Road to Victory (Dogs of Fire Book 5) Read online

  COPYRIGHT

  2016 Piper Davenport

  Copyright © 2016 by Piper Davenport

  All rights reserved.

  Published in the United States

  Road to Victory is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Cover Art

  Jackson Jackson

  Trixie Publishing, Inc.

  Editing

  Amanda Washington

  CONTENTS

  Copyright

  Acknowledgements

  Back Blurb

  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

  Epilogue

  About Piper

  A Nun Walks into a Bar - Tracey Jane Jackson

  Jase - Geri Glenn

  Loving Lo - Winter Travers

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Amanda:

  Thanks for all the hard work on the editing!

  Kim, Sarah, Vandy, Caren Ann:

  I love you ladies!

  Geri:

  Thanks for the late night “chats” and brainstorming sessions! We will one day rule the world!

  Roslyn and Auburn:

  Thanks for being insane... it helps!

  Kelly Young (Liz Kelly):

  Lady, you came in like a knight in shining armor and added some much needed polish! Thank you!

  PRAISE FOR PIPER

  Piper Davenport can write one hell of a sexy biker! I can’t get enough of the Dogs of Fire MC series ~ Geri Glenn, author of the Kings of Korruption MC Series

  This is one series I will most definitely be reading!! Great job Ms. Davenport!! I am in love!! ~ Tabitha, Amazeballs Book Addicts

  BACK BLURB

  Kimberly Church has led a privileged, but tortured life. In an effort to beat back her demons, she breaks away from her villainous family and creates a stable and safe life for herself, shutting all but her best friend out.

  Aidan "Knight" Quinn is a well-respected and deeply rooted soldier in the Dogs of Fire Motorcycle Club. His dedication to helping animals leads him to a career as a veterinarian, but meeting the gorgeous and wholly unattainable friend of one of his brothers, threatens to distract him from his current path. Not realizing the dangers that truly lie ahead, he pursues her with an intense passion that surprises even him.

  When Kim's deep dark secret comes back to haunt her, will she trust Knight enough to let him save her?

  Will Knight be able to beat back the biggest demon of all in order to save Kim’s sanity, but most importantly, her life?

  For Kimmie

  You are my constant cheerleader and I love you to the moon and back!

  Kim

  Two years ago(ish)...

  ABOUT A WEEK ago my best friend Danielle called to tell me she’d met her dream man. The same dream man who’d just blown up girls’ night. Needless to say, I was still trying to decide how I felt about Danielle’s new guy, Austin ‘Booker’ Carver. He was an officer in the Dogs of Fire Motorcycle Club, and although his usual dress was one of jeans, cut, and motorcycle boots, tonight he and his friend wore Armani suits.

  Danielle Harris had been my best friend for well past ten years. She was the only person on earth who knew everything about me... and I mean everything. Her family had bailed me out of more situations than I could count, and always made me feel like I was part of their family.

  The night started off great. Dani and I were throwing back margaritas and relaxing at one of the most exclusive clubs in Portland. Blush was virtually impossible to get into, but we’d somehow managed to get past the bouncers at the front door. Unfortunately, a couple of Class A douchebags slithered up to our table and refused to leave us alone. This prompted Booker and his biker buddy Mack to “rescue” us. It would have been nice if they’d just removed the douchebags and let us get back to our girl-time, but Booker had to pull the badass card and bust up our night.

  That was about an hour ago and Booker’s need to play Tarzan now left me seated beside the tall, built, blond piece of deliciousness, Logan ‘Mack’ Reed, in his very well-equipped BMW, on my way home. I didn’t realize bikers owned anything other than Harleys. Of course, I also didn’t realize they wore Armani suits (which Mack was certainly rocking), so perhaps my idea of a biker was incorrect.

  I knew Mack... sort of. He occasionally came into the bar where I worked, to grab a bite to eat or talk to my boss. I’d never had a conversation with him, just a smile from afar. He was gorgeous, yes, but totally not my type. Don’t get me wrong, I was all over tall and built, but I usually preferred my studs dark-haired.

  “How pissed is Booker?” I asked Mack as we drove. I was concerned for Dani. She was a little naive, very sweet, and had just gone through a nasty break-up with an asshole who stole all her money, so she was extremely vulnerable. I noticed Booker was somewhat monosyllabic and difficult to read, but he was great at grunting, which only worried me more.

  “He’s more concerned than pissed,” Mack offered.

  “He looked way more pissed than concerned,” I countered.

  “Babe, your girl’s in good hands with my brother. He won’t hurt her.”

  Dani had informed me that the club members called each other ‘brother,’ even though they weren’t related, but apparently, a few were actually blood. How that didn’t get confusing, I had no idea.

  “He better not hurt her,” I said. “She’s fragile.”

  “And he’s protective. He wasn’t happy you were even there to begin with.”

  “Yeah, I was a little surprised we got in.”

