by Nicola Jane
Riggs’ Ruin
King’s Reapers MC # 1
Nicola Jane
Contents
Acknowledgments
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
Author’s Note:
Social Media
Riggs’ Ruin
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are all products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any similarities are entirely coincidental.
Riggs’ Ruin Copyright © 2020 by Nicola Jane. All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations used in articles or reviews. For information contact Nicola Jane.
Cover Designer: Charli Childs, Cosmic Letterz Design
Editor: Rebecca Vazquez, Knox Publishing
Proofreader: Amanda Tabor, Knox Publishing
Formatter: E.C. Land, Knox Publishing
Publisher: Knox Publishing
Created with Vellum
Acknowledgments
To my readers, you’ll know by now that I have signed to a new publisher. I’m very excited to be working with Knox Publishing and thank everyone there for the warmth and love they’ve shown me. I’m excited to be on this journey with them and I’m bringing you all along for the ride.
To new readers, welcome. I hope you’ll find a favourite author in me and continue to follow my journey.
To my family and friends who know about my writing journey, thank you for your support. You know who you are ;)
Trigger Warning
The material in this book may be viewed as offensive to some readers, including graphic language, sexual situations, murder, and violence, including domestic violence.
Playlist:
Take Your Time - Sam Hunt
Sorry - Halsey
You Should Be Sad - Halsey
How Could You Leave Us - NF
The A Team - Ed Sheeran
Animals - Maroon 5
Falling - Harry Styles
Goodbyes - Post Malone ft. Young Thug
Circles - Post Malone
Without Me - Halsey
Playing With Fire – N-Dubz ft. Mr Hudson
Bring Me To Life – Evanescence
My Immortal – Evanescence
Don’t Go – Wretch 52 ft. Josh Kumra
Deepest Shame – Plan B
Feel It – Michele Morrone
I See Red (Everybody Loves An Outlaw) – Lali Agazade
You Don’t Own Me – SayGrace ft. G-Eazy
Lullaby For A Soldier – Maggie Siff
Cryin’ – Aerosmith
Always – Bon Jovi
Hero – Enrique Iglesias
Sex On Fire – Kings of Leon
We Belong Together – Mariah Carey
Chapter One
Anna
It’s a warm, sunny day. I tip my head back to feel the rays on my face. I love my little garden— it’s a sun trap. “Mommy,” whispers Malia in my ear.
I smile but keep my eyes closed. “Yes, sweetie?”
“When I was at nursery today, Ziggy asked me to kiss him.” My eyes shoot open and fall on the innocent face of my five-year-old daughter. “He wants me to be his . . . ” She taps her pink, heart-shaped lips that are the exact replica of my own. “Old lady. What does that mean?”
“You are far too young to be kissing anyone, little miss,” I say, and she giggles. “I hope you told him that.” She shrugs her shoulders and the pink strap of her dungarees slips down. “Sweetie, I really wish you’d make some new friends. You and Ziggy spend an awful lot of time together and it’s important that you make other friends.”
“But I only like Ziggy and he only likes me,” she says innocently.
I hear the front door open and close. “I brought cakes for little miss trouble and wine for us to get started,” yells Eva from inside the house. “You better have your ass in that shower,” she adds. I check my watch. Christ, is it that time already? I push myself to stand and brush the grass from my ass as I sweep Malia into my arms and take her inside.
“Sorry, I lost track of time,” I explain. “I’m going right now. You look amazing, by the way.”
Eva always looks amazing. An inch taller than me, she stands at five-foot-three, and her slim build and shoulder-length brown hair make her a natural beauty. Her green eyes sparkle, giving the impression she is always happy. She’s wearing the light blue denim jeans she purchased for over a hundred pounds on our last shopping trip and a white top that shows off her midriff.
I shower quickly and dress in a thigh-length summer dress. It’s flowy from the waist down and looks perfect with my heeled boots. I apply minimal make-up and get downstairs just as Eva’s mom arrives. “Thanks for watching Malia, Esther. She’s been excited since she came home from nursery today,” I say with a smile. As if to prove my point, Malia races into the hallway and throws herself into Esther’s arms.
“It’s not a problem. You know I love to spend time with her. Now, come and tell me what things you and Ziggy have been up to this week,” says Esther fondly as she carries Malia into the living room.
Eva passes me my clutch bag and smiles. “Ready?” she asks. I nod. I’ve been ready for this night out since she mentioned it last week. I go and kiss Malia on the head and repeat the rules of bedtime so she doesn’t try anything with Esther. They smile at each other mischievously and I already know they plan on staying up past bedtime.
We often drink local to where we live. I’m new to this area, but Eva’s lived here for years. As usual, we start at The Duke. It’s a pretty lively bar. We have to queue for our drinks, and then there’s nowhere to sit, so we find ourselves finishing the first drink pretty quickly so we can move on to somewhere less lively.
