Her Kinsman-Redeemer Read online

  Heaven’s Sinners MC

  Her Kinsman-Redeemer

  By Darlene Tallman

  Copyright

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

  All rights reserved.

  Heaven’s Sinners MC – Her Kinsman-Redeemer

  Copyright 2016 © Darlene Tallman

  Published by: Darlene Tallman

  Editor: Emily Kirkpatrick

  Cover by Dark Water Covers

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from Darlene Tallman, the author / publisher.

  Intended for mature audiences 18+ or older due to adult material.

  Acknowledgements

  You would think that after a few books, this part would get a bit easier but nope, it honestly does not. I will say that my beta girls were very instrumental in getting this one done timely. You see, I chose to write a story for NaNoWriMo 2016 and had “no idea” what I was going to write about. If you have no clue what NaNoWriMo is, it’s a yearly contest that challenges writers and aspiring writers to put fingers to the keyboard and/or pen to paper and write 50,000 words in a month’s time. Any writer will tell you that there are days when no words are written. None. At. All. Because life intrudes, day jobs intrude, illness crops up. So, to commit to do this means that you are committing to writing almost 2,000 words each and every day.

  So, after saying “Sure, why not?” I was driving down the road one day with the thought of “Now what can I write?” running through my brain and a spark of an idea based on the story of Ruth and Boaz came to mind. I’ve always loved the story of a kinsman-redeemer, as well as the love story between Boaz and his Ruth. First things first though, I had to come up with names and my beta girls? I tossed a few out there for the female lead and they came up with the male lead’s name.

  As November went on, I joined in on sprints with a Facebook group I was a part of led by Cherry Shepard, NaNoWriMoFreakOut2016, and we encouraged one another (there were ninety-four of us in the group; some more vocal than others), and when I found myself unable to sleep? I knew I could find someone up and willing to sprint. So, for all my fellow “Freaks”? You were a part of this as well and I thank you.

  That’s when this story took on a life of its own. Several things revealed within the pages I never ever saw coming, and I found myself with watery eyes more than once. The best part? Even though the story wasn’t finished, I blew through that 50k challenge and “won” NaNoWriMo 2016 for myself.

  It’s kind of scary taking a story I’ve always loved in the bible and putting the bones of that love into a contemporary romance, especially one featuring a motorcycle club (even if they are a Christian MC). Folks may think it will be “all preachy” and full of scripture and I can assure you, it is neither of those. Not because I’m ashamed of my beliefs because I am not, but because the story itself didn’t call for it. There are a few places that allude to sermons I’ve loved over the years (one our pastor spent a year on, “I am who God says I am” was particularly revealing to our congregation as a whole), but I will never ever beat anyone over the head with my beliefs. That’s not my style. There’s sex and cursing in the story, not for shock effect but again, because the story went that way. I am merely the conduit for my muses. My ultimate hope is that folks see what my words were trying to convey with regards to love, the overall hope of love and how it can be redeemed by someone else.

  I hope all who read the story of Zeke and Angelina, no matter how unconventional it may start, will fall in love with them. I know that my betas and I have!

  Dedication

  To every man and woman who has stood in front of a Sunday School class and taught about the kinsman-redeemer. And to every pastor I’ve ever sat up under whose teachings have given me a foundation which I draw from daily on my faith journey. Thank you for serving.

  And for every man or woman who wonders – is it even possible? Yes, it is possible to find this type of love; I’ve seen it happen to so many in my life. It will be selfless, it will be kind, it will seek to serve, it will be there in the good times and the bad, the happy and the sad, and when you are old and gray and wrinkly, it will still be there. That other stuff? It’s just fluff which blows away.

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Acknowledgements

  Dedication

  Prologue

  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

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Prologue

  “Ahhh, Laser! Just like that,” she moaned as she moved restlessly under the assault of his tongue and fingers. Coming undone under his caresses, she lost focus until she felt him filling her. Lifting her face, she brought him closer and mimicked his movements with her mouth against his.

  Finally spent, he collapsed to the side of her and they struggled to catch their breath. “Love you, ‘Lina.”

  “Love you too, Laser,” she whispered.

  “C’mon, let’s get cleaned up and get some sleep, yeah?”

  “Mm-kay, but I want it on record I’m perfectly content to stay right here!”

  One shower later and they were back in bed, cuddled close and quietly talking. He knew she’d been worried about her courses at the local college and he worked to soothe her. She loved that after all their years together, he just got her and knew what to say and do to calm her nerves. She drifted off to sleep with his whispered words in her ear.

  ***

  Waking up, she found herself cold only that couldn’t be right. She could feel his arm laying heavy across her waist and his chest against her back. Reaching out, she grasped his hand which is under her breast and found it icy. As fear touched her heart, she rolled over, softly saying, “Laser? Honey? Why are you so cold?” One glance at his face and she knew.

