Reaper's Rival: Satan's Sons MC Romance Series Book 2

by Simone Elise

  “Sorry,” Abby said and reached for her water. I wanted to know why she was frowning, but the nurse walked in, stopping me from asking.

  “Abby, how you feeling?” The nurse moved to Abby’s other side of the bed and started to check her blood pressure. I don’t know how many times I had watched them do that.

  “I want a shower.” Abby put her arm out.

  “We wouldn’t really recommend you standing on your own yet.” The nurse wrote down the numbers. “You will be wobbly on your feet. It’s been a while since you have been on them. But if you really want one, I can get another nurse and we can help you.” The nurse was polite and was one of the few I had time for. She also didn’t frown every time she saw me in here.

  “I can do it myself.” Abby rested her arm back down.

  The nurse opened her mouth, but Kim cut her off.

  “I’ll help her.”

  “I don’t need help.” Abby grumbled. “And where are my clothes? The hospital grown is disgusting. It has blood on it.”

  “Well. your bandages are waterproof. But I don’t feel comfortable with you having a shower by yourself. I can get you a new gown.”

  “Kim, you call your dad and tell him to go back and get her clothes. And I’ll help her shower.” I settled the debate and the nurse nodded her head, seeming happy with that idea.

  Abby’s eyes flashed to mine and I saw panic in them.

  Kim got up and left to make the call, and the nurse followed, leaving Abby and I alone. I swear she had become a mute as soon as they left.

  She was staring down at our hands. Finally, she spoke. “When did you find out?”

  “About?” I leaned forward and lifted her head up. Her deep blue eyes were filled with worry. “What’s wrong?”

  “You don’t like responsibility.” She stated it like a fact. Like it wasn’t up for questioning. “A baby is the biggest form of commitment you can have. You never agreed to that, so I understand.”

  “You understand what?”

  “You should go.” She pulled her hand from mine.

  “Abby, what the fuck are you doing?” What was she getting at? Did she think I was about to turn my back on her and my kid? After everything, her and that kid was the only thing keeping me sane. Did she honestly not expect me to stay?

  She was the only woman I had ever loved, and she was carrying that baby that I put in there. Me. That was my kid.

  “You don’t owe me anything,” she said with pain in her eyes. “You should go before Dad gets here and makes you stay.”

  I got up in such a rush I sent the chair flying backward and my hands clamped down, cupping her face. Making her look at me.

  “I’m not going anywhere. Ever. You hear me, Abby? You’re mine. You and this kid. Nothing comes before and as far as I’m concerned, nothing comes close to you two. So stop pushing me away.”

  “But you hate responsibility.” Her eyes swelled up with tears. “I don’t want you to regret this, and I want you to know I’m not holding you to anything.”

  She could say what she wanted, but I wasn’t turning my back on her. Not now. Not ever.

  Her and this kid. That was all that mattered to me. As far as I was concerned, my life revolved around them.

  I never thought I would get lucky enough to have her, let alone have a child with her.

  I wiped her tears away. “I’m not leaving you, Abby.”

  “But-”

  I silenced her with my lips. Kissing her. I had worried I would never be able to kiss her again. And now I had the chance, I was greedy and wanted more, but she was weak.

  “Now that that is settled, how about that shower?”

  She stared back at me and I was half expecting her to give me another excuse. But she didn’t. She nodded her head.

  Chapter 10

  Kim

  “Reaper, stop walking so darn fast!” I picked up my pace as we entered the hospital. “You do realize she can’t go anywhere without us, right?”

  You would think the fact Abby was awake and was coming home, after months in the hospital, would be enough for this man. But it seemed he would only be happy when Abby was back at the club with him.

  He would stay till she went to sleep every night and was back before she normally woke. Even when Abby told him to go home, he wouldn’t listen. He was always here. Except for today, because he needed me to give him a lift to pick her up.

  “Man’s on a fucking mission,” Dad grumbled at my side.

  Dad also decided he would join the welcoming party for Abby, even though he was not a morning person and was in a worse mood than Reaper.

