by Jamie Begley
The store was quiet without a single customer. A woman came out of the glass office, seeing him at the ring display case. “May I help you?”
Gavin recognized her; she was the same salesperson who had waited on him the last time he’d been in the store. As she drew closer, her polite veneer changed to one of eagerness when she recognized him. “Mr. James, what can I do you for you today?”
“I want to buy a wedding ring set for my wife.”
“Congratulations!” Charline gushed. “Have you decided on the cut and style?” She hovered her hand over a tray of diamond rings in the glass case.
“I’m not particular about either. It’s the stone that’s most important to me. I want a black diamond.”
The saleswoman removed her hand from the case, moving to another long glass case. Taking out a velvet-lined tray, she placed it on the counter.
Reaper stared down at the beautiful rings. However, none of them struck him as being the one he wanted for Ginny.
“Will any of these do?” she asked politely.
“No. I don’t see any that would suit her.” Damn, he wanted to get the ring today.
Swearing to himself, he kept staring at the rings for a long minute, coming to the conclusion he would have to drive to Jamestown to find the one he wanted.
“Sorry to take your time. Thanks for your—”
“We could look on the computer to see the other rings we have available. If you find one you’re interested in, we can have it expressed shipped, and it could be here by tomorrow afternoon. The ring would have to be paid for first, so the timing will depend on your credit score. Shall I bring the computer over and show you the different options?”
“Yes, thank you.”
As he clicked through the pages of rings, Reaper still didn’t see anything close to what he was searching for.
“Find anything?” the saleswoman asked helpfully.
Giving Charline the tablet back, Reaper shook his head. “Not even close. Thank you, anyway.”
Seeing a hefty commission about to walk out the door, the saleswoman made another suggestion. “The new owner lives in Lexington. Ms. Cassidy just returned from a buying trip from London. I could ask her if she has a black diamond that hasn’t been entered into our website yet, or if she’s seen anything she could procure on your behalf. Would you like me to call?”
“Yes.”
Stepping to the side of the counter, Reaper texted Dalton that he was taking longer than expected. When Dalton’s text came back that they were still eating lunch, he relaxed. He didn’t like leaving Ginny alone. The only reason Reaper left Ginny with T.A. and Dalton was that the alarm was set, and the security was monitored by The Last Riders. Viper had installed the system when Winter’s aunt had lived there and Winter was often visiting.
Seeing the saleswoman talking on the phone, Reaper texted Shade.
Who’s working in the security room?
Shade texted back before he put his phone back in his pocket.
Nickel.
Reaper, shot off another text.
Ginny’s at T.A.’s house. I want either you or Rider working security until I get there.
Will do. On my way.
“Mr. James,” the saleswoman signaled him.
Reaper pocketed his phone as he moved back to the counter.
“Ms. Cassidy has one black diamond wedding set that hasn’t been entered into our database. She’s sending me a picture. Give me a moment, and I’ll get my personal phone.”
The woman went to her office, coming back with her phone. Setting it on the counter, she had already clicked the text, showing the ring.
His breath hitched in his chest. That was Ginny’s ring.
“Ms. Cassidy procured it in London on her buying trip. She had intended to offer it a client of hers who collects unique jewelry. The diamond is ten carat, set in titanium. The smaller diamonds surrounding the larger stone are one carats. The stones in enhancers are—”
“I’ll take it. Have her send it.”
The saleswoman’s phone wobbled in her hand when she picked it up. “There could be a slight problem with the sale.”
“What’s the problem?”
“This ring only comes in one size. As the band is titanium, it cannot be cut down to size.”
Reaper pulled a ring off his pinky and handed it to the saleswoman. “What size is this ring?”
Reaching to the side, she picked up a metal sizer. The beaming smile she gave him as she handed the ring back eased his worry. “Size seven. The ring will fit. I’ll just go to my office and get an application for credit—”
“I don’t need credit.” Reaper took out his wallet and pulled out his bank card. “I can pay cash. Make sure you add the expediated shipping so it will be here tomorrow.”
