Renegade Path
Renegade Path
A Lost Kings MC World Novel
Autumn Jones Lake
Copyright
Renegade Path
A Lost Kings MC World Novel
by USA Today bestselling author Autumn Jones Lake
Copyright 2018, 2021 Autumn Jones Lake
Portions of Renegade Path were previously published as Cards of Love: Knight of Swords
Model: Forest H
Photographer: Wander Aguiar
Cover Designer: Shanoff Designs
Proofread by: Julie Barney
Digital ISBN: 978-1-943950-67-6
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-943950-68-3
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-943950-69-0
No part of this book, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the prior written consent of the publisher and author, except in the instance of quotes for reviews. No part of this book may be uploaded without the permission of the publisher and author. No part of this book may be translated into any other language without permission of the author.
The Lost Kings MC™ series are works of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, actual events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters and names are products of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
The publisher and author acknowledge the trademark status and trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks and word marks mentioned in this book.
Renegade Path is an original work of fiction by Autumn Jones Lake. Published by Ahead of the Pack, LLC.
Created with Vellum
Contents
Newsletter
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Epilogue
The Lost Kings MC® World
Autumn’s Lost Kings MC Lounge
Please and Thank you!
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About Renegade Path
USA Today bestselling author Autumn Jones Lake delivers an unforgettable story of heart-wrenching first love.
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ROMAN
From the minute I met Juliet, I wanted to shield her from the world’s ugliness. We’d both already suffered more heartache than anyone should experience in a lifetime. I didn’t have anything of value to offer—just my jaded heart, broken soul, and undying love. But for her, I’d sacrifice my pride, my hostility, and my heart. Anything to see her smile. Consequences meant nothing. I would’ve given up anything, even my life, to keep her safe.
* * *
JULIET
Both our lives were soaked in tragedy from day one. That’s why we were drawn to each other the moment we met. I ignored the people who warned me he was dead inside. The truth was, he was as broken as I was. Together, we’d heal our hearts and stitch together our souls.
At seventeen, we fell in love for the first—and last—time.
PLEASE NOTE: Portions of Renegade Path were previously published as Cards of Love: Knight of Swords.
Acknowledgments
2021 hasn’t been much easier than 2020. I planned to re-write and add a “few” things to Cards of Love: Knight of Swords and republish it with a new title and new cover back in, oh, March. Then Rooster and Shelby got into more adventures than I bargained for and Grinder took a little longer than I expected to find his lady. After the release of Crown of Ghosts, I said, “let me take a week and make those changes so I can finally show the world the beautiful new cover for Roman and Juliet’s story.”
Four months of labor, fifty-two thousand brand new words, or 234 extra pages, later here we are. Renegade Path has been reborn, rewritten, and massively expanded. It feels wrong to even mention it in the same breath as Knight of Swords. They are two completely different things as far as I am concerned. But still, I know someone will complain. Because, you know.
I loved the first iteration of Roman and Juliet’s story. And I know it held a special place in a lot of my readers’ hearts. But I wanted to go deeper and really explore more in their story. While you don’t need to have read any of the Lost Kings MC books to enjoy this book, I think if you have, this book will make the Lost Kings MC world a lot richer for you. I think my lovely LOKI ninjas will adore the additions and relish uncovering those elusive Easter eggs I so enjoy dropping or possibly discover unintentional breadcrumbs I left behind.
If this is your first time dipping your toes into the Lost Kings MC world, welcome! I hope you fall in love with my characters and become part of the family.
A very special thank you to Julie for helping me catch those last bugs in the story. By the end, I’m so blurry-eyed, all the words look fine to me, but she always catches the smallest thing! Thank you so much!
Thank you to Jezzie for always taking a final look and wrapping me up in your words of encouragement.
Thank you to my lovely early readers for being so enthusiastic when I dropped this on their e-readers at the last possible minute. The fear that this is the time you’ll finally tell me to fuck off always hovers, and yet, you always chase it away. I appreciate that so much.
Extra love and thanks to Mr. Lake for reading through Renegade Path even though his work schedule has been crazy lately. Don’t tell Wrath, but I think Roman might be Mr. Lake’s new favorite hero I’ve written and that was the final boost I needed.
Much love and grat
itude.
Autumn
Dedication
Sometimes the most beautiful souls are the most broken.
Chapter One
Roman
I fell in love for the first time when I was seventeen.
One simple mistake altered the course of my future, of my very existence.
Until that day, feelings had always seemed irrelevant and illogical. My world was too dark and chaotic for something as obscure as love to develop.
It was my first day at another new high school. That made—three? four? —this year alone.
The locker I’d been assigned wouldn’t open no matter how many times I spun the combination or slammed my filthy, worn boot into the rusty metal front.
“Do you mind?” A soft voice came from beside me.
I glanced down. Five-feet-nothing of waist-length red-gold hair, soft blue eyes, and freckles stared up at me. A smile played over her full pink lips that I already had an urge to kiss.
“I can’t get it open.”
Amusement flickered over her stern expression. “Maybe that’s because it’s my locker.”
“No, it’s not.” Even though I already had a bad feeling in my gut that she was right, I handed over the yellow slip of paper I’d been given this morning.
“Hmm.” She tapped her finger against that plump bottom lip that I wanted to suck into my mouth and run my tongue against. “It says seventy-six, but that can’t be right.”
She stepped forward, not at all intimidated by my size—I had to be at least a foot taller than her. Her warm shoulder brushed against my chest, and her long hair tickled my arm. She smelled like flowers after a rainstorm. I’m not ashamed to admit I stood there and inhaled her.
