Paradox: A Death Dealers MC Novella (Book 5.5) Read online

  A Death Dealers MC Novella

  Book 5.5

  ALANA SAPPHIRE

  Copyright 2017 Alana Sapphire

  All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or deceased is entirely coincidental. Names, places, and characters are fictitious or, if real, used fictitiously. The author recognizes the trademarks and copyrights of all registered products or works mentioned.

  Thank you for purchasing this eBook. This eBook remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. This eBook, or any portion thereof, may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a review.

  Edited by Hot Tree Editing

  Cover designed by Clarise Tan at CT Cover Creations © 2017

  Club logo designed by Margreet Asselbergs at Rebel Edit & Design © 2015

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Bonus Content – Deleted scene from Seduction

  Bonus Content – Envisage (A #Rage Short Story)

  Other Books By Alana

  About The Author

  Paradox (noun)

  – A person or thing that combines contradictory features or qualities

  Synonym – contradiction

  Spotify Playlist – Paradox

  PROLOGUE

  RAGE

  ***Raven***

  Six weeks pregnant

  “Bullet.”

  “No.”

  “Walther.”

  “What? ‘PPK’ for a middle name? I am not naming our child after guns.” He opens his mouth to speak, and I quickly add, “Or gun-related accessories. No bikes either.”

  “Shit, babe. That doesn’t leave much.”

  “One Harley in the family is enough, thank you very much.”

  “Stop making fun of my name, Salinas.”

  I roll my eyes, ignoring his reference to the Selena movie, and his horrible attempt at the accent. I so regret making him watch it with me.

  “There are millions to choose from. Why do you want our kid to be the one with the weird name?”

  “Yeah, millions, but none of them unique.”

  “Forget it, Gage.” I hop out of bed, heading to the bathroom.

  “Hey, this is my son.”

  “Our son. And why are you so sure it’s a boy?”

  “I just know it. A little Reaper is gonna pop out and instantly ask for a Harley.”

  I giggle as he walks up behind me. “And be the youngest prospect ever, right?”

  “Exactly.”

  My smile fades as I turn to him. “What about Emilio?”

  He stops in the middle of brushing his teeth and faces me. “After your dad.”

  “Yeah. I was thinking for a middle name.”

  “Of course, doll.” He strokes my cheek. “Whatever you want.”

  “Thanks.”

  We finish up, then dive right back into bed. He pulls me close and I lay my head on his chest. I’ve been Mrs. Gage Hunter for sixteen hours, and I’m a little embarrassed to say we’ve been having sex for the majority of that time. We leave for our honeymoon tomorrow, and I’m pretty sure it’s the only activity we’ll be indulging in.

  “Using your dad’s name is a good idea. If… if it’s a girl, we’re naming her after my mom, Corrine.”

  “Okay. You think my dad and your mom are somewhere watching over us?”

  “Shit. As much as we fuck? I hope not.”

  I smack his chest. “Perv.”

  He chuckles, changing position so we’re on our sides, facing each other. I lay my palm on his cheek, staring into his sapphire eyes.

  “I do, Raven. I think… I think she had him lead you to me. It’s the only reason I can think of why our paths crossed. She knew you were meant for me.”

  “Oh, Gage….”

  “He probably put up a hell of a fight, though. I can’t imagine I’m what he envisioned for you.”

  “Yeah.” I smile. “Probably.”

  “Thank God Mom’s a persuasive woman.”

  “Yeah. Thank God.” I press a gentle kiss to his lips. “I love you, Gage.”

  “I know.” He smirks.

  “Whatever.”

  I return my head to his chest, baby names swirling around my brain. I’m only six weeks in, but the way Gage acts, you’d think I’m about to give birth at any moment.

  “What about Gavin?” I ask. “That’s both our names together.”

  “No. My son should have a name that strikes fear into the hearts of men at the mere sound of it.”

  “What?” I burst out laughing.

  “You heard me. Who the fuck would fear ‘Gavin’?”

  “Zeus? Thor?” I roll over, unable to contain my laughter.

  “Not those… but something similar.” He grabs my waist, pulling me back to him. “Stop laughing!”

  “Why? What you gonna do about it?”

  “You know, the usual. Stick my dick down your throat.”

  “Okay, okay. What about…” I rattle a few more names around in my mind. “Apollo?”

  “Apollo. Hmm….” He stares up at the ceiling, contemplating it.

  “Or Chaos… if we’re sticking to Greek mythology.”

  “Chaos?” He raises a brow.

  “Chaos is like… the first thing to exist, the great void that gave birth to the universe.”

  “Chaos,” he sounds it out, nodding. “I like it. Great for a firstborn.”

  “Chaos: Borne of Rage. That sounds badass.”

  “Totally badass, babe.” His arm tightens around my waist.

  “Chaos Emilio Gage Hunter.”

  He looks down at me, a grin spreading across his lips.

  “I love it.”

  “Me, too. What about a girl name? Do we need a fear-inducing one for our daughter?” I lay my head on his chest again.

