Blade (A Steele Riders MC Book 8) Read online

  Blade

  A Steele Riders MC Novel

  C.M. Steele

  Copyrighted © 2021

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written expressed permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is purely coincidental.

  Cover design: C.M. Steele

  Cover Image: Deposit Photos

  The use of actors, artists, movies, TV shows and song titles/lyrics throughout this book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way be seen as advertisement. Trademark names are used in an editorial fashion with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the seller and please purchase your own copy.

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Epilogue

  Anthony “Blade” Santini wants a slice of Jules Walker the second he sees the beauty at Penny’s Bakery. Still, with the world of trouble following the Steele Riders, he knows it’s not safe for her. As much as he’d love to be selfish and seal her fate as his, he refuses to put her in danger.

  What if pushing her away brings danger directly to her door? Will their relationship survive the hazardous situation they find themselves in, or will it crumble under the weight of their choices?

  Chapter One

  Jules

  Nervous anticipation fills me all morning, giving me the jitters as if I’ve had more than one cup of coffee. First, I brush my long, brown hair behind my ears with my shaky fingers as if somehow that will calm me down. Next, I anxiously flatten the material of my apron with my hands. The bakery’s empty as the mad morning rush has come and gone, and yet, I’m still on edge. I know the reason for my anxiety, but there is no cure for it.

  Blade should be coming in today with Penny, and it’s the highlight of my week every single time. He has captivated me, from his wide, six-two, muscular frame, to his olive skin tone and light eyes that always feel as though they see straight through to my heart.

  Blade has the build and cropped-short haircut of a man in the military. Everything about him screams power and grit. I remember the first time we met, and he took my hand in his. He flushed with embarrassment because they were rough and stained with hard work. Night after night, I envision them running over my naked flesh like the horny young teen I am. My thighs clench together, and I wish he’d finally ease the ache between my legs.

  Thinking about Blade sends me into a daydream every single time. I imagine a life with him and a house full of small children. Then, I remember the fact that he thinks I’m too young for him. I know I am, but my body doesn’t agree, even after knowing he doesn’t want me. Last week, I overheard his conversation about me with his sister. He’s over a decade older than me, and while I don’t give a damn, he does. His attraction to me is nothing compared to mine for him as he can easily ignore it because of something silly like age. I’m an adult, so it’s not like he’d get into trouble by fucking me.

  A sigh escapes my lips as I lean on the counter and stare out the front window. I’m not sure how long I can go on being around Blade. It’s getting hard, and my soul can’t push him out even though we’ve hardly spoken to each other. It’s been a month of unspoken words and powerful looks that make me crave him.

  A timer goes off in the back, reminding me that Blade’s fresh brownies are ready to come out, just in time for his arrival. He’s ordered them from day one and knowing him, he’ll order more. I enter the kitchen, slip on a pair of oven mitts, pull out the tray, and then set them on the rack to cool. I let out a moan as the sweet chocolate smell hits my nose, and my mind automatically goes to Blade’s lips, wondering if he tastes the same.

  Once I have everything out of the ovens, I tug off my oven mitts and set them on the counter.

  “Roxie, I’ll be in front.”

  “Okay,” she says from Penny’s office. She’s working on new signage for next week. As soon as I’m in the storefront, I make my way over to the large window and steal a peek outside. I see his truck pull up, and my heart goes wildly out of control. Blade’s coming to the bakery. I mentally squeal and run back behind the counter like I’m not even remotely stalking him. Taking a deep breath, I try to relax.

  For a month now, I’ve watched Blade come and go from the shop as he silently monitors the place. His eyes meet mine more times than I can count, but I do my best to avoid his gaze because I’m not the kind of woman he’s probably used to. Well, of course I’m not. According to him, I’m just a baby.

  I may seem mousy, but in reality, I’m a social butterfly until Blade comes around. He makes me so extremely nervous that I forget how to speak.

  A minute or two ticks by and strangely, they’re not in the store yet. I move toward the front window again to see what’s keeping them, and I gasp as I see the scene unfold around me. Blade has a man down and then more Riders show up, surrounding the guy. Penny’s behind him, being shielded as she loses the color in her face.

  “What’s going on?” I cry out as the door opens and they come inside.

  Blade’s eyes are glued to mine with a sense of regret, if I’m reading him correctly. “Just a fool looking to rob us. Please don’t worry about it, Ms. Walker.” Oh my God, he spoke to me. He’s barely uttered a word to me that isn’t about his order for a brownie. I flush, feeling faint, but I see that Penny’s looking a little green around the gills, so I pull myself together.

  I hardly hear a word that’s said as they move around, and we help Penny, who’s pregnant and in a state of shock. Goodness, the medium storefront of the bakery fills up with hulking Steele Riders as they come in full force to check on Penny and wait for Jackson. It’s super sweet the way they all look after the women. I would love to be treated so tenderly like they do with her. My eyes flick to Blade’s, and I find them trained on me again—or maybe they never left.

