Page 29 of Reaper's Claim

“That a bad thing?”

“Itisbecause I don’t really want to live with her, but thanks to Kim’s outburst last night...” I looked down at the ground. “Dad thinks that shipping us off will fix everything.”

Kade was quiet. Like real quiet. I looked up, crossed my arms, and raised an eyebrow. “Spill it, Kade, what are you thinking?”

It was the emotions behind his cool expression that had me knowing he had an opinion on this.

“Club isn’t a place for girls.” He leaned back against the wall.

It was just him and me in the empty hallway. I stood a bit taller in front of him. “Girl? You think I’m a girl?”

“You’re eighteen, still in high school. Yeah, I think you’re still a girl.”

A girl? I wanted to hit him. I wanted to punch that thought from his mind. I was not a little girl. “So that is what you think of me? A girl who can’t handle herself?”

“No, you’re a girl who has been harassed, nearly raped, and hanging around bad ass men her whole life. Having you and your sister around this club just brings drama. Men are men, and you’re baiting yourself in front of men with no morals.”

Well there it was; he didn’t have an opinion, he had a bloody lecture.

“Well, who knew you had such a strong opinion?” I thought he was different. Why did I think he could see me as somewhat equal?

In Kade’s mind—everyone’s mind—Kim and I were nothing but a problem. A problem they couldn’t even bang.

“Nice to know what you really think.” I tried to storm away, you know, act my age. But Kade stopped me, wrapping one of his big powerful hands around my wrist.

“I’m leaving, and you’re just going to storm off without even saying goodbye?”

He was leaving. Fine, leave. Go. Leave me with this mess.

It was at that moment I woke up to myself. Kade wasn’t my boyfriend; he wasn’t even my friend. So why did I think I could lean on him for support? He wasn’t even a good guy.

“Bye.”

“Bitchy this morning, aren’t you?”

“FINE, what do YOU want ME to say?”

“Nothing.” He let go of my wrist. “Go on then, fuck off.” He nodded his head down the hallway for me to leave.

“You know what your problem is, Reaper? You think I care.” I gave him a cold look. “You honestly think that I give a shit if you ride out or not? You’re just another biker.” My words were cold, my face was stern, and god, I had stepped bitch up to whole new level. “And if you haven’t noticed, I’m surrounded by bikers. So you’re just another dirty, badly tattooed one that seems to have a habit of riding in and out.”

I was angry. No! Furious!

First, his face went tight. His jaw clenched and just when I thought he was about to punch through my coldness with his own harsh words, he leaned in and did something I didn’t expect.

We stumbled back until he had me against the wall. His hands gripped the side of my face, and his lips drove down. It wasn’t loving, and it wasn’t gentle. It was raw and hard, and I loved it.

I didn’t push him away, but I didn’t wrap my arms around him either.

He pulled away, his eyes zoned in on mine. “If any other biker or fucking man for that case touches you, he’s a dead man walking.” His voice was like a sexual dose that sent my body alight, but the raw threatening tone behind his words sent a wave of realization over me. “You can storm off now, babe. I think I made my point.”

I wished I could have kept up that cold expression from before, but I didn’t have a chance. My shock and fear washed over my face. I slowly turned and walked down the hall, stunned. My feet were on automatic while my mind went into overdrive, trying to figure out what the hell he meant.

He had made his point? What the fuck did that mean?

Chapter 9

Abby