Page 20 of Reaper's Ride
Engines rumbled around me as I sat in a long line of bikes, marveling that nearly every member took the Devil’s Ride with the new prospects. Today, that included me.
Grim had asked me to ride beside him, and I sat in a place of honor, one reserved for his officers, as Mammoth and Rael idled behind us. One by one, the other Tonopah Bastards had joined the line, ready to initiate their newest member and find out if he had the balls it took to be Graven.
I was a nomad, no stranger to the Grim Reaper and Scythe on the back of my cut, but I hadn’t met where it originated. The Tonopah GBMC was the club’s founder, and the rumors hinted at a supernatural connection. Something dark, maybe sinister.
I had to admit, it always intrigued me.
Since I didn’t know what the initiation would demand of me, I stayed alert in the saddle, leaving the lot as Grim gave the command. The power of so many engines on the road at the same time vibrated through my body.
This was why I joined a motorcycle club. It’s the reason I felt an instant bond with other bikers. We all loved the freedom and thrill of the ride. Two wheels. Knees in the breeze. There wasn’t anything else like it.
The sun was rising higher in the sky as we left the city limits of Tonopah and rode down the highway, taking an abrupt turn into the desert. Tumbleweeds rolled across the sand in the dust of our tires, flying into the air, and bouncing off the ground only to be smashed beneath multiple tires.
I turned my head to speak to Grim, wondering how far into the desert he planned to take us since I couldn’t see any structures. He must have slowed down because I couldn’tsee him. Glancing over my shoulder, I pulled on the brake, concerned when I didn’t see any of the bikes or riders nearby.
Only the hot ass desert surrounded me, but even that began to wobble, morphing in front of my eyes as a ring of fire erupted. The flames traveled along the dry ground, completing the circle as I sat on my bike, blinking in confusion.
An odd swishing sound interrupted the flicker of the fire’s eager flames as they reached higher but never scorched any living thing. I spun around as my bike disappeared. I could feel solid ground beneath my feet and nearly panicked. Well, not my bike. Rael’s. I guess he was about to get cranky since it was missing.
I couldn’t help chuckling at the thought.
A deep sigh snared my attention. One moment, no one was there. The next, I wasn’t alone. I blinked at the image in front of me, staring at a man dressed in a costume. A weird fucking costume.
He was dressed like a religious leader with long flowing robes and a skeletal mask. The outfit reminded me of a bishop, but the robes were black. A large, bright crimson inverted cross covered most of its length, with flickering flames outlining the entire perimeter.
Wait. Were those real?
He wore black gloves, polished black shoes, and carried a black staff with a glowing red jewel at the top. His hat was the best part. The mitre, or ceremonial headdress, was also black with two points and the same red striping as the cross.
No flames on his head, though.
“Bet you spent a fortune on that,” I observed as I tilted my head, noticing that his face mask must have been adhered to his skin because it looked like prosthetics. No way did anyone get that kind of detail from a plain mask.
I would know. I had quite a collection in storage where my sister lived in California. My Ghostface variations were my favorite. Lainey had no idea of all the delicious fun we’d have together.
“It really doesn’t take long to do.” He snapped his fingers... and the whole ensemble disappeared. Poof. Gone in an instant.
“The fuck?” I asked, blinking as the bishop, with a skeletal face, now appeared to be a man in his mid-thirties in a tailored black suit, perfectly pressed, as if he had just walked out of a fitting. His dark hair was slicked back as he flashed me a too-wide grin. The only thing that remained the same was his shoes.
I took a step backward.
Laughter bubbled up from his chest as he bowed. “Pagan. We meet at last.”
“Who the hell are you?” I looked around, waiting for Rael to jump out and say this was all a joke. “Am I being punked?”
“No, although I may have to try that scenario sometime since so many of you think of it.”
I didn’t reply since I didn’t know what the fuck he meant.
“Do you ever think about that night?”
My body stilled. “What night?”
“The one when your sister was attacked.”
He had my attention now. “Choose your next words carefully.”
“They ever catch the man who robbed and cut her?”
