Chapter 30 Reaper
The sound of Ace’s giggles fills the living room as I pretend to be a grizzly bear chasing him around the clubhouse. His little legs pump with determination, and it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by the love I have for this kid.
“You can’t catch me!” he shrieks before bounding over the edge of the couch.
“Be careful,” Lexi calls from the kitchen. She’s been in there making cinnamon rolls all morning. I told her to leave a little extra frosting for us for later. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve that involve licking sugar off her tits.
The front door cracks open and Matrix pokes his head in. “Scar said Thompson’s at the bar. Let’s roll.”
“Be right there.” I wait for Matrix to close the door before kneeling to ruffle Ace’s hair. “I’ve gotta take care of some business, but I’ll be back to play with you in an hour or so.”
His face falls, but he nods bravely.
“Promise?” he asks, holding up his pinky.
“Promise,” I say, linking my pinky with his.
Lexi comes over and wraps her arms around me, planting a kiss on my lips. “Be careful,” she whispers into my ear.
I smile because that’s her standard goodbye these days. “I’m just walking over to the bar, babe,” I remind her. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
She gives me one more tight squeeze before letting go, and I head toward the bar. It’s closed to customers right now, but I can see through the windows that my brothers are already inside, along with Tucker, Daisy, and Agent Thompson.
As I push open the door, Agent Thompson clears his throat and reminds everyone, “I was never here.”
“We won’t let anyone know you’re passing info to us, so don’t worry about that,” Scar says, ever the leader.
Talon, Nitro, Matrix, and Tucker nod in agreement, while Daisy looks at the agent with a mixture of gratitude and wariness. I can’t help but wonder what new information he’s brought us and how it’ll affect our lives moving forward.
“All right,” Agent Thompson says, looking around the room. “Let’s get down to business.”
I lean against the worn wooden bar, my fingers drumming on its surface as I listen to Agent Thompson recount the details of Blackstone’s death. Tension coils tight in my chest, and I can tell from the expressions on my brothers’ faces that they’re feeling it too. We don’t know if the Feds are going to try to pin it on us or not. But we’re about to find out.
“Officially,” Agent Thompson says, rubbing his temples, “the forensic pathologist ruled Blackstone’s death was the result of smoke inhalation.”
“But they know that’s not true,” Daisy says softly.
“Unofficially, we all know he was murdered because of the broken hyoid bone in his neck.”
Grim satisfaction settles over the room as each member of the MC processes this information. I’m glad the Feds aren’t wasting their time trying to solve his murder, but they must have a reason why.
Daisy furrows her brow and asks the question we’re all thinking. “Why is the FBI covering up the fact that Blackstone was strangled to death?”
“Because we did what you suggested and brought cadaver dogs to the property,” Agent Thompson replies gravely. “We found dozens of children buried there, going back decades. A huge investigation is underway, but there’s no doubt Blackstone was involved in human trafficking. He was a child predator, which is why we don’t want to waste time and resources investigating his murder.”
A cold fury washes over me at the thought of those innocent lives lost at Blackstone’s hands. But I shove it down, focusing on what the agent says next.
“However, the Feds will definitely be sniffing around because of all the other bodies shot dead at the ranch. Gunshot wounds can’t be explained away as easily.”
“Not that we were there,” Talon says, smirking, “but shit might have gotten a little out of control at the end.”
“Of course you weren’t,” Thompson snorts.
“How much heat should we expect?” Scar asks.
“Right now, not much. Everything’s still very preliminary. We stumbled onto the biggest mass grave in years. It’s going to take months to sort everything out at that property.”
“How do we keep the club off the Fed’s radar?” Nitro asks, his voice tense.
“Stay out of the FBI’s way,” Agent Thompson advises. “Let us focus on the human trafficking angle. There’s speculation that the murders and subsequent fire were related to that. Right now, you guys aren’t a primary target, but if you don’t lay low, you’ll be putting a target on your backs.”
My heart races at the thought of putting my brothers, Lexi, and Ace in danger. We’ve fought so hard for the life we have now. I won’t let it be taken away from us.
“Understood,” Scar says firmly, his voice filled with the kind of authority that leaves no room for argument. “We’ll steer clear of you guys. Also, I was thinking, is there any way you can pin this on the Demon Riders? That could take care of another problem we have in common.”
