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  Live Free

  Shyla Colt

  Book 3 in the Lords of Mayhem series.

  After surviving an ordeal with a sadistic man who was using her to destroy the Lords of Mayhem, Evonne realizes that her quiet, ordered life is no guarantee of safety. The Lords insist on protecting her and assign the job to a macho biker known for his womanizing. Her friends disapprove, but she’s sick of being a good girl, and hot sex with a bad boy is just what she needs.

  Rocky’s concerned that guarding a prim accountant will seriously cramp his style—until he discovers the wild woman hiding beneath those conservative suits. He has never met a firecracker like Evonne, who’s smart and ferociously sexy. He’s surprised to find he enjoys her company and even more shocked to find himself falling in love.

  Reader Advisory: This story has graphic sexual language and scenes—no closed bedroom doors (or other rooms) here!

  An adult contemporary romance from Ellora’s Cave

  Live Free

  Shyla Colt

  Glossary

  Cut: Vest worn by motorcycle club members.

  House Mouse: Woman who cleans up and does other chores. Depending on her temperament, she might be given as a gift to an old lady.

  M.C.: Motorcycle club.

  Old Lady: Wife/long-term girlfriend. Exclusive property of a member.

  Patch: Worn by members of some motorcycle clubs to identify the club they belong to. The three-piece patch consists of the club logo in the center with top and bottom patches, called rockers, naming the club name and its territory.

  Sweetbutt: Girl who hangs around the club and is always available for sex. Can be the “property” of one member.

  Sweetheart/Sweetie: Girlfriend or someone a biker is dating. Exclusive to that member.

  Member Positions

  President: Leader of the club.

  Vice President: Second in charge. Fills in when president isn’t around.

  Sergeant at Arms: Basically the club’s policeman. He enforces club policy and procedures in meetings.

  Enforcers: There to help the sergeant at arms do his job. They often stand guard at meetings.

  Secretary: Responsible for the club’s paperwork, including club records.

  Treasurer: The chapter’s money man. He collects club fees, pays bills, etc.

  The Wise One: He often looks after the club’s spiritual needs. He’s often referred to as the chaplain.

  Road Captain: He’s usually in charge of the logistics of the club, including planning routes, fuel stops, etc.

  Assistant Road Captain: Assists the road captain.

  Patch Members (Riders): Members who have earned the right to wear the club’s colors after paying their dues as a prospect. They’re also known as patches or members.

  Nomad: A club member who doesn’t belong to any particular chapter.

  Prospect: Man in training to become a member of a motorcycle club after a probationary period.

  Chapter One

  We’re all rubber bands, able to stretch to the point of breaking. We can bounce back when put under stress. But everyone has a breaking point. A moment when we’ve pushed past our limits and snap in half, go off the deep end or act out of character. Standing in the middle of her kitchen while the boys from Mayhem combed every inch of her house for bugs, Evonne came close to her meltdown threshold. Arms wrapped tightly around her waist to hold in the remains of her tattered soul.

  Paralyzed by the negative thoughts spinning in her mind like an out-of-control merry-go-round, she replayed the events of the previous day. Levi’s face and the crazed look in his emerald eyes as she succumbed to a drug-induced sleep were seared into her brain forever. The entire fucked-up event was a horror movie stuck on repeat. I should’ve seen this coming! What would a man like that want with me? And I ate it up. I’m a pathetic nerd so desperate for attention I couldn’t smell a trap. I put everyone in danger, for what? She closed her eyes. The tiny voice intensified. I need to keep busy.

  She lowered her arms and walked over to the cabinets, opening and closing them with disgust. Nothing looked appealing. Scanning the area, her gaze stopped at the wooden wine rack. A nice full glass of pinot noir would hit the spot. The clink of glass sounded obnoxiously loud as she pulled down a goblet. It’s not even ten in the morning. Ignoring the nagging voice in the back of her head, she popped the cork and poured a healthy portion. With nothing in her stomach, the wine went straight to her head. Pleasurable warmth spread through her body.

