Tag Archives: Marteeka Karland

by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | February 18, 2025 · 5:00 am

Archangel Teaser Tuesday

(Black Reign MC 11)

A Bones MC Romance

Motorcycle Club Romance

Date Published: February 21, 2025

Publisher: Changeling Press

Archangel is always perfect. In complete control. Which makes him a
challenge I can’t resist…

Sonya: Just because I put a blow-up doll in the neighbor’s holiday
yard ornament, or send various embarrassing items up the flagpole
occasionally, doesn’t mean I’m a bad person. But my father
doesn’t see things that way. So he sends me to a man he thinks can
help me “find my inner self.” Otherwise known as get some kind
of job. Just my luck, the man he sends me to is the man I’ve had a
crush on forever. Archangel is strong, soft-spoken, always in control, and
the most perfectly made man I’d ever seen. He’s unflappable. I
can’t resist, even knowing the price I’ll pay. I just hope I can
slink the walk of shame back home before he knows I’m gone. That might
be the only chance I have of protecting my heart.

Archangel: I don’t know what Thorn was thinking when he sent his
daughter to me. Sonya has plagued my every filthy fantasy since the first
time she came home from college to visit friends at my club. I’d known
then I needed to stay away from her. Not only am I way too old for her, but
her daddy is the president of their club. Which puts me and Black Reign MC
in a delicate position. What I could never have predicted was Sonya taking
matters into her own hands. Sonya running isn’t a surprising. Kinda
expected that. What wasn’t on my Bingo card was my forgotten past
catching up with me.

Excerpt

Two blocks down, I saw a big, black Harley heading our way. Even from this
distance the roar of the pipes was distinctive. And I knew the sound well. A
dense trail of smoke had covered the four lanes from where one of the
residences was burning a small pile of brush. Just like in the movies, the
big Harley I’d known was attached to that rumble parted the haze with
smoke circling behind him like a jet trail. The man sitting on the bike was
just as intimidating as the machine. All the scene needed was a slow-motion
sequence and it would be perfect.

Archangel. He was the most unflappable man I’d ever met. There was an
eerie calm surrounding him most of the time. Sure, he laughed and had a good
time like anyone else, but he was the peacemaker. The person everyone called
when they didn’t want El Diablo or El Segador to take up the cause.
More than once, I’d heard Archangel make the statement you knew when
you had a successful negotiation because neither party was completely
satisfied. He didn’t play favorites, and he was always fair, but the
man had a giant stick up his ass the size of a telephone pole.

He crossed across two lanes of traffic at the corner to pull into the
parking lot of the courthouse, not even hesitating at the light as he did.
Brazen, considering where he was, and that three deputies and two city cops
were sitting close by. He parked the bike in front of Lawdawg’s truck
before turning it off and putting down the kickstand. A long, thickly
muscled leg was lifted over the seat as Archangel dismounted and walked
toward the truck and Lawdawg.

I knew there was drool dripping from the corner of my mouth, but I
didn’t fucking care. Archangel was the most perfectly built man
I’d ever had the pleasure of viewing. No matter how many times I saw
him, he was still awe-inspiring. If anyone saw me, all I had to do was point
at the man and any red-blooded woman on the planet who looked would
understand. He wore snug, black jeans. The material clung to his hips and
thighs in all the right places. He didn’t have on a shirt, but his
plain, leather vest covered most of his rippled torso. Which left his arms
bare, and a sliver of chest and abdomen showing when he walked. Muscles and
thick veins roped his arms. Tattoos peeked from his vest and crept up his
arms. His salt-and-pepper hair was over his collar but artfully shaggy, and
his beard was full and neatly trimmed. Mirrored aviator sunglasses rounded
out his outfit. The man rocked it like the ultimate bad boy.

“Hoooooly shit. Are you seeing this?” Linnie sounded in awe and
I glanced at her sharply.

“What the shit, Linnie, you whore!” I wasn’t really mad.
This was how we communicated.

“What?” She didn’t take her gaze from Archangel and the
question was more of a demand. “Tell me you weren’t eye fucking
him too and I’ll be ashamed. Or something. OK. No, I won’t be
ashamed, but look me in the eyes and tell me you weren’t eye fucking
him. Besides, we always eye fuck him together.”

“I’d love to. But I’m too busy eye fucking him to look
you in the eyes and tell you I’m not eye fucking him. Because
I’m eye fucking him like crazy. Also, I’ve changed my mind. We
can’t eye fuck him together anymore.”

“You sure know how to pick ‘em, Sonya. If you change your mind
and decide he’s too much work, let me know. I’ll give it a
shot.”

“Like hell.” I turned and hissed at my friend.
“Mine.”

“You know he’s so much older than you as to not be believed,
right? The man is practically ancient!”

“Red and Rosana have more of an age gap than me and
Archangel.”

“Right. Use their successful age gap relationship to justify your
own. I’m sure it will go over with your dad as well as it would with
my own father.” She had a point.

“Why’s he here, I wonder?”

“Don’t know, Sonya, but if the look on his face is any
indication, the reason can’t be good.”

