Raiders V’S Syndicate

By Elizabeth Adams

Madison Marie MacPherson was born in a castle in the Scottish Highlands. Her father was an earl, and her grandfather was a duke. Her mother was cursed with a thirty-year spell. Lady Pauline sold her daughter to her mate for five million dollars and then left Scotland.

Madison, due to complications dealing with her shifting into a Bengal tiger and killing one man, was told to leave and never return to Scotland or England.

America was her choice. Riding her Harley-Davidson motorcycle, Madison came upon a group of people fighting to the death. One was fighting to keep teenagers chained and being led into an abandoned house, and the other group was trying to free them. Madison and her three bodyguards pitched in and helped the Raiders defeat the Syndicate, and Madison joined them.

This would not be the last battle Madison would be in. It was only the beginning, and the Syndicate was determined to destroy the Raiders. Giuseppe Rosso and Madisons half-sister, Chloe Francine, work together to defeat the Raiders.

Ruth Riddle aka Elizabeth Adams

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 22, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524542948

Elizabeth Adams

Elizabeth Adams is a book-loving, tango-dancing, Austen enthusiast. She loves old houses and thinks birthdays should be celebrated with trips—as should most occasions. She can often be found by a sunny window with a cup of hot tea and a book in her hand. She writes romantic comedy and comedic tragedy in both historic and modern settings and occasionally dusts off her sociology degree to write a little nonfiction. You can find more information, short stories, and outtakes at EAdamsWrites.com.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

December 24, 1980

A S THE WINTER storm raged off the Atlantic Ocean, the massive waves battered the boulders at the base of the high cliff; the wind drove rain and sleet against the castle and rattling windows. However, a greater storm was wreaking havoc inside, creating a chill the winter storm couldn’t begin to be compared to.

Pauline Ivy Sutherland-MacPherson lay on her bed as she held the rope above her head. She screamed out, Blair, you bastard, you will pay for my pain. Her statement could be heard in every nook and cranny inside the castle, it overrode the vicious storm battering the cliffs and the castle.

Lord Blair Angus MacPherson sat in his study, listening to every word his mate was screaming at him. What changed her? Did a witch put a curse on her, or did she ingest some vile elixir that altered her mentality, destroyed her soft loving heart? What made her go from a beautiful, sweet lady to the most vicious woman the world knew, who lay in his bed giving birth to their child, a child she hated, a child she tried to abort three times, until finally he had to put security guards around her every minute of every day. She had been stripped of her privacy in order to save his child. Even now, his great-great-grandfather, many times removed, Angus MacPherson, was upstairs in Blair’s chambers making sure that Pauline didn’t put her hands on his child and kill it before anyone could comprehend what she was doing. Although they all knew by now she hated the child and would do harm to the wee babe at the first chance she got, it was still a shock, and a few seconds was all it would take to destroy a newborn babe.

Blair looked across his large ebony desk and wondered what his father-in-law, Lord William Sutherland, Duke of Sutherland, was thinking. In his hand he was clutching a metal box, a box that held legal documents.

Lord Sutherland, why did you disown your only child? It’s unheard of for an ulfric, the leader of our wolf pack, to do such a thing, Blair asked, his deep voice was sadden by the fact that not only did William and his mate disown their only child, so did her grandparents, before her attitude altered from a loving and caring person to a demon from hell. Pauline’s close relatives were leaving everything to her when they died; however, since she’s tried to murder her unborn child, her relatives erased her from their hearts and gifted everything to Pauline’s unborn child, everything even the title of duke or earl; even if the child was a female, she could hold the title. Sadly, a horrible accident took the lives of Lady Madison Sutherland and her parents’ lives. The only thing that survived the mangled, burnt vehicle was the locked metal box holding the legal documents. The leather case it had been in was reduced to ashes, but the metal was only scorched.

