by Erin Osborne
Jennifer’s Choice
Phantom Bastards MC
Book One
By: Erin Osborne
Copyright 2019© Erin Osborne
All rights reserved. This book, or any portion thereof, may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author except for brief quotations used in book reviews.
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, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Photographer: Reggie Deanching at R + M Photography
Cover Models: Charlie Dex Alexander, Cody Smith, Madison Rae
Cover Design: Graphics by Shelly
Editors: Full Bloom Editing – Courtney Lynn Rose
Proofreader: Kim Richards
Blurb
Brantley ‘Wood’ Parker
I’ve lived my life the way that I want to; free. That’s why I joined the Phantom Bastards MC as soon as I graduated high school. Things are starting to escalate once again and I now have someone that means more to me than my own life to protect. Yeah, I’d lay down my life for any single one of my brothers. Jennifer, Wade, and Boy Scout are different. Boy Scout is my best friend and someone that I do everything with. Including our women. Now, we have to convince Jennifer that she’s it for us amongst all the chaos. Will I be able to get through the storm that’s brewing and make sure that my girl and best friend are whole? Will the club, my family, survive what’s heading for us?
Jennifer ‘J’ Hayes
I’ve had a horrible beginning to my life. More damage has been done to me in such a short time that I don’t trust and I refuse to give my heart to anyone but my son Wade. Two men have taken me away from the only life I’ve ever known and I feel so much for the two of them. But, they have the power to destroy me more than anyone else has ever had in my life. Can I take that risk? Will I ever be able to stop looking over my shoulder for the past that haunts me?
Thomas ‘Boy Scout’ Reed
I followed my best friend to the Phantom Bastards MC. Wood and I have known one another a long time and we’ve shared our women for as long as I can remember. One fateful day, our lives changed when we met the one person that could make us want to settle down permanently. She’s got a past that we need to overcome and it’s going to take work; work that we’re both willing to put in. Can I get over my past and doubts to be the man that Jennifer needs me to be? Will I be able to lay everything on the line and let her in the same way that we ask her to do? Or will chaos take it all away from us before anything begins?
Dedication
This book is dedicated to anyone that has ever been abused. I doesn’t matter if it was physical, mental, emotional, sexual, or any other form of abuse. Abuse is abuse. If you have been in a situation and made it out the other side, this book is for you. You are stronger than you know and a warrior!
Character List
Officers/Members:
President: Tony ‘Slim’ Busch
V. President: Griffin ‘Playboy’ Busch
Secretary: Travis ‘Des’ King
Treasurer: Paul ‘Grizzly’ Stone
Enforcer: Tristan ‘Killer’ Long
Sgt. At Arms: John ‘Stryker’ Gilbert
Road Captain: Brantley ‘Wood’ Parker
Tech: Gunner ‘Fox’ Stevens
Thomas ‘Boy Scout’ Reed
Christian ‘Hitter’ Matthews
Elliott ‘Whino’ Kinsella
Craig ‘Ghost’ Tucker
Joel ‘Hound’ Carlson
Prospects:
Alex Stone
Zach Stone
Clayton Bradford
Ian Brown
Old Ladies:
Wood/Boy Scout – Jennifer Hayes
House Bunnies:
Trinity
Lips
Cam
Ginger
Rachel
Betsy
Collette
Businesses:
Strip Club – Allure
Nightclub – Phantom
Bar – Bottoms Up
Tattoo Parlor – Phantom Ink
Diner – BF Diner
Table of Contents
Jennifer’s Choice
Copyright 2019© Erin Osborne
Blurb
Dedication
Character List
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Epilogue
Prologue
Jennifer
MY STORY ISN’T pretty or remotely close to being all neat with a little bow on it. It’s horrible and riddled with pain, betrayal, and abuse-until two men decided I was worth saving; that it was time for me to live my life.
Growing up, I had a typical family; a mom, dad, sister, and me. My parents both worked their asses off to make sure we had everything we could ever want growing up. Torie, my older sister, was a spoiled brat. She wasn’t happy if she wasn’t torturing me or getting her own way. Her primary goal in life was to be the center of attention, while I preferred to stay in the background.
Torie could have all the attention, drama, and material things she wanted. My goal was to live under the radar until I was old enough to move out of the house. School was my main focus, and I worked hard for my grades. Friends and social life weren’t important to me. I wanted to get an education in accounting and get a good job. Unlike Torie, I wasn’t prepared to live at home until the man I was going to marry brought me into his house.
I never planned to be someone’s trophy wife.
That all changed with one spilt-second decision from one individual-a decision that wrecked my family and changed my life in more ways than one-forever. In the middle of winter, Torie decided she had to have these boots. The popular girls at school were wearing them, which meant she had to have them too.
