Unshakable

By Alexa Kane

Jake Hill is in a rut.
He’s been living in small town Montville, Montana since he was sixteen years old and he hasn’t minded the simple life until now. Now every day feels exactly the same. Nothing changes. Not for him and not for anyone else in Montville. That is until someone from his past unexpectedly shows up on his doorstep looking for help.

Teagan Davies was living the dream in LA until she wound up pregnant.
Stupidly, she thought everything would be alright but it turns out that her sugar daddy wants nothing to do with her or the baby and has kicked her out with nowhere to go. A chance encounter on social media has her hopping from bus to bus to a small town in Montana, where she hopes an old flame will provide a safe place for her and her baby.

Unshakable is the first instalment in the Destined series. Due to its explicit content, bad language and graphic sexual content, Unshakable is recommended for mature readers of eighteen years and above.
Please note this book ends on a cliffhanger.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alexa Kane
• Release date: Aug 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9780463836286

Alexa Kane

Alexa Kane is a contemporary romance author and Secrets and Deception is her debut novel.Alexa lives in Australia with her husband but she calls New Zealand home.

Book preview

Unshakable

Destined SERIES BOOK ONE

BY ALEXA KANE

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system – without prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form or biding or cover than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Published by Alexa Kane

Copyright 2022 by Alexa Kane

All Rights Reserved. ©

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

The author acknowledges all song titles, song lyrics, film titles, film characters, trademarked statuses, brands, mentioned in this book are the property of, and belong to, their respective owners. The publication / use of these trademarks is not authorized / associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Because of its explicit sexual content, mature themes and bad language, it is suitable for readers over 18 years of age.

I hope you enjoy reading the first installment of the Destined series, based on characters from the For Keeps and Relinquish series.

It is not necessary to have read those series before reading the Destined series.

Dedication

This series is dedicated to my baby girl, who is due any day now.

CONTENTS

Title Page

Copyright

Author’s Note

Dedication

Chapter 1 - Jake

Chapter 2 - Jake

Chapter 3 - Teagan

Chapter 4 - Jake

Chapter 5 - Jake

Chapter 6 - Teagan

Chapter 7 - Jake

Chapter 8 - Teagan

Chapter 9 - Jake

Chapter 10 - Jake

Chapter 11 - Teagan

Chapter 12 - Jake

Chapter 13 - Jake

Chapter 14 - Teagan

Chapter 15 - Jake

Chapter 16 - Jake

Thank you very much for reading

CHAPTER 1

JAKE

Leaning over the filthy basin in the workshop, I try and wash as much grease off my hands as possible but most of the time, I don’t even know why I bother.

That shits like a permanent fixture on my skin.

Still, it’s Friday and I would rather not have the reminder of what’s waiting for me when I come back here on Monday so I keep scrubbing away at that damn build up around my nails.

I’m making semi good progress until a heavy hand comes down on my shoulder, so I grab a few paper towels and call it a day on trying to remove the stains that are my life. Good work this week Jake, don’t forget to grab your cheque before you leave.

I nod my head at Hank’s words, no matter how hard I try to convince him otherwise, he still gives me a fucking cheque each week.

On a damn Friday of all days.

It’s like he does that shit on purpose.

The shop closes at five and the one and only bank in town closes at four thirty.

He knows damn well that I won’t be able to cash that thing until Monday which means I have basically nothing left to spend at the brewery tonight.

As I throw my wet paper towels in the trash, Pete walks over and starts washing his hands in the same fashion that I did.

The two of us have worked for Hank for years now and even though Pete prefers to stick to himself, I still ask, You keen for a beer tonight, Pete?

Without looking up from his hands, he utters, Nah, plan on having a quiet one tonight.

Which is the same damn thing he says every Friday.

Still, I feel bad not inviting the guy as you never know when he’s going to change his mind.

Poor dude just sits at home each week punishing himself.

Other than work, the bank and the grocery store, I’ve never seen him anywhere else around town.

Like me, he didn’t grow up in Montville, Montana but he’s made a home for himself here.

The quiet life suits him.

Just like it suits me.

