Reaper's Fire (Reapers Motorcycle Club #6)

by Joanna Wylde

  “Missed wearing this,” I said, pulling on my cut. “Missed it a lot. ’Bout fuckin’ time I could be me again. Got some business to take care of.”

  “Yeah, they’re waiting for you,” Horse said. “Gonna have church at the hotel, get your full report. Then we’ll make our move on the clubhouse. One thing we got goin’ for us—enough of them got picked up that there’s only a few left in town to fight.”

  “Not sure there’ll be much of a fight,” I told him. “All of Marsh’s people went down to the rally. The club wasn’t united and those who stayed behind were already pulling away. Anything could happen, but taking Marsh out of the picture is a game changer.”

  “That’s why we should get going,” Horse said. “Boss hates to wait.”

  “Got someone else I need to see first,” I told him, rubbing my chin. “Someone important.”

  “More important than your club president?” Ruger asked, but I was already throwing a leg over my bike. Tinker Garrett was waiting, and for the first time I wouldn’t be hiding who I was. My dick got hard just thinkin’ about it.

  TINKER

  “Something big happened down in Ellensburg yesterday,” Carrie said, her voice breathless through the phone. I was sitting on my porch, enjoying my Sunday-afternoon wine. No eye candy this weekend, which was probably a good thing. I hadn’t seen Cooper for a few days, and much as I missed watching him work, I knew it was for the best.

  On the bright side, I hadn’t seen stupid Talia or her machete.

  “You know how Cooper’s been hanging out with the motorcycle club? Well, they got in some kind of big fight and tore up a bar. Then the cops arrested all of them. Not just the guys in the club, but anyone with them, and Cooper was right in the thick of it!”

  “What?” I asked, my stomach churning. Cooper was a big guy, sure. And tough. But he’d never seemed particularly violent to me. I mean, he had the strength, but he was usually so even tempered.

  “Cooper got arrested,” she repeated slowly.

  “You know, anyone can get caught up in a bar fight,” I said. “Just because they arrested him doesn’t mean—”

  “There were drugs,” she said, and I heard genuine regret in her voice. “Lots of drugs. Meth, apparently. I guess a bunch of the guys were carrying it.”

  “Meth?” I whispered.

  “Yup,” she said. “They aren’t saying what’ll happen to them, but it’s not good. A cop got hurt, too, although I don’t know how bad. This might be the end of the club here in Hallies Falls. I wonder if he has drugs in his apartment. You should go check—if he’s dealing, you need him out of there. You can’t trust a guy just because he’s hot and mows the lawn without a shirt.”

  I sat back in the swing, feeling ill.

  “Thanks for telling me,” I said slowly, trying to wrap my head around it.

  “I’m sorry,” she replied. “But it’s for the best. If he’s a bad guy, it’s better to find out now so you can evict his ass. That club has gotten worse and worse.”

  “I can’t evict someone for getting arrested,” I told her. “That’s illegal.”

  “It’s a month-to-month lease, right? Just give him thirty days’ notice and get rid of him. You’ve got enough on your plate already.”

  Hmm . . . Maybe I should evict him. He’d caused me a lot of trouble and I’d already been avoiding him. God. But the thought of him leaving . . . It hurt—it hurt way more than it should’ve. I didn’t want to think about this.

  “I have to go, Carrie,” I said, hanging up the phone. It was probably rude, but she’d forgive me. We’d been best friends since we were born, so not like she had a choice. Sitting back in the swing, I looked across the empty porch toward the equally empty sidewalk, wondering why the news about Cooper bothered me so much.

  Because deep down inside you’re still in lust with him, of course.

  Dumbass.

  Reaching for my wine bottle, I refilled my glass and considered Carrie’s words—Cooper had been arrested for fighting, and possibly for meth. She was right. I needed to get rid of him. This was only common sense. Time to pull on my big-girl panties and accept reality.

  Panties . . .

  Hadn’t been wearing any of those that god-awful night I’d gotten caught with the stripper. And everyone knew it, too—even those who hadn’t seen the video heard the details. They felt free to judge me, too, because they thought they knew what’d happened in that room. They didn’t. So how the hell did I really know what’d happened down in Ellensburg?

