Mason: Inked Reapers MC

by West, Heather

  “I didn’t say we’ve discussed marriage,” Brea frowned, shrugging him off.

  “Why not?” Sylar persisted. “That’s where the relationship is headed, isn’t it?”

  “Won’t I seem like a bit of a bunny boiler to be asking about marriage already?”

  “Not if you’re serious about him.”

  Pouting thoughtfully, Brea turned back to look through the window. The street outside remained empty; her cab yet to arrive.

  “I am serious about him,” she eventually concluded.

  “Then you probably should be discussing marriage.”

  “Sylar,” Brea sighed his name as she spun around to look at him. “Are you saying this because you genuinely care about my future or because you’re hoping I’ll look like some sort of crazy person and scare Miles off?”

  Sylar was stunned into silence. Brea was more perceptive than he’d given her credit for.

  “I didn’t expect you to be overly keen on me being in a relationship,” she frowned at him. “But I’d hoped for at least your support.”

  Lowering his head Sylar could feel the tips of his ears burning with shame. She was right, of course she was right and under any other circumstance he would have been supportive. But Miles wasn’t just a regular guy, he rode with the Highway Reapers and that made him unpredictable and dangerous.

  “I genuinely care about your future,” Sylar promised. And he truly did. The only reason he wanted her to break things off with Miles was because he cared about her future. He didn’t want her getting embroiled in any pack problems. And there were definitely problems brewing. The very fact that Miles, and some of his cronies, had taken up residence in Colridge was extremely troubling. The Reapers were planning a strike, the question was when would it happen?

  “Oh, cab’s here,” Brea saw the yellow car as it slid up to the curb and stopped. She shouldered her bag and gave her brother a sad smile.

  “Will you at least meet him?” she asked, cocking her head to the side the way she used to do when she was a little girl, whenever she was trying to get her way.

  Sylar knew it would be a terrible idea for him to meet Miles. What if Miles recognized him? Or worse, what if Miles was only even dating Brea to get to him? Sylar shuddered at the thought, but he wouldn’t put such behavior past the Highway Reapers. Smith’s scars were a painful reminder of just how far they’d go to protect their turf and the kind of depths they were willing to sink to.

  The cab driver was now honking his horn, the sound cutting through the peaceful stillness of the street. But Brea didn’t move, she stood staring at her brother, her eyes wide and expectant.

  “Brea…” Sylar fumbled for an excuse.

  “You’re meeting him,” Brea concluded for him, swinging open the front door with unnecessary force. “You can’t possibly dislike someone you’ve never met,” she continued as she stepped out into the late afternoon sunshine.

  “Meet him first. And if you still don’t like him, then fine.”

  “I never said I didn’t like him,” Sylar protested as she strode down the driveway towards the waiting cab. He tightened his fists as he noticed the cab driver cast an appreciative sweep of a glance up his sister’s bare legs.

  “You didn’t have to,” Brea shot back over her shoulder before bundling herself into the cab. Sylar groaned and cracked his knuckles as she watched her drive away. He sensed that removing Miles from her life was going to prove tougher than he’d originally hoped.

  Chapter 52

  Brea threw herself against her bed, savoring its familiar scent. It felt really good to be back in her apartment. As nice as it was to go back home, this space truly felt like hers; a space she didn’t have to share with anyone. She bunched the sheets in her hands and wriggled against the bed, wishing it could somehow swallow her whole and trap her inside.

  The whole trip back to Colridge she’d been thinking about Sylar and how he didn’t seem to like Miles. But he was never going to like anyone she dated. In that regard, he was behaving like the over protective parent. But Brea didn’t want him to have to act like that anymore. She wanted him to be her brother, her friend.

  With a sigh, Brea sat up and looked around the room. Everything was just as she’d left it, as if frozen and awaiting her return. Chewing her lip, she fumbled for her cell phone in her tracksuit pocket. She swiftly scrolled down to find Miles’ number. Her body ached with desire as she looked at the now, familiar pattern of digits. She’d missed him terribly. Being on her bed only made her miss him more wishing he was there with her, his limbs tangling up with hers.

  Not wasting another moment to deliberation she called Miles. After three rings he answered.

  “Hey, babe,” his voice was so warm and delicious it sent shivers down her spine. She heard the click of a door closing and wondered where he was.

  “Hey,” Brea bounced excitedly on the bed. “I’m back in Colridge now. What are you up to?”

  “Coming over to see you,” Miles replied flirtatiously. Brea giggled with delight. She wanted to rest her head against his strong chest and feel his powerful arms wrapped around her.

  “I’ve missed you,” she told him shyly.

  “I’ve missed you too.”

  Brea was smiling. She’d been gone just one night and he’d missed her. He clearly cared about her deeply, just as she did with him. Was marriage in their future? She didn’t dare ask, but she’d certainly fantasized about it. She loved Miles. Every fiber in her body told her so. She thought of her brother, and how she sensed he was trying to get her to behave in a way which would push Miles away. Biting her tongue, she held in any talk of marriage and a future together. Instead, she opted to live in the moment.

