Page 153 of Reaper and Ruin

“Or worse.” Levi’s grin returned. “Glad I was wrong though. For the record.”

Lynx glanced at War. “I don’t make a habit out of killing innocent women. Just so you know. Despite whatever this idiot thought.”

The corner of War’s mouth lifted. “Good to know. We don’t approve of that.”

Lynx nodded and then gave War a sheepish look. “Any problem with killing dumbass over here though, for thinking I’d ask him to do something like that?”

War glanced at me and Levi. “I think Violet might have some objections to that somehow.”

“Violet does indeed,” I agreed.

But it was clear to me Lynx was just as lost as Levi had been when he’d first gotten out of prison. Levi had found his way back here, to the family that lived beyond the Slayers’ gates. And now it seemed like we’d be opening them again for Lynx.

Levi elbowed him as War walked away to join his family again. “So we’re good? Debt cleared?”

Lynx jerked his head toward the ice bucket filled with drinks. “Get me a beer and we’ll call it even.”

The police came somewhere in between steaks, a text from Nyah saying she was okay and she’d see us later, and the prospects’ rowdy rendition of “Take me Home, Country Roads” that X had joined with off-key warbling.

The officer who Hawk scowled at through the wrought-iron gates was the same one who’d found me at the bottom of the hole.

Fang stood on my other side and lowered his voice so only I would hear. “You don’t want to talk to them yet, you don’t have to. In fact, you shouldn’t. I’ll call Liam, our lawyer.”

But clearly he hadn’t spoken softly enough, or maybe the officer had just dealt with my brother and his club enough times that he probably knew the gist of what Fang was whispering in my ear. “Please don’t call Liam.” He grimaced in a way that told me he’d dealt with Liam before and didn’t particularly want the displeasure of doing it again. “All I wanted to tell you was that you can come down to the station whenever you’re feeling up to it, but we aren’t wanting to press any charges against you. The woman’s death was clearly self-defense, and you aren’t in any trouble. We had a tip come through the call line about other bodies we’ve connected to her and Clean Sweep.”

My brother nodded. “Fair enough then. But when she comes down, we’ll bring Liam anyway.”

The police officer grimaced at that but nodded. “As is your right.”

I waited until he’d driven away before I turned to Whip, Levi, and X who’d followed us up to the gates when Hawk had come totell me the cops were up here, wanting to talk to me. “They had a tip about the other bodies?” I raised an eyebrow.

Whip shoved his hands in his pockets. “We couldn’t just leave them there. Their families deserve closure.”

I didn’t disagree, but my heartbeat sped up, knowing they weren’t the only bodies out there. Trig and X and all the guys had left evidence that could be tied back to them.

But Whip clearly saw all of that flashing like a warning light in my expression. He chuckled. “We’ve been doing this a long time, sweetheart. Don’t worry, nothing is blowing back on us, or on you. We had the place scrubbed.”

We walked back toward the clubhouse slowly, but my questions played on a silent loop in my head. I wanted to know everything about how they’d done it. How they’d covered it up. How they’d gotten rid of the bodies.

Maybe I’d watched too many true crime documentaries and needed that closure.

Maybe the part of me who had found pleasure in taking the life of people who’d hurt me was storing information for the next time I needed it.

That thought was so terrifying it stopped me dead in my tracks. “Do I need to join the Murder Squad for real?”

All three of them stared at me.

Whip raised an eyebrow. “Sweetheart. Really?”

I nodded. “What if I just start randomly killing people?”

X snorted on a laugh. “Well, that would be hot, and hey, if you need a partner, I’m your guy.”

“X!” I wailed, truly concerned I could see a future where he and I were like Batman and Robin, running around the city in bad costumes, unaliving people who had done wrong.

I might have learned to love my body a little more, since seeing it through the eyes of three men who loved me, but I wasn’t sure I was ready for full-body spandex.

Clearly, I was spiraling.