Reaper's Salvation: A Last Riders Trilogy

by Jamie Begley

  Closing the door after them, Ginny had no intention of letting Trudy anywhere near their mother.

  Taking her phone out of her pocket, she texted Trudy that she was going to have to cancel their shopping trip, then set the phone on the counter. Her sister was going to be furious, but Ginny would rather chance that than Trudy’s safety.

  “The FBI wants me to turn myself in to find out what information I have on Gabriel.”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t stay on Sherguevil Island.”

  “I’m not safe there. Gabriel won’t take a chance I won’t tell the FBI what I know.”

  “Doesn’t sound like you don’t have much of a choice but to cooperate with the FBI.”

  “I don’t if I want to stay alive. I want you to get a promise from them that I will be placed in witness protection. I’d be killed the first night in prison. I want their assurance that I won’t have to appear in court, and I’ll be given a new identity, one where I won’t have to work, either.”

  Ginny lifted an eyebrow at her. “If I try to negotiate a deal with the FBI on your behalf, what do I get in return?”

  Soleil slipped her hand into her pocket, and Ginny stiffened in fear, moving her hand protectively over her stomach.

  Ginny stared at Soleil’s hand curiously. She was holding a diamond-encrusted broach. Soleil opened it and Ginny saw a tiny image of a beautiful woman whom she recognized.

  “Oh God.” Ginny put her hand to her mouth, images flashing through her mind.

  “Ahh … so you do remember.”

  Ginny lifted her eyes from the beautiful broach. “How do you have it?” She could have saved herself from asking the question, the memories coming back as the words left her lips.

  Ginny put her hand to her chest. “She pinned it on me. I didn’t steal the broach; she gave it to me because she knew he was going to kill her.” Ginny narrowed her eyes on her mother. “I didn’t swim my way back. You went on Sherguevil that night. You must have seen me climbing down off the boat and picked me out of the water.”

  Soleil handed her the broach. “It was late, and Jasper was frantic looking for you. When I went to Manny’s home, and he wasn’t there, his mother confessed where they were. When the children came running back to the village, they told me you had gone with them and where Manny had hidden you. By the time I made it to dock, Gyi’s boat had left to go back to Sherguevil.

  “It took me a while to get one of the men to let me take his boat of without him. I was on my way to Sherguevil when I found you swimming a few feet off shore.”

  Ginny placed the broach in her pocket, unable to look at it any longer. “I’m surprised you didn’t let me drown.”

  “I might not have been the perfect mother, but despite what you think of me, I am not capable of filicide.”

  Soleil’s eyes dropped to her protruding belly.

  “I think you’re more than capable of anything you set your mind to,” Ginny said in disgust, her hand going to protectively cover her stomach. “What happened to the islanders on Clindale?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “That is irrelevant. Gabriel picked and chose what to tell me. Clindale, he chose not to.”

  “Why did he kill Jasper?”

  “The islanders disappeared when Jasper was sent to work on another island. When he came back, he wanted his curiosity appeased. He didn’t buy the hurricane story any more than your husband did.”

  “Allerton killed Jasper.”

  “Among many others.” Soleil nodded toward the phone that she had left on the counter. “You can shut the recorder off now. That should be enough to get me the deal I want.”

  Ginny picked up the phone, clicking off the recording. “Give me your phone number. I’ll call you after I talk to one of the agents.”

  “Which agent are you working with? Are you sure they have enough power to get me the deal I want?”

  Ginny shrugged carelessly. “I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?” Shoving the phone in her pocket, Ginny stared distastefully at the woman who had given birth to two women who were nothing like her.

  Walking to the extra-large window, Ginny looked out to the woods.

  “I’m not a terrible person.”

  “I have to disagree with that.”

  “I saved your life, at my own personal expense.”

  Turning away from the window, Ginny gave her a mocking smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I blamed myself for my actions that day that ruined Trudy’s life. You didn’t help me escape to save me or Trudy—you did for your own greedy purpose.”

