by Jade Kuzma
I looked around for some answers but there were none. Thankfully, Sheriff Sutton walked up to me so I could hopefully find what I was looking for.
“Sutton,” I said. “What the hell is going on?”
He gave me a shrug and sighed.
“Your guess is as good as mine. I’m sheriff of the whole department but Lieberman and her special task force are a different group. They keep me in the dark.”
“Lieberman… She’s acting like something happened…”
“I don’t know, Michelle. There’s no point in worrying too much about what’s going through that woman’s head. It took me a long time to understand but I get it now.”
“Right…”
“Why don’t you come with me? We’ll have that cup of coffee. I’ll make sure you’ll be all right for the rest of the night. No more interruptions.”
“Yeah… Sure…”
The kind smile on the old man’s face was a bit of a relief. But I wouldn’t be completely comfortable until I knew what was happening with Declan. I felt helpless. All I could do now was keep hoping that he would finish whatever it was he was dealing with.
Reaper: Chapter 19
DECLAN
If anybody saw Lin walking down the streets of Ivory, they would’ve known in an instant that he wasn’t from around here. It wasn’t because he was Chinese. It wasn’t because of his pale skin. It wasn’t even the expensive suit he wore or the way he slicked back his hair so perfectly that it looked fake. No, there was something else about the motherfucker. Lin carried himself like he was worth millions. It wasn’t just that though. There was a bit of arrogance to him. It was like he was too good to be associated with the people around him. I couldn’t blame the motherfucker. When you had an army of Triads at your disposal, you tended to get a little cocky.
I stood with Ghost by my side while Lin paced back and forth in front of me. The abandoned storage warehouse we were in was completely quiet. The two armed gangsters behind Lin could make it loud in a split-second if they wanted to.
“I told you before but I think it bears repeating. I don’t like Ivory. I don’t like the way it smells. I don’t like the way it looks. I don’t like the way it feels. Dealing with Ivory is an unfortunate cost of business.”
He stopped pacing right in front of me.
“You know I only talk to you directly when it’s important,” he continued.
“And this is important?” I said.
He gave me a nod and put his hands behind his back.
“The man you were dealing with. Cross. How did it go?”
I narrowed my eyes at him.
“How do you know about Cross?” I said.
“I do business in Ivory. I have eyes where they need to be. When one of the MCs I’m doing business with gets involved in violence, I like to know exactly what I’m dealing with. If you were to die, I’d need to know so I can talk to the other clubs.”
“I’m not dead. I can’t say the same for Cross.”
“And the rest of his club?”
“They’re a small group. They don’t have a place to call home. It was easy to make them disappear.”
“Good.”
Even though Lin had a stake in what happened, it was curious to hear him say that. There was a satisfied smirk on his face that only left me more confused.
“You spoke to me earlier,” he said. “You wanted to have a meeting with me but you canceled it. What was that about?”
“I had a change of heart.”
“A change of heart?”
“There was the possibility that I was gonna introduce you to Cross and his gang. I figure with as much business as you’re doing, you could use a few new bikes to move your shit.”
“I see… But you decided to kill him instead.”
“Change of plans.”
The thought of not having to worry about Cross put a smile on my face. I never reveled in the death of another man but the motherfucker was asking for it. This was all for Michelle.
“How fortunate for you,” he said.
I raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
“I never would have done business with a man like Cross.”
“He’s psychotic. I knew that right when I looked at him. Everybody’s better off without him in the picture.”
“Indeed. In your case especially.”
“You mind telling me what the fuck you’re getting at?”
Lin was speaking to me in riddles like there was something I didn’t know. He didn’t keep me waiting for long though.
“I told you,” he said. “I have eyes all over Ivory. I know what’s going on with your police force. I keep tabs on the feds. And I know when some random MC shows up in town. Don’t you think it’s curious that some club shows up to Ivory and suddenly takes issue with you?”
“He knew my wife. He knew that I had a good deal going with you.”
“And you still don’t see it. Such a convenient coincidence.”
“What the fuck are you saying?”
“What I’m saying is that if you didn’t kill Cross and you brought him to me, then I would’ve killed him myself.”
“What? Why—”
“Agent Lieberman is doing everything she can to try and get to me. That includes getting in contact with a man like Cross.”
I shook my head softly in disbelief. That shit sounded too outrageous.
“Lieberman is a fed,” I said. “She would never bring someone like Cross to Ivory.”
“She would do whatever it takes. You see, she doesn’t care about you or me or Cross. To her, the end justifies the means. I would never hold a meeting with her. But there was a chance that I would hold a meeting with another club. A club working for her.”
I turned to Ghost but he looked just as confused as I was.
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Ghost said. “Why would Cross work for Lieberman?”
“Cross is not smart but he is crazy. Being crazy got him into a lot of trouble. If they didn’t execute him, they were going to put him behind bars for the rest of his life.”
