Heartless (Steel Demons MC #6) - Crystal Ash Page 0,106
as she looked at the man. “You know I’ve been wanting to get some pretty sleeves.”
“Uh huh.” The guy pushed his glasses up his nose, taking another look at me. “You been in some fights, huh?” He gestured at my face.
Fuck. I’d forgotten to cover my scar with my hair. After Mariposa and I got closer, I fell out of the habit. She’d always push my hair aside to kiss me there anyway.
Don’t think about that. It’s over now. That chapter of your life is closed.
“None that I’ve started,” was how I chose to answer. “I’m not a violent person. I won’t bring any trouble to your establishment.”
It felt like a lie, considering the reason I was at this center in the first place. But this place looked well-stocked with alcohol, so chances were high I could drink myself into oblivion, where I wasn’t a danger to anyone.
The barman nodded at me, peering at me with more curiosity than the average person. “I believe you, son. Thing is, trouble tends to find us.”
“Oh, yeah?” The woman had poured a drink and slid it across the bar to me. I raised it to my lips without bothering to ask what it was. “Thank you.”
She winked at me. “Sure thing, handsome.”
The gesture and affectionate name felt odd. No one talked to me like that except Mari.
“‘Bout ten miles from here is one of those girls’ camps,” the man explained. “Where they train young females, children even, into being obedient and shit. Personally, I like my women with bite.” He reached over to slap the barwoman’s ass and she snarled, whirling around on him.
“Fuck off, dirty old man.”
“Anyway,” he continued. “We get a lot of runaways. Some of them stay and work. Most of them move on. And others,” he paused with a sigh, “their captors come lookin’ for ‘em, dragging them back kicking and screaming. It’s awful what they do to those girls and if they didn’t come in here all guns blazing, I’d tell ‘em to fuck off—”
“You’re asking me for protection,” I ventured.
“Well.” He shrugged. “You look like a guy that can handle yourself.”
I downed my drink, which turned out to be a cheap whiskey, mulling it over as I swallowed.
“I can handle traffickers trying to take women away,” I conceded. “But my stay will be temporary. What I can do is teach some weapons skills, show the women how to defend themselves.”
“So you’re running from something.” The barman’s stare was probing, unabashedly trying to figure me out.
No thanks, guy. I almost killed the last person who tried to understand me.
“That’s my offer.” I chose to ignore his remark. “In exchange for one week’s room and board.”
“You got yourself a deal.” Thankfully he didn’t push the psychoanalysis and stuck his hand out. “Name’s Bill Harman, but everyone around here calls me Doc.”
I accepted his handshake, settling on giving him the name I decided on a couple hundred miles ago.
“Ivan.”
“Ivan what?”
“Just Ivan,” I repeated. “I’ll grab my things and get settled in my room, if that’ll be all.”
“Ah, sure.” Doc seemed a lot more hesitant about making a deal with me now, but he didn’t argue. “Jen, get him a key, will ya?”
I turned and left the counter, heading back to my bike. Without my cut, my patches, and now not even my name, I felt like a stranger to myself. Like a new person had possessed my scarred-up husk and was trying to navigate the world without a past, and now with a completely uncertain future.
Because Shadow, the Steel Demons MC assassin, was dead.
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TO BE CONTINUED IN SENSELESS - STEEL DEMONS MC BOOK 7
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PRE-ORDER SENSELESS HERE
Acknowledgments
Oh man, this book was a tough one to write. So many highs and such deep lows. Thank you, reader, for trusting me so far on this journey. There are more hurdles for the Steel Demons to overcome, but I promise you the ending will be worth it. We’ve got three more books before the end of the road. I hope you’ll hang in there with me!
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For regular updates, exclusive teasers, and excerpts, join my reader group, Crystal’s Coven. We’re a friendly bunch, and I’m always posting in the Coven first before anywhere else online.
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I was so nervous about this arc of Mari’s relationships with Shadow and Reaper. Thank you to my pack mamis, Kathryn and Aleera, for hearing out my worries and encouraging me to write these characters truthfully, with no sugarcoating.
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Telisha, Janet, and Izzy, thank you for being such amazing cheerleaders, friends, and confidants throughout the evolution of this series. You all help me write the best books I possibly can!
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See you all in the next book!
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-Crystal
Glossary of Spanish terms
Mija/mijita: My daughter, a term of endearment that combines the words mi and hija
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Reposado: A type of tequila that has been aged for two to twelve months
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Añejo: A type of tequila which has been aged for a minimum of one year, and tends to be the smoothest for drinking
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Viejito: Little old man, meant in an affectionate or teasing way
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Esposa/Esposo: Wife/Husband
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Guapito: Handsome
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Bonita: Pretty
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Mariposita: Little butterfly
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Siempre: Always (can also mean forever)
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Te amo: I love you (romantic intention, said to a partner)
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Te quiero: I love you (more general intention which can be said to a partner, friends, blood family members, etc.)
Also by Crystal Ash
Series prequels (Free! Click to download)
Falling for the Wolf: A Shifted Mates prequel
Her 3 Demons: An Unholy Trinity prequel
Raised by Wolves: A North West Wolf Pack prequel
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Say Your Prayers
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Steel Demons MC
Lawless
Powerless
Fearless
Painless
Helpless
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Shifted Mates Trilogy
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Unholy Trinity: The Complete Series
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Harem of Freaks series
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For a complete list of books by Crystal Ash, visit her Amazon page.
About the Author
Crystal Ash is a USA Today Bestselling Author from California. From an early age, she’s been obsessed with magic, heart-wrenching love stories, strange animals, and the people who turn into them.
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When she’s not writing, she’s probably in her garden of crazy-looking plants or drinking craft beer with her husband and cat.
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She loves interacting with her readers so don’t hesitate to reach out!
CrystalAshBooks.com