Page 30 of Reaper & the Lioness (Lone Star Mavericks MC #1)
Chapter Twenty-Three
R hetta had stepped away to take a call when a hand groped my ass. But when I turned, it wasn’t Reaper.
Adrenaline and anger flooded into me as I shoved my palms into the chest of the biker. I didn’t recognize him from the introduction round earlier. He’d probably just walked in and had no idea I’d arrived with his VP.
“Sweetbutt, you can’t come in dressed like that and then play hard to get,” the man said, stepping back toward me.
I reached into the back waistband of my skirt where I’d tucked the weapon I always carried. In one fluid motion, I flicked open the switchblade and pressed it against the man’s chest, just enough to draw blood. The sharp tip pierced through his shirt, and his eyes widened in surprise.
“You fucking touch me or any other woman in this clubhouse again without consent, and I will slice you from your nuts to your throat,” I hissed, my voice low and dangerous.
I added more pressure to the blade, pressing it upward to cut him a centimeter deeper. A small crimson stain began to spread on the white T-shirt he wore below his prospect cut.
The man moved to shift back, but instead of walking away, he reached for the gun tucked in the back of his dirty blue jeans.
Fuck. Of course, I would bring a knife to a gunfight.
“You think you’re tough, bitch?” He sneered, his hand on his weapon. “Let’s see how tough you are when?—”
Before he could finish his threat, a familiar voice boomed through the clubhouse.
“Danny, get your goddamn dick fingers off your weapon and back the fuck away from my girl,” Reaper roared, grabbing the prospect by his neck and lifting his feet off the ground.
The clubhouse quieted as all eyes shifted to where we stood, my blade now pointed to the ground, dripping with Danny’s blood.
Merrick and Hatchet moved with purpose behind Reaper. Hatchet’s face was set in a hard line, and Merrick’s eyes blazed with a fierce glint. Seeing how quickly the men shifted from party to protect surprised me.
“We’ll take care of this, VP,” Merrick said as he tapped Reaper’s outstretched arm. “You get back to enjoying the party with Eva. Wouldn’t want to get blood on that pretty little outfit of hers.”
“Honestly, it looks like Eva could have handled this on her own.” Hatchet chuckled. “I’d like to know how she planned to use that blade next. Or maybe where.”
Merrick shot Hatchet a warning glance, his expression unyielding. “It’s not her job to hold dick weasels like this accountable. It’s ours. We’ve got this.”
Reaper released the prospect, and he crumbled to the ground. He delivered an aggressive kick to Danny’s ribs before turning to draw me into his arms.
My glare at Danny remained cold before I shifted my gaze to his eyes.
“What happened?” Reaper demanded.
I shrugged, aiming for nonchalance. “Oh, you know, just teaching Danny here about consent and personal space.”
Reaper’s jaw clenched.
I sighed and gave him the rundown. “He grabbed my ass, and when I pushed him back, he told me I couldn’t dress like this and then play hard to get. He came back toward me, so I pulled out my knife. In hindsight, I should have brought a gun, but I’m not sure where I’d carry one in this outfit.”
Reaper’s eyes darkened further, not amused by my attempt at humor. “Get him out of here,” he commanded as Merrick and Hatchet picked Danny up. “Strip him of his cut. Make sure he spends the next month thinking about his mistake with every breath he takes.”
Hawk nipped at Danny’s heels as Merrick and Hatchet dragged him away. Reaper tightened his arms around me. I could sense the tension in his body.
“Hey, I’m okay. Really. This isn’t my first rodeo with handsy assholes.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.”
“No, but I can handle myself.”
“You were nearly shot,” he countered.
“That’s a bit of an exaggeration. I had it under control. Besides, isn’t that why I have you? To watch my six when I’m busy being a badass?”
That finally got a small smile out of him. “You’re impossible.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer for a kiss. “Yeah, but you like it.”
The entire clubhouse watched. “All right, boys, the show’s over,” I said as I glanced around the room. “Unless someone else wants to take me on?”
I twirled the switchblade in my fingers, and the tension broke. Laughter rippled through the room, and conversations resumed. The party atmosphere returned nearly as quickly as it had stopped.
Reaper reached for my switchblade and stepped toward the bar.
“You need to give her your property patch, man,” Bones muttered to him as we moved past. “If she’d been wearing your colors, Danny wouldn’t have even thought about touching her.”
