Taming Blade (Kings Reapers MC Book 5)

by Nicola Jane

  “Blade took my phone.”

  “I knew he was a bastard,” she snaps. “You want me to go there and shout or something?”

  I smile sadly and shake my head. “No. It’s over. With him, with Ethan.”

  “In his defence, Ethan’s been worried about you too,” she says.

  “Ethan was lying all along. I can’t believe he used me to get information on the club.”

  “He could have come to me, I’d have fucked him and told him all about Lake,” she jokes.

  “I feel like an idiot, Sara. Between them, I feel used, like they’ve been laughing behind my back. When did I get so gullible?”

  “Don’t you dare blame yourself,” she warns. “You were looking for love. We all make stupid choices when it comes to men. And who the hell would believe this happened? You read shit like this in those cheap magazines where women sell their stories but you don’t think it’s real.”

  A loud banging on the shop door scares us both half to death. Sara peeks out and then, uttering words of violence, she marches to the door and unlocks it. “Is she here?” It’s Blade, so I sink back behind the door.

  “How dare you show up here,” screams Sara. “She’s so upset!”

  “I know. I’ve come to apologise. To make it right.”

  “No chance. Get your lying arse away from her. Don’t you think she’s been hurt enough?”

  “What did she tell you exactly?” he asks, his tone suspicious. My heart breaks all over again. After everything, he still doesn’t trust me.

  “She told me nothing. She said she can’t tell me and I don’t know if that's because she’s protecting you or if you’ve threatened her.”

  “I just need to see her. Sara, please,” he begs.

  I step out from behind the door and he looks instantly relieved to see me. “Sunshine,” he whispers.

  “My name is Matilda,” I say through gritted teeth. “I need my phone back.”

  He takes it from his back pocket and hands it to me. “Please, hear me out,” he starts, but I shake my head because, quite frankly, I’ve heard enough.

  “I will never be so stupid again. You’ve taught me a very important lesson,” I say. “To never trust anyone. To keep your circle small and to never, ever, trust a man like you again. If you don’t stay away from me, I’ll move away. I’ll sell Nan’s shop and move. So if you feel anything for me at all, you’ll keep away from me.”

  He stares at me for a long minute, his eyes searching, begging for me to listen to what he has to say. When it’s clear I’m not budging, he nods and turns on his heel. Sara reaches for a jar of red liquorice twists, Blade’s favourite. She shoves it hard into his chest and he winces. “Take them. It’s the last of our stock and we won’t be getting any more. That way, you’ll never have an excuse to come back here.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  TILLIE

  Weeks pass. I spend them trying to mend my broken, betrayed heart. I don’t know if I feel lucky or devastated that Blade’s stayed away just like I asked. I miss him. It’s stupid and I’d never tell anyone, especially Sara, but I can’t get him out of my head.

  After overhearing Riggs’ conversation with Eva and Cree, I decide to distract myself by finding out more about my dad. I’ve never bothered before. He didn’t seem worthy of my energy or time but knowing he’s dead somehow makes me feel safe to investigate who he was and why the Kings thought it okay to kill him. He might have been an arse, but was he really that bad that he should have died?

  I call Ethan because let’s face it, he knows more about it than me . . . and he owes me. He agrees to meet me at a nearby cafe. I’m so nervous, I pour sugar over the table just as he arrives. I smile awkwardly while trying desperately to clean up my mess. “Well, your boy is off the hook,” he says, taking a seat. I stare at him blankly, so he elaborates. “Blade. He got the case closed down. No further investigation. The guys in that club are like fucking oil, slippery fuckers and nothing can stick to them.”

  “Firstly, he isn’t my boy. I haven’t seen him since the day I walked away from you both. I asked you here because you owe me.”

  He laughs, but when he sees I’m not amused, he leans closer. “Shit, you’re actually serious?”

  “You played me. Made a complete fool of me. Now, I need your help.”

  “Where did you find the lady balls?” he jokes, and I narrow my eyes. “What exactly do you need my help with?”

  “I’m looking for my dad.”