  She leaned against the counter, eager to stay out of the bikers’ way. Every time they looked at her, a fresh wave of shame ran through her body. God, how stupid I must look to them. I’m the sheltered, silly bitch, who risked them all to get a little dick. The last thing she remembered was Levi’s voice, swearing he would never hurt her as she drifted off to sleep.

  “We got a hit!” a male voice barked.

  The words popped her bubble of bliss. Glass shattered. She blinked and realized she had just pitched her drink across the room.

  “What the fuck is going on in here?” a deep voice boomed, making her jump.

  She glanced over at Crazy, not really seeing his face. “He fucking bugged my house?” Her body shook as her rage searched for a way to get out. “The cock-sucking motherfucker.”

  A chorus of whispers rose around her.

  “There might be more. It’ll take us time, Evonne. I don’t think it’s safe here for you,” someone said. Unable to focus, details became blurry as her anger and self-loathing consumed her.

  “Fucking perfect.” Her face twisted into a sneer.

  “Bitch, are you giving me attitude right now?” Crazy stepped forward, drawing her attention to him.

  The old Evonne would apologize and cower, but she was done being that person. “Are you giving me attitude? I just found out the man I was fucking only wanted to get information. I’ve been drugged and my friend damn near lost her life. Do you expect me to be cool, calm and collected? Come the fuck on.” She narrowed her eyes, balling her fists as she prepared to unleash her pent-up emotion on him.

  “Bitch.” Crazy took a step forward.

  “Stand the fuck down,” a quiet voice demanded.

  Crazy froze. Evonne glanced toward the doorway. A bronze god stood there, glaring at them with steely blue eyes. With his shock of black hair, fit frame, and sculpted face he was downright gorgeous. His beauty stunned her. Contrary to popular belief most M.C.s did not have a plethora of Charlie Hunnam lookalikes running around. She’d seen Rocky in passing, but never spent actual time with him, until now.

  “Rocky, did you hear this bitch spouting off at me?” Crazy gestured toward her.

  “I heard her talk, but I’m pretty sure you weren’t the man she was thinking about just now. You know she’s off-limits. You want the Prez to bust that thick-ass skull wide open? Go take a walk and get it together.” Rocky shook his head as Crazy stalked off. “Always a loose fucking cannon,” he mumbled. The mixed martial artist had a quiet strength about him as he spoke. “Look, Evonne, I get that you’re pissed. But you can’t mouth off to my boys like that and show them disrespect. They won’t stand for it, and I’m not always going to be there to bail your ass,” Rocky said.

  “Did I ask you to?” She placed her hands on her hips. Despite her fuckup, she’d always been independent. That would not stop now.

  He shook his head and sighed. “Listen, we need to get you out of here. Go pack a suitcase.”

  “I’m not going anywhere. This is my home,” she said.

  “Yes and I’m trying to save your life, so I trump.” His calm tone ruffled her feathers. She wasn’t a child he needed to placate.

  She crossed her arms over her chest.

  “I’m trying to be nice, but I don’t have a proble
m with throwing your ass over my shoulder and carrying you out of here with nothing but the clothes on your back. Either way, you’re leaving here on the back of my bike in the next fifteen minutes. How you choose to use the time is up to you.” Bombshell delivered, Rocky turned on his heel and walked away.

  Rocky’s attitude seemed to stoke the fire blazing in her belly. “Son of a bitch,” she whispered, stunned by her response.

  “I heard that. It’s not nice to talk about people’s mothers, even if mine was a bitch.” Rocky’s voice came from a distance.

  “Damn his Vulcan hearing,” she whispered. The joke broke through her dark mood. He’s right. She winced. I’m being a bitch to the wrong person. She wandered out of the kitchen through the living room and up the stairs to her room. This place felt off now, since it’d been violated. Suck it up, ain’t no white knights out there to come to your rescue, and the girls all have their own shit going on. Running on empty, she walked to the closet and pulled out her suitcase to pack. The jeans she pulled out burned her hand. I bought these to impress that fucker. Her chest heaved. A bellow crawled its way out of her throat. She ripped every article of clothing related to him off the hangers and tossed them over her shoulder. Tears flowed like brackish rain, and her head throbbed with a steady rhythm.

