Reaper (Kings of Korruption MC Book 4)

by Geri Glenn

I stare at her for a moment, then choke out a laugh. “Don’t be too thankful,” I say through my chuckles. “He wasn’t that kind. Reaper’s a bit of an asshole.”

  This time, it’s Charlotte’s turn to laugh. She nods in agreement and pulls me in for a hug. “Why have you never told me?”

  Burying my face in her silky dark hair, I shrug. “Shame?” I say, my voice muffled by her shoulder.

  She squeezes me tighter, rocking gently from side to side. After a minute or two of her blissful understanding, she pulls back, holding me out at arm’s length. “But you said you’re clean now?”

  I nod solemnly. “Ten months and four days. I still struggle, but I’m over the worst of it…I think.”

  “Good,” she says with a smile and pulls me in for another hug. “Did Reaper kill that motherfucker?”

  An unexpected laugh bubbles up inside me and spills out. Charlotte rarely swears, and the sound goes a long way to breaking the tension. “He didn’t get a chance, but I don’t think it matters. He spoke with Jake, and he won’t let him in again.”

  Charlotte’s eyes scan my own, her face unsure, but finally, she nods. “Thank you for telling me.”

  I squeeze her back and ignore the tear that slips down my cheek. “Thank you for listening.”

  I know I didn’t tell her everything, and I’m sure she still has a million questions, but letting Charlotte in on my secret is one of the most liberating things I’ve ever done.

  Reaper

  Five minutes alone with Belanger’s “team” was all it took to know they weren’t on board with his mission to bring down the Kings. Even the looks they shared behind his back gave that away, but it wasn’t until I was sitting in the back of a cruiser in front of Korrupted Custom Choppers that I heard it for myself.

  “Belanger’s losing his fucking mind,” the young officer that had led me out here says to his partner. “Says this one was resisting arrest, but the son of a bitch was just lying on the damn floor.”

  “Careful,” the other one warns. “He’s the lead on this investigation, and you’ll find yourself on desk duty if he hears you’re disagreeing with his methods.”

  Their conversation is cut short when Ryker and Jase are led out the door by two more officers. I can’t hear them, but I can see them, and neither one of them look happy. Ryker’s shoved into the back of one car, Jase into another.

  It takes almost an hour for them to finish destroying Jase’s shop, but finally, Belanger comes strutting out, his face set in a withering scowl as he barks orders to the officers around him. One by one, the officers pile into the back of trucks and cars, and as one, we all take off toward the city, and likely the police station.

  The men are rough as hell as they yank me out of the car. The fact that I’ve been mouthing to them for the last twenty minutes likely doesn’t help my case, but I don’t give a fuck. “You’re goin’ down for this, Belanger,” I call out to his back as he heads inside.

  He doesn’t stop. The officers beside me lead me into a small interrogation room with mirrored glass walls that I know damn well are one-way glass. I feel like a fucking zoo exhibit. Another hour passes, each second of it spent pacing the tiny room and listening for any sounds from outside of it. Once, I hear Ryker screaming something, but I can’t make out the words.

  When the door finally opens, Belanger is the one that steps through it, his hair disheveled, his face set in stone. “Take a seat, Mr. Landry,” he orders.

  “I want my fuckin’ phone call, asshole.”

  “We’re not arresting you, so we don’t have to give you any phone calls.”

  That gives me pause. “I thought you said I was resisting arrest.”

  His face hardens as he eyes me from across the small room. “Seems the Kings even have friends in the Ottawa City Police Department, Mr. Landry. You can thank Sergeant Lawson for getting you out of that one.” He walks toward me, pulling out the keys to my cuffs. He fumbles with them for a moment, and then I’m free.

  Sargent Lawson just so happens to be Tease’s soon-to-be brother-in-law. He isn’t exactly a friend of the club, but Lawson is honest. Something this sleazeball clearly isn’t. I don’t know what he’d done to sort that shit out, but for once, I’m more than happy to owe a cop a favour.

  Shaking out my arms, trying like hell to regenerate a little circulation, I step up to the door and wait. “Unless you’re chargin’ me with some other bullshit charge, I think I’ll be headin’ home now.”

  “Not so fast, Landry. I still have a right to question you.”