"She is no longer my child, Blair. She isn’t worthy of being my daughter, although it wasn’t proven. However, someone hired an assassin to cut the brake lines on my Madison’s limousine and then wreak havoc to parts of the cliff road that would bring death to anyone who tried to drive over the oil slick, and the tree that had been cut down and fell across a large portion of the road. When Charles applied the brakes, he had none. The vehicle went off the road and exploded when it landed. Pauline knew where her mother and grandparents were going and what they were doing. She had them murdered. She took the life of the very person who gave her life and love. She took my mate, the only woman I’ll have for a mate. She murdered her and her grandparents. I’m still confused how she managed to set it up with her being under guard 24-7, but damn it, Blair, she managed it.

When I went to her chambers to tell her what had happened to her mother, she just smiled, she knew, but when I told her the locked fireproof metal box survived, she became furious, but for once she held her tongue. She has become Satan’s minion, William said, tears glittered in his black eyes, but he refused to allow them to fall.

William, regardless of the gender of my child, I will continue to have guards placed around him or her until they are grown and maybe even then, Blair said. This was the first time he heard the details of the wreck. He did wonder how certain pieces of evidence managed to survive the explosion and decided it was just meant to be, a blessing from the gods above.

A doctor was upstairs in the master chambers. Pauline once again started her cursing, and she squeezed her legs together. She had been told the babe could die if she held off on allowing it through the birth channel, as painful as it was, she was doing her best to kill the bastard child that grew inside her. The gender didn’t matter, she just wanted it dead.

Clamping her legs together, she sucked in her breath and held it. Tears from the pain rolled down her cheeks, but she refused to relent until someone slapped both her legs, which made her exhale and looked into the eyes of Angus MacPherson, a vampire that was fifteen hundred years old and very dangerous.

You have two choices, Pauline, either give birth to my grandchild and live, or kill my grandchild and die a very slow and painful death, and I’ll show you no mercy. The emerald green eyes with gold flecks started turning blood red, and Pauline knew the choice she would have to make: the child would live.

You will pay for this, Dr. MacPherson, and that payment will come from my heart, Pauline said, and when another pain stuck, she followed the doctor’s orders and bore down, feeling her body pushing the babe out.

As the old grandfather clock down the hall started chiming, everyone took a moment to see what time it was and all smiled. At the first stoke of twelve, it was now Christmas morning, and the greatest of gifts would be given to them, a child.

Blair and William were told to come upstairs for the birth; they would be witnesses and protectors of the child. As they stood behind the doctor who was delivering the babe, Angus stood by the side of the bed next to Pauline; if she took one move toward the babe, he would stop her.

This was a time that should be filled with love, joy, and happiness, bringing life into the world, an innocent babe. Blair and William stood side-by-side, each anxious and excited, so many different emotions running through them, as the babe managed to slip out, and the old doctor said, Cover the child, Lady Pauline is not allowed to see it. Dr. Drummond said.

Angus picked up a blanket and draped it over Pauline’s face to ensure that she wouldn’t be able to see the tiny babe, while the doctor put a clamp on the babe umbilical cord, and Blair bit it in half. When Pauline cursed the babe calling it every foul name known to mankind, the babe kicked its long skinny legs and waved its equally thin arms, and giggled, the babe never cried, it giggled at the woman who gave birth to it.

The room erupted into laughter, causing Pauline to scream out more of her disgusting profanities at the top of her lungs, but she was overridden by the humor of the situation. For all her efforts at destroying a life, that very life she just brought into the world, giggled at her. The old adage came to mind, Hell hath no fury like a woman, and it seems age wasn’t a factor.

The babe was placed in Blair’s arms. He rushed it out of the chambers and down the hall to the nursery. Once inside, he handed the babe to a nurse, and she went to work. Name, sir, the nurse asked.

Madison Marie MacPherson, Blair said, smiling. He named his daughter after his deceased mother-in-law and his mother. They were two beautiful and intelligent women, and he knew deep down that his daughter would honor those names by being equally good in nature and deed.

