by Jade Kuzma
“You got this!”
Men from both clubs started cheering them on. I stood there helplessly and watched. The nervous feeling in my stomach twisted it to the point that I thought my breakfast was going to come back up.
But Declan wasn’t a slouch. He was moving so fast that the distance between the two only grew.
That’s it. He’s gonna do it.
I’d never seen his ride move so fast in my life. Tony looked like he was stuck in mud.
“Just a little bit more…”
Only a few seconds more and Declan would get to us.
I looked at Tony and watched as he suddenly reached into his waistband. He raised his arm up so fast that I barely had time to react.
“Declan! Look out!”
Tony squeezed the trigger.
Bang.
The bullet sounded like thunder. It hit Declan’s back tire and sent his bike swerving.
“Declan!”
I shouted as I ran out onto the pavement.
Declan fell to the ground and rolled over. His bike flipped through the street.
While I rushed up to Declan along with the other Reapers as fast as I could, Tony zoomed by me toward the finish line where the rest of his club was waiting.
I didn’t care about the race though. The only thing on my mind was making sure Declan was all right.
He laid on the ground, barely moving. I rushed up to him and pulled his helmet off of him. I felt a bit of relief when he blinked his eyes and looked up at me.
“Declan! Are you all right?”
He gritted his teeth and muttered at me like he was lost.
“Fuck… What happened?”
“It was Tony. He shot your tire out.”
“What?” he exclaimed.
He immediately pushed himself back up to his feet. He wasn’t bleeding and didn’t appear to have any injuries but the way he limped, I knew something was wrong.
But that was the least of my worries.
Both clubs were now standing on opposite sides of the road, guns drawn and pointed at one another.
“Declan! Declan, wait!”
I rushed up behind him as he hobbled his way to confront Tony. Tony stood next to his bike and had his hands out. The sinister smirk on his lips had never looked so obnoxious.
“Looks like I won,” he said. “That was the deal—”
“Motherfucker!”
Declan threw a punch and connected right on the side of Tony’s face. Tony fell and struggled to get back up to his feet.
“Hey now,” he said, his hands up as he continued to feign innocence. “We made a deal.”
“Cheating motherfucker!”
“Wait!”
I rushed up in front of Declan and stopped him before he could do anything more.
“We made a deal,” Tony said. “We raced. I won. Now I get a night with Michelle. I know you’re an honorable man, Cunningham. Don’t back out of our deal now.”
“You cheated.”
“I never said anything about other things that might happen. Strange how shit just happens like that.”
Declan was fuming. There was nothing I wanted more than for him to knock Tony’s head into the next town. That couldn’t happen though. Not right now. It would start a shootout in the middle of the street.
“Declan,” I said. “Declan, look at me. Look at me, babe.”
I put my hands up to his face. I finally got through to him when I pressed my palms on his cheeks. The fury in his eyes would have been frightening if I didn’t know him so well.
“Don’t,” I said. “You can’t do this.”
“Step aside, Michelle. This is what you want.”
“No, it’s not. Look around. Look!”
I turned his face to the clubs. Both men were pointing their guns at one another. Just a few seconds and the scene on the road would turn into a bloodbath. I was at the center of it all. I couldn’t let it happen.
“I can’t let you and the club do this,” I said. “Not for me. It’s not worth it.”
“Michelle—”
“Let me deal with Tony. It’s just one night. I’ll see what he wants.”
“You know what he wants.”
“He can never have that. You know that. You’re the only man I care about.”
“What’s it gonna be, Cunningham?” Tony shouted. “You gonna honor the deal we made or you gonna back out of it? This isn’t the first time my boys have been in a firefight. It doesn’t even look like your men know how to handle their pieces.”
Declan turned his head back up and glared at Tony.
“You wanna test ‘em?” Declan said.
“Declan! Stop! Please!”
I took a step back from Declan to make sure I was standing between him and Tony.
“There’s no need for this,” I said. “I’ll go with you, okay? One night. That’s what you wanted, Tony. I’ll give it to you. Just tell your boys to put down their weapons.”
“Putting down their weapons wouldn’t be very smart with guns pointed at them.”
“They won’t shoot you if Declan doesn’t tell them to. He’s a man of his word.”
Declan was still fuming. He was trembling to the point that he could snap at any moment. I had to trust my instincts and know that he wouldn’t try anything.
“All right,” Tony said. “I trust you, Michelle. I think that’s why I care about you so much. Boys! Put your shit away!”
The Vultures all slowly put their guns back into their waistbands. The Reapers kept their guns pointed forward, waiting for Declan’s orders.
“Now,” Tony said. “We made a deal—”
“We heard you the first time,” I said. “I’ll… I’ll go with you. Just give me a chance to talk to Declan.”
He motioned for the other Vultures to head back into Ivory and they did. Then he leaned forward on his bike and waited for me.
“Come on,” I said to Declan. “You’re hurt.”
