King Cobra (Diamondbacks Motorcycle Club Book 3) (10 page)

Eve wanted things to get better, and one way to ensure that they would was to get past her fears. That included introducing her very unorthodox boyfriend to her very orthodox family.

EPILOGUE

Try as she might to let things go, Eve did indeed spend most of the night and much of the next day obsessing over what would happen once they got to her parents’ place for dinner. But none of the scenarios she had come up with in her mind came even close to what she was witnessing right now. In fact, reality was rapidly surpassing even her wildest dreams and imaginings.

Lind was wearing plain but spotless (and, mercifully, non-ripped) blue jeans and a black shirt that made his eyes pop in a way that should have been illegal. He had polished his boots until they shone, and he was shining himself in that outfit. But it was more than that. It was more than his appearance. He was polite and charming, and he was brilliant at conversation.

Eve had never expected Lind to embarrass her, but she also never expected him to move so easily in her world. She thought he would be out of his depth, but as it turned out, he swam gracefully in those waters.

Eve watched, stunned and impressed and happier than she had ever thought she could ever be, as Lind charmed her parents and brother one by one and then as a whole. She watched as they fell for him the way she had fallen for him—well, maybe not exactly in the same way. Still, they loved him. Lind’s shoulder wound had been passed on as the result of a car accident, and after that it was all easy.

Now, as they all sat around in the patio, Lind and her brother smoked a cigarette, her father enjoyed a cigar, and Eve and her mother had one more glass of delicious red wine. Eve felt almost like she was in a dream. It was simply too good to be true.

Stop it,
she berated herself sternly.
Stop waiting for something to go wrong. Nothing is going wrong here.

Indeed, nothing was.

“Really, Eve, where have you been hiding this gentleman?” Jennifer Robinson, her mother, asked, smiling brightly over at Lind.

Eve shifted in her seat, uncomfortable. “I was waiting for the right time. We were finding our feet.”

Lind reached out to put a hand on her thigh. They sat next to each other on the small outdoor wicker couch. “It was rocky there for a bit,” he admitted. “But we pulled through.”

Eve was surprised at how comfortable Lind was with discussing such a topic with her parents. Alan couldn’t even kiss her in front of them.

“I’m damn glad you did,” Junior said, toasting them with his beer.

Lind smiled and returned the toasted. “Thanks, man.”

Man?
Eve shook her head in wonderment. Lind and her brother had quickly clicked over their mutual love for motorcycles. Lind had shown Junior a few pictures of his beloved Harley (which he couldn’t drive for obvious reasons, and so they had come with Eve’s car), and her brother had gushed all over it. Lind had promised to take him to the garage sometime and give Junior’s own wheels a makeover.

Harold cleared his throat. “Eve, sweetie, could I have a moment?”

Eve frowned in confusion. “Sure, Dad. Excuse me,” she said to Lind. She kissed him briefly and stood, following her father back inside. Her stomach clenched in apprehension. Was the moment she had been dreading finally coming? Was he going to tell her that Lind was not good enough for her? Were they going to fight after having been apart for such a long time?

“I just wanted to tell you,” Harold said, “I’m very happy for you.”

“Dad—” Eve cut off her automatic protest once her father’s words registered. “Wait, what?”

Harold smiled. “You heard me. You did good, sweetheart. I like him. I can tell he’s a good man.”

“He is, Dad,” Eve said, looking at him in surprise.

“I’ll admit, it was hard for me at first, getting used to idea of you not being with Alan anymore. And of you not working at the real estate agency anymore,” Harold said. “It threw me. I thought those were both things you wanted.”

“I thought so, too,” Eve admitted. “But it turns out, it just wasn’t me.”

Harold nodded. “I understand. And I wanted to tell you that I respect you so much for having the guts to get out of a life that you didn’t feel fit you. I’m so proud of you, Eve.”

Eve felt a sudden lump grown in her throat. “Thanks, Dad,” she choked out. She threw her arms around him, composure be damned, and smiled when she felt him return the embrace.

It was just what she had needed to hear, she realized. Her family being okay with who Eve really was—whoever that was. It was still a work in progress as far as she was concerned, but it was the last piece of the puzzle. Now she really could leave all the bad things that had happened behind and move forward.

