Tough as Steele Read online

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  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

  Epilogue

  Free Chapter (REIGN)

  Free Chapter (Promised)

  Tough As Steele

  The Steele Brothers

  Book #1

  Available Now From

  Elizabeth Knox

  Reign

  (Skulls Renegade #1)

  Promised

  (The Clans #1)

  Redemption

  (Skulls Renegade #2)

  Coming Soon From

  Elizabeth Knox

  Blackjack

  (Reapers MC #1)

  Scarred

  (Demons of Hell MC #1)

  Revenge

  (Skulls Renegade #3)

  Stripping a Steele

  (Steele Bros #2)

  The Trade

  (The Clans #2)

  Corrupted Love

  (The Mackenzies #1)

  Tough As Steele

  This work is a book of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are all products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblances to persons, organizations, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.

  Tough As Steele. Copyright © 2017 by Elizabeth Knox. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations used in articles or reviews. with the exceptions of quotes used in reviews. For information contact E. Knox.

  http://www.elizabethknoxbooks.com

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products have been referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication and/or use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Cover Design By CT Cover Creations

  Editing & Formatting By Cordially Chris Author Services

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgements

  Playlist

  Prologue

  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

  Epilogue

  Free Chapter (REIGN)

  Free Chapter (Promised)

  Coming Soon - Blackjack

  Coming Soon – Stripping a Steele

  Coming Soon - Corrupted Love

  Coming Soon - REVENGE

  Coming Soon – The Trade

  Coming Soon – Scarred

  Acknowledgements

  Playlist

  Prologue

  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

  Epilogue

  Free Chapter (REIGN)

  Free Chapter (Promised)

  Coming Soon - Blackjack

  Coming Soon – Stripping a Steele

  Coming Soon - Corrupted Love

  Coming Soon - REVENGE

  Coming Soon – The Trade

  Coming Soon – Scarred

  Acknowledgements

  CHRISTINE – I’m going to start running out of ways to thank you for your unconditional love and support. You know how much you mean to me, thank you so much!

  KRISTA – This is the one I think you’ve been dying to read. I’m so excited to get your feedback on this one.

  CHELSEA – You will love this story, I hope it keeps you on the edge of your seat like I hope it will!

  KAIT – You were the absolute first person that read this, and listened to my crazy idea. You were the beta of all beta readers. I hope you love this, it’s come a long way.

  BECCA – Thank you so much for listening to my crazy antics and continuing to support me on this crazy journey. You’re the best, best friend a girl could have.

  MY AMAZING ARC & BETA READERS – There are crap tons of you, and I know I will never fully express how grateful I am to each and every one of you. Thank you so much for taking a chance on me and continuing to read my crazy stories.

  MY TWIN, JENNA – As I’m writing this I know there is absolutely no way I can thank you enough for all you do for me. You keep me sane, tell me to chill the fuck out when I need it (let’s be honest, we ALL know when I need it), you listen to my crazy idea and antics constantly and you’re literally my #1 supporter. When I first started working with you, I thought, oh I’ve got a PA this is gonna be great! I didn’t realize then that what I’d have is a lifelong friend, and sister. Love you girl! (If you get teary eyed when you read this I’m gonna throat punch you and if I can’t be there I’m gonna make sure Shannon does it, LOL)

  MY BOOGER, JEN – Yes, I seriously called you my booger. I hope you get a good kick outta that one lol! You are an AMAZING friend, hands down, honest to God, I don’t know what I’d do without you or Jenna listening to my rants, antics, or really anything that comes out of my damn mouth. I’m so grateful to have a lifelong friend like you. I can’t wait to see your beautiful face in February!

  ALL MY AMAZING BLOGGERS – Shannon, Jenna, Jen, Chasidy, Angie, Heather, Lizzie, Jessica, Iris, God, I know there are so many more of you. I appreciate everything that y’all do for me so much!

  MY FANTABULOUS COVER DESIGNER, CLARISE – This is the woman I’m constantly hounding for new covers, teasers, swag designs and the like. She is the most talented cover designer I know and I’m just so thrilled to even be working with her. Thank you for all you do!

  DEDICATED TO ALL THE HOPELES ROMANTICS

  This one is for you guys, for the ones who have fallen fast and so completely, the ones who have criticized themselves for falling so deeply in love, so quickly. When I wrote this, I thought of you. I hope you all love it as much as I’ve loved writing it.

  Warning

  This content contains material that may be viewed as offensive to some readers, including graphic language, dangerous and sexual situations and drug use.