Anyway, my mom finally gave in, despite knowing no one should be traveling with the way it was snowing outside. The roads were covered in snow and ice, while the winds whipping around made the conditions even worse. On their way home, my mom hit a patch of black ice and lost control of the car. They went over an embankment and died on impact. At least, that’s what the cops told my dad. I was fourteen.
I helped my dad make the arrangements to bury my sister and mother. It was mainly me, a fourteen-year-old girl, making tough
decisions. He basically started living on autopilot. The funeral service was held just after New Year’s Day. We couldn’t bury them yet because the ground was frozen.
So, for the next four months I took over the household chores, paid the bills with my dad’s checkbook, and made sure there was a hot meal every night when he got home from work. That was on top of going to school and making sure I didn’t miss a beat with homework.
My life changed even more the day we finally buried them. It was like something snapped in my dad. He started drinking every second, of every day, until he lost his job. Then he started taking everything out on me.
It was my fault my mom died. I wasn’t cleaning or cooking correctly. When the money stopped coming in, I was blamed for the bills not getting paid, and the utilities getting shut off. The day the foreclosure notice showed up in the mail, I was beaten because that was my fault too. My dad almost put me in the hospital with his brutality that night-and he never once apologized; for anything.
After that, I stuck around for a few more months, hoping my dad would snap out of his shit, and go back to being my dad. That hope lasted until my fifteenth birthday. He beat me so bad I ended up in the hospital.
I was scared about what was going to happen to my dad, so I lied to the cops and Child Protection Services. But I knew I’d never be able to live with my dad again. When I got out of the hospital, I packed as much of my stuff into a duffel bag as I could, and left my home. I figured my chances on the street were better than being stuck in a house with him.
Boy was I wrong!
I knew if I went to shelters, I’d be questioned and probably picked up by CPS. So, I found condemned and vacant buildings to sleep in. There was no way to shower, so I’d clean up in the bathrooms of stores.
Every day I was scared to death of the shadows that lurked in the dark, and the men that leered at me while I walked by looking for a hot meal or my next place to sleep. My only concern was protection from the elements, and how I was gonna put food in my stomach.
One night, I was getting ready to lay down and sleep for a few hours, because living on the street it was dangerous to sleep more than that. Just as I got ‘comfortable, I heard what sounded like a window being smashed in. A minute later, there was a loud thump on the old floorboards before someone swore. After another few minutes, a conversation started just below the room I was in. I was scared to death to check things out. But something told me that I had to.
So, I carefully and quietly began to make my journey down the short flight of steps. Standing in what used to be someone’s living room, four guys were setting up drugs and paraphernalia. They were talking about it being the biggest rave they’d have so far, and I knew it was time to vacate the premises.
Unfortunately, my trek upstairs wasn’t as quiet as I’d hoped. There wasn’t anywhere for me to hide, and I couldn’t jump out of a second story window, so I stood at the top of the stairs and waited for them to find me. Not exactly my brightest moment.
The first guy stopped when he saw me and went to turn back around. I sighed a breath of relief but immediately tensed back up. Trey, the guy behind him, decided he liked the looks of me. He made it his mission to keep tabs on me and offer me a place to stay with running water and guaranteed food.
I greedily accepted his offer without finding out exactly what was going to be expected in return. Trey was a guy everyone on the streets knew. His reputation was horrible, but I didn’t care at that point. I was exhausted, dirty, and repulsed by the life I was living.
Trey made me his whore. At first, he kept me all to himself. I couldn’t leave the dingy and drafty apartment we shared unless it was to run errands for him. When he got tired of me, of how inexperienced I was, he decided his friends could have a turn with me whenever they wanted. It didn’t matter what I wanted, and I could never utter the word no. Trey had me convinced no one would believe a fifteen-year-old, so I did what he said.
I was with him for a little over six years. In that amount of time, he had me stealing, conning people on the street, and fucking everyone he knew. While I was whoring myself out to his friends and associates, Trey was getting money, drugs, and whatever else he needed. Looking back, it was the perfect training for the next chapter of my life. The one where I got traded to a guy named Alan to cover a drug debt.
Alan made me a prostitute even though I was already pregnant by Trey. It wasn’t long before I heard Trey got in over his head, and was found in a ditch somewhere along the highway leading out of town. That was about eight months after I got traded to Alan.
For the last seven years, I’ve been working as a prostitute. Now, my only concern is keeping a roof over my son Wade’s head. I’ve been beaten and tortured, and have no self-esteem or confidence that any man will treat me different.
I don’t know any other way of life, honestly. But I’m determined to make something of myself one way or another, I’ll go to school and have a profession that my son can be proud of. I refuse to live life on my back with my legs spread forever. It’s just a matter of figuring out how to save enough money to run away and hide from Alan.