  He does, and I have the right not to answer, and he fucking knows it. But I’m curious. Turning, I walk to the table, pull out the chair and take a seat. “Shoot.”

  “Are you familiar with the name Tim Chance, Mr. Landry?”

  Shit. “You mean Tiny?” I ask, knowing damn well he means Tiny. I did know him. He was a member of the Kings not so long ago. I also know he was a traitor, and a dick who ended up getting himself killed by our own MC president at the time, Gunner, along with the rest of us.

  Belanger nods. “That’s another name he went by, yes. Were you friends?”

  “Nope,” I answer honestly. “The guy’s an asshole.”

  Belanger stares brazenly back at me, his cold gaze unwavering. “You see, Mr. Chance was a friend of mine. Kept me in intel on some of the local crime, but then, a few months ago, he just disappeared. You wouldn’t know anything about that at all would you, Mr. Landry.”

  I know all about it. I’d seen him bite it. I’d sunk my blade in his belly myself. We all had. I also know that if this cocksucker calls me Mr. Landry one more time, I’ll be picking his teeth out of the sole of my boot for a month.

  “I’ll tell you what I know, Belanger, and then I’m fuckin’ leavin’. You have no grounds to keep me here, and I damn well know my rights. Tiny’s a fuckin’ wart on the ass of the world, and the day he took off, he did us all a fuckin’ favour. I don’t know where he went, but I hope to hell he never comes back. As for me, I’d like you to open that goddamn door and let me the hell out of here so I can crack a beer and forget this day ever fuckin’ happened.”

  Belanger sits stock-still for several moments, the only movement from his shoulders with every breath he takes. Finally, he stands and walks to the door. He knocks twice and an officer from the outside pushes it open. As I move to walk past him, he steps into my path and puts his hand against the doorframe, preventing me from leaving.

  “I’ll find out the truth, Mr. Landry, and when I do, you and every one of your crew will be in jail for the rest of your lives. That’s my promise to you.”

  I don’t say a word. I’m afraid if I even attempted to speak, I’d drive my fist into his smug and pasty face. After staring each other down for several seconds, Belanger finally steps aside and I’m free to go.

  Anna

  “Anna!” Charlie calls from the kitchen. “You might wanna get dressed, hun. The boys are on their way over and they’re not happy.”

  I sit up from my place on my bed, the book I’d been reading all but forgotten. “What boys?” I call back, wondering which of the boys she’s talking about. I don’t have any friends in this MC, but some make me less nervous than others. Jase is always nice to me, and Tease never speaks to anyone, so when he ignores me, it doesn’t seem to matter much. It’s Reaper that sets me on edge, and after the fiasco of last night, I’m not sure if I’m ready to see him again.

  “Ryker, Jase, and Reaper,” she says, now standing in my doorway, her face full of worry. “The cops came back today, and apparently tossed Jase’s shop, then arrested all three of them.”

  My eyes widen. “Arrested them for what?”

  Charlotte shrugs a little, her voice tight. “I don’t know. I only spoke to Ryker for a second, but he said they wanted a quiet place to talk so they’re on their way here. I’m going to run to the store and grab some stuff for a barbeque. Can you whip up a salad with what’s left in the fridge?”

  I smirk. “I don�
��t think you’ve noticed, but your boys don’t ever eat the salad. I’d be better off whipping up a dozen pies.”

  Charlotte grins and shakes her head. “Just make the salad, would ya?” And with that, she’s out the door and down the driveway before I can even climb off my bed.

  At first, I don’t intend to change my clothes, but one look in the tall dresser mirror has me digging through my drawers to replace my pajama pants and tank top. My body thrums with nervous energy at the thought of seeing Reaper again.

  He’s always been so hateful toward me, but a part of me had always been attracted to him. Last night, after I’d hurt myself, he’d been almost kind. Kinder than he’d ever been to me, anyway. The contradiction was confusing. Is it possible to be both afraid of someone and attracted to them? It must be, because Reaper scares the hell out of me, but I’d love to peel him out of those jeans he always wears so perfectly.

