Page 24 of Saint Nick
He grinned, slow and dangerous. “Relax, sweetheart. I don’t want anything.” She knew that trusting him was a risk, but she was out of options. It was either go with him or wait for her father’s men to pick her up and deliver her back to him.
She hated her fucking options. Hell, she hated him. But most of all, she hated the way her chest tightened at just the sight of him on his bike. He was riding in to save her, and he didn’t even know it. Maybe that made him a reluctant knight in shining armor, but she’d take it at this point.
“It’s just a ride, right?” she clarified, quickly looking around to make sure that they were alone.
“It’s just a ride,” he said.
“Good, because otherwise, you’re wasting your time,” she insisted.
His smile was mean, and she knew that she had pissed him off. “Sweetheart, if I was wastin’ my time, I’d already be gone.”
She got onto the back of the bike as he handed her the helmet that he had just taken off. “You’ll need this,” he insisted. She hesitated, and he shook the helmet at her asthough silently telling her that there were no other options if she wanted a ride on his bike. She took it and strapped it on.
She wrapped her arms around Cyclops, and he smiled back over his shoulder at her. “You ready, sweetheart?” he asked.
“Name’s not sweetheart—it’s Trixie Lee. And I’m ready,” she lied. She wasn’t ready for any of this, but she had no other choice in the matter. She just needed to remember that Cyclops was dangerous, and danger had a way of sticking to her like gasoline waiting for a spark.
Cyclops (Road Reapers MC Book 6) Universal Link->Coming soon!
What’s releasing next from K.L. Ramsey? You won’t want to miss Ho-Ho Hell (Not Your Typical Feel-Good Christmas Story) (Royal Harlots Book 8)! Guaranteed to spice up your Kindle!
JACE
PROLOGUE:
Jace leaned against the edge of the bed to grab his shirt, watching Winter, and moved around her with ease as he tried not to wake her. A smirk tugged at his lips when she stirred and mumbled something about French fries. He hated that it had come to this, hated that he had to use every tool at his disposal—every piece of himself—to keep the people he loved safe. But there was no other way. He had come to Huntsville to watch his sister and his best friend get hitched. Hell, he wouldn’t have missed their wedding for the world. He played as Bolt’s best man and gave Rebel away to one of the best men he’d ever known. The two things he couldn’t avoid were bringing danger along with him as his plus one and falling into bed with the sexy Royal Harlot, Winter.
He’d spent too long watching threats circle his sister, his friends, the Bastards. And now the Dead Rabbits were sniffing too close. He had to act, had to draw them out. And if thatmeant playing a dangerous game with Winter, with the lure of temptation, then so be it.
The second he was done packing his things, he slipped out of the hotel room. Every step, every breath, was calculated. He could already imagine the calls, the rumors spreading through the Dead Rabbits’ ranks, the eyes of his enemies following his every move.
It was risky. God, was it risky. But he didn’t care about the risk—not for himself. He only cared that Rebel, Bolt, and the Bastards had breathing room. That they could move, plan, and survive, without the Rabbits nipping at their heels.
He paused at the door, taking one last look over his shoulder at the sexy woman biker who had shared his bed for the night. Winter had been willing, more than willing, but Jace had no illusions about what this meant. He was a distraction for her, as she was for him, and he had to keep his focus sharp and keep his mind clear.
As he slipped out into the night, his heart thudded—not from guilt, though there was some, but from the adrenaline. The fire and the recklessness that always ran in his blood were alive and kicking that night. He knew the Rabbits would take the bait—namely, him. They’d follow him out of town, and that was exactly what he wanted. They’d hunt him, leaving the people he loved free to live their lives. And Jace? He was willing to burn himself alive if it meant everyone else walked out unscathed—and now, that list included Winter.
Tonight, he’d play the game and be the bait. But tomorrow—tomorrow, the Dead Rabbits would learn what happened and how they underestimated him. Then, there would be war. Jace moved through the night like a shadow, adrenaline still thrumming through his veins. The Dead Rabbits were on the huntnow, their focus completely drawn to him. Every decision, every reckless move had been calculated to pull them away from Rebel, Bolt, and the Bastards. He’d painted himself as the prize, the one they wanted to catch—and it was working. He could feel it. His body ached, his bruises from previous fights flaring with every step, but he didn’t care. Pain was a small price to pay for their safety. He’d do it all again to keep his family safe.
