Page 11 of Reaper

“Did you ever make her feel like she was more to you?” Talon’s question cuts deeper than he knows. His brow furrows, but I doubt he understands the gravity of his accusation.

“Lexi wasn’t my woman,” I answer quickly, almost too quickly. “We had a good time. That’s all.”

They nod, but Nitro stays quiet, watching me with an intensity that says he sees right through the bullshit. And he does—I know he does—because as I’m saying the words, they’re sticking in my throat as thick and heavy as a lie.

“Reaper.” Nitro finally speaks up. “You’re talking, but what are you not saying?”

I meet his gaze, and there’s no hiding from the truth. I shift uncomfortably, feeling the leather chair beneath me as if it’s suddenly made of stone.

“Nothing,” I mumble.

“Brother,” Scar says, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. “We all saw you with her. It was more than just sex, wasn’t it?”

“Cut the crap, Reaper,” Matrix chimes in, his tone bordering on frustration. “Spill it.”

I drag a hand down my face, the stubble scratching against my palm. They’re my brothers, my family, and if anyone can understand the chaos Lexi brought into my life, it’s them.

“Fine,” I concede, my voice barely above a whisper. “It was more than that.”

“More how?” Nitro pushes, relentless as always.

“It’s complicated,” I admit. “I liked her—a lot.”

“But?” Talon prompts.

“But nothing. I didn’t plan anything for Valentine’s Day. That’s probably why she bounced without saying goodbye.”

The heavy silence that follows my admission is like a thick fog, suffocating and impenetrable. I can feel the weight of my brothers’ gazes, but it’s the unspoken judgmentthat presses down on me the hardest. We’re a brotherhood bound by loyalty and our horrible past, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to spill my guts to them. They don’t need to know that Lexi still has the power to turn my world on its axis.

That realization scares me more than any rival club shootout or police chase ever could. Normally, I’m the one riding headfirst into any storm, but this time, the tempest brewing around me might be more than I can handle.

“Reaper,” Matrix’s voice cuts through the tension. “Why didn’t you ever ask me to track her down?”

I grind my teeth again, finding a bitter taste at the back of my throat. “Because it was better that Lexi was gone,” I spit out. The words are a shield, a defense against the truth I’m not willing to face. “All I want is to kill and fuck. I’m not in the market for playing house, especially with some chick who’s got another dude’s brat.”

Matrix doesn’t flinch at my harsh tone. He’s heard worse from me before. He fishes something out of his pocket and slides it across the table—a slick piece of plastic that glints under the dim light. “Found this in Lexi’s purse. Tucker pulled it out of the wreck.”

It’s a keycard with a cattle branding symbol on it. A brand that still makes me sick to my stomach. It’s Blackstone’s. He uses it on the cattle—and sometimes the kids—on his ranch.

What the hell?

“Blackstone,” I mutter, rolling the card between my fingers. “What’s this doing in Lexi’s shit?”

“Don’t know.” Matrix leans back and folds his arms across his chest. “But the card looks brand new. How’s she mixed up with Blackstone? Is she a spy?”

“No. No fucking way.” I shake my head.

“Are you sure?” Scar asks.

“Fuck!” I run my fingers through my hair.

“Figure this shit out and report back to me. I want to know if we’ve got one of Blackstone’s lackeys in the clubhouse. The kid could be a front. He might not even be hers.”

“He looks like her,” Matrix says.

“And a little bit like you,” Nitro adds.

“Shut the fuck up. He’s not mine. He’s too young. I did the math!”

---