Misleading Lake (Kings Reapers MC Book 6)

by Nicola Jane

  He hesitates, the smile falling from his lips. “Maddox, get in there and get her,” snaps Alaric. The man comes into view, taking a stance that tells me he’s going to charge any second. I keep Leo’s incubator behind me and point the gun. He smiles wider and moves towards me. I lower the gun to his leg, squeeze my eyes, and press the trigger hard, and then I wince when nothing happens. I press it again but still nothing. I open one eye just as the grim reaper punches me hard in the stomach. I feel the scar from my surgery rupture as I double over in pain.

  “You stupid little bitch,” he roars, grabbing a handful of my hair and hauling me to my feet. “I heard you like it rough,” he adds, squeezing my neck again. This time, he presses hard, and I gasp. I feel my feet leave the ground as he pushes me up the wall. I bang my hands against it, because maybe if I bang hard enough with the gun, someone will hear and come to investigate. A loud bang rips through the air, and he releases me. I fall into a heap on the ground, coughing and retching. Grim rushes outside, and I hear another shot. He falls back into the cabin, landing on his back, and when his head tips towards me, I stare into his black, lifeless eyes.

  All I can hear is the white noise ringing in my ears from the gunshots. I crawl towards Leo’s incubator. The pain in my stomach is unreal, and when I cautiously feel my wound, I’m not surprised when I glance at my hand and see fresh blood.

  LAKE

  “Sara!” I yell, stepping over the man Riggs just shot. She’s crawling towards Leo, not paying any attention to me. I drop to my knees, and that’s when she looks at me and her face floods with relief. “You’re bleeding,” I say, holding her hand up for inspection.

  “My stomach,” she croaks. I glance at her sweater and see blood seeping through the grey material. “Scar,” she gets out. Leia rushes in and goes straight to Leo.

  “Let’s get you to hospital,” I say, gently sweeping her up in my arms.

  We step outside and Tiny is still rolling around on the ground, moaning like a bitch. I can’t wait to tell Sara that her gun went off as we entered, skimming past both me and Blade to hit Tiny in the thigh.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Lake

  Riggs hands me a coffee as I continue to stare at Sara. She’s just come back from surgery to have the inner part of her scar restitched. She’s a mess. Her face is bruised, her neck is purple, and there’s cuts on her cheek. “The clean-up team burnt the cabin to the ground,” says Riggs.

  “With them in it, I hope,” I growl.

  “They disposed of the big fucker. It’d take years to burn him down,” he jokes, but I’m in no mood for jokes. “Maisy and Alaric are in the club’s basement.”

  “They’re mine.”

  “I know, brother. They’ll be there when you’re ready.”

  “How the fuck did we end up here?” I mutter. “How did she end up involved in that crazy shit?”

  “People are desperate when it comes to money,” says Riggs. “We should have suspected something when Maisy said she knew Falcon’s mistress. I didn’t make the connections.”

  “Why would we? I just thought it was a coincidence.”

  “Maybe Maisy will shed some light on everything,” suggests Riggs.

  I nod. “It’s a good place to start.”

  Maisy is practically seething with anger when I grab a stool and sit facing her. She tugs tight on the ropes, and I smile. “I redid them while you were passed out. Tight, just as you like,” I sneer.

  “Let me go!” she yells.

  “I can’t,” I respond. “Start from the beginning.”

  “Go to hell!” she screams.

  “I’ll be sending you there soon enough, so start talking.”

  Alaric begins to stir in the corner. He tugs at his ties and then opens his eyes in alarm. “Morning, sweetie,” I say brightly. “Welcome to the Kings. I’m not sure you’ll like the service, but there’s no one who gives a shit, so . . .” I shrug.

  “You had to get involved,” he snaps. “We just wanted the money and then we’d have left.”

  “No plans to hurt my kid or my ol’ lady?” I ask. “Cos she’s currently in fucking hospital cut up to shit!” I yell.

  “Don’t listen to him. I had every intention of slitting that sneering bitch’s throat,” snaps Maisy. “All the times I’ve sat across from her at breakfast while she made eyes at you . . .”

  “Jealousy is not a good colour for you, darling,” I snap.

  “I hate you!” she yells, then suddenly bursts into tears.

  Alaric stares at her wide-eyed. “Baby?” he queries. “What are you talking about?”

  I smirk, standing and moving behind Maisy. I bend so my mouth is close to her ear. “Did lover boy know we were fucking?” I whisper, and she shivers. I bury my face into her neck, and she automatically nuzzles against me. “Is that why you went along with this idiot’s plan?” I ask.

  “Maisy?” he presses.

  “I didn’t mean to,” she cries. “I didn’t mean to fall for him.”

  “What the hell?” Alaric tugs again on the ropes. “You were supposed to distract him, keep his eyes on you so that stuck-up bitch didn’t go back to him. You fell in love with him?”

