He's a ruthless predator. She's his prey. Together, it's about to get wild.
COBALT
President of the Kings of Anarchy MC Chapter in Tranquility, Indiana, Brett "Cobalt" Waters feels nothing close to tranquil. Taking over his father's vile and ruthless business keeps him high strung and on edge. After all, he has lives to save and lives to end if he wants to expand the business successfully and lucratively without getting picked up by the law. But when his new business venture brings him face to face with a vulnerable and battered woman, his protective instincts go into overdrive.
JULIE
Accountant Julie Drake knows fraud when she sees it. Questioning the numbers on a new account proves perilous when she pries too deep. Now, there's a bounty on her head. There's only one man who's willing to believe her and protect her. Unfortunately, Julie doesn't realize that Cobalt is the same criminal who’s been hired to eliminate her.
As Julie and Cobalt grow closer, Cobalt's loyalties are tested. How can he destroy the one thing he's been looking for his entire life?Welcome to the Kings of Anarchy MC, where the Kings rule in chaos, and the open road is our Kingdom. With 42 of your favorite authors penning their own chapters in this outlaw empire, you'll dive into a world where rules are a thing of the past. Here, nobody messes with the Kings or lays a hand on their property—because these badass bikers claim their lovers with pride. Enter a universe where loyalty is everything, legends are born, and every ride is unforgettable.
Are you ready to ride with the Kings of Anarchy MC?
Chapter 1COBALT“What the fuck is taking so long to get that pain in my ass in the goddamn metal box and in the crisper? For Christ’s sake, there have been nights where we ran an assembly line with bodies, but tonight you can’t get one in there together. You two idiots have been messing with that asshole for the last twenty minutes. Move, you stupid bastards, I should’ve done it myself. If you want shit done right, do it your motherfuckin’ yourself. Get out of my way, ya two useless pieces of shit.”Listening to my enforcer, Incubus, ripping our newer prospects a new asshole almost brings a smirk to my face, though I’m gonna have to rein him in before he scares these newbies out of our Indiana chapter of the Kings of Anarchy. Son of a bitch, I think to myself as I make my way to the incinerator, I never thought, when I finally took over for my cantankerous ol’ man and became president of the Indiana chapter, I’d be working harder than when I was just a member and brother. Especially doing this pain in the ass kind of work with the patch I’m currently wearing on my kutte. Now that my head is out of my own ass and I’m head of our chapter, I know there isn’t a job within our club or out there in our world—where I walk through on both sides of the law—that if needed, I’d have to get my hands dirty no matter who the fuck I am. When I give it any thought, these scarred paws of mine haven’t been clean in so many goddamn years.The fucker is squealing like a pig off to the slaughterhouse, so I move quickly to the far table to grab some duct tape to shut this motherfucker up before my head blows. I move back to where my brothers are working and rip off a large piece. I push one of the prospects out of the damn way and put the tape over the asshole’s mouth, bringing instant quiet to the area and my ears stop ringing. My eyes catch both of the prospects looking at me like I hung the fucking moon, for Christ’s sake. Incubus is working on removing all the dude’s clothing and jewelry. Even though this bastard thinks he’s getting fried, the original request came in to remove all personal items off of him and hand them off to one of the client’s employees. For the money we are making to shake and bake one dude, I personally don’t care what they want. If they had asked for a hand or eyeball, would have given them someone’s, no questions asked. I smell it before I shift my eyes to see the guy has not only pissed but also shit himself. For a brief second I do feel bad for him. Been thinking lately that maybe I’m getting soft, or maybe it’s just my ol’ man’s voice in my head. Then it hits me that, in all good conscience, I can’t go through with this shit as both Incubus and I are in the know and the prospects ain’t. I turn and hit one of the drawers, pulling out a syringe, and walk back to where everyone is standing. Incubus just finished cutting off all the dude’s clothes and is now ripping any and all jewelry off of him. I can see the absolute terror in his eyes, watching me, though it’s Incubus who moans when he sees what’s in my hand.“Shit, Prez, really? I was looking forward to hearing this jagoff begging then howling as the heat took over right before the sizzle, as he starts to cook like bacon in a frying pan. Now I won’t hear a goddamn thing. When did our club of degenerates start going soft just like this dude’s dick right now?”I stare hard at Incubus until he starts to twitch, which says a lot for this bastard. We served and were in a prisoner of war camp for months together, and I never saw him squirm or give any indication of fear or pain, no matter what was done to him. Underneath all his gruff and posing, he’s a damn good friend and excellent member of this club. I just can’t let this go on the way he’s been playing with me lately, being vocal in front of others. Maybe he’s right and I’m getting soft and, personally, I don’t give a fuck if I am. Gotta have a little humanity some days. I look down to the dude in the box, lying in his own piss and shit, right before I rip the tape off his face, which has him screaming, crying, and begging. Gotta shut him up so I wave the syringe in front of his face, which has him instantly going quiet with just a few sniffles.“This is more than you deserve, but I’m feeling generous tonight. You had a contract with our client that you broke, and you know the rules, asshole. Then when you didn’t hold up your end they warned you numerous times, which you ignored. That’s when they came to us. Their request is that we end your miserable life and since we were well paid, that is exactly what we are gonna do. Once I put this needle in your arm, within a few minutes you’ll fall into a deep fucking sleep and, if you’re lucky, won’t feel a goddamn thing. No, don’t want to hear you beg me or lie to my face, telling me you’re not guilty. None of that is my problem. We were paid to do a job and that’s what we’re doing.”
When I go to pull the cover off the needle, he softly starts to talk after clearing his throat.