  Keening wails brought Dex to their door at the clubhouse. “Angelina? ANGELINA! What’s going on? I’m coming in!”

  As Dex broke down the door, she was crouched over Laser, crying and pleading for him to wake up. Reaching the bed, Dex could see that Laser wouldn’t be waking up and that his old lady was going into shock. Calling out, he wasn’t surprised to see Renda, his old lady, come up alongside him and then crawl onto the bed to pull Angelina into her arms as she wrapped her in the blankets. Several more of the Brothers came in and a decision was made to call an ambulance. Sadness permeated the room. Laser was one of the founding members and he was held in high regard by his Brothers.

  ***

  Hearing a knock on the door, she called out, “Come in�
�� and smiled wanly when she saw Dex and Renda. “I’m almost ready to go,” she told them, applying a little lip gloss. No sense in a lot of eye makeup, all the claims of being waterproof could not hold up against the onslaught of tears that constantly overtook her.

  “Wanted to talk to you for a minute,” Dex finally said.

  “Oh…okay,” she mumbled, finishing and coming to sit on the edge of the bed.

  “Listen, I know this has been a helluva shock to all of us, especially you. I’ve known Laser all my life and we played sports in school and everything. None of us had any clue he had that condition, Angel, but I pray you heard the doctor say that there was nothing that could have been done and that he went painlessly, yeah?”

  She looked at Dex and nodded. “I…I just don’t know what I should do now,” she finally stammered out.

  “What do you mean, darlin’?”

  “Well, I mean, with him gone and all, he was my home. You know what I came out of and there’s nothing for me there.”

  Renda finally spoke up, saying, “Sweetie, you have a home here with the Heaven’s Sinners as long as you draw breath. That doesn’t change just because your old man died. Since you’re in school, you need to stay and finish-Laser would want you to finish. When you’re done, if the memories are too much, we have another chapter up in North Georgia in the mountains.”

  “But I need to work now that he’s gone.”

  Dex interrupted saying, “No, actually you don’t, darlin’, because you’ll still get Laser’s cut even though he’s gone since you’re his old lady. You’ve got a place to live, keep in school. We’ve got your back and you know that, right?”

  “Yeah, Dex, I do. Honestly, without y’all, I don’t know that I would still be breathing,” she finally said.

  Dex looked down at the woman his Brother called Lina. Petite and curvy with thick strawberry-blonde hair, she captured his Brother’s attention the first time they saw her trying to steal food. From that moment on, Laser had made it his mission to find out everything he could about her and then bring her into the fold as his old lady. He knew that if his Brother had one regret, it would be that they hadn’t ever made it legal, but she had proven time and again that she was old lady material. He hoped that she healed from losing Laser because she’d make some lucky man a good old lady when she was ready again.

  “C’mon, Angel, the pastor is here and ready to get the memorial started, yeah?” he finally said, coaxing both women from the room.

  ***

  Six weeks later

  Blowing out a breath, Angelina looked at the stick again. While she was happy that she’d have something to remember him by, the fact that she was going to be a single mom was a daunting prospect. You’re not alone, my Daughter whispered across her soul.

  Chapter One

  Three years later

  “Congratulations Class of 2016!” the Dean said through the cheers and air horns. “Now go and be a light.”

  Smiling at a few of the friends she made, she hurried to the group of men and women wearing the Heaven’s Sinners cuts and to the double stroller that Renda was pushing. Leaning down, she kissed each little sleeping head, amazed that they could sleep through the deafening noise. Standing back up, she was engulfed in a set of muscular arms and could hear Dex’s voice as he said, “Congrats, Angel. Laser would be so proud of you for pushing through and finishing!”

  The tears didn’t come as often or as easy as they did when he first died and she said a silent prayer of thanks. Being pregnant and grieving at the same time had her hormones going nuts and she was grateful that his Brothers and the old ladies understood and provided her the safety net she needed whenever life was “too much” to deal with. But at the mention of his name and thinking of how far she had come while by his side, a few silently trickled down her face.

  “Ah, no tears now, darlin’, today’s a good day, yeah?” Dex asked.

  “It is, Dex. It is. Was just thinking about how proud he would be that I did finish and how sad it makes me that the girls will never know their daddy.”

  “Darlin’, I know you’ll tell them all about their daddy. Just remember something, yeah? You don’t have to be alone the rest of your life. Laser wouldn’t have wanted that for you or those girls.”

  “Yeah, I know, but honestly? As busy as these past few years have been, that’s not been a priority in my life. Not for nothing, but it will take a pretty special man who has no problem raising someone else’s kids and who will understand that Laser will always hold a place in my heart. Y’all rescued me all those years ago and I don’t want to think about what would have become of me if you hadn’t found me when you did.”

