Cerberus MC Series by Marie James – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Cerberus MC Series by Marie James – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com Mon, 20 May 2024 22:09:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 http://www.books2020.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Cerberus MC Series by Marie James – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com 32 32 Newton (Cerberus MC #31) Read Online Marie James http://www.books2020.com/newton-cerberus-mc-31-read-online-marie-james Mon, 20 May 2024 22:09:51 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/newton-cerberus-mc-31-read-online-marie-james Genre: Alpha Male, Biker, Contemporary, MC Authors: Marie James Series: Cerberus MC Series by Marie James
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Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 76812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)

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There's no shortage of victims in my work with the Cerberus MC.

When I first met Brielle Adair, she had just witnessed a family tragedy.

She was broken, betrayed, and terrified that her end was near.

She chose to curl up in a frightened ball in my closet, and I chose to let her stay there.

My own history told me not to force her to do anything. She had to make those decisions on her own.

In order to start healing, she had to trust me, but knowing the lifestyle she was raised in, I didn't know if trusting her was the smart thing to do.

Does she really need our help, or is every tear and whimper a form of manipulation?

With the way I get lost in her pretty eyes, in the end, will it even matter?

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Prologue

Brielle

1 Year Ago

He knew.

Somehow, my stepbrother Xan knew what I had planned despite never having spoken a word about it out loud.

Does that mean Nathan knows? My stepbrother is mean, but he learned everything from his father, and that man knows exactly which form of punishment will hurt me the most.

My plan was more a feeling of desperation than anything else. If I stay, I'll die. Of that I'm certain, and although there are days both Adair men have made me wish for death, my will to live is greater... at least for today.

I do my best not to lick at the split on my upper lip, but there's something about the sting of pain and that coppery taste that makes swiping my tongue over it feel like an addiction.

Nathan left for a work trip, something he does often. Only this time, Xan was instructed to stay home, as if he had a sixth sense that I would try to leave. I’ve attempted to escape several times in the last ten years, and each time, I get a little further. Each time, the punishment is worse.

After poisoning Xan and then stabbing him in the side for good measure, I know my capture this time will be my last.

Maybe that's what moves my feet a little faster.

My lungs burn and my bare feet sting from the numerous injuries on them. Every muscle in my body hurts—most of the aches from the damage Xan did before I left the house.

I refuse to let that sense of hopelessness settle inside of me. The all-too-familiar feeling is already clawing at me from the inside, that voice that tells me to crawl back and beg for forgiveness. It's the same voice that tells me to just conform, to be the evil princess Nathan has worked so hard for many years to create in me.

I wince, my muscles tight as I lift my hand and bang on the door.

What I'm doing could very well get me killed, and when the porch light flips on, I know I've signed this woman's death warrant as well. There's no escaping the wrath of Nathan Adair, and that fear he has instilled in an entire community is why the help offered to me is mostly non-existent.

"I'm ready," I tell her, unconcerned by the barrel of the gun pointed at my face.

She wavers. I see the look in her eyes. She knows what this means for her as well. Her only hope of survival would be to force me to leave and then beg for forgiveness, but that oath she swore to when becoming a cop wins out.

Lucky for me.

Not so lucky for her.

Lowering her weapon. she grabs me by the arm and pulls me inside, the porch light flicking off a second later.

"How did you find my house?" Her voice shakes, and I know what she's feeling. It's a mixture of fear and adrenaline. She's wondering if she's making the biggest mistake of her life. Spoiler—she is.

I know she wants to take down the biggest crime lord the Midwest has seen in decades, but it's going to take more than the testimony of an abused nineteen-year-old to make that happen, and that's on the off chance that I'll ever see the inside of a courtroom.

"How do you think?" I growl, feeling like we're wasting time. I need to put as much distance between Nathan and Xan as possible.

"Do you have more evidence?"

I narrow my eyes at the woman. It wouldn't be completely unheard of for this woman to be on Nathan's payroll. She could be a test to determine if I'm willing to roll over on my family. She could've been willing to help me mere days ago when she handed me her business card in the restroom at the hair salon. She was in plain clothes. The second she put her back to the door, she prevented me from leaving unless I made a scene.

I took the card, knowing it would get me into serious trouble if found, but Xan has gotten a little lax when taking me for routine things. I have my hair done every six weeks, like clockwork. I'm supposed to look presentable, worthy of the Adair name when out in public.

"Where are they keeping the women?"

I swallow, considering how I should answer. If I tell her the truth, that I don't know shit about what she's referencing, then I'm useless to her. She'll tell me to leave and to not come back until I have what they need to finally make a case stick.

There's no going back for me, and I won't be a pawn in any cop’s bid to take down my stepfather.

"I'm not saying shit until I know I'm safe." I won't say anything even then. The second I open my mouth against Nathan, I'm dead. I just need a place to get my shit together so I can formulate a real plan of escape.

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Advertisement Oracle (Cerberus MC #30) Read Online Marie James http://www.books2020.com/oracle-cerberus-mc-30-read-online-marie-james Sun, 14 Jan 2024 20:20:22 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/oracle-cerberus-mc-30-read-online-marie-james Genre: Alpha Male, Biker, MC, Suspense Authors: Marie James Series: Cerberus MC Series by Marie James
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Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 82411 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)

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I told myself I'd never fall in love.

