Chapter 9 Reaper
The roar of my bike cuts through the night like a serrated blade. After being in two shootouts in the same day, I’m flooded with adrenaline. It pumps through me, begging for release, but I can’t do a damn thing about that right now. Underneath that energy brews something darker. Lexi grips me with a familiarity that stirs up a maelstrom of feelings. Shit I’d rather not deal with. She’s pressed against me just like old times, before everything fell apart.
I’ve thought about her every day since she left. Getting her out of my mind has been impossible, but I never chased after her. I couldn’t. If she wanted to run from me, I don’t blame her. I know what I am. Does she know it too?
The question burns in my chest hotter than the exhaust pipes between our feet. I want to demand answers, but the fear of what she might say keeps my mouth clamped shut. Maybe some questions are better left unanswered.
As we exit the highway, we slowly roll past the bar and grill. Several prospects with guns in their cuts roam the area, looking for more trouble. Tucker jerks his chin in acknowledgment. I nod back. I trust him to have everything under control. If any other Demon Riders dared to come onto our property, Tucker and the prospects would shoot them without question.
We pull up to the clubhouse and I kill the engine. Nina’s standing on the front porch like a sentinel. She’s the kind of woman who’s seen more road than most will in a lifetime, yet she stands there, as fierce as any warrior. Her black hair, streaked with gray, cascades down her back. She’s petite, barely five-foot-two, but she’s like a cobra, coiled and ready to strike at the first sign of danger. She’s like a grandmother to us, but don’t ever let her hear that. She’d have no problem kicking my ass if I ever commented on her age. At fifty-five, she still looks hot as fuck, but she never found another old man after Winchester died.
Eddie “Winchester” Grady started the club thirty years ago, right here in Montana. He founded it after one of his biker friends had trouble trying to protect his son from his ex-wife’s abusive new husband. His friend, Grant, tried every legal route first, but nothing worked. The cops refused to help, despite overwhelming evidence that his kid wasn’t safe. Winchester and Grant decided to handle shit the way it needed to be done.
The kid, Michael, was seven at the time he was rescued. He’s thirty-seven now, and he’s the president of the Louisiana chapter of UVMC. He goes by “Trainwreck,” but that’s another story for another time.
“Reaper! What the hell’s going on?” Her voice is raspy, like sandpaper across wood, but it’s warm too. You don’t survive in this world without being tough, but Nina’s hard on the outside and soft on the inside. She’s got a heart that’s survived more battles than most.
“Shit went sideways,” I admit, trying to keep it together as Lexi slides off the seat behind me. “We’ll fill you in when we know more, but we suspect Blackstone sent the Demon Riders to kill Lexi.”
“So, you’re back,” Nina’s eyes scan Lexi. “What’s it been now, seven years?”
“Yeah.” Lexi flushes. “It’s good to see you again.”
“I’d like to say the same, but it sounds like you’ve brought a world of trouble along with you. I was heading over with some clothes for Ace when Matrix called about the shootout. He asks me to come over because someone needs to watch your kid while you talk with the boys.” She motions toward the clubhouse.
“Thanks for coming. I’m sorry to drag you into this,” Lexi says.
“You didn’t. I’m doing this for the boys. They know they can call me whenever they need help.”
“Speaking of which, where are the kids from that custody case we’re working on?” I ask.
“The prospects are babysitting them at my place. I’ve been watching the surveillance videos on my phone. It’s all good over there.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Where’s Ace?” Nina asks.
The rumble of another bike cuts through the air as Matrix rolls up with Ace. The kid’s perched on the back of the bike like a prince claiming his throne. His laugher rings out, pure and unburdened, as if he’s having the time of his life. I can’t help the half-grin that tugs at my lips. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard such a joyful sound. I would have expected Ace to be freaking out, but the kid’s weathering the storm without breaking down. Good kid.
Nina’s face softens when she spots Ace. Her usual snarky smirk is replaced by a warmer, gentler smile. She bends down to his height, still towering over him in her knee-high boots. “Hey there, champ. Bet you’re starving after your big adventure, huh?”
Ace nods, grinning wider than the Cheshire Cat. “I didn’t get dinner.”
“Is that so?” Nina’s tone is conspiratorial, like they’re partners in crime instead of strangers. “How about we rustle up some pancakes? But not just any pancakes—chocolate chip pancakes. How does that sound?”
