Ride or Die #1
A Devil’s Highwaymen MC novel
‘We would blow up this world and create something beautiful in its ruins’
Jesse & Laney 1985
We were each survivors of our upbringing: lost, unloved and afraid. But like moths to a flame, we couldn’t stay apart.
We loved.
We lost.
We fought.
We cried.
And then we shattered each other’s hearts.
Jesse was a hard man: a biker outlaw for the Devil’s Highwaymen MC. I was Laney: the daughter of a dead mother and a father that didn’t know or want me.
We were doomed right from the start.
But this was our romance.
And this was our disaster.
And hopefully, this would be our second chance.
Ride or Die #1
A Devils’ Highwaymen MC Novel
© Copyright Claire C. Riley 2017
Excerpt
1985 – Jesse
We both looked up as the door to the clubhouse opened and Gauge walked in, followed closely by his daughter, Laney. Casa nudged me almost making me fall over and then he burst into laughter as I almost spilt my beer down myself. God-damn fucking idiot.
“Pussy whipped and you ain’t even got any yet,” he laughed harder.
“Fuck off.”
“Too many offers to fuck bitches to find time to fuck myself, brother,” he snorted.
“Offers from your mama!” I bit out.
Casa stopped laughing and scowled at me. “That shits just disrespectful.”
“That’s what your mama said, you pussy!” I flashed him a grin and strutted over to where Laney was. Pretty sure he called me something, but I drown his voice out in favour of taking in Laney’s beautiful figure. She was wearing something different than her usual denim cut-offs and tee tonight—a lacy, white, figure-hugging dress that skimmed her golden thighs. Course, she still wore her little black ankle boots. Her hair was up on top of her head in one of those weird knot things that women wore, and I had the urge to reach over and let it down. Not that the look didn’t suit her, it did, anything would fucking suit her, but there was something about the way her dark hair sashayed over her back that always turned me on.
“Keep an eye on her tonight, Jesse, she’s feelin’ particularly bitchy,” Gauge said, patting me on the shoulder.
“Go fuck a cow!” Laney snapped back.
“Cunt!”
“Dick!”
Gauge looked between us both and shook his head before walking away, grumbling something under his breath. Things were not getting any easier between them, if anything, they were getting worse. Little did Gauge know that soon enough Laney wouldn’t be his problem, but mine. I smiled at the thought.
“I hate him,” she said, still watching after him.
“Ain’t no secret about that,” I grinned.
Her cheeks flushed pink at the sight of me and I could tell she was restraining herself from smiling. She brushed her hands down her dress nervously and I watched appreciatively. God-damn she looked beautiful. Could only imagine what she would feel like wrapped around me—at least for now.
“You wanna beer?” I asked and she nodded and smiled again. Beautiful. Fucking beautiful.
We headed to the bar and Rose popped open a beer and slid it over as we got close. “Looking real pretty tonight, Laney.”
Laney blushed and looked down at herself, and this time there was no mistaking that she was trying to hold back a smile. “Thanks, Rose, just something I threw on, nothing special.”
“Really? Well, darlin’ you scrub up good, ain’t that right, Jesse?”
Both women turned to look at me and I had to hold back on my eagerness to reply. “Don’t think I’ve ever seen Laney look anything but good,” I said, looking between the two women.
Rose’s eyes sparked with mischievousness. “Well, that goes without saying,” she replied.
Laney picked up her beer and cleared her throat loudly before taking a swig, and I could barely tear my gaze away from her damp lips wrapped around the end of the bottle. I shifted uncomfortably, needing to rearrange my junk but thinking better of it. Pussy-whipped before I’d even gotten any. Casa’ was fucking right.
I turned to Laney, “You wanna’ go for a walk?”
“Sure,” she replied, tucking a loose piece of hair behind her ears. Christ on a bike, even her ears were beautiful. “See you later, Rose,” Laney said as I placed my hand on the bottom of her back and started to guide her away.
“You two kids have fun,” Rose called back and I shot her a look.
We headed outside, away from the noise and the crowds, and into the cool September evening air. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow over everything and little insects were buzzing around. I walked us over to the trees to the left of the clubhouse, intending on sitting down at one of the small picnic tables we’d set up earlier this year, but when we got there Laney reached down and took my hand before leading us further away and out of sight.
Her hand in mine felt like fuckin’ heaven. Her grip both soft yet strong. And god-damn, being this close to her I could smell whatever shampoo she used and I’ll be damned if she didn’t smell like strawberries. Strawberries and cream, god damn. My jeans grew tighter, and while still holding my beer, I reached down and rearranged myself.
Laney slowed to a stop and turned back to face me, her tongue darting out to lick her pink lips.
“Thought we could use some privacy,” she said, her voice a soft breath.
I smiled, knowing exactly why she wanted privacy. My girl was trying to seduce me. I must have been the luckiest fucking man in the world, right now, and I’ll be damned if I wasn’t going to drag this out and then make her scream my name afterwards.
“Yeah?” I said, taking a swig of my beer. “What for?” Her cheeks flushed red, and I wondered if the rest of her would be as pink as her cheeks. Damn hope so.
She let go of my hand and took a swig of her own beer. “Gauge watches my every move,” she said after a hesitant moment. Thought she was going to bottle it for a minute there. I grinned.
“Man knows what his brothers are like,” I replied.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“And what are they like?” she asked, testing the waters. She took another drink, and I could barely speak for a second when a drop of beer slid down off her bottom lip and she licked it away. My blood rushed away from my brain and to a different part of my body altogether.
I cleared my throat. “Horny motherfuckers, all of them.”
“All of them?” she asked, one eyebrow lifted questioningly, a small smile on her mouth.
“Every. Last. One,” I replied.
Coming June 27th 2017
Goodreads link:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Claire C. Riley is a USA Today and International bestselling author. She is also a bestselling British horror writer and an Amazon top 100 bestseller.
Claire writes on the darker side of fiction, dipping her pen into genres such as post-apocalyptic, dystopia, thrillers, and even some horror. She writes characters that are realistic, and kills them without mercy.
She also writes under the soon to be released pen name of Cee Cee Riley, where she will be writing in the romance and post-apocalyptic romance genres.
Claire lives in the United Kingdom with her husband and three daughters.
She believes in cupcakes, rum and bathroom rap battles are the solution to most of life’s problems.
Author of:
Odium The Dead Saga Series
Odium Origins Series
Limerence (The Obsession Series)
Out of the Dark Series,
Twisted Magic,
Co-authored books with Madeline Sheehan:
Thicker than Blood,
Beneath Blood & Bone,
& Shut Up & Kiss me,
And soon to be released by Cee Cee Riley:
The Ride or Die #1 A Devil’s Highwaymen MC novel
Contact Links:
www.clairecriley.com
www.facebook.com/ClaireCRileyAuthor
http://amzn.to/1GDpF3I
Book Loving Pixies 