“That’s the spirit.”
Abel made a call over to Jesse, who had been tailing our guy for the past few hours. Once we had a location, Abel and I were in his truck and ready to go douchebag hunting.
It only took us twenty minutes to get to the Sinners’ hideout.
“I’m counting three guards.” My low voice felt strained as I tried to keep my anger in check. My instincts were telling me to go in there guns blazing and just take them all out in one fell swoop, but the more rational side of me knew Abel’s plan was going to be way more effective.
With the truck in park, Abel started to trot to the front porch. I had never been in a situation like this with Abel, but the way he moved and executed everything was so clean and perfect. His gun fired two shots and mine one, and within seconds the three lookouts were dead as doorknobs, falling to the ground with fatal head wounds.
Glancing back at me, Abel smiled. “You’re a pretty good shot.”
I slapped him on the shoulder. “I learned from the best.”
Briefly my mind tripped back to Abel and my dad teaching me everything there was to know about guns right after I first came to Vilas. They really had taken me in right away, into a family I’d never thought existed.
“Ready?” Abel’s hand gripped the front door.
With one swift nod, the front door opened and we unleashed a hellfire of bullets into the one-room cabin. Our AK-47s rang out into the darkness, destroying the entire room. We took a step in, realizing our guy wasn’t anywhere to be found.
“What is this place?” I asked Abel as we slowly looked around.
“It’s their hideout for deliveries and shit, has been for years.”
I heard some thudding, like someone sprinting up the stairs. “There has to be a cellar.”
Before I could even finish the sentence, Abel and I were bolting out the back door to see our guy hightailing it for the woods. Abel took three shots, hitting the guy three times in the leg.
“Try to run now, fucker,” Abel yelled as we made our way up to him. With a gun trained on us, we casually walked toward him with our assault rifles, thirsty for more blood. “I wouldn’t even think about that, son.”
Abel kicked his handgun away from us as I hogtied the jerk while he screamed, pleaded, and tried to spit on us.
“Next time you have a young lady in your presence, you’re going to think twice about drugging her and trying to take advantage of her. You need to learn how to have respect for the fairer sex.”
“Fuck you,” he yelled in my face; I started to punch the shit out of him, but Abel stopped me.
“Not here, remember the plan. We need to stick to it. Now go light a match. I got this guy.”
Abel and I ran up to his truck. I grabbed gas cans out of the back before Abel drove into the backyard to get our guy.
Abel called over to me before climbing into the front seat. “Let’s make this quick. We don’t know how long it is going to take for the rest of the Sinners to realize their guys aren’t checking in.”
“Got it.”
Pouring the gas on the porch and through the small cabin as fast as I could, I felt liberation take hold of me. I knew that being an outlaw was looked at as being wrong, but teaching theses rapists and scumbags a real lesson did more than a slap on the wrist and some jail would have ever done for them. I knew deep down that what we were doing was the right thing. Throwing the final can down into the cellar, I flicked open my Zippo and took a deep breath. Abel was already up on the road waiting for me. It felt so fucking amazing to throw that lighter into the frame shack and watch it light within seconds.
With blazing flames getting farther and farther away, Abel and I drove to the house where we’d found Raine the night before. It was roped off as a crime scene already, but Jesse had taken care of the cops to make sure none of them would be anywhere near there by the time we pulled up.
I grabbed the guy from the bed of the truck, dragging him behind me up the front steps of the porch. “Remember this place you fucking piece of monkey shit?” I started kicking him in the stomach, stomping down on his jaw once with my boot. He cried his muffled screams through the gag Abel had put on him.
Abel walked up after shoving his phone in his pocket. “Jesse and Red will be here any minute.” He handed me a shovel. “Take your time with him, make sure he suffers.”
“But don’t you want to?” I reluctantly took the wood handle into my hand.
“Defend your girl, Ryder. I’m just so fucking proud of you and thankful that my daughter found someone that loves her as much as I love Crickett. I would do anything for my girls and now I know you feel the same way.”
It was the most fucked up moment for us to be bonding over, but in that moment, I knew Abel finally completely accepted me into his family and the role I was going to be playing in Raines life.
I started smacking and stabbing the guy with the shovel, making sure to wait a few seconds in between blows to keep it going longer. It was sick and twisted and completely vindictive, but my rage started to cool and my heart slowly started to mend. Vengeance was sweeter than I had expected.
I heard Jesse and Red’s motorcycles pull up. I kicked the guy one last time before trotting down the front steps to meet them.
“Is it ready?” Abel asked as Red pulled a box out of his saddle bag.
He nodded. “Give me two minutes and this baby will be ready to light up the sky like the Fourth of July.”
