Vicious Cycle
Vicious Cycle Series – Book 1
By Katie Ashley
Synopsis
New York Times bestselling author Katie Ashley revs up the danger and sexual tension in her brand-new Vicious Cycle romance series.
Deacon Malloy’s life is dedicated to the Hells Raiders motorcycle club. Tough, hard, and fast with his fists, he serves the group as sergeant at arms. But his devil-may-care approach to life is thrown for a loop when the five-year-old daughter he never knew existed lands on the club steps.
Alexandra Evans is devoted to all her students—but there’s always been something about Willow Malloy that tugs at her heart. There’s an aura of sadness about her, a girl in need of all the love Alexandra can give. When Willow stops coming to school, Alexandra’s search leads to a clubhouse full of bikers…and a father hell-bent on keeping his daughter always within sight.
The moment Deacon sees Alexandra, he has to have her in his bed—and he’s never met a woman yet who couldn’t be persuaded. No matter how attracted she is to Deacon, Alexandra refuses to be just another conquest. But it’s Deacon himself who could be seduced—into a brighter future for himself, his daughter, and the woman he’s falling for against all odds.
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Excerpt
As I entered the door, I took a deep breath to try and still my out-of-control nerves. Smoke hung heavy in the air, stinging my eyes and causing me to cough. Several men in leather biker cuts lounged on stools at the bar, nursing beers. Across from me, a heated pool game was taking place.
I took a few steps inside and then froze. “Are you lost, darlin’?” a big busted woman in a halter top asked.
“Uh…I’m looking for David Malloy,” I said.
Two men at the pool table whirled around. The shorter of the two, a tough but cute looking blond, cocked his head curiously at me. But then the moment my gaze locked on the other man, I knew he was Willow’s father. They had the same dark hair, soulful dark eyes, and heart-shaped face. David, however, had dark scruff covering his face. Although he was Rev’s brother, I didn’t see any resemblance between the two. Although he was shorter and slightly less built, David was just as good-looking as Rev. “Mr. Malloy?” I questioned, as I closed the distance between us.
He tossed the pool stick on the table. Taking a long drag on his cigarette, he then stubbed it out in an ashtray on the table. “What do you want?” he demanded.
Without even glancing around the room, I knew that every eye in the place was on us. “I really need to speak with you for a moment.”
His dark eyes narrowed as they raked over my body. Then the next thing I knew, he leapt at me, knocking me back into the wall. One of his hands came to grip my throat while his body pinned me in place. Fear like I had never known overwhelmed me, sending my heartbeat drumming wildly in my ears. It was so loud it felt like a cannon blast going off around me. “Please,” I murmured.
David glared at me as his thumb pressed harder into my throat. “They’re really falling down on their job at the academy.”
“E-Excuse m-me?” I stammered.
With a smirk, he replied, “Don’t they train you ATF bitches to hide your fear a little better? I mean, you’re practically pissing your pants right now, not to mention your heart is beating ninety to nothing.”
I shook my head slowly back and forth as I tried processing his words. “ATF? I don’t understand.”
He rolled his eyes. “A white-bred piece of ass comes waltzing into my clubhouse wanting to talk to me alone. It doesn’t take a fucking genius to realize you’re a Fed.”
A Fed? It took me a moment to process what he meant. Holy shit, he thought I worked for the government as an agent of some sort. Quickly, I replied, “No, I’m not.”
A voice came from him. “Deacon, man, you’re gonna get your ass jacked up even further for this.”
Glancing over his shoulder, Deacon said to the young, blond haired man, “Stay out of this, Bishop.”
Bishop held up his hands. “Fine. It’s your fucking funeral.”
David’s hand slid down my throat to the buttons on my dress. Glancing over his shoulder at the others, he questioned, “What do you bet she’s wired up under her tits?”
When his hands started to rip open my dress, I couldn’t hold back my scream. “No, stop! I’m not who you think I am. I swear!” I protested.
