Reaper (Jagged Saints MC #1)

Chapter 7

7

REAPER

D awn paints the hotel room in shades of gold, catching on Sandy's bare skin where she's tangled in the sheets beside me.Her tank top and cut lie discarded on the floor along with her cut and my jeans, physical evidence of last night's reunion.

She shifts in her sleep, seeking my warmth, and something in my chest tightens.Even now, even after everything, she fits against me like she never left.Like the last five years were just a bad dream we've finally woken up from.

My burner buzzes on the nightstand.Ranch's code. Right. Our scheduled check-in.

I ease out of bed carefully, not wanting to wake her.She mumbles something, burrowing deeper into my pillow, and that familiar ache in my chest spreads. God, I've missed this. Missed her.

Grabbing my jeans, I slip onto the balcony, closing the door quietly behind me.The desert morning is already heating up, but I barely notice the temperature.I'm still riding the high of last night--of Sandy's taste on my tongue, her legs wrapped around my waist, her voice crying out my name as she came apart in my arms.

My lips curve remembering how she'd promised to tell me something this morning.Probably about Timer, about whatever op she's running in Georgia.And for once, I'm not even worried about it.Because this time feels different.This time we're facing everything together, no more secrets between us.

I hit Ranch's contact, expecting our usual voice call.Instead, his face fills my screen, expression grim.

"Get somewhere private," he orders without preamble."Away from the room."

Ice slides down my spine, but I obey, heading down to the parking lot.The morning air carries a bite, matching the dread building in my gut.

"What's wrong?" I keep my voice low, scanning the mostly empty lot out of habit."Kings making moves?"

"Worse." Ranch runs a hand through his hair--a tell I recognize from years of friendship.He's about to tell me something I really don't want to hear."We've got a rat."

The words hit like a physical blow."What?"

"My contact at the bureau called.There's an active investigation into the Saints.Has been for years." His jaw tightens."And your ex is running point on it."

For a moment, I can't breathe.Can't think. Can't process what he's telling me.

"What ex?" But I already know.God help me, I already know.

"Sandy Mitchell." The name falls like a death sentence."She's been building a case against us since before she left.Everything--her transfer to the Wings, the Kings investigation, even showing up on this run--it was all about getting close enough to take us down."

The world tilts sideways. Images flash through my mind like photographs burning, Sandy's smile when she saw me again.Her fingers tracing my tattoos.Her mouth moving under mine as she promised no more secrets.

All lies. Again.

"That's not..." My voice sounds strange,distant."She said she left to protectus.That they wanted her to inform on my dad's operation but she walked awayinstead."

"Think, brother." Ranch's voice gentles, like he's breaking bad news to a victim'sfamily."Your dad died in that ambush six months after sheleft.How many crews knew your route thatnight?How many people had that kind of insideintel?"

Bile rises in my throat as memories realign themselves with sickeningclarity.Sandy's constant questions about clubbusiness.Her too-convenient appearances at keymoments.The way she always seemed to know thingssheshouldn't.

"The Kings recognized her." The words taste likeash."They knew she was a fed before Idid."

"Because she's been working them too." Ranch sighsheavily."My guy says she's been gathering evidence on multiple clubs, building some kind of RICOcase.The Saints are just her latesttarget."

A broken sound escapes me--something between a laugh and asnarl."And I fell for it. Again. Opened up my fucking heart when all she wantedwas..."

What? To get laid while laughing behind myback?To manipulate me into giving up club secrets between rounds offucking?To use my feelings against me one moretime?

"What's the play?" I force the words past numb lips, already knowing theanswer.Already hatingit.

"Get the truth." Ranch's expressionhardens."Whatever it takes. And if what I've heard is right..." He lets the sentence hang, but I hear the unspokenorder.

Handle it.

"Timer?" I have to ask, have to know how deep this betrayalgoes.

"Clean as far as we know. Probably her next target." Ranch studies me through thescreen."You good to handlethis?"

Am I good to handle the fact that the woman I love--the woman I just spent the night making love to--has been playing me for afool?That every kiss, every touch, every whispered promise was just part of hercover?

"Yeah." My voice comes out rough, dangerous. "I'm good."

"Reaper." Ranch's tone carries years of friendship and sharedpain."I'm sorry, brother. I know what she means toyou."

Meant. Past tense. Because the Sandy I loved neverexisted.She was just a cover, a carefully crafted lie designed to get close to theclub.

To get close tome.

"I'll call you when it's done." I end the video, staring blindly at the parking lot as the sun climbshigher.

Five years ago, Sandy broke my heart when she threw my ring in my face and walkedaway.But this? This is different. This is betrayal on a level I can barelycomprehend.

Because last night, when she was crying out my name, when she was promising forever with her body if not her words, sheknew.She fucking knew she was going to destroy everything Ilove.

And I let her in. Again.

My phone buzzes with a text. Sandy's codename lights up the screen, making my stomachturn.

R

Missing you already. Come back tobed?

Five little words that would have made my heart race an hourago.Now they're just more evidence of herlies.

I type back a response, forcing my hands not toshake.

Me:

On my way.

Time to find out just how deep this betrayalgoes.Time to make her prove her loyalty or admit herlies.

Time to break my own heart by breakinghers.

Because if Sandy really is playing me, if she really has been working against the club this wholetime...

Then God help us both. Because I won't survive losing hertwice.

And this time, she won't survive betrayingme.

The hotel room key feels heavy in my palm as I stand outside ourdoor.My heart pounds against my ribs, rage and hurt warring forcontrol.I'd planned to play it cool, to draw out her lies with carefulquestions.

