Page 12 of Reaper

“Nice to meet you, darling.” A look of concern passes over his face. “Looks like someone did a number on you. Can I get you anything else? An ice pack? Some painkillers?”

I shrug. “I don’t want to be a burden.”

“No. No burden at all. It’s my job to make sure everyone has what they need. Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

I lean back against the couch as Jacob hurries away. I close my eyes. The pounding in my head isn’t getting any better.

When I feel the couch depress next to me, I open my eyes, expecting to see Jacob.

Instead, an older man with the wordmemberon his vest.

“You look like a sweet thing. How about you come take a seat on daddy’s lap?”

I move away from him, attempting to stand. He reaches out, grabbing my hand to pull me back down.

I wince as my entire body throbs.

“Please don’t touch me.”

He laughs. “Oh how naïve. Daniela said you were a bit dense. You are here to serve us. So serve me or get out.”

“No,” I whisper.

“No? You see this patch? You came into our clubhouse. Now get on your knees and suck me dry before I add to that wonderful artwork on your face.”

My body starts to shake.

Is this what I traded my life for? One monster for another.

The man lashes out, reaching to grab my hair.

I cry out, “Stop! Don’t touch me.”

Tears are streaming down my face.

three

“Doyou want me to call Pinky? He’s home with Sunny,” Wrath asks.

“No. We can fill him in later,” I tell him as the rest of the men fill into the room.

Once everyone sits down, I call the meeting to order.

“Tonight, we have a visitor. I don’t know much, but if what she is saying is true, then we need to keep an eye out. Some of you were here during my prospecting days. You’ll remember there were three of us. Myself, William Danworth, and Jimmy Henderson. Shit went down, and only one of us made it through our prospecting year. William supposedly moved to Chicago while Jimmy, well, he paid the price of William’s mistake.”

I look over at the photo I keep in here for Jimmy. He never made it through prospecting, but he was one of my best friends. He was through the thick of it with Wrath and me. Every day I miss the kid.

“Do you think he’s involved with the hits on our runs?” Colt asks.

I haven’t forgotten the suspicious phone call he got earlier.

“I don’t know, but he hates us. Me specifically. It was my decision to cast him out. William wanted me to lie. To cover his mistake with my father. I refused. He was a danger to everyone around him. The only reason he didn’t end up dead is because he knew very little and what happened was truly an accident. My father ran him out of this town. He’s been banished, yet he came back anyway. We need to know why.”

“I can look into him. See if I can track him. Can I speak with the girl to see if she has more information?” Trigger asks.

I know I should allow it, but just the thought of her bruised and broken face has this protectiveness swelling up inside me.

“Not right now. I’m going to need to get her checked out first. I called Evelyn. She had a shift, but she’s getting someone to cover so she can come check her out,” I tell him.

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