Grunt

  Grunt

  Texas Kings MC, Book 4

  Cee Bowerman

  Cover photography by:

  Jessica Johnson Photography of Amarillo, TX

  A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

  Dear reader,

  Thank you for purchasing the next part of the TEXAS KINGS MC series. Grunt has been mentioned in all three of the previous books, but he’s always been a man of few words. One with secrets who isn’t all that sociable. In this book his life completely changes, all with the help of some kiddos he can’t help but love.

  As a stepchild, and a stepparent myself, I know how hard it is to adjust to a blended family. In this book Grunt has to take a chance on loving someone else’s kids like they are his own, after tragedy has already taken away everything he loved before.

  In my opinion, a good stepparent doesn’t differentiate between the kids who share their blood, and the kids that don’t. They love them as equally as the situation allows. I hope that Grunt’s story reminds you of a stepparent you know, one who fell head over heels for someone and then loved their kids with all their heart.

  My son and I are lucky enough to have found that love with my husband, B. As usual, all the best parts of the men in my books come from the man in my life. I love you more than a good rain, handsome.

  Of course, I’d like to thank my girl tribe. Victoria, Judi, Jamie, Kim and Shannon (Here’s your man, girlfriend, may you find one in real life who gives you this kind of happy!) The positive vibes and encouragement I get from you ladies helps me every day! Much love!

  Please leave a review on Amazon when you finish the book and if you like it, share a link to it with your friends. Find me on Facebook @ ceebowerman to keep up with the latest news on character development, cover reveals and book release dates.

  Happy reading!

  C Bowerman

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, places and events described in this book are the product of the author’s imagination, and in no way reflect real life. This ebook is for your own personal enjoyment, it may not be re-sold, given away or shared with other people. Please respect the work of the author and help to make sure that her work is shared in the right way.

  Please read the following detailed information:

  This is a work of fiction, and the details about Terran’s seizures are not accurate either medically or for safety purposes.

  However, for information on Epilepsy go to https://www.epilepsy.com/ and information on Traumatic Brain Injury go to https://www.braintrauma.org/

  I have listed some information from https://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/about/first-aid.htm below.

  Epilepsy can affect people in very different ways. In 2015 the CDC reported that about 3.4 million people had suffered from one or more seizures in the past year. That’s 470,000 children in the US alone. About 1 out of 10 people may have a seizure during his or her lifetime. That means seizures are common, and one day you might need to help someone during or after a seizure.

  If you are in the presence of someone having a seizure, there are quite a few things you can do:

  Ease the person to the floor

  Turn them gently to the side to help them breathe

  Clear the area around them of anything hard or sharp

  Remove eyeglasses, loosen ties or anything around the neck

  Time the seizure

  DO NOT:

  Do not hold the person down or try and stop his or her movements

  Do not put anything in the person’s mouth.

  Do not try to give mouth to mouth breaths like CPR

  Do not offer the person food or water until he or she is fully alert

  Call 911 immediately if the person:

  Has never had a seizure before

  Has difficulty breathing or walking after the seizure

  Seizure lasts longer than five minutes

  The person has a seizure soon after the first one

  The person is hurt during the seizure

  The seizure happens in water

  The person has another health condition like diabetes, heart disease or is pregnant

  1.

  “I didn’t kick Spruce, I was just showing him affection with my toes.”

  Jewel to Shannon

  SHANNON

  "I love you, Mom."

  "I love you too, sweetheart. Kiss that baby for me and tell Bird and his family I can't wait to meet them."

  As the phone disconnected, I sat up a little straighter in my chair. My daughter, Summer, needed someone in her corner to listen to her fears and help support her in the craziness of her life right now, and here I am relaxing like I'm the Queen of England.

  The phone beeped with an incoming text, and I opened it to see a message from my 'boyfriend' who I had been casually seeing for almost six months. His text was short and to the point but still so boring that I had to resist the urge to yawn.

  "I hope your trip is good and you are rethinking your decision. Things are fine here."

  No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't work up any emotion where he was concerned. Before I left town a few days ago, I explained to Joseph that we shouldn't see each other anymore. Honestly, our dating relationship could really be summed up as 'friends who hang out and occasionally go to dinner or watch a movie.' However, Joseph referred to me as his girlfriend and sometimes spoke about making ‘plans for our future.’

  I didn't understand how he could be thinking of a future when our present was so damn stagnant.

  Joseph and I had been seeing each other for months and had kissed one time. Well, we didn't actually kiss. I kissed him.

  I was the one to instigate that kiss and I pulled back embarrassed when he didn't participate. His lips never moved to kiss me back, he stood there like a wooden fence post and let my mouth touch his. Once I was finished, I waited for him to explain why he wasn't interested but the explanation never came.

  Of course, for weeks after, I blamed every shortcoming I had on why Joseph didn't find me attractive.

  I blamed my body, my weight, my personality, the fact that I had children, the fact that I didn't want more children, the fact that I was addicted to romance novels and had high expectations of what my love life should be like.