  You don’t.

  Cooper should be innocent until proven guilty. Things didn’t sound good, but until I knew the full truth, I needed to give him the benefit of the doubt.

  Taking another drink of my wine, I looked up to see someone walking quickly toward the building along the sidewalk, arms hugged tight around her body. Sadie Baxter. Damn. There was something about her . . . she didn’t look so good.

  “Hi, Sadie,” I called out. She startled, looking up at me, and I gasped.

  Her eyes were a mess of purple and black and . . . Jesus. Someone had hit her. Looked like she’d tried to cover it with makeup, which was now smeared all over her face. There was dirt, too, and a nasty scratch on her cheek. Setting down my glass carefully, I walked down the steps toward her. She trembled like a baby deer, and my heart hurt. I wanted to demand what the hell had happened to her. Maybe wrap her up in Bubble Wrap and lock her in my basement.

  Instead I took a calming breath and smiled.

  “Do you remember that time I was babysitting you and we built that giant fort out of pillows and blankets?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” Sadie said softly, refusing to meet my gaze.

  “Do you remember why we did that?”

  Sadie’s lips tightened as she blinked rapidly.

  “Because I was scared of the monsters,” she whispered hoarsely. “So we built a castle and then you used the monster potion to kill them all.”

  “Yeah.”

  “What was that, anyway? The potion, I mean.”

  “Aqua Net hair spray,” I told her. “I’ll bet your mom wanted to kill me for getting it everywhere. But it worked, didn’t it?”

  She gave me a sad little smile, pushing a chunk of hair back behind her ear. “I guess it did. We were safe in that fort. I loved how you read me stories in there.”

  It took everything I had not to react, because when she’d pushed back her hair, she’d revealed a nasty cut that’d been hidden along her hairline. Looked like it needed stitches, but the girl was so skittish . . . Couldn’t risk scaring her off.

  “Sadie, I think maybe you ran into another monster,” I said, feeling my nose tingle as water built in my eyes. “I want you to know my house is full of pillows and blankets. We could go inside and build one hell of a castle if you’d like.”

  The girl smiled sadly, then shook her head.

  “Monster spray isn’t real, Tinker. I gotta go now.”

  With that, she turned and started walking away.

  “Sadie!” I called after her. She stopped, looking back.

  “Let me take you to the hospital.”

  “I’m fine,” she said. “And I don’t need you interfering in my life. I’m not a little girl anymore.”

  “Okay,” I said, thinking about her as a little girl. She’d been such a beautiful child. “Just answer me one thing—was it the motorcycle club that did this to you?”

  She turned away without speaking.

  Guess I had my answer.

  GAGE

  “You’re actually serious about going to see this woman before we take care of the Nighthawks?” Ruger asked, cocking an eyebrow. We’d stopped at a gas station about halfway to Hallies Falls.

  “Yeah,” I said, sliding my card into the gas pump. “Thought we covered this already.”

  “We did. I just didn’t believe you.”

  “Why not?”

  “Well, there’s the fact that I’ve never seen you fuck the same woman twice,” he sa
id.

  “That’s not true,” Horse chimed in. “There was that dancer in Vegas. He spent a whole weekend with her.”

  “Did you know her real name?” Ruger asked me.

  “No.”

  “Doesn’t count,” Ruger declared. “So what’s up with this Tinker bitch? She have a magic pussy?”

  “None of your fucking business.”

  Horse paused to look me over.

  “He hasn’t fucked her yet,” he announced.

  “We aren’t discussing this.”

  “Damn, you’re right,” Ruger said, nodding sagely. “I get it. Sometimes you just want one so goddamned bad and you can’t have her. Messes with your head. But this is club business. Priorities, bro.”

  “What would be more important to you—dealing with the Nighthawks or taking care of your old lady, Sophie?” I asked him.

  “Trick question,” Ruger replied. “If there was a problem with Soph, nobody’d expect me to be on this run.”

