Reaper's Claim: Satan's Sons MC Romance Series Book 1

by Simone Elise

  “Nice try, Abby.” Collins patted me on the shoulder. “Now let’s see what you look like topless.”

  “I think you are counting your chickens before they hatch, Collins.”

  “Only three pieces of clothing on your body, sweetheat.” Collins threw an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side. “But there will be nothing when we are finished with you.”

  I shrugged his arm off me just as Darren sunk a ball.

  I looked at Kim. Ok, maybe we were in trouble.

  Collins laughed “Ok, how you getting out of this one, Abby?”

  “Undies,” Kim said and started to work her way out of hers.

  “Maybe this wasn’t the brightest idea we have had.” I shook my head at her while getting one leg out and then pushing them down my right leg.

  Kim swiped another beer and took the cue off me. “Hope you boys are ready to get naked.” She stumbled to the table, spilling her beer on the velvet.

  There was something that not a lot of people knew about Kim. I don’t think even Trigger knew. She was a master of pool, but only when she was drunk. Brad knew because we had once played this trick on him.

  “Don’t miss, Kim.” Darren taunted her.

  “Never,” she said, taking her eyes off the ball and sinking one. “Start showing us skin, boys.”

  “Come on, Collins. Strip.” I took his beer off him.

  He gave me an amused look but nodded his head, taking his shirt off. God, the boy was fit.

  “Don’t get so happy, Abby. I’m only one shot away from seeing what’s under those tiny clothes of yours.”

  Kim had another shot, and all the girls in the room cheered when she sank another.

  “Yeah, but in order for that to happen, Kim would have to miss.” I laughed as I watched him take off his pants.

  While all the men in the room were groaning. Collins just smirked at me, pointing a finger.

  “You set me up.”

  “Me? Never.” I shook my head. Do I do it? Had I pushed the point home to Reaper enough? Or did he need to be shown I could have anyone I wanted? He wasn’t the only one with options. I glanced at him, and my eyes hardened as I saw his lips locked with the brunette’s. While he was kissing her, his eyes were on mine. Fuck it. “After all Collins, I need to know what I’m working with later.”

  Kim lined up another ball. While her and Darren were discussing all the ways he was going to get her back for this, Kim just shrugged her shoulders and told him she would still be asleep when he rode out later, so he was all talk.

  I noticed Trigger’s expression darken when Darren said they still had hours before that happened.

  “Ok, no pressure or anything, but if you don’t sink this, we are in trouble,” I whispered in her ear and she shooed me away.

  As if it was easy, Kim sank a ball down the other end of the table, and all the men in the room groaned with disgust.

  I turned to Collins, smiling. “So are you a man of your word?”

  “Fucking oath.” Collins handed me his beer and pulled down his boxers. It must have been at the same time as Darren.

  “WHY ARE THERE NAKED MEN IN MY BAR!?”

  Dad had appeared for the end of the show, looking like his furious self. It would have to be after three in the morning. Why he had surfaced, I didn’t know.

  “Roach.” Collins quickly pulled his boxers up.

  “We were just playing strip pool.” I answered for Dad.

  His eyes narrowed on me. “Was Kim drunk?”

  “Not was, Dad. Am.” Kim picked up her undies, still wobbly on her feet.

  Dad pinched the bridge of his nose and attempted to calm himself down. “Bed now. The two of you.”

  “Whatever you say, Dad.” I picked up my undies as well.

  “Dad. Roach is your father?” Collins looked at me as if I was completely insane.

  “Yeah. Night, Collins. Have a safe trip home.” I shot him a wink, and Kim was giving Darren a good night kiss when I looked back at Reaper. Had I made my point?

  “Girls, bed!”

  Kim grabbed my arm, giggling, and for the first time in days she was actually having a good time and not crying over Trigger. Sure, she was so drunk she could barely stand, but she was happy, at least for the night.

  The crowd had broken up and the boys were either heading to bed too or ready to hit the cards again.