We don’t often talk about his past but he once admitted to serving ten years behind bars before Hank offered him a job.

Before Pete got sent away, he had it all.

A wife.

A son.

A house.

A dog.

But all of that was ripped away from him one morning when a drunk driver hit and killed his son and dog while they were out for a walk.

Pete ripped that son of a bitch from his car and beat him to death.

Literally.

As far as I’m concerned, he deserved his fate but the law doesn’t see it that way and I guess his wife could never get over what happened as she moved on when he was inside.

Even though Pete always says no a beer, I always ask.

It’s not right what happened to him and he shouldn’t have to sit alone each weekend reliving the past.

Knowing there’s no point trying to change his mind, I rip my overalls off and grab my cheque from Hank’s office before heading out to my truck.

Having a few beers at the Cedar Pocket Brewery isn’t exactly what I feel like doing either but there’s not much else to do in this town on a Friday night and unlike Pete, I prefer to drink with company.

Besides, Mav and TJ will be waiting for me since they knock off early every Friday and if I don’t turn up, I’ll just get hounded.

The short drive is over in a couple of minutes and when I kill the engine, I sit and stare at the neon sign for a while.

The only reason I’m hanging around this small town is because my younger sister Aurora is in her senior year of high school but after she goes to college, am I still planning on leaving?

I’ve become accustomed to the simple things in life and even though living here can be pretty dull, it’s become my home.

Without meaning to, I’ve set down roots and those roots have become imbedded in this town’s soil.

When this year’s up, I’m not sure that I will be able to bring myself to leave but if I stay, is this going to be what my life’s like each week? Work nine to five, five days a week with the aim of getting a few beers when I’m done.

I mean, it could be worse but it could also be better.

Couldn’t it?

Hank’s Garage provides a steady pay check and Sunday dinners at my foster parents make the prospect of another work week seem brighter but it’s all the same.

Day in, day out.

Nothing changes.

That used to be enough for me but with the prospect of Aurora taking off soon, it’s had me thinking about my future.

My whole life until now has been revolved around taking care of my younger siblings, Asher and Aurora and making sure that they left for college that I haven’t stopped to think about myself in years.

I don’t regret my decision to put my sibling’s futures first as they deserve a life better than the one we had in store for us back in Utah but I’ve never given much thought to the type of future I deserve.

The day we said goodbye to Asher as he was accepted into The University of Alabama was the proudest moment of my life. He was the first member of our family to make it to college and it’s a future he never would have had if we weren’t taken off our mom all those years ago.

It took me a long time to realize that we were better off without her and as soon as I figured that out, I never looked back.

Once Aurora gets accepted into college and I say goodbye to her then what’s left for me here?

Sure, I enjoy Sunday dinners with Ryleigh and Alex and their foster son Coop but is that enough to get me to stay?

And if I left then where would I go?

Other than Hayden in Seattle, it’s not like I have a lot of friends around the country that I could drop in on. If I moved, I’d be starting somewhere from scratch again.

Except this time, I wouldn’t have Asher and Aurora.

I’d be on my own.

Taking a deep breath, I open the door then jump down from my truck and walk inside trying to clear my mind.

I have a year left to decide.

There’s no rush.

As I make my way through the bar, I nod greetings to the same people that are here every Friday night.

Just like nothing changes in my life, nothing changes in the lives of the people that live here either.

They all sit at the same tables and order the same beer with the same order of burger and fries.

But I guess that’s no different to what I’m doing either.

It never used to bother me but now it’s all I can see.

Walking over to our regular table, I nod to Mav and TJ and grab the beer that Shelby would have dropped off for me.

That girl is something else that never changes.

Always keen for a fuck but can never accept that I’m not going to buy her flowers afterwards.

Every week I tell her that I’m never going to take her on a real date and every week she somehow thinks that this is the week she’s going to change my mind.

Like a damn idiot, I keep following her out back for the same quick fuck and conversation that happens every Friday night.

She’s become a habit that’s hard to break.

It seems I’m not the only one who can’t break the habit as I’ve barely taken a seat when she struts over. Hey Jake, good to see you.

