Chapter 24
Reaper
Chaos was sitting at the back of the bar, nursing a scotch and what looked like a forming black eye. Maverick shrugged his shoulders, his fist wrapped in an ice pack.
Jesus Christ.
When we’d come back from the waterfall, we’d gone straight to bed and fucked like energiser bunnies for hours.
“Church,” I called, looking at Maverick with a you better fucking explain expression. The boys filed in, and I waited for the last of them to be seated.
“Bringing to attention a vote to bring Brandon under patch,” I said. “Let’s vote.”
As they all went around the table with their ayes, not one nay, I threw the patches on the table I’d had made up. Maverick was always the one who named the new prospects who patched in. He’d gone with Mako on account of how shark-like he could be.
I couldn’t disagree.
“Tomorrow we’ll take him out the bluff and have him take the oath,” I said. “Any other items of business?”
“Are we not going to talk about the fact Junior is now a co-owner of The Pit?” Trojan spoke up. Fuck. I’d been so distracted, I hadn’t had a chance to talk to him about that.
“What have you found out?”
“Not a lot, he bought out the former co-owner from our side. I don’t know how. He doesn’t have funds in his account, and there have been no large withdrawals to account for it. As you know both sides own a piece of it. The Ironborne’s side is a silent partner.”
I didn’t like that. We’ve always been open with each other, even during the turf wars. Why would they include a silent partner now?
“Dig deeper, I’ll have Trey come in. Maybe he’ll open up to Rowan.”
“We got a new name for her yet, or what?” Maverick asked. “Rowan’s…just so boring.”
I shot him a look that should have silenced him, but I knew better. He laughed. “How about you tell me about your knuckles and Chaos’ eye?”
Maverick’s smile died down. “Motherfucker wouldn’t listen. Almost started a turf war over a piece of arse.”
My eyes moved over to Chaos who was out of his chair and making his way over to Maverick. Fuck.
The look in his eyes told me he was serious.
“Shadow!”
He grabbed Chaos by the arms, holding him back. Trojan and Beast held him back as well. I’d never seen him so enraged. Maverick was backing up, Knight, Pope and Animal between them.
“What the fuck is going on? Sit down. The rest of you out. Pope stay.”
Maverick sat back down in his seat. Chaos is his, but I could feel the anger radiating off him. Pope stood at the end of the table, watching on, in horror. He’d never seen this before.
“Maverick first.”
“Fucker went off half-cocked, after telling me he was good. We start riding back to the clubhouse when he sees the car again. He tore off so fast I thought he was going to run the car off the fucking road. I was forced to make a risky move and near run him off the road so he didn’t fuck up Mannix.”
“Why the fuck—”
“Shut it,” I growled at Chaos. He sat back in his chair, steaming.
“Continue.”
“They sped off, obviously they knew what was happening. He came at me. I couldn’t talk him out of whatever rage had taken over him so I clocked him to wake him the fuck up.”
Turning to Chaos. “Your turn.”
“He told you what happened.”
“Pope, Mav, out.”
They filed out, leaving me with Chaos. I’d never seen the man so broken, so out of sorts, and I’d definitely not seen him like this over a woman before.
“What’s going on?”
“She shouldn’t be with him. He’s going to fucking hurt her.”
“Like you did?” I responded quickly. Usually, I’d err on the edge of caution here, Chaos was my brother in arms, but Rowan’s friend had grown on me. She was fiercely loyal to her, and I knew she’d always have her back. That meant she was family.
“I can’t…I was–”
“Falling for her?”
“I don’t know how…it’s never happened but when I realised what was happening…I cut it off. I didn’t want her to get hurt, ya know. She seemed fine with it. More than fine.”
Rowan’s words continued on a loop in my head.
She said she was fine, but I don’t know…there’s something missing.
“Why not date the woman if you care so much?”
“I can’t be loyal. Never been one for monogamy.”
“I thought I was the same, brother, but Rowan was different. I know I'll never be with another woman again, never even tempted. Frankie could be that for you.”