“So he made a deal with Lieberman,” I said.
“Cross isn’t like you or any club president,” Lin continued. “I’m aware of the MCs and your unwritten codes, is it? You would never deal with the police. You would never rat out another club. Cross wasn’t above doing something like that if he could save himself.”
It made sense. Cross was a piece of shit, no matter how I looked at it. He shot my ride. He raped Michelle. Working for Lieberman to avoid prison time sounded like one of the more reasonable things he could do.
“All right,” I said with a nod. “Cross isn’t working for Lieberman. Not anymore.”
“Are you certain that Cross is dealt with?”
“You don’t have to worry about it. The Reapers have erased people before.”
“Lieberman will come looking for her informant.”
“She’ll ask questions but nobody will answer. The Vultures never existed. Gone without a trace.”
Lin exhaled a deep breath of relief through his nose and nodded.
“Good. Then business can proceed as usual.”
“There’s still the matter of Lieberman. If all of what you’re saying is true, having a woman like that around can’t be good for either one of us but especially for you.”
“I’m touched by your concern.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” I said with a smirk. “I don’t intend on taking the fall with you. And if you go, the money goes with you. This is a business arrangement. Nothing else.”
“I’m glad you have everything in perspective… Yes, Lieberman is a thorn in my side. Dealing with local police is much less stressful than dealing with a federal agent. But she’s not any closer to getting her hands on me. Follow my instructions and I don’t see how our business arrangement can’t continue to be beneficial for both of us.”
Ghost and I turned around to leave when Lin stopped me.
“Oh, o
ne more thing, Cunningham,” he said to me.
He walked up to me and looked me right in the eye.
“Don’t ever think about bringing anybody else to the table. No other clubs. No other gangs. Not even your own family members.”
“I got it—”
“It’s fortunate for you that you dealt with Cross before he ever came in contact with me.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because after I killed him, I would’ve killed you.”
Lin wasn’t the kind of man to joke about something like that. The look in his eyes only confirmed what he was saying.
“To protect my investment, of course.”
A smile suddenly appeared on his face but that shit wasn’t sincere.
I looked him up and down then gave him a nod.
“Come on.”
I suddenly felt Ghost’s hand on my shoulder.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here already,” he said.
I gave Lin one last look before turning back to my VP.
“Let’s go home.”
Reaper: Chapter 20
MICHELLE
I don’t know how but I managed to fall asleep at Sheriff Sutton’s place. I suppose worrying through the night finally took its toll on me. The old man gave me the privacy that I needed. I wouldn’t be completely comfortable until I knew that Declan was safe though and everything was done.
Even though I slept, I woke throughout the night. I kept checking my phone for any messages from Declan. It wasn’t until the morning when I finally got a message from Jon. Declan’s VP didn’t say much. Just a message asking where I was.
Sutton gave me a ride back to the clubhouse so that I could finally put my nerves to rest.
The place didn’t open until the afternoon, so it was completely empty inside. I could hear someone inside of the meeting room where the club conducted all of their business.
“I guess you should be fine now. Sounds like the boys are back.”
Sutton stood next to me. His face was so wrinkled but through it all, I could still see the kind smile on his lips.
“Thank you,” I said with a nod. “I appreciate it.”
“I’m just doing my job. I serve all of the citizens of Ivory. Even the wife of a club president. You stay safe now.”
He bowed his head to me and slowly made his way toward the exit. Right after he left, silence filled the clubhouse again.
I waited for a bit but whatever they were talking about wasn’t a quick conversation. There was a rumble of anxiety in my stomach even though I knew I shouldn’t have been stressed as much as I was. Jon wouldn’t have sent me a message if everything wasn’t all right.
Finally, the door to the clubhouse opened. The club members all filed out one by one. They gave me a smile and nodded as they passed by me. Some of them headed into the back. The others left to get whatever work done they had in town.
Declan and Jon were the two last men to exit. They were talking but stopped as soon as they saw me.
“…I’ll talk to you later,” Declan said to him.
“Right.”
Jon nodded to him then gave me a friendly smile before leaving the clubhouse.
“Are you—”
“I’m fine,” I said. “Are you—”
“I’m fine,” he said with a laugh. “Last night?”
“Last night,” I sighed. “It’s a long story.”
“I guess we both have something to tell.”
I rushed up and wrapped my arms around him. He held me softly in his embrace. He was so strong that I could still feel him though. His hard muscles. The scent of leather. It was all so familiar. I’d never been so grateful to experience it all again.
We headed for our room in the back of the clubhouse. Declan took off his leather kutte and did the same with his shirt. It was then that I realized how filthy I was. I stripped my clothes off just the same as him.
We got into the shower together. The warm water pouring over me washed away everything. He held me in his arms so that I could enjoy the heat of our moment together. A deep kiss let me know that he was real.