  “You at least can hold the elevator open for us!” I yelled at Reaper, who was stepping in the elevator. I saw his unhappy expression as he stuck his arm out to stop it from closing. I swore he actually debated whether to do it or not.

  “You are more eager to get her out of here than she is.” I hit her floor number.

  “I said I’d be here by eight, and that was an hour ago,” Reaper said behind me, not hiding the fact it was my fault we were late. His attitude was terrible this morning. I’m sure he believed it was my personal mission to make him late to get Abby.

  “She will understand.”

  “What, that you’re slow?”

  “It’s an hour Reaper. Not a big deal.”

  “She wakes at six, which means she’s been sitting awake for three hours.” He knew her routine better than any man would know his girlfriend’s sleeping routine.

  I turned to look at him over my shoulder, giving him a dry expression. “Well, we couldn’t rock up here at six, could we?”

  But by the expression on his face and the slight shrug of his shoulders, he would have been here at six if the doctors would have discharged her. I scoffed, shaking my head and turning around, the elevator doors opening.

  “You are unbelievable, Reaper.” We got out of the elevator and into the lobby. I was going to lay into him about how much of an idiot he was when my eyes landed on the man walking toward me. “What the hell is he doing here?” My mouth dropped open.

  Daniels strolled toward us. I watched him move past me, giving me a wink and then getting into the elevator.

  He just grinned at me as the elevator doors shut.

  “Who was that, Kim?” Dad asked, looking between the elevator and me. I was frozen on the spot.

  I blinked. I never expected to see him. Actually, I sort of hoped he had died as well. “Daniels.” Clearly unlike his boss, he hadn’t been in the range of Dad’s gun. If I knew the gang well enough, Daniels would have stepped into Damon’s role. When neither Dad nor Reaper made a move, I looked at Reaper. “Damon’s right hand.”

  As soon as the words left my lips, Reaper’s face went from annoyed to pure raw rage within a second. The same expression he wore when he was in prison was on his face, and he pushed past me, heading for Abby’s room. Basically running.

  “Could have spat that out a bit quicker, Kim,” Dad yelled over his shoulder, taking off after Reaper.

  They acted like this was my fault.

  I quickly took off after them, reaching them just as Reaper burst through the door.

  “Abby, you ok?” Reaper demanded as soon as the door opened.

  Abby was sitting on the bed cross-legged. Her eyes went from the bunch of roses that were in front of her to us. I noticed her slip something in her jeans pocket.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” She smiled, but it wasn’t real. “Where have you guys been?”

  “What did that guy want?” Reaper was basically blowing steam out his ears right now. “Did he hurt you?”

  “No.”

  “Did he threaten you?”

  “No.” She got up. “Can we go now?”

  “Who are the roses from?” I asked, admiring the red roses. I knew one person who particularly liked to send red roses. Blake. Usually as a warning.

  “No one. Woke up and they were here. Can we go now?” She was changing the subject. She was lying badly.
Did I call her out on it?

  But by the look on Reaper’s face, I wouldn’t have to.

  “Stop lying, Abby, and tell me what that prick wanted.” Reaper grabbed her by the arm, making her look him in the eye. “I’ll handle it personally.”

  It still bothered Reaper that he hadn’t been the one to pull the trigger on Damon. It was like he had something to prove, and going after Daniels would give him someone else to hold responsible for what happened to Abby.

  “I already have.” She looked at me. I knew that look. She was telling me to stay quiet. So I nodded my head swiftly, so quickly that my head was slightly dizzy, and neither Dad nor Reaper realized we had just made a silent twin agreement. “He brought me roses. Said there was no hard feelings and left. No big deal.” She was lying but was pulling it off. She went up on her toes, placing her hand on the side of Reaper’s face. “Seriously, I’m fine, Kade. I just want to go home.”