“Hang on one minute, please. I’m not going to fight or cause you any trouble. Just need a favor, which I have no right to ask, but I have to. You’re right, I should have held up my end of the deal, but there were extreme circumstances that prevented me from doing just that. Not going to go into it but those assholes knew, and when I begged for mercy and a bit more time they laughed and beat the fuck out of me. I paid partial payments to show good faith and when they told me those payments weren’t gonna go toward my loan because it wasn’t a full payment, knew I was screwed. When I asked for my money back they beat the fuck out of me again. So yeah, you’re right, mister, I should have held up my end but those mafia guys are total assholes, and worse, liars. I’d do it again if it gave me the time with my mom I had. She died of stage four cervical cancer a week ago and, thank Christ, you didn’t pick me up before her funeral. If I wasn’t there my sister would have had a heart attack. Thank you for your kindness, guess I’m as ready as I’m ever going to be. Oh shit, if a woman named Julie somehow starts askin’ questions, please don’t tell her anything and get her the hell outta this town. If those mafia guys find out she’s my sister, oh fuck, can’t think of what they’d do to her for their own fun and games.”
My brain is flying through all of what he just said as I hear a very gruff “son of a bitch,” which comes from Incubus. Guess he’s feeling the same way I am, which is the mafia is using us to end this guy, apparently, without telling us the damn truth. Now what do I do? If we don’t finish this and our asshole contact, Anthony, finds out; it’s war with the mafia, which is something I don’t fucking need. But can we honestly end this guy’s life for falling on hard times? I mean, if what he is telling us is the truth, he tried to pay his debt off, even if it was partially. I can bet my ass the money he borrowed was for something to do with his ma’s cancer and treatment. Just that thought brings up my own mom, who also was taken by that god-awful disease. Shit, knowing we are bringing hell down on our club, I silently scream in my head when I hear Incubus telling the prospects to run to the other side of our building and find a John Doe who’s about the same size as the guy in the box. With puzzled looks on their faces, but smart enough not to ask any questions, they both turn and make their way out of the crematory, and I’m guessing they are going back to the cemetery side.
“All right, Cobalt, what’s your plan? I know you can’t go through with this bullshit, and I don’t question you ever, but we better have a way for this to work for our club. Help me get him out. Asshole, what’s your name?”
With wide eyes that are following every move Incubus makes, he once again clears his throat.
“I go by Stash, though my name is James but most call me Jimmy.”
We both reach for an arm and pull Stash up to a sitting position. Something clicks so I start firing off questions, asking what he did for a living, where he lived, did he have family besides his sister? Without hesitation he answers each and every one of my questions. A thought crosses my mind when he tells me he works in technology, mainly programming and coding. I glance at Incubus, who’s got a shit-eating grin on his face, which tells me once again we’re on the same page. Stash tells us he was living in one of those apartments you rent by the month and he thinks the Mob took all of his shit when they grabbed him the last time. Hesitantly, I bring up his sister, which he tells me is living in a B&B on the outskirts of town and has her own life. Stash continues telling us he tries to keep her away from any shit he’s involved in. The hair on the back of my neck is standing up when I realize what he just told us about his sister. I like all of his answers as we pull him outta the box, telling him to hang on, just as the prospects come back in dragging a body. I hear the pull in of breath but Stash doesn’t say a word. I noticed one prospect has some scrubs under his arm with those flip-flops you get when you are entered into prison. I watch Nickel walk toward Stash, handing him the clothes, along with a container of wipes to clean off with. Dreamer drags the corpse to where Incubus is watching and waiting. Together they lift him into the metal box, then Incubus proceeds to remove the clothes, tossing them into the incinerator behind him. The smell is nauseating but it is what it is, we all have gotten used to it. Obviously Stash can’t stand the smell as he starts to gag. Nickel kicks the garbage can his way just in time.
I walk toward the door, reaching for my cell. Finding the number I want, I hit it and hear it ringing.
“Yeah, Cobalt, what’s up? Did y’all finish the cookout?”
Everything we talk about on our phones is generally in some kind of code, never know if someone is listening.
“Psycho, meet me back at the house, will ya, brother? We need to talk.”
I can hear him moving around and when he tells someone to “shut the fuck up, get dressed, and get the hell out of here” I kind of feel bad interrupting, but hey, he signed up to be my vice president.
“Yeah, Prez, be there in under thirty minutes. Need me to pick anything up?”
I rack my brain for a second then give him a short list of shit before hanging up.
Turning, I’m just in time to see the metal box moving toward the inside of the contraption that is probably hotter than hell. Stash is looking between all of us but isn’t saying a word. This poor motherfucker has been through the wringer. Walking up to him I see his body tense but he holds his ground. Nice is my thought when I stop in front of him.
“Stash, today is your lucky day. We are gonna take you back to our clubhouse and make you an offer you won’t be able to say no to. Well, that’s if you have any brain cells left in your head, motherfucker. One last question, which B&B is your sister Julie staying at? We need to bring her in also, don’t argue, you bastard. Only way she’s gonna stay breathing. Now on that offer, ya don’t have to take it, we will still help ya out but the one thing you won’t get is our protection. Choice is yours. For now, gonna have to ride bitch with one of the prospects. Not a far ride, but it’s kinda cold out. Let me grab ya one of my lined hoodies. Here, fucker, suck on this mint, you smell like vomit. Let’s ride.”
I can see both Dreamer and Nickel bickering about who is going to have Stash riding bitch. I look to Incubus, who shrugs his shoulders. My eyes pin onto Dreamer, who drops his head before he looks back up and nods. All it takes most times is a look with all of our prospects. I’m known to be fair and demanding. Not a bad thing is my thought as I make my way to my bike to pull a hoodie out of one of my bags. I walk back to Stash and hand it to him and hear his soft thanks before going back to my bike, switching it on. As the prospects head back to the clubhouse, Incubus and I make our way to the B&B to pick up Stash’s sister, Julie, before the pain in my ass Mob finds her out there all by herself with no protection. I know one thing we don’t need is another babysitting job. Thinking to myself that this day can’t get any worse, then I remind myself of the club superstitions. If you say or think it then your worst thoughts might come true. The damn shit these brothers put into my head is starting to weigh me down.
