by Jamie Begley
“You’re in a good mood.” Viper looked at him suspiciously.
“Do me a favor; if I swear not to off myself, will you quit looking for signs that aren’t there? At least not anymore. I feel good. Actually, I feel fucking great.”
“You back on your anti-depressants? If so, pass me a couple. I had to listen to every brother in the club offer to pack Taylor’s shit back into her car before you could come today. Then Knox called and told me the FBI were waiting for him when he came in this morning, wanting us brought in for questioning.”
“I’ll bring Taylor’s shit out to her car myself after our meeting, and we can let Diamond do the talking to the FBI. They have to build a case against us. They have to prove we’re responsible for Slate’s disappearance. That’s going to take time.”
“What about Memphis? They have the tape to prove what happened to him,” Viper stated as he parked in the police parking lot.
“I think I have a plan for that. We’ll talk after the meeting. Then I’ll go see the brothers and get Taylor out of your hair. At least Ginny doesn’t know about her being at the club,” he said, getting out of the car and catching Viper’s expression. He knew when he was fucked. “She knows Taylor’s at the club?”
“Yes.”
“Fuck. Thanks, big brother.” He slammed the car door shut.
“I was worried about how you would react. I thought Taylor was part of the reason you wanted to kill yourself ….” Viper snapped his mouth closed. “Okay, I fucked up.”
Gavin laughed, slinging a brotherly arm around Viper’s shoulders. “Welcome to my world.”
Any visage of a smile disappeared before walking into the sheriff’s office where the desk clerk sent them to the courthouse.
“Knox and your lawyer will meet you in Room 2, in the lower level. They are waiting for you.”
Reaper and Viper shared speculative glances as they went back out the door then headed for the courthouse.
“We’re fucked.”
Reaper’s good mood rapidly disappeared at Viper’s worried curse.
Viper had become mired in the shitstorm Memphis had created. The betraying bastard deserved the death he had been dealt. The greedy fucker had been ready to blow the whole fucking club up before he had been caught.
Finding the room, Reaper saw a state trooper guarding the door. Another state trooper was stationed outside a door farther down.
The trooper checked their IDs before opening the door. “Make sure you keep several feet apart.” Motioning them inside, he then shut the door behind them.
Knox and Diamond were waiting inside.
“Thank God you two finally showed up. They were threatening to issue warrants for your arrests if you didn’t show in the next ten minutes.”
“Time got away from me,” Reaper took the hit for being late. “If they were so anxious for our arrival, where are they?”
“The Commonwealth attorney is speaking with the special agents. They’ll call us in when they’re ready.”
Diamond stared at Knox worriedly as time passed and no one was sent for them.
Cognizant of possibly being recorded, they didn’t discuss any of the variety of reasons they could have been pulled in for questioning. Assuming they were there to discuss Slate, they were wary to mention his name. The longer it took them to be called, the harder it was not to talk, which Reaper took for the stalling tactic being used on them.
“Is this even fucking legal? Keeping us waiting this long?” Viper asked.
Diamond, just as frustrated as everyone in the room, went to the door to pull it open.
The officer broke off, saying something to the communicator on his shoulder.
“I was just informed to bring you to a larger room upstairs. If you all will follow me.”
The four of them filed out of the room.
Reaper’s gut clenched as they went up the steps, preparing himself to be arrested. Two weeks ago, he couldn’t have cared less. He still felt as if that was where he should be, but Ginny had changed him even before he realized she was behind the voice that had strengthened his will to survive.
She kept him so busy with trying to jinx him that he had lost the desire to end his life. She made life worth living again. He didn’t know if he could survive in a small cell without her.
The room they entered was a courtroom, except there was no judge sitting on the bench, only four suited men waiting for them in the front of the courtroom.
“Please, take a seat and keep a safe distance apart.” An older agent directed them to the seats in the front row.