  He laughs again. “You’ll have a hard job finding him, Tils. I’ve been looking for him for months. You called the wrong guy. I bet Blade could tell you exactly where his dead, rotting corpse is, but I . . . well, the case is closed now, so I guess I’ll never find out.”

  “Where was he last seen? Who was he seen with?” I ask.

  “I can only imagine that the last person he was with was Blade. Right before he sliced him up and hid him away. Other than that, I can’t help yah.”

  “Maybe your wife should know how serious you take your job,” I snap. It’s an empty threat, because I definitely do not have the lady balls to approach his wife, but he doesn’t have to know that. “Maybe I should tell her exactly how far you take undercover work.”

  “Tillie, don’t threaten me,” he mutters, shaking his head with disappointment. “You don’t know what you’re doing.”

  “I just want something, anything. Where did he hang out? Where did he live?”

  Ethan sighs heavily. “He tried to set up his own MC. A place by the docks.” He grabs a paper napkin and scribbles something down before handing it to me. “You’re asking for trouble poking around looking for Cobra. He wasn’t a good guy,” he warns.

  “Seems I’m surrounded by those types of guys anyway so . . .” I stand, clutching the address in my hand. “Thanks.”

  Sara checks the address again. She insisted on coming with me to check out the place at the docks. There’re three motorbikes parked outside a rundown-looking building. “Are you sure about this?” whispers Sara. I nod, raising my fist to knock on the large, wooden double doors. “Couldn’t you do the normal thing and just ask your mum?” she asks again.

  “No. I told you already, she hates talking about it. She’ll freak and think Blade’s back on scene. Anyway, she won’t know anything about his recent life. I want to know why he’s dead. Everyone says he’s a bad person right, but no one elaborates for me.”

  I bang nice and loud, trying to show I’m more confident than I feel. A minute later, the door creaks open and a large man with a ruddy face scowls out like he hasn’t seen the light in days. “What?” he barks. His teeth are yellowy-brown and he’s unshaven, probably unwashed too by the looks of his stained shirt.

  “Hi, I’m Matilda, and this is Sara,” I begin. He scowls harder, like he’s trying to see us clearly. “I’m looking for someone.”

  “Are you cops?” he snaps.

  “No,” I say. “We’re here—”

  “Are you here for the Pres?” he cuts in.

  I shrug. “Erm, I guess.” Maybe the Pres is Cobra and he isn’t dead after all, but even if it isn’t him, he might be more helpful than this guy.

  He sniggers and opens the door wider. “Nice.” He grins, slapping Sara on the arse as we pass. She yelps and he rubs his hands together gleefully. “Pres, your arse is here!” he yells.

  We stay by the door. Inside is a large room, much like the Kings clubhouse, only this one isn’t as busy or as clean. Two men are sitting at a table playing cards. They both look up and grin. They look in much better shape than this guy, but something doesn’t feel right. A door at the other end of the room opens and another man enters. He’s mid-thirties, with a frightening stare that matches his dark eyes. “I didn’t ask for any bitches today,” he snaps, watching us suspiciously.

  “Actually, I’m looking for someone,” I say.

  “Do I look like a missing persons bureau?” he snaps. He narrows his eyes at the man who let us in. “What d’ya l
et ‘em in for?”

  “They said they were here to see you, Pres.”

  “Fuck, you can’t just let people in,” he growls.

  “Cobra,” I blurt out and all eyes turn to me. “I’m looking for him.”

  The president moves closer. “Who the fuck are you?”

  “Matilda Edwards,” I say quietly.

  Suddenly, his hand shoots out and grabs me around the neck. I scream, and Sara grips my hand tight. “I don’t know you,” he hisses.

  “My dad . . .” I choke out. His eyes narrow and then he releases me. I gasp, rubbing my neck.

  “Cobra was your dad?” he asks, and I nod, relieved he’s sounding much calmer. “Why didn’t you say?” Smiling suddenly, he wraps me in a bear hug. “Shit, he said you were pretty, but we didn’t believe him, looking like he did.”

  I glance nervously back at Sara as the man leads me towards a table. “I was wondering if you’d seen him recently.”