Whatever was being said between Archangel and Lawdawg seemed to have gotten
under Archangel’s skin. He snatched his glasses from his face and
leaned into Lawdawg’s space. His lips moved, but I couldn’t tell
what he was saying. Mainly because Archangel had his teeth clenched. Lawdawg
shrugged and jerked his head toward the truck where we sat and watched them
from the back seat.

Archangel turned his head to look at the truck and us. Lawdawg spoke,
gesturing with his hands a couple of times while Archangel continued to
stare.

Finally, he nodded, and stepped away from Lawdawg, moving toward the truck.
Archangel came to my side and opened the door. “Come on. Out with
ya.” When I hesitated, he added. “Or I’ll haul you out
over my shoulder. Choice is yours.” Though his eyes looked like he was
furious, his face was relaxed and his voice was calm.

“What crawled up your ass?” The only person in the world I
loved pushing more than Lawdawg was Archangel. Probably because both men
were so naturally uptight yet unflappable. Anyone who followed the rules so
close to the edge should feel anxious at least some of the time. Neither of
these men were. Both of them stayed true to their consciences, but when the
shit hit the fan, they were the calm, driving force behind fixing the fan
and cleaning up the shit.

“When I’m called an hour and a half away to take a young woman
in hand who’s acting like a spoiled teenager, it tends to eat away at
my social niceties.”

“Look, you don’t want my company, I’ll happily catch a
ride back with Linnie and Talia. I’m not sure why anyone called you to
begin with. I don’t belong to your club.”

“No. You don’t, thank God, but your daddy thinks you need a
come-to-Jesus meeting about what you’re gonna do with your life. I owe
him one, so I got drafted.”

I blinked. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Afraid not, Sonya. Now, come with me. We’ve got a long ride
ahead. You can rest tonight, but tomorrow we’re going to sit down and
figure out your next steps in life.”

“Oh really.” I raised an eyebrow at him. “What if I
don’t want to talk with you about my future? I happen to like my life
the way it is.”

“And that’d be great. Except for stunts like this.” When
I would have continued to argue with him, Archangel snagged my upper arm and
pulled me with him to his bike. His hold wasn’t painful, but it was
clear he wouldn’t tolerate me trying to get away from him.

About the Author

Marteeka Karland is an international bestselling author who leads a double
life as an erotic romance author by evening and a semi-domesticated
housewife by day. Known for her down and dirty MC romances, Marteeka takes
pleasure in spinning tales of tenacious, protective heroes and spirited,
vulnerable heroines. She staunchly advocates that every character deserves a
blissful ending, even, sometimes, the villains in her narratives. Her
writings are speckled with intense, raw elements resulting in page-turning
delight entwined with seductive escapades leading up to gratifying
conclusions that elicit a sigh from her readers.

Away from the pen, Marteeka finds joy in baking and supporting her husband
with their gardening activities. The late summer season is set aside for
preserving the delightful harvest that springs from their combined efforts
(which is mostly his efforts, but you can count it). To stay updated with
Marteeka’s latest adventures and forthcoming books, make sure to visit her
website. Don’t forget to register for her newsletter which will pepper you
with a potpourri of Teeka’s beloved recipes, book suggestions, autograph
events, and a plethora of interesting tidbits.

Contact Links

Author on Instagram & TikTok: @marteekakarland

Author on Facebook

Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok:
@changelingpress

Pre-Order Today

Maddog Teaser Tuesday

Black Reign MC (#10)

Motorcycle Club Romance

Date Published: 1/17/25

Who knew we’d get ambushed by the cartel on our way to a village deep
in the Amazon jungle?

Holly: I was sick as a kid. Leukemia. Felt like someone always had to drop
everything to take care of me. Hate being dependent on people now, so I try
to do everything myself. When my best friend takes up with a creep and
won’t believe me when I tell her something’s not right with the
man, I decide it’s safer (for her) if I go with her on a trip to
Columbia he’s organizing. Bad news: I’m right. Fortunately the
most annoying man I’ve ever come to count on thinks it’s his job
to rescue me. This time, I might just let him. And that’s where the
trouble starts…

Jax: I’ve known Holly nearly all her life. I’ve been her
protector and the person she wants most when things go horribly wrong, which
they do, more often than not. To say we have a contentious relationship is
an understatement. I put a claim on Holly she never accepted, but it’s
time to force the issue. Not because she doesn’t love me. Because
she’s afraid history is doomed to repeat itself. She’s wrong.
I’ll always come for her when she needs me. Like it or not,
Holly’s more than my responsibility. No matter the cost, she’s
mine.

Excerpt

Jax

“Let me get this straight.” I pinched the bridge of my nose,
trying to stave off the headache threatening to split my skull open. Funny
how that worked when I talked to Holly. “You’re voluntarily
going to a country with a level four travel advisory. Unarmed. With a bunch
of college students. With no security to speak of. Have I got that
right?” I tried to keep my voice low and even, to fight my way through
the rage that she’d be so cavalier with her life.

“Sweet God, could you be a bigger buzzkill.” Holly, ever the
little ray of sarcastic sunshine, sounded like she was exasperated with me.
Or, quite possibly, like she thought I was being unreasonable.