  She might be fine, for now. But Blake had sent her a warning. If I knew him at all, there would have been a card and Daniels would have been delivering a message as well. The gang had picked a new leader, and their first order of business was to scare the girl who took their role model and Blake’s cousin. The gang considered Damon as the father. The man you turned to when things go to crap.

  You don’t turn your back on family.

  But you do get revenge.

  “Let’s get her pregnant ass home,” I said, walking to where Abby’s bags were. “After all, you guys killed Damon. There is nothing to worry about.”

  I looked at them with a smile. Dad nodded his head. Reaper’s eyes hadn’t left Abby’s and if she really wanted to get out of here, she would have to work her charm.

  “Come on, Kade.” Her hand intertwined with his and while his hand was stiff from the rage he was currently trying to control, Abby’s hand just melted around his. “Take me home.” She kissed his cheek. “I am pregnant, remember?”

  “How could I forget?” His hand that was gripping her arm went over her stomach. “Alright, let’s get you home.”

  “I’ll get them.” Dad took the suitcase off me.

  “Thanks, Dad.” I gave him a smile and followed Reaper and Abby out of the room.

  She might have gotten out of answering Reaper’s questions, but she wouldn’t get out of answering mine.

  Abby

  Regrets. I had a few. But not one of them was taking those bullets. It was the first time in my life I had taken responsibility for my actions. I wasn’t letting Dad take the blame. I wasn’t hiding out. I faced my fate and the devil; somehow, I survived.

  “Looking good, Abby.”

  My head snapped up at that voice.

  Daniels.

  What was he doing here? I didn’t have a gun and I couldn’t even reach for my nurse’s call button without him noticing. Where the hell was Reaper when I needed him? Of course he would pick today not to show up on time. Normally he was here before I even woke up.

  “Daniels. What are you doing here?” I looked at the long-stemmed red roses he was holding and then placed in front of me.

  “Just bringing a friend some flowers. They’re from Blake.”

  “You aren’t a friend.” I picked the card off the flowers. Red roses were a warning. As romantic as they looked and as beautiful they were, Blake had turned them into his own personal threat.

  Sweet dreams? Come see me, or I’ll see your Dad here.

  “What does he want?” I looked up from the card to Daniels. “I’m finished with the gang. You have no hold on me.”

  “You had the mark.”

  “Damon cut that out.”

  “Still,” he shrugged his shoulders. “Blake isn’t ready to say good-bye to his best shooter.”

  “He can get another one,” I gritted out, my grip tightening on the card. “I’m pregnant. I can’t go back to that life.”

  “Is it Damon’s?” His face lit up.

  They would love that. Hell, they would invite me back with open arms and look after my every need. All would be forgiven.

  “No.”

  “Whose is it then?”

  My brain clicked in before I opened my mouth. Don’t tell them the truth. “Some one-night stand.” I wasn’t about to let them have more to hurt me with. “So Blake wants to see me?”

  “As the card read, yes.”

  “What happens if I don’t go?” Blake couldn’t get out of prison to make me see him. And his gang wouldn’t come near the club as long as I was there. Soon I would leaving to be with Reaper’s charter, and they wouldn’t have a clue where I was.

  “Like the card read, your Dad will.” His eyes sharpened. “Murder charges are hard to get off on.”

  Blake wanted Dad in prison. My stomach clenched tightly. Dad wouldn’t last five minutes within those prison walls with Blake in them, even with the MC members in there. Blake had more pull on the guards because he had been in there so bloody long.

  “Fine, tell him I’ll see him this week.” How the hell was I going to get out of Reaper’s sight for an hour? Reaper wouldn’t even let me shower alone at the moment.

  “He will be happy to hear it. Bye, Abby.” Daniels looked satisfied as he turned and left.

  My eyes ran over the card again. I knew Dad getting off those charges was going to be hard. Kim had told me Dad had screamed he killed Damon in front of the police. Even during Dad’s trial, he was proud of it.

  So typically Dad.

  Now it looked like it was going to come back and haunt me.

  Did I tell Reaper?

  No.

