Page 17 of Reaper
I narrow my eyes at him. “If you can’t be respectful of other people, then you will not be tolerated here. Please leave.”
Kelly tosses her napkin down on the table and stands so quickly, her chair nearly topples over before it rights itself.
“I cannot believe you,” she hisses as she steps around the table and up into my personal space, but I don’t back down or step back. “After everything we’ve been through, you’re throwing us out? We haven’t done anything wrong. Why must you always overreact at every little thing?”
I snap as I see red and I step forward so that we’re almost nose to nose, pitching my voice low to try and prevent everyone from hearing this next part. “Pretty sure you were the one that threw our twenty-six years of friendship out the door when you seduced my fiancé and hooked up with him behind my back for over a year. Then I catch you both in the acton my bed. I am not the one overreacting here.Youare by causing a scene in here and by spreading all of your lies around town and on social media. It’s ridiculous and your behavior shows exactly how immature you really are.”
“How dare you accuse me of being the home wrecker here! Aiden didn’t even want to be with your pathetic ass. He wanted to be with me all along.”
I fight to keep the snarl off my face, but I’m almost positive I failed. “Well then, he should have grown a pair and told his dad he wasn’t going to do his dirty work for him. That’s all he is, a puppet for his father and his actions have proven it.”
Her hand flies out, but before I can stop it, I feel a presence at my back right as someone’s hand grasps her wrist and keeps her from hitting me.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a deep, growly voice tells her, and it takes me a minute before I realize it’s Reaper who’s behind me.
Richard throws his napkin down on the table and stands up, glowering at me. “I will ruin you for this,” he hisses, and I shake my head, smirking.
I really hadn’t wanted to reveal this yet, but I guess I have no choice. “No, you won’t. Because if you so much as try to come after me, my family, our supper club, our house, or our land, I will release the video from the other night on social media.”
Richard, Kelly, and now Aiden, who had stepped up behind Kelly shortly after Richard got up, all narrow their eyes as they look at me in confusion.
“What video?” Kelly asks as she clutches the hand Reaper had grabbed close to her chest.
She’s trying to portray that she’s unfazed, but I see it in her eyes and hear it in the little waver in her voice. After being friends for so long, I know how to read her, and she is low-key freaking out right now. She’s always been obsessed with her image, which is why she’s trying to convince everyone that I’m the homewrecker, not her. There’s no way she’ll want me to release the video. Especially one that shows her in such a compromising position.
My smirk deepens when I see her squirming under my gaze. “For safety reasons, I have a few cameras positioned around our house, both inside and out, because of our weapons and for the supper club. When I came into my bedroom the other night and found you both... in a compromising position, the door was open behind me, which allowed a couple of my cameras to catch every single word that was said. Not to mention the delicate state both you and Aiden were in.”
My fingers twitch with the need to cross my arms and say more, but I know every single person within hearing distance is paying attention to our conversation, even if they are trying to act like they aren’t. That and there are children present. I don’t want to get into all the details in front of them. I clasp my hands behind my back as I try to keep them from shaking in anger as memories try to assault me.
Both Aiden’s and Kelly’s faces pale considerably, but Richard’s face, not surprisingly, turns redder. He’s always been a hothead, in my opinion.
“How dare you threaten us, you little wretch! You dare to blackmail us?” he hisses and he moves to step forward, but suddenly, a hand wraps around my waist and I’m pulled behind Reaper.
One of my hands automatically goes to his back and the other to his arm to steady myself. A current of need spreads through me when I feel his muscles bunch under my touch. I can feel the heat from his hand on my waist, even through my work jeans, and I curse my traitorous body. This is no time to be getting worked up like this. It also takes me a moment to realize that Reaper’s hand is still on my waist. I’m surprised he hasn’t let go, but even more surprising is how right it feels to have him holding me. Again, I shake myself internally. This isn’t the time.
Richard scoffs, which brings me out of my thoughts. Once again, he looks down his nose at me and my body tenses at hissuperior attitude. “Not even two days later and you’re already hooking up with someone else? You should be ashamed of yourself. Especially since you’re hooking up with these lowlifes.”
I bristle at that, and my hand grips Reaper’s cut and shirt tightly while my other one grips his arm harder.
How dare he talk about me like that?
He knew Aiden was screwing around behind my back this whole time and he has a problem withmeseeing someone so quickly after breaking up? Not that I’m seeing Reaper, especially since I am almost positive he wouldn’t want someone like me, but Richard seems to think we’re an item.
Stepping forward slightly, I push against Reaper’s arm to let me pass, but his grip tightens on my waist. I dig my fingernails into his arm, pissed that he isn’t letting me handle this, even as a part of me is giddy at having someone protect me like he is.
I’m about to let a slew of words fly, but a growl stops the words in my throat. Blinking in surprise, I look up at Reaper. Did he literally just growl? Reaper glares down at Richard, his gaze hard and cold. His muscles are tight under my hands, like he’s ready to launch himself at Richard if things turn physical.
Reaper is also a good six or so inches taller than Richard, which just adds to Reaper’s intimidation factor. Even though Richard is trying to appear unfazed by Reaper, his face is paler than before, and I can see beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
“You are unfucking believable. You’re shaming her? It was your son, not her, that was stepping out on their relationship almost the entire fucking time they were together. Lark is not the problem. Your son, Kelly and you are the problem. Lark’s not blackmailing you. She’s offering you a way to keep your fucking reputations, even though you don’t deserve it in my opinion.” He pauses as he glances over at Kelly, and his lip curls in disgust before his gaze returns to Richard. “It’s none of yourbusiness who Lark decides to see, especially since she called off the engagement after what happened. She can see whoever the fuck she wants. Now, Lark told you to leave. I suggest you do so before we remove you ourselves.”
I feel a heavy presence behind me and I look over my shoulder to see the five other guys that came in with Reaper are now at our backs, forming a half circle behind us. Two of the guys crack their knuckles and almost in unison, they look down at me and their eyes soften just a touch, but they don’t lose their dangerous edge. They give me a slight tilt of their heads before both of their brown eyes harden again as they turn their attention back to Kelly and the Coxes. Glancing at their vests, their road names are Cannon and Atlas. While both of them have dominating vibes coming off them, Cannon’s is stronger with an even more dangerous edge.
And they aren’t the only ones with dominating auras or giving off strong vibes. The other three men are even more intimidating than Cannon and Atlas.
Next to Atlas, a man named Devil crosses his muscular arms that are covered in tattoos across his chest as he glares at Richard. The action draws my attention to his vest, and I’m not surprised that he’s the Vice President. Like Reaper, he also has an authoritative edge to him. The amber in Devil’s brown eyes almost burns like he’s ready to fight, and judging by his red hair, I’m guessing he’s got some Irish or Scottish in him.
To Devil’s left is a man I definitely don’t want to meet in a dark alley. Punisher looks like he could crush me if he squeezed me hard enough. His short blond hair is tied back into a man bun, but he has braids going through his hair almost like a Viking would. His sky-blue eyes are as cold as ice as he glares down at Richard, but while his focus is on him, it somehow seems like he is taking in every little thing that Aiden and Kelly are doing as well. My gaze flicks down and I blanch when I see that he’sthe club’s Enforcer. Holy hell, all the muscles and the dangerous vibe make sense now, and Ireally, really, reallydon’t want to meet him in a dark alley.
