Small Town Retribution: Sons of Iron MC Book 2

By Reghan Ross

Raelene Alston helps her mother and sisters out when she can, but she knows life will never be easy in this small town. When she meets an older biker with black leather, tats, long hair, and attitude, she gives him plenty of sass. But now Jaxon has moved to Pine Peak and wants to pick up where they left off from short texts and phone calls over the winter. Only, Rae is now engaged, and nothing has changed. Her family is in dire straits and they come first, but Jax's generosity in helping her start over as a hair stylist, cannot be taken lightly and her family life is complicated.

When nearly the entire MC comes to town, and she overhears how Jax plotted to ruin her family, can she ever forgive him?

As vice prez of Sons of Iron MC, Jaxon Hayes has screwed up the Alston family finances for seven long years for revenge, but he now wants the ugly business over with. Divorced, he wants to start over in Pine Peak, and he wants Rae in his life. But first, what he has taken from the Alstons, he will give back, by choosing Rae’s mother as his realtor. As he gets to know the Alston family, he realizes Rae comes as a package deal and he doesn’t have an issue protecting what’s his.

But will Rae forgive him when she finds out what he’s done to her family?

This is a steamy contemporary MC, older man story and can be read as a standalone. This is Book 2 in the Sons of Iron series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Reghan Ross
• Release date: Jun 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005923099

Reghan Ross

Reghan Ross writes steamy contemporary romance. She had two full-length erotic romances published with the former Loose ID LLC online publishers and is now self-publishing her work.Her current work in progress is her MC series Sons of Iron. Visit the fictional town of Pine Peak in Books 1 thru 3, and meet Hawke, Jax, and Dane...total softies and not your typical hard ass bikers. Book 4 is in progress.Reghan loves faded jeans, boots, and sandals. She also enjoys hiking and tries to get to the beach every other year. After her sister passed at age 49, it hit home that life was short. Soon after, she had her 2 erotic titles published with Loose Id, and then had a tiny part in the movie Carol, in which you can see her sitting in the aisle of a cafe scene, but only from the check back...totally incognito. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and loves visiting with her daughters, grandchildren and siblings, and writes under the pen name of Reghan Ross.

Book preview

Prologue

Late November…

Hey.

Hey, Rae replied, in a rush to head home, barely sparing a glance for the hot looking dude standing in Hawke Lucan’s yard as she tried to reach for her door handle.

What’s your name, babe?

His masculine spice and leather wafted past her nostrils and her eyes widened at his words.

Rae eyed the man leaning against her truck door with one thick biker boot crossed over the other. He looked like he had all day to charm the shit out of her. She didn’t have time. It didn’t matter that at age twenty-one she was old enough to have her own place, make her own plans—she needed to get home, cook dinner for her mom and sisters, and he was blocking her door. Please move out of my way. I’m running late.

His brows rose at her tone. You stopped by to say hi to your friend, Ella. What’s a few more minutes?

A few minutes made all the difference in Rae’s life. She worked and in her free time helped out at home. Thinking of her life, her shoulders sagged. Some of her high school friends were going to college. A few were now married. A couple of them had at least one child at home and three girls she knew had two each. Are you hard of hearing, dude? I asked you to move. I don’t want to be rude, but I’ve got to go. She winced at her own words. Ugh. She sounded like a bitch and that’s pretty much how she’d been feeling lately.

If the gray in his beard was any kind of measurement, she guessed him to be in his late thirties or early forties. Truthfully, he didn’t look old to her. With his thick, black beard and long, dark hair brushing his shoulders, blue eyes, ink up his neck, from collar to ear, he looked gorgeous.

What did you say to me? I ought to flip you over my knee right now and spank the attitude out of you, but you are one hot babe and I want to talk to you a little longer.

A flush warmed her cheeks. "Excuse me?"

A two-inch knife blade was inked on one side of his neck.

Did she hear right? He’d called her one hot babe? Hot heat spread through Rae’s core.

He wanted to spank her? Her body grew warmer at the thought of his strong hands on her.

She could imagine bringing him home to her family. Her mom would go off like a rocket and then her uncle would get involved. Annoyed at the direction of her thoughts, Rae inhaled deep. What was the point of talking to this guy? She was the daughter of a widowed mother, a single parent. Her family came first.

A name. Is that so hard?

At his persistence, a huff escaped Rae. As soon as she heard Ella now lived with Hawke, Rae re-arranged her schedule to get here. Rae. With an e.

I like it. Short and sweet. Don’t you want to know my name?

Not particularly.

It’s Jaxon Hayes, he told her, grinning, ignoring her outburst. My friends call me Jax. Just Rae, huh?

With her red hair, she was known for her temper, and she felt it spiking deep within, ready to erupt. It’s Raelene Alston. Okay? Now can I please get into my truck? Or are you going to make me go around and get in on the passenger side?

The grin left his face like a blind coming down. He stepped aside. Rae yanked her door open, climbed up, slammed the door, and started the engine. Shoving her gear into reverse, she started to back her truck out, but couldn’t resist glancing at the man in her mirror one more time. He stared after her with squinted eyes, as if he’d seen a ghost.

