Vested In Her

By Brickley Jules

Small town biker princess Haven Mercedes Johnson wants to live a normal life, but she’s relentlessly protected by her father and his crazy right-hand man who will do anything to keep her under his thumb. With the help of an ex, Haven escapes the confines of the club, and after one last wild night, she eagerly sets off to start a new life. After being on the run for days, she’s taken under the wing of a kind woman named Ruby, and with her help, Haven disappears.

Riker Davis will do anything to earn a vest and become a member in Chrome Thunder, a prestigious motorcycle club. His chances are bleak until Haven, the club leader’s daughter, runs away. As a prospect, Riker is tasked to finding her, and he agrees, determined to do anything to earn a vest, including finding a woman who doesn’t want to be brought home.

Haven thinks she’s in the clear until Riker walks into the diner where she works, and her old life boomerangs back at her. Now she must choose, go back to her old life and give Riker what he wants, a vest in her father’s club, or give him up and keep the life she’s always dreamed of.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brickley Jules
• Release date: Apr 26, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370867936

Brickley Jules

I have two beautiful daughters that occupy most of my time. I am a stay at home mom with a recently empty nest. I can be found on most social media platforms and try to keep them fresh, when the kids let me. I have four current projects Her Ordinary Life, Out of the Blue, Vested In Her, and Into the Blue. I've recently set Her Unexpected Life, my chick lit romance, up for pre-order.

Book preview

Chapter One

Haven Johnson bounced across the cracked linoleum floor to answer the call of the beeping oven, her tight tank top and short shorts doing little to cover her as she bounded around. Bending, she retrieved the surprise she baked for her childhood friends who were all crowded around a small, wobbly-legged table in her parents’ kitchen.

A man whistled behind her, but she ignored him. Gas was one guy she had no desire to be friends with, but him and Chrome were a package deal.

Haven, that smells freakin’ awesome. You’re going to make some guy a great old lady one day, Chrome said.

His older brother, Gas, smiled, his nut-brown eyes flickering menacingly, as he laughed. We all know that won’t be an asshat like you, Chrome.

The other guys around the table cackled with laughter, one even ruffled Chrome’s hair.

Lowering his bright red mop, Chrome stuttered to himself, his ginger mane was the only thing the two brothers had in common. The sea-green eyed Chrome was the more sensitive of the two. This trait manifested most apparently in his willingness to give riding lessons to townies down at the bike shop because he didn’t mind working with them. A mechanic at the same shop, Gas ruthlessly prodded him about helping their type.

Ignoring them, Haven carefully pried the cookies from the sheet pan and deposited them on a large, chipped dinner plate. She turned to set them on the table and almost collided into Crazy George, her dad’s right-hand man.

He towered over her, glaring at her with a foreboding gaze, made all the more menacing by his almost black eyes. His black biker vest, crooked smile, dark shades, and black jeans just added to his ominous biker dude persona. Reaching a gnarled finger toward the plate she held, he flipped it right out of Haven’s hands. The cookies and plate crashed to the floor with a commotion loud enough to garnish a greying eyebrow raise from her father seated in the living room.

Her father, Big Bruce, watched the whole exchange as he often did whenever Haven interacted with his men. He shook his shaved head, grunted, and flicked his gaze back to the muted TV.

Haven glared at Crazy George, her fists pulled into tight balls of fury. Her nails dug into her palms, the pain curbing her desire to scream at him. Oh my god, I hate you! If there is a higher power in this world, you will burst into flames right now, you bastard.

Crazy George openly smirked at her then turned to the table of guys and said, "If you lug nuts are done playing house with princess here, you need to polish the bikes for the morning perimeter check."

The guys jumped at his decree, their chairs awkwardly scraping and catching on the worn floor sounding like a group of five-year-olds learning to play the trumpet. None of them glanced at Haven or offered to help her clean up the mess. They knew their place because her father and George made sure they did.

Once they left, Crazy George turned back to Haven, cocked his bald head, and laughed.

