Chapter 28 Reaper
The rumble of our motorcycles fills the air as we pull up to the clubhouse. Daisy stands on the porch, her brown hair dancing in the breeze while worry etches itself across her face. As I kill the engine, I can’t help but feel a wave of relief wash over me. We made it back, and Ace is safe.
“Where’s Lexi?” I ask Daisy as we all go inside the clubhouse.
“She finally cried herself to sleep,” Daisy replies, her blue eyes filled with concern. “Maybe you should let her rest for a few more minutes.”
“I’m not keeping her from our son for another second. Go get her, Tucker.”
“Right away.” He hurries down the hall.
Although Daisy makes a good point about letting her sleep, Lexi would kill me if I didn’t wake her up immediately. There’s still club business to take care of, but shit’s different now. Club life used to always come first. Now, Lexi and Ace are my main priority.
Matrix strides across the living room and wraps his arms around his woman, hugging Daisy so tightly she lets out a small squeak. As she holds him close, her gaze turns to Scar. “What happened?”
“Blackstone’s dead,” Scar says matter-of-factly. I’d expect him to have some kind of emotion in his voice, but there’s nothing. In a way, I don’t think any of us can believe the monster’s really dead.
But he is.
“Are you sure?” Daisy asks, shock evident in her voice.
“Damn sure,” Scar confirms. “Not only is he dead, but Matrix set the mansion on fire. By morning, that hellhole will be nothing but ashes.”
Daisy’s eyes widen at this revelation, but she doesn’t have time to dwell on it.
Scar continues, “I need you to call your contact at the FBI. Tell them Blackstone’s ranch is on fire, and they need to search the property with cadaver dogs.”
“Shouldn’t we call the fire department first?” she asks.
“Fuck no!” Talon snaps. “I wanted to stay and watch that fucker burn but didn’t want to get caught.”
“We all did,” Nitro adds, standing shoulder to shoulder with Talon.
“Wait, why cadaver dogs?” Daisy frowns, clearly confused by the request. Then a cloud of sadness crosses her face. “Oh, because of the others.” She lets out a shaky breath while leaning into Matrix.
A shiver runs down my spine at the thought of all those lost lives.
“They’re going to find the bodies of dozens of kids on that property,” Scar tells her, his voice devoid of emotion.
“At least,” Matrix mumbles, moving out of her embrace. He wraps a protective arm around her waist.
Daisy gives Scar a sympathetic look before pulling out her phone to make the call. It’s a gruesome reminder of just how ruthless Blackstone was and another reason why our club’s pursuit of justice is so important.
After dialing the number, Daisy presses a button on her phone, putting it on speaker for all of us to hear.
“Agent Thompson,” a gruff voice answers.
“Thompson, it’s Daisy,” she says, trying to keep her voice steady. “You need to get your people to Blackstone’s ranch ASAP. There’s a fire there.”
“Blackstone’s place? What the hell happened?” he asks, concern creeping into his tone.
“I don’t know the details, but you should bring cadaver dogs,” Daisy instructs.
“Is Blackstone dead?”
“Yes,” Daisy confirms. “But that’s not why you need the dogs. Trust me when I say the FBI is about to make the discovery of the decade.”
“Are you sure about your information?”
“Positive.”
“Okay. I’ll be in touch,” Agent Thompson replies before ending the call.
The tension in the room is palpable. We’ve just given the FBI the lead they need to uncover the horrifying truth hidden on Blackstone’s property. I find myself clenching my fists, wishing I could be the one to reveal the full extent of his evil. Even though I know he’s already gone, I want the world to know what he did.
Suddenly, Lexi comes running down the hallway into the living room, tears streaming down her face. She makes a beeline for Ace, who’s standing beside me. Without hesitation, she pulls him into her arms.
“Mommy!” Ace exclaims as Lexi rains kisses all over his face. He giggles between each peck, his laughter like music to our ears.