My saviors came in the form of two men wearing leather and riding bikes. I’ve had clients like them before, and I really don’t trust them. But, so far, they’ve gotten me out, taken care of Alan, and helped get me in a house I didn’t have to worry about the shadow people coming to find me. The shadow people, as I used to call them, come out of nowhere and take what they want to from you until you have nothing left to give.
The one thing I learned though, is that I’m never going to escape my past. Not in Dander Falls anyway. That’s why Wood and Boy Scout packed me up and brought me to Benton Falls where their club, the Phantom Bastards, is located.
I have the freedom to make my own choices again. Too bad I don’t know what, or if I’m going to be able to push the pain and trauma I’ve suffered away long enough to realize what’s right in front of my face-the one thing I’ve longed to have most of my life; love and protection.
Chapter One
Boy Scout
THE LAST YEAR has changed our lives in so many ways. Jennifer and Wade moved to Benton Falls after she suffered an attack at the hands of one of her old clients. Nathan was a brutal man that thought he needed to violate women to get off. His violence against women is something Jennifer no longer has to worry about. We took care of him and made sure that no one will ever have to suffer his wrath again.
The club owns the property, and we built a few duplexes for when other clubs come to town or if the guys want to have their own space. Jennifer and Wade have a place there. She has her own space and can feel the freedom that comes with being on her own but at the same time, have around the clock security. One of the prospects is always with her. Most of the time it’s Alex. He’s been there to go to the store for her, make sure no one but Wood, Kim, and myself go there, and help with Wade if she needs it.
J’s apartment is two stories. On the first floor is a small living room with a kitchen. There’s a small area off the kitchen that holds a small table big enough for us to eat at and her to sit and visit with Kim or anyone else that comes over. There’s a half bathroom on the first floor and a laundry room.
Upstairs are two bedrooms and a bathroom. J has Wade’s room decorated in soft blues with a few toys sitting around. His crib is covered with a few stuffed animals. On the other hand, her room is almost bare. There are a few decorations downstairs that Kim has brought over for her, but that’s about it. Most everything she owns is for Wade.
I haven’t been over to see Jennifer and her son today. As soon as we got up, Slim called church, and that’s where we headed. Wood and I are sitting at the bar with Dez and Stryker having a beer before going into our meeting room. Before we can finish our drinks, Slim comes stomping in and tells us we have ten minutes before church. So, we all drain our drinks and make our way into the meeting room to take our seats as the rest of the guys straggle in as they get up or make their way to the clu
bhouse from wherever they were.
Waiting for Slim to make his way in, we all talk amongst ourselves. Our Pres must be taking care of something before he comes in to let us in on why he wanted to have church this morning. So, I turn to Wood and he’s looking down at the table, lost in thought.
“You talked to J today?” I ask, trying to figure out what’s going on with him.
“No. I was gonna call as soon as we get out of here. I think Kim said she had to go shoppin’ today though,” he says, finally looking up at me.
“Then, let’s take her shoppin’ when we get out of here,” I say, wanting to get our girl out of the house and out of her own head for a while.
“We can do that and then have dinner. Try to stay the night with her tonight. Nothin’ will happen, but I want to feel her body next to mine while we sleep,” Wood says, adjusting the hat on his head before pulling out a pack of smokes and lighting one up.
“Same here,” I murmur, sitting back in my chair as Slim slams open the door before slamming it shut.
The loud pounding of his boots against the floor shuts every guy in here up real quick. He’s pissed as fuck about something, and Shy isn’t here to calm his ass down. She had to leave town for a little while, and I honestly don’t know if she’s coming back. Things are so fucked up, and she was upset when she went to go see her aunt.
Slim’s fucking up with her, and he’s going to regret pushing her away the way he’s been doing. Everyone here can see the pain he’s causing, but he won’t listen and get his head out of his ass where she’s concerned.
There’s a vein popping in Slim’s neck as he roughly pulls his chair out and takes a seat. He lights up a cigarette and takes a few seconds to try to gain some composure before he begins talking. “We all know there’s a run comin’ up. I just got off the phone with Renegade from Satan’s Anarchy. He’s been spooked about an attempt to get the shipment of guns durin’ the exchange. So, I want more guys goin’ from here.
“Wood, Stryker, Killer, Dez, and Whino, you’re all goin’. I’ll send two prospects with you too. Everyone else will be on the ready in case shit goes south. Wood, I want you to find as many escape routes as you can between now and next week. The rest of you, I want goin’ over ammo, guns, and any other weapons that you’re gonna be takin’. You will all be comin’ back whole and safe. We’ll deal with any fallout afterward,” Slim says, running a hand down his face in frustration.
