Against All Odds (Full Throttle Book 1)

  Against All Odds

  Full Throttle

  Book #1

  Against All Odds

  Kenna

  My father shocked not only me, but everyone around him when he announced his retirement. He isn’t just any man—he’s Jorge Vernon and Miami bows down to him. In most cases, his role would pass down to his son, however, he doesn’t have any, and that leaves only one heir: me.

  He knows how much this city means to me, it fuels my fire and the people here matter to me more than anything.

  There’s a catch though, he isn’t just handing me keys to the city. I must rule alongside one of two men that my father has hand chosen for me. Oh, and they’re brothers.

  But what happens when enemies rise from the unknown. When people that you thought you could trust turn out to be the ones you should have feared in the first place?

  I thought this would be easy, but it turns out that it may end up getting me killed, and possibly the two men who I’m supposed to pick between.

  Against All Odds

  Full Throttle Book #1

  Elizabeth Knox

  Erin Trejo

  Against All Odds

  This book is a work 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.

  Against All Odds

  Copyright © 2018 by Elizabeth Knox and Erin Trejo. 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. For information contact Knox Publishing.

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  Proofreading by Tracy Comerford, Butterfly Publishing

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  Dedication

  To Our Readers

  Thank you so much for supporting us on our endless journey. We hope you enjoy the meshing of our minds!

  Warning

  This content contains material that may be viewed as offensive to some readers, including violence and sexual situations.

  Table of Contents

  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

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  I’m going to make everything around me beautiful. That will be my life.

  - Elise de Wolfe

  Kenna

  It’s late August, just a few days before Labor Day. Miami is always packed, but it’s bound to be loaded. Everyone is going to flush into my city before all the kiddos go back to school, for their one last hoorah of freedom. I don’t blame them, I would probably do the same if I was in their position. Who knows if I ever will be. I’m not exactly the motherly type. My sole concern is Miami, and how to keep the streets safe. Before my father took over twenty years ago, Miami was nothing but a fucking mess.

  I remember that time so well, I was seven the day I saw him smile for the first time. His happiness is his work, and while I don’t always understand it - I respect it.

  Jorge Vernon is the Kingpin of Miami, but the most important role he plays in my eyes is my father. Before he took over. Scratch that, I shouldn’t say took over. My father destroyed every ounce of vermin in the city and took pride in doing so. He saw how corrupt it was and decided to do something about it. He was a man who was in the trenches; a man from the bottom, who rose to the top through success, connections and honoring his word. Many children wouldn’t be proud to have their father as a kingpin; however, I couldn’t be prouder. His love for this city is undeniable, as is mine.

  I roll over, staring into the blazing Miami sky. It’s a hot one out today, a real scorcher. I decided instead of going to the gym, I was going to lay out on the beach and get a little vitamin D. I can see my fun being ruined as Philip comes trotting down the stairs that lead down onto the beach from my property. He is one of many who my father employs to keep me safe, although I tend to request Philip the most. The others give me the creeps sometimes, and I barely let the man have a day off because of it.

  “Have you come to ruin my fun already, P?” I put my hands behind my body and push myself up, staring at him before I look at my watch. I’ve only been out here for an hour, and he knows not to disturb me unless it’s urgent.

  “Your father is requesting you,” he states, and I nod at his words. My father will just have to wait, I need to get showered and ready before I go to see him.

  “Call him back and tell him I’ll be at least an hour before I can get to his office.” I collect the beach towel from the sand and shake it, allowing the small particles to go back to where they once came from.

  “Sorry, Ma’am. I can’t do that. He’s waiting for you in the kitchen. I have Sara prepping lunch for the two of you now,” I roll my eyes. Just as I’m about to speak, Philip starts, “Sara refuses to leave. She doesn’t care how many times you fire her; your father pays for her to be here and she will not take his money without working. Just accept it and let the woman work.”

  “She can go do something for him, she doesn’t need to be in my house,” I argue, and Philip smiles back at me.

  “She’s just as stubborn, if not worse than you are” I walk towards the stairs and he grabs my cover up from the railing and hands it to me. I slide it on my body as we walk towards my house.

  “Let’s be honest, P. There is no one as stubborn as I am.” I add a smirk and wink before walking through the open door and into my kitchen. My father is sitting at the bar, eating some sort of steak concoction that Sara undoubtedly made for him. Next to it I see a chicken Caesar salad splayed out with a lemon water. I hated to admit it, but the woman always knew what I liked. Dad liked to make sure I was being taken care of, that I had food to eat, a house that was clean and a bodyguard to watch over me. I understand why. There is always a risk, especially in what he dabbles in. Men become greedy, and instead of going after their competition, they tend to target the loved ones of their co
mpetitor. My father has kept the peace for years, but I am not naive. There will be a time when blood is spilled yet again, and it will happen sooner rather than later.

