Loki's Angel: A Poseidon's Warriors MC novel - Book 3 Read online

  Loki’s Angel

  Poseidon’s Warriors MC - Book Three

  Darlene Tallman

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Cast of Characters

  Author’s Note

  Blurb

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Other Books by Darlene

  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.

  Loki’s Angel

  A Poseidon’s Warriors MC novel - Book Three

  Copyright 2021 ©Darlene Tallman

  Editors: Stephanie M. Ellis, Beth DiLoreto, Tammy Carney

  Proofread by: Sharon Moehlman

  Formatter: Liberty Parker

  Photo by: Golden Czermak of Furious Fotog

  Model: Joe Worden

  Cover Designer: Tracie Douglas of Dark Water Covers

  Published by: Darlene Tallman

  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.

  Acknowledgments

  When I started this new series, I wasn’t sure how it would be received. That being said, I have to acknowledge the photographer who has given me some wonderful images for the covers! Golden Czermak is phenomenal; he not only takes gorgeous pictures, but he also writes, is a model in his own right and, when he didn’t have the image I was seeking, he recommended another highly-respected photographer in the industry!

  Dedication

  This is for the readers who have fallen in love with Poseidon’s Warriors MC. The messages, the encouragement - it’s truly what keeps any author going when readers find a series they adore, you know?

  Not only for the readers, but also my PAs, Nicole and Sharon, who still do what they can to keep me organized. Their constant pimping and promoting allows me to focus on writing.

  Cast of Characters

  Jesse “Poseidon” Malone - President

  Callum “Loki” O’Rourke - Vice President

  Brock “Trident” Storm - Enforcer

  Gannon Brooks - Sergeant-at-Arms

  Ky “Orion” Stanford - Treasurer

  Beck “Atlas” Crandall - Secretary

  Tyson “Specks” Leone - IT

  Leif “Reef” Collins - Road Captain

  Prospects

  Asa

  Nate

  Dutch

  Canyon

  Club Businesses

  Tattoo Parlor

  Bike/Automotive Repair Shop

  Bar & Grill

  Security/PI

  Author’s Note

  CeeCee’s early life was not pleasant as she was neglected and abused. I don’t go into detail because that’s not my style; however, the prologue could potentially trigger you, the reader, so I wanted you to know from the beginning. If this was your life, my heart breaks for you; no child should ever be made to feel worthless or less than and no child should ever have the person they’re supposed to trust the most hurt them in any way.

  Blurb

  CeeCee Morgan grew up knowing several facts about herself - she was worthless, she should never have been born, she was stupid, and she was a waste of space. However, at six, her life changed for the better and she became part of a loving, happy family.

  The scars left behind, however, keep her from dating. Determined that she will get every best thing, her best friend researches local tattoo artists until she finds one that can help cover up the past so that CeeCee can have the future she truly deserves.

  Callum “Loki” O’Rourke has made a name for himself in the tattoo community. While he’ll do the flash art that folks want, his passion is helping those who are scarred regain their confidence and self-esteem. From burn victims to mastectomy patients, there’s not much he hasn’t seen since he first picked up his tattoo gun. He’s never been affected by a client until she walks into his shop.

  Now he’s a man on a mission - to design the best possible tattoo to show what she has come to mean to him during their long sessions while hopefully building a life with her - his earth angel.

  But the past that was dead and buried comes roaring back with a vengeance into CeeCee’s life. Will she crumble or will her newfound self-confidence enable her to keep walking tall? And can she handle being enfolded in the family Loki’s made with the Poseidon's Warriors MC?

  **This is an MC romance not suitable for anyone under 18 due to steamy love scenes, and child abuse that isn’t fully described, but IS alluded to.**

  Prologue

  CeeCee

  “CeeCee! You’re so stupid!”

  I learned this when I was three.

  “CeeCee! How could you be so clumsy?”

  I learned this when the emergency room doctor was casting my broken arm.

  “CeeCee! Get over here, you little brat!”

  I heard this every single day from the time I could walk.

  “CeeCee! You’re nothing but a waste of space! You should’ve never been born!”

  I learned my mother hated me that last day.

  By the time I entered kindergarten, I knew four things about myself - I was stupid, I was worthless, I was clumsy, I was unwanted.

  All of that changed the day that the Maddox family moved into the apartment complex I lived at and I met Patsy. I remember that day so clearly; it was one of the best days of my life.

  “Hi, I’m Patsy,” the little girl said as she walked over to where I was sitting. Our apartment complex had a playground, and I was outside because Mommy had one of her friends visiting. “Who are you? We just moved in yesterday.”