  “I—”

  “Don’t bother. The one part of my story that was the truth was the DNA test, Soleil. Trudy and I are half-sisters. Jasper wasn’t my father. You were lovers with Allerton. He didn’t know, did he?”

  “No. He would have killed me if he had known. He was fanatical about not having children.”

  “Gotta love men. He was fanatical, just not enough to use a condom.” Ginny laughed without mirth. “I bet you were scared shitless when I started favoring him rather than Jasper. Trudy showed me our grandmother’s pictures of us as babies. Trudy always looked like you from birth on. My hair was browner, and with me being out in the sun I favored Allerton more. Sadly for you, my hair didn’t start get lighter until after I was four.”

  Soleil began to look uncomfortable.

  “Did Jasper know?”

  “No. I didn’t intend to have an affair, Jasper and I were happy. Then I met Gabriel; he wasn’t like any man I had met before. He has a vision, one that Jasper would never be able to see. I didn’t see it at first either, but the more time I spent with him I realized he was right. You have to have power to accomplish any good.”

  Ginny was sickened by her mother being brainwashed by Allerton.

  “Allerton used you to gain control of Jasper. You were exactly the type of woman Allerton was determined not to have a child with. The only reason you didn’t let me drown was because you wanted to make damn sure if he ever developed a fatherly bone in his body, you could produce me. You two were made for each other.”

  Unable to remain in the room with her for another second, Ginny went to open the door. “I’ll call you after I hear from the FBI. It may take a couple of days.”

  “What’s the agent’s name, so if he calls, I’ll know?”

  “I’ll give you the name. If anyone calls you before I do, then you know they aren’t with the FBI.”

  As Soleil went to the door, she lowered her eyes to her belly. “Do you know if you’re having a boy or a girl?”

  “No,” Ginny lied. “In case you’re interested, Trudy had a boy.” Without waiting for Soleil to respond, Ginny scornfully started at the door.

  “Ginny, wait. There’s something else I have for you.”

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  “You going to stay and help me get the generator hooked up?” Greer made no move to touch the new machine that he bugged Silas to buy for him.

  Silas directed Matthew and Isaac to help him unbox the generator, which was twice the size of the one that broke. The rest of his brothers decided to take Fynn to Walmart when he complained all his socks had holes in them.

  “Tate and Dustin can’t help you hook it up?” Silas broke down the empty box, placing it in Greer’s recycling bin.

  “You see either of them here?”

  Silas had two options: get the machine running or listen to Greer complain for the next twenty minutes. Silas figured it would be easier to just hook it up and save himself the twenty minutes.

  Making sure the machine was level, Silas put his finger on the switch when the mountain rocked.

  “What in the fuck was that?” Greer yelled.

  Greer, Silas, and his brothers ran from the side of Greer’s house to the front yard. Silas had never heard an explosion like that before, unless the highway was blasting to widen a road or bring down a large boulder to keep it from falling into the road.
/>
  “It sounded like it came from your land.” Greer placed his hand over his eyes to shade them from the sun.

  Silas stared at his property, afraid to admit he had the same thought. When a plume of smoke came rising above the tree, Silas and his brothers began running for his truck. “Greer, call the fire department!”

  His cousin had his phone to his ear when Greer put a foot to his bumper and hauled himself up into the bed of Silas’ truck.

  Silas was speeding down the short road when he heard Greer yell from the back, “Slow down. Tate and Dustin are coming.”

  At the base of the driveway, Silas barely stopped long enough for his other cousins to jump into the bed. Hitting the paved road with squealing tires, Silas slammed on the gas. All his brothers were accounted for, but Ginny … She had left, hadn’t she?

  Silas jerked his eyes to Isaac’s. His brother’s expression was ashen.

  His heart pounded as smoke billowed down from the mountain to the road. Turning the last curve that put him within sight of his property, he started praying … then drove straight into hell.

  Viper went behind the bar to pour himself a whiskey. “You want one Shade? Rider?”