The nurse wrote down the babe’s name: Madison Marie MacPherson; date: December 25, 1980; time, 12:08; weight, four pounds six ounces; length, 25 inches. The nurse clicked her tongue. It was known that Lady Pauline forced herself to throw up after some of her meals, and there was no way they could stop her, at least they tried, and succeeded some of the time. After cleaning up the babe, when the nurse turned her on her side, she gasped, and almost released the babe.

What the hell is that? Blair asked as he inched closer to the changing table where the babe had been placed. Looking more closely, he saw on Madison’s right cheek a baby Bengal tiger, in full color; on her left cheek, was a baby mermaid in full color; and between the two, was a beautiful fowl of some kind in full color and detail. The feathers were black and gold with a ring of white feathers around its neck.

Silence filled the room until Angus said, I know who to ask about the bird, and the Bengal tiger is her animal to call. The mermaid, our Little Maddie will be capable of joining her great-great-grandmother, many times removed, Queen Cressida of the Oceans and Seas. However, never in all my many years of life have I heard of a flying dragon being in our family history.

Blair reached out and touched the Bengal tiger and smiled. History is being made, and there is significance to the markings. What, I have no idea, but we’ll find out eventually, Blair said, watching the woman dress his daughter, and when she jammed her little fist into her mouth, he knew she was hungry.

Gentlemen, it’s time for her first feeding, and you need to leave. Come back later and see her, but for now, she needs to be with her wet nurse, the nurse said, each person in the room took turns holding Madison for a moment and kissing her on her cheeks, her forehead, her long thin fingers, then Madison was handed over to the woman who sat in a rocking chair, waiting patiently to feed the babe.

As everyone entered the study, a stranger stood in front of the blazing fireplace and said, I’m Geraldine Maywood, and I need to discuss Madison’s colorful birthmarks with you gentlemen.

CHAPTER 1

November 25, 2009

M ADISON SAT BEHIND her desk in her study. She was tired and she was overworked and she loved every minute of it. Madison wouldn’t change a thing in her life; she felt blessed and loved, what more could a person ask for? Finishing up one of six designs for a multimillion-dollar gated community, Madison saved the design. She was far from finished, but at least one design for a mansion was completed then there was the clubhouse, the stables, training arena, golf course, tennis courts, and swimming pools. Only the rich could afford what she was designing. Closing the computer down, Madison stood and was about to leave when the pocket doors opened, and to her dismay, both her grandfathers entered and her three vampire uncles.

Gentlemen, the study is yours. I’m going to bed, Madison said, as she started to walk around the desk and headed toward the pocket doors, but her uncle Thor closed the doors and was standing guard. Sighing, Madison walked to the front of her father’s old ebony desk and sat down in one of the wingback leather guest chairs. She knew she was in for a conference.

We know you’re exhausted, Maddie, but this is important. You’ve been gone for two weeks, and we cannot put off any longer what you need to know of your birth mother, Angus said, as he walked around the desk and sat down in the overstuffed black leather chair that was once Blair’s, Madison’s father, and his many times removed grandson.

NO! She isn’t my birth mother. She is nothing but my egg donor-incubator. Molly is my mother, she is the woman who nursed me, loved me, corrected me, taught me all the things that a girl should know, and spanked my fanny when it was needed then cried because she had to use harsh measures to get my attention so I would learn right from wrong. That is what being a mother is all about, and I pray that if I ever have the blessing to bring a child into this world, I will remember what Mum did and follow her example, Madison said. She had read her father’s journals after his plane exploded over the Mediterranean Sea in 1986. However, he wasn’t really dead, well, physically he was, however, he came back as a ghost, and he could even materialize into a solid human form, but he rarely did. At least he was around to love her and help guide her through life, such as it was, and being her silent guardian.

Sorry, I didn’t mean it in the sense that she was a mother to you, everyone in this room knows better, Angus said, as he put his elbows on the desk and leaned forward. That egg donor-incubator is now in your home, Angus said, giving Madison time to absorb his statement. He knew at any moment now she was going to explode and maybe even attack him verbally, if not physically.