D.M. Earl is a U.S.A. Today Bestselling Author who spins stories about real life situations with characters that are authentic, genuine, and sincere. Each of her stories allow the characters to come to life with each turn of the page while they try to find their HEA through much drama and angst. D.M. finds ideas for her next story from within those around her and what she experiences in daily life. Each book has a part of her left behind in it. She lives in Northwest Indiana married to her best friend who was instrumental in the start of her writing career in 2014. When not writing D.M. loves to read, play with her seven fur-babies (yeah crazy) and ride her Harley Dyna Lowrider.
“Enjoy this Ride we call Life.” Remember we only get one chance.
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you enjoyed it!
Marteeka Karland is here to tell us about Oktober, Kiss of Death MC 13, a motorcycle club romance.
Read on for details...
__________________
(Kiss of Death MC 13)
MC Romance
Date Published: April 17, 2026
Publisher: Changeling Press
Mia looks like heartbreak. When her toxic ex follows, he doesn’t
know what he’s up against.
Mia: I caught my boyfriend cheating with my best friend. So I did what any
emotionally stable woman would do. I rented a secluded cabin in the Smoky
Mountains and swore off men forever. Then the motorcycles arrived, along with
Oktober. He’s six feet of tattooed temptation with a voice like sin and
a stare that says he’s already picturing me against the nearest solid
surface. He doesn’t offer sympathy. He offers control. And after being
lied to, gaslit, and humiliated, control sounds… therapeutic. What
starts as a revenge-fueled vacation fling turns into possessive heat,
obsessive chemistry, and the kind of dark romance that makes bad decisions
feel like personal growth. But when my toxic ex tracks me down, I learn two
things. Eric still thinks I belong to him. He has no idea who he’s
competing with.
Oktober: I came to the mountains for downtime with my MC brothers. Beer.
Bikes. No drama. Then I found Mia next door looking like heartbreak wrapped in
stubborn pride. I don’t chase women. I don’t beg. And I definitely
don’t do feelings. I claim. She says she just wants a distraction. I
give her protection, obsession, and enough heat to make her forget her
ex’s name. When the idiot shows up trying to intimidate her, I almost
feel bad for him. Almost. Kiss of Death MC doesn’t tolerate disrespect.
“Touch her and die” isn’t a cute slogan. It’s
community policy.
I walked up the three flights of stairs to our apartment, conference badge
still hanging from my neck, my rolling suitcase bumping rhythmically against
each step. The academic panel had ended early. Budget cuts meant fewer
speakers, fewer questions, fewer reasons to stay. I hadn’t texted Eric.
The thought of surprising him, of seeing his face light up when I walked
through the door two days ahead of schedule, made my lips curve into a smile.
We might even head early to the little cabin retreat I’d been planning
for after the weekend. Maybe I’d call ahead and see if I could get it
starting tonight or tomorrow. I shifted the takeout bag to my other hand and
dug for my keys, the scent of his favorite pad thai spiraling up from the
paper sack.
The hallway stretched before me, same beige carpet I’d walked nearly
every day for the past six months since I’d moved in with Eric. Our door
waited at the end, looking exactly as it always did. I took comfort in the
mundane. I loved surprises but preferred my quiet, steady life as drama free
as I could keep it.
I opened the door and stepped inside the spacious apartment Eric owned in
downtown Nashville. I heard them before I saw them. A muffled laugh, a thump
against a wall in the bedroom. For a moment as I approached the closed door, I
thought maybe Eric was watching something on his laptop. He did that
sometimes, sprawled across our bed as he watched or even worked from bed. When
he did, he sometimes hit the wall as he shifted.
The bedroom door swung open, and time moved to slow motion around me.
Eric’s bare back faced me, the knobs of his spine visible as he hunched
over her. My best friend, Jade’s, legs were wrapped around his waist,
her head thrown back against my pillow on my side of the bed. Her dark hair
spread across the soft linens I’d washed before leaving for the
conference the day before.
My keys dangled from suddenly numb fingers. Thank God I’d set the
takeout bag on the counter as I’d passed by the kitchen or I’d
have dropped it. Just like I did the keys two seconds later.
They froze. Their heads turned in unison, like puppets controlled by the same
string.
“Mia!” Eric’s voice cracked as he shoved up from Jade and
the bed, his junk on full display. Without a condom. Just ducky. “Jesus
-- you’re… You weren’t supposed to --”
Jade yanked the sheet up to her chin, her eyes wide and glassy. “Oh God,
Mia, I can explain --”
Could she? Could she explain why my best friend since sophomore year of
college was naked in my bed with my boyfriend of three years? Could she
explain why they were both looking at me with expressions more annoyed than
ashamed, as though I’d interrupted something that was rightfully theirs?
I didn’t want to hear it.
I stood there, my suitcase forgotten in the hallway, watching Eric scramble to
pull on his jeans. His mouth was moving, explanations tumbling out. I heard
something about loneliness and mistakes and too much wine. His words hit a
barrier around me, sounds without meaning. I noticed things instead. Like the
wineglass on my nightstand with Jade’s lipstick on the rim. The way she
clutched my sheet to her chest like she had any right to modesty in this
moment. The condom wrappers on the floor.
“Mia, please say something,” Eric pleaded, his hand reaching for
my arm.
I stepped back. My body felt disconnected, operating on primitive autopilot
while my mind floated, watching this scene unfold to someone else, trying to
detach myself from the stark reality of what I’d just witnessed.
“How long?” My voice sounded weak and thready. Like I had to force
the words out. I suppose I did because I really had no desire to know how long
I’d played the fool and looked like an idiot in front of all our
friends.