The woman looked like she was going to cry with happiness as she took the debit card from him. “Yes, sir. I’ll inform Ms. Cassidy that the purchase has been made and have her ship it out immediately.”
As he waited, Reaper checked in with Shade to make sure everything was cool with Ginny. He had just received the thumbs-up when the saleswoman returned to the counter. Signing the receipt, he put his card back into his wallet.
“Thank you. If you give me your number, I’ll call you when the ring arrives.”
“I’ll be in town tomorrow. I’ll just stop in,” he said, refusing to give his number.
“Very well. I’ll look forward to seeing you then.” Smilingly, she came out from behind the counter to walk him to the door. “Thank you. Your wife is going to be ecstatic with your choice.”
Reaper rudely went out the door, ignoring her spiel, trying to hurry back to Ginny when three black Escalades sped past on the street. The dark tint made it impossible to see inside, but that wasn’t what drew his attention—it was how fast they were traveling on the main street of the tiny town.
“Wow,” the saleswoman said. “I’m surprised Greer hasn’t caught them.”
Striding out to the sidewalk, Reaper noted their direction. When he saw the brake lights flashing as they turned the corner, Reaper was already moving to Viper’s SUV.
“Fuck me.” Since he’d been in the store, there were new cars parked in front and back, so close to his vehicle that there was no way to get out unless he used Viper’s car as a battering ram.
Not wanting to lose precious minutes—if his bumpers became hung up on the other cars—he took off at a run. Taking out his phone, he called Knox. “Get to Dalton’s house,” Reaper ordered.
“I can’t. I’m ten minutes away. My deputy is missing—”
“Call Shade,” Reaper cut him off. “Tell him to send everyone to Dalton’s house. Now!”
Kicking his feet faster, Reaper shoved his phone in his pocket. Running across the street, he dodged around Mick as he was putting a sign in the diner’s window. Straining his body to move faster, Reaper reached to his back, taking out his gun.
“Fuck,” he swore when an older woman came out onto the sidewalk with two leashed yapping dogs. Unless he slowed, he was going to mow the old woman down.
Spotting him, the woman froze like a deer caught in headlights.
Veering to the left, Reaper strained to give a burst of speed to jump over the two dogs, nearly busting a nut when one of the dogs rose up on its hind legs to snap at him. Landing on the concrete, Reaper sprinted forward, coming to the end of the street. Veering left, he took off at a mad dash toward Dalton and T.A.’s house.
Reaper was running so fast that he didn’t think he could run any faster—until he heard a series of pops fill the air.
“Shit.” Crossing the street, he put himself on the same side as Dalton’s house. Jumping over a low hedge, he ran across one lawn, then had to take another leap over another hedge before he was at the house next-door to Dalton’s.
Taking cover behind a tree, Reaper fired off a shot at a man standing behind the passenger door of one of the Escalades parked behind Sex Piston’s car.
S
ex Piston, Killyama, and Fat Louise were hunkered down in front of Sex Piston’s car in front of the garage. Killyama had a gun and was returning fire at the two Escalades that had parked catty-corner, providing a shield to the men who were shooting at the women.
Satisfied the fucker who he shot was down for the count, Reaper took out his phone to call Dalton.
Hearing the click of the phone being answered, Reaper didn’t time to listen to the greeting. “Open your garage enough to let the women slide under. I’ll provide cover.”
Seeing an opportunity to take out another fucker who had raised his head over the engine block, Reaper made the shot as the garage door started raising high enough for the women to slip through.
“Go!” Reaper yelled.
Fat Louise went first, with Sex Piston going under after her.
Reaper had to contain himself from shouting at Sex Piston when she crawled back out to reach for the pizza box that was laying on the driveway before slipping back under the garage door.
Killyama made no move to follow the other two women.
He was ready to lose his shit. The only thing calming his impeding tirade was seeing Drake and King take positions behind the house across the street.