It just wasn't the trajectory my life was going to take.

Maybe I should've read the fine print on that vow because not falling in love doesn't mean no marriage.

I woke up with a gold band on my left hand and very few memories of how it got there.

Beth Moore needed an escape, and I needed one more night like we shared.

When she asked if she could come back to New Mexico with me, I opened my mouth to tell her that wouldn't be a great idea but YES came out instead.

To save her the embarrassment of what we did, I played along.

Besides, no one falls in love after they get married.

That's supposed to come first, and I told myself I'd never fall in love.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter 1

Oracle

Despite the raging headache pounding in my head, I wake with a smile on my face.

The plan was to come to Lindell with Cerberus, to make sure that the town was safe during their memorial event. Finding a woman who rocked my world was extra whipped cream and the cherry on the top of a very kinky sundae.

I lick my dry lips, my eyes only managing to squint with the sun shining through the hotel room blinds. The warmth of her skin against mine makes me want to stay in bed for the rest of eternity.

She hums her approval when I pull her closer, positioning her body nearly on top of mine. My fingers tangle in soft, silky hair, and that perfectly flowery scent I became addicted to yesterday fills my nose once again. The woman is delectable. Her body moved against mine last night as if we’ve had years to perfect the sex.

“Morning,” I whisper, pressing my lips to the top of her head.

She grunts her response, and I can’t really get upset about that. I kept her up until the sun was threatening to come up. I bet we’ve only been asleep for a couple of hours, but duty calls, and Kincaid wouldn’t be impressed with me being late, no matter how good I got laid last night.

“We have to get up,” I say, putting forth no effort to get her off me.

Her fingers curl into my skin, and I’m hit with the memory of her nails digging in my skin as she pulled me closer, begging me for harder—faster. I gave her everything I had, and her mewling sounds of pleasure will live inside my head for many years to come.

If only I could remember her name. It would make our separation this morning a little easier.

“Sweetheart,” I say, nudging my shoulder when her body relaxes all the way, telling me she’s fallen back asleep. “I have to go.”

She sucks in a sharp breath, trying discreetly to wipe at her mouth, but, honestly, she’s wasting her time. She proudly slobbered on more than my chest last night, but maybe now isn’t the time to bring that up.

Tired, red-rimmed eyes look up at me, but there’s a smile playing on her lips.

“Last night was fun.”

I grin down at her when she starts chewing the inside of her cheek, a nervous gesture.

“It was,” I quickly agree.

Jesus, the woman is so freaking pretty. Her silky straw-colored hair is a mess of tangles and curls, and she’s the epitome of rode hard and hung up wet. Her shoulder bears the evidence of my mouth, making me wonder when I last gave someone a hickey—probably not since high school.

I trace my finger over the biggest one on her shoulder before running my hand down her spine. She curls into the touch like a lazy cat stretching in the sun. The goosebumps that chase my touch make me groan, my hips lifting a few inches to press harder into her.

“You said you have to get up,” she says, a sly smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

“Oh, I’m up.”

Her laughter is like angels singing, and just that corny-ass thought makes me pause.

I’m not the type of man to have such thoughts. I’m not a hearts-and-flowers type of guy. I’m the type of guy to make a woman laugh with a string of one-liners before letting them know rather quickly that my only goal is to get them in bed. I promise a great night, no bullshit, no strings attached, and most women appreciate that. Some will slap me in the face or scrunch their nose in disgust, but a single guy in a new town for a couple of days doesn’t really have the luxury of getting to know someone. Plus, you don’t go to a hole-in-the-wall bar looking for love.

“How much do you remember?” she asks, running her hand up my side until the tip of her index fingernail is hovering near her mouth.

“What’s that?” I ask, the sun filtering into the room, glinting off the ring on her finger.

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Advertisement Stormy (Cerberus MC #29) Read Online Marie James http://www.books2020.com/stormy-cerberus-mc-29-read-online-marie-james Thu, 02 Nov 2023 21:55:56 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/stormy-cerberus-mc-29-read-online-marie-james Genre: Alpha Male, Biker, MC, Suspense Authors: Marie James Series: Cerberus MC Series by Marie James
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Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >80

Life changes in the blink of an eye.One minute my best friend from childhood is alive and well and the next minute he and his wife are gone.One minute I’m a single guy looking for fun, and the next I’m responsible for two little boys.With those two little boys comes Mila, the aunt refusing to be cast aside although she wasn’t named their guardian.Secrets in my friend's life come to light and with them danger and expectations from a very volatile motorcycle club.I’d never leave the kids in that situation, the pawns in a retaliation scheme, but with them comes her.With her comes the reminder of the night we spent together three years ago and her own set of secrets she never thought would be disclosed.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter 1

Stormy

“I’m not saying it’s a bad idea,” Boomer responds to Hound. “I’m just saying, in New Mexico, it won’t be as simple as throwing some seeds out and expecting it to grow.”

Hound frowns at the man.

“I’ll help,” I offer. “I imagine the water bill is going to shoot up. How much water does corn need?”