  “I’m taking off my clothes,” she told him seductively as she fumbled for the zipper to her playsuit. “You’ve got ten minutes to get here before I start playing with myself.”

  “I’ll be there in five.” Miles hung up and Brea dropped back down on the bed, giggling with excited delight before quickly shedding her clothes.

  Chapter 53

  “Wait, what?” Smith placed his bottle of beer down on the table and frowned at his friend.

  “Brea’s dating a member of the Highway Reapers” Sylar repeated sourly. He couldn’t keep the secret to himself any longer. By his second beer, he’d been bursting to tell Smith all about Miles and now he was on his fourth, which meant the truth came tumbling out with no hesitation.

  “Seriously?” Smith looked truly astonished. “You’re sweet, innocent little sister?”

  “Yep.”

  “Well,” Smith rolled his eyes and gently shook his head. “She won’t be sweet and innocent much longer.”

  “Hey,” Sylar growled, kicking at his friend beneath the table. “That’s my sister you’re talking about.”

  “And she’s busy being railroaded by a member of the Highway Reapers. You know as well as I do how they treat women. They’ll be passing her around like some sort of joint.”

  Sylar could feel his heart hammering angrily in his chest, could hear its echo in his ears. He wanted to think that Smith was wrong, but he knew the truth. To the Reapers, women were objects. Maybe it hadn’t happened yet but Miles would ruin Brea. He’d take what made her special – her innocence, her sweetness, and destroy that.

  “You think he’s with her to get to you?” Smith wondered anxiously.

  “The thought had crossed my mind,” Sylar admitted sourly, gazing sadly at his half empty bottle of beer, the contents no longer cold but lukewarm.

  “Mmm,” Smith finished off his own beer and raised his hand to order them another round. “No wonder you were so fired up over this guy this morning.”

  “Yeah,” Sylar agreed, recalling how he’d felt when he saw Miles’ picture.

  “Did you tell her he rides with the Reapers?”

  Sylar shook his head. “Brea doesn’t even know that I’m with the Blood Pact. If I tell her about her boyfriend being with the Highway Reapers, it opens up
a whole can of worms that I don’t really want to get into.”

  “But if you told her she’d end it with him, right? It’s too dangerous to let them carry on being together.”

  “I know, I know.” But if Brea knew the truth about Miles she’d also be learning the truth about Sylar. She’d find out all the things he’d done for the Reapers, all the blood that was on his hands. He risked not only Miles losing his sister, but also himself. He wasn’t even fully convinced that it would scare her off of Miles, but it was sure to hit a sore spot with his relationship with his sister.

  “So say you withhold the truth,” Smith leaned forward, lowering his voice. He loved a good conspiracy.

  “You don’t tell Brea he’s with the Reapers. You’ve still got the break them up.”

  “Yeah,” Sylar agreed, draining the last of his warm beer.

  “You can’t let her stay with him.”

  “I know,” Sylar’s voice became strained as two fresh bottles of beer arrived at their table, courtesy of a buxom waitress. Smith leaned back in his chair to thank her and give her a suggestive wink. She giggled coyly, batting her eyelashes and then walking off with an extra swing in her step.

  “It’s just that she seems really keen on him and I fear that breaking them up…” he sighed and reached for his fresh beer.

  “Breaking them up means breaking her heart,” he concluded sadly.

  “It’s a risk you’ve got to take,” Smith replied fiercely. “Either you break her heart or the Highway Reapers break every bone in her pretty little body. As her brother, which would you rather?”

  “Neither.” Sylar felt helpless. Either way, Brea was going to get hurt. As her brother he’d failed to protect her, failed to shield her from the darkness of his world.

  “The heart is a mighty resilient muscle,” Smith tilted his new beer towards his friend and gave a knowing smile. “It can bounce back from all sorts of things. And the scars you wear down there,” he placed a hand against his chest, “no one can see them. But the other scars,” now his hand raised slowly to his cheek where the skin was mottled and tight. “You wear them forever,” he concluded sagely.

  Chapter 54

  Brea pulled Miles into her apartment as soon as she opened the door, showering him with kisses. They’d only been apart for a few days, but she felt like she’d missed him so much she could burst. He wrapped his strong arms around her slim waist and kissed her passionately. She could feel the hunger in his kisses, the longing.

  They didn’t utter a single word as they staggered together towards the bedroom. They could just sense what the other wanted. As she stepped towards the bed, Brea hurriedly shed the dress she’d been wearing. Only an hour earlier she’d carefully picked it out as she liked the way it made her legs look long and slender. She imagined sitting across from Miles at dinner and flirtatiously lowering the neckline a fraction while chewing her lip. But the moment she’d seen him she’d lost her appetite for food and hungered for something more carnal.

