Steal His Heart: a bad boy romance novel Read online

  Steal His Heart

  A Back Down Devil MC Novel

  London Casey

  Karolyn James

  Contents

  Welcome to world of BACK DOWN DEVIL MOTORCYCLE CLUB

  Steal His Heart

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  From the author:

  Just Announced!

  Ready for more BACK DOWN DEVIL MC?

  Also by London Casey

  Newsletter

  Welcome to world of BACK DOWN DEVIL MOTORCYCLE CLUB

  *

  A romance novel by London Casey

  London Casey is the pen name for bestselling romance author Karolyn James

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  Steal His Heart

  A Back Down Devil MC Novel

  He’s meant to be my target…so what happens when I fall for him?

  Jade: I only became a con artist to try to save my father’s life. Now I’m in debt to the mob, with no choice but to work for them. Okay, fine: I’ll get close to some biker and steal his bike. Except the biker turns out to be Max: my first kiss, my first love. And getting close means reawakening everything I felt for him. If I go through with the sting, I’ll lose him forever. If I don’t, I’m dead.

  Max: When Jade bursts back into my life, I know it’s not with good intentions. But I can’t resist those curves and I tell myself that the closer I get, the more information I can gather to help my MC. I let her believe she’s playing me…but the feelings start to become all too real. When the time comes to turn against her, all I want to do is protect her. Now I’m torn between her and my club… and when I discover a positive pregnancy test, all bets are off.

  1

  (jade)

  *LATER*

  Time was ticking, my entire future waiting, based on whether another line would show on the pregnancy test. I was holed up in a little beat up apartment, the only place I knew I could actually hide for more than five damn minutes. Sitting there on the edge of the tub, staring at the sink, biting my nails, I did everything I could to not worry about how my life had become this.

  This.

  I didn’t even know what this actually was.

  Every step I took, trying to do something right, was like stepping into fire. You’d think I’d learn to take my foot out of the fire, right? No. Not me. I put my foot in the fire and watched as it burned me. Then I’d put my other foot in.

  Because that was me.

  I heard a loud thud outside the bathroom.

  I jumped up and ran my hands through my hair.

  “Shit,” I whispered.

  They were here.

  The pounding continued.

  I opened the bathroom door and looked at the olive green door.

  “Let us the fuck in, Jade,” his voice boomed. “I don’t have time for this. You have to hear this out.”

  The pounding continued. The door was pushing in.

  “I know you’re in there,” he yelled.

  I opened my mouth but shut it.

  There was no easy or right decision here.

  I had done enough damage in my life that maybe it was time to actually face the music and let fate do what it wanted.

  Behind me, my cell phone started to beep.

  It wasn’t a call or a text. It was the timer I set.

  That meant the pregnancy test was ready.

  I spun on my heels and dove back into the bathroom. I grabbed my phone and slid it into my pocket. I glanced at the test and gasped.

  “Holy shit,” I said.

  It was official. I was pregnant.

  My plans changed. Facing the music had a whole new meaning now. I touched my stomach, my mind starting to play out the next however many months until the baby was born.

  There was another slam at the door and I heard wood splintering.

  I grabbed the pregnancy test off the sink and ran toward the bedroom. I had never tried to escape out a window before, but there were enough old rusted steps and ladders that I figured there had to be a way to the ground.

  I opened the window and looked down.

  My knees started to shiver and my belly became sick. I tossed the pregnancy test to the nightstand and covered my mouth.

  If I fell … it wouldn’t just be me who would get hurt or killed.

  “Jade,” his voice boomed through the apartment.

  I held the window open and sucked in a breath.

  I put my left leg out of the window and crouched down. I grabbed for the metal railing and felt my right leg slide against the paint chipped window pane.

  A hand grabbed my ankle at the last possible second and pulled.

  “Jade, what the fuck are you doing?”

  I looked at him. Those evil, outlaw eyes.

  I was caught.

  “Oh, shit,” another voice. “Check this out … ”

  He took his eyes off me to look at the pregnancy test. “Jesus Christ. Is that—Jade, what the fuck did you do?”

  I didn’t respond.

  Well, at least not with my voice.

  I jumped up, grabbed the metal railing from the apartment above me.

  I kicked my foot and hit him right in the mouth.

  He let my foot go.

  I was free … but trust me, the only true thing that could free me from this mess would be death.

  2

  (max)

  PRESENT DAY

  “Hey, I know you.”

  I saw blood red nails climb over my shoulder like legs of a spider. Except these fingers were slender. She had no grip, but that was okay, it took a lot more than some woman to grip tight to the massive shoulder I spent time building with weights and carrying a shit ton of guilt and regret as I paved my outlaw path for years.