Declan reluctantly limped back to where the other Reapers were waiting for him.
“You want me to shoot this guy right now?” Blake said.
“I’ll put a bullet right between his eyes,” Jon added.
“No!” I said. “If you kill him, you’re just giving the rest of his club more reason to start shit.”
“He’s already started shit!” Declan said.
“Just… Just let me talk to him. I’ll get through to him. I’ll tell him there’s nothing in Ivory.”
I sighed a deep breath. Getting through to the club seemed like an impossible task. They were all staring at me like they didn’t give a shit about what I was saying. I knew they were capable of killing Tony right then and there. The only way I could get through to them was through Declan.
I turned to him and looked up into his eyes.
“I’ll deal with him,” I said. “He’s my problem. I never should’ve got you involved in the first place.”
“If you think I’m gonna let you just ride off with him so he could do God knows what to you—”
“He won’t put a finger on me. If he does, I’ll put a bullet between his eyes myself and I won’t fucking hesitate.”
“Shit, man,” Blake muttered. “What a bunch of bullshit…”
“It’s your call, pres,” Jon said.
I stared at Declan, my eyes wide as I tried to get through to him.
“I’ll just talk to him,” I said. “I’ll spend one night with him. He won’t touch me.”
“Let’s go already!” Tony shouted.
Declan sighed a hard breath through his nose. He wrapped both hands on my head and brought my face to his. A deep kiss made me forget about everything for the moment. I’d never wanted it to end so badly.
I eventually pulled away from him and the reality of the situation came back to me. I turned around and made my way over to Tony.
“Don’t even think about trying anything,” I said to him.
“I just wanted to catch up on old times,” Tony
said with a smirk.
Against my better judgment, I got onto his bike and rode back into Ivory with him. I turned around just long enough to see Declan and the others standing in the distance.
I knew that they were all planning on killing Tony. That much had already been decided. I’d just saved Tony’s life for the moment. Now it was just a matter of whether or not he wanted to ride out of town alive.
Reaper: Chapter 10
DECLAN
“Motherfucker!”
I threw my fist into the drywall and put a hole in it.
“Hey! Take it easy!”
Ghost grabbed my arm before I could throw another punch.
“Look at me, pres… Come on… Relax…”
I turned to him and he widened his eyes at me. He always knew what to say to relax me but this time was different.
“I’m gonna fucking kill him,” I said.
“There’ll be a time and place for that,” Ghost said. “But you heard Michelle. We can’t go about this like we usually do.”
“Michelle—”
“Michelle told you she would handle it. I’ve known a lot of strong women in my life. My mother. My aunt. Anna. Michelle’s just as smart and strong as them. She knows what she’s doing.”
The rest of the club was sitting at the table in silence. I sighed a deep breath of frustration. The last thing I wanted to do was sit back and do nothing but it was all I could do.
“Have a seat,” I said to Ghost.
“You good?”
“Sit down.”
My VP gave me a nod. I managed to compose myself enough to take my place at the head of the table.
“This isn’t the first time Michelle has ever been in some shit,” Ghost said. “Remember that time she was in the hospital?”
“I remember,” Needle said. “Garnet here wanted to tear my head off.”
“That’s not the point. The point is she made it. This isn’t any worse than that. From what I can tell, Michelle is the least of our worries.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I said.
Ghost looked around the table. Everybody remained silent as they waited for him to say something.
“Something’s up,” he said.
“What?” I said in frustration.
“Listen. I love Michelle. She’s a sweet lady. But are you telling me this motherfucker came all the way to Ivory after more than a decade just to spend a night with her, knowing she won’t do anything?”
“What are you saying?” Sully said. “You saying Cross is here for another reason?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“And what reason is that?” I asked.
“…I’m still trying to figure that part out.”
Ghost gave me a shrug. I stared at him for a few seconds to make sure that he was serious before rolling my eyes.
“Good one,” Needle said. “Nice to know that you’re adding nothing to the discussion, as usual.”
“Look,” Ghost said. “I’m telling you this shit doesn’t add up. He didn’t come to Ivory to have a chat with a fling. Think about it. Do you even remember the girls you were hooking up with 10 years ago?”
“I do,” Needle said.
“Well, you weren’t getting any pussy back then, so it’s no wonder you kept track. This Cross guy is different. He’s up to something.”
Everybody at the table looked around at one another. Ghost was the smartest man in the room. I always turned to him when I needed advice on anything. The club depended on his wisdom more than anything else. I knew that I had to hear him out.
“All right,” I said. “Cross is up to something. Where does that put us?”
“We gotta stay patient,” Ghost said. “Michelle will talk to him. If Cross really does want to spend a night with her, he’ll leave when he realizes there’s nothing here for him. If he’s here for something else…”
“Then what?”
“Then we’ll find out soon enough.”
I put my fingers to my temple and massaged the side of my head. Rolling on the pavement wasn’t exactly doing wonders for me but that shit was the least of my worries.
