Shaker (Blackwings MC Book 5) Read online

  SHAKER

  BLACKWINGS MC BOOK FIVE

  BY

  TEAGAN BROOKS

  Copyright © 2019 Teagan Brooks

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

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

  Adult Content Warning: This book contains sexual scenes, explicit language, and violence.

  Cover Design by Dar Albert at Wicked Smart Designs

  Dedication

  To my husband,

  for always listening to my scenes,

  even when I know you didn’t want to.

  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

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty- Seven

  Epilogue

  Chapter One

  Keegan

  Groaning, I rolled over and opened my eyes, despite the pounding in my skull. It took all of two seconds to realize I was not in my own bed. Quickly assessing the situation, I noted two important observations—I was dressed, and I was alone. But I had no clue where in the hell I was.

  The room was nondescript with a full-size bed and minimal furniture. I didn’t see any pictures or personal decorations to clue me in as to who owned the room. Slipping out of bed, I found my shoes and purse on the floor beside the door. I grabbed my purse and donned my shoes before yanking the door open and getting out of there.

  Once in the hallway, I realized I was at the Blackwings MC Clubhouse. Flashes of the night before came to me as I made my way to the common room.

  Harper inviting me to the club.

  Tequila shots with Reese and Harper.

  Duke, Carbon, and Shaker joining us.

  More tequila shots.

  Dancing.

  Nothing.

  From what I could remember, it seemed like I had a good time. I hoped I hadn’t said or done anything embarrassing, especially since Duke was there. We already had enough issues at work.

  The clubhouse was quiet. I had only been there a few times, and each time it was loud, even if only a handful of people were milling about. I didn’t see a single person in the common room and took that for the blessing it was. Wasting no time, I headed straight for my car and peeled out of the gravel forecourt without looking back.

  I did, however, glance at the clock in my car. Noting the time, I let loose a string of curses. I was already over an hour late, and I smelled like booze, sweat, and stale cigarette smoke. There was no way he would let this slide. I had to think of an acceptable excuse; one that wouldn’t set him off.

  I ran inside my apartment and straight to the shower to wash the previous night’s stench from my body. Whisking my hair into a messy bun on top of my head, I threw on an outfit he would approve of, grabbed my stuff, and was back in my car within 10 minutes.

  I drove a little over a half an hour until I reached what I hoped would be my saving grace. I pulled over on the side of the road and checked my phone. Just as I had hoped, I had no service. I had traveled this route many times and discovered early on that cell phone service was spotty at best for a good 10-mile stretch.

  Sighing, I exited my car and rounded the hood. I pulled my knife from my purse and grimaced as I punctured the front right tire. The tires for my car weren’t too expensive, but it was still money that I didn’t want to spend; though, if this scheme worked, it would be worth it.

  I situated my purse across my body and replaced my four-inch pumps with running shoes. Locking my car and praying my plan worked, I took off down the road, jogging at a quick pace. I had some time to make up for. When he found out what happened, and he certainly would, I needed to be far enough down the road to account for the amount of time that had passed.

  I was in decent shape and ran a few miles a day several times a week. I would do it every day if I could, but between my job and other obligations, I just didn’t have the time. However, I was usually hydrated and well-rested when I went for a run. Currently, I was dehydrated, hungry, and massively hung-over.

  My stomach started protesting first, churning and gurgling. I fought it as long as I could, but sooner than I’d hoped, I succumbed to the nausea and vomited what little was in my stomach on the side of the road. My stomach was empty, but my body didn’t get the memo and continued with wretched dry heaving. It was at that point I realized I didn’t have anything to drink with me. Digging through my purse produced a few breath mints. I popped one in my mouth and got back to it.

  I made it at least another mile before I started to feel unbalanced. I stopped again and damn near fell on my ass when the world moved in unnatural ways. Well, now I really was in a mess. I was on the verge of collapsing on the side of the road from dehydration and overexertion, and I had no way to call for help. On the bright side, I guess this would account for the time I was trying to make up.

  I staggered farther into the sparse grass on the side of the road and dropped to my knees. I vaguely heard the sound of an engine approaching as I fell face first into the unforgiving ground, embracing the blackness.

  Chapter Two

  Shaker

  When Phoenix dismissed Church, I went straight for my bike. I needed to ride and clear my head. He made some excellent points, but I still thought he was too hard on the girls, particularly Harper. She had been through hell at the hands of the Vine family and had a right to seek vengeance. I had been through some of my own shit due to two of the Vines. To say I was happy they were dead would be a vast understatement.

  I told Phoenix I went down to the basement with the girls after I caught them sneaking down there to supervise and make sure no one got hurt. Truth be told, I was already on my way to the basement because I needed to rid the earth of the last living member of that vile family as much as Harper did.

