Lawless (King, #3)

by T. M. Frazier

[stacey_is_sassy]

The sacrifices made for love.

Lawless is not something I would normally read, but after reading King and Tyrant last year, I knew it was time to face my fears and head back to scary land. This is a dark read for me. I know there are darker books out there, but this is probably my limit. There is murder, violence, crime, cheating, disrespect for authority and plain old nastiness. But it's absolutely fascinating. I can't help but look into the lives of the characters and wonder if it's somewhat real. Are there men who do not hesitate to snuff out a life? Do women really degrade themselves by running out of motel rooms naked? Can you drive safely after (or while) smoking weed? I can't help but read and think they're a little unreal and an escape from reality... my reality anyway.

Bear's history hurt to read. We find out a little bit about his mother, what life was like growing up as a biker and having the meanest SOB for a father. The hardest part for me was seeing through his eyes, the torture he suffered at the hands of his enemy. No wonder he had nightmares and escaped reality with booze, drugs and babes. Each revelation gave me a bit more of an understanding of how he came to be the man he is. I wanted him to find peace, but by the end of Lawless, it's still out of reach.

I loved meeting Cynthia...not Cindy, only her mum calls her that. She prefers Thia, because that's what her daddy likes. She's a little spitfire ten-year-old who works part-time at the service station. One day, things go a little pear-shaped and there's a gun pointed in her face. Her hero is a beautiful biker named Bear. He fixes the problem and gives her a ring to keep (payment not to tell the cops) and tells her to come see him if she's ever in trouble. The little girl falls in love with the biker and remembers his offer.

Thia's life falls apart seven years later and she ends up needing Bear after all. Unfortunately, Bear is not in a good headspace and is definitely not ready to be anyone's Knight in Jeans and Biker Boots. The ring was supposed to be a joke, but someone forgot to tell the little girl. Bear decides to fix her problems quickly and get back to his self-destruction plans.

Things get out of hand and Bear and Thia's life is in danger. The more dangerous the situation, the more protective Bear becomes. There's a fairly big age difference between them which makes Bear hesitant to take things to a sexual relationship. Eventually, they can't help themselves and you can see their feelings deepen.

T. M. Frazier has a remarkable talent for taking me out of my comfort zone (willingly) and making me enjoy (maybe not the right word) subjects I would normally avoid. This series is awesome and I can't wait for the next instalment.