“Why the fuck did I let her go with him?” I sighed.
“You heard Michelle,” Ghost said. “We could’ve put him down right then and there but that’s not what she wanted. The same for the rest of his club. But we don’t kill men in cold blood. Michelle was looking out for us. She didn’t want us to get into a shootout.”
“I should’ve told you to put a bullet in every last one of them.”
“Listen to me.”
Ghost leaned forward in his seat and looked me right in the eye.
“You love Michelle. I get it. We all do. But right now, going to war with another club is not the right thing to do. Not with the feds watching our every move. You kill Cross and the Vultures without knowing what they’re up to, there might be repercussions we never expected.”
I knew Ghost was right. Michelle was the only person in the world that would make me kill without thinking about it. Ghost knew that I would’ve spent the rest of my life behind bars if it meant keeping her safe, which was why he was trying to stop me from looking for the Vultures and killing them in the first place.
The rest of the table remained silent as I tried to piece together the rest of my thoughts. It didn’t take me long to figure out what I was planning on doing next.
“So, what’s the plan?” Brawn said. “We gonna kill these guys or what?”
I nodded to him.
“They’re already dead,” I said. “They made that decision themselves when they decided to come to Ivory. Michelle’s the only person that can stop me. She’s the only reason Cross is still alive.”
“You don’t think he’s gonna do anything stupid with her, do you?” Needle said.
“No. He won’t lay a finger on her. Because if he does, he knows I’ll do whatever it takes to put him in the ground.”
“Then that’s it? We’re just gonna sit around and wait?”
I didn’t like the way it sounded. I sighed to myself and shook my head.
“What kind of a man just sits around while his old lady has to deal with his problems?” I said.
“Hey!” Ghost said. “You heard her yourself. Cross is her problem.”
“Her problems are my problems. I should be there for her right now.”
“Right now, the best thing for you to do is wait. Michelle will find out what he’s up to.”
“…Everybody get out.”
All of the club members stood up from their seats.
“Except for you, Ghost. Stay here.”
He sat back down in his seat while the rest of the club left the chapel. The door clicked shut.
I stared down at the table as everything that just happened played back in my mind.
“Tell me I didn’t make a mistake,” I said.
“You listened to your old lady. That’s never a mistake.”
“It feels like it. I just fucking let her ride off like that—”
“That was her decision. She’s trying to save you. Just like any good old lady should.”
“He busted my ride. He busted my leg. And I just let him walk.”
“Garnet. Look at me.”
I slowly turned my head up and stared at him. Ghost didn’t blink.
“You’re not a murderer,” he said. “I know for Michelle, you would be. But now is not the time. There are other people who need you. The club needs you.”
“And what about Michelle? She needs us.”
I shook my head at him.
“You should’ve seen her,” I said. “When she told me what it was like spending time with him. The look in her eyes… I can’t even fucking remember when she was that worried.”
Ghost looked away from me and sighed a deep breath.
“I know what it’s like to be in love,” he said. “Lord knows what I’ve already done for Anna. I wouldn’t hesitate to do the same shit again if
it meant keeping her safe. I know where your head is at.”
“Then tell me what I need to hear.”
I’d known Ghost longer than any other club member. He wasn’t just my VP. He was a brother. But right now, all I needed him to be was the man that was gonna stop me from committing a murder in the middle of Ivory.
He looked back at me and nodded softly.
“We’ll wait,” he said. “I know it’s hard but that’s what we need to do. That’s what Michelle wants. We wait and then we figure out our next move.”
“I already know what our next move is. Cross is gonna die.”
“He will. But not until Michelle says so.”
Reaper: Chapter 11
MICHELLE
Tony and the rest of his gang had a rundown shack all to themselves. It was on the outskirts of Ivory without much else around it. The middle of nowhere was the perfect place for a thug like him.
I knew it was a stupid decision to ride along with him. There was no telling what he was capable of doing. I somehow convinced myself that I would be able to talk to him and see what the hell he really wanted. If anything did happen, I took comfort in knowing that Declan wouldn’t just let it happen. Even a dangerous punk like Tony would get what was coming to him.
“All right, boys,” Tony said. “Clear out. I need some time with my old lady friend.”
The other four members of his posse moved to one of the other rooms in the shack. I could still hear how loud and obnoxious they were through the walls.
There wasn’t much in the room I was in. Just a table that had seen better days with a couple of chairs scattered around it. There was a refrigerator off to the side that was still running. The loud generator outside gave the place just enough to power the place.
“Have a seat,” he said.
“I’m fine, thanks—”
“I insist.”
Tony stared at me. I knew there was no point in trying to defy him. Not yet anyway. A smirk formed on his lips when I sat down.
He poked his head into the fridge and pulled out a six-pack of beers.
“I’m sorry about what happened back there,” he said. “But I figure your man knows a thing or two about his ride. He’ll be able to fix that thing up real nice.”
“He hurt his leg.”