  “Yeah, well what if Tinker is my Sophie?”

  Both men stared at me, speechless. I took a moment to savor the silence, because it sure as shit wouldn’t last long with Horse around. Fucker never knew when to shut his mouth.

  “You shittin’ me?” he finally asked.

  “No,” I admitted. “I mean, it’s early days. Haven’t gotten to spend much time with her, and through it all I’ve been stuck with that crazy cunt Talia. But there’s something there. Feels real to me. I’m not gonna walk away until I know what it is.”

  Crossing my arms over my chest, I waited for the shit to fall. I figured it would come on two levels—first about the club, because it was always about the club. There was also the mandatory torment about me turning into a pussy.

  Instead Horse shrugged.

  “I knew with Marie,” he said. “I mean, I didn’t know that she’d be my old lady, but I knew she was different. Wanted her, and not just under me. Never really saw you with a woman of your own, but if you’re into that and she’s the right woman, you’d be a fuckin’ moron not to give it a shot.”

  “What he said, only smarter,” Ruger chimed in. “Fill in the blanks. I think you better call Pic, though. He’s expecting you to come straight to the hotel.”

  “That’s it?” I asked, wary as hell.

  “What else do you want?” Horse asked. “You need love poetry, go write it yourself.”

  “You’re letting me off too easy.”

  “You’re too pathetic to abuse right now,” Ruger said. “And if it’s like it was with me and Soph, you’re gonna be useless until you figure it out anyway. Now call the boss. If we’re changing plans, he needs to know.”

  I nodded and finished gassing up the bike. Then I grabbed my phone and wandered off behind the station to give Pic a call.

  “I’m gonna head over to Tinker’s first when we hit town,” I told him. “Gotta explain shit to her. It’s important.”

  “You’ve been holding off for weeks,” he pointed out reasonably. “You sure it can’t wait one more night? We’ve got BB watching the house, just in case things go bad. She’s safe enough, but it’s tense here—we gotta get this resolved before Marsh makes bail.”

  “I need to talk to her. I’ve been in Hallies Falls long enough to know how it works—Tinker’s probably heard ten different stories about me landing in jail, each one worse than the next. It’s not just about seeing her. I’ve got damage control to do.”

  “How long do you think it’ll take?” Pic asked. “Because I get it. I really do. And as your brother I want you to be able to take care of your business. But remember—you went through everything so we could take these fuckers down, and now’s the time to do it. Don’t throw away what you’ve accomplished before we finish it off.”

  “Don’t lecture me about doing my duty,” I snapped. “Last I checked, you were back home partying and getting laid while I ate Marsh Jackson’s shit. You owe me this.”

  He didn’t respond for a minute. Probably pissed him off, but I didn’t regret my words. If I couldn’t be straight with my brother, then he wasn’t really my brother.

  “Someone’s panties are in a twist,” he finally commented.

  “Someone spent the night in jail while his woman got fed a load of shit.”

  “Okay. Do what you gotta do.”

  “That’s it?” I asked for the second time in ten minutes. Something was wrong here. Fucked up and wrong. My brothers were being nice, and that wasn’t really our way.

  Pic snorted.

  “Yeah, that’s it,” he said. “It’s obvious your mind is made up. Not gonna hold a gun to your head. Then I might have to shoot you, and blood’s a real bitch to get out of leather. Just don’t make it too long—maybe an hour or so? We really do need you out here, Gage,” he added, his voice growing more serious. “We have to go in tonight, and we can’t go in blind. But you’re right—you’ve made a hell of a sacrifice and I respect it. We all do.”

  Thank fuck for that.

  “I won’t take more time than I need to,” I told him. “But the more people who get to her, the harder this is gonna be. And it wasn’t like it was gonna be easy under the best of circumstances.”

  “Well, that’s definitely the truth,” he said. “I’ve got one question for you, though—have you showered?”

  “What do you think?”

  “Okay, so you probably smell bad. Got any bruising? You feeling calm and laid-back?”

  “Yeah, they gave me a spa card as a parting gift when I got out. So fuckin’ relaxed I can hardly stay awake. Where are you going with this, boss?”