Red made his way inside while Abel and I carried the guy into the living room of the house. Even though Jesse was a hard as nails outlaw, he didn’t want to go into the home where his niece had been killed by his own men; it was a little too fucked up for any of us to process at that moment.
We made our way a safe distance away from the house. Abel held the detonator in his hand. After a deep breath, I slapped him on the shoulder. “Let that motherfucker burn.”
Under his breath, Abel counted to three and then we watched the house erupt into a blazing glory of victory over our enemy.
“Nice work, kid.” Red hopped onto his bike. “See y’all back at the bar?”
Abel and I shook our heads in unison.
“I think we need to head to the hospital.” Abel glanced over to me. “You ready?”
I let out a long breath. “Yeah, let’s go tell our women the good news. They’ll be able to rest easy tonight.”
Epilogue
Ryder
It took a couple of months for everything to really start to get back to normal. I ended up working at the bar more often and Abel found a couple of decent mechanics to take over some of the burden around the shop.
I was in the back of the bar doing inventory when Abel came into the office, his lips bright blue from the Fun Dip he was licking off the candy stick.
“I don’t know how you and Raine love those things so much.”
Abel just laughed. “It’s the simple things in life, Ryder. Never forget to enjoy those little pleasures.”
He took a seat on the other side of the desk, signing the paperwork and order forms I handed him. “I think we are on track to make a few thousand more this month than last.” I continued to crunch the numbers.
“You know, I have noticed how great you have taken over this job. Holt and I are really proud.”
“Thanks.” It was so freaking hard to take my president seriously with bright ass blue lips, but I took the compliment to heart.
“Raine has really done well too after everything that happened.”
“She’s one tough chick, that’s for damn sure.”
Abel sighed. “I just wish she didn’t have to be.”
I agreed, but it was what it was. The life had chosen us and deep down we all loved it. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
“Amen to that brother.” Abel got up and started to head out of the office. “You’ve been in here for hours, kid. Let’s grab a beer.”
I couldn’t argue with that; a beer sounded mighty
nice right then.
“Sounds good. There’s actually something I’ve been meaning to ask you before we head out there.”
Abel shook his head. “Beer first. It’s just been one of those days.”
My heart started to race a little. I didn’t want to blow the surprise for Raine. “Yeah, okay.”
I followed Abel to the bar where Crickett and Raine were stocking up the beer for the night shift that was about to start soon.
“Hey guys.” Crickett didn’t even need to ask, she just put two brown bottles down in front of us.
“Thanks.” I looked over at Raine. “Hey, babe?”
She glanced up after throwing ice over the bottles. “Yeah?”
“There’s a few cases of fruit that came in this morning, I haven’t been able to check them out yet. Will you go and do it? I need to talk to your folks for a second about the books.”
She nodded and headed for the back without question. That was one nice thing about the women in our lives: they never questioned us, just trusted and loved us unconditionally.
I sighed, trying to find the words.
Crickett leaned on the bar. “Everything okay?”
I nodded, peeling off the label from my Bud bottle. “Yeah, I just don’t know how to put this.”
Abel patted me on the shoulder. “Just remember when life gets you down, it’s only one down and the rest are up.” He drank the bottle of his beer and slammed the dead soldier onto the bar top. “Now what is it you wanted to ask me, son?”
I swallowed hard. Here goes nothing. “I want to ask for your permission to ask Raine to marry me.”
I heard a shriek come from behind me and Abel started to laugh. “Well, I guess that’s my answer.”
Raine’s arms flew around my neck and she started kissing me over and over while saying, “Yes! Yes! Yes! Of course I will marry you.”
The smile that spread across my face must have been bigger than Texas. I glanced over at Abel and then to Crickett. “I wanted this to be a surprise.”
Crickett came from behind the bar and hugged Raine and I together. “Welcome to the family, Ryder.”
Abel stood up and wrapped his arms around his little girl. “Of course you have my blessing, son.”
Son. It stained the air and soaked into me.
That word had a different tone to it and sunk into my bones. I finally was right where I was supposed to be, with a family and the woman of my dreams. I had never expected my life to turn out that way, but there I was, knee deep in a life I loved because it had chosen me.
the end.
Bonus Chapter
A few years later
Raine
I paced around our brand new kitchen. Ryder was going to freak out; I just hoped it would go as well as I hoped. I knew we had planned on waiting a few more years, but tequila in Mexico was so good and apparently being drunk for seven days straight on a honeymoon made me forget my birth control a few too many times.
Gripping that stupid pee stick in my hand, I couldn’t help but get giddy when I heard the front door slam.
“Hey babe,” Ryder called from the foyer. “Did the granite get put in ok today?” He grabbed me from behind, kissing my neck.
