Page 103 of Reaper

I grumble as my anger rises again.“He fucking hit her, Anthony,”I damn near growl.

He curses.

“If I ever see that fucking asshole, you better have bail money ready because I’ll be beating his ass,”I hiss.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Atlas’ head whipping toward mine in shock before his face hardens in anger. A moment later, he walks down the hallway and I curse internally. I forgot that I wasn’t alone.

A strained chuckle comes over the line.“You’re fucking perfect, Darlin, but you won’t need bail money. We’ll be rightthere with you, and we’ll take his ass in. You and Miracle will get whatever you need to dish out your vengeance before he’s taking a dirt nap.”

We talk for a while longer and he promises to call when he knows more about Mae.

Hanging up, I walk into the kitchen and refill my coffee mug. Igor comes trotting downstairs as I hear the shower turn on upstairs, so I let him outside to do his business.

A moment later, Cannon and Atlas come back into the kitchen talking about the Halloween drive next week. Shit. With everything going on with Mae and Smoke, I’d forgotten all about it.

“I take it I need to place my order online instead of going into town to get supplies for the drive, don’t I?”

They both give me an apologetic look. “Sorry, Lark, but that would probably be for the best. If stuff is available in store, order it and we’ll send a Prospect to go pick it up. If not, order it to be delivered. Did Reaper get you a club card yet?”

“Yeah, he did. I’ll do that with Miracle later today. Do you guys want breakfast?”

“Nah, just coffee is good.”

“Okay, what else do we need to do for the Halloween drive?” Much like the Forest Creek chapter, we’re collecting food and clothing donations for those in need. The town always has a bit of a celebration on Halloween to give kids a well-lit area where they can have fun before as well as during trick-or-treating. There will be games, face painting, and of course, candy.

The guys fill me in on what they normally do and I make notes in my phone. I’ll need to buy a bunch of candy, face paints, temporary tattoos, balloons, darts, and some rubber duckies. Not to mention getting gloves, hats, scarves, coats, snowpants, and snow boots with the money that people donated on the website Python runs for the club. We also set up bins in storesaround town where people can donate gently used winter gear or they can also drop off gear that they buy.

“So what type of paints and brushes do I need to get for the face-painting, Atlas?”

“I like to use water-activated face paint, so we’ll need a variety of colors. I still have some, but we’ll need more. As for the brushes, I have what we need.”

“Face painting?” Miracle asks as she walks into the kitchen. I hadn’t even heard her come downstairs.

I look back over at Atlas, and I bite my lip when I see his cheeks pinken a little as he keeps his gaze rooted firmly on his coffee mug.

“Yeah, for the Halloween drive next week. We do a couple of booths at the park for a few hours before and during trick or treating. I usually help out with the face painting.”

Miracle’s face softens and she smiles. “That’s sweet.”

Atlas’ blush deepens, and I turn, grabbing a mug for her out of the cabinet. As I do, I notice Cannon looking at Miracle with a look I can’t quite describe. Huh.

“Creamer is in the fridge, M, if you want it,” I tell her as I pour her some coffee. A moment later, I hear her getting in the fridge. Luckily, we prefer the same type of creamer.

She doctors her coffee the way she likes it and hums as she takes a sip. “Mmmm. Nectar of the Gods,” she murmurs and I chuckle.

“Want to do some online shopping with me later? I gotta get a bunch of supplies and the gear for next week.”

Her eyes light up at the mention of shopping and I grin. I knew that would help her get out of her funk. At least for a little bit, anyway. She scoffs playfully.

“As if you have to ask, girl. I’m always up for shopping.”

I grin, happy that I get to spend some time with my bestie.

Chapter 39

Reaper

SixWeeksLater~December 4th, 2023