  “I’m CeeCee.”

  “Can you be my friend?” she asked. I didn’t know what a friend was, but she seemed nice, so I nodded.

  “What do you want to do?” I questioned.

  “Let’s swing. My mommy said I could have a popsicle today; do you want one?” Patsy kept switching topics so quickly, it was hard for me to keep up, but I didn’t want her to go away. I was so lonely all the time so even though I still was unsure about what a friend was, I wanted her to be mine.

  I’d never had a popsicle, but it sounded good, so I nodded again. “Do you have any dolls?” I asked, changing the subject. I’d always wanted one, but Mommy wouldn’t get one for me. In fact, I didn’t really have any toys because she told me they were a waste of money.

  “Yes, I do! Do you want to go play with them?” she asked. “We can get a popsicle first, okay?”

  My eyes lit up and I replied, “Yes.”

  “Come on, CeeCee, follow me,” she stated, taking my hand
in hers. I looked her over and noticed how different we were. My blonde hair was messy, unkempt. Hers was blonde too, but neatly brushed into two braids complete with ribbons on the ends. She had on a pretty shirt and matching shorts with a pair of sparkly white tennis shoes. Me? I had on a raggedy, ripped shirt and cut-off jean shorts. My sneakers were too small and there were holes on the bottom, so my toes showed.

  As we walked back to her apartment, she chattered away while I wondered why she would even want to speak to me. I was worthless and nothing but a pain in the ass according to my mommy.

  “Momma! Look, I made a new friend,” Patsy cried out when we walked inside. I looked at the woman who was smiling kindly at her daughter and fell in love. She was everything I thought a mommy should be; her eyes had crinkles by them, and I knew it was because she smiled a lot.

  “Well, look at you, making friends already. Would you two like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? If you eat it all, you can each have a popsicle.”

  That was the best day of my life; not only did I go to bed that night full and not hungry, but I made a new friend.

  Momma Maddox was a godsend to me. She could tell that life wasn’t very kind and treated me like I was her own child. My mom didn’t care about how much time I spent over at their house because it meant I wasn’t bothering her. That year when we started first grade, Momma Maddox made sure I had pretty clothes and that my hair was cut. For the first time in my life, I felt pretty and as though I actually belonged.

  Six months after meeting Patsy

  “You girls are such a mess,” Momma Maddox stated. “I can’t believe that you two played in the mud.” Her laughter let me know she wasn’t too upset. “Come on now, you both need a bath.” She filled the tub up with bubbles and left us to climb into the tub while she took our clothes to the laundry room.

  “What are those?” Patsy asked, pointing at the scars on my chest. Some were old but some were fresh, and a few were still healing.

  I shrugged. “Mommy says I deserved them,” I replied.

  “But why?”

  “I don’t know,” I stated. I never knew why Mommy did the things she did to me. I knew it hurt and made me cry, but other than that, I had no clue. Up until I met Patsy, I thought all mommies did that to their kids when they were bad. Looking at my friend, however, I could see nothing but smooth skin, so maybe I was wrong.

  “Momma!” Patsy cried out. “Momma, we need you!” I looked at her and could see tears running down her face. For me.

  Momma Maddox rushed into the bathroom. “What’s wrong, sweetie?” she asked.

  “Look at CeeCee, Momma. Look at her!” she exclaimed as she pointed to the scars. She was crying harder now but I didn’t understand why; I was a bad little girl and that’s what happened when I was bad.

  Momma Maddox crouched down next to the tub and gently turned me so she could see what Patsy was talking about. “Oh, honey, how did this happen?” she quietly asked. Her eyes were very shiny, but her hands were soft as she lightly touched each place on my skin, except for the new ones. I was glad because they still hurt.

  “Mommy said I was bad, and she had to teach me a lesson.” I had learned many lessons by that time in life. Some of those lessons resulted in me wearing casts, which I thought were normal too.

  “You’re safe now,” she advised. “You two keep working to get that dirt off. I expect two shiny little girls sitting at the table in a little while.” Her smile was wobbly as she handed each of us a washcloth.

  She kissed the top of my head and stood.

  That bath saved my life.

  I owe everything to the Maddox family.

  Loki

  Growing up an only child, I had everything a kid could ever want. My parents were active in my life and attended every single sporting event I was involved in, even though they didn’t always understand the activity itself. I was loved, cherished, and cared for and they encouraged me to follow my dreams.

