Page 66 of Reaper

“Tell her to keep the other kids inside. Don’t let either of them out of her sight.”

“You get that, Nina?” I ask, trying to stay calm. “Keep a close eye on the others. We’re going to get Ace back.”

Nina’s voice trembles as she apologizes. “I should’ve kept him by my side, Reaper. I’m so sorry.”

“None of this is your fault,” I reassure her,gritting my teeth. “We have a snake in our midst. We’ll deal with him later. Right now, our priority is getting Ace back.”

I end the call with Nina and slam my phone down on the nightstand, fury coursing through me like wildfire. Lexi’s face is pale and her eyes shimmer with unshed tears.

“Reaper,” Matrix says, his voice low and urgent. “I saw the prospect drive Ace onto Blackstone’s property. He drove right past my security cameras. I’m sure it was Ace and the traitorous bastard.”

“Son of a bitch,” I growl, clenching my fists so tightly that my knuckles turn white. “Ace is in that house with Blackstone.”

“Reaper, how could he know about Ace?” Lexi whispers, her voice trembling. “Our son … he’s alone with a predator.”

“Blackstone must’ve found out Ace is my boy somehow,” I say, my jaw clenched tight. “We don’t know how he turned one of our prospects against us, but we need to act fast before he does something to Ace.”

“Everyone else’s kids are highly guarded,” Matrix says, his eyes dark with worry. “He could have come after any of ours, but he chose Ace. We can’t let him get away with this.”

“Damn right,” I respond, determination filling every fiber of my being. “We’re getting Ace back, and we’re going to make Blackstone pay for this.”

“Reaper, please,” Lexi pleads, gripping my arm, her touch both gentle and desperate. “Bring our son home safely.”

“I will, Lexi,” I promise her, looking into her terrified eyes. “I’ll bring him back, no matter what it takes.”

“Let’s move!” Matrix’s urgency mirrors my own. “Time’s not on our side.”

The sound of heavy footsteps and urgent voices fills my ears as Scar, Nitro, and Talon burst into the bedroom. I can see the anger and fear on their faces.

“Get dressed,” Scar orders. “Church. Now.”

Without another word, they leave as quickly as they entered, leaving Lexi and me alone. She flings herself at me, her body trembling with fear and desperation.

“Oh God, you have to save him.” Tears roll down her cheeks. “I can’t imagine—”

“Don’t! Jesus! Don’t even think about that.” I cut her off before she can drag me down that dark path. “I swear to you, I’m going to get our son back,” I promise, gripping her tightly to my chest.

“You’d better.” She sniffs hard, clinging to my shoulders.

After I pry her off me, I quickly get dressed and head to the room where the rest of the motorcycle club is gathered. The air is thick with tension as Scar calls for an update.

“All right, what the fuck happened?” hedemands.

Matrix and I start talking over each other, trying to relay all we know about Ace’s kidnapping. The urgency of the situation makes it difficult to filter through all the information.

“Wait, wait,” Scar interrupts, raising his hand. “Why does Blackstone want that bear?”

“I don’t know,” I admit, frustration gnawing at me. “But whatever his reason, it’s not good.”

Matrix gets up and walks toward the door. “I’m going to Nina’s to see what’s so special about Ace’s teddy bear. There must be something we’re missing.”

“Be careful,” I warn. “We don’t know why he wants the bear, but it could be some kind of trap.”

“Find out what you can. Every bit of information helps,” Scar says.

“Of course,” Matrix nods, already heading out the door. “I’ll text you.”

“We need to go kill Blackstone now.” I stare at each member of the club, daring them to challenge me. My hands ball into fists as rage takes over. “Every damn minute Ace is alone with that bastard, he’s in danger.”

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