Elizabeth Knox

I thought I escaped hell when I ran from the Sanctuary. Hell found me on a Valentine's Day auction block. Where the highest bidder owns you—body, mind, and soul.

She writes about killers. He kills. This December, they'll meet. Celeste Sterling came home to the Adirondacks with writer's block and daddy issues. She'll leave with blood on her hands and a monster's ring on her finger.

I knew the second I'd arrived back in Portland he'd know I was here within days, so it wasn't a shock to me that he came knocking on my door, literally. Kaden was my first love, but he isn't the same man anymore.

With marriage, there are things you can and can't live with. Harry, my abusive husband, made that clear enough when he beat me like a dog, forced a miscarriage on me, and tried posing me as a hostage to my father's notorious biker gang, The Reapers....

Everyone makes mistakes in life, and mine was letting "the one" go. We wanted different things and neither one of us would sacrifice at the time. Our demise wasn't for a lack of love. We loved each other so much. Unfortunately, life was pulling us in two different directions.

Her scars make her beautiful. My rage makes her safe.

So much had happened with the club and the people my brothers' loved. I thought we were for sure going to be getting a break from the chaos for once. After being in the military, I thought we deserved a break. Just like always, life didn’t believe we earned one.

I was minding my business drinking when the boys when I decided to take a smoke break and saw the unthinkable—a man had his hand wrapped around Astrid's neck. She wasn't just the VP's daughter in my eyes. She was the kind of woman who should have a man worship her, in all her curvaceous glory.

Over my entire life, I always saw my fair share of action. I saw more of it than most between my time serving in the United States Marines, and being the Prez of the Deathstalkers MC. A good friend came to me and let me know Hermione was missing.

Life doesn’t prepare you for this type of shit. The mother of my children is dead and now I’m on my way back to Tallahassee. I told my sons what happened, but my daughter’s another story.

Being a Nomad, I always thought it was best for my boy to be with his momma. I was constantly on the road and it wasn't the place for a kid. Sure, I wanted him with me as much as possible, but constantly moving isn't the type of life I wanted for him.

My life had been perfect, and then I was stripped away from my family. I had everything: loving parents, a huge biker family (even though they did fight like cat and dogs a lot), and the love from every member of one of the most notorious clubs in United States history....

In the past I wasn't a good man. No one had to tell me 'cause I already knew it. I made mistakes and I screwed up more times than I could count. It's what led my ol' lady, Skadi, to leave.

The one thing I love about my life is that when I go through shit, I'm not alone. The club's always got my back. I've been seeing Vail for a while now and when a series of old photographs are brought to light, Vail almost leaves....

At a club barbeque we were shot up by enemies. I was with our VP's daughter and covered her body to shield her from the gunfire. Thankfully, she was spared from the bullets, but I wasn't as lucky.

It wasn't my place to step up and claim to be her baby's father, but it was the only way to protect her, and the unborn life inside her.

If I didn't love her, I would kill her. I'd kill her for so much, but mostly for hiding my kid from me. For up and running, and choosing to keep my daughter out of my life. She doesn't just belong to Melody. She's mine, too, and Melody doesn't get to keep her to herself....

I've never been the type of man to seek my father's approval, especially when it comes to women. Now though, all I want for him is to accept her into our family - into our club. Ivy has a jaded past, even moreso now than before....

I don't know what it is about this stranger that sparks a fire deep inside me. He makes me question everything about my life. I met him one time when he was in the bar with a buddy of his. Weeks have gone by, and I haven't seen him, but I know where he is....

I left because I had to; my father was selling me off to the most dangerous man in the world like I was a prized pony. There was already so much taken from me at the hands of my father, and I would allow nothing else to be ripped from me - especially my future....