As it happens, most of the bars along Queen’s Road are busy, and by the time we stumble into The Copper Trap, we’re both feeling the alcohol buzz. The staff here know us well and our drinks are already on the bar before we’ve asked for anything. I smile gratefully at Cathy, the head bartender, and we take our drinks to a quiet corner. I fill Eva in on what Malia said about Ziggy. She finds the whole thing hilarious. “You’re overreacting. He’s just a kid too and probably doesn’t understand what he’s saying,” she reasons.
“That’s bullshit. His dad is a biker. He wears the leather jacket with the thingy on the back,” I say.
“The club badge?” asks Eva.
“Whatever it is,” I dismiss. “One of the other moms at school told me it’s a gang. He’s basically in a biker gang and his kid is out of control.”
“You know you shouldn’t believe everything you hear. Do you think the same mom said nice things about you when she found out who Malia’s dad really was?” she asks, raising a perfectly plucked brow at me. I scowl, but she continues regardless. “You know more than anyone not to listen to gossip because it’s usually wrong.”
I scoff. “The gossip doesn’t do Reggie justice. He’s way worse than any story. Besides, I’m pretty sure none of the parents at Malia’s sch
ool know about Reggie being her dad.”
Eva smirks. “Yeah right. Sounds like they love to gossip, if you ask me.” She sighs. “If you’re really worried, then speak to the teacher. Maybe she can try and encourage Malia to play with different kids, but I really think she’ll be heartbroken without Ziggy. She’s really taken with him.” I roll my eyes. Eva is a hopeless romantic.
“If we have to move again, they’ll be two very sad kids. They shouldn’t get so attached. Don’t you think it’s weird to be this attached at their age? Maybe I should go straight to his dad and tell him what his kid’s been saying?” I suggest. “Ask him to speak to Ziggy about making new friends?”
Eva shakes her head. “Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” But my mind is made up and the alcohol makes me slightly braver than I’d normally feel. I drain my drink and stand. Eva looks panicked. “You mean now?” she whisper-hisses and I nod.
“His gang drinks at The Windsor.”
“Please stop calling it a gang. It’s not how they like to be seen. It’s a club, and if you call it a gang, he might get mad,” says Eva with a hint of hysteria in her voice.
We walk to The Windsor pub and stand outside. It doesn’t look anything special, just like a regular bar. Nobody ever goes in there unless they are part of the bike gang. It’s a fact everyone just seems to know without anyone having to say it.
A few men are standing around outside chatting and smoking cigarettes. Eva grabs my arm. “I think this is a very bad idea,” she whispers.
“It’s fine. He’s hardly gonna kill us for being concerned parents.”
“Actually, you’re the concerned parent. I said I wasn’t concerned at all. In fact, I laughed and told you it was nothing to worry about. I want it noted that I laughed.” She’s stressing out. Eva hates confrontation, and usually, I’d avoid it too, but alcohol makes me brave.
I smile and untangle her arm from my own. “Noted.”
I lead us towards the entrance and a beefy arm shoots out, blocking our path. “Who are you?” he grunts, and I step back slightly to see a mountain of a man with dark eyes and a ruddy face.
“Who are you?” I ask and he glowers at me through slits that look nothing like eyes anymore.
“Are you trying to be funny?” he growls, his forehead creasing with a frown.
“Nope. It’s only right that you introduce yourself first because you want to know who I am.” He stares at me, completely baffled, and then I hear Eva sigh as she pushes forward.
“Sorry. My friend forgot her manners. I’m Evalyn and she’s Anna.” His eyes seem to soften at Eva as he assesses her. “We’re just here to have a quick chat with, erm . . . ” She looks at me seemingly for a name, but I shrug my shoulders. Her eyes widen. “You mean you dragged me here and you don’t even know who the hell you’re looking for?” she whisper-hisses.
“I’ve never spoken to him,” I hiss back. “I didn’t know it was the kind of place to have a fucking guest list. It’s a dump.”
“Oh wow.” She throws her hands up in the air and turns to face me. “Are you trying to see how many insults you can throw at this poor man before he escorts you away from the premises?”
I notice we now have the attention of some of the other men. “I’m just saying that—” I begin.
“Forget it,” the mountain utters. “You’re both driving me nuts. Go, look inside for whoever it is you want. What harm can you pair do? I’ll give you two minutes before I come and kick your asses out.” He steps to the side and Eva gives me a triumphant smirk before leading us inside.
“Good cop-bad cop never fails,” she says, looking around the crowded bar. “Shit, are they having sex?” she asks. Her eyes practically pop out of her head. I follow her stare over to the snooker table and realize that, yes, there’s a couple having sex, and nobody is taking the slightest bit of notice.
