Copyright © 2018 Kathleen Kelly
Published by Kathleen Kelly
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Kathleen Kelly is in no way affiliated with any brands, songs, musicians or artists mentioned in this book.This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the seller and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.
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Cover designed by Jemina Venter, BookNerdFanGirl
Editing by Sass ‘n’ Suss Editing
Interior Design/Formatting by Champagne Book Design
WARNING:
For Mature Audience 18+
Contains Adult Sexual Situations, Graphic Violence, and Coarse or Offensive Language.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Discover other titles by Kathleen Kelly
Dedication
Prologue
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
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Discover other titles by Kathleen Kelly
About The Author
The Grinders Series
In Order:
Truth (The Grinders #1)
Curtis (The Grinders #2 Coming 2018)
Savage Angels MC Series
In Order:
Savage Stalker (Savage Angels MC #1)
Savage Fire (Savage Angels MC #2)
Savage Town (Savage Angels MC #3)
Savage Lover (Savage Angels MC #4)
Savage Sacrifice (Savage Angels MC #5)
Savage Rebel (A novella in the Savage Angels MC)
Savage Lies (Savage Angels #7 Coming 2018 )
Savage Life (Savage Angels MC #8 Coming 2018)
Other works:
Snake’s Revenge
Keep up to date with my books at my website
kathleenkellyauthor.com
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To my long-suffering husband. You are my everything. Without your constant support and love, I would still be wandering around this planet wondering what the hell I’m doing here.
You make the darkest days, lighter.
Infinity plus one.
“MADDOCK! MADDOCK OPEN THE DOOR!”
It’s barely seven o’clock in the morning and my kid sister, Heather is pounding on my front door. I have a piece of toast in my mouth and a coffee in my hand as I fling the door open. I take a bite of the toast and wave it at her.
“Jesus, Heather, what do you want?”
Pushing past me, she goes into the kitchen and picks up my other piece of toast.
“Is that any way to talk to your favorite sister?”
“You are my only sister and that’s my breakfast.”
Heather smirks at me and takes a bite. I shake my head at her and take sip of my coffee.
“Why are you here? Apart from eating my food?”
“Toast for breakfast is bad for you anyway. It’s all carbs. You don’t want to get fat do you?”
“Heather?”
“My car is making that stupid noise again. Could you look at it?”
“Love, I have a big meeting this morning at work. I can’t be late.”
“Fine drop me to work then.”
I shake my head. “I can’t be late. You work in the opposite direction to me.”
Heather pouts at me. “Fine. You can take my car and I’ll take my bike, okay?”
Heather smiles. “Driving the Mercedes. Woohoo lucky me!”
“It’s a car Heather.”
“Yes, a very expensive car. You know there’s a correlation between how much you pay for a car and how big your—”
“That’s enough! And it’s size not price.”
Heather laughs and it causes me to grin at her. She’s the youngest of all my siblings. Although she’s a twin, Heather came last and as a result she has all of us wound around her little finger.
I walk into my bedroom, grab my jacket and briefcase and head for the front door.
The keys to my car are on the hall table, I pick them up and find Heather waiting for me just outside.
“No speeding,” I say as I jangle the keys in front of her.
“I would never!” replies Heather holding her hand to her chest.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean it Heather, I’m not taking another ticket for you.”
“All right.” Heather sighs and smirks at me. “I know you look all GQ and all but are you really going to wear your Versace suit on a bike?”
“It’s Armani and yes. I have my leather jacket and helmet in the garage. Drive safely and have a good day. I’ll see you tonight.”
I pull her into me, kiss the top of her head and walk toward the garage. Thankfully, I have my own office at work with bathroom attached so I can fix my hair when I get there. Need to look my best for the board meeting.
My car is parked in the driveway, I hear Heather open and close the door, I turn to wave her goodbye, she’s smiling at me and I grin back at her. The car turns over once and makes a strange noise then I’m flying through the air. Heat and debris engulf me and I’m slammed into an oak tree. I get up, something drips into my eyes, stinging, I rub at them, look at my hand and see blood. I stand, take a step and fall onto my knees.
Heather. I have to get to Heather. I stand again, staring at the place where my car was, there’s nothing there but a shell and flames.
I drop to my knees and scream, “Heather!”
Pushing up again I take two steps, trip and blackness engulfs me.
