Chapter One

Samuel

Phoenix, Arizona

Six Months Later

“Fuck, Ivan. You’ve been hit,”

I hiss as I crouch down to look at my uncle’s side. I yank my pullover off, pushing it against the wound. Instantly, deep red color seeps in, devouring the stark white of the material.

“Tell me you ended that motherfucker,”

Ivan snarls.

“I got him. The Titans are on clean-up. We need to get you to the hospital.”

“Damn, asshole, you just can’t make anything simple, can you?”

E-Z taunts, walking in. He’s the president of the Titans motorcycle club here in Phoenix. He’s built wide and solid as a brick, he’s a laid-back guy with longer hair, and covered in ink. He’s almost too pretty for the fucked-up shit we pay him and his club to do.

“Fuck you,”

Ivan mutters, closing his eyes.

“I can have Shadow take you two to the hospital, but I’m pretty sure you’re going to get more attention than you want.”

“Does the club have a doctor?”

I question, still applying pressure on Ivan’s wound.

E-Z rubs the back of his neck, then sighs. “Well, sort of.”

“What does that mean?” I huff.

Ivan can’t keep losing blood like this. I’m going to have to take him to the emergency room. Shit. When I agreed to this harebrained operation, I should have thought to bring along a doctor with my soldiers. Ivan said it would be simple. I was stupid, forgetting rule number one. Nothing is ever simple in this family. We were to break into a safe house where a rival club was keeping two women who were members of the Navarro family. I asked for specifics from the head of the family—Daniel Navarro. I don’t trust him. I made this alliance with his father Juan, but he died of a heart attack just weeks later. Daniel stepped up at once. He didn’t have the issues I had. It seemed people were happier to deal with him rather than Juan. I found that a little confusing. I preferred Juan who did anything to placate me.

Daniel was extremely vague about all of this. He’d only asked for help, saying the girls were family. I’ve been thinking more and more of breaking our alliance—along with my marriage to Natalia. I wouldn’t mind getting that particular monkey off my back. I only agreed to stop the families that wanted to challenge us for power. Things have calmed down. I could handle anyone that might pop up at this point. I don’t need the Navarros. The only thing that makes me hesitant is that once news that the Navarro alliance has ended, idiots may try once more to cause issues.

I would like to end the marriage, however. Hell, the day of our video conference, there was a hurricane, causing video to be unavailable. So, the marriage was over a phone conference. I’ve yet to see her. I haven’t even requested a picture of the woman or performed a background check. Fuck, I didn’t even tell Ivan how I brokered the alliance. He’d lose his shit if he knew I married a woman without having her vetted. I’ll eventually tell him, but she’s just not worth the effort right now. She’s a means to an end—not really important in my life.

“We do, but presently he’s passed out back at the club. It’s his birthday. The club girls wanted to give him a special treat.”

“Fuck,”

Ivan groans, pain evident in his voice—something he would normally never allow. It makes me that much more worried about him. He’s been more of a father to me than my real dad ever was.

“The two girls we rescued dressed in scrubs. Maybe they can help,”

he suggests.

“Bring them here,”

Ivan huffs. He doesn’t seem as if he’s dying. I hope that means something.

E-Z disappears and a few minutes later one of his men—I think his name is Brick, but I don’t care enough to see if I’m right—comes in with the women. They appear to be a mixture of frazzled and pissed off. One is on the shorter side. She’s probably around five-four, with curves in all the right places—an hourglass figure designed to make a man ache. The blue doctor scrubs she’s wearing cling to her body in all the right ways. Her breasts are phenomenal. They strain against her top, pulling it tight. She’s at least a D cup. She has long chocolate-brown hair that flows down her back in soft waves. Her eyes are a beautiful hazel. I could stare into them all day. Unfortunately, I don’t think I have that luxury. The other woman is taller, slimmer, yet still has a nice body. She is wearing scrubs, too, only these are black to match her long, straight hair that’s pulled back in a high ponytail. She has emerald green eyes. They’re filled with anger, making them shine brightly.

