Chapter 16 Reaper
The room is dark, and only the faintest moonlight slips through the curtains. Lexi’s breath tickles my neck as she lays her head on my chest. My heart races, but not from passion. This time, it’s from the vulnerability of revealing my past.
“Blackstone took me in when I was ten,” I mutter, trying to sift through the relevant details in my mind. “I escaped when I was fourteen. Scar, Nitro, Talon, and Matrix were with me. We all got out together.”
“You were all adopted by Blackstone?”
“Yep.”
“Did you all suffer the same … abuse?” Lexi asks cautiously.
I tighten my grip around her, feeling the weight of the memories pressing down on me. “I don’t talk about what happened to them. That’s their story to tell. But yeah, we were all trapped in Blackstone’s dungeon.”
“I’m sorry you were all in the same horrible situation,” Lexi murmurs, her voice full of empathy. “I understand why you don’t feel like you should tell their stories too.”
“Yeah. We were all in the same place, but none of us went through the same shit. Each one of Blackstone’s friends took a particular interest in one of his prisoners.”
“That’s disgusting.” She shakes her head. “What the hell is wrong with people like that?”
“Everything.” My throat feels tight, like it’s closing up, but I force myself to continue. “By the time Blackstone adopted me, I was so numb that I just went through the motions, completely disconnected from everything.” A bitter laugh escapes me. “I didn’t care about anyone or anything until the first time I killed someone.”
My mind drifts back to that day, the surge of power and control that coursed through me. It had been a turning point, a moment of clarity in the midst of chaos and pain. But now’s not the time to dwell on those memories—not with Lexi. She’s so vulnerable and trusting, but that’s only because she doesn’t really know what I’m capable of.
“You deserve to know who I really am,” I murmur.
“Then tell me. I promise I’ll listen without judgment.”
As we lie there in the darkness, I can’t shake the feeling that my world is about to be turned upside down. But I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Lexi and our child safe, even if it means confronting my darkest demons.
“Blackstone had these sick parties, attracting all sorts of twisted people. One night, a guard came down to the basement and dragged me upstairs.” I clench my fists, the memory still too vivid. “This guy … he was laughing like it was some kind of game. But I wasn’t playing.”
“What happened?” she asks, her voice filled with concern.
The power I felt that night comes back to me, sending electric sparks down my arms. I squeeze Lexi tighter.
“As he tried to force himself on me, something inside me snapped. I fought back for the first time, using anything I could get my hands on. A lamp, a bottle of booze. I shattered that bottle over his head and used the serrated edge to cut his throat.”
Lexi raises her eyes to meet mine. I expect to see horror in hers, but there’s only sadness. At least it’s not pity. “Then what happened?”
“I watched the life drain out of his body, and I reveled in it. I danced in his blood, smeared it all over the walls, and waited until Jonathan’s guards figured out what I’d done.”
“Did he punish you?”
“Of course. No food for a week. No water for days. I was delirious and near death when Blackstone finally let me out of the concrete tomb he’d put me in. But you want to know what the fucked up part was?”
She nods slowly.
“Blackstone didn’t kill me. He kept me alive because one of his most powerful friends wanted me for himself. I think Blackstone intended to sell me to him, but he never got the chance. Blackstone dangled me like a carrot and used me as leverage to get what he wanted from that guy. That’s the only reason he let me live.”
“God,” she murmurs, her hand reaching for mine. She doesn’t shy away from the darkness within me, instead offering her warmth as a counterbalance.
“But from that day on, I knew how to defend myself,” I continue, locking eyes with Lexi. “But I had to be careful not to get caught. If I murdered the wrong person, Blackstone would’ve killed me without hesitation. I knew who was fair game and who wasn’t. So, whenever I could, I killed those who came to his ranch to indulge in their twisted desires.”
“How many did you kill?”
“Half a dozen. Near the end, I think Blackstone was fully aware of what I was doing. He’d send political rivals to me, and I’d kill them. It was a twisted, symbiotic relationship. I just didn’t realize it at the time. It took me years of wondering why Blackstone didn’t kill me before I figured it out.”