Eric
THE HEAT IS BLISTERING TODAY. I’m underneath an old mustang that needs more new parts than the owner can afford. I’ve made do with some reconditioned parts and improvised as much as I can. They’ve made it clear to my boss, Theo, that they can afford no more than the bare minimum. They’d be better off selling it for parts and buying something else, but apparently, they’re attached. I don’t usually work on cars, I prefer bikes, and on a day like today, I’
d give just about anything not to be stuck under this piece of crap soaking my overalls through with sweat.
“Yo, Eric! You finished with the ‘stang yet?” asks Theo.
I slide out from under it and frown at him. “Am I still working on it?”
Theo holds up his hands to placate me. “The owners here, what should I tell him?”
“That it needs a match and a nice funeral?”
“You’re a grumpy fucker, aren’t you?”
“Theo it’s not worth fixing. She’s rusted in more than a few places if they had the money we could do it right, she’d be a beauty, but they don’t. She’s a hazard, a fucking death trap.” I stand up and reach for a towel to drag over my face and wipe my hands.
“Yeah, yeah, I know, but they want it fixed. Can you get it running?”
I sigh and nod. “Yeah, but not until later today or early tomorrow.”
“That’s the best you can do?”
I answer him with a death stare, and he backs away from me arms raised up. It’s easy work for me; it’s what paid my way through school. It was never a passion, working on cars, bikes, hell any type of machinery. Not enough money in it. And if it’s not a challenge then what’s the point? You should always push yourself to achieve the best, and it shouldn’t come too easy.
I sit down on a stool and open a bottle of water. The overalls I’m in are murder, so I undo them and free my upper body. It gives me a little relief from the heat; the cold water is like liquid gold as it goes down my throat.
“Is this what you mean by working on my Mustang is it, Theo?” I turn to see a man in his late sixties staring at me disapprovingly.
“Mr. Lake, Eric’s been working on it all morning. Even—”
The old geezer faces Theo and yells, “I need my car!”
I stand and walk toward him; the old guy turns and eyes me warily. “Mr. Lake?” He nods. “Your car needs probably another three hours work. I’m sure Theo has told you, it’s a pile of crap. You’d be better off buying a newer car.”
Mr. Lake’s face goes bright red, and a vein in his neck begins to pulse. “I don’t want a newer car! I want—”
He clutches his chest and goes down on one knee.
“Fuck! Theo call an ambulance!” I rush toward the older man and lay him down on the filthy garage floor. “Mr. Lake I need you to breathe deeply.” Theo has his phone out and is talking to someone. I stand and jog toward the first aid kit, pulling it open I get the aspirin out. I hold them up to Theo. “Tell them I’m giving him aspirin.” Theo nods and relays the information. “Mr. Lake, are you on any heart medication? Have you experienced anything like this before?” He shakes his head. “This isn’t going to taste very nice, but I need you to chew on these and try to stay calm. Breathe deeply and relax.”
The old man nods, fear hiding in the depths of his eyes. Theo comes toward us with a clean towel in his hands.
“I’m going to put this under your head.” Mr. Lake nods. “Tell me about your car.”
I need to get the old guys mind off his troubles, tears well in his eyes and I’m unprepared for what he says.
“It’s for my granddaughter, Cherie.” Mr. Lake clutches his chest. His speech becomes soft and he’s gasping for breath. “My son, her father, was a useless, spineless excuse for a man. Cherie’s had it hard her whole life. I want to do it up, to leave her something, so she’ll know she was loved…by me at least.”
I nod, understanding how he feels. My parents did the best they could, but with five boys and one girl, it wasn’t easy. We often went without.
I look at the Mustang, rust eating away at her and look down at the old man, compassion washes over me. “I’ll work on her. I’ll find a way to bring her back to life.”
“I don’t expect you to do it for nothing!” Fire still burns in the old guy and he manages to sound annoyed even in his current state.
“Calm down; there will be a cost, we’ll figure it out.” The old man closes his eyes, and I look up at Theo. “How far out are they?”
“They should be here any minute, it’s a small town.”
I nod and sigh. Population five thousand in Breckenridge, Colorado. I’ve never been one for small towns, and now I’ve been living here for three very long years. I keep to myself and live on the outskirts of town. The nearest neighbor to me is five miles away, and I have a gravel driveway, so I hear if anyone comes calling. Not that anyone even knows where I am or if I’m alive. When I first moved here, I thought it would be a year, two tops.
The ambulance pulls in, and I move out of the way of the two paramedics as they come running into the garage.
“He’s in his late sixties, no previous heart condition, I laid him out and gave him two aspirin to chew on, he’s been responsive.”
One of the paramedics looks at me. “Do you have medical training?”