“Answer the question, Holly.” If I let her distract me,
she’d talk her way around my directness and hang up before I could
forbid her from going. Not that it was going to help. Holly always did what
she wanted. Usually, only her mother was able to talk sense into her.

“You do realize you’re not the boss of me. Right?”

“I realize that, when you’re considering putting your life in
danger for no good fuckin’ reason, someone has to rein you in.
I’m surprised Wrath even considered letting you go, much less given
his blessing.” The silence on the other end was deafening. “You
didn’t tell him.” It wasn’t a question.

“Again, not your business, Jax. This is my life and I’m living
it. If I get into trouble, I’ll accept the consequences.”

“Even if it cost you your life?” I tried to go for a
matter-of-fact tone, but my words came out a low growl.

“Even if it cost me my life.”

Neither of us spoke for long moments, the silence so long I was afraid the
call had dropped. Then she sighed.

“Look, Jax. I’ve got a sat phone. Even if there’s no cell
coverage where we’re at, Shotgun will be able to see where I am. He
and Esther are great with that shit. If we get into trouble, I can call him.
They can either send someone to come get me, or let me work it out myself.
I’m only agreeing to any of this so my mom doesn’t
worry.”

“Did you at least tell Celeste? Because I don’t see your mother
letting you do something like this at all.”

“No one lets me do anything, Jax.” Her tone was hard and firm.
She was barely out of her teens yet I’d never met anyone more firmly
in control of her life. Which was to say she lived in utter chaos most of
the time and that was exactly the way she liked it. “But yes. I told
her what I was doing. She’s not happy about it, but she knows she
can’t talk me out of it.”

“Did you ever stop to think how your mother and father would feel if
you got hurt or killed? I realize it could happen anywhere, but by going to
Columbia increases those chances exponentially over anywhere in the U.S. She
almost lost you once and gave everything she had to keep you alive.
Don’t you think you’re being incredibly selfish?” I
winced. Yeah, this wasn’t my finest moment. Had I been trying to push
her away I couldn’t have done a better job.

“Go fuck yourself, Jax.” She disconnected the call.

“Motherfuck!” I hissed the expletive under my breath. I knew
better. I fucking knew better. The best way to get Holly to do anything
other than what you wanted her to do, was to tell her she had to do it.
Pushing her into doing what you wanted was even worse. Trying to lay a guilt
trip on her? Yeah. I’d just guaranteed Holly was heading straight to
Columbia on a humanitarian aid expedition.

I pressed her contact and waited for her to answer the Facetime call. She
let it go to voicemail once so I tried again. She picked up this time
and… yeah. She hated me right now.

“Got nothin’ else to say to you, asshole.” I recognized
that mulish look on her face. She thought I was going to try to talk her out
of going again, but I knew better than that.

“Can you give me two days, Holly? Two days and I’ll go with
you. You can still do what you do with your college friends, but I can make
sure you’re safe.”

“We’ve got plenty of security. There’s no need for
that.”

“Holly. Two days.”

She shrugged one delicate shoulder, a look of indifference and disinterest
on her face. “Sorry, Jax. I don’t make the schedule. Plane
leaves tomorrow morning at six.”

I wanted to throttle the younger woman. She was constantly bucking me,
doing exactly the opposite of what I wanted her to do. To be fair, I was
twelve years older than she was and had decided she’d be mine long
before I should have. I’d been sixteen when she came to the compound
with Wrath and Celeste. She’d been a precocious but sickly child of
four. She’d survived leukemia like a champ, never letting anything get
to her. No matter how sick I’d seen her get from the chemo, the girl
had no quit in her. I knew because I’d been with her for the last few
treatments. Which she’d not appreciated. I’d insisted because
she’d been so mad at me she hadn’t focused on all the needles
and unpleasantness. I’d been happy to take her wrath then, even if
what remained of the kid in me had been slightly hurt that she hadn’t
accepted me as her protector.

Even when she was so young, I’d been drawn to her. She was this
little pixie who’d absolutely cut you if you displeased her but needed
someone looking after her. I’d taken that task on my own, growing into
a man protecting the girl until she’d started becoming a woman. The
plain truth was, it scared me the first time I caught sight of her in a
bikini at the pool. Freaked me the absolute fuck out. Once I’d come to
terms with my feelings for Holly, I’d inserted myself into her life
but kept playing the part of mean and annoying older brother. Why? Because I
knew if she learned to stand up to me, she always would. And if she could
stand up to me, she could stand up to anyone.

“Holly, I’m half the fuckin’ world away right now. All
I’m asking for is two fuckin’ days. It’s the right thing
to do and you know it. I may be a bastard, but I would never let anything
happen to you.”

Her expression didn’t change. “I don’t need your
protection, Jax. Shotgun and Esther have my back. I’ll be fine.
Besides, the father of one of the students going is a senator. They always
have security.”

“And their priority will be the senator’s kid. They won’t
give two shits about you or the others.”

“And if you were with me, you’d give a shit about the
others?” Oh, the sarcasm was strong with this one…

“Of course not. But I’d care about you. I’d be the one
protecting you and I’d do it with my life.”

