Release Read online

  Release: A Dark, Erotic Motorcycle Club Romance

  By Jade Chandler

  Pain is my addiction and tattoos are my art.

  In the Jericho Brotherhood MC, I’m the man to get the job done. That’s why they call me Rock.

  From the first dance, I knew Avery Winston wasn’t a fast f*ck. One taste will never be enough when it comes to her. I crave her sweet skin and sassy mouth.

  I screwed up and she sent me packing. With my second chance, I’ll do anything to keep her by my side.

  But that ain’t easy. She doesn’t trust my MC, and they are my life. And there’s too much happening right now to show her what being an old lady means. Brothers fighting and escalating violence has me on the edge.

  Then Avery’s family situation turns crazy. When chaos breaks out from all sides, I don’t know if I can protect the one I love.

  Book two of The Jericho Brotherhood

  This book is approximately 73,000 words

  Carina Press acknowledges the editorial services of Lauren Plude

  One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise! Find out more at CarinaPress.com/RomancePromise

  Dear Reader,

  This month I’d like to take the opportunity to talk to you about a topic that I’ve been giving serious thought to recently: toilet paper rolls. Should they roll from the top or the bottom? Kidding! In fact, the topic is book reviews. I’m probably not supposed to admit this, but I love book reviews. Even critical or low-star reviews—sometimes those are the books I end up wanting to read the most because the thing the reviewer didn’t like is exactly what I look for in a book (insta-love, too much sex and a bossy hero, for instance)! At Carina Press, we always hope that our books will move you to leave a review, whether on a blog, social media, a retailer’s listing, a review site or elsewhere. Reviews help spread the word to other readers and help increase an author (and publisher’s) visibility in the market. Please consider leaving a review for Carina Press books that you read or have read. We appreciate you!

  Emma thought Avner was going to be a harmless fling. Her life-altering research was meant to save lives. Little did she know she would be drawn into a secret criminal underworld that would threaten her life. Will Avner be the one to fight for her life—and her heart—or will he be the one to put her in the ultimate danger? Don’t Lie to Me by Amber Bardan stands alone from Didn’t I Warn You and Didn’t You Promise, but you’ll want to catch up on Haithem and Angelina’s duology all the same!

  If you loved Lila and Dare in Jade Chandler’s debut, Enough, you can’t miss her next stand-alone novel. If you haven’t read them yet, what are you waiting for? Jade returns with Release, the newest in her erotic motorcycle club contemporary series. Avery wants Rock but not his intimidating motorcycle club, the Jericho Brotherhood. Once she conquers the club, she and Rock must overcome her fears, his secrets and a prejudice that threatens more than their new relationship.

  Mitch Dalton is falling for the drag queen next door in Outside the Lines by A.R. Barley. Chi-Chi Ramirez has his own struggles: getting his degree one class at a time, working too many jobs and performing at a nightclub to make his Broadway dreams come true. A one-night stand, a quick fling—that’s all Chi-Chi can give. But once they finally get a taste of each other, what if Mitch wants more?

  Tienan is an Alpha—a genetically enhanced assassin who escaped from the Ruling Council that controlled him. Silence is a tracker with the Resistance, on the trail of a dangerous stranger. When Tienan kidnaps her, both captor and captive are enthralled with each other, and sexual longing and desire battle with treachery and mistrust. Don’t miss Embracing Silence, first in the erotic futuristic Project Alpha series from N.J. Walters. And watch for books two and three, coming in November and December.

  In the mood for some mystery? Everyone’s favorite geek girl vows to get justice when she finds the body of a family friend in the community lake in A Geek Girl’s Guide to Justice by Julie Anne Lindsey. Previous titles, A Geek Girl’s Guide to Murder and A Geek Girl’s Guide to Arsenic, are on sale now!

  Coming next month: a holiday novella from perennial favorite, Shannon Stacey, as well as romantic suspense, paranormal romance and more!

  And if you missed it in last month’s Dear Reader letter, please make sure to check out our Carina Press Romance Promise!

  As always, until next month, my fellow book lovers, here’s wishing you a wonderful month of books you love, remember and recommend. And review ;)

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Executive Editor, Carina Press

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my daughters for their support and hours of letting Mom write. I have always said dreams come true, and now they have seen me make mine a reality.

  Contents

  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

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Excerpt from Enough by Jade Chandler

  Acknowledgments

  Also by Author

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Avery

  I honked again. I’d texted and called Glory, my housemate and bestie, but I still waited. We were late for the birthday party, I was tempted to leave her ass, but of course I wouldn’t. Going to Blue’s tonight was a risk, the Brotherood hung out there all the time. I wasn’t prepared to deal with Frankie, my first married friend who often felt the need to pity my unattached state. And then there was Rock, who had been campaigning for us to get back together, so far I’d resisted. Rock danced liked a devil and made me feel sexy, special. I remembered our Valentine date where he’d showered me in rose petals. Naked in bed with every color of petal raining down on me. Romantic, sexy, and one of a kind. Too bad he’d used me to screw over one of my best friends. I refused to open myself up to him or his Brotherhood again.

