Page 4 of Reaper

Ace swoops down to where I’m lying to hug me. I cling to him, grateful he survived the crash. I inhale his sweet scent and silently thank God Ace is still alive. I couldn’t bear to live without him. Losing the only thing good in my life would destroy me.

“Are you okay, baby?” I ask.

“Yeah.” He squeezes harder before finally releasing me. He takes a step back, looking down at me with concern.

“Where have you been?” Reaper’s gruff voice interrupts my reunion with my son.

Before I can respond, the thunder of motorcycles rumbles from somewhere down the mountain. He probably called his club, but I don’t remember hearing him say anything other than my name. How long was I out? Did he find me right away, or have I been lying here for hours? It’s all so confusing.

“Did you save me?” I ask, trying to piece together tiny shards of recollection.

“Yeah,” Reaper grunts.

He’s never been a big talker. At first, I found it strange that his communication skills involved a series of animalistic noises, but it suits him. He’s more beast than man, which is what made me so hot for him in the first place.

I shiver as flashes of our naked bodies entwined in passionate embraces flicker through my head. We used to be so good together, but those days are so far behind me now that they feel like a dream. When I found out I was pregnant, I stopped hanging around dangerous bikers. The moment I discovered the truth about Reaper, I ran. Now that I have a son, protecting him is my only job. I can’t think about Reaper as anything other than a man from my past.

“Didn’t expect to pullyouout of a ditch today,” Reaper says, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. It’s the same cocksure attitude that drew me in, once upon a time, but now it’s edged with a darkness that reminds me of why I ran from this life—and him—years ago.

“Thank you,” I whisper, as tangled threads of dread and desire snake their way through my body. It would be easier if I could hate him completely, but that’s impossible. Fear is the only reason I’ve avoided him all this time. If it weren’t for that, I’d probably still be in his bed.

“Can you stand?” he asks, still hunched over the ground.

“Can you?” I counter.

A group of motorcycles stop on the road overlooking the ravine. Backlit by the sun, I can only make out four shadowy shapes, but I already know who’s up there. Scar, Nitro, Matrix, and Talon. Reaper’s club brothers. They’re here to save us, but accepting their help could doom me and my son forever.

“We’re coming down,” Scar calls. I instantly recognize his voice. He’s the president of the club, and he doesn’t put up with any bullshit from anyone, especially club girls. I know because I used to be one.

“Be careful. Loose rocks,” Reaper yells in response.

Scar’s the first to reach us. His tall frame is clad in worn leather that creaks with every move. Matrix follows, the tech wizard of the group, his dark eyes scanning the scene like he’s already running diagnostics. Talon and Nitro reach us last, flanking the others with an easy confidence born from spending years on the road together.

I remember them all. Each one is a ghost from my past. They haven’t changed one bit. They still wear their authority like a second skin, commanding the space around them without saying a word. And here I am, caught in their orbit once again, pulled in by an unexpected bout of bad luck. If that jerk in the car behind me hadn’t been tailgating me so hard, then the accident wouldn’t have happened. Why couldn’the just pass me? Although it’s a mountain road, there are spots where passing is allowed.

“Reaper, what the hell happened?” Scar’s voice is rough, demanding answers as he strides over to where Reaper is doubled over.

Talon takes a step toward me. “Holy fuck, is that—”

“—Lexi,” Scar finishes for him.

“No fucking way,” Talon says, eyeing me warily.

“Kid,” Nitro says, jerking his head toward Ace. “Language.”

“Sorry, bro.” Talon rubs the back of his beefy neck.

“Who’s the kid?” Scar asks.

When they all turn to stare at Ace, I want to push him behind me to hide him, but it’s pointless. I can barely move, so there’s no way I can protect him from this group. As long as we’re on their radar, neither of us is safe.

“Ace,” I whisper. “He’s my son.”

“Your son?” Matrix’s sharp gaze snaps from me to Ace and back. I cringe, doing my best to sink into the ground. If they ever find out about what I saw the night I left, I’m as good as dead. Matrix’s eyes bore into me, but I hold his gaze, unwilling to flinch under his scrutiny.

“Someone ran them off the road,” Reaper says. “Saw the whole thing happen. Stopped to help them. Didn’t know it was her ’til I got down here.”

“Damn,” Talon mutters, running a hand through his shaggy hair. “Any idea who it was?”

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