Fractured Promises (Reapers Reign, #2)

by Maree, Aleisha

  “Brother, we will find her, we will get her back and all will be good in the world. We will blow some shit up, knock some teeth down their punk ass mouths, grab your lady and head back.”

  Smiling at my friend for the first time in what feels like days, I take a mouthful of my beer. “Yeah, I hope you are right brother, your optimism is on point,” I chuckle then instantly feel guilty for it.

  “You fucken know it! I’ve always been the smarter one you know.” He answers, slapping me on my back, I choke on my beer as I try not to let out a laugh.

  “Let’s head back in; Bray has some chapters arriving soon from here in town and surrounding districts. They are prepared to help with finding this firecracker of yours.”

  I feel a bit better knowing that Bray is just as proactive. I didn’t think how hard it would be to him also, and Lilly, shit Lilly.

  “Bro, how’s Lilll? Where is she, do you know?” I ask searching his eyes, they never lie.

  “She’s ok brother, Bray got a doctor in, and he gave her something to sleep. Kash is here and watching her door like a hawk. But he doesn’t like her or anything.”

  Smiling at the image of my brother playing mother hen, I agree. “Yeah he so doesn’t, that boy is so captain obvious.”

  Walking into the clubhouse we are called into church, but just as I hit the door, the phone tings in my palm. I stop instantly heat prickling down my back and my hairs standing on edge. I walk over and brace my hands on the back of a chair, looking from Bray to Jamie. I slide my now sweaty finger across the screen to unlock it; an MMS awaits to be opened. I wasn’t at all in the right frame of mind to receive the pictures that came through, a tied Blue is sitting in a chair in a dark, dirty concrete room with chains on the back wall. She looks like she is unconscious, the way her body is slack, and her head lolled back!

  The message underneath reads,

  Knoxy boy Knoxy boy come out and play,

  Can you guess where your love lays?

  I can feel the telltale red, and purple of pure anger rise up my body, hitting my cheeks. Taking in a breath and sliding the phone over to Bray, I clench my knuckles hard shut around the back of the chair, closing my eyes and hissing out words of pure hatred for this worthless human.

  “I vow to you right as we stand here, brothers, that I shall rip him to shreds and set his fucking life as he knows it on fire.” Opening my eyes, I grab the phone from Bray texting back this sick mother fucker,

  “Pray to your god that he finds your soul before I reach you and fed it to my demons.”

  Slamming the phone shut I look up to the eyes of my brothers The Reapers fucking Reign. “What the fuck do we know?” I command, seething, I’m fucking seething.

  “We need to get onto this faster, you saw what he just sent, what’s next eh?”

  Pacing the room, Jamie comes up behind me placing a hand on my shoulder and a bottle of Jack over the other. “Sit brother, we got a guy on it, we’ve had a couple of tip offs from the new guys that came in,” he states

  “SIT! You want me to fucken sit and what drink and laugh and go hang out with the new brothers and watch ya all get ya fucken dicks sucked! While she sits there in a fucken cold cell tied to a fucken chair with the psychotic Viper doing fuck knows what to her mind, body, and soul, making a fucking game out of it.” Flipping a chair over I grab the bottle of Jack and the phone and walk to the door. I look back at them all, anger is swirling from my body, pure fucken dark anger. “Well fuck that shit I’m out” I hear Bray call for Jamie and tell him to leave me. Good I think as I stalk away from them. I may just rip someone’s fucken face off if they come near me.

  I sit in the house, this big empty house with nothing but the dark sound of my thoughts and the cool chill of the night around my bones. My mind is my enemy tonight. Spinning the lid off the bottle of Jack and pulling long and hard around the neck, I feel the hot burn as it slides down my throat. Stomping up the stairs to the room overlooking the river and walking to the window, I pull up the chair and look out over the warter, drinking. I have this pain in my chest just to the left where my heart once beat and felt, and the fucken shit thing is it's hurting. It’s a strange, unfamiliar feeling. One that I thought I’d lost the day the heavens took my lady and turned her into an Angel.