  Choking, she began to hyperventilate. Her head spun and she sank down onto her knees. She closed her eyes, covering her hot face with her palms and forced huge swallows of air into her lungs. Now is not the time to fall apart. Then Levi wins. He cannot win. She snickered at her position. All her planning, tests and caution brought her here. A broken-down pathetic creature. No more. Now, I do things completely different. Teeth grinding, she mentally rebuilt her armor. I am strong, powerful, capable and past the point of giving a fuck. The woman she admired rolled through her mind like a microfilm show. Joan Jett, Pink, and a few more names of the women she knew of who lived on their own terms. I can too. I have to.

  She rose with her new goal firmly in her mind. No more rules, lists or concerning myself with society. I’m leaving that behind, along with this house and life as I knew it. It’s painfully obvious the way I lived won’t cut it. It’s time to rediscover and live free.

  Comforted, she pushed up onto her feet and dug deep into her closet, pulling out clothes hanging in the back. Memories from the time when she was fresh out of college made her smile. Things had been different then. The world had been full of infinite possibilities and she’d been excited to start her new life. Then the truth hit her. Life after school wasn’t much different from life inside. It’d been a bit crushing. Full of working to get ahead, saving for the future and sacrificing, she’d fallen into a comfortable numbness.

  Her fingers itched to create. She’d put art on the back burner for so long, she’d misplaced her passion for it. Suddenly inspired, she grabbed the black portfolio in the back of the closet as well. In the end, she left the room with clothes she hadn’t worn in years, arts supplies and a new sense of self. She reached the bottom of the stairs and found Rocky on the couch alone.

  The hustle and bustle in her house seemed to have come to a halt.

  “Did I scare everyone off?” she asked.

  “Naw, I sent them to lunch. I thought maybe I’d have to come up and get you,” Rocky said.

  “No…” Evonne paused. “I was out of line earlier. It’s not you I’m mad at, so I apologize.”

  Rocky nodded. “Accepted. I wasn’t going to dwell on it. Brothers blow steam off all the time and it’s forgotten.” He flashed her a smile.

  The bright-white straight teeth made her stomach flip. God, the man is hot.

  “You ready?” he asked.

  “Yeah, what are we going to do with this?” She lifted her suitcase.

  “Leave it here for the prospects. We’re riding out of here on my bike.”

  “Ooh…” A thrill of excitement raced through her. She captured the joyful emotion and held it tight. “I’ve never been on the back of a bike before.”

  “I’m pleased to be your first time.” His voice grew husky.

  Determined not to be the one to back off, she racked her brain for a witty comeback. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  His eyebrows rose up.

  She smirked. Yes, I’m more than the girl who got screwed over by a man looking to get revenge for his fallen friend. I will not let that be my defining factor.

  “I might have underestimated you. I should know better,” he said.

  “Why?” she asked.

  “Because that’s the quickest way to get your ass handed to you in the ring, letting your guard down and thinking you know what your opponent is capable of. Get your purse and we’ll head out. I don’t like being here with everyone else gone. The crew your psycho ex runs with is dangerous. They got a long reach and balls the size of the United States.”

  “What happened?” she asked. Her stomach sank.

  “It’s not my place to go into details, but let’s say Levi managed to escape and after that, he disappeared off the face of the planet. I’d be willing to bet he has eyes and ears on you.”

  “Why?” She snorted. “It’s clear he didn’t give a shit.”

  Rocky looked away.

  The avoidance didn’t seem his style. There’s more to this. She frowned. “What?”

  “Nothing. Let’s get going.”

  “No, no, no. That look wasn’t nothing.”

  He strolled out of the house.