  Once they were both naked, they tumbled together onto the bed, a collection of knotted limbs. They were still kissing. Brea loved how Miles tasted. She wanted to kiss him until her lips were numb. As they kissed, his hands navigated the curves of her bare body. She trembled with desire as his fingertips grazed her inner thigh.

  “God, I missed you,” she uttered breathlessly as he carefully eased his fingers inside her. She was already so wet she thought she might climax any second.

  “I missed you too,” Miles growled the words in her ear. Brea shuddered deliciously. She loved the deep resonance of his voice, each word sounding like it had been delivered from the pit of his stomach.

  He kept easing his fingers in and out of her as they writhed together on the bed. Brea could feel the flush spreading over her face, felt the tingle down in her pussy. Curling her toes, she gasped in delight as she came. Miles grinned as he turned her over so that she was on all fours.

  “You’re so sexy,” he declared as he reached for her hips and guided her body into position.

  The sex was hard and fast but extremely satisfying. Breathing heavily they finally parted, falling onto their backs and lying side by side on Brea’s bed, gazing up at the ceiling.

  “We might have missed our reservation,” Miles noted with a sprinkle of good humor.

  “Ha, yeah,” Brea agreed. She gently reached across the bed for his hand and interlinked it with her own.

  “We could order take out or something,” he suggested.

  “Sounds good.” At the suggestion of food Brea’s stomach growled in yearning. “Seems that I’m pretty hungry,” she laughed.

  “Did you have fun staying with your brother?” Miles asked, his gaze held on the ceiling above them which was covered with cracked paint.

  “Yeah,” a smile pulled at Brea’s lips as she remembered playing Candy Land with Sylar. It had been fun, like a pleasant trip down memory lane. But then he’d been strange about Miles. She sensed that he was trying to goad her into scaring him away but why? Her smile fell and she turned on her side to face Miles.

  The fresh ink of the tattoo she’d done on his chest stood out against his pale skin. The red soreness beneath it was gone so it just looked clear and impressive. Brea traced the line of some of his scars with her fingertip. He had so many. They ran like a dark map over his torso. Many looked as if they’d been made from deep, dangerous wounds.

  “I told him about us,” Brea stated softly. Her finger was floating over a particularly large scar which ran down from Miles’ left shoulder towards his new tattoo. It was pinker in color than most of the others, suggesting that it wasn’t that old.

  “You did?” Miles turned to face her, denying her access to the scar as he rolled onto his side.

  “Yeah,” Brea shyly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She instantly regretted having bought up talking to Sylar about their relationship since her brother had ultimately not seemed pleased about it.

  “What’s wrong?” Miles wondered softly, reading her troubled expression. “Was he not happy about us?”

  “No. I mean, yes. No.” Brea sighed heavily and sat up, drawing her knees up to her chest. “I thought he was happy about us, but then he got kind of…weird.”

  “Weird how?” Miles also sat up and looped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, relieved by his support.

  “I don’t know,” shaking her head she wished she could decipher what exactly was going on with Sylar. He was definitely behaving strangely. “I got the feeling he was hoping we’d break up soon.”

  “He was probably just being protective,” Miles reasoned. “You said that you two have always been close.”

  “Yeah,” Brea wanted to shake the veil of sadness which she now wore. She was reunited with Miles, everything should be great. But she kept thinking about Sylar. She’d wanted him to be happy for her, it was important to her that he get along with Miles.

  “I guess I just wanted him to react to the news like a brother,” she sighed. “Rather than a parent.”

  “I don’t think any brother worth his salt, would ever be okay about his baby sister dating someone.”

  “You think?” Brea shot Miles a hopeful glance. Growing up Sylar had kept her so sheltered from other people that she’d lost some of her grip on normalcy.

  “Yeah,” Miles gave her shoulders a squeeze. “He just cares about you, Brea. I’m sure he’ll come round.”

  “Will you meet him?” She felt Miles tense beside her. Her heart began to flip flop in her chest. She’d pushed too hard, she was scaring him away just as Sylar had intended. She wanted to smack her own head for being so foolish.

  “Of course,” but when Miles spoke, his words didn’t match his actions. It was almost like his initial flinch had just been a knee-jerk reaction. Had he met many brothers? Many parents. Jealousy burned bright in Brea’s eyes when she suddenly considered how little she actually knew about Miles. Had he had many girlfriends? Many sexual partners? He was her fi
rst on both counts and that was special to her. She swallowed uneasily.

  “I’d love to meet your brother,” Miles reassured her brightly. But even though he was smiling, he still looked troubled.

  “You would?” Brea challenged dubiously.

  “Of course,” Miles leaned close and let his lips brush against hers. “If he’s important to you, then he’s important to me.”

  “So are we like,” Brea pulled away from him and sat across from him on the bed. She suddenly wished she was dressed. Being naked made her feel even more exposed than she already did.

  “Are we serious?” she hated how pitiful she sounded when she asked the question. She half expected Miles to shudder at the suggestion before making his excuses and leaving with haste. Perhaps Sylar was going to get his wish granted after all.