  Because of my ADHD, they kept me busy. I played baseball, soccer, and football. My real passion, however, was art. I loved taking a blank piece of paper and creating something from nothing and I devoured the television shows devoted to designing tattoos. I’m the only kid I know of who got a paper route so that I could get my own subscription to a tattoo magazine, which only fueled my desire to create using skin as my canvas. My mom getting sick with breast cancer and having to have a double mastectomy furthered my decision to make that my career after I saw the work that was done on her to cover her scars. I knew I could do better. I would do better.

  But first… the Navy. I was following in my old man’s footsteps, so I enlisted shortly after high school, leaving my work as a volunteer paramedic behind. It was there I found a brotherhood unlike any other with Poseidon, Trident, Brooks, Orion, Specks, Atlas and Reef. The eight of us soon became a cohesive unit, growing into men from the boys we were at the time of basic training. Our code names came from the fact that as SEALS, we were unofficially known as Poseidon’s Warriors, since he was our team leader.

  So, when our last mission went to hell faster than a wayward sinner, we decided to start a motorcycle club. My mom was less than thrilled that I rode one, but she knew that I needed that adrenaline rush. I was Poseidon’s second in command during our time in the Navy, which is why I’m now the club’s vice president. Sometimes I feel like I’m merely a figurehead, because in reality, we pretty much make decisions as a unit. Sure, we vote on shit in church and at the end of the day, Poseidon is in charge, but for the most part, we’re in agreement about the important things concerning the club.

  I run the club’s tattoo parlor and because my name has gotten out there among the inked community, I’m now burning the candle at both ends. Thankfully, I have two new hires — Kaya and Canyon. Canyon is a local guy and in fact, he’s decided to prospect with the club. He’s a few years older than the rest of us, but he also served as a Marine, so he fits in with regard to our core club values. Kaya and her son are relocating from the West Coast. I don’t know her story; she only said she needed a change and after seeing examples of her work, I know that I’ll be able to keep up with the demand for customized scar tattoos. Canyon was willing to do the flash art and even some piercings. We don’t pierce a guy’s junk or a girl’s pussy, but all other piercings are available.

  The day that CeeCee walked into my tattoo parlor changed my life forever.

  I decided then and there she would be mine.

  She just doesn’t know it yet.

  Chapter One

  CeeCee

  Present Day

  “Patsy, are you sure this is a good idea?” I ask my best friend as we pull up outside a tattoo parlor. “I can live with the scars.”

  “Listen here, CeeCee Morgan, those scars are keeping you from living. You only exist, for fuck’s sake, and I’m here to tell you, there’s more to life than books!”

  I shrug. I work from home as a medical transcriptionist, preferring my own company and solitude to a busy, chaotic office. I tried that once, right out of high school, and it was a disaster. “I like to read. People in books don’t say stuff to hurt you,” I reply. Despite the fact that my scars can’t be seen because of their location, I feel as though everyone knows which has made me introverted and shy.

  She shakes her head at me and says, “Get out of the car. I got you an appointment with the owner, who from my research, is a damn genius when it comes to tattoos and covering shit up.”

  Sighing, I unbuckle my seatbelt, grab my purse, and open the door. “Fine, fine. You win. You always win.”

  “Yes, yes I do,” she retorts. I smile because she and her mom saved me so many years ago and I owe her everything. That day in the bath, I found out that Momma Maddox was a foster care provider. She called the social worker she worked with and I was placed in the Maddox home as one of her ‘kids’. Even though my mother’s rights were eventually terminated once the investigation determined just how bad the abuse and neglect were, she wouldn’t si
gn off on the Maddox’s adopting me. I don’t understand why she still had any kind of input, but since I can’t change the past, I refuse to lose sleep worrying over it. Because regardless of whether or not they were able to make it official, Patsy and Momma Maddox are my family.

  “What if he can’t do anything?” I whisper as we walk into the door.

  “What does Momma always say?” she asks.

  “The answer’s always no if you don’t ask the question,” I reply, grinning. We heard that so much growing up that it’s ingrained in both of our heads.

  “Hi, can I help you?” a brunette woman asks as we enter the lobby.

  “I have a consultation appointment with Loki,” I reply.

  “CeeCee?” she questions, glancing down at her computer to what I presume is a calendar with appointments on it.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Okay, it’ll just be a few minutes since he’s finishing up a client now. I’ve got some paperwork for you to fill out and I’ll need a copy of your driver’s license.” I take the proffered clipboard and sit down so I can fill out the forms. Once I’m done, I fish my license out of my wallet and hand everything back. “I’ll make a copy of this right quick and then, you just have to wait!” she advises.