Reaper stiffened beside me and tightened his grip on my waist. I glanced up and caught a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes before he masked it. I turned to face him to broach the subject, but before I could speak, Thane clapped Reaper on the shoulder.
“Damn, brother. Your girl’s got some fire in her.” He grinned at me. “I didn’t like that prospect anyway. You did us a favor, weeding him out.”
Linc approached the bar as Reaper splashed bleach onto my blade. “You know those are illegal in most states?”
I scoffed. “They’ve been legal in Texas since 2013.”
Linc grinned as he glanced back at his brother. “I think you’ve truly found your match.”
Reaper handed the blade back to me. “Having a knife is smart. But maybe we should get you something with a bit more range.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Are you offering to take me gun shopping?”
“Maybe. We’ll see how you handle yourself at the range, first.”
“Prepare to be impressed.”
He grinned. “If you’re so confident, let’s set another wager.”
“Absolutely. I’ll win this time.”
After years of training with my dad and his crew, I had exceptional aim.
The shooting range had become my sanctuary as a teenager.
It served as a haven where I could channel my focus and unleash my inner badass.
While I may have presented myself as a polished PR professional, I had more than a few tricks up my sleeve—skills that would serve a purpose now that I found myself entrenched in the Mavericks’ world.
Reaper raised a brow at my expression. I smirked as his eyes darkened, a slow smile spreading across his face. Without warning, he grabbed my hand, his grip firm but gentle.
“Come with me.”
My heart raced as he led me through the hallway, past familiar rooms, until we reached a door I’d never noticed. He pulled out a key, unlocked the door, and pressed me in.
My eyes crossed the clean room. Weapons hung on the wall, and a desk with two large filing cabinets sat tucked in the corner. A sofa rested on the other side of the room beside a small safe.
The door’s lock clicked behind me before Reaper pulled me close, his hands sliding down to grip my hips.
“Lioness,” he murmured, his lips brushing against my ear. “I need you.”
I shivered at his words, heat pooling in my core as I felt his hard cock press against me.
“Did watching me cut up a prospect turn you on?” I asked with a breathy laugh.
“Watching my woman take control turns me on.”
I raised a brow. “Then I’m taking control tonight. Sit.”
He smirked at my commanding tone but made no move to sit.
I pushed him back roughly until his calves hit the sofa and stared into his eyes as I unzipped his jeans. I slid them to the floor, along with his boxers, before pushing him back.
I knelt before him, taking my tongue and running it up the underside of his cock. He hissed, and I lifted my gaze, giving him a feral grin. I had never felt such power and desire.
I gathered my long hair and piled it at the top of my head. “Hold here so this stays out of my face,” I ordered.
Reaper’s palm gripped my hair, and he shivered as I continued to stroke him with my hand, not breaking eye contact as my tongue swept across the tip of his cock.
I slid him between my lips and let a small moan release from the back of my throat, sending a vibration that caused his breath to hitch again.
I continued to stroke, using my hands and my mouth, upping the tempo until I could feel his orgasm building, the head of his cock growing in my mouth.
His grip tightened in my hair as he leaned his head back, letting out a shuddering groan as I sent him over the edge.
“Fuck me,” he swore as his saltiness filled my mouth.
I swallowed and grinned up at him. “Maybe I should take control more often.”
He pulled me up, shifting my skirt above my hips so I could straddle him. His hand brushed against me, and he gave me a wicked grin. “No panties?”
“I didn’t think we’d make it through the night without fucking. Figured this would make it easier.”
He kissed me, gripping my ass. “Just when I think I couldn’t want you more.” When he slipped his fingers against me, I could feel my wetness.
“Oh, Lioness. So ready every time I touch you,” he said, strumming his thumb against my clit. I began kissing his neck, moaning with every stroke of his fingers. He hardened beneath me again.
I ground my hips into him, his hard cock at my slick entrance. I pushed down and paused, gazing into his eyes.
“I’m falling so hard for you,” he said. “I would give you anything you asked for. Anything.”
I smirked as my movement took away his ability to form a coherent thought. “All I want is you.”
I continued to drive my hips against him and buried my face in his neck as our pace quickened. A wave of pure sensation crashed through me, triggering his own release as my muscles clenched around him.
“Lioness,” he groaned into my ear. “You are mine.”