Sting, page 1
Sting (Iron Tzars MC 1)
A Bones MC Romance
Marteeka Karland
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Copyright ©2022 Marteeka Karland
BIN: 010615-03450
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Editor: Katriena Knights
Cover Artist: Marteeka Karland
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Table of Contents
Sting (Iron Tzars MC 1)
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Marteeka Karland
Sting (Iron Tzars MC 1)
A Bones MC Romance
Marteeka Karland
Iris -- Since my mother died, my only goal has been to get custody of my sister Jerrica and keep her safe. I was on my way, too -- getting emancipated by the court so I could get a job and prove I had the means to take responsibility for my little sister. I promised I’d keep her safe and I’d never abandon her. I was with her every day until I came to her group home one morning to find she’d been adopted out overnight. It’s obvious there’s something sinister at work, but no number of threats and demands will override a closed adoption order. It looks like Jerrica is gone from my life forever, but I’ve got one more trick up my sleeve. Jerrica made friends with a woman from a local motorcycle club. I have no idea if the woman will help, but I have nowhere else to go. What I didn’t count on is him. Sting. President of Iron Tzars MC. He doesn’t know it yet, but once I get Jerrica back, he’s next on my list.
Sting -- I wasn’t ready to be president of an MC like Iron Tzars, but my father left me little choice. I grew up in the club. At twenty-nine, most of the men still see me as no more than a kid. But my daddy taught me well. I tolerate no disloyalty or disrespect and always, always put the club first. Then I met Iris. She’s a heap of trouble in a small package and she pinged my radar from the moment I first laid eyes on her. I know she’s going to be mine -- which means she has to trust me to take care of her. But Iris trusts no one when it comes to her sister. With both of them in danger, I now have to make a decision. Changing plans will put the club at risk, but doing nothing will risk them both. I’m not willing to take that risk.
Putting a woman above the club is what got my father in trouble. Now I’m in the same boat. Stupid. Especially since Iris has no idea I’ve already claimed her.
Chapter One
Iris
“I’ll be back for you, Jerrica. You know I will.”
“But I don’t want you to go!”
I couldn’t blame my little sister. I didn’t want to go either. Since I’d been emancipated, I couldn’t stay. While I knew it was the only way to get my sister out of the group home where we lived, it also meant I had to leave her alone until I proved I could support us both. Since it was so close to my eighteenth birthday, the judge had set that as the day for the evaluation of my living situation. It was reasonable, since the lawyer helping me had said it usually took longer than the three months they were making me wait, but in my opinion it was too damned long. I had to settle for coming to visit her, and I did so every day. If I wasn’t working, I stayed all day. If I was, I spent a couple of hours with her afterward. I’d managed to secure an apartment I could afford on one job, but I was working two as long as I could and saving everything I made from it to have something to fall back on in case of an emergency.
“It won’t be long. I’ll be back tomorrow, honey. You know I would never leave you.”
“I do, but…” My sister bit her lip and looked away. I saw the sheen of tears in her eyes and her chin quivering, though. My stomach churned. I knew I was running out of time. I had to get Jerrica out of that horrible place. “It’s much harder without you here.”
“I know, baby.”
“Maybe I should have asked Santa for a better home.”
“Santa can’t help us, Jerrica. This is all on me. Just hold out a little longer. I’ll get you out of here. Just a few more months.”
We’d left a huge Christmas Party held by a group of bikers called Black Reign. They were some kind of community benefactors or something. It meant nothing to me other than free food. They held a party for the community’s children once a year. If they did anything more the rest of the year, I didn’t see it. Still, the celebration had put a smile on Jerrica’s face, even if only for a short time. Until I’d had to bring her back to the group home where she lived. Now, without my protection.
Jerrica raised her chin. Even though her eyes were glassy with tears, I could see her determination to do what I’d asked. “OK. I can stand it a little while longer.”
I pulled my sister into my arms. “I love you, booboo. It’ll all be fine. Just a little while longer.”
“I love you too, sissy. Don’t forget about me?”
My heart was breaking. Leaving her got harder and harder every day. But I couldn’t take her. I didn’t have custody of her yet.
“Never! I’ll never forget about you!” I gripped her shoulders and looked down into her sweet face. “I’ve done good. Done what the judge said I had to do. Once I turn eighteen, I’m sure I’ll get to bring you home, and we’ll be our own little family. March, booboo. We’ve only got to make it ‘til March.”
“It’ll be like it was before Mom died?”
“Better, even. We won’t have to worry about food or if we’ll have a safe place to sleep. I’ll take care of us.”