  He puts a cigarette in his mouth and lights it, inhaling deeply and running his eyes over me. “Sweetheart, your dad is dead.”

  “Right, I thought that was the case,” I mutter. “Did he have anyone? Like a wife or other kids?”

  “Not that I know of. He came here from Manchester to keep an eye on you. He was a paranoid arse and thought you were in danger.”

  “Danger?” I repeat.

  He takes another drag of the cigarette and blows the smoke up into the air. “He ran in dangerous circles. It’s the risk you take when you live this life. I can see why he worried about you, though,” he says, grinning and I fidget uneasily. He’s making me uncomfortable.

  I stand. “Right. Well, thanks for your help.”

  “If I find out anything, like if some other chick turns up claiming to be his kid too, where should I contact you?”

  “Sweetastic, on the high street,” I say, praying to God no one else turns up and gives this man a reason to come looking for me.

  He grabs my hand and kisses the back of it. “Take care, Matilda.”

  I step out, practically dragging Sara behind me. “Fuck, I thought he was gonna kill us,” she hisses in my ear as we hurriedly rush across the empty car park. We stop when we’re a distance away, leaning against a chainmail fence to catch our breath.

  “Next time I say I want to go looking for a dangerous man I’ve never met, hit me,” I say, and we both laugh.

  “Sunshine?” I spin around, and on the other side of the fence is Blade. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  “I was . . . erm . . . we came . . . why are you here?” I ask, completely thrown by seeing him.

  “I’m watching someone. Your turn.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  BLADE

  “I’m just saying she looks surprised to see us, like she’s been caught out doing something she shouldn’t be. It’s a little suspicious,” says Lake sceptically. “What if she’s here to see the Cobra MC guys? Yah know, moved from one club to another?” I grab the bolt cutters from the back of the van and head back towards the fence where Tillie and Sara are standing on the other side.

  “Shut the fuck up, Lake,” I snap.

  It’s been weeks and I’ve missed her. I’d like to say that I honoured her wishes and stayed the fuck away, but that would be a lie. And the one day I didn’t follow her, here she fucking is, outside Shane Mercy’s stomping ground.

  I use the cutter to remove a padlock and open a gate in the fence. Both women climb through like they’re desperate to get away from something or someone. “What’s the rush?” asks Lake.

  “We got lost,” says Sara. “It’s creepy around here.”

  “In the daylight?” he asks, smirking.

  “Never been good with directions,” she retorts. “Or decision making for that matter,” she adds, arching a brow in Lake's direction.

  “You weren’t here to see anyone then, as part of your bad decision making?” Lake pushes.

  “I was looking for someone,” says Tillie. “He wasn’t here.”

  “Who were you looking for, Sunshine?” I ask, and she looks away.

  A loud whistle from the other side of the fence gets our attention. I groan as the new Cobra MC president, Acid, walks towards us. “What can I do for you boys?” he asks, a smirk playing on his face. Another guy follows closely behind.

  “Nothing, brother, just passing through, admiring the scenery,” I reply.

  “I thought your little club had been dismantled,” says Lake. “Riggs made himself perfectly clear there ain’t room for the two clubs.”

  Acid sniggers, dropping a cigarette to the ground and crushing it under his boot. “You didn’t tell me you knew these guys,” he says, fixing his eyes on Tillie.

  She looks at me, searching for something to say. I grab her hand. “Take care, Acid.” I tug Tillie towards my bike and nod to Lake to do the same with Sara. These guys are just as dangerous as Cobra, so it’s best they think we’re in relationships with the girls.

  “You know why they call me Acid?” he yells out to us.

  “Cos your ugly arse face makes people think you’ve been burnt by acid?” retorts Lake.

  Acid laughs, so does his brother. “Take care, Matilda. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”

  “What the hell is he talking about?” I hiss at Tillie.

  “I think I just fucked up again,” she whispers, wincing.

  I roll my eyes and hand her the spare bike helmet “You can tell me all about it once we get out of here.”

  “Wow, when you fuck up, you really like to do it good,” Lake says, grinning.

  “Helpful,” snaps Sara.