Haven swallowed the bile burning her throat, a verbal assault threatening to unleash itself from her mouth. Crazy George had it out for her, but she didn’t know why. Every time she hung out with the younger guys from her father’s motorcycle club, he spoiled her fun. But never in a ‘protective uncle’ kind of way. He always operated in an ‘I’m here to ruin your life’ way. She never managed to get close to anyone, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. A couple of the prospects were good looking, and Haven wouldn’t have minded spending some time alone with them. Crazy George never let that happen, though. He was her dad’s bulldog, charged with guarding her, but that was all.

Crazy George followed the rookies outside, and then her father followed, his large frame taking up most of the doorway.

Make sure to clean that up, sweetie. Don’t want mice in the house, now do we. Bruce gave her a half smile and strode through the door.

Why don’t you stand up for me? Why do you let him treat me like that? But she knew the answer to that question because she had asked it before, and the answer was always the same. Her father would shake his head and say, ‘That’s George, baby. He’s been an ass for decades, and he’s not likely to change.’

Haven vibrated with rage. She learned long ago that George only picked on her harder if she made a big deal out of his actions. Tears brimmed her hazel eyes, but she didn’t let them fall for fear of a bigger lashout from him. Taking a few deep breaths, she bent to clean up the remainders of her morning surprise. Why she even bothered to try to be friends with the guys her age in her dad’s motorcycle club baffled her. Crazy George would never let anything come of it.

But what he didn’t know was she had been dating boys from a few towns over. Tally, her best friend, would cover for her while Haven’s boyfriends took her out. As an adult, although barely, she shouldn’t have to do this.

Letting that thought fall into the trashcan with the cookies she dumped into it, she went to get ready for her busy day. She had lots of sitting alone on the deck and watching the motorcycles come and go planned. Maybe she would go into town and have her nails done to pass the time if Crazy George would let her out of his sight for an hour or two.

She hated summers here. At least in high school, she had an escape from this place and saw real people. People who lived regular lives and did things like go to work in offices. People who didn’t have clubs filled with drunken bikers as their norm.

Haven sighed and towel dried her hair as she stared at her ghost-like image in the foggy mirror. If only I could get out of here.

Chapter Two

A few hours later, Haven stepped out of the grey full-sized truck, the noon summer sun’s warmth chasing away the chill bumps that dotted her skin from the air-conditioner in the truck. She would have thought it a miracle Crazy George didn’t follow her to town, but she knew he hadn’t simply because she went to Pink’s, the salon ran by the old ladies of the club. Dolly or Barbie would text him and tell him she arrived. He took his job of protecting her very seriously and employed as many of the club members to assist him as possible.

Pushing opened the glass door, Haven was immediately greeted by the smell of acrylic and perm solution, at the same time the buzzer above her head sent out its electronic chime alerting everyone she arrived. Breezing by the sterile white lobby area with black and chrome chairs, she ignored the waiting townies. She didn’t need an appointment, the women who worked here were her family.

Using a hand decorated with fire engine red tipped nails that complemented her jade green eyes and matched her lips, Dolly waved Haven over to the chair at her manicure station. Haven flopped into it and dropped her purse to the floor. Go ahead and text my bastard keeper and let him know I’m here.

Dolly’s bleach blond hair held fast in its place as she patted Haven on the hand. Baby, your daddy is only looking out for your safety.

I understand that, but why does he have George squelching any and all friendships or love interests I may or may not have?

Frowning down at Haven’s nails as she filed them, Dolly said, George is supposed to be looking out for you. That’s all.

After placing the dryer hood over a lady’s head, Barbie, Dolly’s raven-haired sister, walked over to sit at her manicurist station. Haven, what a sight for sore eyes. God, you look friggen’ amazing. I envy your youth, girl. Damn, what I would do if I had it. She gave her chest a little shimmy and winked at her.

Haven just told me she would be doing more with it too, but Crazy George won’t let her. Dolly paused from setting up her station to paint Haven’s freshly shaped nails.

