Page 36 of Reaper & the Lioness (Lone Star Mavericks MC #1)
Chapter Twenty-Eight
M y sweet Lioness.
Ruthless. Cold. Beautiful.
A stunning and terrifying goddess of vengeance
I didn’t expect her to take justice into her own hands, but I was damn proud she did.
And by the looks my men gave me, they were just as surprised and impressed.
“That was … unexpected,” I said evenly as she lowered the gun.
Her hands didn’t shake, and the darkness glowing in her eyes held a steely resolve that sent a shiver down my spine.
“I’d be charged as an accessory anyway.” She smirked. “Might as well get the glory.”
Her past had forged her into a fierce survivor with a dark streak, but her response still shocked me.
It shouldn’t have. She had good reason for her distrust in law enforcement and lawyers.
Throughout her entire life, she’d been failed by the system time and time again.
Killing Hale and Benjamin here before they had the chance to weasel away was the most logical conclusion to the day’s events.
Matt struggled against the restraints, his eyes white with terror.
Eva stared at him uncertainly, her need for retribution warring with their long friendship.
It hit me then. She thought she needed to be fiercely independent, always shouldering her burdens alone.
But she didn’t have to anymore. I’d be damned if I let her carry this weight by herself.
I touched her shoulder. “Let us handle this one, Lioness. This is not a weight you need to bear alone.”
Merrick stepped forward. “We can take everything from here, VP. Go home. We’ll handle the rest.”
Eva bit her lip in thought, then nodded. “Thank you.”
She glanced at the Mavericks surrounding her—a pack I had no doubt would follow her every order now that they’d watched her reveal her ruthless side.
“I owe you guys. For finding me. For saving me.”
Merrick shook his head, a rare smile softening his hardened, scarred features. “You don’t owe us. You’re a part of our family now. We protect our own.”
“And we could never let anything happen to you,” Archer added with a snicker. “Reaper’s a lot more pleasant now that you’re around. We wouldn’t want to lose that.”
“And, with him off the market, it means more ladies for me,” Hatchet added.
I chuckled, wrapping my arm around Eva and guiding her to my truck.
Her body seemed fragile under my arm, like she might shatter if I let go.
But she held more strength than anyone I’d ever met.
Still, her bruised and battered face stirred something primal in my chest. A dark rage simmered just beneath the surface, one I’d need to let out through my own method of revenge.
I shot Merrick a text, asking him to kill the Abell lackey who had kidnapped Eva but to keep Matt alive overnight. Barely alive would be fine.
Next, I dialed up the club doctor. “Meet us at the clubhouse in twenty,” I said, my tone clipped.
Eva protested. “I’m fine. Really.”
I glanced down at her, noting the faint tremble in her hands despite her brave words. My chest tightened at the sight.
“Humor me,” I said, my voice softer this time but firm enough to leave no room for debate.
As we reached the truck, I opened the door for her and helped her climb in. Despite my careful movements, she let out a low moan of pain as she settled.
As I slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine, my mind churned with thoughts I couldn’t shake. That bastard. I should’ve figured it out sooner. How he’d responded to Eva when we’d walked into the bakery had been more than jealousy and surprise.
The image of her tied to the chair in the warehouse flashed through my mind, and a fresh wave of fury rolled over me. I’d failed to keep her safe and hated myself for it.
Eva shifted beside me, pulling me back to the present. She stared out the window, her ghostly pallor reflecting in the glass.
“How’d you find me so quickly?”
I smirked. “I put an AirTag in your back pocket this morning when you were getting ready.”
Her head snapped toward me, her eyes widening in surprise. “You what?”
I shrugged. “I needed to have every angle covered. I was planning to tell you tonight so you could laugh at how overprotective I am. But, it turns out my paranoia was warranted. Again.”
She let out a dark, low laugh before stopping to hold her side with a grimace. “Can’t argue with that.”
Thane and Rhetta stood waiting by the door when we pulled into the clubhouse parking lot. Rhetta rushed forward when Eva stepped out of the truck, wrapping her in a protective hug. She pulled back as Eva winced in pain.
“She needs to be checked out,” I told Rhetta as I nodded toward Doc waiting inside.
Rhetta didn’t hesitate, guiding Eva with a reassuring arm around her shoulders while I hung back with Thane.
Thane watched me with a grim expression as he lit a smoke. “What happened?”