“Killyama, go!” Reaper shot again, taking down one of the shooters from the second Escalade.
“You go!” she yelled back. “I’m not—”
Reaper jerked his head back behind the tree when he saw a gun pointed in his direction from behind the Escalade in the driveway.
“Get your ass in the garage, or I’m coming over there and throwing your ass in there!” he roared.
King and Drake provided a volley of bullets, giving Killyama time to escape, which she refused to take.
Sticking his head out long enough to get a visual, he saw one of the men break cover to get away from where King was firing. Reaper nabbed him as soon as he came out from behind the vehicle.
Looking back at the house, he saw Dalton slide under the garage door with a gun in his hand. From his angry expression, he was telling Killyama the same thing he had.
Finally, Killyama angrily slid under the garage door as Dalton and his eyes met. Then Reaper heard the garage door going down.
Dalton lifted four fingers, then pointed to his side, indicting the number of men he couldn’t see. He lifted his hand two more times, indicating to Gavin there was a total of twelve men.
The roar of motorcycles and sirens coming down the street had the men scattering into neighboring yards. Raising his hand so Viper would sight him behind the tree two houses away, Reaper went back to firing as one of the gunmen tried to make a dash for the tree across the street. Reaper neatly shot him in the back of his head.
Viper, Cash, and Shade formed a sideways line with their bikes with the other Last Riders following suit behind them, preventing the Escalades from leaving—unless they plowed down fifteen bikes. Reaper could hear Viper issuing commands from where he stood behind the tree.
“Nuts to Bolts behind the Dodge,” Viper ordered.
The Last Riders left their bikes to sprint toward a Dodge minivan. In groups of three, the men crouched together, with Cash and Viper standing on opposite sides near the taillights.
“Train, go!” Viper sent off a volley of bullets.
Train and two of the men on his line took off running toward Dalton’s house. The three men who crouched behind Train’s line moved forward, as did the men behind them, all in unison. When Train’s foot hit the doorstep, the door opened, giving them entry into the house.
Reaper steadied his hand, firing as he ran to Sex Piston’s car to hunker down next to Dalton. He no longer had to keep his focus on the house with Train, Moon, and Rider inside with the women.
“Puck, get ready!” Viper yelled right before Knox drove the sheriff’s Bronco onto the sidewalk on the other side of the Dodge.
“Puck, go.” Viper sent another volley of bullets to cover Puck, Jesus, and Razer. Staying behind the Bronco, they were able to fire at the remaining gunmen using the Escalade as cover.
Reaper saw two of the perps taking off toward Dalton’s neighbor. Both of them started firing at will.
“Fuck.” Swearing, Reaper saw the two men run inside the house where earlier he’d seen a woman getting her mail.
“Cover me,” Reaper told Dalton as he rose from the front of the car, taking off toward the side yard. Keeping low, Reaper went to the window at the side of the house. He raised his head slightly and saw the woman and a man standing in the dining room. Lowering his head, he made his way to the back door, finding it locked. “Why can’t just one fucking time something be fucking easy?”
Gauging the door, Reaper took a step back just as he saw Dalton come around the corner.
Using his booted foot, Reaper kicked at the weakest part of the door, and it flew open. When it did, Reaper launch himself inside, taking in the room at a glance. Aiming his gun at the perp, who came running into the room, he hit him in the abdomen just before Reaper landed on his stomach. At the same time, the perp fell to the floor, spilling blood onto the tiles.
He was still getting his knees under him when the second perp came running in. Reaper managed to hit him in the throat.
He was getting to his feet when Dalton came through the broken door.
“I could have saved myself the trouble,” Dalton said, lowering his gun at seeing the prone bodies on the ground.
“How many live here?” Reaper asked, moving toward an open doorway.
“An older couple, man and woman.”
Entering the room that he had seen from the outside, Reaper didn’t see the older couple.
