by Jade Kuzma
He bowed his head then started shuffling back into the sheriff’s department. I didn’t bother waiting any longer before hitting the road.
There was nothing left for me to do in Ivory. All of the pawns were in place. Now it was just a matter of letting it play out.
Sullivan could either confess to what he and his club did, leading me right to the Triads in the process. Or he could take his conviction for Cook’s murder. Sullivan wasn’t stupid enough to do something like that though. A man like him spending time behind bars for something he didn’t do would be pointless. It was a no-win situation for him.
As I headed down the road, the last piece started to fall into place.
I saw someone following right behind me. A lone biker that was moving so close to me that I knew who it was.
I kept moving until finally finding a darkened alley to park in. The bike followed me into the alley.
I got out of my car and saw Sullivan sitting on his ride.
“Sullivan… I was just about to report Agent Cook missing. Are you here to discuss his disappearance?”
“Yeah,” he said. “You won’t have to tell them I did it. I’ll give you what you want.”
I didn’t bother holding back my smile. Sullivan knew I was playing a game with him but I made the rules. I couldn’t lose.
“You’ll have to be more specific,” I said. “There are a lot of things I want.”
“First, I want assurances.”
“You’re in no position to bargain with me—”
“But I am. You pin Cook’s murder on me, you might take down the club, but it doesn’t get you anywhere closer to the Triads. I know the higher-ups aren’t eager to let you spend even more time in Ivory. This investigation has gone on long enough.”
“…Interesting. You think you’re in a position to get what you want?”
“I’m trying to put us in the position so you can get what you want and I get what I need.”
“And what do you need, Sullivan?”
“Leniency for the club. It’s the Chinese who have the weight. The Black Reapers don’t spend more time behind bars than they have to.”
It was a concession I didn’t mind making.
“You have my word,” I said. “The prosecution isn’t interested in your club. Their only serious crimes have involved the Chinese. Whatever petty business you have in Ivory isn’t my concern.”
“Okay.”
“Is that all?”
“There’s one more thing. There’s a girl. Once I do what I’m about to do, she’ll need to be protected as well.”
“I can promise you that you’ll have the best protection we can provide. A club like the Reapers won’t be able to lay a finger on you or her.”
Sullivan exhaled a deep sigh through his nostrils. He still seemed reluctant but he didn’t have any other choice.
“Do we have a deal?” I asked.
He waited for a second before giving me a nod.
“Garnet has a meeting set with the Chinese for tomorrow night. I’ll give you the location and you can come in with your task force. Take them down and—”
“Nice try,” I interrupted him. “Do you take me for a fool?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You think I’m just going to go to that meeting. In all likelihood, it’s probably a trap. How do I know that Cunningham didn’t put you up to this?”
“Nobody put me up to this. I’m just trying to save my club from a war that’ll get them killed.”
“No. My game. My rules. Tomorrow morning. I’ll meet with you. We’ll leave Ivory. Away from the influence of the Chinese and the Reapers. Once we’re out of town, you can give your confession in complete safety. I want all of the information you have, not some meeting you’re setting up.”
He clenched his jaw. The frustration on his face almost made me smile.
“It’s up to you, Sullivan. This is the only way I can guarantee your safety—”
“Fine. Tomorrow afternoon. I’ll give you all the information you want. But you’re only going to be ending up at the same meeting, trap or not.”
“That’s just perfect for me. My task force will be more than prepared to take down the Triads. You should probably give your club a warning. Maybe tell them to not even show up. There could be some… collateral damage.”
“Just do what you have to do.”
I took a step toward him and held my hand out. He looked reluctant but eventually shook my hand.
“This is the right decision, Sullivan. You know it is.”
He sighed a deep breath and yanked his hand away from me.
“Tomorrow morning,” he said.
“I’ll be at—”
“Don’t worry,” he said, revving his engine. “I’ll find you.”
He backed out of the alley and got back onto the road.
I waited in my car for a moment and went over everything in my head.
Sullivan was going to give me all the details on how the Reapers did business with the Chinese. Even better, I was going to get information on a direct meeting between the two groups. My task force would be prepped and ready for anything that would go down.
After more than a year in Ivory, I’d done it. This stupid game with the Black Reapers was finally coming to an end.
Endgame: Chapter 20
DECLAN
I could hear how alive the city of Ivory was outside. Bikes rumbled up and down the road. A few police sirens filled the air from time to time. Everybody was getting their night started and enjoying themselves.
The Grindhouse was annoyingly quiet. A few lights over the bar counter I sat at kept me company while I poured myself another shot of whiskey. The clubhouse would be out of commission for a little while longer while the repairs from the shooting were being done. At least it gave me a chance to enjoy the place all to myself.
Everything was set. Calls were made. Orders were given. Arsenals were stocked. The Black Reapers and I were prepared for every possibility. But there was only one we were hoping it would come to.
I swallowed the whiskey down. The burn in my throat made me feel alive for just a moment.