They exchanged a look. That look told me everything I needed to know.
I turned away, walking to the closet where we kept our luggage. Eric followed,
his bare feet slapping against the hardwood.
“Mia, it’s not what you think. It just happened. We were both
missing you --”
I pulled my large duffel bag from the top shelf, the one I’d planned to
use for our cabin trip next week. The trip I’d booked six months ago
because Eric had complained we never went anywhere, just the two of us.
“Mia, please --” Jade appeared in the doorway, my robe wrapped
around her body. My robe. On her body. “We never meant to hurt you. It
was a mistake.”
I moved around our apartment like a ghost. The only thing I really needed was
my laptop and that was still packed. The duffel had already been packed with
my favorite, most comfortable clothes from jeans and T-shirts to a couple of
nice sundresses for the early spring weather. Plenty of underwear and my
toiletries. Beyond that, I didn’t need anything else.
“What are you doing?” Eric’s voice rose, panic edging in.
“You can’t just leave. We need to talk about this.”
I looked at him then, really looked at him. His face, the face I’d woken
up to nearly every morning since I’d moved in with him six months ago,
suddenly seemed foreign.
“The cabin,” I said, zipping the duffel bag closed.
“I’m going to the cabin.”
“Our cabin trip? That’s next weekend.” His confusion was
genuine, as if he thought we might still have a future with plans and dates to
keep.
“No,” I replied. “My cabin trip. You’re not invited
and I need some space to think.”
I walked past them both, grabbing my purse from the hook by the door. My
suitcase waited in the hallway, a silent witness. I left it there. I
didn’t want anything I’d packed for the conference. This
homecoming had further emphasized why I hated drama. It also reminded me of
how I’d changed my life’s direction to meet Eric’s
expectations and needs. I’d chosen academia over social work even though
my own background had called me to that field.
“You can’t drive all the way to the Smokies right now,” Jade
said, her voice thin with forced reason. “It’s getting late.
You’re upset. Stay at my place if you need space from Eric.”
The laugh that escaped me was brittle. “Are you for real right
now?”
I was already down the hallway, duffel bag slung over my shoulder, when Eric
caught up with me. “The cabin’s over three hours away.
You’re not thinking clearly. At least let me drive you.”
I shook him off. “Don’t touch me. You never get to touch me again,
Eric.”
I hurried out of the apartment building and got into my car. As I tried to
leave, he got in front of my vehicle and stopped me.
“Mia! Stop acting like this! Go back inside and we can discuss this like
adults.”
“Get out of my way or I’m going to run you over, Eric.”
He smirked. “No, you won’t.”
I saw red.
Eric must have seen something shift in my expression because his eyes widened.
He backed up and out of the path of my vehicle, just before I gunned it and
peeled out of the parking lot.
* * *
About the Author
Marteeka Karland is an international bestselling author who leads a double
life as an erotic romance author by evening and a semi-domesticated housewife
by day. Known for her down and dirty MC romances, Marteeka takes pleasure in
spinning tales of tenacious, protective heroes and spirited, vulnerable
heroines. She staunchly advocates that every character deserves a blissful
ending, even, sometimes, the villains in her narratives. Her writings are
speckled with intense, raw elements resulting in page-turning delight entwined
with seductive escapades leading up to gratifying conclusions that elicit a
sigh from her readers.
Away from the pen, Marteeka finds joy in baking and supporting her husband
with their gardening activities. The late summer season is set aside for
preserving the delightful harvest that springs from their combined efforts
(which is mostly his efforts, but you can count it). To stay updated with
Marteeka's latest adventures and forthcoming books, make sure to visit her
website. Don't forget to register for her newsletter which will pepper you
with a potpourri of Teeka's beloved recipes, book suggestions, autograph
events, and a plethora of interesting tidbits.
Harley Wylde is here to tell us about Samson, a motorcycle club romance, featuring an age gap and suspense.
Read on for details...
_____________________
Motorcycle Club Romance, Age Gap, Suspense
Date Published: March 27. 2026
Some men protect with promises. I protect with possession.
Samson: I don’t chase power. I don’t wear rank. I don’t
claim women. Until I find her broken, on the edge of Reckless Kings’
territory -- and realize letting her go would sign her death warrant.
Inside the gates, there’s only one way she stays. So I claim her. No
waiting. No soft edges. She sleeps in my house, under my name, with my hand
always close enough to remind the world she’s not unprotected anymore.
The man hunting her thinks I’m just another biker without authority.
He’s about to learn commitment is far more dangerous than rank.
Callie: I ran because men like him don’t hear no. They twist it. Punish
it. Being claimed should feel like another trap -- but Samson doesn’t
cage me. He stands in front of me. Believes me. Touches me like I’m
something worth keeping, not something to break.
The danger follows me straight to the compound gates. This time, it meets a
man who doesn’t hesitate… and never lets go of what’s his.
A dark Motorcycle Club Romance where obsession is protection, love is
irrevocable, and justice is served in the most painful way possible.
Perfect for fans of Romantic Crime Thrillers and MC Romance.
WARNING: Adult themes and content including: intense emotional situations,
predatory behavior, motorcycle club -- related criminal activity, trauma
recovery and psychological distress may trigger some readers.
EXCERPT
Samson
The narrow backroad twisted through Tennessee pines, a black ribbon barely
visible in the late evening darkness. I leaned into the curve, my
Harley’s engine growling beneath me, the vibration familiar against my
thighs. The headlight carved a path through the night, insects dancing in the
beam as I pushed toward the compound. Another mile and I’d be on
Reckless Kings’ territory. My gaze locked on a crumpled shape at the
edge of my light, half-hidden where asphalt met gravel and dirt.
I eased off the throttle, the bike slowing as I approached. My mind ran
through possibilities -- discarded trash, dead animal, maybe a dumped duffle
bag. But something about the shape didn’t fit any of those. The
moonlight broke through the trees just enough to catch the paleness of skin
against dark earth.