  I hoped Reaper had gotten the message. If he could fool around, so could I. And I hoped it hurt him, as much as it hurt me to watch.

  ***

  “You girls need to get a life.” Dad sat across from us with a serious expression on his face. It was middle of the afternoon and all three of us were still hung over.

  “Get a life!?” My mouth dropped open. He could not be serious right now, and where had it come from!?

  “I’m not working.” Kim crossed her arms stubbornly. “I won’t be some chick on a register.” Screwing her nose up, she clicked her tongue. “Why do we have to anyway?”

  I couldn’t believe my own father had told me to get a life. Seriously, my dad, telling me to get a life! He hadn’t meant it in a nasty manner. I knew that.

  “Still don’t see how getting a job equals to getting a life,” I grumbled, adding to Kim’s argument. I wasn’t keen on the idea of getting a job.

  “Can’t have you girls just hanging around here all day,” he grunted, “being on my back twenty-four seven. If you two are moving back, you need to get jobs. Support yourselves.”

  I opened my mouth, and he pointed a finger at me.

  “Working the bar doesn’t count.”

  Well, there goes my only option. I folded my arms and swung back in the chair.

  “So you just want us out of your way?” Kim leaned forward in her seat. I knew that face. It meant her twisted riddled mind was coming up with a plan.

  And if I knew Kim, it would be better than a fucking nine to five job.

  He grunted with a short head nod while reaching for his freshly poured whiskey.

  “What about if Abby and I headed to university instead, would you support us then?”

  I nearly choked on my own breath.

  “Kim,” I growled. She better shut those fat lips before she locks us into university.

  But before I could say anything. Dad gave Kim the nod of approval, sealing the deal.

  Chapter 36

  Abby

  The Shields. When it came down to it, they were one terrifying family. All four brothers were sworn members, though one brother died a year back. But what was more terrifying was their sister. Amber Shield.

  When it came down to it, she was intimidating. It wasn’t just her reputation and a sharp tongue, it was her beauty. Those haunting eyes, beautiful figure, and styled hair.

  How had she managed to get the complete darn package?

  Her boyfriend and President, Jackson, was nearly as scary as Reaper. He also had a reputation that would scare many men and women from him. I swore he had done the most time, and he was still so young.

  Whatever the reason for their visit, Dad didn’t want us here.

  “They’ve been in there for two hours,” Kim whispered, looking over her shoulder at the closed doors.

  “Wonder why they are here.” I leaned on the bar, staring at the closed door as well.

  “You shouldn’t care.” Kim’s words were clipped. “I just want them to hurry the hell up so I can finish my argument with Dad.”

  I rolled my eyes. That was so Kim.

  “The whole point of the argument was he wanted us to leave before they got here. So I think it is fair to say that fight is over, Kim.”

  She huffed “Still. He can’t just keep throwing us out every time he feels like it.” By the tone of her voice, she was still going to argue with him anyway.

  “Whatever Kim,” I sighed, “just don’t bring me into it.”

  “Wonder if they are staying here.” Kim’s eyes shot around the room, and she leaned in closer to me. “Have you notic
ed how light we are on guys since they got here?”

  She did have a point. The open living was feeling even bigger than normal because there weren't bulky bikers taking up space.

  My eyes slowly drifted over to Reaper and Cameron, who were at the end of the bar. They had just come back in after doing ‘men's stuff,’ as Cameron told us.

  Trigger had taken off in a fit of rage as soon as Dad went in the boardroom. Of course, Kim and him were able to share a few more threats before he stormed out.

  God, those two were getting unbearable. It was crystal clear to everyone else what the real problem was between them. Neither of them would admit to liking the other.

  “I’m going to take a piss. Come get me if he comes out.” Kim jumped off the bar stool. She had been acting like a cat waiting for the mouse to come out for the last two hours.

  I suddenly decided I was thirsty, and it just so happened to coincide with when Reaper went around the bar. Cameron had slopped off in the direction of the kitchen, which left Kade and me alone.