Shelby, I acknowledge.

I’m not an asshole, I’m not about to ignore her but the last thing I want to do is give her anything more than I have to as it will only give her the wrong idea.

Hell, fucking her each week is giving her the wrong idea but when we first started hooking up, she agreed to keep things casual.

It didn’t take long for her to start hinting at me to take her out but I stupidly thought she would get over that idea.

So far, she hasn’t.

Not even a little bit.

Like always, she isn’t discouraged by my gruff demeanor.

You want something to eat? she asks brightly.

Keeping my eyes on the table, I lift the beer to my lips as I utter, Sure.

When she doesn’t get the desired reaction from me, she turns her attention to my friends. What about you guys? Do you want something to eat?

With her attention no longer fixed on me, my eyes can’t help but drift towards her figure and I swear wears those tight ass jeans just to get to me.

Not to mention the fact that her breasts have been pushed up so far they’re nearly hitting her chin.

This is why I have such a hard time saying no to Shelby.

I’m at my weakest point on a Friday night after a hard week of work, then I come here to relax only to be stirred up again by the blonde bombshell of a waitress.

This is the only part about small towns that I truly hate.

No matter who I fuck, it will always come back to bite me in the ass.

I literally know every single female in this town and I don’t plan on dating any of them.

Fuck, maybe TJ, Mav and I need to start drinking out of town once a month.

At Shelby’s question, they both nod and TJ adds, Another round of beers too please Shelby.

With a wink in my direction, she says, Coming right up.

After she walks away with a swing in her step, Mav and TJ start talking about their week but I don’t have much to add.

I work on cars all day then go home.

It’s basically same shit, different day.

When Shelby delivers our meals, she tries to get me to make eye contact with her but in the end, she resorts to brushing my shoulder lightly.

Her grandmother Mimi owns this bar and took over running it when her husband died a few years ago.

I respect Shelby for stepping up and helping out her grandma but that doesn’t mean I want Mimi’s quick tongue directed at me for fucking her granddaughter.

This is easily the best bar in town and I would hate to get banned from it because I couldn’t stop sticking my dick where it didn’t belong.

There are a bunch of guys in here that would give Shelby want she really wanted but for some reason, she has her sights set on me.

Sure enough, as soon as my knife and fork hit the empty plate in front of me, I catch sight of her walking in my direction.

Again, predictable.

When she gets to our table, she leans down and I already know the exact words she will whisper before she says them. I have a break in ten minutes.

She always has a break in ten minutes.

No matter how long it takes me to eat my dinner or finish my beer, her break always seems to be just around the corner.

Only nodding in response, I take a sip of my beer then check the time.

I didn’t plan on coming here to have sex with Shelby but I never really plan on sleeping with her.

It always just seems to happen.

If I wanted to, I could stay where I am and Shelby would soon get the hint that I’m not coming but we both know that’s not how tonight will play out.

It’s not like I can be picky in Montville anyway.

The ones that have stuck around after high school, I’ve known since I first moved here and well, there’s not many of them. There aren’t many newcomers either.

I never slept with Shelby in high school because I knew that we would both be sticking around Montville and I didn’t want to have to deal with the expectations that would come with but somehow, I’m dealing with them anyway.

My foster dad Alex tried to convince me to go to college but even though I trusted him to look after my siblings, I would never abandon them to chase my own dreams.

Not until I saw them both off to college.

Even then, I’m not sure if I would leave.

This is their home as much as it is mine now and I would like to be here if they ever decide to come back for the holidays or something.

The proudest moment of my life was when Asher announced he would not only be going to college but that he got a scholarship as well.

I mean the brains and dedication is all Asher but growing up, it’s a day that I never thought would happen for any of us.

The fact that it has means the world to me and I only wish Aurora was as keen on her studies as Asher is.

She just as smart as Asher is but she would rather chase after boys and go to parties than put her head in a book and not only that but she loves this damn town which means it will be more difficult to convince her to leave it.

Granted it’s the first place that has really felt like home and I know she loves being doted on by Alex and Ryleigh but I’ll never