Reaper: Lotus MC Motorcycle Romance, page 24
“Fuck! Tara!” he yells.
We push ourselves up and look down.
“No, no, no…” I start mumbling as I stare at the puddle of blood that we are sitting in and that’s coating my hands.
It’s not hers. It can’t be. My heartbeat is so loud I can hear it whooshing in my ears. My chest feels tight as I gasp for air. Not Natalie. Not my old lady. Anyone else, but not her. A wave of dizziness overtakes me and if I wasn’t already on the floor, I would be now.
Someone slaps me, pulling me out of the downward spiral. “Harrison Kingston, snap the fuck out of it!”
I look up at my baby sister. “When did you get here?”
“Just now. Trigger called to get me out here in case of injuries. Now are you good or do you need me to pull you out of it instead of saving Tara and Jacob?”
“Go,” I demand as I push myself up.
“Tara? Where is she? And who the fuck is that?” Wrath demands as he steps forward, ready to lay a motherfucker out.
“Back the fuck up right now, Wrath. That man is here to help me,” Evelyn snaps.
I watch my sister walk away from us. She grabs the man and pulls him along with her toward the basement.
Trigger rushes through the front door moments later.
“Sorry. I didn’t want to take my eyes off the system. I knew I wouldn’t make it in time.” He looks grim.
“You did the right thing, brother,” I reassure him.
“Reaper.” Trigger grips my shoulder. “We need to head in there.” He nods toward the chapel.
Wordlessly, Wrath, Colt, and I follow him and step inside.
I round the table and take my spot but stay standing.
I lean against the table and hang my head. “Say it.”
“He took her,” Trigger says, voicing my fears.
Everything feels like it’s moving too fast around me, and I can’t process it. It’s like I’m stuck in slow motion while everyone is moving at warped speed as they talk around me.
“Stop!” I demand. Everyone falls silent.
I take a seat and close my eyes. “One at a time, please. Where was everyone?”
“Most of the guys were at the shop, working. The rest of us rolled out because a sensor at the warehouse went off and we needed to check it out.” Trigger pauses. “This is on me, I shouldn’t have left them alone. I thought between Jacob and two guys at the gate, they would be fine. I’m sorry, Pres. I let you down.”
The revert to calling me Pres is not missed. He knows he fucked up and possibly cost me the love of my life. He hates himself more than anyone could possibly hate him right now. Not that I hate him. He made the decision he thought was right.
A shudder sweeps through my body. “This isn’t on you. You couldn’t have known.” I lick my lips, mouth feeling dry. “The two that were at the gate, where are they now?”
“Dead,” Pinky says.
“Tara and Jacob?” Wrath asks.
“With Evelyn and her doctor buddy. Jacob was shot and Tara was stabbed.”
It sounds like Midnight, but I’m not sure because everything sounds fuzzy.
I turn and look at my best friend. “Go. Go be with Tara.”
He starts shaking his head before I even finish speaking. “No, you and Queen Bee need me. Tara’s in good hands.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“Okay.” Looking away from Wrath, I scan the room. “Do we have a plan? Because right now, I don’t know if I can make one with a clear head,” I confess.
“And we don’t expect you to. If you need to sit this one out, we understand,” Midnight tells me.
“I have to be a part of this.”
“I hate to ask this, but do we think she’s alive?” Twitch raises his hands. “I adore the kid but I have to ask.”
“He’s too fixated on her to kill her.” Or at least I hope so.
Wrath chimes in. “As long as she’s alive, she’ll fight. She’s been putting in her time in the gym with me. If she’s given an opportunity to kill him herself, she will.”
“Are you sure? Outside of bringing Daniela to her knees, I haven’t seen her stand up to anybody,” Twinkie says.
“I’m positive. I-I think she was expecting this,” he confesses.
“Why do you say that? Do you think she was talking to him?” Pinky asks.
“No never.” I shake my head. “She hates that bastard.”
“Nah, that wasn’t it. The thing about Natalie is she’s a planner. After the way Danworth kept her locked up, she would fight tooth and nail to make sure it didn’t happen again.” Wrath tells everyone as his leg bounces with nervous energy. “When she fights, it’s like she’s going to war. She zones out and becomes hyper focused. If she was anyone else, I would say we should put her in the ring and make some cash. She’s that good.”
“Cameras. What did the cameras catch?” I blurt out, my mind finally starting to clear.
Trigger clears his throat as he shifts in his seat. “Are you sure you want to watch?”
Wrath and I nod at the same time.
“Just remember you asked for it,” Trigger mutters as he streams the video from his tablet up onto the screen.
I watch as my girl rushes into danger, Jacob and Tara both trying to protect her from Daniela. Finally he steps into view and smiles into the camera. His mouth moves and I close my eyes.
“What did he say?” Twitch asks.
“He mouthed the word mine right before he picked her up.”
“He dies. Tonight. I’m sick of playing games.”
“How did he get her out of here? It wasn’t on the back of a bike since she was out cold,” Colt asks, speaking up for the first time.
“That’s the best part. He drove right up and never even bothered to hide his license plate numbers. I’m already searching through all the cameras to see where they end up but I can already tell you that they were picked up in Vegas.”
