Page 29 of Reaper & the Lioness (Lone Star Mavericks MC #1)

Chapter Twenty-Two

I leaned against the hood of my truck, texting a subcontractor, when the door to my cabin opened. I knelt to greet the fur missile barreling toward me and nearly fell backward when I noticed a pair of soft black cowboy boots and bare legs before me.

My gaze continued upward to the soft black leather miniskirt that accentuated Eva’s ass. Her slim waist was wrapped in flames that licked up to her breasts in a deep V. Her hair framed her face in soft curls, and she’d colored her lips a sinful, deep maroon.

She embodied a dark goddess who I would kneel before until the day I died. For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. My heart hammered, and possessiveness and pride surged through my chest. This fierce, beautiful creature belonged to me.

“Fuck,” I managed to say, my voice hoarse. “You look …”

Words failed me. How could I describe the reaction in my heart, mind, and gut? Like I simultaneously burned in a fire and drowned in a lake. Like I wanted to show her off to the world but also hide her away.

Eva smirked, enjoying my reaction. She sauntered to me with lethal grace.

I straightened. “You’re going to cause a riot,” I said, only half joking. The thought of other men gazing at her sent a spike of jealousy through me.

“Good thing you’ll be there to protect me then, huh?”

“Always,” I promised, meaning it more than I’d ever meant anything in my life.

I leaned in close as I opened the truck door and inhaled her intoxicating citrusy scent. “We could always skip the dinner. Stay here instead.”

Eva’s laugh carried through the air. “Nice try. But I’ve been cooped up too long. Let’s have dinner with your friends, and then we’ll come back so you can find out what I’ve got underneath this little get-up. Or, maybe what’s not underneath.”

I groaned and shifted uncomfortably. Now I’d wonder about that all night. Did she wear lace under that skirt, or nothing at all?

I couldn’t stop glancing at Eva as we drove to the clubhouse. The way the warm sun caught her hair, the curve of her neck as she stared out the window, the slight smile on her lips. I’d fallen for her. Hard and fast.

“So, I need to ask you for a favor,” Eva started, her tone careful.

“Right now, I would burn the world down for you, babe.”

“I need to be at a meeting tomorrow at three at Maisie’s Bakery.

Matt is meeting one of Hale’s victims there, and she’s willing to talk on the record.

I need you to take me. You can bring the whole damn club to protect me if you want, but I need to do this.

I need the closure, and this girl probably does, too. ”

My grip on the steering wheel tightened. “No. It’s too dangerous. I can’t allow it.”

Eva’s head whipped toward me, and her eyes flashed in fury. “Excuse me? You don’t ‘allow’ me to do anything. You do not control me.”

“I’m not trying to control you. There’s a contract out on your life. You can’t just?—”

She cut me off. “I’ve been taking care of myself long before you came along. I don’t need a keeper.”

“This is about keeping you alive. In case you’ve forgotten, the Abells want you dead. The story is not worth your life.”

“And what about the girl? What about getting justice for what Hale did? I have to expose him.”

“We’ll find another way. One that doesn’t place you in the crosshairs. Let Matt do the interview.”

“Matt is coordinating it, but I have to be there, or else she doesn’t talk.”

“Then she doesn’t talk.” I regretted the words as the hurt flashed across Eva’s face.

“Wow,” she said, the anger in her voice replaced by disappointment. “I thought you, of all people, would understand why this is important.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I took a deep breath as I tried to formulate a calm and measured response. “I do understand. But you have to see it from my perspective. If anything happened to you?—”

“I get that you want to protect me. But you can’t lock me away forever. If you care at all for me, you’ll respect that.”

Every instinct screamed at me to keep her safe. I needed to shield her from any potential harm. But if I tried to control Eva, I’d lose her.

I let out a heavy sigh. “Fine. But I’m coming with you. And we’re bringing backup. Non-fucking-negotiable.”

A small smile of victory tugged at her lips. “I can live with that.”

We pulled into the clubhouse parking lot, and I turned to her, cupping her face. “You’re going to be the death of me, my Lioness.”

“But what a way to go, right?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. I pulled her in for a kiss before we walked into the clubhouse with Hawk biting at his leash.

As we said our hellos, I couldn’t tell what excited the guys more—meeting the woman who dominated my thoughts or playing with her energetic puppy. Hawk’s tail wagged as he soaked up the attention.

