Page 67 of Reaper

“Agreed,” Scar says, his voice matching the intensity of my own. “Using the information you got from that guard, we should be able to get into Blackstone’s place without a huge shootout. But remember, we’re still outnumbered by his guards.”

“Clock’s ticking,” Nitro snaps, his eyes fierce.

“Damn right it is,” Talon adds.

“We ride out now. There’s not a minute to waste,” Scar says, slamming his gavel down to end the meeting.

We all stand. Urgency pulses through the room like a living thing. As we prepare to leave the clubhouse and ride to Blackstone’s mansion, Lexi comes out of my room, her fear for our son radiating off her.

“Did you get an update?” She presses her hands into her belly.

“Not yet. We’re going to Blackstone’s right now.”

“I want to come with you.”

“No. You’d be a distraction. You have to trust me on this. We know what we’re doing,” I say, looking into her eyes, so she knows I mean it. Every fiber of my being is committed to saving Ace.

“If anything happens to him …” She grips my arm. “I’ll never forgive myself.”

“Neither will I,” I admit softly, my heart pounding in my chest. The weight of what’s at stake presses down on me, but I don’t let it show. “Listen to me. I’m either coming back with Ace, or I’ll be coming back in a body bag. There’s no other option.”

Her tears spill over, breaking something inside me. But I can’t let my emotions get the best of me now. My son’s life depends on it.

“Reaper, you can’t …” she chokes out, but I cut her off.

“I won’t fail. Saving Ace is the most important mission of my life.” I pull her close, kissing her fiercely, wanting her to feel my resolve. When I finally release her, I say softly, “Ace and I will be home soon.”

She whimpers and steps back, watching me go.

I join the other men outside. Tucker joins the others, his face set in a grim expression. Scar, Talon, and Nitro have gathered around, each man checking his gun before mounting their motorcycles.

The tension is palpable, but we’re all determined to rescue Ace from a fate worse than death. I have no doubt that in our minds, we’re all back in that dungeon. We tried to save the other kids back then, but we couldn’t. Now, we have a chance at redemption.

“Brothers!” Scar’s voice commands our attention. “Let’s ride.”

As we roar down the road, my thoughts race. How did it come to this? Blackstone snatched Ace from under our noses. It’s inconceivable. We thought we were protecting Ace along with the custody case kids, but somehow, we missed something. And now, my son is in danger.

The wind whips past me, but it does nothing to cool the fire burning inside. I grip my handlebars tighter, feeling the familiar power ofmy motorcycle beneath me. It’s a reminder of who I am, what I stand for—loyalty, family, and justice.

“Stay focused, and you will get through this,” I tell myself, knowing that if I let my anger get the best of me, I might make a mistake that could cost Ace his life. “You’ve got this.”

As we close in on Blackstone’s mansion, I steel myself for the fight ahead. The clock is ticking, and every second wasted means more danger for my son. But one thing’s for sure—I won’t stop until I bring Ace home.

Chapter 26: Reaper

The electric fence looms before us, a twisted testament to Blackstone’s fortress of cruelty. The hole we cut last night has been patched, but it doesn’t matter. We’re going in through the same spot. Why reinvent the wheel when it worked so well the first time?

Scar glances at his phone, waiting for Matrix’s signal that he cut the electricity to this section again. “Clear.”

“Hold on, Ace,” I mutter under my breath, my pulse hammering in my ears.

As soon as Scar, Talon, Nitro, Tucker and I are through the fence, we pull our knives out of our cuts. The plan is to get as far as possible without alerting the guards. We don’t have time to fuck around, so we don’t wait for the guards to pass.

Hiding behind a tractor, we huddle together, ready for the first guard. With a surge of fury, I launch myself around the huge tractor tire and tackle the guy. He’s big, muscle-boundfrom years of pumping iron on Blackstone’s dime, but I’ve got something he doesn’t, a reason to fight that goes deeper than any paycheck.

My fists are swift and precise. There’s no time for hesitation, not when every second could mean the difference between life and death for Ace. The guard’s bones crack under the force of my blows. His grunts turn into gurgles. He’s trained, sure, but he’s not prepared for the storm that is a father’s wrath. Within moments, his limp body hits the ground, and I’m up, scanning for the next threat.

A trio of guards materialize from the darkness. The moment they spot us, it’s on. Talon rushes one guy while Tucker engages another. Scar pounces on the third guy before I can get to him. Chaos ensues as they fight the guards.

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