Reaper (Jagged Saints MC #1)

Chapter 9

9

REAPER

I barely register the name of the backwoods bar I pull into, just needing somewhere to drown the betrayal burning in my chest.Two people I trusted. Two fucking people who meant everything to me, and both of them played me for a fool.

The whiskey burns going down, memories flashing through my mind like a twisted highlight reel.Timer teaching me to ride when I was barely tall enough to reach the pedals.Sandy curled against me last night, promising forever with her body while planning to destroy my world.Every moment tainted by lies.

"Another," I grunt at the bartender, shoving my empty glass forward.Maybe if I drink enough, I'll stop seeing visions of the way Sandy looked at me this morning like I was breaking her heart when she'd been the one lying all along.Again.

"Make that a water." Sandy's voice cuts through the haze of anger and hurt.Of fucking course she followed me.

"Get the fuck out." I don't look at her.Can't look at her without remembering how she felt in my arms last night, how fucking perfect we were together.How real it had seemed. All lies.

"Can't do that." She slides onto the stool next to me, close enough that her scent wraps around me like a noose.

"Why not?" Bitterness coats my tongue."Need to keep tabs on me? Make sure I don't do anything to fuck up your precious operation, Agent Mitchell?"

"Everything I've done has been to protect you and the Saints." Her voice cracks on my name."Every lie, every secret - it was all about keeping you free."

"Right." I laugh, the sound raw and painful."Because lying to my face, making me fall for you again, that was all for my own good?"

"You think this has been easy for me?" Heat enters her tone."You think I wanted to hurt you?"

"I think you're really good at your job." The words come out like bullets."Getting close to your target, making him trust you, making him lo-" I cut myself off, the word too painful to voice.

"Is that what you think this was?" She moves closer, her knee brushing mine."Some kind of honey trap operation?"

"What else would you call it?" I finally look at her, and fuck, that's a mistake.Because even now, even knowing she's played me, she's still the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."You went out of your way to weasel back into my life.Reopened every fucking wound.Made me remember that I never really stopped loving you.And for what? Some undercover operation?"

Tears well in her eyes, and rage burns hotter in my chest.

"Don't you dare put on a crying performance now." The whiskey glass creaks in my grip."Hasn't there been enough acting between us?"

"Shut up and listen to me!" She grabs my arm, her touch burning through my leather cut."You want the truth? The whole truth?"

"Like you'd even recognize it anymore."

"I took this assignment because it was the only way to keep you out of prison." The words burst from her like gunfire."The feds were building a RICO case against the Saints.They had evidence linking the club to three terrorist cells through Timer's weapons pipeline."

"So you decided to play hero?" I try to wrench away, but she holds on tight."Save the poor dumb biker from himself?"

"I decided to protect the man I love!" Her voice rises, drawing attention from the few other patrons."They offered me a deal to build a case against Timer in exchange for the Saints' past to disappear.Every weapons charge, every suspicious death, everything Timer tried to pin on your father - gone."

The mention of my father hits like a physical blow."Stop."

"No." She moves even closer, her eyes fierce."You want truth? Here it is. I spent five years working my way up the ranks, gathering evidence, making sure every piece pointed to Timer and away from you.Five years watching you hate me, knowing I deserved it, but telling myself it was worth it if it kept you free."

"Sandy-"

"I'm not finished." Her fingers dig into my arm."Last night wasn't a lie. Nothing between us has ever been a lie.That's why I left five years ago instead of informing on your father's operation.That's why I took this assignment when they offered it.That's why I came back now."

"To save me?" The words taste like ash."I don't need saving."

"No?" Her laugh holds no humor."Timer's been feeding intel to terrorist cells for years.Setting up the Saints to take the fall when it all comes down.The feds have enough evidence to put the entire club away for life.But sure, tell me again how you don't need saving."

"Why should I believe anything you say?"

"Because I never stopped loving you either!" The words explode from her like a confession."And whether you want to believe me or not, I did all of this to keep you and the Saints' past wiped off the feds' radar.I will not let you make me regret that because that would mean regretting loving you, and I fucking refuse-"

"Fuck!" The word tears from my throat as I grab her, cutting her off and crushing my mouth tohers.She makes a sound somewhere between a sob and a moan, her fingers digging into my shoulders as I kiss her with all the rage and hurt and love I can'tshake.

She tastes like whiskey and truth and everything I've everwanted.Her tongue meets mine, matching my anger with her own as I haul hercloser.My hands tangle in her hair, tilting her head to deepen the kiss until we're bothgasping.

Her phone rings, the sound piercing through the haze ofneed.Before either of us can move, mine goes offtoo.

We break apart, both grabbing ourphones.Sandy spins her phone to me, and I do the same. The messages make my blood runcold.

Handler

Timer spotted atthe old warehouse. Changing locations now.

Ranch

Timer's location confirmed. Heading in to handle it.

Sandy's eyes meet mine, both of us breathinghard.The taste of her still lingers on my lips as understanding crashes overus.

"Oh fuck," we say inunison.

The race to Timer is on. And only one of us canwin.

The question is, what breaks first - her career or myheart?

Sandy matches my speed as we tear down empty back roads, our bikes in perfect sync.Even now, even with betrayal still burning in my veins, we ride like we're two parts of the same machine.The way she takes each curve, anticipating my movements before I make them, reminds me of how perfectly we fit together in other ways.

"Pull over!" she shouts over the wind."I've got an idea!"

We stop at a deserted intersection, gravel crunching under our tires.Sandy kills her engine and pulls out her phone, motioning me closer as she leans in.