Rae frowned, not knowing, or caring what was up with this dude. Not being able to get out much into the real world, she doubted she’d ever see him again, and with her extra pounds, guys didn’t look at her twice. No matter their age.

Chapter One

Three months later…

Jax shoved his hands deep into his leather jacket, hunched his shoulders into the warmth, and stared down the street of downtown Pine Peak. She’d be here any second. His realtor. Arlene Alston. She didn’t know it, but for seven years he’d fucked her up good—cost her an important promotion, losing her thousands in pay. He’d blocked her bank loan application. Gummed up the car loan she’d applied for.

Her husband cost the lives of the two closest men to Jax and yeah, retribution sucked.

Since his closest friend, Hawke, lost his father and brother to a drunk driver, Jax accepted the position of vice-prez of the Sons of Iron. With Hawke weighed down with grief over his family’s deaths, Jax said he’d handle the vengeance. As a computer hacker, he was well suited to the job.

But the drunk asshole, Ray Alston, died in the same accident. So the man’s wife, Arlene, took the brunt of the Sons of Iron’s anger for her husband’s bad choices. They’d given themselves seven years to take revenge. Seven years of payback. Seven years of bad luck.

Slowly. Methodically.

Any day now, they’d be done. Finished. As soon as they gloated in Arlene Alston’s face what they’d done to her.

But then Rae Alston, Arlene’s eldest daughter, helped save Ella McCauley’s life, when she’d called Hawke to let him know she saw Ella in the back of a van, apparently having been kidnapped by her deranged step-brother.

Hawke felt he owed Rae and wanted an end to this shit.

For seven long years, Jax and the Sons gave Hawke time to grieve. With Hawke having moved to the same small town as the Alstons and biding his time, Jax handled business at the clubhouse. Checked out new prospects into the MC and held organized charity runs. Hawke still held church, still showed his face at the clubhouse every three months or so, but he’d left the revenge on the Alstons to Jax.

So why was Jax in Pine Peak now? With only one tiny honkytonk bar? And no nightlife?

Two words. Raelene Alston. He’d met her briefly months ago, got her number from Ella, called, and texted her over the winter, and made himself a nuisance.

Liking the peace and stillness of the small town, and having no one to hold him back in Ohio, he decided to move here as well.

Jax narrowed his eyes as an older model car pulled in behind his truck. Arlene Alston, his new realtor, glanced at him, pursed her red-coated lips, adjusted the collar of her coat, and stepped out of the vehicle.

Jax hated people in sales with a passion. The way they materialized virtually out of nowhere, all dolled up, slick as a new penny, ready to sugarcoat a pile of dog shit if they thought they could sell it.

Arlene Alston was no different. Her reddened mouth, slightly curled hair, fake pearls probably the least she could come up with to impress him. But he wanted her to be his realtor.

If she was any kind of mother, she’d cockblock him. Because he wanted to fuck her daughter in the worst way.

Without one ounce of psychic ability in his brain, he could see how this was going to turn out. Not well.

Rae’s mother stepped up onto the sidewalk and headed toward him, offering him a welcoming smile that started to slip as she checked him out. Leather jacket. Long hair. Tats on neck. Not in the last ashamed of who he was, he stared into the gently worn face of the woman. Mr. Hayes? I’m pleased to meet you. I’m Arlene Alston, but please, call me Arlene.

He stared at the slim hand she offered him and forced himself to remove his hand from his jacket and greet her. Her gaze dropped to his hand, which was also covered in ink. His huge paw engulfed her slim fingers. Jaxon Hayes. She shook his hand but stilled for a second. His friends called him Jax, but she was no friend. He released her and stepped back.

She frowned. Jaxon?

He jerked his head in a nod.

Jax for short, she repeated, her tone a little sharp.

He squinted his eyes. What was her point? He told her his name. Why was she making a deal out of it?

To my friends, he agreed.

Well, she said, looking up at the old three story brick building he stood in front of. Let’s look inside and see what you think.

She stared at him a moment and pressed her lips together. She was dressed in a frayed-around-the-edges coat and knee-high black boots. Nothing fancy, but fashionable enough he supposed, and warm.

Marching up to the building without looking at him again, she unlocked the single front wooden door. Her desperate need for this sale blew caution to the four corners of the earth and she pushed the door wide and stepped aside, waiting for him to follow. He turned on his biker boot and followed her in. The heating was off but he didn’t mind as he checked out the place. The layout of the front room would serve his purposes. Focusing on the building, he tried to ignore what he’d been doing to her for years. She went into a spiel about the previous owner and the age of the building. The quaintness and old fashioned construction appealed to him. Pretty much what he would have expected from an older dwelling.

Concentrating on the condition of the building, he noted the scarred wood floor, the old counter where a previous business once held a cash register. The ceiling was high and the plaster appeared in good condition. This front room would house his and Dane’s computer repair business, as both of them had made a fortune with their security software and were ready to enjoy the fruits of their work.