But the moment I step inside and see her--wrapped in my old Saints shirt, hair tumbling wild around her shoulders, smile bright enough to blind--something in mesnaps.

"Look me in the eyes." My voice comes out deadly calm despite the trembling in myhands."Look me in the eyes, Sandy, and tell me you're not playing meagain."

Her smile falters, confusion creasing herbrow.But she meets my gaze steadily, those green eyes I've dreamed about for five years wide andearnest.

"I swear I'm not doing anything to hurt you, Reaper." The words soundconvincing.She sounds convincing. But there's something in her expression--a flicker of guilt, a shadow of secrets--that makes my bloodboil.

"Stop. Fucking. Lying." Each word falls like a bullet betweenus."I know you're working with a rat to sell us down theriver.I knoweverything."

She goes still, the color draining from herface.My hands shake with the effort of not grabbing her, of not shaking the truth out ofher.

"Just tell me the truth." My voice cracks on the lastword."For once in your life, if you even remember what that isanymore."

Sandy sucks in a sharp breath, her fingers twisting in the hem of myshirt."I wanted to tell you. Last night, Itried--"

"Don't you dare." The words explode from me, filling the smallroom."Don't you fucking dare blame any part of your betrayal onme."

"That's not what I'm saying!" She steps toward me, hands raised like she's approaching a woundedanimal.Maybe she is. "That's not what Imeant."

"Then what did you mean?" I force myself to stay still as she movescloser."What possible explanation could there be for lying to my faceagain?"

"Timer's the rat."

The words hit like a physicalblow.I stagger back, my mind refusing to process whatshe's saying.

"What?"

"Timer's been working both sides for years." Her voice steadies as she shifts into agent mode, and God, I hate how natural it looks onher."Feeding just enough intel to maintain cover while setting up the Saints for afall."

"You're lying." But even as I say it, pieces start clicking intoplace.Timer's convenient absences. His too-accurate information about rivalcrews.The way he too always seemed to know things before anyoneelse.

"He's been playing everyone." Sandy's eyes plead with me tounderstand."The Kings, the Wings, even his ownhandlers.I've spent five years building a case against him, tracking his connections to terrorist cells and weaponsdealers."

"And the Saints?" My voice sounds strange to my ownears."Where do we fit in your littleinvestigation?"

"You don't." She takes another stepcloser."That's what I've been trying to tellyou.I made a deal--Timer goes down, but the Saints stayclean.You stayfree."

A bitter laugh tears from my throat. "And I'm supposed to believe that? After everything?"

"Check my phone." She gestures to where it sits on thenightstand."The proof is all there. Photos of Timer's meetings, GPS coordinates of drops, recordingsof--"

"I don't want your fucking evidence!" The words come out as aroar."I want to know why. Why come backnow?Why let me fall for you again if you were just goingto--"

I break off, the rest of the sentence too painful tovoice.

"Because I never stopped loving you." Her voice cracks, tears spilling down hercheeks."Because when they offered me this assignment, all I could think about was keeping yousafe.Even if it meant you'd hate me when the truth cameout."

"Safe?" I laugh, but it sounds more like asob."You call this safe? Lying to my face, sleeping with me while planning to take down someone I considerfamily?"

"Timer isn't family." Steel enters hertone."He's the reason your father died in thatambush."

The world stops.

"What did you say?"

"The night your father died?" Her eyes hold mine,unflinching."Timer sold that route to the highestbidder.He's the reason they knew exactly where to hit theconvoy."

My vision blurs red. Without conscious thought, I grab the nearest object--a lamp--and hurl it against thewall.It shatters spectacularly, but the sound barely registers over the roaring in myears.

"Get out." The words come from somewhere deep and broken insideme.

"Reaper--"

"GET OUT!" I can barely recognize my ownvoice."I never want to see your faceagain."

Sandy flinches like I've struck her, but she doesn'targue.She gathers her things in silence--her cut, her boots, the gun I now know she alwayscarries.At the door, shepauses.

"For what it's worth," she says softly, "every choice I've made in the last five years has been about keeping you and the people actually in your cornersafe.That won't change, even if you end up hating me in theprocess."

Then she's gone, leaving nothing but the lingering scent of jasmine and the echo of shatteringglass.

I stand there, staring at the closed door, feeling like my chest has been rippedopen.Everything I thought I knew--about Sandy, about Timer, about my father's death--lies in ruins at myfeet.

My phone buzzes. Ranch's name flashes on thescreen.

With numb fingers, I reach for Sandy's phoneinstead.It unlocks with my birthday--just like it did five years ago--and there it allis.Photos of Timer meeting with armsdealers.GPS coordinates that match perfectly with my father's lastroute.Audio files labeled with dates that make my stomachturn.

The truth I didn't want to believe, laid out in perfectdetail.

I dial Ranch with shakinghands.

"It's handled," I tell him when he answers. "But we've got bigger problems. Timer--"

"I know." His voice is grim. "Sandy just sent meeverything.All ofit."

"What's the play?"

"Get to Serenity County. We handle this in person." Hepauses."For what it's worth,brother?I think she really was trying to protectyou."

I end the call without responding, my eyes landing on the bed where just hours ago, I'd held Sandy in my arms and believed in secondchances.

The truth sits heavy in my chest, she was protectingme.Has been protecting me for five years while I cursed her name and nursed my woundedpride.

But some betrayals cut too deep toforgive.Some lies, even told with the best intentions, destroy everything theytouch.

And Sandy Mitchell just destroyed my whole fuckingworld.

Again.