by Jamie Begley
“Kentuckians give hospitality to their invited guests, not trespassers. You need to leave. Now.”
“She’s a fucking bitch. Let’s just get her and go.”
The man who had called her a bitch sent another cold chill down her spine.
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
The man next to the taller man left his friend’s side to cut her off from reaching Matthew and Isaac’s workshop.
Ginny stopped, positioning herself to keep both men within eyesight.
“I can see why Reaper stayed here so long. It’s peaceful.”
“That word coming from you is hilarious. You lived your whole life destroying everyone who comes into contact with you,” she scoffed.
A satisfied smile played on the cruel face just a foot away from her. “Reaper told you about me? I’m glad to know I left a lasting impression.”
“Actually, he didn’t. Reaper hasn’t mentioned your name once. Neither have The Last Riders.”
The man’s face gloating expression didn’t change, but his eyes grew sharper. “Then you don’t know who I am.”
“Oh, I know who you are … who you both are.”
“You’re bluffing.” The gloating expression became cunning.
Ginny rolled her eyes at the man. “Really? Your homework on me is sadly lacking. Hammer told me that was your problem when you were in the military, which was why you were never selected for higher assignments. Your taste in friends”—Ginny wrinkled her nose at the other man—“was another mark against you.”
“I don’t know a Hammer.” The tall man looked toward his cohort. “She’s bluffing.”
“You’re nothing but a peon in Hammer’s world.” Ginny allowed her disgust for the men to show.
“I don’t give a fuck who Hammer is . You can tell us when we have you loaded in the car.”
“I wouldn’t take another step if I were you, Slate.” Ginny saw the other man make a menacing move toward her. “You either, Butcher.”
Both men backed up a step at the use of their nicknames. Slate was first to regain his bravery.
“This is all bullshit. You’re all alone. We made sure.”
“By poisoning Moses’ dog?” Ginny shook her head at the men. “That was what tipped us off. Moses was supposed to be the only one left at the house with me, but he had to bring the dog to the vet, thanks to you. You’ve been watching our house for the last two weeks, learning our schedules.” Ginny gave them a pretend moue of disappointment.
Her pretense stopped. “You know, I was really mad at God for letting you enter Gavin’s life, but when Hammer told me that you skipped out on the luxurious accommodations the FBI provided for you, it restored some of my faith.”
“They set me up with a two-room shithole. Once I have you, Reaper will come running. I’ve already found a small place just for us.”
Ginny started to take her hands out of her pockets, stopping when Slate opened his jacket to show the gun that was tucked into the front of his pants.
“I was just going to take my hands from pockets. I’m not carrying a weapon.”
Slate’s hand went to the butt of his gun. “Slow and easy.”
Slowly taking her hands out, Ginny showed him that they were empty.
Slate removed his hand from the gun, letting his jacket swing closed. “Let’s go,” he ordered.
“If you want me, you’ll have to come and get me,” Ginny told him.
“Works for me. Butcher, get her.”
There was nothing attractive about the man who Slate expected to carry out his bidding. The man was so ugly, his features were so mismatched that they each had their own personality. Ginny had to hold back a cringe as he took a step toward her.
Butcher froze hearing at a warning growl.
“I warned you not to move. I would advise you to run, but I don’t want to go to heaven with your deaths on my conscience.”
Butcher took a step back as another dog came out from behind Matthew and Isaac’s forge.
Slate wasn’t frightened at the sight of the two dogs, but Butcher remained in place.
Slate started to reach for his gun, but then he froze as another dog came out of the woods, close to his side.
“I wouldn’t try for it, Slate. Moses trained Lobo to attack anyone with a gun. You wouldn’t be able to pull the trigger with a stump for a hand,” Ginny advised. “Even if you take out Lobo ….” Ginny gave a low whistle that brought out four more dogs from their hiding spots, with their fur raised and their teeth bared.
“I have enough bullets to take them out,” Slate threatened, yet he didn’t make a move for his gun.