They stayed like that for a few moments, relishing each other’s presence and the comfort it gave them. Eventually, they pulled back, and Eve could have sworn her father’s own eyes were a little wet.

“Let’s go back outside,” Harold said. “I can’t wait to hear more of Lind’s stories. That man has a unique view of the world.”

You don’t know half of it, Dad,
Eve thought, but of course she didn’t say anything out loud. She just smiled.

What Lind had to say next, it turned out, was nothing that Eve would have ever expected. He had finished his cigarette, and once he saw her walk back towards him he held out a hand to stop her.

“Wait,” he said, “don’t sit down yet.”

Eve frowned. “Why? What is it?”

Lind cleared his throat and squirmed a little in his seat, clearly uncomfortable. For a fleeting moment, Eve wondered if anyone had said anything to offend him while she was gone and if he wanted to go home.

“There’s something I need to ask you,” he said. “Well, all of you, really.” He licked his lips nervously. His unease was making Eve uneasy, but she bit her tongue and refrained from saying anything. She knew Lind needed to do this—whatever
this
was.

He looked over at her parents and brother. “I’m going to ask something of Eve, and I hope you won’t have a problem with that.”

Eve frowned. “Lind, what the hell is going on?” she asked impatiently, unable to keep silent any longer. The suspense was killing her.

Lind took a deep breath. He moved, finally, but he didn’t stand up all the way. Instead, he went on one knee in front of Eve.

She looked down at him in utter disbelief. Her heart jumped to her throat and began to beat so loud that she could actually hear the blood pumping in her ears.

This couldn’t be…could it?

“Evelyn Anne Robinson,” Lind began. He fumbled around in his pocket, cursing when whatever he was looking for got stuck. “Shit,” he muttered. “Sorry.” He cleared his throat and finally presented her with a small jewelry box. He opened the lid and sure enough, inside was a thin white-gold band with one single square diamond on it. It was small, but it was the most beautiful thing Eve had ever seen. “Will you marry me?”

Eve stared at him, dumbfounded. Her head was spinning. “Are you serious?” she said, her voice choked.

Lind blinked. “Uh…that’s not…uh…that’s not really the reaction I was going for…”

Eve laughed happily, feeling like a fool and not caring one bit. My God, but he
was
serious! “Yes,” she said, heart slamming so hard against her ribcage she feared one of those ribs would crack. “Yes, I will marry you.”

Lind’s relief was palpable. He slipped the ring on her finger and Eve was not surprised to find that it fit perfectly.
They
fit perfectly. Lind fit her, plain and simple.

She threw herself down on her knees in front of him and kissed him passionately. He wrapped his good arm around her and pulled her close.

“You have made me so happy,” he said once they pulled back. His eyes were shining with unshed tears, which threw Eve almost more than the proposal itself.

She held him for a few moments, and then they both climbed back to their feet. Eve looked around at her family and found that her mother was blowing her nose noisily in a once-pristine white handkerchief, her father was looking at her with pride shining all over his face, and her brother had somehow acquired a bottle of champagne in the meanwhile.

Eve arched an eyebrow. “I take it that you’re all okay with this?”

“Oh, honey,” her mother said in a thick voice. “We’re more than okay.”

Embraces, handshakes, and congratulations were exchanged then.

“Hold that champagne for a moment, Junior,” Lind said, stopping her brother halfway through the process of uncorking the bottle. “There’s something else.”

Eve frowned. “What now? Are we pregnant?” she teased. “Relax, Mom, we’re not,” she said when she caught her mother’s expectant startle out of the corner of her eye.

“I was hoping you’d say yes,” Lind said. “I wasn’t sure, but I took the chance. There’s something waiting for you in the driveway.”

Eve’s frown deepened. “Really? Here?”

Lind nodded. “Sorry I took the liberty, sir,” he said to Eve’s father.

Harold was dismissing the apology with a wave of his hand even before Lind had finished the sentence. “Nonsense, son,” he said, and Eve saw Lind blink in surprise at the word.

“What are we still doing here?” Junior said excitedly. “Let’s go have a look.”