  Irritated, I laid on the horn. Glory pranced out the front door in her four-inch heels.

  “Lock the door,” I shouted out my window. Barden was a small town, but I didn’t want to take the chance.

  She glared at me and flipped her blond hair as she turned toward the door.

  “Get your purse,” I called.

  She flipped me off, and I laughed, some things never changed. Glory had been forgetful since I’d met her in kindergarten. She teetered on the edge of the truck floor before she pulled herself inside and sat with an oomph on the seat. Tight pencil skirt and pointy heels were not great choices
for riding in my truck.

  “You know better than to rush me.” She buckled her seat belt. “It messes with my memory.”

  “Right,” I snorted. “Because that’s why you’d forget your ass if it wasn’t attached.”

  “Well, it’s a damn fine ass anyone would be happy to find.” She shot me a triumphant glance.

  We were only four blocks from the bar where Frankie, our other life-long friend, was celebrating her 25th birthday. But that was two blocks more than Glory ever wanted to walk, so I agreed to drive us—not a burden since I didn’t drink. I’d walk through broken glass or something equally horrendous for her and I know she would for me.

  The parking spaces on Main Street were full all along the bar’s side of the street so I parked in front of my store, Black Label.

  “What the hell?” she growled. “Looks like all the Jericho Brotherhood and half the town are here.”

  I scanned the bikes, disappointed but relieved when I didn’t see Rock Juarez’s silver Harley Dyna. We’d burned up the sheets so well four months ago, but then he’d fucked it all up when he’d hurt Lila, or Mama, as she was known in the club. It still pissed me off to think about how I’d indirectly caused Lila so much pain. By telling Rock she was ready to find a new man, I’d unleashed the Brotherhood on her. Jericho, Dare, and a half-dozen brothers had shown up to claim her, creating a nuclear knock out between Lila, Jericho, and Dare. I was happy that Lila worked things out with Dare because I’d never met two people more in love, but it reaffirmed my need to stay away from this club. Now I lived in the special purgatory reserved for people who wanted a man they absolutely shouldn’t. Time was dulling my resistance, nothing seemed to strengthen it, not even the reminder that the club represented the same male-dominated world I’d fought to escape all my life. My phone rang, Mom, I motioned Glory to go without me and answered the call. In a few minutes I’d arranged Mom to work the store tomorrow, so I could enjoy a day off with Glory.

  Present in hand, I jogged across the street toward Blue’s but then I heard the quiet hum of a Harley, Rock’s bike I think. I froze feet from the door when I saw his Dyna park next to the other bikes. He removed his helmet showing his dark, close-cropped hair and square jaw, but my eyes were drawn to his lips. Lips so talented I still dreamt of the things they did to me, well, to be honest, even masturbated to those delicious memories.

  I put my ass in gear, not wanting to do the whole awkward...shit. Somehow, he’d closed the distance and we ended up at the two swinging doors to the tavern at the same time. Dammit, he was sneaky.

  “Avery.” Rock held open the left swinging door, nodding for me to go first. His gave me one of his dimpled smiles and butterflies flew through my abdomen creating the fizz of excitement I tried so hard to deny. I swung through the right door and kept trucking right into the bar, scanning for my group in the over-crowded bar—unusual for a Wednesday night. But then I spotted Mark, my brother’s best friend and the Brotherhood’s newest recruit. They must be celebrating his new status as prospect, which had become official Monday. I hoped he’d be happy. I didn’t want to see Frankie or the rest of our friends spewing hate that did nothing but piss me off. Saying our friends were mad at Mark didn’t do the animosity justice.

  Glory stood next to Frankie smiling, when she spotted me she frantically waved me toward her with huge eyes communicating more than anything else. She wanted me to save her from Frankie, who no doubt was going nonstop about houses, carpet and china patterns. I had a feeling we’d be saving each other tonight. Somewhere in the last two years, we’d fallen out of step with our friends who were all hurtling toward marriage, babies and small-town adulthood. Neither of us were on that path, part of me wondered if our friends would end up dropping us like they had Mark.

  “Frankie.” I greeted her with a kiss. “For you, from us.” Frankie began unwrapping the gift while I put my hand on Glory’s shoulder, which was already tense.

  Frankie squealed when she saw the lingerie and dress we’d chosen from my kick-ass clothing store.

  “I love it,” Frankie said. She turned to her husband Jason. “You’ll like this gift.”

  I jerked Glory’s arm, miming drinks.

  “Avery and Glory, thank you.” Frankie stood to hug us both. “You’re the best.” Her eye caught the bikers at the bar. “Can you believe they’re here, I complained that two big parties were too many,” she huffed. “Mal told me I could go somewhere else. Me!”

  “Honey, we can go to Ardmore next time.” Jason hugged her from behind. “He’s a sympathizer, next he’ll be in a ridiculous jacket, like Mark.”

