Chapter 1

Dear Beautiful People,

This is the unedited, unfinished version of Misunderstood, with it's original story line. I will try to post a chapter a day or at least several a week. It is nothing like the published version, although I took a few sections of this draft and blended it in with the work that would be released.

This is draft 1.50

             

Misunderstood

By

Kathryn Kelly

Dear Reader,

            When I began writing Misunderstood, book #1.5 (Misappropriate) was nowhere on the radar. Megan and Outlaw’s big wedding was in the opening chapters of Misunderstood. After the focus stayed on Megan and Outlaw, I realized I had a problem. Johnnie’s and Kendall’s story was intertwined with Megan’s and Outlaw’s because of Ellen, Kendall’s sister. Misunderstood’s POVs were from Johnnie and Kendall. Yet, Outlaw’s opinion about situations kept popping up. Seeing that through Johnnie’s eyes took away some of his bad boy image. The more I resisted, the more Outlaw urged me to tell the story of his church wedding to Megan. So I did.

            Which brings us to Misunderstood and Megan coming under attack. Changing what happens to her in this book would ruin the entire storyline. Therefore, I can only promise you that after Misunderstood, Megan will be off the hook as a target in all future books in the series.

Preface

            Wanting vengeance for a wrong committed is human nature. We seek revenge to wipe away grief, guilt, and anger. We avenge because we believe we’ll find comfort in delivering our own justice. He who hands out death, understands only death.

            Right?

            Of course! Of course.

            We neglect to remember he who forgives little loves little. To seek revenge is to destroy ourselves, our loves, our lives.

            And, sometimes, instead of handing out death, we come face-to-face with it, becoming the prey instead of the predator.

1

            John Peter Donovan, aka Johnnie to the outside world and John Boy to his brothers in the Death Dwellers’ MC, reared back in his chair, frowning as he watched his cousin’s wife whisper something in the man’s ear. Adoration gleamed from her blue eyes as she handed Christopher “Outlaw” Caldwell their thirteen-month-old son. Megs had turned his cousin’s life upside down.

            She’d turned Johnnie’s life upside down, too.

            Now, he watched her make her way to him. He hoped he had a mask of impassivity, instead of all the other emotions he felt seeing the gentle swell of her belly where another of Christopher’s babies grew inside.

            “Cake time,” she announced, reaching him.

            Johnnie sipped from his beer, needing a smoke and a fuck. Just looking at her brought memories rushing back and left him with a semi hard dick or full blown erection whenever she was around him. Which was every damn day. Another sip of beer and a long, slow swallow. “Okay, Megs. If you insist.”

            That she carried another of Christopher’s sons and loved the man with everything in her, but still blushed when she looked at Johnnie or tried her best to avoid looking at his mouth—or his body—satisfied the hell out of Johnnie.

            Unable to resist, he took another taste of beer, held her gaze with his, and licked his lips. She blushed to the roots of her golden hair. Remorseless, Johnnie grinned and winked at her.

            Megs whirled around to face the crowd, as unsurprised as Johnnie that Christopher was right behind her. The scent of her hair went straight to Johnnie’s head and he balled his fists to keep from reaching out and touching the silky strands, ignoring Christopher’s promise of a painful death that began with the hacking off of his cock.

            Christopher hadn’t said the words today, but Johnnie had heard them enough to know how his cousin’s thoughts ran.

            CJ, Megs’s and Christopher’s son, clapped his hands together, snapping Johnnie from his thoughts. “Jo-Bo,” he chanted. He held out his little arms for Johnnie to take him.

Unable to resist, Johnnie took the boy into his arms while Megs called for everyone’s attention.

            “Everyone,” she called. “May I have your attention?”

            “Yo’, fuckheads,” Christopher boomed. He lit a cigarette and blew the smoke out. “Shut the fuck up. My wife tryin’ to talk.”

            Megs glared at him and he shrugged.

            “What the fuck, baby? It fuckin’ worked, didn’t it? They shut the fuck up.”

            Instead of answering, she said, “All right, everyone. It’s time for us to sing ‘happy birthday’ to Johnnie.”

            Johnnie knew she wasn’t happy. Directly after the birthday party, Johnnie and Christopher were Europe-bound to complete a gunrunning transaction. They would be gone a week, at most, but she was worried sick over their well-being.

Megs knew the score, though, and somehow managed to balance Christopher’s club responsibilities with a stable home life. She hadn’t slain the beast, but she had tamed him to a degree.

Johnnie only wished she’d been for him. Wished he held his mini-me she’d given birth to, instead of Christopher’s. Wistfulness sliced into Johnnie and he raised CJ above his head, adoring the little boy’s giggles.

While Megan led the birthday song, a head of red hair caught Johnnie’s attention. He narrowed his eyes. She looked damned familiar. She circled closer and stared at him. Although she looked like she didn’t know him for shit, recognition hit Johnnie immediately. She was the red-headed whore he’d fucked, seven months ago, at Christopher’s bachelor party.

Fuck, but she was a beauty. Still a beauty. Her endless legs had wrapped so well around his waist and her shaved pussy had tasted delicious. Unfortunately, she was fully clothed right now.