“Shit,” I muttered, slowing to a crawl.
My boots hit the asphalt as I killed the engine. The night pressed in, but I
left the bike’s running lights on, giving me just enough visibility. My
hand went to my waistband, fingers brushing the grip of my pistol. Fifteen
years with the Kings had taught me caution.
I approached slowly, scanning the tree line for movement. Nothing but night
sounds -- crickets, the occasional rustle of nocturnal creatures. The shape
resolved into a woman as I drew closer, curled on her side facing away from
the road. Her clothes -- what looked like jeans and a thin jacket -- were torn
and filthy.
“Hey,” I called, keeping my voice low but firm. “You
okay?”
She flinched hard, curling tighter, a ragged breath escaping her.
I stopped ten feet away, making myself visible in the dim glow from my bike.
“Not going to hurt you. You need help?”
She rolled slightly, turning just enough to see me. Her face was a mess --
dirt streaked with tears or sweat, hair matted against her forehead, a nasty
cut at her temple with dried blood in a smear down her cheek. But her eyes --
wide with terror -- were what caught me. The look of someone hunted.
“Go away,” she rasped.
I stayed where I was, keeping my hands visible. “You’re hurt.
Middle of nowhere. Temperature’s dropping.” I kept my voice
matter-of-fact, neither pushing nor retreating. “I can help or I can
leave. Your call.”
Her breathing came fast and shallow, the rhythm of someone running on pure
adrenaline. I’d seen it before, in Prospects during their first real
violence, in civilians caught in club business. The body burning through its
reserves before the crash came.
And she was close to crashing.
“What’s your name?” I crouched down to appear less
threatening, still maintaining distance.
She didn’t answer, just watched me with those wary eyes. Up close, I
could see the exhaustion etched into her face. Early twenties, maybe, though
hard to tell through the dirt and fear. Her knuckles were scraped raw,
fingernails broken and caked with dirt. She’d fought something or
someone.
I glanced back at the empty road, then to the dense trees. The nearest house
was miles away. Club territory began just around the next bend, but this
stretch was no-man’s-land -- the kind of place bodies got dumped. The
kind of place women didn’t end up by accident.
“I’m Samson,” I offered, not using my real name. Nobody
outside the club knew Lyle Harker existed anymore. “I’m heading
home. But I’m not leaving you out here like this.”
Her chapped lips parted as if to speak, then pressed together in pain. The
jacket she wore had ridden up, revealing bruises on her side -- fingermarks,
dark against pale skin. Recent, but not fresh. Maybe a day old.
The road remained empty behind me, but something felt off. The birds had gone
quiet. I’d spent enough years riding these backroads to know when
something wasn’t right. The woman must have sensed it too -- her gaze
darted past me toward the trees across the road.
“How long you been running?” I asked, voice even lower.
Her gaze snapped back to me, surprise breaking through the fear for just a
second.
“Your shoes.” I nodded toward her feet. The sneakers were shredded
at the edges, the once-white fabric now brown with mud and blood. “Those
have seen some miles.”
She swallowed hard, her throat working painfully. When she spoke, her voice
cracked. “Since last night.”
I spotted the edge of a zip tie mark on her wrist, peeking from beneath her
sleeve. Not from police cuffs -- those left a different kind of bruise.
Someone had restrained her, and she’d torn herself free. The skin was
raw, inflamed.
The night seemed to press closer. Despite the warm evening, goose bumps rose
on my arms. Years in the Reckless Kings had honed my instincts. Right now,
they screamed we weren’t alone.
I straightened slowly, scanning the tree line again. Nothing moved, but the
feeling persisted. Whoever had marked this woman up might be watching.
Waiting. The compound was only two minutes away by bike, but even that could
feel like an eternity if someone made their move.
“Can you stand?” I asked, not taking my eyes off the darkness
beyond the road.
She tried to push herself up and failed, collapsing back against the ground
with a soft whimper. Dehydrated, exhausted, probably not eaten in at least a
day. The dried blood on her temple concerned me -- head wounds were tricky.
Could be nothing, could be a concussion.
I made my decision. The Kings had rules about bringing outsiders anywhere near
our territory but leaving her here wasn’t an option. Not with those
marks on her. Not with whoever gave them to her potentially closing in.
“Let me help you up.” I stepped closer. “Then we’ll
figure out what comes next.”
Her eyes fixed on the patch on my cut -- Reckless Kings in bold stitching. For
a moment, fresh fear washed over her face. I knew what she saw -- a
thirty-something biker, broad-shouldered and tattooed, offering help more
dangerous than whatever she was running from.
But then her gaze drifted back to the trees, and she made her choice.
I kept my hands visible, fingers spread, as I edged closer to her. Club life
had taught me how to move without threatening -- a skill useful whether
dealing with rival MCs or frightened women on backroads. Her gaze locked onto
my every movement, muscles tensed to flee despite her exhaustion. Behind the
fear in her eyes lurked something sharper -- calculation, survival instinct.
Whatever hell she’d escaped from had taught her to think even when
terrified.
“Water?” I asked, I retreated to grab the bottle in my saddlebag.
I unscrewed the cap and held it out, still maintaining distance. “Small
sips. Too much at once will make you sick.”
She stared at the bottle, conflict evident on her face -- desperate thirst
warring with ingrained caution. Thirst won. She reached out with trembling
fingers, taking the bottle and bringing it to her cracked lips. Water dribbled
down her chin as she drank greedily, ignoring my advice.
“Easy,” I warned. “Been without long?”
She lowered the bottle, gasping slightly. Half-empty already. “Since
yesterday morning.”
I crouched down to her level, still giving her space. The dried blood at her
temple formed a jagged path down to her jaw. Head wound, but not fresh --
maybe twenty-four hours old. No active bleeding, pupils equal size. Good
signs.