“Some types are pretty drought resistant,” Boomer says. “But if you’re wanting to do a full maze for the kids, then you’ll need a lot of it.”

“I’ll chip in on expenses,” Bishop offers. “I think Ryder would love it.”

“All the kids would have a good time,” Hound adds.

“So a corn maze,” Boomer says. “We’ll probably need to work out the logistics soon so we can get seeds into the ground. Any idea where it will go?”

Silence fills the room. There aren’t any of the bosses around right now. Even though Hound is a team leader, I don’t think he has the authority to decide something like this, even though Hound’s children are the grandchildren of the Cerberus MC president, Kincaid.

He pulls out his phone and taps out a text message.

“What the hell happened to you?” Aro asks, pulling our attention from Hound and redirecting it on Oracle as he walks into the living room with his hand wrapped completely in gauze and medical tape.

“Ran the sewing machine needle straight through his fucking thumbnail,” Legacy says as he follows closely behind him. “But he’s acting like he lost a limb.”

“Although I don’t recommend that,” Aro says. “The thought of a needle going through my finger makes me want to puke.”

A couple of the guys chuckle at Aro’s response. He lost part of one leg on a mission with Cerberus over a year ago, but, despite the setbacks it caused, he’s getting very close to being able to go back out with his team.

“I didn’t wrap it this way,” Oracle grumbles. “Devyn isn’t the best nurse.”

“Watch it,” Legacy all but growls, incapable of taking any sort of criticism of his soon-to-be bride.

“How am I supposed to use this?” Oracle says, holding up the hand that resembles more of a club than anything else.

“Learn to stroke with your left hand,” Legacy responds.

Another round of chuckles fills the room.

These guys are amazing. They’re all laid back, although Hemlock, one of the newest set of guys that joined, is more intense than anyone I’ve ever met. They’re ready to lend a helping hand, no matter what’s asked of them. They’re family, a brotherhood I thought I’d never find outside of the Marine Corps. Maybe that’s why Kincaid requires service in the Corps in order to join. As a former Marine himself, he knows how important that bond is, how so many of us have found family more often than blood relatives. My parents have retired to North Carolina, of all places, and I don’t get to see them as often as I’d like to. They are incredibly busy for people who are fully retired.

My phone rings, and I stand before even looking at the screen. I’ve been waiting for a phone call from a woman I met a week ago at Jake’s, the local bar in town. I did something I normally don’t do and gave her my number when she was getting ready to leave. She still hasn’t called, which is a hit to my ego, honestly.

I frown when I look down at the phone, the 557 area code familiar and somehow not, all at the same time.

“Hello?” I answer just as I step out of the clubhouse, pulling the door closed behind me.

“Vincent Chilton?”

“This is he,” I say, an eeriness I can’t explain already settling inside of me.

Something is wrong. I can feel it scratching at my skin before the man speaks for a second time.

“This is Edward Dobbs of Dobbs, Franklin, and Franklin.”

“How can I help you today, Mr. Dobbs?”

A wave of silence—the kind that only comes before someone has to deliver tragic news—fills the line.

“I’m calling in regard to Carlen and Janet Clarke.”

Guilt swims inside of me at the mention of my childhood best friend and his wife. I haven’t seen Carlen in going on three years, and I haven’t spoken with him for over a year.

“Yes, sir,” I say, trying to prepare myself for the worst.

“I regret to inform you that Mr. and Mrs. Clarke have been found deceased.”

Even having a gut feeling it was coming, nothing could prepare me for the wave of pain and regret that hits me square in the chest.

My ass drops to the front steps of the porch, my head held low between my shoulders.

I’m not a man who cries, and loss isn’t something I’m new to. It rarely is for someone who spent ten years in the military, but I feel the burn behind my eyes, the threat of tears I don’t know that I’ll be able to hold back.

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Advertisement Legacy (Cerberus MC #28) Read Online Marie James http://www.books2020.com/legacy-cerberus-mc-28-read-online-marie-james Sat, 26 Aug 2023 11:52:27 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/legacy-cerberus-mc-28-read-online-marie-james Genre: Biker, Forbidden, Insta-Love, MC Authors: Marie James Series: Cerberus MC Series by Marie James
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Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76172 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >80

I never expected to see her again.
The connection we shared through her brother was severed when he died in combat.
Their parents were adamant that I never reach out to them again.
I forgot about the pact I made, my promise to make her mine if I wasn’t married by thirty.
The only answer I had for her when she showed up with that handwritten note was no.
Only Devyn Malloy isn’t the type to take no for an answer.
Cerberus welcomed her with open arms, but as that became enough for her, I realized it might not be enough for me…

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Prologue

Legacy

11 Years Ago

My vision grows hazy as I lift my eyes to the horizon. I’ve been in a dreamlike state for the better part of two weeks. It’s not that I’m in denial, but things still just don’t seem real.

My eyes are dry, the only pair without tears in the very large gathering. I try not to feel anger at some of the sobbing people standing around. A lot of people would see that anger as misplaced. How could I have a clue who Vaughn touched in his lifetime? Maybe he had a relationship with the girl to my left. Maybe he knew the lady from the grocery store better than I realized.

