Page 76 of Reaper

Lexi looks at me. Fresh tears well up in her eyes as she throws herself into my arms. I hold her close, burying my face in her hair and inhaling the scent of coconut shampoo that always seems to linger. I can feel her trembling as she clings to me, and I know I need to reassureher.

“Lexi, it’s over,” I whisper into her ear, my voice shaking with emotion. “Blackstone’s dead.”

“Thank you,” she chokes out between sobs. “Thank you for saving our baby.”

As I hold Lexi in my arms, I realize this is all that matters. The club, our family, and the love we share. We’ve brought down a monster, and now there’s nothing standing in our way. We’re finally free to love without dark shadows hanging over us.

The sound of the front door opening grabs my attention. Julia walks in, her eyes red-rimmed as she scans the room. She locks onto Scar and rushes over to him.

“Is it true?” she asks, her voice breaking. “Is Blackstone really dead?”

“He’s gone.” Scar nods, his expression solemn. “Who told you?”

“Nina.”

“How’d she find out so fast?” Scar asks the group.

“I texted her while we were riding,” Matrix says.

“How many times have I told you not to text and drive?” Scar asks.

“Oh, who cares right now?” Julia asks. Overcome with emotion, she throws her arms around Scar’s neck and kisses him deeply. To my surprise, a blush creeps up Scar’s cheeks. The president of a motorcycle club, blushing likea lovestruck teenager. It’s amusing, to say the least.

I glance at Lexi, who’s still wrapped in my arms, and realize she has the power to make me blush too. Maybe that’s what love does to a man.

“Reaper!” Ace exclaims, flinging his arms around my leg. His wide-eyed gaze is filled with admiration as he says, “You saved my mom, and you saved me. My daddy’s a superhero!”

Lexi looks at me in shock, her eyes searching mine.

“Did you tell him?” she whispers.

I shake my head. “No, Blackstone beat me to it.”

“That bas—jerk.” Lexi’s gaze drops to Ace. “It’s true, honey. Reaper is your daddy.”

“Yay!” Ace hugs my leg tighter. I wait until he releases his grip to bend down and hug my boy. Thank God Blackstone didn’t touch him.

“Are you okay, honey? Did the bad man touch you?” Lexi squats down, looking intently into our son’s eyes.

Ace shakes his head vigorously. “No, Mommy. He just scared me. That’s all.”

Relief washes over Lexi’s face. She hugs Ace tightly before standing up and pulling me close once more. We’re all safe now. As a family, we’ve faced the darkest of times, but together, we’ve come out on the other side, stronger than ever. I won’t let anything tear us apart again.

The room buzzes with the energy of relief asAce clutches his teddy bear tightly. Matrix, ever attentive to detail, looks at the bear and then back at us.

“Figured out why he wanted the bear,” Matrix says, scratching his chin. “It’s got a nanny cam in it. Audio and video.” He pulls a memory card out of his pocket and holds it up between his thumb and forefinger. “I’ll analyze this later, but I have a feeling whatever we find on this chip will be very incriminating for Blackstone.”

“Is there any point in finding out what’s on it now that he’s dead?” Talon asks, crossing his arms.

Scar considers this for a moment before responding. “There could be something important on the chip. It’s worth a look.” He addresses everyone. “We’ll hold Church tomorrow at noon. By then, Matrix will have had time to search the chip.”

“I won’t be able to sleep tonight anyway,” Matrix admits, running a hand through his messy hair. “So, I’ll have that information ready for you all by noon.”

“All right,” Scar nods, then turns to Daisy. “Take care of Matrix, okay?”

“I’ll make sure he isn’t up all night working,” Daisy promises, giving Matrix a reassuring smile.

“Everyone,” Scar announces, his voice firm and steady, “it took years for us to get vengeance, but we finally got it. Tonight, we should all rest because soon, the entire club is going to celebrateour victory.”

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