  This was my problem. If I even mentioned it to Reaper, he would do something stupid, like kill Daniels and put me in a worse position. I was glaring at the roses when the door burst open suddenly.

  “Abby, you ok?” Reaper basically broke down the door. The anger on his face told me he knew I had had a visitor. How would he have picked out Daniels? I glanced at Kim, getting my answer.

  I stuffed the card into my jeans pocket.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” I forced a smile. “Where have you guys been?”

  “What did that guy want?” Reaper demanded, looking like he was ready to track down Daniels and ask him if I didn’t answer quick enough. “Did he hurt you?”

  “No.”

  “Did he threaten you?”

  “No.” I got up. I really needed to change the subject. “Can we go now?”

  “Who are the roses from?” Kim asked. And I really wished she had kept her mouth shut. I didn’t know if she knew about Blake’s way to threaten women with roses. But by the expression on her face as she looked at me, I think she did.

  “No one. Woke up and they were here. Can we go now?”

  Reaper gripped my arm, making me look him in the eye. Didn’t he know it was so much harder to look him in the eye and lie? Why was he doing it to me?

  “Stop lying, Abby, and tell me what that prick wanted.” Reaper dipped his head, his furious eyes locked with mine. “I’ll handle it personally.”

  “I already have.” I looked at Kim. Please keep your mouth shut. Kim nodded her head quickly and I got my wish. She was going to keep quiet, which meant my only problem was getting Reaper to calm down. “He brought me roses. Said there was no hard feelings and left. No big deal,” I lied. I placed my hand on Kade’s cheek. “Seriously, I’m fine, Kade. I just want to go home.”

  I saw the debate in his eyes. Like he was deciding whether I was safer here than at home.

  “Let’s get her pregnant ass home.” Kim said, breaking the silence. “After all, you guys killed Damon. There is nothing to worry about.”

  Thank you, Kim. I smiled at Kade.

  “Come on, Kade.” I linked my fingers with his. Even though his hand was stiff, I just clenched his fingers tighter till he responded. “Take me home.” I kissed his cheek and decided I’d play the only card I had. “I am pregnant, remember?”

  His eyes softened and he nodded his head. “How could I forget?” His hand left my arm
and ran over my stomach. “Alright, let’s get you home.”

  I shut my eyes briefly. Thank god. Now all I had to do was somehow convince Kade to let me out of his sight to see Blake sometime this week.

  I knew when Reaper wrapped his arm around me and guided me out of the room, that was going to be my real problem.

  He was more protective of me than ever.

  I also knew Kim would have questions. It was one thing lying to the man I loved. It was another lying and getting away with it with your twin. Especially when she knew every trick I had in the book.

  ***

  I didn’t want to be here. I knew I was going to get an earful as soon as Reaper found out I lied and hadn’t gone into town. Instead I had driven half an hour out of town to see Blake.

  I was walking through the prison’s visitors section when I spotted him at a far table. I might not have been able to see him right away, but he had spotted me.

  “Abby.” He greeted me like we were old friends.

  “Blake.” I pulled out a chair and sat down. “What do you want?”

  He laughed. “Straight to the point, aren’t you?”

  “You did blackmail me to get me here. So now we are at the point where you tell me why before I get up and leave.”

  He sat back, looking rather proud of himself. “How’s your dad?”

  Why was he talking about Dad? “Good.”

  “Is he ready to come see me?”

  That was a double-edged question. The real question: was Dad ready to die in here because of me?

  “You’ve got my attention. I suggest you say something else to keep it.” I leaned in on the table.

  “You’re one of my best shooters.”

  “Was. And I really wasn’t that good. Anyone can aim and fire a gun.”

  “You’re a kill shooter. Have a straight shot. Don’t miss. And don’t flinch at the blood. But what I really like about you is the way you can hit a moving target.”

  “What do you want, Blake?” Highlighting how much of a good shot he thought I was wasn’t going to do anything. He couldn’t flatter me back into the gang. I didn’t care what he thought of my skills. As far as I was concerned, I was retired.