Reaper Chapter 5
Riding in my truck on the way to Cheyenne’s place, I kept glancing over at her. She was staring mainly out the window. I decided to try and engage her in conversation, just to begin to learn about her and for her to learn about me. “Cheyenne, I’ve met Alisse. Do you have any other friends or family here in Bristol?”
“A few friends, or I guess more like work friends, but not like Alisse. She’s been my best friend almost as soon as we met. I don’t have any family here. I’ve lived here for just over two years.”
“Are you from Virginia originally?”
She gave me a probing look that I didn’t know how to take. It was just a simple question. “No, I lived all over growing up. But I liked this area and when I was looking for a place to move to, I found this place and a job opening. It was through Dr. Simpson’s office that I met Alisse. She’s from around here and showed me around the area.”
“Do you get to see your family often? I wondered if I should have called someone when you got hit.”
“There’s no one to call,”
was all she said. She gave off the vibe that this line of questioning wasn’t welcome. Made me wonder if there was a story there or if she was like some of my guys and just had a shitty family. There were more than enough of them out there.
Before I could ask her anything else, her apartment complex came into view. I held off asking her more and turned into the parking lot. Alisse was right behind us. I knew Cheyenne thought by having her follow us, that I’d just drop her off and leave. I had no intention of doing that. I’d gotten my chance to talk and spend time with her. Even if it wasn’t the way I would have liked, I wasn’t going to let it pass by. After I parked, I got out and came around the truck and opened her door. I helped her down. She was walking gingerly and a little stooped. I crouched down and picked her up in my arms. Her hands clutched my neck, and she gave me a startled look.
“What in the world are you doing, Reaper?”
she squawked. Alisse had come over to us and was grinning at me. I started toward her place.
“I’m getting you to your place. No need to walk when you’re in that much pain.”
“There’s no need to be carried. I’m hurting but my legs work,”
she protested as Alisse opened her door. I was interested to see she had a key to Cheyenne’s place. I stepped inside.
“Besides, I need to keep limber. I have to work for the next two days,”
she added as I sat her down gently on the couch.
“What in the hell do you mean, you have to work? You can’t work, Cheyenne! You were hit by a damn car!”
I told her, pissed that she was thinking to push herself to go back before even giving herself a chance to heal.
“I already missed one day. The doctor didn’t say I couldn’t. Anyway, they need all the hands they can get with this sickness going around. I left them short today and then took Alisse from them. No way I’m going to do that again.”
I paced back and forth. She was serious. I knew she’d be worse by morning when all those bruises and muscles got a chance to stiffen. She’d be lucky to be able to get out of bed. I told her that. “You’ll be lucky if you can get out of bed in the morning.”
“That’s what they make pain medicine for. Seriously, I’m thankful you stayed with me at the hospital and brought me home, though I told you it wasn’t necessary. I don’t want to keep you any longer. If I need anything, Alisse is here. She’ll get it for me.”
She was trying to push me to go. I ignored her. I sat down beside her on the couch. Alisse went to the kitchen without saying a word. I’d seen the amused look on her face. At least it didn’t seem like she was going to be blocking me from getting close to Cheyenne.
“Well, how about we have her go get your prescription filled for that pain medicine? I’ll arrange for our dinner. You have to be starved. You never got lunch. Then you can relax, take a hot bath, and see if you can sleep.”
She pushed the sole of her foot against my thigh. I’d pulled off her shoes when I sat her down.
“Reaper, stop. You need to go. This hasn’t changed anything,”
she warned me. I picked up her foot and tugged off her sock. Her hot pink toes winked up at me. Hell, even her feet were sexy. I began to rub them. She fought back a groan. Alisse came back with glasses of lemonade. I nodded my thanks as she sat them down.
“Chey, he’s right. You’re going to need that medicine soon. Let me go get it filled. He can stay here while I’m gone in case you need anything.”
She shifted to look more at me and she winked where Cheyenne couldn’t see her.
“But, Alisse, there’s no reason I need a babysitter. I’m just planning to take a bath and crawl into bed. I’ll feel better tomorrow. If you’d go get my medication, I’d appreciate it.”
Alisse went to Cheyenne’s purse and got out the prescription. She picked up her keys and purse as she went toward the door. Cheyenne sat up in alarm.
“Okay, see you in a bit.”
Alisse rushed out the door before Cheyenne could argue or protest. As the door closed behind her, I looked back at Cheyenne. She was looking down at her feet.
“So, let’s talk some more. But first, what kind of food do you like?”
“Why?”
“I’m gonna tell Braxton to pick us up food for dinner. Anything you want.”
I tried to tempt her. I heard her stomach growl. She studied me for several moments then sighed.