“I made my clients available at the FBI’s request, despite no advance warning. Since you’re now playing games, we’re leaving.” Diamond firmly blocked the men from going down the aisle.
The older man, who must have been the lead agent, spoke up. “I’m sorry for the wait. Unfortunately, it was unavoidable. We were waiting for two more people to arrive. I was just notified that they arrived at the airport and will be with us in the next five minutes. The FBI appreciates your cooperation.”
As he finished speaking, the doors behind them opened again.
Reaper turned to see Sex Piston, T.A., and Dalton come inside, looking just as surprised to find them there as they were.
“What are you doing here? You get lost paying a ticket? This is a private meeting,” Diamond snapped at Sex Piston as they came farther into the room.
“I don’t know why the fuck I’m here, and neither does T.A. or Dalton. We were dragged here an hour ago,” Sex Piston argued back.
“Why didn’t you call me?” Diamond asked, her eyes on the group of men waiting for them at the front of the courtroom.
“I fucking tried!” Sex Piston yelled at her sister.
“Ladies, if you take your seats, we will be ready to get started as soon as those we’ve been waiting for have arrived.”
Ignoring the agent’s directive to keep a distance, Knox and Diamond sat together, as well as Sex Piston, T.A., and Dalton.
When the agent asked them to move apart, Sex Piston opened her mouth. “Mind your own fucking business, and I’ll mind mine. I’ve had my temperature taken by three people today—I’m good. How many fucking times has yours been checked today?”
The agent was saved from the opening of the door.
Turning around, Reaper was shocked by who came through the door.
Shade, Jonas, and Shade’s father, Will.
This shit went deeper and deeper.
Reaper didn’t know why they were there, and from Viper’s and Knox’s expressions, they didn’t know either.
“Gentlemen, if you have a seat, we can begin.”
The new arrivals sat down in the row behind them. From the expressions on Will’s and Jonas’s faces, unlike the others, they knew what was going on.
“Do you know what this is about?” Reaper heard Viper ask Shade.
Shade shook his head. “Dad called me five minutes ago and told me to get here quickly.”
The lead agent held his hand. “I’m sorry about the delay. Now that everyone’s here, I can explain.”
Out of the corner his eye, Reaper saw T.A.’s color had paled and she was shaking. Dalton had placed an arm around T.A.’s shoulders. Sex Piston looked shaken, too.
The lead agent came forward. “I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Special Agent Corey. I want to explain why the FBI is here and—”
“Then fucking explain already,” Sex Piston yelled out.
“Very well. Mr. James, the FBI case on the death of Last Rider member, Memphis Mills, has been dropped. The file has been sealed and closed. The video provided to us of the alleged crime was inadvertently destroyed.” The agent handed him a folder. “Within that folder, you will find a document stating that no charges will be filed or ever will be in connection with Mr. Mills or the witnesses that provided the information.”
“Why has the State decided to be so forgiving? Not that my client is guilty in the first place,” Diamond asked.
“If you allow me to continue, all your questions will be answered.”
Agent Corey moved to Reaper. “Mr. James, this is the approval for the vaccine trail ParmFYOU was seeking consent to begin. The government extends its apologies in the delays from the company and will ensure ParmFYOU gets the highest priority available. We have also begun an investigation into the disappearance of the lab technician and will keep both you and her boss apprised of the situation.
“Furthermore, our agency will no longer offer the man who kidnapped you federal protection. He willfully disappeared, and so the FBI is no longer interested in his location. If, for some reason, he does show up deceased, we are aware of the criminal elements he associated with and will look there if the need arises.”
The agent moved to stand in front of T.A. to open the second folder, taking out two envelopes. “Mrs. Andrews.” The agent handed T.A. one of the envelopes, then came back to Reaper and handed him the second envelope in his hand. “These letters are from Miss Evangeline Bellamy”
Reaper looked up from tearing the envelope open as T.A. began sobbing to ask Viper. “Who’s Evangeline?”