“Christ, let’s hurry up and get out of here.” I take her arm and pull her through the bar. I’ve never seen so many men wearing the same leather jacket before. It makes it harder to spot the man I want, but when I do, he takes my breath away. It’s not the first time that’s happened. When I first saw him at the school gates, I thought my panties would melt off and jump in his pocket. They were desperate to come off. He doesn’t come to the school often, so I don’t get to appreciate his hotness on a daily basis.
He throws his head back and a deep, rumbling laugh escapes his gorgeous mouth. His tall, six-foot something frame is well-hidden with him sitting on a barstool, but I’ve got that silhouette burned into my brain. His broad shoulders and bulging arms are covered in tattoos and there’s something about his light blue eyes that gives him a permanently smouldering look. Eva nudges me forward and I realize I’m standing still, just staring at him.
“You know he’s staring right back at you wondering what the fuck you’re gawking at, right?” she whispers into my ear. I swallow the dry lump in my throat and move closer to him. The guys he’s with also turn to stare at us, and I’m pretty sure the conversation in this place just dropped down to almost whispering.
“Hi,” I croak, and he stares at me blankly. I didn’t expect him to remember me. He’s probably never paid any attention to us mere mortals who lust after him at the playground. In fact, I think in the whole three months Malia’s been going to that nursery, I’ve seen him three times max. “I’m Malia’s mom.”
“Shit, Pres, she ain’t about to drop a kid on you, is she?” asks one of the men, laughing.
“Shut the fuck up, Tiny,” mutters Ziggy’s dad. “Lady, what do you want?”
My mouth opens and closes a few times. What did I want again? “Malia,” Eva whispers into my ear to give me the reminder I was silently begging for.
“Malia,” I blurt out. He begins to look annoyed. “She plays with Ziggy.”
A look of realization passes over his face and he stands up. I hear Eva gasp at his sheer size.
“What did he do?” he asks.
“Nothing,” I say, shaking my head back and forth. “I think they should have other friends,” I blurt out. I’m getting this all wrong, and he studies me silently for a few seconds. He’s understandably confused by my ramblings.
“Come,” he says and sighs. He takes me by the hand, and I stare down in awe at how his giant paw covers mine completely. He pulls me through the bar to a quiet table away from the crowd of bikers. I look back at Eva. One of the other men is talking to her as she looks over at me helplessly. Ziggy’s dad practically shoves me to sit down at the table and then lowers himself opposite me. “Start talking.”
“Ziggy and Malia always play together. Today, he asked her to kiss him,” I blurt out. “He wants her to be his old lady?” I say it as a question because I’m not quite sure what that part means but I’m guessing marriage. He laughs— really laughs, throwing his head back again. If it wasn’t at my child’s expense, I’d be mesmerized by the way his throat bobs up and down or the way his tattoos cover up under his chin and are partially hidden by his well-groomed beard.
“Fucking legend.” He chuckles, but when he sees I’m not laughing, he coughs to clear his throat and straightens up in his chair. “So, now you don’t want them to play together?”
“No,” I say firmly. “I think they should make other friends.”
He nods his head slowly. “Because my kid’s not good enough for yours?”
“I didn’t mean . . . it’s just that . . . ” I’m stuttering helplessly.
“Oh, I know what you meant. My kid’s not good enough to play with Reggie Miller’s daughter,” he sneers. At the mention of Reggie’s name, I begin to breathe faster, the colour draining from my cheeks. I grip the edge of my chair to stop me from running out of here. “You thought I didn’t know who my kid was hanging out with? Oh, I know. I know everything. So, while you stand in that playground with your head up your ass, I know all about you and Reggie and the things he’s done.” He leans back and folds his arms over his chest. “Now, you listen to me, lady. I’
m not overjoyed by my kid’s choice in friends either, but for some reason, he worships your daughter, and unlike you, I trust him to make his own decisions. You want to break your kid’s heart, then be my guest. Now, get the fuck outta my bar.”
I stand on wobbly legs, hardly believing that he’s speaking to me like this when he doesn’t even know me. I turn to walk away but then something takes over me.
I vowed never to be walked all over again, so I find myself turning to face him. “I wanted them to make other friends because I have to move a lot thanks to Reggie. But I’m sure you knew that already. I thought it wouldn’t be very good for your son to be so invested in my daughter because when we have to leave again, he’ll be heartbroken. I’m glad your son doesn’t have your poor manners.”
I turn on my heel and march over to Eva. She smiles, looking relaxed, and hands me a drink. “We have to leave,” I say.
“No, come and meet Rock.” She smiles. The man who stopped us earlier at the door offers a goofy grin. “And Lake,” she adds, pointing to the man at Rock’s side. “We’ve put some money in the jukebox. Rock love’s rock music,” she states proudly and then falls into a fit of giggles brought on by the alcohol.
“Eva, we really need to leave.”
I feel him approaching. It’s like a sensation washes over me and I have to fight the urge to shudder. I feel the heat of his body against my back, and when he leans closer to my ear, I gasp.