  Privately, I thought Mal, the owner of Blue’s Tavern, had it right. People in town looked down their noses at the club and its members. While the Jericho Brotherhood had some unsavory businesses, according to Lila, none were illegal. Plus they did a lot of business in town, especially at my store. I’d cornered the market on biker babe apparel, and I had the ladies begging for more.

  I pulled Glory behind me. “I need a pop, let’s get a drink.”

  “If you can get through,” Frankie called after us.

  “When did our friends turn into our parents?” Glory hissed.

  “Dunno.” I walked around the group of bikers by the bar. More than thirty gathered, their true friendship apparent. So different than how our group acted now. We’d once had that closeness but were pulling apart, going our separate ways. Twenty-four was entirely too young to become full-fledged adults, but most of my friends didn’t agree. Rock was three years older than me, but he still understood how to have a good time, even with his clothes on. And when we were naked, holy mother of sexy, I’d never experienced orgasms as intense as he gave me. No, not going there. Remember, bikers are bad news.

  The bikers made our tenuous connection laughable. Just looking at them, was enough to see deep connections that time wouldn’t touch. I envied that.

  “Mal, hit me,” I hollered.

  He gave me a nod before he hustled a round of drinks to the bar.

  “Give me a Cosmo,” Glory called out. Mal, ten years older than us, had a biker vibe with his blond beard and overgrown mop of hair that wasn’t long or short. He was always in a good mood and was one of the few people in town who treated the bikers with respect.

  The bikers shifted, Mark stood there, staring at us. His smile dropped when he saw us. I rushed toward him, not wanting him to think I was one of the haters. My chest tightened to see the apprehension on his face.

  “Hey, congrats.” I made the short trip down the bar to where he swayed, already drunk. I looked to my side, but Glory still stood at the same place, leaning on the bar, examining her bright pink nails.

  She isn’t intentionally ignoring him, but that is exactly what she did. They had dated through high school and on and off since then. If she would drop a friendship so easily, then what would she have done if Rock and I hadn’t broken up. I hated the feeling that I didn’t even know my best friend.

  I clasped him in a hug. He held on tight, real tight, and I realized just how scary this must be for him—a new life, and his old friends had deserted him. That wouldn’t be me. Mark was my brother’s best friend, and my friend. A cut on his back didn’t change who he was.

  “Dude, you’ll be the baddest biker I know.” I kissed his cheek. “Come see me anytime, I’ll have your back.” I caught Glory’s eyes as she drank in our hug, but the stubborn woman wouldn’t unbend.

  He leaned into me more, squeezing tighter. “Thanks, Goof,” he whispered.

  I pushed him back. “Go celebrate, you got family there.”

  “Fuckin’ A.” He stumbled back. “That’s what I have—brothers and a sister.” He winked at me.

  Once I thought our friends were a family we’d always have, but lately that had changed. I didn’t trust the Brotherhood, but they were a family—there for each other. I�
�d never had that acceptance at home, now I was losing my friends. Life moved on without me, leaving me more alone than I’d been in years.

  I backed away straight into a wall of muscle, I turned my head and looked up into Rock’s face. I gulped. He smelled like motorcycle and leather—perfect. His hands held my hips. I wanted to push back, rubbing into his crotch, instead I stepped away before I grabbed ahold and never let go. My pulse beat in my ears and my mouth went dry when I focused on his dark chocolate eyes.

  I dropped my gaze. “Sorry,” I mumbled then hurried back to where Glory waited with our drinks in hand.

  “I was about to leave you,” she hissed, thrusting my drink at me.

  I elbowed her ribs. “You’re a hypocrite, Glory Schafer. Why didn’t you talk to Mark? You looked enough.”

  “Did not.” She fumed. “I won’t moon after an idiot, you know he shouldn’t have joined those thugs,” She whispered the last word.

  “So a lifetime of friendship, hell he was your boyfriend for years—all gone because he chose the Brotherhood?”

  I wanted to throttle her for her stupidity. My friends were so wrapped up in taking sides they forgot the people who were the casualties. It was just another reason to avoid Rock—with my family there was no doubt what would happen if I chose the Brotherhood. They weren’t the best family, but the only one I had. By the way my friends treated Mark, I couldn’t expect more from my family.

  “Yes. I’m so furious with him, I told him not to do this, but he didn’t listen, just told me I was a bigot. Me?” She stomped her foot. “I’m no bigot, I’m just too smart for stupid moves like his.” She narrowed her eyes. “Like you, if you go back to that biker.”

  “You’re a biker bigot. How’s your decision to go to Vegas any different?”

  Red colored her cheeks. “It is. That’s all.”

  “No it’s not.” I gave up trying to reason with her. She was too stubborn to change her mind, and I didn’t want to fight with her so I dropped the subject. We walked back to our friends where I listened to Carla discuss her wedding plans, Frankie talk about houses, debating between living here or in Ardmore. Yawn.