Dylan's Reaper: Soul Reapers #3

by Lowrance, J. D.

  “I do.” Emma hugged Lefty, whispering in his ear, before she locked the door behind him.

  More gunfire and another loud explosion sounded. Sam had sent Tricia to check on the back first and then the ladies upstairs. There was an eerie silence inside while all hell broke loose outside. We waited and waited as the noise levels grew. We all jumped when there was a loud banging on the door. Sam went over first with Emma close on his heels.

  “Who’s there?” Sam’s voice loud as he spoke to the person on the other side.

  “It’s Mica. He is one of ours,” Emma explained. Sam slowly opened the door and then dragged Mica in. He was bleeding from a head wound as Emma helped him to an armchair.

  “Coming through.” A voice yelled right as Sam went to close the door. Woods dragged Tru through the door as Emma raced to meet them.

  “Tricia. Get my medical bag out of my room,” she commanded. “And hurry.” Tricia took off up the stairs. Sam got the door closed as Woods looked around the room. Emma began working on Tru immediately.

  “Everyone okay in here?” Woods asked.

  “Yeah. How is it out there?” Sam inquired.

  “We will have to fall back soon. I don’t know how we are going to keep them out. There are a shit ton of them and only a handful of us.”

  “Are there any clubs close that can help?” It was a good question from Sam.

  “Not close enough to help. Lefty sent a group text to all the brothers, but they are over eight hours away and in pretty thick shit themselves. It’s just us.”

  “Oh God,” Emma cried. I looked to see Mica on his knees next to Tru’s body as Emma continued to work feverishly. Tricia ran back down the steps and handed Emma her bag. “Push this down,” she told Mica as she searched through her bag, pulling out a pair of gloves and what looked to be really long tweezers. She put the gloves on as she yelled, “I need vodka.” Woods went and grabbed some, giving it to Emma as she poured it over the instrument. Removing Mica’s hands from Tru, she stuck the tweezers into his stomach as she began rooting around. “Fuck. I need to find the bullet,” she yelled as she used her other hand to move shit around inside Tru.

  I had to look away as she was now covered in Tru’s blood and so was most of Mica. Sam diverted his eyes as well looking out the window and Emma continued to swear and pray and beg until she exclaimed, “Got it.” When I turned around I gagged at the insane view of Tru’s insides hanging out of him and Emma trying to stuff them back in.

  “Tru!” Emma was not screaming. “You stay with me God damn it.” His skin was a grey color and his chest barely moved. “Shit. Shit. Shit. Um. Um. He needs blood.” Woods went to kneel beside her.

  “Emma.” His voice loud in the silence.

  “No Woods.”

  “I am O negative. I’m a universal donor. I need you to help me hook us up so I can give him blood.

  I stood now at the same window as Sam, with him on one side looking out and me on the other. I could no longer watch the scene unfold as Emma continued to beg Woods. The noise outside was no longer as loud as it once was.

  “What do the Night Demons want with the Soul Reapers?” A question I had never thought to ask my father, brother, or Knox. Sam, at this point in time, was my best option.

  “Revenge.”

  “For what?”

  “Killing our former Prez, Luc’s pop.”

  “They killed him?” I was shocked. “I don’t believe you.”

  “Not them, just one. But he did it with his cut on so now the club is responsible whether it was a sanctioned hit or not.”

  “Sanctioned hit? What the fuck? This ain’t the mafia Samael. Which Reaper?” His answer of Whistler confirmed my guess. “And what did the Demons do to Whistler?”

  “It’s a long, messy story Dilly. One that will give you nightmares.”

  “Too late for that,” I said cutting him off. “The Hellhounds saw to that.” His head jerked to mine. His eyes full of regret as he stared at me.

  “I am so sorry Dylan. I tried everything I could.”

  “No you didn’t,” I argued. “You could have told me. You could have warned me. Hell, you could have gotten me out of the fucking bar where your brothers hang out 24/7. There is a lot of shit you coulda tried.” I air-quoted the last word.