  “If you can hear me, sweet girl, please, please keep her mind strong, let her know that I am coming. I’ll get there I’ll get her.” Pushing the window open so that the night air can come in, I walk over to the big bed, Jack in hand and I fall onto the covers. Her smell immediately strikes me in the face like a southpaw to the jaw. Falling into a restless night’s sleep with Jack swimming in my blood and her smell traveling into my soul, her eyes haunting mine in my dreams, I wander the dark paths of my mind trying to keep the demon at bay. He’s clawing at the ebbs of my soul wanting to rain the fire of hell upon these boys who think they can walk among men.

  Waking to the pounding of my Jack-filled head, I think back over the events that have caused me to drown myself this way. Pulling up the covers, I pull myself down darker into her smell that haunts the bed sheets. I can see her. The last time I had her here in my arms wrapped around me, her body folding into mine like it was made for me, the smell of her hair, the beat of her heart against my arms, the way her warmth seeped into my ice-cold soul thawing me slowly. Thinking back, I feel strange. I feel love in this dark, angry body. Who would have thought that a woman like Blue could tame a beast as violent and dark as me. Fuck this. I need to shower, maybe it will wash away the bitter taste that hate has left in my mouth.

  Throwing my legs over the side of the bed, my feet hit a wet floor. I see the bottle of Jack laying on its side. Picking it up I bring it up to my lips, fuck it, at least it numbs the ache and fills the demon with flames of hate. Sculling back the last of the warm liquid, I head to the kitchen bar, grabbing another bottle of Jack, I then head back to the shower turning the hot tap on and allowing just a small trickle to flow through from the cold. I stand under the stream of scalding water, sending shards of heat through a soul that is dark and empty. Sliding down to the floor, I pull in the bottle and, twisting the cap off, I slowly drink myself into a Jack-filled haze, watching every shitty fucking thing that has ever happened and everything that I have ever touched and cursed roll through my mind like a nasty movie stuck on repeat, with a hellish laugh and a sinker from the devil.

  The mixture of heat and liquor in my body has me spinning out. Sculling back more in a bid to get this room to stop moving in a goddamn spiral of memories and hate, I felt it, smell it. Her! My Angel, she’s here. Pulling my liquor laced eyes open as much as I can, I see her staring down at me, towel in hand.

  “Get the hell up, and out of there. She needs you and look at the state of you! I’ll keep her mind strong and present, if you keep sober long enough to save her and burn them to the ground.”

  Swaying, I try to pull myself up to a standing point, so I can look her in the eyes. She’s all sassy like. Slurring my words that seem to sound fine in my brain, I snap, “Hi to you too.”

  I rip the towel from her hands and wrap it around my waist before stumbling into the room to fal into the bed. I pull her smell that is wrapped in the bed sheets up around me nice and tight.

  “I don’t wanna do this right now Angel. Blue, baby” I whisper into the sheets. “Your body is gone, but yet your smell lingers disturbing the rhythm of my heart. Slipping through the drunken alleys of my brain, I feel the anger of him taunting me with your soul. Dangling you in front of my senses like a ghost haunting me, inviting me to fight a war that will end in bloodshed. The vibration of the phone reminds me of your essence and that I have once again failed to keep a soul safe.” Fuck, I’m a drunken mess, I’m talking to the damn bed sheets.

  “I hear you, you know you need to stop destroying what’s left of your heart by constantly thinking about the things that have broken you. I broke you, I know that they broke you, but you came out, and you’re here. I’m here. Just not in the form y
ou need me. She’s what you need and she needs you now! I know you think you’re to blame for this in the same way but you’re not. He was coming for her regardless, whether you were with her or not, but you’re here! You need to save her this time. It’s up to you, Knox, so get the fuck up and fight! You were destined to be together. You’re unstoppable when your anger is in full force... when you let the demon surface. I don’t like it or who you turn into when you’re that way but they have underestimated you and your force, so go show them just what they have got themselves into. Show them the Assassin, rain hell on them and I shall send them to the afterlife with the scars of the devil lacing their bodies.”

  A cold wind wipes at my naked body as she pulls the blankets off me. Pulling myself from my stomach to my back, I look into the eyes of the lady I love still, the eyes that are just like hers, looking into them, I see her, as well as Angel.

