by Marie James
Table of Contents
Cannon
Copyright
Acknowledgments
Synopsis:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Social Media Links
OTHER BOOKS FROM MARIE JAMES
Cannon
Cerberus MC Book 12
Marie James
Copyright
Cannon: Cerberus MC Book 12
Copyright © 2020 Marie James
Editing by Marie James Betas
EBooks are not transferrable. All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded, or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission.
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 persons, living or dead, actual events, locale, or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Acknowledgments
Huge shout out this time around to the #1 man in my life! My dear, sweet husband, you are amazing! Thank you for making my dreams come true and supporting me relentlessly from day one. This wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for your support!
My amazing BETAs, you ladies are the absolute best! Laura, MaRanda, Brenda, Jamie, Michelle, and Jo thank you so much for the help on this book! Mary, you amaze me each and every time we work together! Thank you for your help and all of your support through this process!
Laura Watson! Thank you! You keep my head on right. I couldn’t do this without you!
Another shout out to RRR Promotions and Natasha for helping get this book out into the world. As always, you nailed it!
A million thank yous to Wildfire PR for helping get this together. Christine you’re amazing, and a blessing to me!
Readers, I can’t even begin to tell you what you mean to me. Without you, I’d have no reason to write these books. Thanks for your continued support of the Cerberus MC!
Until next time!
~Marie James
Synopsis:
I’m the fun guy.
The one always quick with a joke.
The guy who is crazy enough to do wild things to make people smile.
That’s how people see me.
That’s who I’ve presented myself to be.
That’s how I introduced myself to Rivet.
The first female Cerberus team member wasn’t impressed with my corny pickup lines and wide smile like the other women I use it on.
And why should she be?
She’s seen it all and lived to tell the tale.
She took one look at me and decided she wasn’t interested.
I should move on, but her rejection stings.
I can’t seem to let it go.
I can’t get her out of my head.
I also can’t figure out if it’s the chase I crave, or if this woman is someone special I’ve been missing in my life.
So that really only leaves one thing…
Do I show her the real me?
Chapter 1
Rivet
“When did you get into town?”
I run my fingers through my short hair and sigh.
“If you bothered to listen to me, you’d have heard me say I got to Farmington late last night.”
“That’s good,” Bishop says through the speakerphone.
I huff a laugh. He’s still not paying attention to me.
“Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea.”
I glare at my reflection in the mirror, willing the strength and resiliency I built up with four years in the Marine Corps to make an appearance.
“Rivet,” he sighs.
Now he’s paying attention.
I don’t need him to cajole me. I don’t need a pep talk before leaving my hotel to start a brand-new chapter in my life, but it wouldn’t hurt either.
“You’re fierce, a woman who doesn’t take shit off of anyone. You’re as good, if not better, than half the guys there.”
I smile with my friend’s declaration, as ridiculous as it is.
“This is Cerberus,” I remind him. “They’re the best of the best, and you damn well know it.”
“True,” he agrees, and it doesn’t help my current struggle.
“What if they find out about what went down?”
“I’m sure they already know,” Bishop says. “They’re kind of known for acquiring intel.”
Silence fills the airway, but I can’t pull my eyes from the blue stare mocking me.
“Don’t let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.”
I shake my head, rolling my eyes even though he can’t see my reaction.
“I thought you gave up quoting the Bible in bootcamp, asshole.”
He chuckles. “That’s not a Bible quote. I think it’s the Dalai Lama.”
“Deep, real deep,” I mutter.
My best friend got the nickname of Bishop when he spouted Bible verses when he first arrived for bootcamp, from what I hear. The name stuck. The innocence he joined the Marine Corps with didn’t. It’s hard to always maintain faith and trust when you face the things we have.
He’s still in the Corps, whereas four years was enough for me. The politics and bureaucracy that goes along with the job is enough to drive a sane person mad. I got out as quickly as I could, and from what I hear, that’s the case with a lot of the guys who now work for Diego “Kincaid” Anderson.
“My point is that you need to forget about all that shit. You’re going to do great. I have faith in you.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
His laugh is like a balm to my soul. I hated leaving him behind, but he has another year left before he can discharge, and he still hasn’t made up his mind if he’s going to leave or not. Things are simpler in the Corps as a man. Not easier, mind you, but just different. The expectations are set so much higher. Everyone is watching you, testing you, waiting for you to fail.
Okay, maybe not everyone. I had a great group of guys I worked with for the better part of a year. My issues stemmed from the other assholes on base—the ones that would never accept a woman in combat, no matter how many times she proved herself worthy.
