Chapter 1

Author's POV

Jennifer stood at the window of Hannah's gloomy old house, watching the sun creep over like it was waiting for her to step into dawn-her new life.

 Today, she turned eighteen. But to her, it was the day she would meet her beloved step brothers. 

She ran her fingers over the soft sleeve of her oversized purple sweatshirt Blaze had gifted her last year. 

“Don't let anyone mess with you in this. Consider me following you around.” He had said with a proud smirk. 

Underneath, she wore a pair of jeans Jace sent her a few weeks ago with a teasing note that said, “Bet this will fit the woman of the house.” 

And in her ears, the sleek headset Axel got her, always blasting the rock playlists he made just for her. 

Jennifer grinned. Her brothers might have been rough around the edges, bikers, rebels, as the family calls them, wild—but to her, they were her protectors, her lifeline. 

After her parents died in that horrible car crash, they had never once left her side emotionally. She might have been stuck with Hannah and her greedy husband for a decade, but her brothers made sure she never lacked anything.

They texted her, called her and visited every few months with gifts, laughters and the kind of warmth that made her feel like she didn't lose her parents. She never once felt the loss of her parents while they were around. 

She may have been called “creep girl” at school for always keeping to herself, but she was far from poor. And she was definitely not unloved, not when her brothers were there for her even while Hannah tried to hurt her.

She looked around the now empty room, the walls still echoing with Hannah’s bitter voice and cold silence. Her suitcase was zipped, her favorite books tucked under her arm, and her diary was carefully hidden in her bag.

She took a deep breath and whispered, “I'm finally free. Blaze, Axel, Jace… I’m finally going to go to college and be with you guys. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll take over the motorcycle club too.” A smirk curled on her lips. “And ride my own bike.”

She picked up the rest of her stuff, her mind drifting back to when she was seven. Her parents' funeral. It was dark and wet, everything felt numb and the men she barely knew—Blaze, tall and protective even at fourteen, had a hard jaw and soft eyes.

Axel, with his always present headphones, rubbed her back in silence. And Jace…oh, Jace already had the kind of stare that could burn through walls, but it melted when he looked at her.

“She’s with us now,” Blaze had said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll come for you when you’re ready.”

“But you’re not ready to take her yet,” Hannah protested. She had always eyed her mother's happiness, married to the most influential family in town and the ones no dared to pick a fight with. 

Jennifer watched them all decide her fate that day, but she knew they were all lies. 

They all agreed. Hannah had a house, a husband and probably stability. Jennifer was only seven and she knew nothing except the love that groomed her—Her parents and step brothers. 

But she never forgot what Blaze whispered to her that day, “Once you're eighteen, you can do whatever you want and decide to stay with us.”

She clearly made her decision that day and it had arrived. 

The cab pulled up to the house on the outskirts of town, near the MC garage. It was a wide, open space, motorcycle parts gleaming in the sun, wildflowers growing in corners. It smelled like oil, steel, and home.

Axel was inside, setting up the dining table like it was a big deal. Jace of all people, was watering the flowers, shirt halfway undone, tattoos peeking out under the sunlight. 

Jennifer giggled. 

And Blaze… he stood at the front door, arms folded, eyes scanning the street until he caught sight of her.

“Blaze!” Jennifer squealed, running toward him.

“Whoa,” he laughed, catching her in his arms and lifting her effortlessly. “Look at you, Doll. You’re so big already. Eighteen, huh?”

She smiled against his chest, inhaling the familiar scent of leather and mint. “Eighteen, Blaze. I'm eighteen!” 

Blaze set her down gently, still smiling. She looked up and saw Jace now leaning against the porch railing, watching her with unreadable eyes. Axel stepped forward with a grin, headset still around his neck.

“Hey, little mouse,” Axel said, giving her a one arm hug. “Welcome home.”

Jennifer’s eyes lingered for a second on Jace and that, her most complicated brother and then to Axel, her chill, music-obsessed big bro. But her gaze softened at Blaze…

She was finally with them. Her brothers that made her feel so fulfilled throughout the past 11 years. 

“Here, got you a dress for dinner.” Jace presented it to her, leaned in and kissed her forehead. 

The dress was stunning, an elegant green gown, long and sleek, with no sleeves and a dangerously low back that clung to her just right.

Blaze let out a chuckle. “You look beautiful, Doll.”

Jace didn’t say anything at first. His eyes scanned her slowly, head to toe. “It’s perfect,” he finally murmured, his voice deeper than usual.

Axel grinned and tossed her a box with heels inside. “Wear those and you’re going to make it hard for any of us to pretend we’re your brothers.”

Jennifer laughed, her cheeks heating up. She felt beautiful.

While she was doing her makeup back at the house, her phone buzzed. 

She picked it up and saw, “Aunt Hannah?”