“Reaper saved me from the bad man,” Ace tells her, his eyes shifting to where I’m standing. They’re shining with admiration.
Lexi looks at me. Fresh tears well up in her eyes as she throws herself into my arms. I hold her close, burying my face in her hair and inhaling the scent of coconut shampoo that always seems to linger. I can feel her trembling as she clings to me, and I know I need to reassure her.
“Lexi, it’s over,” I whisper into her ear, my voice shaking with emotion. “Blackstone’s dead.”
“Thank you,” she chokes out between sobs. “Thank you for saving our baby.”
As I hold Lexi in my arms, I realize this is all that matters. The club, our family, and the love we share. We’ve brought down a monster, and now there’s nothing standing in our way. We’re finally free to love without dark shadows hanging over us.
The sound of the front door opening grabs my attention. Julia walks in, her eyes red-rimmed as she scans the room. She locks onto Scar and rushes over to him.
“Is it true?” she asks, her voice breaking. “Is Blackstone really dead?”
“He’s gone.” Scar nods, his expression solemn. “Who told you?”
“Nina.”
“How’d she find out so fast?” Scar asks the group.
“I texted her while we were riding,” Matrix says.
“How many times have I told you not to text and drive?” Scar asks.
“Oh, who cares right now?” Julia asks. Overcome with emotion, she throws her arms around Scar’s neck and kisses him deeply. To my surprise, a blush creeps up Scar’s cheeks. The president of a motorcycle club, blushing like a lovestruck teenager. It’s amusing, to say the least.
I glance at Lexi, who’s still wrapped in my arms, and realize she has the power to make me blush too. Maybe that’s what love does to a man.
“Reaper!” Ace exclaims, flinging his arms around my leg. His wide-eyed gaze is filled with admiration as he says, “You saved my mom, and you saved me. My daddy’s a superhero!”
Lexi looks at me in shock, her eyes searching mine.
“Did you tell him?” she whispers.
I shake my head. “No, Blackstone beat me to it.”
“That bas—jerk.” Lexi’s gaze drops to Ace. “It’s true, honey. Reaper is your daddy.”
“Yay!” Ace hugs my leg tighter. I wait until he releases his grip to bend down and hug my boy. Thank God Blackstone didn’t touch him.
“Are you okay, honey? Did the bad man touch you?” Lexi squats down, looking intently into our son’s eyes.
Ace shakes his head vigorously. “No, Mommy. He just scared me. That’s all.”
Relief washes over Lexi’s face. She hugs Ace tightly before standing up and pulling me close once more. We’re all safe now. As a family, we’ve faced the darkest of times, but together, we’ve come out on the other side, stronger than ever. I won’t let anything tear us apart again.
The room buzzes with the energy of relief as Ace clutches his teddy bear tightly. Matrix, ever attentive to detail, looks at the bear and then back at us.
“Figured out why he wanted the bear,” Matrix says, scratching his chin. “It’s got a nanny cam in it. Audio and video.” He pulls a memory card out of his pocket and holds it up between his thumb and forefinger. “I’ll analyze this later, but I have a feeling whatever we find on this chip will be very incriminating for Blackstone.”
“Is there any point in finding out what’s on it now that he’s dead?” Talon asks, crossing his arms.
Scar considers this for a moment before responding. “There could be something important on the chip. It’s worth a look.” He addresses everyone. “We’ll hold Church tomorrow at noon. By then, Matrix will have had time to search the chip.”
“I won’t be able to sleep tonight anyway,” Matrix admits, running a hand through his messy hair. “So, I’ll have that information ready for you all by noon.”
“All right,” Scar nods, then turns to Daisy. “Take care of Matrix, okay?”
“I’ll make sure he isn’t up all night working,” Daisy promises, giving Matrix a reassuring smile.
“Everyone,” Scar announces, his voice firm and steady, “it took years for us to get vengeance, but we finally got it. Tonight, we should all rest because soon, the entire club is going to celebrate our victory.”
