Charming (Devil’s Boneyard MC #11)

Prologue

Dakota

“I’m sorry. I just hallucinated.” I glared at my phone before putting it on speaker. “Repeat that, please?”

My big brother sighed. “I’ve arranged a marriage for you, Dakota. It’s a good match. He’ll keep you safe. Take good care of you.”

“Did I fall into a wormhole? Accidentally time travel?”

“What?” he asked, sounding bewildered.

“Specter, you realize we’re not in the Middle Ages, right? You can’t marry me off to some guy sight unseen. The world doesn’t work that way anymore.”

“Technically…”

I growled and flipped off my phone, wishing he could see the gesture. “You listen well, big brother. I am not marrying some guy you’ve picked out for me. You can’t do this to me!”

“You’re my only weakness, Kota. It’s only a matter of time before you end up with a target on you. Do you have any idea what it would do to me if I lost you? Like I lost…” He went silent, and I knew he was thinking about his daughter. The one they’d tortured, raped, and murdered.

“I love you, Specter. You know I do. But I can’t live like this. I have a life! Friends. A job.”

“I’m sorry, Dakota. Someone will be there in a few hours to pick you up. You’ll meet your intended by morning and be married shortly after. I swear I would never pick someone who would hurt you. The guy is someone I trust.”

I screamed and ended the call, throwing my phone against the wall. I hated when he did shit like this! Usually, I went along with it, at least for a little while. Not happening this time. I wouldn’t marry some guy just because Specter wanted me to. Nope. Nope. Nope.

I started throwing my stuff into a bag. I eyed my busted phone and realized this was it. My only chance to escape. I packed as quickly as I could, loaded my car, and put my apartment key in the manager’s drop box. Then I got the hell out of town as fast as I could.

Even though I didn’t have a destination in mind, I hit the highway and decided to see where life took me.

When I ran out of gas, I’d make a decision.

Either stay wherever I’d landed, or drive a little farther.

Whatever the case, I wouldn’t sit on my ass and wait for my brother to manage my life.

He’d gone too far this time. Spend a month with some bikers?

Sure. Get sent on an extended vacation to some unknown private island?

Not a problem. But this? Hell to the fucking no.

“Sorry, big brother. I’m not playing your games this time.

” I pressed the accelerator a little harder.

There was a good chance he had other trackers on me besides my phone.

I’d found one in the heel of my shoes before.

He’d realize where I was and could still send someone to get me.

I only hoped my running away would send him a message.

I wasn’t some pawn on a chessboard or a toy he could play with.

It was one thing to worry about me, and another to micromanage my life. He hadn’t even asked me about getting married! Maybe if he’d let me meet the guy, get to know him a little, I might have felt differently. But this was positively insane.

I cranked the radio and sang along to Halestorm’s Better Sorry Than Safe.

She might be talking about a romantic sort of relationship, but the need to flee seemed pretty perfect for my current situation.

I belted it out and poured my heart into the lyrics.

I could be running headlong into danger.

Or this could be the start of a new adventure.

I’d never know if I’d stayed behind and waited like a good little girl for big brother’s hired men to come pick me up.

I was done playing it safe. It was time to live a little…