THEIR PRINCESS: Book 1 (Brothers of Diabolo) Read online

  Contents

  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

  PRE ORDER HER KNIGHTS

  Also by Simone Nicholls

  Prologue

  Ellie

  Sometimes you’ve got to walk through fire to get burnt—so you can go on and heal from those burns. Those burns then turn into scars, reminding us not to walk through similar situations. But sometimes those scars aren’t enough of a reminder and the fire that burned you before, returns to sear you again. When it came to Hudson St James, the burns that I received from our relationship, weren’t surface deep. He cut me to pieces—my heart basically dying the moment he ended things. I still don’t know how I picked up the pieces. I still don’t know how I moved on. Then again, maybe I didn’t know because I never really did. Because the only way I knew how to cope with the loss of Hudson were pills—and the drugs relieved me from the pain.

  Before I knew it, I was deep into a lifestyle that I once looked down on. My father never gave up on me, putting me through rehab after each relapse. The relapses got worse as my addiction battle went on. Every time I fall that bit further, and push my body’s limit that bit more.

  My father had to watch me from afar as I tormented my body with poison. To be honest, I was hoping that one day I’d give my body the final push over the edge.

  I didn’t care about the future. I just cared about my next high. I didn’t give two fucks, if I wasn’t breathing after the high wore off.

  Then the high would wear off and I wasn’t dead. After that it was how would I get another high? An endless deadly circle. I wasn’t living, I was just trying to. . . hell, there was no way to describe it because it wasn’t living.

  I was numbing every part of my body. Then one overdose changed everything. I pushed my heart to the limit and I had a heart attack. The doctors, surgeons, nurses worked that night, and the days to follow—didn’t know I was an addict. After all, I was using prescription medication, and sometimes not all mine. There were no track marks or signs of abuse on my blood work.

  It was the fifteenth of December, right before Christmas, that I had my heart attack and died.

  Sometimes life can be bittersweet. That night, there was a car accident. The driver lost their life, but through their death they gave me a second chance at living, donating a fresh heart to replace the one that I spent half my life poisoning.

  My father knew the truth. He held my hand through the whole recovery process— never sharing or revealing my guilty secret that I was a pill popper.

  I was given a second chance at life. So, I stopped getting prescriptions filled, insisting that my father come to every doctor’s appointment, so I didn’t ask for pills.

  He came to every one, and every time we walked out prescription free, he’d give me this smile—a mind-blowing proud grin, and then told me “Ain’t no one braver than you, teacup.” Then we don’t mention it again, until the next doctor’s appointment.

  I’m twenty-five, and two years sober from pill popping my father still comes to every doctor’s appointment because I still don’t trust myself.

  I stopped living because I didn’t want to feel, and now I live to feel every breath.

  I wanted to feel pain, happiness, and every shade of emotion. Until. . . he came back.

  Chapter One

  HUDSON

  I live life like I ride my motorcycle—fast. I don’t give two fucking shits about the shit I pass or the fucking people I leave behind me. I just keep riding, surviving, and hoping that I don’t come off. Cause fuck knows, life tries to throw things at me hoping that it takes me to the asphalt.

  Still, even with that attitude, I had regrets. I was human, I wasn’t a fucking machine. I had one main regret, but ain’t shit I can do about the past. So, I forced myself to be focused on the present. Even though being in her town again, wasn’t helping.

  Being National President meant I didn’t get involved much with charters or the chapters within those charters. I usually stuck to every Charter, apart from the North because of her.

  I pushed the clubhouse door open, scanning the overfilled room. Women were dancing, the smell of liquor, weed, and the odd cigar was thick in the air. The men were laughing, and I knew I’d be doing the same, if I hadn’t rode four fucking hours.

  My ass hurt, my fingers were numb, and I had a headache forming. I cracked my neck, walking for the bar. I needed a drink, and knowing I had a four-hour ride back—meant fucking water not beer. It was a known fact that I wasn’t welcome at the mother chapter. Even though they answered to me, and yeah, when it came down to it—I didn’t have to respect Chief’s wishes, nor did I have to really listen to anyone but the Founders Son, that being King.

  Even King and I had a very simple understanding, I didn’t have to answer to him, and he didn’t expect me to rein in all the maddness that came with my temper.

  I tapped the bar, waiting for a prospect.

  Then I heard the clubhouse door open again, and I glanced up, freezing—a deadly type of still. Fuck, I don’t think I breathed for a few moments.

  Her long blonde hair was free over her breasts the dress itself wasn’t eye catching. What was though, was the shape of her body, and the dress did highlight that. She always had a body meant for worship. The full bloom smile on her face, is what feels like a sucker punch to the guts.

  “I fucking did it!” The man next to her, who currently had his tattooed hand on her hip, yelled in the club. And the club went silent, someone even turned the music down.

  My eyes ran over her ivory skin, which always looked like it glowed against her blonde hair.

  She was grinning, and everyone was looking at them.

