Booger (Reapers MC Book 3)

by Elizabeth Knox

  As the eggs finish up, I pop two pieces of toast in the toaster and grab two cups of coffee and set them on the island. Cobra left about twenty or so minutes ago, so I know it’s safe to speak with Boog freely. He’s just sleeping in, so I’ll let him continue to do that. I really don’t want to wake him up.

  I walk back to the stove and see our omelets are perfectly done, the cheddar cheese oozing a little bit. Damn, I can’t wait to pop that in my mouth. Taking the two plates I set on the countertop earlier, I pick up the eggs with a spatula and pop them on the plates, placing them on the island in front of the bar stools.

  I’m kind of in my own little world as I walk towards the coffee pot and take it in my hands. Turning, Booger scares the ever loving daylights out of me and I drop the pot. Shit! I didn’t even hear him walking down the hall. The slamming of the glass against the wood floor hits me at the same time the hot liquid splatters across my feet. I react badly and jump, feeling something sharp poke in my foot upon hitting the ground.

  “Jesus, Camila!” He rushes over to me and scoops me up into his arms, putting me on top of the counter.

  I start to jump back down, “I need to clean that up,” I say to him, but get a glare in return.

  “You need to sit that fine ass of yours here and let me check out your foot.” He growls, grabbing a cloth from the counter, he puts it under the sink and rinses it with water. Slowly he wipes off the top of my foot and then looks at the bottom. “Thank God. It’s just a cut.” The warmth of the cloth goes over the bottom of my foot and burns like a bitch when he reaches the cut.

  “I was just trying to make us breakfast.” I mutter, bringing my arms closer to me.

  He takes a look over his shoulder and sees the food I have displayed out for him, turning back and gives me a sweet smile. “I’m sure it’s delicious, sweetheart. Once we get you cleaned up, we’ll dig in.”

  “Boog,” I start to tell him, but pause, not wanting to waste any more time, but it’s so hard for these words to come out of my mouth. I’m so fearful of what he’ll think of me, or how he’ll view me. A million different variables come into my mind, driving me insane.

  “Yeah?” He asks, staring at me intently. “What do you want to tell me?” Ugh, of course he knows I want to say something to him.

  “There’s something I need to tell you. Something that’s really hard for me to say. I’m scared, really… scared that you’ll view me differently after I tell you this.” I rub my hands over my arms and keep my eyes away from his. I can’t bear to see his reaction after I tell him. Although, I don’t know if it’s the fact that I don’t want to see his reaction, or that I’m so worried that he’ll be disgusted with me.

  “Alright. You know you can tell me anything, don’t you?” He places his hand on my knee and rubs in a circular, soothing motion.

  “After Rafael gave me to Ricardo… he would fuck with me in a lot of ways. At first it was mentally, and then physically.” I stop, waiting to see if he’ll ask questions, but he doesn’t. “He’d make jokes so much about putting rat poison in my food that I didn’t eat. I didn’t want to risk it. He beat me once, but it wasn’t too bad, so I consider myself lucky. I know things could have been much worse than what he…” For some reason, any time I come close to telling Boog what happened to me, my fear rises up in the pit of my stomach and makes me want to keel over. I’m going to have to tell him. There’s no way around it, especially if we’re going to continue this relationship. I’m just so petrified that he won’t want me after he finds out what Ricardo did.

  That I’ll be too damaged and mutilated for him.

  “Damn, Camila. Just tell me what’s on your mind. I’m not some little bitch with a micro dick. I can handle whatever it is that you’re gonna say, sweetie. I’m a big boy, and I promise you, I can handle it.” Even though he can tell I’m nervous, I see the way he’s trying to make me laugh.

  I don’t know what comes over me, or gives me the courage to look at him dead in those eyes of his, but I do. I stare deeply into them as I tell him the worst part of my past. “Ricardo took my clit. He cut it off.”

  Boog’s irises expand and then condense. I see the shock that rolled through him, and as his hand shakes on my knee, my nerves come back full force. He’s silent, not making a peep for more than five minutes. I know because I’ve been watching the clock on the microwave that long. “How?” Is all that comes from his mouth.