Madison’s mind went blank. She felt a heavy weight bearing down on her. She had never thought in her twenty-nine years of life, well, almost twenty-nine years, would her grandfather turn traitor to her and invite a killer into her home, a killer who murdered her grandmother and great-grandparents, and she suspected she killed her father, as she laid curses on him at her birth. It was unheard of for a werewolf to become a witch, but somehow that bitch managed it, only Madison was immune to her curses for some reason. Why? was the only word Madison could manage, and that had been a strain on her vocal cords.

The Grand Council ordered it, even though I’m second in command and seniority, I was outvoted. With the announcement to the world that werewolves, vampires, wereanimals, and real honest-to-God witches are living on planet earth, along with other shifters, your home was designated to having the ulfric’s and their families here for the final observation to see who would be given the title of General of Werewolves. As it turns out, Pauline is mated to Ulfric Ross Randall Hogg. They live in Chicago, Illinois. He’s a good man and knows nothing about her past. She came up with a fictional past, and they mated. Ulfric Hogg has a son by a woman he loved and adored. She was struck by a speeding van when she was pregnant. She died, but her son lived, and like his father, Randall is a good man. However, Pauline and Ross Hogg had a daughter, and she’s even worse than her mother. If I could have prevented them coming into your home, I would have, Angus said, the guilt of having the Hoggs under Madison’s roof was eating away at him.

Madison was quiet for several long and drawn out moments then managed to say, I see, well there wasn’t much you could do with eleven against one, Grandfather. I appreciate you battling for me. What I would like to know, why my home. I’m not the only person with enough space to host so many guests, Madison said, her voice was low and raspy, but then, it was her natural voice, a voice perfect for singing jazz.

Most everyone was given the opportunity of choosing whom they wanted in their home, but you weren’t there to make a choice, and when I tried, again they ousted me, Angus said. He was starting to get over his guilt at having the Hoggs here now that Madison knew he had tried to keep them out.

Since we can’t change it, we’ll live with it. How are the other guests, are they temperamental, overly aggressive? It isn’t easy having that many dominate alpha males under one roof, Madison asked, frowning.

"So true, but it’s working. The Jakobsens have six sons, the Brandts have two sons and one daughter, and the Hoggs one son and a daughter. It seems Ulfric Jakobsen is the strongest at keeping peace. He owns the largest lumber mills and lumberyards in Washington State, and he told his sons, and I quote, ‘If you get less than a master’s degree, then you will not receive any portion of the business,’ unquote, and all have PhDs, except for one, and he’s finishing up on his thesis and will receive his degree in business administration in May 2010.

Mr. Jakobsen’s sons had to learn the lumber business from the ground up, so they knew what to expect if they didn’t get a college degree, but not all are working for their father, Angus said, smiling at Madison.

Madison stood and walked over to her grandfather and kissed him on the cheek and said, Thank you for warning me. Now if everyone will excuse me, I’m going to bed. I have to get up early in the morning and prepare breakfast for all our guests while the kitchen staff cooks our Thanksgiving Day feast. Love you all, and to all a good night, Madison said, as she kissed both grandfathers and all three uncles. She then left the study, letting the men do what men do, whatever that is.

As Madison entered her suite, she was concerned about her grandfather Sutherland, it was his daughter who tried to kill her unborn child; however, she did manage to kill her mother and her grandparents. Madison knew her Grandfather Sutherland hadn’t as yet gotten over his mate’s death, more than once, she caught him looking at the portrait of her and tears had gathered in his eyes, but he refused to release them.

Madison barely remembered climbing into bed, and she didn’t remember going to sleep. She figured once her eyes closed, she went into a dead sleep, but her blasted internal alarm clock went off at 5:30 without fail; in fact, it never failed. Stretching, Madison tried to snuggle down and doze off, but her mind wouldn’t allow it, sighing, she pulled the covers back and swung her long legs over the side of the bed and stood. She stretched her long slender frame while yawning.

