Reserved Scotch

By Michelle Edwards

Life is never what you expect.
Evan always thought he would live, fight and die. He never expected the life he got.
When a threat from his wife's past comes back at her in full force, Evan is the one on the front line ready to fight, even if it means losing his own life.
The brotherhood is put to the test as they fight to bring everyone home in one piece.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Crazy Ink
• Release date: Jun 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201652234

Michelle Edwards

MICHELLE EDWARDS is the author-illustrator of Chicken Man, winner of the National Jewish Book Award, several other acclaimed picture books, and the Jackson Friends series, which includes Pa Lia's First Day, a Parent's Guide to Children's Media Award winner, Zero Grandparents, and The Talent Show. She lives with her family in Iowa City.

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Acknowledgements

I want to thank my husband for always being my rock. Thank you for keeping me semi sane and making sure that my deadlines are met. I love you.

I want to give a HUGE thank you to the Veterans in Arms Motorcycle Club. These books are for you guys! You have inspired me. Thank you so much for letting me ask you questions and be that weird girl at the bar with a laptop in front of her. Thank you for your support throughout all this!

Special thank you to Dani for being one of my biggest supporters and for helping me so much with this series.

Thank you, Crazy Ink, and especially Erin. Without you, I wouldn’t be where I am today with the experience and knowledge that I have. You are my mentor, my friend and someone I wish to be when I grow up!

And of course, thank you to everyone who supports me and encourages me.

Chapter One

Evan (Scotch)

I stood on the back porch with a glass of scotch in my hand. The amount of lakes on this property was something you would see in Florida, but nonetheless, I was lucky enough to have my house built right on one.

My house overlooked a lake on the west side of the property. Every single evening, I got to enjoy a sunset. Except today. Today I was wondering when my life had changed so much. A few months prior we’d buried one of our own, and since then I just hadn’t felt right. Oliver was like a son to me. He and Owen both. Losing him was harder than I thought.

Since then, I’ve been trying my best to keep to myself and just go about my day to day.

The air was getting warmer, the nights not nearly as cold. Standing outside after a workout was much more bearable.

I sucked in a deep breath and stared at the water. The calm, cold water.

I loved this time of the evening more than any part of the day. I was thankful that my curse happened in the early mornings rather than in the evenings.

I tilted the glass into my mouth. The smooth liquid went down my throat with no issues.

Hey there, stud, Victoria said standing next to me on the porch.

Hey, beautiful.

What’s going through that mind of yours? she questioned.

I’m just thinking about us, and this life we landed into.

Are you regretting it?

No. Of course not. Just wondering how long we will be lucky enough to keep it.

I think we will be able to stick around as long as you would like. Why don’t you come inside and come to bed? I’m missing my man.

I turned to face her. She was standing there in just a nightgown smiling.

Okay. I took her hand and followed her inside our home. The home I designed for us. Every decision I made, I made with both of us in mind.

And now with the possibility of us having children, the house was even more perfect.

I followed her up the stairs to our bedroom and set the glass down on my dresser.

Want another drink? she questioned.

I shook my head. I’d take just you.

Her arms wrapped around my neck, and I felt her nightgown slide down her body to her feet.

Mrs. Murray... I whispered.

Mr. Murray... she whispered back.

Her lips touched mine.

***

I woke to my alarm blaring loudly in my ear. I groaned reaching over to shut it off.

When I rolled over, I remembered Victoria wasn’t there.

I sighed and pulled myself out of bed, checking my phone for any messages.

Nothing yet. I shuffled my way downstairs to the kitchen to make some coffee.

I answered my ringing phone on the first ring.

Hello.

Good morning, stud, Victoria said from the other end.

Good morning. How’s your trip? I asked, rubbing my head.

It’s going well, but I miss you.

I miss you too. Especially at night.

She laughed on the other end. Another dream about me?

Yes.

I’ll be home in a few days, I promise.

Good because I don’t think I could go much longer without seeing you.

I’ll message you my flight information again tomorrow.

Okay. I noticed a call coming through from Sparrow. Love, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later. I love you.

Love you too, she said before I switched the call.

Hey, boss.

Scotch, do you think you can help out in town today? There is an event happening, and Dragon was supposed to go, but Delta has a last-minute appointment to go to.

Sure. Where at?

The bar and grill.

I nodded even though I knew he couldn’t see me.

Starts in two hours. He hung up the line.

Great. I huffed. I let my phone slide onto the counter and let my head fall into my hands.

I loved this club, but sometimes the community services we were doing was just too much. I understood making sure that we presented a good front, but when was it too much?

I had just enough time to deal with my curse before having to head into town. While I was happy that my curse was in the morning, going through it daily was just brutal.

I left my phone on the charger and headed outside to the small barn that I had built next to the house. I didn’t have animals and I didn’t intend to. The barn was simply for me. For the monster that I was. In the corner were chains attached to a pipe that went deep into the ground. I may be the oldest member, but I was one of the strongest. Going through my curse, I could seriously hurt someone. I felt like a werewolf some days.

To protect those around me and the structure of my home, I picked this. Most of the club had basements or rooms in their house where they felt safe going through this, not me.

The dried blood on the floor from previous days stared at me as I chained myself up. I slipped the key around my neck and waited.

The pain always surprised me. By now I thought I would have been used to this, but no. I wasn’t. I shouted out in pain as I felt the pain of a dagger going through my entire body. Not just stabbing into me. Ripping from the bottom to the top of my body almost cutting me in half. Blood gushed out of my body just as it did yesterday. Just like it did the day I was killed.

I felt the chains tighten around me as I pulled. I pulled my body trying to move away from the pain, but it didn’t work. It wasn’t going to.

My screams pierced through my own ears making my body tighten even more.

Then it stopped. The pain, the screaming, the blood. The barn disappeared into the darkness.

I awoke a few minutes later. Covered in my own blood. I laid there on the ground staring at roof of the barn.

Why did I agree to this? Why did I think that being immortal would be a good idea? From my current observation, it was pure hell. A hell I didn’t