  Finally, it hit me that I just wasn't as interested in Joseph as I wanted to be. He was a friend. Someone who I could spend a little time with occasionally, away from my house and kids.

  I needed passion. I wanted romance. I craved hot, sweaty, crazy sex. Hell, even mediocre sex would work at this point.

  Running my fingers through my hair, I leaned over to rest my elbows on my knees as I groaned in frustration.

  "I'm almost forty-five fucking years old, and I'm sitting here thinking about boys. Ugh. Does this shit ever end?"

  “Wow. Way to give me hope for the future, Mom." I jumped when my daughter, Willow, spoke from a few feet behind me. "I'm just going to go find a bridge to jump off of now, thank you."

  "Whatever, child. You've got the prime of your life ahead of you. I've seen how your phone rings. It's not like you are desperate for someone of the male species to notice you anyway."

  I saw Willow grimace, and felt bad for a second, wondering what part of my comment had hit a nerve.

  "You okay, baby?"

  "I'm good Mom. I think I'm going to give up on dating for a while. I need a change."

  "What happened to Ricky? Richard? Roger? Shit. What was his name?"

  "It was Robert, Mom. We broke up a few months ago."

  "Then who sent you the flowers this morning?"

  "Robert. I'd rather not talk about it. So, what had you moaning and groaning when I walked up?"

  "Some things are happening with your big sister. Apparently, she's getting married on Saturday."

  "She's what?
" Willow shouted at me. She reached into her pocket to grab her phone, but I stopped her with a hand on her arm.

  "I'll explain it to you while I pack. Can I leave the kids with you and Atlas this week while I go home to be with Summer?"

  "Of course."

  “I'll get firm details, but let's plan on you bringing them all home on Friday, okay?"

  "Yeah. I'll help you pack. I'm dying to know what's going on with our girl. Last time I talked to her, she was planning to find a hottie for her first one-night stand. I guess if she's getting married, she doesn't really understand the concept of hit it and quit it."

  "You know, I'm all about my children finding their joy in life, but since you've been working at the bar, you've become jaded. Why aren’t you working in the salon anymore, sweetheart?"

  "I don’t want to talk about the salon, Mom. And, jaded? Working with the public will do that to you."

  "You get paid to flirt and serve drinks."

  "Yeah. I work at a club that’s known for it’s drag shows, Mom. Not exactly a lot of straight men in there for me to flirt with."

  "Okay, talk to me while I pack. I'll explain your sister's hasty marriage while I work.”

  "Knowing the fertility of the women in this family, she's probably already knocked up."

  I laughed at her and hooked my arm around hers. "She probably is, but it's a little too soon to know."

  "As fertile as the two of you are, I'm afraid to even let a man open the door for me. I might end up pregnant by osmosis or something."

  "Do I need to explain sex to you again, Willow?"

  "Maybe. It's been a few months for me."

  "Really? It's been years for me, sweetheart. At this point, I'm likely to dry up and blow away in a stiff wind."

  ~*~

  “Your sister went to have a drink with her friend from work, Drea, I’m not sure you’ve ever met her.” I looked up and saw Willow nod at me. “Anyway, they went to a bar and Drea introduced Summer to three men. Brothers. They own the bar, I think. I could be wrong there. There was instant chemistry with one of the brothers, and Summer took his hand and left with him.”

  “Just like that. She just walked out of the bar with a perfect stranger?”

  “She did.”

  “Does she know how serial killers work? Because, shit like that is how they pick up some of their prey.”

  “Not every stranger is a serial killer, Willow. Good Lord you’re like a grumpy old man yelling at kids to get off his lawn.”

  “I’m a realist. How does she know this guy isn’t a killer? A rapist? A tailor who needs just one more piece for his ‘body suit’ of victims?”

  “Your imagination scares the shit out of me, honey.”

  “I’d rather have you scared than in a well rubbing lotion on your skin.”

  “What?” I asked in a near shout.

  “It’s a movie, Mom. Good Lord.” Willow tossed a pair of shorts at me. “You think I have people trapped in a well? What are you, Lassie?”

  “Woof.” I barked at her. “So, the man’s name is Bird. He belongs to a motorcycle club. He owns a house with a pool, and I think he owns the bar they were in.”

  “Okay. Job, check. Home, check.”

  “And this morning a state worker showed up and told him he has a baby girl. She wasn’t keen on leaving the baby with him since he has no parenting experience, so Summer swooped in and said they were getting married and she has three kids and all that. The woman liked what she heard and left the baby. She’s going to follow up, but Summer and Bird have to get married now.”

  “Whoa.”

  “Yep. I’m going to go home and make sure she’s okay. She sounded unsure.”

  “Well, I can’t imagine why.”

  “Let’s give this man the benefit of the doubt, sweetheart. Summer said he had no idea there was a baby. He and the woman broke up a year or so ago.”

  “And Summer has to marry him?”

  “She lied to that woman and now she can’t take it back without making all of them look bad. She doesn’t want to get in the way of him having his daughter. And, it seems like he embraced the thought of taking on her three boys as his easily. She said he comes from a blended family.”