But none of that is possible. Until two weeks ago, I spent literally a part of every single day of the last ten years with the guy. I went on vacation with his family. He went on vacation with mine. We knew everything about each other. I knew who he spoke with, who he spent time with, who he liked and disliked.

I knew he was missing home. I knew he was regretting listening to me in the first place. I knew he only joined the Marine Corps because I did. I made it sound so awesome, and as best friends, we didn’t want to be separated.

Only now, instead of spending a handful of years to fulfill the obligation to my family I was raised to believe was required, I’ll spend the rest of my life without him.

I swallow against the lump threatening to form in my throat, my dress blues suddenly scratchy against my skin. The irritation makes me want to reach for the letter again.

Every one of us was told to write one, to give it to someone we trust to deliver it if the unthinkable happened.

I almost scoff at the thought. The unthinkable—risking your life isn’t so unthinkable when you head face-first into gunfire. Taking every precaution doesn’t guarantee safety when the opposition is readily willing to die at all costs.

The preacher continues to speak, his words about Vaughn true and marked with his own pain and grief. He knew Vaughn as much as anyone who saw him nearly every Sunday, growing up, could. His words aren’t generic the way many are at funerals, the officiant speaking from things told by family. It’s as genuine as possible.

My best friend is gone, his life taken long before it should’ve been.

My platoon mates were grieving when I was given leave to attend today. They were quick to tell me it wasn’t my fault. The chances of Vaughn losing his life on a random, routine scouting mission were statistically low.

Low.

I heard the word more times than I can count. Yet here I am, back home in Bumfuck, Nebraska, staring at the glossy black box that’s holding less of my best friend than it did when we left home less than a year ago.

How could I have known that this would happen when I ended up with food poisoning that night and Vaughn took my place on patrol? A million things had to have lined up for this to occur.

It didn’t help then, and it doesn’t help now.

Mr. and Mrs. Malloy won’t even look in my direction. They made it very clear yesterday that they blame me fully.

Being a Marine was never Vaughn’s dream until I mentioned my requirement at twelve. Like everything else, my best friend fully committed to the idea. If I was going, he was going too. I didn’t even have to ask. It was a foregone conclusion. Where I went, he went, and vice versa. Our lives had been like that since the day we met when my family moved to Broken Bow the summer before third grade.

I clench my hands to keep from reaching for the letter stuffed in my pocket. The tone of it doesn’t match the emotions of the group. It’s lively and upbeat, his requests childish and not carrying the weight of him actually being gone. He asks me to erase his browser history because there’s no need for his mom to know he’s into anime porn. He demanded that I tell Adrienne that he never really liked her. Something I know is a lie because he spoke of her often. The girl backed out of prom a week before the big day and it has chapped his ass every day since.

The final part of the letter, the only thing that was serious, was less of a request and more of an assumption. He told me to continue to love his family the way I always have. They saw me as a son, and it wasn’t fair for them to lose both of theirs, unless, of course, we both died together. Honestly, he thought that’s what would happen because we did everything together.

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Advertisement Bishop (Cerberus MC #27) Read Online Marie James http://www.books2020.com/bishop-cerberus-mc-27-read-online-marie-james Sun, 09 Jul 2023 00:33:35 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/bishop-cerberus-mc-27-read-online-marie-james Genre: Biker, MC Authors: Marie James Series: Cerberus MC Series by Marie James
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Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 74078 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >77

In the grand scheme of things five years isn’t a very long time.
It goes by in a blink, literally.
Waking up with no recollection of the last five years is devastating.
The woman I remember loving is with someone else.
The only family I had is gone, and I’m forced to relive those losses all over again.
I’m now a member of Cerberus, and I can’t even recall if I signed on to get Rivet back or if I got over her before joining.
I have no other choice but to cling to the woman hired to help me recover because she’s the only one that knows less about me than I do.
I was afraid of never getting my memory back, but the closer I get to her makes me terrified of what will happen if I do.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Prologue

Bishop

“The scowl doesn’t help,” I mutter as I lift the collar on my shirt.

Mom doesn’t meet my eyes in the mirror as she approaches. There’s something about her darting eyes that makes me nervous.

“Are we going to have this conversation again today?”

“I haven’t said a word,” she says in a tone that tells me she has a million things to say but won’t if I don’t want to hear it.

The thing about Mom is that she’s normally always right. I can’t recall a single time she gave an opinion or explained something I couldn’t see myself that didn’t turn out true.

But it’s my wedding day, and the last thing I want to be thinking about before watching Angeline walk down the aisle is that I might be making a mistake.

“I love her,” I remind her.

“I know you do,” she says, swatting my hands away so she can fix my tie. “You’re going to wrinkle it.”

“But what?” I say, looking down at her.

I shouldn’t be so reliant on her advice at my age, but the shadows in her eyes make me apprehensive. I joined the Marine Corps with her blessing right out of high school, and although I’ve experienced many things I wouldn’t wish on anyone else, I’ve also found joy.

Angeline was also in the Corps, so if I hadn’t enlisted, I wouldn’t have found her.

“I just don’t know if she’s the right one for you.”

“She isn’t taking me away. We both have two years left in the Corps and then we’ll be home.”

“Her home,” she clarifies. “Not yours.”