  “You’re right, but I chose this path. And the Demons have chosen theirs, just like the Hellhounds and the Reapers. We are all here because of one selfish person,” said Sam.

  “Who?” Please don’t say my mother.

  “Your mother.” Shit.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Dylan

  Of course my mother was to blame. Wasn’t she always?! I was so sick and tired of being a part of her messes. She was so selfish and self-centered. Nothing mattered but what she wanted in that moment. Everything else be damned!

  Pounding on the door drew everyone’s attention in the room. Woods strode to the door with Sam on his heels.

  “What?” boomed Woods. I was too far away to hear what was said. Woods unlocked the door and swung it open to let Lefty in.

  “That’s it brother. All the compound is lost. The only thing that is stopping them are the walls on this building,” Lefty said.

  “Fuck,” yelled Sam as he stomped back to the window. “What now?”

  “We hold this position until the other brothers can get here,” answered Woods. “We fall back to the upstairs if worse comes to worse, just like Emma planned. We need to move Tru.”

  “We can’t.” All heads turned to Emma. An IV ran from her arm to Tru’s. Mica sat beside a very pale Emma, holding her up. “If we do, we could lose him.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

  “Em, what are you doing?” Woods rushed over to her. “You look like you are about to fall over. We need you strong to help get us through this. You need to be strong for your boys. Please stop the transfusion.”

  “But . . .” Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked at Woods. “He’s my best friend. I can’t lose him.”

  “And we, your boys, need you NOW Em.” My own eyes grew teary as I watched Emma nod in agreement as she removed the IV from her arm and then Tru’s.

  Glass shattered as bullets rained down on the clubhouse like hail during a thunderstorm. Shouts followed me as I ran for cover. I looked around the room to see everyone crouched low, heads covered until the bullets stopped flying. Woods yelled for Lefty to join Ax in the back as both he and Sam made their way to the front windows.

  “I got the kitchen,” I hollered as I stayed low and made my way through the door. Movement behind me drew my attention as Tricia joined me.

  “I have to help.” Her voice unsteady as the gun shook in her hands.

  “Are you sure?” I had my doubts if she could really help if we took fire again. A nod confirmed that she thought she was.

  “Ok,” I said. Glass crunched under my feet as I walked over to the window above the sink. I looked outside and could not see anything beyond my reflection in the window.

  “Turn off the . . .” I would have said light if the electricity did not go out at that same exact moment. “Great,” I muttered.

  “I can’t believe this. How could he do this? I can’t believe this.” Tricia’s voice grew hysterical. I looked to see her crouched down, curled into a ball with her arms around her legs as she rocked herself back and forth.

  “Can’t believe what Trish?”

  “Trigger. He . . . He . . . He’s fucking crazy. I didn’t know. I didn’t think. I just wanted to be an old lady and he promised me.”

  Anger rushed through my veins as my heart rate took off. “What are you talking about Tricia?”

  She finally looked up at me. Her face stained with her tears, eyes full of guilt. “I called them.”

  “You fucking what?” I screamed in her face as I grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

  “I didn’t know,” she blubbered. Tears and snot ran down her face. “Trigger told me to text a number and write “Go. Midnight. Toni
ght.” That’s all I know. And now I’m going to die.” I pushed her away from me causing her to fall over as she continued to wail. “I just want to be a fucking old lady.

  “Shit,” I shrieked, running through the kitchen door to tell the group about what I just learned. What I came upon broke my heart as Emma was lying across Tru’s body sobbing.

  “Tru. No Tru. You can’t leave me, the boys. Please,” she begged as her fists curled into his cut. “Don’t do this. Please.” Lefty had joined Woods and Mica who stood behind Emma looking like lost little boys as she continued to beg Tru to stay. Her cries quieted as I got closer, even though her shoulders still shook. “I’m sorry. So sorry,” she cried into his cut. I knelt beside her, pulling her into me.

  “I know. I know,” I soothed. “You’re strong Emma. You are going to get through this.”

  “I can’t,” she sobbed.