She snorted, scowling at me over the video. “Dramatic
much?”

“Holly –”

“No. You listen to me! Nothing’s going to happen. And if it
does, I’ll deal. I don’t want or need your help,
Jax.”

“You’re wrong there, baby. You need all my help you can get.
But I’m telling you right now, if you don’t wait for me, when I
find you, I will turn you over my knee and blister your bare ass until you
don’t sit for a fuckin’ week.”

Oh, that got her attention.

About the Author

Contact Links

Author on Instagram & TikTok: @marteekakarland

Author on Facebook

Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok:
@changelingpress

Pre-Order Today

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Tagged as Maddog, Marteeka Karland, Motorcycle Club Romance

by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | December 23, 2024 · 5:00 am

Dominic Teaser

(Grim Road MC)

Motorcycle Club Romance, Suspense, Age Gap

Date Published: December 27, 2024

I’m sergeant at arms of Grim Road MC. When I decide a woman is mine?
She’s mine.

Annie — I’m seriously starting to question my life choices. The
truth is, even though I was practically homeless and living on a meal a day
most of the time, I’m vastly better off now than I had been.
Unfortunately, stubbornness doesn’t pay for shelter. Or even food, if
you can believe it. I have a job at a local diner, but it’s still hard
to survive. Which is how I find myself in a bikini contest. If I make it out
of this situation, I’m never doing this again. Yet somehow I end up in
bed with the most wicked, dangerous man I’ve ever met. And why does he
call to me like nothing else ever has in my life?

Dominic — The things I let my vice president push me into…
I’m not a people person on the best of days, but somehow Lemon talked
me into being a judge at a the local bikini contest. She says it’s to
give the club some positive community exposure, but I’m pretty sure
she’s just trying to get me laid. Too bad every woman here’s
young enough to be my daughter. I’m a protective guy by nature and
have a bit of a soft spot for vulnerable women. It’s one of many
reasons Rocket made me sergeant at arms for Grim Road MC. Unfortunately, my
protective instincts kick in when my co-judge gropes one of the contestants.
The shock on the young woman’s face and the panicked way she flees the
stage prompts me to act without considering the consequences… and
that’s how the fight starts…

EXCERPT

“I’m too old for this fuckin’ shit.” It was true,
too. At forty-eight years old I was definitely too old to be judging a
bikini contest. Especially not after as much beer as I’d consumed.
Though I knew better than to touch without invitation, I was just as likely
to say something equally offensive. But at least, maybe I wouldn’t get
myself arrested.

“Me too.” The guy beside me was every bit my age and then some.
He looked like the standard West Palm Beach retiree. Too much on the spray
tan, too much on the hair transplants, and a little soft around the middle.
He was also probably wealthy enough not to care about the going to jail part
when he groped a young woman. Guy likely had a couple of the city’s
finest in his pocket in the case of something so trivial as touching a woman
inappropriately without permission. Like in the middle of a bikini contest.
Fucking bastard. “Don’t mean I’m not enjoying every
fucking second.”

A huge smile on his face, the guy reached out — just as I knew he would
the second he’d sat down next to me at the judges’ table — and
ran his hand up the inner thigh of one of the contestants. The girl
sidestepped her way deftly out of reach and gave the guy a mock reproving
look. Like it was all a big joke when I knew she’d reacted the way she
had by pretending it hadn’t bothered her that a strange man had been
headed to the promised land without her permission. I’d always thought
it was disgusting what women put up with sometimes. This was a prime
example.

“No touching,” I snapped at the guy. I was only here because
I’d let Lemon bully me into participating. Something about acting as
security near the stage and looking good for the club in the
community… Oh. And about me needing to get laid. Which, while I
didn’t disagree with her, I didn’t want a child in my bed. These
girls were all supposed to be at least eighteen but were young enough to be
my daughters. I thought back to Tina and my own daughter, Calista. Calista
was married to my enforcer and was probably only a couple of years older
than some of these girls. So, yeah. I knew grandparents who were my age.
Tina was probably laughing at this whole situation from heaven. If she
thought about me at all. I thought she might and I was determined to not do
anything to make her ashamed of me. Which made this a colossal waste of time
if Lemon was trying to get me hooked up. But I’d be Goddamned if I
wouldn’t put this guy in his place.

“Fuck you, man.” The guy didn’t even look at me. Instead,
he reached for another woman walking past our table. This one obviously
wasn’t used to being in these sorts of things because she started when
his hand slid up the back of her thigh to squeeze her ass before she could
get out of his grip. She whipped around with a startled cry and the guy just
laughed. “That’s right, baby girl!” he yelled up at the
young woman to be heard over the whoops and hollers. “Come to
papa!”

The look on her face said she hadn’t expected anything like this when
she entered this contest and had no idea how to handle the situation. Which
meant she’d probably either been tricked into entering, or she was
desperate. I wasn’t sure which to hope for, and I wasn’t sure
which made me more angry.