“Hey.”
Michelle’s voice was more recognizable than anybody else’s. She was more than just my wife. She was more than just my old lady. She was my whole world. Right now, I couldn’t think of a better person to spend this moment with.
“What are you doing still awake? Wait… I know the answer to that…”
Michelle took a seat next to me and rested her chin on my shoulder.
“…Why don’t you get some sleep?”
“Can’t sleep. Not right now.”
“What’s wrong? Business?”
“Business is taken care of for the time being. I just… I need to think a little bit. I’d rather do it here than with my head on a pillow.”
Michelle leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek.
“You’re incredible, you know that?”
Hearing her say it got a chuckle out of me. I sighed a deep breath, thinking about how grateful I was to have her by my side.
“Where’s that coming from?” I asked.
“It just looked like you needed to hear it.”
“Right…”
“I mean it, too.”
I fiddled with the empty shot glass between my fingers. Even with someone like Michelle by my side, I couldn’t get my mind off of everything that was about to go down. The future of the club was at stake.
“I hope you’re right,” I said. “It’s times like these that it’s more than just a patch. It’s about the men wearing ‘em.”
“Whatever it is you’ve got planned, you’ll get through it. You have before.”
I looked into Michelle’s eyes. She narrowed her gaze at me with a sly smile on her lips. She was the only woman who could make me forget about everything going on in my life. My goddess. The queen of the Black Reapers.
“Stop thinking about it,” she whispered
. “Whatever it is on your mind…”
She put her hands up and zipped my vest down.
“…Just think of me. Let me clear your head.
I let my vest fall down to the floor. My eyes locked on her, I let her continue to undress me while we sat at the bar. She undid my belt and pulled my zipper down. All the stress in the world wouldn’t stop my cock from swelling.
She reached into my underwear and found my swollen member. She started pumping it in her fist. Her mouth was half-open and her eyes were stuck on mine. A seductive pixie was right here in front of me, just trying to make me forget everything.
“Just forget…”
Her whispered words filled my ears and put me in a daze. I lost my senses as she kept jerking my cock.
There was no point in waiting any longer.
I stood up from my seat and started fiddling with her jeans. They were so tight that they hugged her figure perfectly. I tugged and pulled them down her legs until her thong was exposed. My eyes still on hers, I let her jeans bunch at her ankles on top of her shoes. Then I grabbed the waistband of her panties and rolled them down her thighs.
She was wet, dripping onto the seat. Her pussy glistened underneath the dim lights of the clubhouse. The sight was enough to make any man’s mouth water. But with my cock painfully straining between my legs, I couldn’t wait.
I pushed my underwear down and freed my cock. Then I stepped between her legs, forcing her panties down with my boot, and held my cock to her entrance. She spread her legs as much as she could then leaned back, bracing herself on the bar.
Michelle and I had fucked more times than I could count. I never got tired of her. The best thing about her being my old lady was that she never refused. Wherever I wanted it, however I wanted it, whenever I wanted it. She gave it to me. There was always a desire burning in her eyes that made my own craving for her that much stronger.
Tonight… Tonight I didn’t just want her. I needed her. I needed to be with her so I knew there was a fire still inside of me. A fire to tell me that I was capable of pulling this off.
I pressed my cock to her entrance. Just my tip disappeared inside of her. Michelle bit her lip in response. Her eyelids flickered. I reached up and cupped one of her tits. My other hand reached around and held the small of her back so I could push the rest of my cock into her.
“Fuck!”
Michelle sighed loud. Her cry echoed off the walls of the empty clubhouse.
I started thumping my cock into her. My hilt banged against her pussy. The wet sound of our bodies slapping together grew louder with every thrust.
She arched her back and started moving her hips to meet me. The entire time, she kept her eyes locked on me.
I wanted this moment to last forever. The feeling was like nothing else in the world. But looking into her eyes was like having my soul pulled out of me.
“Give it to me,” she sighed. “Give it to me, babe… Just like that…”
I slammed my cock into her pussy. Hard thrusts rocked the entire bar frame. I moved my hands down to the small of her back so I could hold her in place. She remained splayed against the bar while I banged her hard into it.
“Fuck… Give it to me… Declan… Garnet…”
My lungs burned in my chest. My heart was on the verge of exploding. I felt like grinding my teeth into dust while the sweat dripped down my forehead.
“Garnet… Garnet…”
Hearing her say my name was a chorus from heaven. An angel calling out to me.
My muscles tightened up. My breath grew shorter until I held it completely. I banged my cock into her so hard and fast that it felt like I was going to pass out.
“Garnet…”
I saw the edge and fell over. I plunged my cock into her as deep as I could.
I squeezed my hands on her while I exploded inside of her. Thick throbs of cum fired out of me. My knees buckled but I kept myself standing straight. My entire body felt like falling over. But I held my ground, looking into the eyes of the woman who gave me the strength I needed to do what I needed to do.