  “I’ll take one,” Shade said, grabbing a stool.

  “Rider?”

  “Pour me one.” Rider placed the cue on the pool table, walking to the bar. “No fun playing by yourself.”

  “You cleaned everyone out on payday.” Viper took a sip of his drink, hearing a loud noise from outside.

  Setting the glass on the top of the bar, the men stared at each other.

  “You hear something?” Looking at the glass, he saw the whiskey in his glass jumping at the same time as the liquor bottles started clinking together on the shelf.

  “A car wreck?” Rider guessed.

  Jesus slammed the door open. “Viper, there was an explosion somewhere on the mountain. I hear the fire trucks coming this way.”

  Viper, Shade, and Rider ran outside to look off the porch as the only two firetrucks in Treepoint flew past, followed by an ambulance with the lights on, hot on its tail, then Knox’s Bronco rounding the corner, catching up fast.

  Viper reached for his phone, pressing Knox’s number. “What happened?” he asked.

  Disconnecting the call, he started issuing orders. “Call all the brothers; we have to go. Shade, Rider, get what you think we’ll need. There’s been an explosion.”

  Shade was already sending the mass text to get the brothers on their bikes as they started running down the steps.

  Viper was the first one to get his leg over his seat.

  “Where was the explosion?” Shade asked, getting on his bike.

  “The Colemans’. Shade, there’s a casualty.”

  Reaper pressed the button to close the hatch of the Escalade. Sniffing the air, he smelled smoke. Many of the mountain people burned off their brush or excess trash.

  Settled in the front seat, he took out his phone and saw he had missed over twenty-four calls. Looking at his phone, realized he must have accidently put his phone on silent. Making sure none had been from Ginny, he called Viper.

  “What’s—”

  Reaper jumped at Viper’s shout coming from the other end.

  “Where in the fuck have you been!”

  “I was at the store. What in the fuck is wrong?”

  “I thought you were dead!” Viper’s voice broke. “There’s been an explosion at Silas’s property. Go to the hospital. I’m on my way.”

  Reaper had already started the car after hearing “go the hospital.” He peeled out of the store parking lot, driving the five miles to the hospital at breakneck speed.

  Parking the Escalade, he was sick at the thought of Silas or one of Ginny’s brother being hurt. He had called Ginny twice to see if she was still shopping with Trudy or if she was already at the hospital. Thinking he should call the club to see if she was there and to tell her to stay put until he could come get her, he parked the car and decided he’d call after he found out the news.

  The automatic door slid open when he walked in, allowing him into the emergency room. He was heading for the desk when he saw all of Ginny’s brothers and the Porters standing out in the long hallway.

  Reaper slowed as they turned to face them. All their faces and clothes were covered in dark soot. However, it was their expressions that had him not wanting to take another step.

  Silas didn’t give him a choice. As he walked to meet him, Reaper knew it wasn’t going to be good.

  “What happened?” Reaper managed to croak out, his throat so tight that the words barely sounded.

  “There was an explosion at your and Ginny’s house.”

  Reaper felt a numbness washing over him, as if preparing him for the next words.

  “That’s okay as long as nobody’s been hurt. I’ll get the brothers clearing—”

  “Reaper,” Silas stopped him. “Ginny was in the house when it exploded.”

  “No.” Reaper shook his head. “Ginny’s with Trudy. She’s terrible about answering her phone.”

  “She was inside the house. Greer and I were the ones who pulled her out.”

  “I want to see her.” Reaper went toward the door the men were standing in front of.

  Silas grabbed his arm. “They’ll come and get us when they’re ready. They had to call for a specialist.”

  “For what?”

  “Her body is burned over eighty percent. She’s been shot. Ginny’s brain dead.”

  “No, she isn’t.”

  “Reaper, they’re waiting for the other doctor to come in. If there isn’t brain activity, they want to shut off the machine.”

  “You’re not fucking taking her off the machine!” he shouted, taking a step back from Silas.