“Touch her again, I’ll rip your arms off. You damn sure
won’t touch her after that.” I actually bared my teeth. Which
wasn’t something I’d normally do. I prided myself on my cool
head. I was methodical and planned each move as carefully as I could. I also
listened to my instincts and factored them into my decisions. This time,
however, I hadn’t even thought about my move; I’d just acted,
practically snarling like a rabid wolf. Also, I meant every single word. If
he touched that girl again, I’d follow through with my promise.

“What the fuck, man? Why else would I be here if not to enjoy the
show?” He gave me a cocky — if a bit nervous-looking — grin.
“They all like it or they wouldn’t put themselves in this kinda
thing.”

It took all my restraint not to wait until he touched the girl again — and
I knew he’d at least try — and just beat the fuck outta him right
now. “I’m not repeating myself. You’ve been
warned.”

“Fuck you.” The guy sneered at me before reaching out to run
his hand up the same girl’s calf.

This time she jumped back, a panicked look on her face that sent a spike of
fury through my chest. I reached out to the guy, fully intending to knock
his hand off her. Instead, I grabbed the back of his head and shoved him
face first into the edge of the stage. There was the crunch of bone, a spray
of blood, and Mr. Handsy dropped to the ground and didn’t move.

The girl on the stage gasped, slapping both hands over her mouth in shock.
She looked from me to him and back before turning and fleeing the
stage.

“Fuck.” I hadn’t meant to scare the girl and, for some
fucking reason, it made my chest ache worse than my anger at imagined
reasons for her being in this contest in the first Goddamned place.

All around me, men were still cheering, either not noticing the interaction
between two of the judges or not caring. I kept my eye on the fleeing girl
so I could see exactly which way she went. I caught the number on her hip
indicating her contestant number. I’d find out her name before I left
this place, then I’d give that shit to Crush or Byte and they’d
find her for me if needed. Oh, they’d moan and groan and tell me they
needed more, then after a bunch of grumbling and even more pizza, chips,
dip, chicken wings, and anything else they could get Evelyn and Gina to make
them. Which meant, I’d be bribing the women to make everything all in
one go so I got my information faster.

Making my way through the crowd of horny men in their twenties, I headed in
the direction I’d watched her leave. Still, no one said anything about
the guy I’d just dropped. Were these fuckers for real?

Wait. Of course they were for real. I’d just answered that question
when I’d made the judgment they were horny men in their twenties.
Every ounce of blood flow that should have gone to their brains had likely
gone straight to their dicks. Given the link between sex and violence, those
guys wouldn’t notice anything short of a bomb blast.

I hurried around the stage and saw her. Leaning against a concrete wall
next to the women’s bathroom. She had her hand over her stomach, and
then she leaned forward and vomited.

“Sweet God above.” Another woman emerged from the bathroom in a
skimpy bikini like everyone else had on. She gave my girl a disgusted look,
her tone of voice irritated in the extreme. “Girl, you’ve got to
get a hold of yourself.” She snickered. “If I curled up in a
pile of puke every time someone grabbed me on stage, I’d never get
through even one contest.” She scrunched up her nose. “Not like
you were ever going to win anyway.” She flipped her hair over her
shoulder, then twisted her ass toward the back of the stage. My girl sobbed
as she finished vomiting.

I froze where I was as she fell back on her ass. She was half naked — her
bathing suit didn’t cover much — huddling on the ground in a
protective ball as she cried.

“Girl? He hurt you?” I knew he hadn’t, but I had no idea
what her mindset was.

She shook her head but didn’t say anything.

“Girl? Need a verbal answer.” I stepped closer to her, careful
not to spook her. I wasn’t sure how long I had before someone realized
Mr. Handsy at the judges’ table was unconscious, or worse, and came
looking for me.

“No.” She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and stood
to her feet. “I just wasn’t expecting anyone to touch
me.”

“He shouldn’t have.”

She looked up at me with large, hazel eyes. “You hurt
him.”

About the Author

Contact Links

Author on Instagram & TikTok: @marteekakarland

Author on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/experiencethemagicmk

Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok:
@changelingpress

Pre-Order Today

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Tagged as Age-Gap, Dominic, Marteeka Karland, Motorcycle Club Romance, Suspense

by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | November 19, 2024 · 5:00 am

Falcon Teaser Tuesday

Motorcycle Club Romance, Suspense, Age Gap

Date Published: November 22, 2024

It’s all fun and games until my ex shows up from the dead.

Gina: For over a year I’ve lived in fear, a monster terrorizing me
within the gates of the Grim Road MC compound. The club took care of the
physical problem, but demons still ride me hard. I’ve learned to trust
the people I interact with on a daily basis, I’m still too anxious to
explore the compound unless I’m with one of the old ladies or Lemon.
Or Falcon… He always seems to be there when the fear threatens to
swallow me whole. He’s protective and caring, and he takes me for
rides on his Harley. Which he had painted pink because he found out I wanted
to ride a pink bike. How many men in a motorcycle club did that?

