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CHAPTER 1

JADE

I slow my horse, Puddles, down as we come to a stop at the far-eastern border of Rustic Grove—my home and the Stiletto Riders’ clubhouse. The homestead, set on a huge parcel of land, has a two-story house front and center. One side is where we conduct all our club business; the upstairs has rooms for the women who reside here, like me; the other half belongs to Diamond, the MC’s President.

As I pat Puddles, I survey the perimeter across the vast spread of acreage before me.

We’ve had some trouble at Rustic Grove lately. Usually, Saddle, Texas is a sleepy small town where everyone knows everyone, and gossip runs wild. But that’s about it.

Somehow, that all changed when Timothy Lanzetti started buying neighboring land secretly. Unbeknownst to any of us, he plans to build a resort, but he can’t do that unless he gets his greedy mitts on Diamond’s land, too. Without it, he won’t get planning permission, so things have become increasingly tense ever since she told him to stick it up his ass.

Rustic Grove is not for sale.

Intimidation tactics aren’t a surprise to any of us, but it’s like being in high school all over again. Lanzetti’s men cut our fences, spooked the horses, and damaged our clubhouse gates, to name a few incidents. Our neighbor is an asshole, but he refuses to sit down and talk it out. Just last week, a surveyor “accidentally” wandered onto Rustic Grove to conduct a report, claiming he didn’t realize he was on our boundary. It’s a load of shit, obviously, and just another tactic to try and undermine the club.

That last stunt sent Diamond into a rage, and rightly so. The rest of us went into overdrive.

There is no doubt Lanzetti is trying to get under our skin, but we have more than a few tricks up our sleeves. Sapphire, our Enforcer, and her boyfriend Sin—the Sergeant at Arms for the Backroad Bandits MC, an hour away from Saddle—came up with the great idea to plant a mole. Lanzetti is hiring security, and the Bandits are going to send a prospect in to get the skinny on what’s going on behind closed doors.

I’m still not convinced Lanzetti isn’t up to something more sinister. This town isn’t against change, but this monstrosity will only benefit him and his cronies. It’ll kill small businesses, and that includes all the Airbnb-style houses, the local hotel, as well as smaller rental homes and eco tents, which heavily rely on tourists

When I first landed here two years ago, I had no clue who I was, and not just figuratively; I suffered amnesia after I was abducted and trafficked.

I, along with a bunch of other kidnapped girls, was on a bus, destined to be sold, when Diamond and the Stilettos intercepted and took down the cartel. I was thrown into the seats during the accident, suffering a head injury, hence the memory loss, but I later found out it was a trauma response from what had happened to me. For months, I had no idea who I was or where I came from. I didn’t even know my name.

My big sister, Star—Nevada from the NOLA Rebels MC’s ol’ lady—was looking for me the entire time. She never gave up, even when people told her I was dead. The Stiletto Riders saved my life. I owe everything to Diamond and this club.

Despite it all, I was one of the lucky ones, and when I returned to New Orleans with my sister, I couldn’t settle. I realized that Saddle was my home. Since returning two years ago, I’ve never looked back. I love it here.

Sapphire, the Enforcer, and our VP, Ruby, both have cabins on the other side of the property, and Dustin, the stable manager, lives adjacent to the barn. Diamond hopes to build more cabins. But I’m one of the newer recruits, and I’m just grateful to have a safe place to live. I help out at the club’s bar, The Rusty Spur, and also at Saddle Hop, the café Pearl, the MC’s Secretary runs.

Puddles shifts her stance and shakes her head, then lowers it when I realize someone is coming up behind us. Whoever it is isn’t a threat because her tail is swishing. I squint, spotting Dustin and his horse, Mustang.

My heart skips a beat the same way it always does whenever he shows up.

After my accident on the bus, I came here to recover, and Dustin taught me how to ride all over again. I didn’t know until much later during recovery that I’d ridden before, but I was unable to remember.

I’ve had a crush on Dustin, Dusty, ever since I came to Saddle. He also assisted the Stilettos with the rescue, along with Leroy—the mechanic who works for Sapphire at Saddle Up. They had getaway vans parked at the ready…

“You’re okay,” a man whispers. “Nothin’ is gonna happen to you, I promise.

“W-where am I?” I flinch when he holds me. “W-who are you?”

My vision is blurry from blacking out, and I’ve no idea who has their arms around me.

“I’m Dustin. I mean you no harm. I’m with Diamond and the Stiletto Riders. We took the bus down. It crashed and rolled. You’re safe. You’re all safe.”

I try to wriggle free. “N-no, this is a trick!” I push into his chest, but I can’t go anywhere because I’m dizzy as fuck. “Let me go!”

“Jesus,” a woman mutters. “You got this, Dustin? She’s gonna need a doctor, pronto.”

“Ambulances are on their way,” another woman says. “Law enforcement is gonna be all over the scene real fast.”

“We’ve got our story straight, Diamond,” Dustin replies. “But we’ve gotta split, and soon if we wanna avoid the cops.”

“I’m gonna wait for the ambulances,” Diamond says, “with Sapphire and Ruby. Leroy has the other girls. He’ll head to Rustic Grove until we get back.”

“I don’t know about this; splittin’ up is never a good idea, D.”