Blurb
Sinning never felt so good…
A fortuitous encounter.
A meeting that should never have happened.
Many years ago, two children from completely different worlds forged a connection, a fateful connection, an unbreakable bond that would change their lives forever…
Salome knows only one way to live—under Prophet David’s rule. In the commune she calls home, Salome knows nothing of life beyond her strict faith, nor of life beyond the Fence—the fence that cages her, keeps her trapped in an endless cycle of misery. A life she believes she is destined to always lead, until a horrific event sets her free.
Fleeing the absolute safety of all she has ever known, Salome is thrust into the world outside, a frightening world full of uncertainty and sin; into the protective arms of a person she believed she would never see again.
River ‘Styx’ Nash knows one thing for certain in life—he was born and bred to wear a cut. Raised in a turbulent world of sex, Harleys, and drugs, Styx, unexpectedly has the heavy burden of the Hades Hangmen gavel thrust upon him, and all at the ripe old age of twenty-six—much to his rivals’ delight.
Haunted by a crushing speech impediment, Styx quickly learns to deal with his haters. Powerful fists, an iron jaw and the skillful use of his treasured German blade has earned him a fearsome reputation as a man not to be messed with in the shadowy world of outlaw MC’s. A reputation that successfully keeps most people far, far away.
Styx has one rule in life—never let anyone get too close. It’s a plan that he has stuck to for years, that is, until a young woman is found injured on his lot… a woman who looks uncannily familiar, a woman who clearly does not belong in his world, yet a woman he feels reluctant to let go…
Dark Contemporary Romance/New Adult Novel. Contains sexual situations, violence, sensitive and taboo subjects, offensive language and mature topics. Recommended for age 18 years and up*
Cathy’s Review:
This is a great story because trust me, this is very, very unique and quite different from any other MC book you have ever read. I really took Styx to heart, he is amazing and a very unique character! He grabbed my heart, for sure, right from the beginning (no spoilers!) Salome (Mae) was raised in a cult so there are quite a few religious references in this book. Unexpected in a MC Romance book.
Styx and Mae meet for the first time at a young age and then again 15 years later. She must learn to cope in the “outside” world and at the same time understand the world of the MC. Styx is a bad-ass, feared MC club president. He’s never been in a relationship but has been obsessed with her for years. This story was written incredibly well, and I loved the flow of the story. The sex scenes are also unbelievably hot. Overall I liked the book but I was not completely gripped by this story. I do love this author though and I would love to read more stories about the characters in this book!
Favorite quote:
“I have only ever liked one boy in my life. I have only wanted one man to have as my own. I have only ever had one dream since I was eight. Styx, the dream is you. You stole my heart fifteen years ago and you still haven’t given it back.”
Excerpt:
As I pushed off the wall, I noticed a red pool on the asphalt beneath my feet. Blood lay below Lois. Red streaks were dashed all over the inside of her thighs.
Lois caught my hard stare and, frowning, she glanced down to her knees. “What…? Shit! Is that blood on my legs?” She jumped up and tried to wipe the red liquid from her skin. “Where the hell’s it coming from?”
I tracked the blood with my eyes and noticed a thin, fresh stream coming from around the back of the dumpster.
“Jesus! Is there a dead body out here again?” Lois said, trying to cover herself with her arms. Bitch was too soft for this kinda shit.
Without paying her attention, I rolled the blue dumpster to the side, revealing the source. A bitch’s body—young, black hair mangled around her face. Slim body covered in mud, her white dress ripped and sopping with blood.
I searched for the wound… Her leg.
A huge, gaping gash, deep enough that her muscle was exposed, some pitted fuckin’ rag attempting to stop the flow.
It weren’t working for shit.
Checking her pulse, not able to find even a lick of movement, I could only surmise one thing: bitch had croaked.
I turned to Lois, who was hovering behind.
“Is she dead?” she asked.
Go get Ky, Pit and Rider, I signed.
Lois ran for the door, hand over her mouth.
Moving forward, I pushed the stiff’s hair from her face and immediately let out a long breath.
Christ.
She looked like she used to be a fuckin’ stunner under all the mud and shit—creamy skin against that long black hair, big pink lips, killer frame. Damn shame she’d gone to the boatman, she’d have been one hot fuckin’ bitch.
Reaching into my pocket, I laid two dimes on her eyes. Poor bitch needed to pay up to go to a better life.
I put one arm behind her back, one behind her legs, and lifted. She weighed almost nothing. She was fuckin’ tiny.