            She could’ve been a model, because he estimated her height to be six feet. But she had curves—heavy breasts and round hips—the fashion industry would spurn. Heat lit her big, brown eyes and his residual hard-on from Megs grew painful. The lush beauty stopped within feet of him, smelling heavenly, too, like flowers and hot, aroused woman. He wondered if she wanted another fuck. They’d been quite compatible in bed. Over the months, he’s remembered the night he’d had with her and wondered why she hadn’t ever returned to the club. There was something so odd about her.

            Cheers went up and Johnnie realized the birthday song, the how old are you and jolly good fellowing had ended, though he hadn’t blown out the candles yet. CJ was pulling his hair and babbling. He had everything for Christopher—looks and personality.

            “John Boy,” Christopher called. “Megan’s tired. She ain’t gonna leave ‘til this cake shit served. So blow out those motherfuckers—“ He pointed to the candles and reclaimed his son—“so we can serve the cake and get the fuck out.”

            He glanced toward the spot the redhead had been and frowned when he realized she was no longer there. Since she’d attended his party, someone must’ve known her. He intended to get her information and seek her out when he and Christopher returned next week.

            Megs was completely in love with his cousin and it was time for Johnnie to move on.

Bikes and cars filled the parking lot of the compound. Men kept watch and monitored the unlocked gate, searching for any suspicious activity.  A breeze floated in the late afternoon, curling through the thick stands of evergreens rising behind the compound and adjoining warehouses. Rain was in the forecast and Kendall Miller wanted to be anywhere but there. Playing devil’s advocate to keep her twin sister from committing an insane act all in the name of avenging their older sister, Ellen.

Kendall hadn’t been able to stay inside the clubhouse one moment more, watching as everyone doted over, Megan, the woman responsible for her sister’s death. She disliked her, but she didn’t have a suicide wish or intentions to attack the girl with all these horrible bikers around.

Did Kendall intend to make Megan suffer? She had plans, but, first, she had to save Kayla’s life. And forget the heat in the eyes of that beautiful, blond man. He looked like he wanted to eat her up and she would’ve allowed him. Gladly. Although her face chafed with cold, her pussy was hot and wet. Maybe—

“What are you doing here?”

Kendall jumped two feet in the air at the sound of her twin sister’s voice. “What do you think?” she snapped. She grasped Kayla’s upper arm and started yanking her toward her car. They were on the very edge of the parking lot, but Kendall knew they wouldn’t go unnoticed for long. Even though most of the men had been called inside for cake, two of them still roamed around somewhere.

If they suddenly appeared, she and Kayla had no good explanation for being there.

Her sister jerked away from her, her eyes narrowed.

“I’ll go in there and tell one of those bikers that you want to kill Megan Caldwell,” Kendall warned. “This isn’t the right time to strike.”

Kayla laughed and Kendall felt sick. Her sister’s laugh resembled hers, and it was every bit as bitter. She winced.

“Any chance you saw your blond guy in there? The one with the silver-gray eyes?” Kayla asked with a smirk.

“Maybe. There were a lot of guys in there. I couldn’t notice all of them.”

“I guess you didn’t see him then, since he was unforgettable. I might do him after we get through with this. Does he really eat pussy like nobody’s business?”

Kendall kept the smile plastered to her face but didn’t respond. She hadn’t been able to stop talking about her encounter with the man last year after she’d botched her attempt to seduce Outlaw. Another indication Kayla wasn’t thinking clearly. If Kendall hadn’t been able to seduce Outlaw while he wife was away, how the hell did Kayla expect to be able to kill her with him hovering? Besides, she was a first-year resident physician. She saved lives. She didn’t take them.

“Let’s go,” she ordered. She was the oldest by twenty minutes and she needed to exercise that small authority. “Attacking Megan Caldwell won’t get you anywhere.”

Kendall didn’t even know how her sister had discovered a party would be going on today and, therefore, the gates would be open to anyone.

“Don’t you care about Ellen?” Kayla asked on a whisper.

Fear and indecision knotted Kendall’s belly. Yes, she cared about Ellen’s death. More than she should have, considering Ellen’s spitefulness and meanness. She’d also been a blatant liar, the reason Kendall wanted to confront Megan and listen to her side before she made any final decisions. Kayla didn’t care. She wanted retribution now. Ellen had been her sister and Megan was married to the man Ellen supposedly should’ve had. All Kayla thought about was the fact Megan Caldwell was happy and alive. And responsible for Ellen’s death.

“Of course I care about Ellen,” Kendall whispered, weary. For a moment, the memories of being in the blond biker’s arms rushed back to her when their eyes had met. She’d wanted to run to him. Not only had he given her pleasure, he’d made her feel safe and protected. Then, she remembered he was still a horrible biker. She’d managed to talk Kayla into allowing her to strike back at Megan Caldwell through the man she’d stolen from Ellen. And had failed. Now, Kayla had a death wish, hell-bent on seeking revenge in the way she’d originally planned. Kendall shivered. Nothing good would come of this. She felt it to her bones. “I care about you, too, Kayla. I don’t want to see you die like I had to watch Mom…” Blow her brains out. She drew in a deep breath, bile rising to her throat, the memory of the blood and gore spattering on her making her vision blur. “We’re the only family we each have.”

