Being the VP of the Ruthless Kings has made me jaded and scarred, a savage bloodthirsty beast.

Grit, pain, blood, the three constants in my life.

Love?

I wouldn't burden anyone with loving me. I'm a hard man to love.

Until she walks through the garage doors, looking perfect in her little blue dress and high heels.

She's neat and clean and too damn good for me, but I'm determined to get her filthy.

Then Reaper reminds me of the debt I owe him, and the fine is costly—stay away from the woman whose voice is a song.

Because her father is the sheriff of Vegas, and he fucking hates us.

Come to find out, the sheriff is a bit crooked, which unlocks a whole new set of rules in my playbook. And I have the right tools to break all of them.

Do I go against my Prez again for my little sparrow? Or do I let her fly away?

There are a few things people know about me:

1. I'm Scottish.
2. I really hate pants.
3. And Poodle is me best friend.

But.There are always buts. There is one thing people don't know.

Me love for fightin' is in my blood.

I come from a long line of fighters.

I live it, I breathe it.

Flesh, blood and brass knuckles.

It's me way of life.

So I fight, legally. And no one knows. I chose to keep it a secret, but MC life exposes everyone's secrets.

My other secret? There's a woman I have me eye on. A woman who's off limits.

She's an opponent's girl. A rival. An Irish bloke who comes from a powerful family.

He's abusive in the ring, but worse than that, he's abusive to her too.

Bruises litter her beautiful face.

She doesn't give me the time of day.

Until she is dumped on the side of the desert road and it's time for me to save her.

She's mine now. Fuck her boyfriend's power.

I'll kill him.

For her.

I’m too dark for her light.

I am who I am, and I won’t apologize for it.
I don’t know how to be...
Normal.

I have my reasons.
I've been through hell.
I've touched the flames themselves and I've danced with the devil.
Intimately.

Damnation torched my soul until it was black.

Then I see her.
I'm enthralled, but I can't speak to her.
She's too pure.
Too fragile.
Too innocent.
She doesn't need to see my torched soul.
She doesn't need to taste my damnation.

I watch what I can't have.
I swear I'll protect her.
Even if she doesn't know I'm there.
I get more...
Enthralled.

She loves books.
I wonder if I could love them too.
She loves wine.
I imagine us sharing a glass.

Imagination. What a tease.
Enthralled. Entranced.
Obsessed.

She feels me there.
Sees me out of the corner of her eye.
I'm the reason the hair on the back of her neck is standing up.
But I stay in the shadows where I belong.

Until I can't.
Until the day I see her cry.

Those tears feel like open wounds.
I want to heal them.
But all she does is run.
So I follow.

Enthralled.
Entranced.
Obsessed.
RUTHLESS.

I won't stop until she no longer has a reason to cry.
Even if it means I have to ride through the fires of hell one more time.

Love is a powerful force, but it's nothing compared to guilt, and my guilt is eating me alive.

I went from being an irresponsible kid who didn’t know any better to an irresponsible man who does.
I make no apologies.
Don’t take my carelessness for strength.
My blood is as deadly as the bullet that killed my brother, and once I’m cut, there’s no stopping the river of rage.
My past is dead. I’m not like my MC brothers. Nothing is going to come bite me in the ass.
Or so I thought.

Because life gave me Mary, the little hellraiser who tries to be reckless.
She’s only looking to escape the nightmare of what happened to her in Atlantic City.
She’s a good girl. The kind to wear pearls and fancy cardigans. She doesn’t belong in this life.
Even if I know she belongs with me.
She paints her lips in red lipstick, but I know it’s an effort to hide the pain.
There’s more than the fact we are too different to be together.

Her past isn’t dead, and mine has come back to life.

"They are better off without you. You aren’t worthy. Leave!"

I can't get these thoughts out of my head. They run through my mind over and over on a dangerous loop.

How can I leave the club when it's my entire life?

But the MC needs me to be a man I can never be. I weaken them, and that's something I can't accept.

So, I vanish in the middle of the night. I find myself a lone rider in New Jersey, only to step into Ruthless Kings territory. But these people are far from what a Ruthless King should be.

Women are being abused, sold, and mistreated. Saving them becomes my priority.

Falling in love with one, however, isn't on my to-do list. At least, not until I meet Scarlett.

She'll see I'm worthless in time. She'll see I'm not that man she thinks I am. But I'll enjoy being with her as long as I can before it's time to move on again.

A war within yourself is the hardest to win, and my mind is my own worst enemy.