“Gear up,” I demand as I stand on shaky legs. “As soon as we have an address, we roll out.”
“You got it, Pres.” Colt slaps my shoulder.
“We’ll bring the Queen home, Pres. We’ve got this.”
Someone tries to reassure me. But the thing is, I’m not sure they’re right.
I wake up to the sounds of moaning and groaning.
Where am I?
Did I fall asleep with the TV on?
Very carefully, I barely open my eyes, looking out from under my eyelashes. It takes a minute for what I’m seeing to register. I watch as Daniela bobs up and down on William’s dick.
For a moment I watch. I kind of feel bad for her having to give him head. Every time he forced me to, he tasted like ass and I’m not talking about when he finished. As she works him over, I slowly move my hand down to my hip.
I have to fight back a giggle when I feel it. Tucked safely inside my jeans and hooked onto my panties is a pocket knife I lifted off Harrison when I first moved in. Hell, I don’t even think he’s noticed that it’s missing. Anytime he’s gone, I can’t help but put it on me, just in case I need it.
William grunts as he finishes, pushing her head back.
“You like that, daddy?” Daniela asks as she wipes her lips.
“You know I did.” His eyes move off of her toward me, and he smiles. “Looks like sleeping beauty is awake. Did you like the show, Natalie?”
Pushing myself up, I lean against the wall and open my eyes. Looking right at Daniela, I ask the one question that’s been burning in my mind since I woke up and saw her. “Why?”
I watch as Daniela crawls onto William’s lap and straddles his thighs.
“Why what?”
“Why would you betray them after all they have done for you?”
Daniela laughs. “All they’ve done for me? And what is it they’ve done besides use me, huh? I wanted one thing, Reaper. I called dibs on him a long time ago and then you came waltzing in and ruined it all. He took one look at you and started ignoring me.”
“He was never yours.”
Daniela scoffs. “Please, I was waiting him out. He would have been mine if it wasn’t for you. Since I couldn’t have him, I did the next best thing. I took what once belonged to you.”
I look over at William. “And you're okay with her using you?”
“Honey, we are using each other. Don’t get it twisted. We’re just means to an end for each other,” he says as he pushes her off of his lap to stand. “Be a good girl, Daniela, and get my pet cleaned up. I have plans for her, and she needs to look better than that.” He waves a hand at me.
When he walks out, she turns toward me with nothing but malice in her eyes. “How mad do you think he would be if I roughed you up a little before I made you pretty?”
“You could try.”
She scoffs and turns toward the door. While her back is turned, I grab my knife and flip it open. I hide it next to my side. I want to rush her and get this over with, but I know I need to play this smartly. If I rush, it’s a good way to get hurt.
Daniela flips the lock before turning to walk back toward me. Her heels click on the cement floor as she approaches. She bends down and grabs my hair, pulling my head back just like I did to her the other night.
“You embarrassed me,” she hisses. “You turned my girls against me and convinced them that I was the issue.”
“That’s because you were,” I hiss as I fall back onto the floor.
She reaches out and slaps me so hard my ears ring. She lays blow after blow as she rants and still I wait it out.
“I hate you.”
“You aren’t even pretty.”
“What does he even see in you?”
“You ruined everything!”
“I have nothing now,” she screams.
When she leans down, getting into my face, I strike. I lift my arm and stab her in the neck. Daniela’s eyes widen. She reaches for her neck as she tries to move back, only I hold her in place. I twist the knife deeper as I sit up, overpowering her.
“I didn’t ruin shit. I didn’t take anything from you,” I whisper harshly into her face.
She tries to say something, but nothing comes out. The only thing I can hear is a gurgling sound coming from her throat. As the light fades from her eyes, I pull the knife out and back away from her body.
Oh god.
I just killed someone.
I lift my blood-covered hands and stare at them. I wait for the panic or remorse to set in but it doesn’t. The only thing I can feel is relief. Relief that I’m one enemy down. Relief that I will never have to see her face.
God, what will Harrison think?
I giggle softly as I think about the pride that would cover his and the other guys’ faces. Hell, Wrath would probably buy me a cake to celebrate my first kill.
The sound of footsteps down the hall outside has me sobering back up. This isn’t over. Getting up, I drag Daniela’s body, leaving a blood-soaked trail and place it behind the door.
Plan.
I need a plan.
Harrison is coming. Just let him handle it.
I push the thought out of my head. I’m sure Harrison knows I’m gone by now, but who knows how long it will take him to find me. They struggled enough with the whereabouts of William before he took me, and I rather not risk it. I need to check her. Crouching down, I check Daniela’s body for anything useful and come up empty-handed.
“Okay, I have a knife and some hand-to-hand combat skills. I can do this,” I whisper to myself.
He said he would be coming back for me. It would be smart to stay in here and wait for him. Who knows how many guys he has out there waiting for me. It’s tempting to risk rushing out of here, but Harrison would beat my ass if I put myself in unnecessary danger. Nah, when I take out William, he will have something on him that will help me. I just have to hold on a little longer.
With that thought in mind, I resolve myself to wait.
twenty-eight
“How much longer do you think until we get an update on them?” Wrath asks as he paces.