  “Is this a social visit, or business?” I ask him, popping a cherry tomato in my mouth. The sweetness overtakes my taste buds as I wait for his response, and when I see him place his silverware down I have my answer. Business it is.

  “I know you’ve heard the rumors going around. You were probably one of the first and paid it no mind” He begins to go on about what I have heard on the streets and he is right, I have paid it no mind because I know it isn’t true. If it was, he would have told me already. It wouldn’t have gotten on the streets before I knew about it. “It’s true, Kenna. I plan on stepping down as soon as my plans are settled.”

  “What the fuck does that even mean? When your plans are settled? Your plans are never settled...and how could you just decide this without talking to me?” I’m furious, and besides that, I’m truly hurt. He should have come to me before the rumor mill even started. I’m his daughter, his only child. This city is as much mine as it is his. I expected this day at some point, but never did I expect it to be so soon. I didn’t think that he was done yet...but I’m ready for this. I’m ready to keep the Vernon legacy alive, to make sure that Miami has order. The last thing I will ever do is let my city be anything but great. I remember what it was like here as a little girl, how much violence and drugs were on the streets. My father has done a lot to destroy it all, and while he is no saint, he sure makes everything as good as he possibly can.

  “I am tired, mija. I have been doing this for many years, watching my life flash before my eyes. I take too many things for granted. For once I just want to sit on the beach and relax, not worry about business. I want to truly live, and I know you can understand why. Life is too short. You and I know that all too well, and how those we love can be taken from us so easily.”

  Yeah, I do understand loss. My mother was killed when I was seven, just before my father took over the city. They wanted to get to him, and instead they took her out. It’s why he is so insistent on me having a bodyguard around. I can’t say I blame him, having Philip around makes me feel safer anyways. “I have already been looking into my replacements and have found two men who I believe would be a good fit for the city. The one thing we have always lacked is manpower, and both men hold it, but each in a different way. Their men aren’t bribed with money, or materialistic things. They hold loyalty to those who command them.” I listen to my father go on, about these two men and how he believes that one of them may be the right fit for the city.

  The right fit for the city that should be mine. For the legacy that I am supposed to uphold. He’s giving my right over to someone...I haven’t helped him for all these years to be cast aside when it’s my moment to shine.

  “I can’t believe the audacity that you have to give over my rightful place to anyone, a stranger nonetheless,” I grumble, glaring at him with all my might. My rage boils through every vein of my body, ready to erupt without notice.

  “You think I would just give it to someone? No, no. That is not how this is works, mija. You are going to reign beside one of these men. You are the one tasked with choosing who is the best fit, not only for you, but for Miami.” He laughs, his voice echoing through my kitchen.

  “I don’t understand,” I state lowly, searching his eyes for the answers that I seek. Subconsciously, I know exactly what he’s telling me. I’m anything but a dumb girl.

  “Yes, you do. You will either choose Phoenix, the MC Prez, or Ascher who runs the car game. Not only are you choosing them for the city, darling. You are choosing who will have your heart as well, so make the right choice.”

  I nod, accepting what he’s told me. I should’ve expected something like this. Honestly, I had. I just didn’t think it would involve his retirement or happen this late in my twenties. Marriages are almost never for love. They are for power. I’ve prepared myself for this since I was a little girl. What my father doesn’t realize is that my heart is this city. I will choose whomever loves Miami as much as I do. My actual heart will have nothing to do with it. Only the wellbeing of the people who reside here.

  Winnie is going to shit a brick when I tell her about this.

  Chapter 2

  Phoenix

  “You’re fuckin’ jokin’ right?” Leo, my VP stares at me with shock in his eyes. I take another drag from my cigarette and flick it to the ground, blowing smoke into the humid air.

  “Not even a little.” Leo shakes his head not sure how to respond to what I’ve just told him. His eyes are wide as he lets the words settle inside of him. He isn’t happy about it and I can’t say that I am either, but Miami is my home. It always has been.

  “So that’s why we’re on this side of town?” Leo looks over as I sigh and nod my head.