  “And why didn’t you intervene? I thought you were her friend,” says Lake.

  “I’m an adult. I can make my own decisions,” snaps Tillie

  I pace her kitchen, working out our next move. “You gave him the shop name?” I repeat, and she nods.

  “He asked. I was being polite.”

  I give her a wary look. “Sometimes, Sunshine, it’s okay to say no.”

  She mutters something under her breath and I’m sure it’s aimed at me, but I don’t bother getting her to repeat it. We have more serious problems right now. “He was scary,” she points out.

  “Which should make you NOT want to tell him where to find you,” says Lake.

  “He was clearly friends with my dad, so I don’t think I need to worry,” says Tillie hopefully. “Once he knew, his whole demeanour changed.”

  I exchange looks with Lake. “A lot of people hated Cobra. That includes some of the men he thought were his brothers. You can’t trust anyone, Tils,” I say.

  She scoffs. “Yes, thanks for the reminder.”

  I sigh heavily. “I fucked up, I get it, but I’m not fucking about with this. You’ve made yourself known to the Cobra MC. That’s not a good thing.”

  “There’s nothing I can do about that now. Thanks for the lift home, but you can go. We’ll be fine,” she mutters coldly. Sara glares at her. “What?” Tillie snaps at her friend.

  “Are you serious? What if the snakes come looking for us? These guys can keep us safe.”

  “We were fine before these guys came into our lives!” yells Tillie.

  “Because we didn’t know anyone in that snake gang!” she hisses back.

  “Can you give us a minute?” I ask Sara and Lake.

  They head upstairs, and I turn back to Tillie. “I hope you know they’ll probably have sex. Sara’s only just got over him and now you’ve sent her straight back to his bed.”

  “They’re adults. I’m more worried about you.”

  She rubs at an imaginary mark on the counter. “You really hurt me, Blade.”

  It’s a conversation we need to have. I’m just not good with shit like this. “I think you should come and stay at the club,” I suggest. She shakes her head, still rubbing at the spot. “Tillie, I can’t protect you if you’re here and I’m there.”

  She looks up at me and her eyes are full of sadness and hu
rt. “It’s not your job to protect me.” She takes a deep breath. “Who killed my dad?” I wasn’t prepared for the question and I stare at her blankly even though my brain is racing a mile a minute to come up with a lie. She continues, “I heard Riggs say it. One of the men in your club killed my dad. I want to know who and why.”

  “No good will come of your digging up the past. Cobra wasn’t your dad. He was a rapist, a murderer, and he deserved what he got.”

  “Was it you?” she asks. “Did I have sex with the man who murdered my dad?”

  I get in her face quick enough to make her gasp in shock, then I tip her head back to look up at me. “You had sex with Damon Archer.”

  “Changing to your real name doesn’t make a difference. I want to know the truth.”

  I take a step back. “You’re so fucking stubborn,” I mutter. “Call me if any of that MC contacts you.” She nods but her expression tells me I’m the last person she’s gonna call. “Or maybe Ethan, if you don’t want to speak to me. These men aren’t like the brothers in the Kings.”

  “It’s hard to see who the bad guys are right now,” she mutters.

  “Fuck you, Tillie. An hour with Acid and you’d wish you’d never said that.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  TILLIE

  I was right—Sara jumped straight back into bed with Lake, and now, three days on, she hasn’t heard from him . . . again. I place a Styrofoam cup before her and it breaks her daydream. “Come on, Sara. He’s an arse, but if you’re that upset, call him.”

  “I’m not upset. Who said I was upset?” she snaps. I arch a brow and she sighs. “Sorry. I’m just mad at myself. Why did I do it?”

  The shop door opens and I falter as Acid waltzes in followed by another of his goons. I was confident we wouldn’t hear from him, even after Blade’s warnings. He smiles wide, like I’m a long-lost friend. “Ladies, we meet again.” He runs a hand over the glass shelving and picks out a jar of chocolate buttons. “My favourite,” he says, unscrewing the lid and dipping his oil-stained hand in. He scoops out a handful and pops them into his mouth. “You didn’t mention you were in bed with the Kings,” he says.