  Greer was leaning against the wall. Walking toward him, Reaper grabbed his shirt. “Fix her.”

  “I tried. There’s nothing left.” Greer’s face was already haggard. “Her spirit was already gone when we got there.”

  “Try again,” Reaper pleaded. “Greer, she’s carrying my baby … Please, I’m begging you.”

  “I would if I could.”

  “I’ll pay whatever you want—Viper will give me some money … Anything you want. All you have to do is ask.” Tears coursed down his cheeks, but Reaper didn’t care. He couldn’t survive without Ginny. She was his anchor.

  “Reaper, I can’t help … There’s only one person who can save her, and I’m not him.”

  “Don’t you fucking dare to turn Ginny’s machine off!” he shouted, turning in the direction of the door.

  “Where are you going?” Silas called after him.

  Reaper took off as if the hounds of hell were after him. Running to the Escalade, he then sped out of the exit, passing Dalton and Trudy’s car as they entered the parking lot. They honked the horn at him, but he didn’t stop. Reaper couldn’t. He didn’t have any time to spare. He had to talk to the only man who could save Ginny’s life, and he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

  Chapter Fifty

  Turning the radio off, Ginny slid out of Moses’ car, then shut the door. Her brother wouldn’t be happy that she had taken his car without his permission. She would have to get Gavin to drive her to drop it off.

  Lacking the energy to go up the front steps, she walked up the back path.

  Ginny opened the kitchen door and came to a stop at seeing Willa, Lily, Winter, and Beth sitting at the kitchen table, crying their eyes out. Meanwhile, Puck and Jesus were staring at her as if they were looking at a ghost.

  “Willa, what’s wrong?” Ginny rushed forward, dropping the two bags of maternity clothes she had bought to the floor to comfort her crying friend.

  Hearing her voice, the women jumped up from the table, running toward her to crush her in their arms.

  “Willa!” Ginny tried to gain control of the chaotic situation. “Please, tell me what’s wrong. You’re scaring me.”

  “There was an explosion … Yours and Gavin’s h
ouse has burned to the ground.”

  Ginny felt like she was going to faint.

  Jesus went to the table and slid out a chair for her sit down on. Ginny sank down into it.

  Her beautiful house … gone.

  “Ginny … we … we …,” Willa stuttered. “They found a woman inside. Silas and everyone thinks it’s you.”

  Shocked, Ginny couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I need to call Gavin … Silas.” Ginny took her phone out, calling Gavin, her pulse going faster when he didn’t answer.

  Disconnecting the call, Ginny then called Silas. She wanted to burst into tears at the sound of his voice.

  “Silas!”

  “Ginny, where are you? Everyone thinks you’re here in the hospital on death’s door.”

  “I know … I’m at the club. I just found out. Is Gavin there? He isn’t answering his phone.”

  “He was here, then ran out. I don’t know where he is. Trudy is here. She wants to speak with you.”

  “Ginny!”

  “Trudy, I’m fine. It was just a horrible mistake. I’m fine,” Ginny kept repeating until she was able to calm her sister.

  “Do you have any idea who was at your house when it exploded?”

  Ginny didn’t want to tell Trudy over the phone.

  “Trudy, I have to find Gavin. When I find him, I’ll come to the hospital. I shouldn’t be long.”

  Ginny disconnected the phone and tried calling Gavin again. Still no answer.

  “Does anyone have any idea where Gavin is? He’s not at the hospital. I need to go to the hospital in case he goes back there.”

  Willa grabbed her coat off the back of her chair. “I’ll drive you. I don’t want you driving when you’re this upset.”

  Ginny didn’t want to take the time to argue, so she hurried after Willa to her car. In the car, Ginny crossed her arms, shivering.

  “I’ll turn the heat on and warm the seats,” Willa said, flicking a series of buttons on the dashboard.

  “Thank you.”

  “Who do you think it was?” Willa asked as they hit the bottom of the hill, coming to stop light.