“Nah,” he said, shaking his head. “She’s better off.”
“And if she dates another biker?”
Chaos looked up at me, his eye already looking red, and blue at the same time. It had to hurt. “Not in this clubhouse, ya hear me?”
Chaos didn’t ask for anything. He never asked me to make something creed like this. Ever. He’d ride into war at my side if I asked him to. Hell, I wouldn’t even need to ask. He’d just be there.
I nodded. “Done.”
He stood, making his way to the door, gingerly. “You let her call you Cruz.”
Chaos froze, his hand on the door handle. “I am Cruz to her.”
“Brother…”
“Creed, Prez. That’s all I’m asking.”
I nodded. “Put some ice on that fucking eye, yeah?”
He left Chapel without another word, just showing the tatters of his soul in his wake.
Well…fuck.
Trey was chatting to some of the fighters before the big match in the ring tonight.
I’d been watching from afar, praying…hoping he would show who this silent partner was.
Maybe he didn’t know. Trojan hadn’t uncovered a damn thing, not even who had paid for Trey to take over. That shit was pissing me off.
Trojan didn’t fail.
It was eating him alive as well.
“You Reaper?” a thick Irish accented voice asked from beside me. I turned to look at the man. He seemed vaguely familiar, but I didn’t think I’d met him before.
“Yeah, who’s askin’?”
“Name’s Wolf,” he said. “I’m looking for my brother. They said he was Prez of the Shackled Sons, but I got here, and you’re name popped up as Prez.”
“What’s your brother’s name?”
I saw the tattoo on his wrist, the tattoo of the Outlaws. Hmm. They were predominantly working in the UK and US, and somewhere in Europe. We didn’t have any here in Australia.
“Shamus Kerrigan,” he said.
“Ah.” Fuck. “Mate, I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but Shamus was killed in a shoot out a month ago. He was Prez for the Brisbane chapter. He was a good man, I liked him a lot. Never knew he had any family.”
Wolf hung his head. “Yeah, we were estranged. Fuck. Thanks, man.”
“You’re Outlaw, yeah?” I motioned to his wrist.
“I was,” he said. “They don’t take kindly to picking sides in a turf war.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard as such. They after you?”
“Not them. They won’t come here.”
“But someone is after you?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Thanks for telling me about Shamus, yeah?”
“Sure,” I replied, shaking his hand. “Who were you taking the side of?”
“Ghost Rebels. Up in Kilkenny.”
“Ah, yeah, I know of them actually. Look, give me your number, and I’ll make some calls around. If my boy Savage gives me the all clear, I’ll help you.”
“Savage?” Wolf smiled. “You know him?”
“Yeah…I know him,” I said. “He…helped me out a while back.”
“Got it. I don’t have a number, but I can swing by the clubhouse. You got one in Yarramundi, right? I’ll call in a couple of days.”
Our second clubhouse was the more widely known one, purely because we didn’t like riff raff coming over Creed’s Crossing. For years, no one knew about Creed’s Crossing, but now it seemed like everyone thought they had a fucking pass.
“Yeah. I’ll see you there on Wednesday at noon.”
Wolf shook my hand, firm and sure. “Either way, you can be the one to take me out or you can shift me to a chapter you need me at.”
I nodded, already liking the guy. “Got it.”
He walked off, no interest in the fight, and seemed to have come here solely for me. I didn’t miss how half the girls preened over him as he passed them.
“Who was that?” I heard my woman ask as she came back over with a smirk on her face.
“Someone lost,” I answered how I always answer when it comes to club business.
She wouldn’t be getting mixed up with it until I could give her the run down about it.
After all, being the Prez’s ol’ lady came with a bag of rules all of their own.
But I knew she was up for the challenge.
“Trey’s over there. You think he’ll come over and talk to you about it? ”
I’d given her a rundown of what we found out, and she’d been as concerned as me, but hadn’t really spoken about it.