Talon, Nitro, Scar, and Matrix say their goodbyes to Lexi and me. The other members leave to go to their respective homes, leaving Lexi, Ace, and me alone in the clubhouse. Prospects stand guard outside, but inside, the place is all ours.
As I look at Lexi and Ace, my heart swells with pride and gratitude. The love I feel for them is overwhelming, but it’s mixed with a sense of responsibility. It’s my job to protect them, and I’ll be damned if I let anything get between us ever again.
“Reaper?” Lexi’s voice jolts me from my thoughts, her eyes searching mine for reassurance. “We’re really safe now, right?”
I pull her close, feeling the warmth of her body against mine, and whisper, “Yeah, babe. We’re safe. Blackstone’s dead, and we’ve got the club behind us. Nothing can hurt us now.”
Ace yawns loudly, his little body finally giving in to exhaustion. I glance at Lexi and see the fatigue etched on her face as well.
“Time for bed, buddy,” I tell Ace, scooping him up into my arms. He clings to me, his small fingers gripping my leather vest tightly. Lexi follows close behind as we make our way to the bedroom beside mine.
“Good night, Daddy,” Ace mumbles, his eyes already half-closed. I can’t help but smile at the sound of that word—“Daddy”—but my heart clenches with worry for what he’s been through. Hopefully, there won’t be any lasting effects. Being taken by a monster and caged would give anyone nightmares, so I plan on keeping a close eye on him in case he needs some help.
“Good night, son,” I whisper, helping him change into his pajamas and tucking him into bed.
“Night, baby.” Lexi leans over to plant a gentle kiss on his forehead, her love for him shining in her eyes.
We stand in the doorway, watching him drift off to sleep, our hands intertwined. The weight of the day’s events finally sucks the last bit of energy from my limbs.
“Let’s go to bed too,” I suggest, leading Lexi into our bedroom.
“Reaper,” she starts hesitantly, “do you think Ace understands what he saw when you … brought me back?”
I pause, considering her question. “Honestly, I don’t know.”
“Should we talk to him about it?” she asks, her voice tight with concern.
“Maybe not yet,” I say thoughtfully. “He hasn’t asked about it, so let’s just let it go for now. We’ll cross that bridge if we need to.”
She gives me a small nod, accepting my answer. We both know there will be more questions and struggles in the future, but for tonight, we choose to let them rest. At this moment, our family is whole again, and that’s all that matters.
The soft glow of the bedside lamp casts a warm light over Lexi’s face as she reaches for the hem of my shirt. Her fingers are gentle, almost reverent, as she lifts the fabric. I raise my arms to let her remove it completely. She folds the shirt neatly and places it on the chair next to the bed before turning her attention to my jeans.
“Babe,” I murmur, feeling vulnerable as she carefully undoes the button and zipper. “You don’t have to—”
“Let me,” she says softly, looking up at me with those soulful hazel eyes that always seem to see right through me.
I nod, allowing her to continue. As she slides the jeans down my legs, I can’t help but think about how we’ve come full circle. We started out hot and heavy all those years ago, and now, we’re right back to the same place. I want her more than I can express, but I’m also so tired I’m about to faceplant onto the mattress.
Once I’m in my boxers, she helps me into bed, then crawls in beside me. The warmth of her body against mine is comforting, familiar. She rests her head on my chest, her hand splayed across my heart.
“I can’t thank you enough for what you did today,” she whispers, her voice thick with emotion. “You saved Ace from that monster.”
“I’d die for our son,” I say simply.
“I can’t imagine how hard it was to stand up to the man who tortured you. Are you okay?”
Her words stir something in me. Blackstone held power over me for far too long, poisoning my mind with thoughts of vengeance and keeping me from fully embracing the family I’d found in Lexi and Ace. But he’s gone now, and it’s time for me to set things right.