I recounted everything—from Matt’s betrayal to Eva’s retribution. Thane’s expression darkened with each word, and his jaw clenched so tight I thought he might snap his teeth.
“Damn. Eva took them out herself?”
“She didn’t hesitate.”
Thane let out a low whistle. “That’s one hell of a woman, brother. She’s got more fight in her than half our prospects.”
“Yeah. She’s a renegade. I've never met a woman so fearless. And she has a ruthless sense of justice like I never imagined.”
“You sure she can handle the aftermath? The toll that pulling the trigger can take on a person?”
My jaw tightened. “Based on the look on her face afterward, I think it’ll only bring peace.”
“She’s got more in common with us than I thought,” Thane muttered.
Doc emerged a few minutes later. “She’s okay. Bruised ribs, some swelling, but nothing was broken. The adrenaline’s wearing off, but she’ll be fine with rest. I offered her something stronger for the pain, but she refused.”
Relief flooded through me with a touch of annoyance. Of course she would refuse the pain meds.
Eva stayed lost in thought on the quiet drive back to the cabin. Hawk greeted us with excited yips as we entered, his tail wagging. She winced as she knelt to scratch him behind the ears, and I clenched my jaw so hard it ached.
“Let’s get you cleaned up,” I said, guiding her toward the bathroom. Something twisted in me at the sight of blood smeared on her skin.
I eased her out of her clothes, wincing at every bruise revealed beneath them.
Deep purple marks mottled her ribs and arms. I wanted to shoot another bullet in Hale just for good measure.
I kept my movements calm and slow, despite the boiling rage within me.
Each cut, scrape, and bruise was a debt Matt would pay back in his blood.
I stripped down, sensing how drained the day had left her.
The shower hissed to life as I led her under the spray.
Warm water poured over our bodies, turning the white tile pink as blood and grime washed down the drain.
Grabbing a washcloth, I wiped away the blood from her face, careful not to press too hard on her split lip.
The silence filled the small bathroom thicker than the steam curling around us, and I fought the urge to ask if she was okay.
I wanted to rinse away every mark and memory of what she’d survived.
I pressed a hand to her back and guided her to let the water soak her hair.
Her eyes fluttered closed as I worked shampoo into her scalp, my fingers moving in slow, soft circles.
She leaned into my touch, and, for a moment, the rage inside me quieted.
After rinsing her hair, I turned off the shower and wrapped her in an oversized towel. She still hadn’t spoken a word.
“You’re the strongest woman I know, my Lioness,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”
She managed a tired smile and leaned into my chest as I wrapped my arms around her. We stayed like that for a minute before I helped her into one of my hoodies and guided her to the living room.
We sat in comfortable silence, Eva curled up on the couch with Hawk at her feet and a stiff drink in hand, until my phone buzzed.
“Linc,” I answered gruffly.
“It’s done. I worked through Benjamin Abell’s contacts and canceled the contract. She’s safe now. I also moved some of his money into an offshore account. You know, a small settlement for Eva for everything she’s been through.”
I relayed the news to Eva, and relief flooded her features. The tension coiled tight in my chest for days began to unwind.
Eventually, exhaustion caught up with us. I led Eva to the bedroom. Hawk padded along behind us and, for once, we let him sleep at our feet rather than in his crate. As we settled into bed, I pulled her close and breathed in her scent to reassure myself she was safe.
She fell asleep within minutes, but I lay awake.
My mind raced as I rehearsed every way I could make Matt pay.
Eventually, exhaustion dragged me under where my dreams twisted as my past and present collided, turning memories into monsters.
Images of my childhood blended with the horrors from the day before.
Details long forgotten rose to the surface and intermixed with the fear and fury that coursed through me when I saw Eva’s bruised body tied to a chair.
A jolt ripped me from sleep. My heart hammered against my ribs, and sweat beaded on my forehead as I sat up with a jerk. I couldn’t tell where—or when—I was for a moment as the remnants of the nightmare clung to me.
“Roman?” Eva’s sleepy voice cut through the darkness. “What’s wrong?”
I tried to steady my breathing. “Just a nightmare. Go back to sleep.”
She propped herself up beside me. I could see the concern in her eyes at my strained tone, even in the dim light.
“Tell me about it. Please?”
I hesitated. Eva’s hand found mine in the darkness, our fingers intertwining.
“It was about my old man. He was a drunk and an addict. He was always losing his shit on us and our mom. One time, when I was twelve, he really lost it.”
She squeezed my hand in silent encouragement.