Zorro (Reapers MC Book 16)

by Elizabeth Knox

  Frost busts out laughing and Ian nods.“Hey, I get it, dude. Lucky for you we have restaurants plastered around campus. Show your student ID and you’ll even get some discounts. Some of them even offer meal prep services for a fee.”

  “Sweet, that’s nice.”

  “And what about you?” Ian asks Frost.

  “Honestly? I need a cozy library. Plenty of spaces for me to cram away in a corner and get my studying done,” she says with a bright smile. Man, she’s layering this shit on.

  “Cool. We’re actually a little bit away from the library. I can take you there if you’d like?”

  “For sure, I’d freaking love that!” Frost plasters on the enthusiasm and I have to fight the urge to laugh quite a bit.

  Ian motions with his hand for us to follow him, so we do. We follow the walkway and go around a circular building, up a set of stairs and then we’re walking inside. As we go inside there’s a water feature that shows you just how much money flows through this place. The elite and everyone associated with them must go here.

  “Hey, Ian. Who do you have here with you?” the woman behind the counter asks as we come into view. She must be in her early twenties, has long, blonde hair and hazelnut colored eyes.

  “Hey, Carly. This is Frankie, and her brother Vinny. They’re friends of Portia’s and they’re thinking about doing their graduate programs here. But, they wanted to see campus, the atmosphere, people, all that,” Ian explains to her.

  “Oh, sweet. Well, welcome. For the most part we’re all nice, but there are a specific few . . .” Bingo. Everything I’m looking for.

  Frost’s smile immediately drops from her face. “I . . . I think I need to go check out, um, over here.” She rushes off and Ian looks to me. His friend Carly does too.

  “I’ll be totally honest with you both. Frankie was raped at our alma mater. That’s why we’re looking for a safe place . . . so she can feel safe. You get what I mean?”

  “Fuck, I’m so sorry,” Ian immediately replies.

  Carly gnaws on her bottom lip, looking a bit torn. “For the most part we go to a safe school, but like I said, there are always exceptions to that.”

  “Carly, don’t go into that crap,” Ian warns her.

  I hold up my hand. “Please do, I’m very interested. This will help us determine if Stonewall is the right place for us.”

  “I mean, Ian, seriously . . . they smacked that one friend of yours ass at the party. I saw it go down. They’re fucking dogs,” Carly tells him.

  Ian nods. “Yeah, but it doesn’t mean we have to go around talking about the sour apples in our orchard, you know what I mean?”

  “All due respect, but it’s your honesty that’ll help us make our decision. If I know who we need to steer clear of, I’ll make sure we do. I think you both know your graduate programs are amongst the best in the country, so, please, tell me who we should stay away from. If there’s anyone we should be avoiding, I’d like to know. I only want to keep my sister safe.”

  Ian glares at Carly, but the woman doesn’t care, she opens her mouth and tells me everything I want to know.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  You didn’t go through all that for nothing

  ~ Unknown

  Ruby

  “Why did you invite her again?” Portia whispers while she’s peering through the racks at the boutique we’re in.

  Rosa’s a few racks away, scanning through the jeans because she busted her ass earlier today and ripped her favorite pair. We were heading into town and she mentioned needing to go in too, plus she had the car. I for one don’t have a car and Portia didn’t bring one with her. The option was to either get one of my brothers to take us out here and for them to be annoyed the entire time, or for us to have another chick with us to go shopping.

  “Do you have a problem with her or something?”

  Portia rolls her eyes. “No, I don’t have to have an issue with her to ask a question.”

  “But obviously there’s a reason you’re asking the question,” I say, cocking a brow.

  “I don’t need to hate everyone I’ve come into contact with. C’mon, Rub’, I’m not that bitchy.”

  “Yeah, but you are a bitch.”

  “Loud and proud!” Portia giggles, grabbing a hot pink tube top with a lace style fringe.

  “Just like that shirt, huh?”

  “Don’t hate on my shirt. It’s fuckin’ cute and I want it. Plus, it’ll be something hot for me to wear the next time I come out here. Maybe in the summer or something.”

  Her words hit me in the gut in a positive way. It might not seem like a lot, but she’s essentially just confirmed she realizes I’m staying here fulltime, which makes me so happy. It takes the world’s heaviest pressure off my shoulders. I might not tell everyone this, but I’m a people pleaser. I always want those who’re the most important people in my life to be the happiest. Sometimes, I don’t make the right decisions in their eyes and it doesn’t only hurt them. It hurts me too because I never want to be a disappointment.

  “I’m glad you’re coming back,” I say with a smile.

  Portia locks eyes with me. “Yeah, well, you’re my best friend and I’m not leaving you here in the middle of fucking nowhere. Obviously, I’m going to come visit you. Plus, it’s very serene out here. Peaceful and all that. A lot of people come out here for vacations and stuff, right?”

  I nod. “Yeah, I think so. There are a few resorts all around Montana. People from the city come out here to get fresh air.”

  Portia smiles even brighter. “Perfect. Then once every quarter or so you’d better expect me to come in crashing for about a week or so, deal?”