“Is that what all of this is about? She isn’t right for me because we’re considering living in Georgia rather than Oklahoma?”

Tears pool on her lashes as she looks up at me. I lean into her tiny hand as she lifts it to my cheek. “If you’re happy, then I’m happy.”

She clears her throat as she walks toward the closed door.

“Mom.”

A small smile tugs up one side of her lips.

“Ten minutes before the ceremony starts,” she says before leaving the room.

I lower to the chair in the corner, terrified to even think about her concerns. I know Angeline is the one. I’ve known it since the first day I met her. She didn’t get all weird, darting her eyes away as she fluttered her eyelashes. She didn’t giggle and try to act like a damsel in distress. She was a badass. She worked hard, and didn’t take shit from anyone, including me.

I lift my head and see her walking down the aisle in my direction. I’m struck with the thought of how strange she looks in a white dress when I’m used to seeing her in camo.

Just last week she told me she couldn’t walk in heels, but now she’s gliding toward me as if floating, having no trouble with the shoes at all.

Movement to the left of my soon-to-be bride draws my attention, and I feel my brows draw together when a prism of colors flash across the room. It’s as if the light is trying to direct my attention, and somehow it gains easily.

The woman is in a bright red dress, her face hidden somehow, and no matter how hard I rub at my eyes, she never comes into full focus. I can’t decipher any details, but there’s something about her that demands all my attention.

“Brent?”

I look down at the soft hands touching mine.

“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” Angeline says, and my heart kicks up, wondering if she’s wanting to back out herself. “No one is going to be upset if we don’t dance.”

Her hand flexes in mine, and the sight of my wedding ring confuses me.

I’m missing blocks of time, very important blocks of time.

The music plays, and my feet start to move. There’s something not quite right about today, but I can’t seem to figure it out.

I swallow, my eyes darting at the flash of red I detect from the corner of my eye.

“Where are you going?” Angeline asks, but I can’t answer as I walk away from her.

The draw is magnetic, but when I make it to the hallway, there’s no one around.

The ache in my chest is bad enough that I have to press my hands there. The loss of something I can’t explain feels like a heart attack.

I reach my arm out to lean against the wall, but there’s nothing there to catch me. The fall is endless, my body tumbling over and over and over as if I’ve somehow been trapped inside of a washing machine.

Everything hurts, but even through all the pain, the loss of the woman in red makes me ache the most.

Chapter 1

Sunshine

Even the stream of light pouring in from outside doesn’t bring a smile to my face. The weather has been nasty the last couple of days, and despite needing the rain, it has only contributed to my foul mood. It seems the clearing of the storms hasn’t helped either.

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Advertisement Ugly (Cerberus MC #26) Read Online Marie James http://www.books2020.com/ugly-cerberus-mc-26-read-online-marie-james Tue, 09 May 2023 20:48:41 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/ugly-cerberus-mc-26-read-online-marie-james Genre: Biker, Erotic, MC, Suspense Authors: Marie James Series: Cerberus MC Series by Marie James
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Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74749 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >79

Hooking up with a cop was supposed to be fun.
How joking with Detective Lennox Maison about her handcuffs transformed into her actually arresting me was something I could’ve never predicted.
I thought it was a joke at first, but what kind of person would joke about the murder of a local woman?
Lennox claimed I was the last one to see her alive.
I should have an alibi. I should be able to tell them exactly what I was doing that night.
The truth is, I can’t remember, and that argument never holds up in court.
I manage to convince her that I’m innocent, only for it to happen again.
I not only have to worry about being falsely accused of murder, but now I have to worry if I’ve put Lennox in the crosshairs of a serial killer.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter 1

Lennox

I don’t know if the rhythm of my heart will ever return to normal.

I also don’t know if I want it to.

Deep breaths while looking up at the ceiling aren’t helping, and I know I look like a fool, but my night has just been too good to care right now.

No-strings sex is always a gamble. There’s no way to tell if it’s going to be horrible or life altering.

I got lucky this time with the latter. I roll my head on the pillow, a small smile playing on my lips at the sight of him sleeping, mouth open half an inch as he breathes softly. The mouth breathing should be a complete turn off, but I just can’t find it in me to care, knowing it’s a little weird that it’s bordering on cute to me. I know my reaction to him would be a lot different if it weren’t for the things this man made me feel tonight.

Leaving the gym with a guy that didn’t even tell me his name is both uncomplicated and extremely dangerous. The thrill and danger of it lit me on fire.

Honestly, I should know better. I’d tell every other woman in the world that taking such risks could end very badly for them. I don’t know why I put myself in such a dangerous situation this evening, but I just couldn’t walk away from him. I was trapped by the cocky grin, and with how he left me melting with the way he swept his eyes down my body. I felt his silent attraction to me as if it were a tangible thing, as if it had enough consistency to be picked up and carried in my pocket any time I was feeling down about myself.

I should leave. I should get out of bed, get dressed, and never look back. That’s how tonight should end, but I find myself more reluctant than normal to leave this hotel room.

The buzz of my phone on the bedside table is an omen, a reminder that no-strings means exactly that. This man is no more interested in me sticking around than I should be, no matter how sizzling the sex was.

The message on the phone both thrills me and makes me sad.