Falcon: What happened to Gina at the hands Grim Road, myself included, is
something that will haunt me for the rest of my life. My only chance at
redemption is to help her heal and feel safe again. I’m too old for
her, but I can’t seem to care. I want to protect her, but I’m
watching her to an unhealthy degree, waiting for the times she needs someone
to bring her back to reality and assure her she’s safe. Until the day
she invites me inside her sanctuary without a chaperone. I’d never
take advantage of Gina. Not intentionally. Then again, I never expected my
ex fiancé to come back from the dead.

EXCERPT

Falcon

The soft cry coming from Gina’s bedroom window damned near broke my
heart. She did fine most days, when she had the girls to distract her. But
at night, when she was alone in that house, nightmares visited her
regularly. Those nightmares were partly my fault and that was why I
couldn’t let go of this need to see she was safe. Which is why I was
currently sitting underneath her open window outside her house. At one in
the morning.

Yeah. That wasn’t creepy or anything. Thank God she still stayed in
the compound. I knew she wasn’t really comfortable here, but she had
nowhere else to go. Though she typically stayed in her house or in the
fenced-in backyard, she would very occasionally leave the compound to
grocery shop or whatever. She never went anywhere inside the compound by
herself other than to drive from her house to the main gate and back.

Another soft cry followed by a small sob echoed in the night. It was a
scared, lonely sound, much like that of a child lost from its parents in a
crowd. Among the myriad night noises in the wildlife reserve where our
compound was nestled, she sounded like a caged animal too scared to
fight.

With a shake of my head, I dug my phone out from my back pocket and moved
away from the window slightly behind a shrub and called her. When I heard
her phone play a trilling notification, I moved farther away so she
couldn’t hear me speaking through her open window. She answered on the
fourth ring.

“H-hello?”

“Hey, Gina. I hope I didn’t wake you up.”

“I — no. You didn’t. Falcon?”

“Yeah. Probably shoulda led with that, huh?” I tried to make
fun of myself to distract her. I knew from months of watching over her and
listening to her nightmares she was always shaken when she woke.

“Sorry. I should have checked to see who was calling before I
answered.” She sounded a little more awake and even managed a small
laugh.

“I’m really sorry. I thought I saw your light on and thought
something might be wrong. About the time you answered, I realized it was
Rocket and Lemon’s place.”

There was a short pause and I thought I heard her shuffling around. Maybe
sliding the covers from her body so she could sit on the edge of the bed.
And, Goddamn, that image needed to stay the fuck outta my head!

“You were… checking on me?”

“Well, yeah.” I hoped I sounded sheepish and embarrassed but I
wasn’t that great an actor. But if it pulled her out of her
nightmares, I’d suffer through it. Gladly. “I guess I
was.”

She took in a shuddering breath before speaking again. “Because of
what happened?”

I had to be careful about my answer here. I didn’t want her thinking
I felt obligated to look after her, but I didn’t want to scare her
either. God knew she had plenty of reasons to be scared of me.

“Because you need someone looking after you and I kind of enjoy the
job.”

“You don’t have to, you know. I’ll be fine.”

“I know you will. You’re strong. You need time to heal and to
learn to trust yourself again.”

“I didn’t expect you to say that.”

“Why not? What should I have said?” I kept my voice neutral and
conversational. I wanted her to keep talking so she could settle her mind. I
always managed to find a way to get through to her when she had a nightmare.
I don’t know if she suspected I was watching her or not, but whenever
I’d hear her crying or calling out in fear, I’d send a text. Or
knock on her door. Or call. If she’d noticed the timing, she
hadn’t said anything. Positive or negative.

“I thought you’d tell me I’d have to learn to trust you.
Why would you think I didn’t trust myself?”

I had to smile. I’d led her straight where I wanted her to go and
she’d done so without hesitation. “Because you already trust
everyone in this club. What you don’t trust is your own judgment
telling you to trust us.”

She was silent so long I thought I might have overplayed my hand. Then her
soft voice asked, “How do you know I trust you?”

“Because, when Rocket and Lemon said the club would pay for a place
outside the compound if you wanted to get away from us, you
declined.”

“Yeah,” she said on a sigh. “I suppose you’re
right. I just couldn’t stand the thought of being out on my own again.
I was obviously not very good on my own the first time.”

“That wasn’t your fault, Gina. Once he got you back here, it
was easy for him to make you feel like you didn’t have a choice. You
know better now and you choose to stay.”

“I never really thought about it that way. I couldn’t get past
having to be on my own. And Lemon… well…”

“What about her? You know she’s solidly in your corner.
Right?”

“That’s just it, Falcon. I do know. She didn’t make
excuses for anyone. She didn’t doubt anything I told her. She believed
everything and I was quick to tell her you guys thought I was willing
when… you know… when you…” Even now she
couldn’t say it, and I wanted to claw out my own heart.

“Yeah, honey. I know. We’re all ashamed of that, even if we
didn’t know. We could have taken the time to talk to you more. Or at
all, really.” I gave a self-deprecating snort of laughter. “More
importantly, we could have made sure you knew you weren’t in danger
from any of us. All you had to do was tell someone you wanted away from
Hammer and we’d have removed you from the situation and asked
questions later. We didn’t make it clear so that’s on
us.”

“I guess,” she said softly. “Seems like both of us were
victims of Hammer’s deception.”