They did. Eve could not for the life of her imagine what it was that was waiting for her in her parents’ driveway. What she saw left her speechless. She halted right outside the gate and stared, dumbfounded.

Waiting for her in the driveway was a new, shiny Harley. It had been personalized with feathers, which Eve remembered mentioning to Lind once were her favorite ornaments.

Lind came up from behind her and leaned close to her to whisper in her ear so that she would be the only one to hear. “Would you be my old lady?”

Eve turned around to face him. “Oh my God,” she murmured, her voice breaking with the overwhelming force of her happiness. “Yes. I will.”

Lind reached up with his good hand and cupped her nape, pulling her in for a passionate kiss. He couldn’t care less that her parents and older brother were watching. Eve couldn’t care less either. She was never going to suppress her all-consuming passion for this man no matter what. She had tried once, and she had failed miserably, also making herself miserable in the process. She would never do it again.

She would marry the Viper and be his queen. More important, she would marry Lind Addams. She would stick by him. She would protect him. She would love him. And she would let him love and protect her.

A truck drove past and honked twice. Eve spotted none other than Alec at the wheel and Lucas in the passenger’s seat. Clearly, they had been the ones to make this very special delivery. Eve shook her head in wonder, as she realized that Lind’s family had accepted her just as much as her family had accepted him.

She stepped close to Lind and let him envelope her in yet another embrace. She was never going to walk out of his arms again.

Other Works by Evelyn Glass

Available FREE for Kindle Unlimited customers

Tap the cover to begin reading

****

BOOK 1 of the
Blankenship
saga

Alexander Blankenship is everything that is wrong about Wall Street, and Zoey Gardener just landed an interview with him.
Twenty-four year old Zoey Gardener just hit the biggest break of her life. On the verge of starting yet another job hunt as a journalist, she somehow manages to find herself conducting an exclusive interview with Alexander Blankenship—better known as the wildest playboy of Wall Street and a perfect example of everything wrong with the 1%. 
And though he’s every bit the person the world paints him out to be, there’s something about Alexander that draws Zoey in. Something that commands it. 
Zoey is about to be pulled into Alexander’s world—a world where deals are unspoken and understanding is implicit, where the lines between meeting room and bedroom are blurred, where dark sensual pleasures find an avenue of release, and where profit comes above all else… 

***

BOOK 1 of the
Steel Jockeys MC
trilogy

Joseph Ryan made a promise to his brother of ink and steel.
Joseph Ryan never knew what family meant until he joined the Steel Jockeys MC. It was there that he met Kyle Clarke, there that he found a brother in all but name for the next ten years. 
Until one fateful day when he's forced to watch as Kyle is ruthlessly gunned down in a hailstorm of bullets. With his last dying breath, Kyle makes Joseph promise to keep his sister Ruby out of their violent world, no matter what. 
Ruby Clarke has lost everything to the inked brotherhood known as the Steel Jockeys
Having lost her parents when she was just a little girl, Ruby only had her brother Kyle to look after her. Now, he's gone too and she's beside herself with grief, with only Joseph to share her pain with. 
Joseph will break the promise he's made in order to keep it
Joseph is determined to honor his fallen brother's wishes, but when an unexpected kiss from Ruby leads him into her bed, he isn't sure what to think anymore. He promised Kyle to keep Ruby away from the Steel Jockeys, but how can he do that when all she wants is to be a part of his life? 

***

BOOK 1 of the
Untamed
trilogy

Charmaine Vella is about to discover that the old legends about fated Mates weren't just stories...
When Charmaine Vella rescues her friend Scottie from bullies of the Kreuger pack at a party hosted by the rival pack, she had expected nothing else to come of it. She certainly didn't expect Parker, the son of the Kreuger Alpha to come looking for her. She certainly didn't expect him to be handsome. And she most certainly didn't expect her own desire to burn so fiercely when Parker came closer. 
But there was a problem: the Vella and Kreuger packs hate each other and have hated each other for centuries. 
An unexpected kiss will propel Charmaine and Parker down a grim-fated path. Can they keep their love a secret from their respective families and can they bear the consequences if it's discovered? 