“Did it give you hope, killing people?”
“Yes,” I say, surprised that she gets it. “It was never enough, though. All I wanted was to rid the world of people who hurt kids, but there were always more. Even now, they spring up like weeds. The world’s so fucked up.”
“Reaper, you only targeted bad people. I understand why you did it.” She strokes my back slowly, soothing the rage inside me.
“Doesn’t make it right,” I argue, my voice hardening. “And knowing this, knowing the depths of my darkness, how can you think I’d be a good father?”
“Because that was your past,” she says firmly, her eyes shining with conviction. “You protected yourself and others from harm. That’s something a father does—protect those he loves.”
“But what if I can’t change? What if I don’t want to? What if this darkness never leaves me?” My heart clenches because I know it will never disappear, not completely.
“Then we’ll find a way to deal with it,” she promises. “Don’t let what all those people did to you stop you from the joy of being a father.”
Joy? Can I even feel that emotion? It’s something so foreign I can’t fathom it.
“Reaper, baby,” she says softly, “it’s okay to cry. You can’t keep all that pain locked up in your heart. You’ve got to let it out.”
I shake my head, looking into her eyes. “I can’t. I haven’t cried since I was a little kid. Tears don’t change shit. See, that’s something else you need to understand. I’m incapable of feeling anything but lust and rage.”
“Maybe you just need someone to help you find those other emotions,” she suggests, reaching out to touch my face gently.
Her touch is warm and tender, and suddenly, I find myself relenting. I pull her into my arms, holding her close as if she’s the only thing tethering me to this world. But even now, I can’t cry. My heart aches, but my eyes remain dry.
“I need you,” I say hoarsely as my desire for her takes over. It’s always been there, simmering beneath the surface, but now, it’s undeniable. She’s the only woman who’s ever made me feel safe before. I’ve never talked to anyone like this, but I can do it with her, which only makes me want her more.
“Reaper,” she breathes against my neck. “I need you inside me.”
There’s no hesitation in her voice, no fear. She trusts me completely, and that realization sends molten heat coursing through my body. The monster inside me demands to be sated. I claim her mouth, pushing my tongue past her lips and rasping it over hers. She kisses back with unbridled passion, moaning and pulling me on top of her.
I push back onto my knees and grab her panties, dragging them down her silky thighs before tossing them across the room. Spreading for me, her eyelids droop, and a hazy lust overtakes her features.
Nothing should be between us now, so I tear my shirt over my head before shucking my boxers. My cock springs out, angry and demanding. I need her, not just in a physical way, but in a way that goes beyond mere lust. I need her to remind me that there’s still some semblance of humanity left within me. I need her to believe in me when I can’t believe in myself.
As we come together, our bodies collide with an intensity that’s unmatched by anything we’ve ever experienced before. I surge into her hot, tight heat, filling her until I’m so deep inside her I’m sure she’s seeing stars. Her glassy gaze meets mine. A lazy, sensual smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. I’ve never seen anything so damn sexy in my life.
Moving as one, it becomes clear that this is more than just sex. It’s a connection neither of us is willing to let go of. My fear of being a father still sits in the back of my mind, but there’s no doubt Lexi belongs with me. She’s mine in every way that counts. It’s not official yet. I haven’t claimed her, but I will. As soon as Blackstone’s dead.
“Come back to me,” Lexi whispers, snapping me back to the present.
I shove all other thoughts aside as I surge in and out of her wet, hot pussy. She tightens around me, pulling at my cock until the tension in my balls becomes too much. Reaching between us, I stroke her clit relentlessly, using the perfect amount of pressure until she’s writhing beneath me.
“Come for me,” I command.
She arches, screaming out her orgasm while her tight sheath pulses around my cock. Her legs twitch uncontrollably as her eyes roll. She looks almost possessed, and somehow, that makes me even harder.
