Page 11 of Reaper & the Lioness (Lone Star Mavericks MC #1)
Chapter Eight
T he open highway stretched before us, asphalt cutting through the barren landscape outside Houston. Thane confidently led the pack on his Heritage Softail. Merrick and I flanked him in a tight, practiced formation on our own Harleys.
My mind wandered, replaying the scene from last night. Tyler’s gentle touch as he pushed Eva’s hair out of her face. The way her eyes lit up as she beamed at him.
The memory gnawed at me, causing a persistent ache in my chest.
Maybe that’s why I didn’t notice them at first.
Merrick’s sharp whistle cut through my thoughts. I glanced into the mirror before speeding up to ride beside Thane, signaling we had company. My surprise at the group of Rangers hot on our tail was why a distraction like Eva posed a danger to me and the club.
The group of three bikers rode erratically, weaving as they approached us. It wouldn’t have surprised me if they were high. Rangers often were, and that made them more unpredictable.
Before we could formulate a plan, the crack of gunfire split the air. Bullets whizzed past, uncomfortably close. One pinged off my bike’s frame.
I’d just paid off the custom paint job on this damn bike.
“Fuck!” Merrick’s curse was barely audible over the roar of the engines as he swerved his black shovelhead. He avoided a second shot by an even more narrow margin.
In one fluid motion, I reached for my Glock. The familiar weight of the weapon grounded me. Twisting in my seat, I returned fire, the recoil traveling up my arm. Thane and Merrick followed suit, our bikes weaving as we squeezed our triggers.
The Rangers’ impaired state worked to our advantage. Their shots were wild, most going wide. But they compensated for what they lacked in accuracy with a sheer volume of fire.
White-hot pain lanced through my left arm.
I’d been hit. Blood seeped through my shirt, the leather of my cut growing slick and warm as it spread.
I glanced down and relief washed over me as I appraised the wound.
Through the blood I could see it was only a graze.
I clenched my jaw. It was less about the pain and more the annoyance when I noticed the scar would cut across one of my oldest tattoos.
As we approached an overpass, Thane’s voice cut through the chaos.
Using hand signals and shouts, we formulated a plan on the fly.
We sped up, and our engines roared as we pulled our bikes over to the right side of the highway.
The concrete barrier provided cover as Merrick laid down suppressing fire.
The Rangers slowed, confusion evident in their hesitation as they noticed our disappearance. Their moment of uncertainty gave us the opportunity we needed.
My first shot caught the lead Ranger square in the chest. He slumped forward as his bike veered before crashing into the guardrail.
The second Ranger, distracted by his fallen comrade, was thrown back by Thane’s next bullet. It caught him in the head, and he went down hard, his body rag-dolling across the asphalt.
The third tried to speed away, but I caught him in the side before he could escape. His bike careened into a road sign, and the metal shrieked as it twisted around him.
The silence after the firefight was broken only by our heavy breathing and the ticking of our cooling engines.
Thane’s hard expression surveyed the scene. “We need to move. Now. This stretch is empty, but we can’t count on it staying that way.”
I flexed my injured arm, wincing at the sharp pain. “What about the bodies?”
I reached into my saddlebag and pulled out a spare T-shirt. The fabric tore easily as I fashioned a makeshift bandage.
Thane shook his head. “No time. Right now, we need to get clear. The highway patrol won’t lose sleep investigating this.
” He paused, his gaze sweeping over Merrick and me.
“We need to call everyone in for Church. Figure out our next move. I’ll text Rodriguez to ask him to give us a heads up if PD points to us for this. ”
T he ride to the clubhouse was tense. Every passing car and distant siren sent a fresh wave of unease through us. The adrenaline from the firefight wore off, replaced by gnawing anxiety and the burning pain in my arm.
The familiar sight of our brothers lounging outside the clubhouse did little to ease the knot in my stomach. Thane dismounted and barked orders to gather everyone for Church in thirty minutes.
I followed him into the clubhouse. I gritted my teeth against the searing pain. It wasn’t my first gunshot wound, and it certainly wouldn’t be my last.
Leah spotted me as she wiped down the counter. Without missing a beat, she grabbed the first aid kit from under the bar.
“Jesus, Reaper. Again?”
I grunted a response as she grabbed my arm to examine the cratered hole through my bicep. Club bartender and unofficial medic. She’d patched us up more times than I could count, and while her bedside manner left a lot to be desired, she was steady as hell.
Leah grabbed a bottle of Everclear and poured it straight onto the wound. The liquid burned like fire, and I hissed through clenched teeth.
“Stop your bitching,” Leah barked as she tore open sterile gauze. “I’ve seen worse. You got lucky. Again.”
She wrapped my arm tight with gauze and elastic bandages, tying it off with an aggressive knot.
“Bleed on my floor and I’ll put another bullet through you,” she said, eyes locked hard on mine. No coddling, no sugarcoating. It’s why she fit in with the Mavericks.
The news spread, and soon the clubhouse hummed. Cigarette smoke and tension filled the air as Thane recounted the highway ambush.
He calmly lit a smoke as he gazed around the room. “This changes everything. The Rangers have made their move. Now it’s our turn.”
Hatchet leaned forward with a roguish grin. “I have an idea. We’ve got that shipment coming in on Sunday. What if we use it as bait? Let those cocksuckers think they’re gonna hit the motherlode. But we’ll be waiting for them.”
“It’s risky,” Thane mused. “But if we pull it off …”
“We’ll mow them the fuck down,” I finished. “Even if their president isn’t there, it’ll send a message.”
Merrick glanced between Thane and me. His fingers drummed restlessly on the oak table. “We’ve got one shot at this and not a lot of time to make it happen.”
Thane’s voice cut through the chatter. “You’ve got that right. Failure’s not an option. Let’s work it out now.”