As a homicide detective for the Farmington Police Department, it’s never a good sign when my phone lights up in the middle of the night.

As quietly as I can, I climb out of bed and gather my strewn clothes. I smile as I drop to my knees in search of my bra. We weren’t exactly careful or concerned about where things landed earlier. I bite the inside of my cheek in an effort to keep from smiling, knowing I should have better control over myself than I do, as I get dressed.

As I’m pulling my shirt over my head, he rolls on the bed, his smile soft and satiated, no doubt matching the one I’ve been unable to control. I grin back at him wordlessly, giving him a final, little wave after gathering up all my things.

He doesn’t stop me or ask for my number as I open the door and leave the room.

There’s always an off chance of running into him again at the gym, and that possibility of a rendezvous keeps me company all the way to the address that was sent to my phone.

There’s a sinister feel to the air when I climb out of my car near the edge of the field. It seems I’m the last to arrive. The red-and-blue flashing lights on several patrol cars cast an almost cartoonish glow on the scene.

Senior Homicide Detective Colton Matthews glances up from the notepad in his hand as I approach. He looks somber, more so than he normally does at a scene, but it’s a good thing the man hasn’t become hardened to murder. When that happens, it’s time to switch gears and do something else with your career.

He’s silent as I take in my surroundings. It’s certainly a dump job, as people don’t usually walk around in empty fields. There’s one set of shoe prints, and a double line etched in the dirt leading up to the body, indicating the victim was dragged to this location.

“Who called it in?”

Colton’s lips form a flat line before he responds. “A woman that lives half a mile away. Her kids found her earlier in the day and mentioned it at dinner. She thought they were lying, said it was just eating at her and she couldn’t sleep, so she called the department.”

Mentioned it at dinner. Like a dead woman in a field is barely worth a mention over chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese.

“We’ll make contact with the reporter in the morning and offer counseling services for the children,” Colton continues.

I nod, pulling my eyes from his. I know there’s disappointment in my eyes that matches his. Farmington isn’t a community that has a plethora of violent murders, like larger cities. We have our fair share of domestic abuse that turns fatal, car accidents, death under suspicious circumstances, but murder isn’t an everyday occurrence. Because of this, the children that found her should’ve been horrified. They should’ve run home screaming and crying. It says a lot about the things our children have digital access to if they aren’t just utterly horrified at what they found.

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Advertisement Boomer (Cerberus MC #25) Read Online Marie James http://www.books2020.com/boomer-cerberus-mc-25-read-online-marie-james Fri, 24 Mar 2023 15:25:33 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/boomer-cerberus-mc-25-read-online-marie-james Genre: Alpha Male, Angst, Biker, MC, Romance Authors: Marie James Series: Cerberus MC Series by Marie James
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Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80302 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >84

Secrets are poison.
They eat away at you from the inside.
I doubt there’s a single person in the club that would have a problem with who I am.
Keeping my mouth shut is all about my own shame.
Who I am isn’t acceptable.
That’s what my Fundamentalist family raised me to believe, but even after leaving home, I couldn’t be myself.
Fighting against it never really became a struggle until the flirty bartender set his eyes on me.
He made me wish for things I couldn’t have.
Resisting him was easy until that first kiss.
Now there’s a very real chance my shame will ruin us both.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Prologue

Boomer

18 Years Old

My hands tremble uncontrollably as I walk through the nearly knee-high grass on the side of the road. I’ve been a nervous wreck since last night. All through my shift at work today, I couldn’t concentrate. I guess it’s a good thing that bagging groceries at the local mom-and-pop store doesn’t require much brain energy.

I stumble on a beer bottle hidden in the grass, barely regaining my footing before landing on my face.

I saw the threat in Jacob’s eyes last night. I knew things were going to change. I didn’t sleep at all, knowing I had to stay cognizant of my surroundings. I know what happens to boys who get caught doing what I was doing.

Masturbation is bad enough, a sin according to the teachings. Paul, our Prophet, speaks about it often.

Despite the sinful nature of touching one’s own body, most of the guys do it anyway. Jacob’s issue wasn’t that I was doing it, but how I was pleasuring myself.

The tremble in my hands is renewed as I think back to last night and how he caught me, what my fingers were doing when he walked into the room to find me naked from the waist down.

My urges are an abomination, immoral, and unrighteous.

They’re something I hate while at the same time struggling to control.

I’m a disgrace to my family, and although I’ve known this for years, I’ve always been good at hiding it.

It’s possible my brother loves me despite my sins, and maybe that’s the reason I wasn’t confronted by my father or the other elders in our community.

I keep my head down at the sound of tires crunching on the gravel behind me. Walking has never bothered me, but I’ve also never gotten used to the cruelty of others not connected to the church. Anyone who leaves the compound runs the risk of being taunted at best. At worst, we chance getting hurt. We’re an oddity for those that don’t understand, and although I work outside the community, I know enough to get my day done and return to the sanctity of the ranch.

Only today I don’t feel the safety that normally washes over me as I approach the gates.

Emmanuel, the man providing security at the entrance to the massive compound, narrows his eyes as I approach. I swallow the lump lodged in my throat as I give him a kind smile. He doesn’t return it as he normally does, and it makes chills race up my arms and travel down my spine.

