“And what do these working man hours look like for you?” I’m almost six months along and Colt has done everything to get me to quit, but that will never happen. After he came home and threw a fit that I moved out while he was gone, he moved in with me. Spider bit his tongue and Jazzy laughed watching him haul two duffle bags across the yard. After we fought and then made up, we thought it was best for me to stay here. If I go into labor or need anything, then I have Jazzy across the yard to get me to the hospital.
“Right now, I’m going to run as much as I can. I want to be home close to your due date and take some time to be here with you when the baby comes. At least for a week.”
“Then, I’ll have Spider to watch over me while you’re gone?” I laugh because the poor man is probably wanting his house back.
“Yeah, kinda. He’s threatening to deliver an eviction notice. We need to start looking for a place of our own.” Colt leans in and kisses my nose. “Are you ready for your surprise?”
“I thought it was your arm?”
“Negative, love.” Taking my hand in his, he walks me outside, where there’s a beautiful dark gray Chevy Tahoe with tinted windows. Colt holds out his hand and dangles the remote keys in front of me. “I bought my girls a rig of their own.”
“Shut up!” I scream. “I should say no, but she is so pretty.” I snatch the keys from his hand and unlock the doors. I believe his love for nice vehicles has rubbed off on me. Inside, it’s all leather and so beautiful. “What is that?” Shutting the front door, I don’t wait for an answer before I open the back door. He installed an infant car seat, and the fabric is light pink with horseshoes stamped all over it. “Colt, this is so cute.” My hand runs over the material.
He rubs my shoulders. “I promised you and lil’ bit that I would take care of you, and I always will.”
The roar of bikes flood the streets and I whip around as the Battle Born brothers block the entire street. It’s late and the sun has set, their bikes’ lights creating a bright background around us. Colt drops to one knee and takes my hand in his. “Angie, I was lucky the day you talked to me at the reception, and it was a damn stroke of twisted luck we got back together. I’m done with lettin’ things fall into place. I’m takin’ what belongs to me, and I’m asking ya, be my wife?”
The rumble of the bikes has created quite the scene. The crowds have gathered on the streets and the moment is beyond perfect. The beat of my heart rivals the roar of the engines around us. “I never believed in hope until you, until you loved me. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Colt slides a petite diamond ring onto my finger. He stands and his fingers run along my jaw. Instinct kicks in and I tilt my chin up to meet his lips. His mouth opens and I follow, wrapping our tongues in sync with each other.
Nothing can keep us apart. I would follow this man anywhere. He gave me courage and hope. Colt changed his life when he had no idea how the outcome would be. He doesn’t see himself this way, but I do.
23
Cowboy
It’s here, the day I never thought would happen. The day Angie makes me a dad. “Colt, did you hear me?” she shouts in the parking lot of the store. We went shopping for the last few baby items she would need for Hope, my lil’ bit. I call her ‘lil’ bit’ because all you need is a little bit of hope to get you through your fears. Angie gave up wearing pants these past few months and opted for dresses. At the moment, her fear seizes my heart as liquid drips down her legs. “My water broke! She’s two weeks early!”
“Why is that a bad thing? I thought water breaking and having a baby was what we’re doing.” I hold up the bags to emphasize my point.
“Not in the parking lot, you dumbass. Get me to the hospital,” she growls and points to the Tahoe. She hunches over and holds her stomach. “Shit, I thought I was having Braxton-Hicks all damn day. Fucking motherfucking shit . . . fuck . . . ow.”
I don’t suppose this would be the best time to tell her this is her fault then. I have the bags in my hands and I’m at a loss of what to do first, take the bags to the car or bring the car to her. Or carry them both? I wonder if she’ll sit on the bench and I can go buy a few towels for the seat?
“Hey asshole,” she yells, “I know this is a bad time and everything, but stop thinking about the seats and get me into the car!”
I want to kiss the angry woman away. She can read my mind and I love that about her. “After you, love.”
“Fuck you.”
“That’s how you got here, Angela.”
“Call me that one more time and I’m having this baby alone.”
I maneuver the bags into one hand and wrap my other arm around her now that it seems the contraction stopped. It takes a little longer than normal to get to the car and I can’t help the smile on my face. I’m going to be a dad. I open the door for her and pull off my sweatshirt for her to sit on. Then I toss the bags into the back before I help her into the seat.
Minutes pass before another contraction comes, and I keep my cool driving across town on the freeway. I call Jazzy and let her know what’s going on. She shrieks into the car speakers and guarantees her she’ll be there as soon as possible, but she’s stuck in the middle of a tattoo. I groan because Jazzy could have helped me with the beast Angie is turning into. I got this shit, at least that’s what I keep telling myself. I park in the emergency zone and toss the security guard my keys on my way through the front doors. Nurses rush us, including one familiar one.
“You two can’t seem to stay away from this place.” Nurse Jessica smiles as she approaches with a wheelchair.
“This time, it’s for her.” I point out and get a scowl from Angie. I kiss her forehead and set her in the chair. “It’s all good, lil’ momma.”
