Christmas is in the air, and the importance of family has never felt stronger.

Stepping into my brother’s shoes wasn’t going to be easy. Zero led with greatness—just like our father before him.

Now, it’s my time to prove that the Walker legacy is unbreakable.

My Old Lady is expecting again, and my family’s growing—there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to protect them. But I can’t turn my back when my brothers and I encounter a woman in distress on a run.

The protector in me demands I step in.

Yet, doing the right thing might come at a cost. Am I risking everything—my family, my brothers, and the love of my life—just to play the hero?

Sometimes, saving one life means putting everything else on the line.

With Christmas here, I know what matters. Family is everything, and I’ll risk it all, even my life, to get them back. Because during this festive time of year, there’s nothing more important than raining down hellfire to show your Christmas spirit.

There was a time when it felt like I had it all.

The grades, the friends, and the girl next door.

Her being my best friend's little sister almost made it easier to hide our relationship.

But as they say, good things never last.

When tragedy strikes and our worlds are irrevocably changed, nothing can be the same between us. Our lives are torn in different directions, and for thirteen years, the only way Bea and I communicated was via email.

With my knowledge of tech and with no sense of care or duty for anything anymore, I found myself drawn to the Defiance MC. The club filled a dark void within me, though not entirely.

Then, one night, after years of no verbal contact, I received a phone call from Bea—the woman who broke my heart—and she was belligerently drunk. Her health and wellness app had been hacked. She was desperately begging for my help.

There was no choice. It didn't matter that the thought of seeing her terrified me. What I wasn't ready for was the chaos bringing her back into my life would cause. Or how the magnitude of our enemies would be greater than we could ever have anticipated.

My entire world has been turned upside down.

With one adjustment after another.

The truth of my father's betrayal cuts deep.

Now, my little sister, Clover, is struggling to deal with day-to-day life.

I've given everything for her. I joined Defiance to keep her safe. And now, being reunited with our older sister who we thought was gone, I don't have to go it alone. But it's not enough. Clover's grades are declining, and I refuse to let her fail.

Enter Sadie, the feisty blonde tutor. A woman who takes my breath away, despite hurling accusations that the club is Clover's issue.

She might be small in stature, but what she lacks in size, she makes up for in sassiness. Sadie doesn't hold back, letting me know her thoughts on the club, and me. But what is clear mutual loathing needs to be set aside, because Sadie is the only one who can help Clover thrive.

Sadie aggravates me, yet something pulls me toward her. She's a beacon, but beneath the light shines secrets. There's a poison running through her hidden past. I just have to hope the venom doesn't paralyze me before it's too late.

My life hasn't always been about togetherness.

It was heavy with separation, torn ruthlessly from the people I love.

A major tragedy between my parents, sent my life into a downward spiral.

I had no choice but to adjust.

Trying to fight my way out from the people I found myself tangled with, a saving grace came in the form of a biker. He took me in. Became my mentor and showed me how good life could be with the right people surrounding me.

As a prospect in this club, my job is to keep my head down, respect the rules, and do my time until I earn my patch. The problem is that Rhyan, the club's princess, is one hundred percent off-limits.

Out of respect for the man who saved and mentored me, I try to keep my distance from Rhyan—his daughter. To go near her is forbidden. So, I make an effort to remain her friend. After all, I am the club rebel, and she is my complete opposite in every way. Yet, somehow, those differences make us stronger.

Our connection grows every day, and it's becoming impossible to fight. But a blast from my past is set on ensuring that everyone I love suffers for my sins.

Covert, stealthy, cunning—Im trained as a weapon. A lethal killer. I do what needs to be done in order to protect those who cant protect themselves.

I'm never the same person twice.

It's never been an issue.

But I underestimated her.

The beautiful woman next door. Theres something sexy about the way she watches me, eyes wide with an innocent curiosity. I find myself aching for her attention. I want her to look at me, but not when Im covered in the blood of the man I just killed.

I was raised a sinner.

Constantly seeking enlightenment.

But my world crashed down around me, and I was set free.

I didn't know it then, but the early years of my life created a void inside me.

I had to find a new home, a new family, and I did. As the VP of Tampa Defiance MC.

Ivy wasn't supposed to be here.

She's far too virtuous for a place like this.

The fact she's younger than me makes it even harder.

Ivy's supposed to be pure.

And I'm trying desperately to leave her untarnished.

But I can't fight who I am.

And when my past comes back to haunt me… she'll have to embrace the poison inside her too.

Previously published as Luring Light in the Royal Bastards MC, Tampa FL Chapter, Brightness has been re-edited and reworked before publication.

I'm not a good guy.

I've never claimed to be.

Even among 1%ers, there's more darkness in me than most.

The Tampa Chapter of Defiance are outcasts because of the way I run my club.

But being MC President means something. You follow a code, adhere to the rules.

Taking her wasn't part of the plan.

I was supposed to transport her, that's all.

Though something about this feisty woman caught my attention.

Made me want to help her.

The problem is, she fights me every step of the way.

But I am keeping a secret from her.

One that could either make her fall for me… or despise me forever.

Previously published as Defining Darkness in the Royal Bastards MC, Tampa FL Chapter, Darkness has been re-edited and reworked before publication.