  “Deal,” I comment, wrapping my arms around her in a massive bear hug.

  “Obviously, the next time I’ll be out here will be spring break.”

  “You’re not going down to Miami for spring break?” I question, pulling away from her.

  She shakes her head. “Nah, it’s the same shit every year. I’m really exhausted with it all to be honest. I’d rather be here with you, to get in some quality bestie time and all.”

  Her words practically bring tears to my eyes and I struggle hiding my emotions. “Thank you, for everything you’ve said.”

  “You don’t have to thank me for anything. I’m just being real with you.”

  “Speaking of being real with me,” I pause for a moment to clear my throat. “Are you going to get over whatever beef you had with Zorro? I heard every word of it from the other day.”

  Portia sucks in a deep breath. “Yeah, I’ll get over it. You know I just . . . I come from a different type of life. The people you’ve found yourself with, and your brothers . . . you guys actually give a damn about people. Mine don’t. The only thing they give a damn about is using people for whatever advantage they can gain from them, usually in the form of a vote. Politicians are dirty like pigs, but you’d never know it. ‘Cause they don’t show you that side of them.”

  “I figured what you said had something to do with your family, but I wasn’t going to interfere. I mean, even from that far away I heard you loud and clear. It’s just . . . these people mean everything to them, especially Sydney. She’s been through so much and . . . honestly, she’s like royalty to the club.”

  “Look, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be that bitchy that day. I was just a moody cunt and I won’t be like that again.”

  “Language young lady!” the woman behind the cash register huffs from behind square glasses.

  “Mind your business, Gertrude. Hell, you’re selling shit like this and you’re upset because I said cunt? Well, cunty cunt cunt!” Portia holds up the pink fringe tube top and heads up to the woman, digs in her purse, and pays for the top.

  “I hope you’re just passing through. We don’t need ladies like you in this town. You’re the wrong type of influence on the young girls of Billings.”

  “Well, Granny, you’d better get used to my ass because my best friend Ruby over there live
s here now. She’s shackin’ up with one of the Reapers MC boys.” Portia just has to tell her my business.

  The older woman steps to the side and looks around to me. “The Reapers have been a blessing on this small town, making sure all the bad people stay out. Do me a favor and make sure this one does too?”

  I bust out laughing and Rosa does too from the other end of the shop. Rosa goes up behind Portia with a pair of jeans and some sort of sweatshirt, hands it over and pays. In a matter of minutes, we’re out of the shop and are on our way over to Tart. I need something sweet in my life, especially after that comedy show Portia just gave us.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Everything that drowned me, taught me how to swim

  ~ Jenim Dibie

  Zorro

  Carly gave me everything I needed to know. Well, not everything but she gave me enough information to track down the rest. Between Frost and I, we’re fuckin’ resourceful. We figured out the fraternity lives in a brick building on the west side of campus. I waited until nightfall and parked in the alley behind the building. Considering it’s a weeknight and the campus is at half capacity, I don’t even know if there are people here. I can only hope the fuckers who did this are, and right about now I’m feeling the stupidest I’ve ever felt.

  When Ruby told me what happened, she didn’t leave out details. One of the things I remember is the fact they were wearing masks from the Scream movies, so I made sure Frost and I both had a mask. I told Frost earlier tonight she could stay back at the cabin, that I could handle this . . . but, she isn’t the type to let a man go alone into anything. So, here she is, directly on my right with a hunting knife strapped to her inner thigh, and a Glock tucked in her back. I don’t know how she managed to get a gun out here, but like I said, she’s a resourceful woman.

  I have a hunting knife and a tackle box with me, but inside the tackle box are my most preferred methods of torture. A small saw, pliers, wire cutters that can break bones, a small sledgehammer, and many types of tackle. I know what these men did to the woman I love and I’m going to make sure none of them walk out of here alive. They’re going to suffer, just like she did. Frost and I are making damn sure of it.

  We exited the van about five minutes ago and now we’re at the back door that leads into their backyard. I push the door, expecting it to be locked, but surprisingly it isn’t. There’s one light on their back porch, but otherwise there’s nothing else. No confirmation of life being here.

  God. Did we come all this way for nothing?

  So many thoughts run through my mind, moments of doubt, moments filled with anger, and then I see movement inside the house. Frost taps my shoulder, signaling for me to look toward the left and I see two men behind a window, then there’s another walking freely on the first level.

  Okay, we fuckin’ got this, and we’ve got them.

  We move forward, sticking close to the ground and move in unison. The two of us manage to get to the back door, and just like the last door we pushed, it comes open easily. Two men were on the left side of the couch so I head in that direction while Frost heads to the right. If she didn’t have field work experience, I’d be worried about her getting hurt, but I’m confident she can handle herself.

  I push forward and find the two men have their backs to me once I reach the kitchen. Setting the tackle box down, I rush toward them and grab them by the back of the necks and slam their heads down on the stone countertop in front of them. Cracking sounds ring out at the impact and they come stumbling backward.

  I turn on my heel and watch as blood covers their forehead, slowly spilling down their pathetic fuckin’ faces. They look around and I know the moment they realize what’s come for them—karma.

