Cover Art by Bryan Keller
Publisher: Changeling Press
May — I know what everyone sees when they look at him. A rough biker from the wrong side of town. But they don’t know John the way I do. He’s kind, protective, and there’s no one I’d rather be with. Unfortunately, he’s keeping me in the friend zone. He’s saved me multiple times, but when he finds me being attacked by the town’s golden boy, I see the Grizzly his club has named him for… but even at his most vicious I’m not scared of him. I don’t care that he’s a little older than me, or that people whisper when he walks past. I love him, and I know I’ll keep loving him until the day I die.
Grizzly — She’s too sweet, too good. Too perfect. May deserves the best life can offer, a respectable guy. That isn’t me. She might see me as some cuddly teddy bear, but there’s blood on my hands. I earned the name the Devil’s Fury gave me, and I wear it proudly. So I push her away, keep her at arm’s length, and make sure she thinks I don’t desire her even a little.
It’s a lie. Biggest one I’ve ever told. There’s only one thing I want more than my club, more than my next breath — and that’s May.
WARNING: This is for everyone who’s ever asked, “Will Grizzly get a book?” Grizzly’s story is a shorter Devil’s Fury MC novella and contains some violence, bad language, and graphic physical relationships. It takes place outside the series timeline. Guaranteed happily-ever-after, no cheating, and no cliffhanger.
I ran my hand over my cut, proud as hell that I’d earned my patch. As the newest member of the Devil’s Fury MC, I should have been at the clubhouse enjoying the party. Instead, I found myself hiding in the shadows by the pond on the outskirts of town. If anyone owned the property, they were long gone. The land had grown wild with weeds. The tall grass around the pond blocked it from view of anyone driving past.
I heard May giggle and a splash. Jealousy ate at me. I had no right to feel any sort of emotion about her at all. She wasn’t mine. Never would be. May was a good girl. Sweet. Angelic. Not at all for the likes of me. I’d noticed her in school, even though I’d kept my distance. Until I’d discovered she liked to come swim here. The first time I saw her in her two-piece swimsuit, I’d had to pick my tongue up off the ground. Who’d have thought little May had curves like that? She’d only been fifteen at the time, and I’d had no business looking.
“Stop it, Mike.” I heard another splash. “I said no!”
My heartrate kicked up and I crept closer, quietly shifting the tall weeds aside for a better look. The dumbass jock she’d come with seemed to be copping a feel. The way May squirmed and shoved at him, I knew she wasn’t just playing around. When she’d told him to stop, she’d meant it. Dickweed didn’t seem to understand.
When he tried to work his hand down into her swimsuit bottoms, I knew I had to do something. I wasn’t about to let him molest her while I stood idly by. Even if I did belong to a club that didn’t exactly walk on the right side of the law, there were lines I’d never cross. Hurting a woman was one of those.
I stepped out of my hiding spot. The moment May saw me, hope sparked in her eyes. Yeah, I wasn’t walking away. Not without making sure she was safe.
“I think she said no.”
He turned to look at me, a sneer on his lips as he eyed my cut. I knew all about Mike Malone. Star forward for the basketball team. Just the sort of guy May should be with, if he weren’t such a douche.
“Let her go, Malone.”
“Or what?” he asked.
“Or I’ll make you, and then you’ll have to run crying home to your mommy. She said she wasn’t interested, but you must have too much wax in your ears.” I folded my arms. “Or maybe you got hit in the head with one too many basketballs. You should catch those passes with your hands and not your face.”
I honestly had no idea how well he played, or what the fuck his position on the team even did. I’d never been into basketball, and I sure as hell hadn’t been to any of the games at school.
He backed away from May and made his way toward me. He slogged through the water and onto the shore, slicking his hair back from his face. We were nearly the same height, but I had a bit of muscle on him. And I knew how to fight. Prissy boy here didn’t stand a chance.
“You lay one finger on me and my parents will sue your ass.”
“And what exactly do you think they’ll get? I don’t have a house. My bike is a piece of shit. Even I can admit that, but one day it won’t be. I don’t have a damn thing you’d want, Malone.” I held my hand out to May. “Come on, angel. I’ll make sure you get home safe.”
May hurried out of the pond and grabbed her towel, wrapping it around her. She came straight for me, giving the jock a wide berth. Couldn’t blame her. He didn’t seem like the type to lose gracefully. Now that he’d decided May should give him what he wanted, he wouldn’t back down. Not until he was forced to.
If he kept bothering her, I’d have to pay him a special visit. Make sure he got the message loud and clear. May wasn’t for him to play with. Or anyone else for that matter.
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