  “Jules, we’re going to the clubhouse, and then someone will drive you home,” Roxie says, shaking me back to reality.

  I turn my attention to Roxie and shake my head. "I can just drive myself home. It's not like they're after me," I explain, reaching for the towel to wipe down the imaginary dirt on the counter. A big, strong, rough hand comes over mine, stopping my frantic movements, and I know whose it is without looking up. Pleasure burns through me as his calloused hand gently squeezes mine. Who would have thought that he could be so tender?

  I look up to meet his gaze, and I’m stunned by the powerful stare that makes my heart flutter in ways that I can’t even describe. "Shut everything down, and get your shit. You're coming with us, Ms. Walker. It's not safe.
Understood?" he grits out angrily.

  Why does that turn me on? That was anything but nice, and my panties are completely ruined. I suddenly want him to tell me what to do with our clothes off.

  "Um, I suppose." I swallow hard and look around, realizing that everyone else has scattered. I whip my hand from under his and turn on my heel in a huff. I don't say a word as I head into the back, partly because I don't know what to say, and also because I want to beg Blade to touch me again.

  Ensuring all the ovens are off and there’s nothing inside baking, I toss all the dishes into the large sink for their wash and sanitation time. It takes me longer than normal because my brain is all befuddled as I relive Blade’s touch, but Roxie and Blade help bring in the trays from the display case. They set them on the large counter, and then Roxie prepares them in storage containers. Luckily, it’s not a lot because Penny doesn’t like having day-old treats in the shop, so they go on sale the next day.

  Putting away the decorating supplies, I quickly move around the kitchen and bump into the edge of the metal table next to the cooler, dropping a bowl of freshly made frosting. "Oh shit." I bend down and start to pick it up when Blade slides his hand around my waist and lifts me back on my feet.

  "I'll take care of this,” Blade growls against my ear in the sexiest whisper.

  "I can do this. It's my mess,” I argue, trying to prolong his arms around me.

  "Did you hear me? Get ready to go,” he snaps, releasing his hold.

  I want to give him a piece of my mind, so I spin around to look at him, but my face only goes to his chest As I lift my gaze to his face, I lose all my anger. "Fine. Whatever, Blade." I spin around, letting my ponytail swing.

  Suddenly, I find myself facing him with his hand gripping my ponytail. Tugging it back to bring my attention to his face, he growls, "It's Anthony, Ms. Walker."

  "Anthony," I whisper breathily as I stare into his eyes that seemed to have darkened after I said his name. The sound of the toilet flushing reminds us that we're not alone, and then he lets me go. Roxie comes into the room and seems to not notice the tension between us, going back to work in the front of the store. A look of relief sneaks across his expression, catching me by surprise, and I feel an ache deep in my chest that is hard to explain.

  I can't keep this up for long. I'm too young for Anthony, and he's bothered by it no matter how hot he thinks I am. Fine. This is the last time I'm going to see him.

  Quitting is a must.

  I go to the register and empty it for the day, counting it out while he goes to work on the mess. “The cases are good to go,” Roxie says as I stuff the money into the pouch to lock up in Penny’s office.

  “Great. Thanks for your help, Roxie,” I add, giving her the slightest smile.

  “Girl, it’s no big deal. Let’s go get our things. I’m ready for a beer.” She marches back into the kitchen, and I follow behind to see Anthony on his haunches, swiping up the last of the glop.

  After he cleans the mess, he stands and washes his hands without uttering another word to me. He walks up to Roxie and then whispers something to his sister before pushing through the swinging kitchen door to the front.

  "He's going to make sure everything is locked up tight, and then we'll be ready to go."

  "Thanks, Roxie." I can’t hide the defeated tone in my voice. I can’t explain why I’m so heartbroken, but I am.

  "Are you okay, Jules?" Roxie’s perceptive ass asks.

  I shrug, sliding on my lightweight coat. "I guess. Today was pretty crazy."

  "You guess?" She tilts her head with a sympathetic frown.

  "I'm not sure what you want me to say. I'm ready to go to bed in my home, not to be around a bunch of violence. I can’t even understand how anyone can put up with this." It's a lie. I'd be anywhere Anthony is if we were a couple, but I know that isn’t going to happen.

  "Understood. Let's just get through today." We walk out and head to a black-on-black SUV. Anthony holds the door open for me. I slide in behind the driver's seat while Roxie rides shotgun. Anthony steals glances at me from the rearview mirror, but I look out the window because I can't deal with this. The best thing for me to do is to forget him, Steeleville, and the bakery. I have studying to do anyway. I go to college online, but I start my classes full-time in Dallas, so I'll be far away from Anthony. It's for the best.

  My phone rings inside of my messenger bag. Pulling it out, I look at the caller ID and hiss to myself, “Of all the people.” I silence the ringer and watch Anthony eye me suspiciously. I toss him a scowling, “Mind your own business,” look before stuffing my phone back into the front pocket of my bag.

