Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 128812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
The one man I could never seem to leave behind.
As a teenager trapped beneath the expectations of my wealthy adoptive family, I found my escape in Zayne Harmond. He was late nights, hidden touches, and the only place I felt understood. I walked away and joined the Marines, believing whatever existed between us would stay in the past.
I was wrong.
Now I’m a wounded veteran working with Cerberus to take down sex trafficking rings in East Tennessee, and fate has put Zayne back in my path. Only this time, we’re assigned to the same undercover case, infiltrating a dangerous paramilitary organization tied to multiple missing women.
Years ago, getting caught with him would’ve ruined my reputation.
Now, it could get us both killed
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Chapter 1
Zayne
The relief I was hoping for doesn't come.
The slow ride up the mountains, my bike hugging every curve, should be enjoyable, but all I can focus on is my racing heart and the pressure in my lungs as the elevation rises.
What started out as a way to get a very small piece of my life back, something that I've been missing since high school, is now clouded in doubt. Pettiness has never been my thing, but knowing what, or should I say, who I'll be facing in mere moments was just too tempting to turn down.
I didn't make my life decisions based on who I knew would be at the house, but it did add a nice little cherry on top of what I'd hoped would be a very satisfying job.
My new position with the Cerberus motorcycle club came at the perfect time in my life, a time when I needed something I didn't even know I was missing. The camaraderie and fellowship these guys are known for met me the second I stepped into the clubhouse to meet with Kincaid, the president of the New Mexico chapter and founder of the entire organization.
I was fully vetted before I could step onto the property, and although people digging into every second of my past wasn't the most comfortable thing, I knew it had to be done.
Cerberus has spent literal decades making people mad, people who wouldn't hesitate to seek revenge if they weren't a little scared of the fallout from the men and women who have dedicated their lives to saving people.
All those thoughts fade away as I slow down enough to make the wide turn onto the property.
Eyes turn toward me, reminding me that it's not just us out here. Cerberus has bought two cabins in the Smoky Mountains in a very populated area just outside of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. This little community consists of a half dozen or more very similar houses, mostly used for short-term rentals by tourists hoping to get a little fresh air and see a bear or two.
My ears pop, the sounds around me growing a little easier to detect as I park and turn off my bike.
There's no fanfare. There's no rush of people coming out of the main cabin's front door, but I guess that's for the best. I know they're expecting me. I spoke with Hemlock, the president of this Tennessee Chapter of Cerberus, last week. He seemed a little relieved when I told him I was going to ride in rather than needing a ride from the airport or bus station.
Cold air gusts around, chilling me to the bone. I don't think I have time to stand here and try to figure out whether it's just the weather sending chills up my arms or if it's the ghosts of my past warning me that this isn't the best idea.
I know they had to have clocked me the second I turned in, and the traffic in and out of this area must keep Casper, this chapter's IT specialist, busy. With how things are set up in New Mexico, having their home base situated in a tourist-heavy area honestly surprises me, but if there's anything I've learned about Kincaid, it's that the man knows exactly what he's doing.
I pull in one last fortifying breath before walking toward the front door, feeling the eyes from a group of women at one of the other cabins facing this way practically burning into my back. From the laughter and conversation coming from that direction, it's clear they've been drinking and are having a good time. I'm shocked I haven't been catcalled as I lift my hand to ring the doorbell.
Despite this being my new place to live, it just doesn't feel right walking in like I own the place. Plus, the men inside are thoroughly trained and heavily armed, so it probably wouldn't be wise.
I don't know if it's the anxiety of just wanting to get it over with or what, but instead of waiting for someone to answer, I turn the knob and push it open.
A smiling woman stands before me, and I grin back at her. I recognize her as Zara Hailey. She's the woman Hemlock nearly lost his mind over when he decided one day he was going to keep her. As if the woman were a shirt he saw in the store and just had to have, he brought her back here and refused to let her leave.
Knowing that made me ask so many questions, but the way Kincaid made it sound, they were destined to be together. Once the dust settled, she was more than happy to be here with him.
The growl from my new boss tells me I either made a mistake by not waiting for her to answer the door, or he's less than impressed that she was going to answer it in the first place.