A loud rustle comes through the line, distracting me from my incessant stare into the mirror. “Where are you?”
“East” is his response, and I know he can’t tell me more.
“Be safe.”
“Always. I’ll call you when I can
.”
“I know.”
We say our goodbyes, and just like every time I get off the phone with him, I feel a knot in my gut threatening to make me sick. I know what the job entails. I know the lies we tell our families while we’re deployed so they can sleep easier at night. We never give them the full truth. We don’t talk about the close calls or the people we’ve lost along the way. Death, carnage, and injuries are swept away with saying I had a bad day or things got a little wild today.
Civilians wouldn’t understand. Civilians don’t want to understand, and that’s fine by me because I don’t want to talk about the shit I’ve seen, the things I’ve had to do to survive.
But the guys I’m joining know the score. They’ve all been through it. They’ve all lived the same nightmares, some longer than others. Dominic Anderson, Kincaid’s older brother, isn’t an official member of the Cerberus MC, but he’s an integral part of the organization. He spent twenty years in the Corps, the longest serving member if my research is correct.
Knowing what I know about military life and active combat, my worry over Bishop is warranted. He’s my best friend, has been for the last several years. We know everything about each other, literally everything, considering that drunken night in Bahrain, but we didn’t let that ruin our friendship.
I make my way around the shitty motel room gathering my things, trying not to let depression set in when I realize one overstuffed gym bag counts for all of my worldly possessions. I’ve practically been deployed continually the last four years, so collecting shit and settling in any one place for too long seemed pointless but looking down at the bag on the bed is eye-opening.
I think about calling my parents, but I can’t suffer through another round of their disappointment since they won’t wrap their heads around the fact that Cerberus isn’t some criminal motorcycle club running drugs, guns, and selling women. No matter how many times I told them to stop watching Sons of Anarchy to get their information, they won’t listen. I guess I can be grateful that they watched McHale’s Navy to understand my time spent in the Corps.
With one final sigh, I leave the hotel room, jump on my bike, and head to the Cerberus clubhouse. Only once on the ride over do I consider turning around and heading in the opposite direction.
***
Several women smile at me from the kitchen while I wait outside of the conference room. I don’t know why I’m nervous. I’ve faced groups of men who snarl at me just for having a vagina. Men who hate me because they believe women have no place in combat. Men who want me to get hurt so I’ll go back to where I belong—their words not mine. Men who think women in combat compromise missions because the guys were likely to protect me over doing their own damn jobs.
I proved myself over and over. I can protect my damn self when things get hairy. I proved more than once that I’ve had their six when it was called for.
But this is a new group of guys. A new group of Marines I have to convince that I belong. It’s like fucking starting over from day one.
I don’t have long to stand and stew because the door swings open and Snatch, a ridiculous name but I’ve heard worse, waves me in. The club must be pretty damn progressive because not only is this guy covered in tattoos, including pierced stars on each cheek, but from what I hear, the guy is gay and his husband works here as well.
Silence washes over the room as I walk in and it’s louder than a mortar blast in my ears, but instead of trembling and turning around to bolt, I snap my head up and walk toward the front of the room.
I met several of the original guys during the interview process, and although that was nerve-wracking, it doesn’t compare to seeing them all lined up at the front of the room.
“We’re a progressive club,” Kincaid says with a welcoming smile as I approach, “and I have no doubt that each and every one of you will make sure Rivet feels welcome.”
“A woman in the club?” some guy at my back mumbles. “Never thought I’d see the day.”
I don’t take offense. I was prepared for this sort of reaction.
I make sure to meet eyes with Dominic, Kid, and even Shadow who’s holed up in the corner with a spread of computer screens in front of him. There’s a guy beside him I haven’t met, but we’ll get to introductions, eventually.
“Listen,” I begin as I turn around to face the group of men sitting around the huge conference table, “I know what you’re all thinking. ‘A woman has no place in Cerberus.’”
“That is not what I’m thinking right now,” a smiling ginger says with a salacious look in his eyes.
His reaction isn’t new either. Men, especially those in the military, are wired differently than civilians. They fuck and fight, rinse and repeat. I knew coming here meant I’d have to shake off a few that would want to get in my pants, and that’s something I am prepared for.
I don’t even acknowledge the asshole with a rebuttal before I continue.