I was foolish to think that my brother Jacob would keep quiet about what he discovered me doing yesterday evening. Living a principled life increases your chances of joining God in Heaven, but disclosing the sins of others so they can be redirected down the right path will ensure your place beside the Father.

Our belief that holiness supersedes all things guarantees Jacob won’t keep silent. The look in Emmanuel’s eyes as he opens the gate for me says it louder than words.

I know what I have to do long before Jacob steps into my path. I feel the others at my back. I also know that no matter how much I beg, my pleas will never change the outcome.

My biggest mistake was not packing my things and slipping away during the night. I can tell by the rage in Jacob’s eyes that not acting last night was the only reprieve he was willing to offer. He thinks of me as a fool for not taking it.

Remaining hopeful that my truths wouldn’t be shared was a mistake I’ll never make again.

The first strike of one of the boys behind me takes me to my knees.

The second is a blow to my face by Jacob, and I feel the pain deeper than the injury to my body.

As his older brother, I always tried to live in a way that would garner his respect. I acted with as much righteousness as I could manage in an effort not to lead him astray, despite knowing I was headed to Hell for who I was. Just because I was destined to burn didn’t mean that he had to follow me along that path.

He’s doing what needs to be done, and although I know I shouldn’t fault him for it, a bone-deep sense of betrayal sinks inside of me.

I have no recourse for mercy. I’m not owed leniency.

I also have no right to fight against the punishment I’m owed, and thinking of such is prideful and arrogant, two more sins I’ll have to atone for eventually.

I cover my face, doing my best to curl into a ball as the kicks and blows continue.

The rush of blood and the beating of my heart fill my ears, blocking out all other noise. I don’t have to hear them to know what they’re saying, how they use modern-day slurs despite our separation from nearly all things secular.

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Advertisement Aro (Cerberus MC #24) Read Online Marie James http://www.books2020.com/aro-cerberus-mc-24-read-online-marie-james Sat, 07 Jan 2023 22:47:15 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/aro-cerberus-mc-24-read-online-marie-james Genre: Biker, Erotic, MC, Romance Authors: Marie James Series: Cerberus MC Series by Marie James
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Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 71202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >76

It takes a lot to shake me, and even when I’m upset, most people wouldn’t even know it.
There was just something about the last job that kept me from keeping my cool.
I know how dangerous it is, and knew even better when I had to be carried away that day, becoming literally less of the man that entered that compound.
I was ordered to rest, recover, and recuperate, all under the watchful eyes of the team’s psychologist.
She was there to get in my head, to watch for signs that I may be a danger to myself.
She became my outlet, the calm to the storm trying to take over in my head.
There would be no problem with what we were doing because the possibility of returning to work with the Cerberus MC was never going to happen, and if there was an off-chance I would, walking away would be easy, right?

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter 1

Slick

I joined the Marine Corps for two reasons. I wanted to see the world, and I wanted a government-paid education, something I'd never be able to afford on my own.

I heard of Cerberus not long after enlisting, and I made it a life goal to get the invite to join one of their teams.

I was over the moon ecstatic the day I received the phone call from Cerberus MC president, Kincaid. I barely let him get the invite out before squealing and accepting. Years of professionalism went out the window the day I got that call from New Mexico.

I didn't even have to think about it. It was a goal I made years prior.

I don’t regret joining the MC. Most missions are hard.

The mission we're facing today is one of the hardest situations we could ever put ourselves in.

Every job is dangerous. Each time we go out, we know there's a chance that we may not come home, despite doing everything in our power to make each job as safe as possible.

The subject matter of what we're doing today is much harder to swallow.

Normally, we’re rescuing trafficked women, which is traumatizing, both for us as responders as well as the women involved. Today, we're shutting down a snuff ring.

Since women are a commodity most traffickers want to use over and over and over to line their pockets with money, they only tend to murder those women after they consider them used up or when they become too much trouble to handle.

This ring today only has one goal—get a lofty sum to let their clients rape and kill the women.

“This is going to be a hard one, guys,” Kincaid says through the mic.

He, Shadow, Itchy, Snatch, Dominic, and Kid are back in New Mexico, their semi-retirement keeping them out of the field on most occasions.

As the Cerberus psychologist, I'm supposed to remain calm in all situations. I'm tasked with making sure every member of each team is in the right headspace to make each mission as safe as humanly possible.

All the guys, as well as Rivet, are agitated and antsy. Even more so than usual. Spade looks angry enough to spit nails. Aro is fidgety, his eyes an empty chasm of hostility.

I look over at Apollo, noticing he's one of the calmer guys in the room. Which is surprising, considering his own woman came from a cult.

Thumper looks ready to rip heads from bodies with his bare hands. As a former FBI agent who worked numerous trafficking rings, he's seen firsthand how sickening these guys can be.

I should be calm and focused, but there's some little piece of me inside that's nagging, poking, agitating all my sensibilities. I want blood and vengeance. I want each man inside that compound to suffer as many deaths as they’ve facilitated.

It's not uncommon for every sex trafficking ring to provide the ability to murder one of the women. If they feel like she is of no use to them, they might put out that information, but it's one of the more uncommon situations that we deal with. So uncommon, this is the first snuff ring I've been involved in.