  Mack chuckled. “You got in because Booker let you in. We’ve been watching from the second you showed your IDs.”

  “Figures.” I rolled my eyes. “What about you?”

  He grinned. “I’m protective as well.”

  “Yeah, I kind of picked up on that.” I laughed. “But that’s not what I meant.”

  “I’m neither pissed nor concerned.”

  “Well, that’s good to know, I guess.”

  We pulled up at a red light and he asked, “You wanna grab a drink somewhere?”

  “I was just doing that with Dani,” I pointed out. “You and Booker kind of blew that up.”

  He nodded. “True, but I figured since I interrupted your night, we could go somewhere else... a little more fun than the places we work.”

  “As gorgeous as you are, Mack, I’m thinking the two of us wouldn’t be a good idea.”

  “Whoa babe, you’re rushin’ things a bit, huh?”

  I snorted out a chuckle at his joke.
/>
  The light turned green and Mack grinned as we moved ahead. “What I’m suggestin’ has nothin’ to do with sex.”

  “Hmm,” I murmured as I cocked my head. “You have me intrigued.”

  Mack chuckled. “Trust me, babe, I know how to entertain, even platonically.”

  “Yeah? Prove it.”

  Within minutes, Mack pulled up in front of a non-descript building with an old west feel (leading me to believe he wasn’t planning on taking ‘no’ for an answer). He took my hand and guided me to the entrance and into... a honky-tonk. I shook my head and frowned over at him. “You’re joking.”

  “Trust me.”

  “No way.”

  He grinned. “Seriously, trust me.”

  “Ohmigod,” I groaned. “I hate country.”

  He chuckled and greeted the bouncer who waved us in without collecting the cover. We slipped through the darkened room and I grasped for Mack’s hand, as if it could protect me from the grating jingle of auto-tuned country music, which was far too loud for my liking.

  On the dance floor, men in barely-scuffed cowboy boots and giant pristine hats who’d probably never seen a horse, let alone ridden one, danced with dressed-to-the nines women, their hair in various stages of height.

  I wrinkled my nose as Mack pushed open a door marked “private,” and tugged me into a large VIP-looking room. A bar sat along the back wall and the outer walls had intimate booths. Some were barely big enough for two, others large enough to seat ten, and there was a dance floor in the middle, although no one was dancing. Once the door was closed behind us, the music from the club ceased to exist and I let out a breath of relief. I noticed a jukebox over by the bar, and there was a song playing (not as loud as in the main bar), but it was rock. Rock-n-roll I could handle.

  A lot of seriously gorgeous man meat milled around the room in vests and jeans. Some were deep in conversation while smoking and drinking, others were in booths playing poker or making out with the few women who were there. I smiled at the calmer atmosphere. Now, this was my kind of crew.

  “Come meet my brothers,” Mack said, and took my hand again, heading toward the tables.

  “Actual brothers or club brothers?”

  He chuckled. “Club brothers.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  A man with well-worn cowboy boots met my eyes as we approached and my stomach flip-flopped. God, he was gorgeous. Tall, really tall. Probably six-and-a-half feet. Delicious. I was tall, six feet or more, depending on the heel, but it was hard to find a man who matched my height (who wasn’t a stick). This gorgeous piece of ass was built perfectly.

  His slow smile indicated I may have stared a little too long, but I didn’t really care as I smiled back. Mack was cute and all, but this man... he was someone I could have some real fun with... provided he quit looking into my soul. That was a little disconcerting.

  “Knight,” the gorgeous man said, reaching out his hand toward me.

  “Kim,” I replied, shaking it.

  “That’s good enough.” Mack pulled my hand from Knight’s and I rolled my eyes.

  Irritation crossed Knight’s face, but not for long and the next hour or so was spent laughing, drinking, and dare I say, dancing (Knight and one other guy, Flea I think his name was, danced with me, but Mack refused). It was a blast... well, it was until Mack got a call from Booker and my night was blown up... again.

  “Babe, we need to go,” Mack said, ominously.

  I frowned. “What, why?”

  “Got an issue.”

  “Everything okay?” I asked.

  “You got a key to Dani’s place?”

  “Um, yes, why?”

  “On you?”

  “Yes. It’s on my key ring. Why?”

  “We need to go and pack her a bag,” Mack said. “She’s gonna be staying with Booker for a bit.”

  I grabbed his arm. “What’s going on, Mack?”

  “Problem?” Knight asked from behind me. So close, in fact, if I’d stepped back, I would have bumped into him.

  “Dani’s gonna stay with Booker for a while,” Mack said (to Knight, not me, jerk).

  Knight frowned. “Shit, seriously?”

  “What is going on?” I snapped.

  “How about I take Kim where she needs to go?” Knight offered. “You take Booker’s back.”

  “You okay with that?” Mack asked me.

  “Am I okay with what?”