He drove most of the night, through the next day, and when he reached the state line, he breathed a sigh of relief. The roads to Minnesota stretched ahead, long and dark, but Jace barely noticed the miles slipping by. His mind was racing, checking every possible angle, every possible threat, ensuring that no one had followed him too close. The Dead Rabbits were too clever to ignore, but he had the edge now. He’d been their shadow long enough to predict their moves.
When he finally crested the last hill and saw the cabin’s warm glow through the trees, relief flooded him. He was safe for now. Warmth, safety, and a moment to breathe—and to reassess. He had lived another day, but tomorrow, he’d be ready to fight again.
The night air was heavy around the cabin as he carried his bags in. For now, the threat had shifted. The Dead Rabbits had their bait, and his people were safe. But Jace’s mind didn’t stop racing. He knew this was temporary. The real fight was coming—and when it did, he needed them all ready. He was safe for now, yes—but the war wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. And Jace? He’d be ready for whatever came next.
Jace had spent the last year in hell, hiding away from the Dead Rabbits and the men who wanted to kill him. He should beused to crap like that, since he was an undercover FBI agent, but he didn’t think he’d ever be able to get used to living under constant threat. He put his family in danger—his sister was all he had left, yet the Dead Rabbits went after her. If it wasn’t for his best friend, Bolt, she’d be dead—as dead as he was supposed to be.
The only two people to know that he was still alive were Bolt and Rebel, and he needed to keep it that way if he wanted to keep breathing. He still missed his MC, and God, he’d give his left arm to be able to hang out with his Royal Bastard brothers, but that would put them all in danger. He couldn’t risk any of them for one night of fun, so he lay low and hoped like hell that the Dead Rabbits bought the story of his untimely demise.
Every time he left the fucking safehouse, he had to text Bolt to let him know about it, and when he got back to the house, he had to send him another update. It felt as though he was being babysat. Hell, maybe having a babysitter would be better than being completely alone. He wondered if he’d remember how to have a conversation with someone—anyone, but his social skills were lacking since his “death”. Dead men weren’t supposed to interact with people. They weren’t supposed to carry on conversations or even smile at strangers. Dead men were invisible, and that was who he was now—the invisible man.
It usually didn’t bother him too much that no one saw him. He thought that he’d be able to get by with his sister and Bolt checking in with him once a week, but as soon as he hung up the phone, the loneliness set back in. And tonight, when Rebel reminded him that there were only weeks left until Christmas, he let that sadness and loneliness consume him. It was going to be the very first Christmas that he and Rebel spent apart.When their mother passed, Rebel raised him. She gave up her whole life, at just eighteen, to take care of him, and he’d be forever grateful. They were all the other had for so long; the thought of missing even one holiday with her hurt his heart.
This year, there would be no Christmas tree, no presents, no decorations, and no family, and that just plain sucked. The only thing that he would have was snow, and that wasn’t something that they got a lot of in Huntsville, Alabama. But the safehouse that Bastards had found for him was in Northern Minnesota, and that meant snow for Christmas. Actually, it had been snowing since the beginning of October, and while he found it ridiculously romantic at first, a part of him now longed for the warmer temperatures of Alabama.
Jace had kept himself busy, chopping enough wood to get him through two winters in the little cabin he now called home. A snowmobile was his way of transportation if he wanted to get anything from the small town where he now lived. They had one grocery store, one gas station, and one stop sign in the tiny town. He liked that it was such a small community, but the low population also meant that he didn’t have many chances to make friends—if dead men could make friends.
Honestly, more than his sister and new brother-in-law, he missed the little goth girl who followed him around Savage Hell. She was hot as fuck, and she had ended up in his bed, over half a year ago, when he was in Huntsville for his sister’s wedding to his best friend, Bolt. He was hoping that she’d be more of a permanent fixture in his life. She was even a part of the Royal Bastard’s sister club, the Royal Harlots, but he had to go underground before he could get to know her better. Well, better than spending one night naked in bed together.She was the last woman he was with, and Winter played through his dreams nightly as he relived their night together.