“Mind if I look at your head?” I asked.
She flinched back. “Don’t touch me.”
I nodded, respecting the boundary. “Fair enough. Can you tell me your
name?”
A pause. She took another drink. “Callie.”
“Callie,” I repeated, keeping my voice steady. “You got
somewhere safe to go, Callie?”
Her laugh came out hollow, more air than sound. “Nowhere’s
safe.”
“Someone after you?”
Her gaze darted back to the road. She didn’t answer, but she
didn’t need to. The zip tie marks, the bruises, her terror -- they told
enough of the story.
“How bad are you hurt? Besides what I can see.”
She shrugged one shoulder, wincing at the movement. “I’ll
live.”
“That’s a low bar.”
Her eyes met mine, surprising me with a flash of defiance. “Higher than
it was yesterday.”
I found myself respecting her -- the spark still burning beneath all the fear
and pain. The Kings valued resilience. This woman had it in spades.
“What happened to your head?” I asked, nodding toward the wound.
She touched it gingerly. “I’m not sure. Not the first time,
though. This one isn’t as bad as the first time I tried to run.”
The casual way she said it raised the hair on my neck, like getting hurt
counted as just another Tuesday. I’d seen that kind of detachment before
in people who normalized violence to survive.
“You need a hospital?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.
She shook her head vehemently. “No. They’ll look there.”
“They?”
Her mouth clamped shut, fear returning to her eyes.
“All right,” I said, backing off. “No hospitals.”
Wind rustled through the trees, carrying the scent of pine and something else
-- the metallic tang of coming rain. The temperature had dropped another few
degrees. Callie shivered, her thin jacket providing minimal protection against
the night air.
I glanced at my watch. Nearly midnight. The compound was close but bringing
her there would mean questions. Hard ones.
“Let me see your hands,” I said.
She hesitated, then extended them. She’d need medical care.
“You fight back,” I observed.
A small, grim smile. “Always.”
I respected that too.
“When’s the last time you ate?”
She shrugged again. “Not sure.”
“Can you stand?”
She tried, bracing against the ground. Her legs wobbled, threatening to
collapse. I reached out instinctively, stopping just short of touching her.
“May I?”
She nodded, reluctance clear in every line of her body. I slipped an arm
around her waist, supporting her weight as she found her footing. She felt too
light, bones sharp beneath skin meant to hold more weight. Malnourished, and
not just from two days without food.
“You’re not cops,” she said, nodding toward my cut.
“But you’re something.”
“Something,” I agreed, not elaborating. The less she knew about
the Kings, the better -- for her safety as much as ours.
She swayed on her feet, and I tightened my grip slightly to keep her upright.
She flinched at the pressure but didn’t pull away.
“I need to get you somewhere safe,” I said.
“Nowhere’s safe,” she repeated, but with less conviction.
“Safer than here.”
A distant sound pierced the night -- an engine, far off but approaching.
Callie’s entire body tensed, her breathing accelerating into near
hyperventilation.
“That them?” I asked.
She nodded, panic overriding caution.
Decision time. I knew taking her to the compound would have consequences. Was
I prepared to face them?
“I’ve got a place,” I said, making my choice. “People
who can help. But you need to trust me, just for tonight.”
“Why would you help me?” she asked, suspicion threading through
the fear. “You don’t know me.”
A fair question. One I’d asked myself.
“Because years ago, I was on the wrong side of some bad men,” I
said simply. “Someone helped me then. Sometimes that’s reason
enough.”
Not the whole truth, but enough of it. The Kings had saved me from a life
heading nowhere fast, given me purpose, family. Some debts you pay forward.
“I don’t have another option, do I?” she asked.
“You always have options,” I said. “Right now, they’re
just all bad ones. I’m offering the least bad one I can.”
She glanced toward the sound of the approaching engine, then back to me.
Weighing unknown dangers against the devil she knew.
About the Author
Harley Wylde is an accomplished author known for her captivating MC Romances.
With an unwavering commitment to sensual storytelling, Wylde immerses her
readers in an exciting world of fierce men and irresistible women. Her works
exude passion, danger, and gritty realism, while still managing to end on a
satisfying note each time.
When not crafting her tales, Wylde spends her time brainstorming new
plotlines, indulging in a hot cup of Starbucks, or delving into a good book.
She has a particular affinity for supernatural horror literature and movies.
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Marteeka Karland is here to tell us about Rancor, Kiss of Death MC, motorcycle club romance, suspense, and age gap.
Read on for details...
__________________
(Kiss of Death MC)
Motorcycle Club Romance, Suspense, Age Gap
Date Published: January 16, 2026
A broken man, a wary woman, and a past that wants blood -- love has
never been more dangerous.
Cora -- Survival is my full-time job. Delivering groceries to the Kiss of
Death MC should’ve been just another stop… until Rancor stepped
out of the shadows and looked at me like he already knew my secrets. His quiet
strength is wrapped in scars and heat. He’s the kind of man who could
break the world but touches me like I’m the only soft thing he’s
got left. I should run. Instead, I keep driving through those gates, craving
the one man who makes me feel safe in ways I don’t dare say out loud.
Rancor -- I buried my heart years ago. Grief, violence, and prison killed
anything left inside me, and I was glad. It meant I didn’t have to feel
anything. Then Cora walked into the compound and cracked me open with a single
glance. She’s brave without meaning to be, a storm in a small frame, and
the first woman to make me feel anything since the night my life ended. One
touch, and I knew I’d protect her with my last breath. One kiss and I
knew I’d kill for her. I’ve already lost too much to lose her,
too. Especially not to the same family who already ruined my life.
