Chapter 1

The makeup counter at Walgreens had become my sanctuary. I stood there now, fingers trembling as I picked up another concealer, pretending I didn't know exactly which shade matched my skin.

The fluorescent lights made everything harsh-especially the fresh bruise blooming beneath my left eye.

Three years of practice had taught me which products lasted through a double shift and which ones would melt under the heat of the diner's kitchen.

"Can I help you find anything?" The clerk's voice made me jump, sending the plastic bottle clattering to the floor.

Her name tag read 'Jenny,' and her kind eyes reminded me of my sister Sarah-before Marcus made sure I couldn't see her anymore.

"No, I'm-I'm just looking." My voice came out smaller than I wanted. Everything about me was smaller these days.

My world, my dreams, even my personality had shrunk to fit into the narrow space Marcus allowed.

The bell chimed overhead as someone entered the store. My heart stuttered, but it wasn't Marcus. Just a mom with two kids, the little girl skipping ahead to the candy aisle.

I watched them for a moment, remembering when I used to skip like that, back when I thought love meant flowers and fairy tales instead of closed fists and broken promises.

I grabbed the concealer and hurried to checkout. $12.99. Almost half of what I'd managed to hide from yesterday's tips.

Marcus controlled our bank accounts "because you're not good with money, baby"-but he couldn't track the cash I slipped into my shoe between tables.

The rain had started by the time I made it to work, fat drops that promised a storm. Perfect. The diner always got busy when it rained, truckers and travelers seeking shelter from the weather.

More customers meant more tips, and more tips meant my escape fund would grow faster.

Three hundred dollars so far, hidden in a tampon box Marcus would never touch. Not enough to start over, but enough to keep hope alive.

"Order up!" Joe, our cook, called from the kitchen. "Tess, your regular's here."

I glanced at booth three where Old Pete sat with his newspaper. He came in every Thursday like clockwork, ordered the same thing-turkey club, no mayo, extra pickles-and always left me a five-dollar tip.

But tonight something was different. Pete wasn't alone.

A leather-clad figure occupied the seat across from him, broad shoulders and tattooed forearms commanding attention even from behind.

My stomach clenched. Bikers meant trouble. Not the kind Marcus dealt in—all corporate smiles and hidden bruises—but the loud, obvious kind that drew attention I couldn’t afford.

Rain drummed against the windows as closing time approached. My feet ached from the double shift, and the coffee pot trembled in my hand as I made my rounds, topping off the cups of the few remaining customers.

“More coffee, hon?” I asked the man in booth six, keeping my eyes down like Marcus preferred.

Even when he wasn’t here, his rules followed me like shadows. Don’t look men in the eye. Don’t smile too much. Don’t give them the wrong idea.

“Nah, I’m good.” The trucker pushed away his empty plate. “Just the check.”

I nodded, reaching for my notepad. The movement pulled at my ribs where Marcus had grabbed me last night, angry about a phone call I’d missed while working my second job at the gas station. “You’re probably talking to men there,” he’d said, twisting my arm until I cried. “Is that what you want? To be a whore?”

The pain made me gasp, and the coffee pot slipped.

Hot liquid splashed across the table and onto the trucker’s lap. He jumped up with a curse that echoed through the nearly empty diner.

“I’m so sorry!” Panic clawed up my throat as I grabbed napkins. “Please, let me—”

“Stupid bitch!” His voice was so like Marcus’s that I stumbled backward, my arms automatically rising to shield my face.

The coffee pot clattered to the floor, shattering and sending ceramic shards skittering across the linoleum.

“That’s enough.” The deep voice cut through the diner like thunder.

The biker from booth three stood now, and everyone noticed him. Tall, broad-shouldered, with tattoos creeping up his neck from beneath a leather cut.

The patches on his vest read “Hellfire MC” and “Vice President.” His dark hair was pulled back in a low bun, revealing a strong jaw and eyes that seemed to see right through me.

