Rebel: A Dixie Reapers Bad Boys Romance

By Harley Wylde

Isy -- Being the daughter of a Dixie Reaper isn’t as wonderful as it sounds. Not when your dad expects you to be this perfect little princess who never causes trouble, never dates, and just… sits on a shelf collecting dust. It sucks. When I get the chance, I run. I didn’t exactly have a destination in mind, but ending up in Bryson Corners turned out to be a good thing. The first Savage Raptor I saw, I claimed. I should feel bad for Rebel, but… he’s just so sexy, and now he’s all mine!

Rebel -- You know the saying be careful what you wish for? I should have listened. I wanted a family and fate literally threw Isy into my arms. I’d thought I was saving her. It never occurred to me she’d announce she was my girlfriend. Although, I have to admit there’s chemistry between us. It’s hard to keep my hands off her. I’d thought the kidnap attempt was a one-time thing, but I was wrong. Isy has a stalker, and I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. She’s mine, and I’ll make damn sure everyone knows it!

WARNING: Rebel is an insta-love story intended for adult readers. It contains violence, stalking, bad language, and adult situations.

Copyright Notification: All Changeling Press LLC publications and cover art are copyright and may not be used in any AI generated work. No AI content is included or allowed in any Changeling Press LLC publication or artwork.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Changeling Press
• Release date: May 16, 2024

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Prologue

Isy

I leaned my head against Dawson’s shoulder and slowly stirred my milkshake with a straw. The diner usually cheered me up, but not today. I’d always loved being part of the Dixie Reapers’ family, and I adored my parents. My brother, Foster, was another matter. Being the sister of the club’s biggest screwup meant I had to be perfect all the time.

Talk to me, Dawson said.

You wouldn’t understand.

He snorted. Really? Out of everyone you’re going to say that to me? I’m the only one who doesn’t fit in at the compound. My parents are going to flip the fuck out when they realize what I’ve been doing behind their backs.

He wasn’t wrong. Venom’s son becoming a first responder was just unheard of. Venom’s two oldest kids had settled down with members of the Devil’s Fury MC. Dawson was his only son, and while he knew how to ride a motorcycle, he’d never had an interest in joining the club as a patched member.

I can’t believe you moved out and they haven’t been suspicious about why, I said. Isn’t your mom the least bit curious?

Maybe. I can’t keep it from them forever. But it doesn’t mean I need to come clean right this second. Besides, we’re here to talk about your issue, not mine.

Is leaving really my only option? I asked.

Dawson patted my leg under the table. What do you think would happen if you told your dad someone had been following you? That you couldn’t leave the compound without feeling as if you were being watched?

I looked up at him. Really? You know exactly what he’d do. He’d put me on lockdown, then ask Wire to figure out who it is. Once my dad got his hands on them, he’d probably rip them to pieces and scatter the body parts.

A throat cleared and I looked up to see Officer Grant Daniels staring down at me with one eyebrow raised. Want to say that again?

I made a zipping motion across my lips. Nope.

He rolled his eyes. Look, I know my sister is part of the Reckless Kings now, and my dad has learned to look the other way with your club. Doesn’t mean you need to say that shit in public. At least remember where you are.

Sorry. And before you ask, no, I can’t file a report and let you handle it. How long do you think it would take for Wire to get notified? Then he’d tell my dad, and…

Officer Daniels nodded. I get it. But for the record, if you need help, all you have to do is ask.

Think you could get her out of town without Wire tracking her? Dawson asked.

He crossed his arms and seemed to think about it for a moment. Ben Gilbert. There’s bound to be a car that comes through Camelot Garage and Towing that ends up being handed over to them. You could either buy it for cash or trade your car for one. You know Ben wouldn’t give you a lemon.

That might work, I mumbled. But where would I go?

Friend of my dad’s lives in Bryson Corners, Oklahoma. Officer by the name of Carson Benson. If you went there and ran into trouble, you could always reach out to him. Officer Daniels shrugged. Best I got, unless you went to another club. Like my sister.

Getting knocked up by someone in another club wasn’t my first choice. But… there was a club in Bryson Corners. The Savage Raptors MC. I knew about it because Dawson’s uncle lived there. Lynx was kind of my uncle as well, which was why I called him Uncle Lynx. But would he rat me out to Ridley, who was technically my mom’s stepdaughter?