We navigated the room, Eva’s confidence radiating as she shook hands and exchanged greetings. I introduced her to Bones, our resident mechanic, and Archer, a sniper I’d served beside in Iraq. Her quick wit matched their rough humor.

“So, you’re the one who’s got our VP all tied up.” Bones grinned, his grease-stained hands crossed over his chest.

Eva smirked. “Well, usually I’m the one who’s tied up, but that’s between us.”

They roared with laughter. Pride and affection welled in my chest as I watched her interact with my men.

I also couldn’t help but notice the glances some threw her way.

I caught more than one gazing appreciatively down her body as we moved through the clubhouse.

A surge of possessiveness rose in me, and I tightened my grip on her waist.

Eva leaned in close. “Easy there. Don’t get jealous. They can look as long as they don’t touch.”

“Doesn’t mean I like it. If anyone even thinks about touching you, I’ll kill them.”

She rolled her eyes and patted my shoulder as if she thought my response was an overreaction. I mean, it was, but I was also completely serious.

Eventually, Rhetta swooped in and pulled Eva toward the bar. “All right, boys. I’m stealing Eva for some girl talk.”

As they walked away, Eva threw a wink over her shoulder that had my blood heating.

Thane sidled up to me with a knowing grin on his face. “She’s something else. You thinking of giving her your patch?”

“Yeah. Just hope she’s ready for what that means.”

Thane lit another smoke. “It’s about damn time you settled down. You’re too old to get away with being a manwhore like Hatchet.”

I chuckled. “You were more of a manwhore than Hatchet before you met Rhetta.”

He slapped me on the back. “Yeah, and then I got old. I needed a drama-free zone and someone to keep me in line. Make sure I take my vitamins and shit so I don’t die. I think you’ve found that now, too. You're nearly forty. You won't live past fifty if you don't settle down.”

Thane stepped away, and I joined Merrick, Hatchet, Archer, and Bones in a corner.

“We need to talk. Eva’s got a meeting tomorrow at Maisie’s Bakery. One of Hale’s victims is willing to talk to her for their investigation.”

Merrick’s eyebrows shot up. “And you’re letting her go?” His tone was laced with a protective edge that indicated he considered Eva under his watch because she was with me. It was a hell of a shift, considering he’d been just as dead-set against Thane hiring her as I was.

I snorted. “She can be very convincing. I need you guys there to help protect her.”

Hatchet nodded. “We’ll set up a perimeter. Merrick and I can be inside, blending in with the customers.” He flashed a charming smile at one of the women nearby. She giggled and playfully rolled her eyes.

“Focus, Hatchet,” Merrick growled.

“I’ll have eyes on the street,” Bones added. “Full surveillance setup.”

Merrick ground his teeth. I recognized the skepticism in his eyes.

“What? Speak the fuck up, Merrick. I can tell you’re not saying what you really think.”

“It’s a bad idea. You’re exposing her—and us—to unnecessary risk. Can’t we arrange for the victim to meet somewhere more secure? Maybe here?”

I shook my head. “The location is already set. Her journalist buddy arranged it.”

Merrick’s eyes narrowed. “What if it’s a trap? We’ve made a lot of enemies lately.”

“You think I haven’t considered that? I don’t like this any more than you do. But Eva won’t back down. We either help her, or she’ll go rogue.”

Merrick held my gaze for a moment longer before nodding reluctantly. “If you’re sure about this, I want to get the keys to the store from Don tonight. I’ll have Linc set up some extra cameras, and we’ll rearrange the seating to keep her away from windows.”

He paused, his eyes meeting mine. “Man, if I were you, I’d even put a vest on her.”

I turned to watch Eva and Rhetta at the bar. The sight of her so carefree and beautiful tightened my chest. I hated agreeing to this, but stopping Eva wasn’t an option.

“Do it. Archer, I want you and Jay watching everyone through a fucking scope. Green light to shoot anyone who is remotely a threat to her.”

Hatchet nodded, already pulling out his phone. “I’ll go get the keys from Don now, and we’ll meet you there in an hour. That should be enough time for Linc to grab whatever cameras and shit he needs.”

“One more thing. If anything goes sideways, Eva’s safety is the priority. Get her out, no matter what. Understood?”

A chorus of affirmatives met my ears. Some of the tension left my shoulders. No questions asked, my brothers had my back—and now, they had Eva’s, too.

“Fuck,” Bones breathed. He nodded his head toward the commotion near the bar. “VP, you’re going to want to get over there right now. Someone is about to get their ass kicked, and by the looks of things, your girl might win.”