  I squint my eyes, thinking of the horror that day brought. I was a teenager when it happened, just past seventeen. “He told me that if I wouldn’t let him bring me pleasure, that no man ever would.” As the words come out, I hear his voice saying it.

  My nightmare used to be my reality, and I know that they will never go away. They’ll continue to haunt me for years to come.

  17

  Anger is a sign that something needs to change.

  -Mark Epstein

  Booger

  Yesterday might have been the most difficult day of my life. I had to listen to Camila tell me everything about her time with Ricardo, and in that, a monster awoke deep within me. One who wants nothing but to take down Ricardo, and every person who stood by and helped him in his atrocious actions. I want the motherfucker to burn, and my god, he will.

  I’m not the type of guy who ever runs to my Prez and tells him we need to have church, but this isn’t an ordinary situation. We’ve only been down here in Vegas for a little while and in that time we’ve already run into issues. This just adds to the pot of reasons why we need to act now instead of waiting shit out.

  “Please speak, obviously something is on your mind.” Damon says to me, taking his seat at the head of the table. I almost anticipated that Amara and the Brotherhood members would be sitting in, but they’re not. Figuring out this hybrid MC shit is confusing as fuck. We’re supposed to be a united front, but yet we do so many things separately. It doesn’t make any sense.

  “We need to take out the Vibora’s, sooner rather than later. They’ve already caused problems with the club, and after finding out what that fucking scumbag did to Camila, I want his blood.”

  Damon nods his head and leans back in his seat. “I understand the need to want him to suffer. Believe me, out of anyone here, I empathize with your situation. But just because I’m empathetic doesn’t mean I’ll lead us into a situation where we’ll all get killed. We have to be smart. We’re still the outsiders here, Boog, and everyone knows that. Now, when we have more intel and we’re more familiar, you know we’ll strike. Until then, we have to do our homework.”

  “What the fuck kind of homework do you even mean?! Your uncle leads these vermin. I’d say it’s pretty easy to get your intel on them, Prez.” I spit out his title, my anger obvious to everyone in the room. I would never normally raise my voice or speak to any Prez in this manner, but this is important. Damon has ways to find things out, and he’s not fucking using them. Now that infuriates me like nothing else. I kinda wonder what the fuck is going on in that thick head of his.

  The door to our small room where church is being held flies open, and Cobra peeks his head in. “I’m agreeing with the snot rocket. We need some blood.”

  Damon shoots up from his chair and raises his voice as he speaks, “You’d better shut that fuckin’ door right now, before I cut off your head, snake.” At that, cobra shuts the door and I hear his footsteps going back down the hall. “Fuck, we’re never gonna get any privacy in here.”

  “We’re in a trailer. These walls are paper thin.” Hawk points out, rolling his eyes.

  Damon’s phone starts to buzz on the wooden table and he lifts it up, eyes scanning over it. “Shit. We’ll have to talk about this later. Christian Steele is five minutes out with our guns. I need you all to look out for a new prospect. He should be getting here within the next week or so, depending. His name’s Mouser.”

  “Mouser?” Dixon chuckles, “Like Mickey?”

  “No, he’s called Mouser cause he knows how to catch a fuckin’ rat. His f
amily owns a bounty hunting business, and his Pop is an old retired Reaper. Mouser used to score off of Bull back in the day when he was on shit. Now he’s following in his family’s footsteps and wants part of the lifestyle. We need more people, so Fist is sending him down here.”

  The group of us nod quietly. It’ll be nice getting some fresh blood around here. It’s always interesting at first, but we’d be dumb not to take more men right now. “I’ll be on the lookout for new prospects too. Mouser is gonna be one of three, but I gotta go. We have shit to handle.” Damon slams the gavel down on the wooden table and exits the room.

  “With a name like Mouser, you don’t think he’s one of those gay bikers, do ya?” Dixon asks, staring at me. Why the fuck he’s asking me, I have no clue.

  “Why does it fuckin’ matter?” I snap back. I may have been raised with old, conservative values, but I sure as fuck didn’t keep them.

  “It doesn’t. I’m just sayin’. He sounds like a feminine son of a bitch. I don’t want anyone comin’ in here trying to make me their bitch.”

