PREVIEW
OF
JOKER: An Evil Dead MC Story
“Come on, sweet cheeks, you’re with me.”
“I’m not going anywhere with a man who calls me sweet cheeks.”
“They warned me you’d be difficult.”
She slammed her hands on her hips. “I’m not difficult. Who told you that?”
“Everyone.”
“They did not.”
“Wanna bet?”
Her hands dropped, but she was speechless.
“No? Good. Get in the truck.” He opened the door for her.
“No.”
His shoulders slumped. He pivoted, scooped her up, and plopped her on the seat. Then he leaned in to buckle her seatbelt, and suddenly all she could think about was how good he smelled. He paused, nose to nose with her.
“We’re not gonna have any more trouble, right?”
She folded her arms, lifted her chin, and stared out the windshield, refusing to give him the answer he was waiting for.
“Right?” he repeated.
She finally denned to look at him. “Oh, there’s going to be trouble. You can count on it.”
He shook his head and pulled back, slamming the door closed. A moment later he was around the truck and sliding behind the wheel.
She watched out of the corner of her eye as he laid his arm on the back of the seat and twisted to look as he backed the truck out, then spun the wheel around and around to aim them at the gate. A moment later, they were across the gravel and pulling out onto the blacktop.
She pressed her hand on the glass of her passenger window as the clubhouse where she’d felt so safe faded into the distance in her side-view mirror. As it did, her anxiety level rose. She felt her body flush with heat and her pulse start to race. She drew in a deep calming breath like Dr. Carter had taught her and tried to remember Undertaker’s words. She’d heard him tell the man beside her now that he’d beat his ass if he let anything happen to her.
She dared to glance over at him.
He had one wrist draped across the top of the wheel while he punched buttons on the dashboard, clicking through songs till he found one he liked.
His dark blond hair fell to just past his shoulders, and a sexy-as-hell beard grew along his jaw. It wasn’t overgrown like some of the others in the MC. Instead his was close to his face and looked like it’d be soft to touch. He wore jeans, biker boots, and a white wife-beater undershirt that exposed his muscular arms and laid flat against his abs. She wondered inanely why he wasn’t wearing his black leather vest, the one all the brothers in the MC wore. But then she remembered Undertaker told her once they only wore them when they were on their bikes, not when they were in vehicles. Regardless of what he wore, she couldn’t deny the man was drop-dead gorgeous.
She thought they’d called him Joker, but she’d been so mad and upset at the time, it had barely registered. Now she wished she’d paid more attention. “What exactly is your job?”
His eyes left the road, to swing to her. “My job?”
“In regards to me.”
“I’m your new shadow.”
“What does that mean?”
“Where you go, I go.”
Her brows shot up. “Excuse me?”
“For what?”
“Don’t be obtuse.”
“Ob-what?”
“Don’t play stupid.”
“Look, sugar, I’m no happier than you about this situation, but there’s nothing we can do about it.”
“Wanna bet?” She threw his words from earlier back at him. The corner of his mouth pulled up as he glanced out his window. “You think I’m funny? Do you find me amusing?”
“I find you a pain in the ass.”
“Don’t sugarcoat it or anything.”
“Don’t plan to, angel.”
“What is with you and all these cutesy nicknames?”
“Is all you do is bitch? This how it’s gonna be the whole time we’re together?”
“Oh, so now I’m a bitch, too?”
“You said it, babe.”
“Stop with the fake endearments. I have a name. Use it.”
He huffed out a breath, pulled the truck to the side of the road, and jammed it in park. Then he turned, and she found herself leaning back against the door as he invaded her space.
“Look, Holly, we need to get some things straight right here and now. I get you don’t like the situation. I’m not thrilled with it either, but we’re stuck with each other, so let’s try to get along.”
“I don’t want to get along with you.”
“This is what Undertaker wants. Remember him? The guy you’re so enthralled with? Wouldn’t want to disappoint him, would you?”
She turned and faced the front, her arms folded and her jaw thrust out. “I don’t like you, and I don’t need you.”
“I can turn this truck around and tell him you want someone different. Maybe he’ll put Sandman on you. Or Bam-Bam. Maybe you’d like them better.” He chuckled at the thought, and that only pissed her off more, but she stubbornly refused to answer. Unfortunately, he wasn’t about to let it drop.
“Is that what you want?”
When she still wouldn’t answer, he put the truck in gear and swung in a U-turn. Panic filled her at the thought of Undertaker being displeased. She sat up straight, her arms coming quickly unfolded, and her voice was panicked as she demanded, “What are you doing?”
“Takin’ you back. Suits me fine to dump your ass on one of my brothers. You can be their fucking problem.”
“So, I’m a fucking problem?”
“You’re acting like a stubborn child, throwing a tantrum because you can’t have your way.”
“I’m not a child.”
“Then prove it. Start acting like a grownup.”
“Turn the truck around!”
He gave her a look. “Ask me nicely.”
He had her and he knew it, and that got on her last nerve. Didn’t he know she was scared to death? Couldn’t he tell she was distraught and freaked at the thought of leaving Undertaker and the safety of the club? He kept driving, waiting for her to concede. She had no choice; another hundred yards and they’d be at the stockade.
“Please turn around,” she whispered.
At least he didn’t rub it in or take pleasure from that small victory. Instead he quietly swung the truck back around.
She stared out her window, wondering why she suddenly felt shaky and sick inside. Her anger was her last defense against her feelings. Without it, she could only sit there and feel—feel all the fear and anxiety rolling through her. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to cope. And what if she couldn’t?
She looked down at the phone clutched in her hand. She had Undertaker’s number. He’d programmed it into her cell phone. She could call him if it got too bad. She took in a deep slow breath and tried to calm herself and repeated the mantra to herself. You’ll be fine. You’ll be fine.
Look for JOKER coming spring of 2018.