Page 97 of Reaper

What I find in the main area of the clubhouse surprises me.

Natalie is sitting on the floor with several of the sweetbutts around her as they all do each other’s makeup and hair.

Leaning against the entry, I stand and watch a moment, a small smile finding its way on my face.

The girls are really learning to love her. She’s changed the way we do things, which has been hard on some of the guys, but most of them were willing and ready.

Tara nudges Natalie, nodding her head my way.

The way Natalie lights up makes all of this worth it. She’s worth it.

She stands, telling the girls she will be back as she makes her way over to me. She doesn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around my neck, hugging me close. Leaning down, I press a kiss to her lips.

“Are you having fun?” I whisper.

She nods. “I think the group time is helping.”

“Good. Can I talk to you for a moment?”

She looks wary. “Aren’t we talking now?”

“In church,” I tell her.

The smile falls off her face. “I thought women weren’t allowed in church.”

“We’re making an exemption today. It’s club business.”

“What happened?”

I shake my head, telling her this isn’t the place. Then I pull her back into the room we hold our meetings.

I once told her women weren’t allowed inside, but she’s changed me as much as she has the club. We were surviving before, but with her, we will be full of life.

Taking my seat at the head of the table, I pull her down into my lap. She cuddles into me, resting her head under my chin.

“Can you tell me what’s wrong now?”

I sigh. “William contacted us. He knows you’re here.”

I come clean and tell her that he’s known for a while now that she’s been with me and that I’ve seen him.

She tenses in my arms, making me hold her closer.

“Shh. He won’t get you. I won’t let him.”

She nods but doesn’t say anything. I let her process the information while I think of how to broach the subject of our plan.

“I want to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me.”

“Okay.” Her tone is soft and low.

“We need to get to William. He only seems to want two things. To take me down and get you back. I would never in a million years allow for you to get hurt, but the best opportunity we have to get to him is to put us both in a place that he has the chance to get to us.”

She takes a deep breath. “You want to use me as bait.”

She doesn’t ask it as a question. She makes the statement. She knows what I’m saying.

“I don’t want to. I would rather keep you locked up safe here so that I know nothing could get to you. With that being said, there is merit to getting you in the public and giving him his shot. As president, I want to let you do it, but as your man, I don’t even want to consider it. At the end of the day though, I can’t make decisions for you as much as I want to. You are learning to be yourself again. Finding out who you want to be in the future. So if I kept this from you or made the decision on your behalf, I would be doing you a disservice. I would be as bad as he is by controlling you, even if my intentions are good. The decision is yours, baby girl. What do you want to do? I will follow your lead.”

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