  I shake my head. Dixon is over thinking this shit. “Watch him roll up and be a big, burly motherfucker and you’re gonna regret ever sayin’ anything like shit, man.” I bust into a bout of laughter. Hawk soon follows.

  “I think we should be on the lookout for potential new blood, though. And I’m not talkin’ about Mouser. Damon wants more guys, and we’ll be sure to get some. Especially now.” I say to the group of them. Each of them nod in agreement. They know as well as I do that the time to expand is now. We just need to be careful who we’re bringing into our clubhouse.

  18

  Asleep or awake, I dream of you just the same.

  -Anonymous

  Camila

  “I can’t believe we got stuck watchin’ these two while everyone else is handlin’ business back at the club,” Cobra growls to Hawk. He must think that Kat and I can’t hear him, but I whip my head around so fast and shoot him a look that tells him to zip it. What I’ve learned about him so far is that while he may be funny, he’s a complete asshole.

  “Is someone upset because he doesn’t get to play with their new friend?” I feign a look like a whining child and roll my fist in front of my eye, making it look like I’m crying.

  Kat giggles next to me and shoots a smirk in my direction.

  “We’re on bitch duty while they’re discussing things we need to know.”

  Kat raises her eyebrows and stops looking at the canned vegetables in the aisle we’re in. “Oh, so you’ve dubbed this bitch duty?” She’s a pretty mellow chick, but every once in a while her attitude comes shooting out. I have a feeling that’s about to happen here in just a few moments.

  “If you’re asking me if I think this,” He points his hand at both Kat and I and moves it in a circular motion. “Babysitting job is important, the answer is no.”

  I catch Kat clenching her teeth together and watch the way her nostrils flare. “Do you understand why you’re with us?” I wait for the part in my mind where she calls him a befouled idiot, but it doesn’t happen. I like the rendition that happened in my mind better.

  He takes a few steps towards us and growls. “Like I said, I’m babysitting both your asses to make sure you two don’t get into any trouble.”

  “Dumbass,” Hawk snarls out.

  “I forgot he was with us too,” I whisper in Kat’s direction, getting a chuckle in response. Hawk is either a man of little words, or a complete chatterbox. It depends on the day, or maybe the mood that he’s in.

  Hawk grabs Cobra by the throat, “Tell me why I shouldn’t make you look like a defenseless little boy for disrespecting them the way you are. You little piece of shit. We’re doing the most important thing there is right now, protectin’ my Prez’s ol’lady.”

  “Get your giant gorilla hands off of me, fucker.” Cobra snaps out.

  “No, fuck you and your attitude too.” Hawk grumbles out. He sternly stares at Cobra, “You ever hear about what happened to Daisy at the Skulls? She was fuckin’ grocery shoppin’ and some fuckers grabbed her. Held her for ransom. You want that kinda shit to happen to Kat or Camila? Fuck no. We take our jobs and do them with grace, whatever they may be. Our women are our families. They aren’t some disposable bitch like what you’re used to.” Hawk shoves him into the aisle harshly and I watch as he falls flat on his ass. Guess that’s what happened when you’re barely six feet tall and all the others tower over you. His attitude must be compensating for his height.

  “Hawk, while I appreciate your passion behind your duties, roughing Cobra up isn’t necessary.” Kat says to him, her eyes drifting over to where Cobra is. He puts his hands under himself and gets back up, looking right at Kat.

  “I didn’t mean any disrespect.”

  “That’s bullshit and we both know it. I understand that accompanying us to the grocery store isn’t the most thrilling thing you could be doing, but it’s your job, so stop acting like a child and do what you’ve been told.” Kat always has some way of sounding like she’s the sternest, yet the most graceful person in the room. Whenever I’ve seen her bitch at anyone, she’s never really bitching. She has a classiness to her that’s hidden under dark clothes and way too much eyeliner. “I’m not your mother, Cobra. Don’t make me act like I am.” Damn, I didn’t see that comment coming but it sure gets the message out.

  Cobra disappears down the other end of the aisle, obviously butt hurt by what Kat’s said to him. “I never knew you had it in ya to be bitchy like that.”