  Now that they were dead, I was left with feelings I didn’t know how to process. Anger was the frontrunner. I was a fucking biker. How did some tiny little slip of a woman get the drop on me? A woman of no more than five feet three inches and 115 pounds managed to kidnap me and hold me hostage for five days. Needless to say, embarrassment was another emotion I was struggling to overcome. None of my brothers had given me any shit about it. Truthfully, they had been nothing but supportive, but I felt like they didn’t see me the same as before.

  I already had plenty of issues, more than my fair share, so being kidnapped by Hilarie/Valarie felt like Karma was dry fucking me for funsies. Actually, the kidnapping part wasn’t what bothered me the most. The thing that bothered me the most was something that no one else knew about. Well, no one that was currently alive. I couldn’t even bring myself to call
it what it was in my mind, let alone say it to another person. The fact that her actions led to her discovery of my tightly kept secret infuriated me as much as it shamed me.

  In what I first thought was a coincidence, but later turned out to be part of a well-executed plan, I met Hilarie at a bar in Cedar Valley. She wasn’t the type of girl I usually fucked, but she approached me, and she seemed ready and willing, which meant I didn’t have to work for it. We finished our drinks, left the bar, and I took her to the shithole apartment I kept in Cedar Valley. It was nothing more than a fuck pad; she knew it, and I didn't deny it. Everything had been going great; she was on her knees just inside the door swallowing my cock like it was going to shoot water from the fountain of youth down her throat. Then she stood and tried to kiss me. I. Do. Not. Kiss. She didn’t like that very much, but accepted it for what it was. That should have been a red flag. When she accepted my next quirk without balking, it was a red flag that my dick-drained brain completely missed. As I said, I have issues, but with good reason.

  ***

  Eight Years Ago

  “Jacob, wake up,” Beth gritted out while she shoved at my chest.

  I yawned and rubbed the sleep from my eyes as I sat up. “What is it?”

  “We need to go to the hospital. My water just broke,” she cried.

  Her words had me instantly awake and alert. “Okay, I’m going to get dressed and put your bag in the car. Then, I’ll come back and help you,” I said as I rushed to pull on some clothes.

  Beth was oddly quiet on the way to the hospital. Aside from the occasional moan from a contraction, she didn’t utter a word. I figured she was as nervous as I was.

  I don’t remember the details after we arrived at the hospital. Everything happened so fast. Beth was taken to a room, and there was a constant flow of nurses and doctors coming and going. Before I knew it, they were saying it was time for her to push.

  I dutifully stood by her side and held her hand while speaking words of encouragement into her ear. I wiped the sweat from her brow, fed her ice chips, kissed her cheeks, wiped her tears—you name it, I did it—because I loved her, and she was bringing our child into the world.

  “You’re doing great, Beth. The head is out. I just need one more big push from you,” the doctor said.

  Beth’s face scrunched, and she squeezed the hell out of my hand as she gave one final push.

  Moments later, we heard a loud, angry cry and the doctor held up a screaming baby boy. A baby boy that was clearly not mine. There was no denying the prominent Asian features that did not come from myself or Beth, but I had a good idea who they did come from.

  I turned my furious eyes to Beth. “How long have you been fucking your stepbrother?”

  She gasped and tried to act like she was shocked by my question. “Jacob, I don’t know—”

  “Save it, Beth. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

  Before I could continue, the doctor interjected, “If you would like to cut the cord, you need to do it now.”

  I held my hands up and waved him off, my disgust evident. “No, I’m not the father. I’m on my way out, so I’ll send him in,” I spat as I pushed through the door.

  I walked out of her room, and I didn’t stop my forward momentum until I reached the waiting room where our family and friends were gathered. The moment my eyes landed on Duc Phuc, her stepbrother, I was on the move again. “Congratulations, it’s a boy,” I spat and plowed my fist into his face. I heard him hit the floor, followed by a few shocked gasps, as I walked out of the hospital, never looking back.

  I drove to the house I had been sharing with Beth since she told me she was pregnant with a singular focus. After turning off my phone, I got to work packing my personal belongings. Within an hour, I had everything loaded into my car and was on the highway headed south. Before I left the Marines, one of my buddies told me if I ever needed anything, he would do whatever he could to help me. I hoped he meant it, because I was about to take him up on that offer.

  ***

  Carbon was happy to let me crash at his place while I figured my life out. Two weeks passed, and I still had no idea what I was going to do with myself when he told me about the club and invited me to a party at the clubhouse. From the moment I walked through the doors, I knew it was where I was meant to be.