“We found a few pieces of evidence to connect Blackstone and the Demon Riders. If they were involved in his human trafficking ring, which I’m sure they were, then we’ll bring that entire club down too. It may take some time, so stay away from them while we work on it.”
My mind races with plans to ensure our safety. We need to continue our mission of protecting those who need our help while keeping the FBI at bay. It won’t be easy.
“Has the FBI had a chance to review the audio/video file Matrix handed over?” I ask in a gruff tone.
“Because Matrix was able to use the info from the cam to hack into the cloud where the feed would be uploaded to, we got access to all of Blackstone’s secrets.”
“The cloud had all the files from numerous nanny cams and other sources,” Matrix says. “I got a copy too.”
“I didn’t hear that,” Agent Thompson says.
“Did you find anything that might help take down the trafficking ring?” Nitro asks.
“Yeah.” He nods, his expression darkening. “I’ve seen a lot of shit in my time, but nothing like the filth in those files.” He shudders, looking away for a moment. “Even the most seasoned agents threw up after watching those videos. We’re chasing down leads based on the evidence.”
My stomach clenches at the thought of what horrors were contained within those files—the depths of human depravity people can sink to. It only strengthens my resolve to fight against the evil in this world.
“Good,” I mutter, clenching my fists. “Every one of those bastards needs to pay.”
Agent Thompson leans in closer, lowering his voice. “Based on those files, we now know for sure there’s a huge network of human traffickers operating throughout the United States. We’ve found direct evidence connecting Blackstone to a group in New Orleans. That’s the first lead we’re following.”
Scar’s eyes narrow as he hears this. “Underground Vengeance has a chapter in New Orleans. We can connect you with their president, Vapor.”
“Everything needs to be hush-hush,” Thompson warns. “I can’t be connected to your club in any way.”
“Secrecy is paramount to everything we do,” Scar assures him. “If you’re truly willing to hunt down predators, then the MC is ready to assist in any way we can. If everyone was like you, we wouldn’t need to exist.”
“But they aren’t,” Thompson says, agreeing with Scar.
“Not even close,” Scar growls.
A somber silence settles over the room, broken only by the sound of Agent Thompson’s voice. “I want to thank you all for everything you did to end Blackstone’s reign of terror,” he says, looking at each of us in turn. “Officially, you’ll never be recognized, of course. But know that your actions have made a difference.”
“It’s what we do,” Nitro says with a shrug, as if killing predators is simple. It’s not, but we make it look easy.
“Yeah.” I nod, but there’s still a bitter taste in my mouth. This fight cost us so much, and the thought of others still suffering out there stirs a restless anger in my chest.
“I was able to track down some old files,” Thompson says, averting his eyes for a moment. “I know many of you were Blackstone’s prisoners when you were children.” His gaze lands on me, and I feel the weight of those memories pressing down. “I hope that now, with him dead, you can find some peace.”
“Thanks,” I mutter, trying to push the past away.
“Anything else?” Scar asks.
“That’s it for now, but I’ll be in touch.”
“Thank you for everything,” Daisy says before turning to Matrix. “I’ll see you back at home?”
“Yeah. Soon, babe.” Matrix kisses his woman.
We all thank the agent, knowing full well that peace might be an elusive concept for us. With a final nod, Agent Thompson and Daisy leave the bar.
Scar clears his throat, commanding our attention. “I want everyone to stay for a few minutes. We need to talk about what this means for the club now that Blackstone’s dead.”
We gather closer, curiosity and concern etched on our faces.
Scar looks at each of us before saying, “Nothing’s changed for me. There are still terrible people out in the world and plenty of victims who need our help. I’m as dedicated to our mission as ever, but I understand not everyone will feel the same way. So, here’s the deal. You can retire and live in peace, if that’s what you want, or you can renew your commitment to Underground Vengeance MC. The decision is yours.”
I don’t hesitate.
“I’m in,” I say, my voice firm. “This is my family, and we have work to do.”
One by one, Nitro, Matrix, and Talon recommit to our mission to rescue those who can’t get help from anyone else. As I look around at my brothers, I know we’re a ride or die brotherhood, and we always will be.
“Good,” Scar says, his voice echoing the pride we all feel. “We’ll continue to fight for justice and protect the innocent. Together.”