  “Nah. Her father’s name will do that.”

  “Fuck. Now I’m praying for a boy. Our poor daughter would be a virgin spinster.”

  “What’s wrong with that?”

  “Dick.” I roll my eyes.

  “Yeah. She won’t be getting any.”

  Laughing, I raise my face to his. “Like any child of yours will be celibate.”

  “Me? It takes two, baby doll. I wouldn’t advise it, but you can always say no.”

  “I remember trying that once, said I wasn’t in the mood. You told me you had an app to fix it.”

  “Yup. Developed it myself.”

  “And I’m pretty certain it’s gotten a few updates since then.”

  “That’s the thing with technology. It’s always evolving.”

  “It’s a wonderful thing. It certainly means life with you will never be boring.”

  “You know it.”

  Sliding my leg over him, I straddle his hips, sitting directly on his crotch. His fingers glide up my thighs, coming to a stop on my hips. With a toss of my head, I flip my hair over my left shoulder.

  “Fuck,” he mumbles, his fingers digging into my flesh. “You’re fucking gorgeous.”

  “Am I?”

  “I’d tell you that you’re the most beautiful woman in the world, but… you’re the only one I see, babe. You’re the most beautiful woman in my world.”r />
  “Gage….” I slide my fingertips down his cheek as tears begin to well in my eyes. I don’t know how it’s possible for him to touch my heart like this every single day. He proves to me that love is infinite. There’s no such thing as loving someone too much; you either fall out of love or you fall deeper. With Gage, I’m free-falling without a care. The best part is he makes me feel like he’s right there with me. He’s my be all and end all. I never want to know what my life would be like without him in it.

  “Hailey,” he says.

  “Huh?”

  “Hailey,” he repeats. “It’s close to but not quite ‘Harley.’” My confused frown gives way to a grin. “Hailey Corrine Selena Hunter.”

  “I think we’ve got it.”

  “We’re pretty good at this baby-naming thing.” He gives me a smug grin. “The others should be a cinch.”

  “Others?”

  “Of course. You didn’t think we’d stop at one, did you?”

  “Let’s just get through this one before we even start thinking of more.”

  He begins slowly undoing the buttons of his dress shirt I’m wearing, licking his lips as my breasts are exposed.

  “Looks like it’s time for another update on that app. A few tweaks and fixes here and there should remedy that, help your thought process.”

  I throw my head back, laughing. “You’re something else, Mr. Hunter.”

  “And you love me, Mrs. Hunter.”

  “I do.” I toss the shirt on the floor. “Now let’s start practicing for baby number two.”

  “I fucking love you.”

  “I know.” I lean forward, gently placing my lips on his. “I know.”

  CHAPTER 1

  E SQUARED

  ***Einstein***

  Present

  Marry me.

  Be my wife.

  Ellen, be mine forever.

  Shit. None of those sound right. How do I express to Ellen that I want to spend the rest of my life with her in a few words? Nothing I come up with will ever do justice to what I feel for her. I’ve had the ring for a while now. The only reason it’s not on her finger is that I can’t figure out how to ask her to marry me.

  “Babe, you ready?” Ellen asks as she exits the bathroom.

  Gorgeous. Under my nose all these years and I never gave her more than a cursory glance. She was Gage’s baby sister, Eddie’s old lady; I never took the time to see the beautiful woman underneath those titles. If she hadn’t come on to me at Gage and Raven’s wedding, we’d probably still be no more than friends. Thank God she did.

  She walks to where I’m perched on the foot of the bed, wedging herself between my legs. I lay my palms on the sides of her belly, giving it a gentle kiss. Out of all the things I’ve achieved in this life—going to college, med school, becoming a doctor—none of them compare to what I’ve created with this woman.

  A child.

  A life.

  She’s five months along, and I can’t wait for the next four to roll by so I can meet our daughter. Ellen wants to wait to know the gender, but it’s hard not to notice when I can read an ultrasound. She’s forbidden me from telling her or even dropping any hints.

  Standing, I slide my hand to the back of her neck and into her silky brown hair, pulling her head back so she’s looking up at me.

  “You know I love you, right?”

  “Of course.” Her brows knit in confusion, blue eyes glued to mine. “What’s gotten into you?”

  “Just making sure, beautiful.”

  “You don’t ever have to question that or my love for you.”

  I gently cradle her face. “Good to know. Our life—you, Mikey, our baby—means everything to me.”

  She grips my wrists, beginning to tear up. “I feel the same. I love you, Jon.”

  I press a soft kiss to her lips, closing my eyes as I lay my forehead on hers. It’s time to man up and truly make her mine. Legally. Gage is already on my back about it, but that’s because he doesn’t know I have the ring. It’s been burning a hole in my pocket since the day after Ellen told me she was pregnant. I intend to change her name before our child is born.

  “We should go,” she whispers but doesn’t make a move.