“I’d say that’s a fair statement.”

I heard sounds on her end as she moved from her bedroom. I heard a door
open, then close. Moments later, the light in her living room came on.

“You said you saw a light. That you thought it was mine.” She
sounded better now. More herself. Though I hated that she’d donned the
air of indifference she hid behind, I was glad that, at least
subconsciously, she’d trusted me enough to tell me what she had.

“Yeah. I did.”

“Are you close by, then?”

“Yeah. Just outside.” Not a lie.

“Um, would you, uh…” She cleared her throat.
“Would you like some coffee?”

“You good with me being in your space without one of the women
nearby?”

“I think so.” Her voice said she was trying to convince herself
she could do this and wasn’t doing a very good job. “You’d
leave if I got overwhelmed. Right?”

“Absolutely. In fact, why don’t we sit outside on the porch?
That way you can keep the door between us if you want to.”

There was a pause, then a sniffle before she spoke again.
“You’d do that? Just to make sure I was
comfortable?”

“Gina, honey. Of course. I like bein’ around you. I like
talkin’ to you and just wavin’ at you as I drive by. I’ll
do whatever it takes to make sure you always want to spend that kind of time
with me.” God, could I sound any more pathetic? Did I fucking
care?

“Come over, Falcon. I’ve unlocked the door and am making
coffee. Let yourself in. We can sit and chat for a while.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice, honey.”

I chuckled as I took my time walking up her driveway. I knocked loudly
before opening the door. Even though she was expecting me, I wanted to make
sure she was well aware of where I was in her home.

“Hey.” Her smile was small, but so beautiful it made my heart
ache. How anyone could have hurt this woman was beyond me. She carried a
tray with two mugs, a pot of black coffee, cream and sugar. That was
something else about Gina. She was always prepared with a way to entertain
guests. I got the feeling at least some of that came from the need to have
something to concentrate on besides being scared all the time. The other was
a desire to make people comfortable and welcome. The way she dealt with all
the children the club had recently acquired seemed to fulfill that side of
her as well. Which gave her an added distraction from her fear. “I
have some caramel sauce in the fridge if you’d rather.”

“Black’s fine for me. Thank you, Gina.”

She fixed hers with a liberal amount of cream and sugar before blowing
gently over the liquid and taking a careful sip. I watched her as I took a
sip of my own coffee, letting the silence stretch. I’d follow her
lead.

“Um, I should thank you. I actually had dozed off and was having a
nightmare when you called.” One hand cupped her mug while she ran her
other hand up and down her arm.

About the Author

Contact Links

Author on Instagram & TikTok: @marteekakarland

Author on Facebook

Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok:
@changelingpress

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Filed under Teasers

Tagged as Age-Gap, Falcon, Marteeka Karland, Motorcycle Club Romance, Suspense

by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | October 22, 2024 · 5:00 am

Venus Teaser

(Iron Tzars MC)

Motorcycle Club Romance, Suspense, Age Gap

Date Published: October 25, 2024

Venus: I come from world filled with violence, death, and impossible
choices. I’ve only backed down from fight once, and that left me with
pain and regret. But now, I have chance to balance scales. I’m known
as most dangerous member of Salvation’s Bane MC. But truth is, beneath
tough exterior, I’m still a scared young woman running from monsters,
trying to protect those I love. That fear ends today. Only problem? Biker
named Piston. Doesn’t know meaning of personal space. He’s
always there, watching me, protecting me, and even though I’d never
admit it, his presence brings strange sense of peace. He makes me want
things I can never have.

Piston: For more than a decade, I’ve been Venus’s silent
protector. In the shadows, I’ve watched her, stalking her every move.
When she settled in Palm Beach with Salvation’s Bane, I made sure to
be close by. I keep an eye on her, guarding her, even if she doesn’t
realize it. But when an enemy from her past threatens her, I step out of the
shadows. Venus is on the hunt, and the monster she’s chasing has
awakened the beast in me. I protect what’s mine. And Venus?
She’s mine.

Author’s Note: Venus’ first person narrative is written in
heavily accented English. Articles (the, a, an) do not exist in Russian
language.

EXCERPT

Piston

Venus first turned up on my radar over a decade ago when she was in the FSB
in Russia. The agency I worked for was very interested in her for some
reason. I was never given the details, but I got the feeling they were
interested in luring her away from Russia. Likely because they were afraid
of her. I played my cards carefully regarding Venus. I told them the strict
truth, but I left out a lot.

Like how I’d never seen her equal in a hunter. Or that that real
shade of her hair was a very pale blonde. Or how young she looked when she
let her guard down, which wasn’t often. Or how beautiful she was. I
kept that to myself because I didn’t trust the CIA any further than I
could piss. If they were interested in this woman, she was someone I needed
to protect.

For years I kept to the shadows. When she joined Salvation’s Bane MC,
I found a home with Grim Road MC. They were completely off the radar and
close enough for me to keep an eye on Venus.

I had to smile. If she knew the extent to which I’ve been on her six
and for how long, she’d gut me like a fish.