“Mrs. Andrews and Mr. James, Evangeline wanted me to make sure you knew she didn’t make this decision under duress and wants you to respect the decision she has made. And she told me six times to tell you that she is safe and Hammer will be assisting her on her journey home.”
Tearing the envelope open, Reaper began reading the letter as T.A. began wailing in grief.
Dear Gavin,
This is the hardest letter I have ever written. I have a past I haven’t told you about. I’ve wanted to tell you so many times, but I was afraid, not for my own life, but for my sister, for Hammer, and for Will. I have another sister you didn’t know about. T.A. is my biological sister. Freddy adopted me when I was four years old. The Colemans gave me a new life, and I will always be grateful for having them in my life.
Please don’t hate me for not telling you. I love you, and the thought of you hating me would make what I have to do so much harder. I had Hammer make the deal for me when Killyama told me that Slate disappeared. I knew he would come for you. He was smart enough to know you wouldn’t stop looking for him. He had no choice but to kill you first, and I couldn’t let that happen. My brothers leaving that day was a trap for him, and I nearly lost you. I hope his death gives you the peace you deserve.
Viper told me yesterday that Taylor would be at the club today to see you. I kept hoping you would tell me that she was there, but you didn’t. I know you still love her, and I love you enough to want you to be happy. The hardest part today was not leaving my family but watching you walk away to see her.
Even if you decide not to get back with Taylor, I have to settle my past before I can have a future. I learned that lesson from you. I won’t watch my new niece or nephew grow up without me being in their life like I had to do with Trudy.
I wish you well, wild man.
With all my love,
Evangeline
Reaper stormed to his feet. “Knox, give me the keys to your cruiser!” he shouted over Trudy’s terror-filled screams.
“He’ll kill her! Jonas, tell them.” Trudy sobbed, holding onto Dalton.
When Knox gave Reaper the keys, Reaper started running out of the room.
“Mr. James, it won’t do you any good to look for her in Treepoint. Her plane left twenty minutes ago to an undisclosed destination.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
Reaper ran toward the doorway. With his hands held out, he slammed through the second set of doors without stopping. He had seen Knox’s cruiser parked outside as they had come in the courthouse.
Pressing the unlock button as he exited the door, he was in the car and pulling out of the parking spot before Knox, Viper, and Shade came running out. His heart racing as fast as he was driving, Reaper flipped the sirens on, screeching through the traffic on the main drag and driving up the mountain toward the Colemans’.
As he drove past The Last Riders’ clubhouse, he saw the men running down the steps and toward their bikes. Flying past them, he started slowing so he could make the sharp turn into the Colemans’ driveway. Hitting the steering wheel, he had to wait until an oncoming car slowed to a stop before he could dart across the lane.
Driving up the steep hill, he didn’t have to be told that Ginny was gone. Even if the agent hadn’t told him, it was written on all eight of her brothers’ faces as he jerked the car to a stop.
Leaving the door open, Reaper ran directly to Silas. “Tell me you know where she is,” Reaper begged.
Silas nodded. “I know where she’s going.”
“Thank God!” Reaper took deep breaths at Silas’s confirmation, his hands on his thighs as he tried to catch his breath. He hadn’t breathed since he’d heard Ginny had left. “Tell me. I’ll go right now.”
As he straightened up, his breathing stopped again at Silas’s expression.
“What’s wrong? You said you know where she’s going.”
The loud rumble of motorcycles coming up the driveway almost drowned out his question.
“She’s going back to Clindale Island.”
“I’ll get a plane.” Motioning for Viper to hurry toward him, already planning to get Train and a plane in the next hour, not giving a fuck about whatever stumbling block Silas was about to tell him.
“That won’t work.” Silas shook his head. “No one can fly or sail in without the permission of the island’s owner.”
“Then I’ll get his fucking permission. Who is he?”
“The man who wants to kill Ginny.”