“Let’s go, Slate.”
“Shut up, Butcher. We have enough bullets to take them,” Slate insisted. “Take your gun out first. Then I’ll take mine.”
“You go first..”
“I hate to interrupt you cowards making fools of yourselves, but the dogs are the least of your problems.” Ginny raised her hand in the air, having no need to look to see who came out of the woods behind. Slate had no idea who he was dealing with, thinking he could outmaneuver her family.
Slate’s eyes widened as Tate Porter halted next to her, carrying a shotgun pointed at him. Butcher was greeted by Dustin Porter with the muzzle of his rifle planted in his cheek.
“In case you didn’t hear me cocking my rifle, I’m right behind you, ready to blow your fucking head off if you so much as twitch,” Greer Porter told Slate. “Please twitch.”
“You can’t touch me … All of you will go to jail.” Slate slowly raised his hands in the air.
“You must have missed the signs when you cut across Porter land,” Greer lied, berating him.
“What signs?” Slate started to turn his head to look over his shoulder at Greer, only to have his head crushed with butt of Greer’s rifle, sending Slate to the ground.
“The fucking ones that say trespassers will be shot.”
Chapter Forty-Eight
Reaper saw the car coming around the corner just as he was about to make the turn into the Colemans’ driveway. The speed he was traveling, he could keep going in the lane he was traveling in and turn around when he had an opportunity, which was what any sane person would do, or do what he was going to do, which was speed up and hope he made it alive through the oncoming lane, which was totally insane.
He took the insane route. It was quicker.
Veering off, the side of his jacket rubbed the pavement before he managed to straighten the bike. Going up the steep driveway, he then nearly plowed into a car that had the trunk up with the emergency lights blinking.
Reaper’s already pounding heart went into overdrive. He didn’t recognize the car, and if the car had been broken down, it would have been the bottom of the driveway, not near the steepest part of the driveway.
Parking his bike and getting off, he pulled his gun out in one motion as he ran up the steps of Silas’s home. Instead of barging inside, Reaper went to the side of the door and gently turned the door handle. He mocked himself for being careful now, instead of when he came charging up to the house. Anyone inside could have taken him out from a window at his lack of caution.
When his phone vibrated, he was tempted to ignore it, but he wanted to make sure it wasn’t Ginny.
It was a text from Ginny.
I’m at Matthew and Isaac’s workshop.
Jumping off the porch, he started toward that section of property, not bothering with the steps. As his feet hit the ground, Knox’s squad car pulled into the driveway. Knox and Lucky were still getting out of the car when Viper, Rider, Razer, and Shade roared up behind Knox’s car.
“After I find out what the fuck is going on, I’m going to beat the fuck out of you for pulling in front of that car, and you know better than to run up to a house without backup.” Huffing his words out, Knox ran behind him, coming to a standstill when they saw Greer Porter bashing Slate in the face with the butt of his rifle.
“The fucking ones t
hat says trespassers will be shot.”
Cold fury encased him when he took in what had gone down before he arrived. Then horrific visions of what the two monsters had planned for Ginny had shards of ice running over him.
Butcher and Slate had planned to kidnap Ginny, which was why they had left the trunk of their car open, but the Porters derailed their plan. The Porters weren’t the only ones who had impeded their success. He counted eight dogs circling Butch and Slate, their ferocious appearances made them look like Cujo on steroids.
If these dogs had been like the ones that attacked him and Ginny, they wouldn’t have stood a chance. The way they were grouped strategically around Ginny, blocking her from the two monsters, would have given her ample opportunity to escape.
While in the military, he had witnessed several highly trained dogs in action, preforming a variety of duties. These dogs appeared to sense Slate’s and Butcher’s evilness, and with cunning awareness they were protecting Ginny as if she were one of their pack.