After taking care of her personal needs, Madison entered her shower. It was large enough for four large men who could easily stand seven foot tall. She was six foot one, and most showers were too short and too narrow for her frame. So once she became an architect and an engineer, she started suggesting to her clients to increase the showers in height and width and to use rain showerheads, and they loved it. After a good scrub, Madison turned off the water and reached outside the shower to her heated towel rack and took a towel and wrapped it around her head and the other warm towel around her body. She managed to get most of the moisture off her body before she stepped out and walked in front of the large mirror. Taking the towel off her head, Madison scrubbed and rubbed as much moisture as she could out of her hair then she French braided it, put some moisturizer on her face and lotion on her body, and she then left the bathroom to go get dressed in favorite attire—old worn out jeans that were splattered with paint and matching sweat shirt and tennis shoes that were so raged it would be an insult if she tried to give them away.

The kitchen was bustling with activity. The women were taking turkeys and ducks out of the refrigerator, some were taking bags of fresh fruit to be sliced and diced for pies, and even the pumpkin pies were made from pumpkins they had grown in their fifteen-acre garden.

Other than fowls, they were having a Steamship round roast, several spiral hams, and baked fish, yummy.

Good morning, everyone, and Happy Thanksgiving to you, Madison said, as she started filling her coffee cup. She then went to each and every person and kissed them on the cheek and hugged them. Since she was a wee child, she did this every morning, and she never stopped.

What’s for breakfast, Maddie? I’m starving, Aunt Emma said.

I’m serving blueberry buttermilk pancakes and plain buttermilk pancakes and waffles, with or without blueberries, bacon, ham, and sausage links, fresh fruit, fresh squeezed orange juice, and that should do it, Madison said as she started pulling out all the ingredients she would need. As she sipped her coffee, she went to work. She didn’t use measuring cups or spoons, her little mum is a chef and taught her how to cook using her experience as to know how much to scoop out and pour, and it worked.

By the time Madison had cooked the breakfast meats and chopped and diced a mixture of fruit, including cantaloupe and honeydews, everything was ready to be taken out into the formal dining room and set up her little cooking area. Benjamin had already set up the tables in the back of the formal dining room since their everyday dining room was too small for so many guests; Benjamin had already set the griddles and the waffle irons up for Madison, and Benjamin was in the process of carrying out the coffee urn and the urn for hot water, for the guests who wanted tea or instant hot chocolate. No homemade hot chocolate this morning, she had no time to spare. With cart loaded down, Benjamin left the kitchen and headed for the formal dining room.

Madison started cooking pancakes the kitchen staff requested, and once they were done, she would send them a text to let them know their breakfast was ready. Raised by Molly Campbell, Madison spent a lot time in the kitchen; Madison shared her meals with what she called her family, who were really servants. They taught her proper manners and how to carry on a conversation with adults since she was the only child in the household. She quickly picked up on how adults acted at the table and the lessons were hands on.

Emma, Benjamin, Molly, and Papa Sam were the last ones to make it to the dining room, and they were enjoying themselves. When two women entered the dining room and froze, the sneer on their faces told Madison they disapproved of having servants eating in the dining room with guests.

What is this, and who are you? the younger woman asked, pulling her head back and holding her nose up in the air.

This is my dining room, and the lady sitting here is my mother, Molly Campbell, the gentlemen is my substitute father, Papa Sam Campbell, and this gentleman is Uncle Benjamin, and his mate, my Aunt Emma. As to who I am, I’m the owner and mistress of the house, Madison Marie MacPherson. Now who are you two ladies? Madison was smiling at the expression on the two women’s faces.

I’m Pauline Ivy Hogg, and this young lady is my daughter, Chloe Francine. If you really are the lady of the house, I should inform you that you should have been here when your guests arrived. It was very rude of you, Pauline said, as she and Chloe Francine walked to the table and waited for someone to seat them.

Go ahead and be seated, ladies, but maybe you should get your beverages first, Madison said, enjoying letting the ladies know that Benjamin wouldn’t be standing up and seating them, not when he was eating his breakfast, and he had a full schedule ahead of him.