“Everything went smoothly. Do you like the lighter gray?”
Ryder started to check out the handiwork of our finally completed kitchen, giving me enough time to shove the pregnancy test into my back pocket.
“I am so glad you talked me into this one instead of black.” He gave me a quick peck on the cheek. “Is everything ok?”
My hands were shaking. “Yeah, why?”
He pulled me into him. “You just seem nervous for some reason.”
His hands glided over my ass, hitting the stick in my back pocket and I tensed up.
“What is this?” He grabbed the test and his jaw dropped. He was frozen, staring at the pee stick with a completely unreadable face.
I started to panic for a few seconds and finally choked out, “Well?”
His face slowly started to twist into a smile as I started to ramble. “You know that tequila really did wonders and you know how active we were. I just got swept up and completely forgot to…”
Ryder grabbed my face and kissed me, shutting my babbling up.
“You have never looked so fucking gorgeous in your entire life. Holy shit we’re going to have a baby! I am going to be a fucking dad!” He whisked me into the air and started to twirl around the kitchen.
“I love you so much, Ryder!” I hugged him around his neck while the joy of the moment just took control of us.
“Raine, I love you. I always have and I always will.”
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STAY TUNED: Sneak peeks for UNACCEPTABLE, a motorcycle club & stepbrother romance, and Stupid Hearts, an erotic romantic comedy, are coming up! Don’t miss out on other books by Kristen Hope Mazzola!
Acknowledgments
To Shane: Dude! You really have no idea how much you have helped shape this story into what it blossomed to be. Thanks for being such a bad ass friend and always being so candid. Your openness and free spirit are intoxicating and I am thankful to have you as a friend!
To Staci Hart: You are a freaking rock star! I cannot thank you enough for all of you help and advice along the way! This cover would not be what it is without your input and help! You are truly selfless and an inspiration to me! Thank you for everything!
To Mersh: Dismemberment! Thank you for helping brainstorm some of my more detailed and gruesome scenes! They were awesome to write and would have never happened without your insight.
To Dayna: Like always, you’re the best bitch ever and I cannot thank you enough for all of the support and love you have given me along this journey. You’re amazing and the best friend a girl could ask for! Thanks for infiltrating this book world with me so it wasn’t as daunting.
To Book Besties: Thanks for giving new indie authors a try and loving us! Our group has blossomed into something so special and I am so thrilled to be able to say that I am a part of it!
If you want to join Book Besties (a Facebook group for book lovers) check it out here: www.facebook.com/groups/bookbesties/
To C. Marie: And you have done it again! I cannot thank you enough for dealing with me and all of my scheduling issues and constantly pushing the deadline! I really don’t know what I would do without you!
To Erin Spenser (Southern Belle Book Blog): Girlllllll, I FLOVE you so hard! You’re always are right there to help me and support my writing. That support is so important and I attribute so much of my success to your pimping skills!
To My Rockstars: YOU ALL ARE AMAZING! I am only as strong as this group of amazing women and all of the sharing, pimping, reviewing, love, and advice is never unnoticed and I truly am thankful every day for all of you. I can’t express how excited I get when any of you post in the group about what you’re reading and what you think of it! You all have helped me become a stronger, more confident author and that is priceless.
About the Author
Bestselling author, Kristen Hope Mazzola, lives in the suburbs of Tampa soaking up the sunshine while watching hockey or football at beach bars. She writes contemporary romance ranging from steamy romantic comedy, angsty new adult, all the way to sports romance �
� with dirty bikers, hot military men, and swoon-worthy rockstars in between. A portion of her royalties goes to the Marcie Mazzola Foundation.
Stay Connected
www.KristenHopeMazzola.com
[email protected]
All books by Kristen Hope Mazzola
The Crashing Series:
Crashing: The Wedding: Cali’s Story (Crashing #0.5)
Crashing Back Down (Crashing #1)
Falling Back Together (Crashing #2)
The Unacceptables MC Standalone Series:
Unacceptable
Unspeakable
Unbreakable
The Hysterics Standalone Series:
The Hysterics
Colt & Serena: A Hysterics Short Story
Shots On Goal Standalone Series:
Hat Trick
Cross Checked
Cherry Picked
Low Blow
Playoff Beard
Standalones:
Stupid Hearts
Rough & Tumble
Boxsets:
The Crashing Series
Lust & Love
The Huntress Series (co-written with Dawn Robertson):
The Huntress (Book 1)
The Hopeless (Book 2)
The Nameless (Book 3)
The 69 Series:
(multi-author collaborations for charity)
Hook & Ladder 69
Bleed Blue 69
Unacceptable
An Unacceptables MC Romance
Unspeakable: An Unacceptables MC Romance Page 8
