Hard as Steel Read online

  Hard As Steel

  Sam Crescent and Jenika Snow

  HARD AS STEEL (The Soldiers of Wrath, 3)

  Sam Crescent and Jenika Snow

  www.SamCrescent.wordpress.com

  [email protected]

  www.JenikaSnow.com

  [email protected]

  Published by Crescent Snow Publishing

  Copyright © April 2015 by Sam Crescent and Jenika Snow

  First E-book Publication: April 2015

  Edited by Editing by Rebecca

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: The unauthorized reproduction, transmission, or distribution of any part of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  This literary work is fiction. Any name, places, characters, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.

  Please respect the author and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials that would violate the author’s rights.

  Eloise has kept her desires in the dark her entire life. Not sure if she should feel ashamed over her need to have a sexual relationship that consists of pain, she focuses on keeping to herself, knowing that she can never have what she really wants.

  Steel is a member of The Soldiers of Wrath MC. He is a man that takes what he wants when he wants it; he is never denied. But he wants Eloise, and her refusal to give herself to him makes Steel want her even more. He’s determined to break the composed and collected exterior that she carries.

  When Hanson, Eloise’s boss, attacks her, it’s Steel that comes and rescues her. Steel feels something for the woman that’s seemed to turn his world upside down in such a short time.

  But Hanson isn’t about to be put in his place, or lay down without a fight. He’ll show Eloise and Steel that he’ll take what he wants regardless of any threat.

  Can Eloise give herself to Steel fully, or will her fear for what she really wants hold her back? Can Steel finally allow himself to commit to a woman and show her that what she wants is exactly what he desires to give her?

  Sam: I want to thank, Jenika Snow, for being such an amazing author and friend. I love writing with her and it really is a dream come true to have my name with hers. Thank you to all of our amazing readers and to my family for the loving support. I love you all.

  Jenika: I want to say thank you to all the amazing readers that continuously show their support and take a chance every time in reading our work. It means the world! I also want to tell Sam Crescent, a friend, my writing bestie, and one I have the honor of working with thank you for wanting to write these over the top stories with me!

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Blurb

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Sneak Peek of Dead Bastard

  Connect with the Authors

  Steel leaned against his bike, watching Markam’s store for a sign of Eloise. He was going fucking insane with this bitch, and he needed to get her out of his system. Something needed to fucking give before he went insane. Tipping back the bottle of beer, he glanced around the dark parking lot. It was summer and hot as shit. He wasn’t wearing his leather jacket and had removed his white vest hours ago.

  Night wasn’t any reprieve from the heat either. It was too damned hot and sticky. The boys back at the clubhouse were partying it up, fucking all the pussy they could ever want. What was he doing? Oh, yeah, standing outside a damned supermarket waiting for a bitch who wouldn’t even give him the time of day.

  He was tired of this shit.

  Running fingers through his hair, he growled as the long length fell over his eyes. He hadn’t taken the time to slick it back with gel to keep it out of the way. What he really needed was to get his hair cut. He didn’t trust strangers with his hair. No, that wasn’t true; he didn’t trust anyone close to him with scissors or any kind of weapon.

  Throwing the beer into the trash bin, he watched the final customer walk out of the store. In the next moment, Hanson, the piece of shit boss, started to close up the store. Steel could just make out Eloise at one of the registers. She wore the uniform shirt and a skirt this time. Her long hair was tied on top of her head. She looked tired even from where he stood.

  The way Hanson made his way toward Eloise didn’t sit well with Steel. He recognized the look, the intent, and he knew instantly something was going wrong.

  What if she’s fucking him?

  What if she doesn’t want you?

  What if she wants him?

  He’d tried to get Eloise in bed, ordering her to fuck him, but that hadn’t worked. Women fell for him hook, line, and sinker, yet Eloise wouldn’t give him the time of day. She plagued him every moment of every day with her beauty. When he closed his eyes at night she was the person he saw, and it was the same when he woke up. It didn’t matter if he was balls deep inside a cunt. Her face appeared before him like a vision.

  It was messing with his head, messing with his ability to disconnect with the world. He didn’t like it. She had this power that no other woman had before. What was it about her? She never wore revealing clothes. The only thing he’d seen of her body was her arms and her plain but gorgeous face. She wore clothes that were way too big and not attractive at all.

  She was pissing him off, and he didn’t like it, not one bit.

  What had she actually done to him? Nothing. She served him when he went to her register, nothing else. She didn’t lead him on or make him think something that wasn’t there.

  It’s all in your head.

  He stared at the doors, waiting for them to open or for one of them to come out. Steel frowned as he took in the front of the shop. Eloise and Hanson were not there anymore. He didn’t like it. His gut clenched as if something was wrong. Moving closer to the supermarket, he stared through the glass but couldn’t see anything. Trying the doors, he found they were locked, not that he expected them to be open.