  I wasn’t in the fucking mood to be bothered. I was there on business.

  Austin, Trent, Cash, and Jasper were aimlessly shooting a game of pool.

  I was the go-to guy at the bar, waiting for the moment to strike.

  Now I had to tend to this shit.

  I stood up and felt her body touch mine.

  “Not tonight, sweetheart,” I said as I flipped my beer mug over.

  I’d finish up drinking back at the clubhouse, after we reported back to our Prez, Trev, with some good goddamn news on the night.

  Our good buddies, the Russians, had placed a friendly call with Back Dow
n Devil MC to let us know that someone had been throwing down big cash at their underground fights but hadn’t been paying up when the time came.

  That was a big no-no to fuck with them.

  They wanted to blast through Daurian with some heavy action. More or less blowing up the house to kill a mouse. That’s how they worked. They loved to make a fucking point.

  Ivan told Trev and Jasper that if we could handle the situation, it would be greatly appreciated. We weren’t on kill duty though. Just need to fuck the guy up and bring him to Ivan and Peter. What they planned to do …

  Well, that was above my pay grade and my care.

  I turned and the beauty of a woman was still right there, almost goddamn up in my face.

  “Max—”

  I touched her shoulder and moved away. “Like I said, not tonight.”

  “Wait a second!” she called out as I moved around the bar.

  Our target—a degenerate named Ratchet—threw back a shot and hit the bar like he had swallowed fire. I fucking hate guys that couldn’t take a stiff drink like a man.

  Ratchet was from another part of town, way out north in the flatlands and boonies. Working on junker cars, probably dealing some drugs and hookers for fun, anything to get by. He’d head east into Nevada to stir up some trouble, cash in or out of whatever the fuck he was working on, and then head back to Cali to hide. Just another piece of shit that needed to be taught a valuable lesson. He didn’t roll with a crew but he had two guys with him. They looked young, stupid, deer-in-the-headlights kind of thing.

  I had waited for the fucker to take a piss for almost an hour.

  I was done waiting.

  I reached back and lifted my leather cut, grabbing for my gun. Shit was going to get fucking crazy in this little honky-tonk wannabe biker bar.

  My hand gripped the smooth handle of my favorite piece of weaponry.

  That’s when a fucking hand clamped to my wrist.

  *

  “Max, it’s me, Jade.”

  I turned my head enough to look at her. Goddammit, I was about to shoot this chick to shut her up. What the fuck did I care if she knew me? My focus was on Ratchet. Not some sweetheart with nice tits and a pretty smile.

  Something about her face struck me.

  But it wasn’t the right time.

  I caught Cash looking at me and I gave a nod.

  He strutted over to the woman—Jade—and got between me and her.

  Why the fuck did her name sound so familiar?

  That didn’t matter.

  I looked back and realized Ratchet was fucking missing.

  “Ah, shit,” I growled.

  “Hey, you little sweet pie,” Cash said behind me. “You like my pool stick? I bet you’d like my cock too. It’s as long as this and so fucking thick you’ll need an icepack for your jaw after you’re done sucking …”

  I walked forward and left Cash to his distraction techniques.

  I went to the empty seat and looked at one of the guys that were there with Ratchet.

  “Where did he go?” I asked.

  “Fuck yourself,” the guy said.

  I pulled out my gun.

  “Holy shit! Gun!” the guy yelled.

  Ever want to see a bar go fucking wild in the worst way possible? Yeah, just yell “gun” and sit back and watch.

  I felt the other guy with Ratchet coming up on behind me. I threw my elbow back, getting him in the gut. I turned and threw a left hook and busted his nose open like it was a tomato. When I turned back to the first guy, he was already scrambling away.

  The rest of the bar was in chaos.

  Jasper and Austin were trying to get people to calm down. Trent had his gun out, backing me up. Cash was still working on that woman who said she knew me. To my surprise, she looked unbothered by the scene around her. She just kept looking at me.

  But I still had business to tend to.

  To my complete surprise, the men’s room door opened and there was Ratchet.

  The fucker had slipped away to take a piss. The one thing I had been waiting for him to take all damn night.

  I rushed forward as Ratchet stood there, looking around. He probably figured a fight broke out.

  I kicked at the door, slamming it against his right shoulder. It pinned him and when he saw me, he knew something was up. His eyes went wide like a kid caught red-handed in trouble.

  “Get in there,” I ordered.

  He disappeared and tried to shut and lock the bathroom door.

  My hand already firmly gripped the cheap doorknob. There was no locking me out. Not when I had a fucking job to complete.

  I pulled the door open and the blade of a knife slashed through the air. I felt a pain lance across the tip of my nose.