            The door opened and the late afternoon sun glinted off a golden blonde head. Megan. She was a small girl. Pregnant again. And carrying her son, the little boy who was the spitting image of his father with black hair and green eyes.

“Mommie!” he squealed and Megan’s laughter floated to them, the brightness of it hitting Kendall in the gut.

Revulsion and regret washed through Kendall. She understood Kayla’s feelings and hated to see Megan Caldwell so full of life, while their older sister lay dead in her tomb. But Kendall knew there’d always been more to a story than Ellen admitted. She regretted the piss poor relationship she’d had with Ellen. And she regretted botching the seduction of Outlaw. Infidelity was better than death. But, most of all, she regretted the pure hatred in Kayla’s face. Megan wore a leather cut with a Death Dwellers’ rocker and the words Property of Christopher “Outlaw” Caldwell.

            Bitter tears rushed to Kendall’s eyes. Smug bitch. She pulled in a breath, conflicting feelings overwhelming her. She had to be the voice of reason and repeat her argument of a situation having three sides. In this case, Megan’s, Ellen’s, and truth.

            Movement. Kayla rushing behind Megan as she headed toward a pathway in the thick stand of trees.

            And, just like that, everything changed. Words wouldn’t suffice, any longer. Kendall had to take action and stop Kayla’s madness. They’d worry about right and wrong later.

            “Kayla, no!” Kendall screamed as Megan turned. She must’ve heard the pounding of Kayla’s shoes on the concrete. The girl glanced at her son, who detected the danger, too, and tightened his arms around her neck.

            Holding one child in her arms and carrying one in her belly left Megan little choice but to flee. “STRETCH!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, wrapping her son in her arms and turning on her heels to run.

            Kendall wasn’t sure who was screaming louder—the toddler or his mother. Or her sister, shouting obscenities and promises.

            Whoever Megan had called had heard and was directing the other man to get Outlaw.

            “Kayla,” Kendall yelled, desperate. Outlaw would kill Kayla and then Kendall would be all alone.

            Heedless—and reckless as usual—Kayla grabbed Megan from behind and they went down in a tangle of limbs. Megan fell hard—on her belly—and Kendall’s heart stopped. Her baby. My God, her son. According to the rumor around the club, she carried another boy.

            When Kendall heard a child’s wail, she took a deep breath. Reaching them, she skidded to a stop and realized Megan had been stunned into silence while her son had a cut on his cheek and head. Kayla flipped Megan over, kneeing her and beating her fists against the heaving bulge in her belly. Megan Caldwell was small. Kendall could snap her neck with her bare hands.

            No. NO! She forced the horrible thought away. She wasn’t this woman’s judge and jury. Not until she knew the full story.

The little boy started to cry and Megan shuddered beneath Kayla, stunned from the hits to her head and belly.

            “Shhh,” Kendall soothed the child. “It’s going to be fine, baby. I swear.” Her hands trembled so violently she could barely keep hold of the child. She only knew she needed to get him away from the violence being committed against his mother. Megan moaned and Kayla kneed her in the belly several more times, hard hits designed to do the most damage. Blood was already beginning to stain her beige skinny pants. There was no hope for Megan now. Kayla was intent on killing her and Kendall knew if she didn’t get this child away, her sister would kill him, too.

            The clubhouse door swung open and Kendall prayed she made it to her car. She’d return the boy later. She just needed to save his life. And, possibly, her own.

            “What the fuck?”

            “Oh God!”

She skidded to a halt, her heart sinking as bikers began flooding the parking lot. No sign of Outlaw yet. That had to be something in her favor.

            The baby’s crying pitched higher and Kendall ignored the terse commands to stop.

            A bullet whizzed by her head. She began to cry right along with the baby. Glass was shattering as windshields were blown out.

            “Stop, bitch!” a man blocked her path. “We been firing warning shots. Not wanting a fucking bullet to go through you and hit Outlaw’s boy.” He aimed a huge gun at her head, not a shred of warmth in his blue eyes and too handsome face. “But I’ll blow your fucking head off if you make another move.”

            She swallowed, tears burning her eyes. “You don’t hurt women,” she said around a sob.

            The gun cocked. “Outlaw makes exceptions for anyone who fucks with his wife and son. Man or woman, we have orders to blow a fucker away.”

Kendall began to tremble. She held out the wailing little boy and the biker grabbed him from her.

He motioned for one of the other men. “Watch this bitch while I get Little Man back to Outlaw and make sure everything else is fine.” He glared at the other man. “Outlaw already gonna be pissed with this incident. Let this bitch get away and he’ll put us all to ground.”

            A rough yank and Kendall fell against another biker, who promptly put her in a chokehold.

  

TO BE CONTINUED.

Please let me know if you'd like me to continue to post this original version in the comment section below. Love, Kat