  “She said fucking yes!” The man shouted, pushing her hand in the air. That’s when I fucking saw it—an engagement ring

  My stomach tightened; shock filled my system. I blinked, staring as the crowd erupted, shouting congratulations to the happy couple who were quickly embraced by the bikers and their women.

  I looked at the bottle of water in front of me. She’s engaged. My Gabriella. My Ellie. My reason. Is marrying someone else.

  She’s mine. Always would be. Always had been. Even though I had no claim. Even though I walked out the door. She’s still fucking mine.

  My shock turned to rage.

  I looked back up and the crowd parted, just slightly and out of complete dumb luck—my eyes land on her sea green eyes.

  I knew right then. How the fuck did I let her move on? How the fuck did I let so much time pass? It was meant to be six months, not five years. But the club always got in the way. As I stared into her eyes, she’d better be praying to God for help, because I’d done everything so far for her, and lord knows what I’d do to get her back. I was always coming back, at least in my head. She knew that. Clearly, I was wrong. And she was fucking wrong to if she thought I was letting her go.

  Ellie

  “Babe, are you okay?”

  I turned in the kitchen, my heart racing at a speed that wasn’t possible. God. What the fuck was happening?

  It wasn’t happening, was it? No. He wasn’t here. He can’t be here. I gritted my teeth. He can’t be here; he wasn’t here.

  “Babe!”

  I jumped, turning to see Maddox. His eyes locked on me, panic filling every inch of them. “
Is this about us? Are you freaking out about us?” He takes two steps towards me. “It’s about the proposal isn’t it? It wasn’t good enough?” He asked that like he hadn’t gone over the top. “Fuck, I’ll redo it, babe, just let me. . .”

  The thing most people didn’t know about Maddox was that he had a good heart, and right now, he was panicking by thinking I was regretting saying yes to marrying him. I quickly shook my head, and took two steps towards him, grabbing his arms and wrapping them around me.

  I breathe easy in his arms. I always did. And feeling his firm, muscular arms around me, calmed me down. I didn’t seen Hudson here. He wasn’t here.

  I feel Maddox kiss the top of my head. One of his hands ran down my back. “Calm down, sweetie I can feel you shaking. What has you this upset?”

  I didn’t keep secrets from Maddox. Never had. It was one of the reasons we worked. So, I pulled out of his arms. “I saw Hudson,”

  He frowned immediately.

  “Come on, darling, you know I wouldn’t let him into this town, let alone our clubhouse. He might be National President, but he knows not to come here.” His hand goes to my cheek. “I’m not some grunt member, babe. I’m the mother chapter Vice President and when I tell someone to stay the fuck out of town. They listen.”

  Hudson never came into town, even though he was National President. He basically reigned over the south and east charters, never coming to the north. I’d like to think it’s because my father had a good control over the chapters here, being Mother Chapter President.

  But the truth was, and I knew it deep down, that Maddox kept Hudson informed—thus stopping any need for Hudson to come here.

  I took a deep breath. “But I swear. . .”

  Maddox arched his eyebrows at me, as if he was daring me to continue that sentence.

  I quickly shook my head. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t doubt you.”

  His lips twitched up. “You want to come back to the party? Fuck, you had me panicking when you bolted after I announced it. Most of the boys probably think I lied.”

  My small smile dropped. “I’m so sorry, Maddox. I should have thought it through. I just panicked. . .”

  “Stop,” he cuts me off. “I don’t give a fuck what people think, Ellie. All I care about is that we are okay, and we are okay, right?” I could hear his nerves in the way his voice broke and waivered, but I could see those nerves in his fear-filled eyes. All the love he felt for me was hanging on whatever I said next, and I wasn’t about to lose that love over a ghost that had come back to haunt me.

  “We are more than okay,” I go up on my toes. “We’re engaged.” I kissed his lips, which are motionless until he grins. Then kissed me back with dominance, claiming my mouth like he claimed my soul.

  But the image of Hudson staring into my eyes, was still burning, in my mind. But he wasn’t here, was he? No. Maddox wouldn’t let it happen.

  Chapter Two

  HUDSON

  Rolling up a hundred-dollar bill, then started cutting up the cocaine with a credit card. It was morning, and I had crashed with some club girl for the night. Then rolled out of bed, got a beer, swallowed most of that and woke the fuck up—then saw the boys taking their morning wake up dose, aka cocaine so I thought why the fuck not. Had a shit ride here, and had another long ass ride ahead of me, once I tell the Chief I’m not handling it, and ending his manhunt.

  I couldn’t tell him last night, he was passed out in his study. As for Gabriella, I didn’t see her again.

  “What the fuck you doing here?”

  It was the growl that he used that made me look up, his eyes on me. Fucking Maddox Steel. Never had a problem with the bastard, in fact, at some stage I could have called him a friend.

  I once rode for the mother chapter, until Gabriella. Then I left, and rode for the south. I worked my way up from there, going for the National President Patch. Not nomad, not a table member; I fucking didn’t belong anywhere and that sort of was how my life had always been.

  My family never wanted me.

  The club doesn’t even want me.

  I’m that fucked up. So, when Mad Maddox was staring at me like he’d knife me, I didn’t give a flying fuck.

