speak, King chuckles and gestures toward the door. “Given how Axel has been working for me, and given how you, Alyssa, had to deal with not one but two physical assaults while you were on the job, I’ll consider us even. Now both of you, get the hell out of my club, and don’t come back.”

  I’m stunned silent. I’m also not fooled. He’s letting Alyssa’s debt go, but that doesn’t mean this is the last I’ll see of him. But if it’s the last she sees him, that’s all that matters. And I’ll do my damnedest to make sure that’s the case.

  “Let’s go,” I say to Alyssa and take her hand. She follows and I give King one final nod on our way out.

  Once we push the back door open, and we’re met with the cool night breeze of autumn, Alyssa pulls me to a stop. “You said you love me in there.”

  “You heard that, huh?”

  “Did you mean it?”

  “Will it scare you away if I did?”

  “Scare me, just a little. We haven’t known each other long at all. And we’ve only been on one date.”

  “And who’s fault is that?”

  “Mine.” She bites her lip and I sigh.

  “Look, I’m sorry if what I said was too soon. I won’t say it again. I—”

  She shakes her head. “No, I want you to say it. Even though it scares me. Because it’s not scaring me away. You couldn’t scare me away if you tried.”

  “We’ll see about that. There’s still the matter of getting you on the back of my bike, remember?”

  “Oh I remember. And I’m still not running. I’m staying right here. With you. Because I belong to you, Axel. Just like you said I would.”

  “And I belong to you, Angel. Today and always.” I lean down to plant a kiss against her lips. I mean for it to be short and sweet, but her hand trails to the back of my head and pulls me deeper into her mouth.

  * * *

  Alyssa

  With my arms thrown around him, I hug Axel as tight as I can. We’ll come back for my car later, but for now we’re heading away from the club on his bike, and my cheek rests against his back, my eyes clenched shut.

  We slow briefly as we careen onto an onramp, and from there, it’s like a rollercoaster taking off. The engine roars as we speed down the onramp and merge into light evening traffic.

  I’m still scared. Just a little. But it’s nothing compared to how wonderful I feel as the wind blows through my hair. Faster, and faster, we speed down the highway with no set destination except into each other’s arms.

  And deeper into each other’s hearts.

  Epilogue

  Six months later

  Alyssa

  I can barely contain my excitement as I exit through the plain white door of the office. Axel stands across the way with his back turned toward me. He’s staring out the window of the high rise building, looking at the bustling city below us.

  Despite the clusters of people seated in the waiting room, I let out a squeal and Axel turns to face me. The look on my face is anything but subdued. I’m bursting from the seams with happiness and he can see it; anyone could.

  “You got the part?”

  I nod.

  “Yes!” He throws a fist in the air, not caring about making a scene. And make a scene he does. Everyone in the room, every other person here to audition for a part glares at us.

  I get it. The glaring, I mean. But this time, I’m the lucky one!

  “I got the part,” I scream as I stomp my feet against the floor, my body shaking with joy and happiness because my life’s about to change. Again.

  Axel scoops me into his muscular arms and lifts me into the air. He spins me around twice before pulling me up and kissing me. Hard and fast. I can’t even catch my breath before he’s whispering against my lips, “I fucking love you.”

  “I fucking love you, too.”

  * * *

  We’re preparing to jump onto Axel’s bike, parked alongside the curb of the busy city street. We’re going to have dinner with my dad and his lady friend tonight, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with how close Axel and my dad have gotten. Dad’s not cancer free yet, but he’s back home and his condition is being managed. I don’t know how many years I have left with him, but I’m going to take advantage of every single day.

  Just when I’m about to pull the helmet over my head, I spot a familiar face standing outside a café. I blink, wondering if I’m seeing things. But no.

  It’s Marley. She’s clean and sober, wearing a nice skirt and blouse, far less revealing than anything I’ve seen her in. Her hair has been cut short, and it merely emphasizes her natural beauty. She looks healthy. And she looks happy. Truly happy.

  “Hey,” I say as I approach her, leaving Axel standing behind me.

  Marley turns with a frown. Then her eyes widen with recognition and a warm smile spreads across her face. “Hey, girl!” She charges forward and throws her arms around me. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you. But Marley, where have you been? I was worried something happened.”

  “I’m sorry. So sorry I worried you. After that night, I had to get away. I knew if I didn’t, I’d just return. So I took all the money I had, which wasn’t a lot, and I got on a bus. I dumped my phone, so no one could contact me. I wanted a truly fresh start. I didn’t realize until I’d tossed my phone that I hadn’t called you yet. I’m only here to tie up some things I left hanging. I’m going back to Texas tomorrow. I’ve got a job there, working as an assistant in an office. And I’ve got a new phone number. Can I give it to you?”

  “Yes!” I hand her my phone and she programs her number into it. “Happy looks good on you.” My palm falls on her shoulder. “It looks really good.”

  “You too. What’s the reason for your happiness?”

  “A couple of things, but a big one is the guy standing behind me.”

  She glances at Axel and waggles her brows up and down. “Well, well. Who would’ve thought Alley Cat would be into big, bad, and dangerous.”