  I don’t have time to do much with my hair, so I throw it up in a quick messy bun and apply some eyeliner, mascara, and some lip gloss. It’s not perfect, but it’ll have to do. Besides, Reaper will probably do his trademark sneer in my direction and completely ignore me otherwise, so there’s no use knocking myself out for his benefit.

  I’m just finishing up with the salad when I hear them approach. Three loud motorcycles pull up in front of the house, the sound nearly deafening me. The thought of being alone with them is slightly terrifying, and I find myself sending out a silent prayer that Charlotte’s almost home. She’s the hospitable one.

  Ryker enters first, his big heavy boots thudding across the threshold and down the short hall to the kitchen. “Where’s Charlie?” he asks, obviously not happy to find me to be the only one in the house.

  “She ran to the store to grab a few things for a barbeque.”

  Ryker just nods and strolls past me, digging in the fridge and coming out with three beers. “We’ll be on the back deck,” he says, then he’s gone.

  Jase and Reaper enter next and walk right by me on their way through the kitchen to the deck outside. Jase gives me a chin lift as he passes, but Reaper actually stops and waits until Jase is gone before he speaks.

  Walking right up to me, he takes my chin in his hand and tilts my face toward him. He winces. “How’s the cheek?”

  “Sore,” I answer, my heart not knowing if it wants to hammer its way out of my chest or stop altogether.

  “I threw that fuckin’ coffee table on the front lawn this morning. Somebody else can have it. Maybe I’ll get a round one this time.” Then he does something that helps my heart decide. It makes it stop altogether. He grins. At me.

  I grin back, and his thumb swipes across my chin for a moment, then it’s gone. Without another word, he turns and steps outside, closing the sliding glass door behind him.

  Bracing my hands on the counter, I will my poor heart to start beating again, wondering what the hell had just happened. Was that the same Reaper that had come into the Pig’s Ear a few days ago, vowing to run my “scrawny ass” out of town?

  Reaper

  “It’s gonna take for fuckin’ ever to get my shop back up and runnin’,” Jase groans, flopping back in his chair and running his fingers through his already messy blond hair. “They trashed the place, and they did it on fuckin’ purpose. I’m willin’ to bet they knew they wouldn’t find a damn thing.”

  Ryker shakes his head in frustration and twists the cap off another beer. “Cocksuckers. And you said he brought up Tiny’s name?”

  “Said he was a friend of his,” I confirm. “Said Tiny used to keep him up-to-date on the local crime before he disappeared. Wanted to know what I might know about that. He didn’t question either of you?”

  Ryker shakes his head. “Soon as Lawson got wind Belanger had arrested us, he talked to some of the crew that’d been there, determined our arrests were bullshit, and had me pulled outta there a few minutes later.”

  “He started to question me,” Jase says. “I refused to answer any of ’em, and he was gettin’ real nasty. That’s when Lawson sprang me.”

  I chew on my lip, trying to piece it all together. “He came to tell me I was free, but wanted to ask a few questions first. I let him ’cause I wanted to know what his fuckin’ angle is here. He asked about Tiny almost straight away.”

  “Fuckin’ Tiny,” Ryker growls. “Even dead, that bastard’s still causin’ shit for the club.”

  Tiny had been a fat fuck that bitched about everything. I don’t think the guy had a friend in the world. He was mouthy and rude, and everyone hated him. I did, anyway. How he got patched in, I’ll never fucking know. He was buddies with Ryk’s old man at one point, but Ryker’s dad was a dick too.

  Back when Anna had gotten into shit with Krueger, we’d had problems with his club. They’d always seemed to be one step ahead of us when we attempted to sort shit out, and in the end, it’d turned out that Tiny was the reason why. He’d been feeding them intel on our whereabouts and plans the whole time.

  Bad move on his part. Within minutes of finding out, Gunner had put him down. We were Tiny’s only family, so nobody noticed he was missing. Or so we’d thought. Seems like Tiny had been narking on us to more than just the Devil’s Rejects.

  As Ryker and Jase start sorting out a plan to clean up his shop, I see movement through the sliding glass door at Jase’s back. Inside the house, Anna and Charlotte are working away in the kitchen, getting things ready for Ryk to make his famous burgers. Really, I think they’re Charlotte’s famous burgers, since she’s the one who does the making. All Ryker does is slap them on a grill. Regardless, they’re fuckin’ delicious, and after the day we’ve had, I’m as hungry as a pissed off bear.