“I feel in the mood for Mongolian beef and broccoli with rice and a bowl of hot and sour soup from over at that place on Third Street, the Peking Palace. Alisse and I love that place.”
“What does she like?”
“She likes the rice with sesame chicken and the same soup.”
I stopped rubbing her feet to shoot off a text to Braxton of their orders as well as mine. Once I was done, I went back to rubbing them.
“What do you like to do in your spare time?”
“Why am I answering all the questions?”
“Ask me some then. Anything you want to know,”
I told her.
“Did you grow up here and do you have family? Friends outside of your club?”
“I did grow up here. My dad was in the Punishers when I was growing up. I have a younger sister named Harper. She’s married to a guy, Viper, who’s a member of the Archangel’s Warriors MC down in Dublin Falls, Tennessee. That’s about two hours away. They have a son, Cayden. He’s two and a half and a pistol. I can’t wait for them to add another.”
She gave me a surprised look. “You like kids?”
“Of course I do. The Warriors are one of our closest allies and they have a ton of them. Every time I turn around, they’re having another. I hate that I don’t get to see him as much as I’d like. I was just down there the weekend before we met. Do you like kids?”
Something made me ask her that. Her face got a soft look on it and she smiled.
“I do, though they can be hard to deal with when they’re sick, which is mainly how I see them at work. You didn’t say if you have other friends outside of your club?”
“Well, the Warriors in all the chapters are friends, though I’m closest to the Dublin Falls’ guys. Then we have a couple of other clubs we’re friendly with. A few guys here and there that I went to school with or other places that aren’t in the club. But mainly, it’s my brothers.”
“Clubs tend to stay to themselves.”
“How do you know that?”
She hurried to answer, “Oh, you know, I’ve watched television and read about them.”
“Bright Eyes, don’t believe everything you read or see on television. Clubs are different all over.”
She gave me what I thought was a skeptical look. We were back to the underlying no biker thing. I wanted to ask her outright why, but knew I’d have her clamming up on me if I did. We sat in comfortable silence for a little bit after that. Her eyes were looking tired.
Finally, the door rattled and Alisse came through it, carrying a small bag. She came over and gave it to Cheyenne. “Here you go. Damn, I should have called and gotten your order for takeout. I can whip something up to eat or order some food.”
“No worries, Reaper already handled it. He’s getting one of his guys to bring over our favorites from the Peking Palace,”
Cheyenne told her.
Alisse smiled at me. “You keep that up, and I might have to go after you myself,”
she teased me. I laughed, but I felt Cheyenne tense up under my hands. She kept a blank look on her face.
“Sorry, I’m already taken. But I do have a lot of brothers,”
I told her with a grin. She laughed. Cheyenne gave me a questioning look. She had no clue I was referring to her when I said I was taken. I’d clarify that later when we were alone, because I intended to get her alone after dinner. She needed to realize I was serious about us seeing where things could go.
We sat and chatted about nothing in particular until I got a text. It was Braxton. He had her car and the food. I texted him back with the apartment number. I got up and was at the door when he came strolling up. I took the stuff off his hands and thanked him before he left. I took it all to the kitchen. As I took the food out of the bags, I called into the living room, which was open to the kitchen.
“Stay there and I’ll bring it over. Do you want anything else to drink?”
Alisse popped into the kitchen and held up their glasses and mine. She handled those and grabbed plates and silverware. I took the containers to the coffee table. We didn’t say much as we ate. The food was really good and it was one of my favorite places too. I groaned when I was done.
“Damn, I love this and hate the fact that in two hours, you’ll feel like you can eat again. That seems to be the thing whenever I eat Asian food, whether here or there.”
“There? You’ve been to Asia?”
Cheyenne asked with a curious note in her voice. I nodded.
“Yeah, to several countries though not as many as I wanted. I spent more time in other countries. Lots of local cuisine to try and I found I loved a lot of different ones. I got to experience them when I was in the Navy.”
“You were in the Navy? For how long? What did you do?”
This was from Alisse. Cheyenne was sitting there looking like she was thinking.
“I was for ten years. I went in at eighteen and got out at twenty-eight. I was part of their special forces team.”
Alisse’s eyes got round and Cheyenne looked at me in shock.
“Special Forces? Do you mean a SEAL?”
Chey asked.
“Yes, I was a SEAL.”
I watched her. She was looking a little unsure. I wasn’t sure if it was because of what I did or because of something else. I guess she didn’t remember me telling her that at the accident site.
“When did you join your club?”
Alisse asked. I could tell she was trying her best to help me share things about myself with Cheyenne.
“I prospected unofficially at seventeen and then that first year in the Navy whenever I was home. I patched in at nineteen.”
“How long have you been president?”
Cheyenne asked me quietly.