  “Dude, w-what the f-fuck is this s-shit!?” the one asks, looking to his friend.

  “Hell, if I know. Talon, this isn’t a funny joke,” the other one says, looking right at me. He must think I’m Talon. I could use this to my advantage, but I don’t know if I will yet.

  Clearing my throat, the voice distortion device works. Frost thought it would be smart to attach them to both of our mouths, just in the off chance something doesn’t go as planned. It’s more protection, and that’s what we need. We can never be too safe these days.

  “Talon isn’t here, motherfucker,” I hiss out in an unmistakable growl. I don’t want either of them to think they’re getting out of this. “Do you remember what you did on Halloween night?” I ask, looking between the both of them.

  The one kid’s eyes widen while the other shows no remorse. “What we always do, take the slutty bitches as we want,” the unremorseful one tells me and I rush straight up to him, pulling my own hunting knife out, I jam it directly into his throat. He collapses to the ground, wrapping his hands around his throat like it’s going to make a fucking difference. Newsflash, it won’t.

  “Darren! What the fuck!?” the remaining kid screams in a bloodcurdling manner. His eyes widen even more and he goes into fight or flight mode. Pulling my arm back I shove it forward and close my fist just before it meets his face. I have no problem fucking this asshole up, and while I might’ve killed his friend far sooner than I thought . . . I’m going to take my time with him and his little friend.

  He stumbles back and hits the wall, falls to the ground in a disoriented manner, and blinks rapidly. He turns his head to the left and looks at his friend, with a knife in his throat and blood oozing out. His friend’s eyes are lifeless, unresponsive, and another shriek explodes from this pathetic excuse of a man’s body. I drop down onto my knees and plummet my fists into his face. Left then right, left then right, until all I see is blood and he doesn’t respond at all.

  Fuck! I’ve had every intention of taking time with these bastards, but my rage is too much. I’m too furious, too angry for everything Ruby went through. My hands shake with the outrage coursing through my body, knowing the fear she felt, hearing her whimpers and screams in our bed every single night. All I need is to get revenge for everything she endured. I need to right the scale. I need to make sure these men can never hurt another woman like her ever again, and the only way I’ll ever be able to do that is to put them in the ground.

  And while part of me wants to string them up by their balls and cut every piece of skin on their bodies, I know it isn’t feasible. Because at the end of the day, even if I take my fuckin’ time with them, they’ll still be breathing . . . and that’s what I don’t want.

  I don’t want them to have the opportunity to take a breath, or release one. Not when Ruby struggles to do the most basic of things. She doesn’t talk to me about her fear or her anxiety, but I’m not an idiot. I can see what’s right in front of me, even if she isn’t vocalizing what’s going on. The same way I can see how she feels for me. I fucking love her more than life itself and I know she feels the same way. She was made for me and I know men say shit like that all the time, but honest to God, Ruby was made for me.

  She is every speck of brightness that my soul needs when it’s so dark. She’s my only chance at redemption in this life. And I won’t let her slip away, not now, not ever.

  The sound of glass breaking causes me to rise to my feet, grab my tackle box, and run in the direction the sound came from. Frost is being pinned down on a dining room table with this fucker’s hands wrapped around her throat. She’s choking through the voice distorter and the man on top of her is laughing.

  Emotions take full control of my body and I lunge toward him, crashing him into a China closet. I push his head so far into the closet that the nose of a metal teapot shoves in through his ear and all of a sudden he goes limp, his body slightly jolting before it collapses onto the wooden floors below us.

  Frost rises, her chest heaving up and down quickly. “Holy fuck, that was a close one.”

  I nod, not able to respond verbally. I need a fuckin’ minute to catch my breath, to process the last five minutes of my fuckin’ life.

  “That motherfucker kept talking, I rubbed it in his bitc
h ass face what we were here for,” Frost heaves through the voice distorter.

  “What did they say?” I growl out my question, staring at her fucking mask. The same mask I want to rip off her face and stomp into the ground.

  “The rest of them aren’t here, Zorro. They don’t come back until next week.”

  “Fuck!” I roar, slamming my fist down on the table.

  “Zorro, I’m so fucking sorry.”

  Immediately, I shake my head at her words. “This isn’t your fault. It’s only mine. I should’ve thought this through more.” To say I feel like a failure is a drastic understatement.

  “No, don’t start giving up now. We have time, Zorro, we have a few more days.”

  “It won’t make a fuckin’ difference! They won’t be back!” I scream in her face, but she doesn’t act like it affects her. Hell, I’m sure she’s heard much worse.

  “This isn’t the end. Dex will be here, and the club gave him a job. He’ll follow through and you know it.”

  I slam my fist against the table again. “I don’t want to wait. It’s not fair to her. It’s not right!”

  Frost puts her hands on my shoulders and clears her throat. “I know it isn’t, but it’s what you need to do. We didn’t prepare enough, Zorro, but we got three of them tonight. Three of the fuckers who hurt her have met their maker at your hand . . . and when the time comes where Dex identifies the others . . . you will have a part in their demise. I’ll make sure of it. We’re family. The club always works together, always.”