  I watch with interest as Anna slices up potatoes, her face fully focused on the task. She really is beautiful. It’s strange, really, that I never noticed that much before. I mean, I’d known she was hot; you’d have to be blind not to. But I’d never really appreciated it until last night.

  Her admission about Krueger holding the knife to her throat when she’d made that selfish deal had unknowingly rocked the very foundation of the hatred I’d formed for her. I don’t know why she’d ever allowed herself to become involved with a man like Krueger in the first place, but knowing that she hadn’t been a willing participant in his sick plan to possess Charlotte makes her more of a victim than I’d thought.

  Even from here, I can make out the swollen blue bruise on her cheek, and her lower lip looks purple and sore. I don’t realize I’m staring until Anna looks up from her chore, her eyes meeting mine through the window. A soft smile forms on her lips for a moment before she flinches and brings the back of her hand up to press against her mouth.

  “We have one more problem we need to deal with,” I state, tearing my eyes away from her to look at Ryker. “Did Anna say anything to you about what happened to her lip?”

  A small frown forms on his brow. “No. I thought you said she fell?”

  “She did, but she was at my place for a reason. I went to the Pig’s Ear to talk to her, and found her on the floor of the break room, crying, her lip bleeding and already turning fucking blue.”

  Ryker and Jase both sit forward, and Ryker turns his head toward the kitchen, his eyes locking onto Anna. “What the fuck happened to her?”

  “I don’t know the whole story,” I say, suddenly not liking that fact very much. I wasn’t wanting to get involved in Anna’s mess because my own life was a never-ending mess of its own, but remembering the look on her face as she realized that goddamn pill was still in her hand has me changing my thoughts on that. “All I know is that when she was here before, she knew a guy that wasn’t exactly a good guy.”

  Jase snorts out a quiet laugh, and Ryker just shakes his head. “What else is new,” he says. “Seems Anna likes the bad ones.”

  Their attitude is exactly the same one I’d had, until last night. “Whatever the reason,” I push on, brooking no argument with my tone, “he fuckin’ laid his hands on her last night. Scared the
shit out of her and bit her lip.”

  Jase and Ryker both lose the sarcasm at that news. “Shit,” Jase mutters.

  “Who the fuck is this guy?” Ryker asks, now all business.

  “Name’s Shiv. He’s a junkie fuck up, and obviously has no problem laying his hands on a woman.”

  Ryker leans forward, his arm coming across the table as he turns to watch Anna once more. “Seems like Shiv needs a little visit from the Kings.”

  Anna

  After we’d eaten, Ryker had ordered a protesting Charlotte off to lie down, and I’d set to work cleaning up the leftovers and washing the dishes. I’m almost finished when Reaper walks into the kitchen to get himself another beer.

  Mindlessly, I pick up a plate and dip it into the water, my eyes focused on the soapy water before me, but every other one of my senses are focused entirely on him. I listen as he opens the fridge, and hear the clinking of glass bottles as he digs out his prize. He pops the cap and tosses it into the garbage. I listen as his heavy footfalls walk back toward the door, and my heart nearly stops when I hear them pause.

  My hand moves the cloth over the plate again and again, even though I’d been washing the same damn one since he walked in. I hear the sound of his bottle being set on the counter and his boots approaching me now. My eyes blur a little as I try to remind myself to breathe.

  “Anna?” he says from behind me, his breath fanning across the back of my neck.

  My hand stills. “Yeah?”

  “Babe.” His voice is softer than I’ve ever heard it, likely an attempt to put me at ease. “Lot easier to talk to you if I’m not starin’ at the back of your head.”

  I close my eyes and draw in a fortifying breath, then I place the plate in the drying rack, grab the dish towel and dry my hands. Finally, I turn to face him.

  “Give me your phone,” he says, his tone more of an order than a question.

  I frown a little, unsure of why he wants it, but you don’t argue with a man like Reaper. Leaning to the far side of the counter, I snatch up my phone and hand it to him. He opens it right up and I watch as he taps away at the screen, then I hear a ping coming from his own phone at his hip. He holds the phone out to me, his eyes boring into mine.