The Biker's Brother
by Victoria Danann
Series: Sons of Sanctuary MC, #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 28, 2016
Brand takes a job nobody wants to earn the respect of club members. Being third generation SSMC doesn't go very far in biker cred.
Camden Carmichael is running from a psycho ex. Lucky for her that her father has the means to hire Sanctuary Security to protect her until the divorce is finalized.
Two strangers set out on a road trip together. At the end of it, neither will ever be the same again.
“Off the interstates. Isn’t that going to take a really long time?”
“It’s not a race. It’s the hide part of hide and seek.”
She stared at his profile. “What exactly is the plan?”
“I’m taking you to our safe house in Austin. It’ll be home until the judge has signed off on your proceeding. My job is to make sure you get there alive.”
“Okay.”
He turned on the radio and found a classic rock station.
“Just kill me now,” she mumbled.
“What was that?”
She looked straight at him.
“The radio.” She pretended to have to scream over the music. “You’re not going to make me listen to that. Are you?”
He cocked his head as he stared at the road ahead.
“I’m nothing if not fair. What kind of music do you like?”
“Well, for starters, I like music that was recorded this century.”
He took his eyes off the road just long enough to be sure she caught the glare he gave her.
“You want to do a passive aggressive dance around what you want? Or do you want to just tell me straight up?”
She pressed her lips together, narrowed her eyes, and decided she’d underestimated Brandon. She didn’t think thugs had descriptions like ‘passive aggressive’ easily tripping off their tongues.
“Country,” she said decidedly.
He gaped. “That is utterly impossible. A girl like you does not listen to country music.”
She looked indignant.
“I certainly do. And what do you mean ‘a girl like me’?”
He narrowed his eyes and glanced at her.
“Okay. If you really listen to country music then tell me one thing about Garth Brooks that only somebody who was a fan would know.”
Without hesitating she said, “He actually wanted to be a rock star, but when he opened his mouth to sing, country came out instead of rock. So he gave into it and owned it. Although he did steal the big showmanship from rock stars. Lasers. Fire. Dancing bears.”
Brandon raised his eyebrows. “He has dancing bears?”
She laughed and shook her head. “No.”
Brandon had no idea if that was true, but because she said it with so much authority, and because it wasn’t the kind of thing a person would be likely to make up on the fly, he believed her.
“Alright. We’ll take turns.”
“Good. Me first.”
He nodded just slightly. “Find your station.”
She seemed to perk up at the small victory.
“How do you get satellite?”
Brandon smirked. “Seriously? How sheltered are you?” She frowned at the question and said nothing, since she had no idea how to answer. “This car is too old for satellite. You got radio. That’s it. Make do.”
She set to work turning the dial. He even got a little smile after she settled on a station. After all that work, before the first song was over, she was slumped against the passenger door, sound asleep.
He looked over at her sleeping form and shook his head. He could have changed the station but thought it might wake her and, for some reason, he didn’t want to disturb her. So he was stuck with listening to twang and fiddle for what turned out to be hours. By the time she woke, he was beginning to tap his fingers on the steering wheel and was thinking country might not be all that bad.
“It’s not a race. It’s the hide part of hide and seek.”
She stared at his profile. “What exactly is the plan?”
“I’m taking you to our safe house in Austin. It’ll be home until the judge has signed off on your proceeding. My job is to make sure you get there alive.”
“Okay.”
He turned on the radio and found a classic rock station.
“Just kill me now,” she mumbled.
“What was that?”
She looked straight at him.
“The radio.” She pretended to have to scream over the music. “You’re not going to make me listen to that. Are you?”
He cocked his head as he stared at the road ahead.
“I’m nothing if not fair. What kind of music do you like?”
“Well, for starters, I like music that was recorded this century.”
He took his eyes off the road just long enough to be sure she caught the glare he gave her.
“You want to do a passive aggressive dance around what you want? Or do you want to just tell me straight up?”
She pressed her lips together, narrowed her eyes, and decided she’d underestimated Brandon. She didn’t think thugs had descriptions like ‘passive aggressive’ easily tripping off their tongues.
“Country,” she said decidedly.
He gaped. “That is utterly impossible. A girl like you does not listen to country music.”
She looked indignant.
“I certainly do. And what do you mean ‘a girl like me’?”
He narrowed his eyes and glanced at her.
“Okay. If you really listen to country music then tell me one thing about Garth Brooks that only somebody who was a fan would know.”
Without hesitating she said, “He actually wanted to be a rock star, but when he opened his mouth to sing, country came out instead of rock. So he gave into it and owned it. Although he did steal the big showmanship from rock stars. Lasers. Fire. Dancing bears.”
Brandon raised his eyebrows. “He has dancing bears?”
She laughed and shook her head. “No.”
Brandon had no idea if that was true, but because she said it with so much authority, and because it wasn’t the kind of thing a person would be likely to make up on the fly, he believed her.
“Alright. We’ll take turns.”
“Good. Me first.”
He nodded just slightly. “Find your station.”
She seemed to perk up at the small victory.
“How do you get satellite?”
Brandon smirked. “Seriously? How sheltered are you?” She frowned at the question and said nothing, since she had no idea how to answer. “This car is too old for satellite. You got radio. That’s it. Make do.”
She set to work turning the dial. He even got a little smile after she settled on a station. After all that work, before the first song was over, she was slumped against the passenger door, sound asleep.
He looked over at her sleeping form and shook his head. He could have changed the station but thought it might wake her and, for some reason, he didn’t want to disturb her. So he was stuck with listening to twang and fiddle for what turned out to be hours. By the time she woke, he was beginning to tap his fingers on the steering wheel and was thinking country might not be all that bad.
Also in the Series
Book One: Two Princes
New York Times bestselling author of thirteen romances. Victoria's Knights of Black Swan series won BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE SERIES for the past THREE YEARS IN A ROW. Reviewers Choice Awards, The Paranormal Romance Guild.
Her paranormal romances come with uniquely fresh perspectives on "imaginary" creatures, characters, and themes. She adds a dash of scifi, a flourish of fantasy, enough humor to make you laugh out loud, and, occasionally, enough steam to make you squirm in your chair. Her heroines are independent femmes with flaws and minds of their own whether they are aliens, witches, demonologists, werewolves, hybrids, psychics, or past life therapists. Her heroes are hot and hunky, but they also have brains, character, and good manners... usually.
The rich characterizations come from being a lifelong student of behavior, casually, and a serious student of behavior academically. She also studied comparative religion, myths, and Dark Ages history.
Victoria lives in The Woodlands, Texas with her husband and a very smart, mostly black German Shepherd dog.
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