Chapter Two
Reaper
Mabel holds tight to my waist as we go flying down the mountain. I take it easy on the curves, but I know what a sheltered life she lives, and I want her to have some actual fun. She deserves it. Hell, at her age, I’d already torn up half the country. She hasn’t even left the county. The worst part is, I know this version of her isn’t the real Mabel. The real Mabel fizzled away when her mother passed.
We move along the edge of the forest and swing past the grazing cattle on Baxter’s farm. Hawks fly overhead and the swish of the wind flowing past us lends to the scent of flowering weeds along the side of the road up ahead.
I’m tempted to pull over because I know how much she’d like to wander in the field of wildflowers, but selfishly, I’m not ready for her to let go yet. Her tiny little frame feels so good pressed up against me. When else could I ever make this happen? It’s sick, the thoughts I have about this girl.
At night, alone in bed, I imagine her thick frame pressed up against me. I imagine holding her close, keeping her safe. I imagine the velvet touch of her smooth body. I imagine my tongue gliding across her pussy lips, sinking in against her clit.
For years, I’ve thought this way.
I’m pretty sure that makes me the worst kind of asshole. What man falls in love with his best friend's daughter?
I laugh to myself at the thought of me loving Mabel. I didn’t intend for it to happen. Fuck knows I didn’t intend anything I feel for her. But knowing Mabel the way I do, how is it possible that every man in town isn’t in love with her? She’s beautiful, sweet, down to Earth, and she cares so fucking much that she’d rather suffer herself than be happy.
Someone has to save her from that.
That someone is me.
I’ve known her dad since we were kids, and I know the guy has had a hell of a time lately, but holding his daughter hostage isn’t the way to make life right again. If I knew how to get Mabel out of it all without jumping to the most violent conclusions possible, I’d have done it already.
The trouble is… my life has been set up for violence. It’s all I know. In the MC, I’m the guy they call to clean up the scene. I’m the guy they call when they want someone… taken care of. I’m the guy that doesn’t have attachment to things like life and death because I’ve never had anything to live for.
Even with all the feelings I have for Mabel, I still don’t think my life is worth a damn. In fact, it’s the opposite. Wanting her is wrong, needing her is worse, and the fact that she’s on the back of my bike with her hips pressed against me, it’s more than I can take.
I need to stop this now, or I’m going to implode.
I pull the bike off the side of the road into a turnaround spot that overlooks the mountains in the distance. We’ve already passed the field of flowers, but I need to turn around or take a break. A distant break. A break where Mabel wanders through the field and I check my phone for messages or do a mindless scroll. I need anything to distract me.
She climbs down from the bike and pulls off the helmet, shaking her long strands of chocolate hair into the fresh mountain air. There’s a smile on her face, wide and beaming.
My cock aches.
“Oh my God! That was incredible!” Her voice shakes as though she’s high on adrenaline.
It reminds me of my first ride. I was fifteen, and I stole my dad’s bike late one night and took it for a spin. I took that thing riding for hours and went as fast as the gauge would let me. I blew past stop signs, went off-roading, and nearly hit a tree, but by the time I got back, my knees were shaking for more.
Mabel jumps up and down, clapping her hands together as her heavy breasts bounce.
Fuck.
I look away, but as I do, she crashes into me, wrapping her arms around my neck with force. I’m a big guy, but her energy knocks me back a little.
Instinctively, my arms wrap around her waist, and I pull her in. She smells like hay and strawberries. “I did not expect that to be so incredible! No wonder you ride that thing everywhere.” She jumps again, scrubbing her frame against mine. I’m sure it’s unintentional, but it arouses me just the same. Her eyes meet mine and in a moment of excitement, she leans in and kisses me.
It's quick at first and I’m not sure how to handle it.
Should I let go? Should I stop her? Should I push her away?
Before I can think much else, my body takes over and my tongue sweeps against hers.
My cock ignites and I’m lost.
Her hands are on my back, she’s tipped up onto her toes, and she’s moaning into my mouth. I cup the back of her neck with my palm and kiss her deeper.
This is so fucked up, but I can’t stop. I pull her close against my frame until I feel her hard nipples against my chest. She needs to pull away or I’m going to lay her out right here on the side of the road and make her mine. I don’t think any of us are ready for that yet.
She drags in a deep breath and backs away. Her eyes are hooded, and our gaze is stuck on one another.
“I…” I try to speak, but nothing comes out. This might be a first for me.
“That felt good.” She grins. “This whole thing feels good!” She jogs down the road a hundred feet or so until she’s drifting through the field of flowers.
I’m not sure what just happened or if it happened at all. Maybe I imagined the whole thing. I could’ve. This could all be the adrenaline of the moment and none of it is real.
Shaking my head in disbelief, I follow her down the road toward the wildflowers. We’re the only ones here and the sun is midway through the sky, casting shadows over the colorful blooms. Mabel dances through the stems, running her fingers over the tops of the petals. The little pink sundress she wears floats around her, and there’s a smile on her face that I haven’t seen since her mom passed.
I watch her for too damn long, desperate to memorize this moment, desperate to memorize her . Hell, it might be all we get in this world of fuckery. These few moments. I want them. I need them. I insist on drinking them in.
My phone rings and I stare down at the screen. It’s my friend, Ox. He’s the oldest of us all and he’s hell bent on starting a security firm here in Rugged Mountain.
“Where the fuck are you? We told the Greene’s we would help build another cabin on their lot for their tree farm. There’s only a few more months to get this done.” This is the way he always answers the phone. It isn’t new.