  “You can,” I reassured her. “You are the best mom and friend I know. You will be alright.” Emma hiccupped for air as she lifted her head from my shoulder.

  “You think?”

  “I know.”

  “I did love him,” she said as if she was confessing some big secret. “We just weren’t in love. God,” she started to cry again, “he was my best friend.”

  “Cry. Wail. Scream. Just let it out. I’m here for you.” I kept my voice soft, rubbing her back and trying to offer whatever comfort I could. I looked around to see everyone back at the windows as the moon gave us a little bit of light. When my eyes connected with Sam’s, I remembered why I had come here in the first place.

  “Trigger is working with the Night Demons,” I blurted out, still hugging Emma. A lot of “what’s” and “are you fucking kidding me’s” sounded throughout the room as all the brothers turned their attention to me. “Tricia called them letting them know to strike tonight.”

  “Holy shit,” Woods exclaimed. “How do you know this?”

  “She just told me.”

  “Lefty, go get that fucking bitch. Mica you take the kitchen.” Two “yes sirs” sounded as Lefty and Mica followed Woods’ orders. Not even a minute later, Lefty was dragging a sobbing Tricia into the main room.

  “Tell us now,” Woods commanded as he stood over her pointing his gun at her.

  “I swear,” she cried holding up her hands in front of her in surrender. “I didn’t know. Trig just told me to text a number and I did. That’s it.”

  “Where’s your fucking phone bitch?” Sam yelled from the window.

  “In my purse,” she stuttered.

  “Get. It. Now.” Woods followed behind Tricia as she retrieved her purse from behind the bar and handed her phone to him. She slouched against the bar before sliding down and curling into a ball once again. Woods immediately pulled up the text app and hit the screen a few times until ringing sounded from the phone he put on speaker.

  “Well hello there,” came the smooth, emotionless voice of Crazy Z. So Trigger was working with the Hellhounds and not the Night Demons. Did he even know the Night Demons were involved?

  “I should have fucking known,” growled Woods into the phone.

  “I see the Soul Reapers are finally connecting the dots. Did the beautiful Dylan help or hurt in that endeavor? I wonder.” He was always trying to start shit. I stomped over to Woods.

  “Helping you asshole,” I barked.

  “What a pity. I was hoping to get to finish our little party from before. But I guess since you aren’t helping, the Night Demons will take you out just like everybody else. Such a pity. I could have saved you beautiful Dilly.”

  “Shut. The. Fuck. Up,” roared Sam.

  “Now that’s a new country heard from. Samael. Samael. Samael. Lucifer will not be happy to learn his enforcer is now working against him instead of for him. Unless,” he chuckled a maniacal laugh, “you plan on doing your Prez proud and taking out everyone in the clubhouse.”

  “I’m not,” Sam countered as he looked Woods in the eye. “I swear.”

  “Oh come on,” mocked Crazy Z. “Where’s the fun in that?”

  “Listen, I will pay you a million dollars if you do what I just said. Well, everyone except for my one true love-love.”

  “Logan,” Woods breathed as he clenched and unclenched his fists. “Over my dead body.”

  “Funny you should say that,” laughed Crazy Z. “Because that is currently in the plans.” He paused taking a loud, deep dramatic breath. “Unless, of course, you want to save everyone’s life in the clubhouse and just hand her over.”

  “I agree.” Logan’s voice was clear over the stillness in the room. Even Emma had stopped crying as we all listened to Woods and Crazy Z’s conversation.

  “Oh goody,” Crazy Z’s voice so sweet I could feel my teeth rotting from it.

  “It’s not gonna happen,” Woods interjected. “She is not leaving this clubhouse if I have to tie her down myself. This is far from over.” Woods ended the call before rushing over to where Logan stood at the entrance to the hallway. He grabbed her arm as he yelled, “Are you fucking insane? Colton would kill me if I ever let you walk out that door.”

  “But it could save lives,” Logan argued.

  “Are you really that naive? You know Z has as much control over the Demons as I do. You stay here. It sounds like he made a deal with them anyway to keep you alive. So you stay here, alive, with me.”