  “Fine, you're right.” I concede. Clapping her hands like a child that has got her way she walks from the room with the sheet trailing in her grasp. How? I’m still unsure. I’d much rather just lay here in my pity filled space hating myself for not being able to keep Blue safe. Shit I didn’t even have enough time to wrap my head around the fact that I was letting her in and now she’s gone and I’m left with that feeling of failure again. I needed her to stay, but he had to come and rip her away.

  Walking to the closet I pull down jeans and a grey Reapers Tee, getting dressed I head downstairs to the smell of coffee and laughter. I see my brother Jamie and Tammy smiling as I see Angel sitting on the bench, her long legs dangling, her toes peeking out from her lace dress. She is truly beautiful with the light that falls around her giving her the softest glow, it’s like old times, us together in love. But watching this from the corner of the room I feel off. It doesn’t seen right anymore, like this puxxel doesn’t fit, something is missing and that something is the puzzle piece of Blue. A strange feling washes over me as I relize that Blue is what I need and I need Blue to stay with me. Not Angel, she needs to shift from the earth to her own space in the clouds. I have to let her go to be able to truly hold Blue in my arms.

  “I see you’re still here,” I push out like I wouldn’t want her to be anywhere else. Who am I kidding? I know she has to go and I’m selfish wanting her here, but then needing her to leave it’s easy to say it and think it but doing it shit we know that part I suck at doing.

  “Of course I am, baby. Who else can kick your ass into gear? Jamie? I don’t think so.”

  Laughing, I pour myself a hot cup of coffee.God my body needs it. My mind, well that needs a lot more than coffee, that needs the taste of blood and vengeance. Blowing a kiss to Angel then looking at Jamie, I say, “Let’s go brother and see what today brings.”

  Grabbing my cut, I flick the heavy leather over my shoulders pushing my arms through the cool leather sleeves. I pick up the phone and a charger from the counter as I shoot one look back to the eyes of my Angel, watching me with worry ebbed into the depths of her pure blue irises, it makes me break into a shiver. “Go, Angel, go be the strength and light my five foot of fury needs.”

  Walking into the club feeling a little worse for wear, I head up to Bray's office. I see that Kash is here, still bunked outside Lilly’s door. I wonder why Bray didn’t take her back to their place. Fuck knows maybe he stayed here too. Pushing the door open the smell hits me, fuck, is this what I smelt like this morning too? Whacking him in the guts as he lays asleep on the couch hand thrown over his face, I wake him up. “Hard night brother?”

  “Mmmm you could say that” his deadpan tone meets my ears as he rolls over onto his side pulling himself under his cut.

  “Well you and me both. And this morning as I lay in a drunken mess in my shower, an Angel came down and ripped the fire of hell over me, so I’m here to do the same shit to you. “Flicking his legs off the couch, so he has no choice but move, I continue. “It fucken reeks in here, you’re more of a mess than I was. Get up and shower. We have shit to do.” Pulling at the blinds, I open them wide and push out the window to let some air into this stifling room.

  “Fuck off Knox! Shut the damn blinds! You’re not the only one with shit going on.” Bray seethes at me.

  Turning on my heel I look over at my brother, like really look at him. For the first time since I have met him I see the pain etched deep in his eyes, the dark rings around them, the hollow appearance of liquor spills out of him in fumes. I push myself back against the back of his desk, “Well brother tell me then, what’s got you looking so dark and finding solace in the bottom of a bottle?” Picking up one of the many empty bottles of the floor, I turn to him. “Southern Comfort of all things, Brother? Jesus.”

  Pulling himself up to sitting postion with his head in his hands he speaks. “I’ve also lost something, Knox, all I have now is this dark.”

  Standing I head for him but he pushes me off.

  “Forget it, brother, I’ll check Lilll, take a shower and gather the boys. Meet in church in forty.”

  Walking downstairs the phone dings in my pocket, pulling it out and, sliding it open, I read the cryptic message,

  Where there is heat, there is anger,

  Where there is fuel, there will be fire,

  Will she dance or will she falter?

  Let’s see how much she has missed this.

  Can you figure out where I have her Knox?