He hadn’t said much to me yet. The look in his eyes told me everything I needed to know. Whatever it was he had to do last night, it was over.
He wrapped a towel around himself and headed over to the window. I did the same, sitting right next to him as we looked out into the city.
“Ivory’s so peaceful in the morning,” I said.
“It’s always peaceful.”
“It is. The mornings are different though. Everybody’s still asleep. The whole town is resting. It’ll only be a few hours but it’s like the city itself is on the verge of waking up. Right now, it’s just… quiet.”
“Quiet. I guess that’s why I love this town so much. Nothing but peace and quiet.”
He slowly turned toward me. He reached a hand up and put it to the side of my face. His touch alone was enough to send a shiver down my spine.
“The first time I laid eyes on you—”
“You just wanted to fuck me,” I said with a giggle.
“Yeah… Once I got to know you… I realized that I’d be willing to do anything for you. I want to love you. I want to worship you. I want you to have everything you want.”
“All I want right now is this. This peace. This peace that Ivory has always had all my life.”
“I can’t change the past. But I can change the future. I promise you that you’ll always have that peace.”
I swallowed to clear my throat before asking him.
“Tony?”
He shook his head softly.
“Cross was just a figment of your imagination. He never existed.”
It was strange to hear. I thought he was already out of my life. Seeing him again brought back the wrong kind of memories. Now that I knew that he was gone for good, I couldn’t help a deep sigh of relief. Seeing Declan there with me helped.
I didn’t care about the details. I knew Declan did things that were unsavory. It didn’t matter how he got things done. I trusted him to do the right thing.
Tony wasn’t the only problem though. From Declan’s demeanor, he appeared to feel the same way.
“I did what you told me to do,” I said. “I asked Sutton to get me to a place I could stay safe. Things didn’t go as planned though. Agent Lieberman pulled us over and she interrogated me.”
“Did she?”
“She figured something must have been up if I was asking for protection. So she detained me and questioned me. I guess it’s a good thing that I didn’t know what you were up to.”
There was no emotion on his face. I expected that he would at least be a little bit concerned but he wasn’t. He just stared off into the distance like nothing was wrong.
“Declan?”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right. You didn’t know—”
“I did know. Everything went exactly as planned.”
“…What?”
I shook my head in confusion.
“At this point, there’s no shaking her,” he said. “Lieberman’s got her claws in deep. She’s watching this entire town like a hawk. When I told you to ask Sutton for a place to stay, I knew she’d find it suspicious. After that incident with Char, it was too obvious.”
“You knew she was going to detain me?”
“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“It’s fine. I… I just…”
I put it all together in my head but it didn’t completely make sense.
“…Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I needed you to believe that with Sutton was the best place for you. That’s why I…”
He swallowed before he spoke.
“…That’s why I raised my voice. I needed you to listen to me. I needed you to feel like you had nowhere else to turn.”
“I know that you would never turn your back on me.”
“Now you know that for sure.”
Seeing th
e smile on his face gave me another sigh of relief.
“It’s not over,” I said. “It’s just like you said. Lieberman is watching you.”
“More than I realize. Cross was working for her.”
“You know…”
“That’s how Cross found you. Found out that you two were booked together and made the connection.”
“That must be why she was upset last night. She must’ve found out that you took care of him while she was interrogating me.”
“Lieberman is determined to get her hands on the Triads. She’ll do whatever it takes.”
“I’m worried about her.”
“Don’t be. You know that you won’t have anything to worry about. Not as long as I’m around.”
Looking into Declan’s eyes now, I believed him. Tony was the worst nightmare I’d ever had in my life and Declan erased him for good. There was no doubt in my mind that Declan could deal with anybody. The Triads. Lieberman. The cops. Other MCs. He’d faced them all and he was still here.
“Michelle…”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
I moved over to him and sat on his lap. A deep kiss and the taste of his tongue made me forget about everything we just spoke about.
“I love you,” I whispered.
I sank into his lap and rested my head on his chest. I stared out the window into the city and enjoyed the view before my eyes started to close. I could finally get the sleep I needed.
Reaper: Chapter 21
MICHELLE
I spent the morning sleeping in with Declan. The errands of the day were put on hold so that he and I could both finally relax. I knew that he needed the respite more than anything. So I gave it to him in more ways than one.
He laid on the bed before me, his body naked and exposed. His hard cock presented to me, I did what I did best.
My lips wrapped around his cock. I teased him a bit, just sucking on the head. The frustrated sigh he let out told me that I was on the right track. I held his cock and admired it while I licked the side of his shaft. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t want it though.
The anticipation made my mouth water to the point that I couldn’t hold back. I moaned with a mouthful of his cock. His hard length throbbed against my tongue as it disappeared inside of me. His tip hit my shaft and I opened wide to make sure not to gag.