EXCERPT
Cora
The gates of the Kiss of Death MC compound loomed ahead, iron and rust and
threat. I knew the place was called Kiss of Death because there was a big-ass
sign on the gate. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel of my beat-up
sedan. No one wanted to deliver here, and for good reason. My second delivery
here felt even worse.
The first time I could blame ignorance, on not knowing better. This time I
drove through those gates with full knowledge of what waited inside. At least,
I hoped I did. The people inside these gates had been nothing but kind to me.
Tipped well, too. I still found it hard to let my guard down in a place
literally named Kiss of Death.
The sedan’s engine coughed as I pressed the accelerator. The sound
seemed too loud, even in a place that could get noisy. The rumble of a bike
starting up had me jumping. As the guy caught sight of me, he froze and shut
down the bike. Next thing I knew he was rolling backward, pushing the bike
with his feet until he returned to the inside of the garage. I rolled forward,
past the gates.
Camo netting stretched between the buildings, creating shadows in the
afternoon light. The warehouses formed a perfect square like some kind of
military precision in architecture. If I didn’t need the money, I
definitely wouldn’t be here.
The main building rose ahead. I’d been directed there last time, so I
aimed for the same spot. I thought about the envelope from my first delivery.
Cash, all of it, with a tip that equaled half the order total. That money had
bought groceries for a week, gas for two. It had been the difference between
making rent on time and asking my landlord for another extension I
wouldn’t get.
The parking area materialized ahead. I pulled in next to a row of motorcycles,
their chrome catching the filtered light through the netting. My sedan looked
all kinds of wrong among them.
I shifted into park and killed the engine. The silence felt worse than the
noise. Now I could hear everything. Distant music from somewhere inside the
compound. Male voices, laughing. It all sounded so normal I wanted to laugh at
myself. Obviously they’d been grateful to get someone to deliver here
and had treated me well. The phone app tracked my movements, kind of like a
safeguard, so I really had little to worry about. I hoped.
My fingers fumbled with the door handle. Metal, cold against my palm. I pushed
it open and the hinges squeaked, announcing my presence to anyone within
earshot. The air outside tasted different than in my car. Heavier. It carried
scents I couldn’t identify; motor oil and something sharp underneath,
something that made my lizard brain want to run.
Movement from the clubhouse caught my eye. Hannah bounded out waving as she
hurried to me. She’d been the one to meet me last time.
She hurried toward me with an easy confidence and a bright, genuine smile I
envied. Her dark hair caught the filtered light, pulled back from her face in
a way that revealed high cheekbones and those striking hazel eyes. She wore
jeans and a simple T-shirt, and a black leather vest. I’d noticed last
time the vest was similar to her husband’s, though the back proclaimed
her as “Property of Knuckles” where his simply said “Kiss of
Death MC” and “Nashville, TN”. It sounded barbaric, but this
woman didn’t seem oppressed in any way. In fact, when I met her the last
time, her husband had dropped a kiss on top of her head as he’d passed
her and hadn’t let Hannah carry anything from the car.
I raised a hand in an awkward wave, immediately feeling stupid for the
gesture. But Hannah’s expression softened further, and she picked up her
pace. I moved to the back of my car and lifted the trunk lid, ready to help
her unload.
“You came back.” Hannah’s voice held a warm welcome that
seemed impossible in this place. She stopped a few feet from my car, close
enough to be friendly but far enough to respect boundaries. “I
wasn’t sure you would.”
“The order came through.” I tried to keep my voice steady,
professional. “Same as last time.”
“And you accepted it.” Something shifted in her expression, a
subtle approval that made me stand a little straighter. “Most drivers
reject anything with our address. The guys haven’t done anything, but
this many ex-cons in one place makes people nervous, I guess.” She
frowned. “People tend to overlook the good they do. Not every person
guilty of bad things are bad people.”
I tilted my head to the side. “You know, I never thought about it that
way. But you’re right. I shouldn’t judge people unless they give
me reason to.” I looked away, suddenly ashamed of myself.
“I’d be in a world of hurt if people judged me by what they saw on
the surface.”
“Hey.” Hannah moved closer, reaching out to touch my shoulder
gently. “I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad. We truly are
grateful someone is willing to give us all a chance.” She smiled,
squeezing my shoulder gently before dropping her hand.
“Um, can I ask a question?” I didn’t know why I asked her,
but once I had, I intended to follow through.
“Of course.” She looked pleasantly curious.
“I saw a guy when I first came in today. He came out of that
building,” I pointed back the way I’d come. “But he turned
off his bike and rolled back into the shadows.” I swallowed hard. If
I’d gotten too nosy I might well have crossed a line I shouldn’t
have. But it was odd! Also, I might be feeling a little paranoid. But to my
surprise, Hannah only smiled.
“The guys know this place isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. They
also know that some people are scared of the noise, to say nothing of the men
themselves. There’s not one of them who doesn’t look scary as
hell.” She grinned. “But every single one of them sat through and
energetically participated in the Christmas party they had for the women and
children in the shelter they help protect. The kids adore them all.”
Before I could respond, movement behind her drew my attention. Another figure
emerged from the clubhouse, moving with a deliberate slowness that made every
step feel intentional.
My breath caught. He was big. Tall and broad-shouldered, and big in the way
that suggested power held in careful check. His shoulders stretched a gray
T-shirt to its limits.
His head was shaved clean, and somehow, the man was more intimidating for its
starkness. But it was his face that made my fingers tighten on the grocery bag
I still held. Weathered. Lined with stress that had carved deep grooves around
his mouth and between his eyebrows. He looked like a man who’d forgotten
how to relax, if he’d ever known.
He approached with that same measured pace, each footfall deliberate. The way
he moved reminded me of documentaries I’d seen about predators. Not
rushing. Never rushing. Because predators didn’t need to hurry when they
knew their prey couldn’t escape. My heart, which had just started to
calm, kicked back into overdrive.
