by Nina Levine
Christmas Hearts
Nina Levine
Contents
Christmas Hearts
Storm MC Timeline
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Also by Nina Levine
About the Author
Dedication
For all my fierce Stormgirls.
Merry fucking Christmas!
Christmas Hearts
Celebrate Christmas Stormgirl style.
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Catch up with Winter & Birdie, Fury & Zara, King & Lily, and the rest of the Sydney Storm couples as they all come together to celebrate Christmas.
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Expect your usual Storm level of sexy combined with the crazy antics of these Stormgirls.
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And no Storm book would be complete without a bossy Storm man. King and Lily at Christmas? Expect some fireworks!
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Come home for Christmas and find out what everyone has been up to in this Storm MC novella.
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This is book three in the Storm MC Reloaded series and should be read in order.
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If you’re on Facebook, I have a reader group you can join to chat about my books with me, enter exclusive giveaways and read sneak peeks of upcoming books.
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Storm MC Series
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1. Storm
2. Fierce
3. Blaze
4. Revive
5. Slay
5.5 Sassy Christmas
6. Illusive
7. Command
8. Havoc
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Sydney Storm MC Series
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1. Relent
2. Nitro's Torment
3. Devil's Vengeance
4. Hyde's Absolution
5. King's Wrath
6. King's Reign
7. King: The Epilogue Collection
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Storm MC Reloaded Series
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1. Hurricane Hearts
2. War of Hearts
3. Christmas Hearts
4. Battle Hearts
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Standalones:
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Ashton Scott (bossy billionaire romance)
Steal My Breath (friends-to-lovers romance)
Be The One (rockstar romance)
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Storm MC Timeline
Hi guys!
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I want to reacquaint you with the timeline of the Storm MC Reloaded series so that you can picture the events of this book.
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HURRICANE HEARTS: Winter & Birdie get back together at the time of the events happening in King’s Wrath/King’s Reign.
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FAST FORWARD 4 YEARS
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WAR OF HEARTS:
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Part 1 of that story, when Fury & Zara meet, happens a few months after the epilogue in King’s Reign, so this is FOUR YEARS AFTER King & Lily marry. Also four years after Winter & Birdie marry.
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FAST FORWARD 4 YEARS
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Part 2 of that story happens FOUR YEARS AFTER part 1.
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CHRISTMAS HEARTS: happens four months after the end of War of Hearts. So at this point, both King & Lily, and Winter & Birdie have been married 8 years.
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I hope this helps!
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Nina x
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PS clearly I like the number 4 ;)
1
Lily
* * *
“Cade King, if you don’t come here right now, I’m texting Santa to let him know he shouldn’t bring you a present this year!”
Zara rests her elbows on the kitchen counter between us and arches her brows at me. “Your stress levels have at least doubled since I saw you yesterday, Mum. What’s going on?”
I widen my eyes in exasperation. Not at Zara, because she’s the only one in my family not contributing to my stress, but rather at life in general. “My list is long. You really want me to detail it for you?”
She grins. “Your list is always long. King makes sure of that.”
I throw the tea towel onto the counter and reach for the glass of cold water she poured me a minute ago. After I guzzle half, I take a deep breath and say, “It’s this damn heat. And the kids. And the fact I’m nowhere near ready for our family dinner tonight or the barbecue tomorrow. And that I still don’t know exactly how many are coming tomorrow afternoon, which makes catering for it hard. And that I still need to get the new swing set picked up. And well”—I widen my eyes some more—“at this point, I’m not even sure it’ll get built in time for tomorrow.” I rake my fingers through my hair, pushing it off my forehead where it’s sticking from the bloody heat. “And don’t even get me started on King. That man is testing me right now, and when he gets home, if he ever gets home, I have so many words for him that he won’t know what hit him.”
Zara’s grin disappears and concern fills her features. “Okay, let’s start at the beginning. The heat. Why haven’t you gotten the air conditioning fixed in here? It’s been out for two days and it’s nearly forty degrees, which is—”
“King told me he’d be home yesterday and that he’d fix it, but now that he can’t give me a confirmed ETA, I’ve called the air conditioning guy that Kree recommended.” I throw my hands up in the air. “The only problem is, everyone and their dog in Sydney is having issues with their air conditioning, so God knows when he’ll make it here.”