My cock emptied completely into her. I pulled out and a trail of our fluids leaked out of her.
Michelle sat in front of me, breathing hard with a focused stare. I stood before her. Even though I knew what was about to happen, I’d never been so determined. I wouldn’t let her down. I wouldn’t let anybody down.
The Black Reapers and I were going to do this. Nobody could stop us.
Endgame: Chapter 21
DAY FIVE…
DORIAN
I looked out the window and watched the view roll by. There wasn’t much on the way out of Ivory. Just nothing but desert that seemed to stretch for miles. There were mountains and valleys in the distance but the view never seemed to change.
“Don’t try anything funny.”
Lieberman glanced at me from her rearview mirror.
“You saw I’m not carrying any weapons,” I said. “I don’t have my phone.”
“I know you’re thinking about putting your hands on me.”
“If I wanted to be put my hands on you, I would’ve done it already.”
“No… No, you wouldn’t. You’re different, Sullivan. You know how to restrain yourself. You’re not like all of the savages back in town. You use your head.”
“My head…”
I sighed and turned my attention back out the window.
I told Lieberman I would give her all of the details about the deal. She’d have all of the information on the Triads. The product they had. The man in charge. The times we meet. The money we made. I knew all of it. Lieberman was intent on getting it all down in a place away from Ivory, as to prevent the rest of the club or anybody else from finding out. By the time anybody did, I’d be far away from town where nobody could do anything to me.
“It’s a nice view, isn’t it?”
“Do me a favor, Sullivan. This is going to be a long ride. Just shut your mouth and talk when I tell you to, okay?”
“It can get pretty lonely out here. Some say it really makes you feel alone when you’re on one of the roads out of Ivory. Others say it’s the best place to spend by yourself. Personally, I love the feeling of being on the open road.”
“Sullivan…”
“I guess it’s different when you’re on a bike. The breeze in your hair. The engine under your ass. The pavement at your feet—”
“Shut the fuck up already.”
I laughed softly at her attitude and put my head down.
“I’ve been on this road before,” I said. “So many times. This time is a little different.”
“Don’t worry. Once this is over, you won’t have any regrets.”
I thought about the club. I thought about everything we’d been through. To think that it was all coming to an end. I was the newest patch but I’d already experienced so much.
“Can I ask you something?” I said.
Lieberman let out a frustrated sigh and gripped her hands tighter around the steering wheel.
“What?” she said.
“Was it worth it? Coming here and spending all this time in Ivory. All of those late nights you spent trying to trace a path to the Triads. Killing one of your own men. Do you have any regrets?”
“The only regret I have is that it didn’t happen any sooner. The Triads are dangerous criminals. The sooner I get them behind bars, the better.”
“It’s strange that you’d take me in personally.”
“I couldn’t risk it. An agency escort would put you in danger. It’d make it more obvious that I have someone about to give me a confession. No, nobody knows that I’m about to get the information you’re going to give me. Can’t risk an agency leak. But don’t worry. You’ll get the protection I promised you. Same for your old lady…”
Lieberman was telling me everything I wanted to hear.
We were alone on the road. Nobody knew that Lieberman was taking me in. Nobody knew that I was going to give a confession. It wa
s the perfect opportunity for her to finally put an end to her investigation in Ivory.
“Can I ask you something else?” I said.
“…What is it?”
“Was Logan the only one?”
I stared at her through the rearview mirror. She looked back at me, her eyes unblinking before shifting back toward the road ahead.
“Who?” she said.
“Logan. I think you know him. He was my best friend at one point. You must’ve not counted on him surviving and me staying friends with me. Funny thing about being in prison… You can still talk to people on the outside.”
Her jaw tensed on the side of her face. She wasn’t hiding her emotions very well.
“What does it matter?” I said. “You’ve already got me where you want me.”
“…All right,” she sighed. “I suppose I can humor you since you’re going to give me the information I want. It’s not like it’ll make a difference. Nobody will believe you.”
A smirk formed on her lips. Lieberman wasn’t the type to smile very often, so when she did, you knew it was for a good reason.
“My team got the information that you were working for the Chinese early,” she said. “So I had some people contact the Spades. The plan was to kill one of your members. It would splinter your group and make you think twice. The Triads would form a new deal with another club and we’d be there to take everybody down before it happened.”
“You told them to do what they did to Michelle?”
“I didn’t tell them what to do. I just told them they needed to do something. The Spades were a supremacist group, so they were more than willing to mess with the Chinese. Cunningham ending up in the hospital and the shooting on Bennett was just a random act by them.”
“The end justifies the means…”
“Don’t act like your club is innocent in all of this. You’re moving weight, Sullivan. There are consequences for that.”
“Putting an innocent woman in the hospital. Putting a hit out on one of the club members. Telling my best friend to come to Ivory and burn down everything important to me.”
Lieberman kept her eyes on the road. Her body shifted as she giggled in her seat. It was easy to tell she was amused by all of it.