He moved like a predator, all contained power, but his eyes when they met mine were steady. Calm.

“You okay, darlin’?”

“I—” The word caught in my throat. Marcus would be here soon to pick me up. If he saw me talking to another man, the bruises on my body were going to multiply.

The bruises from last time were still yellow and fading. I wasn't ready get into any more trouble.

“She asked you a question,” the trucker sneered, taking a step toward me. “Or are you too stupid to—”

The biker moved faster than I thought possible. One moment he was feet away, the next he had the trucker pinned against the wall, his forearm pressed against his throat. “Apologize to the lady.”

“I ain’t apologizing for shit,” the trucker choked out. “That clumsy bitch—”

The pressure increased. “Wrong answer.” The biker’s voice was soft, almost conversational, but it made my skin prickle with warning. “Want to try again?”

The trucker’s face was turning red. “Sorry,” he wheezed. “I’m sorry, okay?”

“Not to me.” The biker nodded in my direction. “To her.”

“I’m sorry, miss.” The words tumbled out fast. He looked so frightened. “Won’t happen again.”

The biker released him, and the trucker scrambled for the door, leaving a twenty on the table in his haste to escape.

The diner fell silent except for the rain and distant thunder.

“You didn’t have to do that,” I whispered, kneeling to pick up the broken pieces of the coffee pot. My hands were shaking so badly I nearly cut myself.

“Leave it.” His boots appeared in my field of vision. “Look at me, Tess.”

I hadn’t told him my name. My head snapped up. “How did you—”

“Old Pete’s been worried about you.” He crouched down to my level, those intense eyes searching my face. “I’m Ryder Bishop. And whoever’s hurting you? They’re going to regret it.”

The diner’s bell chimed. Marcus stood in the doorway, rain dripping from his expensive business suit.

His smile was pleasant, but I saw the rage in his eyes—rage at finding me on my knees with another man standing over me.

“Baby,” Marcus said, his voice honey-sweet with poison underneath. “What’s going on here?”

I looked between them—Marcus with his polished exterior and hidden violence, and Ryder with his obvious danger and gentle eyes.

The choice should have been simple. Stay with the devil I knew, or risk everything for a chance at freedom.

Thunder cracked outside, making the windows rattle. Ryder’s hand brushed mine as he helped me stand, and I felt something being pressed into my palm. A business card, worn at the edges.

“Accidents happen,” Ryder said loudly, stepping back. “No harm done.”

Marcus’s fingers twitched at his sides. I knew what those fingers could do. Had felt their rage too many times to count.

“Ready to go home, sweetheart?” Marcus asked, but it wasn’t really a question.

I clutched the card in my fist, feeling the edges dig into my skin. In my other pocket, my phone buzzed—probably Sarah, checking on me like she did every Thursday night when she knew I closed the diner.

Ryder watched me with those knowing eyes, and I realized he’d orchestrated this whole thing. The meeting with Old Pete, the confrontation with the trucker, the card in my hand.

He’d been waiting for an opportunity to reach out.

“Just need to clean up first,” I said softly.

Marcus’s pleasant mask slipped for just a second. “I’ll wait in the car.” As he turned to leave, Ryder spoke again. “Drive safe.” The words were friendly. The threat beneath them was clear as breaking glass.

I waited until Marcus was gone before looking at the card. It wasn’t a business card at all, but a playing card—the queen of hearts, with a phone number written in black ink across the face.

“When you’re ready,” Ryder said quietly, “we’ll be waiting. All of us.”

He walked out into the storm, leaving me holding a queen of hearts and the first real choice I’d had in years.

Through the window, I could see Marcus in his BMW, fingers drumming against the steering wheel. Behind him, barely visible through the rain, a line of motorcycles pulled up to the curb.

The queen of hearts felt warm in my hand, like it was alive with possibility. Some nights change everything.

And sometimes, all it takes is one card to start a war…