Oh, I’m not surprised, Barbie said as she wheeled over to Dolly’s station on her manicurist chair. The woman she placed under the dryer cleared her throat in irritation. Relax, Mrs. Bevy, you have another ten minutes until you’re set. She rolled her light blue eyes and whispered, Crazy biddy would come in for a perm every week if I let her.

Haven gaped at Barbie in shock.

Well, she would, Barbie smirked.

Not her. Spill it.

What do you know about that bulldog, George? Dolly pointed a pronged manicure tool at her sister.

I don’t kiss and tell.

Slapping the table, Dolly laughed at her sister. Yes, you do, or did before you married.

Barbie puckered her bright pink lips but moved in closer. Think about it. If Haven marries, what happens to George?

Haven shook her head. You’re going to have to be more specific.

Tapping a French manicured nail against the table, Barbie stated, If you marry, baby, George will never fill your father’s shoes, but if you don’t… She shrugged.

Dolly stared at her sister. So what you’re saying is that George is deliberately keeping our hotter-than-sin Haven from having a male companion?

Not just male companions, even male friends, Haven interjected before taking a swallow of water to rid her mouth of the salon’s chemical taste.

Barbie nodded and popped a bubble with her gum.

Haven glared at the women who had been like surrogate parents to her, her whole life. That bastard’s deliberately keeping me from guys? What a jackass.

Pulling her lips tight, Dolly narrowed her eyes. That’s more than a jackassie thing to do, that’s diabolical. Who does he think he is? Think Bruce knows that’s his intentions?

Haven baulked. Dad is so wrapped up in keeping me a prisoner that even if he did know, it probably wouldn’t change anything.

You’re not a prisoner, dear. Just well-guarded. Dolly rubbed Haven’s hand.

Haven shot Dolly a hard look. Well, from this side of it, well-guarded looks a lot like unwilling captive. How long do they think this can go on? I’m going to start community college in the fall. Crazy George can’t go with me there. He and her dad had to know she would meet boys there who weren’t intimidated by her father or his MC. Maybe she would even meet guys there who didn’t know her like she did when she traveled to other towns. Sure, the guys from other towns had heard of her father’s motorcycle club, but they didn’t recognize Haven as his daughter on sight.

No. He won’t, but— A buzzing sounded over the noisy whir of the blow dryer. Barbie huffed. I need to fetch that old raisin out of the dryer before she gets any more wrinkly.

Haven grabbed her arm. But? What is the but?

Gas and Chrome can go, and between them, you’ll be secure.

But they wouldn’t stop her from dating, Dolly cut in.

Barbie raised an eyebrow. Wouldn’t they if George told them to?

Slamming her fist on the small manicure table, Haven yelled, Son of a bitch. I can’t live like this anymore. I just can’t.

Dolly shot Barbie a glance. What other choice do you have, dear?

Haven chewed her lip. I don’t know, but I’ll figure something out.

Chapter Three

Once dusk began to fall, Haven put her newly formed plan into action. Packing a bag for Tally’s like planned, she would go to bed early. After a few hours of sleep, she would pack one more bag. She figured she could carry two and still make good time. Early dawn would be her chance to escape undetected, and she had to escape.

There were guards always on post, but in the early dawn hours, sometimes the guard would be distracted. Grease had guard duty tonight, and his old lady’s bleach blonde sister, Dolly, often came to visit him in the wee hours of the morning.

Dolly married the easygoing Tank before Grease joined the club. Grease had an obvious attraction to Dolly, but her marriage to Tank kept him from taking her as his own. So he married her raven-haired sister, Barbie. The next best thing. But that didn’t keep the lust filled Grease satisfied, and over time, an affair started. Everyone knew about it, but as long as they were discreet, no one said anything, including Tank and Barbie.

Haven planned to use that as her chance to escape far enough away so she wouldn’t be found. Having planned to leave early for Tally’s anyway, nothing would be said if she missed breakfast. Outsiders weren’t allowed inside the perimeter, so Haven often met Tally outside it. She usually had an escort to the gate though, but it would take a while for it to make it