  Playlist

  Yes Girl | Bea Miller

  Sober | RAYE

  Otherside | Macklemore

  Little of Your Love | HAIM

  Weekend Millionaires | Kaitlyn Tarver

  You’re Not My Ex | Jessie J

  Jaded | Aerosmith

  On Your Side | The Veronicas

  Something in the Way You Move | Ellie Goulding

  Lose My Mind | Dean Lewis

  Prologue

  Logan

&nbs
p; I couldn't seem to keep my focus as I looked down from our spot in VIP, noticing a woman dancing down below. I was with my two brothers; Christian, my younger brother, and Jordan, my twin. We were supposed to be taking advantage of our seclusion at Illusion, a club that Christian owned in downtown Atlanta, to talk business; the seedy kind. It was about the business that kept the Steele name synonymous with power and money, and it was my job to keep it that way, even if I didn’t necessarily agree with the way my father had set it up for me.

  But down below us was a woman I knew nothing about but knew that I needed to. She was thin, but not the kind that made you worry about her eating habits. Her hair was light blonde, falling down in loose waves that framed her face in just the right way. I kept willing her to look up and see me for some reason. It was like I expected a connection with a total stranger. It wasn’t like me, but she didn’t look like just anyone else either.

  "You know we are going to have to take the damn guns apart, separate the muzzle and the breech at the very least to get them to the Irish mob. They are coming to us from the suppliers fully locked and loaded, and I don’t think we are going to get them to where they need to go like that with all of the new security going on in Europe," Jordan announced. Though, I was only half listening. I was mesmerized by the angel on the dance floor, moving her body expertly to the beat of the music.

  "The Irish mob is preparing for a war; gotta be the only reason they need all this ammunition so badly," Christian piped up in speculation.

  "Shut up until we know anything definitive about that. I don’t want rumors flying form our mouth to make it worse," Jordan warned.

  I saw the woman in the tight, black dress smile as she danced all her worries away with some other women. What was it that had made her smile? Then, my twin brother's voice cut through the trance he was in.

  "See something you like down there, Lo?" he asked. I looked up to Jordan, and it was like looking into a mirror. His dark brown hair and eyes were the same as mine. It had always been that way. The only difference was how we dressed most of the time and that he preferred a clean-shaven existence while I liked to keep at least some stubble.

  I nodded in the direction of the blonde for my answer. Jordan chuckled, turning his gaze on her as well. "She is a stunning piece. I think I am going to go down there to make a move on her." Jordan moved just one step before I put my hand out in front of him to stop him. I couldn’t let that happen.

  "The girl is mine, whether she knows it or not." Both of my brothers were shooting me a curious look. It wasn't like me at all to call dibs, especially on some girl whose name and number I didn’t know. I knew nothing about her, and I wanted her. I had to have her. I wasn’t that type of man, never in my life, but I guessed with whoever she was, I was.

  I turned to the man behind us who was sitting quietly. Reggie was my security detail, always just a step behind me to be sure I was safe, but he had become so much more than that. He was my right-hand man and best friend. He was an equal to Jordan and Christian in that regard. "Find out everything you can about that girl." I pointed down at her as Reggie came to see. He nodded and walked away, going to use whatever channels and connections he had to get me what I wanted. I knew he wouldn’t fail me.

  I turned back to my brothers, noticing how there were a few women lingering in the VIP section as well; the kind that paid their way up there. They were not close enough to hear anything we said, but they kept looking us over. No, not us, Christian. Either they knew he owned the place, or they were more drawn to his buff look, blonde hair, and blue eyes. He was a good looking young man but did not look anything like Jordan and I, not in an obvious way. It was lucky, though, because things got complicated enough with Jordan and me. We didn’t need a third man looking like us.

  "You know, there is a red head back there undressing you with her eyes," I told Christian, pointing my drink in the direction he needed to look. Christian turned to look for a moment, a sly smile coming across his face. He liked his women just as much as the rest of us. He hadn’t really been in love just yet, so there was no baggage or heartbreak to hold him back from anything. He would have his day, though, I knew it. Then, none of us would ever hear the end of his pining. My little brother was going to fall hard and not know what hit him. The thought made me wonder if I was about to do the same.

  I looked down at the dance floor again and didn’t see her anymore. I doubted she had left so early. She had probably gone to get a drink, and I hated the idea that some other man may have been trying to buy one for her right at that moment. But it didn’t matter. Once I found her again, I would make sure she saw no one else.

  When Reggie finally came back to me, I was all ears. My mind had been consumed by all thoughts involving that woman, and I couldn’t even focus on why I had come there. It was just as well, because my brothers had gone off to make the most of their time at the club, leaving him alone in his seat.

  Reggie sat down next to me with a cool but smug smile on his face. "Her name is Brooklyn Harper. She has a younger brother, and her mother passed away. There are rumors that her father is-"

  I put my hand up to cut him off. That’s not what this was about. "Tell me the good stuff."