  “But if I can help . . .”

  “You can, by manning a window and keeping those fuckers out of this clubhouse. We just need to buy some time and hopefully we can wait them out. Fuck, you need to stay up here with me, because now I am afraid your stupid ass will run out the back thinking you are helping. Hell, you may be the only thing keeping them out and us in here. We just don’t know. YOU. STAY. HERE. Got me?” Woods finally released Logan’s arm and she immediately rubbed the spot where he had held her in a death grip.

  “Got you,” she grumbled.

  “Just stay up here, ok?” She nodded her compliance. Emma’s hiccup drew Logan’s attention as she raced over to her friend. They whispered to one another as Logan took Emma in her arms, rocking back and forth. Emma’s cries filled the room once again. Reclaiming my space next to Sam, he reached out and squeezed my hand letting me know he was there for me.

  “This is insane,” I whispered.

  “Welcome to the MC life,” he whispered back.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Dylan

  The question that had plagued me since entering this very clubhouse came roaring back to life. Did I want this life? But the answer came much more quickly than it ever had before, even with a gun locked and loaded in my hand. YES. A resounding yes as I took in Logan with Emma and Woods standing guard. Knowing that Ax and Cam had our back and Mica our side made me feel a part of something. That feeling started in my chest and expanded out as the love I had for this group of people, this family, my family grew inside of me. I knew I would do anything to save these people, just like they would do for me. I wanted this life. I wanted these people in it. And I wanted Knox by my side. Conviction washed over me as I stood there.

  Death might come for me tonight, but I would be damn sure I took a few Demons with me to hell. I shook out my shoulders and cracked my neck. A feeling of rightness settled deep in my soul as I knew I was where I belonged, something I had searched my whole life for and never found until now. I laughed, finding it ironic that I found the place right as it was about to get shot to hell.

  “What are you laughing at?” Sam asked as he looked at me from the corner of his eye. “You losing it on me?”

  “Nah, I am finally getting it together.”

  “Perfect timing.”

  “Yeah, something like that,” I joked. Gunshots sounded at the back of the house, silencing our banter. Not sure if it was ours or theirs, everyone stood listening. A large crash sounded, spurring Woods into action as he ran towards the back. I started to follow, but Sam grabbed my hand stopping me.

  “We need to hold down the front,” he
said.

  “You’re right,” I responded. But we did not have to wait long as Ax, Lefty, Cam, and Woods came down the hallway. “What happened?” I asked as Logan and Emma got to their feet. Lefty and Ax started pushing the couches towards the hallway.

  “They drove one of our trucks through the back door. So we need to block the hallway.” Oh shit! Woods pushed an arm chair over. Logan ran over to the pinball game and unplugged it as Emma joined her unlocking the wheels. They pushed it together across the room.

  “Ax and Lefty, cover the back. Cam join Mica in the kitchen. Ladies,” Woods called up to the second floor, “you alright up there?”

  “Yes,” echoed from above.

  In the split second of silence that followed their answer, the bar phone rang. We all jumped not expecting the familiar sound in the craziness that was unfolding.

  “Hello,” answered Cam, being the closest one to the bar. “Woods,” was all she said as she held out the phone. “A guy named Ryder wants to talk to you.”

  “Ryder.” Woods’ deep voice echoed in the quietness. “Yes.” The pause as long as my heartbeat. “One.” Thump thump. “Tru.” Thump thump. “Everyone is in the main room, with fallback to the second level.” Thump thump. “How long?” Thump thump. “If the Reaper is willing.” Woods hung up the phone, his head bowed as we all waited for him to relay whatever Ryder had said. “The Iron Knights are here.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Dylan

  If my life was a soundtrack, P.O.D’s “Boom” would be blaring from the speakers. “Here comes the boom. Here comes the boom. Ready or not. How you like me now.”

  Explosions started at the front of the compound letting us know that the Iron Knights truly had arrived.

  “Hold your fire,” yelled Woods as everyone ran to the windows. “We don’t want to shoot any friendlies.”