Now, Lady Madison, that is rude. A gentleman always helps a lady with her chair, Benjamin said, as he put his napkin on the table and got up from the table.

Madison hated that rule, her Uncle Benny was a very busy man, and he went almost nonstop once his day began, and to see two women all but verbally demanding that he pull out a chair for them was irritating as hell.

Soon the dining room started filling up, and Madison was too busy to be properly introduced to her guests, and surprisingly, two women offered to help her with the cooking and serving the food, Mrs. Cajsa Jakobsen and Mrs. Lynne Brandt. Between removing the dirty dishes and putting clean napkins and utensils down, Madison was kept on the move, and instead of having a traffic jam at the coffee urn, she rushed to the kitchen and pulled out four carafes. She filled them with coffee and set them on the table and put a supply of clean cups next to the carafes, along with creamers and sugars.

As everyone was being fed, Madison insisted that her two assistants sit down and enjoy their meal, and then surprisingly, two men offered to cook while Madison sat and had her breakfast, and she didn’t refuse their offer. The men’s names were Ulfric Axel Jakobsen and the other was his son, Chief Justice of the Supernaturals Supreme Courts, Judge Garrett Jakobsen.

While her blueberry pancakes were cooking, Madison ate her fruit and enjoyed her orange juice and conversation with the Jakobsens and the Brandts. When the two Hogg woman left, so did Ulfric Hogg and his son, both men weren’t too pleased at being asked to leave the dining room and join them, but rather than start a public argument, they left.

After the introductions were made, Madison said, I’m sorry for not being here when you arrived, but I was out of state on business.

Don’t be sorry on my account. I’m a cattle rancher down in south Texas, and there are times you can’t be home, Austin Brandt said as he stacked dirty dishes on his plate and leaned back in his chair.

I agree, Ms. MacPherson, don’t apologize on my account either. I’m a lumberjack, and because of my business, I’ve missed a lot that went on at home while having relatives and guests coming to visit us from Sweden, then my son’s sporting events in high school, all strictly due to business. My mate didn’t have it easy being at home with six dominates males, but she managed and not one male ever raised a hand to her or even snarled or growled at her aggressively, playfully yes, but that was all, Axel said as he put his large calloused hand over Cajsa’s.

Thank you for your understanding. I really appreciate it, Madison said.

Ms. MacPherson, what type of business do you have? Preston Jakobsen asked.

I’ll answer that for her. Young man, she is an architect-engineer and contractor. She also owns a security firm, four nightclubs, a newspaper, radio station, and a news station, however the newspaper, radio station, and the TV news station will not be up and running until tomorrow when we announce to the world what we are, Queen Cressida said, as she waltzed into the dining room on the arm of Lord William Sutherland, Madison’s grandfather.

Everyone stood, and Madison rushed to her grandmother; and after several hugs and kisses, she finally pulled back and looked at her grandmother. She never ages. Over four hundred years old, and she didn’t look a day over twenty-five and as witty as ever.

I may own those businesses, but I don’t run them. I wouldn’t have an inkling as to how to run a newspaper or a bar, and if I told Uncle Wally I wanted to take over the security firm, he would die laughing at me, and then try and have me committed to some nut farm. No, I have knowledgeable people operating those businesses for me, Madison said. She couldn’t even take the credit of thinking about starting those businesses, someone mentioned it would be nice to have a nightclub where werewolves could go and have less humans there, and bingo the idea was there, along with the security firm, that idea came from Uncle Wally, the same for the newspaper, to give shifters, vampires, wereanimals, and witches a chance at having their news published, the idea struck, and Madison went to work at finding the right people who could make it happen.

Wow, don’t you have a social life? Garrett asked, frowning, of course he couldn’t say much, his life was so busy, he didn’t have time for one. Until this week, he was not only the chief justice, he was the commandant of the Enforcers Army.

No, not really, once a month my girlfriends and I get together for poker night, and that’s about it. On rare occasions, if a good band is playing at one of the local clubs, I’ll go with a group of girls, and that’s about it for a social life, Madison said, as