“Babe, he hasn’t fuckin’ figured out how to get it runnin’ yet!”
But just as he finished speaking, Dart gets off to a flying start, but his attempts at the hill have everyone cracking up. His time, on his second run, is two minutes twenty-five.
Drum starts to boast, saying no one will beat him. It’s Viper’s turn next. When he comes in the last place so far, Sandy commiserates with him, his booby prize a big smacker on the lips.
“Getting slow, old man!” Drum calls out.
“Hush, Drum, that’s your future father-in-law you’re insulting.” I hit him gently on the arm.
As he turns and his eyes blaze into me, I know it’s not the race he’s thinking off, but the commitment we’d just made to each other. A shout brings me back to my senses and I remember at the last second to time the next man.
One by one the bikers take their chance, both from the Tucson chapter and Snake and Red’s men. Poor Road looks like he’s having a fit, hardly daring to watch as his bike’s receiving a hammering. Leather’s getting covered in mud, and if the idea was to make this look like a well-used dirt track, it’s certainly succeeding. The bike has picked up a couple of dents, but it’s alright, I’ll get them out. I continue my role as timekeeper, keeping note of the scores.
Sophie hugs Wraith when he beats his prez’s score by a couple of seconds, and Drum playfully punches him in the chest, enough to make him fall back.
“Sore loser, Drum?” Wraith’s not hurt, he’s laughing.
“Fuck off!”
Bullet starts off as though thinking he’s going to prove his name, but going faster than a bullet has its pitfalls on this uneven ground. He’s out of the race when he comes off and twists his ankle.
“Fucking bike.” He kicks it as he walks away. “Plastic piece of Japanese crap.” He shrugs off Carmen’s arm and stomps off alone.
Drum raises his eyebrow, Carmen’s grinning. “I’ll go after him. He’ll come around.”
Heart’s run is good. When he beats Wraith, Crystal leaps on him, circling her legs around his waist and kissing him as if he’s won a major competition. She’s so pumped up she yells loudly, “My man. Did you see my man fuckin’ go? Did y’all fuckin’ see that?”
“Fuckin’ go, mommy,” a little voice repeats in a singsong voice.
“Oh shit, pet, I, oh.” Crystal realises she better stop talking with Amy picking up her every word.
“And you blame me for teachin’ her wrong.” Heart’s laughing out loud, then chuckles even harder as both Drum and Wraith flip the bird at him and he returns the gesture.
The rest take their turns, Joker’s ahead now by nearly ten seconds. Then it’s almost neck and neck between him and Lady, with the latter only a second behind. And of course, the ex-Vegas boys are slapping their backs and saying how they’ve shown the Tucson guys how it’s done. Red’s beaming with pride.
Marvel steps forward. “San Diego’s gonna trump both your asses,” he tells them confidently. His starting smile wiped off his face when he completes in a poor two minutes forty-five. Snake commiserates with his man.
Our lot try hard, but nobody beats Joker. His ex-prez, Red, slapping him harder on the back when each other brother fails. When the final man’s completed his run, I step forward. “My turn now.”
Drum looks at me in consternation. “Sam…”
“Drum?”
He shakes his head.
“Drum, I can do this.” Throwing a look over my shoulder, I see Road giving me a wink.
Joker steps forward as though expecting to receive a trophy.
“Not so fast, Joker.” I narrow my eyes.
“Anyone got a brain bucket? My ol’ lady’s going to have a go.”
At the roar of laughter I swing around to Drum, thumping his arm. “Drummer! For goodness sake!” With one final glare at him I go to the bike, mounting it easily and taking it off the stand. It’s taller than the bikes I’m used to, but I’ll be able to handle it okay. Means standing on tiptoes, though. I get it balanced, and using the technique I’m well practiced in with the Vincent, kick down to start the engine first time.
“Gears are on the left, Sam!”
Ignoring him and the chuckling his comment causes, I give Drum the finger and take off.
The track’s been well used now, so I need to avoid the worst of the ruts. The going’s quite easy in the early stages, and then there’s the downhill—I take it just the right speed, skidding a bit toward the bottom, but still well in control. And then it’s the uphill, applying a bit more throttle and without falter, I’m at the top. Mud’s spitting up around me, but I don’t give a damn. In my element, feeling free at last, the nightmares of the last few days fading into my rearview, I twist the throttle a bit more and fly over the finish line.
Drum’s staring at his phone, his eyes wide. He’s shaking his head.
“Drum, my time?” It seems I need to prompt him.
But still he stays silent.
“Yeah, Prez, what was her time?”
At last, he looks up to meet my impatient gaze, another shake of his head, and then his lips curl. “One fuckin’ minute fifty-eight.” He calls out and then repeats it as though nobody’s heard. “One fuckin’ minute and fifty-eight fuckin’ seconds.” Now he’s racing toward me; I’m still sitting on the bike. He grabs hold of my hand and raises it into the air. “The fuckin’ winner is my fuckin’ ol’ lady!”
“You cheat, Sam? You done this before?” Peg’s stomping toward me, his nostrils flaring.
“Nah, Peg. Never done this before.” I pat the bike’s engine. “Might do it again, though. Hey Drum. Might get myself a dirt bike.” I grin at the expression on his face.