She pulls out her phone and starts tapping away on it. “I’ll get Fury to come take a look today.” When she finishes texting, she meets my gaze again. “He’s close by so he’s coming now. I also asked him if he’d pick up your swing set, and we’ll stay after dinner tonight and put it together for you if King isn’t home by then. Now, as for tomorrow, if you give me a list of who hasn’t RSVP’d yet, I’ll ring around and find out so you can sort out the food you need.”
I stare at my daughter. I swear she didn’t come from me; nothing seems to ruffle her in the way it does me. “Whatever superpower pills you’re on, I need some.”
“Yeah, a chill pill wouldn’t go astray, but I get it; this heat is enough to send anyone crazy and on top of that, you’ve got King doing a good job of it already.”
I look around the kitchen wondering why my son isn’t here yet. “Not to mention these kids! The heat is bringing out their worst behaviour. And your brother is about to learn that Santa isn’t coming to him this year.”
Zara reaches for me as I turn to leave the kitchen in search of Cade. “Let me go find him. And calm down about Santa. We both know there’s no way you’re really going to punish him in that way so don’t make threats you won’t keep.” As she’s exiting the room, she throws over her shoulder, “Make that list of who you need me to call. And then maybe guzzle some wine.”
Wine at 10:00 a.m.?
Maybe a little early.
Maybe freaking not.
Not when King hasn’t called for over twelve hours or replied to my calls or texts. Not when I have no idea when he’ll be home from Melbourne or if he’ll even make it in time for Christmas.
That bloody man.
A knock on my front door cuts through my thoughts. “Lil, can you help me? I’ve got meat for you,” T
atum calls out.
I meet her at the door and take trays of steak and sausages from her. “Why are you bringing me meat?” We’re holding a Christmas Day barbecue here tomorrow afternoon for the club, and King is covering the cost of all the food. He’s also supposed to be collecting the meat from the butcher this afternoon, but I’m not even thinking about that right now because it may send my blood pressure through the roof.
“Nitro picked it up from the butcher for King this morning and asked me to bring it over.”
I stare at her, willing my frustration with my husband to maintain the level it’s currently at rather than increasing a few levels. “It’s so nice of King to call Nitro but not return any of his wife’s calls.”
“Your sarcasm is noted,” she says, “but let’s just get this meat inside before I die in this heat out here.”
“Oh, you’re gonna die in here too,” Zara says, joining us. “But don’t get Mum started on why the air con isn’t fixed yet.”
We carry all the meat into the kitchen and load it into the fridge, which is now almost full, when Fury enters the kitchen. He reaches for Zara and kisses her before turning his attention to me. “I’ll check out the air con, but I’m no expert so I can’t guarantee anything.”
I silently thank the universe for my son-in-law-to-be and say, “Thank you. You’re getting an extra present tomorrow for this.”
Amusement crosses his face, but he doesn’t respond to what I’ve said. He simply nods and exits the kitchen, meeting Cade on the way out.
My son has been giving me hell for weeks. Between arguing with me over every little thing, arguing with his brother and sister, and developing some bad behaviour that we’ve never seen from him before, I’m at my wits' end trying to figure out how to deal with him. I suspect it’s because he’s missing his father, but regardless of the why, I need to get a handle on this situation and I need to do that faster than I have been.
“Have you cleaned up that mess in your bedroom?” I ask. The mess I asked him to clean up last night. The mess he freaking added to instead of doing what I asked.
The defiance he stares back at me with does not make me want to give him the presents King and I bought him for Christmas. It’s this defiance that his father is going to have to spend some time working on because I sure don’t seem to be making any headway on it. “I’m nearly finished.”
Cade’s idea of nearly finished is vastly different to mine. “Right, you go back to your room and you stay there until it’s done, and just so you know, Cade, Santa isn’t fussed on visiting kids with messy rooms, so if you want him to visit you, I’d suggest getting your room as tidy as you can.”
“That’s not true! My room wasn’t tidy last year.”
I lift my brows, challenging him to continue down this path of arguing with me. “He also doesn’t love it when children argue with their parents.”
His mouth pinches together. “You’re making this up! You don’t know Santa! I don’t have to clean my room!”
One.
Two.
Three.
I take a deep breath.
I love my son.
I love my son.
I love my son.
“You’re right. I don’t. Maybe you should try it your way and see if any of this is true. You’ll know tomorrow morning when you either have presents from him or you don’t.”