“I need you to keep your heads on your shoulders. This mission is like every other we’ve done and I want you all home safe,” Shadow, the Cerberus MC vice president, says.

Several affirmatives crackle through the room, but many of the men are hyperfocused on what their expectations are once we enter the compound.

Cerberus doesn't operate regularly in the United States. There are a lot of clashes with other agencies. A lot of feelings getting hurt, a lot of toes getting stepped on. We aren't able to operate outside of the United States with complete impunity, but we have fewer restrictions.

There aren’t many governments that force us to follow regulations when we’re putting an end to a sex trafficker.

Costa Rica, the country we’re in now, has given us little pushback. In fact, it was the Costa Rican president who called Cerberus on this mission.

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Advertisement Spade (Cerberus MC #23) Read Online Marie James http://www.books2020.com/spade-cerberus-mc-23-read-online-marie-james Mon, 05 Sep 2022 20:30:16 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/spade-cerberus-mc-23-read-online-marie-james Genre: Biker, MC, Romance Authors: Marie James Series: Cerberus MC Series by Marie James
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Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >83

Expert:

So I forgot about the night I spent with Sylvie Davis… big deal.
Listing all of my one-night stands would be impossible.
It’s par for the course for any man who decided early in life they’d rather enjoy a buffet instead of a single entrée.
But now my boss has ordered me to accompany her back to her hometown.
His words: She needs a little help.
Translation: I think you could fall for this girl.
Leave it to the MC president, and every other chump in this club, to think I need help where women are concerned.
They think love is the final answer in this game of life. If you don’t have it you’re losing.
I know they’re wrong, but find myself grateful that I agreed to go.
It doesn’t take long for an ex to come sniffing around.
I say he’s bad news.
She says I’m jealous.
With the vibes I’m getting from this guy, I find myself hoping she’s right.
The alternative is bad for everyone concerned.

Full Book:

Chapter 1

Sylvie

“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times,” the old man says with a familiar look of frustration on his weathered face. “I’m not talking about the war.”

“Big Daddy,” I mutter on a groan. “This is a Veterans Day celebration. No one is going to expect you to talk about the war.”

He grumbles under his breath, his hand clenching the armrests on his wheelchair as I direct him toward the common area in the long-term care facility I never wanted him to reside at.

“Then I’ll attend,” he replies, a stubborn tone in his voice that makes me smile.

Big Daddy, a.k.a. Theodore Davis, is one of two important people in my life, the other being my best friend, Faith Robbins. After moving from my hometown of Telluride eight years ago, I never looked back. I met Faith at the local bar and we became instant friends.

“There was so much pain,” Big Daddy says, his eyes glued to the Vietnam ball cap in his trembling hands.

I give his shoulder a light squeeze in commiseration.

It wasn’t until his stroke last year that details of the time he served in the war have slipped up. I don’t drill him for information or ask questions because I know that if he still had all his faculties, the man wouldn’t mention that time in his life at all. He joined the military at a young age to avoid working in the mines and the health problems that entailed, only to end up poisoned by Agent Orange in a country whose residents would rather see him dead than anything else.

“Big Daddy,” a woman in a floral housedress says as one of the nurses wheels her up and parks her beside my grandfather.

The hat in his hand is forgotten as he looks up at her, smiling. “Evelyn. We missed you at supper last night.”

The woman’s eyes sparkle at knowing she’d been missed. “Wasn’t feeling myself, so I was served in my room. Are you looking forward to today’s festivities?”

The man who was agitated earlier is nowhere to be found, and I have to roll my eyes when he reaches out and places a wrinkled hand on the arm of her wheelchair.

“As long as I’m close to you, nothing else matters.”

She gives a girlish chuckle, and the eye rolling doubles.

I’d probably swoon at seeing my grandfather flirt with someone if he didn’t do it with every woman he came across.

“Are you two ready for a fun day?”

I smile at Sunshine as she approaches.

“Hello, young lady. I was wondering when I was going to see you.” My grandfather reaches for Sunshine’s hand, holding it between both of his when she offers it.

“Oh yes,” the elderly lady responds. “I hear that those handsome guys from the motorbike club will be here. It’s always a good day when handsome men come around.”

I bite my lips to keep from laughing when Big Daddy grunts his displeasure. It seems this woman knows the full score and just how to get back at my grandfather for flirting with the nursing assistant.

Sunshine pats my grandfather’s hand with her free one before pulling away.

“They’ll be here shortly. Sylvie, can I speak with you briefly?”

I nod, patting Big Daddy on the shoulder before following Sunshine outside.

“Renee just wanted me to check with you about the schedule for today,” Sunshine says as we approach a long table already stacked high with paper goods and disposable cups for today’s events.

“The caterers are scheduled to be here in,” I look down at my cell phone screen, “ten minutes to set up lunch. Cerberus is coming?”

I do my best to hide my smile, but find the effort wasted because it’s impossible.

She smiles herself. “Ms. Penny isn’t the only one excited about those guys attending today.”

I force the smile from my face, a herculean task.

“I spent half the morning in a haze of hairspray and White Shoulders perfume getting all the women ready.”

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