Jax continued to look around, examining the long counter and cabinets on the back wall. Knowing Arlene watched his every move.

Despite the forty-six degree weather, and lack of heat in the empty building, Arlene left the door wide open. Smart woman.

Heading toward the hallway, he peeked into the three decent sized rooms which he thought would be great for their offices. Her heels clicked as she followed him. How old is this building?

She frowned at him, and then he remembered she’d already told him. It was built in 1920. The original owner’s family lived upstairs. It’s rumored as many as six families or more lived here during WWII. Approximately eight different businesses, over the years, tried to make it here. Some more successful than others, depending on the economy.

In the kitchen, Jax opened a few old cabinet doors, impressed with the workmanship. The painted wood didn’t stick. Surprised the rooms he’d seen so far were in good shape, he headed toward the wide, wood staircase, the steps faded and worn after years of use and he admired the thick posts of the banister. He loved old staircases. Was fascinated by them, in fact.

He started up the stairs.

Look, she said. Why are you interested in this old building? It’s sat vacant for two years. The taxes on this place are high enough to scare off any would be buyers off. Are you planning on bringing in tenants to offset the cost?

Jax placed his boot on the second step and turned to look at her. Her gaze moved over the huge kitchen, as if she were fascinated. With a critical eye, he guessed the ceiling height to be twelve feet. A person could feel as if they were standing in a museum in here. He hated to think about the cost of the heating and cooling, but he’d done well and could afford it. Realizing he hadn’t answered her yet, she jerked her head over to where he stood. He narrowed his eyes. My plans are my own, Mrs. Alston—

Arlene, she told him once again. After all, you and I are about the same age. I’ve been a widow a long time, so the Misses is redundant.

Jaxon stared with squinted eyes for a long moment and then inclined his head.

Fuck. He was so much older than her daughter. There was a clue here. Something important he missed. Unable to think what, he shook off the odd feeling.

Would the woman go ballistic if he told her he knew quite a bit about her? Knew she was single. Knew the ages of her three daughters. Knew she was as poor as the proverbial church mouse. Knew how much his own input weakened her personal finances over the years. Yeah, she’d go ape shit on him.

Needing to get away from her inquisitive gaze, he headed up the stairs. Taking them two at a time. On the second floor, another long hallway ran the length of the house. The wood floors looked square, didn’t squeak, and would look great with a bit of buffing.

The click of her heels sounded behind him.

In the master bedroom at the end of the hall, he saw the Jack and Jill bathroom connected to the room on the opposite side. A large walk-in closet stood on the same side. The bedroom was larger than he expected, with high ceilings and long, narrow windows. He loved character in a home and fell in love with the place.

Off the hall, there were three other bedrooms and another bathroom. Up another set of stairs, on the third floor, he discovered two apartments, complete with one bathroom each. But this floor needed painting and repairs.

This place has a lot of potential, she told him, trying to do her job. But he was already sold on it. If you rented out a few of these rooms, it would help pay for the upkeep. The building is solid, the roof only four years old, and the furnace is newer.

Central air? he asked.

Yes. The entire building was modernized about fifteen years ago, but as you can see, the place needs plenty of TLC.

Jax went to turn around and almost bumped right into her. He stepped back, not wanting this woman in his space. Every action created a re-action. He knew that. He’d literally cut off the lifeblood to this woman and her family. His MC brothers couldn’t wait to get in her face and tell her how they’d put the squeeze on her for years. The culmination of their revenge was the plan to have a face to face with her and admit what they’d done. They’d planned to do it in the summer and be done with it.

But that was before he’d met Rae. Before Rae called Hawke and told him Ella was in trouble.

Jax wanted this business done. Now. And so did Hawke.

Are you new to this area? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.

Was she fishing for information? As he rubbed a cobweb off his fingers against the side of his jeans, he turned to look at her. Came down to spend time with a friend three months ago. You may have heard of him. Hawke Lucan.

Mr. Lucan? So you were here when Ella McCauley was almost kidnapped? Having been in town that day, my daughter, Raelene, almost got involved. I wasn’t pleased, I can tell you. I’ve been trying to put a stop to her headstrong ways. She’s engaged now, so I expect she’ll settle down soon and make better decisions. Do you have children?

Jaw saw red. Blood pumped through his veins like the power of a locomotive. Rage burned through him. She is mine. Damn it. What did you say?

She eyed his black leather and black biker boots. Her gaze flicked over his long hair and inked neck and distain briefly flashed across her face before she was able to mask it. I asked if you have children.

Jax brushed past her, not answering her, and headed downstairs. She followed him, her boot heels clicking on the steps.

Damn it. He swore she smirked as he passed her.

What do you think of this place, Mr. Hayes?

When she’d asked him to call her by her first name, Jax did the same, but apparently she wasn’t comfortable doing so. Or perhaps this was the professional in her.

The good people of Pine Peak didn’t know it yet, but he was going to be a prominent figure