Pounding her into another orgasm, I hold my own pleasure back. Watching her come on my dick never gets old. She’s just as stunning as the day we met, maybe more so now that she’s had my kid. Her tits are bigger, fuller, and her hips have plenty for me to grab onto. I love every inch of her newfound curves and can’t seem to get enough.
“Shit,” I hiss as my body coils tighter.
My balls ache, and my cock’s throbbing with the need to fill her with my seed. She’s creaming all over my shaft, and it’s the most erotic sensation I’ve ever experienced.
“Come inside me,” she moans.
Her plea is my undoing. I roar as I come, jerking my hips and unleashing waves of white hot heat into her body. She takes as much as she can, but she can’t take everything. My cum leaks out around my cock, causing a huge mess all over the sheets.
I grin.
“What are you smiling about?” she asks, giggling.
“Look at the mess you made.”
“I made?” she arches a brow.
“Don’t move.”
I’m like a cowboy who just rode a bull as I waddle across the room into the adjoining bathroom. I grab a washcloth and wait until the water’s warm before cleaning myself up. I rinse it thoroughly before bringing it back to bed, where I clean up my woman’s sweet, sexy-as-fuck pussy.
“Come cuddle with me,” she whispers, after I dispose of the washcloth in the hamper. She holds out her arms.
Settling into her warmth, I’m slowly coming down from the immense pleasure we just shared. Her heart beats against my chest, reminding me of how alive she is and how fragile life can be. There were so many times when I didn’t think I’d survive, but I did. Maybe this is why. Now, I’m more determined than ever to keep her safe.
“Until we get rid of Blackstone for good, I’m not taking any chances with your life or our son’s. Promise me you won’t run away again. You have to stay here at the clubhouse until we take care of Blackstone. It’s too dangerous for you and Ace out there.”
“I promise, I’ll stay. I trust you to keep us safe.”
I nod, acknowledging her words. But deep down, I still wonder if I’m truly capable of protecting them from the darkness that follows me. Blackstone has managed to evade us for years. How are we going to get to him now? Has something actually changed, or is this just wishful thinking?
“After Blackstone’s dead, I want us to try to be a family. You, Ace, and me. You have it in you to be a good father. I know you do. You just need to try,” she insists softly, running her fingers through my hair.
“Until Blackstone’s dead, I can’t even consider it.”
“Okay. Then let’s make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone else ever again. Do you have a plan yet?”
“Not exactly. We’re going to need a plan to get inside Blackstone’s ranch if we’re going to end this once and for all. Matrix is working on the keycard to see if he can reprogram it.”
“I want to help in any way I can,” she says fiercely, her fingers tightening around my hand.
“This won’t be easy, and it could get ugly. I don’t want you anywhere near that monster,” I warn her, knowing that involving her in this part of my life means putting her in the line of fire.
“I refuse to stand by while he continues to hurt people. I shudder to think of what he was planning to do with Ace. Although I never saw any kids there, I never went into the basement either. What if he has kids down there again?”
“He doesn’t. At least he didn’t when the FBI raised his place a few months ago.”
“How did that happen?”
“You can ask Daisy all about it when you meet her. But Blackstone managed to clean up the basement before the Feds got there. Fresh paint. New carpet. He turned it into a kind of game room with a huge TV in it. Completely tricked the idiot pigs into thinking he was clean.”
“Damn.”
“We can’t underestimate him,” I warn her.
“And we won’t,” Lexi says, her eyes shimmering with determination. “We can do this, Reaper. We’ll work with your brothers to bring Blackstone down. And when it’s all over, we’ll finally have the life we deserve—together, as a family.”
As I hold Lexi close, feeling her strength and resolve melding with my own, I know she’s right. We’re a team now, and nothing—not even the darkest shadows of my past—can stand in our way. Blackstone might be evil personified, but that won’t stop us from killing him. We just need a solid plan. Hopefully, Matrix figured out how to reprogram that keycard because that’s our best shot at getting into the ranch and getting close enough to send Blackstone to hell where he belongs.