***

BOOK 1 of the
Padre Knights MC
trilogy

He's finally come home, only to find that everything has changed
After ten years of riding with the Padre Knights MC, Alejandro Rojas has become the Vice President of the outlaw motorcycle club. When a club assignment takes him back to his hometown of Arroyo Flats, Alejandro finds himself reeling back in time, haunted by memories of a girl he lost a decade ago, memories of a love that could have been, and memories of broken promises made on the back of his bike. 
Her life is about to be entwined fame and prestige when it suddenly comes crashing down
Alaine Owens is engaged to Bobby Dawson, the son of a powerful South Texas politician. Yet she has never forgotten the boy to whom she gave her love--and herself--ten years ago, even if she still hasn't forgiven him for his broken promise. 
A second chance to mend a broken promise. But time is running out...
All Alejandro wants is to see Alaine again and fulfill the promise he made her ten years ago. Likewise, Alaine knows the danger of seeing Alejandro again after all these years. But the siren of love is calling the two souls home to each other. As their worlds collide once again in the flames of passion, Alaine and Alejandro are about to find that some promises are never meant to be broken, even if everything in the world--from the laws of the state to the unspoken social contracts of the South--seem hell-bent on it.

***

BOOK 1 of the
Steel Talons Motorcycle Club
trilogy

Jim Wade is a broken man trying to put the pieces back together.
Struggling to walk the straight and narrow path after his old lady overdosed on painkillers and vodka almost a year ago, the only consistency in Jim’s life is the strong bond he shares with his brothers of the Steel Talons MC. 
Susan McGregor is keen to impress her colleagues.
A paramedic trying to secure a full-time position with her ambulance crew, Susan knows it's only a matter of time until someone calls for help from the wild biker parties on the outskirts of town. 
At the right place at the right time.
When an accident sends Jim's bike crashing against a streetlight, he finds himself in front of Susan. Though his physical injuries are superficial, his psychological wounds begin opening up under the tender lingering touch of a woman who seems too prim and proper to ever fall for a rough biker. 
With only so many hours in a day who will give first, the girl or the biker?

***

BOOK 1 of the
Heart of the Alpha
series

Roxanne Howell's life in Sweetwater is about to change in ways she can't imagine.
An E.R. nurse to this quaint little corner of paradise tucked away in East Texas, Roxanne knows just about everything and everyone in Sweetwater, a town without equal in the South. But her knowledge of everyone in town has left her with a profoundly boring love life. Aching for a spark to kindle a fire deep inside, Roxanne's world is about to be turned upside down when a mysterious stranger makes his way into town. 
Julian Greer is a stranger with no business in Sweetwater.
At least, that's what it seems like when Julian Greer shows up in the E.R. with wounds all over him and no good explanation for any of them. Determined to get to the bottom of this, Roxanne stays by his side as he recovers. But there's something different about Julian and the extent of his injuries, something wild. And as Roxanne helps him towards recovery, she'll discover that the wildness in Julian is more than what meets the eye--it's a wildness that she can't quite put her finger on. 
A wildness that she can't quite enough of. 
Something foul and terrible is about to fall upon the innocent town of Sweetwater
When an unforseen series of events leaves Roxanne with more questions than answers, when her curiosity for the handsome stranger transforms into a feral passionate desire, when stories meant to frighten children start bleeding into the real world, Roxanne will find herself caught in the midst of a struggle that she has no hopes of understanding, no hopes of winning--a struggle where her only chance of getting to the bottom of it all is to put her trust in the handsome and mysterious Julian Greer. 

***

BOOK 1 of the
Seven Tribesmen Motorcycle Club
trilogy

He's crude, rough, and a criminal outlaw to boot... and Stella Holmes can't get enough of him.
FBI agent Stella Homes' hunt for a drug running route in the small town of Grand River, Colorado is about to hit a roadblock when she meets Arthur Bishop. He's crude, rough--a hard body of nothing but testosterone, muscles, and tattoos... 
... and sinfully irresistible. 
The Road Captain of the Seven Tribesmen MC, Arthur is less than thrilled about the pretty little Fed poking around in Tribesmen territory and sticking her nose where she's got no business to. He wants her out of Grand River, but he figures he might as well have some fun in the meantime and teach Stella that when she steps foot in his town, she'll have to play by his rules.