  Annoyed, he was tempted to leave it at that.

  “Fucking women.” Eloise didn’t want anything to do with him. It was the heat and the fact he’d not had a nice warm pussy in so long that put him in this annoyed state.

  What if something’s wrong?

  Glancing over at her car, he growled in frustration. He couldn’t just walk away. A few months ago he’d found Hanson treating her like shit. What could the bastard possibly want with her now?

  Before he could talk himself out of anything, he started making his way around the back. What would it hurt to check on her?

  “Will you come to my office, Eloise? There’s something I want to discuss with you,” Hanson said.

  Glancing toward the parking lot, Eloise couldn’t make out her car or anyone outside. It was late, she was tired, and just wanted to leave. “Can we take care of this tomorrow?”

  “No, I want to talk with you now!” He shouted the last word, causing her to jump. She hated being yelled at. Taking a deep breath, she nodded.

  “I’ll finish up my register and be back to see you.”

&nb
sp; “Make it quick. I don’t like to be kept waiting.”

  Ben had called in sick so there was only the two of them to run the whole store. Rubbing her temple, she tried her best to ignore the twisting in the pit of her stomach. Being alone with Hanson wasn’t something she liked. The guy gave her the creeps. Using a cloth, she wiped the sweat from the back of her neck. The heat wave they were getting was making life even more uncomfortable.

  Once she finished, she grabbed the bag of money to be taken to the bank, and made her way into Hanson’s office. He was sitting behind his desk, looking smug about something.

  “Here are the deposits. Everything is there, no problem.”

  He took the bag from her.

  “Sit down, Eloise.”

  She took a seat, staring across the desk at him. “Is anything the matter?”

  Ever since Steel had threatened Hanson, he’d kept his distance. She’d noticed his gaze on her, but he’d never been alone with her until now.

  “I have to say I’m a little disappointed in you, Eloise.”

  “What? Why? I work hard for the store.” If she even tried to think of working any harder for him, it would make her sick to her damned stomach. Hanson was a slave driver. He’d do anything to get out of paying overtime, or crediting the staff with good work. They put up with it because at least a shit job was better than no job at all.

  “Oh dear, we’re not going to see eye to eye.” He stood up, moving around the desk to lean on it. She didn’t like how close he suddenly was. “What will you do to keep your job?”

  “Are you firing people?”

  He leaned forward, putting his hand on her thigh. “Come on, Eloise. You must know what you do to me.”

  She panicked as he moved his fingers down her thigh, past her knee, and grabbed the hem of her skirt. He teased her flesh, making her sick. Slapping her hand over his to stop him from moving farther up, she glared back at him. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “If you want a job, you’re going to have to spread those pretty fucking thighs. I’m sick of seeing you in those skirts, of teasing and tormenting me.”

  Eloise pushed the chair back. Hanson didn’t stop as he reached out and grabbed her. There was nowhere for her to go. He grabbed her arm, hauling her up against him. “You’re going to give me what I want.”

  “Let go of me.” She screamed the word, kicking him in the shin. He released her long enough for her to step back. It wasn’t far enough for her to get away, though. Before she got to the door, he’d reached out, tugging her hair back. She cried out at the sudden burst of pain. He threw her away from the door with enough force that she fell. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him shut then lock the door, closing off her way toward freedom.

  “You’ve not got a choice. If you want your job, you’ll fuck me.”

  Getting to her feet, Eloise didn’t have much time as he shoved her back down. She fell to the floor, and he was on top of her. He pushed her skirt up and started to claw at her panties. Fear, unlike anything she’d ever felt, consumed her.

  “Stop! Stop it! Let me go!” She screamed, yelled, and fought him as he tried to take from her what she wasn’t offering.

  “You little bitch. You’ve done nothing but tease me.”

  She’d done nothing, had not teased him, or lured him in. Eloise had done everything to stay out of his way.

  Fighting with all of her might, she was no match for him. He was bigger and outweighed her.

  There was a loud bang and, suddenly, the door to the office slammed open. Eloise barely had time to think before Hanson was pulled off her.

  “You filthy, fucking, piece of shit.” Steel slammed Hanson against the wall. He glanced down at her. She quickly pushed her skirt down, trying to calm herself down mere seconds from being attacked.

  Steel didn’t stop. He started to attack Hanson, slamming his fist in the other man’s stomach, face, and body. She was amazed as he threw the other man around as if he weighed nothing.

  “When a woman says no, she means fucking no,” Steel said, yelling each word.

  Getting to her feet, she stumbled after Steel. Hanson tried to land a few blows but nothing hit flesh.

  “Stop, Steel. He’s not worth it.”