But that’s the thing about being in deep cover. You learn how to keep
secrets, even from yourself. And Venus? She was one secret I’d vowed
never to spill. Much to the dismay of my handlers. They knew there was more
to her than I reported.

Tonight, as I held her pinned against me, feeling the rise and fall of her
chest, the stakes felt higher than ever. Her anger and her fire were
intoxicating, making every moment with her a volatile mix of danger and
desire.

“Listen,” I whispered into her ear, my voice low and steady
against the chill night air. “I’m not your enemy, Venus. I think
you know that.”

“I know you are pompous ass.” She hissed at me over her
shoulder, but I wasn’t fooled. If this woman wanted to be free,
she’d be free. And I’d be lying in pool of my own blood.

Interesting.

“Glad to see my charm didn’t go unnoticed.”

She struggled in my hold a bit longer, then relaxed with a huff, her body
still tense but no longer fighting. “You’re infuriating, you
know that, Piston?”

“That’s part of my charm too,” I replied, the corner of
my mouth lifting slightly. I loosened my grip just enough to let her know
she could break free if she wanted. It was a test as much as it was a
truce.

Venus turned within my arms to face me, her gaze fierce and calculating.
She wasn’t afraid of me, she knew she could take me, but she
wasn’t ready to kill me yet. Made me wonder why. One thing I’d
learned about Venus over the years was she never did anything without at
least a frame up of a plan.

With slow deliberate movements, she backed up one step. Then another.

“Is this a truce then?” I kept my hands to my sides, but was
ready to defend myself if necessary.

“I’m not sure.” She gave me a curious look, her gaze
moving boldly over me. Then her brow furrowed. “I’m really not
sure.”

“Then let’s call it a truce. We can always decide later to
resume fighting.”

Venus’s lips twisted into a skeptical smile, but she nodded slowly.
“Fine, truce for now. But don’t think this means I trust you,
Piston. We’re not buddies.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I replied, my voice low and even.
Her distrust was like a sharp blade held at my neck, yet there was something
exhilarating about not knowing when she might decide to slash. It was all I
could do to keep from smiling. My cock didn’t care if she saw him or
not and shot hard so fast I nearly winced. Thankfully, if she noticed, she
didn’t mention it.

We stood in silence for a moment, the tension between us palpable. The
night air was warm against my skin, and somewhere nearby an owl hooted, a
solitary sound that seemed to emphasize the isolation of our current
circumstances.

Venus finally broke the silence. “So, what now, Piston? We just stand
here in dark staring at each other until one of us breaks?” There was
a hint of amusement in her voice, a playful challenge I hadn’t heard
before.

I shrugged nonchalantly. “We could do that, or we could put this
temporary truce to better use.”

“What do you propose?” Her voice was cautious yet intrigued,
her eyes scanning my face for any hint of deceit.

“We work together,” I said simply. “You have your skills
and resources, I have mine. Together, we can find and kill the fuck outta
Zaitsev.”

“Why do you want to kill him?” She was genuinely curious, but I
knew she was filing away all this information for inspection later.
She’d remember everything about our conversation, my expressions, the
inflection of my voice, and dissect it for every ounce of information. Just
like she’d been trained to do. Same as me.

“Isn’t it enough that his goons kidnapped my vice
president?”

She nodded slowly. “Sure. But I don’t think that’s whole
story with you.”

Smart woman. “I’ll tell you my secrets if you tell me
yours.”

“Right.” She picked up the gun Zaitsev had shot me with,
checking the weapon before tucking it against her back in the waistband of
her pants. “I’m going back to Tzars. Lemon wanted me to check on
Dani.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Lemon. Wanted you to check on her
sister.” I spoke slowly, wanting to make sure I’d heard her
right, because it sounded suspiciously like Venus, the badass assassin for
the FSB, was… running. From me.

Two things were foremost in my mind. First, it didn’t sit well that
she wanted away from me. Granted, she didn’t know me as well as I knew
her, but I was becoming more and more protective of Venus. I wanted her
close where she couldn’t get into more trouble than she could get
herself out of. Though I’d watched her from afar for years (stalker
much?), I liked having her close. I blamed my vice president. Had it not
been for Lemon getting kidnapped, I might never have gotten this close to
Venus for this long. I damned sure wouldn’t have gone with her to kill
the man she’d been trying to take down for a decade.

The second thing, though…

Yeah. Having my arms around Venus — even to keep her from eviscerating me
with her dagger-like nails — awoke something inside me I thought was way
the fuck dead. I was forty-seven years old, for crying out loud. While I had
an active sex drive, I hadn’t been this hard for this long in years.
Hadn’t had a need for it. If I had an itch, I scratched it with a club
whore. No fuss. No muss. And no one expecting to be all up in my
space.

Part of what I did at Grim Road was take care of… issues.
Permanently. I’d love to say it was why I came with Venus on this
errand, but I’d be lying. I’d claimed her in my mind the moment
I’d seen her.

About the Author

Author Links

Author on Instagram & TikTok: @marteekakarland

Author on Facebook

Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok:
@changelingpress

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Tagged as Age-Gap, Marteeka Karland, Motorcycle Club Romance, Suspense, Venus

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