“Cora, this is Rancor.” Hannah gestured between us, casually as if
introducing neighbors at a barbecue. Thank God she didn’t notice my
discomfort because how embarrassing would that be? “He’s going to
help with the groceries.”
His gaze met mine, and I forced myself not to look away even though every
instinct screamed at me to drop my gaze. His eyes were dark, nearly black in
the shadow of the camo netting, and he studied me with an intensity that made
my skin prickle.
“Ma’am.” His voice was quiet and rough, as if he
didn’t use it much.
“Hi.” The syllable came out higher than I wanted. I cleared my
throat. “There are a lot of bags.” Brilliant conversational
skills, Cora. Truly impressive.
But Rancor just nodded, a single dip of his head, and moved past me to the
trunk. He smelled like soap and motor oil, the combination oddly intriguing.
I stepped back, giving him room.
He reached into the trunk and pulled out several bags at once, hoisting them
like they weighed nothing. His forearms flexed, muscles shifting under skin
decorated with what looked like a burn scar. Then he turned and walked toward
the clubhouse, that same deliberate pace.
“So.” Hannah’s voice pulled my attention back to her.
She’d moved closer, filling the space Rancor had vacated. “You
deliver every day?”
“Most days.” I watched Rancor’s back as he walked away, the
way his T-shirt stretched across his shoulders. “Depends on the
orders.”
“That’s a lot of driving.” Hannah leaned against my car,
comfortable in a way I envied. “You like it?”
Did I like it? I liked eating. I liked having electricity. I liked not being
homeless. My job met those ends.
“It’s fine,” I said. “Flexible schedule.”
Hannah’s smile widened. Not mocking. Understanding. “Money
talks?”
“Sometimes, I guess.” No point in pretending otherwise. My car was
clean, inside and out, and I took care with my appearance. I didn’t have
anything fancy, nor did I know how to do makeup or anything, but I kept myself
clean, my clothes washed and pressed. Obviously, I didn’t have much, but
I had pride.
Rancor emerged from the clubhouse, empty-handed now, heading back toward us.
My pulse quickened at his proximity. Stupid. His presence made my pulse jump
and my body betray me. I’d seen good-looking men before, both nice guys
and dipshits. For some reason, though, this guy just did it for me when he
shouldn’t. Story of my life. Wanting things I had no business dreaming
about.
He reached the trunk and grabbed another few bags. This time when he lifted
them, his eyes cut to mine briefly. Just a flicker of contact, there and gone,
but it jolted through me like touching a live wire. I looked away first.
Examined my shoes as if they held the secrets of the universe.
“Where are you from?” Hannah asked, still making conversation like
this was normal, like we were normal people in a normal place.
“Here. Nashville.” I shifted my weight. “Well, just outside
the city.”
“You grow up here?”
“No.” The word came out clipped. I didn’t elaborate. Hannah
didn’t push. She seemed to have a way of paying attention to my body
language and feeling me out.
Hannah glanced toward Rancor, who was emerging from the clubhouse again. When
she looked back at me, something knowing glinted in her hazel eyes.
“I’m glad you came back. Hopefully I can make a friend because you
did.”
Rancor collected the last of the bags. His fingers brushed the trunk’s
edge near where mine rested. We weren’t touching, but we were close
enough that I felt the heat of his skin.
He straightened with the final bags and paused. Looked at me full-on, not just
a glance but actual eye contact that held for three long heartbeats. Then he
walked away, and I remembered how to breathe.
When I finally brought my attention back to Hannah, I found her watching me
with that same knowing expression, approval written in the curve of her mouth.
I felt exposed in a way that had nothing to do with danger and everything to
do with desire I had no business feeling.
Rancor must have set his load down somewhere because he now stood near the
clubhouse door, hands loose at his sides, watching us. Watching me. The weight
of his gaze pressed against my skin like humidity before a storm.
Hannah shifted closer, close enough that her voice dropped to something almost
conspiratorial. “You know,” she said, quiet enough that Rancor
probably couldn’t hear her. “You couldn’t pick a better
protector than any of the men from Kiss of Death.”
The words hit me wrong. Too direct. Too knowing. Like she’d reached
inside my head and pulled out thoughts I hadn’t fully formed yet.
“I’m just delivering groceries.” I kept my voice light,
aiming for casual and probably missing by miles. “I don’t need
protection.”
But even as I said the words, I felt the lie in them. I was one bad
day’s work away from being homeless. I lived in a really shitty part of
town because I couldn’t afford anything better.
Hannah’s smile suggested she heard everything I didn’t say.
“Of course.” I didn’t know what to do with the implication
hanging between us. That I needed protecting. That I might want protecting.
Or, more aptly, that the men here, Rancor specifically, could provide the
safety I longed for.
The idea should have offended me. I’d spent years learning to protect
myself, to need no one, to be self-sufficient in every way that mattered.
I’d always been stubborn. At least, I had been after I left my
parents’ sphere of influence.
About the Author
Marteeka Karland is an international bestselling author who leads a double
life as an erotic romance author by evening and a semi-domesticated housewife
by day. Known for her down and dirty MC romances, Marteeka takes pleasure in
spinning tales of tenacious, protective heroes and spirited, vulnerable
heroines. She staunchly advocates that every character deserves a blissful
ending, even, sometimes, the villains in her narratives. Her writings are
speckled with intense, raw elements resulting in page-turning delight entwined
with seductive escapades leading up to gratifying conclusions that elicit a
sigh from her readers.
Away from the pen, Marteeka finds joy in baking and supporting her husband
with their gardening activities. The late summer season is set aside for
preserving the delightful harvest that springs from their combined efforts
(which is mostly his efforts, but you can count it). To stay updated with
Marteeka's latest adventures and forthcoming books, make sure to visit her
website. Don't forget to register for her newsletter which will pepper you
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