“I asked if they were doctors,”

the man from E-Z’s club says. “The tall one said not yet. No idea what that means, but maybe she can help.”

“I can’t. He needs to go to the hospital,”

the woman argues at once, squatting down beside me to look at Ivan. Her hand reaches out, as she presses a couple of fingers against his throat. She goes quiet. I’ve seen enough junk medical dramas on television to figure out she’s checking his pulse.

“Not an option. Can you fix him up?”

I respond.

“Here?”

she asks, looking at me like I’m insane.

“Yes.”

“Sure, if you want him to die.”

I growl, but she doesn’t flinch. “I don’t have medical supplies here. Besides, I’m not permitted by law to do anything without a doctor overseeing me.”

“Do we look like we’re concerned about the law here, Doc?”

the MC guy responds. My gaze moves to him and the patch on his cut reads Brick. Guess I got it right.

“I can’t help him without supplies and equipment,”

she mutters.

“Bell, we have to do something,”

the sexy girl says. I wonder if she’s filled with gratitude and would warm my bed tonight. It’s been over a year since I’ve been with a woman. I was waiting for Angelina and when that blew up, I got married. I don’t owe her fidelity, but I didn’t actively look for a woman either.

“Are you one of the idiots in charge?”

The snappy girl responds. There’s clearly no gratitude in her. She seems pissed as hell. I won’t risk asking her to warm my bed. She’s pretty, but with her attitude, she’d probably bite a man’s dick off.

“I’m the one in charge. Well, me and the man needing treatment. If you could dial down the attitude, it’d be good. Especially considering he was shot trying to rescue your ungrateful ass.”

She narrows her eyes at me, making me smirk. “Keep trying me, Doc. I could always turn you back over to the dickwads that kidnapped you to begin with.”

“I might prefer them, but unfortunately, you killed them all. Now, are we going to continue to argue between us to see if your dick is bigger than mine, or are you taking him to the hospital?”

“You have a dick hiding under those scrubs, Doc?”

“Mine might be figurative, but I’d be willing to bet I have bigger balls than you,”

she challenges. I hear Ivan laugh in the background, but it ends in a cough. Setting aside my annoyance, I concentrate on getting him help. I look over at Brick.

“Get the bitch to give you a list of supplies she’ll need to patch Ivan up. Send Alex and Dimitri out to get it all. Tell them to be quick meet us back at your clubhouse.”

“Does your doctor have some medical supplies there?”

the woman interjects.

“Usual shit. Bed, general medicine. He’s patched a few of us up over the years. Dug out a few bullets.”

“Let’s get over there. Maybe we’ll be good. Still send the twins out, though,”

I respond, looking at the woman. She’s smart to ask that question.

“E-Z is already pulling our men out. He’ll meet you there.”

I nod. “Let’s go ladies,” I mutter.

“Call me bitch again and you’ll be the one needing medical care,”

she hisses, walking past me.

I don’t bother responding. I just need her to patch up Ivan, then I’ll send her and her scrumptious little friend back to Daniel. Although I might grab a taste of little Miss D cup first.

“Isabel doesn’t mean anything. We’re really glad you rescued us. She’s just upset,”

her friend explains, while Brick leads two of the men that came with them over to lift Ivan.

She’s gorgeous, sweet and quiet—just my type. Angelina’s quiet personality is what always drew me to her to begin with.

“What’s your name, beautiful?”

She smiles at me, blushing. “Natalie.”

“Stop hitting on my private nurse, nephew. Natalie, how are you at giving sponge baths?”

Ivan purrs—the asshole. I don’t stop him, but I might. I wonder if this is my would-be-wife. Surely Daniel would have told me if I was here to save his sister. I shake my head. I’m just indulging in wishful thinking. There’s no way Natalie is my wife.

I couldn’t be that lucky.