"Say 'Timer's at the docks' loud enough for Handler to hear.He'll redirect the teams."

I grin, catching on to her plan."You devious woman. Setting up your own boss?"

"He was getting suspicious anyway." She shrugs, but tension lines her shoulders."Might as well give him what he expects, he's always seen me as the compromised agent making emotional decisions."

She dials, putting it on speaker."Handler, we've got movement-"

"Just saw Timer heading toward the docks!" I call out, making sure my voice carries."Moving to intercept! Multiple vehicles!"

"Copy that." Handler's voice crackles through."Teams redirecting now. Mitchell, stay on Hunter's tail."

"Already on it, sir." Her acting is flawless.Almost too flawless. "He's not getting away this time."

She ends the call, her eyes bright with adrenaline."That buys us twenty minutes, tops.Handler's smart, he'll figure out the misdirect soon enough."

"More than enough time." I swing back onto my bike, the engine rumbling to life beneath me."Race you there?"

Her answering smile is pure sin."Try to keep up, Road Captain."

We fly down back roads, taking turns at speeds that would terrify normal people.But there's nothing normal about us.Never has been. Sandy rides like she was born for it, her body moving with her bike like they're one entity.

The warehouse comes into view ten minutes later.Ranch and three other Saints are already there, bikes parked in formation.My brothers. My family. The ones Timer betrayed just as thoroughly as he betrayed me.

Sandy pulls up beside me as I kill my engine.Her hand brushes mine, a ghost of contact that sends electricity up my arm.

"Let me talk to him first." The words taste like ash, but I need answers.Need to hear it from his lying mouth why he destroyed everything I thought I knew.

Ranch studies me for a long moment before nodding."Five minutes. Then we handle this our way."

"That's more than he deserves," Tank growls, but he steps aside.

Inside, Timer stands by a stack of crates, looking old and tired in the dim light filtering through dirty windows.Not the mentor I remember. Not the man who helped raise me after Dad died.Not the brother I trusted with everything.

"Should've known you'd find me." He doesn't seem surprised.Just resigned. Like he's been waiting for this moment."You always were too smart for your own good."

"Why?" The question burns my throat."After everything - the club, my father - why?Was it just about money?"

"The feds picked me up years ago." His voice carries that same reasonable tone he used to use when teaching me to ride.When explaining club business.When lying to my face. "I didn't have a choice.They had evidence of past deals, and old runs.It was cooperate or spend life in prison."

"Bullshit." I draw my gun, the weight familiar in my hand."You always have a choice. You chose to sell out your brothers.Chose to get my father killed."

"What would you have done?" He spreads his hands, still trying to manipulate.Still trying to play me. "They had evidence.Years of it. I did what I had to-"

"You sold out my father!" The words explode from me as I advance."Got him killed for profit! Set up the club to take the fall for your weapons pipeline!"

Timer moves fast for an old man, lunging for something behind the crates.I tackle him, my gun skittering away as we crash to the ground.His fist connects with my jaw as we grapple.

The door bursts open. Sandy and Ranch rush in, followed by Tank and Doc.My brothers move to hold Timer while I retrieve my weapon, every muscle trembling with the need to end this.

"You want to know the truth?" Timer spits blood, glaring up at me with eyes I used totrust."Your old man was weak. Too concerned with honor to see theopportunities.Too focused on playing by the rules to understand that loyalty only gets you killed in this life-"

I slam my boot into his ribs, cutting himoff."My father was worth ten ofyou.He understood that this life is really about brotherhood, family, andtrust."

"Reaper." Sandy's voice is soft butfirm."Don't kill him. He needs to face justice for everything he'sdone."

"Don't worry, Agent Mitchell." I smile, shifting my aim to Timer'skneecaps."I'm not going to kill him. I want him to live with every bad decision he's made for a long, miserabletime."

Timer's eyes widen as understandinghits."Ranch, you can't let him dothis.After everything we've been through-"

The gunshot echoes through the warehouse likethunder.Timer screams as his right kneecap explodes, the sound bouncing off metalwalls.

"Rot in jail, motherfucker." I nod to mybrothers."Tie him to that post. Make sure he doesn't bleed out before his new fed friendsarrive."

"You think this ends here?" Timer laughs through hispain."You think your pretty fed girlfriend can protect youforever?The life always wins, kid. Always-"

Tank's fist shuts him up. Goodman.

Behind me, Sandy pulls out herphone.The camera clicks as she takes a photo of Timer, adding a location pin before typingsomething.Her fingers fly across the screen, confident andsure.

"Here." She turns the screen towardme."What do youthink?"

Handler

Here's your rat. Consider this myresignation.Some things are worth more than thejob.

A laugh bubbles up from somewhere deep in mychest.I pull her against my side, breathing in that familiar jasmine scent that's always meanthome.

"What do you say we go celebrate the beginning of the rest of ourlives?"

Her answering smile is bright enough to chase away the last shadows ofbetrayal."Race you home, RoadCaptain?"

Timer's groans fade behind us as we head for ourbikes.Ranch gives me a knowing look as we pass, nodding hisapproval.Time to find out what we can create from the ashes of everything thatburned.

This time, with no more secrets. No morelies.Just us, the open road, and whatever future we choose tobuild.

I swing onto my bike, Sandy's matching mine rumble forrumble."Try to keep up, AgentMitchell."

Her laugh carries on the wind as we peel out of thelot."Not Agent anymore,remember?Justyours."

Just mine. Yeah, I like the sound ofthat.