  Can you save your lady, before it’s too late!

  Who will stop me from filling her with the drug she loves?

  And my men, well, they have a special treat for the Lady in Red.

  It’s time to see what you boys are made of.

  You think we have left town, oh how wrong are you.

  I shall take all of what’s yours and make it mine.

  Tick Tock goes the clock.

  Slamming my fist into the wall on the other side of the bar I hear Miss Ginny curse out in fright rather than anger. My minds races to all the things that can go wrong with the amount of drugs he is slamming into her tiny body. The memories of my mother come rushing back assaulting my mind and body sending out the most unbearable sense of pain along with a sense of helplessness. I couldn’t save her from drugs and in turn my brother and I lost our mother and our father, now I was going to lose Blue the same way too. Cracking my neck, I try to dispel some of the anger and tension before I snap and totally lose my shit. It’s cutting close, my demon is clawing his way out, deadly close to the surface and I’m losing the fight to keep him at bay.

  “Fuck, boy, I’ll tan your hide if you punch my walls again.”

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” is all that flows from my mouth.

  “Well ‘sorry’ works just fine for me,” she spits at me. I glare at her my look saying it all, I’m not in the mood to be fucked with so she flicks me a bottle of beer and a wink she has been here for so long I’m sure she’s seen her fair share of shit and understands. Picking up the beer I offer her a small smile in thanks as I walk out of the club shielding my eyes as the mid mornings sun blares down assaulting them. I gather up the boys for Church.

  Sitting in church I play with the phone while waiting for Bray and waiting for Viper. It seems all I do is wait. I want action, shit, I want blood. The demon is knocking and wanting to be fed. How long before I snap shit? I don’t know, but when I do, it won’t be pretty.

  Bray enters as the phone tings again. Everyone stills, all eyes locking with either mine or Bray’s. I suck in a deep breath as I look up at Bray. “This will be message number two for today, brother, so let’s see what this fuck bag has to say now.”

  Opening the phone, I see the MMS. My fist goes white from the pressure and my jaw is clenching to the point of shattering. She is on the floor; wet, shaking, her body is curled up into a tight ball and the words under her read:

  Phase one complete. Filled to the eyeballs with junkie love...

  Blowing out harshly through clenched teeth I glare up at Bray then Jamie. “What the actual fuck.” I push to my feet and sta
lk the room. Shaking, I pace and pace like a caged tiger ready, waiting and fucking wanting to be released. To rip the jugular clean out of their throats. Pushing my forehead to the cold glass walls, I look out over the club sending out a very angry heated whisper. “Hold on baby, use your blade baby, I’m coming.”

  “What did you just say, Knox?” Bray asks with a sound of hope lacing his voice.

  The full force of my anger is boiling out from my core. I hate waiting, I bang my head against the wall, before I spit out, “Why hasn’t she used her blade on them?” before dropping my head low against the window. I sigh. Nothing I have nothing. I hear his voice bouncing behind me.

  “She has her switchblade brother?” Bray snaps out with a sound of hope in his voice.

  “Yeah, she started wearing it in her hair wrapped up in the bun, she said she needed to go in ready this time,” I state looking at him on edge.

  “Did you see it by any chance? Was it silver with a black handle with an iris on it?” I can’t miss the sound of elation in his voice. Running my hands over my face, my five o’clock shadow rubbing against my palm, I think back to the day I saw it.

  “Fuck, hold on. Yeah I think it was, why is that?” I question him with a sense of just maybe we may have some light at the end of this fucking dark tunnel.

  Running his hands through his hair, he watches me and looks around before saying, “Fuck this, this is good brother. Wait just a minute.” He’s shaking looking around as he stalks over to the door wrenching it open yelling out to the prospects that are scattered around the clubhouse, “One of you punks bring me my laptop and get Ghost here now! And Ortiz! Hurry the fuck up too! We ain’t waiting for goddamn Santa to come and suck your dicks.”

  Nodding to Cage and 81 he sits back down elbows on the table, mouth resting on his hands, his eyes never leaving the back wall. Stepping into his line of vision anger is flaming over me, I want to know what the fuck is going on.