(Bones MC 14): A Bones MC Romance
Motorcycle Club Romance
Date Published: November 10, 2023
Ice — The second to last thing I expected when Cain called Church was for
him to resign as president of Bones. The last thing I expected was to be
voted in as president myself. So when I found myself on a rescue mission for
the daughter of the Devil himself? Well. I wasn’t surprised at all.
What did surprise me was the woman herself. Sure, I’d met her on more
than one occasion, but the teenage girl I’d seen a couple of years
before is definitely not the woman I pull out of the rushing water when she
gets stranded in the middle of a hurricane.
Dawn — Coming home during a hurricane isn’t one of the smartest
things I’ve ever done. Neither is getting mixed up with the man who
was the reason for me taking such a risk. So when I’m stranded with
water overtaking my car, I thought I’d finally tempted fate for the
last time. Until my guardian angel plucks me from the water and saves me. In
more ways than one. He’s the new president of Bones MC and a man I
can’t deny I want with every fiber of my being.
WARNING: Ice features a protective hero, a determined heroine and includes
graphic violence and adult situations that may be triggers for some readers.
Eventual happy ending and no cheating, as always.
Excerpt
Marteeka Karland
All rights reserved
Copyright ©2023 Marteeka Karland
“Dawn!” The man had to raise his voice over the wind though we
weren’t to the point where he had to yell. Yet. “We need to get
back to my ride.” I looked up at the man who held my arm in a firm but
gentle grip. He was gruff and insistent, and I thought I recognized
him.
“Cliff?”
“Yeah. They call me Ice now. I’m takin’ you back to the
Salvation’s Bane clubhouse. Are you injured?”
I shook my head. “No. Just wet. I’m sorry I left the
car.”
“The storm surge is starting. With high tide coming, the
water’s gonna rise fast. You didn’t have a choice.” He
took off his rain jacket and put it around me, helping me thread my arms
through it before zipping it up and pulling the hood over my head. He
tightened down the laces so the wind wouldn’t immediately blow it
off.
“We’ve got to go three blocks that way.” He pointed in
the direction he wanted to take me. “All you have to do is stay on
your feet and keep your head down. Can you do that for me?” Looking up
into his face, I nodded. “Good. Let’s go.”
Ice had a firm grip on my hand as he led the way. We moved quickly through
the flooded streets, the water now up to our knees and rising fast. The wind
was howling around us. Even though he’d tightened it almost
uncomfortably, my hood didn’t last two seconds once we were out of the
relative shelter of the doorway. My hair whipped into my face, making it
almost impossible to see where we were going. But Ice was a strong presence
beside me, guiding me through the chaos with a steady hand and a sure sense
of direction. Every so often, he would lean in close to my ear to be heard
over the wind, giving me a few words of encouragement or advice.
“Keep your head down, Dawn! We’re almost there!”
I nodded, gritting my teeth against the driving rain and pushing on through
the water. My legs were aching with my effort and my clothes were soaked
through, but I refused to give up. I trusted in Ice and his ability to get
us both to safety because my dad trusted him. No one failed my dad. Not if
they wanted to live.
Finally, after what felt like hours of trudging through the water, we
reached a parking garage. Ice took me up one level to the second floor. It
was low to the ground but up high enough to keep us out of the water. I
hoped.
He led me to the Bronco I’d been expecting and opened the back.
“I’ve got some dry clothes and food. Might be too big for you
but you’ll be warm and dry.”
Exhausted, I slumped against the vehicle, breathing hard. Once we’d
made it to the parking garage, the going had been much easier, but the wind
still howled through the structure and I was spent.
Ice opened the back of the truck. The tailgate swung out and he urged me
behind it. He stood on the other side and turned his back, effectively
guarding the open side from prying eyes. Surprisingly, the place seemed
deserted. I’d have thought there would be other people taking shelter,
but the town was small. Maybe they got everyone evacuated or to an actual
shelter before the storm started.
He turned his head to the side, not looking at me, but like he was trying
to see if I was moving. I wasn’t.
“You good?”
“I-I d-don’t know.”
Carefully, Ice turned farther until he saw I was still dressed, then he
turned all the way and stepped closer to me. “You’re safe, Dawn.
I swear I’ll keep you safe. I’ll protect you with my
life.” Intense, dark eyes bore into my own. He was so tall and big, he
loomed over me. I should have been intimidated but I wasn’t.
It was in that moment I realized why my dad trusted Ice so much. He was
capable, strong, and fiercely loyal. He was also my calm in the middle of
this storm. Literally. I also knew that like Cain and El Diablo, Ice was
every bit as capable and sure of himself as they were. As I looked up at
him, I saw a flicker of something in his gaze that made my heart race.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice hoarse from the wind and the
rain.
Ice’s hand found my chin, tilting my face up to his. “Trust me
to see you through this. Yes?” I nodded. “Good. Get some dry
clothes on. I’ve got your back.”
As I looked up into his face, one strangled sob escaped me. I thought he
might look disgruntled or annoyed. Instead, Ice’s eyes got big and he
rocked backward like he was going to step away from me. Then he shook his
head and reached for me.
“Come here, honey.”
Having Ice pull me into his arms was the very last thing I expected. He
surrounded me with his big frame, those strong arms holding me tightly when
I felt like I was going to fragment into a million pieces.
I wanted to break down. Wanted to let the fear wash through me so I could
cleanse myself of it. Get it out of my system. But this was only the
beginning. I knew the worst was yet to come, and that was assuming we could
get out of this stupid parking garage and to the Salvation’s Bane
clubhouse.
“Take some deep breaths for me.” His gruff voice was oddly
soothing. His arms around me kept me grounded when I knew I was so in over
my head — literally — there was no way I could fight this on my own. I
could feel the heavy muscles of his chest where I had my cheek on his wet
shirt. The water was hot from the heat of his skin and as he rubbed one hand
gently up and down my back, the tension lessened inside me somewhat.
“I’m sorry.”
“No need to be sorry. This is a pretty scary situation.”
Strangely, I felt a laugh bubble up in my throat. “You can say that
again.”
He grunted, holding me a few seconds longer before pulling back. “You
can do this, Dawn. Get some dry clothes on and I’ll do the same. Then
we’ll check in with Thorn and Ripper. They’re keeping an eye on
the weather minute by minute.”
“I think Shotgun is too.”
“I’m sure he is. Likely, he and Ripper are in constant contact,
conferring with each other and figuring out the best course of action for
us. They’ll get me the most accurate information they can, and
I’ll decide what we do next.”
Again, I nodded. “OK.” I took another breath. “OK. I can
do this.”
He nodded sharply at me. “Of course, you can. You’re El
Diablo’s daughter.” He raised his chin looking proud. Of me?
Then he turned his back so I could have some privacy.
About the Author
International bestselling author Marteeka Karland leads a double life as an
erotic romance writer 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.
Author on Instagram & TikTok: @marteekakarland
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@changelingpress
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