“Then just who the hell are you?” he demanded.
Before I could answer, a tiny voice came from behind us. “Miss Alex?”
The sound of Willow’s voice caused David to release his hold on my dress, but his body still kept me pinned to the wall. At that same moment, Rev entered the clubhouse. When he saw me, his eyes bulged, and he broke into a run to reach us. Grabbing David’s shoulders, he slung him away from me. “For fuck’s sake, Deacon, what the hell are you doing?”
“I’m giving this undercover ATF bitch what she deserves,” Deacon spat, taking a step back toward me.
“Christ, she’s not ATF,” Rev countered.
“Oh, then who the hell is she?”
“She’s my teacher…and my friend,” Willow answered in a small voice.
Michel’s Review
Vicious Cycle is the first book in the new biker series by Katie Ashley.
Vicious Cycle is fresh and quite a bit different from the run of the mill biker books. This series incorporates family dynamics, southern heritage, the MC world, and a bit of religion. With all of these elements one would think that it’s a tad too much but I must say it is not. The entire story works. The reader quickly becomes connected to the characters and embraces them whole heartedly.
Vicious Cycle starts out from a little five year girl’s POV. This little girl, Willow, draws the reader into the story and quickly establishes the dark elements in her world. When she is taken to her unknown father it takes the reader into the world of the Hells Raiders MC and gets to the grit of the story.
David “Deacon” Malloy is the Sergeant In Arms for the Hells Raiders. He was raised in the Hells Raiders MC since he was adopted in his young teenage years. Although he and his brothers have been raised in an outlaw environment they have also been raised in a family environment. When he finds out he has a daughter he is at a loss. He doesn’t know what to do with a child or how to raise one. One thing is for certain, this precious little girl has captured his heart. When he finds out about the violent circumstances that led to Willow being dropped at the door, he will do anything to protect her. His old enemies now know he has something precious to lose.
When the threats from their rival club, the Nordic Knights, and their number one enemy Sigal escalate, it is time to take some protective actions. One is to keep Willow in lock down at the club’s compound. When her kindergarten teacher shows up at the compound wanting to know why Willow has missed so much school, it opens another door the Deacon didn’t know he wanted.
Alexandra Evans has a special place in her heart for Willow. She loves the bright and intelligent little girl. When she stops showing up for school she needs to know that Willow is alright. When she finds out the frightening circumstances behind the absences she offers solutions. She proposes to become Willow’s home bound teacher. She never imagined that she would become more than a teacher. She would become immersed in the Hells Raiders MC world. She would become their friend. She would become a part of their family. She would become the lover to one of the most complicated men she has ever met. She would become a target. Her life is on the line all because of a beautiful little girl and her sexy father. She can handle the danger and threats because in the end the high price is worth. She will do anything in the name of love.
Katie Ashley wrote a very edgy, suspenseful, gritty biker romance that envelops everything MC romance readers look for in a book. I quickly became connected to all of the characters. I embraced the Hells Raiders MC and their mantra. I loved the romance that developed between Deacon and Alexandra. Willow captured my heart and I fell in love with this little girl just like all those big bad bikers did.
I highly recommend Vicious Cycle by Katie Ashley!
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Katie Ashley is the New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author of The Proposition Series, Runaway Train Series, as well as several New Adult and Young Adult titles. Her latest series, Vicious Cycle, has been picked up for publication by Penguin Books.
She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her two very spoiled dogs. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Harry Potter, Shakespeare, Supernatural, Sons of Anarchy, Downton Abbey, Designing Women, and Scooby-Doo.
With a BA in English, a BS in Secondary English Education, and a Masters in English Education, she spent 11 1/2 years educating the Youth of America aka teaching MS and HS English until she left to write full time in December 2012.
She is represented by Jane Dystel of Dystel and Goderich Literary Management.
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I was about to marry the man of my dreams. 
Saucy Southern Readers 