Cade has the same eyes as his father. The brown in them darkens when he’s experiencing a storm of emotions, and my words have triggered that storm inside him. Without another word, he turns and stalks out of the kitchen.
I take another deep breath and look at Zara. “Tell me you’re staying here all day. I’m not sure I should be in charge of keeping Cade alive today.”
“I’m here all day, and if I have to go out to get anything, I’ll take him with me.”
“You are the best daughter in the world.”
She grins. “I’m telling Holly you said that.”
My phone sounds with a text and my attention shifts completely to that, hoping it’s from my husband. Praying it says something like “home in an hour.”
* * *
King: Got bike problems. Should be home by dinner.
Me: Should as in will?
King: Should.
* * *
I call him but he doesn’t answer.
Oh my God, I will freaking kill him.
* * *
Me: Answer your phone.
* * *
His reply isn’t instant but it does come.
* * *
King: I’m in the middle of sorting out some shit.
Me: Well if you don’t answer your phone or call me, you’re gonna be sorting out a whole heap of shit you don’t wanna be sorting out.
* * *
A couple of minutes pass, in which my chest tightens with annoyance, frustration, and the exhaustion I’m feeling from the kids. From the heat. From life.
And then his call comes through.
I answer it like my life is ending and he’s my lifeline. “I love you, King, but seriously you’re testing that love and if you don’t make it home before dinner I may—”
“What’s going on there?”
“Are you serious right now? What’s going on? If you want a list, I’ll be happy to give it to you, but you’ll need longer than a couple of minutes to hear it. Maybe you’d like me to text it to you. I know you’re not about phone calls this week.” The high-pitched tone that has taken over my voice is one I hate and wish I couldn’t hear right now, but I can’t stop myself even if I tried. It’s official and I accept it: this Christmas, I’m that crazy woman who can’t keep her shit together.
“Fuck, Lily—”
“Don’t you say it, King. I’m not in the mood to hear it today.”
“Well it’s fucking true, so maybe you need to hear it.”
Apparently Christmas brings out the crazy in me. Not just this year, but every year. Or so King likes to tell me. My family backs him on this and call it the Christmas Crazies. And while I might accept that this year I’m a crazy woman—because of people and circumstances outside of my control—I don’t need to hear King go on about it like it’s a freaking given every year.
“I’ll tell you what I need to hear. I need to hear you say you’ll definitely be home for our Christmas dinner tonight. That’s it. I’ll take care of everything else that still needs to be done for tomorrow and I’ll make sure the swing set is built so long as you just get home.” I pause for a moment and my voice softens as I add, “I need you here, King.”
Silence for a beat before he says, “I’ll be there. Everything is taken care of for tomorrow and I’ll build that swing set tonight. I don’t want you to worry about any of that shit; I’ve got it covered.”
And just like that, the tightening in my chest eases. As much as he tests me and argues with me and pushes my limits, my husband never lets me down. When he says he’ll do something, he’ll move heaven and hell to deliver on his promise. I just needed to hear him say it.
“I love you.”
“I’ll be on the road all day.” That’s King speak for “don’t fucking call me unless it’s urgent”.
“I’ll see you tonight.”
The line goes dead as he ends the call. I’ve only got one more thing to tell him.
* * *
Me: I hope you’re planning on being home for many days. I have many filthy things I want you to do to me.
* * *
“He’ll be home for dinner?” Zara asks.
Knowing King won’t reply to my text, I place my phone down and do my best to concentrate on the day ahead rather than on the fact I miss him so much. “Yes.”
“Good.”
Tatum starts to say something but there’s another knock at the front door.
“Girlfriend,” Monroe says when I let her in, “your husband outranks mine for bossiest man alive.”
I take the bags of groceries she shoves at me. “We knew this already
, Roe. He outranks every man alive when it comes to that.”
“Well he reached a new limit with me today. Ask me where I’m supposed to be right now? And then ask me why I’m not there.”
“Oh God, what did he boss you into?”
“You’re supposed to be at the hairdresser now,” Tatum says.
Monroe nods. “Yes, I am, and yet after arguing with King for a good few minutes over it, I agreed to cancel my appointment so I could go grocery shopping. On fucking Christmas Eve. You girls know I hate grocery shopping at the best of times, but the day before Christmas is the absolute worst. Let the record show, I will not be talking to King anytime soon.”