  “Want to pour me one while you’re at it?” I leaned on the bar. I couldn’t lie and say I wasn’t feeling the sexual pull he had on me. The man just did weird things to my hormones.

  His eyes were emotionless when they locked with mine.

  “Thought you weren’t talking to me.”

  “Never said that.” I sipped my beer. “You were the one with the problem, if I remember correctly.”

  He scoffed but kept his words unspoken.

  “Do you know what that is all about?” I nodded my head to the boardroom.

  “So that’s why you're talking to me again.” His lips twitched with a small smirk.

  I gave him a pointed look. “I was always talking to you.”

  “You should get your sister and take off for a bit.” He finished his beer. “Before your old man comes out.”

  “I don’t see why it is such a big deal they are here. It isn’t like I haven’t met the Shield boys or Jackson before.”

  “It’s not them you should be worried about.”

  I didn’t need his stupid warning. I knew to stay out of Amber’s way.

  An awkward silence slowly fell between us. I didn’t know what to talk to him about. The man I had made love with the other night. It was easygoing and I usually felt able to speak freely with him.

  But when we are out here, in the real world, he had such a hardened exterior that it left me baffled on how to talk to him.

  “Kade, I mean… Reaper. Can I ask you something?” My words tumbled over each other, causing my cheeks to flush.

  His unbiased expression didn’t waver. “What?” His eyebrows arched with what I guessed was interest when I didn’t speak straight away.

  I was still trying to word it in a way that didn’t make me sound like a whining teenage girl.

  Taking a deep breath, I locked my eyes with him, mustering some fake confidence.

  “What are we?” I finally said. Sure it was soft, and he might have struggled to hear it, but I did say it.

  When his mouth opened, my hopes skyrocketed. Finally, I was going to get a label to put on us. If we were in a relationship, that meant we needed boundaries. It also meant I was his.

  My luck being as it was, of course, this would be the very moment the boardroom doors opened, which killed the conversation completely.

  I couldn’t stop the frustration from showing on my face, and I turned on my stool.

  She didn’t look any less threatening, and the boys didn’t look any more thrilled to be here.

  “Do you want me to clean out some of the rooms, Dad?” I spoke loudly across the room. Seeing as they had killed my conversation, I might as well kill their silent whispering.

  Dad turned sharply. He seemed taken back by me being here. Had he expected us to take off?

  Maybe I should have taken Reaper’s warning.

  When Dad’s eyes didn’t glow red, I assumed I was in the clear. Though I was making sure I was out of here when Kim came back. I wouldn’t be wearing her mess.

  “Amber, you staying?” Dad grunted in a kind type of way, causing my eyes to widen for a second.

  Was Dad scared of her too?

  She was looking directly up at Jackson. What were the chances of two of the most feared criminals in our society dating one another? Together, they created a ruthless and powerful couple.

  “Suppose we’ll stay.” Amber’s eyes flickered over to me. Her head tilted to one side as she silently judged me.

  “Well um, I’m going to go get the room ready.” I slid off the bar stool.

  “And I’ll go help. What was your name?” Amber’s eyes were locked on me and even though she was staring at me; I didn’t think it was possible that she would want to speak to me.

  “Abby. My name's Abby.” I felt like a complete retard saying my name twice, but it had already slipped out before I could stop it.

  “I’m going to help Abby get our rooms ready.” She seemed set on the idea.

  “Since when did you get rooms ready?” Cole asked dryly.

  “Since now,” Amber said sharply while giving him a pointed expression.

  I swallowed sharply as nerves consumed me.

  Well, this was going to be interesting.

  Chapter 37

  Abby

  Just keep cool Abby, don’t freak out. I tumbled through the cupboard, pulling out a stack of sheets. I could feel her eyes on me. Why had she wanted to come with me? Why wouldn’t she just stay with her brothers?