Jessica wheels us to the OB floor, asking several questions along the way. She gets us to our room, and I help get Angie into a hospital gown then onto the bed between some gnarly contractions. Watching her whole body contract with pain sends a sharp ache to my chest with what she’s about to go through. This is only the beginning.
“I’ll grab your nurse and notify your doctor. I’ll be back to check on you later.” Jessica pats Angie’s hand and then waves on her way out. I rub her shoulders and back to help lessen the discomfort.
“I’m scared, Colt. Holy shit, this is way harder than I thought. Way more than I can handle. What if I can’t do this?” She gasps and waits for the next contraction to hit.
“You’re not doing this alone, love. I’m here for my girls. I can’t take the pain, but you give me everything you can, and I’ll take it on. Yell at me, break my hand. I’m here.” She leans to her side, wraps her arms around my waist, and holds onto me.
Her nurses swarm in and check her. It’s all looking good and when they get the doctor, she tells Angie the same. Angie was dilated further than we knew and for a first-time mom she’s progressing really fast, so they can’t give her an epidural.
The look on her face is pure terror. “You bring down the house, love, if you have to. We are bringing her home, focus on that. Seeing Hope’s little face and hands for the first time.”
Angie
The pain is constant and there’s no time to rest. The machine dies down, but constant aches tell me the next one is coming right after. All my muscles feel tight and tense, it’s agony. Sweat drips down my forehead and I wail out with the next hit. I jackknife up in bed and hold my stomach with a roar. “I’m going to push,” I threaten. “She wants out,” I warn with a growl.
“One more check before you push,” the doctor orders. “When you can, lie back down and I’ll check one last time, okay.”
“Oookayyyy,” I holler, and then wait, gritting my teeth. My molars should have cracked. Colt helps me to lie back. She checks the position of the baby and then how far dilated I am.
“Okay, Angie, the next one, show us what you got.” Quickly, the bed is changed and stirrups slide out, then a tray is wheeled over.
A few deep breaths and the devil of a contr
action hits. I grip Colt’s hand and pretend I’m crushing the bones. His face reddens and I focus on that, not the burning inferno in my uterus from her tearing her way through my body. The pain and agony in his face encourages me to push harder and longer. “Fuuuuuck,” he drawls when I finally release him.
It seems like hours pass in blinding agony before I hear what I’ve been waiting for. Hope’s cry pierces the air and I deflate back into the bed. My body relaxes when she’s brought up to my chest. A pair of scissors is handed to Colt and he cuts the cord as I hold her tenderly to my skin while she raises holy hell with her lungs. “I hear you, Hope, that wasn’t any better for me either.”
“Hey, lil’ bit. I’m your daddy.” His eyes have a glassy look that he quickly blinks away.
This day was the end result of a twist of luck in our lives. I didn’t see it coming. I didn’t want any of it either, but now that we’re here, I wouldn’t change a single thing. This journey was fate, and both Colt and I had to see it through. We learned to hold on through the tough times and recognize and appreciate the good ones a whole lot more.
May your lives be filled with a little bit of twisted luck . . .
The End
End of book stuff
Thank you! I appreciate all of you that read my books or book. Since you made it to the end, I have some thoughts to share. I didn’t picture to write such a soft and sweet MC. I pictured some drama and chaos for this novella. Life gives us changes whether we are ready for them or not. I had to power through and get this book finished. I wanted to curl up and not do it. I had to. I had to because my baby sister would want that. She passed away when I started this book. Of all my siblings, I was the closest to her. She supported me and always made sure I knew she was happy for me. So, this book I needed a soft story. It was what helped to heal me. I did it for her when I wanted to bail, because giving up was never an option. Why did you have to go to heaven so early? I don’t know, but I’ll always have a drink and candle burning for you at every special occasion. You aren’t born until you battle, Battle Born. Love you, bitch. I can’t wait to hug you in heaven. This is for you, Sammy.
Love, your bitch and big sister, your favorite sister.
A special thanks to Jessica Ghrist. She has a special cameo as the nurse, Jessica, in Cowboy’s story. I can’t thank her enough for her advice or tips on nursing. She has a book in this anthology, Snow’s Addiction, under her pen name, Kristine Allen.
Preorder the next Battle Born MC: Sacramento, CA: Book #1
SNAKE, more info is coming soon in 2021
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First, Sign up for my newsletter to get Battle Born News!
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Find excerpts nowhere else but on my website blog at www.authorscarlettblack.com
Battle Born MC Series
Prequel: Twisted Fate
Battle Born MC Box Set
Betting on Forever #1
Nothing Lasts Forever #2
Living for Forever #3
Always & Forever #4
Escaping from Forever #5
Fighting for Forever #6
Loving You Forever #7
Claiming His Forever #8
Also by Scarlett Black
Royal Bastards MC: Elko, NV
ICE – Book 1
Blurb
They say I am cold as ice.