Reading Order
1. Razer's Ride (The Last Riders)
2. Viper's Run (The Last Riders)
3. Knox's Stand (The Last Riders)
4. Sex Piston (Biker Bitches)
5. Teased (The VIP Room)
6. Tainted (The VIP Room)
7. Shade's Fall (The Last Riders)
8. King (The VIP Room)
9. Cash's Fight (The Last Riders)
10. Fat Louise (Biker Bitches)
11. Riot (Predators MC)
12. Shade (The Last Riders)
13. Stand Off (Predators MC)
14. Lucky's Choice (The Last Riders)
15. Keeping What's His: Tate (Porter Brothers Trilogy)
16. Merry Blissmas (Biker Bitches)
17. Hostage (Predators MC)
18. Winter's Touch (The Last Riders)
19. Train's Clash (The Last Riders, Biker Bitches)
20. Standing His Ground: Greer (Porter Brother's Trilogy)
21. Crazy B!tch (Biker Bitches)
22. Rider's Revenge (The Last Riders)
23.Stalked (Predators MC)
24. Claiming the Enemy: Dustin (Porter Brothers Trilogy)
25. T.A. (Biker Bitches)
26. Dangerous Love
27. Gavin’s Song (Road to Salvation: A Last Rider's Trilogy)
28. Ho Ho Hennessy
29. Reaper’s Wrath (Road to Salvation: A Last Rider's Trilogy)
Maria
Made Men, #4
Sarah Brianne
Available Now!
Hello…?
Feeling the early morning sunlight warm her skin, a smile touched the curve of her lips as she envisioned the man she had fallen asleep next to and whose face hadn’t left her, even in her dreams.
Maria gently opened her eyes, ready to look upon him once more. However, she was only met with an empty bed. Reaching her tanned hand out, she touched the spot he had lain in when her eyes had closed hours ago. It wasn’t even warm, making her wonder if it had all been a dream after all. The only proof she had that he had been there were her memories and the indention of the bed beside her.
He left me … without saying goodbye?
She sleepily searched for her phone before finding it and hitting the name of the man who had brought butterflies to her impervious stomach at thoughts of the night before. Maria put her phone to her ea
r, hearing the white noise before the tone of the ringing assailed her eardrum.
bRRing …
The butterflies that had been floating in her belly seemed to stop fluttering, beginning to sink.
bRRing …
She sat up on the side of the bed. Something didn’t feel right as those butterflies slowly sunk to the pit of her stomach, which had seemingly become softer overnight.
bRRing …
Maria clutched her phone tighter while she held it feverishly to her ear.
bRRi—
At the answering of the phone, the pit of her stomach cleared and her irrational fears vanished. She waited for his voice to grace her ears. However, it wasn’t a single male voice she heard yelling. It was two. One belonged to Kayne Evans and the other to Dominic Luciano; both voices clearly distinguishable—
BANG!
As she abruptly stood up from bed, the phone wasn’t the only thing she clutched; it was her black heart she held, trying to keep it from hitting the ground, unlike the phone on the other end of the call. She heard it smash the ground.
She shakily held the phone to her ear, hearing the final sounds of death that departed from her ear and from this earth. In her other hand, she held her chest so tightly that her manicured nails dug into her smooth flesh.
When raindrops began hitting the window, where light had been shining through only moments ago, it were as if the gates to heaven had opened, welcoming home the heaven-bound soul who’d just been taken.
Going into shock, her mouth open, but no words dared to pass her lips while she stared out at the ominously pouring rain.
After several eternal-like moments, she finally heard movement on the other end of the line. It was the quiet whisper of breath she heard, telling her someone was there, alive … listening.
“Hello …?” She found her voice that was now as unsteady as the knees that held her up and the clouds in the sky.
The breath on the other end of the line echoed louder and louder until the rain and every other sound dropped away, silence magnified like the ringing that had stormed her eardrum when she had first placed the call.