  Ratchet had gone for the home run swing on that first attempt. His body was turned, the knife in his left hand. I kicked at him, slamming my heavy boot against his ribs. He flew to the right, slamming into a bathroom stall before he fell to the dirty floor.

  You would have sworn the floor was made of hot lava the way he kicked and scrambled to get back to his feet.

  I went after him.

  A swift kick to the ass put him back on the floor. He rolled over and looked at me.

  “Let’s finish this,” Trent said from behind me.

  I turned. “Get the backdoor ready. We’ll sneak him out—”

  “Bro, your nose.”

  “What?”

  I glanced at my reflection and saw the blood on my nose.

  “Fuck,” I growled. “He tried slashing me.”

  “You look like that Christmas reindeer,” Trent said.

  “Please don’t hurt me,” Ratchet pleading, calling our attention back to him.

  “Shut up,” I said. “Get on your feet, asshole.”

  Ratchet grabbed the sink and pulled himself up. “Whatever this is, we can settle it. Like men.”

  “Yeah?” I asked. “You want to settle this?”

  “Just tell me what it is.”

  I nodded to Austin. “Open the door. Tell the guys we have to go.”

  “Just talk to me,” Ratchet said.

  I grabbed his shirt and went nose to nose with him. “You’re going to walk with us. Out back. Without a fight.”

  “Don’t fucking kill me,” Ratchet said. His eyes were red.

  “I’m not going to kill you. I give you my word on that.”

  “Fine,” Ratchet said as he shrugged out of my grip. “I’ll walk.”

  I was behind him as we left the bathroom.

  The bar was a fucking mess of people, everyone stared at the outlaws from Back Down Devil MC as we led Ratchet toward the back.

  I reached into my pocket.

  The bartender threw his hands up. “I already called the cops!”

  “Christ,” I said. I took out a wad of cash and tossed it on the bar. “This settles up my tab. Whatever’s left, get everyone a round on us.”

  Outside, Cash was sitting in the SUV. Jasper in the passenger seat.

  “What the fuck?” Jasper yelled. “Why’s he walking?”

  “I got this, VP,” I said to Jasper. I looked at Cash. “What’s up with that woman? She gone?”

  “Yeah,” Cash said. “Man, she had your number though. Persistent little thing. If I were you, I’d be back here and find that. That’s sweet pussy right there. I could smell her.”

  I curled my lip and walked to the back of the SUV.

  Trent opened the back.

  “What is this?” Ratchet asked. “It’s empty.”

  “You’re going for a ride,” I answered.

  “You said you weren’t going to kill me!” he yelled.

  “You’re right,” I said. “I’m not going to kill you.”

  In a swift move, I swung an uppercut and hit Ratchet square in the jaw. It was a knockout punch; a punch I had thrown many times and had been on the receiving end a few times.

  Trent caught Ratchet and put him in the SUV. The man got tape to secure his w
rists and feet together. Even a piece over his mouth.

  That’s right about when Ratchet started to come to.

  I looked him in the eyes. “Ratchet, you motherfucker. I’m not going to kill you. But you’re not making it until tomorrow.”

  He screamed, the sound muffled from the tape, and I shut the backdoor of the SUV.

  Cash drove away.

  I grabbed a lit fresh smoke as I walked to my motorcycle.

  I started up my two-wheeled thundering beauty and enjoyed the smoke.

  But the entire time—I felt like someone was watching me.

  3

  (jade)

  I sat in my car and watched as he walked someone to the back of a SUV, the scene from the bar still fresh in my mind. I didn’t expect him to pull a gun like that. Then again, I was dealing with outlaws here. Why was I dealing with outlaws? I wasn’t sure. They couldn’t have had much cash. And stealing a motorcycle would have gotten me, what, some quick cash? Not the normal haul of more expensive cars or some jewelry. Or going after identities and siphoning off a little here and there, slowly bleeding the well dry.

  That’s what I was good at.

  Damn me for that too.

  I never wanted to end up to be like this.

  In fact, I should have been ten minutes away from the bar, on my way back to my apartment. There I’d have to make a call to Johnny and his goons of a family to report on what I found. I was given a deadline and while it was approaching I still had time. It wasn’t going to be easy to swoop in on a biker club and steal a motorcycle.

  Not to mention …

  “Max,” I whispered.

  I watched as another biker shoved the guy into the back of the SUV after Max knocked him out cold with a punch. I was amazed. Sure, I had seen plenty of violence in my life, but this was so raw.

  Max had always been a tough kid. A bad kid, in fact. The kind that you stayed away from. People would cross the street to stay away from him. If something went wrong in town, they blamed Max. Ninety percent of the time, he was the cause of it.