You could always go there and lie low a few days, Dawson said. Decide if you want Uncle Lynx to know you’re there.

Of course, you’d be related to someone there. Officer Daniels sighed. Well, at least you wouldn’t get into trouble and be all alone. If you’re going to run, sounds like the best place to go. Besides, you’re an adult. It’s not like they can legally drag you back here.

Then I guess I’m going to Bryson Corners. It’s just a matter of when and how, which means I need to go talk to Ben. Preferably without anyone at the club finding out. I closed my eyes. I don’t like the idea of scaring my parents like this, but being the daughter of Bull and Darian can be suffocating at times.

Like you said, if your brother wasn’t such a fuckup… Dawson trailed off. No, I take that back. Even then, Bull would keep his little princess under lock and key.

You’re right. I hated to admit it. I loved my dad, but he could be a little bit much. Mom wasn’t quite as bad. Probably because Ridley had rubbed off on her over the years.

Well, if you need my help, you know where to find me, Officer Daniels said.

Even though Grant was nearly a decade older than me, I’d often run into him around town, even before he’d become a police officer. While I wouldn’t have called us friends, his sister had hung out with some of the girls at the club. Which was partly how she’d met Hawk and gone to live with him at the Reckless Kings compound. That and her chubby raccoon, who was really to blame for the entire mess.

Dawson took my hand and gave my fingers a squeeze. Things would have been so much simpler if we’d not been related. If I’d met a guy like him around town, surely my dad wouldn’t have protested. Or even if I’d fallen for Owen, my brother’s best friend, then things would have been different. Instead, I was single and had always been that way. And if I stayed here, I’d most likely die a virgin. The fact someone kept leaving me notes and making me feel like I was being watched was just the catalyst to make me leave. Otherwise, I’d have probably stayed forever.

What do you want to do? Dawson asked.

Let me finish this milkshake, then we can go talk to Ben. At the very least, maybe he can come up with a decent plan. He’s older than both of us, has seen more of the world, and probably has a good idea how I can escape under the radar.

You know someone is going to put the word out to all the clubs, Dawson said. You’ll have maybe six to eight hours before your parents realize you’ve left and aren’t coming home. Your dad will lose his shit, then Wire will contact every hacker he knows, and…

I nodded. I knew exactly what would happen. If I didn’t reach the Savage Raptors and find a way to tie myself to their club before that happened, I’d be screwed and right back where I started. Officer Daniels might have said my family couldn’t legally drag me back home, but since when did the Dixie Reapers do things the legal way?

I wasn’t ready to go to war with my family, but essentially that’s what I was doing. I could only hope I’d pave the way for the others, like Tank’s three daughters. And maybe leaving town would mean my stalker would give up. They hadn’t done anything to hurt me. It was just incredibly creepy.

I hope I’m doing the right thing, I said.

If not, you can either give up on the plan before you put it into motion, or you can come back if you change your mind partway there. Dawson grinned. But if anyone asks, I have no clue what happened. Last thing I need is your dad coming after me, or mine for that matter.

Oh please. You’re the golden boy. Although, if they find out what you do for a living now, they may be angrier at you than me. By turning his back on the club and walking the path of a law-abiding citizen, Dawson wasn’t exactly going to get the support of the club. Not right away. It would take them time to come around, and he knew it. Which was why he hadn’t told anyone except me. Not even his sisters knew he’d become a fireman and was currently training to be an EMT as well.

Yep, definitely a good idea to leave town before then. Because there was no way they wouldn’t realize I’d known about it all along.

Chapter One

Rebel

One Week Later

The scent of stale beer and cigarette smoke clung to the air, setting the perfect tone for a typical night at the Savage Raptors MC clubhouse. I sat perched on a worn-out barstool, nursing my drink and taking in the rowdy chaos around me. The clubhouse was alive with the sounds of laughter, cursing, and the clinking of glass as my brothers let off some steam.

I could have gone to a bar in town, but the beer here was free. Sort of. The club treasurer took a percentage of the club take for any jobs and funneled it over to an account used for stocking the bar. Even though we hadn’t had a lot of runs lately, we’d picked up two local businesses. Bought them cheap when they were about to close up, so now we had a gas station and a honky-tonk. Both brought in good revenue.

