Title: Below the Line: Nomad Bikers
Series: Devil's Due MC #2
Author: Chelsea Camaron
Genre: MC Romance (standalone within series)
Release Date: January 30, 2017
The bastard boy was left alone when his mother was murdered and her killer never found. The domino effect of one person’s crime going unpunished is everlasting.
He’s no saint.
Owen ‘X’ Gallow has never known a real home. Groomed by the streets, he now has a life with the Devil’s Due MC that gives him the only comfort he has ever known. Family comes by blood and by choice. All Owen has left is his by selection. He keeps his circle close and doesn’t care to have a future.
She’s not afraid to call herself a sinner.
Hadley Combs doesn’t ask questions, and she has never had anyone to cover her back. She was born alone and will die alone, or at least, that’s how she views her life. In order to get by, she has a job to do—get them off and get herself paid, no talking necessary. The life of a hooker isn’t easy, but she gets by.
However, danger climbs in her bed.
Will Owen find a way to let Hadley in? When faced with the dangers of her lifestyle, will Hadley let Owen and his brothers keep her safe?
Love, hate, anger, and passion collide as the time comes, and the devil demands his due.
“I'm loving this series! Not surprisingly since Chelsea is one of my go to authors who never leaves me disappointed.” - Goodreads Reviewer
“This was a good quick read and I can't wait for the next in the series.” - Review from Cat’s Guilty Pleasures
~Owen~
People buy into that romance shit. If you look for it hard enough, I’m sure it can be found. There’s someone out there for everyone, all that bullshit. Shit, shit, and more fucking shit.
Love. Never known it.
Acceptance. Never had it.
Freedom. Depends on how you define it.
Only with Hadley it was all different. She loved me. Not in the climb on my cock and ride herself to oblivion way, I see so many women do. No, what Hadley and I shared even at our young age was a slow burn in your soul deep, she understood me way kind of love, companionship, and partnership. We were young. We were innocent and yet hardened by life. Even in all the dark, she found light with me.
She believed in me when I didn’t fucking believe in myself. Then she was gone.
She loved deep. She loved hard. She loved me.
Acceptance. Hadley took me at face value. No one cared to hear the story of my mother’s murder. The cops simply took me away and never put any resources into finding her killer. No one stopped in the deep south of Louisiana to give me a chance to explain. I saw him. Her killer. I know who did it. I remember finding her and seeing a figure running away. Deep in the recesses of my mind, I know I can identify him. Yet no one asked me back then. They didn’t question me. Instead, I was handed a pillowcase to fill as my new luggage and carted off to foster care. All the kids told me I was jinxed, a black soul one little girl said.
I wasn’t cursed.
Voodoo, black magic, I didn’t have the bad juju they all said I did.
Hadley didn’t look down on me for getting out of the system to face life on my own. She didn’t even gasp in surprise that I’m the one who found my mother’s body. She simply looked up at me with her midnight black eyes shimmering and said, “well you may be a bastard, but you’re still good to me Owen Maximus.”
She accepted who I was. She accepted where I came from. She accepted where I wanted to be … and it wasn’t living on the streets of NOLA.
Freedom. Hadley freed me from the chains of my past. She didn’t care where I came from or where I was headed. She only wanted to be with me.
Hadley gave me a simple freedom to be me. She freed me from society’s chains by not judging me. Hadley was my escape from all the bad.
Until she simply disappeared.
4.5 Stars!
Well, I suggest you have the Kleenex ready for this one. This is not an easy read but it's worth it.
Owen and Hadley only had each other on the street. Two teenagers, 16 and 15, they shared a bond that had nothing to do with sex but everything to do with love. While sleeping in a tent, Owen wakes up covered in blood with Hadley no where to be found. A trip to the hospital leads to Owen learning that a girl matching Hadley's description was brought in earlier badly damaged and didn't make it. The news devastates Owen and he takes off having lost the only two people he ever loved, his murdered mother and Hadley.
Hadley didn't die that night. Instead, she faced a fate worse than death. Mentally, physically and sexually abused, Hadley never knew a time when she could breathe free, other than her time with Owen. She only ever wanted Owen to be happy and safe and when she needs a safe place to hide in her mind, she thinks about him.
When their worlds collide again and Owen can see for himself that she is in fact alive and breathing, he will do anything to keep her safe by his side. So when the truth of her kidnapping comes to light and it becomes clear that it all revolves around him, Owen vows to end her suffering no matter what. He and his brothers will once again have to destroy the enemy and save a person fated to be part of their family.
I really found Owen and Hadley's story to be sad. The beginning of the book had me on edge knowing that something bad was going to happen. Owen clearly loved her and you could tell that they were each other's world. Both on the streets with no family, they had to cling to one another for safety, comfort and love. Owen waking up to the scene before his eyes with Hadley gone, was heartbreaking for sure.
When we learn what all Hadley went through I wanted to cry, it's horrible to think about anyone experiencing something like that. She has had so much pain and suffering and it makes you wonder how she held on. Coupled with learning what Owen and his mother went through before her murder and it added to the sadness.
I liked Owen. He was sweet and he truly loved Hadley and he wasn't afraid to show it or tell her or his brothers. Of course they knew since he hadn't hidden it. He's great with Hadley and was from the very beginning.
Overall, I recommend Below the Line. However, I must say that the Bonus at the end is a great big giant tease. If you're like me, you'll be going crazy for the next book Close the Tab just for another glimpse at Trapper's Story which I will be anxiously waiting for.
***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.***
USA Today Bestselling author Chelsea Camaron is a small town Carolina girl with a big imagination. She is a wife and mom chasing her dreams. She writes contemporary romance, erotic suspense, and psychological thrillers. She loves to write blue-collar men who have real problems with a fictional twist. From mechanics to bikers to oil riggers to smokejumpers, bar owners, and beyond, she loves a strong hero who works hard and plays harder.
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