  Soon, I became a prospect for the club, and I busted my ass to get my patch. In less than a year, I received my patch and my road name, Shaker, for my ability to shake shit off. Two years later, I became the Road Captain for the Blackwings MC. I pushed Beth’s betrayal to the back of my mind and enjoyed the life of a single man.

  Everything was going great, until it wasn’t. I walked into the clubhouse one Friday afternoon to let Phoenix know I was going to spend the weekend with my mother. She must’ve been waiting for me because the second I stepped into the common room, she was in front of me.

  “Shaker, I need to talk to you,” Ashley demanded in her whiny voice.

  “Later,” I said dismissively and continued on the path to Phoenix’s office. She was a club whore I fucked from time to time, but she had started to get a little clingy. Maybe it was time to cut her out of my rotation.

  She grabbed my arm and pulled. “Shaker, I really need to talk to you.”

  I stopped but didn’t turn to face her. “What?”

  “Can we go somewhere and talk?”

  Was she serious? “No, we fucking can’t. We don’t talk; we fuck. You’re a club whore, Ashley, not an Old Lady. Don’t forget that.”

  The desperation on her face quickly morphed into an angry scowl. “I’m well aware of my role here, Shaker. Sorry to bother you.” She started to stomp away, but stopped after a few steps and threw over her shoulder, “I’m pregnant. It’s yours.”

  Before I could process what she’d said and formulate a response, she was gone. I did what I did best; I shook it off. Then, I told Phoenix my plans and spent the next two days with my mother.

  When I showed up at the clubhouse for the party the following Friday, Ashley was at the bar throwing shots back with the other club whores, and I saw red. Gripping her by her upper arm, I pulled her away out into the hallway.

  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I demanded.

  “Uh, what’s it look like I’m doing?” she slurred.

  “It looks like you’re about to have your ass locked down. You can’t be drinking and partying while you’re pregnant.”

  Anger briefly washed over her face before she replaced it with a mask of indifference. “I guess it’s good I’m not pregnant.”

  She tried to return to the bar, but I used my body to block her path. “Explain,” I ordered. If she lied to me about being pregnant, she was going to get her ass kicked out and banned from the club. You couldn’t mess with a brother like that without consequences.

  “You didn’t seem interested, so I had an abortion. Problem solved,” she said with a nonchalance that infuriated me.

  “You heartless cunt!” I roared and punched the wall a little closer to her head than I’d intended. She let out an ear-piercing scream and dropped to the ground, curling in on herself.

  “What in the fuck is going on out here?” Phoenix bellowed.

  I sucked in a deep breath and tried to get my temper under control. Knowing Phoenix wouldn’t wait long for a response, I held up one finger and began to pace. Finally, I managed to say, “She aborted a brother’s kid without his agreement.”

  “Carbon, get her ass out of here,” Phoenix said, clearly pissed.

  I looked up to see Phoenix and Badger blocking the entrance to the hallway while Carbon physically removed Ashley from the premises. “I don’t want to talk about it,” I blurted.

  Phoenix nodded. “We’ll be at the bar if you change your mind.”

  A few days later, I found myself knocking on Byte’s door.

  He opened the door and gestured for me to come inside. “What’s up, brother?”

  “I was hoping you could he
lp me find some information. It doesn’t have anything to do with the club. It’s personal, and I would like to keep it that way,” I told him.

  “Say no more. What am I looking for?” he asked with his hands poised at his keyboard.

  I cleared my throat and looked around the room. I was extremely uncomfortable asking him to help me, but I needed to know. “I need to know if that club whore, Ashley, had an abortion last week.”

  If he was surprised by my request, he didn’t let it show. He nodded and started typing. “I’ll see if I can find some kind of proof for you, but I can already tell you she didn’t have one. She was here every day last week doing what she usually does when she’s here. She would’ve been away from the club for at least one or two days if she’d had an abortion.”

  “Fuck. So, she’s still pregnant,” I said, more to myself than to Byte.

  “Or she never was,” Byte added. “Get her ass in here and have Patch do a pregnancy test. If it comes back negative, take her to the cells and make her tell you the truth.”

  I clapped him on the shoulder and stood. “Thanks, brother. That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

  Being the dumbass that she was, Ashley gladly came to the clubhouse when I called, and she was happy to submit to a pregnancy test, smirking at me the entire time Patch was drawing her blood.

  She tried to talk to me while we were waiting for the results, but I was having none of it. At my request, Carbon escorted her to one of the empty rooms and locked the door from the outside.

  Patch returned an hour later with the test results, and he gave it to me straight. “The test was negative. She’s not pregnant now, and she wasn’t pregnant last week either.”

  “You’re sure?”

  He nodded. “Yes, I’m sure. Even if she had an abortion last week, she would still have some of the pregnancy hormone known as hCG in her system. Her blood sample came back with an hCG level of zero.”