“Nine years. I took over after my dad died.”
“What about your mom, is she still around?”
Alisse asked as she glanced over at Cheyenne.
“Nope. She died when my sister, Harper, was nine.”
“Your sister grew up around the club or did someone else raise her after that?”
Cheyenne asked, which I thought was an odd question.
“No, she was raised in the club. Dad and I took care of her. She’s younger than me by several years. When I went off to the Navy, Dad took care of her.”
Cheyenne’s eyes got a shuttered look in them. Something about what I’d just said, she didn’t like. Damn, what was her story? She obviously didn’t like bikers for a reason. Was it all because of what she’d read or seen on television? Or had she had some kind of exposure before to a club? The idea of that had me wanting to swear. There were a lot of good clubs out there, but there were also a lot of bad ones.
“What about you? Did your parents raise you? I know you said you don’t have any family here.”
She shifted on the couch and stood up before I could help her to her feet. “My mom and then my aunt. I hate to call this short, but I think I’m going to go take a hot bath then lie down. Thank you again, Reaper. Alisse, would you please show him out?”
She barely looked at me as she left the room. As the door to what I assumed was her bedroom closed, I looked at Alisse.
“What the fuck was that about?”
“It’s not my place to tell you about my friend. If she wants to tell you, then she will. Reaper, you seem like you might be an okay guy. If you are, I’d love to see if something might develop between you two. She needs to get more of a life. But if you’re looking to use her or have a good time, get lost and don’t come back around. That’s the last thing she needs in her life,”
she warned me.
“I’m not here to hurt or use her, and I’m not cruising for a good time either. I want to get to know her. I think we could be what the other needs. But she’s so damn resistant to even talking to me. Hell, this is the most I’ve ever been able to just talk to her. She’s so skittish.”
“Cheyenne has her reasons. I recommend you find a way to have her see what you and your club are really like.”
I thought about what she said. Then an idea came to mind. It would be tough, but I knew I could make it happen. “Tell you what, we’re going to be having a family party, the Saturday after next. Why don’t the two of you come? Spend the day and she can get to know me and the guys. My sister will be there with her family and some of the ones from her husband’s club.”
Alisse thought for a moment or two then nodded. “Okay, I can do that. You ask her and I’ll work on her to go. It’s going to take both of us to convince her.”
I smiled as a feeling of relief came over me. “Thanks, Alisse. I appreciate it.”
“Don’t make me regret this. Now, let me show you out and I’ll make sure she’s settled for the night.”
I wanted to protest and tell her she could go and I’d stay, but that wouldn’t go over well with Cheyenne, so I reluctantly left. As I rode back to the compound, I thought out all the things I needed to get done to have this party in ten days.
When I got back to the compound, I went straight to the clubhouse. Most of the guys were there. I whistled to get their attention. “Listen up. We’re gonna have a family party here the Saturday after next. I’m gonna see if the Dublin Falls’ crew will come up. I need to be sure we get the clubhouse cleaned, the drinks and food ordered. All of you are drafted to help.”
“Why the short notice? Is there something going on we don’t know about? We have that thing with those other guys the following week. Why are we doing something sooner too?”
Maniac asked. As my VP, he had my back on all things. He was right, we’d planned for us to have a small get-together on the Saturday after that. There were some guys who were looking to patch into a new club. Theirs had become disbanded.
“That’s a whole other thing. I don’t want to combine those two. And the reason we’re doing this one is I want to bring Cheyenne here, so she can get to know all of you assholes. Which I might regret. She’s skittish about bikers for some reason. I want to show her we’re just regular people. I thought if Harper and some of the other old ladies and kids came up, that would help.”
“That makes sense. Does this mean you’re gonna be bringing her around here for a while?”
Crusher asked me.
“If I have my way, she’s gonna be here a whole helluva lot. Now, I got her friend, Alisse, who’s going to help me convince her to come. I want you to make her feel welcome. It’s a family one, so no bunnies until after all the women and children leave. You keep that shit behind closed doors and not out in the fucking common room. That’s all I need. If Cayden or one of those kids sees something, we’ll be dead.”
“Not to mention, you don’t want your woman seeing them,”
Tinker added.
“Not on her first fucking time here, no. I need to ease her into this. Any questions?”
They all shook their heads no. “Good. I need a drink, then I’m headed to bed.”
I stayed long enough to drink one beer with the guys and we talked a little more about preparations for the party. I’d work on inviting the Warriors tomorrow. I wouldn’t tell my sister about Cheyenne. I wanted her to meet her first. I went to bed later with thoughts of Cheyenne racing through my head. I was feeling the most optimistic that I had since meeting her. I’d gotten her to talk to me. Now it was time to move on to the next step in my plan—to get her to accept me as her man.