CHAPTER 21

REAPER

I woke up just as the sun rose on the horizon. My arms were full of my woman, her arm thrown over my chest and her leg nudging my already hard cock. She had blown my mind last night. I knew I should let her sleep. It had been a full-on few weeks, getting the clubhouse operational, adding security to all the business, and getting Bren, Ellie, and Ben's fostering situation sorted. Their parents still hadn't contacted anyone about them being missing, and when a visit was done, they hadn't seemed to care. I couldn't fathom that they didn't care. I was waiting for them to realise their money for the kids wouldn't be coming in. I knew we would have to be on alert.

Abby and I sat down with them and told them everything. They knew to be aware that their parents may contact them once they realised that the money wouldn't be coming in. The older two understood, but we were worried about Ellie at the primary school by herself. The school was aware of the situation and would keep an eye out.

With all the shit swirling with the ACES, I wanted to lose myself in my woman and the peace to last a little longer.

As soon as she woke up, I knew she always stilled, unsure of where she was, and then breathed deeply. She pressed a kiss to my chest before tilting her head up to me, her face soft and her eyes hazy with sleep.

Pressing my lips to hers, I deepened our morning kiss. Rolling, she took me with her. I settled between her open thighs, feeling her wet heat pressed against my aching hardness. Tilting my hips, my cock notched at the entrance to her pussy. She tightened her legs around my waist, and I slipped in further, stopping when she hissed.

"Don't stop, honey," she pleaded.

We made love slowly, I thrust gently into her. Soft kisses and gentle touches as we came.

I was pushed up on my elbows to keep my weight off her. Framing her face with my hands, I pushed her hair from her face and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, each of her eyes and her mouth showing my love for her. Ending our kiss, I looked into her sleepy eyes. This woman had come from nowhere and wound her way quickly into my heart.

"I love you, baby," I whispered against her lips.

She tightened her arms and legs around me, pulling me tighter to her in a full-body hug. I buried my head in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent, knowing I would take this moment with me to the end of my days.

"Love you too," she replied softly.

I would have stayed like that till the end of time, but the day had to start sometime, and ours started with Rogue knocking on the door.

"Reaper, get off the nest, brother. Need to call a meeting to discuss some shit," he bellowed through the door. He was making as if to open it by turning the handle.

"You open that fucking door, Rogue, and you're a dead man," I bellowed back at him. Nobody saw my woman like this but me.

He cackled but didn't open the door, knowing I was serious. We heard him laughing all the way down the passage.

I felt Abby's body shaking under me as she laughed.

"You lot are mad," she gasped, laughing.

I muttered at her laughter as she pushed my softening cock out of her body. I wasn't ready to leave that warm haven yet.

Pushing myself up, I dropped a kiss on her belly before getting off the bed and heading to the bathroom. Then, wetting the cloth, I returned to take care of my woman.

Tucking the blankets tight around her, I dropped a kiss on her forehead, "Go back to sleep, baby. It's not even seven yet."

"Okay, let me know what's going on later,"

I nodded and left her warm and snug in our bed where I would like to be but duty calls. I jumped in the shower, wondering what they had gotten into last night that called for a meeting at this time of the morning.

I found them all in the kitchen drinking coffee, still in their clothes from the night before. The surprise was the white-haired woman sitting stitching up Bull with what looked like a knife slash across his ribs.

"Rea?" I said with surprise.

She glanced up at me flashing me her bright green eyes, "Kane," she nodded before turning back to her stitching.

My eyes flicked to Onyx, whose eyes hadn't moved from her since I had walked into the kitchen.

I turned with concern to Draco, who was watching what we all were. I could see the questions in the eyes of the newbies who did not understand the history in the room.

"Want to tell me what happened?" I demanded.

Draco sighed, "It wasn't the ACES. Some of Rhett's crew were at the club last night. A few saw Noni arrive on the back of Bull's bike. Johnny, Adam, and Liam were there. Noni and I went and spoke to them. They were happy to see her, you know they love her, and we've never had issues with them. We left them to it and joined our crew. We figured all was cool, and it was with Rhett's older brothers. They left not long after, and baby brother got ballsy. It seems nobody told him that Rhett and Noni's divorce was Rhett's idea, not hers, and Andy started mouthing off about her being a slut and whoring around while his brother rotted in prison."

"You can imagine what that did to Noni. She's loved that little shithead from when she met him. I thought she was going to pass out. He wouldn't listen to what she was saying, and we'd had enough by then. Tried to handle it quietly, but the kid wasn't having it. A few of the older crew were pulling him back, but he had three hotheads with him. One of them had a knife, and he went for Noni but got Bull when he stepped in front of her. We sorted it out and handed them off to some of the older crew who knew the history. A couple tried to speak to Noni, but she'd checked out. And by checked out, I mean literally like when Rhett first got taken down. Got a call from Liam an hour ago to say he'd be over at eight to discuss the situation and to check on Noni."

I sighed and pulled on my neck to ease the tension already building there.

"What a cluster fuck. Where's Noni now? And why didn't one of you sew Bull up?"

Rea spoke up then, "I was at the club with some colleagues, plus I'll do a better job of this than you lot. I gave Noni a sedative and put her to bed. Avy's with her."

"You're done," she said to Bull, standing up, pulling her gloves off, and throwing them in the bin under the sink before washing her hands. Not once did she look at Onyx.

She handed me a card with a number on it. "Call me if it gets infected or bring him to AE and ask for me. I'll get him sorted."

"Thanks, Rea," I answered, tucking the card in my wallet.

Turning to Dragon, she said, "Can you take me home, Drake?"

Dragon's eyes swivel to Onyx before he nodded, "Course, babe, no problem."

"I'll take you," Onyx stated, standing up from where he had been leaning against the kitchen wall.

Rea straightened her shoulders and looked straight at Onyx, "No, thank you. Drake, one of the others or a prospect can take me home, but not you."

Onyx closed his eyes and physically recoiled as if she'd slapped him.

We all silently watched the train smash happening in the kitchen, and we felt for them both, but Onyx had brought this on himself years ago when he was young and stupid.

"Sugar," he pleaded softly.

We watched as Rea took a stuttering breath in and paled, "Don't call me that, Milo. You lost the right to call me that six years ago. Now, I understand that last night was emotional, but you don't get to interfere in my life anymore. It's a small village, so I'm sure we'll see each other occasionally. I'll be cordial but nothing more. You broke me with what you did, and I took a long time to pull myself out of that hole. Now I have a daughter to get home to, so if one of you could drop me home, I would appreciate it."

Dropping the bombshell of her daughter into a silent kitchen, we watched as she left out the back door. Dragon followed her but not before stopping and dropping a hand on Onyx's shoulder where he still stood near the back door, his eyes like dark pools in his pale face.

"I fucked up," he whispered as if to himself.

I sighed before going to him, dropping a heavy hand on his shoulder and shaking him slightly.

"You did, brother, and we told you so at the time. Go hit something or someone but pull yourself together. We have shit to do. Then we'll work on a plan to get you back to Rea. Yeah?"

He nodded and left the kitchen.

"All this shit before I've even had a cup of coffee," I muttered, pouring myself a cup.

"You guys have a shit tonne of drama for such a small village," Navy grinned at me.

"Tell me about it, brother, tell me about it. I'm heading to the clubhouse. Have the prospects send Liam there. I'm sure Aunt Maggie wants her kitchen back. Church at ten at the clubhouse," I informed them before leaving, with Draco following.