“Awesome!” Ace shouts, already bouncing on the balls of his feet. His excitement is contagious, lighting up the porch like it’s Christmas morning rather than a tense evening filled with gunshots and unanswered questions.
“Thanks again for coming so quickly.” Lexi’s voice quivers with a cocktail of relief and gratitude as she addresses Nina, then turns to Ace. “Go on, sweetheart. Have fun with Nina.”
“Are you coming too?” Ace asks.
“In a little bit. I need to talk to Reaper first.”
“Okay.” Ace grabs Nina’s hand.
As they turn toward the front door, Matrix leans in close to Nina, murmuring something that makes her frown. Her gaze flickers to Ace, and she nods solemnly, a silent promise passing between them. I’ll find out what that was all about later. Whatever it was, it’s just one more layer of this unfolding mystery.
“Reaper?” Lexi’s voice is laced with a vulnerability that punches right through my defenses.
“Let’s go inside,” I say, motioning toward the clubhouse. The truth is waiting, and I’ve got a feeling it’s gonna hit hard.
The weight of the club’s history presses in around us as Lexi, Matrix and I enter Matrix’s office. Scar and the others decided to ride past the Demon Rider’s clubhouse to see what’s up over there. They’ll check in with us later.
I shut the door with a firm click, cutting off any chance of escape. Lexi’s not getting out of this room until she’s answered every question we ask.
“It’s time to level with us.” Matrix slides into the chair behind the desk. “Sit.”
Lexi perches on the edge of the chair across from his. “I’m not hiding anything. I swear.”
I stand with my back against the door, arms crossed over my chest. My shadow looms over Lexi. “This has Blackstone written all over it,” I say, his name tasting like bile on my tongue. “Why would he want you dead?”
She looks smaller somehow, trapped between my dark form and Matrix’s intense gaze. Her eyes dart from me to him, then settle on the scuffed floor beneath her boots. She sighs, and it sounds like the wind howling through empty desert roads at night—lonely and bone-chilling.
“Blackstone fired me yesterday,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “I accused him of … something.” There’s hesitation in her eyes. She’s holding something back.
“Of what?” I demand, my gut twisting at the thought of any harm coming to her. “You gotta give us more if you want our help.”
She doesn’t look up, and I know she’s caught in the past, tangled in memories best left buried. But we don’t have the luxury of time or secrets—not when death rides hard on our heels. The Demon Riders could be preparing another attack as we speak. It’s time to stop fucking around.
I cross the room and lean my hip against the solid oak desk. My patience is a thin wire, stretched too tight, and it’s about to snap. “Lexi,” I growl, my voice laced with frustration. “You need to give us the whole story. Now.”
She glances at me, her eyes flickering with something like defiance before it drowns in fear. “It’s … it was the way Blackstone was with Ace.” She swallows hard, and I can’t miss the shiver that runs through her. “He tried to take him down to the basement yesterday. I … I stopped it. I stopped him.”
The chill that races down my spine is like ice water in my veins. Matrix sits motionless beside me, his face turning a shade paler. Basements. Damn. I know all about the secrets they can hide—the club’s own interrogation room is underground, out of sight, and it’s soundproof, so no one outside will know what’s going on in that place.
“Basements are never good news,” she adds quietly, almost to herself. “They’re where people keep things they don’t want found.”
Her words echo in the small room, and my mind races with what-ifs. Could she know about our basement? Is that why she vanished all those years ago?
“Did he ever get Ace alone?” I ask, needing to know the extent of what might have happened to her son.
“Never.” She shakes her head vehemently, strands of her hair sticking to her damp forehead. “I wouldn’t let it happen. I kept Ace with me, always had an eye on him. He’d sit in the kitchen watching cartoons while I worked.”
Relief floods through me, swift and fierce. It’s one less nightmare to haunt my thoughts. But it doesn’t solve the riddle of Blackstone’s interest in Lexi or why she’s suddenly in his crosshairs. Whatever it is, we’re going to find out, and when we do, there’ll be hell to pay. No one messes with one of ours and gets away with it, especially not Blackstone. One day, he’ll rot in hell, and I hope I’ll be the one to put him there.