  “By accident,” she sniffles. “And then that bitch came back to him and ruined it all. I was going to tell you,” she says, looking at me. “I wanted to tell you everything, and if you’d have chosen me, I would have.”

  “You were playing me?” shouts Alaric.

  I run my finger along Maisy’s shoulder, up her neck, and along her jaw. She sucks it into her mouth, and I let her. If she thinks this is a game, she’ll talk. “Talk to me, baby,” I whisper, keeping my eyes locked to hers the way I do when I dominate her.

  “Aliyah is my best friend. We move around, hitting up men for money. She told me she’d met a target. She started working for him and seduced him. He was getting itchy feet, so she made up that she was pregnant, using someone else’s pregnancy test.”

  “Maisy, shut the fuck up!” yells Alaric.

  I grip her hair and tug her head back so she can’t break eye contact. I move over her, keeping my mouth inches from hers. She’s panting, begging for me to touch her. “Keep talking and I’ll reward you.”

  “He offered to put her up in a nice place, but then he started talking about leaving his wife. He was gonna give it all up for her. Aliyah got Alaric the job. She told Anthony that Alaric was her cousin, and she couldn’t risk her family finding anything out until she’d spoken to her parents. Alaric got in with him, pretended he was in awe of Anthony, and he liked his ego being stroked. He invited him out to charity events and dinner at his house with his wife. Alaric seduced her, was going to use the affair to blackmail Anthony, but before he could, your little rich princess rocked up saying she was pregnant. Anthony told Alaric to marry Sara, raise the kid as his own, and he’d pay him. He was gonna take the money and run.”

  “Maisy, stop talking. He doesn’t give a crap about you!” yells Alaric. “Remember what he did, how he hurt you.”

  I rip Maisy’s shirt open, and she bites her lower lip seductively. Christ, she honestly thinks I’d fuck her after everything she’s done. “Keep talking, we’re nearly there.”

  “But then you stepped up,” she mutters and breaks eye contact. She starts to cry again, and I sigh heavily. I grip her chin and begin to unbuckle my belt.

  “Do I need to punish you, Maisy?” I growl, and her eyes dart back to me. “It’s your choice, pain or pleasure?” I ask, pinching her nipple, and she hisses. “Keep talking.”

  “Anthony pulled out of the deal. He said he wouldn’t pay Alaric a penny. We were in too deep. He was leaving his wife for a fake pregnant mistress, he refused to pay Alaric, and Sara refused to leave you for Alaric. We were out of ideas, then Alaric came up with this plan to kidnap Sara.”

  “And what were you gonna do if he didn’t pay up? Cos let me tell you, sweetheart, he wasn’t planning on it.”

  Her eyes darken. “We were gonna k
ill them either way,” she confesses, and my blood begins to boil again. “Alaric said it was the only way. She would have told the police everything if we had let her go.”

  I lean close, pressing my lips against hers. When she responds, I close my eyes tight and plunge the knife into her chest. I hate killing women. It’s not something we do at the Kings, but I can’t let her go—she was gonna kill my ol’ lady and my kid. I keep my eyes closed as I pull away. I take a deep breath before I look her in the eye. She’s staring right at me, her eyes like saucers. “See you in hell,” I whisper. I wait until she takes her final breath before running my fingers over her eyelids to close them. Then I turn to Alaric.

  “She made it up. We were always gonna let them go. She was obsessed with you and wanted to hurt Sara, but I said—”

  A knife sails past me, causing me to flinch. It lands in Alaric’s eye. “What the fuck?” I yell as Blade saunters down the steps.

  “He was annoying me with his whiny bullshit.” He shrugs. “I saved you a job, but looks like you’ve been a busy boy down here already. Maybe you didn’t need me after all.”

  I stare at Maisy. I’d be lying if I said I felt nothing. We were close for a while, and her betrayal hurts just as bad as me having to end her life. I’ve only ever met two women I wanted to send to Hades—this bitch and Connor’s mum. “I’m gonna speak to Riggs about your dangerous knife throwing,” I say, changing the subject. “I’m sick of you throwing them close to my head. One day, you’re gonna kill one of your brothers,” I add.

  “I told you before, I know exactly where my knives are going, and I never miss a target.”

  SARA

  Everything hurts. Even breathing is a struggle right now. I stand on wobbly legs, gripping the drip frame for support as I shuffle towards the door. Lake’s standing outside my room with Tillie and he rushes in when he sees me. “What the hell are you doing out of bed?”

  “Take me to Leo now or I’ll go myself,” I warn, and he sighs.

  “Shall I get the wheelchair?” asks Tillie. He sniggers, knowing how much I hate that thing.

  “Better not, she’ll only kick off.” He smirks, lifting me into his arms.

  “I can walk,” I protest.

