Chapter 1

The Texas afternoon sun blazed down on the iron gates of the "Steel Knights" headquarters, the roar of Harley engines echoing from the yard, mixing with the heavy scent of motor oil.

I hit the brakes, my beat-up pickup truck grinding to a halt in a cloud of dust. My hands gripped the steering wheel, trembling slightly—not from nerves, but from excitement.

"Finally back home." I gently caressed the carefully wrapped box on the passenger seat, containing the custom Harley parts I'd spent my entire savings on. The chrome exhaust pipes gleamed in the sunlight.

Twenty-one years old. I pushed open the car door, my black ponytail dancing in the wind. My community college mechanical engineering degree was tucked in my backpack, but right now, my mind was consumed by thoughts of one person.

Jake Thompson.

Nine years. Ever since I was that naive twelve-year-old girl, I'd been deeply in love with this man. I still remembered the first time I saw him—eighteen-year-old Jake tearing into the yard on that black Harley, his leather jacket whipping in the wind, that rebellious look that made me fall for him instantly.

I had just lost my parents then and was adopted by Razor Thompson. My mom and dad were both old members of the "Steel Knights," sacrificed for the club. So I was taken in, gaining a brother—Jake. Back then, he always protected me, never letting the other kids bully the newcomer.

From that moment, I secretly vowed to become a woman worthy of him. I learned to fix cars, learned to ride motorcycles, even studied mechanical engineering for him. Every time he praised me with "Nice work, kid," my heart would nearly burst from my chest.

I still remembered what he said when he dropped me off at college as a freshman: "When you come back, you'll be mine." Though his voice was soft, that look in his eyes made me anticipate this day throughout my entire college years.

"Jake's going to love this." I picked up the heavy parts box, my face breaking into a radiant smile. I'd spent two whole months selecting this exhaust system, just to match his beloved ride.

Several club members in the yard were working on motorcycles, all greeting me warmly when they saw me.

"The little princess is back!"

"Raven, long time no see! Jake's gonna be over the moon knowing you're back!"

I ran toward the garage, my heart pounding like a drum. Jake must be in there, buried in customizing his beloved Harley as usual. I'd sneak in quietly, install this part on his bike, then watch his surprised expression.

Just like on my seventeenth birthday, when he gave me that silver chain engraved with gears. "This is for my most talented little mechanic," he'd said, ruffling my hair. I still wore that chain, never took it off.

The garage's iron door was half-open, dim light filtering through, the familiar mechanical scent wafting out. I took a deep breath, tiptoeing as I pushed the door.

Then my world collapsed.

Through the glass window, I saw a scene that made my heart stop: Jake tenderly caressing a woman's obviously swollen belly, the woman wearing a tight T-shirt, clearly pregnant.

That woman was Crystal Hayes. My cousin.

"Baby, our little one's almost here." Jake's voice was tender in a way I'd never heard before—the kind of tenderness that only comes from deeply loving someone.

Crystal smiled shyly, tilting her head to accept Jake's passionate kiss. That kiss was lingering and intimate, filled with the love I'd yearned for nine years but never received.

Crash.

The parts box slipped from my hands, hitting the ground hard.

I stiffly crouched down, hiding behind a junked Harley, my entire body frozen like I'd been struck by lightning. Crystal was pregnant? With Jake's child? When did this happen?

Memories flooded back like a tide.

Three years ago, that rainy night when Crystal came to me crying.

"Raven, please, our family's falling apart. Dad got fired, and Mom has cancer—we can't afford the medical bills." Crystal was sobbing, "Could you please ask Razor to take us in? I'll do any dirty work, anything."

My heart had been soft as water then. I immediately went to my adoptive father Razor. "Dad, Crystal's my only blood relative. Her family really has no money left, they can barely survive."

Razor, seeing my pleading eyes, finally nodded. "For your sake, I'll let them in. But they have to follow club rules."

Crystal's family moved into the club, and Crystal found work at the club's bar. I remembered her hugging me and crying: "Raven, you're my savior! I'll never forget your kindness for the rest of my life!"

And now, this was how she repaid that kindness?

Jake's laughter echoed from the garage: "Crystal, you're such a smart woman. Not like some people who just follow me around like a loyal dog."

My blood instantly froze. Loyal dog? Was he talking about me?

"You mean Raven?" Crystal's voice was sickeningly sweet. "She is completely devoted to you."

"Devoted?" Jake spat. "She's just an idiot who can't do anything but fix cars. Look how smart you are—you know how to please me. That little bitch? She's like a dog, so obedient, would never dare betray me. Fucking pathetic."

Pathetic.

That word was like a sharp dagger stabbing straight into my heart. I bit my lip hard to keep from making a sound.

I remembered when I was eighteen, getting burned by motor oil while fixing his bike. He'd frowned and said, "Be careful, don't mess up your hands—I still need you to maintain my ride." I thought that was concern; now I realized he was just worried about his free labor.

"Why don't you just dump her then?" Crystal's voice carried smug amusement.

"Dump her? Hell, why would I? Having a free mechanic who's loyal as a dog—I'd be crazy to dump that." Jake's words grew more vicious. "Besides, Razor treasures her like his own daughter. I don't want that trouble. As long as I don't give her official status, that girl will keep serving me faithfully. Anyway, what other man would want a flat-chested kid like that?"

So that's how it was.

In their eyes, I wasn't even a woman—just a cheap, useful tool.

I remembered last winter when his Harley broke down. I worked all night in that freezing garage in sub-zero temperatures, then went to class the next day with a fever and cold. When he found out, he just casually said, "Thanks for the hard work. I'll buy you a burger sometime."

That burger—he never did buy it.

"You're really cruel." Crystal playfully slapped Jake. "But she is adorably stupid. Last time I made up some story about buying medicine for my mom, she gave me her entire semester's living expenses without question."

I remembered that time. I'd given her almost my entire tuition, living on cheap bread for two months straight. I thought that was family love.

"Yeah, adorably stupid." Jake cupped Crystal's face. "Good thing I have you, my smart baby."

They kissed again, this time Jake's hands began wandering restlessly, Crystal letting out soft moans as their bodies pressed tightly together.

I trembled all over—not from anger, but from bone-deep cold. So in their eyes, my love was a joke, my kindness was an ATM, and my existence was laughable.

I slowly stood up, my legs heavy as lead. The scattered parts box on the ground reflected cold light, just like the dead feeling in my heart.

Nine years.

Nine whole years of deep affection, nine years of waiting, nine years of devotion. For nine years I'd rejected every suitor, just waiting for him to say "I love you."

It had all been a one-woman show.