Jerrica smiled the smile of a trusting child. The smile I’d kill to keep on her face. She was only nine and shouldn’t have to worry about shit like this, but the reality was all too different. The group home we’d lived in for three long years was about as far from a home as we could get. Sure, we were fed -- most of the time. But we’d learned the hard way the place wasn’t safe. Not all the time. More than one girl had disappeared in the night. I hated leaving Jerrica without my protection, but if I wanted custody of her, I had to start somewhere. Just because I was eighteen wouldn’t mean they give her to me. I had to prove I could support us both, and that was exactly what I was doing.
“I’ll be back tomorrow. I don’t have to work, so I’ll be here right after breakfast.”
“Will you bring me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?” Jerrica rarely asked for anything. When she did, this was it.
“Absolutely. I’ll bring you two.”
“Yeah!” She threw herself into my arms and hugged me tightly. “I love you, sissy.”
“Love you too, booboo.”
I had a bad feeling. It was an itch between my shoulder blades I couldn’t ignore. My instincts were screaming at me to grab Jerrica and run. But that would ruin my chances of getting custody of her. Two-and-a-half more months. I turned eighteen on March fifteenth.
Finally, I let her go, and Jerrica went out of the main hall back to her room. As she was about to round the corner out of sight, she turned and gave me a brilliant smile, waving at me. I waved back, trying to keep from crying. If she saw my distress, she’d come back and refuse to go. It was time for everyone to go to bed. If we created a scene, they might not let me back in. It would definitely hurt my chances of getting custody of her.
I waited until she’d continued on before turning to go. Once outside, I started the walk home. It was about an hour walk from my tiny apartment to the home, but for once I was glad of it. I needed the time to think. Pacing always helped, and my apartment was too small for much of that.
The next morning when I got there, they wouldn’t let me in.
“Jerrica is no longer with us,” the administrator told me.
“What do you mean she’s no longer with you? I brought her back here last night after the Christmas party!”
“She was adopted. Her new parents left with her about an hour ago.”
The man gave me a smile that was more like a sneer. Everything inside me was screaming this was wrong.
“What have you done? Where’s my sister!”
“I told you. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
He tried to leave, but I stepped in front of him. “You tell me where my sister is. Now!”
“I’m sorry, but, since her parents are deceased and ther e was no qualified relative to take custody of her, the adoption was a closed one. It’s a sealed court record.”
I felt like my whole world had come crashing down. My little sister. I’d promised her I’d always take care of her, and I’d failed. There was no way she’d been adopted out in the middle of the night. They wouldn’t have even been able to process the paperwork that fast. No. She’d disappeared like too many other girls had over the years we’d been there. Logically, I knew this wasn’t my fault, but it felt like it. I’d sent her back inside. I’d refused to take her with me. There was no way I could have legally, but it still felt like I should have prevented it.
“If anything’s happened to my sister, motherfucker, I’ll fucking kill you.” I hissed out the words, baring my teeth at him.
“That’s it. I’m calling the police.” The bastard pulled out his phone, calling 9-1-1.
I waited for the police, knowing this was a battle I couldn’t win. The administrator -- Mr. Brown -- had all the right answers, even explaining why the girl had been taken in the dead of night. Saying it had all been arranged beforehand, and they hadn’t told either of us because the couple who’d adopted Jerrica hadn’t wanted to upset either of us. They also wanted Jerrica to sever all ties with her previous family so she could make a complete and healthy transition to her new family.
Yeah. Fishy as fuck.
When I’d called Mr. Brown out on it all, telling him he was full of shit. I told him -- in front of everyone -- that if my sister was harmed, I’d kill him. I was promptly arrested and escorted off the property. Not my finest moment. Or my most intelligent.
Fortunately, they hadn’t done much other than give me a stern talking to and had taken me back to my apartment.
“I know it’s hard,” one of them said, not unkindly. “But I’m sure your sister will be better off.”
“I was supposed to adopt her in less than three months,” I said softly. “The judge said if I could prove I could provide for her, I could adopt her when I turned eighteen. All we had in the world was each other.”
“Look at it this way. She’s got a great new home, and you won’t have the responsibility of being a mother at such a young age.”
“Jerrica isn’t a responsibility,” I said hotly. “She’s my sister. I love her.”
“Do you really?” The cop pinned me with a hard gaze. “If you do, you’ll want more for her than this.” He gestured at the crappy apartment building where I lived. “Accept it. Move on. And for Christ’s sake, don’t go around threatening to kill people.”
“But other girls have disappeared from there! I’m telling you, there’s something not right!”
The cop met my gaze with a level one. “Look. I promise I’ll look into them, OK? But you have to face the fact your sister is with another family.”