  “He’s all of those things, but only in the best way possible,” I confirm. I don’t bother telling her what happened after she left; that the men she was supposed to have sex with had cornered me and Axel had come to my rescue. She’s left the past behind, and I don’t want to change that. “I’m no longer working at Sugar Bare. And I just got a great acting job. And of course, now I’ve seen you. And I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  She smiles. “Sweet Alley Cat. You were always so sweet.”

  “That’s what Axel says I am, too.”

  “Axel, huh? He’s hot. And if he says you’re sweet, he’s smart, too. Maybe he even deserves you.”

  I laugh. “He does. We deserve each other. It was nice seeing you, Marley.”

  “Yeah, you too. I hope we can stay in touch.”

  I wave my hand at her. “Take care of yourself.”

  “I will.” She smiles one last time. “You helped me make the break from that life, Alyssa. Thank you.” She turns to enter the café, and there’s a sense of pride circling through my gut. I’m proud of her. I’m proud of both of us.

  Axel comes up behind me and places a palm on each of my shoulders. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah,” I spin around and throw my arms around his neck, pulling him close to me. Mouth to mouth, I whisper, “I can’t imagine life getting better than this.”

  “But it can,” he says. “And I’m going to spend the rest of my life proving it to you, Angel.” As he leans down into my kiss, I feel happy and I feel free. I feel loved and I feel wanted. I feel like our pasts, while not eradicated, no longer control us. I can’t wait to enj
oy the future with him.

  I’m sure it’ll be one hell of a ride.

  Coming next in the Hard As Nails Series:

  Hard Time (Book 1)

  Muscled, tattooed, and irresistible.

  Thomas Street is an ex-con, but before he got out of prison, he locked eyes with her…

  The moment Street sees Katie serving food in a hellhole of a prison, he wants her. Her sweet little body against his. Under his. Her screaming his name until she admits she’s never had better.

  Now he’s found her again, working in a bookstore of all places, and she’s just as gorgeous as he remembers. Only Katie thinks he can be redeemed. That there’s a good man underneath his darkness.

  He’s not so sure.

  But then Katie becomes his. Katie and her daughter.

  And he’ll risk everything, including fighting the devil himself, to protect them.

  Hard Case (Book 2)

  Rich, smooth, and powerful.

  Slate Rawlings keeps mobsters out of prison, but now he’s tasked with defending an innocent woman who makes him imagine all the naughty things he can do to her…

  Slate battled his way to the top and now he’s the most successful lawyer in the city.

  His clients have pasts even darker than his, so he avoids honest, decent women.

  The moment he sees kindergarten teacher Rose, however, he’s overcome by desire. She has blue eyes, pale skin and legs made to wrap around his hips. He wants to push her sweet body against the wall and f**k her until she cries out in complete surrender, but she deserves better than the monster hiding inside him.

  Only Slate can’t leave Rose alone because he’s the only one who can save her.

  And eventually he knows he won’t be able to resist temptation.

  Blackened soul or not, he’s going to make Rose his in every way imaginable.

  Hard Place (Book 4)

  Haunted, determined, and desirable

  Jericho Grant never thought he’d survive the fires of hell only to get a shot at possessing her, his very own angel…

  After surviving unbearable loss, Jericho is gifted a second shot at happiness, which includes Delia Faith, a fresh-faced, golden-eyed stepsister who adores him. She’s sweetness and light, and Jericho never imagines she can be his, but he swears to protect her, even from himself.

  Then fate intervenes, ripping Jericho’s world apart again, and he has no choice but to push Delia away in order to keep her safe. When she walks out of his life, he fully embraces his true nature, certain he’ll be lost in darkness forever.

  Years later, a grown-up, sexy-as-sin Delia strolls into Jericho’s garage, demanding answers.

  He warns her he’s not strong enough to turn her away a second time.

  When she returns, he goes all in, determined to prove what he’s always known: no one can ever love her the way he can.

  Hard Act (Book 5)

  Brilliant, scarred, and enticing…

  Davis Young is a wealthy, handsome, financier with a secret longing for the forbidden, including the daughter of his sworn enemy…

  An orphan with few options, Davis ends up in the service of King, a dangerous mob boss. His only consolation? Occasional sightings of King’s daughter, Bella Prince, an icy blonde who’s always looked through Davis as if he doesn’t exist–until she doesn’t. Davis falls for her, the woman who heats his blood like no other, only to be betrayed.

  Years later, Bella shows up for help, and in a moment of weakness, she reveals she never betrayed him and she’s longed to be his. In his bed. In his arms. Even on her knees. A strong woman, she’s dreamed of Davis dominating her in a way she’s never allowed a man to do before.

  Davis is more than happy to give Bella what she wants, because it’s what he wants, too.

  And when several forces, including her father, try to take Bella away from him, Davis declares war.

  He’s always been a soldier at heart. For Bella, he’ll form an army to defeat their enemies and make her his.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Hope Conrad writes sultry, intense contemporary romance. Her Hard As Nails series features her favorite kind of heroes: bad boy alpha males whose quests for redemption are fueled by their love for the strong women who take them on.

  www.hopeconrad.com

  Hard Core

  Copyright © 2016 by Hope Conrad

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

  License Notes

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