  "You could have taken the call," he grunts as he turns down another road.

  "I don't like to have private conversations in front of strangers," I bite out, silencing him.

  I don't say another word to either of them on the rest of the short ride to the Steele Riders' clubhouse. They escort me inside. Anthony gives me a passing look before going in the opposite direction from Roxie and me.

  "Would you like something to drink?" she asks me.

  "No, thanks,” I reply curtly.

  "Fine." She grabs a soda for herself and plops down onto one of the large sofas. I take a seat in an armchair and play with my phone, checking my emails for school. I feel like I’m making an enemy out of Roxie, but suddenly I don’t care. I can still see the look on Anthony’s face when he saw his sister come out and not pay attention to us. Like she already doesn’t want me in his life. That’s fine, because I’m not going to struggle to be around people who don’t like me. I focus on my list of assignments for my Literature class. I need to pick up some books from Barnes and Noble this week.

  I don’t know how long I wait for the guys so I can go home, but they finally stroll into the room. Catching me by surprise is the sight of Penny’s dad, my uncle Denver.

  "Sweetie, it's good to see you.” I stand, and he pulls me in for a hug. “Are you doing okay?”

  “I’m good. I’m just super ready to go home.”

  “Okay. I'll give you a ride back to your car and follow you back home."

  "Sounds good, Uncle. I have a lot of things to do before Monday." I don't say a word to the rest of the people, but I give Roxie a wave goodbye. I have nothing to say to Anthony.

  Once we get in the car and he pulls out of the driveway Uncle Denver gives me a strange look, but thankfully doesn't say a word about the tension in the room back there. "Are you okay? I know you're not comfortable around that kind of tension." My parents have a history of dealing with unsavory characters. Unfortunately, I’ve witnessed one too many confrontations for my own liking.

  "I'm fine. Honestly, I don't think it's wise that I work there anymore."

  "I understand. I'll find someone else to hire so Penny’s not understaffed. There's plenty of people looking for work around here."

  "Thanks. I hate to do this to Penny, but I'm stressed enough with my schoolwork."

  "She’ll understand. She’s had reservations about it, but we wanted to get you some experience under your belt. So how’s school going?” Uncle Denver questions, changing the subject effortlessly.

  “It’s going well. My grades are great, and winter break is around the corner so it’s even better.”

  “Are you still dating that one guy I don’t like?” I laugh because the second he met Brandon, he threatened to bury him. It made me giggle because my uncle is such a softy, but seeing him with the Riders, I wonder if he’s hiding a darker side.

  “No, Uncle Denver. I’m not. We broke up a month ago.”

  “Good. You need a good man, not a little boy.”

  “Thanks. I’ll do my best to stay away from little boys.”

  “That’s what I like to hear.” He nods with satisfaction as he pulls behind my car outside the bakery.

  “Thank you.” I give him a hug and then I get out.

  “Drive safe. I won’t be far behind.” I nod and say goodbye. I also say a silent good
bye to the bakery.

  The second I get into my car, I turn it on, plug in my phone, and then pull out of my space. I don’t look back at the town I’m leaving behind because it’s too much to handle. As I get on the road that leads to the expressway, my heart aches, knowing I’m pulling away from any hope I had of Anthony falling in love with me.

  Chapter Two

  Blade

  I’m not sure what the hell happened back there at the bakery, but I almost let my feelings slip and kissed Jules in the kitchen. For the past month, I’ve been fighting the urge to make her mine. Today has been the closest I’ve been to her. It felt like heaven to have the heat of her body against mine.

  I’m glad I didn’t, because I wouldn’t have let her go. She has no idea how much I held back from pinning her to the counter and stuffing her with my own filling so deep that she’d never leave me. It took all of my willpower to refrain.

  I want Jules. I crave her, but I’m not going to fuck her and let her run away, and she’s too young for the serious relationship that I need from her. I was in basic training at her age, and unsure what I wanted out of life. She still has a life to live that doesn’t include being trapped in our home with my babies all around. Besides, there’s danger on every fucking corner in Steeleville these days, and I’d never forgive myself if something happened to Jules.

  I should be focused on the asshole in front of me, but all I can think of is the woman in the other room. Would she want to be mine forever, or is it merely a physical attraction? After our business is concluded, I step out of the room and look for my woman, but she’s being guided to the door by Denver. My sister frowns, watching me as I watch Jules leave with Mr. Banks instead of me. I grit my teeth, holding back the urge to claim her. “I knew it. You’re interested in her, aren’t you?” She shakes her head as if she disapproves.

  “No. I’m not,” I lie. It’s none of Roxie’s business how I feel about Jules.

  Roxie nods, but I can see in her eyes that she doesn’t believe a word of my denial. “Well, that’s good because she wants nothing to do with our lives here and the violence. She made that point very clear to me when I asked her if she was okay earlier.”