Attraction, Secrets, Betrayals, Subterfuge, Grief and Love
While this could probably be read as a stand-alone, I HIGHLY recommend that it be read in series order. There are multiple reoccurring characters, concurrent and consecutive timelines, references to scenes / content relevant to the current storyline that cannot be included, and overarching themes.
** If you have not read the previous stories in the series, the following may include spoilers **
⛔️ Contains references to, or detailed scenes, with subject matter that may be a trigger or offensive to some, including: adult language; derogatory terms; mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, PTSD; steamy adult intimate scenes with dominance, submission, restraints, sensory deprivation, spanking for pleasure and punishment, etc.; violence stereotypical of the genre such as: kidnapping, abduction, murder, assault, theft, torture, fighting, drug use, drug manufacturing, drug distribution, money laundering, gun running, rape, human trafficking, coercion, blackmail, threats, subterfuge, betrayal, domestic violence, etc.
Even though it was mentioned above, the series contains references and/or detailed scenes with mental, physical and sexual abuse of women and children and mental health challenges.
There are a few grammatical issues, primarily incorrect word choice (of vs off), missing words, incorrect punctuation, and extra inserted words, but nothing difficult to interpret. There are also a few words utilized that are not commonplace in American slang, such as skulled and forwent. I am mentioning these for readers such as myself that visualize the story as it is read, because errors or unfamiliar terms interrupt the flow.
Hadley was actually introduced at the end of Blizzard (the previous story in the series). She was a stripper and worked with the club formed by Judge and Mary. Her husband is a FBI agent, Simon, that went off the rails when he started a new assignment.
Simon got a taste for the power and darker things handled by the Las Vegas syndicate that he was assigned to infiltrate. When Hadley refused to go with him after he returned back to Arkansas vastly different than when he left, he assaulted her. She filed for divorce but he refused to sign and then started sending her packages.
This sent Hadley into hiding and Optimus and the Athens’ chapter agreed to take her on as a Club Girl. She started a couple of weeks ago while Leo, their Sergeant At Arms (SAA) was out of town working with another location to set up a security business, his specialty. Hadley is getting along with everyone and is surprised by how quickly she is starting to care for everyone.
Leo returns to the clubhouse and Hadley meets Macy, Leo’s daughter, for the first time. She stayed with her Aunt while he was out of town. Macy woke up and was standing in the hall calling for her Dad, so Hadley takes her to find him. When they meet there is an immediate attraction. They flirt, but there is no time for them to “get together” then, so Hadley entertains Slider.
Even though he has never been jealous of anyone before, Leo feels like punching Slider when he finds the two of them in Hadley’s bedroom …
Hadley could tell that Leo was upset, but she had made Slider a promise to keep his secret … This may just be more complicated than it seemed.