“I’ve fought in combat, and the numerous commendations I’ve received prove I’ve worked my ass off to get here. I don’t expect anything to change. I don’t want you assholes watching what you say or toning down your personalities in fear of offending me. I don’t get offended. I can trash talk and tell filthy jokes with the best of them. I’m here to do a job, and if you fuckers give me half a chance, I’ll prove to you that I’ve earned my spot with this organization.”
A covered cough hiding laughter comes from my left and I imagine it’s either Shadow or the man sitting beside him, but I don’t glance in that direction. Several of the guys blink up at me like I’m an anomaly but most of them have something akin to respect in their eyes, and although I know I’m not in with them yet, at least I have my foot in the door.
Kincaid slaps me on the back as he steps up beside me. “Now that we’ve gotten that taken care of, we’ve been asked to help Blackbridge with an assignment. After the help they’ve provided us in Venezuela, I figure it’s only fair to return the favor.”
Kincaid points to the only empty chair at the table, and as I take a seat, a serious man steps up to take the floor.
I listen intently as Deacon Black, owner of Blackbridge Security, presents his case about his ex-wife being missing and his thoughts on her being held captive at a compound in Côte d’Ivoire. I’ve never been to Africa so I pay close attention, vowing to do the best job that I can, simply because my life, the lives of the men surrounding me, and the lives of countless women caught up in trafficking depend on it.
Chapter 2
Cannon
“Is Griffin coming back for spring break?”
I don’t bother glancing over at Samson to answer his question.
“Don’t know.”
“Are you coming back for spring break?”
“Don’t know.”
“What do you know, Cannon?”
I shrug, my eyes pinned to the woman across the room. I’m home for the weekend. It’s easier for me to fly in from San Diego than it is for my brother, Griffin, and his girlfriend, Ivy, to fly in from Rhode Island.
“We didn’t get nearly enough time with them,” Camryn, Samson’s fiancée, says beside him.
I look to my right then, letting my eyes actually take her in. She’s a damn doctor, used to be the guy’s babysitter when he was younger, and here they are, wrapped around each other like they were always meant to be.
Maybe they were, but I still can’t fully come to terms with Samson settling down. He was always the party guy. The one to have a bad idea and follow through with it spectacularly, and now he’s sipping a light beer and probably thinking about wedding plans. I shake my head.
When did things shift? When did every damn person I know and love start to settle down?
It all started with freaking Lawson. He fell in love with Delilah before she even finished high school. After those two got together, it was like a domino effect throughout the clubhouse.
Gigi tied herself to Hound, nailing that down with their little girl Amelia.
&nb
sp; Then my brother Griffin, the guy I thought would spend the better part of his life in the Marine Corps, came home early and ended up dating Gigi’s twin, Ivy. I never thought that would happen, even though we all saw the way she watched him. They aren’t engaged yet, but I know it’s only a matter of time.
Even Jasmine, Dominic’s adopted daughter, is in a committed relationship, although that’s a little more unorthodox considering she’s with Tug and Max.
Does that make it a threesome, or a triad? I’m not sure, but when I shift my eyes and find them standing together talking with Jasmine’s dad, no one seems uneasy about the fact that two men have her sandwiched protectively between them.
The Cerberus members are peeling off one by one as well, spouting their devotion and love for their significant others.
No thanks.
Not me.
I’m not interested.
I have no plans to ever settle down. There are too many flavors in the world to end up sticking with one for any length of time. I have an eclectic palate. I need change and variety.
I’m sure that’s why the tall blonde woman across the room is garnering all of my attention. She can’t be but three or so inches shorter than my six-foot-two-inch frame, and that’s nearly impossible to find. I don’t purposely seek short women, but five-eight is considered above average, and she’s even taller than that.
I also tend to lean toward girly girls. Women who have long wavy hair, ones who wear makeup and short little dresses.
So I have no idea why I can’t take my eyes off of the chick who’s wearing combat boots, dark jeans, and a no-fuss Henley.
“What are you doing?” Samson kicks my foot with his own. “Hey.”
“What?” I snap, only pulling my eyes from her to glare at him for a second before I gaze back in her direction.
“That’s a really bad idea,” Samson warns.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I lift the mouth of my beer bottle to my lips.
Most days I’d rather be hanging out at the bar. That’s where the willing chicks are. Until tonight, there’s never been a reason for me to hole myself up in the clubhouse other than the fact that I can drink here and can’t out in public. My birthday isn’t for several more months, and my parents would shit a brick if I let people see me drinking in public. Cerberus has an image to uphold, after all.