  She shrugs, “I don’t like to be, but for some reason that man tests my patience more than any other biker I’ve come into contact with. He’s a wildcard, Camila, and that makes me nervous. Not just for me, for all of us.” She continues her search for string beans, giving me a whole speech about how she loved them about ten minutes ago.

  “Yeah… he might be a bit different, but he’s not a bad person. I think he just wants to feel important.” Kat stops what she’s doing at my words, raises her eyebrows and gives me an ‘oh really’ look.

  “Are you about to tell me that the man just wants to feel special?”

  I purse my lips together, “Maybe. He probably just needs a woman in his life. Women always make the guys feel special.”

  Kat lowly mutters, “They put ‘em in better moods too.”

  “I’m standin’ right here,” Hawk says to the both of us.

  “Oh, hush. It’s not like your feelings are gonna get hurt.” I tell him, wearing the biggest smile on my face. A lot of the guys won’t let us fuck with them, but Hawk takes it like a champ and puts up with whatever it is we’re going on about. “Hey, do you know anything about Amara and Widow?” I know asking Hawk is a longshot cause bro code and all that, but I’m dying to know what’s going on between those two. They’re a clusterfuck if I’ve ever seen one.

  “No, and I don’t wanna. They can keep their shit to themselves. No one needs to be involved in whatever mess they’ve got going on.” I take a gander at Hawk and smile at him. He’s a man well beyond his thirty something years.

  “One more question, why don’t you have an ol’lady yet?” Hawk’s mouth drops open at my question. I’m sure he wasn’t expecting me to ask something so personal.

  “Uh, well. There was this girl back in Montana who I was smitten for, but turns out she has a boyfriend. Can’t seem to stop thinkin’ about her, though.” The way he talks about her makes me get butterflies. If anyone deserves to have a good girl, it’s Hawk. I can already tell he’d be a great ol’ man to have and an even better father, if that’s what he wants someday.

  “Well, things always seem to work out in the way they’re supposed to.” Kat chimes in, “If someone would’ve told me that I’d be where I am today, considering all the hell I went through… shit, I’d call them crazy.”

  “Thanks. Nothing’s off the table. You both know I’m the type of man who goes after what he wants, regardless of obstacles in my way.”

  “Oh, oh!” I ju
mp up and down, “What’s her name?”

  Hawk squints his eyes at me, trying to figure out what I’m about to do. He’s not gonna, so he’d better just fess up. “Raven.” Oh my goodness, two lovebirds!

  “I’m team Ra-wk!” I say, smacking him on the shoulder.

  “Team what?”

  “Team Ra-wk. It’s Raven and Hawk combined, like, your couple name.” Kat busts out laughing as I say it, making a bird sound like a crow.

  “Hey, cut that shit out!” He growls at her, but she continues to do it.

  I hear the pitter patter of feet behind me and turn, I come face to face with two girls who look a little rough. One is a blonde with tattoos going up and down her arms. She’s kind of skinny. A little too skinny, which makes me think she’s either anorexic or on drugs. Shoot, what am I kidding, she could be both.

  The girl next to her has jet black hair, a little darker skin tone with deep green eyes. She’s a bit thicker, and has an ass that can compare to mine. She’s the one who has the courage to speak to me. “You’re with the new MC in town.”

  I nod, glancing back to Kat who comes to stand beside me. Hawk is watching them intently, and I don’t think it’s because he has any interest in them. If I’ve learned anything in life, it’s that strangers are always a threat. “Can we help you with something?” Kat asks, and one of the girl’s eyes goes wide.

  “Wow. You’ve changed.” Is all that comes out of the blondie’s mouth.

  Kat peers down at her, looking up and down her body. “So have you sweetie, and not for the good from the looks of it.”

  “Can I talk to you… in private?” The blonde asks her. I witness the way Hawk’s eyes go wide and are silently answering ‘fuck no’ for Kat, but Kat does something I don’t expect. She grabs the girl’s hand and walks with her down to the other end of the aisle, staying in plain sight. The dark haired girl starts to go with her friend, but I don’t let her. “Oh no honey. You’re stayin’ here with me and hawk-eye.”