Page 5 of Reaper

“Black SUV. No plates. Couldn’t get a good look at the driver,” Reaper replies. “But I’ll find him. Nobody messes with our own.”

Our own?

I shudder at the thought of being caught in their web again. I need to get away from them as soon as possible. Ace won’t be safe until we’re out of the club’s territory. But my car’s a wreck, and I can barely form a coherent thought. For now, we’re trapped. We’ll have to rely on them because we don’t have a choice.

The men glance at each other. There’s a moment of silence, heavy with the weight of unspoken vows. If they’ve decided the man in the SUV is their enemy, then that driver doesn’t stand a chance. They’ll hunt him. They’ll catch him. And then they’ll do unspeakable things to him. It’s a good reminder of why I left. They still inhabit the same deadly world I escaped all those years ago. It used to call to me with its siren song, tempting and dangerous, but not anymore. I left that life, and I’m never going back.

I push those thoughts away, forcing myself to focus on the tangible—the sharp scent of pine, the coolness of the shadows cast by the towering trees overhead, and the distant echo of birdsong. Anything to keep my mind off the way my heart is racing, off the pull I feel toward Reaper, and off the past that still clings to me like a second skin.

Scar leans over to check on Reaper. “What the fuck happened to you? Did you eat shit on the way down?”

“No. I had to do …something,” Reaper says, cryptically.

“Aw, shit.” Talon joins us. “You used your abilities on her!”

“Shut up!” Matrix snaps.

Abilities?Confusion worms its way through the fog in my brain. Since when does Reaper have abilities? What does that even mean? The ghost of a strange dream flickers at the edge of my consciousness, elusive as smoke. Could Reaper be tied to the surreal experience I had as I was waking up?

“That’s club business,” Nitro says, bouncing on his heels while glaring at Matrix.

“We’ll talk about it later,” Scar says before turning to me. “What about you? Are you feeling all right? Does anything hurt?”

“Everything,” I admit.

“Can you feel your legs?”

“Yes.”

“What about your arms?”

“They’re fine.”

“Can you walk?” Scar extends a hand to me.

“Maybe.” I don’t have the luxury of choice right now, so I reach up and grab his hand. As he pulls me to my feet, sharp pain radiates down my spine. “Oh!”

“Where does it hurt?” Matrix asks.

“My back.”

“We’ll call Doc,” Talon says.

“No, I’m not—”

Reaper silences me with a dark look. “Someone carry her up.”

“I can try on my own.”

“Lexi …” Reaper slowly rolls onto his butt to sit beside me. “Let them help you.”

He reaches for my hand. The moment we make contact, a wildfire of memories blaze through me—memories of skin on skin and breathless whispers in the dark. He skewers me with the same smoldering gaze that used to unravel me. My body reacts as though no time has passed, as if I’m still the same wide-eyed girl who craved his touch every day and night.

But just as quickly as it comes, I douse the fire, smothering the flames before they can start something I won’t be able to stop. This can’t happen. I can’t fall prey to the illusion of what we once were. We’re not those people anymore; at least, I’m not. I must stay guarded and avoid the allure of old habits and reckless desires. My son needs me to be focused and clear-headed. I can’t go back to sifting through the ashes of my love for Reaper looking for a single shard of hope. I did that once, and it nearly destroyed me. I’m never going back to those dark corners of my heart again. Not now. Not ever.

“Let’s get you out of here,” Reaper whispers.

I nod, focusing on the solid ground beneathme. All I need to do is get through the next hour. Once I get out of this ravine, I’ll be able to disappear again. I’ll go somewhere safe where he won’t be able to find us.

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