“Think the track’s gonna become a permanent fixture,” Wraith observes as he steps forward to take the weight of the bike from me. “That was fun.” Then his eyes narrow. “And now we’ve got a target to beat. How the fuck did you manage that, Wrench?”
Shrugging I tell him, “I speak engine, remember.”
As Wraith steadies the bike, Drum swings me up and off and into his arms. “Fuck, Sam.” Then he whispers into my ear, “You might have won the fuckin’ race, Sam, you might have beaten me, but I feel like the fuckin’ winner here. I won you. You’re gonna be one hell of a president’s ol’ lady.”
Yeah, I beat you Drum, but I won you, too. More important than any race.
Slick
Like all of my brothers I’m devastated when disaster hits the Satan’s Devils MC. Shocked and angry, there couldn’t be a worse time to be contacted by the woman I’d briefly made my old lady, only for her to run the moment things got too tough. She’d left me with no explanation, and in my book that was enough to cut her out for good. But when she explains her situation, it’s difficult to refuse to offer my help. But I make clear it’s on the condition she knows what was once between us will stay dead and buried.
Ella
I didn’t run from Slick, I ran from his club, only to find the world outside their protection can be just as dangerous. And now, to protect my little sister, I have no alternative than to go to Slick for help. It’s not good timing, the Satan’s Devils have just lost one of their own.
I understand why Slick wants to keep his distance, I’d hurt him when he’d put everything on the line, acting out of character and claiming me as his old lady. A gesture I’d thrown back in his face. But as we spend time together, I know I want him back. This time I’m going to prove that I’m worthy. Even if that means I’ve got to put myself in danger again.
Satan’s Devils #3: Slick Running
Jasim
Although I’m the middle brother of the ruling family of the Arab state of Amahad, I’ve no particular fondness for my country, and long since have made my home in the UK where I’m part-owner of an exclusive BDSM club. My club fulfils my desire to play with a variety of subs, all of whom can cater to my particular tastes. Unlike my brothers, I have no desire to settle down and become a family man.
; It’s easy to see Janna is attracted to me, but she’s the same age as my baby sister, and just as innocent. If her age wasn’t enough for me to keep my distance, her lack of understanding about my lifestyle would seal the deal. She must understand I’m not the man for her, and will never be. When she knows my sadistic leaning she’ll realise I’m right.
Janna
Playing lead guitar in an up and coming rock band I should already have had my fair share of men. But the band has kept me protected and secluded from intimate male company. The one night I break free from their control, I get attacked. And the man coming to my rescue is more dangerous to my well-being than the one who tried to molest me. Jasim wakes something inside of me, and I can’t lock my new feelings back into the box.
He might not want me, but will he be able to resist in the heat of the desert? And what can I do to convince him that his darkest desires match my own?
Blood Brothers #5: Dark Horses
Other Works by Manda Mellett
Stolen Lives (#1 – Nijad & Cara)
Close Protection (#2 – Jon & Mia)
Second Chances (#3 – Kadar & Zoe)
Identity Crisis (#4 – Sean & Vanessa)
Coming 2017:
Dark Horses (#5 – Jasim & Janna)
Turning Wheels (Blood Brothers #3.5, Satan’s Devils #1 – Wraith & Sophie)
Drummer’s Beat (#2 – Drummer & Sam)
Coming 2017:
Slick Running (#3 – Slick & Ella)
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Acknowledgements
A massive ‘Thank You’ to my beta readers Colleen and Brandy. You guys are amazing giving up your time to read the draft. Your encouragement and support is invaluable.
Cover design and formatting by Freeyourwords. Lia, you excelled yourself this time! I absolutely love the cover design you came up with!
Editing by Phil Henderson – thanks for helping to knock this book into shape, Phil.
Proofreading by Brian Tedesco (Pubsolvers.com). Very much enjoyed working with you.
I can’t thank my husband enough for his support and encouragement, even taking the step nowadays to be a beta reader. For Drummer’s Beat this was invaluable as he’s a biker with an encyclopaedic knowledge of bikes and came up with some interesting tips and information for me to use.
And my son must get a mention, even if it’s only because he tells me he’s proud of his mum.
And of course, I’m grateful to everyone who’s taken the time to read Drummer’s Beat. If you enjoyed it, please leave a review – writers write in a vacuum, locked away in their lonely towers. We love to know what you think of our efforts and appreciate all feedback we receive.
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About the Author
After commuting for too many years to London working in various senior management roles, Manda Mellett left the rat race and now fulfils her dream and writes full time. She draws on her background in psychology, the experience of working in different disciplines and personal life experiences in her books.
Manda lives in the beautiful countryside of North Essex with her husband and two slightly nutty Irish Setters. Walking her dogs gives her the thinking time to come up with plots for her novels, and she often dictates ideas onto her phone on the move, while looking over her shoulder hoping no one is around to listen to her. Manda’s other main hobby is reading, and she devours as many books as she can.
Her biggest fan is her gay son (every mother should have one!). Her favourite pastime when he is home is the late night chatting sessions they enjoy, where no topic is taboo, and usually accompanied by a bottle of wine or two.
Photo by Carmel Jane Photography
Drummer's Beat (Satan's Devils #2) (Satan's Devils MC) Page 35
