Page 15 of Reaper

“Yeah, I mean it, Lark. She was spouting off to anyone she saw yesterday and this morning as well. Thanks to this town’s gossip chain, we all knew you and Aiden were together first instead of you butting in on their relationship. So, when she said you tried to steal him from her, we knew it was more of her lies.”

My eyes sting, and I blink repeatedly to keep any tears from falling. “Thank you for telling me that. I’ve been trying to avoid the drama and to not feed it because that’s how she is. If I react, then that’s just more fuel on the fire for her to distort what really happened. I just want to move on and forget that chapter of my life.”

He nods and looks like he wants to say more.

Sighing, I give him a small smile. “Just say it, Tyler.”

He sighs in return, though his lips kick up a little. “Is it true you pulled a gun on them?”

I huff but nod. “I’m not surprised she didn’t let that go. But yeah, I pulled a gun on them when I found Aiden fucking Kelly on my bed. Got the story out of them, including the fact that she started sleeping with him a month after Aiden and I had started dating last year. I kept ‘Ol Faithful trained on them while they left my property. Then I had to clean up multiple messes thatthey oh so graciously left for me. Had a nice ‘ol bonfire to purge everything afterward.”

I bite my lip when I finish. I hadn’t meant to spill all of that, but I know Tyler won’t go around gossiping about any of what I’d just told him.

Tyler stares at me blankly. “Seriously? That’s what happened? They were fucking on your bed? And it’d been going on for that long?”

“Yup,” I reply, popping the ‘p’.

“Fuck, Lark.” He pushes off the dolly and strides over to me, wrapping me in a big ‘ol bear hug. “If you ever need to talk or vent, just let me know.” He pulls back and runs his hand down his short beard as he shakes his head. Then he looks at me, a question in his eyes. “Are you sure you don’t want to speak up about this? To set things straight? She’s saying a lot of awful shit about you, your family, and the supper club. Almost everyone in town knows you and knows you wouldn’t do anything that she’s saying, but there’s still a fair amount that don’t know you or your family that well. They might believe what Kelly’s spewing.”

I hesitate at that. I can see both sides, but do I really want to do that? I groan internally as I exhale heavily. He’s right. Fuck. This fucking fiasco could affect the supper club. Why didn’t I think of that? Exhaling heavily again, I nod as I make my decision.

“If she comes at me, addresses me directly, or comes to the supper club when I’m here while spewing that shit, then I’ll say something. But I can’t keep her from talking when I’m not around. No one can.”

We talk for a little bit more, thankfully not about my hot mess, before he has to leave to deliver the rest of his orders.

Turning back to our supply room, I silently tell myself that I can do this and I repeat that mantra over and over as I put everything away.

Later that night, I’ve just finished mixing a drink for a customer and, as I place it on a tray for the waitress to pick up, I hear a commotion toward the front of the dining room that has me looking up.

I freeze when I see Kelly standing there in a skintight red dress that shows off way too much cleavage as well as her baby bump. Not to mention the dress barely covers her ass. She’s draped over Aiden’s arm and his parents stand behind them.

I can’t contain my groan.

Judging by the glint in both Kelly’s and Richard’s eyes, I’m almost positive they’re going to make a scene.

Before we opened tonight, Ma, my grandparents, and I talked to all the staff that were scheduled to work tonight. Something I’m extremely grateful for now. There were a few of the newer employees who looked at me in disgust at first, and I knew they’d heard the shit Kelly had been spreading around town. However, when I set the record straight, their tunes quickly changed.

Not wanting to ban anyone, I told them that if the Coxes or Kelly were to come here, they were to be served like any other normal customer. However, if they caused a scene, then I would decide on the outcome. Most likely it would be kicking them out, but if things got out of hand, I wouldn’t hesitate to ban them from reentry in the future. Or call the cops if need be.

Taking a deep breath, I force myself to go back to mixing and preparing the drink orders while keeping an eye on them. I had hoped that Ashley, our hostess, would seat them further away from me, but again, it doesn’t seem like luck is on my side. Sheseats them three tables to my left and, of course, Kelly makes sure to sit in the chair facing the bar that I’m standing behind.

I force myself to keep busy, but another group of customers arriving a few minutes later has me looking up again, and this time I freeze for an entirely different reason.

Standing in front of the group is a man I’ve had a crush on since high school.

Reaper, the President of the local Steel Archangel’s MC chapter.

He was a couple of grades above me in school and he’s always had a dominant energy surrounding him. Like a ‘fuck with me and find out’ kind of vibe, even when we were in school. He never once paid me any attention, which was fine because it gave me tons of time to look my fill of him.

Tonight, though… Damn, he’s looking hotter than usual.

His blueish-gray eyes bore into me from across the room, and I feel myself blushing at the intensity in his eyes. He looks away to answer something Ashley asks him, and I take the chance to look him over. He’s wearing a dark blue t-shirt underneath his leather vest and it stretches across his biceps and chest, barely able to contain his muscles. His black jeans hug his thighs and not surprisingly, he’s wearing black biker boots.

My gaze rises and I feel myself blushing again when I realize he caught me staring at him. His lips kick up a little in the corner and that blush intensifies at that small gesture. He takes his cap off and runs his hand through his short, dark brown, almost black hair. His mustache and beard are neatly trimmed and I have a sudden urge to run my fingers through his beard to see if it’s as soft as it looks.

He follows Ashley while his other club members follow along behind him, and I quickly realize that Ashley’s leading him to a table that had recently been emptied and wiped down.

A table that is right in front of the bar.