The lock clicked, and she opened the door. “See? It’s my locker. My combination works on it. Yours doesn’t.”
“Well, shoot.”
She grinned at me. “What’s your name?”
“Roman.”
Laughter spilled out of her. “I’m Juliet. I’ll tell you what, Roman, I’m willing to share my locker with you. If you promise not to leave any gross boy things in it.”
I scratched the back of my neck. “Give me an example of a ‘gross boy thing.’”
“Uh, dirty socks.”
“No problem.”
“Jockstraps.”
A grin threatened to break free at the corners of my mouth. “Don’t have one.”
“Anything smelly.”
“Okay.”
Pink raced over her cheeks, and I wondered what else she was going to say, but instead, she shook her head. “Welcome to locker seventy-six, roomie.”
She held out her hand. I took it, meaning to give a quick shake. Instead, an electric current of attraction sparked between us. I stood there staring into her eyes, trying to decide if they were turquoise or teal, and stroked her soft skin.
“Thank you, Juliet.” I loved the way her name felt rolling off my tongue.
She didn’t jerk her hand away, and she held my gaze.
I made up my mind right then and there.
One day, I’m going to marry this girl.
Chapter Two
Roman
Protect.
That’s all I wanted to do once I laid eyes on Juliet. She consumed my thoughts as I drifted through my morning classes. Her laughter played over and over in my head. Her smile. Her kind eyes.
And then there she was. Waiting for me by the lockers, under the glare of cheap fluorescent lights. She was so damn tiny. Defenseless and innocent. An unfamiliar urge thrummed through my veins—to scoop her up and carry her away.
People seemed to avoid her, which both bothered and pleased me. I wanted her to myself, but I also wanted to kill anyone who hurt her feelings.
“How is your first day progressing?” The corners of her mouth twitched, but I didn’t feel like she was mocking me. More like we were both in on the same joke.
“Lame. Just as boring as the last three schools.”
Her eyes widened. “Why so many? Do your parents move around a lot?”
My eyes darted away. I didn’t like talking about my situation. It was one of those things that made people uncomfortable and eager to get away from the conversation. But I sensed I could trust Juliet.
“I live at the group home over on Pine,” I explained in a lowered voice. “Foster care. Before that, I stayed with a few families. None of ’em stuck.”
My story was more complicated than that. Ten years, twelve different families, and three separate group homes to be exact. But I feared sharing too much, getting too real, might scare her away.
Sadness clouded her eyes. “I live with my aunt and uncle. Not the same thing, but I understand what it feels like…not to…”
I waited for her to finish, anticipating what she’d say.
“Feel wanted,” she finished.
She’d never have to worry about that again. I wanted her like nothing I’d ever wanted in my life.
But I had absolutely nothing to offer her.
No family. No money. Hell, I didn’t even have access to a vehicle to take her out on a date. I had the clothes on my back and a few other things stuffed in a drawer at the home. My luggage was a Hefty bag. I’d had a job lined up at the last place I lived, but that was gone now.
“Sucks, right?” I said to fill the silence between us.
Her lips curved up in a soft smile. “It’s not so bad. One day I’ll have my own family, and I’ll know all the right things to give them.”
The longing in her voice hit me on a primal level. I didn’t understand what having a family meant. It had always seemed too unattainable. But the way Juliet talked about it made me want to figure it out. With her.
I’d never had the luxury of thinking that far ahead in my life.
I was too busy surviving from one day to the next. But Juliet made me want to think ahead. She made me hope for things I’d been afraid to admit to myself I even wanted.
Before I opened my mouth and offered to make some babies with her, someone slammed into me from behind. My shoulder hit the corner of the open locker door and I narrowly missed knocking Juliet over.
“Watch it, new guy,” the brawny football player I’d showed up in gym class earlier said. He high-fived his equally jackass friends.
It wasn’t pride that forced me to go after him. I didn’t care that Juliet saw me get shoved like a little kid.
No, it was blind rage. That fucker had pushed me right into her. She could’ve been hurt, and he did it without thinking.
I’d been pushed around enough at that point in my life. By foster parents, teachers, other kids. I’d learned early that the world was cruel.
I also learned not to take shit from anyone.
If you couldn’t stand up for yourself, no one would do it for you. And if I couldn’t defend myself, how could I protect anyone else?
“Roman—” Juliet said, but I was already sailing through the air, tackling Doug to his knees and punching him in the side.
The violence in my eyes and fists made his two buddies back away instead of helping their unfortunate friend.
Two teachers and a security guard pulled me off the kid, but I still kept fighting.
Until I saw Juliet shaking her head. Tears in her eyes.
“Don’t,” she mouthed at me.
It was a bucket of ice water over my hot-tempered head.
Chapter Three
Juliet
“Roman, don’t.”
I wasn’t afraid he’d get hurt.
No, obviously, Roman was the kind of guy who could take care of himself. I was more worried he’d kill Doug Winstead and end up in jail. Doug deserved the ass-kicking. He’d been picking on younger, weaker kids for as long as I could remember.
My bigger fear was that Roman would get expelled from school before I got to know him better.
Selfish? Maybe. But I’d never met anyone who affected me the way he did. Despite the fact that we’d met while he was k
icking in my locker, he was the most beautiful boy I’d ever seen.
Boy probably wasn’t accurate. He had the seriousness of a man who’d already seen it all. Survived it all. Rich, brown hair fell over his forehead, complimenting his green eyes. The brief smile he flashed made me weak in the knees. He didn’t seem to notice that half the girls in the school were gawking at him, practically running into walls because they were staring so hard.
But he never took his eyes off me.
Destiny.
Before Roman, I believed my sad story was already written.