  Reggie nodded. "She's developed an all-natural makeup company and has been looking for investors for quite a while." I couldn’t help but feel an internal hilarity at this. The legitimate part of my business was being an investor. It was the front I used for all of the Steele family's success, even though, behind the scenes, the biggest reason had to do with the gunrunner dealings.

  Christian came up behind me, clearly done with whatever woman he had been dancing with and slapped me on the back, playfully. "You sly dog! I know exactly what you have up your sleeve. You’re going to have a meeting with this girl, aren’t you, brother?"

  That was a good idea. "Reggie, find out where Brooklyn likes to hang out."

  Chapter 1

  Brooklyn

  “You’re meeting with the investor tomorrow morning at 10 AM. I’ll pick you up from your place and we’ll head over. Be ready at 8:30.”

  Ashley, my business manager, and one of my closest friends, kept her message short and sweet, as she always did. I hardly ever answer my phone on my afternoon run. Actually, I never did. Running was like my church; it was my sanctuary where I wished to never be disturbed.

  To Ashley:

  How serious is this investor?

  I tapped the send button, continuing to run through the tree-lined park in the miserable, Atlanta heat, wiping a line of sweat from above my brow. A moment later, I had a response.

  From Ashley:

  very

  Well damn, it was about time. I mentally crossed my fingers. It had been weeks since I’d actually had a serious inquiry from an investor. I’d been working on my makeup line over a few years now, and 6 months ago, I finally had the prototypes and the formulas made up; ready to be shown to potential investors. Now, all I needed was an investor to back me so I could cover the shipment, the design of the packaging, and finally, the distribution process. Glancing once more at my phone to catch the time, which was 5:30pm, I sighed. I’d agreed to meet Elise at Mason’s bar, which was conveniently located in the middle of the city, right by my apartment.

  Sliding into my Lexus GS F, I laid back against the seat, pressing my hands against the steering wheel. The run had really taken all of the energy out of me. Turning her on, I instantly began to blast the air conditioner, finally breathing a bit easier as the cool air started to dry my sweat-soaked skin.

  I ran to escape the anxieties I experienced in my everyday life. It helped me so much with my nervousness, and also helped me stay focused, but, damn, I could really go without it being 95 degrees plus the sticky humidity in this Georgia weather.

  I turned down into the city, focused on the road and heading straight for my apartment. The Bluetooth rang “Alfred is calling, say yes, or no to answer or decline the call.” I glanced down at the dash with a puzzled look
on my face. My father? Why would he be calling?

  “Yes,” I told the robotic woman, “Alfred, what can I do for you today?”

  “Just checking in on my little business woman. Do you want to grab dinner tonight?”

  I’d promised Alfred two dinners a month since my mom had passed away two years ago from breast cancer, but up until that point, he wasn’t in my life…at all. I had no idea he was even my father, the great Alfred Hamilton. He’s comparable to the Hiltons, seeing as he owns a hotel line just like them. I remembered that day at my mom’s funeral like it was yesterday. He had shown up and burst out that he was my father, not even considering how insensitive it was at that moment. He put such stress and confusion on a young woman in mourning. I often wondered as a child how our life was so...plush. Mom had worked three jobs, and I assumed we had a comfortable lifestyle because of that. She did a good job providing for me, and my little brother, Sebastian.

  I’d wondered about my father for years, but my mom had kept quiet and never given me any clues as to who he could be, so I gave up and stopped asking her about him. I figured it would just be something I’d never find out. After the altercation at the funeral we completed DNA testing, confirming that I was indeed his daughter. I even did a side test, trying to see if Sebastian was his child too. Seb wasn’t, and we don’t know who the hell his father is.

  “I can’t tonight. I’m meeting an investor in the morning, and I already promised Elise drinks. Tomorrow?” I heard him sigh through the Bluetooth. I hated to disappoint him, but I couldn’t just drop all my plans for him.

  “Sounds good, darling. I’ll have one of my drivers pick you up.”

  “Okay.” My reply was stilted. I was more focused on driving than I was with the conversation.

  “Brooklyn, you don’t have to meet with that investor. You know I’ll supply you with the funds you need to complete your project, and I won’t charge you interest. Think of it as a personal loan.”

  I had thought about it. I did every single time he brought it up to me. But, I couldn’t. I couldn’t use his money. No matter how much he’d argue that it was as much mine as it was his. He’d gifted me my Lexus last year and even purchased an apartment for me, both of which I tried to return to him, as much as I could. He wouldn’t have any of it. Instead, he told me to save my money that I was using on my old piece of junk car and apartment and use it for my makeup line. That sealed the deal. I could tell myself he didn’t know me, but he knew parts of me, and that was enough. He knew enough about me that I would accept that.