  Steel slammed his fist into Hanson’s face one last time. She heard the distinctive sound of something breaking, and Hanson fell to the floor, out cold now.

  Eloise couldn’t believe what had happened only moments before.

  “Shit, baby, are you okay?” Steel reached out to cup her face.

  “I don’t know what I’m feeling right now.” She glanced over at Hanson. “He’s alive?”

  “Yeah, the fucker should be dead for what he was about to do.”

  “Should we call the cops?” she asked.

  “No, no cops.” Steel said.

  He was right. “No, I can’t talk to the cops.” She couldn’t talk to anyone. The thought of telling anyone what happened freaked her out. There was no way she’d survive it.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No, I don’t.” Tears filled her eyes, spilling down her cheeks as she looked at him. “I don’t want to do anything like that right now.” She shook her head. “This is insane and crazy. I can’t believe this has happened.” Staring down at her hands, she saw they were shaking badly.

  “Come on, I’ll take you home.”

  “What about him? We can’t just leave him like that.” Fuck, what about her job? What was she going to do? This was a shit job but at least she had one, one that paid the bills.

  “I’m going to get you home, and then I’ll come and have a talk with him.”

  “I need this job, Steel.” She stared into his eyes.

  “You can’t work here after what just happened.”

  “I don’t have a choice. I’ve got bills to pay.” She couldn’t believe she was even thinking about this.

  Steel caught her face in his hands, cupping her cheeks, and stopping her from pulling away. “I’ll think of something. Come with me.” He eased an arm around her and before she knew what was happening, he was helping her into her car.

  “I can drive.”

  “You can’t even think straight right now. I’ll handle it. I’ll handle everything.” He moved toward the driver’s side, climbing in. She was so confused right now. What was he doing?

  Eloise couldn’t find her voice. She was all over the place emotionally.

  Steel surprised her even more by driving her straight to her apartment building. How does he know where I live? Before she could ask, he climbed out of the car, helping her toward her place.

  “Steel?”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m going to sort everything out and you don’t have to be concerned about a thing.”

  She reached into her skirt pocket, pulling out her apartment keys. Eloise had such a small set of keys that they fit into her pocket and she hated carrying around a purse. He took the keys from her, escorting her up to her apartment.

  “I want you to take a shower, drink some hot chocolate or coffee, or whatever the fuck women drink, and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “Why are you helping me?” she asked.

  “Someone has to. Tell me you can do this. I’ve got to go and settle things with Hanson.”

  She nodded, biting her lip. “Go, go and take care of what you need to.”

  He stared at her for several seconds before he nodded. “I’ll lock the door on my way out.”

  Steel was gone, leaving her watching after him. What the hell had just happened?

  Steel drove back to the grocery store, parked her vehicle in the back of the parking lot, and felt adrenaline and rage move through him. He’d called a couple of his brothers from the MC to come to the store and follow him back to Eloise’s so he’d have his bike and her car at one place.

  He should have killed the bastard, made him suffer and pay for putting his hands on Eloise. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t Steel’s old lady.
It also didn’t matter that she’d turned him down. He wanted her, and this dark desire to possess her, to own her completely in any way that he saw fit, consumed him. Hell, he knew where she lived because he’d followed her home one night. How fucked up was that? He could have been called a damn stalker for coming to her employment and just watching her through the window, but the truth was he didn’t care what label someone put on him. He’d seen Eloise and something had sparked inside of him; he knew he had to have her no matter what.

  He moved through the store and placed his hand on the office door as it barely hung on its hinges. Steel leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. Hanson was awake, holding a bloody rag to his face, and looking like he’d just gotten the shit beat out of him.

  He’s lucky that’s all that happened. He’s lucky he’s still breathing.

  When Hanson saw Steel standing there, he scurried back against the wall and tried to stand. His eyes were wide, and the stench of fear filled the small office. Good, the motherfucker needed to be afraid, needed to worry about his life.

  “No more,” Hanson said and raised a hand in front of him, as if that would really keep Steel away if he’d wanted to approach.

  Steel pushed away from the doorframe and stalked closer to Hanson. No matter how much that man squirmed and tried to move away, Steel came closer. The wall stopped his retreat, caging him in so he had nowhere to go. When Steel grinned, not one of amusement, but one of predatory delight, Hanson started stuttering.

  “No more,” the other man said.

  “Listen up, motherfucker,” Steel took a step closer. “You fucked with Eloise, the woman that I’ve claimed as mine. I don’t want anyone touching her, even coming up to her and speaking to her if it causes her harm.” Steel felt anger boiling inside of him as he pictured this little weasel touching what was his. He pointed his finger at Hanson’s chest, jabbed the digit into the other man’s boney fucking flesh, and bared his teeth. “You understand me, asshole?”

  Hanson nodded frantically.