“No, sir, just watched a lot of TV,” I say avoiding eye contact. “I’ll get out of your way.” Moving toward the front of the garage, I swipe my water bottle and stand outside away from questions and any possibility of them getting near the truth.
This town has an average temperature of seventy in summer, but this year we’re having a heatwave, it must be one hundred and five. I can feel sweat as it trickles down my back. I watch as they load Mr. Lake into the ambulance, Theo comes and stands near me.
“You watch a lot of TV? You don’t even own a TV.”
I glance at Theo and smile. “What? You think I’d be working here if I was a doctor? Come on Theo, I’m a dumb, ole, mechanic but a good one. Who’s had enough for today and is going home. It’s too hot to work.”
“Yeah, okay,” replies Theo suspiciously. “Don’t forget Mrs. Dorthamer is dropping her car off for a service this afternoon. I told her it would be ready by lunchtime tomorrow.”
I groan and look up at the clear blue sky. “I’ll come back later and work on it, in the cool of the night. It’s supposed to be hotter tomorrow; I’m not working under a car in the one-hundred-degree heat.”
Theo makes a noise, and I glance at him. He knows better than to push me as I’m the best mechanic he’s got. I don’t call in sick; I don’t fraternize with the other staff and I don’t go out drinking all night and not come in. He also pays the minimum wage which is barely enough for a person to live on. I get a grand total of twelve dollars and seventy-seven cents per hour, if I do overtime, he pays me nineteen dollars and fifty cents.
“I’ll do the work Theo, just not now or in the heat of the day.”
“It’s not that—I can’t afford the overtime.”
I quirk an eyebrow at him, since I’ve been here I know his business has doubled. I’ve even shown him where to invest his money to get a better return, and all he’s worried about is paying me overtime.
“I’m not asking you to pay me overtime. I’ll do my hours but at night. One of the reasons I moved here was for the climate; it’s not supposed to get this hot.”
Theo slaps me on the back. “Good man, go home relax and come back later. You still have keys, right?”
I’m also the only employee he trusts with keys to this place. “Yeah, I’ve got keys.”
“Well, seeing as you’re going to be here working, we might as well leave the lights on and see if anyone wants gas or drinks.” The fucker is smiling at me, he sure likes his pound of flesh for his dollar.
“Sounds fair,” I mumble as I go back inside the workshop and grab my helmet. “Have a good one. I’ll be back when the heat breaks tonight. After that, I’ll work nights, book whatever you want in.”
Theo smiles, thinking he’s had a win. I don’t mind, this job is the only thing I have that keeps me sane.
Eric
THE RIDE HOME FEELS GOOD against my skin. I take it slow and enjoy the freedom only being on a bike can bring. My home sits on the side of a mountain. One way in and one way out. If I get cornered up there, I can get out through the mountains, only an experienced hiker would be able to follow. I park my bike in the she
d that I built, and walk toward the house.
I’m not used to living in snow country, and I should have positioned it closer to the house. Come winter, it’s a pain to walk through sleet and snow to get inside. Rookie mistake. It’s July, so I still have plenty of time to build a walkway between the two buildings, but as I ride a motorcycle, there seems little point in doing it. Although when I get snowed in it would be nice to get wood from the shed without freezing to death. I keep a pile on the porch, but when it’s cold, you burn through it.
It’s not much of a house, a bathroom and the rest is open plan. I picked it for the remote location and if I wanted to extend it, I could. Apart from the shed, I’ve made no plans to expand.
Once inside, I strip off and stand under the shower, letting the cool water wash over my skin. I’m on well water; normally I’m quick, but today I stay in here until my skin goes pruny. As soon as the water turns off, the oppressiveness of the heat washes over me. I grab a towel, wrap it around my hips and walk into the kitchen. Too late, I realize someone is in my home as I smell the sickly scent of perfume.
“You know, that’s an easy way to get yourself killed.”
I freeze, analyzing the voice, female, not familiar, doesn’t sound threatening. I keep a gun in my bedside table, I walk in that direction, drop my towel on the bed, open a drawer, pull out a pair of briefs and the gun at the same time. Turning around I level the gun at her only to find an amused expression on her face and her eyes staring at my crotch.
“Who the fuck are you?” I growl.
Slowly her eyes move up my body, stopping briefly on the gun. The smile gets all soft and lazy, she holds up her credentials. “I’m Connor Styles’ replacement, U.S. Marshall Maria Lovett at your service.” Her eyes drop to my crotch again, and a small smile plays on her lips.
“You couldn’t knock?”
“I did, you didn’t answer, so I came running to your rescue.”
The Spark Ignites (MacKenny Brothers #1) Page 1