  “Baby, God sent me into your life to be there for your every need and whim. Why should you walk when your strong stallion can carry you?” I suppress the smile that’s trying to break free.

  The Irish nurse is by Leo’s cot. She smiles warmly and says, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “How’s he doing?” I ask.

  “Well, as you can see, he’s doing well considering. He was a little dehydrated but nothing too bad. We had him back under the jaundice lamp for a few hours, but the doctor decided he didn’t need it anymore. He’s feeding well from a bottle, and overall, he’s no worse off for his ordeal.”

  “Thank god,” I whisper.

  “Keeping him against your body was a brilliant way to protect him,” she adds. “Well done, you.”

  Lake kisses me on the head. “I second that. You did amazing.”

  “Can I feed him myself?” I ask.

  The nurse nods. “Of course.”

  “You fed him?” asks Lake, and I nod proudly.

  “It took a few attempts, but he eventually got the idea.”

  Lake watches as I place Leo against my breast. His face is full of admiration, and I smile back, proud to show off my new skill. “The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he mutters. “You’re amazing.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Sara

  Today is the day that Leo was due to be born. But now, today is the day that Leo is coming home. He’s stronger and healthier, and now he’s officially classed as full term. The hospital is happy to discharge him.

  I stare at the cot beside Lake’s and my bed. “What if he hates it?” I ask.

  Lake wraps his strong arms around me. “He’ll love it. You’re stressed. Let’s go and get our son.”

  Connor is waiting by the car. He’s been an amazing big brother to Leo so far and insisted on driving us to the hospital. “Drive carefully, prospect,” warns Lake, throwing Connor the keys. He’s only just passed his test, but I have every faith in him.

  After we thank the nurses and doctors, and I shed a few happy tears, we place Leo in his travel seat. “I can’t wait for everyone to meet him properly,” I say, excited.

  “I can’t wait for sleepless nights and early starts,” says Lake playfully. I know that’s a lie because he hardly sleeps anyway. He’s already offered to do the night feeds.

  Lake carries the travel seat to the car and straps him into the backseat next to me. “I don’t know what we’ll do with all the spare time now we don’t have to visit the hospital every day,” he says.

  I smirk because I know full well that he’ll be calling on Connor’s babysitting skills so we can spend time at Kings. Since he opened it a couple of months ago, it’s been a booming business. My phone rings and I glance at the screen. It’s Lucas Bradford, the journalist. After we were taken, my mum contacted them to try and sell the story. My dad said he’d sue them if they went ahead and printed it. Since then, Lucas has been trying to get the story from me. I’ve discovered the best way to play their game is to ignore them all. I don’t want my family plastered all over the newspapers. I am not my mother.

  We’re greeted by everyone when we arrive home. Leo is whipped from his travel seat and passed around like a present. He’s so chilled, he hardly stirs as everyone coos over him.

  “When are you making her your ol’ lady, Lake?” yells Blu.

  Lake grins at me and says, “She might not want me.”

  “I’m not too keen,” I say, winking.

  “I was gonna skip the tradition and move straight to wife,” says Lake. I spin back to face him, and he drops on one knee and presents a ring.

  “Are you shitting me?” I gasp, and he laughs.

  “Only you could react like that.”

  “We never talked about marriage,” I say.

  “Jesus, baby, I’m talking about it now. You gonna say yes or not?” he asks.

  I smile, peering closer at the ring. “Of course, I’m saying yes.”

  “Your tone is very misleading, baby. Say it like you wanna marry me, at least.”

  “Sorry if I’m misleading you, Lake,” I say, grinning. “My answer is, of course, yes!”

  I beam as he pushes the ring onto my finger and then spins me around. “I love you,” he whispers against my lips.

  “I love you more,” I whisper back.

  When I first did the pregnancy test all those months ago, I never thought for one second that I’d be standing here with our baby boy and Lake offering to put a ring on my finger. I thought my options were limited, but I’m glad I made the right choice for me, and in turn, it was the right choice for Lake. We’re gonna make a go of this and he makes me happy. I don’t need money or expensive things . . . I never did. That was my parents’ way of life. Meeting Lake was the best thing that ever happened to me, even if we had a tonne of drama to contend with before we reached here, but I’d do anything for him, just like he’d do anything for me. We’re finally getting our happy ever after.

  THE END

  AVAILABLE NOW FROM NICOLA JANE

  KINGS REAPERS MC SERIES

  Riggs’ Ruin

  Capturing Cree

  Wrapped in Chains

  Saving Blu

  Riggs’ Saviour (Novella)

  Taming Blade

  Misleading Lake

  Fractured: A Kings Reapers MC Boxset

  (Books 1-3)

  COMING SOON FROM NICOLA JANE

  Kings Reapers MC Series

  Surviving Storm

 

 

 
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