“She’d never have agreed to this.” Would she? Maybe everyone was right. Maybe Jerrica would be better off this way.
“Honey, she didn’t have a choice. She was a ward of the state. Once they found a suitable home for her, they got another orphan off their books.”
“So it’s all about money.”
“It’s about placing children in need with good families.” He sighed. “Accept it. Be happy she’s got a home with a family who wants and loves her.”
“I’m her sister. No one could love her more than me.”
“So? Be happy for her. Get on with your life. The faster you accept this and move on, the better you’ll feel.” He got out of the car and opened the door for me. “I’m sorry, kid. Merry Christmas.”
Yeah. Merry fucking Christmas to you too, pal.
There was no way I was letting this go. No one believed me about girls disappearing from the home. The cops didn’t believe me about Jerrica being in danger. Why would they? Mr. Brown had a very good explanation. Didn’t mean it was true. One thing I knew in my heart was that Jerrica needed me. Even if she wasn’t in danger, she needed me.
It was Christmas Day. There wasn’t a lawyer’s office open, even if I could pay for one. The courts weren’t open. There was nothing I could do.
Then I thought about the Christmas party. Maybe there was someone at that place, the Black Reign clubhouse, who could help me. I’d been apathetic toward them when we were there, seeing the party as nothing more than somewhere free I could celebrate Christmas with Jerrica. A place where we could have a hot meal, and she could get presents I couldn’t afford to give her. They might laugh in my face. Or run me off and tell me to never come back again. But I had to try. For my sister, I’d try anything.
* * *
Sting
I had no intention of making a trip to Florida for Christmas. I had too Goddamned much to do. Despite Warlock -- the old president of Iron Tzars and my father -- letting his ol’ lady manipulate him enough to get the government breathing down our necks, he’d left the club in very good shape. There was no trace of evidence to suggest we’d ever possessed anything from or had any sort of communication with Argent Tech.
The main problem was the division within the ranks. Bev had done a number on several of our members, and I knew there would be some I had to cut. The problem was how to do it. It didn’t feel right kicking them out. It wasn’t their fault Bev got into their heads. Besides, most of them were younger members or prospects. The older ones knew better. Which was why I found myself rolling into the Black Reign compound on Christmas Day.
“Welcome!” The one they called El Diablo greeted us with a smile and open arms. He was dressed smartly in an expensive-looking suit with diamond-and-gold cufflinks and rings and a lapel pin. He looked like anything other than the president of a motorcycle club. “To what do we owe this great honor?”
I raised an eyebrow. Was this guy for real? I’d known Black Reign was a different sort of MC, but I wasn’t expecting this.
“Merry Christmas, El Diablo. I trust your holiday’s been good?”
The other man chuckled. “It was very entertaining indeed. Have you come to see Warlock? I’ll have someone get him if you have. He’s…” He grinned widely. “Otherwise occupied this morning.”
“I would have given you a heads-up, but I wasn’t sure I was coming till I rolled through the gates.” The second I uttered the words, no matter how true, I knew they were a mistake. An MC president didn’t just decide to take a road trip to another club. And he certainly didn’t roll in on a whim. Especially when the club he rolls into isn’t an ally. I stifled my wince. Barely.
Instantly El Diablo’s demeanor changed. His features hardened, and I realized why he called himself The Devil. “Not a strong position for the new leader of an MC the likes of Iron Tzars.”
“Don’t question my abilities.” I did my best to mimic my father’s deadly tone, knowing I’d shown a weakness to someone who might be an ally, but was certainly no friend. A mistake. One I couldn’t afford.
“Don’t give me reason to.” There was a brief silence while El Diablo and I stared at each other. I imagined he was sizing me up. I knew I was sizing him up. Underneath that cultured civility was a straight-up killer. I’d dealt with deadly men before. Nature of the beast. But none quite like El Diablo. Even dressed as elegantly as he was, it was easy to believe a killer lurked underneath all his civility. “Now. Tell me the reason for your visit.” His mood shifted quicker than shifting sands. The last thing I wanted was to be in too deep with this man or his club, but I wanted my father’s advice on this without anyone knowing I was seeking his advice. Since El Diablo had effectively taken away the option of killing Warlock, though I was grateful not to have to kill my own father, I felt like coming here now put me on the wrong side of a debt to this man and his club.
“I need to talk to Warlock.”
He smiled. “I figured as much. I sent Rycks to bring him down.”
“You said he was otherwise occupied. What does that mean?”
“It means he has a Christmas present of his own he’s… unwrapping, shall we say.” The slight but clipped British accent was messing with my fucking head. He didn’t look or sound like an MC president. Hell, he didn’t sound like anything to do with an MC at all.