Moving as if in slow motion, Reaper stood in front of Slate. There was no satisfaction at seeing him on his knees in front of him. No, what Slate had done to him, and what he tried to perpetuate on Ginny, didn’t allow for any emotions. Slate had dehumanized him to the point that there wasn’t anything left, and that was exactly why Reaper wasn’t going to retreat from him.
“Be careful. He has a gun tucked in the front of his britches,” Greer warned when Reaper knelt down beside Slate.
“Thank you for making this the happiest day of my life.”
“You’re welcome.” Using the butt of his rifle to bash Slate on the back his head, Slate would have fallen forward if Reaper hadn’t put out a hand to push Slate’s forehead back.
“I was talking to Slate.” Scowling up at Greer, Reaper reached out to take the gun away from Slate to give to Viper, who came to his side.
“Why you thanking this sack of shit for?”
“Because it will be the last day he spends on earth.”
“I reckon that’s okay, then.” Greer raised his rifle to butt Slate again. “I’m about to make your day really special.”
Reaper rose to take the rifle away from Greer.
“Why you do that for?”
“He’s mine.”
“Fuck.” Unhappy, Greer indignantly turned from Slate to Butcher. “Can I have him?”
“No, he’s mine too.”
“Fuck.” Greer raised his knee to kick Slate’s head. “I don’t suppose you have anyone else hiding around here I can have?” Greer addressed Slate.
“Cut it out, Greer. You know it’s just the two of them,” Tate admonished his brother.
“Doesn’t hurt to check.” Greer spitefully kicked Slate in the head again. “I reckon our job is done. I’ll be taking my rifle back.” Greer held his hand out impatiently for his weapon. When Reaper didn’t immediately give it back, Greer moved away from Slate. “I won’t touch the motherfucker. Give me.”
Reaper gave his rifle back.
With his free hand, Greer pulled up his sagging jeans. “Our job’s done, boys. I reckon they don’t need our help anymore.” Greer turned a calculating look at Ginny. “You can tell Silas when he gets here—”
“I’m right here, Greer.” Silas moved around Knox so that Greer could see him.
“Oh … fine, I’ll tell you myself. You can send Moses over with that mean son of a bitch”—Greer pointed at a sleek dog that had Butcher afraid to move—“to pay us back for keeping an eye out for Ginny.”
Tugging his pants again, Greer directed his younger brother, “Dustin, make sure you take that gun from that little weasel you’ve been watching.”
Greer gave Silas a curt nod. “Can’t say it’s been a pleasure doing business with you, ’cause it ain’t. Make sure you keep to your side of the fence after”—Greer pointed his finger toward Moses as he walked out of the forest from his property—“Moses delivers my new dog.”
Reaper watched the Porters leave, then stared at the group gathered around Slate and Butcher, seeing that all of Ginny’s brothers were back and that Fynn was nowhere in sight, he spoke to Silas. “Take your family and go inside. Knox will come and tell you when it’s safe to come outside.”
Silas gave a grave nod. “We’ll let you handle this situation. Fynn will be staying with his mother for the weekend. Plenty of time to clean any mess you make.”
The Colemans began leaving, except for Ginny and Moses.
“Gavin ….”
Reaper shut out the sweet tone of her voice. He couldn’t listen to her when his mind was filled with pure hatred for the two men he had been searching for.
Ginny wouldn’t be shut out, though, bringing her hand to his arm to turn him so he was no longer staring down at Slate.
“I know you’re going to do what you feel is right.” Her eyes pleaded with him. “Revenge isn’t going to change the past, and it’s not going to give you the future you deserve.”
“The only future I deserve is the one I’m going to live once you go inside your house.”
Ginny wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest. “There’s the future you could live with me, if you would give it a chance ….”
Reaper’s arms remained by his side, coldly rebuffing her by taking a step away, then turning back to Slate. “Any chance of a normal life was played out long before I met you.”
Stonily, he felt Ginny move away and was able to monitor her stiff movements as she began walking toward the house without looking back.
“Moses you need to leave.”