  “Don’t scare her,” he said seriously. “I know you want to do damage control. But sometimes when you go in too fast, you make things worse. Think it through, brother.”

  “All due respect, fuck off.”

  “Fine, do it your way. Good luck with that.”

  I hung up—because fuck him—and walked back over to Horse and Ruger.

  “When we get to Hallies Falls, you guys can head to the hotel. I’ll be joining you about an hour later. Pic knows the plan.”

  “Okay,” Horse said. “You want me to come with you? Watch your back? There’s still Nighthawks that didn’t get arrested. We haven’t figured out what to do with them yet.”

  “I can take care of myself. We’ll keep BB on Tinker, though, just until we know where Talia is. Got any idea what’s up with her?”

  “They didn’t arrest any of the girls,” Ruger said, shrugging. “They all ran off after the fight. Nobody’s seen them since.”

  “All the more reason to catch her before she hears more shit.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  By the time I pulled up to Tinker’s house, it was dark. BB—one of our prospects—was just cruising by to check on her. I nodded to him as I rode past, glancing up at the house. The light was on in Tinker’s room, and I saw a flash of movement in the window.

  Excellent.

  Nobody answered when I rang the bell the first time. The night air was warm, the smell of flowers and distant smoke hanging in the air. I nearly tripped over an empty glass of wine abandoned on the porch.

  That was her Sunday ritual.

  She’d sit out there every week, drinking wine, laughing, and whispering secrets with her friend Carrie. Driving me slowly fucking crazy with lust, watching me with those eyes and licking those lips and pretending there wasn’t a damned nuclear bomb hanging between us. Even after she’d started avoiding me, she hadn’t given up her Sundays.

  I made sure she always got a show, too.

  Lots of work that needed doing around that building of hers, and damned if I didn’t take off my shirt every time she was out there. My cock twitched, thinking about her ass in those cute little shorts she loved so much. Not to mention the way she’d tasted . . .

  Soon she’d be under me.

  Raw need burned through me, building with every mile like a wildfire, and for the very first time I wondered if Pic had been right about holding off—I wa
sn’t feeling kind and gentle and loving.

  I needed to fuck.

  I needed to fuck tonight.

  And yeah, it would probably scare the shit out of her, and no, at this point I just didn’t care, because she was right inside and no door was strong enough to keep me away from her. Not now that I was so close. Punching the bell again, I wondered if I’d have to kick the door in.

  Then I heard the lock scrape open.

  “Sorry,” she said, opening the door. “I was upstairs and . . .”

  Her voice trailed off as I looked her over, not bothering to hide the need burning me alive. She wore this long, flowing silky robe thing that’d been tied tight around her waist, and her hair was up in a ponytail that’d be perfect for holding tight while I fucked her from behind.

  My balls tightened, and I swallowed, staring at her nipples. That thin fabric was doing exactly jack to hide how hard they’d gotten.

  “It’s a little late,” she said slowly.

  “Time to talk, Tinker,” I replied, knowing I probably sounded like a fucking caveman and not giving one single shit. I pushed through the door, catching her arm and jerking her to the side so I could lock us in. Peaches. There it was. Now I just needed to figure out if her cunt tasted that way, too.

  Only one way to find out.

  My cock surged at the thought. Slowly, deliberately counting my steps to maintain control, I walked across the room toward a dark wooden table along the wall. Hold it together. Don’t scare her. Fuck her and make her scream.

  Jesus, couldn’t decide what I wanted.

  All of it.

  “What’s going on?” she asked, and I heard fear in her voice. Christ, that just made me want her more. I liked the idea of hunting her, chasing her down like a doe, then banging her hard while she screamed for mercy. Those nipples were like rocks . . . She wanted me just as bad as I wanted her. Was she wet already? I could practically smell it on her.

  The throbbing in my dick matched the pounding in my head.

  Keep it together, moron.

  Reaching back, I pulled my gun out of the back of my jeans, setting it down carefully. Then I unbuckled my belt, whipping it through the loops to free the scabbard holding my knife.