  “I hear congratulations is in order,” I said with a smirk on my face, but he knew the smirk wasn’t friendly. “You really going to be faithful to one pussy for the rest of your life?”

  Maddox flipped the table we were sitting at. He had me by the collar within seconds and slammed me back into the wall.

  I fucking didn’t believe in not fighting back, so I punched an upper cut into his stomach. He groaned but his grip didn’t loosen. That man was basically as big as me, he knew how to take a punch.

  He kept me gripped by the collar. “You aren’t fucking welcome here, Hudson,”he snarled at me. “You fucking know that!”

  “Chief wanted me here,” I growled back. “Now if you want to keep your fucking bladder and not be pissing in a bag for the rest of your life, you’ll let fucking go.” I press my gun into his skin, letting the cold metal get my point across.

  I wasn’t one to ever fight clean.

  He let go of me. The boys are looking at us as if they’re to pull us apart or clean up the bits that get scattered in the aftermath.

  “Leave.” Maddox looked me dead in the eyes. “Before shit gets out of control. Cause I will kill you if you go near her, Hudson.”

  I cracked a smirk because he was serious. He would pull his gun out and shoot me blankly in the head, there was a reason he had Vice President on his chest. He also wouldn’t be accountable to anyone for ending my life, he was that far up the food chain. However, I wasn’t someone that you could kill easily. Took three bullets to the chest the night I left Ellie.

  Truth was, the bullets didn’t kill me. It was seeing the damage I had done to her as I turned my back and left that killed any good part left in me.

  “I’ve got to see Chief,” I wasn’t backing down. I knew I stood alone; I might wear a cut, but I was alone. However, Chief had always been somewhat of a father, and I wasn’t going to leave without reporting to him—especially when he had sent me on a personal request. Again, I was National President. I didn’t answer to him. However, my respect for him out-weighed the authority I had over him.

  “Someone said my name. ” The deep voice caused Maddox and I to look to our sides, and there stood the man that started it all—fucking Chief. Gabriella’s father, the Mother Chapter’s current President.

  “Hudson.” Chief looked me up and down. “You were meant to call, not come here.”

  Maddox looked directly at me like that proved his point.

  “Thought this was better done in person.” I wasn’t backing down on why I was here. “Can we have a word?”

  Chief frowned for a second. Probably thinking what the hell had happened that caused me to break orders and report in person.

  Finally, Chief pointed his arm towards his office, and I shouldered Maddox as I pushed past him. To my fucking surprise, Maddox followed, and when he walked into the study after me. My temper snapped.

  “Can’t you fuck off!” I snapped at him. Maddox shrugged his shoulders before walking over to sit in an armchair.

  “You know what you were meant to do, Hudson. The fact ya here, means you might not have done it. So, then it becomes my problem.” Maddox wouldn’t back down or fuck off.

  Chief looked at me, and I knew I was to drop the issue of Maddox being here.

  I pulled out my packet of smokes, lighting one up, and then looked at Chief. I’d just pretend Maddox wasn’t here and wasn’t fucking my woman… or fucking going to marry her.

  “The man you want dead, I’d do it, but it will backfire on me and the club.” I looked Chief in the eyes. “You want me to kill the Chief of Police. Doesn’t matter how I do it, the man has security twenty-four seven. I wouldn’t just have to kill him; I’d have to kill them as well. By the time I get to him, the likelihood of them calling for backup is high.”

&nbs
p; Chief didn’t like it and Maddox opened his mouth.

  “The men are speaking, Maddox, little boys shouldn’t open their fucking mouths about shit they don’t know anything about,” I said directly at Maddox before he opened his mouth.

  “You want me to pull my cock out? Prove, I’m more man than you.” Maddox stood up.

  “Fuck, no point. Wouldn’t be able to see it and what women can’t fell.” I crossed my arms, wondering how long Chief would let us keep going.

  “I guess I’m big enough for my woman, that’s all that matters. Would invite you to be a groomsman but we all know you don’t play nice with others, do you, Hudson?”

  My fists balled at my side.

  “Fucking enough!” Chief stepped in, probably because Maddox said his cock was big enough for Gabriella—who is Chief’s daughter. “Back to why we are here,” he said sitting down. “Now what the fuck are we going to doing about Bruce, the Chief of police? Can’t let him keep breathing.”

  “Why do we want this man dead so badly?” I asked, taking my eyes off Maddox and turning them on Chief. “You got a hit on him like he has a case against us.”

  Chief and Maddox shared a look.

  “Maybe if we tell him, he’ll be more determined to think of a solution,”Chief said to Maddox.

  “That is counting on Hudson feeling something. And we all know Hudson is as cold as a dead mother fucker in the morgue.”

  I removed the cigarette from my lips. “What aren’t you all telling me?”

  “Bruce.” Chief looked to me. “Is expecting me to hand over my daughter as payment for him to kill a case on us. The case is currently all done. All he has to do is hand it in. He wants Ellie to marry him as a treaty between bikers and the police.”