You could say that’s how I got my road name or the fact that no one can get through my thick ruthless exterior.
I’ve done gruesome things that even the devil would be proud of. The demons that reside within demand that I release them no matter the cost.
I don’t know what it’s like to love. I don’t believe that it actually exists. Life ain’t no damn fairytale.
I’ve seen beautiful women, and I’ve been with lots of them.
But it’s the pain in her eyes that I crave to consume.
I want it all, her flesh, heart, and soul. I may lose everything to keep her.
But even the fires of hell couldn’t keep me away. I would battle even my Brothers just to protect her.
She’s mine for better or for worse.
River – Book 2
More info is coming soon in 2021
About the Author
Scarlett Black is the author of the Battle Born MC Series. Not really knowing where a story will take her is what she loves most about writing. She strives to write about strong women and the men who love them. She believes in love and the miracles that come from it. She enjoys giving her fans a happily ever after worth melting their hearts. These may be books, but they are written with her heart and soul. She is Battle Born. Are you?
www.authorscarlettblack.com
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The Unforgiven
Dani René
Playlist
Church – Chase Atlantic
The Kill – Thirty Seconds to Mars
Blurry – Puddle of Mudd
Darkness – Darren Hayes
Kill for You – Skylar Grey, Eminem
Unshatter Me – Saliva
Lost – Anouk
Crooked – Sizzy Rocket
I Got You – Corvyx
Sweet Dreams – Corvyx
Smother – Daughter
For the full list, follow me on Spotify
Prologue
Three months ago
Blood.
The stench of metal hits me right in the nostrils, the sickly scent of death permeating the bedroom. I reach for my gun, but my hands are slippery from trying to lift the bodies from the floor. Agony pierces me like a sleek blade slicing through my skin and into vital organs, and my lungs struggle to pull in air.
I hear them walk in. I hear my father calling me, and I hear men shouting for the cleaning crew. But nothing makes sense. It doesn’t snap me out of the pain that’s taken a hold of my chest and twisted as if attempting to end my life just like the two bodies lying lifeless before me.
I’m practically dragged from the room by two strong brothers from the club. I don’t try to fight them because I’m weak. I’m fucking broken. This is my fault, and they all know it. The thing is, none of them have the balls to say it. I don’t blame them though. I’m unpredictable. Explosive. And I caused the death of the two most important women in my life.
I’m guilty.
And I can’t take it back.
Darkness descends as the memories of all our happy moments flit through my mind like a reel on repeat. Again and again, I see them, alive and breathing, but the reality is, there is no way I can rewind what’s happened.
There is no way I’ll ever be forgiven for what I’ve caused. And when my father’s gaze lands on me, I see it—rage, blame, pain. Turning, I shove the guys away and head out of the house into the street before I drop my ass on the seat of my Harley. My blood-stained hands grip the metal bars, and when the engine roars to life, I pull out onto the street and speed away from the scene of the crime.
I don’t hear them shouting for me, but I know they are. My father will be the first one who’ll be raging right now, but I’ve done enough. It’s better that I don’t go back home. The wind whipping against my face calms me somewhat, but nothing can stop the heartbreak slowly working its way through my chest.
I pull into a lot overlooking the ocean, and I kill the roaring Harley before swinging my leg over the seat to stand tall, but the moment I look out over the blue water, the view blurs. I don’t cry. Never have. But when I blink, the cool, salty emotion trickles down my cheeks.
Settling on a rock precariously balanced on the edge of the cliff, I look up to the sky, which is turning a soft pink as the sun sets. “I’m sorry, Mom,” I tell nobody in particular. “I fucked up.” I know she’s up there with my sister. “Banks, I’m fucking sorry, sis.” My voice cracks on the last word, and my lungs stop working. The tightness becomes worse with every breath I try to inhale, and I know t
hat I’ll forever be the unforgiven. They’re not here to absolve me of my sins. They’re not here because I spouted off my fucking mouth to an asshole who thinks he can take a life without repercussions.
It’s my fault.
All on me.
I did this.
And I’m going to make it right.
One way or another.
1
Trinity
Present Day
The evening sky has already turned a deep shade of purple when I look up from the chapter I’d been reading. As summer lingers for a while longer, I wonder if I would ever see my dad again. Mom said he had to go away, but I’m not sure why, and I’m not sure where.
It’s been a year, twelve long months, and even though I trust Mom, my mind has been racing with the possibilities of why he would up and leave. She doesn’t seem all too bothered with his leaving. Since the morning I opened my eyes to no Dad and Mom sitting alone at the kitchen table, she’s acted as if all is fine.
As much as I want to believe her, I don’t. I drop my gaze to my book again, hoping my studying will sink in before tomorrow’s exam. Writing my finals has been challenging with all the stuff that’s happened in the town lately. With Anchor Bay’s tourist season coming to an end, I wonder what winter will bring. It’s still a while away, but the anticipation of what’s to come has always kept anxiety twisting in my stomach.
Twisted Steel: An MC Anthology: Second Edition Page 69
