Page 22 of Gio

“Then what the fuck were the Blood Reapers doing at the Regency last night?” It was a rhetorical question, and the answer came to me immediately. “They were there for Harper. Fuck.” She was in more trouble than either of us realized. “Then I’m glad I took one of those fuckers down.”

An annoyed growl sounded behind me that could only belong to one grouchy asshole. “So you’re the reason the Blood Reapers are shitting bricks today.”

“Rebel, so nice of you to join us.” I flashed a shit-eating grin that earned me the middle finger.

“Asshole,” he muttered and shoulder checked me as he walked past and dropped down in the first chair he found. “I was keeping an eye on those Blood Reapers, and I couldn’t figure out what all the activity was about. Now it makes sense, you killed one of their men.”

“They were chasing us down the highway and kicking at the car. I did what I had to.”

“Yeah, and now we’re probably looking at war. Again.” Rebel scrubbed a hand over his face.

“Or not.” My mind raced with possibilities that didn’t involve another all-out war. “Did you see any guns, like more than usual?”

“No, but they weren’t carrying big ass crates of guns in and out of their clubhouse if that’s what you’re asking.” Rebel shook his head.

“They’re worried about this deal which means it’s a big deal for them, enough that they’d go after Harper for what she might have heard. We find those guns or who the guns were meant for, and we fill the need.”

“Get in the middle of some Blood Reapers business?” Rocky let out a low whistle and shook his head. “That’s a bold choice when they haven’t done anything but wreck a rental.”

“Maybe,” I conceded. “Or we stop the shit before it gets started.” But we needed to know more first.

“Slate, what did you find on their connection to the Regency?” Diesel was always all business when it came to the MC, which was why he was our president.

“Maverick and Hawk saw a few Reapers hanging around but the only person they were with the entire time was Carl Miller.”

“Yeah, smarmy guy going bald with a growing beer baby,” Hawk said with a smile and patted his belly. “What’s his deal anyway?”

“No deal,” Slate offered. “He is as boring as they come. Middle manager at the Regency for the past six years. He makes fifty grand a year, minimal debt that you’d expect in the form of a mortgage and car payments, a few credit cards. His mom is dead, and his dad lives on the East Coast with wife number three. Nothing important or interesting, other than his association with the Blood Reapers.”

That didn’t make sense. “No blood or familial ties to any of the Reapers?”

“None I can find,” Slate sighed heavily. “But I don’t have names on all of them. Yet.”

It wasn’t what I wanted to hear but that wasn’t Slate’s fault or anyone else’s. “So what do we do until then?”

“Keep Harper safe,” Rocky ordered. “Stick close and be the best damn fake boyfriend she’s ever had.”

Rebel laughed. “You really think that’s going to keep the Blood Reapers away from her?”

“Maybe not,” Diesel chimed in. “But when we make our next move, they’ll know exactly why.”

That was ominous as hell, and I liked it. “I’m in,” I shot back. “Whatever the plan is, count me in.” With club business out of the way, it was time to get back home to Harper.

I had plans for her that would last all afternoon and late into the night.

Chapter 13

Harper

Gio ordered me to stay at his house until he came back but hours have passed, and I’ve gone over the materials Nicole sent me—twice—and I’m ready to do more. Now. My rental car was likely at the clubhouse, which was where Gio was, and I couldn’t go there without him freaking out. That was the first thing I noticed when I got up this morning—that my car was missing. I wasn’t sure how I was gonna explain the bullet holes and dents on the side to the rental agency. I knew there was an auto repair shop at the clubhouse, so maybe that’s why Gio took it. And then there was the small matter of having nothing to wear other than the dress I wore to the gala last night. It took some time, but I put on Gio’s blue shirt over my dress and tied it at the waist, foregoing stockings in favor of a casual daytime look. Satisfied, or merely resigned to my appearance, I grabbed my laptop and pulled up a rideshare app and headed to the Regency to speak to Carl.

He wasn’t happy when I stepped into his office, as evidenced by the deep scowl he wore and the angry noise he let out when he spotted me. “What in the hell are you doing here?”

I smiled. “It’s good to see you too, Carl.” I didn’t care that he wasn’t happy to see me. The only thing I cared about was living and putting on these two events, not to mention kicking ass while I did it. “Good news or bad news?”

He tossed his pen across the desk and raked both hands through his thinning hair. “I don’t imagine there’s any good news.”

“Then you would be wrong. There are two more events booked here,” I shared the information with a smile while I told him about the fundraisers on the schedule.

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