“Damn right,” I agree, my heart swelling with renewed purpose. No matter what darkness lies ahead, we’ll face it as a family, bound by loyalty and an unyielding desire to make things right.
The dimly lit bar seems to vibrate with the energy of our renewed commitment, and I feel an overwhelming sense of pride in my brothers.
Scar clears his throat before speaking again. “There’s one last bit of business we need to take care of. Throughout this whole Blackstone ordeal, Tucker has been by our side. He’s become an integral part of our club, and I propose we vote to make him a fully patched member.”
My gaze shifts to Tucker, who looks both surprised and proud at the same time. He sits up straighter on his chair and puffs his chest.
“Before we vote, does anyone have anything to say about Tucker?” Scar asks, glancing around the room.
Nitro is the first to speak up, his deep voice resonating throughout the room. “His loyalty has never been questioned. He’s proven himself time and time again, even when things were at their darkest.”
Matrix nods in agreement, adding, “Tucker’s not only loyal but brave as hell. He’s faced death more times than I can count, and he never flinched.”
“Damn right,” Talon chimes in. “He’s got balls of steel, and he’s always had our backs.”
I nod along with their words, knowing my turn is next. “Tucker’s been like a brother to us all. He’s earned his place in this club, and I’d be proud to call him family.”
Scar smiles, satisfied with our responses. “All in favor of making Tucker a full member?”
A chorus of “Aye” echoes around the room, and Scar motions for Tucker to step forward. The atmosphere in the room shifts to reverence as Scar begins the ceremony to patch Tucker into Underground Vengeance MC.
“Your road name will be Trencher,” Scar announces.
“Why Trencher?” Nitro asks.
“Because Tucker was in the trenches with us during our fight against Blackstone. I’d go to war with him again because I know he’d be right beside me, battling just as hard as me.”
“Thanks, pres.” Tucker—no, Trencher’s eyes shine with pride as Scar hands him a black leather cut with “Trencher” embroidered on the front and “Member, Underground Vengeance MC” on the back. Trencher slips it on, his chest swelling with pride. “Fits just right.”
“Thank fuck you like it,” Scar says with a grin. “Otherwise, I wasted a fuckload of money on this cut.”
“Welcome to the family, Trencher,” I say, clapping him on the shoulder. “Wear that shit with pride.”
“I will,” he replies, grinning from ear to ear.
We all gather around to congratulate our newest member.
After the handshakes and back slapping’s over, Scar holds up a hand to get our attention. “Tomorrow, we’re all heading over to Nina’s to celebrate. Be there at noon, and bring something to grill. No roadkill, Talon.”
“Me?” Talon asks, feigning innocence.
“What did he bring?” Trencher asks.
“Fuckin’ squirrel.” Nitro makes a gagging sound.
“Slap a little bourbon sauce on and it tastes like chicken.” Talon grins.
“That’s disgusting,” I mutter.
“Don’t knock it till you tried it.”
“Not gonna happen,” I growl.
“Get the fuck out of here and have some fun tonight. Bring your old ladies and the kids tomorrow. And Nitro?”
“Yeah?”
“Try not to set the barn on fire tomorrow.”
“I didn’t know those fireworks I smuggled in from Mexico were going to explode.” Nitro chuckles. “Nina’s got a fire extinguisher now, so it’s all good.”
“God dammit,” Scar rubs his hand over his face. “Get the fuck out of here.”
“See ya!” Nitro laughs as he leaves.
As we head out, my thoughts drift to Ace. I can’t wait to get back home so I can keep playing with my son. He’s a mini-me, just not as dark and twisted. I’m going to make sure he stays that way. I won’t let anyone creep into his life and destroy his joyful spirit. Maybe I shouldn’t think of it this way, but I almost feel like I get to be a kid again alongside him. It’s a second chance at the childhood I never got to enjoy, so I want to make the most of it.
When I reach the front porch of the clubhouse, my thoughts are sweetened by visions of cream cheese frosting slathered across my old lady’s tits. My tongue is more than ready for an adventure, and my woman’s body will be my treasure map. I can’t stop thinking about all the places I’m going to lick her, and it goes without saying that tonight’s going to be one of the best nights of my life. I can’t wait to drag her sexy ass to bed.