“You’re fucked in the head, old man. I told you, I’m helping Danny boy out today.”
He huffs out a sour response. “He payin’ ya? I think I’m payin’ ya.”
“Nope. Neither of you are payin’ me.” I laugh and bite back a ‘ get fucked’ that’s on the tip of my tongue. “I’ll call Viper and have him take my place until I get there. I gotta run. I’ll check up on ya later.” A better friend would have asked him how his plans were shaping up for the security firm, but I’m not sure I understand all that anyway. This is a small town. We already have two MC’s looking after folks, one of which specializes in bounty hunting. We don’t need a damn security firm, too. What that man needs is a woman. A woman to distract him from the rest of the bullshit running through his head.
Maybe that’s what Danny needs. A new woman . Someone to think about other than Mabel.
I drag in a deep breath and dial back in on Mabel. She’s taken to gathering a handful of flowers. Pinks, yellows, and purples. She pulls them into a bundle, brushing them against her face every so often for a sniff.
God, she’s gorgeous. Gorgeous and completely off limits. I pull out my phone and stare down at the line of texts buzzing in from Viper. He’s pissed that I’ve lobbed Ox at him, but I’ll contend with that later. Right now, I’m happy I’m not dealing with his shit.
I drag in a deep breath and lean against the seat of the bike as my little cat comes running back toward me. There’s a wide grin on her face and the flowers she’s holding bend and move with the wind. “What do you think? Colorful enough?”
“They’re beautiful, little cat!” Just like you .
She grins wide and holds the flowers up to her nose before passing them toward me for a sniff. “They smell so good! Oh my God! Everything smells so good! It’s like I’m free from the castle walls!” She skips around in small circles and stares back at me with a new, more serious look on her face. “I don’t wanna go back!”
I grin. “You have to go back, little cat. Your dad’s gonna notice you're gone and I’m gonna be the one getting hell for it.”
“Not true. He’ll blame me. I’ll tell him I coerced you and that you didn’t have a choice.”
I stare her up and down. “You’re a bug compared to me. No one will believe that. We have to go back.”
She crosses her arms over one another and pouts playfully. “Never! Sorry, not going.”
I’m tempted to bend her over the back of this bike and spank her little ass for disobeying. The thought alone has my chest pounding.
Instead, I climb onto the bike and kick up the stand. “Come on. We’ve gotta go. We’ll sneak out again sometime. Promise. ”
“I’m not coming!” She backs away from the bike and laughs, running through the field in the opposite direction. I guess she’s going to make this hard on me. The worst part is, I get it. Her father’s property is huge, but even fifty acres can be a prison when you can’t leave it.
I kick the stand back down on the bike and climb off. “Get over here, little cat, or I’ll spank your ass.” She doesn’t know how literally I mean it.
She laughs and continues to run. “I dare you!”
My cock tightens at the thought of turning her bottom red. I wonder what kinds of sounds she’d make when I spanked her.
I stalk through the bent stem path she’s made through the field. “You’re gonna get on that bike, little kitty.”
She giggles and runs faster. There’s no way I’d ever catch her out here. She’s smaller and younger. I’ve got a body built to push and pull heavy things, not run around and change directions quickly.
Her curved frame darts back and forth until she stops ten feet away, breathless. “Let’s… go somewhere. Take me… on one of your bounties.”
I laugh. “What? No. I know your dad would have a fit about that.”
“He’s not here, and we’re having a blast.”
“Are we having a blast, or are you ?”
“We are.” She grins. “I see the way you’re looking at me. You like seeing me happy.”
God, is it that noticeable?
“I’m watching you because I need to keep you safe.”
“So, keep me safe on a bounty later. Come on!” she whines. “I wanna take some bad guys down!” There’s an energy in her tone I’m not used to hearing, and it lights me up.
“We talked about this already. Unless I wanna get shot, it’s a no. Plus, what about Survivor? There’s a big episode tonight, ya know?”
She rolls her eyes. “True, but I can watch it later. Besides, Survivor doesn’t sound as fun as this. Come on … I’ll sneak out and meet you tonight by the far west side of the property. There aren’t any cameras there. He won’t even know I left.”
“How do you know I have a hunt tonight?”
“You always hunt at night. I hear you tellin’ Dad, and I know you’ve got a guy who stole some cars or something. You’ve been looking for him for a while now. I could help.” She bends her knees successively and moans. “Come on! Please! I’ll do something for you. Whatever you want… you name it!”
Are you gonna get on your knees and suck my cock? How about bending over and letting me slide into your tight little pussy? Will you lay down in the grass and let me explore your body until my heart’s content?
“And what if something happens to you?” I ask. “These hunts aren’t safe. I’m dealing with criminals.”
“ Nothing is going to happen to me. You do them all the time. You’re a professional, Reaper.” She’s good at filling my ego. “Come on! I’ll follow all your rules and do everything exactly as you say. I promise.”
She runs toward me, standing a foot from my grasp. “Please! I’ll bake you one of my cherry pies. You love… my cherry pie.”
I sigh. I’d like to love her cherry pie. No doubt about that . “Fine, but it’s our secret, and you listen to everything I say . No bullshit. ” I stare at her with urgency. “You get out of line once and I’ll toss you on the bike and take you home right away.”
She hops in place, clapping her hands together again as though the excitement is back. “Yes! Yes! Whatever you want! I just need this. I need adventure!”
I nod, struggling to keep a straight face. I’ve never been more excited in my life, but deep, deep down, I know this is a huge fucking mistake.