Page 55 of Reaper

“We’re on the brink of cracking this baby wide open,” Matrix says, tapping a finger against the sleek plastic card laid out before us.

“On the brink? What the fu—heck does that mean?” I glance at Ash before leaning forward, my gaze flicking from their kid to the laptop.

“We think we nailed it,” Daisy says, her voice a mix of excitement and caution. “But we still need to test it out.”

“Give it here,” I demand, reaching out. “I’ll test it right now.”

Matrix snatches the card away, his eyes narrowing. “No way, man. I’m not letting you go off half-cocked to Blackstone’s place.”

I sit back, clenching my jaw to stifle the growl itching to escape. “Just gonna make sure it works,” I ground out, trying to keep the edge from my voice, but failing miserably. “Then I’ll bring it straight back.”

“Reaper, listen—” Daisy starts, but I cut her off.

“Talon and I have been watching that mansion for months,” I say, fixing Matrix with aglare that I hope conveys how serious I am. “I’ve made it to one of the rear doors, but without a key, I can’t get in without alerting the guards.” My fists clench at the memory of how close we got. “That damn mansion might as well be a bank vault. I thought about shooting out a window, but it’s all bulletproof glass.”

“And that would definitely tip them off that you’re there,” Daisy says.

Matrix and his wife exchange a look, one of those silent conversations I’m not privy to but can guess the gist of. Frustrated, I feel the pressure behind my eyes building, like an engine without a release valve.

“Every second we wait is another moment Blackstone thinks he’s untouchable,” I push, hoping they understand the urgency. “I need to get inside. Now.”

Matrix’s jaw is set, his fingers drumming a staccato rhythm on the glass table. “I need to talk it over with Scar and the others,” he says firmly, each word like a nail being driven into my plan. “Church is tomorrow.”

“Fine,” I grind out through clenched teeth. I don’t want to get into another pointless fight with him. It’s a waste of time and energy. He’s always going to be my brother, even if I want to throttle him sometimes. For now, I’ll play by the club’s rules—brotherhood and all that.

“Be patient,” Daisy says softly. “Can I get you something to eat?”

“No. I’m good. But thanks.” I manage to turn my grimace into a slight smile. Daisy’s always been good to me and the other guys. I don’t want to be a dick to her, even if I feel like I’m going to blow up if I have to wait another minute to deal out vengeance.

A giggle pulls my attention from my dark thoughts. Ash runs into the kitchen while aiming a plastic gun at me with glee-filled eyes.

“Bang! Bang!” he shouts, wobbling on chubby legs as he pretends to shoot.

“Got me, partner,” I say, feigning a dramatic fall from my chair and earning a peal of laughter from the kid. Daisy chuckles while Matrix shakes his head, but he’s grinning too.

Ash and I play cops and robbers for a minute or two. The simplicity of the game is a stark contrast to the complexity of my life outside this house. At this moment, I’m not Reaper the enforcer. I’m just a guy playing with a kid. And damn, if it doesn’t feel good. I wonder if playing with Ace would feel the same way. Maybe it would be even more fun because he’s my boy. I don’t know, but I’m curious now.

“Robbers win!” Ash declares victoriously, raising his arms in triumph as I hold up my hands in mock surrender.

“Seems like they always do, kiddo,” I chuckle before standing up to leave. My gaze slides over to Daisy and Matrix, a rare softness stealing into my voice. “You got a cute kid there.”

“Thanks.” Daisy’s face lights up with pride. “We’re actually trying for another one.”

“Is that right?” I smirk, glancing at Matrix, whose cheeks turn a shade pinker under his beard. “Have fun trying, brother.”

It’s easy to tease him because I know behind the tough exterior, Matrix is a family man to the core. It’s a side of him only a few get to see. Usually, we’re at the clubhouse digging through the dark web or searching through lines of code. Well, Matrix does code shit while I’m the dark web guy. But anyway, today’s been a nice change from our usual interactions.

“I always do,” Matrix retorts with a grin.

He knows as well as I do that our world isn’t just about late-night runs and dark web sessions—it’s about what we come home to. And if I’m being honest, a part of me envies the simple joy he’s found with Daisy.

Shaking off the feeling, I stride out the door, the familiar weight of the tasks ahead settling back onto my shoulders. Tomorrow, I’ll face the club, and we’ll decide how to deal with Blackstone’s keycard. But for tonight, I have other demons to confront.

***

The roar of my Harley slices through the calm evening air as I pull up to Nina’s place. The rumble dies down to a purr and then silence as I kill the engine and swing my leg over the bike.I make my way to the back porch where Nina’s waiting with a strange look on her face.

“What’s wrong?” I demand.

---