I wasn’t much for country music, so I avoided the honky-tonk unless I had no other options. It was always lively. Lots of pretty girls there too. Unfortunately for me, I apparently looked more like the good-time guy than boyfriend material, because they only ever wanted one night. There were times that was perfectly fine. Most of the time I was looking for something else. Not that I’d admitted as much to anyone.

Fuck yeah, man! Stinger shouted from across the room, landing a winning shot on the pool table. Ever since Atilla decided to follow the Dixie Reapers’ example and ban club whores from the compound, our clubhouse had changed quite a bit. Of course, we were a smaller club, so we’d never been as rowdy anyway.

Now, instead of women, we had a pool table, dartboard, and a poker table. I had to admit, I much preferred it this way. The women who came here were nothing but trouble. Although, Truth had kept them in line before. He’d disliked most females, and certainly hadn’t respected them, until he met his wife. He’d changed a lot since Madison came into his life. They’d even adopted a son, which mellowed Truth even more.

When he’d wanted to claim Madison, I’d thought for sure Atilla would tell him no. The way he’d always treated women, he was the last one I’d expected to settle down. Now my brothers were all falling, one after another. We’d gone from all being bachelors to four of us having families.

I couldn’t help but crack a smile at my brothers’ antics as I watched them. We were a family -- a ragtag group of misfits bound together by brotherhood and loyalty. But beneath the camaraderie and wild nights, something gnawed at me, leaving me restless and itching for more. It wasn’t precisely a new feeling, but one that was steadily growing with each passing month. It started a few years ago, and clearly wasn’t going away.

Nice shot, Stinger! I called out, raising my own bottle in a toast before taking another swig. My gaze drifted around the room. Even though I sat by myself, I wasn’t alone. Not here.

General and Spade were locked in an intense arm-wrestling match, veins bulging and sweat pouring down their faces as they strained against each other. A few brothers had gathered around them, placing bets on who would emerge victorious.

Come on, Spade, you got this! someone yelled, egging him on with a slap to his back.

Fuck that, General’s gonna wipe the floor with his ass! another voice countered, earning a snarl from Spade. Yeah, probably not the brightest idea to piss off the club’s VP. Whoever had made the comment was most likely going to get the shit jobs for a while. Or forced to scrub toilets both here and at our businesses.

I’d been living this life for years -- the booze, the bikes, the women -- but it all felt so hollow now. Like I was missing the one thing that would make it all worthwhile. I still hooked up with women sometimes, but not recently. In fact, I hadn’t been with anyone in over three months. I always got tested afterward, just to be safe. Being with random women wasn’t the smartest thing to do. Even a condom wasn’t foolproof.

The feeling I’d had wasn’t one I’d been able to label until recently. Helping out Cowboy’s son, Jackson, in the past few weeks had certainly made an impact on me. He’d been willing to do anything for his wife and kid, and it had taken me a few days to realize I was jealous as hell. I’d had no reason to be, until I came to the conclusion the restless feeling inside me was because I wanted a family of my own. Not just a brotherhood, but a wife and kids.

Hey, Rebel! Stinger called out, snapping me from my thoughts. You want in on the next game?

Maybe later, I replied, tossing him a grin before taking another swig of my beer. My mind refused to let go of the thought there should be more to life than this -- something deeper, more meaningful. And I was determined to find it, whatever the cost. Not that the town of Bryson Corners was crawling with women I’d want to claim for more than a night. If it was, they’d all given me a wide berth. Maybe I wasn’t the kind of man they thought would want a lasting relationship. I needed someone who could handle living with the club, accept this way of life. Some might think it sounded amazing, but the reality would most likely send them running at some point.

My gaze drifted across the clubhouse, finally landing on Lynx and Atilla, who were seated nearby, beers in hand, deep in conversation.

Man, I never thought I’d see the day when Grizzly would let his daughter be part of our world, Atilla chuckled, taking a swig from his bottle. As the President of our club, he’d never backed down from a challenge, and always kept us in line. It’s too bad he’s not here to see how much progress Meredith has made. She’s almost like a different woman these days. May Grizzly’s soul rest in peace!

I honestly thought he’d lose his shit and demand I send her home, Lynx said, running a hand through his reddish hair as he smiled. But Meredith’s been a true blessing in my life. Wouldn’t trade her for anything. We have a good life here, and I hope he’s watching over her and sees that she’s right where she belongs.

Damn straight, Atilla replied,