I watch Lexi’s face as flickers of doubt dance across her features. She bites her lip and drops her gaze to the floor before she mutters, “Maybe I overreacted. Maybe it was nothing.”
“Hey.” The urge to reassure her overwhelms me. “You didn’t overreact. Trusting your gut is the right move—always. Never forget that.”
Her eyes snap up to mine, wide and startled like she didn’t expect me to have her back. She looks away quickly, but not before I catch something in her expression. She knows she’s right about Blackstone, she just doesn’t know what she’s right about. God, if only she knew.
“Is there any other reason Blackstone might want you dead?” Matrix probes.
Lexi shakes her head, lost. “I can’t think of anything. I just … I just cleaned and took care of Ace.”
“Were there any other kids around the ranch?” Matrix asks.
She frowns, hesitating. “No, never saw any. Why are you asking about other kids?”
He doesn’t answer. Instead, he turns his gaze toward me, and an unspoken message passes between us. This whole situation reeks of the past, of secrets we’ve buried deep in our souls, the kind that could get you killed for digging them up. Of all the people to end up working for, I can’t believe her path crossed with Blackstone’s.
“Listen,” I start, voice firm as I grab her attention. “Until we figure out why he’s after you, you’re staying at the clubhouse. We need time to figure this out. Blackstone doesn’t target people unless he’s got a good reason. He’s gunning for you. We just don’t know why yet.”
Her shoulders slump, but there’s a glint of something like relief in her eyes. “I have nowhere else to go anyway. If you’re willing to protect Ace and me, then we’ll stay.”
“Good,” I tell her, trying to ignore the protective surge that wells up inside me. Protecting her feels like the right thing to do, regardless of the past.
“That’s what we do here,” I add. “We protect people who are in trouble. Which brings me to another thing. You remember Nina’s ranch, don’t you?”
Lexi nods, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she recalls better times. “Yeah, the kids always seemed so happy there.” She glances at me, her gaze softening. “I loved those summer BBQs. Nina would grill up a storm, and we’d all just forget the world for a while.”
“Good memories,” I say, though my thoughts are already racing ahead. My gut twists with the decision I need to make, but it’s one that can’t wait. “Ace is going to be staying at Nina’s ranch house for a bit.”
Her head snaps up, eyes wide. “What? No, Reaper, I can’t—I won’t let him go.”
“It’s not up for debate,” I start, my tone firmer now. “It’s for his safety and yours.”
She stands abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor. “He’s my kid, Reaper! You can’t just decide—”
“Think logically,” Matrix interjects, his voice a calm contrast to the rising tension. “Nina’s place is secure, off the grid. Blackstone won’t look for him there.”
“You think he’s after Ace?” she asks, horrified.
“Maybe.”
“Why?”
Matrix looks at me, and I shake my head just enough to get my point across. She doesn’t need to know everything about what we went through with Blackstone. If she and I were together, I might consider telling her, but she’s not the same woman who left me seven years ago. Even I can see she’s changed in a lot of ways. She’s just as gorgeous as she ever was, but she’s more guarded and less spontaneous. I’m not surprised she’s hesitant to let Nina take Ace.
“Just speculation,” I say, shutting down that line of questioning before it goes too far. “Nina’s got that killer instinct. She’ll protect Ace with her life. You know that.”
The battle in her eyes rages on, but slowly, the fight drains out of her posture. Lexi’s shoulders drop, defeat mixing with the trust I see flicker in her eyes. “Okay. But only because it’s Nina.”
“Just remember, we’re doing this for Ace.”
“Thank you,” she says. “I know you’re trying to do the right thing, and I appreciate it. It just scares me.”
“We’ve got your back.” Matrix gives her a reassuring smile.
“Thanks, Matrix.”
Her eyes find mine again, searching, maybe finding a glimpse of the home she once fled—a home that’s here for her still, if she wants it. No matter how twisted this road gets, we’ll ride it together. We’ll bring Ace back when the time’s right. When it’s safe. Until then, Nina will protect him.
Lexi, on the other hand, might not be safe with me. The predator inside me is wide awake, and it wants her in my bed. I want her in my bed. Naked and soft and wet, just like before. I’m going to find a way to make it happen, and I think she realizes it. The warring mix of shame and desire in her eyes tells me everything I need to know.