  “Need a hand?” Amber’s cool voice spoke behind me.

  I turned around, shaking my head. “No, it’s fine.”

  Shrugging her shoulders, she began to rip the old sheets off.

  “So what happened to your wrist?” She scrunched her nose up, looking at the pillows, and then dropped them on the ground. “Sports injury or what?”

  At least something good was coming out of having a broken wrist. Suppose it was a great conversation starter.

  “No actually, an outta town member was staying here and yeah, he broke it.”

  “On purpose?” Her eyebrows arched.

  “Yep.”

  “Did you break his neck?” By her tone, I could tell she wasn’t joking.

  “Um, no.”

  “Well did you at least land a good punch?”

  “No.”

  She scoffed and shook her head. “Well, I’m sure Reaper didn’t let him get away unharmed.”

  My blood was flooded with cold ice. “Why would you say that?” I stopped what I was doing and looked her directly in the eye. “Do you know Reaper?”

  Her face was expressionless until a smirk graced her lips and turned into a knowing smile.

  “Does Roach know you two are together?”

  I scoffed loudly. “Sure, because that would make Dad’s day.” I threw the top sheet across the bed, and it floated down. “Doesn’t matter anyway, we aren’t together.”

  “You don’t have to lie to me.” Her tone was free from judgment. Was it possible that I saw Amber’s softer side?

  “I’m not lying.”

  “Fine, let me rephrase that. I don’t like being lied to.” Her voice hardened, and her haunting eyes locked with mine. “So how about you try that again, though this time look me in the eye.”

  How did she make a simple thing like eye contract terrifying?

  “We aren’t a couple. He told me he loved me, and we kind of have this,” I frowned, feeling my anguish towards him rise. “Well, I don’t know what it is. A pull to each other, I guess.”

  She sighed while slipping her arms out of her leather jacket and placing it on the freshly made bed.

  “You know when I first met Jackson, I didn’t even know who he truly was.” Her eyes danced with the memory, and I nervously sat next to her on the bed.

  “How could that be? You both belong to the same club.”

  “I wasn’t brought up in the club.”

  “But you have such strong ties to it.�
� I looked at her, puzzled. How could she live and breath this way of living if she wasn’t born into it? You didn’t just adopt this lifestyle; you were born into it.

  “I was in a different crowd, a gang actually. Though to me, it felt like family.” She shook her head. “I suppose I was stupid and young and thought that was what it felt like to have a family. My dad,” Her tone weakened, and she swallowed sharply. “My dad was a busy man.”

  “Surely not too busy to notice what a great daughter he had.”

  Shrugging her shoulders “I don’t know, but I wasn’t bringing this up to talk about dad or the gang. I’m bringing it up because I know what it is like to have a connection with someone early in life. Hell, I met Jax in high school.” A full smile took her lips, and she turned her head to look at me. “Do you love Reaper?”

  Deep deep down, I knew what my answer was. Still, I had never voiced it.

  “I don’t really know what love is,” I whispered.

  “There are different types of love. But love isn’t something you find, or know. Love is the reaction that consumes you when you’re with your other half. It is blinding, it is selfless. I would die for Jackson because the pain of losing him would surely rip apart my heart.”

  “Is love really that intense?”

  Shrugging her shoulders, she gave me an honest smile. “I don’t know. All I do know is if you want to really be by Reaper’s side, you need it to be that strong to survive.”

  “What if his love for me isn’t as strong as the love I have for him?”

  “I’ll tell you something, but you can’t repeat it,” I could hear the importance and nodded my head.

  “Reaper is ruthless, heartless, and I’ve seen him do things that no man should be capable of. Yet, he has only been driven to that point because of his respect for the brotherhood. I don’t know if he loves. Hell, I questioned if the man had a heart once. But if he does truly love you, he will stop at nothing until you’re his.”

  I felt terrified and excited all at once. How was it possible for her words to make me want to be closer to him than ever before but yet terrified me to the point I was ready to run?