I wasn’t sure if it was because she knew something I didn’t, or because she wasn’t sure what to think, but I wanted to trust in her.
If she needed to keep something from me, I had to believe it was for a reason.
There would be times I’d have to do the same for her.
I knew she’d seen him at his worst, and she would do what she could to get me the answers I needed. That our club needed.
No one was using my son to get to me, to the club, that was a damn promise.
“He will,” she said, confidently. “I’m irresistible to deny.”
I grabbed her ass tightly, easily squeezing her cheek under her mini skirt. “That’s damn true, but you’re mine, so keep the irresistible shit to our bedroom.”
“I like it when you get all handsy and possessive,” she crooned, leaning into me. “Makes me so hot for you, like I could ride you right here and now.”
God this woman was trying to kill me.
“Go and get him,” I growled at her, giving her a tap on the ass. She did, swaying her hips suggestively as she went. If one fucking person turned to give her attention, I’d snap.
Trey turned to her when he noticed her coming his way. Slowly, his head shot up and found me, his smile disappearing, before he turned his attention back to her. He spoke to his mates before he joined Rowan as she walked back to where I stood.
“Reaper.”
“Enough with the shit, Trey. How did you become co-owner? You know of the pact that it needs to be co-owned by one on each side.”
“I know, I’m from the Shackled side, given my connection to you. The pact hasn’t been broken.”
“Who is your co-owner?” Rowan asked him, and I could have kissed her for the way she could easily slide in as if she were already part of the club.
Because she was.
Trey sighed. “I don’t know yet. There’s meant to be a big meeting in a few weeks and this person is meant to be there.”
“Who’s going with you?” I asked.
“Beast and Knight, probably Animal.”
Nodding, I knew they were the best to be there on our behalf. “Good. I want you to tell me everything.”
“Isn’t that what the goon squad are for?” Trey spat. “I’m sure they’ll tell you.”
“Trey,” Rowan responded, a little hurt. His anger dissipated for a moment, before he aimed it back at me.
“It’s going to take more than you sleeping with Rowan for us to have a relationship, Reaper,” he said. It had less heat in it. “But you need to learn to respect me too. I know what I’m doing.”
I had to admit that I did still treat him like a kid, but he also acted like one. The thought of having a proper relationship with him was alluring. It’s what I’d always wanted but Celine had poisoned his mind from the start.
“Okay,” I said, finally. “No lies, no fucking drugs. You come to me when you need the help, but you will have my respectful distance so you can do your thing. Remember, trust is given as a choice, but when it’s broken, it’s never coming back.”
Trey nodded, turning to Rowan, then back to me. “I think we’re both in agreement there.”
I knew exactly what he meant, and I nodded in response. He turned and walked away, leaving me with Rowan looking at me expectantly.
Turning her so her back was against the wall, I crowded her. “Are you wearing your panties?”
“No, because I don’t have any left, dick,” she roused. I loved it when she got all bossy and temperate. Kissing her jaw, I licked my way down her neck. “You keep that up, I’ll be riding you in this damn place.”
“Least they’ll know you’re mine.”
“Trey may be okay with you and me, for now, but I doubt he’ll want to see me doing that to you.”
“Good point,” I said, stepping back before I said fuck it all. I wanted to work on a relationship with him, not turn him away more than he already had been. “Let’s get out of here.”
Rowan was nodding, before she stopped suddenly, her smile dropping and her eyes drifting behind me. Turning, I saw who she was looking at.
“Brianna?”
She was almost the spitting image of her mother, only where Kayla was all skin and bones, she was curvy, with extra padding as Pope would call it.
Her normally brown hair was dyed a blue-black, the lights in here reflecting off it to give it a blue sheen.
And she wore heavy eyeliner. The hurt in her eyes was evident.
She put her hand on her hip, and looked from Rowan to me, before she spoke.
“Hi, Dad, didn’t mean to interrupt, but it looks like you’re too busy making out with my brother’s girl.”
Shit.