  Dex thought back to the day Angelina came into their lives. They had been in a store and seen her attempting to steal food. She was unkempt and so thin it was obvious she was on the verge of starvation. To keep her from being arrested, Laser had stepped up and offered to buy her dinner. They hadn’t had an easy time of it in the beginning-she was mistrustful of them and their motives, having come from a foster home where lies and manipulation were praised and her honest, hard-working nature was sneered at. She was even more hesitant when she realized that most of the members attended the local interfaith church because “the church” had hurt her badly. He recalled it had taken Laser a good six months before she trusted him enough to become his old lady and after that they were pretty much attached at the hip. He had watched her bloom into a beautiful young woman alongside his best friend, and saw how she embraced the redemption that was preached in their church. Even though he and Laser were the same age, he sometimes felt fatherly toward the young woman-something she wouldn’t want to know.

  “God had a bigger plan for you, Angel, and He still does,” Dex finally said. “Now, enough of this serious stuff, let’s head back to the clubhouse because you’ve earned this party!”

  She grinned and linked her arm in his and followed him and Renda to the SUV the club had gotten her when they found out she was having twins. She truly was blessed. She knew that there were clubs out there that would have kicked her to the curb when her old man passed away, but the Heaven’s Sinners maintained she was part of the family and each of them helped her get to this point.

  Arriving at the clubhouse, she and Renda got the girls out of the SUV and headed in where there was a huge banner saying “Congrats Angel – Class of 2016!” hanging over the bar. A table off to the side had food and a huge cake and another table was covered in gift bags. “C’mon girl, let’s eat!” Renda said, watching her friend stand there with her mouth hanging open. Brothers and their old ladies came by for hugs, congratulating her and kissing her. It truly was a family atmosphere and once again, she was hit with a pang of longing wishing that Laser had been there as well.

  Chapter Two

  Zeke huffed in frustration. He knew from looking over the books that their former accountant had been embezzling from the club’s businesses, but he couldn’t figure out how much or where it went. Thankfully, when it had become obvious, they had the man arrested and he was currently awaiting trial, but that didn’t help him figure anything out. He needed help and wasn’t sure where it was coming from, but he needed it yesterday. Hearing the door open, he looked up and saw Preacher step into the room.

  “Hey, Brother, what’s going on?” he asked.

  “Eh, not a whole lot. Is your phone on?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Well, Dex has been trying to reach you and when he got your voicemail multiple times in a row, he called me. I think we may have a solution to our accountant problem.”

  Sitting back in his chair, he motioned for Preacher to take a seat and continue.

  “Seems that there’s an old lady whose old man died that just got her degree in accounting. She has been doing the books for the South Georgia chapter’s businesses for years now. She’s got her licenses or certificates or whatever the hell she has to have and has expressed to Dex that now that she’s graduated, she’d like to re
locate.”

  He thought for a minute before replying, “Wasn’t that Laser’s old lady?”

  “Yeah, Angelina. She’s got two little girls that are Laser’s, but the town doesn’t hold anything else for her other than her relationship with Dex and Renda and the other Heavens Sinner’s members. All the memories must make it hard.”

  Thinking out loud, he said, “Well, we have the cottage off Main Street, it needs cleaning and a good painting, but it would give her somewhere to live. With her having kids, do you think she’d be able to handle the books for the businesses?”

  Preacher looked at him before he answered. “Yeah, you know a lot of that stuff can be done online now, so we could set up one of the rooms as an office for her. From what I gather talking to Dex, she’s pretty hands-on with her daughters and won’t want to leave them with strangers.”

  “Alright, what do we have to lose? We’ll go ahead and mention it in Church so everyone knows what is happening and see if any of the Brothers and old ladies can help us get the house ready for its new resident.”

  Preacher smiled inside. He knew his Brother didn’t remember the woman from their visits to South Georgia, but he had an inkling that she was going to blow Zeke’s socks off. Ever since Gayla took off and left him with their son, Thad, Zeke hadn’t shown any lasting interest in anyone. He had kept anything casual, and for one reason only. He knew from talking with Dex that Angelina had focused her energies on college, grieving, and her girls, and that he and Renda felt she was ready to get back to living again.

  ***

  “But Dex, I’m happy here!” Angelina said. “I don’t know anyone in our North Georgia chapter!”

  “Darlin’, you’ve met them during runs and meet-ups,” he patiently reminded her. “And Zeke has need of a grade-A accountant because his was caught with his hands in the cookie jar.”

  “Can’t he just go to Accountants R Us?” she replied in a snarky tone.

  “Now, now, you know that’s not how it’s done. They’ve got a house for you and the girls already, and you’ll be making a good salary with benefits.”