Chapter 38 Nikolai
NIKOLAI
One Year Later
Pebbles crunched under the tires as Nikolai slowly pulled up to the cabin. It was just after dark, and the only lights came from the windows in the cabin and the headlights of his truck.
“Is this where you murder me and dump my body?” Reid asked, looking from the cabin and then to Niko.
“Now, what kind of murderer would I be if I warned it was coming before we went inside?” Nikolai responded, raising an eyebrow at Reid.
“I should warn you, spousal homicide works better when there aren’t any witnesses,” Reid said, letting out a huff. “And judging by the number of bikes parked outside, I’m guessing that there will be several witnesses to my humble demise.”
Reid was right… about the crew.
His murder? Not so much.
Leaning over, Niko kissed his husband’s cheek.
“Shall we go inside, my love?”
Reid stared at him with suspicion. Niko had only told him that they were going for a drive. He didn’t mention it would take them two hours or that they would be meeting the guys at a cabin… in the woods.
Nothing. Suspicious. At. All.
Getting out of the truck, Reid turned to Niko as he rounded the hood.
“Just keep in mind that if you murder me out here, you won’t have anyone around to suck your dick.”
Niko chuckled.
“Oh, I’m sure I can find someone else willing to fill that spot.” There was no fucking way that was happening. Reid had ruined sex for him forever. He set the bar so high that if Niko tried to meet someone else for sex, no one stood a chance of ever competing.
“Fat chance. My murdered ghost will haunt your ass for the rest of your life, literally scaring away any horny cock or pussy that gets within two feet of you,” Reid said indignantly.
Niko wrapped his arms around his husband. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
They stopped at the door, and Niko leaned in to kiss the devilishly handsome man.
“I made you a promise a long time ago that I would always protect you. And that protection also means that I will always punish those who harm you,” Niko said, slowly opening the cabin door.
Reid took a cautious step inside.
Sitting in the middle of the living room, tied to a wooden chair, was the one man Reid had hoped never to lay eyes on again.
Thomas Edwards.
The man who had purchased Reid and kept him as his… pet for nearly a year.
Reid’s eyes narrowed as his jaw clenched.
Standing around the man were Marcus, Caden, Blade, and Jake.
“It took me a while, but I found him living it up in a fancy condo in Rochester,” Niko explained as he stepped toward the man.
Another rich and powerful man skirted justice.
His eyes went wide when he spotted Reid standing at the door. He began to struggle and call out, but his voice was muffled by the dirty rag someone had shoved into his open mouth.
“Now, the choice is yours. You can either take out your vengeance on this man while the boys and I stand back and watch. Or, if you don’t want to get your hands dirty, I will be more than happy to step in and end this miserable man’s life. But I’ll leave it up to you.”
Reid stepped forward, never taking his eyes off the man who had treated him like an object for so many months.
It was time to get Reid justice and finally put an end to all the anger and pain that Niko knew he was holding. Niko hoped that ending this man’s life would help quell the inner turmoil that lived inside all victims.
Standing in front of the man, Reid pulled the rag from his mouth and watched as he stared up at him with terrified eyes.
“P-please. Reid, don’t let them do this to me. I-I’m sorry,” the man pleaded, voice trembling as his head darted from Reid to the gang of dangerous men all standing around him, salivating and waiting for their master to give the word to attack.
The white-haired, scraggly piece of shit had a black eye and cuts across his cheek and face.
The man didn’t exactly go quietly when Niko and Marcus showed up at his condo.
There was a scuffle, and even though Niko normally didn’t fight men who were well past retirement, he made an exception for the one who had abused his husband.
“You’re sorry?” Reid asked, his voice thick with irritation. “For which part? Purchasing me like I was property? For making me sleep on the floor like a dog? Or for forcing me to degrade myself for your own sexual perversion?”
Without warning, Reid lunged forward, punching the man across the face.
Blood burst from his lip, landing just in front of Blade’s boot.
“Your husband’s got a nice right hook,” Blade complimented, nodding his head at Niko.
“Please!” the man sobbed. His head was lowered, so Niko couldn’t see the pain in his eyes. “I-I didn’t mean to…”
Another punch across the face.
Niko smiled, watching the pent-up anger and rage pour from his husband as he got his revenge on the man who had abused him.
“Never! Again!” Reid shouted, striking the man a third and fourth time.
The room sat silent as Marcus and the guys watched their newest friend take out his vengeance. That was crew life. If you fucked with one member, you fucked with them all.
Chest heaving, Reid pulled his arm back as if he were about to throw another punch, but stopped.
Niko watched with fascination as Reid leaned forward and untied the bastard.
“Wh-what are you doing?” Niko asked, taking a step forward, surprised.
Angry blue eyes turned to Niko. He watched as Reid’s breathing slowed as he tried to regain control over his emotions.
“Babe, I love you for what you’ve done. You gave me the chance to confront my abuser and take out all my anger on his sorry ass.” Reid turned back to the bleeding old man.
He knelt down beside him and grabbed the sobbing man by the collar.
“Don’t mistake this act of mercy as a sign of weakness.
My friends and I are the furthest thing from weak.
Just know that I will never forgive you for what you did to me all those years ago.
Even though I’m letting you go, just know that we will be watching you, and if we so much as get the feeling that you are going to speak to the cops or try to hurt anyone ever again, we will take your ass and cut you up into a million pieces.
They will spend the next twenty years finding pieces of your body scattered all over the United States. ”
The man sobbed as he nodded slowly.
“Damn, bro. Even I’m afraid of your fuckin’ man,” Blade whispered, speaking to Niko. Marcus slapped him in the stomach.
“Actually, no.” Reid paused, his back to the old man who was still sobbing in his chair.
Reid walked over to Caden and took the hunting knife from his hand. They locked eyes for a moment before Caden followed Reid back to where Thomas was still sobbing, apparently unaware of Reid’s change in plan.
“Grab his arms,” Reid ordered, catching the attention of the sniveling man.
“What?” he asked, head turning from side to side as he glanced between Caden and Reid.
Niko watched on with fascination. What was the love of his life doing?
Pulling up the man’s shirt, Reid brought the knife down on his chest. Slowly, he carved the word “abuser” into the man’s left chest muscle.
The man screamed and protested, moving the knife, so the letters came out slanted and choppy.
Taking a step back, Reid stuck his tongue out and played with his upper tooth as he leaned back and admired his artwork.
“There. Now every time you look in the mirror, you’ll think of me and all those quality nights we spent together.
” Reid’s voice was cold and low. He nodded toward Caden, who released the man in front of him.
“Like I said before, you’re going to keep this little encounter between us to yourself.
If I get even a whiff that you’ve talked to someone or alerted the authorities, me and my buddies here will be paying you a visit. And next time, we won’t be so nice.”
Turning back to Niko, Reid smiled up at him.
“I love that you did this for me.”
“Anything for you, babe,” Niko replied, walking over to Reid and wrapping his arm around his husband. “Let’s go home.”
“Sure. Leave us to return the pervy old man,” Blade huffed before grunting as Marcus slapped him in the gut once again.
Niko smiled at Blade. “Isn’t that what family is for? To help bury… or return the bodies?”
Marcus and Caden nodded. Over the years, they had all helped each other cover up crimes or bury bodies. It was just something that brothers did. It was all part of the biker life.
Brothers for life.
Kissing the top of Reid’s head, he walked his husband out of the cabin.
There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for his man.
There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for his family.
The End.