  “That’s good. Crazy, but good. Pete was good to us, but we were older and easier to get to know.”

  I looked up and stared at Willow for a second until she flinched.

  “I gave him a rough time, but I was a teenage asshole. We got through it. I loved him after a while.”

  “A while. Yeah.” I closed my suitcase and moved around the room to check that I had everything I brought with me. “I feel like I am forgetting things. If I am, I’ll let you know, and you guys can bring it with you on Friday morning.”

  “We will. I’ll leave Summer alone for now and let you handle it. I won’t grill her. Yet.”

  “Give the man a fighting chance, Will. I’m serious.” I gave her ‘the look.’ The one that rarely ever worked on her, but it was worth a try. “This could be her road to happy.”

  “Let’s just hope my new brother-in-law isn’t a hitchhiker with a bloody ax.”

  ~*~

  "Mom, are you sure I can't just go with you?" Spruce, my eleven-year-old, tried valiantly to convince me to let him come home with me.

  "No, buddy. You're going to stay here with Atlas and Willow. I'm going to check on Summer and see you guys on Friday. It's just a few days away."

  "I don't want to stay with the older kids. I want to go home with you." Petra, my youngest child at only five years old, was whining right along with her brother.

  "Not happening, either of you. Now, lay down and go to sleep, loves. Jewel and Terran are already passed out. That means they'll wake up before you and eat all your breakfast!" I kissed them both one more time before I stood up. "I love you, babies. More than the stars in the sky."

  I turned and left the bedroom, pulling the door closed before I walked into the living room.

  "I'll leave the Navigator here with you two, so you have enough room to get everyone home. Can I borrow one of your vehicles?" I asked Atlas. My oldest child, he was the most serious person I had ever encountered. He also had the biggest heart. His capacity for love and understanding was only surpassed by his gruff exterior and grumpy attitude.

  "Take my truck. It was just in for a tune-up. Will you call me as soon as you get home? I'd rather you drove tomorrow instead of going while it's dark out."

  "I've been driving at night since before you were.... well actually since you were about two." The three of us laughed together. It was no secret that I had given birth to Atlas when I was barely fifteen years old. His sister Summer came a year later, and then Willow eleven months after that. As difficult as it was to admit sometimes, I had grown up with my children. The older three were more like my friends, rather than my offspring. I enjoyed their company but was more of a big sister to them than a Mother figure. "I'll call you as soon as I get there, and I won't stop anywhere on the way. I promise, Dad."

  I hugged Willow and then Atlas before I picked up my bag and walked out the front door to Atlas's truck that was parked in the driveway.

  Once I had the seat adjusted for my shorter frame, I fiddled with the stereo and then backed out of the drive. I sang along with Stevie Nicks as I pulled out onto the road. As usual, I belted out the lyrics while my mind went through things. Driving was the only time I had to sit and think, although when my four kids were in the car with me, I didn't usually have a moment's peace to do anything but referee.

  The miles flew by and soon I was pulling into my garage. I pulled my bag out of the back and made my way to the interior door as the garage door rolled closed behind me. I stopped by the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water and saw that there were dishes soaking in the sink. I was almost positive I had made sure to put everything away before I left with the kids the other day, but as busy as I was it very well could have slipped my mind. Once I was in my room, I dropped my bag at the foot of the bed a
nd walked into my bathroom. I undressed and stepped into the shower. The water felt heavenly on my muscles after they had been cramped behind the wheel on my drive. I began to pull my hair down, when I realized that I had forgotten to bring my toiletries back with me.

  "Damn it!" I muttered to myself as I shut the water off. Since I was alone in the house, I wrapped the towel around me and walked down the hall to see if there was any decent shampoo in one of the guest bathrooms. I went into the guest room and came to a stop just inside the door. Someone had been staying in my house.

  The first thing I noticed was a leather vest laying across the chair. It had the symbol of the Texas Kings on the back, a cigar-smoking skull with a crown on his head. Summer had mentioned that Bird was the president of that club, and his entire family was involved in it. The vest laid across the back of the chair next to the bed must be from one of the men in his club. A pair of jeans was crumpled on the floor in front of the chair, and a large pair of boots were sitting next to them. As I stood there, taking in the details, I heard a sound come from the adjoining bathroom. It wasn't words, but a low moan as if someone was in pain.

  My adrenaline kicked in and I was turning to run back to lock myself in my room to call the police when I heard the moan again. This time, it was followed by a voice that called out, "Help me, sweetheart."

  As crazy as it seemed, I didn't run when I heard the man call out to me. Instead, I reached out and opened the bathroom door.

  Just as the door opened all the way, the noise came again from the bathroom in front of me. I flipped the light on and was shocked to see an unconscious man on the floor with his back against the wall. A bloody bandage was wrapped around his bicep and another around his thigh. His brow was covered in sweat, and his hair was wet with it. His cheeks were red with fever, and his eyes were closed even though he was speaking.