  “Gotta talk to Ascher as much as I don’t fuckin’ want to. I need to know his thoughts on this shit and I sure as fuck don’t need any surprises from him or his boys right now,” I sneer, knowing all too well that Ascher would be the one to try and pull some kind of bullshit on me. With all the issues we’re having with Blood Brother’s MC, we sure as hell don’t need his too. Devil’s Ash MC is my birthright, my home. I was born and raised in this club here in Miami and will do whatever it takes to protect this city and what’s mine.

  We walk the block in silence until the sound of the booming bass echoes through the streets. Leo smirks at me but stops to lean against the brick wall of the building.

  “I’ll wait till I hear a scream before I move,” he chuckles. Shaking my head, I walk into the garage and spot the one person I hadn’t planned on seeing for as long as I’m alive. My brother. My twin brother, Ascher.

  “What the hell are you doing in my shop?” His voice mimics my own as he pulls himself out from under the hood of the car he’s working on. Wiping his hands on a rag he saunters toward me.

  “We need to talk,” I tell him not missing the glares from his crew.

  “Talked to Vernon, huh?” he asks with a smirk on his face no doubt thinking he’s going to win this round.

  “Miami is mine, Ascher. Always has been. You bailed as soon as you turned eighteen for your car shit. You turned your back on the family and all that dad had built. You don’t deserve to run shit and you know it.” Ascher doesn’t even blink as I tell him exactly how I feel. In fact, the asshole looks all too happy with my little rant.

  “You done crying yet?” Most people would think that being twins, we’d be closer, but we aren’t. Not since he ran off to California to start up his car club. No matter how hard my dad tried with him, Ascher just wasn’t into the club the way I was. I was like a sponge, trying to absorb whatever I could from anyone that would toss me some info. My dad saw that Ascher wasn’t into the MC and left it all to me. I take great pride in what I do and knowing that the decision is coming down to me or him? Yeah, I’m pissed.

  “No cryin’ involved in this lifestyle. You know as well as I do that you don’t give two shits about what happens in this city as long as it suits you and your little club,” I hiss.

  “You think so brother? You forget this is my home too. I was born here just the same as you.”

  “I have more connections and pull in all the areas that matter, Ascher. If you fight me on this, shit is gonna go south and I don’t think your little club is ready for that.” My words are meant as a threat. Ascher knows it too. He steps toward me, a wicked look in his eyes.

  “You’re resorting to threats now, Phoenix?” he asks cocking his head to the side as he studies me. He knows me, he knows I mean business and if he doesn’t? He will soon find out. I close the space between us, standing toe to toe with the person I was brought into this world with. The one person that should have been standing by my side not fighting against me. Our mutual hatred runs deep.

  “I don’t make threats, Ascher.”

  “I will tear you down, brother.”

  “Guess we’ll s
ee about that. Like my name? I will rise from the fuckin’ ashes,” I thunder before turning on my heel and walking out of his garage. As soon as I step foot back onto the sidewalk my cell rings. I’m already on edge with this shit. I don’t need anymore.

  “What?” I snap into the phone.

  “Tick tock Phoenix. You know I only gave you a few days, right?” Anger courses through my veins. I know this motherfucker wants a war and as much as I’d like to give him one, I won’t tear up my city to do it.

  “Is that supposed to mean somethin’ to me? I don’t take fuckin’ orders from little people like you, Rip.”

  “Oh, come on now, Phoenix. You don’t want to start findin’ your girls dead do you?” His threat runs wild through my head as tension coils my body. I crack my neck from side to side trying to relieve a little, but it just worsens.

  “You know how much your threats make my dick hard, Rip? Keep talkin’ and I will make sure you stop breathin’. You want the fuckin’ dope or not?” Leo watches me as I stomp toward him. I’m sure he can tell by the look on my face that the meeting with the Ascher didn’t go quite as planned and now I have a threat against my girls?

  “Yeah. Have it on time!” The call ends and I stuff my phone back in my pocket. I’m over this whole fucking day already.

  “So, it went well, huh?” Leo chuckles as we start walking back toward the bikes.

  “Ascher’s gonna give me a fight on this. Rip is ready to kill off girls to get his spot in Miami. Fuck, Leo!” I run my hand over my head before grabbing my bandana and tying it on. As soon as we get to the bikes, I climb on holding my helmet in my hands.

  “Damn, Phoenix. That’s some shit, brother.” Nodding my head, I glance around at the city that is my home. The place I’ve always thrived in. My dad ran the Devil’s Ash MC with pride for his men and his city. I won’t let Ascher ruin what he worked his life to build and what I’ve taken over and improved.