“I don’t know, but we can’t barge in there demanding answers. We have to let Ev and her friend work.”
“We need to find out who he is and what it’s going to cost to keep him quiet,” Colt says quietly as he leans against the wall.
I nod. “I already sent Evelyn a text demanding details. She knows they aren’t allowed to leave tonight until we talk to them.”
“Good,” Wrath says as he runs his hands through his hair.
Pounding coming down the stairs has us coming to attention.
Trigger braces his hands on the wall to stop himself from falling the rest of the way down the stairs. “I found her.”
“Where?” I demand.
Colt, Wrath, and I bolt forward and follow Trigger back upstairs.
“She’s south of the city. They have her in an old hotel. No one from the Renegades is around. He only has a few men with him. It should be an easy in and out,” Trigger tells all of us.
“Alright, I want half to roll out with us and half to stay here. We don’t need another surprise attack. Colt, Trigger, Pinky, Twinkie, Lemon, Kicks, and Twitch stay here. Everyone else suit up, and let’s roll.”
Everyone springs into action. I step forward to go grab my bulletproof vest from my room.
Colt grabs my arm, holding me in place. “Hold on a sec. We need to talk.”
“This isn’t the time.”
He scoffs. “It’s now or never. Why the hell aren’t you letting me go with you? Is it because you still don’t trust me?”
I shake out of his hold and step forward, getting into his face. “You staying here and guarding the clubhouse has nothing to do with if I trust you or not. We hashed that all out earlier, and I’m sorry if your feelings are still hurt, but for fuck’s sake, I’m having you stay back because if anything happens to me.” I pound on my chest. “You’re next in line. I’m protecting the fucking club.”
Colt steps back and rubs his face as he nods. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Now are you done throwing a temper tantrum? My woman is currently being held by a madman.”
I don’t wait for his response and take off. Less than ten minutes later, we are strapped down with enough firepower and flying down the road.
Hold on, baby, I’m coming for you.
We pull off the road and hide our bikes. “I want this place surrounded from all angles. Split into four teams. Spider, you come with me and we will take the back of the building. Objective is to get Queen Bee out of there. If you have the chance, you can take out anyone else. I want them all dead.”
“Fang, you come with me.”
Wrath looks at me.
“We’ll take the south side. Just give us twenty minutes to get into place.”
Midnight pulls something out of his saddlebag. “I’ll take the front with Widow. Trigger gave me this drone. I’ll try to get it as close as I can without being caught. See how many heat signatures we pick up. I’ll report over the comms what we have.”
“Cueball and Poker, you two good teaming up together?”
Both men nod.
All of the men are determined. They didn’t just fuck with my woman. They threatened the heart of this club. Every single one of my men has fallen under my girl’s spell. They don’t know what they did trying to take our Queen Bee. We will annihilate them.
“Good, let’s roll out.”
Everyone springs into action and breaks off into their groups. Wrath and Fang follow us until we stop, and they keep going. We spread out as best as we can and keep low to the ground.
“We have two heat signatures inside in the main part of the hotel. The rooms look to be empty. Three guys out front hanging around,” Midnight says over the comms.
“Nothing here on the north,” Cueball tells us.
“No one in the back,” I whisper into the mic.
Wrath checks in. “I got two.”
“Let’s move,” I tell them.
Spider and I rush forward, staying as low as we can, guns drawn. Coming to a stop against the building, I’m on one side of a window and him on the other. He pulls out a window-breaking tool and holds it up. I nod, giving him the go before checking our surroundings.
Seconds later, you hear glass shattering. We work on clearing the bottom seal before jumping inside.
Midnight comes over the comms. “Pres, head right. That’s where the heat signatures are coming from.”
We do as he says and start clearing the main lobby of the hotel. We check the laundry room, gym, and pool. With one door left, we stop on either side of it. Taking a deep breath, I look at Spider and reach for the knob.
As the door swings forward, he moves to step inside first, only to be attacked.
“Fuck!” he hisses as he grabs on to the person.
“Natalie,” I yell her name as I lower my gun.
She stops fighting Spider, her head swinging my way.
“I need you to drop the knife, sweetheart.”
She does as I ask and lunges forward, crying. “You came!”
I take her into my arms and hold her tightly. Thank fuck. She’s here and safe.
“Hey, Pres…” Spider says.
When I look at him, I see him looking down, and I follow his line of sight. Sure enough, there’s a body. It’s Daniela. He shakes his head, letting me know that she is gone.
Leaning down, I kiss Natalie, pouring all of my feelings into it.
I love you. I was worried about you.
I pull Natalie away and look at her. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I had to kill her though.”
She moves to look over at Daniela, but I touch her face, keeping her in place.
“Don’t look at her. Let’s just get out of here, okay?”
“Okay.”
I move her behind me, and Spider falls into step, watching our backs.
“You think you’re going somewhere?” a voice stops us right as we step inside the lobby.
Danworth stands there, gun drawn.
“Fuck, guys, you need to get out now. The building is on fire,” Wrath says, coming through the comms.
“That’s going to be a problem,” I hiss back.