“I’m not leaving. Ginny is our sister. We saw the car on the way up the drive. It goes without saying that I, nor any of my brothers, will be interfering to help them.” Moses slanted his head down to the dog sitting attentively at Butcher’s feet. “Actually, there is something you need to be made aware of.”
Wanting to make Moses leave, Reaper delayed vetoing the idea of Ginny’s brother staying. Many of The Last Riders were there, but they were still outnumbered by Moses’ dogs. Deciding to listen to what Moses had to say might make it easier for him to convince Moses to go inside the house.
“Saber is giving an alert signal.” Moses lay a hand on the tan and white dog’s head that was sitting peacefully next to Butcher. “She smells blood on him. I would have Knox check out who the car parked in the driveway belongs to.”
Butcher started shaking. “Don’t let Reaper hurt me. Call the cops. Slate and I have a deal with the FBI ….”
Reaper felt nothing as Butcher implored Moses for help.
“Saber is never wrong.” Moses disdainfully ignored Butcher’s appeal as he steered away from the man, not afraid to give the monster his back to lay a hand on the dog that was holding Butcher at bay, even though Dustin was gone. “Do you know why Greer wants Trigger?”
“No.”
“Because everyone on this mountain knows Trigger loves to chase anything or anyone I order him to. When he’s done, Matthew and Isaac’s forge can burn what’s left. I thought that information would come in handy while you’re deciding if I can stay or not. I’ll even throw in this little tidbit for you.” Moses patted the side of his leg, and all the dogs immediately obeyed his silent signal to form two groups, one on each side of him. “They only obey me.”
Chapter Forty-Nine
“Let him stay,” Viper gave his approval.
Seeing Lucky, Knox, Razer, and Rider give their assent, Reaper lost any reservations he had left.
“Don’t let Slate out of your sight.” Leaving Knox and Razer to follow his order, Reaper walked over to where Butcher was cowering.
Giving full rein to the fury he had been holding in, Reaper backhanded Butcher across his mouth. When he fell backward to ground, Reaper then brought a foot up to smash him to the ground. Changing the course of his foot at the last second, he stomped his heavy boot down, missing Butcher’s nose by a centimeter. Placing his other boot on the other side of Butcher’s head, Reaper pulled h
im up by his hair. A mewling cry came from the man that Reaper hated more than life. When Reaper had him eye to eye, he let him see the hatred spilling out of his.
“Please don’t kill me …,” he sobbed.
“You’re nothing but a filthy rapist who wasn’t man enough to take what you wanted, so you had other men take it for you. You made me ….” Reaper bottled the words he wanted to spew out like lava erupting from the volcano of hatred that was all that was left of his soul, still unable to release the pent-up disgust that he couldn’t let escape within the hearing of the men nearby. He had been humiliated by these two men during the years of his captivity. He would be damned if the shame he carried every day would be exposed anymore. His degradation and indignity had been captured on video for eternity, while his revenge wouldn’t be. Taking their lives swiftly like he had Crash’s would never settle the score he had been waiting for.
“How badly do you want to live?”
“Bad,” he blubbered, snot coming out of his nose.
“I’m going to give you more of a chance than I had.” Still holding Butcher with what was left of his hair, Reaper turned him until he was facing away from him, pointing him toward Silas’s house. “I’m going to be fair. The Last Riders get to take turns killing you if you go in that direction.” Reaper pointed him to the left. “You go in that direction, the Porters can have you. You have better odds going that way, but you have to get past Greer. Good luck with that.” He tore out piece of scalp when he pointed him to the right. “You go in that direction, Moses and his dogs can have you. Those are your worst odds; I don’t see you outrunning one dog much less eight.” Using the back of his shirt, he pointed him straight. “This direction, you have your best odds. Through those trees are two rises, and it has a back-access road to the one you came in on. If you’re really lucky, you’ll even be able to get to your car and drive away before you’re caught.”
“Who gets me if I go in that direction?”
“Me,” Reaper answered, releasing him. “Choose.”