Page 22 of Catch a King (Five Kings 1)

“Honey trap, you mean…”

“Yes, brother. Millie’s the Reaper they sent to help us.”

From the look in his eye, Slade is relishing every second of his big reveal as the blood drains from my face and I stare at him in shock.

Axel is watching me keenly for my reaction and I know I must keep my feelings in check because they cannot see how devastated I am. Millie’s a Reaper. That can only mean one thing, she’s a Reaper whore because there is no way in hell they would send one of their old ladies to do a job like this and I know her role wouldn’t be anything else in that club. It all makes sense now I come to think about it. The fuck off attitude, the moves, the way she gets out of trouble, her bravery. That woman was molded and shaped by bastards and just thinking of her living as one of them, batters my heart with a sledgehammer.

“So, what’s your plan?”

My voice betrays my inner feelings because it sounds cold, hard and practical, when inside I am feeling anything but. “Get close to her, make her trust you.” Axel’s voice is calm and for a moment it reminds me of my father. He was always so emotionless where it concerned business and was the only cool head when everyone around him lost theirs.

“When she trusts you implicitly, Slade will arrange a little accident. We will make a call to tell them the girl’s in trouble and needs their help. They will come running and send their best. One thing I learned was that Reapers value their own above everything, and they will send the whole chain of command who will run straight into a death trap. We will rig it up to blow their fucking brains out, the whole lot of them, and Billy’s death will be avenged.”

“And Millie?”

Slade laughs. “She can die with them. No loose ends, no comeback, and just a terrible accident that won’t lead to our door.”

I feel physically sick when I think of their plan. How did they get so stupid and why are they doing this, it doesn’t make sense? If they thought Ryder ordered a hit on Billy, surely they need to knowwhyfirst because who knows what shit my father was into? Something is not adding up and yet I have to trust them—for now. Then there’s Millie, who is hiding a secret that has blown my world apart. A Reaper whore. I’m not sure I can live with that, so what the hell am I supposed to do now?

Chapter 18

Millie

I’m not sure why, but something’s different. When Sawyer came and found me, there was a storm in his eyes. He smiled and slipped his hand in mine, but the way he looked at me set off the warning sirens. What happened back there?

We head out to eat and as I slide behind him on the bike, I relish the feeling of power between my thighs. I’ve missed this. The sense of freedom that only riding with a biker gives you. I have ridden many times on the back of a Reaper bike and trust them with my life. I’ve never had that connection with them that I feel with Sawyer though, which surprises me because we’ve just met.

Wrapping my arms around Sawyer is the most delicious pleasure, and yet he shifts away a little, which tells me something I’m not happy about. He’s creating distance between us, and I wonder if he knows. Perhaps Axel told him who I am.

The ride to the diner is all it takes for me to put two and two together. Theymusthave told him. Axel has already proved to be a dishonorable man, and I’m guessing the reason he called them both to his office was to settle their feud over me. Then again, why would he tell the brothers exactly why I’m here because surely that would alert Slade to the fact I’m here for him?

My head hurts with it all and as we stop, I make the decision to retreat and keep my words guarded. Something has shifted between us and until I know why, I’m saying nothing.

Once again, we take a booth overlooking the street and order our food, and Sawyer looks out of the window with a brooding stare. It feels awkward because I’m scared to say anything and just pretend to find the menu fascinating to avoid conversation.

After a while, he says in a husky voice, “Tell me your story.”

“Excuse me.”

His words catch me off guard and he looks at me through dead eyes and says gruffly, “Why are you running?”

I swallow hard because the last thing I want is to open up that can of worms. It’s taken me two years to learn to deal with the reason I ended up with the Reapers, and it’s only through their patience I survived at all. Now Sawyer is asking a question I can’t find the answer to, and so I shrug. “Not much to tell, really.”

He nods and leans forward, staring deep into my eyes before saying firmly, “Who’s Mason?”

I jump back as if I’ve been burned and my defense crumbles in a heartbeat and I feel the pain slice through my soul as I stutter, “How do you know about him?”

In a flash, his hand grips mine and he pulls me across the table to within an inch of him and whispers, “You told me.”

“I never.”

My voice trembles and he says evenly, “Last night, you had a nightmare and called out his name. You were crying and told him not to leave you; that you loved him.”

The tears fall as I’m cut wide open and bleeding out before him.

The waitress heads across and Sawyer growls, “We need a minute.”

I hear the concern in her voice as she says hesitantly, “Is everything ok, honey?”

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