  I break our contact, smiling as I tug her out the bedroom door. Mikey spent the night with his grandfather, and as much as I enjoyed our alone time, I’m anxious to get him back home. Once I have her safely in the car, I slide into the driver’s seat, taking her hand in mine. As it rests on my thigh, I stroke the spot on her finger where my ring should be. Where it will be.

  Ellen is mine, and I can’t wait for her to be my wife.

  ***Ellen***

  Jon is behaving strangely.

  Not bad strange, but I can’t figure out what’s going on with him. I know he loves me; there’s no question there. I wish I knew what has him in this pensive mood. He’s gone quiet, thumb slowly brushing my fingers. I give his thigh a gentle squeeze, prompting him to glance over at me expectantly.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, just thinking.”

  “About what?”

  “You.” He raises my hand to his lips, kissing the back. “How much of an idiot I was not to snatch you up sooner.”

  “Snatch me up? I seem to remember I was the one who snatched you up.”

  “True. Good thing you wanted to get laid, huh?” He grins.

  “No. The good part was that everyone else turned me down.” I chuckle, thinking about all the men who wouldn’t come near me because of my brother, father, or my dead fiancé.

  “Just making way for me, beautiful. You were always meant to be mine.”

  As much as I love Jon, I can’t help but think of Eddie. I used to belong to him, thought I would for the rest of my life. He gave me Mikey, and I couldn’t imagine my life without my son. If that lady at the cemetery was right, I guess we can all have more than one great love. Maybe I was only meant to be Eddie’s for a time.

  And Jon? What if he’s only meant to be mine for a short period, too? Christ, I couldn’t bear to lose him, lose another old man, another father to my child.

  “Where’d you go?” Jon’s voice cuts into my thoughts.

  “I’m here. I’ll always be here.”

  “Me, too, Ellen.”

  God, I hope so.

  We pull into the clubhouse compound and Jon helps me out of the car, keeping my hand in his as we walk inside. Mikey is playing with Venom’s old lady, Emily, but turns to us the moment we enter. It’s as if he can sense us. Jon picks him up, tossing him in the air when Mikey runs to him.

  “Daddy!” he squeals, wrapping his arms around Jon’s neck.

  “Hey, buddy.”

  “Hi, Momma!” He reaches over, giving me a hug and a kiss.

  “Hi, baby. Having fun?”

  “Ya. I played with Auntie Emily.”

  “Cool.” I lean forward, whispering like a co-conspirator. “Did Auntie Emily bake?”

  His eyes go wide. “Yesssss. She made cookies,” he whispers back.

  “Great. Let’s go see if we can find some, huh?”

  His head bobs up and down in excitement. Jon sets him down and I take his hand, leading him to the kitchen. Emily is the Merlin of baked goods. She’s made cakes and treats for some of my events, and I’ve received rave reviews about them. Since Raven and I are both pregnant, she’s also been catering to our cravings, and I’ll love her forever for it.

  Scooping up a couple chocolate chip cookies and some napkins, I lead Mikey back to the bar.

  I’m in no way prepared for the situation I walk in on.

  CHAPTER 2

  RAGE

  ***Raven***

  Thirty-two weeks pregnant

  I let out a long moan that turns into a groan, then a whimper.

  “Ba…by Jeee…sus, you’re good at that.”

  My husband chuckles from the foot of the bed, his fingers moving to a different spot.

  “You like that, baby doll?”

 
; My lids flutter closed, head pressing into the pillow as he applies the perfect amount of pressure. He adjusts my feet, finding an even better angle.

  “Yes, right there.”

  He chuckles again. “Babe, you keep talking like that and making those sounds, this is going to go in a whole new direction.”

  “Shut up and keep rubbing, biker boy. Your kids are the reason my feet are so swollen.”

  “Watch that smart mouth, biker girl. I’m not above putting you over my knee.”

  “Yeah, right.” I scoff. “You wouldn’t even if you could.”

  Usually, I enjoy a good spanking, but I’m so huge, there’s no way he could manage to do what he’s threatening.

  “Try me,” he dares.

  He presses those magical fingers into the ball of my foot, and any attempt at a smartass comment is forgotten. I purr like a cat.

  “Gage….”

  “Fuck, babe.”

  Looking down, I catch him adjusting his dick. He’s hurting. I know he is, because I am, too. It’s been a month since we’ve made love. I’m not exactly on bed rest, but I might as well be. I can’t get very far before I need to take a break, and Dr. E has warned me to take things easy because I’ve been having issues with my blood pressure.

  “I know.”

  He lies next to me, resting on his elbow and propping his head on a fist. His free hand curls over my belly.

  “Any day now, baby doll. Won’t be long before we get to meet our little angels.”

  “It still seems surreal. I can’t believe I’m going to be a mother.”

  “Shit. I can’t believe it either.”

  “Yeah.” I chuckle. “The man who said he’d never have kids ends up getting two in one try.”

  “That was before I met you, doll. Now I can’t wait to have a bunch of our kids running around.”

  “You’ll be an awesome father, Gage.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because you’re an amazing husband, and I know you love me… love us.” I lay my hand on top of his that’s resting on my belly.