Ky, Pit and Rider burst outta the doors behind me. My VP rolled his eyes and groaned as he pulled up his zipper—brother must’ve been busy.
“Not another one of ’em! I know. I’ll kill a bitch and dump the stiff on the Hangmen. Cocksuckers. Fuckin’ had to tear myself from underneath the licking twins for this shit!”
I tipped my chin at Pit, the prospect moved forward and I dumped the bitch in his arms. Get the van. You’re gonna dump the stiff. Usual place. Make sure the coins stay on, I signed. Ky translated, still pissed he’d been dragged away from his sluts.
And then I fuckin’ froze—lungs stopped, eyes bugged, heart jumped—froze. The bitch in Pit’s arms flinched and moaned, dimes slipping off her face to clatter on the ground.
“She ain’t dead!” Pit blurted. As usual, statin’ the fuckin’ obvious.
“Shit! We gonna dump her? Or we keeping her here? The Feds are watching us, Styx. Viking said we got two agents stationed undercover half a mile away. The good ol’ senator’s still on our backs. It’ll be risky to carry some bloodied bitch outta here without being pulled and questioned. Ain’t got those fuckers on the payroll.” Ky slapped my back and pointed to the bitch. “Could be a message from someone, or she could’a been planted to put us in shit with the law.”
I heard what Ky was saying, but I couldn’t stop glancing at the bitch’s pale face. She looked familiar somehow, but I couldn’t place from where.
Shaking my head, I looked to my best friend. Yeah. No getting out tonight. Bitch is gonna have to stay. Fuck! Just what we need.
I looked over to Rider, who was standing silently behind Ky. Brother had almost as much to say as me. Rider was ex-marine and fully trained as a medic. Saw some shit he couldn’t deal with in Afghanistan and left. Fortunately for us, all the brother wanted to do when he got off service was ride and serve this club. Rider could stitch something fierce and even operate if need be. Saved our outlaw asses more times than I could count.
I indicted for him to take possession of the half-dead stiff. He would see what’s up and either be able to fix the bitch or not. Hell, it’s not like death was a stranger around these parts. Sent more brothers to Hades this past year than are still standing in this club, fuckin’ war. Death’s a cycle. Sooner or later we all gotta meet the boatman, pay up for the fucked-up shit we’d done in this life.
Rider reached for the bitch, when suddenly, she jerked in Pit’s arms, her eyes springing open, fixing right on mine, pure fear bursting through for less than a second before shuttering down again.
Fuck me. Those eyes. Even through all the blood, mud, and shit on her face, those eyes fuckin’ shone—ice-blue, like a goddamn wolf’s. Only seen one pair of eyes like that before…
I couldn’t help but think of that fuckin’ young bitch from behind the fence fifteen years ago. She was one of the only folks I ever spoke to in my life. Hell, I’d spoken to her. That howled fuckin’ volumes. She was number three. Ain’t talked to none since.
A long, pained groan slipped from her mouth, causing me to refocus.
Shit.
Ky moved to pull her from Pit’s arms. “Give her to me. Gonna dump her in your room, Rider, then get back to licking Tiff’s and Jules’s pussies. Fuckin’ bitch ain’t cockblockin’ me no more tonight.”
I watched as Ky touched her skin and all I could see was that young bitch behind the fence. Fuck! What if it was her? Nah, impossible. Load’sa bitches have those eyes. Right?
Right?
Thinking I’d pulled my shit together, I relaxed. But when Ky took her in his arms, I fuckin’ lunged for him and grabbed his arm in my hand, dropping it only to sign, Back the fuck off. Give her to me.
My VP stepped back, his eyebrows bunched, trying to read my mood. “What the fuck?” he said out loud. The other brothers frowned in confusion. Lois’s red-lipped mouth dropped open.
Shaking my head, I signed, Back off. Give her to me. NOW.
Ky looking confused as all hell, put her in my arms, and raising up his hands, backed away. Pit gaped at me like goddamned fish.
“What the hell, man? I’m back, I’m back. Okay. Calm the fuck down!”
I cradled the bitch to my chest, some possessive voodoo shit taking over my mind, body… my fuckin’ soul.
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Author Bio
Tillie Cole is a Northern girl through and through. She originates from a place called Teesside on that little but awesomely sunny (okay I exaggerate) Isle called Great Britain. She was brought up surrounded by her English rose mother — a farmer’s daughter, her crazy Scottish father, a savagely sarcastic sister and a multitude of rescue animals and horses.
Website: http://tilliecole.com/
Giveaway
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