[Mad Jackals Brotherhood MC 01] • Black Dagger

Shoots of young love blossoms into the rose of deep affection, thorns and all.

They’d been her guardians since childhood: Eli Vaught and Ray Nolan. But then Ray disappeared a few days before high school graduation, leaving Mia Asorio heartbroken with only a threadbare patch of riding wings to remember him by and a promise to return. For years Mia held onto the patch even as memories of that childhood promise slipped further and further away until it becomes nothing but that: a memory.

In the intervening years, Mia grows closer and closer to Eli until they forged a relationship from a night of passion. One day, she chances upon a terrible piece of information: Ray is dead, gunned down while doing a job for the Mad Jackals MC. Only Eli remained in her life.

But then Mia receives a mysterious message from Ray that claims otherwise—a message that asks her to meet with him, to let him explain everything. Mia knows better than to believe in things like this. But if so, why is she sitting in the café right now, waiting for a dead man to show up?

And why is she suddenly on his bed, kissing him as his hands peel away her clothes?

**EXCERPT**

“Do you love him, Mia?” He repeats the question, looking down at her with an intensity that makes her feel as if she were burning up right in front of him.

“I said I pass.” The words are a whisper on her lips, her voice trembling. She’s angry – angry that he’s managed to get to her, angry that she’s allowed him to burrow so deep into her psyche in less than twenty-four hours. But it’s the longing in his eyes, the pain that makes her answer, makes her tell him something she hasn’t even really been able to admit to herself until this moment. She knows she would do anything to take the pain in his eyes away, to lighten the darkness he carries with him, the darkness that wasn’t there before. “I don’t know.” She takes a deep breath. “I thought I did, but recently…I’m not so sure.”

Ray closes his eyes, as if he’s gathering himself together and when he opens them again, they burn with need. “Did you love me?” Ray’s voice is rough and full of emotion and when Mia looks up at him her eyes are shining with tears.

“It’s not your turn.” Her voice is barely a whisper as he ducks his head down so his face is only a matter of inches away from hers. She feels the pull of his body, making her lean slightly towards him without even realizing.

“Mia, I’ve missed you so much.” She feels his breath as he says the words against her lips and softly, achingly slowly, his mouth covers hers.

It’s a tentative kiss, unsure of how she’s going to react, but Mia feels her body take over and she responds, opening her mouth willingly as he deepens the kiss. He crushes her mouth with his and his hands are in her hair, his fingers tangling in her curls. She grabs his shirt, pulling herself up and pulling him down at the same time, bringing him closer to her, kissing him harder and harder.