  “Going with Knight. We just said that,” Mack said, sounding irked.

  Now I was pissed. “Oh, right, sorry. Obviously I didn’t understand the question the first time because you’re speaking as though I’m not here!”

  Mack gave me a quirky smile. “Right, so it’s all good.”

  “Jackass,” I hissed under my breath.

  “I’ll text you the info,” Mack said to Knight, clearly ignoring me again, and walked away.

  Knight smiled at me. “Ready?”

  I forced myself not to curse as I followed him out of the club. He opened the passenger door to a beat up old pickup truck and I slid inside, surprisingly comforted by the smell of horses. I currently owned an Arabian gelding and competed in every local show available. My life could only have been described as tumultuous and horses had been my refuge and, on occasion, my savior. The smell instantly calmed me as Knight climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

  “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” I asked.

  “Waitin’ on Booker or Mack to tell me, sugar.”

  “Right,” I conceded. “I’m surprised you don’t have a bike.”

  He smiled. “I do, but outside of the fact it’s too wet to ride, I had a group class out at a dairy farm, so needed to bring more than the bike could carry.”

  “Group class?”

  He nodded, pulling out of the parking lot. “I’m in vet school.”

  “Oh, wow. Really? That’s cool.”

  “Yeah?”

  I nodded. “I ride horses. I compete with my Arabian.”

  “Great horses.”

  “Definitely. I’ll never own anything other than an Arabian now. He’s the best.”

  “Where am I taking you?” he asked.

  I gave him the address for Dani’s apartment and we headed toward the freeway.

  “You ride English?” he asked.

  I smiled. “How’d you guess?”

  He smiled. “Shot in the dark.”

  “Do you ride?”

  “All my life,” he said.

  “Let me guess, you’re some kind of cowboy.” I nodded toward his feet. “I can tell by your boots.”

  “Nah, although, I’ve rustled some cattle in my day,” he said. “I ride mostly Western, but I’ve been known to put a horse through dressage or jumping exercises every now and then.”

  “Really? That surprises me.”

  “It doesn’t matter what tack you put on a horse, they should all be able to respond to your commands and move between both disciplines.”

  “I guess that’s true. Although, if you tried to put a Western saddle on my Arabian, he might kick you.”

  Knight laughed. “Sounds like he’s perfect for you.”

  “Because he’s ornery?”

  “Did I say that?” he asked in mock offense.

  I smiled. Tall, dark, handsome, and funny. I was in trouble.

  Despite my nervousness from not knowing what was going on, Knight put me at ease and I was a little calmer when we arrived. He followed me upstairs and into the apartment, closing the door behind us.

  “So, Booker said I’m supposed to pack her a bag?” I asked. “Any idea why or for how long?”

  “No... let me find out.” He sent off a text, and then we stood in the entryway, waiting. His phone buzzed. He studied it for a moment before saying, “Booker needs you to pack enough clothes and shit for a week or so.”

  “What’s going on?” I asked... again.

  “Honestly, I don’t know all of it, but Booker’s trying to ke
ep her safe.”

  I studied him. “If you knew anything, would you tell me?”

  He sighed. “Probably not, sugar.”

  Him calling me sugar sent a thrill up my spine, but I ignored it and crossed my arms. “Well, since I don’t know you, I’m not handing over a bag of my best friend’s stuff. So, how about you get on that phone and find out why the hell I’m doing this.”

  Knight smiled, but I could tell he was trying not to. He pulled out his phone and put it to his ear. “Hey, brother. Kim wants to know why she’s packing a bag for Dani. Yep, refusing to do it until I fill her in.” He chuckled. “Yeah.” He quickly sobered. “No shit? Okay. I’ll let her know. ’Bye.”

  I bit my lip. His expression raised my blood pressure slightly.

  “Some guy named Steven has offered her up for some kind of ransom.”

  I gasped. “Steven…as in her ex, Steven?”

  Knight shrugged. “That’s all I know.”

  “It has to be. That fucking, piece of shit!”

  “Booker’s keeping her at his place so he can make sure she’s safe.”

  “Well, yeah, that’s the right answer,” I ground out. “I’ll be quick.”

  I couldn’t believe Dani’s ex had resurfaced. Asshole. I moved through her room, packing things I knew she’d need, then headed to the kitchen and grabbed a couple of bottles of her favorite wine. I had a feeling she’d need them.

  Knight carried the stuff down to the truck while I made sure everything in her apartment was locked up and turned off.

  * * *

  Knight

  Unable to get the gorgeous brunette off his mind, Knight had bugged Dani for information on her best friend. He knew going to Booker or Mack would raise questions, and in the end, get him nowhere, so Dani was his best bet and she didn’t disappoint. He’d cornered her two days after the honky-tonk when Dani and Booker had come by Blush to drop off paperwork Mack had asked for. Dani had given Knight enough information for him to put into motion his “get to know Kim plan.”