Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
THE REAPER
Idon't know what's gotten into me to take a complete stranger home with me.
As Suzie said, I've never done this before.
Typically, I help them during their immediate interaction, then set them up with someone who can provide the assistance I wasn't able to.
There's something about Ariel that has me wanting to keep her around and give her the best life I possibly can.
They say love at first sight is a thing sometimes, so I wonder if that's why I want to keep her around.
When we get to the bar, Suzie goes back behind it and grabs us both drinks.
She gives Ariel the same vodka cranberry she got earlier and me a half bourbon straight up.
After the day we've both had, a drink is definitely needed.
Since I'm riding my bike, I don't want to drink too much and not be able to get us home safely.
My momma always told me not to drink and drive, but I need something small to keep the edge off after what happened down in the basement.
If Ariel ever asks what happened to Noah, I'll tell her, but I don't want that to change her perception of me.
I want her to know that I did everything to protect her from someone who didn't know how to treat her right.
Maybe now I can swoop in and take that position to show her what she deserves in the world.
I'm pulled from my thoughts when Ariel asks me a question.
“So does the big and bad Reaper have an actual name?”
Nobody has ever asked me about my government name before. Being in the club, we typically go by our chosen names.
“Samuel, but you can call me Sam for short.”
I can tell her brain is spinning with my real name.
“For being a Sam, how did you get the name The Reaper? That’s so different.”
I knew that question was going to come next. Anytime I tell people my government name versus my road name, they seem so confused about what the correlation is.
"Well, when you're in a motorcycle club, the group typically comes to a consensus about what your road name should be.
The other members of the club found my personality aligned with someone who is dominant and will do anything for the other members.
I've also shown to be the muscle of the club at times.
Hence, where the name The Reaper came from.
It was one of those names the members knew would fit me right away, and it's stuck ever since. "
It's not often I get to share my backstory with others, but I'm glad she wants to learn more about me.
"That's definitely fitting then. What made you want to get into the club in the first place?" she asks, taking a sip of her drink.
This has always been a hard question for me because I feel like I was chosen to be in the club, rather than seeking it out myself.
"You might call me crazy, but this family of mine is my chosen family.
Before I joined the club, I got a call that my sister had been beaten to death by her boyfriend.
I was so angry and went into a drinking spiral that I knew wouldn't be good for me to do anymore.
One day, I was at one of the local clubs, and a biker came up to me who could see the pain I was going through.
He asked if I had ever thought about being in a club before, to which I said no.
It was like he saw something in me because he asked me to be a prospect in the club.
Never would I have imagined I would've done it, but I did.
I worked my ass off and eventually landed my role as president today. "
I can see the tears well up in her eyes. I don't know if it's because she can relate to what happened to my sister or not. I go to wipe the tears from her eyes, causing a spark to fly between the two of us. She leans in and kisses me on the lips. Before I can deepen the kiss, she pulls away.
“I’m so sorry. I need to run into the bathroom for a moment to calm myself down,” she says as she begins to hurry away.
I can see Suzie watching her as she runs to the bathroom.
“You already fucking things up?” She asks.
“Nah, I didn’t do anything this time. Can you go check on her to make sure she’s okay? I got the bar.”
She nods her head in agreement and follows after Ariel.