  Evonne hurried after him, doubling her steps to keep up with his stride.

  “Not my place, Evonne.”

  She huffed and paused on her front steps to lock the door. “Bullshit.”

  “You know we have rules. You didn’t think there was a reason we sent so many people to your house?” he asked.

  “To find whatever it was you were looking for…” The wheels in her mind spun. For safety. Once again, the bottom fell out of her world. All this time she thought he didn’t care. Maybe she should be more worried about how much he did care.

  “Just focus on your first ride, okay? You’ll be filled in on everything at the club.” He gently circled her wrist with his hand. “Evonne.” The soft touch was at odds with his masculinity.

  She glanced up, caught in the snare of his eyes.

  “When you’re with me, I don’t want you thinking about anything else. There’s no room for worry here.”

  “Live free?”

  His lips curved into a smile and he nodded. “That’s right, doll face, live free.”

  “I can handle that.” She cleared her throat. “Now how about you take me on that ride.”

  Rocky placed her purse in the saddlebag, buckled her into a black helmet and slid onto his bike. “Okay, foot on the peg there, grab onto my shoulders and pull yourself up.”

  She followed his directions and clutched his broad shoulders. His thick muscles beneath her hand were impressive. Seated, she released him and placed her hand in her lap, unsure about how to grip him.

  “You need to be a lot closer than that.” His large hands rubbed her thighs. Sparks sprung to life between them. “Press up against me and wrap your arms around my waist.”

  The tone of his voice thickened and she knew he felt it too. Holding her breath, she gingerly put her arms around him.

  Rocky laughed. “I’m not made of glass. Hold tight, the takeoff always jars newbies.” He turned on the bike.

  Her body jerked. The rumble of the bike shook her clear to her core. It felt like one giant vibrator. The bike propelled forward and she clutched him for dear life with her heart in her throat.

  * * * * *

  Rocky couldn’t help but feel for the woman he helped off the back of his bike. She already had her world rocked once today, and she had no clue about the shit storm she was walking into. The knowledge in his head made his stomach ache. Levi. Or whatever he called himself these days is one twisted fuck, just like his dead pal Peter. It took a lot to creep Rocky out and the chilling pictures, featuring acts of
torture, scared them enough to place a non-club member on lockdown. He got a feeling Ms. Nice Ass walking in front of him wouldn’t take the news too well. He’d seen the spitfire in action. This would be one of the many times he felt glad he didn’t hold the title of President.

  “Thanks,” Evonne said. Her voice sounded so gentle and her eyes no longer flamed with hellfire. Whatever had happened up in her room did her some good. Rocky had heard the commotion but chose to respect her privacy. People did lash out at betrayal like that and sometimes you had to get the shit out. Otherwise it’d fester. His mind wandered to his youth and his stomach clenched. The ever-present anger he once felt got him into a shit ton of trouble until he learned how to channel it into fighting. Well…legal fighting.

  They walked to the clubhouse in silence. He could practically see the wheels spinning in her head.

  The mood inside the club seemed subdued. Brothers sat in small clusters, talking among themselves as they waited for the meeting to occur.

  Evonne turned to peer at him over her shoulder.

  “They’re waiting in the office,” he explained.

  “They?” Her voice wavered.

  “Prez and the council.”

  “Am I in trouble?” Her eyes went wide.

  “No, nothing like that.” Against his better judgment, he moved up and placed a hand on the small of her back. “Here, I’ll walk you.”

  The brothers’ gazes bored into him like lasers.

  Rocky didn’t do nice with bitches. They were tools for pleasure. Still, he couldn’t kick a man—or woman—when she was down. Not one as good as Evonne. He played it fast and loose with biker bunnies because they knew what they were in for. They didn’t give a damn about commitment, rings or children. They wanted to be involved with a brother in any way they could swing it. It seemed distasteful, but what man turned down free trim after long periods on the road? The hook-ups didn’t mean shit. He’d be damned if any of the club mamas made him feel like being shackled with the ball and chain.