Dalton followed him, both men searching for the couple to make sure they were all right. Rounding the corner, Reaper entered a hallway. Gunshots outside had him wanting to hurry so he could help the brothers.
Seeing a partially opened door down the hallway, Reaper went to the side of the door, using the wall to protect his body; he turned his head slightly to peer inside the room. “You’re safe! I’m here with your neighbor, Dalton,” Reaper called out.
Hearing his voice, they turned from the window to him, the curtains fluttering, revealing the man was holding a gun.
Reaper held up two fingers behind his back to keep Dalton from moving closer. He had only a moment to process that the elderly couple weren’t frightened and they hadn’t only just been looking outside—the man had been firing a gun.
Reaper moved his finger to the trigger. “Damn. I have to give it to the fucker. Allerton is good. He’s been having you watch T.A. since she moved in, hasn’t he?” he yelled out to the couple.
The woman’s gave a quick glance to her partner, her face growing pinched, as if cautioning him to remain silent.
Staring at them closer, Reaper realized they were much younger than he originally assumed. He’d taken a wild guess that they were Allerton’s people, and when neither of them said anything, he figured they knew who he was, proving him right.
“I thought you were fucking nosy. Damn good fucking job. You’re how those fuckers outside knew Ginny was here.”
The man glanced wildly at the woman. When he saw him waver his weapon, Reaper figured out what he was silently telling her.
“Ah … you’re out of bullets? That’s what you trying to tell her?” Reaper gave him a grim smile. “Then I suggest you place the weapon down and take off. Bank the money you earned today. At least you’ll live to see another day.”
Reaper was cutting it close with his own ammo. He was just better at hiding it than the man inside the bedroom. The problem was that he couldn’t tell if the woman had a gun or not with the way she stood partially behind the curtain.
“Put your weapons down,” Reaper ordered.
“You first. I have bullets; you’re the one out of bullets.” The fucker finally grew a set of balls, even though, Reaper knew he was lying.
“I have a couple left; one for each of you.” With his head cocked around the door jam, Reaper nodded at th
e man while Dalton remained behind him out of sight. “Put it down and step away. Take my advice. It’s the only chance you have.”
A gust of wind had the curtain billowing out, exposing the weapon in the woman’s hand; she had it pointed directly at him.
Reaper froze. His mind went back to the lifeless eyes that he still saw in his nightmares. Then his mind flashed back to the day Rider’s wife had denoted the bomb when they’d been overseas. Rider hadn’t been able to extinguish his wife’s life with her carrying his unborn child.
The split-second he hesitated would have cost him his life … if Dalton hadn’t jerked the door wide open and, in one smooth move, he shot the woman in the heart, then sent her partner to hell with her. A gush of blood coming the man’s chest showed Dalton had placed his bullet in the same spot as the woman’s.
Dalton gave him a hard pat on his shoulder to shake him out of the daze he’d fallen into. “They were shit for neighbors. I’m going to cut down that tree in the backyard before this house gets sold again. I’m fucking sick of having to skim the leaves from my pool.”
“I couldn’t kill her … You saved my life.”
“Brother, you just fucking saved my wife, my child, her sister, and her best friends, who are sisters to her and me. I wouldn’t have gone down without a fight, but I didn’t have enough firepower to take them all down. And just so you fucking know, if I had been here first, I’d be dead now. I would’ve assumed they were protecting themselves from the gunmen outside. You’re the one who figured out they were Allerton’s, providing him information on Trudy.”
When another burst of gunfire sounded from outside, Reaper strode across the room to pick up the woman’s weapon, checking it for ammo.
Dalton raked his eyes over his face. “You good?”
“Yeah, I am.” Reaper gave him a nod before striding down the hallway to make his way back through the house and out the back door.
Edging to the corner of the building, Reaper looked toward the front yard, no longer hearing any gunfire.
Viper and Knox had the men lined up on Dalton’s yard, on their knees with their hands on their heads. The rest of the brothers were guarding them as Knox patted them down one at time then zip-tied their hands.
